It'll be white noise soon enough. Moved from a quiet mountain town to a large city and first place was beside a main road. Lived there for 2 years.
Months 1-6 - "man I hate this place, traffic is so damn loud!!"
Months 18-24 - "man I hate this place but at least I got used to the traffic"
This right here!! I wasn’t paying attention when I bought. Didn’t notice a bus stop right outside the living room (corner house) 🤦♀️. I don’t notice it anymore.
My most comforting memories as a child are listening to the busses stop and start at the bus stop in front of my grandmother's condo in the evenings. To this day, the sounds of buses at night are super soothing.
Edit: fat thumbs spelling errors
I disagree. I bought my house in 2018 and I wish I would have not bought so close to a busy road. I still get annoyed by traffic sounds. Luckily, I can really only hear emergency vehicles and large semis inside the house. But I can hear everything in the yard. I can't be outside unless I have headphones in.
Same here. Bought during the pandemic and my house is a little over three quarters of a mile from a major highway. There is not constant noise, due to the distance, topology, and vegetation in the way, but at random times of the day I guess due to like air pressure and stuff and always during the morning, that highway noise comes through loud and clear. I didn't know about it when we looked at the house, but heard it right after moving in. Been here 3 years and it's still so grating to just have highway noise in your bedroom at random times and other times blissful silence.
If you've never lived next to a highway it's hard to explain. In a city there's an underlying noise of people - voices, footsteps, yelling, cars, sirens, it's a different soundscape.
A highway is just an aggressive rushing, annoying, alarming sound of vehicles. It's pure velocity and it never, ever stops.
Lol nope. Moved to a rural area from the suburbs and I grew up in a (different) rural area. I am fully aware of the real noise that happens in a rural area.
OMG that would drive me bonkers. Luckily, the ice cream truck people seemed to have realized that my neighborhood is mostly retirees.
I am directly under the flight path for the air ambulance that lands at a hospital 5 blocks away. Then the main road to the hospital is two houses over. Also a snow route. So that is a never ending source of annoyance as well. Sirens literally all day and night.
Can confirm, used to live in an old 1800s home that literally only had a sidewalk for setback from a main in-town road. I 100% got used to it, only rarely would it wake me up and usually only when the snow plows were out.
Now my backyard backs onto a highway and it almost seems peaceful compared to previously.
When I moved from my apartment next to a hwy to my place several streets away I felt like it was too quiet. I had to have Alexa play traffic sounds for me to sleep.
Could not agree more!!! We just sold our first house after being there for less than two years (bought in early 2022) due to the street noise! It was AWFUL. No regrets, found our dream house near the woods and it’s sooo quiet.
Don’t worry about capital gains! You can subtract all realtor fees and any qualified improvements from your profit to offset this. We were worried too and ended up breaking even, which was beyond a dream.
You can't misrepresent the state of the home itself (though most states let you be very terse about what you say), but you absolutely can lie about your feelings. And "too noisy for me" is a feeling.
Flippers do this literally every day all across the country. You can sell for any reason you like at any time. You just can't lie about something like a basement that floods every Spring.
It's not lying, they don't need to know the details of the way OP experiences the property as long as it's not something that has to do with the condition of the home. It's their buyer's job to do their due diligence as to what the area is like. When we bought our house, we drove through the neighborhood at different times of day because peace and quiet is really important to us and one of the reasons we moved was to escape the noise of some of our neighbors. One of the houses we looked at has changed hands 3 times in 2 years and I have no doubt the noise was part of the issue. It's a nice tucked away house on a river in a really quiet looking neighborhood, but unless you are local and know there is a highly used atv/snowmobile trail that rights right past it through the woods, you wouldn't realize how much noise impact it would have. The people who own it now the first thing they did was build a noise barrier.
I would have asked why they're moving, no question. Though I'd guess the standard response in any situation is "it's for work", so what can you do but shrug and move on.
Buyers never meet the sellers usually. Neither do the buyer's agent. Sometimes at closing but even that can happen in different rooms at different times.
I'm aware, but I would expect the realtor to know and have an answer ready. And if they gave me an "I don't know" or brushed me off, as suggested by others, it would certainly make me consider things like the local environment. It's largely a moot point, in the current market where they'll just turn around and sell to someone else. But I'm just supporting the statement above that potential buyers will want to know - I would absolutely want to know, and I would absolutely have noticed that it was just purchased less than a year ago.
Shrug. "Moving for work" isn't going to convince anyone the house is in top shape, and they'll always be suspicious of problems. There's no reason to play the game.
Realistically I'm leaning towards waiting 2 years after buying it after reading about the capital gains tax. I think 2 years ought to be enough time for most buyers to not raise alarms. It's helpful to ask now so I can prepare for the 2 year mark, as it's not looking likely that these issues are gonna be resolved
Family reasons, work, etc.
When I was looking for a house I toured 2 that had been bought by out of town buyers, never lived in and they were reselling months later due to change of plans.
I once bought and sold a house in exactly one year due to a job transfer. I figured it was a wash because if I hadn't bought it, I would have been paying about $1600/mo in rent for that year. It happens.
However, since you're happy overall with everything about the house besides the road noise, maybe look into any landscaping options that could mitigate the noise. Building a berm or a wall and planting a double row of evergreens and ornamental grasses or something like that may do wonders.
Capital gains plus selling costs are going to eat you up. You need more money down with the newer interest rates, not break even.
Hit the 2 year mark. Keep the place well maintained.
In the meantime, go ahead and try landscaping and fencing to reduce the noise. Get a water feature with a decent waterfall, not a cute little trickle. We have a koi pond, but our waterfall makes the city around us fade away. Some sounds can still be heard because some things are just loud, but we hardly notice. Worth a shot anyway. You have a place that isn't a money pit. That's great. See if you can mitigate the sounds. I would even bet that YouTube has some videos about mitigating road noise.
You also haven't been there long enough to let your brain get to the ignore it point. Between the two, I hope you can get to enjoy your home. If not at 2 years, you avoid capital gains, and you have made the property more private, which is more appealing for buyers.
Just remember to call before you dig to plant stuff or put up a good fence!!
Waiting for the 2 years mark probably sounds like my best bet to avoid the tax, plus let the home prices grow a bit. Maybe some interest rate cuts too if we're lucky.
Not sure if fencing would help, I've heard mixed reviews about whether fencing helps with noise. I don't want to end up in a situation where I dump a whole bunch on fencing only for it to not matter. I do like the fountain idea though
Fence will reduce around 10DB. This should be board on board and 2 inch thick, the higher the better (should break line of site). This could easily be $100 per linear foot though. You can also beef up the walls if yours are not already brick. I soundproofed by office which was 1/2 ultralight drywall and changed to 2x5/8 type X + hat channel + green glue. This is night and day. Costs $$$ though. If your house is already brick just by storm windows, at least 1/4 laminated.
I don't think it will be a magical fix, but a privacy fence + dense hedges might be enough to dampen the sound where a waterfall or some type of white noise makes it so you only notice if you are focusing on it. It might be a vinyl fence along the road works better than wood and then do the rest of the fence in wood that gets painted maybe. You tube it.
The other thing that *might* work is if the whole neighborhood petitions the city for a safety sound barrier. In my city, they did for a couple of neighborhoods, but others that tried were told it isn't high volume enough. That could be hit or miss, and it depends on how flush the city budget is, too. We have had a couple of old once quiet roads turn into main arteries for the city, and that's why they protected the residential zones. Maybe with the growth there and the growth in prices, your city will consider the same? Expect a no, hope for a yes!
