How to Hold Title When Buying an Algarve Property as a Couple or Family in 2026
When an overseas couple or family buys in the western Algarve, most of the planning goes into the property and the price. How the ownership will actually be held is often left until the notary’s office, which is usually too late to change comfortably. In Portugal, title is not held through the English ideas of […]
What the Ficha Técnica de Habitação Tells Algarve Buyers in 2026
When buying a property in the Algarve, most attention tends to go to the deed, the surveys and the mortgage. The paperwork that describes how a home was actually put together often receives far less notice. One document worth understanding early is the Ficha Técnica de Habitação. It is a technical record of the property, […]
What Happens Between Signing the CPCV and Completion on an Algarve Property in 2026
Once you have signed the CPCV on an Algarve property, the deal is done in every way that matters. The contrato-promessa de compra e venda is the binding commitment, and both sides are now legally locked in. What follows is not uncertainty but preparation. This piece walks through the window between signing the CPCV and […]
How the Annual IMI Property Tax Works for Owners in the Algarve in 2026
Once the deed is signed and the keys change hands, the one-off costs of buying give way to the recurring ones, and for most owners in the Lagos and western Algarve market the first of these is the annual IMI bill. IMI, the Imposto Municipal sobre Imoveis, is the municipal property tax charged every year […]
What Happens at the Escritura Day for an Algarve Property Purchase in 2026?
The escritura pública de compra e venda is the day a purchase actually completes in Portugal. It is the signing of the deed at the notary or at a Casa Pronta property registry office, the moment ownership transfers and IMT and stamp duty are paid. Most overseas buyers in the Lagos and western Algarve market […]
Inside a Portuguese Mortgage Offer for Non-Resident Buyers in 2026
Once a Portuguese bank approves your finance, what you receive is a formal document: the proposta de crédito habitação, accompanied by the European Standardised Information Sheet known locally as the FINE. For most non-resident buyers in Lagos, this is the first sight of the actual loan terms in writing, and it tends to be longer […]
Sorting Home Insurance on a Newly Bought Algarve Property in 2026
Once the keys to a property around Lagos or the wider western Algarve change hands, a quieter list of tasks begins, and insurance tends to sit near the top of it. Overseas buyers often assume cover carries across from the seller or comes bundled with the purchase, and it usually does neither. It is common […]
Should You Commission a Building Survey Before Buying in the Western Algarve in 2026
Buyers arriving from the UK often expect a building survey to be a routine step, the way it tends to be back home. In Portugal the picture is different. A structural or condition survey is not customary here, and in many cases a sale completes without one. That does not mean it is never worth […]
Using a Power of Attorney to Buy an Algarve Property Remotely in 2026
Many overseas buyers who fall for a property around Lagos or the wider western Algarve cannot easily be in Portugal for every step of the purchase, and the final deed is fixed for a specific day that rarely suits both a notary’s diary and a long-haul flight. In many cases the practical answer is a […]
What Off Plan Buyers in the Western Algarve Should Know About Bank Guarantees and Milestone Payments
Off plan purchases are a recognisable part of the western Algarve market, particularly around Lagos, Meia Praia and the developments along the coast towards Luz and Burgau. Buyers are drawn to newer specifications and the ability to secure a property before completion. The trade off is that you are paying for something that does not […]
