Before you buy
Jemma and Alice from Fine & Country provided an excelent service, communications were key and they provided a stress free environment in what is a difficult time. Thank you and well done
Charlene Regan and Alice Madden at Fine & Country have been absolutely outstanding from start to finish. Charlene found us the right buyer in just three weeks and achieved an offer well over the asking price, which speaks volumes about her skill, judgement and understanding of the market. The marketing was also superb. The photos, video, drone footage and brochure produced by the Fine & Country team presented our home beautifully and really helped show it at its best. Once we accepted the offer, Alice was exceptional in keeping everything moving smoothly and swiftly. She liaised with both sets of solicitors, kept communication flowing between us and our buyer, anticipated potential issues and helped resolve anything that came up along the way. The whole experience felt professional, proactive and well managed throughout. We would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Charlene, Alice and the Fine & Country team to anyone looking to sell their home.
Review for Fine & Country Cardiff – Deeply Unprofessional and Untrustworthy I strongly advise anyone considering buying a property through Fine & Country Cardiff to think twice. We dealt with Gemma, and the experience has been nothing short of appalling. From the beginning, the team were overly pushy and dismissive of our concerns. But once the sale was completed, their attitude turned outright negligent. Despite purchasing a high-value property marketed as a “smart home,” no one had the courtesy to hand over the keys in person. Instead, we were told they were “in the mailbox” and that was the end of their involvement. Upon arrival, we found the garage door was broken and unopenable. An engineer has since confirmed it must be completely replaced at a cost of £2,000. The bathroom sliding door is stuck, meaning steam from the shower floods into the room. And most critically, the entire smart home system is inaccessible. We were given login details linked to an email address that is not ours. After 10 days of calls, emails, and speaking to the U.S.-based provider, we still cannot even turn on the lights. Fine & Country Cardiff have made no effort to assist. No follow-up, no explanation, and certainly no responsibility taken. Their behaviour has been unprofessional, and completely lacking in basic courtesy. I rarely leave reviews, but this situation has caused serious stress and inconvenience. Avoid this agency at all costs. They disappear the moment the payment clears and leave you to deal with all the problems they never disclosed.
Quentin, after a careful discussion and exchange of ideas, understood exactly what we were looking. He then sent us examples of a range of properties from which we were able to refine our own definitions of exactly what we were looking for and what our budget would allow. A true professional in real estate and a pleasure to deal with.
Quentin has an excellent approach, great communication, expert knowledge, warm and empathetic whilst going through our property search with us. We cannot thank you enough and would highly recommend you to anyone starting their property search in Portugal. Kindest. Victoria
We recently sold our house with Fine & Country, using Jemma as our agent, and couldn't be more pleased with the experience. Jemma was professional & knowledgeable. She made the entire process feel seamless and stress-free, always keeping us updated and providing expert advice every step of the way. Our house sold quickly, and with the companies extensive advertising reach, we were able to complete the sale within just five months of listing.
I found Quentin an excellent communicator when my wife and I were researching properties in his area. We had chats via zoom calls and he had properties to view when we arrived from UK. Good service, humorous and professional.
I had the pleasure of partnering with Quentin during a visit in Portugal. Quentin was a true partner, coordinating the whole trip, taking into account every detail and aspect of the trip, accessible the whole time and very understanding. He was very present and attentive to my needs and expectations. I can only highly recommend Quentin.
We had limited experience with Quentin - because he is in Portugal and we are in Canada. We can say that Quentin is completely professional. He answered emails same day and always provided information we asked for. He took the time to do his job well and we will continue our dealings with him.
Efficient, proactive, ready to help, pleasant relationship, large inventory
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Santa Maria Maior is Lisbon's historic core, the parish that encompasses Baixa Pombalina, Alfama and the Sé cathedral on the hillside above the Tagus. Fine Luxury Property advises international buyers on restored pombaline apartments, Alfama townhouses and river-view penthouses across the ground-zero heritage district of the Portuguese capital.
