Thanks for your replies everyone, some really good points. The house we are looking at is pretty rural so just these 3 houses. The one we are looking at has its own drive accessed off the main drive off the road )which is the neighbours as it accesses their property which is the furthest. You can park 4 cars on. The private drive. It has front and rear gardens but it was a concern of mine that we couldn't access the back garden easily. There is right of access through the neighbours field and the current window cleaners use that (there is a gate at the end if the garden) so I guess might nor be a major issue. The bibs would naturally be kept at the front as that's where the road is but I take your point they are right outside the house so might look at building a bin store at the end if the drive. G
Noise also worries me - its hard to know if it would be bad until you move in I guess. It's a barn conversion so I'm not sure if the dividing walls are that thick!
Thanks for your replies everyone, some really good points. The house we are looking at is pretty rural so just these 3 houses. The one we are looking at has its own drive accessed off the main drive off the road )which is the neighbours as it accesses their property which is the furthest. You can park 4 cars on. The private drive. It has front and rear gardens but it was a concern of mine that we couldn't access the back garden easily. There is right of access through the neighbours field and the current window cleaners use that (there is a gate at the end if the garden) so I guess might nor be a major issue. The bibs would naturally be kept at the front as that's where the road is but I take your point they are right outside the house so might look at building a bin store at the end if the drive. G
Noise also worries me - its hard to know if it would be bad until you move in I guess. It's a barn conversion so I'm not sure if the dividing walls are that thick!
Why is it so stressful moving?'c
I assume the walls are thick in our barn conversion as we never really hear anything. And the neighbours say they can't hear us, although I think they may be fibbing there as when I'm shouting at the kids I'm sure the whole complex (we are in a courtyard with another two barns opposite) can hear me!
Our bin store is at the bottom of the communal drive/courtyard area.
I live in a terrace. I never even thought of it as one until someone pointed it out as it's a 3 bed in a little row of 5 and terraces in our area are 2 up 2 down like the ones on corrie! I don't have any issue with it at all. We all have our own gates at the back as an access road runs along there and no issues with noise
Our last house was an end terrace. I liked the house but didn't like the neighbour through the wall. He made a point of straipsing through our garden numerous times a day. He put his bins round into our garden rather than keep them in his front. He kept leaving our gate open (we have 3 dogs) so I put a lock on it and told him I'd open it when he needed. Caused all sorts of bother.
That would put me off buying a terrace again. But each house is different I guess so depends on your set up.
We lived mid terrace and the noise was very bad from neighbours, the walls were paper thin. It was very cosy though and I'd imagine with it being an older building the soundproofing might be better/thicker walls as some previous posters have mentioned.
Apologies for the necro-post. This could still be useful for others.
I'd distill this down to materials and neighbours.
We live in a victorian terrace, and we perceive ourselves as considerate neighbours.
One side has given us bother the other side not with regards to noise.
We can hear vibrating phones, alarms and heated arguments. Which is a bit of a drag as all you ever hear is anger!
We had one neighbour that would DIY with machine tools at 8am on a Sunday morning (drilling into party walls etc.). We have a current neighbour that chops wood within the property close to midnight. We have had a neighbour clamber about the loft space after midnight. One that decided to spring clean their van at 7am on a Saturday morning outside our property. People throwing stuff in bins before 7am. Loud food mixers being used after midnight. And another neighbour doing shift work, coming and going all night long banging car doors. And a neighbour with a small yappy dog that would bark as you walked from the front to the back of the house and whenever you entered and walked in the garden. These are just a few of the many aggravations.
Whereas neighbours of mine have moaned about their neighbours' love making in the middle of the night! I'd swap anger for happy noises.
Previously I lived in a terrace next to a student house, with a small child. And most noise came from within. The students never bothered me, the child did! But I think the house was also of better quality.
One side of us have heavily modified their terrace. Knocking walls through. This has also had many unfortunate side effects in the way that the rooms are used. Walking patterns and room use have changed so we can hear more than we would if unchanged.
We try and keep noisier activities limited to the hours of 9am-9pm. Of course if the neighbours had children I would be somewhat quieter before that. Some people don't sleep as well as others, some people have empathy, and some not. They can be perfectly lovely, but still be inconsiderate people. So I find much of this is a lottery.
Build quality gets worse and worse with terraced houses. I witnessed a new block being built with thin stud partitions between properties. To me that could be horrendous.
Terraces are cheaper for a reason. I never had issue, until we had 'bad' neighbours.
My Mum moved to what she thought was a quiet cul-de-sac in a detached house. Only to discover the neighbour is running a business from home and tos-and-fros from the property all day long with the workforce, and uses power machines in the garage at the start of every day. Despite being detached the properties are not that far from each other.
So do do your homework, talk to neighbours before moving in.
Housing is out of most people's control, moving is stressful and difficult. So we need to learn to be better neighbours and show a little consideration for others.
I've read loads of posts about people being bothered or bothering their neighbours with noise. DIY can be a complete aggravation, likewise regular parties.
Design decisions in your own house can also make a difference. Try and keep loud items/activities away from party walls. Being in a terrace restricts my activities, one side rarely leaves their property, they are perfectly entitled to do so. I have only fired up the HI-FI once or twice I know it would be too much of a nuisance.
Access is another issue. We have rear access across properties in a lane. On our deeds it says this should be kept clear at all times. And yet we have a few dog owners who ride roughshod over this, gating access. Making it hard to take the bins out, and dance around dog poo. Sorry, but I don't want to face off fido whenever I take my bike out!
