We have been delighted to receive some great feedback during our time in Portugal, some of which we would like to share with you…
“ We found your service excellent from the start. Firstly, the way you ‘read’ our needs and wishes, and then an excellent tour of different properties. When we decided on our present house, you smoothed the offer and deposit, so that we were able to get the house with little hassle. All your advice – solicitor, house insurance, bank – has worked out well, and, even though we had difficulties moving in, you did your best to smooth things over, and take on responsibilities which we know were not yours. We are very grateful for that. We have been left with the impression that you clearly like what you are doing, know what you are doing, and want your clients – you were at pains to say that you regard both the seller AND the buyer as your client – to have the best experience and the least hassle as possible. We both feel that, even though the deal is completed, we can phone you with any queries and seek advice at any time about almost anything to do with our new life. Or just for a chat. Working with you to secure this house has been the best experience of agent/client relations we have had in house-buying, and we would not hesitate in recommending you and your company to anyone else thinking of moving here. Indeed, we already have! We only hope that, on expansion, this commitment and concern for both clients and their needs, and the sense of friendliness which you convey, will not be lost. These are the qualities which mark out your company. We wish you and your company all the best for the future. ”
C&H W, UK
“ We have just completed the purchase of our dream home in Portugal through Coimbra Property Shop. Having spent many months trawling through internet adverts without much success, we decided to save time and use an estate agent. We had very strict ideas of what we did not want to buy but only a vague idea of what we really wanted. Grahams and his assistants approach to our dilemma was both organised and professional and helped narrow the search down to just a handful of properties. Grahams calm, non pressurised approach to viewing the houses gave us the time and confidence to make the right decision and to get the house at the price we wanted. The legalities were very straight forward. The paperwork was perfect, the procedure simple and the solicitor Graham organised for us was very thorough. Very glad that we met Graham and used his business over the other choices available in the area. We would thoroughly recommend anyone wanting to either buy or sell a house here in Portugal to look no further than the Coimbra Property Shop. Thanks again Graham you found us a great house. ”
DK, Portugal
“ I am very satisfied with the professional and excellent service provided by your company through you. I was impressed with your knowledge and the way you conducted your business in a very helpful and pleasant manner. I would use Coimbra Property Shop again should the opportunity arise. Lastly, I just want to mention that your command of the English language made me feel very comfortable in dealing with you. Truly appreciated. ”
PS, Canada
“ The house that we finally purchased was not on our original list but Alice, who is Graham’s assistant realised it met our criteria and in this she showed considerable professionalism. Since purchasing the house we have needed help and advice and in this, as in all of our dealings with Alice, she has been wonderful. From first seeing the house to purchasing it took only 4 months and this has been relatively stress free. The Coimbra website offers many other services and we will be pleased ,when the need arises, to use any of them. ”
RE, UK
“ Thank you very much to you and Alice for helping us with our recent house purchase – we were very pleased with your service and are very happy with our new home. Thank you also for putting us in touch with Isabelle as a conveyancer/ solicitor – she has been extremely helpful. We would certainly recommend Coimbra Property Shop to others. ”
A&T, UK
“ I would like to say on behalf of me and my partner that from begining to end in purchasing our property in portugal was made very simple by Graham and his team.We were treated very well and made at ease by Graham who gave us the confidence and peace of mind to go through with the purchase. I would advise anyone who is thinking of buying in portugal to deal with Graham as you can trust him fully and to do a good job for you. One more thing ,on Grahams team is Alice who is one of the nicest most helpfull people you will come across and when the property has been purchased Alice and Graham are there to help you after with any other things you need to deal with. ”
D&W, UK
“ I was very impressed with the service you provided, making all aspects of the purchase clear and straightforward. The details provided were accurate and informative, and I always felt able to contact you with any questions. Your liaison with the legal team was excellent. I don’t (yet) speak Portuguese, yet the provision of a translator at the notary facilitated the whole process. I would not hesitate in using you again or in recommending you to anyone who may want to buy a property in or around Coimbra. ”
JCS, UK
