FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION

We are happy to have an initial 30-45-minute conversation, which can be done via Skype, Whatsapp, or telephone. Due to increasing demand, and to the fact that people were spending hours on the phone or in person with our team members, we need to limit this initial contact to answering key questions and determining if there is a mutual fit so we can provide our best services.

The services below are all available for our Finder Services clients. We do not offer them individually on an ad-hoc basis, but as part of the service for clients who have committed to work with us exclusively.

PROPERTY SEARCH / FINDER SERVICE (BUYER OR RENTAL)

Once we have answered your initial questions, and you are comfortable that our method of working is a good fit for you, you would agree to work with us exclusively, benefiting from the independence which we offer. We would therefore represent you as a prospective buyer or renter, as your exclusive finder agent, and you would know that there was no conflict of interest, for example trying to keep the price high to maximise commission. We will discuss in detail the search criteria, both of the location and the ideal property.

This part of the Finder Service occupies most time and effort and our team will not rest until a quality set of options matching your criteria, is prepared. We will use your search criteria, including any adjustments (discussed with you) which may be required based on the reality of the market, as a basis for our search. Our team will use a combination of contacts and relationships with sellers/owners/landlords, other agencies, developers, banks (where appropriate) as well as our in-house search team who have at their disposal a range of resources and extensive previous experience in finding properties. The process will typically involve several iterations, as our team works with you to fine-tune the initial list, and compile a short-list which forms the basis for the Discovery Tour.

This does not mean that you cannot get involved in also hunting for properties, if you wish (we recognise that, at a distance, clients often get itchy fingers for conducting more internet searches!), but any suitable candidate properties must be sent to us, and handled and negotiated via us, to ensure that there is no overlap or confusion.

If you are looking for a shorter rental (1-6 months) prior to making a buying decision, you also have the option of selecting one of the properties on our long-term rental site, www.algarvelonglets.com, without the need for a Finder Service agreement. This applies if you select one of the properties and it is available for your dates. Any searches on properties not listed on the web site are included under a Finder Service agreement.

(FIXED FEE)

Normally for clients looking in multiple areas, “Discovery Tours” are multi-city or multi-location visits lasting 1 full day. They include a combination of visits to different towns or areas, including a background on each, and suitable property visits to both properties for sale or rent, as appropriate. This is fixed-price €350 + VAT, where applicable, covering costs (excluding lunch) for up to 2 visitors, transportation and time with a local team member, experienced in the local market. They also include all the preparatory work required to organise the visit, including coordination with multiple local owner and partners, based on specific client requirements. The Discovery Tour of the Finder Service is the visit to the short-list of identified properties. The cost of the Discovery Tour is fully reimbursable in case of a property purchase, and 50% refundable if a rental of at least 6 months is completed.

Feedback on our personalized Discovery Tour as a way of introducing the country and its regions to new residents or investors has been very positive, and without exception our visitors consider this the most cost-effective way of quickly getting an understanding of the areas and what each has to offer. It also helps to eliminate those options which are not a match, or not to your liking. Right after “place before property”, we ask our clients to focus on “eliminate, eliminate, eliminate”.

If a second or subsequent day needs to be added to the Discovery Tour, we will charge a nominal difference.

VISA APPLICATION

Portugal is part of the European Union and the Schengen visa space which allows visitors to move freely between several European countries without the need for passport control beyond an initial entry check. The freedom of movement of people is one of the important cornerstones of the EU and for visitors, a unique and much appreciated way to discover Europe’s Old-World charm in a simple and cost-effective way.

As with many countries around the world, Portugal allows many foreign nationals to visit the country visa-free for a period of 90 days on a tourist visa, which extends to Schengen travel. This visa can be extended for a further period but limited to the country of the issuing visa.

