Financing a detached house in Braga – Family life in one of Portugal's most dynamic cities
A couple from Cologne, both working as software developers and entirely remotely, were planning a permanent move to Portugal. They were looking for a detached house with a garden, four bedrooms and two separate studies.
In short
What was this case about?
A couple from Cologne, both working as software developers and entirely remotely, were planning a permanent move to Portugal. They were looking for a detached house with a garden, four bedrooms and two separate studies.
Can home-office conversions be part of the financing?
As a rule the Portuguese bank does not co-finance modernisation — it belongs in the overall plan: equity or raising capital against German property.
Why is not all of the equity used?
Many buyers want to preserve their financial flexibility and not tie up all their assets in a property.
Who arranged this?
Perini Finance & Property — German-speaking, operating under the §34i GewO licence held by Olga Nikushkina, Portugal through a locally licensed intermediary; 15 to 20 banks approached per case. First call free; on completion 1 % of the loan amount.
The key figures: €640,000 price, €448,000 loan
- Purchase price: 640.000 €
- Renovation: 78.000 €
- Financing required: 448.000 €
- Equity: 302.000 €
Anonymised case figure · not a binding statement for other projects · §34i GewO
Property for sale in Braga: a historic city looking to the future
Braga is one of Portugal's oldest cities and has at the same time developed into a modern economic and university location. The combination of a historic old town, high quality of life and good transport links to Porto makes Braga attractive for German-speaking buyers who want to move to Portugal permanently. Detached houses in the quiet residential areas around the city centre are in especially high demand.
Two remote developers wanted a house with two studies
A couple from Cologne, both working as software developers and entirely remotely, were planning a permanent move to Portugal. They were looking for a detached house with a garden, four bedrooms and two separate studies. The chosen house was in a well-kept residential area of Braga and offered a lot of potential, but was to be modernised technically and adapted to the requirements of a modern home-office everyday life.
Total outlay €750,000, of which €302,000 own funds
- Purchase price: 640.000 €
- Additional costs: 32.000 €
- Renovation: 78.000 €
- Total investment: 750.000 €
- Equity: 302.000 €
- Financing required: 448.000 €
Investments stay put, cash reserve for the fresh start
The buyers deliberately wanted to keep part of their assets invested while retaining enough liquidity for the new start in Portugal. In addition, a capable digital infrastructure was indispensable, as both wanted to work permanently from Portugal.
70% financing, every cost in the plan from the start
For a permanent move with remote work, different requirements are often central today than a few years ago. Alongside living comfort, network technology, functional work areas and a stable long-term financing structure play an important role.
With financing of 70 % of the purchase price, a balanced ratio emerged between the use of equity and financial flexibility. At the same time, all investments were fully taken into account from the start.
Kitchen, baths, network and home offices from own funds
All planned measures were already included in the overall plan — covered from equity, not by the bank loan:
- modern family kitchen
- complete renewal of the bathrooms
- structured network cabling throughout the house
- two fully equipped home-office areas
- energy-efficient air conditioning
- electric shading
- custom-made fitted wardrobes
- modern LED lighting
All work was carried out immediately after the acquisition.
Move-in with no further building work, reserves intact
Once the modernisation was complete, the house could be occupied without further building work. The buyers took up their professional activity seamlessly from Portugal and at the same time had sufficient financial reserves for their new chapter of life.
Count purchase price, fees and tech upgrades together
Anyone moving permanently to Portugal and working remotely should calculate the actual investment requirement in full. Alongside the purchase price, acquisition costs and technical adaptations are often decisive factors for durable financing.
Frequently asked
Can home-office conversions be part of the financing?
Why is not all of the equity used?
Which modernisations are especially common for detached houses in Braga?
Is Braga suitable for permanent living?
Braga house: early planning enables living and working in Portugal
A detached house in Braga offers ideal conditions for people who want to live and work in Portugal permanently. Anyone who plans the purchase price, additional costs and modernisation together early creates a reliable financing basis and can shape the new start without later surprises.
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A similar situation in Portugal? Let's talk.
Every financing in Portugal is an individual case. In a free initial consultation I will tell you honestly what is feasible and which bank fits.
Book a free consultationAnonymised individual case, not a binding statement for other projects · Brokerage under the §34i GewO licence held by Olga Nikushkina (D-W-132-ZUCB-95); Siegfried Perini registered as directly involved person (§11a GewO) · no tax or legal advice · no financing commitment; conditions depend on creditworthiness, loan-to-value and bank