Villa in Sintra needing works: €1.06m loan and €162,000 of refurbishment
An entrepreneur from Bavaria and his wife, an interior designer, were looking for a detached villa in Sintra with a large garden, enough privacy and room for regular family visits. The chosen property was convincing for its architecture and generous plot but no longer met today's requirements for comfort and energy efficiency technically.
Who pays for the refurbishment of a villa in Sintra if the Portuguese bank does not co-finance modernisation?
As a rule the Portuguese bank does not co-finance modernisation, so it is paid from equity or by raising capital against German property and belongs in the overall plan. Many buyers also want to diversify their assets broadly and keep sufficient liquidity for future plans or unforeseen expenses. We arrange the financing and approach 30+ banks per case.
Key figures: €1.56m villa, €1.06m loan, €162,000 of refurbishment
- Purchase price: 1,560,000 €
- Renovation: 162,000 €
- Financing required: 1,062,000 €
- Equity: 738,000 €
Anonymised case figure · not a binding statement for other projects · §34i GewO
Reshaping your centre of life between UNESCO World Heritage and the Atlantic coast
Sintra is one of Portugal's most extraordinary residential locations. Historic villas, extensive parks and the proximity to Lisbon give the region a special character. At the same time, many German-speaking buyers appreciate the pleasant climate and the quiet residential areas when they want to move their permanent centre of life to Portugal.
€1.8m total, €78,000 in purchase costs: Purchase price: 1,560,000 €; Additional costs: 78,000 €; Renovation: 162,000 €; Total investment: 1,800,000 €; Equity: 738,000 €; Financing required: 1,062,000 €.
Proceeds from selling the company, part stays invested
The buyers had considerable own funds from the sale of their company. Even so, part of their assets was to remain flexibly invested. At the same time, the plan was to complete all modernisation before the move so they could use the villa immediately as their main residence.
68 % financed, refurbishment counted in from the start: For high-quality villas in Sintra, the purchase price alone should not be central. Individual modernisation, technical renewal and the acquisition costs significantly determine the actual financing requirement.
With financing of around 68 % of the purchase price, a balanced structure emerged between equity and outside financing. At the same time, sufficient liquidity remained for future investments and private plans.
Insulation, bathrooms and building tech planned upfront
All modernisation measures were already taken into account in the financing planning:
complete redesign of the kitchen; modernisation of all bathrooms; energy-efficient air conditioning; thermal insulation of selected building areas; intelligent building automation for lighting and shading; high-quality network cabling; custom-made fitted wardrobes; low-barrier design of the ground floor.
All work was carried out immediately after the property acquisition.
Villa ready to live in, assets still well spread
Once the modernisation was complete, the villa could be occupied without a further building phase. The buyers moved their centre of life to Sintra as planned and at the same time had a balanced asset structure with sufficient financial reserves.
Older villa: work out the full need before buying: For high-quality existing properties in particular, an overall plan that takes the entire investment requirement into account is worthwhile. If the purchase price, additional costs and modernisation are planned together, a realistic overall calculation emerges and a solid basis for a permanent move to Portugal.
Villa in Sintra: full costing for a historic property
A villa in Sintra combines historic architecture with modern living comfort. Anyone who takes the purchase price, additional costs and all modernisation measures into account from the start in an overall calculation creates durable financing and the best conditions for a permanent centre of life in Portugal.
Similar cases by region and price band: Cases with a comparable region and price band — for context, not a promise of the same outcome.
House in Braga — developers working fully remote: A developer couple work fully remote and move to Braga. Anonymised Portugal case — non-resident financing. §34i.
Frequently asked questions
Which modernisations are especially common for villas in Sintra?
Typical are new kitchens, bathrooms, air conditioning, building automation, thermal insulation, network technology and individual built-in solutions.
Is Sintra suitable as a permanent residence?
Yes. Sintra combines an extraordinary living atmosphere with good infrastructure, short distances to Lisbon and a high quality of life for people who want to live in Portugal permanently.
How much of the purchase price was financed for the villa in Sintra?
The financing was around 68 % of the purchase price, with 1,062,000 € financing required on a purchase price of 1,560,000 €. Sufficient liquidity remained for future investments and private plans.
A similar situation in Portugal? Let's talk.
Every financing in Portugal is an individual case. In a free initial consultation we will tell you honestly what is feasible and which bank fits.
Anonymised 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
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Content by Siegfried Perini — local brand representative since 2019, active in real estate since 1992, entered in the German intermediary register (§ 11a GewO) as a person directly involved in brokerage and advice. Point of contact for German-speaking buyers in Spain and Portugal. Brokerage by Olga Nikushkina, mortgage credit intermediary under § 34i German Trade Regulation (GewO); in Portugal through a locally licensed intermediary.