...to consider buying a house that used to be a railway station?

[LookingUpIn21]

I'm not linking it!

But it's a beautiful Victorian building that used to be the station master's house and the railway station.

The train tracks are still in use - about every 40 minutes a train goes past.

The house is to-die for gorgeous, the garden is on all sides and the view is magnificent.

The house has been on the market for about 6 months now, so I think it must be off-putting.

Would you consider it? I think I could probably get used to the noise, myself. And the fence looks sturdy so I wouldn't worry about DC, although we do have cats. But I wonder if I'm blinded by the interior and would regret it in the end...

I used to live metres from a train line and station. I wouldn't live near one again. I was fine with the noise during the day and while falling asleep. But when the trains started up in the morning, going from silence to noise woke me up. Lived there 2 years and never got used to it. So glad I am not awake at 5am everyday anymore!

People in our village bought the station. He was a train driver. I have only been in it once but it was lovely a train went past as we were having a cup of tea I jumped but she didn’t as she said she was used to it. As someone entitled on page 1 there are steam trains sometimes we can see them if I cross the road from our house or I am at the bottom of the garden as over a five acre field is the line but down a dip so we see the steam but not the engine. It must be wonderful from their house. The son lives there now. There are two other houses in nearby station houses.
Not sure about the cats but they brought up 3 children in the house and another has toys in a garden likewise all fenced off.
I love quirky house. I contemplated a church recently. DH said “You wouldn’t be next to a graveyard.” I said “ Why not your granny is around the back!” He got worried then. We aren’t moving but I would have liked to have done the work. I spent weekends for two years on a large church property. I love the challenge.
I would go for a second and even a third viewing time one to the timetable and see how you feel.

I'd buy this one! That view...

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/71591304#/

www.nottinghampost.com/news/property/former-station-masters-house-hiding-639564

Is it this one?

Be careful - Network Rail has extensive permitted development rights that mean it could increase operations/activities without an express grant of planning permission. There are particularly extensive rights available if a railway was authorised by an Act of Parliament which many are.

Remember that it's not just the passenger train timetables you need to check. I stayed in a cottage which was a former station once. The trains were infrequent and not too noisy, but there was a goods train early every morning, so you had to not mind that.

You can get a garden catproofed or build a catio (google Sanctuary SOS and Protectapet) which would make the cats safe.

I used to live in a flat overlooking a London station that had a tube line and mainland train line running through it. It wasn't so much the noise but the vibrations that bothered me - although as it was a new build flat, it was probably not built as solidly as an older house.

I would definitely check any covenants and right of way etc. carefully though and also consider how maintenance and future development may affect the trainline.

@CeibaTree

If it was something like this one and I had the money I'd buy it in a heartbeat!

I remember Michael Portillo visiting that one on his Great British railway journeys.

Unfortunately, it is also out of my price range

Had a friend who lived right next to a train track. It used to wake me up at night when I stayed over. They didn't seem to mind, maybe you get used to it. Up to you though if you think that what you get for your money is great and you love everything else about it.

I would absolutely love it, and am very jealous!!

Wouldn't bother me a joy. I actually find train noises soothing - if I would even notice them after a while. I live under a flight path and never notice the planes any more.

But you have to give us the link!!!

If it's the Nottinghamshire one, I'd LOVE to live there!!! Very envious, OP!

Family member has trains maybe 20m from her front door. Half the time she doesn't even notice them. She also has always had multiple cats, none of which have been stupid enough to get hit by a train. I would imagine they can feel the tracks vibrating in good time.

I know of a house for sale that is literally a stones throw from a railway line, DP wanted to view, I wasn't keen but we went anyway

It's been for sale since June and has been reduced at least twice. It's well priced but still for sale. The train line is the only reason

We went back one night and two trains went past within the first eight minutes, one was freight and loud. They go through the night. The passenger trains ran until something like 22:30 and started at 6:00am

People say you get used to it, we didn't want to and also look how hard it is to sell on

I fell in love with this house about 10 years ago. Didn't care about the railway line, but the upstairs ceiling height was too low for us. I was gutted.

so, no, YANBU.

We live fairly close to the West Coast Main Line. The day trains are either relatively quiet or are already hitting top speed so day time, no problems.

Freight at night tends to be slow but doesn't make a huge amount of noise all things considered.

Just check where Network Rail base themselves for repairs. They don't mean to be noisy but they work at night and the clanging etc carries.

I live right next to a village railway station. It's electric, and as a previous poster said, the road is noisier than the line itself. I love the fact my garden is not overlooked as the train line prevents it.

I have two cats and they love shitting on the line - and catching mice.

I also have two greyhounds and unfortunately one of them ran off home once when my DP was walking her, and decided to take the shortest route, which was along the rail track. Fortunately, the driver saw her and stopped the train!

I used to live next to a much busier railway line (trains every few minutes). We got used to it really quickly and stopped noticing the trains. It's much less annoying than living near a main road.

Don't want to out it, is it the one with the initials MM ?

If it is, it is a lovely character house, but unsure if the layout works, especially the pantry being along the corridor from the kitchen. You really would need to get into the house to see it and be there when trains are running.

Personally I wouldn't as the line is just too close and runs the full width of the house with only what looks like a few feet of garden on that side and also where the most used rooms (sitting room, garden room, dinning room, study and master bedroom) windows overlook you would never get away from the trains and I can't see when it is that close how the house wouldn't shake every time one went by!

Other things to think about - how would you maintain the other side of the fence, would the railway line need access via your property for line maintenance and the additional noise associated with it, children and guests might have more problems with the noise than you.

If it isn't MM then ignore!

Is it this one OP?

Haven't rtft but one thing I'll add is be careful to check the walls and ceilings because small cracks could appear anywhere. We rent through HA and they won't do anything about it so I'll have to weigh up if I'm happy to use silicon sealer throughout the house (feels like a fairly big job).
We live near the docks, just over the road from a train line and we get freight trains day and night. We get all the noise from the docks and trains but only really notice it if anyone visits and comments on it. The only annoying thing is DS who is 4 dropping everything to either stand on his dining chair or climb on the bunk bed upstairs to watch the trains go by (he's quite a big fan of Thomas too!). You can imagine how home schooling goes here, with DS standing on his chair in the middle of a live lesson whilst the teacher is explaining phonics. I've had to start closing the blinds during lessons 🙄

Go and view it and make sure you are there when a train goes past. That will give you a feel. My fiend hee up in a house that was a former station master’s house and the noise of the trains going past sounded like they were crashing through the wall, it was crazy. Not at all the same as having a line at the bottom of your garden, the trains were right on the other side of the bedroom wall. But the family weren’t bothered by it.

Friend grew

[quote Seadragonusgiganticusmaximus]Is it this one OP?

[/quote] Dammit, I've been outed, off to delete the thread.