THE PROPERTY
Some properties are about lifestyle. Others are about location. This one is about opportunity. Tucked into the vibrant heart of São Brás de Alportel on the bustling Rua Gago Coutinho, this charming building offers something increasingly rare: the chance to combine business with pleasure, investment with lifestyle, income with independence.
This is a property with two distinct spaces and endless possibilities. The ground floor houses a good sized office with direct access onto one of São Brás's most popular streets, surrounded by bars, cafés, and restaurants. The first floor offers a cosy one bedroom apartment with a private roof terrace that looks out over the terracotta rooftops and rolling countryside beyond. Together, they create an investment opportunity that's as flexible as it is appealing.
Built in the early 1950s, the building retains that wonderful sense of Portuguese character and traditional charm, but it's been thoughtfully updated with modern amenities. Air conditioning keeps you comfortable year round. Double glazing and security shutters provide peace and security. The fitted kitchen is practical and functional. Everything works, everything is maintained, everything is ready to generate income or welcome you home.
The location is exceptional. Rua Gago Coutinho is one of the main streets running through the centre of São Brás de Alportel, lined with local businesses, cafés where neighbours gather for morning coffee, restaurants serving traditional Portuguese cuisine, and shops selling everything from fresh bread to handmade crafts. This is the beating heart of the town, where life happens, where community thrives, where being central means being part of something.
This is a property with two distinct spaces and endless possibilities. The ground floor houses a good sized office with direct access onto one of São Brás's most popular streets, surrounded by bars, cafés, and restaurants. The first floor offers a cosy one bedroom apartment with a private roof terrace that looks out over the terracotta rooftops and rolling countryside beyond. Together, they create an investment opportunity that's as flexible as it is appealing.
Built in the early 1950s, the building retains that wonderful sense of Portuguese character and traditional charm, but it's been thoughtfully updated with modern amenities. Air conditioning keeps you comfortable year round. Double glazing and security shutters provide peace and security. The fitted kitchen is practical and functional. Everything works, everything is maintained, everything is ready to generate income or welcome you home.
The location is exceptional. Rua Gago Coutinho is one of the main streets running through the centre of São Brás de Alportel, lined with local businesses, cafés where neighbours gather for morning coffee, restaurants serving traditional Portuguese cuisine, and shops selling everything from fresh bread to handmade crafts. This is the beating heart of the town, where life happens, where community thrives, where being central means being part of something.
The Ground Floor Office
Step through the street level entrance and you'll find a good sized office space that's practical, well lit, and perfectly positioned for any business that benefits from footfall and visibility. There's a small bathroom for convenience, and direct access onto Rua Gago Coutinho means clients, customers, or patients can walk straight in from the street.
This space has enormous potential. Rent it to a local business and enjoy steady monthly income. Use it as your own office, studio, or consulting room and eliminate the commute entirely. Convert it into a shop, a café, a gallery, a treatment room. The central location and street access make it suitable for almost any commercial use, and the strong local economy means rental demand is consistent.
The office could generate rental income of €400 to €600 per month depending on the tenant and fit out, providing a solid return on your investment while the apartment generates additional income or serves as your own residence.
The apartment is perfect for long term rental to a local resident, generating steady monthly income of €500 to €700. Or use it as a holiday rental and capitalise on São Brás's growing popularity with tourists seeking authentic Algarve experiences. Or live here yourself and enjoy the rare privilege of being at the centre of everything while still having your own peaceful retreat.
The First Floor Apartment
Climb the stairs to the first floor and you enter a different world. The one bedroom apartment is cosy, bright, and surprisingly peaceful despite the central location. The bedroom is a good size, the bathroom is well appointed, and the fitted kitchen is practical and functional. Air conditioning ensures comfort even during the hottest summer months.
But the real treasure is the private roof terrace. Step outside and you're suddenly above it all, with views stretching across the terracotta rooftops of São Brás towards the countryside beyond. This is where you'll have your morning coffee, where you'll read in the afternoon sun, where you'll watch the stars come out on warm summer evenings. It's a private outdoor sanctuary in the middle of town, and it transforms the apartment from simple to special.
The apartment is perfect for long term rental to a local resident, generating steady monthly income of €500 to €700. Or use it as a holiday rental and capitalise on São Brás's growing popularity with tourists seeking authentic Algarve experiences. Or live here yourself and enjoy the rare privilege of being at the centre of everything while still having your own peaceful retreat.
The Possibilities
This is where the property becomes truly interesting, because the possibilities are limited only by your imagination and ambition.
