Bert Snijder asked:


Portugal Real Estate is at premium currently especially in the Alentejo region between Lisbon and the Algarve. Peace and quiet seekers worldwide discover this new tourism area.

Trendy magazines write about it in their holiday specials and also more and more articles are written about people who bought a second house in this area. Many of them consider Portugal as their second home. This is not strange; if you have a look at the Portuguese and their warm hospitality, they will make you feel at home in every way they can. The number of people who move to Portugal permanently is growing each year. This area between Lisbon and the Algarve is a good one to invest in.

The rich cultural heritage of Portugal and in this area in specific makes it even more interesting to invest in property here. There is more to offer than just the seaside and beautiful scenery. Places as Evora, (on Unesco world heritage list) and Beja are worthwhile a visit to discover their ancient history. Places as Setubal, Sesimbra and Sines are old fishermans villages with all its charmes and of course good places to eat fresh fish. Almograve and Vila Nova de Milfontes are the best-known beach villages of this area, but there are many more lovely beaches and trendy beach bars/ restaurants that serve good food.

More inland you will find the wine quintas, a visit there and of course some wine tasting is a lovely introduction in the world of Portuguese wines. Many of them are prize-winning wines, Esperao being one of the most famous ones. Portugal has many wonderful Pousadas, hotels partially owned by the State, located in old castles, monasteries and other historical places.

Discovering this part of Portugal you might stay in one of these luxurious hotels or choose from the cheaper ones. There are plenty. Of course you will find hotels or B&Bs owned by foreigners who started a new life in Portugal and with that life a new business. This number is still increasing and welcomed by the Portuguese.

There are many reasons to invest in properties here; one of them is of course the price difference with the rest of Europe. Whether you are looking just for land, a villa, an apartment near the sea or a house in the countryside for sale, we can find what you are looking for and guide you all the way.

Alentejo Home is known for its level of care and attention to detail and their knowledge of the property market. Their relationship with local real estate agents in the Alentejo is perfect. Alentejo Home has the best properties. If you are looking for land for sale, villas, houses, apartments or a quinta, Alentejo Home can guide you all the way.

If you are looking to buy or sell property in Portugal then Alentejo Home is at your service.

Bert Snijder asked:


This is not really news because this has been going on for some years now.

Why do we write about it then? Growing interest in the Alentejo will eventually push prices up in the housing market, and for you, interested in the Alentejo we thought this might be of interest.

On the 9th of august The Independent (co.uk) published an article in their homes and property section: ¨In search of the peaceful Portugal¨ This article is not only about the Alentejo region but all other rural areas. We quote Ben West, who wrote the article:

Published: 09 August 2006

Curiously, most British buyers of Portuguese property focus on the crowded, golf course-strewn Algarve, known for being home to some of Europe’s most expensive coastal property.

Yet head into rural areas away from the coastal new-builds and older homes materialise in and around charming, attractive old Portuguese villages at a fraction of the cost. Finding them can take a bit longer as there are very few agents geared to English-speaking buyers, but it is well worth the effort.

And about the Alentejo:

Moving southwards, the countryside of the Alentejo, Portugal’s largest and most laid-back province, is another under-developed area rich in inexpensive properties. Approximately an hour’s drive east of Lisbon, the region’s well-preserved historic capital, Evora, proclaimed by Unesco as a “world heritage area”, boasts splendid architecture.

The extensive rolling plains are broken up by fields of sunflowers, oak, cork and olive plantations, occasional traditional farms and pleasant villages. Attractive towns include well-preserved Estremoz, Avis and Arraiolos, which all sport their own castles. The Alentejo region is known for its traditional handicrafts, excellent cheeses and superb wines. Walking, cycling, water sports, fishing and horse riding are all popular.

It is a bit strange that West does not mention the unspoiled Alentejo coast of 160km. Tourism here is developing rapidly but it is a protected area, no building allowed on the coastline. So this area will remain as beautiful as it is.

