To buy a house so close to a motorway

I would say the introduction of electric vehicles could be a consideration if it were just a property investment, but the childhood of children already born will be too short for this to make any difference in the years it matters most.

I got stuck in my road house for 12 years as my DC then started at the local schools and we laid roots in the area. We ended up part exchanging it for a new build and got lucky when the estate agent valued the house as we had rare and flukey quiet 10 minutes and he didn’t go in the garden as it was raining.
It took the housing developer who bought our house a year to sell and they ended up reducing it by 20%. We made more in 2 years in our new house than 12 years of living in our old road house. This was when prices were going up for everyone else in the country.
Honestly I can’t say it clearer, don’t do it, it’s been the biggest mistake of my life. Buy a regular house even if it’s a bit smaller or not as nice.

It’s not a regular occurrence but it does happen where there are major works. I worked on the M1 scheme in Luton, in the four years I was managing it, the road scheme never happened but the plans were to extend and so compulsory purchase an amount of houses to facilitate that - there has to be a safe distance between a live motorway and a residential area for obvious reasons.
The difficulty for those local to this scheme was that for years those houses who weren’t directly blighted by the scheme were affected by it most - they couldn’t sell their homes because who would want to buy with the scheme uncertainty- it is something to be mindful of.

I get the dilemma, I am sure the house has been priced accordingly and you will be getting more house for the money.

Remember when you come to resell, your house will always be lower in valuation compared to our properties in the area. Reselling a property that is subject to noise can also take longer, but having said that you are wanting to buy it.

Having bought and sold many times, there is always a comprise somewhere.

Health aspect, I don’t know enough about to comment, other than my personal health situation I was born rurally and was dx with MS at 40, a friend of mine, one of 7 kids, the only one born rurally also has MS, so make of that what you will.

Its a big decision, good luck.

We live near a motorway, but not that close. There's a big estate in between us. We can here a low white noise hum which doesn't bother us. When it's wet the noise really ramps up .
OP If you're questioning now I'd pull out. There's a reason why it seems perfect / good price etc. The motorway nr us has new houses being built and.i m talking their back garden fence is basically the motorway boundary . Even taking away the noise levels, which i do believe you can get used to, the levels of pollution would be a major worry for me.

"The day you buy, is the day you sell", i.e. something that is giving you pause now, will give others pause too.

Also consider that your house might become even more undesirable in the future if a new housing development goes up in your village/town which is further away from the motorway. Suddenly there's a lot more choice for people wanting to relocate to your area.

If it's literally the only house you can afford, then yes, buy it. But it sounds to me that you could afford other houses, but not as 'nice' (obvs due to the reduced 'value' of this house due to proximity to the motorway). So I would buy a 'less nice' house and make it nicer over time, as finances allow.

The only other time I would consider it if is is e.g. an extremely rare Grade 1 listed Arts & Crafts house, something literally unique that you can't get anywhere else in the area, that you've fallen in love with and nothing else can compare.

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

I wouldn’t. The house I grew up was in an idyllic semi rural location right on the edge of a city with fields behind and cows. Then when I was 15 they built a motorway through the area. The construction noise was tbh much worse than the eventual noise of the motorway. But re pollution - mum did eventually get dementia. I’m not sure whether the pollution was a factor or whether she’d have got it anyway. On the plus side the house sold very easily when the time came for her to go into a home.

Good friend of mine has the M42 at the end of the garden, it was the only way they could afford a decent sized house.

Whenever I visit the noise feels awful to me but she says she's used to it and they are happy there.

It wouldn't be for me, but that said if I'd been in her position financially at that particular time who knows?

Actually as hgv’s are not going electric and all other sources remain, the reduction in pollution from all cars being electric is tiny, it’s like a couple of percent,

op I bought years ago next to a busy road, I also got more house for The money, but I’d really try to avoid doing it again . It wasn’t worth it. It wasn’t just the noise as such although that was an issue if I wanted my windows open in the summer, it was also the pollution, it turned everything black, from dirty windows to even the curtains, and the patio out back, the front steps and path etc, everything got so much dirtier than normal.

Lived 5 houses down from a motorway for 5 years - you don't notice the noise. (Have also lived next to a railway line and under airport flight path in the past). Honestly I wouldn't let it put you off. It does affect sales but they do sell and in the meantime you have a lovely home.
Fwiw my ex borrowed a noise measuring machine from work and there was less noise from the motorway outside the house than half a mile away and the road noise outside our previous house was worse. Motorway noise is kind of constant not stop/Start.
Id go for it if you like the house

You won't even notice it once you're there. The only thing is it might not be as nice if you're outside, but motorway noise is preferable to a screaming kid or a barking dog imo! I'd take the motorway anyday!

I live near one - rural yet near motorway. We've been here 21 years and still love our house. In winter it can be noisy in garden....but we don't spend any time in garden in winter! Come summer I think the wind must be generally from a different direction as it's far quieter. Plus the trees between us and motorway have leaves on, which helps dissipate the noise. Not a problem for us.

I never could live like this voluntarily. You couldn't sit out, your children will breathe fumes, you can't open the window without noise, it's just horrific.

I wouldn't.

We're renting a few streets back from a busy A road and hate it for these reasons:

1. Noise
2. Pollution and air quality
3. I'm forever dusting and I'm sure it's from the road

There is a website where you out in the postcode and it tells you the pollution levels.

If 9 out of 10 people wouldn't consider buying it because of noise or pollution issues, it may not increase in value at the same rate as other properties because so few people would consider it. I wouldn't consider it a good investment.

I’ve read much the same as you about the health risks of living close to a motorway. I wouldn’t buy a house like this. That said, I wouldn’t live in an inner city (or anywhere in London) either, even though several million people do.

I'd say just don't do it. The health impacts just aren't worth the risk.

I live very close to the M4 some days you can hear it, others you can’t depending on the wind! I live in a village with lots of trees so not worried in the slightest about air pollution.

You do get used to the noise after a while.

It be a definite no for me. I lived in a rental close to a motorway and the noise and dirt bothered me even though it was a temporary home.

Our house backs onto the main road in our town. I was really worried but opinions were limited and it ticked every other box. Reality is, from 7pm it’s silent and weekends it isn’t very busy. If it’s wet outside, dd2 used to complain it was noisy but she’s used to it now. When they dug up the road at 2am for planned work that they forgot would include our end I did go nuts at the contractor (if they’d included it in the plans I would have booked a hotel that night!) as the whole house shook from pneumatic drills about 2.5 meters from my house (non urgent work). Other than that, it’s been fine. I assume country lanes get dug up too.

I should add, I'm typing this from my lovely home, listening to planes going over landing at a massive airport. You get used to all of it!

My PIL live near a motorway but you wouldn't know it as you're driving to their house as it's beautiful but then you get out of the car and that's all I can hear. It's about a mile away so not right on their doorstep.

Assuming the price reflected this it wouldn't necessarily turn me off.

I grew up in a house near the motorway and having lived there my whole life I didn't even notice the noise. As you say it was a constant white noise.

However my mother always hated it and it drove her to despair, especially if the wind was blowing in the wrong direction.