Would you buy a property near a motorway?

We lived on the side of the M54 for a while, although its not the busiest motorway you soon get used to the noise and don't really notice it. I always slept with my windows open etc and never had a problem sleeping :)

Didn't really notice the noise when we were out on the farm either, it just becomes the norm!! I'd go for it :)
 
crellow4 said:
As the title really. I've found a house for sale, within budget - 13 acres, 5 bed farmhouse and loads of useful buildings. The only problem is that the fields run down to the M5 - would this put you off? Everything else about th property is good, great hacking nearby, spacious house etc Just trying to decide if the traffic noise would be too much to live with.....
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The only thing I can suggest is to go and view the property at a time when traffic on the M5 is at maximum and see what you think. Bear in mind that the m/way will be in 24 hour use so there is likely to be noise at night. If you are close to an access road to the m/way this may make matters worse. Noise polution is not the only consderation, of course. What about air quality, safety hacking out, etc.

Something else to consider is how well the house is insulated against noise. Standard double-glazing is not much of a block to noise. One of my cousins used to live very close to the M1 and had double windows rather than double-glazed windows. They seemed to do the trick but it was very noisy in the garden.

Another thing was that when the M1 was built there was no consideration given to land drainage and the m/way blocked a number of brooks and streams so that fields nearby tended to get somewhat water-logged in heavy rain.
 
Next to my field is euro star just as it disappears in to a tunnel next to that is the m20, that's dropped down in to a cutting and next to that is the a20.
I really don't notice the noise! And some days you can't hear it any way depends on the wind i guess? The little blue flash as euro star comes out the tunnel that lights the night sky in winter will still spook me form time to time but the horses couldn't care less! We are just about to start applying for planning! Not an ideal place to some but i love my field n i was there just after the m20 was built and before euro star, im more concerned about noise from the village pub at the end of the lane!
 
I used to live next to the M40, I can't say it bothered me much apart from my sporadic summer asthma became a full on allround year nightmare! I ended up on steroids having only occasionally had to use a blue inhaler in the past. Now whether that was the motorway or something else I don't know but as soon as I moved I was fine and been asthma free ever since! I didn't notice the noise aspect but my visitors did!
 
Hi. I travel everyday to work on the M5 to Exeter. Just check that the fields don't flood too badly, as all along that stretch is prone to quite bad flooding.
 
My horses are kept on a private yard right next to the m3 and it doesn't bother me at all. I would love to live at the house there! If I could afford it then it wouldn't bother me at all :)
 
We looked at the fields last Friday and they were all dry and well drained. There were no indications that they had recently been flooded and that is something we were concerned about. I'll double check on the second viewing.
 
I live near a busy A road and when I moved here was concerned about the noise as I always sleep with the window open. However, the noise becomes a background sound as its a constant drone - I'm more likely to wake up if motorbike goes through our village or the milkman arrives nextdoor! I would rather live next to a road with constant traffic than a busy junction where vehicles are slowing down and accelerating away. Plus, as a previous post said, it does depend a lot on which way the wind is blowing.
 
My yard is really near an A road so the traffic noise is constantly there. Obviously I'd rather not have it but the yard is lovely so I don't mind.
Mind you, I'm used to hearing road noise all of the time so maybe it doesn't affect me as much as it would others.
 
asmp said:
However, the noise becomes a background sound as its a constant drone - I'm more likely to wake up if motorbike goes through our village or the milkman arrives nextdoor! I would rather live next to a road with constant traffic than a busy junction where vehicles are slowing down and accelerating away.
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This.

We live near a motorway, and the noise is consistent to the point that I have to think - is the motorway running? It's a background noise that I am rarely aware of and although it's louder Friday evenings and Monday mornings, they are not times you usually sit out in the garden and if I am doing my horses I have the radio on so again it's there in the background, but it doesn't bother me.

The noise that I found unbearable was the milkman delivering - we had to cancel him as it woke us all up at 5am!
 
Missmac said:
Another point re the prevailing wind is ragwort.
Motorways embankments are often plastered with ragwortand the if the prevailing wind runs off the motorway across your land it will dump shed loads of seeds onto the pasture.
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Thats a good point.

katherine1975 said:
Hi. I travel everyday to work on the M5 to Exeter. Just check that the fields don't flood too badly, as all along that stretch is prone to quite bad flooding.
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I think now would be an ideal time to look if fields flood - if they're not full of water this year you should be ok!

For me the noise would be an issue because I grew up in the middle of nowhere with no traffic, but for most people it wouldn't be an issue. The house and bedrooms can be triple glazed and have fans/air con to help sleeping, but would you ever want to sit out in the garden and would that be an issue?

It sounds lovely though. Definately worth a few trips up to the area to check it out at various times.
 
