The usual picture
An empty inherited house suggests a family feud. In our work, the blocker is often quieter.
In Portugal, while an inheritance is undivided (herança indivisa), the heirs exercise their rights together. Selling a house therefore needs every one of them to agree.
Too small to start
With two siblings, that is manageable. With a dozen cousins, each holding a sliver, the effort of gathering everyone costs more than any one share is worth.
So nobody starts. The most extreme case we have seen was a building with more than 120 heirs, and the building simply waited.
The common case
Cases like that are a very small part of the problem. The usual one has up to five heirs, and often one who lacks the time, the knowledge or the money to move things along.
That is the case worth solving first.
A reason to answer
A small share stays silent until there is something concrete to answer. A clear picture of what the property could become, and a real offer, give each heir that reason.
To cut it short: a sliver turns into a decision once there is a number to answer.
What is coming
In August 2026, Parliament authorised the Government to create a special court procedure through which one heir can ask for the sale of a property held in an undivided inheritance after two years of deadlock (Lei 49/2026).
The detailed rules are still to be approved by decree-law within 180 days. Until they are, agreement remains the way out.