Option One: Pure Investment. Rent both the office and the apartment and enjoy dual income streams. With potential combined rental income of €900 to €1,300 per month, you're looking at a gross annual return of €10,800 to €15,600. On a purchase price of €295,000, that's a yield of 3.7% to 5.3% before expenses, which is solid for Portuguese real estate, particularly in a central location with strong rental demand.
Option Two: Live and Work. Run your business from the ground floor office and live in the apartment upstairs. Eliminate your commute, reduce your overheads, and enjoy the flexibility of being able to pop upstairs for lunch or down to the office for an evening of focused work. This is particularly appealing for consultants, therapists, architects, designers, accountants, or anyone whose business benefits from a professional central location.
Option Three: Live and Earn. Live in the apartment yourself and rent out the office space. Enjoy the lifestyle of central São Brás living while the office rent covers a significant portion of your mortgage or living expenses.
Option Four: Holiday Rental. Use the apartment as a holiday rental and keep the office rented long term. São Brás is increasingly popular with tourists, and a central apartment with a private roof terrace would be highly attractive on platforms like Airbnb. You could generate higher returns during peak season while maintaining steady income from the office below.
Option One: Pure Investment. Rent both the office and the apartment and enjoy dual income streams. With potential combined rental income of €900 to €1,300 per month, you're looking at a gross annual return of €10,800 to €15,600. On a purchase price of €295,000, that's a yield of 3.7% to 5.3% before expenses, which is solid for Portuguese real estate, particularly in a central location with strong rental demand.
Option Two: Live and Work. Run your business from the ground floor office and live in the apartment upstairs. Eliminate your commute, reduce your overheads, and enjoy the flexibility of being able to pop upstairs for lunch or down to the office for an evening of focused work. This is particularly appealing for consultants, therapists, architects, designers, accountants, or anyone whose business benefits from a professional central location.
Option Three: Live and Earn. Live in the apartment yourself and rent out the office space. Enjoy the lifestyle of central São Brás living while the office rent covers a significant portion of your mortgage or living expenses.
Option Four: Holiday Rental. Use the apartment as a holiday rental and keep the office rented long term. São Brás is increasingly popular with tourists, and a central apartment with a private roof terrace would be highly attractive on platforms like Airbnb. You could generate higher returns during peak season while maintaining steady income from the office below.
Option Five: Family Compound. Live in the apartment and let your adult children, elderly parents, or visiting family use the office space as a studio or workspace. Keep everything in the family while maintaining independence and privacy.
The flexibility is the point. This isn't a property that locks you into one use or one income stream. It adapts to your needs, your plans, your life.
The Location
São Brás de Alportel is one of those Algarve towns that manages to be both authentically Portuguese and warmly welcoming to international residents. It's not a tourist town. It's a real place where real people live real lives, and that's exactly what makes it so appealing.
The town has everything you need: a health centre, pharmacies, banks, supermarkets, a wonderful weekly market on Saturdays, excellent restaurants, cafés, and a thriving cultural scene. There's a strong sense of community here, with festivals, concerts, and events throughout the year.
Being on Rua Gago Coutinho means you're at the centre of it all. Walk out your door and you're surrounded by life. Morning coffee at the café next door. Lunch at one of the traditional restaurants. Evening drinks with neighbours. Fresh bread from the bakery. The weekly market just minutes away. Everything is walkable, everything is accessible, everything is easy.
Yet despite the central location, the apartment feels peaceful. The roof terrace provides a private escape, and the traditional thick walls keep noise to a minimum. You get the best of both worlds: the energy and convenience of the centre with the peace and privacy of home.
From São Brás, you're 20 minutes from Faro and the airport, 25 minutes from the beaches, and perfectly positioned to explore both the coast and the beautiful inland countryside. It's a location that works whether you're living here full time, visiting regularly, or managing from abroad.
Being on Rua Gago Coutinho means you're at the centre of it all. Walk out your door and you're surrounded by life. Morning coffee at the café next door. Lunch at one of the traditional restaurants. Evening drinks with neighbours. Fresh bread from the bakery. The weekly market just minutes away. Everything is walkable, everything is accessible, everything is easy.
Yet despite the central location, the apartment feels peaceful. The roof terrace provides a private escape, and the traditional thick walls keep noise to a minimum. You get the best of both worlds: the energy and convenience of the centre with the peace and privacy of home.
From São Brás, you're 20 minutes from Faro and the airport, 25 minutes from the beaches, and perfectly positioned to explore both the coast and the beautiful inland countryside. It's a location that works whether you're living here full time, visiting regularly, or managing from abroad.
