What the Energy Certificate Tells Algarve Buyers in 2026
Every home advertised for sale in Portugal has to carry an energy certificate, and for buyers looking at the Algarve it is one of the more useful documents to understand early. The Certificado Energético gives a property an efficiency rating and a short list of suggested improvements, and it sits inside a regulated national system […]
A Buyer’s Guide to Praia da Luz Property in 2026
Praia da Luz sits on the coast a short drive west of Lagos, and it remains one of the more settled corners of the western Algarve for overseas buyers. It is a resort village built around a south-facing bay, and it has drawn a steady flow of British and Northern European owners for several decades. […]
What Snagging and Handover Checks Involve on a New Build in the Western Algarve in 2026
A new-build villa or apartment in the western Algarve is handed over once the developer says it is finished. Before you take the keys and sign off, you have a window to inspect it and record anything that is not right. That inspection is your snagging, and it matters more than buyers expect. Snagging means […]
What Non Resident Buyers Should Know About Financing an Algarve Property in 2026
Many overseas buyers assume they will pay for an Algarve home in cash, then find that a Portuguese mortgage is both available to them and worth weighing up. Non-residents can borrow from Portuguese banks, though the terms differ from a resident’s. This guide sets out what a non-resident mortgage looks like in 2026, from how […]
Do You Need a Portuguese Bank Account to Buy Property in the Algarve in 2026
When overseas buyers plan a purchase in the western Algarve, the question of banking tends to come up late. By then the focus is on the property and the completion date, and the practical matter of where money will actually sit gets pushed down the list. It is worth asking early, though, because the answer […]
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 […]