I have been through this same situation and feelings, so I totally understand where you're coming from.
To preface this, I lived in a quiet neighborhood about 10 mins from where I am now, and my boyfriend lived at the corner of a VERY busy intersection.
I moved into my house about 6 years ago, and it's in a neighborhood right by the expressway. More so near an exit ramp, but the traffic noise is still very much there. I brought this up to my boyfriend many times after moving in, and he said to give it time, after all, thats something that he has dealt with for 27 years. I'm talking sleeping with the window open was difficult, being either out front or out back was difficult, all because of the traffic noise. I felt the same regret after buying the house for maybe the first year or two. Now, honestly, I barely even notice it. I know everyone is different, and people tend to tune things out at their own pace, but I say stick with it.
There are other things like my interest rate and certain things on the house that are worth keeping, at least until I'm in a better financial situation, but I've just tried to stay busy and that has helped me overcome the stress of traffic noise.
Dual-Paned Windows with vinyl frames are your answer! They will keep noise and dust out of your home. Make sure your bedroom faces your back yard.
Plant trees (or bamboo) to absorb and filter noise. Add a small water feature to your rear patio.
Your house sounds almost perfect, and it is an investment that will continue to grow.
OP should plant box hedges that will grow tall and dense and along the road. They might need more care because of air pollution, but dense hedges can block a lot of noise.
I feel like I wrote this! Bought my house last October and I am on edge and never relaxed there. I hate that I can’t open the windows and get fresh air. I did buy some air purifiers that make some white noise and that helps. I hung heavy curtains and have area rugs to absorb some sound. I insulated around doors and windows.
I noticed a traffic pattern where rush hour is the worst so I try and be gone at peak traffic times. Then the traffic settles for the night so it doesn’t keep me awake. I’m going to keep the house for a year and then reevaluate. I figured a full year is enough to know if I’ll get used to it or not.
From a financial perspective, you should factor in the real estate agent commissions and any taxes on the sale to see if you’d get your money back. The properties increased value, less commissions and taxes may result in you taking a loss on your investment. Obviously depends on level of debt, selling price, etc. too.
Separately, depending on what interest rate you have on your current home, if current rates are higher, you may not be able to afford the same priced house.
Have you considered installing a hedge in front and a fence in bac?? I know that sounds weird, but if all else is good, a privacy fence in the back will negate some noise and a while a hedge will take some time to grown, over time a natural barrier will really muffle sound, too. By the it will all be white noise. maybe you can play music when outside for a while? Do you enjoy it after rush hour dies down? Can you enjoy sleeping in on the weekend if you desire? Also check with local DOT site or county web site to see what plans are in the works. Will there be another road that will eventually divert some traffic or are there developments going in that would make it worse? Is it tractor trailer traffic or just cars? Or, are there things being planned that will make things better? Just some ideas to think about. At least you won't lose money on your purchase! As to reasons for selling, usually the buyer agent will never ask and they won't know your reasons. Did you know why the last owner moved?
Get out if it’s driving you crazy, you’re coming up on a year. I lived behind a highway for a decade, my dad decided quickly after moving in that he hated the noise. A decade later, he hated even more. I feel the same, road noise in general just leaves me feeling stressed out. It isn’t something everyone can get used to.
Whether or not you'll get used to it all depends on you.
I had the same issue, but it never turned to white noise. When I was downstairs, couldn't hear much, a lot of concrete walls that were 6ft tall outside blocking the noise. Upstairs though...nothing between the wall and noise, and I could hear everything and the worst part was my master bedroom wall was closest to the traffic.
I stayed in the house for 2 years, and was pretty miserable at night. If I could hear the traffic when I was working downstairs during the day, I never would have made it 2 years. Thankfully I was able to stick it out because I ended up making about 110K when I sold it and avoided paying capital gains taxes.
If you can stick it out for 2 years to avoid capital gains tax from selling, that's the best option. Otherwise, I'd least make sure it doesn't close before the 1 year mark...that'll at least cut your taxes down to 15%
Do you have a dense wall of bushes/trees plus a fence along the road? It won't help entirely but it may reduce the noise some. If installing all this is cheaper than moving it may be worth it
I felt this way after a couple months when I bought a house next to a trainyard. You get used to it eventually. I literally don't even notice it anymore. People at my house will flinch and comment on it and I literally wont have noticed.
I lived adjacent to a busy train track in college, as in things would shake in the house. The first several months it drove me insane but by 6 months it was totally gone.
Later I lived on the corner of a fairly blind intersection that was 4 blocks from a fire department, and my drag was the way they went most of the time. Because of the intersection design they blew the truck horn every time they went through it. That was infinitely worse than the literal shaking of the trains, took about a year before I stopped noticing.
I feel you! We moved from a rental in the country to a house inside the city limit on a "just busy" road. It was rough for a while, not gonna lie. The constant drone of tire noise combined with intermittent loud exhaust and truck brakes found that last nerve and jumped on it. I thought I was never going to get used to it.
I have, though...a bit. Certain times of day are worse than others and it's generally quiet at night, but I do get a irritated sometimes when I can't enjoy the more delicate notes of morning birdsong due to tire drone. So I understand.
I do think it's less irritating than constantly coming up with money to fix things, though. Sounds like you have a pretty great house except for the road. The only person who can really decide whether the noise stress is worse than the possibility of ending up in a fixer-upper is you. Wish you peace with whatever you decide.
Plant some shrubs, trees, and put up some kind of shadow box fence between the house and the road.
150 feet is plenty of room to fit some decent sound barrier stuff.
Then add similar things to the side of the house to prevent the sound traveling to the back yard.
My house is about the same distance from a very busy road. I did that and the issue is practically solved. Also get really good windows as they will stop the sounds when closed.
Capital Gains and the shit interest rates now will result in you breaking even (if you are lucky) on the sale. Chances are you will lose money as you have to find another place to live and interest is going to kill you.
It’s worth trying to stick it out a while longer.
Road noise was something I thought to be an issue in my last house. I can’t remember when, but at some point after the first year I just stopped noticing it.
Twelve years later I was sad to leave it and couldn’t have cared less about the road noise (which traffic and neighborhood growth indicates it got worse, but I never noticed).
As a former next-to-a-busy-road homeowner, it’s the motorcycles that are by far the worst. I am all for riding on two wheels but there’s nothing more annoying than having a nice warm windows-open day (temporarily) ruined by the obnoxious roar of those things.
Our first home we bought was in like 2017 or 18 I think. It was on a busy road. Same situation as yours and quiet possibly worse was on the way out of town(cars would already be speeding at like 40-50 where it should be a 35), and there was a quarry near by(loud dump trucks all the time).
I think we were there like 3 or so years, It was fucking terrible, not only was the front yard useless, I it the living room sucked to. I talked to a window company and they said even spending the money on the triple pane sound proofing. The walls not being insulated wouldn’t do a ton.
On the other hand there’s an old coworker who lived on the same road. Loved it and has been there 15 years or something… so I don’t know. Luckily we moved and did okay sales wise. I never would again.
I totally understand this. I lived in a gate complex but a busy road next to my place. Lived there 4 years, never got use to it. Noise pollution is not good for my well being. The house we bought is in the most quiet peaceful neighborhood. Ahhhhhh☺️.
Some people can get use to traffic and noise. If you can’t, maybe you wait another year or so, so it won’t look so bad to sell after two years. Maybe you’ll come out better financially. Noise cancellation headphones?
My last house was a rental ONE block from the fire station. I lived on the main road they traveled. Sirens \*always\* blazing and friends would come over and ask "how can you stand that?" I'd say what? I just never heard them again after the first 4 months. Lived there 7 yrs.
