Should I give up my flat in a very affluent area to move to a house in a less desirable area for the sake of peace!!!!!

[Luv2chat2U]

Hi all, please help!

I have previously posted on here with a similar question so please accept my apologies for being slightly repetitive.

Okay here goes , I currently live in a council property in Highgate, North London in a three bed converted flat. The location, transport links and safety elements are great. I feel extremely fortunate that my children and I I live in such a desirable location and would love to have brought my property in the future.

However, the only negative and major is the impact living in a converted flat is having on my health. For several years I have suffered noise disturbance. From the moment my neighbours wake up to the moment they go to sleep I have to live through their daily routine and activity which consists of running jumping and stampeding caused by their children and their dog. Their lifestyle which consist of not working, not taking the children out or the dog is ruining my health and this set pattern doesn't seem to be changing any time soon. I have tried to empathise in that I understand we have a sound proofing issue and that children need to play but at the same time as a mother of three children I manage to talk to my children as I wouldn't want to inflict the same noise disturbance on my tenant who lives below me.

I have made numerous complaints to the local authority, environmental health and my neighbour, and the council have acknowledged their is an issue, but have refused to install sound installation.

They have instead agreed to move me for which i'm so grateful for. The positive is that it is a house meaning their is no one above and no one below however the negative is the location is in east London. Now I'm not saying that east London is all bad but (the surrounding area near to the house) appears to be a very run down and dirty) and the crime statistics higher.

If I was moving on my own I would just go because I'm so stressed all the time but as I have my kids to consider I worry more. I realise it's social housing and I'm not purchasing my own property so I don't want to come across snooty.

But my question to you is:

A. Would you gamble and take the house in East London and try and swap it in the near future. (In the hope that the house would be the bargaining power) I would really want to get back in to North London

B. Hold out and wait to see the next property (yes they agreed because of the structural fault I get another choice) my only concern is the second or third choice could be worse)

Or

C. If all fails stay in my current property and utilise its sought after location to swap. (The only thing I should mention is that I am currently and have been on home swap and so far while my property gains a lot of interest people have expressed their concerns of living beneath someone and therefore do not take the swap any further).

Apologies for the essay

And thanks in advance for your comments.

Whereabouts in East London?

What's the school situation?

No way, you could easily have made neighbours when you move. Your current home can be yours for life , your neighbors won't be.

@ vets and pets ...location is on the borders of ilford and Barking..

@olennasWimple the 2 eldest are in primary sch. I wouldn't take them out as I don't want to disrupt their learning.. I'll drive them to school in the morning. My youngest is only 3. So no issues their.

Stay in Highgate- better the devil you know.

@At AndNowItsSeven.. Thank you for your advice. The main issues is the sound proofing, so whatever neighbours move in there will always be a problem...I was just pointing out their particular life style because it doesn't help my situation. 😕

B or C. And invest in an airhorn to wake their children at 2am.

I had this same situation and I moved out of an amazing large flat in a lovely development to move into a house in a not as nice street. I still have noisy neighbours but our halls adjoin as opposed to our room so I rarely hear them.

I was a nicer person within a month.

Highgate would be harder to give up though!

Report them to the RSPCA re the dog never going out.

That dog has rights y'know.

@ dissapointednomore, if I stay put it would mean wearing earplugs during the day. 😞 do you have any other strategies I could use?

@crazycatguy. Thank you for sharing your experience. It's so good to hear from someone who has been in my shoes.... Yes Highgate is really difficult to give up. I've always wanted a house but when I got this location I didn't care until the noise started.

Did you regret your move?

And you're absolutely right they need reporting regarding the dog. Their laziness is unbearable to see.

I miss the huge rooms in the modern flat but do not miss the family of elephants.

I've seen families that don't walk their dogs have them removed from their house. They're really discreet regarding who reported it too apparently.

Is it possible for you to have sound insulation installed privately?

I'd be taking it back to them and teaching them to stfu. I wouldn't give up a flat in Highgate and do that drive for anyone. They need to learn a lesson.

@ crazycat, thanks again for sharing. It's interesting you say that you became a nicer person when you moved. I can understand that, because I know how the noise can really consume your thoughts, because actually I too am a nice person, but since living in these circumstances I have really become quite angry with frustration!!!

@gleam I have looked into this but my ceiling height is extremely low, any Lower and I'll be tiptoeing and I'm short. Also research tells me lowering the ceiling height doesn't do a great deal,to eradicate the noise just a lot of money spent..

@civilfawlty... I know what you mean but I just don't have the energy...it's all been zapped..I don't know how much more I can take to be honest.

The commute will be horrendous! You can't put your 3 year old in a car for 3 hours a day every day, even if you're willing to do it.

Have you spoken to your MP?

I think you should stay and investigate soundproofing. It wouldn't be viable to keep taking Dcacross London to school and what about the school options for secondary?

@lynda....and vets and pets thank you, I appreciate your advice...

@ Lynda. I have spoke to my mp, and all external agencies.

@ vets and pets I would need to look at the ofsted reports and speak to some connections I have in the area etc.

Your 3yr old might not get a place at siblings' school if you move before the admissions deadline.

Another option is would you be willing to move out of London for more suitable housing? I wouldn't want to move to a high crime area with children who are moving towards secondary school age. I know that they are only primary age now, but you might not be able to move before secondary school in 4 to 5 years time.

Could you not go on home swapper and try to swap within your current area? I don't think I'd trade on Highgate east London. It's unlikely you'd get back at a later point I suspect. How about adjacent areas such as crouch end or muswell hill for a swap so it wouldn't be such a wrench.

Have you spoken to your neighbours.

I wouldn't move from Highgate and I certainly wouldn't drive the children back and forth everyday. You'll simply exchange one source of stress (noise) for another (commute)

To all. I thank you so much.

Just to note if I thought the main issue was my neighbours, believe you me I would fight for an eviction. However I've lived in flats beneath tenants before and it's been great, no issues with sound, total concrete floors. Where I am now its not concrete, rather some sort of boarding. (As you walk you can see the floors move). Even something as simple as walking cause my furniture and flat to vibrate. The main issues is sound proofing and unfortunately installing sound insulation isn't an option and will not guarantee to work effectively. I can't have my celings lowered any more as they are already low.

Whatever neighbour I have there will always be an issue because of the sound insulation. I would have to hope that they have an active life outside of the home 😔
I've done so much research and learned that sound proofing is an Common issue with converted flats.

I definitely need to move, question is rather should I go for option A. B. Or C.

If I take the property I'm concerned that I may struggle to get a swap back to north London.

I'm all about location but I keep thinking its a whole house. No one above, and no one below. Own garden and drive. I know I may hear noise to the side but I can cope better with that...it's the rattling and vibration from the constant thudding I can't stand.