Dual carriageway - rural property

[LineofFruity]

Viewed a rural property today. Surrounded by fields, no near neighbours. Has land, sort of thing doesn’t come up often, complete renovation project required so total cost will be about £800k which is a real stretch for us - will mean no holidays, rarely eating out and careful budgeting.

We could do it if it was our dream / forever house but it is very close (as the crow flies) to a busy dual carriageway where there is a roundabout so cars slowing and then accelerating. The road felt very noisy to us, literally couldn’t hear the birds over it.

Do you get used to it or would it be a deal breaker?

Deal breaker unless you plan a career in farming in which are you need the acreage

I live about 150m as the crow flies from a dual carriageway. Not a massively busy one. Not very noisy, just background hum. But I hate it. I've never got used to it and I hate the sound of it when the wind blows it towards us in the evening.
I've also once lived next to a railway line (for a year in halls at uni). I loved that! It wasn't constant and I found the occasional whoosh quite comforting.

I can do railway and plane noise but not road.

The question is if you could afford the house if it wasn’t near a dual carriageway. Is it a compromise worth making for that house?

I'd be concerned about the pollution, fumes and tyre dust! If you'd cant even hear the birds, then why move somewhere rural?

I recently moved from inner city, on a main, busy road with a train line nearby. I'm now in a quiet lane and the difference is remarkable. I love hearing and seeing the birds, and no longer get black soot like powder on my window sills!

Deal breaker. What's the point of going rural if you have constant road noise?

I wouldn't do it. You'll sink all your money in, have no luxuries and will constantly hear the road. I think you would regret it, but would the house itself cost more if the same house wasn't near the road?

No, No, No, No. From experience.

Yep, it was highlighted during lockdown how the noise wears me down, the quiet was so calming.

I wouldn't stretch that far to buy a house so, for me, the dual carriageway wouldn't be a factor. (If I had the money, the noise would be a dealbreaker though)

It would be a deal breaker for me.

It'd be a deal breaker for me. If only because it'd take forever to sell if answers on this thread are anything to go by.

Everytime on property programmes I instantly reject houses when I hear traffic... (and low ceilings /beams!)

I grew up living about 200m from a motorway, and only 'heard' the noise when it stopped when the motorway was closed so traffic noise never bothered me. However I think a roundabout would be more irritating, plus I never knew any different. I live on a 40mph road now and it definitely seems noisier than the motorway, mostly because its not constant

Definite no from me too. I've lived near a dual carriageway on two occasions ( house number 1 was my first purchase so naive to this kind of thing), house 2 I really loved and thought it would be fine).

Both big (expensive) mistakes. Nowadays roads tend to be busy 24/7, and the noise seems louder at nighttime when you're trying to sleep in the summer with the windows open. When it rains the road surface is even noisier.

It's something you can never change, so I'd steer clear. It will most likely bug you over time.

It's a no from me Op.

You will struggle to sell so it’s a no from me.

It would be a deal-breaker for me. There's no point living rurally if all the bloody noise is still there.

Hmn. We had a house a field away from a motorway. When the wind blew our way, we had to shout to hear each other in the garden. We agreed we would not buy a house close to a major road like that again, especially if it was downwind of the prevailing wind, as that one was. For three years I had digs in central London, on a major road close to a fire station and two hospitals. One evening, a house across the street caught fire. Despite the arrival of three fire engines, I only noticed the noise when a window broke- I was so used to sirens screaming up and stopping at the traffic lights at all hours (but not used to the sound of breaking glass). I think in the end noise wears you down, even if you stop noticing it consciously.

Deal breaker for me too

Miserable and would be difficult to sell on in a less buoyant market.

I wouldn't, if you're worried about it now then you'll be hypersensitive to it and it sounds like it would be a costly mistake.

I guess long term electric cars might reduce the road noise?

Dealbreaker for me. Noise, smell, pollution!

I live half a mile as the crow flies form a 40mph stretch of dual carriage way and we still hear the road noise in the garden. Doesn’t bother us but we can hear it.

I used to live on an inner city main route and we could never have the windows open in summer, hated it and would never do it again.

Would be a deal breaker for me. We actually viewed a property recently on the edge of a lovely market town... very cheap for what it was (4 bed detached with great plot) but it was right next to a busy road and we decided that we just weren't willing to compromise on that. It was very loud in the garden. That's why it was so cheap I guess!