# Property search Lisbon city



## Macroomite (Jan 16, 2016)

I would like to buy a 2 bed apartment in the city of Lisbon and it's closer neighborhoods: closer to the metro links. Which are the better neighborhoods and which are to avoid?; maximum budget of approx. E230k; what is a good website to see as many apartments as possible? Thanks.


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## SpiggyTopes (Feb 1, 2015)

We sold our T2 in Campo de Ourique for €240k ..... with parking and in a 10 year old building but built in the old style. (this is a good thing, to get concrete floors, lift, parking and heating).

I thought it was sold cheap, but it had been on the market for a year!

Anyway, go to Google maps and find Jardim de Estrela; look a bit north to find the small park in Campo de Ourique, then east to see Amoreiras shopping Centre, then south to the Jardim das Amoreiras and south again to the Largo do Rato.

I would start in this area ..... plenty of transport at Rato and the parks are super.

One decision you need to make is whether you need a car ........ no car sets you free in Lisbon.

Start on Rightmove as many agents advertise there and don't restrict yourself to one agent.


Good luck.


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## Macroomite (Jan 16, 2016)

SpiggyTopes said:


> We sold our T2 in Campo de Ourique for €240k ..... with parking and in a 10 year old building but built in the old style. (this is a good thing, to get concrete floors, lift, parking and heating).
> 
> I thought it was sold cheap, but it had been on the market for a year!
> 
> ...


Thank you for that helpful hint "SpiggyTopes'. Looks a good area for me - close to the city but not too close and with good transport as I'd prefer to live without a car - and parks / green space a big PLUS. I have checked out rightmove (regularly) but there is little happening on the market it appears - unless some agents have an inside scoop. When you say to use more than one agent ... do you have some in mind to recommend OR suggest how to find those who work with the English market?


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## SpiggyTopes (Feb 1, 2015)

I would still try Rightmove first, as you will see that many agents advertise there.

We had plenty of problems selling but finally were happy with Portugal Property who not only sold our flat but found us our house ..... and helped with all the negotiations and stuff.

Will you come here?

It can be difficult to motivate agents if you are not here pot planning to come.


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## bom dia lisbon (Aug 8, 2013)

I agree with SpiggyTopes that Campo de Orique is a great area!

There are other wonderful neighborhoods too, and it all depends on your tastes and lifestyle, including whether you want to be in an old neighborhood or someplace more "modern, " dense or spacious, high rise or small building, etc.

I also agree that you should not limit yourself to one agent. That is because there is no Multiple Listing Service in Portugal to motivate agents to show you ALL available properties. My recommendation, from personal experience, is to do your own legwork. Find neighborhoods you like, walk the streets, and search the internet yourself. Contact the listing agent for an appointment, and hire a good multilingual Portuguese attorney to negotiate for you and represent you in all contract matters.

Some good sites for browsing properties are: HomeLovers, Remax and ERA, and also OLX which is a compilation of individual advertisements from both agents and owners. There is no reason you need to seek out agents who work with the English-speaking market. There is only one language in these transactions - EURO


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## Centralbound (Aug 16, 2013)

Re the metro. It is concentrated in the SE of the city, but the buses are good and there is a night bus network. They are internet connected and have a linked map-based app to plan, get waiting times etc. You can get pdfs of the day and night network here:

Mapas Carris


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## Centralbound (Aug 16, 2013)

Also, imovirtual.com and casa.sapo.pt for aggregated listings.


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## Macroomite (Jan 16, 2016)

Thanks guys ... yes I will be coming over for a few days in a month or so and would like to see as many places as I can. Did a trip in Nov '15 but the agent only showed us two places and I sensed there was no MLS type setup to draw from, hence only her listings on hand. Also received little advice/input on best areas. I'm looking at retiring in say 5-7 years. I do not mind an older block but ideally fitted out modern to move-in, also close to conveniences eg supermarket / library/ metro. Will need stimulation and to go to lots of classes to learn the language!!! Rather a smaller block than being in/amongst a lot of modern highrises or a heavily business / city environment. I like a bit of character (Lisbon has TONS of that) .. small shops etc. I'll note those agencies and start building a 'grouping' for my next visit and consult with them before. Do feel free to name other neighborhoods in the broad city of Lisbon ... vs beyond/outer that you believe are good. I hope not to have a car. I have broad tastes but not for 'rough' / dicey neighborhoods or the very suburban. On last visit I had a great Air BnB near Intendente metro ... maybe 3 blocks south, and a block or so west near a hospital and park ... and that was OK ... but would like to go 'upwards' / better from that experience. I'll definitely go the lawyer route when doing a contract! All your input is invaluable. Thank you.


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## Transcend (Dec 25, 2015)

Macroomite said:


> Do feel free to name other neighborhoods in the broad city of Lisbon ...


I'm not the best person to be naming other neighbourhoods, because I am in the same position as you - planning a look & see visit. However, I recently watched an edition of the BBC programme "Escape to the Continent" which covered searching for a flat in Lisbon. In this programme the Embassy area was mentioned as being attractive; quiet, secure and well maintained, yet convenient. I have yet to locate this area on a map, but it might be the sort of place to suit you.

Perhaps someone with experience of the Embassy are could add some opinions?


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## bom dia lisbon (Aug 8, 2013)

I believe you're speaking of Lapa. Lapa and Estrela are very nice areas. 

Don't miss Principe Real, a wonderful neighborhood!


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## Transcend (Dec 25, 2015)

bom dia lisbon said:


> I believe you're speaking of Lapa. Lapa and Estrela are very nice areas.
> 
> Don't miss Principe Real, a wonderful neighborhood!


Many thanks for these tips. They can perhaps be added to those that SpiggyTopes gave earlier.

