Buying by a Busy Road

capstain411

Hi Malbert,

I am in similar dilemma. Found this amazing website have a look

http://services.defra.gov.uk/wps/portal/noise/!ut/p/c5/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3hnd0cPE3MfAwMD42BTA093f1Nvk2ATAwMTE_1wkA7cKgyMIfIGOICjgb6fR35uqn5Bdnaao6OiIgCFDsNU/dl3/d3/L3dDb0EvUU5RTGtBISEvWUZSdndBISEvNl9DR0FINDdMMDAwM1M1MElHTzVLNFM0MDBDMA!!/

Sorry about the hyperlink, but the info might be useful.

Errata

You may well get used to the noise but the pollution from the traffic may be problematic. Frankly the house is far too big for its footprint and probably why the vendors have bitten your hand off when you offered £16k below.
Although this may be your 'forever more' house, you can't be certain of that and because of the divergence in size between plot and building, it may prove difficult to sell in the future. How long has it been on the market?

Mum_of_3_3

Road noise wouldn't bother me in the slightest, you'd get used to it and before you won't even realise it's there. What would put me off is the fact there is no back garden for your children. Is the side garden really big enough for all the play equipment children have? Trampolines, swings, goalposts etc??

In fact we were in a similar position a few years back where we viewed a huge house with 6 beds, 3 receptions, kitchen diner etc, etc, however it had a tiny courtyard garden. The EA pointed out that it came with a huge paddock just along a lane, but we didn't want out children to have to trapse past the backs of other people's gardens to get to ours.

Just because they have accepted your offer, don;t rush into it. Imagine your children in 5 years time and how much bigger they will all be and whether you feel the garden would be big enough then.

M_o_3

Eton_Rifle

I'd buy a smaller house in a perfect location and extend it (unless you favour period listed houses where I appreciate there is an issue.)

This would have to be some amazing village as I don't fully understand the point of living in a village if you're on a busy main road.

One of the main attractions about villages is the whole get-away-from-it-all, peace and quiet, birds singing in the garden thing. This (and the community spirit) usually overrides concerns about the usual geographic and lack of facility issues.

But living on a main road, it seems to me that you're paying a premium (and not just financially) to live in a village but yet being denied one of its principle advantages.

surreybased

Hi,
What type of place do you live in now? Do you use a garden much now? prior to this house we were looking to buy a house, that we rented, on a busy road with a large side garden. I'm so glad we didn't buy it - during the summer it was not really possible to use the garden, even for a BBQ, the noise wasn't good and there was a feeling of being overlooked. The previous house had a lovely garden so the extreme differences made it more noticeable. Like you we attempted to buy many houses 5 offers (your shopping list looked exactly like ours). We eventually got a place - good plot, great road but house needs work. I'm happy with this. We use the garden so much - in the summer it's like an additional room, it is also a major selling point so I don't think we'll struggle to resell. A noisy road will always reduce the potential buyers. I get how your OH feels, I was completely desparate to have a place - especially as renting was a nightmare but you shouldn't have signifcant doubts.

CloudCuckooLand

Are you positive your OH is really sure about this place, and not just putting on a brave face because she thinks she should, because that's what you are doing and fooling her into thinking you like it..?

Show her this thread. Let her see both sides of the opinions and maybe she will see issues (like safety and resale) that she has not considered.

FOREVER21

Can only offer our personal experience. 2 years ago we moved from a quiet house on a small estate to a house on a busy b road.On removal day my wife was at new property and I was despatching stuff from old.
When I went to new house she was in tears having listened to and watched the cars and buses go past, not the best start to the move.
Friends and new neighbours said not to worry you will get used to it.
2 years later, with triple glazing to the front windows a fence to act as a baffle and we find ourselves living in the back rooms of the house, whilst waiting for the property market to improve and we will move again!!
Think v. carefully if you have not been used to road noise before it does take its toll.