To buy a house so close to a motorway

I'm about a mile from a major motorway. It's a rural area and there's nothing much but fields between us and the road. On a nice bright day with the wind blowing in the right direction we don't hear a thing, but when it's been wet and the wind is blowing our way then it is really noticeable. If you haven't already then I'd definitely recommend viewing the property on a rainy day and seeing what difference it makes.

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

These aren't really binary choices though. I think both apply.

You are absolutely right to look up more information about things you are concerned about, but I am inclined to agree you 100% get used to the noise. Motorway noise is actually less disturbing than living in a busy town or city, because the traffic is usually just cruising along. Much more nose traffic comes from braking, people getting in and out of cars, people who have their music on at ridiculous volumes sitting in traffic near your house, emergency vehicle sirens, the noise from buses, lorries etc stopping and starting.

As has been said, the fact it is close to the motorway will be reflected in the price. Only you (and whoever you are buying with) will know if it is more important to have that extra bedroom, or that bigger garden, or the extra parking, or the extra large kitchen, or the utility room or extra Reception room or whatever it is you are gaining for the same price you wouldn't get else where. Or, if you are saving tens of thousands of pounds over getting all you would elsewhere.

Some people back on to a railway line, or live near a pub, or live on a busy road, and do so to gain things that they can't afford elsewhere. Each 'negative' bothers different people to a different extent. Each 'positive' is more tempting to one person than it is to the next.
Every house involves compromise somewhere along the line.

Not for me but lots of people do live near motorways or roads with traffic noise.
I would only ever buy a house that I could sell easily so wouldn't buy this - even if I could blank out the noise from the garden, potential buyers may not be so keen.
Saying that all - 100% electric vehicles are not far off.

I like about half a mile from a major motorway. You can always hear it, inside and outside, as a kind of low rumble. Like white noise I guess. We've definitely got used to hearing it and don't actively hear it anymore.

I wouldn’t.

Electric vehicles still discharge pollutants - from oil, brakes, tyres, heat damage and wear and tear on parts etc - and noise on the road surface.

Once all cars are electric you'll be fine

I wouldn't buy it. You may or may not get used to the noise; unfortunately, you won't know until it's too late. (One of my friends once lived very close to a railway track. She says she never got used to the noise.)

The air pollution issue is not over-egged. Some hospitals even list air pollution levels for a patient's post code on their medical record, so they can have conversations with patients about what this may mean for their condition.

For me it is more the noise pollution than air quality. Fast moving traffic will generate less pollutants than traffic jams and slow moving, although that may also be affected by the prevalent wind direction, whether it is in a cutting or running along an embankment, tree lines etc. The local council or highways may monitor air quality nearby and that information should be published annually.

I wouldn’t consider it due to noise and air pollution

All the main environmental risk factors to your health are increased by living next to a main road with the exception of those associated with drinking water. The biggest environmental health risk in Europe is air pollution followed by noise. The most regulated environmental emission in Europe is emissions to air and the set air quality standards. There is no bigger environmental risk to your health than air quality. You will get more house for you money for a reason. But more house is beneficial to health, more disposable income is beneficial. The biggest social determination of health is economic power so if you have more cash you can do things that make you healthy or stop you being unhealthy.
You are right to ponder the question as it really is a balance.
Google WHO and EU air quality and night time noise for the evidence base.

Particulates do travel miles and miles and nowhere in England is that far from roads. Quiet B roads are usually pretty fast moving so what traffic there is is putting out quite high levels of pollution.

Also lots of people burning wood in the countryside which is horrendous for air quality

I would not do this. I might in about 15 years time when electric vehicles are the norm. Even then the pollution will still be high as most pollution comes from tyres/brakes.

Bloody hell - I knew our air pollution was bad but it’s the highest category. Rubbish.

It sounds as though you already have enough doubts to make you withdraw your offer.

Having said that we lived close to a motorway and it wasn't too bad. The noise was a constant in the background but far less intrusive than the woosh noise which made us jump when we lived on an A road. We also lived next to a tube line but got used to that quite quickly too.

Pollution is an issue when it comes to respiratory issues but as living in say Devon and Cornwall gives the highest risk of skin cancer, nowhere will be risk free or perfect.

my pollution level is so high i should apprently demand action!

yeah ok im sure the tories are just sitting there waiting for me to complain and fix it

anyway id say it was up to you-can you hear the noise in the garden?

Don’t do it, my biggest regret is buying a house near a busy road. I moved from that house 10 years ago and every day is a blessing.

I lived in a really lovely house with brilliant windows 3 houses down from a motorway for 12 years. Bonus’s were no one can hear your kids making a racket on the trampoline! And neighbours can’t hear you talking

I’m a surveyor and in my previous role I acted for highways England. When they want to widen a motorway for lane extension or improvements, they will take out 2/3 of those houses next door by powers of CPO, and then there are only 1/2 houses between you and a motorway fence.
It bothers you enough to post on here, don’t do it, houses near major infrastructure are difficult to sell without impacting value.

We lived just less than a mile from a major motorway for some time - you could mostly hear it in the mornings and it was loud and obvious then. Didn't here it at other times but lots of trees and houses in between. Wouldn't have wanted to be closer!!

When you say three or four houses behind, do you mean three or four streets back or a few doors down?

I don't know when but at some point only electric cars will be allowed.

Mine also high, but for context my sister's postcode which is in deepest rural countryside amongst many many square miles of fields and quiet b roads, rates as medium on this, so not sure where you've got to be to score as low.