This morning I was woken before 6am by the neighbours, they were just pottering about. But case in point. They have just started vacuuming at around 8am. Some people think just because they are awake everyone else should be!
That reminds me, last year on new years day at 8am the neighbours were doing DIY (different people).
Double glazing can make internal sounds more pronounced. Personally I'm really looking forward to leaving the terrace one day if we ever can afford to.
Replies
Thanks for your replies everyone, some really good points. The house we are looking at is pretty rural so just these 3 houses. The one we are looking at has its own drive accessed off the main drive off the road )which is the neighbours as it accesses their property which is the furthest. You can park 4 cars on. The private drive. It has front and rear gardens but it was a concern of mine that we couldn't access the back garden easily. There is right of access through the neighbours field and the current window cleaners use that (there is a gate at the end if the garden) so I guess might nor be a major issue. The bibs would naturally be kept at the front as that's where the road is but I take your point they are right outside the house so might look at building a bin store at the end if the drive. G
Noise also worries me - its hard to know if it would be bad until you move in I guess. It's a barn conversion so I'm not sure if the dividing walls are that thick!
Why is it so stressful moving?'c
I assume the walls are thick in our barn conversion as we never really hear anything. And the neighbours say they can't hear us, although I think they may be fibbing there as when I'm shouting at the kids I'm sure the whole complex (we are in a courtyard with another two barns opposite) can hear me!
Our bin store is at the bottom of the communal drive/courtyard area.
I think it sounds lovely and a nice set up :-)
I live in a terrace. I never even thought of it as one until someone pointed it out as it's a 3 bed in a little row of 5 and terraces in our area are 2 up 2 down like the ones on corrie! I don't have any issue with it at all. We all have our own gates at the back as an access road runs along there and no issues with noise
Our last house was an end terrace. I liked the house but didn't like the neighbour through the wall. He made a point of straipsing through our garden numerous times a day. He put his bins round into our garden rather than keep them in his front. He kept leaving our gate open (we have 3 dogs) so I put a lock on it and told him I'd open it when he needed. Caused all sorts of bother.
That would put me off buying a terrace again. But each house is different I guess so depends on your set up.
We lived mid terrace and the noise was very bad from neighbours, the walls were paper thin. It was very cosy though and I'd imagine with it being an older building the soundproofing might be better/thicker walls as some previous posters have mentioned.
Apologies for the necro-post. This could still be useful for others.
I'd distill this down to materials and neighbours.
We live in a victorian terrace, and we perceive ourselves as considerate neighbours.
One side has given us bother the other side not with regards to noise.
We can hear vibrating phones, alarms and heated arguments. Which is a bit of a drag as all you ever hear is anger!
We had one neighbour that would DIY with machine tools at 8am on a Sunday morning (drilling into party walls etc.). We have a current neighbour that chops wood within the property close to midnight. We have had a neighbour clamber about the loft space after midnight. One that decided to spring clean their van at 7am on a Saturday morning outside our property. People throwing stuff in bins before 7am. Loud food mixers being used after midnight. And another neighbour doing shift work, coming and going all night long banging car doors. And a neighbour with a small yappy dog that would bark as you walked from the front to the back of the house and whenever you entered and walked in the garden. These are just a few of the many aggravations.
Whereas neighbours of mine have moaned about their neighbours' love making in the middle of the night! I'd swap anger for happy noises.
Previously I lived in a terrace next to a student house, with a small child. And most noise came from within. The students never bothered me, the child did! But I think the house was also of better quality.
One side of us have heavily modified their terrace. Knocking walls through. This has also had many unfortunate side effects in the way that the rooms are used. Walking patterns and room use have changed so we can hear more than we would if unchanged.
We try and keep noisier activities limited to the hours of 9am-9pm. Of course if the neighbours had children I would be somewhat quieter before that. Some people don't sleep as well as others, some people have empathy, and some not. They can be perfectly lovely, but still be inconsiderate people. So I find much of this is a lottery.
Build quality gets worse and worse with terraced houses. I witnessed a new block being built with thin stud partitions between properties. To me that could be horrendous.
Terraces are cheaper for a reason. I never had issue, until we had 'bad' neighbours.
My Mum moved to what she thought was a quiet cul-de-sac in a detached house. Only to discover the neighbour is running a business from home and tos-and-fros from the property all day long with the workforce, and uses power machines in the garage at the start of every day. Despite being detached the properties are not that far from each other.
So do do your homework, talk to neighbours before moving in.
Housing is out of most people's control, moving is stressful and difficult. So we need to learn to be better neighbours and show a little consideration for others.
I've read loads of posts about people being bothered or bothering their neighbours with noise. DIY can be a complete aggravation, likewise regular parties.
Design decisions in your own house can also make a difference. Try and keep loud items/activities away from party walls. Being in a terrace restricts my activities, one side rarely leaves their property, they are perfectly entitled to do so. I have only fired up the HI-FI once or twice I know it would be too much of a nuisance.
Access is another issue. We have rear access across properties in a lane. On our deeds it says this should be kept clear at all times. And yet we have a few dog owners who ride roughshod over this, gating access. Making it hard to take the bins out, and dance around dog poo. Sorry, but I don't want to face off fido whenever I take my bike out!
This morning I was woken before 6am by the neighbours, they were just pottering about. But case in point. They have just started vacuuming at around 8am. Some people think just because they are awake everyone else should be!
That reminds me, last year on new years day at 8am the neighbours were doing DIY (different people).
Double glazing can make internal sounds more pronounced. Personally I'm really looking forward to leaving the terrace one day if we ever can afford to.