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AIBU?

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Original poster

To buy a house so close to a motorway

138 replies

fabulousfailure · 19/04/2023 20:22

Just this really. A lovely house has come on the market. We put an offer in which was accepted, now having second thoughts.

The issue is, it's really quite close to a major motorway. As in, 3 or 4 houses beyond ours, then a decent fence which is the motorway edge.

You can hear it, it's a bit like white noise, there all the time. I don't know whether we'd get used to it and just not notice it over time, or conversely whether it would become an ongoing irritant.

And then I've started to read up on air pollution. Forgive me but I knew little about this until now. What I'm reading sounds really scary. If you live within 150m or so of a road like this, it sounds like there are all sorts of health risks. Not just for us as adults like dementia, but also our children and potentially lifelong.

On the flipside, clearly lots of people live there now, and across the country so many people live near roads like this and in cities. Am i being really over anxious through Google groups this stuff?

YABU = it's not that bad, you can get used to it
YANBU = these are valid concerns, it is reasonable to hesitate in this situation

OP posts:
Original poster
fabulousfailure · 20/04/2023 11:38

The motorway in question here is the m1. Not wishing to drip feed.

OP posts:
ohsuzannah · 20/04/2023 11:36

We live on a hill. 4 miles as the crow flies from the M4. In our garden you can hear traffic constantly, day and night. Motor bikes in particular are very loud. I wish I'd known before we moved hereSad

AlltheFs · 20/04/2023 11:23

We’re in the bottom 25% which seems fair. It’s not perfect but very good.

Original poster
fabulousfailure · 20/04/2023 11:21

Our current house is 46th percentile, new one would be 59th.

OP posts:
LIZS · 20/04/2023 11:12

Interesting. Just done the postcode search. It comes up with 72nd percentile. It is a main A road, within a few miles of motorways and airport. However I know from local info that NOx and pm10 emissions are well within statutory levels(which are higher than WHO).

Chocchip11 · 20/04/2023 10:53

I lived near a busy dual carriageway. I could tell what time it was of I woke at night by the level of cars I could hear. Only quiet 2am-4am. It didn't bother me too much though better than a noisy neighbour I had previously! It's generally a constant noise which in the end I could only hear if I stopped to listen out for it.

KimberleyClark · 20/04/2023 10:30

That website is interesting. The house I grew up in, which was next to a motorway, has a slightly lower rating than the one I’m in now which is further into the city.

Fansandblankets · 20/04/2023 10:23

coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 20/04/2023 07:14

That website is interesting - ours is in a very low area which surprised me somewhat - we're in the 8th percentile.

Show quote history

I wish I hadn’t don’t that! We live no where near a motorway but are fairly close to the docks ☹️

To buy a house so close to a motorway
Branchbranchbranch · 20/04/2023 10:21

I grew up next to the M25. Could see it from my bedroom window.

I actually missed the noise when I moved out and had trouble getting to sleep without it!

If the house is perfect then go for it

Fansandblankets · 20/04/2023 10:19

I used to work in a care home which was close to the motorway. There was a row of trees in between. The house had a pool so a lot of time was spent out in the garden. We honestly didn’t notice it. It was like a low hum.

IsaiditwasLighthearted · 20/04/2023 10:17

Thelnebriati · 19/04/2023 22:23

There's an air pollution website you can use, you put in the postcode. Ours is terrible and we're not near a motorway!
https://addresspollution.org/

Ooh I'm in the lowest 1% postcode apparently! That's north Scotland for you, as the wonderful Billy C said "there's nobody heeeeeeeerrrree" Grin

RenegadeMrs · 20/04/2023 09:57

My OH has asthma. My daughter has asthma. We used to like on the outskirts of a town on a road that got a lot of traffic. Not an A road or a motorway, just a normal two lane road with a 30mph speed limit.

We moved to villiage and a cul-de-sac with no through traffic and the difference in their asthma has been incredible. My OH doesn't need his inhaler any more. I couldn't really believe the difference, to the point where I struggle to see us living anywhere with heavy traffic again. Which is a bit of a pain as I do perfer living walking distance to shops and bars, but small price to pay for my loved ones being able to breath properly!

AlltheFs · 20/04/2023 09:55

We absolutely hate road noise so it would be an absolute no here. We live in a really small quiet village at the end of a private lane though as we hate traffic that much. I appreciate that we are lucky and have that choice.

