Assetz® News » HOME | RSS Feed FEED | LIST ALL ARTICLES | ASSETZ HOMEPAGE
Investment Property News from Assetz

Assetz® Property News Service

Portuguese alternatives

24th June 2008 | back to article listings BACK    print this article PRINT

While a couple of famous football clubs may be battling over the future of one major Portuguese asset, those investing in the country's property market may find they are in a much better position, with lots of variety to choose from.

While it may be still true that the Algarve is the hot market, with the region's popularity with tourists making it an obvious attraction for buy-to-let investors snapping up holiday homes, others have been looking for something different.

For many, that has meant seeking up-and-coming seaside locations with lower prices for property at present than the Algarve. One such area that has been described in these terms is the Silver Coast, named earlier this month by Finance Daily as an emerging hotspot.

London-based firm WestCoastDevelopments is one of those that are confident about the future of the Silver Coast region, despite the world property situation, reports Wealth Bulletin. It notes that buyers of off-plan have seen values rise by as much as 26 per cent while building has been in progress, while a 4.4 per cent average rental yield has been recorded, both figures that defy current world trends. Thanks to this confidence, the site adds, the building is carrying on, with close to 100 luxury villas and two top hotels being built at present.

But while the Silver Coast may provide something similar to the Algarve, those looking for something that is still distinctly Portuguese yet quite unlike the sea and surf destinations of the coast may look to the cities instead.

Discussing the possibilities for Portugal's cities, Dan Johnson, director of property portal TheMoveChannel.com, said the growth of the market in locations such as the capital Lisbon and the second city Porto would be based on the shift in the country's economy from low-cost manufacturing to a more knowledge-based economy.

Such economic developments would not be so relevant to the Silver Coast or Algarve, Mr Johnson stated, saying: "It's not going to have any significant impact on markets that are driven by international tourism, but it would certainly have a positive impact on prices in those cluster areas where that activity is taking place."

He added: "You would be looking at the likes of Lisbon and Porto. Those areas would benefit from the boost to the economy in the area and the provision of knowledge based-services."

So for those seeking investments in Portugal that differ from the holiday market, it may well be that the development of more modern city lifestyles to go with a more modern economy could be similar to the sort of trends seen in Britain, such as the growth of city living. If so, those who are looking for something alternative in Portugal may find some interestingly different emerging markets.

Assetz® is a UK and International Property Investment Specialist. Please visit our property sites shown below.

Assetz for Investors UK Assetz Hotels Assetz Homes Assetz International Assetz France Assetz Spain Assetz Cyprus Assetz Germany Assetz Portugal Assetz Ski Assetz Cape Verde Assetz USA Assetz Finance Assetz Fund Management

Accessing the news service

You can view all of the Assetz® UK, International and UK Property Investment Articles and News here.

We also provide an RSS Feed Feed of the news service, or you can view all articles. Click here to view more information on RSS readers and how they make reading online news more convenient.

eXTReMe Tracker