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Original poster

Do you live on a noisy busy road? If so...

30 replies

clueless999 · 03/04/2018 16:47

Does the traffic noise drive you crazy or do you zone it out?

We are thinking of buying a house that's nearly perfect, to stay in for at least 10 years. It's been done up immaculately with double glazed sash windows and thick insulated walls. However it's right on a really busy main road. I'm not used to hearing any traffic noise where we are (city centre!). When we viewed the first time it was noisy in one or two rooms but quiet in the main garden (we're moving partly to get more outdoor space). So we were pleasantly surprised.

Second viewing the wind must've been going the other way as the noise was far more intrusive. There are lorries and double decker buses going past constantly (good gates so no safety worries).

My dh has hearing problems so I'm extra sensitive to noise on his behalf, iyswim, but we always said we'd never want to live on a noisy road. I'm wondering if we'd get used to it, or if we'd hate it. There's not really any further noise reduction measures we could add.

We're at a slight disagreement because I think it'll bug me more than he does!

OP posts:
Original poster
clueless999 · 03/04/2018 16:53

Apparently the road is quiet at night, but i intend to check that for myself.

OP posts:
duffaho · 03/04/2018 16:55

We back onto an A road with lots of lorries etc thundering past 24/7 . We have a conservatory at the back which dulls the noise in the main room but we can still hear some noise if we listen for it.
Mostly though we dont hear it at all. As we go about our normal day we all make our own noises and this is what makes up most of the sounds we hear in the house. Outside is definitely secondary.
We have a nice garden but dont spend that much time in it as we arent outdoorsy really. We just do the usual grass cutting and barbecue on occasional nice days and thats about it. I usually hang washing out on nice days and it doesnt seem to have been affected by the traffic either.
I spoke to the neighbours when we first looked around and they all said much the same as I have- its there but it doesnt affect you.

.

Solasum · 03/04/2018 16:56

Bear in mind a busy road will also be really dirty, so fumes and dust

BackforGood · 03/04/2018 17:01

We've lived on a busy road for coming up to 15 years now, and we also have a railway line at the end of our garden. We absolutely got used to the traffic very quickly (I mean, in less than a week).
We were able to buy a house which is massively bigger than what we could have afforded in the "perfect" location, which, to us has been so worth it as our family have grown up.

Unexpected bonus - particularly this year with having had snow chaos about 4 times this Winter - we are never snowed in as main roads clear very quickly. It''s als0 been incredibly helpful over the years with people being very happy to pick dc up / drop them off as they "are passing anyway" - another thing that never crossed my mind when we bought it but has been so helpful on so many occasions over the years.
I would 100% buy here again, given my life over.

user1488204592 · 03/04/2018 17:04

We live on a main road through a large village. We have a bus stop and shop up the road from us and people walking their kids to and from the school at the end of the road.

I never hear a thing, unless there's a commotion of sorts I really can't hear the road. We have original sash windows with secondary glazing and as soon as I shut the door the village is firmly outside.

Bakedappleflavour · 03/04/2018 17:06

No not at all. If anything I like the background noise.

64BooLane · 03/04/2018 17:09

We have just moved after 15 years on a road like this. The noise wasn’t too bad - in fact I didn’t consciously mind it at all but I do - to my surprise - seem to sleep better now we’re on a quieter road.

What did concern me a LOT was the pollution. There was a big report widely discussed in the media last spring about the effects of living so near a busy road, and it made me so glad we were moving.

LadyChatterlysLoofah · 03/04/2018 17:11

We front an A road, the main road into town. The fumes definitely build during the day, so the windows rapidly get filthy and we can really only open windows at the back. Noise generally bearable with double glazing, so zoned out, but the vibration OTOH from heavy traffic is a significant problem - got noticeably worse when maximum loads were increased some years ago. I would advise observing what TYPE of traffic uses the road, because cars are hardly noticeable, but the rumble from heavy building type lorries, frequent buses or massive retail supply transport speeding into town from six AM each morning is quite a different matter. Exacerbated by potholes! Christmas day is bliss, I always sleep later and actually wake in peace. Don't let me put you off - You might be lucky, just family cars, but do observe at different times day and night.

Original poster
clueless999 · 03/04/2018 17:11

The noise actively annoyed me at the second viewing, but I'm not sure if that's because I'm extra sensitive to it and had already decided that traffic noise is annoying, if that makes sense? Like if I can decide I've got to live with it I'll notice it less?

All my family and our last three houses are on no-through roads so never had any traffic going past, and now this one is on a village A-road.

OP posts:
LadyChatterlysLoofah · 03/04/2018 17:51

Is the main garden at the rear? Because that would make all the difference, any the noise in a rear garden would be barely noticeable after a while. Though OTOH having any sort of garden between the road and the house would significantly decrease noise, dirt and vibration in the house. Please don't let me put you off, checking traffic levels at different times may be quite reassuring, especially in a village rather than my urban nightmare.

Original poster
clueless999 · 03/04/2018 17:56

Yes, main garden is at rear, next to fields with sheep! Front garden sets the house back from the road a little and looks nice but you wouldn't stand out there. I didn't notice dirt/fumes... Where I am currently, you go down a major city A-road to get to the shops which is definitely worse as it's built up with double decker buses every 5 seconds, idling all the time. At least in the village the traffic just passes by at a constant pace.