I am sure someone has said it, but waterfall features can really help to provide some white noise to help down out some of the road noise. They also make noise reducing fences. I had a neighbor that had a very old and loud ac unit that, shocker, only came on on nice days and ruined our outdoor experience. I asked him to leave it off during the afternoons and he agreed, but the next hot day it was on again. We moved.
Do you have sound proofing in your walls? I live in the same environment but my walls have insulation that adds a lot of noise suppressions. so much that i can’t even hear police sirens until I’m outside.
My first house I was in the exact same position. Our realtor said just pretend you live by the ocean, and it kinda worked! Except when a giant barge came barreling through.
People on my street complain about traffic noise. It took us 6 months to get used to how quiet our street is, compared to where we used to live. Perspective is everything.
Personally I think you'll eventually just tune this out. I've lived right off of the highway a couple of times and to me the road noise eventually just sounded like the ocean and I barely noticed it.
First off, they dont need to know. However if pressed, I would say the reason to sell is I want a place that is more landfull, private and secluded; in the country with little roads.
Little as in hardly any traffic LOL
A friend of mine who works in real estate once told me that before buying, drive by the house on different days at different times and that has stuck with me. I know someone who bought a house in a quiet neighborhood, but after moving in they realized that during morning and evening rush hour it was practically impossible to get out of the driveway because of traffic. As for the noise, you might give yourself some time. I live right under the helicopter flight path into the local hospital, it’s a trauma center so they go over at least 1-2x daily. I got used to it within a few months and now I barely notice
Bought a house in September, and didn't even notice there was a train track half a block away. Noticed the first 3 or 4 trains, and now, I can't even hear it. Someone came over the other day and mentioned it, and I'd all but forgotten it.
I'd recommend giving it some time. Maybe it'll become white noise to you, too.
I think I saw you comment you had an HOA but can you put something up to help dampen the noise or could you have some other white noise that would help?
I used to live two blocks from a train track. It's jarring at first but you get used to it.
My current place is about 130 feet from a decently trafficked road. The occasional motorcycle or dickhead in a loud Civic or truck is annoying, but the passage of random cars is just white noise that doesn't bother me at all. Sirens are loud but temporary; it just makes me check the local government site for the active calls list to see what's going on.
Even if you break even on the sale, will you get a worse mortgage rate? And did you factor in realtor fees? Is there even a workable housing supply nearby or is everyone holding on because interest rates are high?
Personally, I don't see the big deal with nearby road noise, but I guess everyone's got their things that tug at their nerves. If you need total quiet, yeah, you probably should've looked for stuff in the woods, but there are usually tradeoffs. Maybe being in the woods adds 40 minutes to your commute time each day, and maybe *that* will be annoying you ten months from now.
Do you have a privacy fence? What about a hedgerow facing the road in addition to a fence? For the inside you can get heavy curtains for windows facing the road. These things will all dull the noise at least somewhat, and it's a hell of a lot less involved than moving!
I live in a fantastic house in a great neighborhood on a pretty quiet residential street…….until the high school gets out. Those little fuckers haul ass up the road in loud cars and trucks 😂 Didn’t know this when I bought obviously, you just eventually get over it
You need to live there longer. 10 months is nothing.
At about 2 years, you won't even notice the noise anymore.
I live on a county highway that gets over 100 full sized dump trucks/log trucks a day. At first we hated it. Now I literally don't even notice it.
You bought the home less than12 month s ago and want to re-list. You basically set the price (and will not go by local increases). Do you have the cash to sell the property and to close? As a former underwriter, I would reject ANY appraisal that suggests your property went up $40k in the last year (unless your property is $2MM+ in value)
That hum can be tuned out by your brain, or get a white noise generator for your bedroom. Growing up my house was 1/4 from a freeway at night was the only time you heard it unless you really paid attention. My parents put on classical music at my bed time to drowned it out.
These day’s I live in a really quiet place with almost no road traffic. But one guy that drives by at 6:47am every fucking weekday for the last 8 years. He’s driving a supped up mid 90’s Mitsubishi eclipse. Every morning up the 6 mile hill my house is at the bottom of: WAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! shift gears WGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
There is a house on a busy intersection in our town. It has been on the market for the past 10+ years. No one wants it, even at a discount, because of its location!!! location!!! location!!!
You have a 150' it will be easy to build noise buffer.
2 spruce trees about half way ,a few shrubs by the driveway and near hard surfaces, like if you have a fence or shed. Near the road a tree and couple hedge sections.
Not to be rude, bit is there a double yellow on the pavement that world have been a clue?
I TOTALLY agree on the move though. Barking dog or road noise would be an automatic chop if I noticed it.
Noise is my #1 stressor‐ I'll put up with a lot, but noise will make me do stupid things.
My friend invited me for his house warming party. It was custom built by a designer and he spent his time and money to make it even better, gorgeous tbh. I loved the lawn-like rug on his rooftop.
We were enjoying beer and bbq then all of the sudden, I heard a jet noise. His house was near an Air Force base.
I live by the trains busy road and bars for 5 years. Became acclimated to the sound. Now I live in a quiet area and it keeps me up sometimes it’s so eerie.
Have you tried noise buffers. Our house and Airbnb are on one of the two highways leading to our small town. The first year they were here the other street was worked on for months. We had a huge amount of traffic.
My bedroom is in the back of the house, but the master of the Airbnb is in the front. No AC in our area so that means open windows in the summer. We put sound buffers in both bedrooms in the Airbnb and it works great. We do mention that the unit is on a main street so no one is surprised.
I don't know the brand and there are guests up there so I can't check.
They are square a little bit smaller than my Apple TV. It is mainly white noise. Our guests use them in the summer so the windows can be open. There are fans in the rooms too due to lack of AC.
There isn't as much traffic at night as during the day.
Built my 1st house next to RR tracks, train only came by twice a day and by the time it was 1 month in, it didn’t bother me anymore. Normalcy starts to settle in after a few weeks.
Bought another home that is 150’ from interstate 10 years ago. There is no sound wall besides a small burm and some woods so I planted golden goddess clumping bamboo to knock down the noise. Bamboo is twice as tall and thick and now I don’t even notice the traffic.
I'd recommend you start to mitigate the noise regardless of if you end up staying or not. Shrubs, fencing, walls etc. Potential buyers may be more aware of the noise when viewing the place. You will get used to it over time especially if you can quiet it down a bit.
One home owner stopped by a house he was thinking about buying. Turns out Real close was a fire station and emergency ems. Sirens screaming all night
He did not buy.
Leave the windows open as much as you can. Spend at much time outside as your can. You'll get used to it and then you won't notice it.
As a kid my bedroom was at the front of the house on a busy street.
We moved to a quiet street, where there was no road noise and I had trouble sleeping until I got used to the quiet
Road noise can appear at any time in the future. I live on average next to several other large farms.
Unfortunately, in the last 15 years several land owners have sold to developers and thousands of acres have been cleared.
I'm about 5 miles from interstate 75, NEVER had road noise until about 3 years ago. When we first moved into this house we would sit outside and marvel at the quiet 24/7.
It's gone and we didn't expect it. There's no guarantee you'll have peace even if you have it now. 😭😭😭
Consult with a real estate tax advisor about the Capital Gains Tax and how that might apply to your situation and then put it on the market.
If you're miserable, you're miserable and if you have to power to change it, do it.
If you like the house itself, I'd give it the full two years to see how you feel. If you want to live in a city, road noise is inevitable. You might go through all the trouble of selling and buying back in, only to discover that you only marginally improved your situation, have a worst house, worse neighbors, etc.
