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Property/DIY

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Original poster

Should I go view this house?

57 replies

Brooomhilda · 14/01/2025 13:21

There is a house we really love on Zoopla. We keep looking at it. But we drove around the neighbourhood to see if we'd like it and it's about 20m from a major road and about 40m from a busy, London bound train line. We drove near the house and wound down the car window and the train and car noise was more than we'd like.

I keep thinking "maybe we should just have a viewing". Is this stupid? I'm worried about wasting the home owners time. Can you love a house enough to ignore things about the environment that aren't ideal?

OP posts:

TheSecondMrsCampbellBlack · 14/01/2025 13:22

You have nothing to lose by viewing. Can you link?

Notmanyleftnow · 14/01/2025 13:23

Many people get used to train and traffic noise and stop noticing it after a while.

Derbee · 14/01/2025 13:24

the train and car noise was more than we'd like

Thats your answer. Don’t go and view it. The house might be so wonderful inside that you get swept up in it all, and end up living somewhere that ultimately makes you miserable. Train noise would be awful to live near

Original poster

Brooomhilda · 14/01/2025 13:27

@TheSecondMrsCampbellBlack it's this one. You can see the road in pic 31 and then the train line is behind the tree line behind the road.

www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/68820024/

OP posts:

Original poster

Brooomhilda · 14/01/2025 13:29

@Notmanyleftnow the problem is we live in a main road now and it's one of the reasons we want to move. But we live literally ON the main road - open the front door and the road is on the other side of the pavement.

OP posts:

Original poster

Brooomhilda · 14/01/2025 13:31

@Derbee that's also what I'm afraid of. It ticks all the boxes for what we're looking for in a house and I'm worried I'll ignore the problem of the road (it doesn't look busy in the photo but between 7.30am-9am and 4.30pm-6.30pm it's a nightmare), which is a 40mph road but usually people drive much faster.

OP posts:

JustCrow · 14/01/2025 13:35

That’s quite a way away from the road.

Original poster

Brooomhilda · 14/01/2025 13:36

@JustCrow it's okay but the car and train noise is constant. It's a 40 but people often drive faster when they can. And when they can't, it's usually because it's congested. I can just imagine trying to relax in the garden and constantly hearing the low hum of traffic. And then a train horn.

OP posts:

Original poster

Brooomhilda · 14/01/2025 13:38

As you can see from this map, it's pretty close to road and train line. On the flip side, that does mean good London train connections and immediate access to main road for travel.

OP posts:

TheSecondMrsCampbellBlack · 14/01/2025 13:40

Is your house sold? If not will your proximity to the road be an issue?
I think you can't tell unless you stand in the garden or outside but during rush hour.

MiddleAgedDread · 14/01/2025 13:44

Depends if you think you could get used to the noise (and pollution). I'm fine with trains as I grew up with a fairly quiet line at the back of our house but I've never lived on a main road and whenever I stay anywhere with traffic noise it bothers me.

RainbowsAreNotTheOnlyFruit · 14/01/2025 13:46

Don’t view it. You can’t change the location. The garden will be noisy as well as being overlooked. Why are the current owners selling? They haven’t been there very long. The listing history suggests it was sold at a loss on the previous sale in December 2024!

fiorentina · 14/01/2025 13:46

Having backed onto the east coast main line the train noise didn’t annoy me, but traffic would more so. Is the road and train down and embankment or ‘above you’ as that impacts the volume. And wind direction/climate etc.
Have a look and make a decision but maybe book to go at the busiest time eg early evening when road noise at its maximum?

fiorentina · 14/01/2025 13:48

RainbowsAreNotTheOnlyFruit · 14/01/2025 13:46

I think it was reduced in December having been listed at a higher price in November. Vendors bought in 2020. Seems a bit desperate to sell?

Cattery · 14/01/2025 13:49

It’s so lovely OP. I’d put up with low flying fighter jets to live somewhere like that ❤️

SlovenlyOldSlut · 14/01/2025 13:52

What are your alternatives? Could you get something of similar quality for the same price, but away from the railway, or is this within budget because of it?

My flat is so close to a railway line that I can see the faces of train passengers from my bedroom window! However, it meant I could afford a nice two-bed in an area where otherwise it would have been either a one-bed or, if I was lucky, a two-bed needing a lot of work. To me it was worth the sacrifice, and I was used to the noise within weeks. If I could have had something similar within budget that wasn’t by a railway, I’d have done that.

Frostynoman · 14/01/2025 13:57

What an immaculate house! The A34 is never going to be quiet however I think you’d get more used to. You won’t lose anything with a viewing. I don’t know where you are currently situated but I’d be concerned about routes out of Didcot from that house when the A34 has a snarl up

SparkyBlue · 14/01/2025 14:01

Go and look at it. It's a gorgeous house I love the layout it's exactly what we are looking for so you've given me house envy. On the flip side it seems close to a lot of amenities so that's a positive

BotterMon · 14/01/2025 14:06

It's not that near the road/trainline! As it's modern it will have good double glazing and the garden is walled so I doubt you'd hear anything when inside the house and it will be muffled in the garden.

Check prevailing winds as they may 'blow' the noise in the other direction so would be quieter than you think.

Great location.

fairislecable · 14/01/2025 14:09

It is a lovely house BUT it is near a Trainline AND a very busy road with a trading estate and distribution centre just opposite.

I think you know that it’s not for you when you said: ‘ We drove near the house and wound down the car window and the train and car noise was more than we'd like.’

TinyTear · 14/01/2025 14:12

Looks lovely - but totally off topic, those bookshelves in the nursery are totally just for show - so high up i think even I would have difficulties getting a book out!

Ohgodthisishard · 14/01/2025 14:13

I wouldn't but then I can't stand noise apart from owls and foxes really so wouldn't matter how lovely the house.

Iliketulips · 14/01/2025 14:15

You say noise is one of the reasons you want to move. In that case, unless it solves all the other reasons you'd want to move, I'd say don't look as nice as it looks.

Original poster

Brooomhilda · 14/01/2025 14:32

@fiorentina from what I know of that estate a lot of the houses were sold as help-to-buys and it could be that the help to buy period is up and they can't afford the higher interest rate? Maybe. Although it is quite expensive to be a help-to-buy. Also no onward chain but still looks like young family so could be a break up perhaps?

OP posts:

Crikeyalmighty · 14/01/2025 14:49

It is also a very busy trainline as not only is it the main west coast line it also branches there for Oxford etc- I would view it however but make sure you are there for a good 40 minutes and stand in garden for a good 15 minutes or so , also to assess road noise - it may bother you more on paper than in reality -only time we've had a real issue was a nice on paper big rented house in Windsor- a combination of aircraft noise ( every 2 minutes) and the garden backing onto the main route to LEGO land made it a noise and congestion nightmare -we actually viewed it on video view when living overseas and she didn't hang around outside- if we had been there in person we wouldn't have had it

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