Maisonette and noise

[Wheretobuyhome]

I’m having to sell my family home due to divorce (not my choice) so looking for a new one. I could just about afford a 2 bed house if I moved out a few miles but have seen a lovely 2 bed ground floor maisonette with its own garden in the area I live now where I have many friends but worried about noise from flat above. It was built in 1990. Has anyone had problems with this and is there anyway I can find out if noise is likely to be a problem. Would a full survey be able to identify any issues. I’m in my 60s and retired so in my home a lot.

Could you knock on neighbours door say your thinking about moving to the area. And ask if they can hear the family who lives above them/what's the sound proofing like.

I lived in a garden maisonette from about 1900. I loved it and really miss it. There was some noise from upstairs yes, but I am in London so there’s always going to be noise from somewhere. Mine was a cheapish conversion though done by the prior owner to turn the house into two flats to sell so he may have cut corners. I agree with pp see if you can test it out. But despite hearing upstairs a bit I did really like it there.

PS I now live in a 1930s semi and the noise
from next doors kids charging round the living room is just as bad. Sometimes it’s just how it is living in close proximity with others.

I could do. Not sure if they would think that a bit strange. I was thinking of putting an anon post on the local Facebook page for the area

I live in a gf maisonette that has a one bed flat above and the noise is horrific, I assumed with it being a one bed flat it would be quiet and only ever have a couple of single person above but twice now two different families of 5 have moved in and the noise is on another level it’s absolutely awful

That’s good to hear you loved it. I don’t expect no noise but I don’t want to hear every footstep. I’m moving from a detached house in a quiet cul-de-sac so I’m going to have to get used to more noise.

Yes my concern. I’m just wondering how I find out.

If you're sensitive to noise, which it sounds like you are, I wouldn't risk it. There's always going to be some risk of noise, possibly a lot of it, as neighbours change, flooring changes, TVs can be loud, running kids and so on. Sound-proofing is a way to tackle a problem when you're living somewhere and things get noisy, but it's never 100 per cent, and the best way to prevent the problem is to move into a house. Some people don't mind noise so much, but as you're worrying about it now and say you'll be in the home a lot, I'd just avoid the issue and get a house. As you'll be in it a lot, it's more important what the house is like to live in than it being a little further away.

It’s a tricky one as even if the neighbours at the moment are ok it doesn’t mean they won’t move and someone else move in, the people above me use to let their kids ride skates up and down on the laminate flooring, I was glad when they moved only for another family of 5 to move in. I would only move to a house now.

To a large extent, it can depend on who your neighbours are, are they quiet or not so quiet, and a quiet neighbour can leave followed by a not so quiet neighbour.

In terms of noise transmission and soundproofing, it might be worthwhile having an acoustic survey done on the maisonette.

Can you afford soundproofing, if it was recommended and you wanted to go down that route, as it can be quite expensive?

I will have some money left over so could afford some sound proofing if it was needed and possible. I’ll look into an acoustic survey. Thank you for the suggestion