Does anyone live near a main road??

Pont

I used to live on a cul de sac - the noise used to drive me crazy. Because it was flat and no through traffic, all the kids in the town used to play football, hang out playing loud music, meeting up to swig a few cans etc until really late at night (every night!). I have since moved to a house which faces out onto a by-pass. I only really notice any noise in the mornings (school run, going to work) and between about 5 and 7pm in the evenings. This noise really doesn't bother me at all, afterall it's just people going about their daily business.

I did wonder, after moving in, would I get used to it? Yes, not a problem to either myself or my kids. Btw, my double glazing is way past it's sell by date, but from a noise point of view my windows are open anyway during this weather.

gibhouse8

Wow thanks to all for your very positive replies. It has made me feel so much better. I agree with the 6 months thing and also I have a fish tank which is still at the old house so here's hoping it helps when it gets here! Distracting myself will surely help as I have literally been sitting here all day listening to the traffic!

dander

Just another one to chip to say I've lived on a busy road - main route for the emergency ambulances to get from the hospital to the motorway, all sirens blazing, and you absolutely do get used to it. It becomes white noise and you just tune it out.

The funny thing is I live in a really quite place now and I find I get really disturbed nights in the summer when I open the windows because the tiniest noise wakes me because I'm just not used to it. A single car driving past can wake me now!

Definitely agree though about getting as many shrubs as you can at the front, because they really help absorb the noise. Also, soft furnishings inside the house absorb sound - if you've got blinds and hard floors, you'll get much more sound rattling around than with curtains and carpets.

But you will need to forget about it to tune it out if you see what I mean. If you continue stressing about it, you'll be listening for the noise and you'll always hear it - so although it's really tricky you need to get your focus elsewhere. Concentrate on all the reasons you bought the house and try to take the time to enjoy it - play some music and enjoy yourself unpacking and arranging your stuff and making it into your home and hopefully you'll feel the love!

dmg24

gibhouse8 wrote: »

Wow thanks to all for your very positive replies. It has made me feel so much better. I agree with the 6 months thing and also I have a fish tank which is still at the old house so here's hoping it helps when it gets here! Distracting myself will surely help as I have literally been sitting here all day listening to the traffic!

This is your problem, you are focusing on it, rather than letting it be in the background. Don't start using earplugs, you can't wear them in the long term so no point in relying on them now.

I live just off a main road and I agree with Pont, you get much more disturbance from occasional noises in a quiet area than a constant noise in the background.

Waterlily24

We used to live on a main road, the A259 in West Sussex. We got used to it quite quickly and stayed there for about 8 years. Hope you can get used to it too.

shebrett

Just to jump in and add my bit I have to agree, you really can get used to everything. I live about 50metres away from the emergency entrance to one of London's largest hospitals, ambulances, police, fire you name it they pass me at full pelt and 24 hours a day. Also train line just up the road and all the buses stop just outside the neighbours house, again 24 hours a day. Oh, and there's a mental hospital across the road as well..... we only notice the noise on Christmas Day when it mostly goes quiet an everything seems eerily silent!
Chasing wayward patients out of the front yard is another matter :O
I'd say it took about 3 months.

ukmaggie45

We live on a busy main road that is a bus route too... At least the buses don't run overnight!

When we first moved here (in 1973!) it was much less busy, but new roads close by now feed in. So much busier now. Not helped by new T***o several years ago, curse them! :mad:

Elder daughter (who has now left home, and had the back bedroom so furthest from road) complains mightily about how noisy our house is.

I have problems sleeping, and found the cars going past at 1am or 3am woke me up. Now I just leave the TV on all night, am more able to zone out from that, and it drowns out the traffic sounds. Radio would work too, but when I can't sleep I quite like to watch the TV until it sends me to sleep again ZZZZZZZZZ which it usually does when I'm actually trying to watch something! :rotfl:

Nice way to look at it as as Tom Petty does - something about the cars sounding like waves on the beach. Sorry, too tired to find the exact quote.

Actually, I still love this house, and am not looking forward at all to leaving it (we're having work done on a new-to-us house and will be moving to it sometime after Xmas probably). This house is full of light, we see glorious sunsets, can see Snowdon from bedroom window, and we've brought up both our girls here.

So a bit of traffic noise hasn't really spoiled the good aspects. It was the light in the house that attracted us to it in the first place. Still love that.

You will get accustomed to the traffic, you will find ways to cope. You bought for things like good dog walking (as we bought for light) and you will be glad you did in a while. It does take time to settle.

My best wishes to you, and my hopes that you will be very happy in your new home.

ukmaggie45

PS my daughter live under the flight path for the local airport, and doesn't notice the planes now. When we're in the garden there we just stop talking till plane has gone over. It's pretty busy in the summer especially, but even so she and her DH don't really notice it any more. And the new twins don't seem to notice it at all! :j

Just give it a bit of time to get used to it.

Once again let me wish you much happiness in your new home.

Becles

It works the other way too. I live in a rural village well away from main roads so it's really quiet here. I sleep with the windows open and barely hear a thing.

When my husband moved in, he was used to living on a very busy main road just outside a city centre. There was a petrol station a few doors down that is open 24/7, so that generated a lot of noise and it's close to the hospital so he was used to hearing sirens regular.

When he moved in, he struggled sleeping at first as it was too quiet! He got used to it after a month or so though.

onebusybee

I live on a main road and have 3 RAF bases within an 8 mile radius with equals a heck of a lot of noise!
The first 2-3 months I noticed it all and it drove me mad. Now however I only notice when its gone quiet! When the volcanic ash hit and all the planes stopped flying around my house I couldn't get to sleep and found it really eeire.

Just stick it out and you'll soon forget its all there. Wishing you much happiness (once your used to the noise!) in your new home!