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Original poster

Perfect House but on A4

48 replies

Samara26 · 27/03/2022 05:46

Hey, I've been looking for a house for a year now and watched prices and interest rates rise and have finally found a house I like within budget (just) that doesn't need much updating and is fairly new and energy efficient/ EPC B! It's also oil fired heating with an oil tank in the garden as opposed to gas. Apparently it costs around the same (£850 a year for 3 bed house).

Only downside is that it's right next to the A4, bar a little slip road in between. Around 20 mins drive to Reading town or 15 to shops which is ok. The road noise can't really be heard inside the house, but I'm worried about pollution. It's not a congested or really busy road but there are trucks and cars going past at around 50-70 constantly. It's just not rammed or queuing up.

Tbh I never sit in the garden anyway but I'm worried about pollution making it's way inside the house, in summer for instance when you open windows, although I'd try to only open them at the back of the house, which is further away from the road. I'd say the road is around 50 feet from the house, maybe more.

At the second viewing today I could smell diesel or car fumes in the air but I didn't last time, although I'm sure they're there. To give context, this is fairly rural so both sides of the road are mainly surrounded by agriculture and fields. It's all pretty flat.

What does everyone think? I could move there for 5 years and then move on? I'm a first time buyer and need to get on the ladder before prices go up anymore and interest rates hike up more!

I'm really not sure what to do, I've missed out on some good houses already from being too cautious.

OP posts:

TulipsGarden · 27/03/2022 05:50

It's affordable because it's on the A4.

Personally I wouldn't want to live anywhere near a busy road, I hate traffic noise and the pollution would worry me, especially with children. But obviously people do live in these places, so it's worth it to them for some reason.

LemonViolet · 27/03/2022 05:54

Personally it’d be a no from me. Oil has massively increased in cost as well. The road will always be an issue when it comes to resale as well.

I’d be looking for something you can add value to even if it’s just with a gradual cosmetic upgrade over the time you live there.

Bedsheets4knickers · 27/03/2022 06:02

Have you seen the price of oil right now ? It's of the chart .

Saltyquiche · 27/03/2022 06:14

I’d worry about the road pollution so wouldn’t buy the property. The health issues linked to pollution are very real.

Saltyquiche · 27/03/2022 06:16

Also potentially difficult to sell on

Original poster

Samara26 · 27/03/2022 06:16

@LemonViolet

Personally it’d be a no from me. Oil has massively increased in cost as well. The road will always be an issue when it comes to resale as well.

I’d be looking for something you can add value to even if it’s just with a gradual cosmetic upgrade over the time you live there.

To be honest I don't really understand the whole adding value thing. I saw another house that was £330k, the highest offer was 340k so I'd have had to match that. It need around 15-20k of updates so I'm really paying 360k for it which is what it would sell for if I sold it on, as I think the valuation would be 369-365k.

So how are u adding value, if you have to spend the money on getting a new bathroom, skimming walls, new flooring, insert a downstaris cloakroom? If all these things were already done, they'd probably have priced it at £350-360k instead.

OP posts:

Porridgeislife · 27/03/2022 06:21

It wouldn’t be my choice. Houses on/near A roads take longer to sell. We’ve been looking in this area east of Reading & houses on or very near the Bath Road do sit on the market for much longer.

You will always have worries about pets or children with the road nearby.

You might not sit in the garden but future buyers will if it’s rural - we have discounted a couple of houses because of the road noise in the back garden from an A road. For us it was “not at any price”, we’d rather take on work/a project than compromise on location.

BritInUS1 · 27/03/2022 06:24

I wouldn't want to live that close to an A road

Oil is hugely expensive at the moment. I would ask to see copies of their bills from the last 12 months to see how many litres they have purchased then look at current costs

Ours has doubled since November

NiceTwin · 27/03/2022 06:31

I'll echo what others have said.
During Covid, we filled our 2,500 litre tank for £647. To fill it this week would be over £2000.....and that is if we could get it, we have another week to wait for the suppliers to have stock.

As for living on an A road, i just wouldn't.

RealRaymondReddington · 27/03/2022 06:35

I wouldn't worry about the oil personally. It has gone up, but always drops in the summer (already starting to now) and even with everything going on it still isn't costing more than when we had gas heating - it is apparently more efficient than gas. Also, the owners probably won't have bills from last 12 months, our delivery just comes with a scrap of paper and a note saying delivered, no idea where they are or if we have kept them! Most houses are going to have to change to something better for the environment in the not too distant future anyway.

