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Original poster

Moving from a quiet London street to a house on a very busy A road in the country ...... advice please am in a dilemna!

64 replies

2Earlgreysplease · 02/07/2018 14:45

Would you do it? We have seen a fabulous family house but it is situated on a long stretch of fast and straight A road. I am having serious doubts about whether I (who will be the one there most of the time - children at school and husband away a lot) will be able to cope with the constant woosh of cash and thundering trucks etc going past the house. My gut says no. However, this is an amazing house which otherwise woudn't be affordable to us. It has been on the market for a year for obvious reasons and I am also worried about resale value.
This is going to be our 'forever home' and I do not want to buy in haste and repent at leisure.
Any thoughts would be so welcome. I am the bad guy in all of this as my husband has fallen for the house and the whole set up and my children are desperate for the lovely big garden.....

OP posts:
Original poster
2Earlgreysplease · 02/07/2018 14:46

sorry, not the woosh of cash - that would obviously be great ;-) I meant the woosh of cars...!

OP posts:
SingingTunelessly · 02/07/2018 14:51

I really wouldn’t do it tbh. It’s probably a NSL road as well if it’s in the countryside which means not just a lot of traffic but very fast traffic to boot. If you’re used to a fairly quiet road it might drive you to distraction.

ExBbqQueen · 02/07/2018 14:56

No no no. We live on a busy B road. 40 mph. Never again. Sorry. I’ve got used to the noise traffic but not the speed.

notsolittlegrebe · 02/07/2018 17:19

The air quality and road safety if you walked/cycled anywhere would concern me the most. You can get some pretty accurate air quality maps on line if you have a Google. And definitely go back at different times of the day and see what you can hear inside with windows open and in the garden.

Disfordarkchocolate · 02/07/2018 17:21

I wouldn't be able to move, it's not just the noise it's the health implications of all the pollution.

ChristmasTablecloth · 02/07/2018 17:21

No! Why would you? Have you seen the number of posts from people who regret leaving London. But I could never ever live on an A road. When I drive past houses like that I just feel sorry for the occupants.

notsolittlegrebe · 02/07/2018 17:21

And also consider the prevailing wind direction..

JT05 · 02/07/2018 17:21

No, if it’s that busy I’d worry about getting in and out myself! As well as everything pps have said.

ChristmasTablecloth · 02/07/2018 17:22

You wouldn't be able to have a cat or dog, you would take your life in your hands every time you tried to get out of your drive, your children would never be able to walk anywhere unaccompanied. Sounds like madness to me.

sunshinesupermum · 02/07/2018 17:22

No. Not with young children and the noise will drive you insane.

scopello · 02/07/2018 20:48

Just don't! If it's busy on a weekday morning, the garden will never be relaxing or peaceful. You'll regret it. Find another house which is not on an A road.

theboxofdelights · 02/07/2018 20:54

No, we lived in a beautiful house with ten acres of land behind us on a rural A road - 40mph speed limit. Narrow long plot.

Took two years to sell.

We now live in town in a conservation area (so was house on road) opposite a huge green without any passing traffic - dead end road with a dozen houses).

In town is quieter, so peaceful compared to our rural home. I had to put the dog in the car to walk her, we couldn't ride our bikes from the house - well you could if you really wanted to.

The traffic could be heard in the back garden, in the field.

I would advise against it.

OlennasWimple · 02/07/2018 20:58

No. There's a reason why it's cheaper than similar properties on quieter roads

keyboardkate · 02/07/2018 20:59

I think you know deep down that this house is not for you. Go with your gut. You will find another, maybe not as big but with all the bells and whistles that you want, and an A road outside your front door is obviously not one of them!

As you said yourself you do NOT want to repent at leisure....

MrStarkIDontFeelSoGood · 02/07/2018 21:00

Is A BIG HELLO TO JASON ISAACS AND INDEED JEREMY IRONS in order OP? 😄

Growingboys · 02/07/2018 21:01

No it sounds awful, no matter how nice the house inside.

Don't do it.

I think houses are like men - you know the right one when you see it, no doubts.

Racecardriver · 02/07/2018 21:05

Is it actually on the A road or just near it? Is there a sound bank? Is the road single or dual carriageway? How busy is the A road? Any speed restrictions? Would you have to emerge onto the a road when leaving your house? I wouldn't worry about air quality. Even right next to an a road the air will still be cleaner than in London.

elastamum · 02/07/2018 21:10

I live in a rural house on an unrestricted road. We are about 30 metres back behind a hedge and it is fine. I wouldn't want to live right up against the road though as people keep driving off it in the snow.

catandpanda · 03/07/2018 08:25

No I wouldn't. Would leave London - are doing it too though where we are is very noisy, crime starting to get very nasty, but in countryside would want somewhere tranquil. I would compromise on house size.

ImMissHannigan · 03/07/2018 08:34

I live in a large house on a busy main road with a large garden like you describe. Overlooking fields on one side and road on the other. Ideally it would be not on a busy road, but I love it. Anywhere else it would have been a lot more expensive. But we love it, literally the best of both worlds. Easy access to the village and schools and just don't notice the noise. We have a dog, go out on bikes and the kids walk to school and bus stop. I wouldn't rule it out just because of the road. Visit the property at different times of day and you might be surprised.

MakeLemonade · 03/07/2018 08:39

Would you be up for sharing a link?

I think it depends on the setup of the house, drive etc and some MNers may know the area and give more specific advice. Some A roads by me would be fine, others you’d have to pay me to live on!

HelloToJasonIsaacs · 03/07/2018 08:42

Would you have to get in the car to go anywhere at all as well? That’s what would drive me mad, even before the traffic problem.

specialsubject · 03/07/2018 08:47

no. Why move to the country for noise? It will get worse, traffic always does.

MyWaterButtIsEmpty · 03/07/2018 08:49

You would lose everything that is good about living in London and gain almost nothing that is good about living rurally. This isn't your house.

lutjanus · 03/07/2018 09:02

I rented a house on an NSL B road. Road was a rat run so busy am/pm rush hours, but quiet otherwise.

Like PP house was about 30m back from road with hedge/trees so traffic noise not too much problem. Also when sitting on patio the house blocked the road noise.

You said its on a straight stretch so visibility entering/exiting your drive is probably OK as that's key.

My main gripe was you had to drive everywhere as no footpath and too dangerous to walk on road with traffic speed. Had to drive 5 mins up the road even to walk dog.