To consider this?

[shiveringwiggles]

We're looking to buy our first house as soon as the full selection of mortgage offers return to the market. We have found a property which is perfect for us in absolutely every way, with one exception. The (fairly long) garden backs on to a train track.

I don't think it's a problem but my partner thinks it would mean unbearable noise.

Would you consider it?

Does anyone live in a house which backs onto train tracks, who wouldn't mind sharing what the impact is?

I wouldn't but love to sleep with the windows open. It will be harder to sell. Having said that my DSis used to and couldn't sleep without the noise after living there for a while, so I think you'd get used to it. Depends what you prioritise I suppose?

Depends how close to the nearest station it is.

I’ve lived in a flat that was beside a track but far away from station. Think high speed trains and ratting windows.

I’ve lived in a different flat that backed onto the track but quite close to the station. As such only train noise was then gently pulling into or leaving the station and it was quite nice.

I grew up in a house near a train track...when we moved I missed it and yet I wasnt aware of the noise at the time. If its a good house I would go for it

I had a house that backed onto a railway track and you get used to the noise - so much that you don't notice them going past unless we were sitting in the garden then we would pause our conversation until the train had gone past. It was never a problem though and didn't stop us selling on at a later date either

I used to live in a flat that was next to a track and about 100ft from the station. It was fine and you get used to any noise quite quickly. If it's a long garden then even better. You could always plant some trees at the bottom to create a bit of a barrier.

I have twice lived in a home that backed onto a train track - personally I have always found the noise soothing and never disturbed me.

@Chandler12 this is the view from above. It's just less than a mile from a local station.

(Hopefully the picture shows)

It's reassuring to read of so many people who've found no issue with the noise.

Can I ask if anyone had an issue selling?

My last flat was separated from the train tracks by a quiet road, the flats opposite us and then their (small) back gardens, so pretty close. As a PP said though, the station was at the end of the street so there were rarely fast trains passing, it was generally just the local train pulling in and out of the station slowly.

I actually quite liked the noise!

I lived next to train tracks twice- very busy lines! It was absolutely fine both times. As long as they don't run through the night (presumably not) and as long as the windows at the back have decent windows or double glazing you will be fine. Plenty of trees and shrubs also help absorb the noise. Your train track looks far from the house too.

You also need to remember that your dream house would presumably be over budget were it not near the tracks.

The thing about train and plane sounds is that they come and go so you stop noticing. I couldn't abide living next to the constant drone of a major road though.

Have a train track at the bottom of my garden, however it is mainly a metro line. Last train is around midnight. There are also a few freight trains and cross country trains that's go past but not at night.

It doesn't bother me. It's weird if the metro line is down and there's no trains and your like.... hmmm what's different?
We don't really hear them in the house.
My advice would be to find out what trains use the track etc and go from there xxx

I’ve lived next to a train track for 6 years. I always have windows open. Has not been an issue for me. Quite liked hearing them. I’ve moved near a busy road now, and I miss it!

May want to consider how often the trains are run on that line too. They could be only 1 every 30-60 mins. Depends where you are?

@frankie001 I think I would miss it too.
Again sleep with the window open and it doesn't bother me. I live on a new estate and the most sort after houses were the ones near the train tracks as we have the bigger gardens and look into trees. I don't think it would have a problem selling.

You’ll get used to it and will be able to filter it out somehow, to the point where you’ll barely notice.

I grew up next to a trainline (admittedly an intercity, train per hour type) and never heard the trains - even sceptical visitors admitted they stopped hearing them after approx 2 days

We lived in a house that backed onto the train track, in all honesty it's the main reason we moved away from the house. We had freight trains going past in the middle of the night waking us up. We had to buy an air conditioning unit because we couldn't sleep with the windows open.

I expect those trees shield a lot of the noise. I wouldn't be too keen due to having cats and dogs and would worry they'd get out and onto the line. I'd have to check how busy the line is before deciding though.

Oh and it came up in the survey when we went to sell it. We had to make sure any future visits were timed around the super loud London train passing!

I live next to a train track - garden is alongside it. Same as others have said, you get used to it very quickly. It’s actually pretty comforting now, even the slight shaking of the house! Once a day a long freight comes through which, if the back doors are open, means you pause the tv for 20 seconds, but that’s it.

I genuinely don’t notice the one about 10 metres from my bedroom windows - I sleep with The windows open too and I’ve even got used to that. For me, it’s preferable to living on a busy road as the trains stop at night and it’s somehow easier to ignore one whoosh of a train rather than the buzz of traffic for me.

My parents had a house with garden backing onto the tube. The benefits were that the outlook at the back was lovely and green and no one was going to build on it, they lived near a station, blackberry scrumping which my dad did regularly. Never found the tube noise disturbing.

Oh yeah looking at your photo I would not hesitate to live there.

You’ll get used to it, the garden for our old flat backed onto a line going to KX, we got used to it within a few weeks.

I live next to a railway line. My house is maybe 20m away
But there are only 2 trains an hour and less during the night. I'm not sure they run at all between midnight and 5am. The only annoying ones are the freight or works trains which rattle the house but they are quite infrequent.