Does anyone live near a main road??

gibhouse8

Hi there
I've just moved into our new house (Friday) and already I'm thinking that we've made a mistake. The house is a beautiful old cottage and everything about the house we loved, hence why husband and I bought it. However, the downside was that it is perched on the edge of an A road which is busy during rush hour times, and as I've experienced today most of the day. The cars arent a problem, its the big lorries and large vehicles that go past which make such a racket. Obviously we knew there would be some noise from the road and I didn't think it would bother me but after being in for a few days I'm starting to really hate hearing the traffic. My husband doesnt seem to notice it but I think because I'm listening out for it more because it bothers me I really do.

We got a good deal on the house because the couple who owned it had separated. If this house had been in the middle of the country somewhere we probably wouldn't have been able to afford it so I know we are compromising with the road but its really bothering me! Does anyone else live near a busy road? Do you eventually tune out from the noise? Or do you think I should put it back on the market already? Any advice would be appreciated as I'm getting very stressed about the whole situation, thinking we've just wasted money on buying a house I cant live in!!! Thanks

Oldernotwiser

I think you can often get used to road noise, although you might be better to sleep at the back of the house to help the situation.

Do you have double glazing?

Sneezy

We live on a main road - the living room / main bedroom is at the back of the house (my room at the front - although I'm rarely there so its quietened down by the time I home. Can I ask which room are at the front / back? I find that I can zone out and its more the rain that attracts my attention.

Can you put in double glazing at all?

justjohn

Lol wait till the lorries come along with hay bails and block out all the light lol

You do get used too it (our road is not realy busy). Good double glazing does help.

We have 2 livingrooms both are facing the main road ...so no escape lol

We are on a main street in a village...not that it happens much but it is when the old people chat outside our window that irritates me lol

jebervic

I live on main road and you don't get used to it, however, you would be flagging up a problem if you put the house up for sale after such a short time, the only advice I could give has all been mentioned before, sleep in a room at the rear of the house (if possible) get double glazing (if it doesn't already) the noise tends to be worse in the summer because the windows are open.

gibhouse8

Hi there
The house does have double glazing but the thing I think lets the noise in is that the walls downstairs are all exposed brickwork so I don't think its very good for blocking the noise out. We don't really want to plaster it all up as thats one of the house's best features. the living room is at the back of the house and the bedroom we have chosen to sleep in is also at the back but I can still here all of the heavy lorries going past. There is also only a small courtyard garden with backdoors opening out from the living room at the back, and when you open those doors its very noisy. I feel really awful about the whole situation as we went through a lot of difficulty getting a mortgage for this place and used every last penny we had to get a 15% deposit and now I think I hate it here!! I don't think we would be a ble to sell it in a hurry either unless we were prepared to lose money. I've also just been made redundant and while we can afford the mortgage getting a new one would be difficult with only one person working. I really don't know what to do as I feel like I really regret buying the house and I've only been here 5 minutes!! My husband is going to go mental.

phill99

we used to live very near RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, on the main flight path.

You don't hear it after a while. Everyone that came to the house thought it was noisy, but we just didn't hear the noise.

muckybutt

I do !

Weve never lived near a main road until we moved to where we are now which is right onto a main road.

We fell in love with the house straight away and didnt even give it a thought about what the noise would be like, its a 1800's terraced cottage we live in, all room windows open onto the front.

To start with we struggled with the noise but after a month or so it'll fade to the back of your mind, if you have trouble sleeping try the soft ear plugs you can buy, we sometimes use them at harvest time during the summer as the traffic is 24 / 7

gibhouse8

Thanks muckybutt. I think we are in the same situation you were, fell in love with the house so much didn't consider what it would be like living with the noise. I suppose I should give it a bit longer for it to try and fade out. At the moment though I'm really struggling though. Really hope we havent made a big mistake as otherwise don't know how we will get out of here, unless we sell to one of those we buy any house type places and lose money. Boo hoo!!!!

Counting_Pennies_2

We used to live next to the North Circular, it does get better.

You won't stop being aware of lorries, emergency vehicles etc, but you do get used to it. The whoosh just becomes part of life, like a little water feature.

That said, a water feature is a good thing to put in the garden to drown out the noise. Even a fish tank or similar might be a good idea in the house, to give you some pleasant back ground noise.

pimento

We live on a main road (the busiest B road in the county apparently) and after a while you don't hear the traffic. Our living room and main bedroom are both at the front of the house, but we have really good double glazing (house built in 1978).

It does help that, in our case, the road is very quiet between about 11pm and 7am.

Living on a main road has the bonus of not having gangs hanging around making a nuisance of themselves, everyone walking along the road is on their way somewhere else.