Probably if it was that good! My front door (admittedly rarely used) opens straight onto a pavement on a busy B road that is a rat run, on a sharp bend where some idiots still beep their horn :mad:

If you'd asked me before if I'd want to live there I woudl have said no, but its location is perfect for me and the OH, and now (that we've spent 3 years doing it up) its a lovely house with plenty more scope. Something has to give unless you're incredibly lucky or a millionaire :)
 
def v dependent on the prevailing wind direction, there is a noticeable difference when we cross to the other side! (ie much noisier!)
 
My stables are between two motorways (one being the very busy M6). At first I noticed the noise but its not even an issue anymore. We back straight on the the M6 and there's a small track along the M42. We have good high fencing.
 
I've gone from middle of knowwhere to buying a house right next door to a motorway, it was the only way we could afford one with a bit of land, tho the field doesn't border the road. The noise is just noise now and 3 yrs later I can honestly say it doesn't bother me. In fact its strange when its closed and there is no noise. I much prefer my motorway house than my friends who is under a flight path and her whole house shakes.
 
I think it depends totally on an individuals priorities. For me peace and quiet is 100% essential. A friend lives next to motorway in a beautiful property. She says you just don't hear it in the end, but when I visit it is unbearable.
Only you can know how much it will bother you.
On the upside, any horses grazing alongside become pretty bombproof with roar of traffic and screaming emergency services.
 
Doesn't bother me at all. Live next door and its great for de-sensitising the young horses. Also you don't actually hear it after a while which sounds silly but its white noise now and I'd find something like a train or plane more annoying because they are intermittent so I'd be listening out for it.

I find the hum a comfort, if I'm doing horses late at night total silence would spook me.

If the property has everything you want then go for it.
 
asmp said:
...however, the noise becomes a background sound as its a constant drone - I'm more likely to wake up if motorbike goes through our village or the milkman arrives nextdoor! I would rather live next to a road with constant traffic than a busy junction where vehicles are slowing down and accelerating away...
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I used to live on a busy A road on the main lorry route to the M1 and found most of the lorries changed up a gear right outside our house - nightmare!

When I first left home I rented a flat in a small block next to the city's mainline railway station. The trains stopped bothering me after a couple of weeks - what did for me was the "Bing bong. The train now standing at Platform 3....".

A couple of our fields are next door to the M69 (not a busy motorway, I'll grant you) but we only tend to remember it's there when someone refers to riding in the Motorway Field. The horses don't care a jot when it's their turn to live in one of those fields.

So, I'd say go for it, but if you have any doubts, I'll gladly live in it rent free for a couple of years, and give you a detailed written report at the end. :p
 
If this helps I live just of the M5 by about 2 minutes in Somerset, agree with the fields flooding our did this year for the first time. But also agree that the motorway becomes a drone in the background. What gets is if the flight path right over our house to Weston/Bristol airports, check on that!

But even that becomes background!
 
The livery yard we're on at the moment is right next to a motorway - we were worried at first that it would be noisy and spoil our time at the yard, but I genuinely don't notice it when I'm there. Also, my horse has become less afraid of traffic since grazing in a field near to it!
 
Will have a good look at the fencing. There is an 'air-lock' arrangement in place as there is a strip of land which AI an access lane to fields further along. The farmer manages to keep his sheep in lol!
 
Grew up in two houses which were probably no less than a mile from the M25 hence my horses have always been kept on yards next to the M25/M23 or on the A25 with the M25 on the other side :D, I never gave it a moments thought to be totally honest with you when I moved away, I actually missed the hum of the traffic, it all seemed very quiet, it just becomes background noise...
 
crellow4 said:
Didn't think of the flight path - house is near Wellington, junction 26 of the M5.......
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good way from it then :) we are between 23 and 24, west side (quiet side) and would guess prevailing wind the same down that way? tbh the main problem with the M5 is the 6 weeks summer holidays and people that cannot drive caravans :p
 
My friend lives just a mile from that junction, and it's where I grew up, know it well :) Years ago my parents looked at a house in cutsey but that was shielded by a big bank. I don't think that stretch of motorway ever gets particularly busy so think once you were used to the background noise you wouldn't notice it.
 
Our first property with land was right under the Gatwick Airport flightpath and a mile away from the M23. Like yourselves we hadn't got a big budget so had to compromise.

Both sets of noise never bothered us after the first few weeks - the noise just blended in to the background. The only time we noticed it was when people came to visit and their first comment was always about the aircraft noise!

The downside of being near a motorway is the ragwort risk - we grew it like a crop on our 5 acres of clay, and was a constant battle. I always attributed it to the motorway as the verges were littered with the damned stuff, but the noise never bothered us or the horses.
 
Well, viewed the house today and loved it. Fencing is all secure and the fields free draining. The traffic noise is certainly there but not enough to put me off. You can't hear the road inside the house. Huge useable rooms, fab wood burners in the lounge and dining room, Rayburn in the kitchen - 5 good sized bedrooms, boot room, laundry room. Stables need some attention but are perfectly serviceable, 2 nice big barns........love it!!
We've decided to put an offer in on Monday :-)
 
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