Should you get a home inspection when buying in Portugal in 2026?

Commission an independent engenheiro or building surveyor who works for you, not the agency. Ask for roofs, façades, load-bearing elements, visible cracks, plumbing, electrics, windows, and moisture mapping. Older Pombaline or stone cores in Lisbon and hillside stock in Porto often hide rising damp and poorly ventilated bathrooms: Living in Lisbon and Living in Porto. Cascais seafront units deserve salt-air corrosion and window seal checks: Living in Cascais.

Write an inspection condition into the CPCV with a clear cost threshold for renegotiation or withdrawal. Financing conditions sit beside it if you borrow: Foreigner mortgage. Apartments also need condomínio minutes for shared roofs and lifts: Condominium fees.

Before you pay a large deposit, collect the Caderneta Predial (Tax Authority property booklet with areas and VPT), the Certidão Permanente do Registo Predial (land-registry extract for owners and charges), a valid Certificado Energético, and the Licença de Utilização or equivalent municipal authorisation for residential use. gov.pt lists these as core purchase papers. Compare advertised rooms and square metres with the matrix; mismatches are a walk-away signal.

Ask whether the unit currently holds or recently held Alojamento Local (AL, short-term tourist lodging) registration. Tourist churn can mean heavier wear, neighbour complaints, and different municipal rules than a quiet long-term home. Closing cash for IMT and deed fees still lives in property purchase costs; do not skip the survey to “save” a fee that is tiny next to repair quotes.

Seismic detailing and balcony waterproofing matter on multi-storey blocks. A fresh paint job does not prove the structure is sound after an Algarve or Lisbon heat-and-rain cycle. In older condomínio buildings, ask who pays for shared façade or roof works flagged in the survey so a “bargain” flat does not become an extraordinary levy surprise.

If the seller rushes you to sign the CPCV “because another buyer is waiting,” keep the inspection condition anyway. A missed damp report costs more than losing one bidding war.