Ground floor massionettes - noise?

cashbackproblems

Hi all

I am going to see some ground floor maisonettes (for first time) and doing some research it looks like they can have problems with noise from above especially older builders which are not designed to be flats? How can I judge whether this will be a problem?

eg

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-57696458.html

[Deleted User]

I live in a maisonette (still owned by the council). Its made from concrete. I never hear anything from anyone surrounding me (am on ground floor).

You could try just asking what sound levels are like, what is the construction of the maisonette.., both of the seller and neighbours.

The maisonette I am in is huge compared to a house, with lots of storage.

HouseBuyer77

As that's almost certainly a converstion rather than purpose built as such noise could be a serious worry.

I'm in a purpose built maisonette, floors are made of concrete. I can hear upstairs but generally only when they drop something on the floor/washing machine is running/madly running up and down the stairs and the noise is muted so doesn't bother me.

However a poor conversion may not have done anything to the floors whatsoever (not sure if building regs/planning would allow this any more but it depends when these were done) and noise could travel easily.

Try and get a viewing when upstairs is home and see what it's like. Ask the downstairs neighbours what they think of it.

andybenw

If the coversion is an old victorian house then the suspended wooden floors above will be very noisy. If the leases do not specify carpet then this could be compounded a laminate/wooden/stripped boards flooring.

And if you are unlucky enough to get someone who likes a lot of bass in their music/runs their tv through a subwoofer etc then you are stuffed.

You could of course get lucky and have someone very quiet who does shoes off at the door and has a plush thick carpet, but it's unlikely.

Top floor flats are best in older conversions. Even better are top floor maisonettes.

StumpyPumpy

The first thing I would do is to take a look at whether you can work out what the flat above you is going to be like. Taking your example as an...err... example, a quick look on Zoopla shows many of the flats in the building have been sold before and come with convenient photos.

A significant number of them have laminate/wooden flooring in at least some rooms. That would lead me to believe that either the lease doesn't have a "no laminate" clause in it or the freeholder doesn't enforce it. This would send up huge warning signals to me. I know it is possible to have laminate flooring that doesn't disturb the people below, but I've never come across it. People have different tolerances to noise but couple that with an old house and I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole.

SP

Flamingo11

Hello.
I live in a ground floor maisonette in a purpose built block of six owned by the council. The people above me have laminate flooring throughout and the impact noise is unbearable. Every noise sounds like bowling balls and hammers dropping on our heads :mad:
Anyway, my first piece of advice would be to view flats in the evening when most people are at home. That way, if there are noisy children or teens above, you're likely to hear them. You could also pop up to the flat above to ask what the neighbourhood, building etc is like and take a peek at their flooring at the same time. And as StumpyPumpy says, if the lease has a 'no laminate' clause, all the better. Hope this helps and good luck!

lush_walrus

It's a conversion so it will depend on how well it was converted..it won't have mass on its side as it isn't concrete frame but that in itself is not an issue.

Do you know when it was converted? Part E (sound building regs) allows for a fair reduction in impact (which will be your issue if you have people living above) and airborne (which affects everyone). It will also depend if above have carpet and if not have laid an underlay properly. All you can do is listen out when you are there.