“ ” Go on be brave – do it ” If you are looking at this website you are maybe already thinking of moving. We have been in Portugal for six years and have just moved from the Algarve to the “real portugal” – Central Portugal. I cannot count how many people we have met on our travels who state “Wish we had done it years ago and now it is too late”. Don’t leave it too late, make it easy by getting good professional advise. Do as we did and contact Graham at the Coimbra Property Shop. Fluent in Portugese, very polite, freindly and very experienced in the complete buying process. Talk to him about what you are looking for and he will point you in the right direction. They will even look after you after the buying process is complete, you will not be alone. ” Go on be brave – do it “ ”
R&A, Portugal
“ From the outset it was clear that you have a well organised and track-tested process for dealing with your customers. Having started this process in January, it was helpful and re-assuring to receive regular updates with fresh properties as they arrived on the market and also to receive propmt replies to our e-mail enquiries. When we arrived in Portugal in June we were most impressed with your customer care and found you very easy to get along with. We appreciated you taking time to get to know us and to find out what we were really looking for (we suspect that few clients actually get it right first time). That way you didn’t rush us into anything. The whole process has gone very smoothly and your professionalism made us feel very confident that we were taking the right decisions. The only tiny blot on an otherwise unstained copy book was you asking us for the deposit over a month before the promissory contract was signed – that could have put pressure on anyone else. We are sure that we will make use of the additional services that you offer and we will most certainly recommend you to prospective property seekers that we meet. ”
B&D, UAE
“ To Whom It May Concern I have been trying to find the right property abroad for ten years. Three years ago I visited the Silver Coast for a few days and viewed a number of properties but made no purchase but did conclude central Portugal was the right area for me. Then in May of this year I came to the area south of Coimbra also for a few days to see a number of properties in that region. I was immediately impressed by Coimbra Property Shop as: 1. They had the best selection of properties for viewing. 2. At the lowest price, including one property on with another agent which was on for substantially more with the other agent; the property in fact that I went on to buy. In other words his properties are on at a realistic price. 3. The best viewing service as the proprietor himself, Graham, drove me around to view the properties (I did not rent a car). This meant I had the best information from a native English speaker. 4. CPS is a registered Estate Agency 5. CPS only charged the seller for the service, not me as the buyer. 6. Graham’s dad runs a local property maintenance and building company which has a long and good history in the area that means that I can work done on the house and the house looked after whilst I am away. All the right contacts on tap (no pun intended but plumbing was on my mind!). 7. Graham has found me an excellent gardener and helped me in other ways beyond the call of duty such as lifts here and there and other things too numerous to mention. I heatedly recommend CPS to any and all. ”
EL, UK
“ Graham, Would like to thank you for all your professional help in purchasing my property in Combria also for your complete honesty in all aspects of dealing with local Solicitors and other officials involved in the purchase. Have just returned from my second visit to Penela and the Combria Property Shop were I accompanied a friend who also purchased a property through Graham. I have no hesitation in recommending Graham and his services to any one who is interested in purchasing a property in Central Portugal. Many thanks for everything to the Team. ”
AT, Nigeria
“ I usually have a profound dislike of estate agents for various reasons, too pushy, don’t listen, etc. However, Graham and Alice at the Coimbra Property Shop were exceptions, being interesting, fun and listeners while showing us properties. They responded to our wishes and in the end we bought the kind of property we had in mind when we started. Overall, a successful relationship. All the help that we needed to get the purchase through was there when we wanted it and all the follow-up details have been carefully and specifically dealt with by them. Couldn’t want more. ”
R&A, Taiwan
“ I would like to thank Graham for his help in the purchase of my house in Portugal. First his help in finding the house & the smooth running of negations with the seller.All the information that he has passed through out the process of purchase & owner ship & finally when we went to the notary to register the house.All very professionally done. Thanks again Graham thanks for you help. ”
J&S, Algeria
“ Graham and his company provided a fully comprehensive open format in providing property details and perect locations for what was to be a perfect choice of house for us to purchase and move into in the Do Santo Amaro Penela region of Portugal. Graham guided undertook and engaged with much valued personal professional advice for us in our move from England to Portugal providing invaluable support which strongly continues throughout our idillic resedence in this lovely part of the country. Graham and his company are a perfect choice for any future clientele who may be considering a move here and can expect like us to be rewarded with services to the highest standard fom beginning to end. ”
W&F, UK
