After the buyer and seller have signed a Promissory Contract for the Purchase and Sale of a Property that includes the agreed conditions, such as the price, payment terms and completion date, it is mandatory to gather the following documentation so that the whole process of buying the property runs smoothly and does not jeopardise the deal:
- Building Handbook (Caderneta Predial) - This is a document issued by the Finance Department which contains the property's matricial article, the areas (m²), location, confrontations and the property's patrimonial value.
- Land Registry Certificate or Certificate of Contents (Certidão do Registo Predial ou Certidão de Teor) - This document is issued by the Land Registry Office and contains the name(s) of the owner(s), the history of the property, who has rights over the property and whether there are any liens, charges, mortgages or pledges on the property.
- Habitation or Construction Licence (Licença de Habitação ou Construção) - These documents are issued by the Town Hall. In the case of a habitation licence, this shows that the property has been built according to the plans and can be legally inhabited. The building licence authorises the construction of the property in accordance with the previously approved plans.
- Housing Technical Sheet (Ficha Técnica de Habitação) - This is provided by the builder and contains details of the builder, technical details, materials used in the construction, suppliers and all the details of the property. This document is mandatory for construction after 2004
- Property Plans (Plantas) - This document is issued by the town hall. Whenever you buy a property, you should always provide a copy to check that the property complies with the current plans
- Fiscal Number (Número de Identificação Fiscal (NIF) ou Número de Contribuinte) - Issued by the Tax Office. All buyers need to have/obtain a Portuguese NIF before buying a property
- Survey (Peritagem) - This is a structural survey. It's not a legal requirement but if you have any doubts about the structure of your future property you should ask an expert to examine the property
- Energy Certificate (Certificado Energético) - Since 1 January 2009, and according to Decree-Law no. 78/2006, all houses and buildings for sale (or rent), new or used, are required to obtain an energy efficiency certificate. This is intended to categorise each property (or building) from A-G, with A being the most energy efficient and G the least efficient, and is valid for 10 years. Owners who don't have it at the time of the deed will be subject to fines of between €250 and €3,740.98.
- IMT - Imposto Municipal sobre Transmissões Onerosas - This is a tax that must be paid at the Tax Office (before the purchase is finalised). It is calculated on the value of the property and also varies between first homes and second homes. See here for detailed information on IMT
VAP Real Estate, thanks to its experience, professionalism and success in the real estate business, has privileged contacts with various entities and specialised companies to make it easier to obtain the aforementioned Mandatory Documents.
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