It was probably an old desire that the pandemic only accelerated: after the end of the first confinement, the Portuguese began to look for properties further away from the urban centre, with more space, more comfort and more quiet. The reason is simple: even if the vaccine, reaches the world market still this year, perhaps resulting in the desired group immunity in the medium term, it will no longer be possible to close the revelation contained in the pandemic box that represents the times we live in. Pandora is an extraordinary legend in Greek mythology, which teaches us that the box that guards disease, discord and misfortune also guards a higher virtue: hope. That is the great revelation of 2020, the hope for a better life. The increasing use of teleworking by businesses and the successive limitations on movement and coexistence have made it clear that the future lies in investing in a second home taken from the city. It could be a house built from scratch on a previously unthought-out site, it could be the rehabilitation of a rural house or the bet on the purchase of that plot that was being saved for retirement.
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Whatever the choice, the most important thing is to take care of the future. And the pandemic has shown that the future is now. And that there is no point in postponing structural decisions or giving up investing in a new life. The Portuguese quickly realized this, and in May, two months after the beginning of the covid-19, they left in search of this new balance and tranquility. This is demonstrated by the study commissioned by a world platform of classifieds, according to which demand for large plots of land increased by 62% (in Portalegre, in the Algarve, it even increased by 95%), for rural houses by 53%, for farms by 39% and for plots by 37%.
"The main conclusion to be drawn from this study is that the Portuguese started to value their house, their home, much more after the appearance of this pandemic. The need to have more space, more comfortable and further away from the hustle and bustle of big cities, regions more exposed to possible outbreaks, ends up resulting in these very significant increases in demand for very specific properties in locations somewhat different from those recorded in the pre-Covid context", observed one of the persons responsible for the analysis. It is a possible explanation, which also goes hand in hand with the fact that everyone in the world has been suddenly forced to stop. Thousands of them discovered that the rush in which they lived makes no sense at all. And they have chosen to redefine new priorities.
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The real estate sector has therefore undergone a major turnaround to which LUXIMOS Christies International Real Estate has not been unaware, not least because it represents two of the most desired territories in this segment: the Algarve, and Porto with the Douro Vineyard's. Just take a look at these luxury villas, some with breathtaking views over the Douro River, or these extraordinary farm's, inserted in the Douro demarcated region. Or, further south, let yourself be dazzled by plot's of land with ocean view's, which still exists in the Algarve hillside, next to many of the best beaches in Europe and some of the most awarded golf courses.
This change also helps to explain the exponential increase in demand for houses with swimming pool - in May, the increase was over 300%. It is an unprecedented reversal that we are witnessing: if before our house was just a kind of dormitory, today it represents, in many cases, the place of work, of family reunion, of class and recreation of the children and, also, the destination of holidays. The good news is that in Portugal it is even possible to have all these variables in one property, as long as the choice is well made. For this, choose a real estate agent with experience and knowledge of the market, but also with proven integrity.
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