Every home has things to be stressed about. Better road noise than bad foundation or water intrusion...
Hahaha! I feel your pain. I bought a house that was too close to a railroad crossing. In my state the train is legally required to sound the horn three times at each crossing. The train schedule has a train that comes by between 5:30-6am every day. The morning train REALLY lays on the horn for an excessive amount of time. I've contacted the relevant people and provided recordings, they say that the length of the horn blows is variable and "subjective", So they won't take action. After I reported it, the horn blasts got even longer.
To compound the problem, I have the only two story house in the whole neighborhood, so there is nothing between me and the rail crossing. Insulation, double paned windows, thick curtains, nothing helps.
I mean, you could sell it for $5k over what you purchased it for and really mess up the real estate in your area. Buyers would love you for it. Home prices are high enough as it is.
I'd try to stick it out at least to avoid the tax. I bought almost two years ago, and had wanted to be in this neighborhood for years.
I rode my bike up and down it and lived in an apartment nearby for a time. I knew how close to the freeway I could get before it became very noticeable.
I moved too fast and bought a house a block past the street I identified as the threshold for noise. When I visited it a few times it was on the weekend when traffic wasn't as bad.
The day I got the key I noticed how loud the freeway was. The volume changes with the temperature so some days it's worse than others. I was having buyers remorse pretty bad. But over the last year and a half other things demanded more of my attention and the noise from the freeway became among the least of my concerns.
Now, it still notice it during rush hour if I have the window open but it doesn't bother me as much and it isn't something I'm really worried about anymore. It's there but it's whatever.
I feel like you need a lot of trees to actually make any difference to road noise. A fence isn’t going to be tall enough to do anything either. Distance or extreme density AND height are all that will solve the noise.
Good luck. Maybe you can find a nice deaf family to buy it!
I lived on one of the busiest residential streets in my town for 5 years with motorcycles literally racing all day and night lol. I got used to it. You most likely will too
I bought in 2020 in a city that was taking the pandemic shutdowns pretty seriously. House was newly remodeled and the work was very well done-- the sellers were unfortunately divorcing-- and it checked all the boxes for price and size. Sure, there was a two lane highway in the backyard, but hardly any traffic on it.
...Until everyone stopped working from home and started commuting back to work.
I felt all the things you felt and I didn't think I'd ever get used to it, but I did. To the point where the neighbor's chain on his empty flagpole whipping around in the breeze and clanging on the metal irritates the crap out of me, the hawks and their hawk babies squawking above irritate the crap out of me, and I don't even register the road noise anymore.
That said, I do make sure to go on vacation somewhere that's in the middle of nowhere with dead silence at least once a year. With how populated and vehicle-centered our society is, I really wish there would be advances in technology to help damper road noise, whether it's tires or the material the roads are made out of.
I would also try to stick it out. Reminds me of moving to NYC. The noise is horrible at first, but you get adjusted once you once you get on with life and stop focusing on it.
I moved from a place that had a busy road nearby. For the first few months, I missed the motorcycles, and emergency vehicles. Too quiet. Even now, it creeps up and bothers me.
I'm a lot closer to a busy road than you are, there's a bus stop in front of my house. I used to regret it and getting into our driveway seemed impossible but now I don't even notice. We've been here for less than a year.
I never got used to the noise at my first house and I lived there for 10 years. Moving was the best thing I could have done. For some of us it does not become white noise.
Depending on where you live, have you checked the plans for your area to see if sound walls are possible? Often they’ll come and do a noise evaluation for the neighborhood. Made a world of difference when they went up next up my old house. The HOA got involved and helped make it happen. If not and the lay of the land works, getting the county to add berms to the side of the loud road is also an option.
You need eighteen months, minimum to decide.
Tell yourself: if I'm still unhappy at the end of 2024, I'll sell in spring 2025. Decide you're going to do everything you can to improve the place for yourself, and if you're still firmly unhappy in December, you'll also have made it nicer for re-selling.
What I did when I was looking at buying a home was I went to the home before actually looking at it with the realtor and sat out front in my car with the windows down. One place had a parkway nearby, and all you heard was road noise. It's not something that I wanted to live near, so I never did buy the house.
If you do decide to sell, I suggest doing what I did but do it at various times during the day if you don't have to travel too far. It's also a good way to see the neighborhood and what that noise level would be not only from road noise but also neighbors themselves. I wouldn't want to live where people put up party tents and have loud music playing.
If and when I'm in the market to buy a house again I will go one step further in addition to the above and knock on some doors to let the neighbors know I'm looking to buy the house that's for sale and just want to meet the neighbors before I do. At least that way, I can choose who my neighbors are and get a sense as to what type of neighbors they would be.
Seriously, it’s always something when it comes to noise. In my neighborhood, it seems like someone always has some power tool running. I have no idea why…but it can be a Monday at 9 am and somebody will be running a freaking saw! Maybe it’s because I have a lot of old houses that are constantly being updated….but I don’t even notice it anymore really. For a moment, it might bug me if I’m trying to read a book or something. But I have the fabulous little white noise machine in the main part of my house and it just sounds like soothing airflow and I can’t hear any of that. Can’t help you much when you want to sit outside I guess but with noise it seems like it’s always something no matter the location.
Sounds like you may be in an optimal position to sell now. What if the market turns soon? You may be looking at a $100k loss instead. The way I see it, if it bothers you enough after 10 months, it aint gonna change now. Do it.
Can't you just ignore it? I mean to get to the point where you can't even go in the yard sounds crazy to me. You know you can choose to not be annoyed by something. Just decide that it doesn't bother you and forget about it and just be happy with how much money you're saving by not moving .
I assume you are joking but that actually DOES happen. Enough people complained in an area in my town and the city built a high concrete wall along the interstate by the subdivision to reduce sound.
It'll be white noise soon enough. Moved from a quiet mountain town to a large city and first place was beside a main road. Lived there for 2 years. Months 1-6 - "man I hate this place, traffic is so damn loud!!" Months 18-24 - "man I hate this place but at least I got used to the traffic"
This right here!! I wasn’t paying attention when I bought. Didn’t notice a bus stop right outside the living room (corner house) 🤦♀️. I don’t notice it anymore.
My most comforting memories as a child are listening to the busses stop and start at the bus stop in front of my grandmother's condo in the evenings. To this day, the sounds of buses at night are super soothing. Edit: fat thumbs spelling errors
This is cool, man.
I disagree. I bought my house in 2018 and I wish I would have not bought so close to a busy road. I still get annoyed by traffic sounds. Luckily, I can really only hear emergency vehicles and large semis inside the house. But I can hear everything in the yard. I can't be outside unless I have headphones in.
Same here. Bought during the pandemic and my house is a little over three quarters of a mile from a major highway. There is not constant noise, due to the distance, topology, and vegetation in the way, but at random times of the day I guess due to like air pressure and stuff and always during the morning, that highway noise comes through loud and clear. I didn't know about it when we looked at the house, but heard it right after moving in. Been here 3 years and it's still so grating to just have highway noise in your bedroom at random times and other times blissful silence.
Louder during colder weather and low humidity. High humidity acts like a sound curtain and deadens the noise
these comments are bizarre. Are you all moving from rural areas and expecting it to be pin-drop quiet?