“ Thank you very much for your help. The step by step detailed instructions really made us feel secure in our purchase. Even thought we were not at the top end of the buying ladder we still felt that we had your company’s full attention and all questions were promptly and accurately answered. As we couldn’t come to Portugal Coimbra Property Shop were instrumental in negotiating with the seller and even struck a better deal than we could have believed. Everything from the purchase to the final paperwork was handled with great diligence and the solicitor that was recommended has proven to be invaluable in starting to set up our new home in Portugal. We wouldn’t hesitate to use your services again. ”
GW – Russia
“ We would just like to say that buying a property from Coimbra Property shop was the easiest thing we have ever done. Graham has been excellent all the way through and made it so easy for us, keeping us informed all the way through, as we live in Goa (India) he has been a big help to us, with signing papers, arranging solicitors and with the money transfers he is a big asset to the company and I would and have recommended Coimbra Property Shop to a lot of my friend who are thinking about making the move. ”
D&E S, India
“ Finding Coimbra Property Shop was the best thing that happened to us in our search for a property. Graham could not have been more helpful, professional and ready to listen to us. He carefully took into account all of our thoughts, hopes and ‘must have’ lists and found us the perfect property. All of our thousands of questions were answered, we were given names of professional people that could help us to purchase, renovate and generally take care of two extremely nervous prospective purchasers…. We cannot recommend Graham highly enough and have found his recommendations for builders, solicitors etc as sound as he is! We feel that we have a new friend in Portugal and he has advised us that this relationship will continue even though the house is now ours! Hooray! Many, many thanks Graham. ”
L&M H – UK
“ The service that Graham at Coimbra Property Shop provided was excellent.We found him very professional,trustworthy and dedicated.After finding us our ideal property Graham delt with everything in a faultless way.He recomended an excellent lawyer ‘Isabel’ and he was always prompt in responding to our correspondence.I wouldn’t hesitate to use his services again and can only strongly recommend him to anyone wishing to purchasea property in Portugal. ”
D&S, UK
“ We found Graham at Coimbra Property Shop to be considerably more than what we expected and were delighted by the service provided. Graham was thorough from the start, enabling us to narrow down our preferences from an early stage. Throughout the process (which was amazingly simple and pain-free!) Graham was a constant aide in explaining what had to be done and which stage we had now reached. He was always available by phone or, more often, in person and willingly attended at points where his presence wasn’t officially required (but was always welcome). Graham’s service is not akin to that of an estate agent in England: he offers so much more, including an obvious love of Portugal. We recommend Graham at Coimbra Property Shop unreservedly in the knowledge that those who use his services can only be as delighted as we were. ”
K&A, UK
“ Coimbra Property turned out to be a one stop service, not only taking on viewing but informing clients on any possible problems as well as giving you know useful information about the area and services. The properties shown were what I was looking for and the after services connecting me financial and legal were great. I would recommend them to anybody. ”
WA – UK
“ Grrrrr! I am so hacked off! A few months ago I went to Portugal on a house buying trip – as you do. There I encountered the famous ‘Graham’ at the Coimbra Property Shop – from the confident tone of his emails and attention to detail I had expected at the very least a middle aged retired professional, not the long streak of water that is ‘Youth’ that ran an-oh-so efficient looking office in the heart of Penela! Well I’m long too – in the tooth admittedly – and my life-long experience told me to be very, very careful. So, I reserved judgement whilst grudgingly warming to his Geordie charms and clear entrepreneurial flair, and secretly wondered what was really going to happen to the thousands of euros we had lodged with him within a couple of weeks instead of with a solicitor – having found the ‘project’ of our dreams! We have bought a fair number of houses in our time all over the world and here was a young man blatantly telling us the system in Portugal was really very simple – despite all the possible pitfalls I had read about – and everything would be fine. Yeah, RIGHT! No really, he was right. Graham was there throughout the whole initial proceedings and the legal process and handled all the money and the payments and clearly has built up a well deserved good reputation and relationship with buyers and sellers. Like it or not, he’s like a life long friend now and I can’t recommend him enough! The only problem is, I really HATE being proven wrong…. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! ”
LCW, UK
“ Graham from Coimbra Property Shop met me on day 1 of my Portugal search for somewhere to call home. By day 3, thanks to Coimbra Property Shop colleagues I had seen and put in an offer for my house. By day 5 I had had my offer accepted. From then on Coimbra Property Shop was in regular contact with me, both in Portugal and back in UK, until the house purchase was completed some 2 months later. My own personal experience of working with Graham and Alice at CPS has been nothing but good. I would recommend their service without hesitation. ”
