Found our dream house....next to a railway line!

Found our dream house....next to a railway line!

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Discussion

fridaypassion

Original Poster:

8,503 posts

227 months

Monday 5th December 2016
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So SWMBO and I have been looking to move on and off for a few years now. We have far too many boxes that need ticking and its resulted in anything that did tick the boxes being completely out of our price range (who would have thought?)

So just yesterday we thought we had hit the jackpot with a lovely cottage with half an acre and some room for cars out in the sticks. A quick hunt round on google maps (agents cheekily moved location round the corner) and there it is. Our lovely house next to the east coast mainline. Its a busy line I go on it regularly and am in fact on it now!

Has anyone lived in a similar house? Its very close as in the signal box is next door and then its the tracks its no more than 10m away. I remember my Grandad used to live in some cottages when he worked on the railways and I remember him saying that other than some plates falling off the dresser every now and again the noise sort of goes into the background. As a lover of a bit of peace its big consideration but we would be rewarded with something that would be 100k more located just 500 yards down the road....

interstellar

3,224 posts

145 months

Monday 5th December 2016
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My guess is if you are already questioning it then its always going to bother you.

Also, if you have pets, they may not last long.

For me it would be too big a compromise.

DocJock

8,341 posts

239 months

Monday 5th December 2016
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A quiet local line would be bad enough. A main line? You'd be mad imo.

Iva Barchetta

44,044 posts

162 months

Monday 5th December 2016
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Absolutely not for me.

Yes ,you'll get used to it but how long does that take ?

PixelpeepS3

8,600 posts

141 months

Monday 5th December 2016
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fridaypassion said:
We have far too many boxes that need ticking and its resulted in anything that did tick the boxes being completely out of our price range (who would have thought?)
This could be me and my OH you are describing. toooooo many boxes :/

jon-

16,496 posts

215 months

Monday 5th December 2016
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How much is all the negative it will bring to your life worth to you.

If it's worth less than £100k you're onto a winner.

RichB

51,430 posts

283 months

Monday 5th December 2016
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I've lived with the western mainline at the end of my garden for 23 years in Maidenhead. Frankly after the first few days we were oblivious to it. Of course we do get nightworks occasionally when they check the track and ballast (and of course they've been electrifying it for the last year for Crossrail) but you won't get that on the east coast line because it's already electric. Plus side is, the garden is not overlooked, the embankment is like a wildlife sanctuary and we know we'll never get houses built at the foot of the garden. It's not been a problem for us else we wouldn't have stayed so long.

Incidentally in our road nearly all of the houses backing onto the line are long term owners, 20 years plus mostly... says something.

Munter

31,319 posts

240 months

Monday 5th December 2016
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RichB said:
20 years plus mostly... says something.
hehe Nobody want's to buy their houses..?

RichB

51,430 posts

283 months

Monday 5th December 2016
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Munter said:
RichB said:
20 years plus mostly... says something.
hehe Nobody want's to buy their houses..?
biglaugh Maybe but we just sold to the first buyer so maybe not... Anyway I have no axe to grind, just saying we've not worried about it.

Morningside

24,110 posts

228 months

Monday 5th December 2016
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Used to live near the Gatwick Express and after a while you really don't hear them. People used to often comment on 'what is that noise'? with me sounding rather puzzled on what they were on about.

Will the trains be screaming through at that location or at a nice slow pace?

fridaypassion

Original Poster:

8,503 posts

227 months

Monday 5th December 2016
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Should be slowing up for one of two stations nearby. Night time freight is a worry actually!

stuartmmcfc

8,653 posts

191 months

Monday 5th December 2016
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OP after a few years in house
https://youtu.be/9mLu5jOUmws

Yipper

5,964 posts

89 months

Monday 5th December 2016
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Living near a railway line is kinda romantic.

The train noise melts into the background after a few weeks.

But, in this day and age, you gotta think about pollution. There will be noise pollution, iron filings, brake dust, gravel dust, electricity fields, diesel fumes and other stuff all floating around your local atmosphere. This may affect health and resale value in the future.

Davel

8,982 posts

257 months

Monday 5th December 2016
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Why not park outside the house for a while and have a listen?

May not be as awful as you fear.

Others get used to it and think of those poor soles leaving on flight paths etc.

Of course it may put you off but maybe worth a look and listen.

Edited by Davel on Monday 5th December 18:07

hornetrider

63,161 posts

204 months

Monday 5th December 2016
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Just think of lazy summer Sunday afternoons in the garden. Pimms, bit of gentle music on the wireless, barbecue sizzling in the backg-BWAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRR BWWOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR BWARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR KERCHUNK KERCHUNK KERCHUNK KERCHUNK KERCHUNK KERCHUNK KERCHUNK KERCHUNKKERCHUNK KERCHUNK KERCHUNK KERCHUNKKERCHUNK KERCHUNK KERCHUNK KERCHUNK KERCHUNK KERCHUNK KERCHUNK KERCHUNK KERCHUNK KERCHUNK KERCHUNK KERCHUNKKERCHUNK KERCHUNK KERCHUNK KERCHUNK BWAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

sealtt

3,091 posts

157 months

Monday 5th December 2016
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Here's what you need to do:
(1) Book a 2 hour slot at the house, go there and sit in the house properly, on the floor if you have to, in the bedroom and living room. How bad is the noise and rattles, if there are any. Is that a big deal? Be 100% honest, imagine trying to sleep with that. Could you?
(2) Download a train app which shows you live train lines, there are plenty of good apps for this, then every day when you go to bed open up the app and look what traffic and train speed is like. How bad is it compared to day?
(3) Be totally honest with yourself, is it the right thing to compromise on? For the right person it's the dream find, for the wrong person it's an absolute hell hole.

Sound cancelling will remove all noise by the way.

sealtt

3,091 posts

157 months

Monday 5th December 2016
quotequote all
Davel said:
Why not park outside the house for a while and have a listen?

May not be as awful as your fear.

Others get used to it and think of those poor soles leaving on flight paths etc.

Of course it may put you off but maybe worth a look and listen.
I always feel sorry for the poor sods who live at One Hyde Park and have to live next to the noise and inconvenience of the traffic and rammed pavements there. Imagine how long it must take to nip out to buy a pint of milk, no good driving roads for at least an hour either!!!

richatnort

3,018 posts

130 months

Monday 5th December 2016
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Also maybe it could turn into hs2. Probably not but worth checking

fridaypassion

Original Poster:

8,503 posts

227 months

Monday 5th December 2016
quotequote all
Well we are off for a look at the weekend. I have been married for 10 years so I'm used to a degree of fairly persistent white noise. One thing that is a possible total killer is that theres a crossing next door. If thats got beepers on it theres just no way!

Quickmoose

4,482 posts

122 months

Monday 5th December 2016
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I used to live with a main line 30m away at the bottom of the garden.
The noise quickly got ignored.
Pets stayed away.

What didn't get ignored was the layer of hot brake dust which destroyed my cars' paintwork... and no doubt floated about and got breathed in....
Thankfully my wife cheated on me and I left....so my new cars and I are fine now smile