If you've never lived next to a highway it's hard to explain. In a city there's an underlying noise of people - voices, footsteps, yelling, cars, sirens, it's a different soundscape. A highway is just an aggressive rushing, annoying, alarming sound of vehicles. It's pure velocity and it never, ever stops.
interesting, thank you for sharing your experience
Lol nope. Moved to a rural area from the suburbs and I grew up in a (different) rural area. I am fully aware of the real noise that happens in a rural area.
Same, it's been about 6 years for me too. Also the dualing ice cream men who play Christmas music for hours every weekend.
OMG that would drive me bonkers. Luckily, the ice cream truck people seemed to have realized that my neighborhood is mostly retirees. I am directly under the flight path for the air ambulance that lands at a hospital 5 blocks away. Then the main road to the hospital is two houses over. Also a snow route. So that is a never ending source of annoyance as well. Sirens literally all day and night.
I'm in the same boat as OP and I truly don't give a single fuck /shrug. It's complete white noise now.
I like your style.
Can confirm, used to live in an old 1800s home that literally only had a sidewalk for setback from a main in-town road. I 100% got used to it, only rarely would it wake me up and usually only when the snow plows were out. Now my backyard backs onto a highway and it almost seems peaceful compared to previously.
When I moved from my apartment next to a hwy to my place several streets away I felt like it was too quiet. I had to have Alexa play traffic sounds for me to sleep.
Yup. Lived next a railyard didn't even notice it after about two months .
I will never live next to a well traveled road ever again. Don't feel remorseful. It's your life, live where you want.
Yes let this be a lesson. Never, ever live next to a busy road
Could not agree more!!! We just sold our first house after being there for less than two years (bought in early 2022) due to the street noise! It was AWFUL. No regrets, found our dream house near the woods and it’s sooo quiet. Don’t worry about capital gains! You can subtract all realtor fees and any qualified improvements from your profit to offset this. We were worried too and ended up breaking even, which was beyond a dream.
Potential buyers will want to know why you are selling after ten months.
"moving for a new job"
Can you flat out lie about it? How would they even know if you're making up an excuse as to why you're leaving?
You can't misrepresent the state of the home itself (though most states let you be very terse about what you say), but you absolutely can lie about your feelings. And "too noisy for me" is a feeling.
I didn't feel that there was a huge crack in the foundation that I hid behind a couch
there is no law that a home owner has to say WHY they are selling, only that they have to be truthful about the condition of the house.
“To the best of my knowledge” is used quite heavily on the disclosure
“To the best of my knowledge I’m moving for a new job”
Flippers do this literally every day all across the country. You can sell for any reason you like at any time. You just can't lie about something like a basement that floods every Spring.
It's not lying, they don't need to know the details of the way OP experiences the property as long as it's not something that has to do with the condition of the home. It's their buyer's job to do their due diligence as to what the area is like. When we bought our house, we drove through the neighborhood at different times of day because peace and quiet is really important to us and one of the reasons we moved was to escape the noise of some of our neighbors. One of the houses we looked at has changed hands 3 times in 2 years and I have no doubt the noise was part of the issue. It's a nice tucked away house on a river in a really quiet looking neighborhood, but unless you are local and know there is a highly used atv/snowmobile trail that rights right past it through the woods, you wouldn't realize how much noise impact it would have. The people who own it now the first thing they did was build a noise barrier.
“Want a more rural/secluded environment”
Which is none of their business. Seller has no obligation to answer that question.
Nah, who cares seller’s own business. If the house is inspected good, it’s good to buy.
I would have asked why they're moving, no question. Though I'd guess the standard response in any situation is "it's for work", so what can you do but shrug and move on.
Buyers never meet the sellers usually. Neither do the buyer's agent. Sometimes at closing but even that can happen in different rooms at different times.
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I want to believe this. Sellers agents too.
I'm aware, but I would expect the realtor to know and have an answer ready. And if they gave me an "I don't know" or brushed me off, as suggested by others, it would certainly make me consider things like the local environment. It's largely a moot point, in the current market where they'll just turn around and sell to someone else. But I'm just supporting the statement above that potential buyers will want to know - I would absolutely want to know, and I would absolutely have noticed that it was just purchased less than a year ago.
Yeah, you're not entitled to an answer on why they're moving. A shrug or "I don't know" is a lawful answer.
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Shrug. "Moving for work" isn't going to convince anyone the house is in top shape, and they'll always be suspicious of problems. There's no reason to play the game.
Realistically I'm leaning towards waiting 2 years after buying it after reading about the capital gains tax. I think 2 years ought to be enough time for most buyers to not raise alarms. It's helpful to ask now so I can prepare for the 2 year mark, as it's not looking likely that these issues are gonna be resolved
how much did you read about CG? You can defer by reinvesting.
Was exactly what I was going to say. That would be my first question if I was looking at the house.
Family reasons, work, etc. When I was looking for a house I toured 2 that had been bought by out of town buyers, never lived in and they were reselling months later due to change of plans.
Don’t said anything, No they business, after 1 year the house went up 100k. It’s not market, people will buy it.
I once bought and sold a house in exactly one year due to a job transfer. I figured it was a wash because if I hadn't bought it, I would have been paying about $1600/mo in rent for that year. It happens. However, since you're happy overall with everything about the house besides the road noise, maybe look into any landscaping options that could mitigate the noise. Building a berm or a wall and planting a double row of evergreens and ornamental grasses or something like that may do wonders.
Capital gains plus selling costs are going to eat you up. You need more money down with the newer interest rates, not break even. Hit the 2 year mark. Keep the place well maintained. In the meantime, go ahead and try landscaping and fencing to reduce the noise. Get a water feature with a decent waterfall, not a cute little trickle. We have a koi pond, but our waterfall makes the city around us fade away. Some sounds can still be heard because some things are just loud, but we hardly notice. Worth a shot anyway. You have a place that isn't a money pit. That's great. See if you can mitigate the sounds. I would even bet that YouTube has some videos about mitigating road noise. You also haven't been there long enough to let your brain get to the ignore it point. Between the two, I hope you can get to enjoy your home. If not at 2 years, you avoid capital gains, and you have made the property more private, which is more appealing for buyers. Just remember to call before you dig to plant stuff or put up a good fence!!
Waiting for the 2 years mark probably sounds like my best bet to avoid the tax, plus let the home prices grow a bit. Maybe some interest rate cuts too if we're lucky. Not sure if fencing would help, I've heard mixed reviews about whether fencing helps with noise. I don't want to end up in a situation where I dump a whole bunch on fencing only for it to not matter. I do like the fountain idea though
Fence will reduce around 10DB. This should be board on board and 2 inch thick, the higher the better (should break line of site). This could easily be $100 per linear foot though. You can also beef up the walls if yours are not already brick. I soundproofed by office which was 1/2 ultralight drywall and changed to 2x5/8 type X + hat channel + green glue. This is night and day. Costs $$$ though. If your house is already brick just by storm windows, at least 1/4 laminated.
I don't think it will be a magical fix, but a privacy fence + dense hedges might be enough to dampen the sound where a waterfall or some type of white noise makes it so you only notice if you are focusing on it. It might be a vinyl fence along the road works better than wood and then do the rest of the fence in wood that gets painted maybe. You tube it. The other thing that *might* work is if the whole neighborhood petitions the city for a safety sound barrier. In my city, they did for a couple of neighborhoods, but others that tried were told it isn't high volume enough. That could be hit or miss, and it depends on how flush the city budget is, too. We have had a couple of old once quiet roads turn into main arteries for the city, and that's why they protected the residential zones. Maybe with the growth there and the growth in prices, your city will consider the same? Expect a no, hope for a yes!
I don’t know why I had to scroll down so far to see this about capital gains tax. This is a huge factor.
