Portuguese Borders and Immigration Agency (SEF) and the British Embassy in Lisbon launch a joint information campaign The Portuguese Immigration and Borders Service (SEF) and the British Embassy in Lisbon have today launched a joint information campaign to remind UK nationals who are living in Portugal, or plan to by the end of the year, to register for residence if they have not already done so. UK nationals who live in Portugal and who intend to remain here after the end of the year, as well as those who, by 31 December 2020, arrive in Portugal with the intention to reside, should register with their local Town Hall (Câmara Municipal) to get their Certificate of Registration. Registration should be made so that UK nationals can demonstrate their rights are protected under the Withdrawal Agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom. This includes the right to work, access healthcare, education, and benefits, after the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020. Any residence documents already held by 31 December 2020 will continue to be accepted after the end of the transition period. More information will be available shortly on substituting current documents for new residence documents which state the holder’s status as a beneficiary of the Withdrawal Agreement What is the new residence Permit? The new residence permit will be issued to UK nationals residents in Portugal before 31 December 2020 and confirms their status as beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union. This new residence permit replaces the EU residence documents previously issued (Registration Certificates issued by the town halls and Certificates of Permanent Residence issued by SEF – Portuguese Immigration and Borders Service). The current residence EU documents will be accepted after 31 December 2020 and until the new residence permit is issued. After registering on this Portal and submitting the form, the UK nationals can download digital proof of their registration – a document, with a QR code  – which can be printed and used when travelling to prove residence in Portugal. Who can apply? UK nationals who are living in Portugal before the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020, and UK minors who are family members of residents  as set out in the Withdrawal Agreement. UK nationals who come to live in Portugal after 1 January 2021 may need to require a residence visa and should follow the relevant application process. Family members of UK nationals who are third country nationals must follow the usual process of renewing their residence card. When can I apply? If you already have a residence document from Portugal, you can register for a new residence permit now on this Portal. After January 2021, you will be asked to book an appointment to provide your biometric data (photo, signature and fingerprints) for your new residence permit. Appointments can be scheduled from 1 January 2021 onwards and will take place at a Town Hall (Câmara Municipal) that is offering this service near to of your residence area. What is the deadline for exchange? The registration to exchange you residence document on this Portal will be open  until at least the end of June 2021. Thereafter you will need to schedule an appointment directly with SEF to exchange your residence documentation. Useful Links Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community 23/2007 Act covering the immigration rules for third country nationals Commission Implementing Decision of 21/02/2020 Fonte: SEF e Sul Informação

Skyscanner says the Algarve will be the most coveted European destination by British tourists for 2021 After vaccinations have begun in the UK against Covid-19, tourists from the 4 UK countries are already planning their 2021 holiday. The Algarve Region is the first choice of the majority and occupies the first place in the list of most sought after European destinations. According to a study published by the portal and travel company Skyscanner earlier this month, Faro is the European destination most desired by UK tourists. Following the start of the covid-19 vaccination campaign in the UK, her majesty's citizens have been revealing a growing interest in leaving the country in the spring and summer of 2021. As there was a 48% increase in interest within a week (2 and 9 November) in the number of searches conducted by the British for travel between 1 April and 31 August next year. Let there be faith! In view of the circumstances of the political current affairs between the United Kingdom and the European Union, resulting in a decrease in the value of the pound, and what is still predicted with a Brexit without a trade agreement. There is still a lot of water running through the Arade until next spring and next summer to draw conclusions. But they seem to us in a certain way good indicator for tourism and the Economy of the Algarve next year. Source: Jornal de Negócios

