Buying Land - Portugal, Castelo Branco, not given maps before viewing land, why??

Hi,

In our search for land, we are requesting that before we go and view the land we are given a map showing the boundaries of the land via google maps etc.

We have just returned from Portugal where we did our first viewings of land, unfortunately, the main issue we encountered were properties provided with the incorrect amount of hectares.
We are looking to buy many hectares.  So we just want to avoid this issue with our next trip and also get a feeling of the land via google earth etc before we head.

Is this request unreasonable?

Is my approach to buying land incorrect perhaps?

Thanks for your help.

T

seems reasonable to me . If they get the area wrong ( big style ) or cannot provide a map both are big red flags to me , if I was dealing with a professional company . If buying from a friend of a friend then not so much ..

David

That does tend to be the norm when you buy land in Porgtugal - I think it's to protect themselves from you buying the land direct and them losing their commission.  Portugal is catching up with things fast, but some things are slower than others.  Including the price, which is why so many are buying here now.

T Olive.
There is a big problem concerning ownership and land size north of Tejo River in Portugal. The local city halls cannot do all the necessary land registry so not all lands are registered by the owners and a lot of owners think their land is bigger than it actually is.
Adding to this big problem is the money oriented+ lack of ethics of a lot of real estates that don't care about the posterior problems regarding the buying.
I've bought a farm around Castelo Branco and saw 3 or 4 farms with a lot less area than advertised but normally the people showing the farms give an aerial photo from google maps. Maybe not before but during the showing i'm sure they give the reason being what Burra Maluca said.
Since you are a foreigner and live abroad, when you contact them, ask them for the documentation and a google aerial photo so that you can check before hand the size of the farm.

Next time you come, give me a shout and i'll try to help as i can. Take care

Often it's a simple case of the seller not knowing the size or where the boundaries are.

Before you pay money, formalise the purchase and register the land there will need to be a paper trail of inheritance documents, contracts of previous sale and possibly witness statements from neighbours to prove the seller's ancestors used/owned the land to the notary's satisfaction. The seller may suggest you buy the land now and they will help you with this process later. Make sure it's done upfront.

Thanks for your replies, I've now come to terms with the fact that we won't be getting maps and will be coming to Portugal at the end of the month to view land.
We are contacting agents, we are just not getting much response to our emails guess we are just used to london agents! Andre will send you a private message.
thanks

So how does it work over there?
Do you have surveyors that go out and find the corners and bounderies of land you buy?
I am wondering if in a country with such a long history the ownership records are all intact and agreed upon.

Miles Flansburg wrote:So how does it work over there?
Do you have surveyors that go out and find the corners and bounderies of land you buy?
I am wondering if in a country with such a long history the ownership records are all intact and agreed upon.

There has been a fair amount of debate on these matters around here.

Some times there are disputes. So neighbours, witnesses and it is not uncommon people just taking over the land and waiting 20 years to claim it legally.

Amongst other things, people are dying... fast. Heirs have gone to the cities or even abroad. Grandchildren don't know their own land... many times they haven't even set foot on it, ever...

There are many marks on the ground, mostly stacked stones at the corners of the properties. many times you can only see them after a fire.