The pollution is a huge concern too. We only drive electric cars, can’t stand the smell of ICE.

Original poster
fabulousfailure · 20/04/2023 09:51

I'm a bit confused about the electric cars thing. Everyone i know drives a car with fuel, noone with any intention of changing that to electric as far as I know. Who are all these people expecting a change to mass electric cars?

OP posts:
Neapolitanicecream · 20/04/2023 09:41

I would buy as the move to electric cars !!! Could be a time to buy cheaper

user1471538283 · 20/04/2023 09:39

I am very noise sensitive but traffic doesn't bother me. My friend lives about half a mile from a very busy road and whilst you can hear it outside her home it isn't too bad.

What would concern me is the pollution.

If you are in any doubt I would stop now. You will find another house!

Original poster
fabulousfailure · 20/04/2023 09:35

I think we feel very silly right now, having put in the offer and even increased it a bit, to then notice something so obvious. We feel like idiots, the motorway is right there next to the house.

We like about a half mile away from it at the moment, funnily enough we had never really registered its noise in about 10 years here. Now we can hear it! I think we just thought of it as the wind before, but its not its the motorway.

OP posts:
Phgty · 20/04/2023 09:22

fabulousfailure · 20/04/2023 06:10

Thank you for all your replies. We have been going to and fro on it overnight and finding it difficult to really decide. As pp have highlighted, would we get used to it or not. We chose it based on the inside which is exactly what we want but, quite concerned the noise and pollution could affect our enjoyment of it. It might come down to DC health - are we responsible parents if we have a choice and deliberately locate them so close knowing the risks. Things like lifelong heart, respiratory, cognitive function. And yet people do live in places like this, all over the country etc.

I think if I had DC, I definitely wouldn't buy it. Pollutants can cause and contribute to so many health issues.

I think you'll feel relieved if you pull out, OP!

Phgty · 20/04/2023 09:19

I've moved from a busy town road (54th percentile) to the countryside (5th percentile) and have noticed a huge difference in the air quality.

TruthsAndALie · 20/04/2023 09:15

coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 20/04/2023 07:14

That website is interesting - ours is in a very low area which surprised me somewhat - we're in the 8th percentile.

Show quote history

WOW this is shocking! Just checked and I’m in the 53rd percentile. I live in a village about 2 miles from a small city, it’s pretty green and quiet (apparently!).

moveoverye · 20/04/2023 08:35

Is it a home you plan on living in for a long time?
Are you a worrier?

You would most likely get used to the noise, unless you or somebody in your family is neurodiverse / has a history of being upset by noise. I’m guessing you don’t or you wouldn’t have considered this house. It’s called habituation.

If the pollution issue is likely to weigh on your mind though, then best not to continue as it will be an o going worry.

Make sure you are 100% sure you’re happy you’re getting a good price, as no doubt the house will be harder to sell.

Zwicky · 20/04/2023 08:30

I live 2 miles from a motorway and I can hear it. I don’t notice it downstairs but upstairs I think there is nothing for the sound to hit before it gets to my bed. It’s white noise and not terrible but it would be nicer if it wasn’t there. Not a chance that I would live 4 houses away. We have no plans to get people and freight off the roads so it will only get busier and, possibly, wider.

hattie43 · 20/04/2023 08:18

I think that parts of the country are so crowded it's likely most people have to live near some noise unless you have loads of money to spend to live in the middle of nowhere .
I viewed 2 houses one near a railway line and one near a motorway and it was the railway line that was worse , the whole house shook which even surprised the estate agent . The other thing was the trains were intermittent so you were always anticipating the next one . The motorway was far easier to cope with as I lived in London and used to traffic . It was just white noise and sound out .
OP if the price is good and you love the house buy it . There will always be buyers to sell into because you can already see the number of people living by motorways and they can't all be there through lack of choice .

CoffeeTeaCoffee · 20/04/2023 08:15

You will never sit and enjoy your garden. You will never open your windows and enjoy the fresh air. You won't get used to the noise it becomes a constant irritant. And the house will be covered in constant dust.

Cliff1975 · 20/04/2023 08:13

I live close to the motorway. When I met my husband he had already bought the house - at first I hated it and could clearly hear the motorway noise. Now I hardly ever notice it.

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