Detached on a main road? Or Semi on a quiet road?

[Custardcreams35]

A house has come up which looks ideal, is detached but is on a busy main road - I am talking double decker buses thundering past. It is set back slightly with double glazing, and I reckon shutters and thick curtains would also help. We have two small children and the front is all gated so the safety aspects of them running out would be covered off.

We are struggling to find anything in budget for what we are looking for. I would be more than happy with a semi (currently in terraced) but this house would give us more space than we could have hoped for and is in great condition.

Is this a compromise that you’ve made and regretted? Is it worth it for a detached house?

I live on a busy road. What does it sound like in the garden? That's the one place I hate it - I have acoustic curtains inside and the road noise doesn't really bother me.

The other problem with a busy road is crossing it - my daughter is now able to walk to school and I am filled with anxiety every morning and afternoon. Hopefully there's a suitable crossing/lights near the detached.

I've experienced noisy neighbours and would take road noise over that any day of the week. If you get a house share or similar, next door, you could be in for a world of fun with parties and loud music - or any kind of inconsiderate neighbour. I'd take the detached.

I also live in hope that electric vehicles/road improvements over time will lessen the noise.

Detached all the way. The other might be a quiet road but what if your semi neighbours are a noisy nightmare??
Acoustic fencing and hedging, soft furnishings to absorb noise, you soon acclimatise to background road noise in a way you won't to neighbour noise. And as your kids get older, the convenience of those buses is not to be overlooked

I would always go with detached however with small kids definitely not on a main road. I live on a main road on a large plot and our cars and windows at the front are always filthy and not just because we're lazy! My main road is a small village in Scotland with a steady flow of cars and tractors but no buses or lorries so with kids, definitely not.

You’re not saying much about the semi @Custardcreams35 - surely that also has extra space compared to your current house?

I’m another vote for a semi on a quiet road. Much nicer imo than a detached house on a busy Road & probably easier to sell in future.

We have been outbid on that semi, it was out of a price range anyway so knew we wouldn’t get it! But sort of explains where we are and struggling to get what we want without budget, without some major compromise.

Aw sorry to hear you hit outbid on the semi.

I just cannot understand why people ignore the impact of pollution on health, which is particularly bad for children. It is not just emissions but also particles from tires and breaks. They damage your heart, lungs and brain. The noise disrupts your sleep, impacts mental health. Low rise houses should not even be on busy roads.

So we went back today at rush hour, and honestly when you’re in the house you really couldn’t hear it. The house is set back and really solid so didn’t vibrate.

but the pollution is a concern, but there is the possibility with ULEZ and electric cars that it should only get better and not worse at least.

It really is the perfect house, but it is the next town along and so we would need to change my youngests nursery and I doubt we would be in in time for school applications in January.

so the perfect house but just too many compromises???

Hi OP - just found this thread. What did you decide? We're considering something similar currently!

Another vote for quiet road. I'd worry about all the horrible pollution (and not just from the petrol).

We went for the detached! Currently going through the long and torturous process but hoping to exchange in Feb.

It will be noisier but we decided we were happy tk compromise on that

Deleted as I missed the update

Thank you for letting us know. I was wondering about you too. Good luck xx

Yes we did this and no regrets .
I was brought up on the country and used to need complete silence to sleep.
We moved into current house on a main road 12 years ago.
No regrets.
It's a sandstone house so insulation is poor but I can honestly say I'm not aware of it unless I listen.
Friends further along have a brick built house so well insulated and honestly I can hardly hear rit in their house.

If you can, visit the road at times it will matter to you, so late at night etc.

We bought on a busy (for the area) road.

Kids can't play out like I used to, growing up in a cul de sac.
No rescue centre will let us adopt a cat.
I worry about parcels being left on the doorstep getting stolen. Though it's never happened.

@NewYearNewNameOldMe
On the contrary, it will be hard to steal anything from a main road...too many people passing.