Why you should view a home (or at least the street) at night too
Noise, street lighting, safety, parking and neighbours: what you only discover in the evening, and how to do a quick second visit.
Most viewings are booked in the middle of a weekday: when the street is calmest, the light is best and the neighbours are at work. It is also when you learn least about what living there is like.
What changes in the evening
- Noise: bars and terraces, music, people in the street, rush-hour traffic, neighbours at home.
- Street lighting: is the walk from transport to the door well lit?
- Feeling safe: how would you feel arriving home at 10pm?
- Parking: if you have a car, finding a space at 8pm is very different from 11am.
- Light inside: which rooms get dark early, and when the sun comes in or disappears.
- Short-term rentals: suitcases and arrivals are more visible in the evening and at weekends.
How to do it without fuss
- You do not need a second booked viewing: walk down the street on a Friday or Saturday evening, starting from the nearest transport stop.
- Stay 10 minutes outside the building. Listen. See which windows are lit.
- If you can, walk the route you would take every day: from the metro or bus to the door.
- If you are seriously interested, ask the landlord to come back in the late afternoon. A refusal without a reason also tells you something.
Tip: record 20 seconds of sound on your phone in the street and, if you go back inside, in the bedroom. After several viewings, it is the best way to compare homes. Keep notes and stars in your visit diary.
Before you go
Search the address on SherlockHomes: see the official noise map (in Lisbon), the short-term rentals around it and what other visitors said about quiet and the street. See also the guide to noise.
Share what you saw
Walked past at night? Add it to your review. "Very lively street on Fridays until late" or "quiet, well-lit street" is exactly what the next person needs to know.