Living on a busy road, is it a problem?

comedyseeker123

I want to buy a house and I've had an offer for a 2 bedroom accepted . I really want a cellar and there are a few houses on a row that have become available - however its next to a busy-ish road. I've seen the house advertised and I thought "no, too close to the road" but the cellar has swayed me.

One of my "wants" wasn't to live next to a busy road. My parents lived next to a busy road but I never notice the traffic when i'm at their house (my childhood home).

I want to rent out the spare room to supplement my income. I would love to get a few more bedrooms but obviously it means more $$$.

danlewi2

Do you want to live next to a busy road ?

Yes - buy it

No - dont buy it

Doozergirl

I'm not sure what you want us to say. Some of us like living next to busy roads, some won't consider it.

If you don't notice it at your parents' house, then why would it be a major issue for you?

We all have various compromises to make. If the cellar is important, the house is the right size and price and you haven't had a problem being near a busy road before then it doesn't sound like a massive compromise to me.

I'm not a fan of quiet streets as there always seems to be someone who likes to hoover their driveway every day and has strong opinions about how everyone else on the street should live.

Caitykinss

Rather than just noise, consider how easy it will be to get off your drive in the morning during rush hour (if you drive and that's when you leave for work). I live on a main village road and it's frustrating trying to get out in the morning, and it's far from the busiest road in the world. The noise doesn't bother me, but it does bother my partner.

Ithaca

Is it just the noise you are worried about? Very often (as you have experienced) you become quickly accustomed to traffic noise, the brain seems tunes it out. I have friends who live right by the M6 and they only notice it when there's an accident and the road noise *stops* (they told me "the silence is deafening!"). We are on the flight path for Birmingham Airport and after three years we don't notice the sound of the planes as they come over.

If the road is used by lorries it's not just noise but also vibration to consider - that can be much more invasive and is less easy to ignore. A background hum of cars and vans is one thing, but thundering artic lorries can really intrude.

Plus if it's a road mostly used by commuters, and you go to work at similar times, then you might not be around when the road is busiest.

Only other reason I would avoid a busy road, esp. without a decent driveway, is getting the kids out of the front door and into the car safely, but sounds like you don't have that issue to worry about at the moment?

comedyseeker123

Thanks.

Food for thought. The other house has off road parking (although its the back garden and I will use the street).

I have a feeling that I've missed out on all the good houses and i'm paying a bit too much... but that is part of the game of house buying. I'm also anxious about the mortgage application not going through.

comedyseeker123

I have been living in houses with no noise for many years so I would rather not have the traffic nose and pollution. I'm guess im asking if tenants care?

rococomaiden

My main reason for avoiding busy roads is they are dangerous for pets and you tend to get the occasional "boy racer" with an annoying loud car/bike in the middle of the night.

hazyjo

If it's a constantly busy road, it's prob easier to adjust to.

If it's one car every 10-30 seconds it's more of a pain I find. I remember trying to watch TV round my BF's old flat. Was a side road, but a very long busy one near the station. The lounge was at the front and you had the volume at an acceptable level, but every time anything went past, you'd lose the word. It was quite irritating as you didn't want to have to watch the whole thing louder to drown out a few vehicles.

If near traffic lights or a 'stopping/slowing down place' like a speed bump, chicane, zebra crossing (or similar), speed camera etc, that would put me off far more. You are likely to get more noise from them slowing down/speeding up, and if at an actual stop like at traffic lights, you will always get some selfish inconsiderate a-hole who sits there with his music thumping.

I like a quiet street. Others won't care.

But bear in mind you will definitely be reducing your market when you do ever sell up which is likely to make it worth slightly less than something on a quiet street.

Do you mean you'd want to put a bedroom in the cellar? Beware: most suffer damp issues. Presume no bathroom on that level - so will they have to go up 2 flights to the bathroom? Is there a loo at least at ground level? Is there a window? Means of escape if a fire?

Rent one bedroom - fine. Rent more and you risk it becoming an HMO. In case you weren't aware, the rent a room allowance is per property, not per lodger. Any more than £7500 (or whatever it is) will have to be declared/taxed.

Penny_Dawson

Agree with Hazyjo.

We lived in a house with infrequent road noise. Hated it - particularly motor bikes, boy racers, scaffold lorries clattering over potholes and pedestrians loitering outside while making phone calls.

Road vibrations would flow through the house causing any object on a hard surface to rattle or buzz.

Also couldn't have windows open during stifling summers evenings, or to help demist windows while relaxing in the bath.

Plus whenever a heavy articulated lorry passed, the whole house would seem to tilt towards the road, presumably as the surrounding ground temporarily sank under its weight.

Waterlily24

We went from one extreme to the other. Lived facing the A259 for many years and it didn't bother us at all. We were a couple of car spaces and a footpath away from the road though. The main bedroom was at the front too. We then moved to South Lincolnshire to a hamlet that had hardly any traffic and didn't notice that either.


It's a personal thing I think and everyone is different.


Good luck on what you decide to do.