If you live in a semi detached, main rooms adjoining, what noise do you here from neighbours?

[monumentalidiot]

Considering a move and dont know what to do. Its been done to death but what to do, im not sure...

Want to keep this general just in case i "out" myself.

We have two suitable property options, a main room (living areas, bedrooms) adjoining 1920s semi detached with about 900sq ft of useable living area (not including bathrooms or hallways) or a detached house with 700 sq ft of useable living space.

The detached is totally open plan kitchen and the semi has separate kitchen, dining and living rooms.

We have two children. Gardens for both are comparable.

Both cost roughly the same but detached house will mean i will have to drive to supermarket etc as poor public transport links.

Love both.

Semi is SW rear garden. Detached is west facing garden.

Unsure about another semi as i dont like hearing neighbours' tv running late at nights in bedrooms adjoining etc and dont like hearing extractor fans of shower rooms running etc. I can live with it though but i grumble about it. I know its part and parcel of semi detached living.Also our children are under 5 and are noisy.

Like the detached house a lot but open plan is annoying but detached would be amazing.

Both plots are fairly unsuitable for further development as both small plots in tightly packed streets.

The semi is bigger and if you add the wide front door hallway, it feels so spacious.

Can anyone tell me cons of semi detached living and what you hear day to day and if small detached are better?

Really vague i know but cant add anything else!

[WindMeUpAndLetMeGo]

I'm mid terrace, very rarely hear anything from the Neighbours. It really is personal choice though, and both houses sound like they have good points about them.

[dizzydaffodil]

I can hear them talking but not what they are saying, their two dogs barking and I can tell when they are having a bath or shower.
As i rarely watch tv or listen to music or house is much quieter than theirs so I hear more.

[Redhead11]

Very occasionally, I hear music from next door, but they no doubt say the same about us. Apart from that, I hear virtually nothing - sometimes talking if they have guests round, but that's about it. If the semi is bigger, i would go for that, but i hate open plan houses.

[MagpieCursedTea]

I'm mid terrace, I occasionally hear one of my neighbours when he has a coughing fit. Otherwise I don't hear a thing. Neighbour has commented when our toddler has had a bad screamy night (not in a bad way, just asking after him).

I think the fact that they're Victorian terraces makes a difference. I used to live in a semi detached new build and could hear tellys, music, people talking etc.

[monumentalidiot]

the semi is brilliant and if you consider the hall, which is big enough for a console table and coat stand and shelves for school and nursery bags, it adds so much more amenity to the property.

but im a miserable git and think detached is also a good idea. just dont want to feel stiffled if we do buy it nor do i want to invest in a semi (which will need a decorative overhaul) and feel irritated by noise.

we are in a smaller semi and i feel quite on the fence. sometimes i dont like it and sometimes i do.

[NotCitrus]

Victorian semi here - the odd dog bark, screaming kids, and Mr Neighbour's 60th karaoke party - but really not a problem. Not compared to traffic noise, anyhow. I'd be much more wary of a modern shared wall.

[CityDweller]

Surely so much depends on the construction of the buildings/ what sort of soundproofing is in place?

We lived in a flat in a block where we could hear everything from the neighbours. Even their cutlery clinking on plates at dinner time. Drove me nearly to nervous breakdown (neighbour on one side was a complete and utter nut job nightmare and also had 4 kids under 5). Moved to another flat, also in a block, and can hardly hear a thing from neighbours. Similar layouts (in terms of percentage of layout adjoining in each). Difference: constructed out of completely different materials.

[teatrailer]

30's semi, have had 3 lots of neighbours in the last 20 years.

1.... Young couple who rebuilt the house making it 5 bedrooms, noisy builders for years.

2.... Large blended family, karaoke, loud music, lots of shouting, constant barbecues.

3.... Large noisy, friendly family who have lots of gatherings, prayer meetings and huge fights with shocking language. The kids are frequently yelling in the next bedroom till past midnight.

We have got along with all these people, but, GET THE DETATCHED.

[PlainHunting]

I would compromise on everything else to be detached.

Speaking from bitter experience of neighbour noise in a semi.

[Delphine31]

I hear very little noise from my neighbours, but I would definitely get a detached house if the opportunity arose.

