Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Original poster

would you buy a house literally backing onto amotorway ?

35 replies

charlieandlola · 23/08/2010 17:30

are we mad to consider it?

Huge plot, much much more than we could get for our money elsewhere, because of the huge din from the motorway. And I mean huge, as in couldn't hear ourselves think type of din, as in no peace and quiet outside din.

Dh thinks I am barking, but its got an apple tree and a cherry blossom in the garden....

OP posts:
Heartsease · 23/08/2010 17:31

I would hate it! Would you sit under said trees with earplugs in?

2madboys · 23/08/2010 17:32

No way. We live about 1 mile from a motorway and the noise at night when the windows are open in summer drives me mad.

QOD · 23/08/2010 17:33

Mad indeed. ARen't "they" supposed to put up like baffle board fencing along motorways? Were the present occupants there when they built the motorway?
I dunno, in my sisters acre of hugeness lovely garden I can hear the WOOOOOOOOOOOM WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM of the motorway but she can't anymore.
Could you grow leylandi to block noise? show us the grounds piccy

CerealOffender · 23/08/2010 17:34

no way

activate · 23/08/2010 17:35

no - the pollution will be awful and really bad for growing lungs

not to mention noise pollution

you won't be sit in the garden and enjoy it
you will find it difficult to sell on

Itsjustafleshwound · 23/08/2010 17:35

What motorway??

I really am with your husband on this - friends of ours had a house in Leatherhead on the M25 - it was a great big house but as soon as you walked into the garden you were unable to hold a conversation and windows and doors had to remain shut!

They were also advised not to eat any produce from their garden due to the pollution ..

pooter · 23/08/2010 17:35

no no no - think about how hard it would be to sell.

GetOrfMoiLand · 23/08/2010 17:36

No. Not a motorway. i wouldn't think twice about living near a train track, but the constant noise of a motorway would put me off a house.

Think of the resale as well.

Original poster
charlieandlola · 23/08/2010 17:37

really hadn't thoughtabout the pollution.

Ok, its a no then.thanks !

OP posts:
Littlefish · 23/08/2010 17:37

Completely mad. Don't do it. If you "couldn't hear yourself think", then it's a terrible idea.

You would end up not using the garden because of the noise.

serenity · 23/08/2010 17:41

Pollution, both in the air and in the soil where the salt/grit runs off when the slush melts. Noise would be horrid - no point having a nice garden if you can't enjoy it! You can get used to railway lines because it's not constant, but traffic just never stops. My Mum's old house was about 5 miles inside the M25, and if you had the windows open at night in the summer you could hear it. From that distance it was quite soothing, like the sea.... Don't think it would have that effect from 100yds!

rebl · 23/08/2010 17:43

Don't do it. The noise 24/7 would be enough to drive you mad. If you could't hear yourselves think during the viewing think what that would be like all the time. You would never enjoy your garden however big it was. And you wouldn't be able to eat the apples due to the pollution.

GetOrfMoiLand · 23/08/2010 17:44

I live in a cul de sac near the west coast mainline - I truly can say the noise of the trains has never bothered me, on teh contrary I find it quite comforting to hear the trains. Difference is that the trains are intermittent, you only get a few an hour and the noise only lasts seconds.

I used to live in teh main road (of a village, albeit very busy) and it was awful compared to a train line. I can safely say that I will never choose to live on a main road again, the noise is just too intrusive. The house could be perfect but I would not consder it for a second. A motorway would be unbearable, I think.

southeastastra · 23/08/2010 17:44

there's a few round here that back straight onto the m25, there's literally about a 40 foot drop from the back of their houses.

i wonder what would happen if one of the kids accidentally kicked a football over the edge

sorky · 23/08/2010 17:45

no

ArseHolio · 23/08/2010 17:47

No. I used to live 2miles off the M40 and that was more than enough.

MrsJohnDeere · 23/08/2010 17:57

No way!

expatinscotland · 23/08/2010 17:58

NO NO NO.

sarah293 · 23/08/2010 17:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

LynetteScavo · 23/08/2010 18:00

I would worry about the fumes, and the effect on DC's health.

DinahRod · 23/08/2010 18:04

No.

Have friends whose house backed onto the M20 despite having that sound reducing Hmm barrier at the end of the garden and the constant drone of the road meant there was a buzzing in your ears afterwards (a bit like being at a music concert) if you'd been in the garden. You could also smell the traffic!

GoldPlated · 23/08/2010 18:06

No - just to be original Grin

As others have said, the beautiful garden would be wasted - you'd be better off with a tiny garden you'll actually be able to use.

LynetteScavo · 23/08/2010 18:08

And could you sell it if you ever wanted to move? Probably not, judging by this thread.

sharbie · 23/08/2010 18:10

no the pollution is a serious problem and i have family whos' childrens' health has been affected by it.

mmmperuna · 23/08/2010 18:12

Sorry - another no here too

Swipe left for the next trending thread