Are modern mid/end terraces noisy?

catmiaow

We are in the process of looking to move, we looked around a gorgeous 3 bed mid terrace new build and it's perfect for us. Only problem is that we are worried about noise. We currently live in an early 1900's build mid terrace and you can hear next door all the time. I was hoping modern ones might be better in terms of insulation? Can anyone shed some light please?

going_nowhere_fast

I have no idea but as I currently live in a mid terrace I would never, ever, ever, ever, ever even consider moving to one again. I appreciate you can have issues with noise or neighbours no matter what kind of house you live in but if you get a bad one in a terraced, it's a hell of a lot worse.

If it was me I would get a partner/friend to go in to the house next door and open and shut doors, shout, turn light switches on and off etc to give you an idea of how insulated the walls are.

I have read many people say that new builds have paper thin walls but when i have visited friend's who live in new builds I haven't heard a peep from their neighbours so maybe it depends on the builders and how much/little they are spending on the development.

Can i be cheeky and ask how have you coped living in a house with thin walls? It is driving me bonkers but sadly I'm not in a positiion to move.

Al1x

We live in a pre 1900 mid terrace, we hardly hear our neighbors at all, maybe they are just really quiet and we are very lucky. I have heard the same about new builds having thin walls.

going_nowhere_fast

Al1x wrote: »

We live in a pre 1900 mid terrace, we hardly hear our neighbors at all, maybe they are just really quiet and we are very lucky. I have heard the same about new builds having thin walls.

I think you might be very luck!
Wish I was...

Mallotum_X

I used to live in a 1990s terrace. We couldn't hear normal noise, on occasion a noisy teenager next door could be heard but generally no problems.

You could do as suggested and knock on a neighbour and explain you are looking to buy and see if you can get an indication of noise etc from them.

BabyBoots

I live in a mid-terrace built in 1989. I don't hear a peep from the neighbours, and they say they can't hear us either, although I like to play fairly loud music.

The only time I ever hear anything is if we are completely quiet in our lounge I can faintly hear if the chap next door sneezes. Otherwise, not a sound.

going_nowhere_fast

Sounds like I'm very unlucky.
I can her my next door neighbour if they sneeze, cough, phone rings, plugs something in a socket. I don't actually mind normal living sounds it's loud music etc that I can't stand but saying that, it's put me off living in a terraced again in the future.

spidereyes

I currently live in a 1870s mid terrace (a cheaply built 2 up2 down) and I think the walls may actually be made of paper, sometimes I wonder if my neighbours are in my house!
I hear all their conversations, their tv, the phone, the microwave, when they have a shower, put the boiler on, you name it!
I have vowed to never live in a terrace ever again no matter what age of property. Saying that before this I lived in an 1890s built lovely big victorian property (was converted into 2 flats) and I never heard a thing from my neighbours each side, only when the couple in the flat above decided to have a blazing row at 3am.

A friend of mine lives in a 2000 built terrace and says she only ever hears the odd noise from her neighbours.
I think generally new builds would be more soundproof due to more insulation but I may be wrong

londonlydia

I lived in a terraced 1996 built house, and we heard everything the neighbours did. Unfortunately, the bedrooms were mirror image to next door, and I heard the bedroom commentary (including 'move it to the left dear, now you're getting it!')!!!!


Live in a 1903 EoT now and only hear the neighbours of they're doing something on the wall itself in terms of a few bangs. Other than that its much better.


Think overall it depends on individual cases...but in my experience the brick walls separating terraces in older properties are much better than the plasterboard and maybe a bit of breeze block in the new ones!

marlot

We lived in a mid terrace and it was fine until the neighbour's girlfriend left, and he would get depressed - playing his electric guitar at 2am. Right next to our bedroom.

moneyistooshorttomention

Guess it depends on how good the builder is, regardless of the age of the house. There will be good and bad in any era.

Think the layout of the house also comes into it. My last house was a Victorian mid-terrace and there was some help from the layout (ie a passageway each side of my sitting room - mine on one side and a neighbours one on the other side).

The bedrooms were the problem. I had to move out of my own bedroom into the back bedroom, because there were odd times I could "hear things" and I worried about my privacy in return if I had a boyfriend staying.

Whilst the neighbours could have been a lot worse, I hadn't been used to hearing neighbours' noise/losing my privacy and was never going to get used to it. I spent years champing at the bit wondering when I was going to be able to get a detached house. Have finally got it now and wouldn't dream of ever moving back to a non-detached one again.

I guess people have different tolerance levels about hearing neighbours noise. If a terrace or semi is all you have ever known then you will probably only be bothered by particularly loud neighbours noise. If you have been used to living in a detached house, then you will hate hearing a pin drop (unless its YOUR pin).