The Survey Question No Estate Agent Will Ask You (But I Always Do)

Here's something that surprises almost every buyer I work with: property surveys are not legally required in Portugal.

Not a structural survey. Not a building inspection. Nothing. You can exchange contracts, transfer hundreds of thousands of euros, and complete a Portuguese property purchase without a single independent person ever walking the building and telling you what they found.

And the vast majority of buyers — especially those coming from the UK, where surveys are a standard part of the process — simply don't know this. Their estate agent doesn't raise it. Their solicitor may not raise it. They sign, they transfer, they collect the keys. And then, sometimes weeks or months later, they find out why they should have asked.

What can go wrong without a survey?

I've been working in and around property — first in the UK building industry, then as a buyer's advocate in Portugal — for over 30 years. In that time, I've seen what happens when buyers skip the survey. The problems are not exotic or unusual. They include:

• Roof and structural problems concealed behind fresh paint or recently completed cosmetic renovation

• Illegal extensions and additions that do not appear on the official documentation — and create legal exposure for the buyer who purchases them

• Damp, rising or penetrating, that renders walls or floors structurally compromised — not visible on a casual viewing

• Electrical systems that predate Portuguese safety standards by decades — a serious safety and insurance risk

• Septic systems and drainage that either don't function or don't comply with current regulations

None of these problems are unique to Portugal. But what is particular to Portugal is that the system does not require sellers to disclose them, and no one in the standard transaction chain is obligated to find them for you.

Why agents don't bring it up

I'll be direct about this: the estate agent you're working with in Portugal is almost certainly working for the seller. That is the dominant model. Their commission depends on the sale completing. A survey that discovers serious problems is a risk to that commission — it might cause you to renegotiate, or withdraw entirely.

That doesn't make them dishonest. It makes them human. They're not going to recommend something that might cost them a sale.

I work exclusively for buyers. I don't earn commission on the sale price. My only incentive is that you end up in the right property at the right price, having avoided the mistakes that haunt buyers who moved too fast.

What I do instead

For every client I work with, I bring in an independent surveyor — a qualified professional who has no relationship with the seller, no interest in whether the sale completes, and every professional reason to tell you exactly what they find. The cost of the survey is a fraction of what it can save you.

I also use my own 30 years of building industry experience. I walk the property myself before I'd ever recommend a client visit it. I know what fresh paint is hiding. I know which questions to ask about the roof, the drainage, the walls.

If the property is right, the survey confirms it and gives you peace of mind. If it isn't, you find out before you sign anything — not after.

One conversation could change the outcome

If you're at any stage of thinking about buying in Portugal — whether you've been searching for months or you've just started — I'd encourage you to book a free 30-minute call with me. Not to sell you anything. Just to give you an honest picture of what the process actually involves, and what protection you need that nobody else will offer you unprompted.

Book your free 30-minute call at jpfaustino.co.uk — no commitment, no fee.