To know that you'll never again be at the mercy of whoever moves in to the house next door (and they could be an absolute nightmare and make your lives a misery) is worth sacrificing a little space for in my view.

[Smartiepants79]

1950's semi with one lady living next door.
We hear very little and I barely even notice were attached to be honest. Specially not when I'm inside!
She does have parties and family round but we only hear very muffled music or phone noise and only really when we are very quiet.

[tinkytot]

Detached it a a no brainer!

[Smartiepants79]

I would liked a detached property but if the room sizes and outdoor spaces were right I wouldn't rule out a semi again.
I would be much more wary of new build as i suspect they are much noisier.

[monumentalidiot]

Thanks for responding to my thread.

Hmm, feeling that the detached is a better option. As well as having a smaller useable square footage, im worried it could be quite dark inside as its rear is west facing - kitchen is a small galley and is space for cooking only.

Has anyone moved to a smaller property to be detached and have you regretted it?

Whats it like with a west facing garden if anyone has one? The detached garden is about 50 ft long and about 30 ft wide.

Really dont know what to do as this move would mean so much change for us and if we get it wrong, would mean being stuck with it as it would be hard to raise SDLT and solicitors fees if say it went wrong and we wanted to move after 3 years eg.

[msrisotto]

I live in an end terrace house, my neighbours have a toddler. When there is no noise in my house (no tv, no washing machine and no talking), I can sometimes hear the faint sound of the baby/toddler crying. I can tell it is screaming really, but not by the volume because it is so faint.

[Georgethesecond]

1905 semi here and I hear very little. Both families have teenage kids. Occasionally hear their tv if my house is quiet. You'll always hear your neighbours in the garden, remember. SW garden is perfect direction.

[Indantherene]

1930s semi here. The attached side we have an elderly lady. We can hear her cough!

Obviously she doesn't make much noise as she is alone, but when her family visit we can hear talking. DH is really worried that if she were to die/move on we would either have to move or get extensive soundproofing.

We used to live in a 1990 staggered terrace and it was fantastic. Couldn't hear anything at all through the walls despite having neighbours both sides.

[SaskiaRembrandtWasFramed]

I live in a 1920s semi, my kitchen adjoins my neighbours. I don't hear him very often though. A couple of times I've heard what sounds like him dropping something, and I do occasionally hear him sing when he has company - but that's quite funny Other than that we wouldn't really know he was there, and never hear any noise from upstairs. Our walls are pretty thick, not sure if it would be the same in a newer house. .

[Losingmyreligion]

Look for a different detached house.

[IfYouWereARiverIdLearnToFloat]

I'm mid terrace but farm outbuilding conversion with 3ft thick walls so noise doesn't travel. I only hear one neighbour occasionally as our kitchens are adjoining extensions - even then we both have to be in our kitchens at same time to hear anything.

[monumentalidiot]

Thanks for further responses. Really at a stand still. The smaller detached offers more to DH (the garden for him) and location but the semi-detached is lovely and light/airy but still a semi - I want the kids to be able to play with loud clattery lego etc and us to have friends visit without feeling the need to worry about disturbing others.

Will go and have a think.

[Devora]

I'm in a semi with adjoining sitting rooms. We can hear the piano playing - though not the TV, strangely. We hear the children screaming, though oddly not the parents shouting (though they assure me they do ).

We are friends with our neighbours (dc same age) and I have always lived in flats before this, so the neighbourly hum doesn't bother me. I think I'd found it spooky to live in total silence.

[perfectlybroken]

1960s semi, an hear tv, sneezing and a bit of banging sometimes. Age will makes difference as newer ones tend to.have thinner walls.

[Themoleandcrew]

My next door neighbour sneezes every evening without fail. We've lived here for 3 1/2 years and every day I hear him sneeze once I'm settled down in front of the TV. Sometimes I hear music and I regularly hear what sounds like kitchen cupboard doors closing which is weird as the kitchens are usually on the non attached side. I can't complian though, with three under 5s and a puppy I'm sure we make much more noise than them.

[DataColour]

We live in a new built (1997) semi and we hardly ever hear next door.