Porto & North Portugal · Pre-Escritura Handover Inspections

Don’t sign the escritura until we’ve walked it.

You’re about to release 70–80% of the purchase price on a property you’ve seen for twenty minutes with a sales agent. We inspect it first — as builders, independently, before the developer gets paid.

Book a Handover Inspection Get the free Handover Checklist (EN/PT)
IMPIC-licensed builder · Alvará 109726-PAR · Report within 24 hours · Independent — no agents, no developers, no commissions
Why Before, Not After

The one moment you hold all the leverage

Look at your payment schedule. Most new-build contracts in Portugal collect 20–30% before completion — and the remaining 70–80% at the escritura. That means there is exactly one moment in the entire purchase where the developer needs something from you: the weeks before you sign.

Defects found before escritura get fixed quickly, because your money is waiting. Defects found after you’ve got the keys become emails, excuses and delays — you’re chasing a developer who’s already been paid.

Most buyers walk through their new apartment once, with the seller’s agent, and sign the auto de receção on the spot. Then they discover what’s behind the paint.

How It Works

Four steps. One deadline.

1

Book

4–6 weeks before your escritura date.

2

We inspect

2–3 hours, thermal camera, every system tested. You don’t need to be in Portugal.

3

The developer fixes

Snag list in Portuguese on their desk, defect letter with your lawyer, while your final payment waits.

4

Re-check, then sign

We confirm the fixes are real. You complete knowing exactly what you’re receiving.

The Service

What we inspect

This is a builder’s inspection, not a checklist walk-through. Two to three hours on site covering:

  • Thermal imaging survey Missing insulation, thermal bridging, hidden moisture in walls and screeds. Invisible to the eye; obvious on camera.
  • Every system, tested Hot water, heating/AC, ventilation, every tap, drain, socket, switch, window, door and blind. Not looked at — operated.
  • Finishes and workmanship Tiling, joinery, paintwork, sealants, flooring, measured against what your contract and caderno de encargos promised.
  • Externals and common areas affecting your fraction Terraces, balconies, waterproofing details, garage, storage.
Unfurnished new-build apartment interior awaiting handover inspection
PLACEHOLDER — real thermal cold-spot image from the first handover job goes here. No stock, no staging.

What you receive within 24 hours

  1. Your full report in English — photographed, plain-speaking, every defect graded.
  2. A snag list in Portuguese, formatted for the developer — no translation excuses, no ambiguity about what needs fixing.
  3. A defect notification letter ready for your lawyer to attach before escritura.
Optional re-check visit — we return once the developer says it’s fixed, and confirm it actually is, before you sign.
Pricing

Straightforward, per unit

Apartmentfrom €490 + IVA
Duplex / townhousefrom €590 + IVA
Villa / moradiafrom €790 + IVA
Re-check visit€220 + IVA
11-month warranty inspection (bundle with handover)€790 + IVA the pair

The 11-month inspection: your strongest defect-claim windows close after the first year. We return before they do — after a winter of rain and a summer of movement — and document what’s appeared: settlement cracks, failed sealant, leaking terraces.

Why Antipodean

Independent means independent

Builders, not box-tickers

25+ years on the tools across Australia, the UK and Portugal. We know how these buildings go together — and where they’re put together badly.

IMPIC-licensed

Fully insured, working in English and Portuguese.

No agents. No developers. No commissions.

We are paid by you and answer to you. Nobody else in this transaction can say that.

PLACEHOLDER — 2–3 client testimonials. Pull from existing Google reviews once the first handover jobs are done; until then, use existing inspection reviews (per brief). Do not invent.
Common Questions

Handover FAQs

When should I book?

Four to six weeks before your expected escritura date. That leaves time for the inspection, the developer’s fixes, and a re-check.

Can you attend the official handover (vistoria) with me?

Yes — many clients book the inspection to coincide with their scheduled walk-through, or the days just before it.

I’ve already signed and have the keys. Too late?

No — buyers of new property keep legal defect protections after completion (your own lawyer can confirm the exact windows that apply to your contract), and a documented independent report is the foundation of any claim. But the leverage is strongest before escritura: if your date hasn’t passed, book now.

I’m overseas. Can this happen without me?

That’s most of our clients. We inspect, report in English within 24 hours, and liaise with your lawyer directly if you wish.

Will this annoy the developer?

A professional snag list in Portuguese, delivered through the proper channel, is normal practice in every mature market. Good developers fix the list. The ones who bristle at inspection are the ones who most need inspecting.

Book

Your escritura date is the deadline.

Booking is per unit and slots cluster around building completions — when your building delivers, so do sixty others.

Book a Handover Inspection

We’ll confirm availability the same day.

Faster on WhatsApp: +351 969 718 294

Not ready? Take the free checklist

The free Handover Checklist (EN/PT) — what to check yourself, what the auto de receção commits you to, and what can’t be seen without kit.