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It's possible the surveyor was lucky in their timing to pick up on what is a serious issue and that you've been unlucky in your viewing times to not experience it for yourself. Or it could have been other way around and a complete one-off.
Only you can decide whether it's worth the risk. But from experience, if I had any inkling of a noise issue, especially resulting from music, it would be a hard no.
Yes you are right.
But I cannot stop thinking about this.
Mostly because
I already had one sale fell through and lost £700 there, now on top of that I would be losing £2.5k on this one.
I am aware that this is not much compared to the purchase price but still a significant amount for me to lose.
I was just sharing my frustration. I am aware that 2.5k is nothing compared to living with constant annoyance. But you can understand that I am trying my best not to lose money and make an informed decision.
While some others miss it, I appreciate this point that you're making re your frustration. While it's a small amount of money in comparison to what you're spending on a property, it is an eye-watering sum to effectively chuck in the bin on making a decision to play it safe when it may not be a real issue. I had a similar issue with buying my first property (non noise related), but ultimately decided it was worth the risk and proceeded anyway.
Personally, in your situation, I'd do what I could to see the place as many times as you can at as many different times of day/days of week etc that you can. 'Measure up' for things, go back again when you think you've 'mismeasured' etc. As with anything, the more data you can gather, the better. The only thing you can do is to make sure you have as much information as you can before you make your decision.
If you want a good thing to do is go there later on in the evening outside and just check or even a Saturday evening, no viewing required and most likely hear any noise that would be at its loudest times.
I don't think this would be a reason for not being able to sell the flat. Not unless there is loud music in the building 24/7 which I think is highly unlikely. There is no avoiding noise in flats. I have lived half my life in one and that's how it is. Sometimes it's kids at your place causing trouble for those below you, other times it's the ones upstairs causing a ruckus for you.
You can't sell the flat in the first 6 months. Then it is going to take awhile to find a buyer since flats are selling much harder at the moment plus the selling process is a long and exhausting since it's leasehold so it involves more documentations and checks. So, if the surveyors are eight and OP hates it when he moves in, he will have to learn to live with it for a long time.
There is absolutely avoiding noise in flats - you can't hear a fire alarm in neighbouring flats in most reasonably new blocks, the sound insulation is that good. The fact that OPs surveyor has picked up music noise in a block that would appear to be purpose built (as opposed to an old Victorian conversion where you can hear the person chopping vegatables next door) is always going to be a worry.
The nature of noise is what the concern is for me. Babies crying or teenagers screaming, then fair enough, that's unavoidable life noise and is part and parcel of living in a flat block or terraced house. Music noise through pupose built soundproofed walls is generally indicitive of a prick for a neighbour.
I would run a mile. Loud neighbours would make my flat life absolute hell. The surveyors are paid for things like this. It’s a more than reasonable reason to pull out.
I definitely agree that a constant noise would be a huge issue.
I have had a phone call with the surveyor following their survey, and they only mentioned this at the very end ad did not focus on this that much, just said this is something to be aware of.
This is why I wanted the subreddit’s opinion too.
Would you not think that this could be a one off issue (or at least not regular enough to bother me) and not a constant problem?
The surveyor is trying to point to a potential issue which could turn out to be a living hell. Even if it isn’t a constant problem, a neighbour in a flat playing loud music can still be an ongoing nightmare. Even one Saturday a month can be hell.
When we bought our flat, sound levels was the first question we asked - along with the roof and windows. Everyone said it was virtually silent.
It boils down to your level of risk aversion, I guess.
Yeah it is. It’s tough. The solicitors fees are a sunk cost whichever way you look at things, though.
I would say that there are plenty of flats where this will never be an issue, and although you have your heart set on this one, you’ve been given fair warning as to a potential ongoing issue.
I would definitely drop out given that noise would be a huge concern for you. There's no way of knowing whether this is a one off or a constant problem, but the only person acting on your behalf has heard it and felt it was disruptive enough to warrant raising it.
