House Inspection: Detailed information about Technical Home Inspections in Portugal!

What is a House Inspection in Portugal?

A home inspection in Portugal consists in a detailed inspection and assessment of a property by a qualified professional, usually a civil engineer or an architect. The main goal of a house inspection is to analyze the property physical conditions, such as the finishes and equipment quality , verify conservation and identify pathologies. Check for structural problems, among other safety issues, project compliance, technical standards and current regulations compliance.

What’s the benefits of  a House Inspection?

A house ispection has a profound impact on decision-making related to the property, with benefits for all parties involved in a real estate process. Among the main benefits of carrying out a house inspection, I highlight the following:

Informed decisions when buying and selling properties

For those who are buying a house, provides a detailed information about the property real condition, which allows you to make informed decisions on the aquisition, with a complete information about the property!

For owners and sellers, it’s a valuable tool to justify the asking price, or clarify the condition of the property. It guarantees transparency in the transaction and during negotiations.

Whether purchasing a used home or a new one, for different reasons, a property inspection is always recommended in Portugal!

Protecting investments and preventing future surprises

A home inspection is the only preventative way to protect your investment and prevent surprises, which can translate into large repair costs.

Allows you to identify faults (or irregularities) in early stages, so that appropriate corrections (or repairs) can be made in a timely manner, in order to avoid further losses. It also allows users to identify and monitor suspicious situations, so that they dont develop into physical damage, avoiding high repairing costs.

In a pre-acquisition analysis, you certainly obtain some advantages in value negotiation!

Safety Guarantee

A property with a complete inspection report it guarantees the safety of its inhabitants and neighbors, especially in old buildings or those that have undergone construction.

Transparency on Transactions and Property Value

Properties that undergo technical inspections tend to have a fairer market value, as there will be greater transparency and trust associated with the property sales process, for both buyer and seller.

Legal Compliance

A house technical inspection is a guarantee that the property meets all legal and regulatory standards, through verification and compatibility of the existing building with the approved projects and other property identification documentation. This way, you can avoid administrative proceedings and fines!

When should house inspections be carried out?

Carrying out a technical inspection/home inspection is recommended in several situations, including the following:

Buying and selling properties

A home inspection is an excellent tool to protect you when buying a house, ensuring that everything is as specified, and that you won’t have unpleasant surprises (costing thousands of dollars). Even if the property does not meet the desired specifications, if you decide to proceed with the aquisition, you will have an advantage negotiating the transaction value, or by imposing guarantees to restore compliance to protect your investment.

Legal Proceedings

In legal disputes involving properties, such as: neighborhood disputes, construction flaws or problems with contractors, construction conflicts, a technical report on the estate is a key element. The survey expert will prepare a technical report, which can be used as evidence in court, in mediation or resolution of legal processes.

Damage Assessment

In case of unexpected events such as fires, floods, among other natural disasters, it is essential to carry out a technical survey to assess damages and determine the necessary interventions to restore initial conditions. This type of inspection is also used to adjust the property insurance, ensuring that compensation is correct and based on accurate information.

House Rehabilitations and Other Works

Before carrying out rehabilitation or maintenance works, a technical survey may be necessary to identify areas that require intervention. This way you ensure that the work is carried out efficiently and that resources are used appropriately.

What is analyzed in a house inspection?

The home inspection survey includes document analysis, building analysis and compliance between the two. Therefore, it’s convenient to have access to all the property documentation. The list of the most common documents is:

• Approved architectural and specialty projects;
• Final projetcs (as-build), if there are changes to the initial projects;
• User license;
• Caderneta predial urbana (document from finance);
• Certidão de registo predial (property registration certificate);
• Ficha técnica de habitação (home technical documents from the constrution);
• Energy eficiency certificate;
• Topographic surveys.

The home inspection process may include some or all of the following steps:

• Documents verification and compliance between them;
• Compliance between property documents and site existence survey;
• Checking construction areas, built areas vs projects (included in the previous point)
• Quality check-up of all materials and installed equipment;
• Property conservation check-up and problem identification;
• Maintenance and repair recommendations;
• Recommendations for monitoring or prevention measures;

The home inspection survey in most cases is visual. However, if necessary, non-evasive tests can be carried out with specific equipment, or in last resort, evasive tests by sampling.

After the home inspection is concluded, the property is analyzed and the house inspection report is prepared. The report must contain all information regarding the survey, analysis and conclusions about the physical property condition.

Complete checklist for a house inspection!