The rich cultural heritage of Portugal and in this area in specific makes it even more interesting to invest in property here. There is more to offer than just the seaside and beautiful scenery. Places as Evora, (on Unesco world heritage list) and Beja are worthwhile a visit to discover their ancient history. Places as Setubal, Sesimbra and Sines are old fishermans villages with all its charmes and of course good places to eat fresh fish. Almograve and Vila Nova de Milfontes are the best-known beach villages of this area, but there are many more lovely beaches and trendy beach bars/ restaurants that serve good food.

More inland you will find the wine quintas, a visit there and of course some wine tasting is a lovely introduction in the world of Portuguese wines. Many of them are prize-winning wines, Esperao being one of the most famous ones. Portugal has many wonderful Pousadas, hotels partially owned by the State, located in old castles, monasteries and other historical places.

Discovering this part of Portugal you might stay in one of these luxurious hotels or choose from the cheaper ones. There are plenty. Of course you will find hotels or B &Bs owned by foreigners who started a new life in Portugal and with that life a new business. This number is still increasing and welcomed by the Portuguese.

There are many reasons to invest in properties here; one of them is of course the price difference with the rest of Europe. Whether you are looking just for land, a villa, an apartment near the sea or a house in the countryside for sale, we can find what you are looking for and guide you all the way.

Now might just be the right time to invest in the Alentejo.

Bert Snijder asked:


A television crew from the popular show “A Place In The Sun” has visited the Alentejo region of Portugal documenting the country and it’s many attributes.

Local Realty firms are expecting a marked increase in the number of property sales as people are awakened to the inherent beauty of this EU partner when the show airs later this year.

While prices are still classed as at a premium in the Algarve regions there has been increased interest in the little known Alentejo region of Portugal.

Here prices are still very realistic and one can purchase a huge plot of land or a stylish villa for a fraction of the cost to purchase the same on the riviera.

During it’s visit the television crew where chaperoned by Mr Bert Snijder of Alentejo Home real estate who is regarded as one of the foremost authorities on the property market in the Alentejo region.

After spending several days filming the crew seemed to be taken with the beauty of this part of Europe which is scheduled to appear in the show “A Place In The Sun”

Needless to say that they were reluctant to leave and while shooting days of film footage they could only capture a fraction of the beauty presented to them.

So why is this part of the world so attractive at the moment, one of the reasons could be that the Portuguese Government has decided to protect the Alentejo region and prevent it from being over-run by tourism and spoilt by overcrowding and urbanization.

The Alentejo provides an environment that hasn’t changed greatly in over 100 years a lifestyle that is relaxed where one can kick off the cares of the world and start living without stress.

Are you thinking about Retirement.. Looking for that quiet place in the sun to kick back and relax, Cast off all the stress and worry of a lifetime of routine and hard work. Maybe you already know about the Alentejo our little piece of paradise where the days are warm and the lifestyle peacefull and carefree… Where your only concern will be which wine to have with dinner. And then watching the sun go down in one of the 300 sunny days this region has.

Why just don´t pay a visit to what is called the new Tuscany or Riviera. You can fly in through Lisbon or Faro in the Algarve and you will not regret it. In the future you will be able to fly to the new international airport of Beja, in the heart of the Alentejo.

Bert Snijder asked:


It is telling of a destinations pulling power that based purely on chats with a local estate agent and a neighbour who could see the house from her garden, Helen and Mike Gosling bought “the most perfect home in the world” in the Portuguese region of Alentejo without setting foot near the place.

If that sounds slightly mad, the five-bedroom, 350,000 (GBP 240,000) house with seven acres of land near Beja, the hottest town in Portugal is not some buy-to-let investment they were about to farm out to strangers, but is the Goslings new home. And like many people, they had never even heard of Alentejo before.

“We saw the house advertised on the internet and did not have time to visit, as we had an African holiday booked the following day, but did not want to lose the property so we went for it, says Helen, 50, who runs a car breakdown recovery business with Mike, 59, in Worcestershire, England.

“We had visited the Algarve and the Silver Coast near Lisbon, but from our reading about the Alentejo we loved the sound of the tranquillity and sense of remoteness,” she explains.