Restored two-to-three bedroom pombaline apartments in Baixa, with typical ceiling heights of 3.5-4 metres, original stone staircases and limited access to lifts, priced €950,000 to €2.8 million for fully renovated stock.
Top-floor pombaline-conversion penthouses with private terraces, castle and Tagus views in Rua da Prata, Rua Augusta and Rua dos Fanqueiros, typically €1.8 million to €5 million depending on terrace size and view line.
Four-to-five storey townhouses and small palacetes in Alfama and Castelo, from restored 18th-century properties to unrenovated acquisition stock, typically €1.2 million to €4 million with scope for single-family reconversion.
Loft-style conversions within 18th and 19th-century pombaline buildings, retaining exposed stone, timber beams and azulejo panels while delivering contemporary open-plan layouts, popular with boutique short-let operators.
Fine Luxury Property operates as an AMI-licensed real estate agent with specialist coverage of central Lisbon's heritage parishes, including Santa Maria Maior, Misericórdia and Santo António. Our multilingual team works in English, Portuguese, French and Spanish to support the French, British, American and Brazilian investor-buyers concentrated here, and we confirm Alojamento Local contention-zone licensing status on every listing we introduce, end-to-end with independent Portuguese conveyancing.
Santa Maria Maior holds the densest collection of 1755-reconstruction pombaline apartments in Lisbon, a strictly limited stock of anti-seismic stone-and-timber buildings that Câmara Municipal heritage rules protect at facade and layout level. New supply in the parish is effectively zero.
The parish has been classified an Alojamento Local contention zone since 2018, suspending new short-let licences. Existing AL-licensed properties therefore transfer on sale and trade at a meaningful premium to unlicensed equivalents, a genuine supply-constrained asset class.
Licensed short-let apartments inside Santa Maria Maior, particularly in Alfama and Baixa, typically deliver 5-7% gross yield supported by year-round tourist demand, proximity to the Sé, Castelo de São Jorge and the Tagus waterfront. Net yields after operating costs remain competitive.
Santa Maria Maior apartments and penthouses offer irreplaceable view lines across the Tagus and up to Castelo de São Jorge. Protected sight-lines under heritage overlays mean view-fronted units can never be built out, creating genuine permanent value in the view premium.
We begin every Santa Maria Maior engagement with a briefing on the Alojamento Local contention-zone rules, the heritage overlays applicable to pombaline and Alfama stock, and the distinction between licensed and unlicensed short-let opportunities. These factors materially shape valuation and buyer use case.
We organise a Portuguese tax number (NIF), a local bank account and, where completion cannot be attended in person, a certified power of attorney granted to a Lisbon-based advogado, typically all inside two weeks including apostille translations for non-EU clients.
Lawyers verify Caderneta Predial, Certidão Permanente, energy certificate, condominium minutes, any AL licence attached to the property and heritage-listing status. For Alfama townhouses we confirm structural and foundation condition given the density of substandard historic interventions in the district.
A promissory contract (CPCV) is signed with a 10-20% deposit transferred via Portuguese bank. For AL-licensed properties we confirm the licence transfers with the property at deed, and we expressly document the licence number, zone classification and any operational conditions inside the CPCV.
At the notary, the buyer settles IMT on a sliding 0-7.5% scale and 0.8% stamp duty, plus 1-2% for notary and registry. The Registo Predial records ownership the same day. Any existing AL licence transfers by notification to the Câmara Municipal, and keys transfer on funds release.
Heritage rules in Santa Maria Maior cap new supply at essentially zero. Renovations can improve existing stock but cannot increase unit count. Combined with the AL contention-zone licence cap, this produces one of the tightest supply-constrained markets in European luxury real estate.
Lisbon recorded 8 million international visitors pre-pandemic and returned above that level by 2023. Santa Maria Maior is the single most visited central parish, which underpins short-let occupancy rates of 70-85% on prime AL-licensed stock and explains its structural yield premium.