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Notinmybackyard · 03/04/2018 18:05

I’ve lived on a busy B road, leading to a busy A road for 30 years in a detached house. We have secondary glazing rather than double glazing. It works well and to have replaced it with double glazing would have been mega expensive. Our drive is quite large though and we’re about 40ft back from the road. Our garden slopes down and we can barely hear the road at any time. Our house would definitely have been a lot more expensive in a quieter road. I don’t have any regrets buying it. As someone else said, it was easy to get out in the snow as the road was gritted. We also have a bus stop about 50 yards away which is convenient to get to the nearest tube.

BackforGood · 03/04/2018 18:17

I think the fact that you have repeated that you "are extra sensitive to noise" is a factor that is very relevant. It's all very well lots of us saying how it doesn't bother us, but then I have absolutely 'average' hearing, I'm not hypersensitive to noise.

LadyChatterlysLoofah · 03/04/2018 18:36

Ooh, sheep Smile, bonus. So rear sounds good, AND a buffer at the front. YY to road being gritted first too. I know I'd have no problems with what you describe, but afraid ultimately only you can decide.

Bluntness100 · 03/04/2018 18:44

We did for a few years, I found things like windows, curtains, patio etc all got dirty very fast, due to the fumes. In addition you couldn't open the windows in summer if it was hot, because it did then become very noisy indeed. In addition we need to keep some form of voile over the curtains at all times so people were not sitting looking in. There is a feeling of a lack of privacy.

We were both pleased to move and to be brutally honest wouldn't do it again. The thing was you get so much more house for your money due to the issue. We now live very rurally and have went the opposite way totally as a reaction to it.

When we were buying this house three or so years ago, a couple we viewed we didn't realise were on a busy road and it was an immediate no from both of us, before we even walked in the door. We both had the same reaction of "oh shit it's on a main road".

Some folks are fine with it, but having done it, I wouldn't chose to do it again.

Brittanyspears · 03/04/2018 18:59

I looked at a stunning house on a busy road,and by pass, like others have said the noise wasn't the main issue. I was v concerned regarding the pollution as recent studies have said it can accelerate dementia etc.

Oblomov18 · 03/04/2018 19:15

I hate it.
Dh doesn't notice it.

Degu · 03/04/2018 19:45

I’m very sensitive to noise but I lived for years next to a busy A road and for me it did just become background noise, as did living really close to a railway line in a house with single glazed windows. I find other people’s noise much more stressful than traffic noise - loud music, shouting etc through the party wall, kids playing football, or people slamming car doors at 5am outside my house. You don’t generally hear those things when you live on a busy road.

JennyJames · 03/04/2018 19:45

We currently live near a relatively busy road (it’s behind us, and being overlooked isn’t an issue as there is a 6ft fence and tree line between us and it).

The general hum of traffic is absolutely fine, and I say that as someone who isn’t a fan of road noise.

But, we are also next to a set of traffic lights and it’s the total wankers racing off them at all times of day or night (usually motorbikes) that are the most intrusive.

So I would say look for things like lights/roundabout etc especially.

sdaisy26 · 03/04/2018 19:53

We did, for 7 years. Loved the house and the road never bothered us while we were there.

Except now we have moved to a much quieter road and it is absolute bliss. So it was having an impact just not one I realised at the time.

We also worried about the pollution esp for the dc - we still live in a city so there will be higher pollution than in the middle of the countryside but I do notice a difference in the air where we are now.

Original poster
clueless999 · 03/04/2018 22:35

argh. What people are saying about sleeping better in quieter places is really ringing true. Even DH says he sleeps really noticeably better at his parents' (in the middle of nowhere!).

It's not that I'm super-sensitive to noise but that I've become trained to be because of DH hearing problems - I go into a cafe and instantly am trying to assess whether we will be able to have a conversation (never did this before hearing issues - or maybe it's age as well!)

I wish there was a way of assessing how often the noise is bad and how often it's fine inside/at the back (as it was the first time) - we've checked the prevailing winds for the area (!) and they are changeable. But I don't want traffic noise to become something we're constantly worrying about. If only we could live in the house for a week to try it out....

OP posts:
Passthepinotquickly · 04/04/2018 09:07

Lived on a main road and after 3 years was desperate to move. Road was at the front, House was situated a little back with a drive but the main things that bothered me were double decker buses- felt overlooked, drivers who just don’t GAF and race, pull out, dirty- front of the house and cars were always dusty and felt like the house was dustier too but the main one was opening windows in the summer. Bedroom overlook the front and I would wake up Constantly.

I don’t think it’s something I would do again tbh

MiaowTheCat · 04/04/2018 09:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BinkyandBunty · 04/04/2018 09:27

I lasted 4 years.

It was a secondary road but on a hill and with plenty of trucks, pretty much around the clock.

The pros were that it was a bloody gorgeous home for about 80% of what it would've cost a few streets back. I also felt very safe coming home alone in the dark, along a busy and well lit street.

But I find the noise relentless and falling asleep was difficult some nights. Once asleep I was usually ok. And being unable to open the front windows to catch a cool breeze on a hot day was disappointing.

Definitely the bedrooms and any other room where you need quiet would want to be at the back of the house.

SarahMused · 04/04/2018 09:40

Download one of the decibel measuring apps and have a look at the road and rail noise map www.extrium.co.uk/noiseviewer.html. Might give you an objective view of the issues.

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