Neighbour noise (but not noisy neighbours)

marking_bad

I live in a mid terrace at the moment and the noise from both sides is terrible. I'm pretty sure they aren't doing anything unsociable, not like having parties or playing loud music, just living their lives, but when you can hear your neighbour fart and cough, you have to start looking at the house.

Is this normal, to hear kids crying, or adults talking through shared walls? Have you lived in a mid terrace where you haven't heard the neighbours? Are there houses out there that were built with concern for noise or are they all just cheaply made? I appreciate this may not be a big a deal for some, but for me, it's a real mental issue, I can't relax knowing how vividly I can hear next door, and how they can probably hear me.

I'm determined to find a detached in my price area (which isn't much) Is living in a detached definitely going to solve this problem? A semi would halve it at least, but most are built with lounge/main bedrooms next to the shared wall (why builders? why??). I just don't want to go to the effort and probable sacrifice of finances/area to get a detached, only to find something out, like detached houses built too close are pretty much the same as shared walls, an example I just pulled out of my behind, but could be true for all I know.

I don't care so much about south facing gardens, parking spaces, period features and all the other stuff house buyers go on about. I just care about noise. Noisy neighbours you can do something about, the law is on your side. Neighbour noise, not so much.

lincroft1710

Both terraced and semidetached houses built from early 19th century to present day can have noise problems.

19lottie82

in my boyfriends old house we used to be able to hear the neighbours opening and closing cupboards through the wall

julie03

we live in a 1950's semi and we rarely hear noise, we live in a house where the main wall is joined in the hall , so heard some classical music as i was going out the other day, but other than that no issues at all.

Southend1

In my old place I could hear everything my neighbours did in their bathroom (I mean everything!) because my bedroom was adjoining.

Where I live now I can hear the drone of the tv, loud sneezes etc from one side and conversations on the stairs or landing from the other.

These things are normal when you live in a terrace. On the plus side your heating bill is less because of the houses on either side

marking_bad

How much less? I would be prepared to wear an extra pullover if necessary

ariba10

We live in a terraced house built during the First World War.

Hear nothing from either side..

Granddaughter lives in a semi built in 1970/80s and could not believe what you can hear from next door

HelenRachel

We live in a mid terrace house that was built in the 1960s. One side we have no problems as there is a little cut through to the back on that side. The other side I can generally just here then plugging and unplugging things. Occasionally when they have people over I can here talking and what not but generally nothing. Do you own the house? can you put some kind of sound proofing in? The problem is even if you do move to a detached there's nothing to say your neighbours wont be into all night raves, or enjoy heavy metal or just have those daft really loud cars/bikes running up and down the street (we have that here and I find it very annoying!). It may be the case of better the devil you know!

Shelldean

it will also depend on the neighbours.


I have lived here 17 yrs, we only rarely hear one side, in fact tbh all we hear is the male when he sneezes LOL. No conversations no doors, no plugs being put in the sockets etc etc.


On the other side, for the first 15 yrs, we also heard nothing. Although I must admit if they rowed we heard that, but wasn't a regular occurrence. Used to be a mother and 3 sometimes four sons, plus towards the end of their tenancy although the boys moved out, there was grandkids visiting too.


Two years ago a male, his mother and two children moved in. And suddenly we hear it all. We complained to the HA, and it went to mediation.
Stalemate as all the noises are classed as 'normal' household noises. But what I cant get anyone to see is we NEVER heard the previous tenants nor do we hear the other side. It is something the new tenants are doing that is more noisy.


so it can also depend on who you live next door to.

AnnieO1234

Experience of 1950s semi could hear loud laughter, sneezes, washer on spin and Hoover.

Experience of 1980s semi could hear arguments, cupboards closing and someone running up and downstairs.

Detached 2012 no noise!

DRP

1901 terrace, stone walls (thick!). Can hear sneezes and music but not to the point it annoys us.

I think a lot depends on the sensitivity of your hearing and ability to tune noise out. I've always lived in semis or terraced and never been irritated by neighbour noise.