FAO: People who live in semi-detached houses - noise issues?

Poppy9

I live in a 1950s semi and while it has solid walls I hear my neighbours. Main issue is they removed all carpets and sanded floor boards up stairs. Downstairs are solid floor.

The houses were built with sunlounges on the back and while when we replaced glass roof added insulation etc. they have not as we hear their piano which is in that part of room quite clearly and it's bloody annoying. Aside from that unless they have music blaring we don't hear that much.

Previous residents to them were more considerate with their piano playing and their son's rock music. Whenever our DD had a party in her teens we also forewarned neighbours.

We would love to be detached but it would cost us almost £200k to go detached in the same area. We might in a few years move to a cheaper area where we can get same standard of house but detached and without the sea view but for the last 20 years we've been happy here. Location really is king! Being within walking distance of beach, not to far to work etc. all worth it for us for a bit of piano playing!

The other noise to consider is garden noise. Our house is on huge plot with very long back gardens so we don't get too bothered with balls, BBQ etc.

Previously lived in 1900 terrace house and never heard neighbours.

WeAreGhosts

shopaholicz wrote: »

I think with a 1950s house, you should be safe. Sure you want to move, there is a lot to be said for living in a detached.

sorry, i've looked at so many houses i am dizzy. got it mixed up - it's 1930s.

trouble is, in the area I want to move to prices are going up, but my area is staying the same

i think there must have been something weird about my previous 1910 house - we were joined at the stairs and bathroom and could hear everything! every argument, running up and down stairs, sloshing water in the bath, loo flushing etc. and it was just two adults!

the house we are looking at is joined in lounge, two bedrooms, and kitchen diner which is why i am worried about it

davidmcn

Depends largely on the layout - if the party wall is adjoining the stairs/hall then not so much of an issue as the principal rooms are kept far apart. My last house was a 1920s semi (with the stairs in the centre) and you could hear quite a lot between the kitchens/bathrooms. You couldn't hear anything once you were shut in the living room or main bedrooms though.

bbk87

I used to live in a semi detached house. It was horrible. Mostly heard the neighbours kids running up and down the stairs, and at night the kids room was clearly next to mine, as could hear them with their feet on the walls whilst in bed (odd).

The worst was that we could hear was when the dad would beat the kids.

WeAreGhosts

ok, i am v. skeptical now! lol. oh well. i will still view it but i am put off by the potential noise problems.

most places we can afford are two beds, we need three, and the plots sizes are usually too small to extend.
it doesn't help that good houses are selling within the week

Poppy9

WeAreGhosts wrote: »

ok, i am v. skeptical now! lol. oh well. i will still view it but i am put off by the potential noise problems.

most places we can afford are two beds, we need three, and the plots sizes are usually too small to extend.
it doesn't help that good houses are selling within the week

You will have neighbour issues if on a small plot from gardens's and maybe even driveways and cars.

Any semi is going to have some noise issues but you could have a detached house inches apart from nearest neighbour and be tortured. Visit at busy times of day not when neighbours likely to be out at work. Look at the whole street, plot layout.

Ultimately though if you can't afford detached in the area you want then you have to decide what is the priority.

WeAreGhosts

Poppy9 wrote: »

You will have neighbour issues if on a small plot from gardens's and maybe even driveways and cars.

it is a fairly small plot, but driveways aren't together, both the house i am looking at and next doors have small gardens.

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in our previous semi we not only had problems with the house attached, but also with the detached house next door! dogs barked in the garden for 18 hours a day, the neighbour was absolutely vile and he encouraged his kids to scream at us over the fence.

we are always pretty unlucky with neighbours!

missprice

Am in a 80s semi, however next door is around 3ft higher than me, no idea why as the rest of the estate is same level. But I only hear next door infrequently ( a row, windows open on both houses, his kids all running upstairs) we have concrete floors at ground level, wood upstairs. I do have my problems with next door but generally noise is not one.
Possibly they hear more of me as sound moves in weird directions, however we are fairly quiet and he has never complained.

The new house is 30s semi and the neighbors have hardly heard us renovating, or so they say! And we have made plenty of noise the last year. All plaster off, new bathroom/kitchen/rewire/floorboards/ceilings down, radio on 8 hours a day, OH caterwauling, digging garden/driveway etc.

Poppy9

WeAreGhosts wrote: »

in our previous semi we not only had problems with the house attached, but also with the detached house next door! dogs barked in the garden for 18 hours a day, the neighbour was absolutely vile and he encouraged his kids to scream at us over the fence.

we are always pretty unlucky with neighbours!

Don't wish to sound snobby but the behaviour of neighbours can often (but not always) be a reflection on area you live in.

Where I live few families, most people living here have raised their families so it's generally a quiet area. Most annoying thing about area is elderly drivers doing 10 mph!

A work colleague at the age of 60 sold her semi and moved to a detached on a new estate. We all told her not to but she did and is now complaining of children playing in the streets, playing ball on her boundary wall, riding bicycles on the pavements etc. New estates attract young families and she was used to a quieter area.

ikorodu

We were effectively forced out of our last house by neighbour noise. It was a 1907 semi we had been there 10 years and for most of that time we had no issues. Our first neighbours had a piano which you could hear and you could also hear their bed room activity! Next lot were great nice and quiet. The house was then rented to students who were quiet as mice! Finally though a family moved in and it went down hill. You could tell it wasn't going to be good by the piles of rubbish they would leave by the door. They had all night parties with loud music. Made our lives hell. In the end we sold and accepted a low offer just to get out.

We said at that point we'd never get another semi, but then the house we were buying was snatched by someone else and we needed to find somewhere. To be honest by then end we'd have moved into a cardboard box the stress of the neighbours was that bad. So we ended up getting another semi as it's all that we could find. We're still in the new semi which was built in 1970. Neighbours are quiet. You can hear their TV and them talking in their front room, but no parties! We are joined by the lounge and two bedrooms. Neighbours are older couple. We are waiting for a quote for soundproofing as we don't d want then to be irritated by our noise (kids) and for them to leave.

Semidetached living is not good and you are at the mercy of your neighbours. Good neighbours = happy days, bad neighbours = very high stress.

If at all possible stay detached. We are always looking for a detached house, but like you it will cost us another 100k.