A home inspection may include a more or less detailed analyses, depending on the client’s or process requests. Analyzes can include many aspects, such as:

• Structures: building structures (foundations, structural elements and roof), retaining walls;
• External areas and walls;
• Facade, roofs and other external elements;
• Rainwater drainage network and sewage network;
• Water supply installations;
• Electrical installations, telecommunications;
• Sanitary and kitchen installations;
• Housing equipment: air conditioning, vacuum systems, electric shutters, others…
• Insulation and waterproofing;
• Carpentry and metalworks;
• General habitability conditions;
• Compliance with approved project and licences;
• Damage or wear assessment;
• Identification of construction pathologies (such as infiltrations, settlements, or cracks).

In addition to the above checking, the appraiser must include the clientes requests and concerns about the specifique property. During the inspection, based on signs that may appear during the visit, the expert can delve deeper and further investigate certain aspects.

 

Procedure for hiring a house inspection in Portugal

Find an expert Real Estate Appraiser?

Always choose a qualified professional to carry out a house technical survey. This is essential to ensure quality, transparency and trust in the report. To hire an real estate appraiser you must consider the following:

Experience and Qualifications: The expert must have training in civil engineering or architecture and, preferably, specific experience in technical property valuations.
Certifications and Professional Registration: Check whether the appraiser is registered with the competent regulatory bodies, such as the Ordem dos Engenheiros or Ordem dos Arquitetos. Check if the expert as any additional certifications that may value the survey for you.
References and reputation: Check for reviews from other clients, online reviews (like googlebusiness or trustpilot) and ask for references. An expert with a good reputation ensures greater confidence in the results of house inspection.

Plan the inspection?

The inspection will be carried out by a real estate appraiser expert. You must provide the appraiser all documents and relevant information that you have on the property. If you have your on ckeck-list about the property, send the list to the expert so it can be included in the survey work. Sometimes, there are specific customer requests, such as: accessibility quality, noise from elements nearby, existence of mobile network signal, among others.

When planning the inspection, schedule a date that allows all interested parties (and those with relevant information) to be present, so that necessary clarifications can be provided on site, increasing transparency and confidence in the process. The schedule must be organized in a timely manner, to ensure that the expert has all the documents to proceed with the full work.

House Inspection

The inspection should last from 2 to 3 hours. It may be different, when the properties are small or very large, or when problems to be registered are in high number. During the inspection, information is collected in accordance to the expert’s checklist, also a photographic record is made as evidence. Also, some measurements will be taken, if areas verification is requested by the client. If the inspection includes any type of tests (in addition to visual tests), these surveys and records will also be carried out.

Analyze the inspection report

The final product of the inspection survey is the home inspection report, which contains all the detailed information on the description, analysis and conclusions about the property condition. Analyze the document in detail and ask for any clarifications you need from the appraiser expert.

How much does a house inspection cost in Portugal?

The technical survey service fees vary depending on the size of the service, being influenced by: size of the property, detail of the inspection requested and general condition (or age) of the property. The cost of a thecnical survey can vary between 150 euros and 500 euros (most common cases), the cost presented must include the entire service: preparation, travel, inspection, analysis, inspection report and client support. If you need to carry out a survey inspection service on a property, ask for a free quotation to carry out the service.

Conclusion

A house inspetion survey is a very important service for anyone who wants to guarantee the quality, safety and value of a property. Whether buying, selling, maintenance or in legal proceedings, a home inspection offers detailed information that guides you in making the best decisions.

Choosing the right appraiser extert and carrying out the property inspection survey with detail can avoid surprises and ensure that the property remains a valuable asset in the long term.

If you are considering buying or selling a house, or simply want to ensure your property is in good condition, a technical inspection is the right step towards a safer and more peaceful future!

Need addicional help? Call now! 96 644 65 06

Request a free quote: info@paulomatias.pt

What is a House Inspection in Portugal?

A home inspection in Portugal consists in a detailed inspection and assessment of a property by a qualified professional, usually a civil engineer or an architect. The main goal of a house inspection is to analyze the property physical conditions, such as the finishes and equipment quality , verify conservation and identify pathologies. Check for structural problems, among other safety issues, project compliance, technical standards and current regulations compliance.

What’s the benefits of  a House Inspection?

A house ispection has a profound impact on decision-making related to the property, with benefits for all parties involved in a real estate process. Among the main benefits of carrying out a house inspection, I highlight the following:

Informed decisions when buying and selling properties

A house inspetion for those who are buying a house, provides a detailed information about the property real condition, which allows you to make informed decisions on the aquisition, with a complete information about the property!

