The apartment may be perfect. The building may not be.
Before buying an apartment, you also need to understand the building: debts, approved works, extraordinary payments, reserve fund, repeated leaks, lift issues, garage problems and who pays for works approved before completion. A Portuguese lawyer reviews condominium documents before you sign CPCV or complete the purchase.
- Condominium Buyer Risk Memo
Why this matters
You are not only buying an apartment. You are buying into a building, a budget, a maintenance history, a reserve fund, decisions already made by other owners and future repair costs.
The listing rarely tells you that. The meeting minutes often do.
What we answer
The review answers five questions
- 01
Does the seller owe the condominium money?
We check the administrator’s declaration, whether it identifies the correct unit, whether debts are listed, whether current charges are clear and whether the buyer is being asked to waive the declaration.
- 02
What major works have already been discussed or approved?
We read recent minutes for roof repairs, façade repairs, lift replacement, garage waterproofing, terrace problems, fire-safety works, contractor disputes, engineering reports and other building issues.
- 03
What may the apartment cost every month and every year?
We review monthly charges, annual charges, parking/storage charges, insurance contributions, reserve-fund contributions and extraordinary contributions.
- 04
Are there recurring building problems?
One complaint may be minor. The same complaint over several years is different. We look for repeated leaks, lift breakdowns, garage flooding, façade cracks, unpaid owners and works postponed year after year.
- 05
What needs to be written into the CPCV?
Approved works and condominium charges should not be left vague. We identify costs that should be allocated clearly before signing.
Documents we review
- administrator’s declaration of charges and debts
- recent meeting minutes
- current annual budget
- fee schedule
- extraordinary contribution notices
- reserve-fund information
- condominium regulations
- insurance information
- technical reports and contractor quotations, where included in scope
Risks we look for
Financial red flags
Seller debt, many owners in arrears, recurring deficit, low reserve fund, repeated extraordinary contributions, unpaid contractor invoices and approved works without clear funding.
Building-condition red flags
Roof leaks, façade cracks, terrace infiltration, garage flooding, repeated plumbing problems, lift failures, fire-safety issues and repairs postponed year after year.
Management red flags
Missing recent minutes, unclear administrator, no current budget, no reserve-fund information, frequent administrator changes, unresolved contractor conflict and unclear accounting.
Transaction red flags
Missing declaration, buyer asked to waive the declaration, approved works not mentioned in CPCV, conflicting seller explanations and final costs left for later.
What you receive
You receive a written Condominium Buyer Risk Memo with:
- clear first-page conclusion
- current-cost summary
- approved-works summary
- building-risk timeline
- seller and buyer payment questions
- missing-document list
- questions for seller or administrator
- CPCV protection points
How it works
From the building file to a clear decision
- 01Send the condominium documents you have.
- 02We confirm scope based on number of documents, years covered, works, technical reports, disputes and deadline.
- 03A Portuguese lawyer reviews the building file.
- 04You receive the memo.
- 05You decide before committing: continue, request documents, negotiate who pays, ask for retention, order inspection, add CPCV terms or reconsider.
Price and scope
Condominium Documents Review — from €400
Included
- one apartment
- one condominium
- administrator declaration
- up to 50 pages of condominium documents
- recent minutes
- current budget or fee schedule where provided
- reserve fund and extraordinary-charge information where provided
- written memo
- questions
- CPCV protection points
Not included by default
- ownership verification
- full land-registry due diligence
- CPCV Review
- negotiation
- technical inspection
- engineering opinion
- audit of accounts
- validation of every assembly resolution
- court-case search
- insurance advice
- obtaining documents from an uncooperative administrator
- post-completion management
A broader fee may apply for more than 50 pages, many years of minutes, major renovation programmes, engineering reports, litigation, resort structures, several connected condominiums or urgent review.
When another service is better
- Use Pre-CPCV Legal Due Diligence for ownership, registry and seller documents.
- Use Technical Property Inspection for physical condition.
- Use CPCV Review to put debts and works into the contract.
- Use Lawyer Negotiation After Review to negotiate who pays.
- Use Full Buyer Representation for wider purchase coordination.
You are not only buying the apartment. You are buying into the building’s decisions, maintenance history and future bills.
Condominium Documents Review — from €400.