Independent · Buyer-side · Madeira-resident editor
Buying property in Madeira? Start here, not at the agency.
IMT calculator, parish-level Alojamento Local map, CPCV walkthrough, and a vetted directory of lawyers - built by someone who lives here, not someone who earns a commission on your purchase.
What you won't find on the listing portals
We built the resources the listing portals and local agencies don't - because they can't, without conflict of interest.
A Madeira-calibrated IMT calculator
The mainland calculators get it wrong. Regional +20% brackets, the Construir Portugal flat 7.5% non-resident rate, IMT Jovem under €330,539, ARU exemptions - all in one place, all cited.
The AL licensability map that doesn't exist yet
Funchal suspended new Alojamento Local licences in August 2025. DL 76/2024 devolved AL rules to each of the 11 concelhos. We track it parish by parish so you know before you offer.
CPCV clauses, red-flagged
The twenty clauses that decide whether you lose your 10–20% sinal. Reservation-fee / IBAN cross-checks. Subrogation of debt. Pre-1951 licensing under DL 10/2024.
Vetted lawyers, not agencies
Portuguese property lawyers with English and German capacity - independently sourced, reviewed, and kept to a standard. We're not AMI-licensed by choice: buyer-side editorial can't double as a sales channel.
The 11 municipalities of Madeira
Each concelho has its own PDM, its own AL regime after DL 76/2024, its own microclimate, its own hazard profile. Pick the one you're eyeing.
Funchal
AL SuspendedSouth coast - regional capital
Regional capital; ~42% of foreign Idealista search demand on the island; highest taxa de esforço in Portugal; historic old town + Lido waterfront + Santa Rita hospital campus driving western-Funchal appreciation.
Calheta
AL OpenWest coast
West-coast sunniest microclimate; strong international expat demand; Arco da Calheta popular with German retirees; AL occupancy estimate 78%, yield estimates up to 7% gross.
Ponta do Sol
AL OpenSouth-west coast
Digital-nomad hub since Startup Madeira opened in 2021; 4,670+ nomads routed through the programme; the "sunniest corner" of the island by consensus.
Santa Cruz
AL OpenSouth-east coast
Madeira International Airport sits in this concelho; 20-minute commute to Funchal; strongest value-per-euro for buyers who want south-coast sun without paying the Funchal premium.
Câmara de Lobos
AL OpenSouth coast - immediate west of Funchal
Commutable to Funchal (15 minutes); emerging luxury developments on the coastal cliffs; documented landslide exposure on steep slopes inland.
Ribeira Brava
AL OpenSouth coast - west of Funchal
Strong south-coast sun exposure; AL / tourism yield is solid; coastal commute to Funchal via VR1.
Whatever brought you here
Most readers arrive with one of these on their mind. Wherever you fit, the same buyer-side material is in front of you - no gatekeeping, no sign-up wall.
Looking at Madeira as a calmer base. Mild climate, possibly a second home, and you want to understand the bureaucracy before you fly out.
Sizing the island as an investment. Yield, appreciation, parish-level AL constraints, and the post-Golden-Visa picture.
Already living here on a D8 or similar visa. Thinking about moving from renting to owning, and what that actually involves.
Been through a Portuguese deal before. You want checklists, primary sources, and a vetted lawyer before signing anything else.
Buying your first home as a Portuguese resident. IMT Jovem, 100% LTV state guarantee, and the local-rate routes the mainland portals skip.
The guides the agencies can't publish
Because they're selling property. We're not.
Pillar · 2500+ words
The complete Madeira property buying guide
NIF to escritura in 17 steps. The pillar reference for foreign and domestic buyers.
Read the guideRegulatory · live-updated
Alojamento Local in Madeira (2026)
Parish-by-parish licensability after Funchal suspension + DL 76/2024 devolution.
Read the guideDecision tree · 5 routes
Golden Visa alternatives for Madeira
Property route is dead (Law 56/2023). Here is what actually works in 2026.
Read the guideLong-form · lawyer-reviewed
CPCV clause-by-clause
The 20 clauses that decide whether you lose your 10–20% sinal.
Read the guideWhy trust this site
Buyer-side only. No listings. No commissions on editorial.
Built by a Madeira-resident editor - Portuguese native, with working English and German, and a publishing background outside real estate. We refer to vetted lawyers and mortgage brokers. We don't broker property. We're not AMI-licensed, deliberately, so our editorial can stay buyer-side. Every regulatory page is dated and cites primary sources (Diário da República, Portal das Finanças, municipal câmaras).
Read the editorial policyGet the Madeira Buyer's Checklist
40-point PDF covering caderneta, CPCV clauses, licença de utilização, hazard overlays. Free. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.