For owners and sellers, it’s a valuable tool to justify the asking price, or clarify the condition of the property. It guarantees transparency in the transaction and during negotiations.

Whether purchasing a used home or a new one, for different reasons, a property inspection is always recommended in Portugal!

Protecting investments and preventing future surprises

A home inspection is the only preventative way to protect your investment and prevent surprises, which can translate into large repair costs.

The home inspection/house technical inspection allows you to identify faults (or irregularities) in early stages, so that appropriate corrections (or repairs) can be made in a timely manner, in order to avoid further losses. It also allows users to identify and monitor suspicious situations, so that they dont develop into physical damage, avoiding high repairing costs.

In a pre-acquisition analysis, you certainly obtain some advantages in value negotiation!

Safety Guarantee

A property with a complete inspection report it guarantees the safety of its inhabitants and neighbors, especially in old buildings or those that have undergone construction.

Transparency on Transactions and Property Value

Properties that undergo technical inspections tend to have a fairer market value, as there will be greater transparency and trust associated with the property sales process, for both buyer and seller.

Legal Compliance

A house technical inspection is a guarantee that the property meets all legal and regulatory standards, through verification and compatibility of the existing building with the approved projects and other property identification documentation. This way, you can avoid administrative proceedings and fines!

When should house inspections be carried out?

Carrying out a technical inspection/home inspection is recommended in several situations, including the following:

Buying and selling properties

A home inspection is an excellent tool to protect you when buying a house, ensuring that everything is as specified, and that you won’t have unpleasant surprises (costing thousands of dollars). Even if the property does not meet the desired specifications, if you decide to proceed with the aquisition, you will have an advantage negotiating the transaction value, or by imposing guarantees to restore compliance to protect your investment.

Legal Proceedings

In legal disputes involving properties, such as: neighborhood disputes, construction flaws or problems with contractors, construction conflicts, a technical report on the estate is a key element. The survey expert will prepare a technical report, which can be used as evidence in court, in mediation or resolution of legal processes.

Damage Assessment

In case of unexpected events such as fires, floods, among other natural disasters, it is essential to carry out a technical survey to assess damages and determine the necessary interventions to restore initial conditions. This type of inspection is also used to adjust the property insurance, ensuring that compensation is correct and based on accurate information.

House Rehabilitations and Other Works

Before carrying out rehabilitation or maintenance works, a technical survey may be necessary to identify areas that require intervention. This way you ensure that the work is carried out efficiently and that resources are used appropriately.

What is analyzed in a house inspection?

The home inspection survey includes document analysis, building analysis and compliance between the two. Therefore, it’s convenient to have access to all the property documentation. The list of the most common documents is:

• Approved architectural and specialty projects;
• Final projetcs (as-build), if there are changes to the initial projects;
• User license;
• Caderneta predial urbana (document from finance);
• Certidão de registo predial (property registration certificate);
• Ficha técnica de habitação (home technical documents from the constrution);
• Energy eficiency certificate;
• Topographic surveys.

The home inspection process may include some or all of the following steps:

• Documents verification and compliance between them;
• Compliance between property documents and site existence survey;
• Checking construction areas, built areas vs projects (included in the previous point)
• Quality check-up of all materials and installed equipment;
• Property conservation check-up and problem identification;
• Maintenance and repair recommendations;
• Recommendations for monitoring or prevention measures;

The home inspection survey in most cases is visual. However, if necessary, non-evasive tests can be carried out with specific equipment, or in last resort, evasive tests by sampling.

After the home inspection is concluded, the property is analyzed and the house inspection report is prepared. The report must contain all information regarding the survey, analysis and conclusions about the physical property condition.

Complete checklist for a house inspection!

A home inspection may include a more or less detailed analyses, depending on the client’s or process requests. Analyzes can include many aspects, such as:

• Structures: building structures (foundations, structural elements and roof), retaining walls;
• External areas and walls;
• Facade, roofs and other external elements;
• Rainwater drainage network and sewage network;
• Water supply installations;
• Electrical installations, telecommunications;
• Sanitary and kitchen installations;
• Housing equipment: air conditioning, vacuum systems, electric shutters, others…
• Insulation and waterproofing;
• Carpentry and metalworks;
• General habitability conditions;
• Compliance with approved project and licences;
• Damage or wear assessment;
• Identification of construction pathologies (such as infiltrations, settlements, or cracks).

In addition to the above checking, the appraiser must include the clientes requests and concerns about the specifique property. During the inspection, based on signs that may appear during the visit, the expert can delve deeper and further investigate certain aspects.

