Semi-detached or terraced noise

[JL642]

Hello! I was lucky enough to grow up in a (small) detached house as a child.

As an adult I’ve bought two properties - one a 1900s terrace and one a 1930s terrace. Both properties we can hear the neighbours, although luckily in the bedrooms we can’t! (I think because the wardrobes are on the party wall).

Is it normal to always be able to hear your neighbours in any semi-detached/terraced, are are there certain period properties with thicker joining walls?

Interested to see if this is a general problem for most of the population!

I hope you are reporting the child abuse.

Parties are loud though.

I used to have party issues caused by a neighbour not attached.

Detached helps but neighbours are luck of the draw.

Does the type of building make a difference do you think - where I live the walls are thick stone so I imagine that transfers noise less then Victorian brick? Or as a PP says, maybe it’s just about the people?

80s terrace here. I can hear one side a little (they have a young child). It's not intrusive though.

1990's house. We were amazed how little we hear. We do have staircase to staircase so only the lounge, bathroom and the spare room are attached and we hear very little. Shouting if it gets really loud, slamming of a door but that's it. They also have 5 kids next door in a 3 bed so we were really surprised.

Same as many other posters-
1930s semi- quiet elderly neighbour, no problem. Realised how bad it was for noise when horrible inconsiderate family with 5 big sons moved in.

1900ish mid terrace- astonishingly bad for noise carrying from both sides. Currently a quiet retired couple on one side and the other side empty for sale. Terrified of who might buy it!!

If we ever move again it will be for detached I hope.

Then there is the late-night DIY enthusiast 🙄

It depends on your neighbours and the construction more than semi versus terrace (although you obviously have more sides in the latter).

We are mid terrace but have a tunnel so not joined on one side downstairs and we both have extensions on back so in effect the loudest bits of house are detached.

Other side we are just joined by the stairs. I can her my neighbour hoovering them if I have nothing on in the house but that's about it.

Bedrooms I can hear their new year party a bit and occasionally they haven't realised Alexa is playing through multiple speakers but it's only faint

I think the real key is if you like your neighbours. Mine are brilliant so I think 'oh Doris is hoovering' but when the sounds are unknown it's somehow more stressful.

Soft furnishings are also critical. When my neighbour first moved in they had a day or so before their stuff arrived and work to do so they pulled up carpets etc. The noise from an empty house with just a couple of people was was louder than when they've had huge parties now that it is furnished..

Depends on the layout of the house too. My first house I bought was a new build semi (would be 8 years old now) and the hallway and the two houses were mirror images of eachother, so stairs were on the party wall and living rooms at opposite ends. Never heard a thing from my neighbours except stilettos on the tiled floor in the hall.

That being said, I'm glad to live in a detached house now!