Wedged between Portugals two best-known holiday spots, the Algarve and Lisbon, Alentejo has been slow at taking root in property buyers minds, hindered partly by the lack of an airport. That will be remedied if the proposed expansion of Beja military airport, set for 2009, goes ahead, undoubtedly sparking interest in this hidden corner. Until then, Lisbon or Faro are the nearest options, one to two hours drive to most parts of the region.

Even well-heeled Lisbonites, who are dismissive of their neighbouring region, are starting to take note, selling up in upmarket Cascais or Sintra in favour of a traffic jam-free commute into the capital from Alentejo.

It is an agricultural region rooted in traditional cork production, clam stew and polyphonic singing a random selection of its specialities but highlights such as the World Heritage city of Evora and medieval hilltop towns are overshadowed by the Algarves sought-after golf and beach resorts.

“It has taken me a decade to get people to know about Alentejo,” says the Goslings estate agent, Bert Snijder from Alentejo Home Tel. 0871 711 8992 from the UK or Tel. +351 269 441 717).

“Alentejo is the same size as the Netherlands but with 800,000 inhabitants compared with Hollands 16 million,” says Bert, who, incidentally, is Dutch. “It is the perfect place for people who want to get away from the stress in Northern Europe.

Even in August, you can lie on unspoilt beaches with no one else around for miles.”

You can build dream house for relatively little money especially inland, where you can even have your own vines and olive groves. Converting an old farm is ideal for those in search of tranquillity try Beja, Evora or Estromez.

And although you will pay more by the ocean, Comporta, Zambujeiro and Sagres are stunning and offer better value than comparable regions in Spain and France.

Alentejo may be the birthplace of legendary explorer Vasco de Gama, and home to swarthy footballing hero Luis Vigo who is rumoured to be building a golf course in Odemira but the vast region still retains an understated appeal.

The upside of anonymity is low property prices. Coastal properties cost around 50% of what you would pay on the Algarve, and rural renovation projects in various states of dilapidation can be cheap enough to buy with a credit card.

Bert Snijder reports that most of his clients want to be within 40km of the coast, which may only mean a 20-minute drive away, as the roads are empty. The further east you head, towards the Spanish border, the cheaper the properties. But the climate is extreme, with boiling summers and very cold winters.

One inland area predicted to become Portugals next major resort is Alqueva, near Europes largest man-made damn. Its 800km shoreline is a fishermens paradise, and the plans to build golf courses, luxury hotels and restore the nearby rural villages are luring property investors.

Currently, two-bedroom houses in the area cost from around Euro 162,600 (GBP 110,000). With coastal development limited to very low build density and nothing within 1km of the sea, Alentejos Atlantic coast remains untapped, with endless kilometres of white sands that become more rugged as you head south.

Troia on the Blue Coast, south of Lisbon, has been a Portuguese secret for a long time, but now it is being developed, they are building a new marina and golf courses, but they are avoiding dense high-rises.

Vila Nova de Milfontes, with stunning beaches and a cobbled old town, is another resort worshipped by the locals and some German villa owners but few visitors from further afield. There, a one-bedroom apartment will cost from around Euro 118,000 (GBP 80,000), while you can buy large family houses for GBP 150,000.

Prices are slightly higher, due to scarcity of supply, in nearby Zambujeira do Mar, an unassuming fishing village momentarily besieged by rock fans attending its festival each August.

Then it returns to typical Alentejo tranquillity, which is just how buyers like it. Even those who have not been there yet.

Top tips for buying in Portugal:

Alentejo is a huge region with three distinct areas the mountains, plains and beaches so take time to drive around and choose an area before you start looking for a property.

Do not underestimate the language problems. Unlike in the Algarve, English is not widely spoken so seek recommendations of good Portuguese lawyers from English-speaking agents who know the area well.

Buying a plot of land and building your own house works out cheaper than buying a ready-made villa, and means you can design it how you want it. Building costs are around Euro 700 per square metre.

Land prices are determined more by their access to utilities than by location, so a small plot with mains electricity and water can cost considerably more than a larger plot nearby without these services.

Don not assume that if you buy a ruin in the middle of nowhere, you can do what you like with it. Strict buildings regulations apply and vary depending on the local council.