I don't want to hijack Macroomite's thread any further so I won't ask any more questions here. I'll start my own thread in a day or so.


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## Macroomite (Jan 16, 2016)

No problem. In my 'searches' recently I came across a good website which actually gives one a map de-lineating each of the city neighborhoods (I needed to google each name before) ... as well as a short description of eachs' characteristics. This helps me a lot as an outsider. Look at: homehunting.pt/eng


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## Transcend (Dec 25, 2015)

Macroomite said:


> No problem. In my 'searches' recently I came across a good website which actually gives one a map de-lineating each of the city neighborhoods (I needed to google each name before) ... as well as a short description of eachs' characteristics. This helps me a lot as an outsider. Look at: homehunting.pt/eng


Many thanks for this link. It looks like a great help for someone unfamiliar with Lisbon. I will study it closely. It should save a lot of time by being able to eliminate some areas before arriving.

Last night I re-watched the Escape to the Continent programme I mentioned earlier. The couple were looking for an apartment, and were shown four, in the following districts:

Lapa, which is the district with the Embassies. This was described by the presenter as "sleepy" and "very quiet". I felt he meant this in a negative way, but it looked like an area that would suit those looking for a place of solitude in central Lisbon.

Cais Do Sodre. This was described as "bohemian and vibrant". I would worry that this description could be estate agent-speak for "scruffy and noisy". It looked nice though, but would need further investigation.

Alfama. This is the home of Fado music, and seemed a noisy place, with many bars and restaurants open until the early hours. I would worry about this, having lived in Madrid and experienced similar revelling.

Parque dos Nacoes. This is a new district, created at the time of the World Expo in 1998. All the apartments were new, and lacked character. They could have been in any European city.

In case you are going to watch the programme, I won't spoil the ending by telling you which of the districts the couple chose .


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## betelnutz (Jun 19, 2015)

Transcend said:


> Many thanks for this link. It looks like a great help for someone unfamiliar with Lisbon. I will study it closely. It should save a lot of time by being able to eliminate some areas before arriving.
> 
> Last night I re-watched the Escape to the Continent programme I mentioned earlier. The couple were looking for an apartment, and were shown four, in the following districts:
> 
> ...


I am interested in that show you spoke of, can it be viewed online? if so please share.


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## SpiggyTopes (Feb 1, 2015)

Transcend said:


> Many thanks for this link. It looks like a great help for someone unfamiliar with Lisbon. I will study it closely. It should save a lot of time by being able to eliminate some areas before arriving.
> 
> Last night I re-watched the Escape to the Continent programme I mentioned earlier. The couple were looking for an apartment, and were shown four, in the following districts:
> 
> ...


Cais do Sodre would be very good for transport ... near Metro, train to Cascais and not far from Santa Apollonia. Also near to Chiado and Baixa. Certainly worth a look.

Lapa ... nice but no Metro?


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## Transcend (Dec 25, 2015)

With Macroomite’s permission, I would like to ask the following questions in this thread rather than in a new one. I believe they are likely to be also of interest to him/her.

I have always lived in newish apartments, but am tempted by the thought of living in an older block, possibly one that has been restored. I am trying to discover the pros and cons of each type.

Earlier in the thread, SpiggyTopes made the following comment:



SpiggyTopes said:


> ...in a 10 year old building but built in the old style. (this is a good thing, to get concrete floors, lift, parking and heating).


I can understand the advantages of a lift, parking and heating, but concrete floors? Presumably this is as opposed to wooden floors, but what benefits do concrete floors bring? If it is better sound insulation, then this is a factor of big interest to me. This is because I am currently living in a modern apartment, where “everyday” noise from neighbours is a problem. The floors are concrete, but I can here every footstep made by the people upstairs, in addition to their closing of doors, turning light switches on and off, etc. I was hoping that, given the thick walls and substantial ceilings found in older blocks, they would tend to be better at insulating sound from neighbours. Maybe this is not the case?

Talking of neighbours, what is it like to share an apartment block with Portuguese neighbours? Are they generally considerate? What I am concerned about is push-chairs, bicycles, toys etc. being left in communal areas, smoking in communal areas, shouting up and down the staircase, coming in late and slamming doors, etc.

Finally, maintenance costs. My concern is that the maintenance charges on older, non-restored apartment blocks would be high, and that it might be wiser to look either at a newer building like SpiggyTopes’ previous home, or at an older but restored block.

I would welcome hearing of anyone’s experience on these points, and any other factors to bear in mind when looking for an apartment in Lisbon.


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## bom dia lisbon (Aug 8, 2013)

It is not possible to generalize about the behaviour of neighbors. When I was serious about buying my flat, the owner offered to let me stay there overnight. I thought this was an excellent offer, after all, we test drive cars before we buy them! Perhaps you can request the same


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## Transcend (Dec 25, 2015)

betelnutz said:


> I am interested in that show you spoke of, can it be viewed online? if so please share.


Yes, it is on youtube at [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bc0qFkD7xYo] (Escape to the Continent Season 1 Episode 16)

The image is small, and even if you select the "Full-screen" setting, it's still small . It's better than nothing of course. I downloaded the programme a couple of years ago, but it seems the links are now dead, so youtube is probably the only option.


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## Transcend (Dec 25, 2015)

bom dia lisbon said:


> It is not possible to generalize about the behaviour of neighbors. When I was serious about buying my flat, the owner offered to let me stay there overnight. I thought this was an excellent offer, after all, we test drive cars before we buy them! Perhaps you can request the same


Test-driving a flat sounds ideal, but is probably available only rarely. Otherwise, it's a gamble. Unfortunately for me in the past, I have had bad experiences with inconsiderate neighbours.


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