Land in Portugal

[Bushell86]

Hi,

I've been really interested in having a property abroad for quite sometime now. I have been doing some research but a lot of sites are quite contradictive, and I feel some are more sales pitches than providing useful information.

I'm looking for a country retreat in Portugal, well away from the tourist and city life. I know there is many places like this in central Portugal, and I'm finding lots of potential plots of land. Although, some seem too good to be true, and thats were I need some help from someone who's a bit more clued up.

My plan is to find a plot of land, about 1 acre and build a wooden cabin. It'll be a permanent structure (I'm not deluded or going down the path of trying to build a wooden cabin because I think I'll get away with planning permission, I just genuinely like wooden structures - and of course they are a lot cheaper). The big question is, in rural Portugal how much would 1 acre of land costs, preferably with water and electricity and the correct planning rights?

I've been getting a lot of emails from potential sellers with a nice plot of land, and stating planning permission could easily be achieved. I don't want to take someones word, as I'll be investing most of my savings on this.

Can anyone provide any tips, price guidelines regarding this?

Thanks in advance

 

[Algarve]

wooden cabin

Dear Sir,

First of all you should be aware that many municipalities in Portugal do not authorize wooden cabins. But the ones which allow ask for exactly the same plans as if if were a brick house, unless if the wooden cabin is movable and by movable they mean it has to have wheels. Plus, a lot of municipalities refuse to accept them because they are regarded as something that is reserved for campings. I own a very nice plot in Tavira, on the hills of Santa Catarina da Fonte do Bispo and I tried to build a wooden cabin and I have a ruin in the plot, but the mayor's office refused the project, so my only chance to live there is if I rebuild the ruin. You can only build a wooden cabin in a plot where you can build anyother type of house. If you buy a plot and try to build without the proper permission, the municipality will ask you to remove it or they will do the job and charge you for that.

 

[Albainbridge]

I was looking into putting a Log cabin on my land. I'm situated in the Albufeira area but was told that I would need planning permission. A friend of mine who was considering the same but in the Faro district told me he didn't. I'be of help is that m afraid sometimes it depends upon who you speak to at the local Camera (council).
In the end I brought a Mobile home down from England. I was told that planning permission necessary if it was connected to the services.
What I did find out though is that if you are planning to operate some sort of small holding say Oranges etc or even better Bees you can put in for permission for a small building.
If you go to your local Camera they'll advise you...as long as you speak to the right person.
Better still get yourself a good lawyer, they know who to speak to. It'll save you a lot of trouble.
I can give you details of mine, who used to represent the abbey national when in Portugal.
She's acted for me since 1999 and I can't fault her. Just let me know if you want her contact details.

 

[Algarve]

CCDR Algarve

In order to get such a permission (bees or any fruit) you need to ask permission to build an "apoio agrícola" to the CCDR Algarve. They are in Faro and you should be asked at the least 100 euros just to get the answer. I did it once and I got a "no" as an answer. It depends on the type of plot and its dimension. There are two types - Reserva Agrícola and Reserva Ecológica - and sometimes you may find a third one called "Natura 2000". If the plot is "Natura 2000" forget it. But if it is inside one of the other two "reservas" you may be lucky and get a permission. But never tell them the idea of having a log cabin or anything like that. You must ask for the permission to build a "apoio agrícola". This "apoio agrícola" is often used to store equipment used in the harvests. You can tell the CCDR you want to plant orange trees or something. Camâras accept the permissions from CCDR and not the opposite. Good Luck.

I was looking into putting a Log cabin on my land. I'm situated in the Albufeira area but was told that I would need planning permission. A friend of mine who was considering the same but in the Faro district told me he didn't. I'be of help is that m afraid sometimes it depends upon who you speak to at the local Camera (council).
In the end I brought a Mobile home down from England. I was told that planning permission necessary if it was connected to the services.
What I did find out though is that if you are planning to operate some sort of small holding say Oranges etc or even better Bees you can put in for permission for a small building.
If you go to your local Camera they'll advise you...as long as you speak to the right person.
Better still get yourself a good lawyer, they know who to speak to. It'll save you a lot of trouble.
I can give you details of mine, who used to represent the abbey national when in Portugal.
She's acted for me since 1999 and I can't fault her. Just let me know if you want her contact details.

 

[Albainbridge]

Thanks for a detailed explanation. Very informative.
I'm also looking into 'splitting my land'. I'm fortunate to have an official annex with it's own tax number. I'm told very unusual in Portugal.
I've asked my lawyer (last week) to look into it for me. We'll have to see.
I know there used to be a law allowing this sort of thing if wanting to house your Children but not sure if it's changed. Hope not!
If I can't I'll be selling up, bad time to sell I know!

 

[Algarve]

Razões Ponderosas

There was a law like that, but I think it does not exist anymore. Check PROTALGARVE. The idea was to give the owners of the plot the right to give to their children a "roof" (a home). The legal term was "razões ponderosas" or a serious reason to build a new home in a plot where before there was none or where there was the parents'home. I think the new PROTALGARVE cancelled that "excuse" to build. But if the annex has a different "matriz predial" it means it is a different building, because one building has only one "matriz". Matrizes comes in 3 different ways - urbanas, rústicas and mistas. Mistas are compositions of one urbana plus one rústica. Sometimes and normally due to a mistake in the past, buildings end up having two matrizes urbanas and thus it is possible to think, in theory, that you can build two homes. But "matrizes" is a definition that appears only in the building description in the "finanças" in a document called "Caderneta Predial" and its purpose is to identify a building in order to charge taxes. The description of the building that really gives you the power to own it and build is the "Certidão de Teor" issued by the "Conservatória do Registo Predial". Whatever comes in the "Certidão de Teor" is exactly what you own and it reflects the rights to build that you have.

 

[Michelle coatsworth]

I was looking into putting a Log cabin on my land. I'm situated in the Albufeira area but was told that I would need planning permission. A friend of mine who was considering the same but in the Faro district told me he didn't. I'be of help is that m afraid sometimes it depends upon who you speak to at the local Camera (council).
In the end I brought a Mobile home down from England. I was told that planning permission necessary if it was connected to the services.
What I did find out though is that if you are planning to operate some sort of small holding say Oranges etc or even better Bees you can put in for permission for a small building.
If you go to your local Camera they'll advise you...as long as you speak to the right person.
Better still get yourself a good lawyer, they know who to speak to. It'll save you a lot of trouble.
I can give you details of mine, who used to represent the abbey national when in Portugal.
She's acted for me since 1999 and I can't fault her. Just let me know if you want her contact details.

 

[Michelle coatsworth]

Hi can you tell me if you got your permission and was it a long process
We are wanting to do the same on a piece of land in paderne and are just going to start looking to buy land to put on a log cabin