The road would bother me more, I'd test at different times of day for noise and see what you think. Also, have a Google as I think there are websites where you can check air quality by postcode.

Original poster

Samara26 · 27/03/2022 06:50

@RealRaymondReddington

The road would bother me more, I'd test at different times of day for noise and see what you think. Also, have a Google as I think there are websites where you can check air quality by postcode.

Thank you! The road noise can only be heard slightly in the front of the house, but not in lounge or master bedroom at back. I hear more road noise in the old terrace I'm in now and it's just a busy road, it's not an A-road and it's definitely polluted. It's probably because the windows are old. I couldn't imagine anyone viewing a house here and discounting it for those reasons though, as the road appears fairly harmless. You also get boy racers going down at least once a day, even though there are speed bumps, which makes the street stink.

For me it's the pollution, but the whole of Reading is very polluted, in my opinion. And so are many other big towns. I just thought if I'm only going in and out of my car to and from the house and not really spending any time outside, would it be ok?

OP posts:

ukborn · 27/03/2022 07:32

You add value by adding square footage. Tarting things up may make a property more sellable, but doesn't really add value.
How long term is the house? In ten years I imagine the balance of cars will be electric. Maybe not transport vehicles, but it might make a difference to not only the pollution but noise. Still I'd hesitate - but if you are getting more house due to location then only you can decide if it's worth it. It may take longer when you come to sell too, even if priced accordingly.

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 27/03/2022 07:45

Absolutely would not by a house that close to an A road.

hattie43 · 27/03/2022 07:52

I'm going against the grain here but road noise doesn't bother me .
the south east is so built up now most people have some kind of noise , planes , trains , motorways , shitty neighbours blaring out stereophonics at 2am , backfiring banger cars .
It's amazing how you tune out road noise .
Fit the house with accoustics , plant trees / greenery to absorb any pollution
The birds singing in my garden are what I hear not my road noise .
Electric cars will reduce noise and the biggie is a cheaper property .

Original poster

Samara26 · 27/03/2022 07:55

@ukborn

You add value by adding square footage. Tarting things up may make a property more sellable, but doesn't really add value. How long term is the house? In ten years I imagine the balance of cars will be electric. Maybe not transport vehicles, but it might make a difference to not only the pollution but noise. Still I'd hesitate - but if you are getting more house due to location then only you can decide if it's worth it. It may take longer when you come to sell too, even if priced accordingly.

I was thinking short term, around 5 years.

With buyer demand the way it is, everything sells at the moment- unless they start building a lot more houses!

This house was on the market for a few weeks and sold last time but buyer was stuck in a chain and it fell through. It's been on market a week so far. Open day with 7 viewings today and another lined up. I expect it will be dpd within a couple of weeks which is a long time in todays market but not bad in the scheme of things.

OP posts:

Original poster

Samara26 · 27/03/2022 07:57

@hattie43

I'm going against the grain here but road noise doesn't bother me . the south east is so built up now most people have some kind of noise , planes , trains , motorways , shitty neighbours blaring out stereophonics at 2am , backfiring banger cars . It's amazing how you tune out road noise . Fit the house with accoustics , plant trees / greenery to absorb any pollution The birds singing in my garden are what I hear not my road noise . Electric cars will reduce noise and the biggie is a cheaper property .

I think electric cars are a way off yet - most people can't afford them and the infrastructure isn't in place.

OP posts:

Original poster

Samara26 · 27/03/2022 08:02

@hattie43

I'm going against the grain here but road noise doesn't bother me . the south east is so built up now most people have some kind of noise , planes , trains , motorways , shitty neighbours blaring out stereophonics at 2am , backfiring banger cars . It's amazing how you tune out road noise . Fit the house with accoustics , plant trees / greenery to absorb any pollution The birds singing in my garden are what I hear not my road noise . Electric cars will reduce noise and the biggie is a cheaper property .

I do agree with you regarding noise though. Most houses are near some sort of busy road or a flight path or train station. All towns are polluted. Where I used to live was seemingly idyllic apart from the neighbour who decided to fix cars on his driveway behind our house and run and rev the cars for ages, leaving the whole of our back garden stinking of car fumes and if I left the windows open overnight, and slept in, I'd wake up to my whole bedroom stinking of diesel! If it's not one thing, it's another!