M, UK
“ Scary isn’t it? Moving to another country, away from England and your comfort zone. What if I buy a property and then it transpires that it isn’t mine. What if I can’t get any work done on the property. How will I find reliable people. These were just some of my fears and concerns, all placed there by negative journalism. The Reality Garry and I spent two weeks in Portugal during February and March 2010. It was a business trip, the sole purpose hopefully to find our dream home. I had contacted a number of Estate Agents in Central portugal. The only one who responded immediately was Graham at Coimbra Property Shop. We arrangeed to meet Graham on the 4th March. He had already sent us pictures of two properties – both outstanding and just exactly what we wanted. We saw some properties on the second day in Portugal. Not for us. I was anxious to see Graham sooner than we had arranged. We turned up a week early at his ofice in Penela. We both immediately felt comfortable with Graham. He asked us what we were looking for. He listed to our answer. He took us straight away to see the property which we now live in. All About Graham He listens, he does not push. He is reliable and does what he says he is going to do. He has never been unavailable or “in a meeting”. In our opinion he is 100% trustworthy. He offers and provides a quality service and not just “a sell”. Graham has first class contats. He does not force these people upon you. Ifyou want an Englush speaking Portuguese solicitor. Graham knows one. The same applies to builders and arquitects. All reliable excellent professionals. The Outcome We first saw our property on 24th February 2010. We completed purchase as 22 April 2010. We did not have to make any more trips back to Portugal incurring expense. Our solicitor had power of attorney. There were no difficulties or unexpeted events. We moved in on May 8th 2010. We love it here. We are very happy and content and very pleased that we put all our worries behind us and took the leap. None of this would have been possible without Graham. He is still helping us – we have not been abandoned. Central Portugal is breathtaking beautiful. We are living the dream. ”
J&G, UK
“ Buying a house at any time can be stressful. Buying a house in a country where you have very little of the language means finding an estate agent you can rely on and trust is essential. We found one in Graham from Coimbra Property Shop in Penela. From the time we showed our initial interest in property purchase in Central Portugal until the actual signing of the purchase agreement everything was carried out in a professional, competent and friendly way. Nothing was too much trouble for Graham and when he occasionally was unavailable then John his dad stepped in. John is a font of knowledge both on building construction and on life and living in Central Portugal which he willingly shared. Both Graham and John speak Portuguese fluently so passing our questions to property owners during viewing visits was straightforward. Both made us feel very much at home and were (and still are) readily available to offer advice and answers to all our questions. I can truthfully say with the help of Graham at Coimbra Property Shop buying a house in Central Portugal was most certainly a stress free process and pleasurable in many aspects and I would have no hesitation in recommending Coimbra Property Shop. ”
J&K, UK
“ In my opinion Coimbra Property Shop provides an excellent service at very reasonable price. Ideally I look for three main attributes in anyone selling me a property: 1. An ability to listen to, and show me properties that conform to, my requirements 2. An in depth, sympathetic but realistic knowledge (cultural, legal etc) of the area 3. An ability to advise (as far as is reasonably possible!) on the full cost implications of buying a particular property. Graham speaks excellent Portuguese and knows a great deal about the local area and its people. He clearly lives in Portugal because he loves it rather than just seeing it as a money making opportunity. This was particularly important to me as I was not buying the property as an investment. After listening to my requirements, Graham showed me three properties all of which were highly suitable and I was able to quickly make a decision to buy…. All in all, I would thoroughly recommend the service I received at Coimbra Property Shop to anyone wishing to buy in the area. 5 stars! ”
DR, UK
“ Having looked around central Portugal for a couple of years, I feel very fortunate that I found Coimbra Property Shop. Given that my cottage is a low budget affair, the attention to detail, help and patience from Graham Tidey one would imagine that I was buying something very expensive indeed! Having many practical concerns in my choice of location, I feel grateful that Graham with his in depth knowledge of the area was there to advise me. Anyone considering purchasing in central Portugal should certainly get in touch with Coimbra Property Shop. ”
DH, UK
