Were we deceived?
The lead photograph shows the terrace and the view of the river, (as do the following two photographs) on the listing for this property; and would appear to be the implied highlight of this apartment, the view is fantastic.
The description of the apartment reinforces this, and adds to the impression given by the photographs. It says; - “and enjoy from it, a dazzling view to the Agronomia University and the river Tejo and its surroundings".
It goes on to say: - “It also includes an amazing big terrace, where one can spend pleasant moments and enjoy a wonderful sight of the city".
There can be no doubt that the terrace is clearly the selling point of this apartment. One imagines seeing the sunrise from within the apartment, taking relaxed meals and drinks on the terrace, and perhaps a bit of sunbathing on the sun loungers in between sightseeing, weather permitting.
The reality proved to be entirely different. The terrace is in fact separate from the apartment, and is accessed by another flight of stairs and a locked door. Additionally it is shared with the other apartments in the building! There are also four sets of two washing line wires stretching across the terrace, marked out for each floor of the building, 1 - 4. Unless you are very short, you risk serious neck injuries.
This layout clearly makes the taking of meals and drinks on the terrace difficult. Its also paramount that you keep the apartment keys on your person, as the doors are self locking, if you wish to avoid be locked out of the apartment. This would not happen if the terrace had been integral to the apartment as had been suggested.
The apartment is on the third floor. There is no lift. The stairwell is in darkness. Manually operated Timer switches can light it. Not all of them work, so some of the stairs stay in darkness.
Whilst we were there noisy building work was taking place in one of the other apartments, from early morning each day.
We did double check the description after our tour of the apartment, and decided to look for an alternative apartment on our first evening, but nothing suitable was available at such short notice, so we had to put up with all this.
On the plus side, we were given a warm welcome, and given details of places to visit. The apartment was well equipped, with a thoughtful welcome pack. The only other useful addition would be a chopping board in the kitchen. The TV had many channels available, with lots in the English language. The Internet connection was very fast, 300 Mb/s+, ideal for streaming movies and keeping up with home news. The apartment is within walking distance of the highlights of the area. The tram passes the door, and the train station is a short walk away.
Overall it was an OK apartment, but we would not choose to go there again if we were able to find another apartment with an integral south-facing terrace/balcony.