Paper thin

[cheekychips826]

I live in a mortgaged semi detached with paper thin walls. I wish I could afford a detached

Thats it thats the thread

So move.

@Ilovemyshed to another semi detached where I will be able to hear my neighbours?

It's the walls that are a problem - not the type of property - get a cottage hundreds of years old with granite walls 1ft thick.....

Cant afford a cottage round here either

living in a semi detached worth £190k near Birmingham and the detached houses are £250k plus and cant afford :(

Insulated plasterboard

@Snakeandladder does soundproofing work?

Old council from the 60/70's when proper walls were still being used.

The insulated plaster board is a good idea as well cheaper stuff around £9 m2
you may just need it all down one side and probably the bedroom on the shared wall

I live in a semi and can't hear my neighbours. Are yours loud or is it just a shit house? They aren't all like that.

@Lonelydave living in 1950s semi detached and can hear neighbours really well can even hear their microwave

@AhBiscuits how would I know if a house Im viewing would be like it or not

I lived in a house like this and the neighbours would go into the garden every single time they heard us open our back door - all I can say if I feel for you, it’s hell!

Im now in a terraced house - which I swore I’d never do - but it’s built 1850’s and you can’t hear a thing from either side!

@Largestlegocollectionever my neighbour does this a bit but not every time

Is your terraced soundproofed? I thought terraces would be just as bad for noise

Houses are constructed differently and allow different levels of noise transfer.

My first house was a 30's semi and was actually very quiet (although neighbours were elderly and made very little noise).
Second was a 70's semi which had terrible noise transfer, party wall was just double breeze-block (concrete would have been better).
Our 50's semi was pretty good with a double thickness brick party wall, oddly enough the only noises that came through were high pitched ones (landline ringing, printer beeping etc).
Current is a det NB so not relevant although neighbours in semi's say they hear little or nothing from their neighbours.
My GP's both had Victorian terraced and these had party walls so thin that they would have conversations with their neighbours through the walls (houses which now sell for upwards of £1m, NOT near London).

Noise proofing is usually effective only if it is done correctly and this can be expensive as well as loosing you some internal wall space. You have to consider if the joists run across both properties, insulate the party wall under the floorboards and in the loft etc.

Sometimes it can help if you rearrange your layout.
Can you have wardrobes (built-in or otherwise) across the party wall, likewise floor standing bookshelves, cabinets etc. heavy curtains.

Not necessarily. I lived in one of these. The sound of next door playing his musical instrument came through the fireplace. / chimney breast.

I have a semi built in 1960 and it’s very well built and can’t hear noise from neighbour at all

We bought a run down detached bungalow. Cheaper than all the semi's in the area. So happy with it! I recommend...

I would poke a couple of eye holes through the paper thin walls and then said to the neighbours
"I can see you as well as hear you now..."