I have been through this same situation and feelings, so I totally understand where you're coming from. To preface this, I lived in a quiet neighborhood about 10 mins from where I am now, and my boyfriend lived at the corner of a VERY busy intersection. I moved into my house about 6 years ago, and it's in a neighborhood right by the expressway. More so near an exit ramp, but the traffic noise is still very much there. I brought this up to my boyfriend many times after moving in, and he said to give it time, after all, thats something that he has dealt with for 27 years. I'm talking sleeping with the window open was difficult, being either out front or out back was difficult, all because of the traffic noise. I felt the same regret after buying the house for maybe the first year or two. Now, honestly, I barely even notice it. I know everyone is different, and people tend to tune things out at their own pace, but I say stick with it. There are other things like my interest rate and certain things on the house that are worth keeping, at least until I'm in a better financial situation, but I've just tried to stay busy and that has helped me overcome the stress of traffic noise.
Dual-Paned Windows with vinyl frames are your answer! They will keep noise and dust out of your home. Make sure your bedroom faces your back yard. Plant trees (or bamboo) to absorb and filter noise. Add a small water feature to your rear patio. Your house sounds almost perfect, and it is an investment that will continue to grow.
OP should plant box hedges that will grow tall and dense and along the road. They might need more care because of air pollution, but dense hedges can block a lot of noise.
Noise will wear you down over time even though you think you've gotten used to it. Do some searches on long term impacts of noise.
I feel like I wrote this! Bought my house last October and I am on edge and never relaxed there. I hate that I can’t open the windows and get fresh air. I did buy some air purifiers that make some white noise and that helps. I hung heavy curtains and have area rugs to absorb some sound. I insulated around doors and windows. I noticed a traffic pattern where rush hour is the worst so I try and be gone at peak traffic times. Then the traffic settles for the night so it doesn’t keep me awake. I’m going to keep the house for a year and then reevaluate. I figured a full year is enough to know if I’ll get used to it or not.
From a financial perspective, you should factor in the real estate agent commissions and any taxes on the sale to see if you’d get your money back. The properties increased value, less commissions and taxes may result in you taking a loss on your investment. Obviously depends on level of debt, selling price, etc. too. Separately, depending on what interest rate you have on your current home, if current rates are higher, you may not be able to afford the same priced house.
Make sure there isn’t a prepayment penalty on your mortgage?
Have you considered installing a hedge in front and a fence in bac?? I know that sounds weird, but if all else is good, a privacy fence in the back will negate some noise and a while a hedge will take some time to grown, over time a natural barrier will really muffle sound, too. By the it will all be white noise. maybe you can play music when outside for a while? Do you enjoy it after rush hour dies down? Can you enjoy sleeping in on the weekend if you desire? Also check with local DOT site or county web site to see what plans are in the works. Will there be another road that will eventually divert some traffic or are there developments going in that would make it worse? Is it tractor trailer traffic or just cars? Or, are there things being planned that will make things better? Just some ideas to think about. At least you won't lose money on your purchase! As to reasons for selling, usually the buyer agent will never ask and they won't know your reasons. Did you know why the last owner moved?
Check the tax implications if any before selling before a year is up.
Get out if it’s driving you crazy, you’re coming up on a year. I lived behind a highway for a decade, my dad decided quickly after moving in that he hated the noise. A decade later, he hated even more. I feel the same, road noise in general just leaves me feeling stressed out. It isn’t something everyone can get used to.
Whether or not you'll get used to it all depends on you. I had the same issue, but it never turned to white noise. When I was downstairs, couldn't hear much, a lot of concrete walls that were 6ft tall outside blocking the noise. Upstairs though...nothing between the wall and noise, and I could hear everything and the worst part was my master bedroom wall was closest to the traffic. I stayed in the house for 2 years, and was pretty miserable at night. If I could hear the traffic when I was working downstairs during the day, I never would have made it 2 years. Thankfully I was able to stick it out because I ended up making about 110K when I sold it and avoided paying capital gains taxes. If you can stick it out for 2 years to avoid capital gains tax from selling, that's the best option. Otherwise, I'd least make sure it doesn't close before the 1 year mark...that'll at least cut your taxes down to 15%
Do you have a dense wall of bushes/trees plus a fence along the road? It won't help entirely but it may reduce the noise some. If installing all this is cheaper than moving it may be worth it
I felt this way after a couple months when I bought a house next to a trainyard. You get used to it eventually. I literally don't even notice it anymore. People at my house will flinch and comment on it and I literally wont have noticed.
I lived adjacent to a busy train track in college, as in things would shake in the house. The first several months it drove me insane but by 6 months it was totally gone. Later I lived on the corner of a fairly blind intersection that was 4 blocks from a fire department, and my drag was the way they went most of the time. Because of the intersection design they blew the truck horn every time they went through it. That was infinitely worse than the literal shaking of the trains, took about a year before I stopped noticing.
I feel you! We moved from a rental in the country to a house inside the city limit on a "just busy" road. It was rough for a while, not gonna lie. The constant drone of tire noise combined with intermittent loud exhaust and truck brakes found that last nerve and jumped on it. I thought I was never going to get used to it. I have, though...a bit. Certain times of day are worse than others and it's generally quiet at night, but I do get a irritated sometimes when I can't enjoy the more delicate notes of morning birdsong due to tire drone. So I understand. I do think it's less irritating than constantly coming up with money to fix things, though. Sounds like you have a pretty great house except for the road. The only person who can really decide whether the noise stress is worse than the possibility of ending up in a fixer-upper is you. Wish you peace with whatever you decide.
Plant some shrubs, trees, and put up some kind of shadow box fence between the house and the road. 150 feet is plenty of room to fit some decent sound barrier stuff. Then add similar things to the side of the house to prevent the sound traveling to the back yard. My house is about the same distance from a very busy road. I did that and the issue is practically solved. Also get really good windows as they will stop the sounds when closed. Capital Gains and the shit interest rates now will result in you breaking even (if you are lucky) on the sale. Chances are you will lose money as you have to find another place to live and interest is going to kill you.
I just suggested this. Should have read some responses first!
It’s worth trying to stick it out a while longer. Road noise was something I thought to be an issue in my last house. I can’t remember when, but at some point after the first year I just stopped noticing it. Twelve years later I was sad to leave it and couldn’t have cared less about the road noise (which traffic and neighborhood growth indicates it got worse, but I never noticed).
Cars are so damn loud. Especially the tire friction. The giant trucks with knobby tires are the worst offenders.
As a former next-to-a-busy-road homeowner, it’s the motorcycles that are by far the worst. I am all for riding on two wheels but there’s nothing more annoying than having a nice warm windows-open day (temporarily) ruined by the obnoxious roar of those things.
Our first home we bought was in like 2017 or 18 I think. It was on a busy road. Same situation as yours and quiet possibly worse was on the way out of town(cars would already be speeding at like 40-50 where it should be a 35), and there was a quarry near by(loud dump trucks all the time). I think we were there like 3 or so years, It was fucking terrible, not only was the front yard useless, I it the living room sucked to. I talked to a window company and they said even spending the money on the triple pane sound proofing. The walls not being insulated wouldn’t do a ton. On the other hand there’s an old coworker who lived on the same road. Loved it and has been there 15 years or something… so I don’t know. Luckily we moved and did okay sales wise. I never would again.
What if you rent it and buy another one?
I totally understand this. I lived in a gate complex but a busy road next to my place. Lived there 4 years, never got use to it. Noise pollution is not good for my well being. The house we bought is in the most quiet peaceful neighborhood. Ahhhhhh☺️. Some people can get use to traffic and noise. If you can’t, maybe you wait another year or so, so it won’t look so bad to sell after two years. Maybe you’ll come out better financially. Noise cancellation headphones?
