Always wondered what a Canalizador did, or what T2+1 meant? Here is your chance to find out

Getting to terms with the jargon of real estate can be an eye opener in your homeland, but when you throw in looking at property in a different country and a different language things can sometimes get a bit overwhelming – and trust us, relying on google translate is not always the safest course of action!

On this page, we have put together as many of the property terms, everyday items, buying and selling vocab and even tradespeople that we can think of with their Portuguese translation as well as a bit of further info, if needed, so that you can feel more confident when you are looking at properties.

Let's start with us.

ESTATE AGENTS – AGENTES IMOBILIÁRIOS 

There are loads of us! Real estate agents can be found around every corner as well as online. Our main function is to find you the right property to buy, or achieve the best price possible when you sell. Some agents work on an exclusive basis with their properties, if they are advertising them then no other agents can show them, others work together with other agencies so that their clients can see all the possible options. Some will work best within the local market and others have a wealth of experience in dealing with international clients. However we work, we all make our commission from the vendor once we have sold their property. Choose your agent wisely, they need to be people who you are happy to work with, who you trust and who are knowledgeable about the market and properties they are selling.

TYPES OF PROPERTY - TIPOS DE PROPRIEDADES

• Apartment/flat : Apartamento - Apartments come in all shapes and sizes. Generally speaking, Algarve apartment blocks are not high-rise like in London or New York. They tend to be lower density and in keeping with their surroundings. You can buy apartments in the city or by the sea, a 5 bedroom penthouse or a small studio, there are plenty of choices for all budgets. You will have condominium fees to pay on an annual basis for the upkeep of the communal areas – lifts, gardens, pools etc – a general rule of thumb is the more features there are the higher the fees will be.
• Townhouse : Moradia em Banda - Townhouses are small villas that are attached to one another. They are generally built over two or even three floors, and are “thinner” than villas but are a great alternative if you are looking for something slightly smaller than a stand-alone home or as a larger alternative to an apartment as it will give you more space but keep the social aspect of being surrounded by people. They offer a similar amount of internal space to villas but do not have such a big garden and may have the use of a communal pool rather than a private one – although some do come with their own plunge pools.  They are a popular build in many areas and are great if you want to use the property seasonally or if you are buying to let, there is a huge market for renting out townhouses.
• Semi detached house : Moradia Geminada – These are similar to townhouses but are only attached to one other property. Generally, these have a private pool, a roof terrace and are a little larger than townhouses.
• Detached house : Villa/Casa/Moradia isolada – This is a private property found in the countryside, near the ocean or on the outskirts of a town or city. Most villas have a good-sized garden with a pool, they are fenced and will have entrance gates. Many villas will have a basement that is the same size as the footprint of the property which means many villas have a games room, gym, home cinema or rentable space as part of the package.
• Classic country house/Farm : Quinta – These are normally large, older villas found in rural locations, although you do find some in suburban areas. Quintas tend to be larger villas with a lot of land, maybe with fruit trees, orchards or wilder vegetation which could be tamed or left to its own devices.
• Land : Terrano –  Some buyers choose to buy land and build their own homes. Look out for plots of land that already have a project approved (projeto para construção) from the local câmara as buying a plot of land that already has planning permission is far easier and quicker than buying land without. Getting permission to build can be time-consuming and expensive.
• Condominiums : Condomínios – Apartment blocks housing individual apartments that share common areas make up condominiums. Many will have communal gardens, pools, maybe a gym area and a child’s playground as well. Some condominiums come with 24-hour security and most have entrance gates which mean that only owners can come and go as they please so they are safe and secure.

They are the main types of properties you will find in Portugal, but have you wondered what the mix of letters and numbers mean on individual adverts? Well, wonder no more!

