Would you live in a main road?

[MamaDuckling]

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...

I live on the main road. Not much choice when it's the only affordable place to live. People turn their noses up at my flat on a main road, but in the next breath say they can't afford to buy anywhere. It's a stepping stone.

I would buy B

We have found the triple glazing fine, the old windows weren't fitted properly anyway and it was like you had them open all the time.
For best sound proofing you need 2+1 glazing which has a big gap between two of the panes.
With triple glazing if the glass is all identically then it doesn't make a big difference. We got two panes 4mm glass and one 6mm all in one unit.

I don't really get the "harder to sell" argument.
Partly because you are buying with view to live it in for at least 15 years anyway, and I'd rather now live somewhere for years and years on end that didn't suit me as well, just because it might be easier to sell at some point in the future.

But also because, when you come to sell, there will be other families, just like you, who want the nicer house / bigger space, but don't have a 'spare £250K' to buy 2 roads further over.

So "you won't get as much for it when you come to sell" is true, but more than balanced by "You won't have paid as much for it now".

*not live, not, 'now' live

The rates of very nasty diseases are 8 to 6 times higher if you live within 300 m of the main road! Of course, people end up living anywhere, because everything is unaffordable, but the statistics for cancer, asthma, early deaths are terrible! I am supersede people are praising such choice!

Author, my opinion - such a solution can only be temporary.

This related to the US, but still sandiego.urbdezine.com/2015/05/28/what-is-a-safe-distance-to-live-or-work-near-high-auto-emission-roads/

autocorrect - surprised not supersede

Backforgood- I think that's what I was trying to say... there will always be another 'us'. And it's all relative.

Someone reminded me that soon cars will be electric, the kids spend most of their time in school, and us at work, so I'm not too fussed about the pollution thing.... I mean I'm not ignoring it, but people live everywhere, and the measurement still falls under the target 40pg mark.

Agreed with the electric cars thing, we used to live in a flat we rented, it was overlooking the canal in zone 1/2 london, it was in all the photos and advertised as a feature.
I was thinking one day when I was walking down, let's rewind 150 years. How would the canal be in those days? Probably a rotting mess of sewage knowing london, I bet the houses nearby were the topic on the mumsnet of victorian times.

I'm wondering whether in 50 years everyone will be saying how lucky to have a house next to the .. park? not sure what they'll make it into when everyone is flying to work in their personal drones!

So true johnd

Well tomorrow is offer day.... it's been on for months. Without divulging price bracket, how low can we go? What's cheeky these days?!

Honestly I'd stop and think about this. We did it and neither of us would do it again if we could avoid it.

The curtains get filthy with pollution, you can't have thr windows open in the summer due to noise, the back patio turns black with pollution. You never really feel you have any privacy even when out back. People nick your parking spaces, bin their empties in your garden. You need to have some form of privacy screening in thr front rooms at all times. Noise of emergency vehicles, people tooting their horns.

We did it for the same reason you are considering it, so much more house for our money and yes it would have been at least 250k more Off the main road. I'm sorry but I'd recommend not doing it, we would never do it again, in fact when we moved any hint of a main road close by and it was an Immediate no from us.

Oh no!!!!

Okay, how about this though - it's not the forever home. As soon as kids are off to uni (15 yrs from now, granted), we're selling up and out of this area to build our own grand design from scratch. This is just a bit of grander living for the next chapter....

How busy was your road??? I mean, this isn't that bad......

Here's another hopefully not identifying good pic for everyone's interest

Are the horror story roads busier than this? As 'main roady' as this???

Ours was a B road. Busy in rush hour, when actually cars were slow. Fast moving at other times, it was thirty miles per hour.

The location was good for shops etc, but honestly, neither of us would wish to live on a main road again. You didn't really hear the cars inside, but opening thr windows at the front was a no go, and we struggled in warmer weather, I was forever washing the voiles and jet washing the patio, it would turn pitch black. You always felt on display as well, evertime you came out the front and it was a pain in the arse for visitor parking many times.

Sorry, you do get so much more for your money, ours was gorgeous Victorian semi, but the reason we got it in our budget was the location. Biggest house we saw and then some for the budget. Same as you had been on market for months, I think everyone else was smarter than us.

I'm sorry I know it's not what you want to hear.

Victorian detached, sorry.

Oh, bluntness..... 😾

I mean, I know I have my own mind and what not, but this is why we canvass opinions....

Right. Final view tomorrow with re in laws (DH can't get back to see it). They are VERY SENSIBLE so will be intrigued as to what they think.

I'm still going to offer though

Good luck. Plenty of people have posted they like it. I can only be honest. They are cheaper and harder to sell for a very good reasonl if there wasn't a good reason, they would not be sunstantially cheaper and would sell immediately st those prices.

As said, some are totally fine with it. And for us it wasn't a day to day horror story, it was simply wearying.

We live in a Victorian terrace like that on a similar main road in another big city - I love it and wouldn't change it. Partly because we got better value for money, it's so convenient especially for buses. Shops being near by were brilliant when kids were little and now they are older I can send them out. Also on the rare night I go out I don't have to walk down any quiet roads and nor will my children when they start going out.

And snow ... road was gritted and completely clear now.

I also don't believe they are harder to sell. Our neighbor had his house on the market and 3 offers on 2 days

I don't recognise any of the, that Bluntness has said.
Well, OK, a bit:
The curtains get filthy with pollution Never happened here
you can't have the windows open in the summer due to noise Well it would be noisy, but, in all honesty I only sit in the front room in the evening when wouldn't tend to have the windows open anyway
the back patio turns black with pollution Nope, never happened here
You never really feel you have any privacy even when out back Eh ? Why not ? What does that have to do with being on a busy road? Not an issue here.
People nick your parking spaces Again, not here. However, where my brother lives- not on a main road - they struggle to park near their house. That's to do with a particular area, not being a main road or not.
bin their empties in your garden Nope. Again, I suppose it is feasible if you live along a road from a chippy or something, but doesn't happen to us here.
You need to have some form of privacy screening in the front rooms at all times Yes, we do, but then I have in all the homes I've lived in (as did my parents)
Noise of emergency vehicles Feasibly.
people tooting their horns No. Well,we used to get it a bit with NDN's taxis (again, nothing to do with being a main rd) before taxis started texting people)

(Sorry can't remember who posted this:)
The rates of very nasty diseases are 8 to 6 times higher if you live within 300 m of the main road!

If you live in my City, most homes would be within 300m of a main road... that's kind of how Cities work.... lots of houses / streets near main roads going in and out of the City Centre or ring roads.

Have you offered - go at least 10% below.

I personally wouldn't - I hate traffic noise, and the feeling of living on a thoroughfare with constant foot and road traffic would make me stressed. But that's just my personality, and yours may be very different. Some people prefer a busy road to a quiet, curtain-twitching cul-de-sac.

And having said that, we live on a side street, and people use it as a 'rat run' in rush hour, especially during school terms. Apparently that's typical for London, unless you can get the council to close it off or make it one-way. So there are no guarantees either way!

Update - the offer is in! Took DH parents to see it, even they loved it and they are pretty cautious. Went under asking (not quite 10% under as it's been reduced quite heavily already). I will update!

Well done - have you done a rigorous review of sold prices on RM on that road to see comparables? I would look at sales prices achieved in late 2016 and 2017 as a guide not to go over maybe?