What to do? Buyers remorse (traffic noise, soundproof windows, curtains, cleaner)
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I just bought a house and have been living in it for a few weeks. The living room and bedroom have big windows and I don't think I can handle the traffic noise from the trucks.
I have nobody to blame but myself, but my realtor was obviously not watching out for my best interest!
Yes, I know I rushed into buying the house. I fell in love with the inside, the price, and didn't consider the most critical factors. It didn't help that my mom loved the house and everyone else in my family said "You'll get used to the noise".
My question is what should I do?
1) Should I try to sell it in such a soft market and take a loss? This is to keep my sanity.
2) Keep it for a year and hope the market gets better? I'm not sure that I can withstand the constant traffic noise during the mornings... I'll have to find some type of solution in the meantime.
3) Install triple pane windows or something (will be very costly and not sure that I can afford to do this.)
My advice would be to look into soundblocking windows. It would definitely be more affordable than selling your house, and if you did in the future it would make the house easier to sell. Would wooden blinds and/or curtains help muffle the sound too? Or maybe exterior shutters?
Quote:
Originally Posted by landybank
I'm new to this board and need some advice.
I just bought a house and have been living in it for a few weeks. The living room and bedroom have big windows and I don't think I can handle the traffic noise from the trucks.
I have nobody to blame but myself, but my realtor was obviously not watching out for my best interest!
Yes, I know I rushed into buying the house. I fell in love with the inside, the price, and didn't consider the most critical factors. It didn't help that my mom loved the house and everyone else in my family said "You'll get used to the noise".
My question is what should I do?
1) Should I try to sell it in such a soft market and take a loss? This is to keep my sanity.
2) Keep it for a year and hope the market gets better? I'm not sure that I can withstand the constant traffic noise during the mornings... I'll have to find some type of solution in the meantime.
3) Install triple pane windows or something (will be very costly and not sure that I can afford to do this.)
Soundproof windows in the front will help. I believe you can replace the existing windows or if you buy something like what is sold at Soundproof Windows - Eliminate Your Noise Problem you can mount right over the top of your existing windows. You may still get noise coming through the walls though - so this isn't a 100% solution.
Other things I have seen done around here for situations like yours is if you have enough front yard you can have a 5-8 ft berm built up to absorb/deflect sound away from your house (with nice evergreen trees and grass planted on top). The houses I've seen this done for have good sized yards - I wouldn't recommend this if you have a tiny front yard (the berms will take up a lot of space).
Lastly, as IndigoBlue stated anything you do to improve the sound situation will likely boost your home value. It's money you didn't plan to spend, but it will likely go a long way to improving your quality of life (and that of any future occupants) in that house.
We had single pane windows and heard everything outside. We installed an acrylic inside storm held on with magnet strips around the window and the reduced noise was fantastic. You probably have better windows to begin with but the extra layers do help.
You can try white noise machines in the bedroom. We have an air cleaner that took awhile to get used to (for darn husband) but now the constant soft sound is not noticeable and blocks noise from outside.
you can even look into sound blocking blinds to help - we had some bali double honey comb dark ones that really helped as well.. a much cheaper option then windows, at least to get you by for now!
Oh, I lived next to a busy road once. It was a surprise because it was just 2 lanes through a residential area. Problem was it was a cut through and it was on a hill and trucks would have to shift to low gear right outside my windows. Oh, it was loud. Luckily I was renting. I lasted a year. I would not have been able to go any longer.
I had another apartment that had a noise issue, not traffic noise but some other noise and I lasted 2 months. It literally drove me crazy, even with earplugs in my ears at all times.
So I empathize. New windows will help. But, really, I'd put a sign out and sell it. It may take awhile so I would start now. Life is too short.
Also, I lived right next to active train tracks for 4 years and it was never a problem. Train went by 3 or 4 times a day. I got used to that. It was the frequent, almost constant noise that got me.
So I empathize. New windows will help. But, really, I'd put a sign out and sell it. It may take awhile so I would start now. Life is too short.
I would look into various cost-effective sound barriers first, i.e. fencing/walls, trees & bushes, windows, etc. It may help your house sell in the future, and it may also allow you to live there until it is a better time to sell. And I would talk with your tax professional first if you consider selling immediately as the IRS might end up taking part of the proceeds. Personally, I would stick it out for awhile and see what you can do. You have only been there a few weeks. Give it a chance. New creaks and noises and sounds are hard to adjust to in any move.
There are many factors to consider when buying a home and you are finding out why making a fast decision can result in longterm headaches. It seems that you were aware of the noise prior to the purchase so why blame your Realtor? Homebuyers that bring family members through the house often find that too many opinions will start flying. It's best to limit taking along others to one or two whose opinion you highly trust, but still follow your gut instinct as to what will make you happy. After all, you're the one who is going to be living there.
To immediately put your house on the market will most likely result in a hefty loss for you. It will probably raise some eyebrows when buyers see another sign go up so fast and they will figure that something major has to be wrong with the house. This may reduce the number of lookers or bring on the opportunity seekers who will throw you a low offer figuring that you are in a bind and need to sell fast. You might try some of the above suggestions. If nothing else, this will add to the value of the home. Hang in there and maybe the noise won't be as noticeable once you settle in. I wish you well.
Noahma makes a good point.I think it will bother you less as time goes by. I stayed in an extended stay for a couple of months. It was right on the highway. After a week, a didn't even notice the trucks. Plus if you install better windows and heavy curtains, you can focus on the nice stuff inside the home that you like! Give it some time.
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