Restoring And Renovating A Property In Portugal
The current economic climate may have many of you thinking your dream of owning a property in Portugal is slipping further from your grasp. But there is a way, even in these difficult times to achieve your Portuguese property dream without breaking your bank balance.
Renovating, restoring and modernising a run down property is a route more and more people are following, which can be financially beneficial.
Your ideal property may feature a stunning kitchen, modern bathrooms and a swimming pool, but purchasing a house completely ready to move into and enjoy, means you will have to pay full market value to a private individual or builder.
However by buying a property requiring modernisation and restoration work, which has potential, can save you money. Allowing you to add value with each stage of works. In most cases once finished renovation projects will have cost less than purchasing a property already completed.
Ruins & Restoration
Rural Cottages
Character Property
Historic Manors
The financial advantages of renovating and restoring are immediate as these types of properties often cost a great deal less to buy with reduced purchase price, costs and taxes. By spreading the cost of the repair work over a longer period of time can also be less taxing on your bank account. And by carrying out some of the work yourself, savings on labour costs can be made.
Renovating and restoring a property is not for the faint hearted though as there are many pitfalls to be avoided to create your dream property. Especially so in a foreign country where there are added complications of language barriers and different rules and regulations. But it is possible and with the minimum amount of stress.
By choosing to renovate a property you give yourself plenty of choice. Portugal is a country blessed with a wide range of properties many in varying states of disrepair, to suit all tastes from rustic cottages through to baronial mansions. Look at any estate agency website and you may be surprised at the amount available for sale from as little as 20,000€.
However the key to a successful renovation and restoration project is selecting the right property. Simply purchasing the cheapest property available is not always the most financially sensible thing to do.
Generally restoration property falls into two categories, those requiring full planning permission and those that don’t need permission but can be restored immediately as a DIY project.
“Although there are many ruined properties available in Portugal, most at really attractive prices” says Derek Harper of Chavetejo Estate Agents in Tomar. “Buying one in very bad condition without public utilities connected doesn’t always make financial sense in the long run. Getting mains water and electricity connected isn’t as simple as making a phone call and in most cases can mean a lengthy and costly planning application, delaying the start of renovation works by months and sometimes years.”
Choosing a property in a slightly better condition with utilities already connected can save you thousands in the longer term and mean renovation work can begin as soon as you have decided on the finished design.
Avoiding properties requiring planning permission also means you can save money on the renovation work, carrying out some of the less skilled jobs yourselves. However even if you choose to bring in the professionals it doesn’t have to cost the earth.
Deciding to employ a builder in Portugal doesn’t have to be financially painful. There is a wealth of skilled tradesmen available and despite the fall in the exchange rate, they charge a fraction of the cost of their UK counterparts. Reputable builders can charge as little as 10€ an hour with labourers earning around 8€ an hour.
Generally the quality of workmanship in Portugal is very high, but it is important if you do decide to employ outside help, to get at least three quotes from reputable builders as well as references from previous clients. Being able to inspect jobs they have carried out will also give you peace of mind on the quality of your finish.
Getting your lawyer to draw up a contract with the builder you decide to use is not only a good idea, but will put paid to any demands for extra money and allow a clear method of stage payments for the each section of the work as it is carried out.
Checking out local builders merchants and DIY supermarkets is a good way of ensuring you are not being over charged for goods by builders and it will help you decide on the finished specifications of your property.
Remembering not to get carried away on the renovation work is also imperative. Taking into account the possible resale value of the property, thinking carefully about what you want to achieve during your design period will help you budget accordingly. Common mistakes made during some property renovations are adding expensive features, which don’t necessary add value to the property.
If you are not going to be present in Portugal for the duration of the renovation work, but hundreds of miles away in the United Kingdom it is worth investing a little of your budget employing a project manager.
Although it may not be a cost you initially think about, it is well worth spending a little extra on a project manager who can oversee the job on a day-to-day or week-to-week basis, reporting back to you frequently to ensure works are carried out on time and to your specification. In the long run this can save you undue heartache and sleepless nights.
So if you want a home in Portugal and are willing to tackle a renovation project, now is the time to do it. Property prices in Portugal may be stable, but owners are keenly aware of the world wide economic climate and room for negotiation even on cheaper properties is more likely and you could bag your self a bargain, which you and your family can enjoy designing and renovating.