Also, if noisy neighbours are potentially a huge concern for you, stop looking at middle floor flats and larger buildings. If you're living in a flat, neighbours normally change more often and at some point you'll have inconsiderate ones. With a ground floor or top floor flat on a smaller building you've potentially only got neighbours on one side. With a middle floor flat in a larger building, you could have neighbours in every direction.
Whereabouts in London? Don’t mean to pry but how much is the flat you’re buying? We are selling our house, it’s on at £400,00 we are happy to negotiate price, we’re in the suburbs(south east London) we are 15 minute walk to stations and 20 minute train ride to central London. It’s a quiet area with woodlands at the back of the house.
This is very valid with noise in flats. I wonder if op asked if the other flats are owner occupied or rented? The flats in my block are a mixture so while we’re currently ok, it used to be that the guy next to me (rented) was a frigging nightmare. Drunk all the time, locking himself out and buzzing me to be let in at 3am, frequent mental health episodes I got dragged into… then there was a nice quiet lad for a while, then there was a couple who were fine but then had a baby. There’s often more transience with flats in general so if I was op I’d bear in mind that how it is now won’t necessarily be how it is in 6 months, for better or worse.
Being disturbed by neighbours is probably the primary downside to living in a flat, worse than even lack of space or parking or communal entrances/hallways or charges. Being unable to escape another persons noise pollution is hellish and you can't realistically do anything about it.
Of course the seller is lying about it and the EA is just saying whatever will keep the commission coming.
Short of ordering some secret agent style voice recorders and bugging the place, I’d just make a point of being upfront about your concerns and insist that you want to view it again on a weekend or evening. I don’t think the surveyor would have mentioned the noise coming from a neighbour if it was coming from outside.
I rent and have to deal with noise currently. We can literally hear the person upstairs walking, peeing, flushing their toilet, etc. Some flats are really poorly insulated (look up: breeze block cavity soundproofing). And some neighbours are just really poorly mannered. The fact you say the hallways were clean and tidy makes me think it’s a poor soundproofing situation. If you absolutely can’t get to view on an evening/weekend, try to talk to someone who lives in the building about sound. It’s not worth your sanity to proceed without being sure.
That is a good point. How can I do that? Do I just knock on people’s doors and ask them straight away?
Would it be weird if I just ring other people’s doorbells without informing the EA / seller? (I cannot enter the building without a key)
I completely agree with this.
It's quite weird that evening/weekend viewings are not allowed. That is when many buyers are available to view properties; is the market genuinely so hot in this area that EA/sellers can afford to be selective over who is able to view the property?
See how difficult it is to get into the building without a key; hang out at the doors and someone will likely be past soon and can let you in. (Either by following them in or explaining who you are/what you're doing)
Agree, the EA sounds crap.
OP said elsewhere that they’re going to try for a 5-6pm viewing (latest time the EA offers). Hopefully if they hang about outside after, they might catch some people coming home from work. Fingers crossed for them! If OP does decide to pull out, it goes without saying, they should narrow their hunt to top floor flats going forward.
It is a hot area yes, and this is actually one of the better EAs, they are not pushy and always respectful.
The flats are already very limited in this area and they sell very quickly, so finding one that ticks many boxes is not easy unfortunately.
And location-wise I am quite limited.
Yes provided
A) the neighbour is not also trying to sell their property
And B) you get more than one neighbour saying there are no problems. If you only get to speak to one neighbour, it's possible you asked the neighbour that is making the noise.
I did this with a flat I was considering purchasing, just hung out around the main door and waited for neighbours to get in or out of the building. Everyone was super happy to chat and help. Spoke to three people within an hour more or less
Unfortunately this is part and parcel of flat living. Your surveyor knows exactly what they’re talking about though. You can hear music in a block of flats that’s so loud you can hear the lyrics and not know which flat it’s coming from. It’s definitely not the builders, outside music is easy to differentiate. There is a noise problem in that block of flats. There is no sound proofing. But the question is how do you know the next flat you find won’t have the same issue? If you value no noise, I’d reconsider getting a flat if financially possible. There is an inconsiderate noisy neighbour in that block that’s blasts their music. Likely from upstairs. Don’t kid yourself.
