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Original poster

Would you live in a main road?

106 replies

MamaDuckling · 02/03/2018 09:46

I'm about to go and see a property, perfect in every way except that it is on a busy road. Not A Road busy, but B Road busy. We are looking to extend our own place, or move for more space.

We have 2 young D.C, but I can't say the back roads are actually safe for playing in around here either, it's suburban London and no culture of playing in the streets. We're currently on one of these quieter roads and could create a similar sq. m but it's going to cost more than moving, and would feel squashed in places.

Location of house is very much the same area, good for school, station etc. maybe a few extra mins to school and playground, but about 10mins tops altogether. It's just cheap because it's on the main road.

So, do any of you live on busy roads with kids? Is it ok? Would you entertain the idea or stay on quiet side street? This one has small gated front garden so pretty safe...

OP posts:
Original poster
MamaDuckling · 02/03/2018 15:04

Basically this is what current house will be like, with a side porch/front door thing added.

Would you live in a main road?
OP posts:
NoSquirrels · 02/03/2018 15:12

I’d move, based on what you’ve said there’s nothing that would alarm me.

We live on a busy road, but we have a wide, deep frontage and a drive, so no parking issues and people aren’t walking past the windows in any way that feels intrusive. The space we’ve got inside outweighs the road. If you extended you probably wouldn’t ever get the same sense of proportions and space - depends if this bothers you. The only thing I’d really change is traffic noise in the garden, but it’s not so busy that it bothers me unduly. I don’t hear it at all in the house.

SporkInTheToaster · 02/03/2018 15:15

I’d move

NoSquirrels · 02/03/2018 15:17

I think this from your OP about extending

it's going to cost more than moving, and would feel squashed in places

would definitely make me inclined to House A. Building work is miserable to live with, worse with young kids, and usually people do it because they can’t afford to move or the value of extending will make them a profit in the long run. I wouldn’t want all the hassle if I could buy better “off the shelf”.

In terms of busy roads and young children, kids grow up, and you’ve got a gate and you make the rules about behaviour near the road. We’ve not found it an issue despite moving from a no-through-traffic FIL de sac.

NoSquirrels · 02/03/2018 15:18

FIL de sac sounds dodgy! Cul de sac, of course!

NoSquirrels · 02/03/2018 15:19

Argh! definitely make me inclined to House B ie moving!

Original poster
MamaDuckling · 02/03/2018 15:19

Thank you, people on my side (what every mnetter wants in reality)!

Worth also noting that current house is opposite small development of social housing - most of whom are lovely but also many and repeated visits from police at all hours. Current bedroom and living room front on to this.... so current house is hardly on the perfect street....

OP posts:
JoJoSM2 · 02/03/2018 16:17

Current house is lovely too but it won't ever be on the scale of House B. Presumably, house B has higher ceilings and the existing rooms are bigger too. If the road isn't a deal breaker then you might as well.

To check which way the garden faces, use a compass or look at a map to see which was the back of the house faces.

Unicorndiscoball · 02/03/2018 17:44

House B sounds great-main road living is fine-you don’t spend much time outside the front of your house do you? Also people IME less likely to linger on main roads shouting etc- people are generally on their way somewhere!

Original poster
MamaDuckling · 02/03/2018 18:05

Went back to second view, in rush hour. The noise is pretty minimal, they've done a good job with the internal screens. I love it!
Thanks for all the positive comments and the constructive ones. The rooms in house B are certainly better proportioned and ceilings are high. Lots of nice features too that ours is lacking, cornices, etc.
I just need to convince DH!

OP posts:
Neolara · 02/03/2018 18:17

We live on a busy road. Before moving in I was paranoid about how noisy it would be. However, we have good double glazing and I rarely notice the traffic. Houses on our road also seem much less likely to be targets of crime than houses on the side streets which are less busy. If our house was round the corner on a side street it would cost about £200k more. I can cope with a bit of traffic for that saving.

Original poster
MamaDuckling · 02/03/2018 18:21

Exactly! This house would be £250K+ more on the side street!

