Would you buy on a busy street?

wateva

Hi,

I have found a lovely house with a big garden, however it is on a fairly busy street. I'm worried this may affect future saleability hence thought I'd ask if anyone has any pearls of wisdom to offer or share their experience of living on a busy road

Thank you

ratechaser

Nope, it was the deciding factor when we last bought 10 years ago. 2 houses, one that we really liked as it was an attractive traditional big garden city detached house - but it was on a fairly busy road that led into the town. And another one that was slightly smaller and a bit more modern, but tucked away in a group of smaller roads with no through routes

We went for the latter. Only get half a dozen cars passing an hour. Definitely the right decision for us! I can definitely see that houses on the busier road trade at a slight discount to similar ones that are set back a couple of streets.

AnnieO1234

Both myself and my husband grew up in quiet roads, but mine was even quieter than his and I struggle at MILs due to that; but ostensibly it is a quiet road. For what it's worth though I would live in New York in a heartbeat despite the noise because the pluses outweigh the noise! So you have to balance the positives. You're never going to please everybody xx

SailorSam

I use to live in a little close and i noticed the difference when i moved here. It's not very busy but we get through traffic. But i've heard some people say they feel safer of a night, or if they have to leave the house empty of a daytime. 'Cos the local criminal wanting to break-in would look towards a quiet road first rather than a house overlooked.

LittleMax

I have a cat who likes to go outside, so I would not consider even looking at a house on a main road.

lonestar1

Busy roads tend to get gritted and snow ploughed when required

Lionel_Thinkbag

How busy is busy? And what is the speed limit and parking situation? I viewed a house that was on a fairly busy road, which I initially thought would be ok as it was set back from the road with a very wide pavement, but on viewing noticed that there was a set of traffic lights more or less right opposite the driveway, it's hard to explain but it meant that getting out would be doubly awkward.

Thats the kind of thing that would bother me - having to spend 5 minutes waiting for a gap in traffic every morning would be a nightmare. Noise I find you can get used to. I spent the first 25 years of my life in a semi-rural area which was really quiet, especially at night, and then moved into the centre of Liverpool in the same block as a nightclub! But the benefits of city living outweighed that, and after a while you don't really notice.

But really a person can go crazy if you start thinking about what a potential buyer 5, 10, 20 years down the line is going to want. If it's right for you and your plans for the foreseeable future, then go for it

pollyanna24

I also think you have to decide on whether it works for you and not worry about saleability in god knows how many years.

My parents live on a busy busy route (zone 4 in London) and although I lived there happily and still stay there now, I wouldn't buy on a busy road.

My road is semi country (zone 7 in London) and I much prefer it.

At my parents, it is so hard to get a parking space, sometimes I'm miles up the road. Of course, this doesn't matter if you have a driveway, but even this would be difficult on a busy road either getting into it or out of it.

The noise side of it never bothered me. Don't notice it now even.

Although I get the burglary side of things. My house has been tried to be broken into, but as far as I know, not at my parents' house.

And the snow and gritting side of it. My road is unbelivably slippy when it has snowed and hard to get out of it either on foot or car, but my mum doesn't have this issue.

All depends on the pros and cons for you personally.

Waterlily24

We moved from a quiet close to a house on the A259 (busy coastal road) and got used to it in next to no time. We are now rural with no near neighbours and love that too, and very little traffic - probably only half a dozen cars a day.

I think it depends on how you feel, I think all of the above scenarios would trouble some people.

Lily-Rose_3

No. Especially as we have cats. If I had no cats, then I would think about it, but I would have to see it first, and see what sort of street it is, how big the garden is etc...

Do you have a link to it?

csgohan4

If you do night shifts, not a good idea even with ear plugs.


Double glazing, you will still hear traffic, not to mention ambulances.


Try visiting the house at peak time and see if you can bear it inside the bedroom.