The Leading Cape Verde Estate Agent

Established in 1999 Horizon Property Group Sl has grown into the leading estate agents in the Canary Islands. We offer a superb service with understanding, professional and friendly staff offering a wide range of top quality property for sale and rent together with an enviable reputation for customer satisfaction. We have now taken this expertise and experience to become the leading Cape Verde Estate Agent as well. As a Cape Verde estate agent we have begun working closely with many reputable Cape Verde developers and are proud to be able to offer the finest selection of Cape Verde properties. If you are interested in joining the many others who see the potential in this emerging property market then contact our Cape Verde estate agent branch today.

Basic Guide to Buying Cape Verde Real Estate

After finding the property you want, "land charge searches" need to be carried out at the local Municipal Authority and Land Registry Offices. These searches will reveal whether there are any outstanding monies registered against the property or if there are any restrictions on the title.

There are several documents your lawyer will need to obtain these are the "Certidao do Registo Predial" (which is the land registry certificate), "Certidao Matricial" (which is the tax information certificate) and the "Planta de Localizacao" (which is the official map showing the property's exact location).

If the property is not registered, your lawyer will need to obtain a "Certidao pela negativa" (which is a certificate confirming that the property in not registered in anyone elses name) and a "Certidao matricial para o efeito" (which is the tax certificate confirming this). With these two documents, it is easy to register the property.

Ask the seller to produce evidence of payment for any bills like the electricity, garbage, water and other serves and check the payment of them. Any outstanding bills left on the property will be your responsibility not the previous owners.

If you are buying your property while living in the UK you will probably need to give your lawyer a Power of Attorney so that he can represent you when you need to sign the deed and the promissory contract and also to request the necessary tax cards on your behalf. These documents will all be in Portuguese but you should request a copy in your own language which will need to be signed before a Notary and legalised by the Cape Verde Honorary Consul in Liverpool.

The next stage is signing the Promissory Contract of Purchase and Sale ("Contrato Promessa de Compra e Venda"). At this stage you will normally be expected to pay the deposit, which is negotiable although between 10% and 30% is common practice. Until this contract is exchanged, both you and the seller are not committed and can change your mind, however once done it means that you both are contractually bound. The Promissory Contract of Purchase and Sale sets out the terms of the transaction (property details, price, method of payment, completion date, warranties, penalties, etc.) and should be signed before a Notary Public in Cape Verde.

The final Deed of Conveyance is called the "Escritura" and also has to be signed before a Notary Public in Cape Verde. This is the document that gives you the purchaser proper title to the Property.

The purchase is then registered at both the local Land Registry and the Local Municipal Authority. In Cape Verde, after the signing of the Deed, the Notary will prepare and send a report to the local Municipal Authority regarding the transaction and the Municipal Authority will then update their records and register the new ownership of the property.

The Horizon Property Group – Leading the Way for Cape Verde Estate Agents

Contact us today for further information regarding Cape Verde property and we will be more than happy to help you.

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