[New Build] Living next to a motorway

teddysmum

New builds have high levels of insulation and, if all are like my son's , the windows will have to be opened in the summer, as the house becomes very warm.


In contrast, on a hot day, our 1970s house is quite cool, if the windows are left closed.

natrapx

Just to sort of hi-jack on this thread, i'll be moving into a house 1 mile away from a motorway (and eventually HS2 which will be on the other side of the motorway to the village). Any experience with sound living that far away anyone?

Paully232000

I live about 1 mile away from a motorway and you can hear the hum of the traffic at times, and this isn't a particularly busy stretch of motorway.

Would I live 200m from a motorway, no.
Can you, and would you get used to it, only you can tell.

Why don't you go and park up 200m from the motorway at different times of the day (especially 8am, 5pm ish), and see what you think.

TBeckett100

New builds tend to be highly priced so when you come to sell, you may have to make the price attractive to compensate the road noise. If the market turns and there are a glut of properties and fewer buyers, then those without the motorway issue may go quicker.

That said, you don't find derelict houses near motorways, but bear in mind how long you may wish to live there.

princeofpounds

There are different types of noise. Whilst direct vehicle noise dissipates with some distance, especially if there is good screening, there is a general noise which I would almost describe as a rushing air which carries a long, long way and diffracts around any barrier.


That sort of noise is not terrible in itself, but if it bugs you, it is never off. You would probably find that if your house is well built, you will hear little inside. But it will always be there in the garden - that's the area most people feel they get frustrated in their use of.


I'd definitely go and stand in the area, or as close as I can approximate it.

born2shine

I guess with time you could get used to the potential noise from lorry sand HGVs, but depending how close the proximity is. Privacy is crucial when buying a house and future kids, is it safe?

AnnieO1234

We are approximately a mile from the m1; at that distance it's not possible to hear except if the wind is in the right direction in the dead of night with the windows open. There's plenty of old and new homes dotted right on the junction, including a care home. They don't seem to be affected as far as property values go or time on market xxx

boliston

Wind direction plays a big part in carrying motorway noise, and also factors like if it's running on an embankment or a cutting. Concrete motorways are particularly noisy!

Hoploz

Nobody seems to have mentioned the smell. That's what I don't like. And the pollution which travels up and over the barriers and carries a long way.

I live not far from the M25, and have done since before it was built. Close to it the roar is unbearable, but if there are houses in between then it cuts a lot out, so some houses quite close are less affected when they have other houses between them and the motorway than others with nothing but fields between them and the motorway.

But the pollution carries horribly. My husband refused to apply to a certain school nearby when we made our applications, as it is right next to the mway and he didn't want them breathing that air in all day long!

Often you also get pylons and power lines following the lines of major roads so check whether this is also an issue where you are considering.

StumpyPumpy

We live close enough to a motorway that it can be heard if the wind is blowing in a certain direction, I wouldn't want to live closer. What is noticeable is not so much the background noise but if some TT wannabe decides to open up his throttle at 3am. Depending on the bike (obviously) that noise can get through the double glazing, defeat the wind direction and wake us up. Luckily it doesn't happen too often on our stretch.

If you want to get a better idea of what 69db actually sounds watch this:

ETA: OK, MSE's profanity filter is kicking in on the link. For some bizarre reason "o B 1" as a word is triggering it (Star Wars hater, perhaps?) so... remove the spaces in https://youtu.be/W3 o B1 OCZmlw or search on YouTube for 65db and you will get a couple of vids.


No prizes for realising that it is totally dependent on the volume that your speakers are set to, but you should be able to calibrate them based on the ambient noise.

SP