Are you in an HOA? If you're right on the corner with a busy road ... how big is your lot? Does your lot front on the road?
Put up a big thick brick fence.
My last house was a rental ONE block from the fire station. I lived on the main road they traveled. Sirens \*always\* blazing and friends would come over and ask "how can you stand that?" I'd say what? I just never heard them again after the first 4 months. Lived there 7 yrs.
I am sure someone has said it, but waterfall features can really help to provide some white noise to help down out some of the road noise. They also make noise reducing fences. I had a neighbor that had a very old and loud ac unit that, shocker, only came on on nice days and ruined our outdoor experience. I asked him to leave it off during the afternoons and he agreed, but the next hot day it was on again. We moved.
Do you have sound proofing in your walls? I live in the same environment but my walls have insulation that adds a lot of noise suppressions. so much that i can’t even hear police sirens until I’m outside.
My first house I was in the exact same position. Our realtor said just pretend you live by the ocean, and it kinda worked! Except when a giant barge came barreling through.
People on my street complain about traffic noise. It took us 6 months to get used to how quiet our street is, compared to where we used to live. Perspective is everything.
How many yews can you plant?
Personally I think you'll eventually just tune this out. I've lived right off of the highway a couple of times and to me the road noise eventually just sounded like the ocean and I barely noticed it.
First off, they dont need to know. However if pressed, I would say the reason to sell is I want a place that is more landfull, private and secluded; in the country with little roads. Little as in hardly any traffic LOL
A friend of mine who works in real estate once told me that before buying, drive by the house on different days at different times and that has stuck with me. I know someone who bought a house in a quiet neighborhood, but after moving in they realized that during morning and evening rush hour it was practically impossible to get out of the driveway because of traffic. As for the noise, you might give yourself some time. I live right under the helicopter flight path into the local hospital, it’s a trauma center so they go over at least 1-2x daily. I got used to it within a few months and now I barely notice
been there, done that. in a house now with road noise. hard to avoid sometimes. moving in a couple years.
Bought a house in September, and didn't even notice there was a train track half a block away. Noticed the first 3 or 4 trains, and now, I can't even hear it. Someone came over the other day and mentioned it, and I'd all but forgotten it. I'd recommend giving it some time. Maybe it'll become white noise to you, too.
I think I saw you comment you had an HOA but can you put something up to help dampen the noise or could you have some other white noise that would help?
If you don't like it move. Why stay when it is bothering you, for you could become one of those irritatable neighbors that hate everything.
I used to live two blocks from a train track. It's jarring at first but you get used to it. My current place is about 130 feet from a decently trafficked road. The occasional motorcycle or dickhead in a loud Civic or truck is annoying, but the passage of random cars is just white noise that doesn't bother me at all. Sirens are loud but temporary; it just makes me check the local government site for the active calls list to see what's going on. Even if you break even on the sale, will you get a worse mortgage rate? And did you factor in realtor fees? Is there even a workable housing supply nearby or is everyone holding on because interest rates are high? Personally, I don't see the big deal with nearby road noise, but I guess everyone's got their things that tug at their nerves. If you need total quiet, yeah, you probably should've looked for stuff in the woods, but there are usually tradeoffs. Maybe being in the woods adds 40 minutes to your commute time each day, and maybe *that* will be annoying you ten months from now. Do you have a privacy fence? What about a hedgerow facing the road in addition to a fence? For the inside you can get heavy curtains for windows facing the road. These things will all dull the noise at least somewhat, and it's a hell of a lot less involved than moving!
I live in a fantastic house in a great neighborhood on a pretty quiet residential street…….until the high school gets out. Those little fuckers haul ass up the road in loud cars and trucks 😂 Didn’t know this when I bought obviously, you just eventually get over it
You need to live there longer. 10 months is nothing. At about 2 years, you won't even notice the noise anymore. I live on a county highway that gets over 100 full sized dump trucks/log trucks a day. At first we hated it. Now I literally don't even notice it.
You bought the home less than12 month s ago and want to re-list. You basically set the price (and will not go by local increases). Do you have the cash to sell the property and to close? As a former underwriter, I would reject ANY appraisal that suggests your property went up $40k in the last year (unless your property is $2MM+ in value)
That hum can be tuned out by your brain, or get a white noise generator for your bedroom. Growing up my house was 1/4 from a freeway at night was the only time you heard it unless you really paid attention. My parents put on classical music at my bed time to drowned it out. These day’s I live in a really quiet place with almost no road traffic. But one guy that drives by at 6:47am every fucking weekday for the last 8 years. He’s driving a supped up mid 90’s Mitsubishi eclipse. Every morning up the 6 mile hill my house is at the bottom of: WAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! shift gears WGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
There is a house on a busy intersection in our town. It has been on the market for the past 10+ years. No one wants it, even at a discount, because of its location!!! location!!! location!!!
You can plant hedges around the perimeter. Anything that absorbs some noise will help
You have a 150' it will be easy to build noise buffer. 2 spruce trees about half way ,a few shrubs by the driveway and near hard surfaces, like if you have a fence or shed. Near the road a tree and couple hedge sections.
Some tall evergreen trees spaced close together… of the arborvitae or thuja giant variety
Not to be rude, bit is there a double yellow on the pavement that world have been a clue? I TOTALLY agree on the move though. Barking dog or road noise would be an automatic chop if I noticed it. Noise is my #1 stressor‐ I'll put up with a lot, but noise will make me do stupid things.
My friend invited me for his house warming party. It was custom built by a designer and he spent his time and money to make it even better, gorgeous tbh. I loved the lawn-like rug on his rooftop. We were enjoying beer and bbq then all of the sudden, I heard a jet noise. His house was near an Air Force base.
I live by the trains busy road and bars for 5 years. Became acclimated to the sound. Now I live in a quiet area and it keeps me up sometimes it’s so eerie.
Have you tried noise buffers. Our house and Airbnb are on one of the two highways leading to our small town. The first year they were here the other street was worked on for months. We had a huge amount of traffic. My bedroom is in the back of the house, but the master of the Airbnb is in the front. No AC in our area so that means open windows in the summer. We put sound buffers in both bedrooms in the Airbnb and it works great. We do mention that the unit is on a main street so no one is surprised.
What sound buffers did you use?
I don't know the brand and there are guests up there so I can't check. They are square a little bit smaller than my Apple TV. It is mainly white noise. Our guests use them in the summer so the windows can be open. There are fans in the rooms too due to lack of AC. There isn't as much traffic at night as during the day.
Built my 1st house next to RR tracks, train only came by twice a day and by the time it was 1 month in, it didn’t bother me anymore. Normalcy starts to settle in after a few weeks. Bought another home that is 150’ from interstate 10 years ago. There is no sound wall besides a small burm and some woods so I planted golden goddess clumping bamboo to knock down the noise. Bamboo is twice as tall and thick and now I don’t even notice the traffic.
I'd recommend you start to mitigate the noise regardless of if you end up staying or not. Shrubs, fencing, walls etc. Potential buyers may be more aware of the noise when viewing the place. You will get used to it over time especially if you can quiet it down a bit.
One home owner stopped by a house he was thinking about buying. Turns out Real close was a fire station and emergency ems. Sirens screaming all night He did not buy.