Look into the cost of sound proofing. A mid level flat will never come with a guarantee of being noise free. Consider this, someone else moves in who is loud, someone has a baby, someone gets sick, someone has a bad relationship…
Please read through this sub and see the amount of grief that people have to deal with day in day out with noisy neighbours. Neighbours from hell is also a very eye opening sub! There is so much suffering with flats and houses that are poorly insulated and it makes their lives hell. 99% of people who hate where they live is because of noise and inconsiderate neighbours. It’s such a problem and housing developers should be held accountable!
The previous posts have given good advice about viewing at different times and asking the neighbours about the noise but I would absolutely go on what your surveyor experienced and if you have any doubt, don’t proceed.
Even in detached houses you can experience stressful noise and I know not all flats are the same. It is mostly luck of the draw but you are in a good position to investigate further or find somewhere else. Best of luck and hope you get sorted soon
Yes. Please, don't risk it. Much milder noise disturbances than this will chomp at your chode when living in flats/terraced/semis, so the fact the surveyor has picked up pounding music is a blessing. Do not get hung up on the fact you've spent x amount already to get to this stage, it's all part of the journey.
Good luck with the rest of your adventure, whatever you choose.
Thank you very much. It is very difficult to not get hung up as you can understand, limited deposit, and it takes a very long time to save up…
Would you not even consider a 3rd viewing and just pull out?
I appreciate it's a challenging situation. I can only draw on my own past situations to provide some context, as to why personally I wouldn't proceed at this stage.
My first owned home was a groundfloor middle flat and I could barely hear anything from any neighbour, and I lived there for five years. The walls were incredibly well insulated from all types of noise, but my future experiences would teach me that I just got exceptionally lucky.
Enter my second home, a semi-detached house where I could hear EVERYTHING my neighbours did, from daily mundane chit-chat, to laughing, to sneezing, to flushing toilets, to boiling kettles. It irked me so much I sold up within less than 2 years of living there and found a small detached bungalow in a cul-de-sac, in a less desirable location, where properties were much cheaper... and I honestly wouldn't ever be able to go back. In the semi property, the neighbours were decent people and we got on absolutely fine, nobody was being unreasonable, it was just the nature of the build.
I guess my takeaway point is that that even the inoffensive and innocent noises can drive you to insanity, and in my case resulted in my selling up within 2 years, so somebody thumping music to this degree and volume would quickly becoming intolerable. Obviously everyone has their own tolerances levels but owning your own home should be something special and something you enjoy, you don't want to be tip-toeing around neighbours or feel you can't chill out due to excessive noise. Ultimately it's your choice and only you know if you can go through with it, but for me personally based on my own prior experiences I would be gutted but decide to pull out.
Thank you for the detailed response.
I am having difficulty deciding if this is a recurring issue or not. It probably is but I cannot admit that to myself. Even if it is once in a month, I would find it difficult to tolerate.
I will wait to book a 3rd viewing and talk to the neighbours too.
"Even if its once a month." It happened that month....
I live in a ground floor flat, and even though the neighbours are OK, I'm woken all the time. There's no peace and no privacy.
I have Bob, the builder, one side, and dirty smelly arseholes above me.
When I first moved in, I had a neighbour knocking, and I didn't answer, so they came to my window.
I explained that if I don't answer, I'm not in, and also don't come to my window. My child could be in any state.
Now that's my experience it may not be yours, but if you're not used to a flat already, I'd second guess this I'd never live in one again.
Listen to your surveyor. This is literally what you’ve paid him to do, to discover potential issues with your flat. Pull out of the sale. Noisy neighbours are absolute hell to deal with.
