This guide is designed to help you ask better questions, organise evidence and know when professional or official confirmation is needed. Requirements and individual circumstances can change, so use the dated official sources at the end.
1. Build a real purchase budget
The asking price is only the starting point.
Decide whether the property will be your main home, a second home or an investment before modelling tax and finance. Your lender may use the lower of the agreed price and its valuation when calculating the loan, so keep a buffer if the valuation could come in lower.
Model the deposit, IMT, purchase stamp duty, loan stamp duty where applicable, registration, independent legal work, survey or technical inspection, insurance, immediate repairs, condominium charges and the cost of moving.
- Keep accessible cash beyond the deposit
- Ask for annual IMI and condominium costs
- Stress-test the mortgage at a higher interest rate
2. Investigate before you reserve
Use the viewing to test facts, condition and daily life.
Visit in daylight and again when the neighbourhood is busy. Look beyond finishes: check natural light, noise, mobile signal, water pressure, windows, damp indicators, common areas, parking and evidence of alterations.
Do not rely on an advert, floor plan or verbal assurance as proof. Ask which facts are supported by current documents and which are still awaiting confirmation.
A reservation payment can create pressure before the legal file is understood. Obtain independent advice on the written terms and refund conditions before transferring money.
3. Reconcile the legal and technical file
The documents should describe the same property you viewed.
Ask for the current land-registry certificate, caderneta predial, licence of use or applicable exemption, energy certificate, approved plans and the Ficha Técnica da Habitação where applicable. For an apartment, review the condominium declaration, recent minutes, budget, insurance and planned works.
An independent Portuguese lawyer or solicitor should check ownership, charges, rights, pending registrations, use, areas, alterations, pre-emption issues and the seller’s authority. A technical survey addresses physical condition; it is not replaced by legal due diligence.
- Compare owners and property description across records
- Check that physical alterations appear on approved plans
- Clarify debts, leases, occupiers and handover condition
4. Protect the CPCV and complete
The contract should reflect the risks that matter to your purchase.
Before signing a contrato-promessa de compra e venda, agree the price, deposit, completion date, inclusions, vacant possession and what happens if finance, valuation, documents or other agreed conditions are not satisfied. Do not copy conditions from another transaction without advice.
Before the deed, confirm the final statement of funds, current documents, IMT and stamp-duty payment, insurance and registration arrangements. Recheck the property close to completion and record keys, meters and agreed contents at handover.
- Use independent legal representation
- Keep payment instructions independently verified
- Retain signed documents and payment evidence
Practical checklist
Warning signs worth investigating
Pressure to transfer a reservation immediately
Owner, area or use differs between documents
Alterations are absent from approved plans
Payment requested to an unrelated account
Access to documents or another viewing is refused
Check the current position
CasaCerta uses primary Portuguese sources wherever possible. Open the source and confirm that it still applies to your transaction and circumstances.
gov.pt · Buying and selling propertyOfficial overview of documents, taxes and completion.Tax Authority · Buying a homeCurrent IMT and stamp-duty guidance.Justiça · Casa ProntaOfficial property transaction and registration service.SCE · Certificate searchValidate an energy certificate.CasaCerta provides decision-support information. It does not replace a current title search, municipal confirmation, legal opinion, tax assessment, structural survey, mortgage offer or advice tailored to your circumstances.