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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Would you buy a house very near an airport?

154 replies

Kittypillar · 07/04/2019 23:47

DH and I have started doing some house hunting and we've found a house that we both really like, except for one issue on my part - it's only 5 minutes down the road (by car) from an airport.

We had a viewing on Friday and aside from the airport issue it's perfect. We're talking "dream house" territory - plenty of room, lovely garden, gorgeous rural/village location but also easy access to city we work in, excellent schools nearby. The village itself isn't in the flight path from the runway (it's south of the airport and the runway goes east to west), and the noise from that one visit seemed fairly minimal when we hung around a bit afterwards.

DH absolutely in love but I'm a little reluctant. I'm not 100% sure why but I suspect it's due to air pollution more than anything else. DH thinks I'm being ridiculous because we lived in a zone 2 very busy area of London a few years ago and I never worried about that then, although I've pointed out we have a 1 year old now and it's slightly different circumstances...

AIBU? Is it a bit silly to pass up on an amazing house due to this? WWYD?

OP posts:
GunpowderGelatine · 07/04/2019 23:50

Yes, but I find comfort in noise, especially at night, my favourite house of ours was when we lived on a very busy and noisy ring road (not joking, loved that house and it's location). MIL used to love near Birmingham airport and it was fine

Winenotttea · 07/04/2019 23:52

Is it a proper airport or a little airfield?

GregoryPeckingDuck · 07/04/2019 23:52

It depends on the noise. I am very Boise sensitive.

Greeborising · 07/04/2019 23:53

If you’re not under the flight path and you won’t suffer with traffic then why not.
Have you actually been in the property when planes have been taking off and landing?
Visit the property at different times of day too.
I found my ‘dream’ flat years ago in London, only downside was it was near a railway line
I decided I liked the flat too much to care but on the 3rd viewing I was standing in the lounge when a train went past and made the most horrific noise!😬
Deal breaker!

happyhillock · 07/04/2019 23:55

I to like noise, wouldn't bother me

morefoolyou · 07/04/2019 23:56

Depends on how big / busy the airport is.
Heathrow - YABU
City of Derry - yanbu

morefoolyou · 07/04/2019 23:57

I love about 15 mins from a fairly busy airport and its absolutely fine.
We don't even notice the noise anymore

CheeseAndBeans · 07/04/2019 23:58

I live very close to a major airport and it's fine. We are not directly under flight path but do get some noise... I am used to it now and barely notice. Although, recently the airport was closed down for a couple of days because of an incident and it was weird not having the background noise!
I wouldn't see it as a deal breaker at all.

Winenotttea · 07/04/2019 23:59

I bought my first house quite cheaply, at the end of the 30 foot garden was a railway track which put loads of people off. Luckily for me the trains only ran every hour from 9am to 6pm Monday to Saturday. It didn’t disturb me at all and didn’t affect me in my garden when trains were passing by.
That said, Little airfields can be really annoying especially in the summer, I used to work at a little airfield and most of the time when the phone rang in the summer it was someone complaining about the noise.

DizzyPhillips · 08/04/2019 00:00

Yeah I would. But I have a thing about planes and envy the people living under the Heathrow flight path Blush

Clammyclam · 08/04/2019 00:01

I live 5 mins from a regional airport and it's fine
It's fun watching the planes take off and the noise isn't an issue
I like the background hum

DizzyPhillips · 08/04/2019 00:02

I mean I would love this 🤤

Would you buy a house very near an airport?
Original poster
Kittypillar · 08/04/2019 00:02

Is it a proper airport or a little airfield?

It's a proper airport, albeit not an enormous one. Without giving myself away (although I'm sure someone could figure it out Grin ) it's probably on par with the likes of Cardiff and Southampton...

OP posts:
RUOKHUN · 08/04/2019 00:02

My concern would be the implications of possibly increased air pollution on your LO’s health, as there is evidence to suggest that increased air pollution can have an impact on children’s respiratory systems.

eurochick · 08/04/2019 00:04

I'd want to do some research around flight paths and holding patterns around the airport. Depending on direction you could have planes right over your house or nowhere near it.

breadzeb · 08/04/2019 00:04

As above, pollution would bother me more than noise.

Original poster
Kittypillar · 08/04/2019 00:05

Have you actually been in the property when planes have been taking off and landing?

Yeah we did, we went on a Friday afternoon so hung around for a little bit after to see what it would be like. Although admittedly we only stayed for about 20 minutes as DD was getting a bit grumpy Blush

OP posts:
Winenotttea · 08/04/2019 00:06

If it’s a proper airport then I probably wouldn’t be that bothered, you will get used to the hum. Little airfields are an entirely different matter and are a pain in the arse because the sound is higher and less constant.

breadzeb · 08/04/2019 00:07

it's probably on par with the likes of Cardiff and Southampton...

Well Southampton has almost double the scheduled flights that Cardiff has, so not really that similar.

Original poster
Kittypillar · 08/04/2019 00:09

Well Southampton has almost double the scheduled flights that Cardiff has, so not really that similar.

Oops Blush just had a double check online, I'd say it's most similar to Cardiff by the looks of it. Sorry for the confusion, I didn't realise Southampton was so much busier!

OP posts:
NetballHoop · 08/04/2019 00:09

No. I've lived near to Gatwick and worked near Heathrow and both were horrible. BUT just a short distance away was fine so you really need to go and listen to the noise at different times of the day become you decide.

Seeingadistance · 08/04/2019 00:09

I grew up right next to an airport. As in, our house, then a single track road then the airport. As children, my sister and used to love standing right under the planes as they came in to land!

Many years later, I lived in a village very near another airport. When I moved there, my neighbours complained about the noise of the buses though the village, not a word about the planes!

You stop noticing them very quickly.

AlunWynsKnee · 08/04/2019 00:10

As far as noise goes I used to live really close to a major airport's runway and I got used to the noise. I could sleep through it despite being on the flight path with secondary double glazing.
The pollution is another matter. Planes and the traffic.

YouBumder · 08/04/2019 00:10

I live quite near a big airport but not on the flight path so it’s fine. Used to live a good bit further away but was on the flight path there so it was noisier than here. It was still fine though you get used to it.

annikin · 08/04/2019 00:11

We live near an airport but not on the flight path and it doesn't bother us at all although we are 'peace and quiet' types who would hate living on a main road. Never thought about pollution tbh. Maybe I should have!