Old houses and flats are usually cheaper than new buildings but very often the most important things such as energy efficiency and living comfort are missing.  These properties are also mostly located in long-established and naturally grown areas. In addition, the construction time is manageable, and the charm and price do the rest for it. The problem is that most old houses then have a charm, but the rooms are too small and too low, the energy efficiency is lacking, old pipes such as water and electricity and old bathrooms. Usually require significantly more repairs than initially thought and you were therefore also planning to increase the costs. How can I start this adventure in anticipation and better prepared? What do I have to do, and with whom should I consult before taking this step? An architect or civil engineer should look at the property in advance and prepare an expert opinion on what the building substance and any invisible costs can be incurred. For this, a short on-site and in advance assessment is usually sufficient, and a matter-of-fact discussion with the professional afterwards. Is it important that an old house or apartment energy is efficiently renovated? Yes, because it is always worth it. Since today every property must show an energy certificate at the time of sale, this question is also a question of the buyer's question, which he can also claim at the price negotiation. Here, too, you can call in a professional in advance to be sure what costs you can incur with insulation and other insulation measures such as new windows or air conditioning, for example. Funding is available for this purpose through the Portuguese Environmental Authority (Fundo Ambiental, Ministério do Ambiente) What about the purchase of a listed property? If we buy a listed building or property, it is important to note that all renovations must be coordinated with the appropriate authorities in advance.  It should be noted that there are many requirements regarding the refurbishment, and these rarely leave room for interpretation. New windows and doors have to match the architecture and are mostly custom-made, but there are subsidies such as IFFRU ('REAS DE REABILITA'O URBANA - Portal da Habita'o (portaldahabitacao.pt)) The Portuguese  Tax Office has also provided tax relief for owners and self-users.   Author: Paulo Lopes

The Portuguese Real Estate is in vogue for foreign investors, who are aiming now various areas of the country. Porto and the entire North region, however, have attractiveness rates sometimes better than those in the Center and South. According to the opinion of several real estate agents and real estate professionals, Porto and the North region have been able to capture in the last ten years more diversified investment and added value attracting talent to the region. Just this week was published a study of the University College of Engineering of Porto, which saw how from Aveiro to Viana do Castelo and Braga have been notorious in innovation and its investment. Thus, demonstrating how Porto and other cities are differentiated, thus also leveraging real estate demand in four indicators: macroeconomic; skills (know-how), good infrastructure and quality of life. Porto has had numerous foreign investment operations and job creation, well above the national average. If we go by the comparative numbers of the city of Porto with the city of Lisbon, the new construction per square meter (m2) is 3,500 euros in Porto and about 5,800 euros in Lisbon. The average gross yield is in the order of 5.9% in Porto and between 3.9% and 4.6% in Lisbon. With the crisis, the prospects created for 2020, has gone from upside down. Because they were on their way to be the best year with growth rates never seen before. But we must be realistic because the estimates for 2020 are far below the forecasts, with a reduction in demand and sales of homes, as could not be ignored given the circumstances of limiting mobility for all, both buyer and seller. However, we believe that by overcoming the pandemic, the recovery is at an accelerated pace and that a clear trend of growth will be seen and that it will fill the loss of recent months.   Author: Paulo Lopes

Real estate markets: social distancing from mind The effects of covid19 on the real estate market differ. The office and the residential market is coming out of the crisis robustly, the retail sector has to fight.  Where can all this go? Portugal's real estate market is still robust and has even seen some price increases in the summer, as various statistics show - but lockdowns and social distancing measures have triggered or intensified complex processes. Trends like home office or the digitalization of shopping are gaining momentum. This is also having an impact on the real estate market. The national property market has so far come through the crisis in good shape. The reasons for this are the continuing high demand for real estate from the Nacionals and abroad, the low number of existing properties and the restrained new construction activities in previous years. In our opinion, the further development of the real estate market is dependent on the structural changes that the Covid 19 crisis will highlight in the long term.  Shutdown and social distancing measures have already triggered or intensified complex processes. Trends such as home office and online shopping, which have gained momentum as a result of the crisis, will lead to a reorientation in the residential, office and retail markets. Nevertheless, we are convinced that residential real estate will remain an attractive form of investment! This is what we conclude from the figures of the last weeks and months, as neither rents nor prices have collapsed on the housing market despite the pandemic. On the contrary: As already mentioned, prices for owner-occupied homes, condominiums and apartment buildings have risen more strongly in the first three quarters of 2020 than in the first nine months of 2019. We therefore assume that demand for residential space for owner-occupancy and as an investment will remain high. We could observe from the many articles in the last months that the importance of the own four walls by Covid-19 has increased significantly, also larger flats and houses are increasingly on the search list of investors. In addition, there is a historically low interest rate phase that will continue and the yield premium of residential real estate compared to other investment options is still very good.   Author: Paulo Lopes