• T1, T2, T3 etc  – The letter T shows that the property is an apartment, townhouse, semi-detached villa – anything other than a villa. The number represents the amount of bedrooms that the property has according to the plans. You may visit homes that are listed as a T2 but there are other rooms that could be used as bedrooms, but if they are not down on the plans as such then they shouldn’t be advertised. If you see a T0 then this is a studio.
• V1, V2, V3 etc  – You’ve guessed it, this means we are talking about villas. And again the numbers determine how many bedrooms the property has.
• T1+1, V2+3  - Sometimes you see a +1, +2 etc after the T1 or V1, this means that the property in question has an extra room/rooms that could be used as bedrooms but are not down on the plans as such.

Now let’s look at some property lingo and its Portuguese equivalent. Most estate agents do speak English, many speak French, German and Italian too, but if you’re planning on buying in Portugal it’s nice to be able to recognise words that you are going to see a lot of now that you are looking at buying or selling.

For sale : Para venda

For rent : Para aluguer

Entrance hall : Átrio de entrada

Hall : Salão

Corridor : Corredor

Private entrance : Entrada privada

Bath : Banho

Bathrooms : Casas de banho

Toilets : Lavabos

Shower : Chuveiro

Kitchen : Cozinha

Oven : Forno

Utility/laundry room : Sala de serviços/lavandaria

Washing machine : Máquina de lavar roupa

Dishwasher : Máquina de lavar louça

Fridge : Frigorífico

Freezer : Congelador

Living room : Sala de estar

Wood burning oven : Forno queimador de lenha

Fireplace/hearth : Lareira/Salamandra

Terrace : Terraço

Patio : Pátio

Bedroom : Quarto

Wardrobe : Guarda-roupa/Armário

Balcony : Varanda

Ensuite : Ensuite

Bed : Cama

Lock-up garage : Garagem fechada

Driveway : Pista de acesso

Garage : Garagem

Car port : Porta de carro

Parking area : Área de estacionamento

Mains gas : Gás canalizado

Bottled gas/cylinder : Gás de bilha/cilindro

Water heater : Esquentador

Borehole : Furo

Septic tank : Fossa séptica

Garden : Jardim

Swimming pool : Piscina

Pool cover : Cobertura da piscina

Sun loungers : Espreguiçadeiras

Windows : Janelas

Doors : Portas

Furniture : Mobiliário

Furnished : Mobilado

Unfurnished : Não mobilado

Terracotta tiled flooring : Pavimento de tijoleira

Shutters : Persianas

Lights : Luzes

Internet : Internet

Phone : Telefone

Phone line : Linha telefónica

Air conditioning : Ar condicionado

Heating : Aquecimento

Solar panels : Painéis solares

TERMINOLOGY FOR BUYING & SELLING PROPERTY

Promissory contract : Contrato promessa

Deeds : Escrituras

Property tax (IMI) : Imposto Municipal sobre Imóveis

Stamp duty : Imposto de selo

Lawyers : Advogados

Legal fees : Honorários dos advogados

Mortgage : Hipotecárias

Property purchase tax (IMT) : Imposto Municipal sobre Transamissoes

Notary : Notário

Land registry : Registo predial

Surveyor : Inspector

Additional Property tax (AIMI) : Adicional Imposto Municipal sobre Imóveis

Utilities : Utilitários

Gas bill : Conta de gás

Water bill : Factura da água

Electric bill : Factura eléctrica

Condominium fees : Taxas de condomínio

Capital gains tax : Imposto sobre ganhos de capital

Inheritance tax : Imposto sucessório

Passport : Passaporte

Fiscal number : Número de contribuinte

Land registry certificate : Certidão do Registo Predial

Financial certificate : Caderneta Predial/Caderneta Rustica

Habitation license : Licença de Habitação/Utilização

Technical sheet : Ficha técnica

Energy certificate : Certificado Energérico

TRADESPEOPLE YOU MAY NEED TO CALL FOR HELP

Electrician : Electricista

Plumber : Canalizador

Builder : Construtor

Gardener : Jardineiro

Swimming pool cleaners : Limpadores de piscinas

Painter : Pintor

Interior designer : Designer de interiores

Chimney sweep : Limpeza de chaminés

Wood supplier : Fornecedor de madeira