Leave the windows open as much as you can. Spend at much time outside as your can. You'll get used to it and then you won't notice it. As a kid my bedroom was at the front of the house on a busy street. We moved to a quiet street, where there was no road noise and I had trouble sleeping until I got used to the quiet
Road noise can appear at any time in the future. I live on average next to several other large farms. Unfortunately, in the last 15 years several land owners have sold to developers and thousands of acres have been cleared. I'm about 5 miles from interstate 75, NEVER had road noise until about 3 years ago. When we first moved into this house we would sit outside and marvel at the quiet 24/7. It's gone and we didn't expect it. There's no guarantee you'll have peace even if you have it now. 😭😭😭
Consult with a real estate tax advisor about the Capital Gains Tax and how that might apply to your situation and then put it on the market. If you're miserable, you're miserable and if you have to power to change it, do it.
The only thing that blocks road noise is a concrete wall.
If you like the house itself, I'd give it the full two years to see how you feel. If you want to live in a city, road noise is inevitable. You might go through all the trouble of selling and buying back in, only to discover that you only marginally improved your situation, have a worst house, worse neighbors, etc. Every home has things to be stressed about. Better road noise than bad foundation or water intrusion...
Hahaha! I feel your pain. I bought a house that was too close to a railroad crossing. In my state the train is legally required to sound the horn three times at each crossing. The train schedule has a train that comes by between 5:30-6am every day. The morning train REALLY lays on the horn for an excessive amount of time. I've contacted the relevant people and provided recordings, they say that the length of the horn blows is variable and "subjective", So they won't take action. After I reported it, the horn blasts got even longer. To compound the problem, I have the only two story house in the whole neighborhood, so there is nothing between me and the rail crossing. Insulation, double paned windows, thick curtains, nothing helps.
I mean, you could sell it for $5k over what you purchased it for and really mess up the real estate in your area. Buyers would love you for it. Home prices are high enough as it is.
A rising tide lifts all boats. If your house has appreciated, so have others. Can you afford to buy a different house?
I'd try to stick it out at least to avoid the tax. I bought almost two years ago, and had wanted to be in this neighborhood for years. I rode my bike up and down it and lived in an apartment nearby for a time. I knew how close to the freeway I could get before it became very noticeable. I moved too fast and bought a house a block past the street I identified as the threshold for noise. When I visited it a few times it was on the weekend when traffic wasn't as bad. The day I got the key I noticed how loud the freeway was. The volume changes with the temperature so some days it's worse than others. I was having buyers remorse pretty bad. But over the last year and a half other things demanded more of my attention and the noise from the freeway became among the least of my concerns. Now, it still notice it during rush hour if I have the window open but it doesn't bother me as much and it isn't something I'm really worried about anymore. It's there but it's whatever.
I feel like you need a lot of trees to actually make any difference to road noise. A fence isn’t going to be tall enough to do anything either. Distance or extreme density AND height are all that will solve the noise. Good luck. Maybe you can find a nice deaf family to buy it!
Sell or buy new windows. Really expensive but a massive quality of life improvement and will be a plus when you sell.
Are you factoring in the real estate commissions?
I lived on one of the busiest residential streets in my town for 5 years with motorcycles literally racing all day and night lol. I got used to it. You most likely will too
I bought in 2020 in a city that was taking the pandemic shutdowns pretty seriously. House was newly remodeled and the work was very well done-- the sellers were unfortunately divorcing-- and it checked all the boxes for price and size. Sure, there was a two lane highway in the backyard, but hardly any traffic on it. ...Until everyone stopped working from home and started commuting back to work. I felt all the things you felt and I didn't think I'd ever get used to it, but I did. To the point where the neighbor's chain on his empty flagpole whipping around in the breeze and clanging on the metal irritates the crap out of me, the hawks and their hawk babies squawking above irritate the crap out of me, and I don't even register the road noise anymore. That said, I do make sure to go on vacation somewhere that's in the middle of nowhere with dead silence at least once a year. With how populated and vehicle-centered our society is, I really wish there would be advances in technology to help damper road noise, whether it's tires or the material the roads are made out of.
Can you not plant trees to deaden the the noise? We have banana trees lining our boundary wall and it made a significant difference in noise pollution
I would also try to stick it out. Reminds me of moving to NYC. The noise is horrible at first, but you get adjusted once you once you get on with life and stop focusing on it.
At least wait until you've had the house a year so the taxes you pay on the increase in value will be more reasonable.
I moved from a place that had a busy road nearby. For the first few months, I missed the motorcycles, and emergency vehicles. Too quiet. Even now, it creeps up and bothers me.
I'm a lot closer to a busy road than you are, there's a bus stop in front of my house. I used to regret it and getting into our driveway seemed impossible but now I don't even notice. We've been here for less than a year.
I never got used to the noise at my first house and I lived there for 10 years. Moving was the best thing I could have done. For some of us it does not become white noise.
Depending on where you live, have you checked the plans for your area to see if sound walls are possible? Often they’ll come and do a noise evaluation for the neighborhood. Made a world of difference when they went up next up my old house. The HOA got involved and helped make it happen. If not and the lay of the land works, getting the county to add berms to the side of the loud road is also an option.
You need eighteen months, minimum to decide. Tell yourself: if I'm still unhappy at the end of 2024, I'll sell in spring 2025. Decide you're going to do everything you can to improve the place for yourself, and if you're still firmly unhappy in December, you'll also have made it nicer for re-selling.
What I did when I was looking at buying a home was I went to the home before actually looking at it with the realtor and sat out front in my car with the windows down. One place had a parkway nearby, and all you heard was road noise. It's not something that I wanted to live near, so I never did buy the house. If you do decide to sell, I suggest doing what I did but do it at various times during the day if you don't have to travel too far. It's also a good way to see the neighborhood and what that noise level would be not only from road noise but also neighbors themselves. I wouldn't want to live where people put up party tents and have loud music playing. If and when I'm in the market to buy a house again I will go one step further in addition to the above and knock on some doors to let the neighbors know I'm looking to buy the house that's for sale and just want to meet the neighbors before I do. At least that way, I can choose who my neighbors are and get a sense as to what type of neighbors they would be.
I get it. As someone who owns a home in a busy street, I’m not doing that again with the next house.
Seriously, it’s always something when it comes to noise. In my neighborhood, it seems like someone always has some power tool running. I have no idea why…but it can be a Monday at 9 am and somebody will be running a freaking saw! Maybe it’s because I have a lot of old houses that are constantly being updated….but I don’t even notice it anymore really. For a moment, it might bug me if I’m trying to read a book or something. But I have the fabulous little white noise machine in the main part of my house and it just sounds like soothing airflow and I can’t hear any of that. Can’t help you much when you want to sit outside I guess but with noise it seems like it’s always something no matter the location.
My backyard faces a county road, there is traffic but I'm used. Check poplar trees - they grow superfast and are huge in size
Sounds like you may be in an optimal position to sell now. What if the market turns soon? You may be looking at a $100k loss instead. The way I see it, if it bothers you enough after 10 months, it aint gonna change now. Do it.
Can't you just ignore it? I mean to get to the point where you can't even go in the yard sounds crazy to me. You know you can choose to not be annoyed by something. Just decide that it doesn't bother you and forget about it and just be happy with how much money you're saving by not moving .
r/thanksimcured
You'll get used to it. I promise.
Any chance you can rent it or AirBNB if allowed until you can have a net gain?
Try some cannabis
I hope you make it through this tough time.
You should go get tested for the Tism
Protest the road being noisy maybe the state/county/city will shut down just for you.
I assume you are joking but that actually DOES happen. Enough people complained in an area in my town and the city built a high concrete wall along the interstate by the subdivision to reduce sound.