Buying off-plan in Portugal: what to check before you sign

Buying "off-plan" — a property still under construction — can be a good deal: you enter at a lower price and get a brand-new home. But it's also where we see most people sign on excitement and regret it. These are the checks worth their weight in gold.

Why it appeals (and why it scares)

In favour: a price below the final market, staged payments, and a home with zero wear. Against: it isn't built yet — and between the promise and the keys sit deadlines, developers and a market that can all change.

1. Who the developer is

First of all, the track record. Has the developer delivered other projects? On time? To what quality? A name with finished work beats a pretty brochure.

2. How payments are structured

Be wary of schemes that ask for a large share very early. The healthy pattern is for payments to track construction progress, with clear milestones. Ask what happens to your money if the works stop.

3. Guarantees and the CPCV

The promissory contract should set a completion deadline, penalties for delay, finish specifications (the descriptive memorandum) and what happens if the developer fails to deliver. New homes carry legal warranties — know them.

4. Licences

Confirm the project has a valid construction licence and that the intended use is housing. Buying into a project without approved licences is buying a hope, not a home.

Off-plan, what you buy isn't the house — it's the promise to build it. The contract is the house. Read it as you would read the walls.

5. If it's in writing, it exists

Finishes, appliances, areas, deadlines — if it isn't in the contract and the descriptive memorandum, don't count on it. "The sales agent said" won't hold up in court.

Next

Compare with the normal buying process, see the costs nobody mentions, and talk to us before you sign — a second opinion is cheap next to the deposit.