An amendment to the Municipal Property Tax Code (IMI) is coming to bring into law an internal procedure of the Tax Authority (AT) which, according to the courts, was not correctly interpreted by AT but increased the tax value of the building land. When assessing the tax value (VPT) in 2021, the building land is always calculated using the location coefficient and the allocation for the valuation of the approved buildings that will be built in the future. In short, this is the result of a proposal to amend the State Budget (OE) for 2021, which has long adhered to the internal financial procedure, but which was considered wrong in court. The point is that the application of these new coefficients in favour of AT drastically reduces the final value of the building land and as such, the IMI to be paid by the owners. The proposed amendment to the OE was presented by the ruling party PS and was adopted with the positive votes of the PCP (Portuguese Communist Party) and the Liberal Initiative, against the votes of the PSD and the CDS-PP and abstentions of the other parties. In its explanatory memorandum, the Socialist Party justifies the amendment as implementing a method for determining the VPT of building land in order to avoid litigation with taxpayers and reduce the tax losses of local authorities. In practice, in its interpretation of the law, AT applied the two coefficients which integrate the VPT calculation formula: the location or position and the affect formula. The first coefficient relates to the location of the property and takes into account the services available in the area, the communication routes and the market value of the surrounding buildings; the second coefficient relates to the use of the buildings being constructed (residential, commercial, industrial). Thus, on the building plot, the land is valued, but also the building to be constructed on it, a percentage of which is attributed to the VPT of the plot. According to the consolidated Supreme Court (STA) jurisprudence, AT accepted this in July of this year and gave the services indications to recreate the formula for the valuation of the building land. This amendment, which will enter into force in 2021, now aims to use legislative means to achieve something that the State has lost by judicial means. This is because, contrary to what the STA case law said, the calculation coefficients doubled to the detriment of the taxpayer. This new table aims to amend the text so that AT can again calculate the VPT of the land, as it did before the judicial decisions in favour of the municipalities. In the meantime, experts admit that there will be a wave of urgent requests for reassessment in order to still use the tax procedure in force and in force after the STA decision. This is because the decisive point is the date of registration of the notification, which means that the interpretation of the law will apply to the current date and not to the new date, which will not come into force until 1 January. Source: jornal de negócios   Source: business newspaper

Often, owners get overwhelmed when it comes to evaluating their own assets. The reason for this lies in the view of both parties in the valuation of the property itself. The seller is usually emotionally attached to the property, and the buyer trades based on profitability and also considers his own needs as the most important criterion. That's why we want to raise some points that an owner should consider in the sale. A professional NBA basketball player or a Premier League professional footballer, or a successful actor, buys luxury properties with plenty of space and amenities that a normal person can't afford, and here price and income are not the deciding factor. Here, convenience, privacy and emotion are the driving force, so money typically plays a minor role in these real estate transactions. This also happens sometimes in holiday homes and second housing in the south and by the sea, when the dream seems to come true and the economic side is set aside and emotions are the deciding factor. However, this does not always have to be the case, and there is also a marked change in pandemic times. In most cases, however there is a big difference for owners with average incomes. Because whenever they want to resell their home again they notice what they consider to be an asset to their own property, such as a swimming pool or an elaborate garden, it may be the opposite for the buyer derived from the running costs that for him are more important than amenities. As difficult as it may seem to many homeowners, the market doesn't care how much you've invested in the property before. In addition to your preferences, there are actually factors that increase the long-term value of a property and others that simply aren't taken into account because they also don't seem important to the buyer. That is why we should start describing them, because it is important that both parties know these criteria. If you are the owner, you have the advantage that you can design the house as you want. Individuality can sometimes be a shot in the foot, especially when the house should be resold. As an owner, you also have to put yourself in the buyer's shoes. The buyer always begins to calculate what the house will cost in the end after all the work and work that is part of their lifestyle and their needs. That is, if I have a Roman-style bathroom with 40 m2 in marble and pink, this is a construction and cost-intensive space for a buyer who needs a bathroom with minimalist furniture and a shower. Because the art is to find a customer who has exactly the same sense of taste as the seller, and this is very unlikely in most cases. Therefore, the principle of selling patterns is usually more than luxury! That same sample can be applied to the division of the apartment or house. The more individual, the more difficult and lower can be the final value, the property can be dropped down in value by the buyer. Because every wall that is built down or added to it means a cost factor for the buyer, which he then deducts from the purchase price later when buying the property. Again, the more standard, the less chance for the buyer to make price reductions A home is rent-free but not free of charge. And that leads us to another point “The maintenance”. Anything that causes excessive costs, such as outdoor lighting at all corners, oversized pool, can reduce the value of a property. Nevertheless, for the luxury segment this can be a plus because such equipment is usually standard. In the case of land, the usual rule to apply is that a large plot of land increases the value of a property. But sometimes in the eye of the beholder, it can lead to discounts because of the incidental costs. These rules should only be considered as an orientation, because if the buyer likes the house and he does not care about the costs incurred, because he wants to buy exactly this property,  the rule confirms only the exception of the rule. Nevertheless, we believe that this can help to evaluate a house objectively. Author: Paulo Lopes

