to not rent a house because of this?!

[Cantsleepwontsleep123]

Went to look at a new build house for rent, terraced but estate agent assured me now with all the new regulations it's almost as if the whole house is soundproofed.
Whilst we was in there we heard nothing even though we could see a double pram outside their front door so all was well. As we went outside to look at the garden we could hear shouting in the kitchen, a few swear words and I think something about money but quickly the door was then shut but I could still hear the shouting!!
Presumably theirs is double glazed just like the one we were looking at, 6 foot wooden fence in between so how could I have heard that? Especially over the other garden who had a kid out playing as could hear him chatting away.
AIBU to be worried that the houses must be pretty poorly made if I can hear that outside from another garden even though their doors ( and windows ) were all closed?!

If you're getting a terraced house you need to accept that you will hear some noise from the neighbours. This was shouting so unsurprising you could hear it. I think the question really is how bothered are you by neighbour noise - if you're bothered you need to look at detached houses.

I live in a terraced house. 1970s so better build quality and I wouldn't buy a new build one if it was free!

Your estate agent is having a laugh - soundproof?? I think not.

Sound can really carry in new build terraces. Just depends on whether you can put up with it or what kind of noises your neighbours make (normal noises vs loud music constant party types).

Thanks for replies
I would have been less bothered if it was inside the house but I'm just surprised that it could be heard in the garden I was in from the house next door even though all windows and doors were shut.
I assumed double glazing and the fence plus the distance I was away would have stopped that, regardless of what type of property? Unless the doors have been fitted incorrectly or aren't double glazed at all which is what I was actually doubting to be honest!

I agree with PP it's the newbuild rather than the terrace that is the problem.

I lived in a Victorian terrace and the walls were so thick my NDN gave birth and I didn't hear a thing!!

Newbuild generally = thin walls, hear everything.

YANBU

We rent a Victorian terrace. Rarely hear a peep from the neighbours. Just the occasional stair stomping, never voices.

The fact that they're yelling and swearing at each other during the day would put me off. You might end up listening to drunken arguments at night. My old neighbours were pleasant all day, then turned into Jeremy Kyle guests at night after a couple of beers.

Yes obviously that wasn't ideal and kids might have been there too so also less than ideal but the walls are one thing, I half expected that but surely all double glazed glass is the same??
Or maybe they were absolutely screaming at each other and that's why I could hear as just amazed it got through the glass over a fence and to me!

I have a new build town house and the sound proofing inside is fantastic. My ndn have a 3 year old and I never hear a single peep out of them, can't hear them on the stairs either.

I can sometimes hear them outside through the windows though, just like you described. Our windows have a little vent along the top that you can open to have more fresh air/better ventilation, and I think the sound carries through them.

I live in a Victorian terrace and I can hear my neighbours conversations almost word for word. Terrible soundproofing. They must hate us with DS who cries several times a night, is up at 5.30am and, at 2.5, is inclined to be quite loud when being a dinosaur.

Do you have enough time to visit again, try at the busiest traffic time to see if you can hear the road from indoors, and if you can hear the neighbours again.

My experience of renting a new build (and expensive) end terrace was poor build quality, thin walls, cracks. Too much space wasted with en suites.

Loved it and talked about potential to buy before I lived in it. If my experience of this type of new build is typical then I wouldn't want to live in one again.

In our Victorian terrace, the only time we heard the neighbours was when their baby was teething.
Now we're in a detached, and you can actually hear the piano from the garden, even when all doors and windows are closed. Much newer house.

New build sound proofing is about a million times better than older properties. It is very strictly controlled by the Building Regulations and is tested before being signed off.

A long long time ago we lived in a flat where the upstairs neighbours had drunken screaming rows. I can't count how many nights we wondered if/when we should call the police. And the time we did after a lot of smashing then silence (they were fine, well, no-one required hospitalisation). The tension waiting to hear if they were going to kick off upstairs spoiled many evening.

I wouldn't rent that place.

Runrabbit - this is my concern!
As it would be a very long let with the potential to purchase so that's how we are viewing taking it really so don't want to be stuck with nightmare neighbours.
Isn't it on though that you can hear noise outside more clearly than the other way around? Why is that??
As in, we could hear a little noise from cars whilst viewing the house but then couldn't hear my little one having a little episode when I had gone to the car to grab paperwork and I had to literally be outside the door until I heard it!
The soundproofing seems quite good in general, as I say we heard absolutely nothing when inside, it was only whilst we were in the garden which confused me to whether this was a blazing row so no wonder I heard it or the double glazing is knackered!

d!

The estate agent will have no clue what soundproofing would have been installed or if it meets the building regs. Building regs are also MINIMUM standards, so most developers work as though they are the maximum they need to do!!!

I live in a new build terrace. Can't hear a thing from next door's kids or other next door's dogs. Soundproofing is excellent.

I would be more concerned about the neighbours themselves.

Could it just be a fault with the double glazing though?

It was triple glazing it seems!!

You can risk it if you like but I wouldn't! Aren't there any other properties nearby with nicer neighbours?

I wouldn't touch it. The agent is giving you sales talk and I'd rely on my own ears rather than the agent's bullshit. Look elsewhere is my advice.

Forgetting about the sound propongo, they don't look as nice people to have around.

I have a friend who cannot invite anyone in because she is embarrassed of her sweary shouty neighbour.

We had our own bad neighbour, he was nice but very dirty, I suspect he was using the back garden as a toilet so we couldn't use ours because it stank. He also had the hobby of dismantling cars in his front garden. When we got the house valued to sell it, we noticed that the agents that saw the neighbour or his mess valued the house for 30% less than the others who didn't.

I would give it a wide berth, you won't enjoy living there no matter how nice the house is.

Sound proof, I don't know where that word came from...