Any problems with living near a pub?

stripeytrousers

Parking should be fine as the property has a drive for about 3 cars. I think it will definitely be worth coming back at around closing time to see what (if anything) cracks off. I'm completely taking on board what everyone is saying and it's all very helpful.

For anyone that might know the area, the pub is The Star Inn on Bucknell Road, Bicester.

The shops next to it are just little convenience shops but as pointed out, they could easily swap for something else.

Bicester is meant to be an 'up and coming area' with a lot of money being poured in to it, but there's no guarantee that either the pub or shops won't change hands.

Seems such a shame as the house is really really lovely

canaster

I live very near a lively late-bar pub. There are two basic problems. Firstly the noise. There is the noise from the pub itself (loud music) and there is the noise from the clientele, who prefer to stand outside en-masse, smoking and drinking. At peak drinking times when the crowd are boozed up it resembles a school playground with a lot of people whooping and hollering.

Second problem is that some of the drinkers, when they want a pee, dont want to push past the bouncers, and queque up for the bogs inside the pub so they urinate (and sometimes puke up) in the nearest dark place near to the pub. In your case they might very well urinate in the shop doorways if that is most convenient for them.

Eventually the constant noise makes you depressed and you have to start erecting security lights in the front door way.

I would not choose to live near a lively late-bar pub. A lot of customers drink themselves silly and are oblivious to the effects their behaviour has on others.

phoebe1989seb

Years ago when our son was a toddler we lived in a very nice Victorian detached house that was around the corner from a venue that hosted old fogey-type tea-dances etc and the occasional antique fair. Soon after moving in the venue turned into a late-night club that frequently hosted live bands. Our rear garden had one other (35' wide) garden separating it from the rear of the venue with it's fire-escape etc. Frequently when there was a gig taking place the rear doors would be opened and music would come booming out as well as the occasional reveller who would come out for a pee over the back......not that it reached our garden, lol! Generally it was a very noisy place to live and marred our enjoyment of the house - even with all windows closed you couldn't fail to hear the 'boom-boom' of the bass and the emptying of crates of bottles was a particularly annoying feature. As soon as we could we sold up and never regretted it.

lizziem_2

We used to live next to a pub. There was increased littering from it. But the most irritating thing was the constant hubbub of voices. Normally you would not notice this, it was not very loud. But when you are trying to get to sleep and there is a constantly varying level of muttering voices and laughter, which goes up and down in volume irregularly, it gets really annoying. But it is too low-level to register on a noise meter so nothing could be done. However the building was a Georgian terraced one and the landlord refused to soundproof the walls properly, perhaps it might be different if it is detached and/or a more modern soundproofed building.

We did at the beginning have more serious noise problems too. At one point they had live gigs in there. It was a small pub and the stage was backed up against the shared wall so the noise was considerable. The response from the pub when I rang was "what do you expect us to do?" Er, well, a little consideration for the local residents might be nice! We also tried the council noise complaints line but they did not show for hours and when they finally turned up the gig had ended and noise was back down to the general murmur.

Slinky

My OH bought a house immediately next to a pub just before I met him - had a wide-ish garden, then the pub carpark, then the pub. He said he used to get the occasional bottle in the garden but not much of any other sort of problem. Mind you, he could sleep through a bomb dropping. I stayed their several times and never really noticed the it. Never ever went in it, neither did he.

It sold quite quickly when he moved jobs and the person who bought it built another house in the garden, so my OH's ex-house was no longer directly next to the pub!

OP, I would have thought given that it's Bicester, Tesco-Town, there's a likelihood it'll turn into a Tesco at some point!

poppysarah

Go in and have a drink on a Friday night. Come out at closing time.

If they do lock-ins then the noise will be more spread out.

matmad

We lived between two pubs until recently and I have to say it can drive a sane person bonkers.

Urinating, smoking outside late and talking loudly, fighting and kareoke all at the front of the house.

From the back we had to endure early morning deliveries from massive hgvs bringing in the kegs. Sometimes three of them at once, the drivers having no idea of keeping their voices down as they talked to each other as well as the clanging of the kegs. Reversing beeps etc, idiot refridgerated van drivers keeping their engines running for an hour.

Massive pain in the backside to live near. Can't believe we put up with it for so long.

Did kick up enough of a fuss to prevent deliveries before 7am but that took some doing. The pub manager hated me.

Don't do it.

redcard

We live on a busy street with 2 pubs, a bookies, numerous takeaways and bus stop opposite.

The noise can be a positive or negative. Thankfully pubs here close by 12, and they have karaoke two or three times a week. We're up on the 3rd floor and have secure entry so we feel quite safe if there's stuff going on down below.

There has been a few incidents, mainly one of the neighbours chasing some youths with a sword after they threw something at his window, but it's usually just 20 minutes of drunken shouting at worst, and sometimes it can be quite entertaining. No issues with smoking or cooking smells.

I'm quite happy here, and would consider living somewhere with similar 'amenities', but wouldn't be so happy if it was a house or a ground floor apartment.

Emmylou_2

We're directly opposite the only pub in our village.

Upside:
Not far to go home - if loos are busy it's generally quicker to nip home than queue.
They have a fab restaurant. I haven't cooked a Sunday lunch since we moved in.

Downsides:

People smoking outside can be REALLY loud. Not necessarily deliberately, but lots of groups of 3 - 4 talking normally adds up. It was considerably worse in the nicer weather, whereas now people tend to nip out for a fag and go back in, in the summer there were about 50 people standing outside every night.
People leaving the car park are noisy. One man *really* needs to (a) sort out his Very Sensitive Alarm (or learn to unlock his car properly) and (b) top up his power steering fluid. He leaves the pub every night at 10.15. You could set your watch by him.
It's very clangy when the dray (beer wagon) comes in. We're quite lucky here that it comes in the middle of the day, but a pub I used to work at had his dray at 6am on a Monday. What a lovely way for the neighbours to be woken up.

For us, though, it's worth it. We're currently renting and we're right in the heart of the village. I'm not sure whether I'd buy a house this close to a pub. Growing up we lived "three lamp-posts" down the road from a pub and that was about right. Near enough so it's very local but far enough away that you don't get all the problems literally on your doorstep.

carefullycautious

Lived near a small pub for over 20 years with no problems and then they changed hands and it became a complete nightmare.

Woken at all hours as they had lock ins and the drunken screaming and continual fighting nearly drove us mad. Loud music also.

Another downside was that if anyone let our dog out she would always always make a beeline for this pub so she could roll in the vomit that was inevitably deposited. :eek:

So glad we moved when we did.