Lisbon leaves Singapore and Abu Dhabi behind in the Expat City Ranking 2020 and is the third best city in the world to live in! After the 6th place in 2019 the Expat City Ranking 2020 puts Lisbon in 3rd place in the ranking of the best cities in the world for foreigners to live and work. In this international assessment internations.org of the 66 cities of expat city ranking 2020, Lisbon occupies the 3rd place in the middle of 66 world cities evaluated by the organization. Part of the evaluation had to do with the 82% of expatriates interviewed who feel at home in the Portuguese capital versus 64% on a global average. However there are 20% more expatriates than the international average of 59% being in Lisbon 79% who feel happy with their social life, thus bringing the city of Lisbon to 3rd place in the world. Our seaside capital is considered one of the best cities to live in for its climate, its safety, its social life and its urban quality of life that compared to other cities has made to achieve above average results. Thus the Portuguese capital was in the 5th Place of the Subcategory Leisure and Climate. This is an impressive number when we note that 89% of foreigners show their total satisfaction in the local leisure category versus 71% in the global average. Weather and weather are a satisfaction factor for 96% of expatriates. Most expatriates in Lisbon (99%) think the same way about your personal safety (vs.82% globally). While Lisbon still ranks 6th in the Local Cost of Living Index, with 64% of expatriates feeling satisfied with this aspect (vs. 46% globally). However the city obtains mixed results in the Work Life Index (23): Expatriates feel happy and privileged with their jobs in general (79% happy vs. 65% globally) and their work-life balance (83% happy vs. 64% globally). But they feel a certain dissatisfaction with job opportunities in the city and in the perspective of a local career (37% unhappy vs. 34% globally) as well as as a result of the state of the local economy (19% unhappy vs. 18% globally). At the top of the Expat City Ranking 2020 are the cities of Valencia and Alicante. Next is Lisbon, followed by the cities of Panama, Singapore, Malaga, Buenos Aires, Kuala Lumpur, Madrid and Abu Dhabi that close the top 10. See expat city ranking 2020 https://www.internations.org/expat-insider/