OP posts:

DaphneduM · 27/03/2022 08:08

We bought a house on an A road through a village a few years ago. To be honest, for us, it's been absolutely fine. The house is set back with lots of trees and shrubs and is double glazed so you don't notice the road noise. We took a view on pollution - there is also pollution from woodburners here too. If you're in a fairly open situation and surrounded by fields I would have thought there should be a good airflow to dissipate some of it.

For us the massive advantages - a beautiful large four bed detached for a very good price in a lovely village with access to facilities but also countryside - fully renovated with a great mature garden, outweighed the disadvantages. The garden is fully secure at the back, so we can let our two cats out safely. Also in bad weather the road is gritted so it's safe for travelling. We'll have been here three years and no regrets at all.

SixteenTwelve · 27/03/2022 08:12

Why has it taken you a year to find something? As FTB really you shouldn’t be fussy. It’s unlikely to be your forever home and getting on the ladder is the priority.

You are interested in buying it so chances are someone else will be as well.

I will give you the same advice that I have to a friend who was dithering over whether a 3 bed semi with garage was “enough room” for just him and his girlfriend which was that if you wait much longer you might find all you can afford is a 2 bed flat.

Frazzled2207 · 27/03/2022 08:24

Going against the grain a bit I have just left a house that was on a busy road. It was noisy out the front but bedroom and lounge and kitchen were at the back - when windows closed you couldn’t hear the traffic. You def could in back garden but was not too bad. Vibrations from passing trucks were more bothersome than the noise. We just left for a peaceful cul de sac but we were at the house on the main road for 11 years - like you we could only afford that house because of where it was. And when it went on the market I was worried about the road but the truth is we had 3 offers above asking price within a week.

Things to consider

although we did have nice neighbours it’s difficult to form relationships over hedges etc when there’s so much traffic noise

Air pollution won’t be significantly better inside rather than outside the house

I personally wouldn’t live anywhere where you can only drive to get anywhere and I know a lot of newish estates are like that. I’d want amenities within walking distance, safe cycle routes etc. The cost of driving (not just in terms of £) is getting extortionate and that may affect the resale value more than the proximity to the road.

Frazzled2207 · 27/03/2022 08:29

Ps will disagree with you on the electric cars front. Yes they are expensive but infrastructure is fine IF you have a driveway to park your car and charge it and many (def not all) new houses are well set up for this
It’s polluted round here but at least I get to feel a bit smug about not contributing to it.
Pollution from vehicles should ease but tbh probably not very quickly

LtGreggs · 27/03/2022 08:33

Buy it and plant a good thick hedge between you & the road. This is straightforward to do DIY. Hedge will look like nothing at first, but 5-10 years from now will be a very effective noise & pollution screen, and will make the house look good to sell.

Ignore this advice if it would mean planting up against your windows or blocking all garden sunlight.

ImplementingTheDennisSystem · 27/03/2022 08:45

We live on the edge of a beautiful little market town, but we back onto a railway line and A road running parallel to one another.
The noise doesn't bother me at all and I never taste pollution, but the back of the house is a bit dirty so I guess it's there. If anything, I live that the land directly behind us can never be built on, so we'll never be overlooked.
BUT, the oil tank would put me off of buying your place. Prices have gone crazy at the moment.

FurierTransform · 27/03/2022 09:18

Is this in a town right alongside the A4, or more rural? You say its set back with traffic is passing at 50-70 so sounds like it's more like a hamlet.

If it's rural, air pollution won't be an issue - that's only really a problem in built up areas with high traffic volume (think living right off the south circular - heavy stop start traffic and big buildings all around). And traffic pollution is trending downwards rapidly anyway so could In theory be a smart buy.

Noise will be a personal thing - I'd just go for a walk and check it out. Don't forget it will be more constant & heavier on weekdays when you might not care.

Heronwatcher · 27/03/2022 10:10

Nope, noise, dirt, pollution and probably a nightmare to sell on as many people will simply dismiss without looking at it- i.e. people with kids, pets, asthma etc. You’d be far better to compromise somewhere else, like condition or location (go a bit further away).

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