For longer stays, all visitors to the country should apply for the correct visa, in most cases a residence visa. Again, in common with many other countries, the obtaining of a residence visa can be bureaucratic but the qualifying requirements are clearly stipulated. The process is of particular interest for retired, and non-EU citizens. The two most common residency visas, the D7 (passive income) and D8 (digital nomad) visas, can be applied for without the need for expensive consultants, immigration or relocation consultants, or lawyers.  For those seeking a move to Portugal under the D7 or D8 visa, we invite you to visit www.movetoportugal101.com which brings together multiple specialist service providers to help you get a fiscal number (NIF), open a bank account, obtain travel or health insurance, find a rental property (anywhere in the country), open a forex account, and even obtain a mortgage, all of which can be done from a distance if necessary

A key requirement for those requiring a visa linked to a permanent move, will be to have your accommodation formally and contractually agreed prior to applying. While we always recommend an exploratory visit to view and select your home in Portugal (whether rented or purchased), sometimes this is not possible for any number of reasons including logistics, timing or cost. This is where a company such as ours will provide an invaluable service in identifying possible options, if necessary, allowing you to take a decision at a distance without the cost of having to make a trip (please note that this is not our recommended approach).

NHR STATUS

In November 2023, the Portuguese Prime Minister announced that the NHR regime would end in 2024.

NHR applications can be supported via either  the purchase of real estate or a long-term rental . We have successfully assisted NHR applicants from multiple countries by providing the real estate component of their application.

With the announcement of the imminent end of the NHR regime, anyone wishing to resister as fiscal residents of Portugal and apply for the NHR status, should do so before the end of 2023.

ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES

(PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE, VEHICLE IMPORTATION, REGISTRATION WITH JUNTA DE FREGUESIA AND HEALTH CENTRE, MOBILE AND UTILITY PROVIDERS)

Any new resident wishing to insulate themselves from the web of Portuguese bureaucracy, should seriously consider asking for assistance with tasks related to moving to or buying/renting in the country. Not only is it cost-effective for most busy people, but it shelters you from the often-frustrating interaction with the inefficiency with which the wheels of government and service companies move.

During the search process, we explain the various administrative aspects such as registering residence at the local Junta de Freguesia, registration with the health centre etc.

With all official documents needing to be in Portuguese, our company has for many years used professionally translated and lawyer-reviewed bilingual (Portuguese-English) documents such as rental contracts and service agreements.

Portugal is one of the countries in the world where public servants are able to speak, and assist, foreign clients in, foreign languages. Portugal is by far the most progressive Southern European country in this regard. This is often a little-appreciated fact and one for which in practice, public servants get no credit. Nonetheless, language alone is not sufficient to compensate for the error-prone and complex Portuguese state. In fact, there is often a degree of complexity which is difficult to understand given the highly integrated nature of citizen information and the advanced digital interaction between state and citizen.

The need for local support is therefore to avoid queues at government departments, not making errors which can later be costly (time and money), and to deal with service providers whose idea of customer service is generally poor (mobile providers and banks attract the highest number of complaints in Portugal).

Where multiple services are involved, it may be more efficient to refer you to one of our specialist partners.

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

We manage a small but growing portfolio of properties which are owned by our clients. Our preference is to manage investment properties or those which are good options for our growing list of medium and long-term rental clients. In other cases (for example, second homes which rent in the summer), we may prefer to recommend a trusted partner in the location of the property.

Our management approach is, again, very personalised. An initial fixed fee is charged to ensure property set-up, including professional photography, listing on suitable web sites, multi-lingual descriptions, often professionally translated, and the rental licensing process. We operate a picking list of options which allows each client to select the services which are appropriate to their property and circumstance.

Thereafter, we take a percentage of the rentals obtained and the owner will pay other expenses such as cleaning at cost. We make no margin from any outsourced activity such as cleaning, maintenance, etc. In exceptional circumstances, for example, where there is a major problem or an emergency, we will charge an hourly rate for the time team has to spend.

Any question on our Services, please feel free to contact us.