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

WeAreGhosts

Poppy9 wrote: »

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

yes, i am inclined to agree.

we are staying away from the new estates - the houses are like boxes, anyway.

marleyboy

This is the third semi I have lived in and would have to say on all three occasions, I have not had any noise issues with or from my neighbours.

ikorodu

WeAreGhosts wrote: »

yes, i am inclined to agree.

we are staying away from the new estates - the houses are like boxes, anyway.

I agree. Our 1907 semi was in a good area but the last owner wanted to move, but had bought at the peak and so rented it out as she couldn't get her money back. It was when the renting started that the problems did.

I didn't want to live on a housing estate or in a semi but here I am! Having said that we love our house, but constantly worry that the neighbours will move!

dgtazzman

I live in a new semi (built mid 2014). In the 9 month I've lived here, I've heard the neighbors once and even that was barely audible. My neighbors are a normal family with kids, the occasion I did here them, I think they were having a good row and it sounded like somebody was yelling their head off and stomping up and down the stairs, but I can only assume, as I didn't really hear it that well, long live good isolation ^^

My dream is still a detached house though, I still see it as a step up and the ultimate goal.

ikorodu

marleyboy wrote: »

This is the third semi I have lived in and would have to say on all three occasions, I have not had any noise issues with or from my neighbours.

You are very lucky!

I feel that neighbour problems appear to be on the increase. I think it's a result of the changed society we have now, where people no longer have a sense of shame but do have a sense of entitlement.

phoebe1989seb

Our last house was a semi, although the two previous were detached. We bought it because, despite being attached one side it had extremely thick stone walls (18") and being a rural, period (Georgian) house it was wide rather than deep so apart from a 1980s extension it was only attached to one room (our dining room) of the neighbouring house.

As a result of this there were absolutely no sounds audible from next door. We are also a very quiet family and don't tend to have a great deal of background noise (tv, radio on constantly etc) so any sounds from next door would be all the more apparent.

I think I've always been put off conventional semis/terraces because at our first house - a mid-terrace - our elderly neighbour fell down the stairs and as our halls adjoined I heard every bump and groan as she went down. Worried sick I looked through the letterbox to see her lying at the bottom and initially believed she was dead.....I was about twenty-two, home alone with six week old DS while DH was at work and it totally freaked me out.

My parents' house was a 1920s semi in a quiet, respectable neighbourhood with hall, bathroom, bed 2 and dining room adjoining next door - you could hear the neighbours stomping upstairs, sneezing, their tv and their bedroom activities

Although sound from next door wasn't an issue in our semi, we decided - having two dogs now that do bark when excited and not wanting to be nuisance neighbours ourselves - not to buy another so our current house is another detached. We deliberately chose a property where our neighbours actual houses are located some distance from us - the nearest one has a fifty foot garage between our house and theirs.......perfect

Mrs_Soup

We have a 1930s semi and hear almost nothing from our neighbours although they are a retired couple. I suspect we are the noisy ones as we have two children and do a fair amount of shouting (not loud music or parties or anything though).

greenface

I have quiet neighbours so lucky . Where as my neighbours have me and my fambo and Balotelli plays for us .

ikorodu

Mrs_Soup wrote: »

We have a 1930s semi and hear almost nothing from our neighbours although they are a retired couple. I suspect we are the noisy ones as we have two children and do a fair amount of shouting (not loud music or parties or anything though).

I think this is the real key. Noise from 'normal' living never bothered us and is unlikely to bother most I would think. So the noise of kids playing or people hoovering or watching tv at reasonable volumes should not be an issue. It's loud music or cinema sound at unsociable hours that's the issue.

Old_Git

present house is a semi .I hear the neighbours rake the open fire and move the chairs in the kitchen.
Last house was a semi I could hear the bedroom antics;)
I previously owned a terraced house .One side was rented to students the other a family of Romanians .The students where the quietest