PROPERTY guru Maggie Molloy has viewed a number of “unique” homes in an ultra-expensive region of Portugal on RTE’s Cheap European Homes.
Presenter Maggie Molloy was back on air alongside former Republic of Ireland presenter Kevin McGahern, as they took on a journey to find Europe‘s most reasonably priced properties.
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Maggie visited properties in the ultra-expensive Algarve region of PortugalCredit: RTE
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She hoped to help Cork native Stephen and his daughter Cassie find a homeCredit: RTE
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The house hunt proved to be a real challengeCredit: RTE
The new series follows property guru Maggie and Kevin as they travel across Europe helping house-hunters to find a place of their own on the continent, for a fraction of the price.
Tonight, Maggie visited properties in the ultra-expensive Algarve region of Portugal with Cork native Stephen and his daughter Cassie.
The home hunters were looking for a three-bedroom property that’s near an airport, is close to the sea or has a pool, and isn’t far from cafes or shops.
Stephen’s budget was €350,000 and Maggie said it “should be enough to get him a fine home”, but property prices in the area have gone up in the last few years.
The house hunt proved to be a real challenge, but Stephen was open to a fixer-upper.
Maggie immediately got to work and found a traditional villa in the village of Pecheo, which is just a 15 minute drive from the airport.
The property was on the market for €215,000 and offered loads of space, but it needed a lot of work.
After viewing this home, Stephen admitted it has “a lot of potential but needs a lot of work”.
Next up was a “pristine” and fully renovated townhouse in Luz de Tavira which was on the market for €319,000.
Upon arriving at the home, Stephen noted that it was a “big difference from the last house”.
Although he wasn’t impressed with the noise coming from the street outside, the Cork native thought it was a “beautiful” home.
Stephen told Maggie that he would like “some variety” in the houses he views, so the last property viewing was “a bit of a wild card”.
Maggie brought Stephen and Cassie to see a “beautiful” traditional farmhouse in Moncarapacho.
‘BEAUTIFUL’
At the time of the viewing, the house only had one bedroom, but it offered some “unique” features.
There was also planning permission already in place for a pool and to extend the property.
However, the distance outside of town was a bit “off-putting” and it was a bit over Stephen’s budget as it was on the market for €365,000.
Stephen said it’s “a beautiful house and has a lot of character”, but he instantly said no after hearing the price.
After viewing each of the properties, they were especially drawn to the second one, but felt prices in the area were too high – so they’ve now set their sights on finding a home in Spain.