Insurance

Once the buying process is done there are still things to sort: utility connections, learning the lingo, finding your beach — and making sure your home is covered.

Getting the right level of insurance depends on how you intend to use the property. If you are living in Portugal permanently, property insurance is fairly straightforward. If you are only here part of the year, or intend to rent the property out, it needs more thought.

Unoccupied periods

Cover for unoccupied properties normally applies for up to 60 days, after which money and valuables would need to be removed. If your home is likely to sit empty for longer than that, make sure your policy accounts for it — this is the single most common gap we see.

Public liability

If you are thinking about renting your property out, public liability insurance must be considered. It protects you if a guest claims against you following an accident at the property. Not all local insurers include it as standard, so check.

Buildings and contents

If you have bought with a mortgage, most banks make buildings insurance compulsory. Buildings cover generally protects the structure against fire, earthquake, flooding and storm damage. Contents insurance is not usually required by lenders, but if you want it, a joint buildings-and-contents policy is often cheaper than two separate ones.

Read the wording

Understand what cover is excluded when your home is unoccupied. Identifying risk early minimises potential loss. Every client has different needs, so speak with a reputable broker — we can recommend several so you can compare quotes.