Road noise - will I get used to it?

[LittleMissPear]

Moved to our new home this week, out of a lovely city to a market town 8 miles away. First baby due in 2 months, lots of space for baby, guests etc, all lovely. However, the compromise we made was to buy a house that backs onto a fairly main road. When we viewed it (at rush hour time) the noise didn't seem too bad and everyone I spoke to reassured me that it's not a massively busy road. Now we're here, it's all I can focus on, I keep listening out for the noise and I'm really worried that I'll resent moving here. Will I get used to it? Any tips from people on reducing noise in the house?

[Beaverfeaver2]

Problem with asking people in the area is that they would be used to it by now.

But that's not to say you won't get used to it either.

People live near motorways and flight paths and train lines and seem to not hear it after a while.

I'm sure it will be fine and come winter time your windows will be shut so you probably won't hear it at all then.

Could you plant some tall bushes/trees to block the sound travelling over your rear garden?

[Bobtailstrikesagain]

I have just moved to a similar property. I've been in about 4 weeks and I don't notice it now. I think that if you listen out for it and focus on it then it does make it seem worse.

[moggle]

I think you'll get used to it. As beaver says this is the worst time for it as your windows are probably open. Do you have double glazing? If not you should definitely think about getting it!
We live on a busyish 30mph road, with lots of stopping and starting of traffic which is noisy, and also a few builders' merchants up the road which means there are loads of heavy tipper type trucks rattling along all day. There's no hedge or anything in between us and the pavement. In the winter I don't even notice it. It is annoying when it's too hot at night and you want the bedroom windows open, because our room fronts onto the road, but this really only happens during pretty hot weather (when it's 26+ during the day, we usually get a couple of weeks of this each summer). We either borrow a fan, use earplugs or decamp to the spare room which is at the back of the house. In the summer afternoons when we sit in the back garden we just don't notice it.
I work just by / under the M25 and the noise from that is much more bearable because it's constant. My friend lives under the flight path in Richmond and I don't know how she bears it but she says she doesn't hear it anymore!

[ChickenFajitasAndNachos]

Sorry to say but I didn't. We planted massive conifers but I wish we investigated triple or whatever it is glazing. So my suggestion is if you don't get used to it would be to look at different windows. Winters were a lot better but in the summer I couldn't really have the back windows and French doors open without it being really noisy. I've moved last year to a new home.

[HenI5]

We've lived on very busy main roads before now and got used to it. The tricks are firstly to try and negate as much noise as you can with e.g. double glazing where possible, but lined and interlined blinds and curtains for sure. Secondly it's to change your mindset.
You bought your property knowing full well that the road was the compromise, so to keep focusing on it is pointless really.
Very few places have no noise or other disturbance and a main road isn't the worst as the noise is consistent really, areas where traffic slows down and speeds up are worse as the noise confronts you more.

Seriously, I'm not trying to just ignore your concerns, but try and enjoy your new home and concentrate on all the good points that persuaded you to buy it instead of listening out for noise to try and underline your fears.

It takes a little time to settle into a new home, especially when you're probably slightly on pins anticipating the new baby. Take your time getting the house ready for your new arrival and try to stop fretting so much.

[tothesea]

When DS was 10 weeks we moved into a flat close to a railway line. Every time a train went past my nerves jangled and I thought I couldn't bear it. Fast forward a month...I honestly did not hear it anymore.
However, I do think my nerves were jangling anyway..moving house is stressful and unsettling, especially with a newborn or while pregnant.
Try and put it out of your mind...soon it will simply the background noise of your day to day life.

[KaFayOLay]

I moved into my (now) dh's house 6 months after he bought it.
I wouldn't have bought it, too close to a main A road and used as a cut through.

14 years on, I still can't sleep with widows open.

[Sandthorn]

I used to live in a house about 6 ft from the main line into a VERY busy station. The mail trains (at 4 am every morning) used to make the floors vibrate. Within a month, our visitors would shit themselves every time a train went past, but we didn't bat an eyelid.

[burnishedsilver]

Google 'ways to reduce traffic noise'. There are things you can do.

[Cobo]

Apparently trees and hedges have minimal impact on noise reduction as they're mostly gaps, not mass. There are specially designed sound-reducing fences you can buy that do make a difference though, might be worth looking into.

I agree that changing your mindset will be most effective though. You've just made a huge financial commitment, and it's natural that your brain is worrying at it, trying to work out if you've made the wrong decision. But the longer you live there, the more other things will become important and the stress of making a decision on buying a house will fade. It's not that the noise will become less noticeable, it's that you'll be concentrating more on other things and so won't think about it.

[Mumzy]

I've noticed that houses/flats on main roads are on sale more often than those down side roads - just saying!

[ChickenFajitasAndNachos]

Do you think they are or is it just that it's easier to notice for sale boards as you drive down main roads?

[foxdongle]

We lived near a train line when young and I can honestly say the only people that mentioned them were visitors-we were all used to them.

I also lived in flat on a busy road when I was early twenties and I can honestly say it never bothered me, anyway I was out all the time or had music on .

I live on a very quiet cul de sac now and like it especially when sitting in the garden.
though I do have dreams of in the future buying/renting a flat somewhere in the middle of a v busy city and love staying in hotels in busy places-I don't know why, the buzz, the life, whatever- I just don't always want peace and quiet I suppose.
the road being nice and attractive, would matter more than busy.

