Will I get used to road noise in garden?

[StaringAtTheWater]

We've had an offer accepted on a house we really like, but there's worry keeps coming back to niggle at me, which is road noise in the garden.

The road the house is on, is a very quiet dead end road, but it's about 200m from an A road. You can't hear anything in the house, but you can in the garden. It's not very loud (about 45-50 decibels according to a phone app) but it is pretty constant.

DH and my sister (who I invited round for a second opinion) think I'm being a bit ridiculous! We will struggle to find anything nearly as nice house wise within budget in that area. My plan is to purchase a solar powered water feature to drown the road noise out - has anyone done this and did it work? Will I just get used to it anyway?

How long will you be living there? The proportion of petrol and diesel cars will reduce over coming years as electrics take over. Whilst you still get some road / tyre noise from them at least the engine noise will be eliminated. Our house is near a junction that gets busy during rush hour so I'm hanging onto the thought that it will only get better with time!

We lived here n a very peaceful place ( road wise) until the land was sold and we got new neighbors. We then found the house of our dreams, but beside a country road. I never thought I’d get used to it but I did. And give me a road anyday ( it’s totally silent at night) compared to the powerless of having noisy neighbors.

@FGSWhatNow we are planning to be there for quite a while (13+ years) so it might improve over that time. Think the stage when the majority of cars on the road are electric, is still a while off though (as even if the sale of new ones is banned from 2030, you'll still have a lot of the old petrol ones on the road for many years after). But if anyone has seen stats / predictions which show I'm being overly pessimistic on that front, I'd be very interested to see them!

I lived a similar distance from a busy road and never got used to it. I lived there for five years and couldn't wait to move. Buyers also noticed it and it was discussed at every viewing. I have never got used to things that bother me initially. The things that bother me slightly just end up bothering me a lot.

I grew up on a main road, buses passing 10 foot from my bedroom window & a railway track 100 metres from the house, I never noticed the noise.

I wonder how you feel about it now almost a year since you posted it? Did you get used to the noise? I totally understand you. We bought a house over 2yrs ago, and I had the same worries. Between our garden and the A road there is a row of houses, a field and a river. The noise from the road is also around 50 decibels, sometimes more. I thought I’ll get used to it, but I now know I never will.
I grew up opposite train track, trains never bother me. But the never ending noise from cars just drives me mad when I’m outside and want to just relax in a peaceful garden, listen to birds and nature :( All I hear is fast driving cars and motorbikes (the worst!!!). It’s not a constant shhhh noise like a distant motorway or a river, the traffic is constantly slowing down and speeding up. It makes me not enjoy my garden at all…We already know we will be moving from here, only waiting for things to stabilise with interest rates etc. I believe if you don’t like noise, you will never get used to it…

Ghhh

Oops! I could've written this myself! Just moved in and last home was so quiet, cul de sac. Now I can hear constant traffic from next road and a main one. It's driving me nuts! I hate traffic noise but I'm trying to get used to it. Loved our old home, didn't want to move really but agreed to. Was so blessed to have quiet (apart from usual neighbour noises, which were fine) and regret moving.

Going to try a water feature, hope it helps, as I love being in the garden. Can hear it inside a bit when windows open, which they usually are.

Maybe an outdoor speaker on low volume playing pleasant sounds? Xx

I never got used to road noise and ended up moving. It really wears you down. I was half a mile from a motorway.

I have a major road at the back of my house past the garden and some shops, it is 30mph though and joins a motorway though that’s much further away.
i don’t notice it anymore, been here 13 years

Our long garden backs on to a busy A road. You can hear the cars from the garden but not the house (unless windows open).

You get used to it. I don't notice it unless I happen to be outside at about 6.30pm when it suddenly gets quieter! So really, I notice the quiet rather than the noise. It is white noise really, so easy to tune out!

Thanks, it's been over a year now since we moved in and I did get used to it quickly (and to be honest I can't think why I was so worried about it!)

There are a lot of trees between us and the road, so that blocks quite a bit of the noise in summer. It's more noticeable in winter when the branches are bare, but then we aren't sitting out in the garden anyway.

Sorry to hear it's still annoying for those who are struggling with it - hope you find a good solution (even if it is moving!)

My mate has a house with a small garden and the Hastings main line running at the bottom of it.

He says they never notice the trains. Not as constant as traffic, but a lot louder, I expect.

You'll get used to it, same as trains. I completely didn't notice the trains - unless there's a steam train special going though. I did re-notice them on electrification because it's a different sound.