Get a licensed builder. Otherwise you will have to obtain a license specific to your property, which could delay renovations by several months.

If you can not be there in person to oversee building work, recruit a project manager.

Use a Portuguese lawyer who can pick up on the nuances of the contractual jargon. A foreign lawyer may not have the same grasp.

Most people under budget for renovation work. A loose rule of thumb is to take the property price and double it.

Materials and labour are cheap, but re-roofing can be pricey.

Bert Snijder asked:


Some describe the Alentejo as the new Tuscany. We found an article in Redhot, magazine of Virgin airlines, the following lines are just a part of that article: “As anyone who’s visited Florence in high season will testify, Tuscany has become more than a tad overcrowded. Luckily for those who want to escape the tourists, there’s no shortage of New Tuscany’s. Croatia’s Istrian coastline and the Saale Valley in Germany have all been put forward - even Italy has a New Tuscany in Le Marche - but as far as alternatives go, Portugal’s offering does the job better than most.”

Portugal belongs to the top tourist attractions for many years. The Algarve has been the most known area of Portugal for a long time. This is changing. People who seek the easy pace of life discover the Alentejo. This group is growing steadily, whether this is due to up going property prices in countries as France, Spain and Italy or the desire to spend quality time in authentic, peaceful surroundings is not clear. It’s probably a mixture of the two.

Therefore this part of Portugal makes properties a fantastic investment.

“Combining a rich cultural heritage and deliciously rustic food with beautiful scenery that splits between a dramatic coastline and rolling countryside dotted with vineyards and olive groves, Alentejo ticks all the Tuscan boxes while remaining undiscovered by the traveling masses. Indeed, visitors are likely to encounter more trees than people during their stay here, for while the area covers about a third of Portugal, it is only home to five per cent of the country’s population. By contrast, thousands of cork and olive trees stand in welcoming salute all along the region’s roads, making the hour-and-a-half drive from Lisbon airport to the heart of Alto (Upper) Alentejo a very pleasant one.” Alentejo Home has devoted the last nine years to servicing both, local and overseas clients providing an honest reliable service to all. Alentejo Home is known for its level of care and attention to detail and their knowledge of the property market. If you are looking to buy or sell property in Portugal then Alentejo Home is at your service.

Buying, building and what goes wrong:

For many people a dream, for some reality. Some people buy, build or rebuild without any problems. It often takes a bit longer then planned because of this great “tomorrow there is another day” attitude, but most of us can live with that. Sometimes however things go wrong, really wrong! We have made a list of things that may go wrong, not to scare you of, just to be aware.

Language often is a problem, if you don’t speak Portuguese yourself how can you be sure your interpreter translates everything proper. Make sure you find someone you trust. One of the main problems is buying without a license. Check references and make sure you work with a good lawyer or intermediary. Check their references as well. The license system in Portugal is complicated, be aware of that.

Portugal has national ecological protected areas. On those properties ruins may be rebuild on the exact location and the exact former size. Make sure your property is not such one if you have a huge villa in mind. The law is a bit contradictory here, so again make sure you’re informed properly. The constitution was put together in a way that there was always a possibility to escape the rules. Times are changing and Portugal is a European member, so caution and stick to the law.

Sometimes a building is only partly registered because of an exceeded building permit concerning square meters. Meaning that “your house” is only partly legal. In the worst case you would have to take the illegal part down. Mortgage debts or tax debts on a house can be another problem.

Projects (in case of building or rebuilding) should be signed by a Portuguese or in Portugal registered architect. What goes wrong with building is often that people begin with building or rebuilding before they have a permit. “I have been waiting for so long now, this is enough!” That is not very much appreciated and often means a lot of problems. Be patient that will save you a lot of worries. Stick with the building plan and don’t add buildings like a garage without a license.

In cases like above the project will be stopped.

If you buy in a rural area be aware of the fact that in some areas only 20 square meters may be build per hectare. In a village centre this is not the matter. Rules differ in various municipalities. Check this out before buying. Just make sure you’re well informed on all matters and deal with trustworthy people, if you do your dream can come true. Again we don’t want to scare you of, read the references on our site to see things can go well!