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Original poster

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

123 replies

TustedFormula · 20/04/2021 13:36

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?

OP posts:

HazelBite · 20/04/2021 15:50

I live on a private road, across the way from a primary school and the only other occupants on this private road are two sports clubs, both have social facilities.
Annoyances, inconsiderate parental parking (usually Dads!) early Sunday morning football, occasional late night revellers.
Advantages, peace the majority of the time.

My dear bro lived opposite a pub (in a very "naice" area) he moved after suffering for two years.

CompleteBarstool · 20/04/2021 15:57

I'd definitely prefer the primary school, in fact we used to live right next door to a city one before we had children .

The only downside was you had to avoid coming home 3-3.30 due to the nightmare parking/traffic but give me that any day over a pub with it's noise and potential anti-social behaviour

CovidCorvid · 20/04/2021 15:59

I’d never live next to a pub. Wouldn’t matter how cheap the house was, I value my sleep too much. I’m sure some pubs are ok, others may have people singing in the beer garden till all hours.

WaltzingToWalsingham · 20/04/2021 16:10

Primary school, in a heartbeat. I like the sound of children playing, it's closed (and therefore peaceful) for 13 weeks a year, and the parking issues are only usually a problem for 30 minutes or so, twice a day.

I envy the houses that back onto our school playing field. They have a lovely open view, and being a school, it's much more secure than backing onto a park, which would make me worry about intruders.

crazylikechocolate · 20/04/2021 16:11

I'm a few doors down from a quiet little pub and have just sold , the pub was not an issue mentioned by any viewers on feedback, when we bought the house we drove past and went into the pub in the evening several times before exchange and it never seemed loud , tbh we don't really know it's there
Prior to that we lived a street away from a school and the traffic at home time was horrendous to get out onto the main road, the noise from the kids playing was surprisingly ok , the other factor that was more annoying was a few times a winter when they had home rugby games the visitors would park on all the neighbourhoods residential streets including on or across driveways
I wouldn't look to live near either but wouldn't entirely rule it out , it would depend on all the factors and the house in question

Springersrock · 20/04/2021 16:12

Pub

I’ve lived next to a pub, and now live near a school (the school has opened since I moved there)

Pub was never an issue, although I did spend quite a lot of time in it.

The school is a pain in the arse - mostly inconsiderate parents and parking

paralysedbyinertia · 20/04/2021 16:15

School, for sure. I wouldn't contemplate buying a house next to a pub.

crazylikechocolate · 20/04/2021 16:16

Actually I have a friend who lives opposite a doctors surgery, the carpark is always full and they park on and across drives and on the road , it drives her and her neighbours mad

Volcanoexplorer · 20/04/2021 16:19

Pub is far worse than school. I live near a primary school and it’s fine. Quiet during evenings, weekends and school holidays. I would never buy a house near a pub.

Eyevorbig0ne · 20/04/2021 16:21

Both equally bad.
I live on a primary school road. Grim. Roll of 900 pupils and all that goes with that. 600 when we moved in.... Was fine then.
Trouble is. Schools extend people increase. Like i said, grim. Especially now they are queueing all the way up road gawping into my front window as they're not allowed to wait in the playground 🙄
House near pub... Our preferred house was opposite a pub. I'm so glad we didn't get that. Noise, parking, smashed glasses, litter.

chickenbreast · 20/04/2021 16:34

We lived on the top floor flat and there was a pub on bottom floor. Really noisy until midnight and in the mornings bottle collection woke us up. It was fine to live there before dc because we were out and about.

BertieBotts · 20/04/2021 16:38

I used to live on a street with one at each end.

School was never an issue. In fact it was lovely walking DS1 to the on-site nursery there. Felt anxious/threatened by drunk or violent people coming out of the pub on several occasions. Not regularly or anything, but often enough to register.

MummyDummyNow · 20/04/2021 16:44

Totally depends on what type of pub and the size of the school. I live in between a lovely country pub and a small village primary school. It's nice to hear the kids playing during the day, and there's hardly any noise from the pub. Sometimes hear people chatting when they leave but that's fine. Did once see a drunken argument but it was so ridiculous it was actually quite amusing to watch.

Wouldn't want to live near a super busy pub that had loud music and a late licence though. Or a massive school.

Cantrecall · 20/04/2021 16:46

Primary school the lesser of two evils here I think

Bluntness100 · 20/04/2021 16:47

I guess it depends on the pub and the school, but having lived next to both, the school is by far the better. Yes it’s busy twice a day, but that’s it and it’s shut for months of the year, pissed up punters making noise late at night is a royal pain in the backside.

GreenWheat · 20/04/2021 16:50

I live near a primary school. Never once have any of the pupils or their parents peed in my front garden, vomited on the pavement or made noise in the evenings. On that basis I will stick with the school 😁. I do have off-street parking though, so school cars are not the issue they can be for some.

MrsMoastyToasty · 20/04/2021 16:51

I live next door to a secondary school of about 600 pupils. Not a problem. I know when to expect noise.

I have also lived very close to a runway and that never bothered me either. The only plane that rattled the windows was Concorde when it flew its test flights and the Red Arrows when the aircraft works had their open days.

huggzy · 20/04/2021 16:53

I'd prefer a school, definitely.

JonSnowedUnder · 20/04/2021 16:57

We live next to a primary school and I love it. In fairness we are not near the entrance so we don't have any extra traffic or even people walking through our street so not your typical issues. I'm at home during the day and occasional hear children playing at lunchtime which is quite nice. I do sometimes get a whiff of schools dinners mind! Only for a few minutes before lunch. It's quiet over summer and weekends so the exact opposite of living next to a pub I would imagine.

There was a house for sale years ago near us and it was absolutely stunning but for me it was a no due to being next to a pub. I do seem to recall it went fairly quickly so obviously some people don't mind.

TuvoknotSpock · 20/04/2021 16:59

My parents live nearish a primary school and the sound of children playing is lovely. Luckily their road is not affected by obnoxious parking as it's still a fair distance although it never seems terrible nearby.

I live opposite a pub in London. It's a quiet pub and i have literally never had any issues. I hear shouting occasionally but it's totally fine and no-one has ever come into our (block of flats) driveway

disneydreaming · 20/04/2021 17:32

I think it depends on the school and the pub. I used to live right next to a wee local old mans pub that had no beer garden. The only noise I ever heard was the bins being emptied on a Sunday morning about 10am.
As a bonus I actually seen my dad more when I stayed next to the pub as he would come visit me after he'd been in the hope he'd get a lift home !

Again a primary school wouldn't bother me either as I'm out most of the day at work and it would make it a short walk for the kids.

Definitely wouldn't want to live right next to a busy rowdy pub or a high school though.

Motnight · 20/04/2021 17:40

We live opposite a school. In 22 years the only time I have complained is when a parent stood outside a house 3 doors down and literally yelled about the different penis sizes that she had encountered for over an hour.

It was just after the first lockdown had lifted 😂

newnortherner111 · 20/04/2021 18:11

Primary school is only 190 days per year and ends by 4pm usually. Pubs have no set end time and even quiet ones are probably more days.

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