Alentejo Region in Portugal is Called The New Tuscany

Some describe the Alentejo as the new Tuscany. We found an article in Redhot, magazine of Virgin airlines, the following lines are just a part of that article: "As anyone who's visited Florence in high season will testify, Tuscany has become more than a tad overcrowded. Luckily for those who want to escape the tourists, there's no shortage of New Tuscany's. Croatia's Istrian coastline and the Saale Valley in Germany have all been put forward - even Italy has a New Tuscany in Le Marche - but as far as alternatives go, Portugal's offering does the job better than most."

Portugal belongs to the top tourist attractions for many years. The Algarve has been the most known area of Portugal for a long time. This is changing. People who seek the easy pace of life discover the Alentejo. This group is growing steadily, whether this is due to up going property prices in countries as France, Spain and Italy or the desire to spend quality time in authentic, peaceful surroundings is not clear. It's probably a mixture of the two.

Therefore this part of Portugal makes properties a fantastic investment.

"Combining a rich cultural heritage and deliciously rustic food with beautiful scenery that splits between a dramatic coastline and rolling countryside dotted with vineyards and olive groves, Alentejo ticks all the Tuscan boxes while remaining undiscovered by the traveling masses. Indeed, visitors are likely to encounter more trees than people during their stay here, for while the area covers about a third of Portugal, it is only home to five per cent of the country's population. By contrast, thousands of cork and olive trees stand in welcoming salute all along the region's roads, making the hour-and-a-half drive from Lisbon airport to the heart of Alto (Upper) Alentejo a very pleasant one." Alentejo Home has devoted the last nine years to servicing both, local and overseas clients providing an honest reliable service to all. Alentejo Home is known for its level of care and attention to detail and their knowledge of the property market. If you are looking to buy or sell property in Portugal then Alentejo Home is at your service.

Buying, building and what goes wrong:

For many people a dream, for some reality. Some people buy, build or rebuild without any problems. It often takes a bit longer then planned because of this great "tomorrow there is another day" attitude, but most of us can live with that. Sometimes however things go wrong, really wrong! We have made a list of things that may go wrong, not to scare you of, just to be aware.

Language often is a problem, if you don't speak Portuguese yourself how can you be sure your interpreter translates everything proper. Make sure you find someone you trust. One of the main problems is buying without a license. Check references and make sure you work with a good lawyer or intermediary. Check their references as well. The license system in Portugal is complicated, be aware of that.

Portugal has national ecological protected areas. On those properties ruins may be rebuild on the exact location and the exact former size. Make sure your property is not such one if you have a huge villa in mind. The law is a bit contradictory here, so again make sure you're informed properly. The constitution was put together in a way that there was always a possibility to escape the rules. Times are changing and Portugal is a European member, so caution and stick to the law.

Sometimes a building is only partly registered because of an exceeded building permit concerning square meters. Meaning that "your house" is only partly legal. In the worst case you would have to take the illegal part down. Mortgage debts or tax debts on a house can be another problem.

Projects (in case of building or rebuilding) should be signed by a Portuguese or in Portugal registered architect. What goes wrong with building is often that people begin with building or rebuilding before they have a permit. "I have been waiting for so long now, this is enough!" That is not very much appreciated and often means a lot of problems. Be patient that will save you a lot of worries. Stick with the building plan and don't add buildings like a garage without a license.

In cases like above the project will be stopped.

If you buy in a rural area be aware of the fact that in some areas only 20 square meters may be build per hectare. In a village centre this is not the matter. Rules differ in various municipalities. Check this out before buying. Just make sure you're well informed on all matters and deal with trustworthy people, if you do your dream can come true. Again we don't want to scare you of, read the references on our site to see things can go well!

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