An Introduction to properties for sale in Portugal

Property Prices

Portugal’s property market in general remains buoyant, particularly in the lower and middle sectors of the market. The upper end has slowed considerably, leading to an adjustment in prices – good news if you’re after a swanky villa in Vale do Lobo or Duras Dorados.

New-build properties in the Algarve are the most buoyant area of the market, and golf properties are eternally sought-after, with investors having seen as much as 20-40% increases in value in the past two years.

The Western Algarve has benefited from the extension of the motorway from Faro to the most westerly point of Sagres, a journey that now only takes 90 minutes. As a result, new developments are springing up on this side of the Algarve, with prices about a third cheaper than those in the ‘Golden Triangle’ areas of Vale do Lobo, Quinta da Lago and Vilamoura. There are also plenty of renovation projects in the west with small cottages for as little as 45,000 euros.

Prices are highest in Central Algarve, particularly in the Golden Triangle where 550,000 euros for a two-bedroom property is not unusual and villas can start at 2 million euros. Albufeira and Faro are cheaper options. Properties for renovation are rare in this area.

Saturation in the central zone is seeing a spill over into the Eastern Algarve towards Spain, where the construction industry is booming. Prices are a little higher than those in the west, with rural cottages requiring renovation costing from around 80,000 euros and, at the other end of the scale, luxury five-bedroom villas near new golf courses selling for around 500,000 euros.

Climate

With more sunshine hours than California, the Algarve is the perfect spot for a holiday home you can visit all year round. From April-September, there is an average 11-12 hours of sunshine per day, with temperatures around 22-30C, other months see an average 7 hours a day, with temperatures rarely dipping below 16C during the day. There is little rainfall, with most in the coldest months of January and February.

From June-September, the average is 5mm per month.
Like the neighbouring Costa de la Luz, stiff coastal breezes can make the temperatures seem fresher than they are. The sea is cooler than the Mediterranean, though warmer on the eastern Algarve than the west.

Geography

The Algarve is the 5,400km2 region on Portugal’s southern coast, bordered by the Spanish province of Huelva to the east and the Atlantic Ocean to the west.
Taking Faro as the centre point, the coastlines either side are quite different in character. The west – particularly around Lagos – is picture postcard and appeals most to families with children, golfers and those who like holidays with plenty of facilities to hand.

The east is less famous and less populated, much of it dominated by the Ria Formosa nature reserve which is a paradise for nature lovers. Beaches are long, sandy and quiet, often backed by dunes and towns such as Tavira and Olhão are small, traditional and charming.

In the largely unpopulated far western corner around Sagres and Cabo de Sao Vicente is another beautiful, untouched area of natural park.

Getting There

For low-cost flights to Faro, try Easyjet (www.easyjet.co.uk) from Bristol, Stansted, Gatwick, Luton and East Midlands airports, or Monarch (www.flymonarch.co.uk) from Gatwick, Luton, Birmingham and Manchester.

Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) has direct flights to Faro from Dublin.
Also see flights with BA (www.ba.com) and TAP Portugal (www.tap.pt).