About Us
Who we are
The business, founded in 2019, was inspired by a gap in the property market in an area of great natural beauty.
As property prices rise in Portugal’s principal cities and tourism areas, the country’s interior regions offer increasing value for money and variety. There is an historic over-supply of older, unused properties and a growing national and international demand for fully upgraded homes in rural areas, away from cities and tourism hotspots.
Rural Properties offers upgraded homes for sale in villages, towns and the countryside in the Central Region.
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The co-founders, based in central Portugal, are dedicated to the development of the business, working with investors and analysing a growing number of exceptional opportunities.
The company is run by an experienced team, purchasing quality assets at low prices, ensuring cost-effective renovation to high standards and selling to national and international buyers.​ Rural Properties’ in-house skills include property negotiation, analysis of documentation, local planning and zoning issues and final property sales.
We draw on specialist support, including a dedicated taxation and accountancy service; legal services with specific expertise in the property sector, and an architectural and design service specialising in bio-climatic development techniques.
Paul Rees
Director & Co-Founder
Co-founder, oversees field operations, supports the construction management team and is the key decision maker for investment property purchases, based on his detailed knowledge of comparable purchase prices, the characteristics of areas within the Central Region, renovation costs and upside sales potential. Paul’s wide network of contacts and notable negotiating skills have been developed over 20-years in the building and renovation sectors in Portugal.
Gelu Temis
Construction Specialist
Gelu Timis is a rural property construction and renovation specialist with decades of experience in multiple projects in the UK and in Portugal’s inland regions. Gelu’s insight into local construction regulation, eco-efficient systems, materials selection and property presentation is invaluable for accurate budgeting and cost control. Gelu manages the construction teams and manages a range of specialist sub-contractors.
Kate McGowan
Co-Founder
As an internationally experienced business developer, Kate provides commercial consultancy and strategic guidance to Rural Properties in which she is a major investor and co-founder.
Kate oversees the Company’s professional service providers, ensuring compliance in a complex commercial and regulatory environment.
Concepto-Studio
Architecture & Conceptual Design
Run by property veterans, architect Arnold Aarssen and designer Eric de Bruijn, Concepto Studios is instrumental in the inspired reconfiguration, interior design and energy-efficiency inherent in Rural Properties’ developments. In addition to creating bio-climatic properties with beautiful interiors, the team also works alongside buyers of our pre-finished properties to ensure their homes perfectly satisfy individual lifestyle needs.
Additional Professional Service Providers​​
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Taxlibris Contabilidade e Consultoria Lda​
Taxlibris Contabilidade e Consultoria Lda in Lisbon, is a highly respected management accountancy practice with a distinguished track record in property-related taxation, management consulting and in steering new companies through fundraising, controlled expansion and possible sale. Taxlibris holds an in-depth knowledge of the property taxation framework in Portugal and controls and analyses each property project, liaises with the national tax authority and ensures rigorous and timely compliance for investor returns.​​
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Dr. Cristina Vasconcelos Afonso and Dra Marta Leonardo of Prelhaz Advogados, cover Portuguese contract law, the company’s filing obligations, its shareholder register and investor registration compliance. Dr Ricardo Prelhaz is a specialist in corporate and investment law, overseeing the Company’s financial compliance.​​
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Edge International Lawyers in Lisbon advised the co-founders during the Company’s startup stage and remains in an advisory capacity. Edge has a history of advising start-ups and structuring new companies to ensure untroubled compliance and expansion.​​
Reabilitejo - Matthew Nouch and Thomas Molloy
​Reabilitejo is a specialist business based in Santarém, advises on researching, buying, and restoring older properties. In addition to assessing the physical state of Rural Properties’ heritage buildings, the partners analyse and report on heritage value and significance, identifying the most valuable areas to protect and describing historical uses and functions.
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