You don't sell a property every day. And there are a lot of pitfalls in the middle of the road, from preparation to price negotiation. And what is the right way to success? There may be a variety of reasons to sell a property: moving from living place to another city, the house became too big after the children moved in, or financial reasons. But what do I have to look at the sale, so that my beloved property will hand over to others who give it the same value and satisfaction? This takes six important steps: Find documents If you want to sell, you must first prepare and find all the necessary documents for the sale of your property. It always makes a good impression and you are not unprepared when the potential buyer shows up and asks you for documentation for analysis. Something that is often devalued, but is indeed very important are; the actual calculation of the housing area and the floor plan design that should definitely be available. However, it is also important to have documents about the location, technical condition of the building and equipment, and any evidence, invoices of the modernizations already carried out. Beauty repair versus modernization We advise that minor defects, such as squeaking doors or leaking faucets, should be corrected definitively before selling, in order to make a good first impression. But beware: defects in the house, such as the serious infestation of the mold, should not be concealed, but reported. This creates confidence in the transparency demonstrated, and can avoid in some situations empasses for minor or greater reasons. Already on the issue of modernization the subject is more complicated. Often it makes little sense to invest before the sale in modernization or cosmetic because from our experience, this to date has been reflected in the purchase price. On the contrary, experience tells us that many times buyers are in doubt and the taste is different, however the cost that is reflected in this action in the seller's currency carrier never have return and causes emotional problems between seller and buyer derived to taste. Prices Which brings us to the most important question: price. No one wants to feel like you sold the house too cheap. But if you're going to bet too high on the price, you risk the sale of the property becoming a nightmare, because no one is interested in seeing it. For the first price orientation, it is worth taking a look around and make a reasonable average, never starting from the higher value, but from the average practiced in the surroundings. Just look for properties equal or similar in the area in the main real estate portals and in the newspapers. Make proper advertising If you don't sell in the circle of friends or acquaintances, there's no way around online ads. Examples can be OLX.pt, fair cost, idealista.pt or imovirtual.pt. Quality photographs are very important, as well as how and in what state are the rooms in which the photographs were taken. It does not serve the quality when you still see the leftovers of lunch in the kitchen and the pajamas on top of the messy bed in the bedroom. Like other situations I don't want to highlight here. Surveys and visits At the bottom, there are two types of stakeholders: the curious, and those who have serious buying intentions. It is important here to separate the tares from the wheat from an early age. Something that sometimes fails the private for lack of experience of human knowledge and to ask the right questions before the visit. Visiting dates and times should always be set as individual dates to give the buyer the value, however it is okay if the second visit is scheduled after an hour. Because so anyone who is interested and needs more time to visit, can realize that they are not alone within those interested. You should always prepare for the question, "Why are you selling?" In general, one should speak openly about the reasons, because sign communication in this opening invites the opponent to realize that he is facing a person of trust and total transparency. However, it is also clear that those who urgently need to sell, for financial reasons, for example, should not immediately disclose this problem, but rather the need for change in life, which does not leave it to be the pure truth. Price negotiations In peace lies power. In other words, anyone who makes it clear that things have to go quickly risks a poor negotiating position when it comes to prices. In general, one should not respond directly to the buyer's first offer. But as a rule, those interested generally want a discount on the price of just under five percent - we can then agree halfway. Do I sell or give to sell to the Real Estate Mediation Consultant? There is no time, no patience, no vocation for all these steps to sell your property? So selling with a Professional Mediator can be the sensible and best option for you. Professional Mediators have an often undervalued benefit that is that of the kind of neutralizer between the parties. That is, as the name already induces the mediator who mediates the situation and the business between the parties, because we cannot forget that the sale of a house in which the seller himself still lives is an emotional process in which the Mediator brings and leads to an objective distance.   Autor: Paulo Lopes

Brussels wants to renovate 400 buildings per hour by 2030 New European strategy promises to boost the construction sector and generate another 160,000 jobs. With this wave of renovation the EU wants to decarbonise 35 million buildings in the European Union and create 160,000 green jobs in construction. This initiative by the European Commission for the rehabilitation and improvement of energy efficiency in 35 million homes, businesses, schools, hospitals and other buildings in the 27 Member States of the European Union (EU) over the next decade. It will be able to create 160,000 more green jobs in the European construction sector. The European Green Pact, and its set targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions are so ambitious, that an average of 400 buildings per hour will need to be decarbonised between 2021 and 2030. And it cannot stop there if Europe really wants to be the first continent to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. In order to reduce emissions in the European Union by 55% by 2030, Brussels estimates an additional annual investment for building renovations at around €275 billion. It will be an important factor in real estate rehabilitation of the future, as it will also be an engine of employment that involves the labor-intensive construction sector, and many other crafts linked to sustainable construction and energy efficiency, not forgetting smart housing technology to reduce the energy bill of residential and non-residential buildings, as well as their emissions. Because buildings and real estate account for more than 40% of energy consumption and their energy-related greenhouse gas emissions in the EU. We cannot forget that about 85% or 220 Million existing and inhabited buildings in the European Union form built before the 21st century. Source: Express