Dilemma - perfect house, but on a busy road

[JenL]

Wondering if anyone could offer their advice? We've just seen a beautiful house, basically perfect but it's situated on an "A road" so there's constant traffic. It is however, set back and screened by trees, and any road noise is pretty much inaudible from the inside. However, the garden is fairly noisy, so much so, that I doubt I'd ever enjoy sitting outside, BUT there is a gate from the back garden which leads to a communal meadow/field.
I know buying a house is all about compromise. This particular house is on at a great price, walking distance from the train station for DH and within catchment area of an outstanding primary for DD - am I just being overly fussy?? We've just spent 8 months trying to offload a difficult flat and I'm terrified of making another similar mistake again!

Set back a bit, prob three car lengths away from the pavement, then th busy a road. Which was a forty past our house, as said, for us, we’d not do it again unless we had no other choice.

@higgle

The house my mother has lived in for over 50 years and where I grew up is on a very busy road, nice house, big garden, lots of traffic noise. When you are in residence after a while you stop noticing. I never noticed it much when I lived at home, now I do. This is a rural A road, so no fumes or smell.

There will still be fumes from a rural busy A road even if you can't smell them. They also come with a host of health risks including asthma for children

Can you link?

@PeggyGa

Can you link?

To a house in the market a decade ago?

I doubt it.

@PeggyGa

Can you link?

@PeggyGa

OP posted in 2011, am sure the link has stopped working now

Zombie thread

@DTsolo

If you want to know what it is like to live on a busy street you are interested in, why don't you just knock on some doors, introduce yourself, tell them you are interested in being a neighbor, but have concerns about what it is like to live with the traffic and whatever else you are imagining? They've got no reason to lie to you, and it sure beats having false stereotypes reinforced by people who are only giving you what they imagine because they have no experience with what they are talking about.

But like everyone on here, they will also have different opinions because noise is subjective and they have either accepted it or don't notice it, depending on what's important to them. What you hear inside and outside the house at different times, is what the noise is. Whether it's something u can live with is very personal.

Im in exactly the same situation, except the dream home I found is set one row of houses back from the A274 Sutton Road through Maidstone, it's a detached spacious brand new house within budget and it's been on the market nearly 2 months and hasn't sold. I could probably go lower on the asking price too. I've been looking for a house for over a year, interest rates are going up and I know the noise (if any) wouldn't bother me, BUT I personally like to breathe fresh air when I open my window at night or any time of day, especially in Summer, so for me the pollution rather than the noise would be the main issue. Bear in mind long term exposure to pollution causes cardiac disease, cancer, respiratory diseases, dementia and Parkinson's. This has all been proven. Although it's a hard decision, I'll probably have to leave it.

Oh no I love a link

I would only buy it if the alternative is going to be very undesirable eg a pokey house on a quiet road

Houses on main roads are harder to sell, and traffic noise in the garden doesn’t help your home be a peaceful place.

I used to be near but probably 3 streets back from a busy road which I never minded. I went to see one that was ON a busy road and even just viewing it the road noise was so oppressive. With the windows shut it was fine but open and it was awful. And it was only 40mph

For me, I did it once it’s a total and utter no. The noise, cars, trucks, emergency vehicles, the pollution making your windows and patio filthy, your house dusty. Not being able to open your windows in summer as the noise and dust permeates, not being able to sit outside and enjoy a quiet drink.

The house is priced because of those disadvantages. As said I did it. It was a house we couldn’t afford in a better location. It was a total mistake and certainly wasn’t worth it.

I bought a house on a busy road, but there was a traffic light nearby so cars weren't speeding by and it died right down at night. It was a great house really big garden and walking distance to school - I certainly couldn't afford it if it was on a quiet road.
Living there was fine: all main rooms were at the back, the garden noise wasn't much and as I was either in the pool or talking to someone it didn't impact at all. We lived there happily for 8 years.
One big caveat though - when I came to sell the road was the main reason people decided against it, and frankly was the reason I discounted it initially. I mean people would just drive by and dismiss it. No amount of telling them it was discounted because of the road and in fact hardly impacted on the quality of living there, most were not convinced.
I did sell it, but it took much longer and a lower price than even I expected.

Pros & cons…. I live on an A road and yes it can be noisy in the summer with windows open, especially if it’s raining, and it can be busy when pulling out of the drive in rush hour. We are set back a bit though so no noise in the garden. As for re-sell, a bit of research will tell you how long properties stay on the market for. Houses on our road are generally sold in two or three weeks. Depends on the area I guess. From a safety accept I like that my teens can get off the bus and be home in seconds - no walking down deserted streets.
I see that you’ve discounted it though so good luck with your search!

We live on a busy road, doesn’t bother us in the least, during the day we are in the kitchen/breakfast room that overlooks our garden and the wood behind. Anything that goes up for sale in our road, sells really quickly, so it doesn’t seem to put buyers off.