No new Alojamento Local licences have been issued in the parish since 2018, and the contention-zone classification is unlikely to reverse materially. Existing licences therefore transfer on sale and trade at premiums of 15-25% over equivalent unlicensed stock, a genuine embedded value.
Pombaline apartments and Alfama townhouses are genuinely scarce trophy assets with global buyer recognition. Liquidity is strong at both the €1-€3 million and €3-€8 million tiers, with typical marketing periods of 90-180 days for well-presented prime stock.
A fully renovated three-bedroom pombaline apartment in Baixa typically costs €1.2-€2.8 million, or €8,000-€12,000 per square metre. Alfama townhouses and flats run €7,000-€10,500 per square metre and €950,000-€3.5 million in absolute terms. Castelo and Sé hill properties trade €7,500-€11,500 per square metre. Pombaline penthouse conversions with Tagus views reach €14,000 per square metre and €1.8-€5 million absolute. AL-licensed premium apartments trade at a 15-25% premium over unlicensed equivalent stock.
Only if the property already holds an Alojamento Local licence. Santa Maria Maior has been classified an AL contention zone since 2018, suspending new licence registrations across the parish. Existing licences transfer to the buyer on sale, which is why licensed AL stock trades at a 15-25% premium over equivalent unlicensed apartments. Long-let rental remains fully permitted across the parish and delivers 3.5-4.5% gross yield on prime pombaline stock, without any licensing constraint.
Rua Augusta, Rua da Prata and Rua dos Fanqueiros deliver the headline Baixa pombaline stock with strong retail frontage and short-let visibility. Rua dos Bacalhoeiros, Rua da Madalena and the streets below the Sé offer slightly better value with equivalent heritage. In Alfama, Rua dos Remédios, Rua de São Miguel and the lanes around Miradouro de Santa Luzia combine view lines with the tightest heritage character. Castelo addresses deliver the highest view premiums given sight-lines across the Tagus.
Non-residents face no Portuguese ownership restrictions. The process requires a Portuguese NIF tax number, a local bank account and an independent advogado. After offer acceptance, the buyer signs a reservation, then a promissory contract (CPCV) with a 10-20% deposit, then the final deed (escritura) before a notary 45-90 days later. Our Lisbon team handles AL licence verification, heritage-overlay diligence, pombaline structural review and bilingual conveyancing for French, British, American and Brazilian clients routinely.
Licensed short-let apartments inside Santa Maria Maior typically deliver 5-7% gross yield supported by 70-85% occupancy on prime AL stock. Alfama licensed AL townhouses can reach 5.5-7.5% gross given the district's tourism appeal. Penthouse short-lets with Tagus and castle views run 5-6.5% gross. Long-let premium apartments deliver 3.5-4.5% gross. Net yields after operating costs, management and IMI run roughly 120-200 basis points below gross depending on the operational model chosen.
Yes, and it is especially important given the parish's AL licensing, heritage overlays and structural condition of historic stock. An independent Portuguese advogado, separate from the agent, conducts full title and planning due diligence on the Caderneta Predial, Certidão Permanente, licence status, heritage overlays and condominium obligations. Legal fees typically run 1% plus 23% VAT. Fine Luxury Property works with English-, French- and Portuguese-speaking law firms specialised in central Lisbon conveyancing and AL licence transfer.
Total closing costs run roughly 7-9% of the purchase price. IMT transfer tax is charged on a sliding 0-7.5% scale, with higher effective rates on second homes and properties above €1 million. Stamp duty is 0.8%. Notary and registry fees add 1-2%. Annual IMI municipal property tax in Lisbon is 0.3% of the rateable value. AL-licensed properties may additionally carry tourism tax obligations and Condominium-level rules applicable to short-let operation. Legal fees run 1% plus 23% VAT.
Serving international clients in Santa Maria Maior. Expertise in historic preservation, new developments, and investment properties across all neighborhoods.
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