 

Procedure for hiring a house inspection in Portugal

Find an expert Real Estate Appraiser?

Always choose a qualified professional to carry out a house technical survey. This is essential to ensure quality, transparency and trust in the report. To hire an real estate appraiser you must consider the following:

Experience and Qualifications: The expert must have training in civil engineering or architecture and, preferably, specific experience in technical property valuations.
Certifications and Professional Registration: Check whether the appraiser is registered with the competent regulatory bodies, such as the Ordem dos Engenheiros or Ordem dos Arquitetos. Check if the expert as any additional certifications that may value the survey for you.
References and reputation: Check for reviews from other clients, online reviews (like googlebusiness or trustpilot) and ask for references. An expert with a good reputation ensures greater confidence in the results of house inspection.

Plan the inspection?

The inspection will be carried out by a real estate appraiser expert. You must provide the appraiser all documents and relevant information that you have on the property. If you have your on ckeck-list about the property, send the list to the expert so it can be included in the survey work. Sometimes, there are specific customer requests, such as: accessibility quality, noise from elements nearby, existence of mobile network signal, among others.

When planning the inspection, schedule a date that allows all interested parties (and those with relevant information) to be present, so that necessary clarifications can be provided on site, increasing transparency and confidence in the process. The schedule must be organized in a timely manner, to ensure that the expert has all the documents to proceed with the full work.

House Inspection

The inspection should last from 2 to 3 hours. It may be different, when the properties are small or very large, or when problems to be registered are in high number. During the inspection, information is collected in accordance to the expert’s checklist, also a photographic record is made as evidence. Also, some measurements will be taken, if areas verification is requested by the client. If the inspection includes any type of tests (in addition to visual tests), these surveys and records will also be carried out.

Analyze the inspection report

The final product of the inspection survey is the home inspection report, which contains all the detailed information on the description, analysis and conclusions about the property condition. Analyze the document in detail and ask for any clarifications you need from the appraiser expert.

How much does a house inspection cost in Portugal?

The technical survey service fees vary depending on the size of the service, being influenced by: size of the property, detail of the inspection requested and general condition (or age) of the property. The cost of a thecnical survey can vary between 150 euros and 500 euros (most common cases), the cost presented must include the entire service: preparation, travel, inspection, analysis, inspection report and client support. If you need to carry out a survey inspection service on a property, ask for a free quotation to carry out the service.

Conclusion

A house inspetion survey is a very important service for anyone who wants to guarantee the quality, safety and value of a property. Whether buying, selling, maintenance or in legal proceedings, a home inspection offers detailed information that guides you in making the best decisions.

Choosing the right appraiser extert and carrying out the property inspection survey with detail can avoid surprises and ensure that the property remains a valuable asset in the long term.

If you are considering buying or selling a house, or simply want to ensure your property is in good condition, a technical inspection is the right step towards a safer and more peaceful future!

Need addicional help? Call now! 96 644 65 06

Request a free quote: info@paulomatias.pt

Este artigo foi elaborado por Paulo Matias, perito avaliador de imóveis registado na CMVM (Comissão do Mercado de Valores Mobiliários) com o registo ativo nº PAI/2019/0030 e engenheiro civil sénior com especialidade de estruturas, membro sénior da ordem dos engenheiros nº 43518. Possui extensa formação e larga experiência profissional nacional e internacional nos setores da engenharia, construção e imobiliário. Exerceu atividades em diversas áreas, desde desenvolvimento e coordenação de projetos, até à fiscalização e direção de obras em Portugal, Angola e Moçambique. Atualmente atua como perito avaliador de imóveis cmvm na avaliação de bens imobiliários para o sistema financeiro nacional, fundos de investimento, sistema judicial, empresas e particulares para diversos fins. Possui escritório atualmente em Matosinhos, na Rua Gonçalves Zarco 1129b e atua em todo o território nacional.

Caso pretenda avaliar terrenos para uma transação efetiva, seja para venda, compra, partilha ou outro fim, caso pretenda alugar ou rentabilizar o seu património por favor contrate um perito avaliador de imóveis cmvm credenciado e com experiência para o efeito. A incorreta avaliação da sua casa pode resultar em perdas de milhares de euros! Uma avaliação imobiliária é uma ferramenta importante na gestão do património, que o ajuda a maximizar o seu retorno!

Se pretender mais informações sobre este artigo, ou quiser solicitar um orçamento para avaliar casa, entre em contacto pelo canal mais conveniente para si!

Ligue já 96 644 65 06!