Would you rather live next to a pub or a primary school?

[TustedFormula]

I realise there are many who wouldn't consider either but humour me.

My boss is trying to sell her house, which is next to a large pub with a big beer garden. To me, whilst anything will sell at the right price, it's obvious that the pub will be contributing to the fact it's not selling.

This turned into a bit of lighthearted one upmanship because I live next to a school "which must be much worse".

It is true the school can be a nuisance, but it's never affected us much. When DC were small I was taking them to the school by foot, so traffic wasn't a problem and if you're working FT you're not there when the school is a problem. Yes, I'd expect the school to be a factor in any sale, it's one reason we could afford it when we bought, but on a daily basis it's not a problem for us. However, I would be very reluctant to live close to an urban pub and associated night time noise.

Which would you go for if you had to compromise in one or the other? Or both equally bad and we're both just used to what we know?

A colleague bought a house near a pub that changed to become the local druggies/dealers hang-out. Absolute nightmare!

Primary School definitely. The sound the kids playing outside having fun is nicer than drunken shouty adults.
Granted you have the 20 min mayhem morning and pick up , the rest of the time it’s quiet.
You might just have to time your exit around this.
I do not live by a primary but leave for work early to avoid the traffic as it is normally so no different.
It would be annoying it people used your drive or blocked it etc which I see on here, but never saw irl all the years I dropped off at 2 primary school.

I'd rather live near a primary school than a pub.
A primary school is probably going to be a fairly predictable noise level, even if the head changes. Even if the pub is reasonable now, if pub changes hands, or changes their hours, or wants late night opening, or introducing live music etc then there's much more potential for antisocial noise levels at all hours.

Do you have a driveway?

Primary school. I'm an early bird and would much rather the noise during the day than late into the night.

Probably school. Though there was a particular house we viewed near a school which we ruled out because the road was very narrow and my DH wouldn't consider my suggestion of starting work an hour earlier.

School. The noise ends at 4 and no weekends. NFW I'd buy a house next to a pub, much less a pub with a beer garden, unless I was the publican. Rented one once. We were working in bars so it worked for us.

Definitely the school. I also work in a school so it wouldn't bother me at all. But even if I was at home you just have to time your movements around it and it's lovely and peaceful half the time.

Definitely primary school

I live next to a school and have lived next to a pub. I'd take the school any day; they don't play skittles on an outdoor lane late at night while throwing out the empties, nor do they have early morning deliveries of large kegs rolling across the tarmac.

Primary school, without a doubt. Quieter at night and weekends than a pub. No shouty or fighting drunken adults.

I live in earshot of our village school and rather enjoy the sounds of playtime or sports day.
Occasionally, we get a few loud people walking by, going home from the more distant pub, but it isn't often.

Definitely prefer a primary school. As a student I lived opposite a pub (great in some respects! ) but it was SO noisy- no just at night but very early in the morning when they seemed to have a million daily deliveries.

I’d build my house in the middle of the primary school playground before I lived anywhere near the pub. Shrieking kids and the drop off and pickup twice a day are nothing compared to drunk people at night.

I'd rather live near a primary school than a pub! As others have said - closed for weeks of the year and mostly quiet before 8 and after 4. Would also be pretty handy if your own children went there. The noise coming from a pub all weekend would annoy me!

I can't believe anyone would choose the pub over the school.

Schools are predicable and even if they have holiday clubs or late nights for an occasional parents evening or meeting it's never going to be anywhere near as bad as living next to even the nicest of pubs.

As many others have pointed out schools are busy for 2 brief periods of the day, normally when you're at work or picking up your own children. Pubs are busiest at weekends, evenings and holidays so basically all the times you're most likely to be at home.

Primary school!

I’d definitely prefer to live near a primary school. At least with a primary school the traffic and noise is limited to school term times and school opening times.

The noise from a pub would all be at night. Plus you’d potentially get problems with drunk people coming out of the pub.

A school is much better. It could be a bit rubbish if you work from home but if you do normal hours you'd never hear them.

Pub would be worse unless you are the type of person who just about lives at the pub, then it would be quite convenient.

I'd take a primary school over a pub any day. Kids are sweet and drunk people are (without exception) twats.

I am in your bosses position and it's absolutely horrendous (although I have loved the effect COVID has had on this one instance of my life). I've had people screaming at me over the fence when I've complained and throwing things into our garden, group fights (I can't think of another word to describe 20-30 people fighting 😂), loud lock ins, drug taking outside my house in clear sight, child woken up as a baby so we had to swap bedrooms...the list goes on!

Primary school - nice quiet garden in the summer
Months!

Primary school

However, I'm aware that there can sometimes be bigger issues than just noise (besides, the sound of children playing is quite nice).

A friend of mine lived near a primary school and the parents/children would drop litter into their front yard as they walked home. In addition to that they've been blocked in time and time again by parents parking across their driveway.

Years ago when we lived in central London our flat was across the road from a primary school and a pub! Never noticed the primary school as we both worked full time but loved the pub. We were there a lot and it was quite a selling point when we sold up. But it was the most fantastic pub with good food and a beautiful garden and no unsavoury sorts hanging around. Miss that pub.

I lived next to a pub for a while and barely noticed. I think pubs these days make a big effort to not be antisocial, so that they don't attract complaints from neighbours. When I lived near (although not directly next to) a school there was a lot of dangerous driving and parking, and gridlock in the road twice a day, so it definitely had its own issues. I guess it depends on the pub, and the school.

Primary school. The noise will be at less antisocial times and less risk of damage to your property than living next to a pub I would think.