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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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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:

breadzeb · 08/04/2019 07:58

I'm sure Heathrow are going through a consultation to change flights paths or add them

Heathrow have had plans approved to build a third runway, the impact on locals will be huge.

They also don't take off on their northern runway (09L) towards the east. The was due to a noise agreement they had with Crawford which dates back to the 1950's. The agreement has since ended and Cranford are at some point going to have aircraft taking off directly over them. Heathrow isn't set up for take offs on the runway and are currently doing a lot of work on their taxiways etc otherwise they would already be doing it.

InACheeseAndPickle · 08/04/2019 08:02

I've lived near an airport and it was fine but I know someone else who had to move as she hated it. It's very personal.

MrsMoastyToasty · 08/04/2019 08:02

I live about 15-20 minutes from Bristol airport and under the flight path. The planes are usually banking to make their final approach when they come over. I don't normally notice them and they stop after midnight .
I grew up less than a mile from Filton during the days when Concorde was being built and undergoing test flights. Concorde and the Red Arrows on days when they held displays were the only planes that rattled the windows.

YemenRoadYemen · 08/04/2019 08:03

I would be concerned about re-sale, as well.

I lived on Fulham Rd for a while, and my God. Planes went over every 30 seconds, which was bad enough. But this was in the days of Concord. You had to stop the convo when it flew over, as you couldn't even shout to be heard.

I swore never again.

jay55 · 08/04/2019 08:05

I live close to city airport and it doesn't bother me, as I live in a high rise the planes don't come that close though.

Had a relative that lived near a minor airport and that was only a pain when there was a special event on.

InspectorClouseauMNdivision · 08/04/2019 08:06

We saw the same. Great house, great size, massive garden...
Airport runway over the road and a little field.
That really explained the low price. We said no to it in the end because the noise and vibration were horrible. You may think it's fine if you experienced it with one plabe, but we were lucky enough to have 2 in a row and it was a big fat no.

lunabody · 08/04/2019 08:11

I wouldn't have thought air pollution from the airport would be a massive issue - if it's generally rural then the pollution will get dispersed. Air pollution is worse in cities due to more sources, and less overall air movement due to more buildings preventing "dilution" with cleaner air. As PPs have said, check the postcode online for pollution levels.

PookieDo · 08/04/2019 08:11

I have always lived next to an airport but never under the flight path. Makes a difference!
The large town about 10 miles away is much worse off than me as directly under flight path. I could walk to the airport if I wanted to from my house it’s that close. But doesn’t bother me re noise. CF Airport Parker’s on other hand...

Orchardgreen · 08/04/2019 08:12

You would be very popular with friends who want to dump their car with you whilstthey go on holiday.

PookieDo · 08/04/2019 08:15

Yes! It’s not a small airport either
I don’t mind if people ask to park but a lot of people just dump their cars and many residents are in an eternal state of rage
THAT is more annoying than planes

HeronLanyon · 08/04/2019 08:34

If the noise doesn’t bother you then the other things I would think about - traffic and planning. Are you on a route to/from which might make roads unexpectedly busy at times? ( this will be a very low flight period I’d think). Are there plans to expand either runway or ‘outbuildings’/infrastructure which might impinge ? Light pollution at night ??

Flyingarcher · 08/04/2019 08:36

I live 20 minute walk or five mins drive to major airport. Atm all I can hear is the birds going mental outside, oh, there is a plane now in the distance. You tune them out. But, depending on wind direction we have days when you hear nothing and other days when they are very obvious if you are outside.

When we looked we went in houses and opened a window, like a ventilator, in the bedroom. If it was very loud then that was a no. We occasionally get a real pictures on the walls trembler but not very often. It is very handy being able to walk to the airport and it is also a major employer and brings in business. Consequently, economies round here are good. Tbh the villages on the flight path are more affected than us. I'd go for it but go and sit in the road, with your car windows down at different times.

Pollution. Hmmm. We are surrounded by green. It is there but better than city or train.

I'd rather have plane noise than people in street yacking after walking back from pub noise, or constant road noise. Since I started typing there have been three planes heard.

HeronLanyon · 08/04/2019 08:38

Just remembered friend who loves next to tiny airfield (grass runway until very recently). The helicopters cause more noise nuisance than planes (admittedly tiny planes there). If coastal then wind direction can make particular difference to small aircraft and can change the flight path significantly.
Good luck op.

RestingBitchFaced · 08/04/2019 08:39

Have you considered that everyone you know will want to come and stay with you before they get their early flights to go on holiday? No it wouldn't put me off, but I would maybe view again and check out the noise levels properly

Guylian2019 · 08/04/2019 08:39

My friend lives near a small ish airport. She doesn't mind the noise but people park inconsiderately and then bugger off for two weeks. She hates that.

AdvancedAvoider · 08/04/2019 08:42

Yep, in fact we do. I love plane watching and the roar of the engines.

Dana28 · 08/04/2019 08:44

You may have difficulty selling again

JonSlow · 08/04/2019 08:45

If it’s Bristol airport, the villages around the A38 are lovely!!

PookieDo · 08/04/2019 08:48

Yeah roads are a bigger PITA as depends on airport size you will be near to a motorway/very busy stretch of road. That in itself is so annoying as you can get trapped in your village if there is a road incident as I have been multiple times. So much worse than some planes, also for pollution. But agree to go back and sit outside and listen. I am in a new build and can hardly hear the engines with windows closed. Sometimes with windows open I can hear the engines but it’s a low rumble. My DM used to live under the flight path it is surprising how you just get completely used to the noise. My airport doesn’t fly much at night

Many many years so a freight plane did crash here (in a forest) and I remember it very vividly with the flames and it freaked me out for a long long time so much so I did not get onto a plane for about 15 years but I have started flying again now

PookieDo · 08/04/2019 08:50

I’ve also seen Air Force 1 a few times which is exciting

And they did scramble some jets a few years ago which made sonic booms which were terrifying but also pretty exciting 😂

IceIceCoffee · 08/04/2019 09:05

I moved from a little village to a big city I’m two minutes from the airport I got used to the noise very quickly

Original poster

Kittypillar · 08/04/2019 09:09

Thank you everyone, these are all really good points that I hadn't given much consideration to yet. It helps a lot. I'm definitely concerned about the reselling aspect in the future too - if I'm having a wobble about it I suspect other folks might too!

Sorry for being cagey about the airport, I was worried it might make me easier to be identified, although in hindsight that's probably not too likely but definitely not because I'm "important" as someone else asked... It's Bristol. Villages around there are absolutely lovely but urgh, hard to be sure. Also just been reading this morning that they have applied for new permissions to expand their services so that's a worry.

OP posts:

MrsMoastyToasty · 08/04/2019 09:22

To be honest there's very few places in the UK where you can totally get away from aircraft noise. I've been traveling through remote areas of the Highlands and suddenly a military jet will come screeching along at low level.
Where I live (between Bristol and Bath) we are more troubled by hot air balloons. They fly over so low that you can almost see the pilots eyes and it's usually so early in the morning in summer that you get woken up. They're usually trying to find somewhere to land safely.

Teddy1970 · 08/04/2019 09:26

Yes the threat of expansion would bother me there's a really lovely village near Gatwick that would vanish completely if it got another runway, the village is still there...for now at least.

Hobbesmanc · 08/04/2019 09:29

We live a five min drive from Manchester- not directly under the main flighpath but we have noise- but we have a single glazed house and it really doesn't bother us at all. And its lovely getting off the plane and knowing you will be home in no time.

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