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

stockton_2

When I was a lad we lived in a terraced house. There was an entry on one side so we did not hear any noise from there. But on the other side there was just a party wall and you could hear the next door neighbours clearly every time they had an argument. Well, we kids could but mother's hearing apparently wasn't so good as she had to press her ears against the wall.

I can see her clearly now, ears glued to the kitchen wall, signalling frantically to us to be quiet so she could hear exactly what was being said. Some times she could be there for half an hour. Well, there was not much on telly those days.

Aldeney

We just moved from a 17 year old detached house to a semi of the same age on the same estate. In the detached house we lived next door to a diy freak who had no idea what consideration for others meant. As a result it has left me extremely sensitive to noise. When our landlord decided to sell we couldn't afford another detached so went semi. I was very worried how I would cope with noise but so far it is quieter here than at the last house. Our neighbours moved in the same day as us, in their 30's but no kids. I sometimes hear doors being shut but that's it. It's been bliss and I hope it lasts.

My Mum on the other hand lives in a semi probably built in the 60's and she can hear practically everything her neighbours get up to. Luck of the draw I guess.

dirty_magic

There's a difference between hearing the neighbours and nuisance noise. We lived in a flat before and we could occasionally hear the tv or hear them laughing but nothing bothered us.

I suspect most people live quite happily in semis, but because you've asked you're hearing from the people who have had bad experiences. Most people who haven't had issues probably haven't bothered to comment.

Scottie_dog

We previously lived in a semi where we had really noisy neighbours. The son used to play call of duty on his Xbox in the living room (surround sound), it was so loud it used to drive me insane. The neighbours also used to have physical fights (father & son) and I could hear them throwing each other about, swearing, punching walls etc. rubbish piled up in their garden etc. I have moved to another semi in a much better area. My neighbours are lovely, respectful people. I do hear their dog barking sometimes when they are out but it honestly doesn't bother me as I love my new house and never feel scared like I did in my old house. To me, the area you live in really matters.

LandyAndy

My first house was a 1930's semi, joined at the living room and both double bedrooms.


It was fine when we moved in. The elderly lady next door was quiet as a mouse.


Then it was bought by a young couple who argued at the tops of their voices in the small hours of the morning most days.


We couldn't get out quick enough.


I'd have to be very hard pressed to move back to a semi.

marjrie_2

We live in a 1930's semi, rarely hear our neighbours. I think what others are saying about area making a difference is very true.

pinkteapot

Is it lounge-adjoining or hall-adjoining?

A lot of 1930s semis in my area are hall-adjoining, which isn't so bad. When you look at the pair of houses from the front, it goes:

lounge-hall-hall-lounge

as opposed to hall-lounge-lounge-hall

Lounge-adjoining is more likely to be noisy.

Look at which rooms share a wall with next door. That's the key issue. If it's just a hall, the kitchen and a small bedroom that won't be used as a bedroom, it's less of an issue than if it's the main rooms you'll use.

For what it's worth, I'd be tempted to go for the smaller detached if I were you. You sound like us - we're quiet ourselves and very sensitive to noise (some people just aren't bothered by it). I would never go back to non-detached because even if I got nice quiet neighbours I'd worry about who was going to move in next door in the future.

Leo2020

Lived in 3 semis/end terraced, first one I was brought up in - apart from DIY and one party that I can remember never heard any noise. There has been 3 lots of neighbours next door in the time I lived there. The living room/dining room was attached.

Bought one and the neighbours were loud, correction she was loud. Her natural talking voice was shouting, could hear her on phone, could hear phone ring, TV noise, party noise, music. Living/dining rooms were attached.

Now live in an end terraced. Hall attached, but about half way into our living room - they are further back than us, hope that makes sense. I can hear their burglar alarm when they come in and hoovering on stairs but nothing much other than that.

It all depends on your neighbours.

With the noisy neighbours the advantage of a detached would have been no noise travelling through the walls. However, when they had parties outside late at night sometimes with music from the stereo in the garage we would still have been able to hear it because of having to keep windows open in summer. But if we had been detached I don't think it would have bothered me that much. But when you are kept awake until gone two in the morning by Johnny Cash blaring out from their stereo in the lounge the other lesser noise nuisances just add up to make any noise from your neighbours irritating.

firebird082

I don't know what sort of houses are around in your area, OP, but we live in a terrace with zero noise trouble. 1940's short terrace, but we adjoin on one side just bathroom and hallway, and the other side has a passageway for garden access on the ground floor which works nicely as soundproofing (upstairs the cupboards adjoin rooms). So there might be other options around...just a thought!

searchlight123

i would never contemplate this type of move unless financially forced into it. i have lived in terraced, semi and now detached. i would never out of choice move from my detached house.
i never had noisy neighbours as such, but you can hear normal living sounds from an attached neighbour be it tv, radio, vacuuming or even piano playing. not terrible but when you have experienced detached living it can be so annoying.