[BomberManIsAGirl]

I think that you will get used to it. It might take a bit of getting used to each year when you start opening your windows in the springtime.

Enjoy your new house

[ethelb]

It depends where it is. The main road is in front of the front room which now has double glazed windows and lined and interlined heavy curtains and it isn't bad/that noticable in the evenings and weekends when we are in there (we work full time during the day).

The back where our bedroom and kitchen is looks out over a field and a cul de sac and is v quiet for London. So actually where and when it matters our flat is quite quiet.

It is no where near as bad as plane noise which we never really got completely used to in a previous home.

Will you be in the rooms overlooking the main road when it will be at its busiest?

[unlucky83]

I have lived on main roads in London...traffic noise almost constantly - and you do get used to it....Then you go to visit somewhere in the country and the silence hurts your ears!
I used to live on one road that was also a main ambulance route - and not in a good area ...and in those days I don't think they turned sirens off ...if it wasn't an ambulance it was a police car ...at least every 30 mins, 24/7 -and I even got used to that...
Actually I was talking about this with a friend a day or so ago - where we live now is very quiet - I'm closer to the main road but its not busy - outside 'rush hour' we get less than two cars an hour - friend lives further away from road - no-through traffic. She was complaining that often on holiday (caravan) she can't sleep for traffic noise ...as the parks are usually quite close to main roads...but she used to have a flat in central Edinburgh and never noticed the traffic noise...
Once you stop listening for it you'll be fine ....

[LittleMissPear]

Hi all, thank you for your replies and reassurances! I wasn't expecting so many.

There is truth in alot of what you say, that we have made a huge financial commitment and with a baby on the way there are always things to stress over, so maybe I am focusing on this for some reason. I have been trying to change my mindset, not to listen specifically for the noise and to relax a bit about it! I also really like the layout of the house and I am excited about decorating the rooms etc so trying to focus on those things.

The road is at the back of the house, so the rooms that I hear it in most are the kitchen and conservatory and of course the garden. Our living room and bedroom are both at the front and relatively quiet - so that's a positive.

Although we were not looking to change the windows straight away, I'll have a look at triple glazing and the noise reducing fences mentioned.

Thanks!

[sugarhoops]

GOsh sounds like you might have moved to our road, although further up where houses have back gardens onto the road, as opposed to the front of the house.

We bought our house over 9 years ago (edge of market town, A-road, 30mph limit, driveway separating us from road) and we didnt even consider the road noise being a problem - pre-kids we both were out of the house 8am-6pm during the week and literally never noticed any road noise until 3 weeks during high summer when we wanted to sleep with bedroom windows open - it would've been fine except for a few lorries rumbling past in the early hours.

I do admit to noticing the road a little more often now - work part time, 3 young kids. But we still don't consider it a problem - if I am ever having a 'the road is annoying me' phase, I just remember that we honestly couldn't have afforded our large, detached period property if it were just one road back from our road. Plus, a few houses have come on the market on our road this summer and have all sold within a week, at full asking, so when people say they're difficult to sell, it doesn't seem so on our road at least.

How 'busy' is 'busy' though - our road is a steady flow of traffic at 8-9am, then 5-6pm, but goes really quiet (or what we consider quiet!) other than those times. Some main roads are a nightmare, others aren't so.

You've got a lot going on at the moment - new baby, new house, its no wonder you're feeling worried/ have I made right decision etc. I imagine in a months time, you'll have forgotten about the road noise (or new baby will drown it out anyway )

defo look into secondary glazing though - have it on both our bay windows at front of house, and really worth it.

[jaimata]

Sugar hoops - could you tell me who you went with for the secondary glazing please?

[Miss2mrs]

Littlemisspear I'm just wondering whether you ever got used to the traffic noise? We moved to a brand new house a few months ago that's just set back from a main road. Like you when we viewed it the traffic didn't seem that bad and everyone said that the road wasn't that busy. Our problem is we moved from a very quite culde sac with no traffic. I find that I can't focus on anything other than the traffic noise hubby says that it's really not that bad and he doesn't even notice it now!! The problem is I can't ignore it and am now really starting to regret ever buying this house, all I've ever wanted is our own home and this was meant to be our forever home. Apart from the noise the house is perfect.

[hmcAsWas]

I didn't hear the road noise inside my house (on a busy, busy road) but it was intrusive when outside and did prevent us from using and enjoying our beautiful garden - so we moved.

Our house was also lovely, just in the wrong location. We stuck it out for a few years and in that time the road became busier and it became challenging to exit our driveway and join the road during peak periods.

I would not live on a main road again - but plenty of people do and are happy with it

[hmcAsWas]

Have you got used to it LittleMissPear - 2.5 years later?

[RedastheRose]

Used to live in the middle of an old market town right on a busy road. You just get used to it and start not noticing. In the end we would only hear the noise when a big lorry went up the road and you literally couldn't hear the TV. Don't stress about it, it will be fine.

[trixymalixy]

Watching as we've just moved to a house on a busy road and I'm wondering if it's been too much of a compromise...

[Miss2mrs]

Feel exactly the same trixymalixy, I keep trying to convince myself it's not really that bad and that if I ignore it, I'll soon get used to it!