Would you buy a house backing on to a railway line?

[cordiality]

We are currently looking to buy our 'forever house'. There is an area of north London that I really like, can just about afford, and have seen a house that could work. However, the garden is north facing and there is a reasonably busy railway like at the bottom of it.

I believe that there are a couple of freight trains per day, and lots of commuter trains (it's the silver link line).

Would this be a deal breaker for you? Is it hideous in summer? I just can't make a decision on this one, and I doubt the vendors would be keen for me to spend the night there just in case!

[cordiality]

Haha dueanamechange! That's the house!!!! You really can barely see the trains, and it's so nice and convenient for the platform!

[Floggingmolly]

Surely the windows look out onto the platform (giving bored commuters the chance to look in?). If the windows were on the other side of the house I'd be ok with it, but that one looks a little too public for my liking. Plus it's over priced for it's condition.

[TooMuchRain]

I would really like it, so much better than being overlooked by another row of houses and they are fun to watch

[enjoyingscience]

I grew up in a house v. close to a railway line and you really do learn to tune it out. It wouldn't be a dealbreaker for me unless the line was accessible by the DC.

My uni flat was on top of a metro line in Newcastle. That I never got used to!

[BraveMerida]

No. I stayed at a friend's house which is near a train station, it's not just the noise, I could feel the whole house shaking whenever a train went past which was most noticeable when I was lying in bed.

[PiratePanda]

We live within spitting distance of a railway line - parallel rather than backing onto, but close enough. Because it's really close to a station, all the trains have to slow right down, and honestly you can't hear a thing (we do have double glazing). The only thing we hear is the freight train that goes past at 11:30PM every night and I rather like it.

If you like the house, and it's not beside a high speed line, go for it.

[PoshPenny]

yes, had a flat right by clapham jct and before that my parents house backed onto a railway line. you can be pretty certain it will stay a railway rather than turning into a shopping centre industrial estate or housing estate which might be problematic.

[CoolStoryBro]

We bought a house with a huge garden backing onto a railway line. I loved that house. When the children were tiny, it was weirdly comforting knowing there was a whole world going on outside of my little cocoon.

Downside was nighttime work which was horribly noisy but thankfully rare. And the first night you'll wake up feeling like the house is going to collapse!!

As for resale, we sold ours in 3 days so no problems there.

[CoolStoryBro]

I'm all nostalgic now remembering the kids chasing the trains down the garden, waving at the passengers. Sniiiifff!!

[OpenMindedSceptic]

We lived about 50m away from a railway bridge. The trains kept us awake for the first week or so and then we stopped noticing them. I actually missed the trains when we moved out
So it would not stop me if i liked the house. I suggest you go for another viewing, perhaps during tHe peak hour. Full structual survey is a must though.

[umiaisha]

Our house backs on to the central line. You do get used to the noise very quickly, just becomes background noise after a while. It was a bit more intrusive before we had double glazing though.

Kids love it, DD could spend hours people watching out of her bedroom window!

[minihahawithafringe]

I have wonderful childhood memories of being awake alone in the dark in the middle of the night, and afraid.

Until I heard the trains rattle past and then I knew I couldn't be the only person alive, because there was a train driver and people on the train.

I love that clickety clack in the middle of the night noise.

I miss that sound

[umiaisha]

Mini - me too! My parents house backed on to the Central Line as well. The sound is strangely hypnotic and most Sundays some form of steam engine used the line which was v exciting.

[fossil971]

You really do stop noticing them. We used to have a first floor flat with a small garden backing onto a railway - the trains were right up at our window level. The only thing was occasionally at night the ballast-tamping crew would come through, maybe twice a year.

Let's face it thousands of Londoners live next to the railway. It's nicer than being overlooked by a block of flats or a busy road. And I think you could say the same to any future buyers.

[houseisfallingdown]

Used to live in SW London and the were lots of 'desirable' roads that had gardens backing onto the railway line. Tended to have larger than average gardens and sold v quickly and easily. Think it totally depends on the area, the housing stock etc. Plane noise was more of a problem there so people didn't seem to be bothered by trains.

[carlajean]

We did, and, as others have said, ceased to notice it after a while, and in fact quite liked it.

[impecuniousmarmoset]

Yes, larger gardens is good point. Ours is huge. But only half as huge as it should be, as the sods who sold us the house kept half the garden to build on. So we might not be backing onto the railway for much longer:( I love the view over open sky the the railway gives us and compared to a block of flats, there's no question which I prefer!

[newgirl]

I really wouldn't as it would restrict my enjoyment of the garden - I used to live by a road and that affected my sleep even with double glazing

[impecuniousmarmoset]

Ah I'd never choose to live by a busy road, not in a million years - railway noise is a quite different beast!

[FamiliesShareGerms]

Railway noise is very very different to road noise. I only noticed the trains the first night we spent in our railway cottage, then never did again.

On re-sale, you just have to accept that there will be a smaller pool of interested viewers and the price will be lower than other similar sized houses in the area. But as long as you are similarly benefitting from lower prices, that shouldn't be a huge problem

[ShatnersBassoon]

I used to live in a house with a railway at the end of the very small garden. It didn't bother me at all, not a tiny bit. The station was at the end of the street so only slow trains went past, so no sudden booming noises or shelf-rattlers.

[plecofjustice]

A friend of mine did and had an awful rat problem. Apparently the railways are bad for it, as there's so many quiet places for rats to nest.

[Earthworms]

I did.

I love it. I am near a small station and get announcements too.

You tune it out, and it is nowhere near as irritating as next doors bloody dog, or shouty man down the street. For me it acts as an audio clock. I know I need to be up when the first passenger train of the day goes through, I can time lunch and dinner by the trains.

I love watching the trains. Dd loves to watch the too. Night works can be an issue, but they are funto watch, and they always let us know in advance. The poster who said about the shouting. Id complain, if that happened. Network Rail are vv strict about conduct of their contractors.

As for rats, yes can be a broblem, but we just call Network Rail customer service and they send someone to deal with it FOC.

In Short yes. No issue, it actually adds value for us.in terms of entertainment value and proximity to transport.

[fedupwithdeployment]

We live in a house backing onto the Victoria - London Bridge line in S London. No regrets! The garden is tiny, but we're near the common. Also, trains don't go that fast near us and we have sidings next to the houses. They look hideous, but to be honest I don't really see them anymore. We couldn't have afforded the house without the train line...and an added bonus is that it would be almost impossible for anyone to break in from the back of the house. We hear very little noise. And the boys' room looks out over the lines - an added bonus for them!