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Help answer the question about DIY Home Repair
repairing walls in my home?I have a few holes in my walls they are all smaller then 12" by 12" i'd really like to repair them but I'm not sure how. or what i would need. Is this a job thats better left to a professional or can it be a DIY? I'm pretty tool saavy and i do a lot of household repairs if anyone can tell me how to do this it's greatly appreciated
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Tags: home building, portugal, property, Restoring
You don't have to sand the bottom of the door, take the door off, get a circular saw and cut about 1/4 inch off the bottom all the way across in a straight line. Make sure you draw a line. This is the only way to do it.
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/knowhow/handbook
You can go ahead and pull a permit, and you really don't need to be dishonest about the timing- just don't mention it.
Go to your local permit office and apply for the permit. Once you get the permit, just wait a couple days to call in the inspection.
The important thing is to make whatever corrections the inspector recommends, and don't be too dissapointed if it fails inspection the first time. Most inspectors are willing to explain to homeowners what they need to do to make corrections.
If you're going to be drilling concrete, you need a hammer drill. Most hammer drills can turn the hammer feature off, and most of the non-SDS drills have torque clutches as well.
Professional Grade keyless chucks are very good, but, you have to get the 1-hand operation models (1 sleeve). They usually wratched closed and hold very tightly.
Most good drill bits will have flats ground into their sides so slippage shouldn't be a problem.
Brand name comes down to two things: grade (professional or hobbyist) and price (bargain bin or top of the line). Generally, you get what you pay for.
Some trusted professional brand names are DeWalt, Makita, Milwaukee, Ridgid, Hilti, and Bosch. Even some of those companies make hobbyist grade tools (yes, I'm looking at you DeWalt with your cheap-ass 12v toy-drill) so remember: you get what you pay for.
A good, general purpose hammer drill in a professional grade from a good brand name will cost you around $150-300 bucks. Honestly, I wouldn't go that way though. I'd get two drills. I'd get the hammer drill for masonry and big drilling (hole saws, big spades, auger bits, large step bits) and a smaller drill for everything else.
wow ,, awesome work i love every thing even the music
Lady Gaga sexy performance, Live in U.K – NakedLady Gaga. c0O0M – Just Awesome
good to see real talent
oh my god it looks like a photo
Check the timer. I dont think You can fix this yourself unless you want to take a risk.
This is awesome.
youre my fav artist
no doubt
diy.net
You can learn a lot from us and watching the DIY shows and books, but nothing beats hands on learning. One project will teach you stuff that will tie into another. Take every thing w/ a grain of salt because there are never 2 projects exactly alike and you ll have to be flexible on all projects. GL
Two important points: 1) These residents are getting ripped off unless their taxes have been reduced. This is a public works job in any part of the rest of the country. 2) If you can see down to the underlaying stone (about 4"), the sidewalk should be torn up and replaced with new concrete.
That said, there are several products that can be used to repair damaged concrete. Depending on the depth of damage, either the first or third product on the link here will do the job.
http://bonsalamerican.com/sakreteproducts_view.html?id=16rdW6rO8po%3D
This is by far the cheapest way to repair broken concrete. If you want more info on how to mix and finish the repair, please contact me directly for further instructions and I can provide detailed directions to make your job simpler. A 10' X10' area that is not too badly damaged could cost less than $100 to fix including any tools and should take less than 3 hours.
Good Luck!
Home Depot has lots of books that are easy to follow. It's a lot of work, but it's not brain surgery. I build fences & decks for a living, and re-mod kitchens and bathrooms. If you are a do it yourself-er, then you can do it. Otherwise, most deck builders charge by the square foot, and where I live, the price ranges from $15 -$20 per s/f. Railings are $17 per foot, and stairs are really expensive. Figure out your s/f that you want to build, and then do the math.
I built my deck. The materials cost $1300 and it took me two weekends to build. Had I charged someone to build my deck, I would have charged over $10,000
u must draw yourself sometome xD
there is this girl at my school that is OBSESSED with johnny depp, i bet she’d go nuts if she saw this XD
Mmm sexy even as a painting!
Awesome job!!