After decades in the doldrums, the property market in Portugal’s inland areas has been undergoing a steady and sustained resurgence, boosted by foreign incomers and Portuguese nationals finding themselves priced out of the Algarve, Lisbon and Porto.
With original relocation budgets under pressure from inflation, stagnant incomes and property price rises, a budget of €250,000 ‘for a countryside house in the Algarve’ now is wholly inadequate. Those now looking at a property purchase in rural Portugal all have a list of essential property requirements and ‘quality’ is high on that list.
Family-sized inland properties offer multiple options to this new raft of buyers; be they couples looking for a lock-and-leave summertime home, families needing multiple bedrooms and nearby schools, those in need of home workspace, those looking for tourist rental (Alojamento Local) options, and those who dream of living above and running an organic produce shop or wine bar.
Rural Properties already and generously has been cited a pioneer in selecting, negotiating, and redeveloping older properties, but each purchase brings common issues; ceilings and doorways are low, electrical wiring is rudimentary or simply dangerous, plumbing is rusted through. It became clear that remedial work to old buildings needs completing early on while design work starts behind the scenes.
A healthy alliance between property developer Rural Properties and Concepto-Studio based in Portimão, Algarve, marries those specialist construction skills to the very latest in design, from ‘rural chic’ to elegant ‘old school’.
Potential buyers are presented with renders and concepts, having time to select options to suit their needs in properties where structural work has been completed, partition walls taken out, spaces opened up, old ceilings removed, rooves replaced, walls repaired, stonework repointed, wiring and plumbing renewed and heating systems installed.
One living space design option
With independent investors funding its work, Rural Properties only selects and buys historic properties with inherent potential and by now offering a palette of design options alongside expert advice, buyers know the building is sound and the design works.
The required structural work creates a highly functional and energy-efficient envelope while Concepto-Studio (Arnold Aarssen and Eric de Bruijn) produces inspiring designs for exquisite interiors, working with a raft of hand-picked suppliers for bathrooms, kitchens etc.
Country colours – M2 kitchen by Sachi
One example of this design and repurpose service is a 17th century property in the historic zone of Pedrógão Grande, Leiria. The heavy, structural work has been completed and a variety of layouts have been developed, ranging from a two- to a six-bedroom home, with or without an independent AL apartment, and with ground floor commercial space. A 600m2 garden area offers additional choices.
The old tavern, Pedrógão Grande
The old tavern as a kitchen area (Concepto-Studio)
The former church-run hostel and hospital also has a 600m2 garden which can suit many outdoor needs, including an organic vegetable zone, a pool, a garden chill-out studio and large terrace area with kitchen; at this stage, all things are possible.
Concepto-Studio initial designs for a 600m2 garden and pool area
Lounge space opened up in a C17th, formerly Church-run, travellers’ hostal
The structural and remedial work has been completed at ‘Casa Adelina’, Pedrógão Pequeno, Sertã (pictured here ‘before and after’), and a new buyer has the opportunity to work with Concepto-Studio in selecting the kitchen, flooring, bathroom fittings, wall colour, lighting and décor.
‘Casa Adelina’, in Pedrógão Pequeno, Sertã, lay empty and unloved for decades
Working with demanding, international buyers on interior detail and finish is not a new aspect of Portugal’s property market, but it has been the domain of sophisticated, big-budget, resort, apartment and villa construction businesses in the Algarve, Lisbon and Porto.
Design and remedial work starts in March at this abandoned farmhouse
near Figueiró dos Vinhos, Leiria
New buyers are entitled to demand excellence when selecting homes in Portugal’s stress-free interior areas. It’s no good for property developers simply to offer cheaper homes; if there’s no quality, buyers will buy elsewhere or be tempted to renovate an old house themselves, thereby wasting both time and money.
This may not be the sort of ‘innovation’ that wins awards for technology, but a focus on each customer’s lifestyle and creating a home around those needs is innovative in the interior property market sector where service levels are catching up.
Published in the Portugal Resident - 24th February 2024