“ I discovered Coimbra Property site by chance, but I believe it was more an example of divine guidance. I found your approach friendly, informed, unpressurised yet professional. You took time to note my property requirements and to have an understanding of what I was looking for. You were able to visualise this and suggested I view a property which was not on my viewing list. Within a short period I Purchased this property. My dream house. I had found the right property on my first viewing trip with Coimbra Property shop. With the right Advogada/o and property agent, buying in Portugal can be a fast and stress free process. I have been fortunate to have found good honest professionals who have made my hunt for a home easy. ”
MM – UK
“ Thank you, Coimbra Property Shop. We would like to say thank you for all the help in which you gave us in finding our new home in Portugal. We asked you to find us a property which was habitable with land and if possible an out building for us to restore/rebuild for renting out in the future. You came up with a property that was beyond our expectations; it was exactly what we were looking for and more. Your help with the legal paper work was invaluable, which without your help would have been made a lot more difficult. In short you made it very easy for us to buy a property abroad with your helpfulness, honesty and relaxed manor. ”
J&S, UK
“ In the week we drove around the area from Porto to Tomar looking for property we saw around 30 properties with many different agents, narrowing the choice down to 3, two of these were with the Coimbra Property Shop as the selection with CPS was far broader than other agencies. After negotiations we decided on one of Grahams and combined with the very helpful and knowledgeable local contact namely Alice and Grahams estate agency professionalism our purchase ran very smoothly and we would not hesitate to recommend Graham and the Coimbra Property Shop ”
T&J D, UK
“ In November 2009, Graham at the Coimbra Property Shop was helping me to find a property in Portugal, first I wanted a place to move straight into, then I changed my mind and thought a plot would be better and in the end on 23rd March 2010, I competed on the sale of two little ruins in a very small village in the Caldeirão mountains, 45mins north of Faro by car. Throughout my dealings with Graham he never minded when I changed the criteria I was looking for, I don’t think I had a clear idea of what I wanted until I looked at the beautiful views behind the ruins, looking out over a fresh green meadow, with rolling hills in the distance. We took his advice about using the foreign exchange company Excel Currancies and got a very good rate, much better than the high street banks. Graham and Isabel the lawyer, are honest and explained things both through e-mails and in Isabel’s case in person. I would recommend using the Coimbra Property Shop, they do go the extra mile and most importanly I feel they are trustworthy. ”
HS, UK
“ We came for just a holiday but couldn’t resist what Graham Tidey …had to offer – not just the possibility of a house in Portugal at an affordable price, but the facility to help us through the many unknowns when buying and renovating a property in a foreign country for the first time. Without any pressure or obligation to buy they showed us a range of houses providing us with invaluable background information about the local and likely building works and costs. They helped us access a lawyer, set up a bank account, arrange a topographic survey and ultimately negotiated our purchase with the vendors in the friendliest way imaginable – over an exchange of knowledge of local wine and cheese. Their irrisistable package – combining Graham’s professionalism, personal manner and ability to speak fluent portuguese – puts Coimbra Property Shop in a league of it’s own. ”
WandJ, UK
“ We have been very pleased with Coimbra Property Shop… Our move to Portugal has been much easier thanks to the great support we have been receiving. Your website was quite good which helped us narrow our selection of properties and the follow-up after the purchase has exceeded our expectations. ”
G&T, UK
“ Thank you so much for making sure we saw our new home. It is exactly what we wanted but we had overlooked it. Your courtesy and forbearance were terrific and we felt that you were really looking after us. Taking us around could not have been easy, especially when we hadn’t warned you that “Adequate” is high praise in Margaret and Martinspeak. As soon as we saw it we fell in love with it. We “get” the place, and are releived that previous viewers couldn’t. We are delighted that you found this jewel for us and now, working with your recommended contacts, are looking forward to turning it into a dream B & B. I am looking forward to a long and fruitful business relationship. ”
M&M, UK
“ Depending on the mindset you come with will determine your own success. CPPS are here to assist you every step of the way allowing you your independence. They give you their trust, being excellent providers of service, information, and well executed smooth transactions. If only life could be this easy. ”
S, UK
“ I believe that Coimbra Property Shop offers a level of customer service beyond what our competitors achieve. We look after our clients’ needs down to the last detail, based on our general view that our clients are clients for life. I believe in providing the properties our clients want and need, as opposed to selling a list of properties to customers. This comes from speaking with my customers far more than other agents. We once shared the same goal of moving to Portugal and now reap the wonderful results. We left behind the long hours, alienation and expensive costs of England and moved toward the Portuguese lifestyle and have never looked back. ”
