Hello

I'm an architect. I have worked with foreign clients before and I can give you some answers regarding buying land and building in Portugal. If anyone has any specific questions just post it.

From our previous Clients we have made a list of common mistakes:

1.Buying the land before knowing how much one can build on it, if any at all. Check the city hall (Camara Municipal) and get the help of an architect. A lawyer in this phase would do much since it is something related with building.
2.Buying the land before doing a very simple survey to see if the land your buying is all there: The records in Portugal are very old, and generally what is on the paper is not what is on the land. It might be more and in might be less.
3.Expect that the architectural project be readily approved after submitting to City Hall. It takes an average of 9 month to get the approval. If building outside of major city centres, 6 months minimum.

These are just some of the things you should plan.

Be prepared to wait a long time to get the planning permission aproved by the Camara, its a long winded complicated system that will drive you to despair before the final stages of the planning permission arrives.




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