OP posts:
CountFosco · 02/03/2018 18:29

Also people IME less likely to linger on main roads shouting etc- people are generally on their way somewhere!

This. We live on a residential street next to where two streets intersect. The road is quiet at night except when we hear people walking home at night then they stop at the crossroads because they are going different ways and chat loudly for a whole. So annoying.

JoJoSM2 · 02/03/2018 18:48

Holy moly! 250k premium for a side road? I dare not ask about the price bracket...

Just on the 'extra screens' aka secondary glazing - I changed that to double glazing and actually double glazing was noisier. I think that triple glazing is meant to be only marginally better so you might want to check sound-proofing properties of different options.

Babyroobs · 02/03/2018 19:18

We used to ( in another country). However we were on a bend and cars were forever crashing through our fence. I wouldn't do it again.

Original poster
MamaDuckling · 02/03/2018 19:42

Yeah to be honest I'd be minded to stick with the screen things, they seemed to be doing a good job.

Anyway, now must first convince DH (living abroad and would need to come e and see it), and then get our own on the market!! A lot could happen between now and then so I shan't get my hopes up... but it's very lovely indeed!

OP posts:
greendale17 · 02/03/2018 19:44

No I would never live on a main or busy road

myidentitymycrisis · 03/03/2018 11:18

i live on a b road OP and its worth thinking about noise in Summer when you want to open the windows. Also set back from the pavement and the pavement is raised by steps from the road but its still loud.
I'm used to it and have a nice back garden but noise is a lot more in the summer.

Dowser · 03/03/2018 12:19

No.

johnd2 · 03/03/2018 16:13

Main roads are like Marmite, you either don't care about the noise and love the regular buses etc, or hate it.
We are on an a road with buses every few minutes, lorries, etc and it's not really too noisy. At night it's really quiet and we did upgrade to triple glazing.
The noise from passers by is fine, we were worried about security as so many passers by and near the main shopping area, but to be honest no one can really break in unseen.
Regarding pollution we were a bit worried with the standing traffic so we basically installed a fan to bring air from the back garden into the front of the house.

Original poster
MamaDuckling · 04/03/2018 01:38

Thanks johnd, I think we are going to make an offer. It definitely doesn't bother me, small compromise for the perfect house. A house I never dreamed I could own in this area. How have you found the triple glazing??

OP posts:
GRW · 04/03/2018 03:17

Personally I wouldn't because I wouldn't be able to let my cat go outside. Cat rescue organisations turn people down for rehoming cats if they live close to a busy road. I think it would put a lot of people off so limit the market when you are trying to sell it on. I can see it means the house is more affordable so you get more space for your money than if it wasn't near the road.

Original poster
MamaDuckling · 04/03/2018 06:49

That's totally it GRW, it'll definitely be harder to sell but I'm hoping to stay in it a long time (at least the next 15 years). It's in a bit of a state so we can put a bit of value back, but after that I don't even really mind! We'll only ever get what someone wants to pay for it (also reflected in what we're going to offer), but hopefully by that point we'd be mortgage free and resale value wouldn't be so important.

Thanks everyone for all the truly helpful comments on this thread. We're offering tomorrow and I shall report back!

OP posts:
thegrinningfox · 04/03/2018 07:13

We are in a b road in suburbia opposite a park. Noise not a problem. Can’t hear anything from the back or garden, not much from the front. Except in the summer if you want to leave window open but hardly ever happens due to british summer anyway. We have a long front garden with trees so that blocks it.

Very handy for buses etc and as someone else said for kids being picked up and dropped off, for buying milk in the morning etc.
I would prob pref a side road off the main road in suburbia, never one in the middle of nowhere suburbia as I’d feel claustrophobic. Even then the busy roads here are not your reg roads in zone 2 or 3 anyway so it’s fine. Same for pollution levels.

I am very happy with it. I think you would too.

IfNot · 04/03/2018 09:02

A main road in London? No I wouldn't, but I feel like I can't breathe walking down London main roads.
I would rather have a smaller house in a quieter place (which is lucky since I live in a shoebox by a field) . Smile

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