Investing in rural Portugal: buying, renovating and selling

The founder of Rural Properties, Paul Rees, discovered the delights of Central Portugal after decades of living in the Algarve, realizing that their beautiful rural areas were increasingly attracting the attention of those who, for whatever reason, preferred to avoid tourist centers and cities. It was in this forgotten region, where deforestation is clearly taking place, that Paul Rees decided to invest.

He buys, renovates and sells country houses (many of which have been empty for decades), working with investors who finance the renovation of the properties and then share in the profits. According to the company's CEO, the central region is full of "fantastic" abandoned properties that allow the company to "succeed without the competition inherent in more'''tight market sectors in the Algarve, Lisbon and Porto'. Most of the restored degraded rural properties are sold as primary residences, vacation homes or for rent.

The largest audience is foreigners, mainly from the UK, Germany, France and (recently) the US, as "many locals already have access to inherited properties in rural areas." The aim of Rural Properties, which operates in areas that are experiencing an unexpected renaissance, is to provide "ready-to-live-in" properties, through a process in which buyers don't have to worry about a thing. In practice, investors can profit from the growing demand for rural properties without having to worry or deal''the bureaucracy of selecting, buying and renovating these premises.

In this business model, as explained by the head of the company, investors can receive a fixed percentage per annum or choose to participate in the profits.

The entrepreneur notes that investing in rural real estate in Portugal "has as much to do with lifestyle as it does with owning real estate." "Why spend so much money to live in cities when Portugal's countryside is accessible and working from home has become acceptable? It's certainly not suitable for all occupations, but quite a few people have enjoyed it and it has had a positive impact on rural property sales," he points out.

In this written interview, the head of the company talks about Portugal's strengths compared to other countries and why he decided to invest in this business model in the central region, describing how it''works and what its benefits are, what kind of real estate clients are looking for and in what price range, and how the current context of uncertainty and government measures will (or will not) affect this real estate project.