Product Description

Portugal is an enticing country — the weather is great, it is still mostly unspoilt, and the people are friendly and welcoming. Approximately 50,000 British nationals now live there permanently, and many more have chosen to buy a second home in the country. Portugal now ranks third amongst British owners of second homes, after France and Spain.

This new book gives anyone considering buying a property in Portugal with all the information they require, covering every step of the buying process. It helps prospective buyers work out what they can afford, shows how to recognise potential problems, and how to get a survey arranged. It will help any prospective purchaser make the right decisions.

The most comprehensive book available, it has reliable advice on:

location * the different regions * finding a property * financial issues * inheritance laws * the purchase process

* buying a new property * renting * dealing with bills * coping with the language * education * setting up a business

With maps, checklists, useful addresses and a dictionary of Portuguese terms this book is the ultimate guide to every aspect of owning property in Portugal.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #380727 in Books
• Published on: 2005-01-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

—Portugal Magazine, June 2005
"Aims to guide you through the legal, financial and bureaucratic pitfalls that ensnare the unwary."

Review

“Aims to guide you through the legal, financial and bureaucratic pitfalls that ensnare the unwary…looks at business opportunities and includes sections on coping with the language, and health and education.”

Portugal Magazine

“Discusses the pluses as well as challenges of buying property, and living and working in this country.”

www.booknews.com

About the Author

Colin Barrow has a background in European property and extensive contacts in Portugal — both in real estate and law, as well as in business and education. Colin is the author of numerous books including The Business Plan Workbook, The Business Enterprise Handbook and Financial Management for the Small Business, all published by Kogan Page.

Customer Reviews

outdated and not very useful
Having lived in Portugal for several years and already bought and sold a property I recently read this book for the first time. I usually only review items when I have something positive to say but on I was motivated to write on this occasion about how poorly thought-out this book really is. Firstly, the advice on mortgages and finance (a crucial issue for most house buyers) is outdated by about 10 years. The book claims that banks will only loan 70% of the value and that most mortgages have a duration of 15 years. If this were true in a low(ish) income economy like Portugal no one would ever be able to buy property! Most banks offer 100% mortgages (and have done for some time) with a duration of up to 40 years.

Things do not improve with the advice on learning the Portuguese language: the reader is advised to look at the BBC website. An inspirational idea!

Sadly the majority of the book is no more useful. Any serious buyer would be advised to choose another book or even look at the websites of banks such as Millenium and Caixa Geral, which have web pages and advice in English. Likewise, many of the Portuguese estate agencies (such as Remax) have an English site so you can get a feel for the prices and the paperwork involved.

Quite good!
The main help I have got from this book is the guidance through the financial, legal and bureaucratic aspects of buying a house abroad, in this case in Portugal. It has been very useful!