What Makes This Special
The dual income potential is rare and valuable. Properties that offer both commercial and residential space in central locations are increasingly hard to find, and they provide flexibility and security that single use properties simply can't match.
The central location on a main street ensures consistent rental demand for the office space. Businesses need visibility and footfall, and Rua Gago Coutinho provides both.
The roof terrace transforms the apartment from ordinary to desirable. Private outdoor space in the centre of town is a luxury that tenants and holiday guests will pay a premium for.
The traditional character combined with modern amenities means the property appeals to a wide range of potential tenants and buyers. It's charming without being impractical, updated without losing its soul.
And the price point makes it accessible. At €295,000, this represents an entry point into Portuguese real estate investment that's realistic for many buyers, yet the dual income potential means the returns are comparable to much larger investments.
The central location on a main street ensures consistent rental demand for the office space. Businesses need visibility and footfall, and Rua Gago Coutinho provides both.
The roof terrace transforms the apartment from ordinary to desirable. Private outdoor space in the centre of town is a luxury that tenants and holiday guests will pay a premium for.
The traditional character combined with modern amenities means the property appeals to a wide range of potential tenants and buyers. It's charming without being impractical, updated without losing its soul.
And the price point makes it accessible. At €295,000, this represents an entry point into Portuguese real estate investment that's realistic for many buyers, yet the dual income potential means the returns are comparable to much larger investments.
Investment Analysis
Let's look at the numbers realistically.
Purchase price: €295,000
Potential monthly rental income (combined): €900 to €1,300
Annual gross income: €10,800 to €15,600
Estimated annual expenses (property tax, insurance, maintenance, management): €2,000 to €3,000
Net annual income: €7,800 to €13,600
Net yield: 2.6% to 4.6%
Potential monthly rental income (combined): €900 to €1,300
Annual gross income: €10,800 to €15,600
Estimated annual expenses (property tax, insurance, maintenance, management): €2,000 to €3,000
Net annual income: €7,800 to €13,600
Net yield: 2.6% to 4.6%
These are conservative estimates. With holiday rental for the apartment during peak season, returns could be significantly higher. And if you're using one space yourself while renting the other, you're essentially living for free or even making money while enjoying a central São Brás lifestyle.
The property is also well positioned for capital appreciation. São Brás is growing in popularity, central properties are increasingly sought after, and the dual use nature of this building adds value that pure residential properties lack.
Perfect For
Investors seeking dual income streams and flexibility will find this property ideal. The ability to generate income from two separate spaces provides security and options that single use properties can't match.
Business owners wanting to live and work in the same building will appreciate the convenience and cost savings. No commute, no separate rent, no wasted time or money.
First time investors in Portugal will find the price point accessible and the rental demand reassuring.
This is a straightforward investment in a strong location with clear income potential.
Retirees or semi retirees could live in the apartment and run a small consulting business, gallery, or studio from the office space, combining lifestyle with purpose and a bit of extra income.
Families with adult children could use this as a compound, with parents in the apartment and children using the office as a studio or workspace, all while being in the heart of town.
The Practical Details
- Total area: 91 m²
- Plot: 45 m²
- Ground floor: Office with small bathroom, direct street access
- First floor: 1 bedroom apartment with bathroom and private roof terrace
- Year built: Early 1950s
- Air conditioning, double glazing, mosquito screens, security shutters
- Fitted kitchen, mains water, electricity, sewage
- Electric hot water system
- Wi-Fi, telephone, internet, fibre optic available
- Outside lighting
- Location: Rua Gago Coutinho, central São Brás de Alportel
- Walking distance to all amenities
Your Next Steps
Investment opportunities with this much flexibility don't come along often. The combination of central location, dual income potential, traditional charm, and accessible price point makes this a property worth serious consideration.
Whether you're looking for pure investment returns, a live and work solution, or a flexible property that adapts to your changing needs, this building on Rua Gago Coutinho offers possibilities that are as exciting as they are practical.
The office is ready to rent. The apartment is ready to welcome tenants or owners. The roof terrace is waiting for someone to enjoy those sunset views. All that's missing is your vision for what this property could become.
Property by Calvin - Your Trusted Guide to Algarve Living
Contact Calvin for exclusive viewing and detailed property information. This is more than an investment. This is an opportunity to be part of the heart of São Brás, to create income and lifestyle in equal measure, to own a piece of authentic Algarve life. AMI Licensed 12086.
REF: ACPS10840
