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Property/DIY

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Original poster

House with road noise.

16 replies

jumbo67 · 04/03/2009 09:03

There is a house we love but it has road noise. Is it a compromise we make or will it drive us nuts? Anybody been through this?

OP posts:

nailpolish · 04/03/2009 09:09

i live near a busy road
you dont notice it after about 2 days

does it have good double glazing? if so its only when you are in teh garden then

but even so, you dont notice it after a very short time

GrinnyPig · 04/03/2009 09:12

Depends really. We did buy a house on a busy road. The same house in a quiet street would have been out of our price range. The noise wasn't too noticeable downstairs but was very noticeable in the bedrooms and garden. Also it wasn't practical to leave windows open. Pollution from cars was obvious too and tbh wasn't something I'd thought too much about before we moved in. I'd say in the current financial climate you'll probably find something else you like and you shouldn't compromise too much.

Cosette · 04/03/2009 09:15

yes we're on a busy road too - and you do tune it out. Agree good double glazing is important, the noise is worse in wet weather - when you're unlikely to be outside anyway.

It was of concern when we bought this house, but I haven't ever regretted our decision.

admylin · 04/03/2009 09:16

If it's the noise you're worried about I'd say you get used to it and don't notice it after a few days.

We lived on a busy road when ds was born and it didn't bother us, infact it was the nicest flat we ever had. After dd was on the way we moved out to a quiet village and the church bell, the tweeting birds and just one person walking down the silent road would wake me early in the morning! It was TOO quiet!

Seeline · 04/03/2009 09:28

We live on a main road, with a railway immediately behind us (it's not as bad as it sounds!) and you really do get used to it very quickly. Sometimes in teh summer, it can be a bit noisy at night if you have the windows open, but we do sleep in teh bed room at the front of the house, it isn't nearly as noticeable in the back. Infact I notice more if the trains aren't running, rather than when they are.

Mammina · 04/03/2009 13:53

It depends. You definitely get used to the noise very quickly, and there's always double glazing as someone else has pointed out. Is it on a bus route? I lived on a busy road and the noise didn't bother me but the house shook every time a bus went past..

MollieO · 04/03/2009 14:15

You can get used to it. I grew up in a house which backed on to an increasingly busy main road. I never really noticed the road noise until I moved away and bought a house with absolutely no noise at all. When I went back to visit the road noise drove me nuts.

wombleprincess · 04/03/2009 14:19

i htink that fact that you are asking should give you one warning - its definitely a minus side for potential buyers when/if you want to sell.

I think you get used to it, but it does have other cons, visitors always comment, it will irritate you when you have parties etc, your laundry smells and the pollution can be bad. a little unsafe if you have young children

also double glazing is all well and good but sometimes you need to open them.

offwetrot · 04/03/2009 14:41

I have been in this situation. You must love the house AND get it for a good price. That way you will not regret it in the future.

Make sure that it has the appropriate windows etc (double glazed) to reduce the noise. If not, take this off the price and make sure they are aware of this when you offer.

jalopy · 04/03/2009 14:46

Can you hear the noise from the back garden?

That would really put me off.

Shandyleer · 04/03/2009 17:34

When we viewed our house and were in the garden the road noise was so bad I couldn't hear what the estate agent was saying. I remember thinking "God, I could never live here with that noise". 10 years later we're still here and I can honestly say it was never an issue, got used to it straight away and never never notice it now.

LIZS · 04/03/2009 17:40

We live on a main road, with 2 motorways within sight in the distance. During the day and at weekends it is much quieter so view at varyign times. Partly it depends onthe layout of the house too, we have lounge at the front but with tv or music on it isn't instrusive and even better with curtains closed. Kids sleep at the back so undisturbed by it. dh is better at zoning it out than I am when we are outside but the back garden is fine.

StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 04/03/2009 18:10

We live on a village high st but fairly busy with cars.
Our DD sleeps at the front and we have to have her windows shut even in summer. I think maybe its worse though as the cars are having to stop/start all the time to give way/get round parked cars outside the shop. So engines are revving up. I think a busier but better flowing road might actually be better.

philopastry · 04/03/2009 21:04

I live on a main road and near traffic light - it is the lights that bug me TBH, the cars that stop with stereo blasting out and windows down (at 2 am!!), the boy racers who screech off when the lights change, aaagh! If you absolutely love the house I agree you do get used to the general flow of traffic noise v quickly. Having said that when I move 'not on a main road' is at the top of my wishlist, so probably not a ringing endorsement from me.

janmoomoo · 08/03/2009 21:06

I bought a house on main road and didnt think that much about it but I hated it for the three years we lived there. You do zone it out a bit, but you can never have your windows open, and we did get exhaust fumes in thru our front door even tho we had it replaced and had double glazing. Worse when weather is wet.

We had our lounge at the back and never used the front dining room really. Also we used to get people walking back from the pub and kebab shop late at night, and vandalism to our car and motorbike on the road. Are there any parking issues?

I would agree with others that you would need to love the house. Maybe visit it at different times of the day, like 8am and teatime to see differing traffic.

janeite · 08/03/2009 21:13

We bought a house on a main road because it was 40,000 pounds cheaper than the ones round the corner, off the main road!

We get no noise in the garden and it's only the lounge and main bedroom that are at the front and where we notice any noise. On the whole it's okay but as someone said earlier, things do seem to rattle when a bus goes past. Also we can't really open the front windows in the summer so will probably need to get some fans ready for this year instead.

In our case, we decided to go for it a)because we needed to move quickly and there was no chain and b) because we were getting far more space for our money than we would have done otherwise.

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