Buying rural land in Portugal: a step-by-step guide
Thinking of buying a farm, plot or ruin in Portugal? The legal checks to make, in the right order, before you pay a deposit.
Know exactly what you are buying, before you pay a deposit.
A written property check in plain English, covering the records and the land itself.
Why it matters
Once you sign a promissory contract (CPCV) and pay a deposit, walking away usually means losing it. Every issue that could stop you buying, or change what you can do with the property, should be found before that point.
What we check
- Ownership that the person selling is the registered owner, and who else must sign.
- Charges mortgages, liens or seizures, and how they will be cleared.
- The three records Land Registry, tax record and cadastre or BUPi, and where they disagree.
- The land itself area and boundaries on the ground, compared with the records.
- What you can do classification, municipal master plan and agricultural or ecological reserves.
- Buildings whether they are recorded and licensed, or exempt.
- Access and easements legal access and rights others have over the land.
- Rights of preference neighbours, tenants or co-owners who may have the right to buy first.
What you receive
A written report that explains each finding, what it means for you, who should fix it and how it should be handled in the promissory contract. If you go ahead, we can draft or review the contract and take the purchase through to registration.
Learn more
Land Registry, Tax Office and Cadastre: why Portuguese property records disagree
Why the area in the deed, the tax record and the map rarely match on rural property in Portugal, what it means for buyers and how it is fixed.
What to check before signing a promissory contract (CPCV) in Portugal
Signing a promissory contract (CPCV) in Portugal? The checks on the seller, the property and the contract to make before you pay your deposit.
Buying a ruin or old farmhouse in Portugal: the legal checks before you pay
Dreaming of restoring a ruin or old farmhouse in Portugal? The legal checks to make first, from whether the building legally exists to what the municipality will allow.
Access, rights of way and easements on rural property in Portugal
Buying rural land in Portugal? How to check legal access, rights of way and other easements, and how to fix problems before you sign.
Found a property you like?
Send us the listing or the address. We'll tell you what needs checking and quote a fixed fee.