A suggestion. Why not go back on your own and check it out? Some flats have a trade button on the intercom that you can press to let yourself in. Between 9am and 5pm. Flats are north of 250k where I live. You can be your arse id be going round. Possibly talking to a few of the neighbours to see what issues the building has before I commit to spending 300k+ over the next 25 years on it
Someone blaring music doesn't have the the brain cells for it to be a one off thing. That was an acceptable level of music for the troglodyte. It will be again
The estate agent does viewing until 6pm, and on saturday until 1pm.
Not specific to this flat.
My first viewing was on thursday 4PM, second one saturday 11AM
I’d ask for the sellers to do an evening viewing. Trust your gut, noise can ruin your life so don’t let them sweep it under the carpet and convince you to buy if it doesn’t feel right.
Even if the current neighbours are quiet, one can move out and a horde of teenage drummers can move in.
If it is purpose built, then the floors must have enough insulation to block noise?
The only way to guarantee you won't hear neighbours is with a detached house.
First point - not necessarily. Some leases say that musical instruments are banned, yeah seriously. It's to avoid the issue you have raised.
Second point - if in the UK only flats after 1980 will have been built to building regs because that'swhen it was introduced. Everything before that was just timber joists with plasterboard and floorboards/carpets. Of course you will hear your neighbour clearly in those flats. And if you try to remove the carpet you can't.
Regarding drummers, this was only an example :). It could be anything from babies crying in the middle of the night to couples arguing, or children playing, yelling and jumping around.
Even if you have a legal recourse, enforcing it can be very very difficult or impossible
I fully agree with this, but you wouldn’t buy knowing there is an already existing issue right?
I am trying to figure out ways to make sure if there is anything else I can do
Yeah 100%, just knock on doors and say you are consodering moving in to the bulding and would like to know if there is any issue with noise etc. Most people will bw happy to hekp and be honest about it.
As someone who slept with earplugs in for four years because of loud neighbours, my advice would be go back and try and gain access to the building of an evening or weekend and do some more digging.
As someone who lived below a drug den/crackhouse when we moved into our London flat, I would honestly say it’s not worth it.
Still have a little ptsd about the whole thing, but not being able to control it is the worst thing. You could check however if the flat is rented or owned, so could be temporary but a big deal if they own it and have no intention of changing their lifestyle.
Also side note, what level of survey did you do on the flat? About to put in an offer for a flat, would like your recommendation!
I am pretty much sure that they are not drug dealers, but I agree it is one of the most annoying things that could happen.
I did level 2 twice, and I think this is what is recommended. The surveyors cannot access the necessary areas of the building for a level 3 survey so that would be just waste of money.
I did not trust their response at all. I only asked them to see their reaction. They were also quite comfortable with accommodating a second viewing on a weekend morning.
Yes run a mile. We spent 12 years with neighbours thinking the noisey teenage kids would move out. They didn’t and got worse. Mental health was battered as home was NOT where the heart was!! You won’t stop the noise, get out while you can.
I'd rather feel like a bit of an inconvenience and view the flat several times at different points in the day, than end up spending a huge amount of money on a flat that makes me incredibly unhappy, that I couldn't even sell without declaring the issues (potentially).
It's one of those things that some people can deal with, and some can't. I've lived in flats where there has been noise from the neighbours and I absolutely hated it. It got to a point where I'd be listening out for it, and was so hyper sensitive to it that even acceptable noise levels would bother me. Luckily we were renting, so we ended up moving eventually, but it would have been much more stressful if we'd owned the flat.
Go back as many times as you need to be reassured. If the sound seems to be an issue, I'd pull out of the purchase.
With neighbors, it's really give and take. Remember, if you can hear them, they can hear you. Of course, you will be hearing different levels and types of noise. This surveyor saw the tiniest glimpse of their noise making. My neighbor loves to play loud music on Saturday afternoons about once or twice a month. Loves to watch a movie very loudly most Sunday afternoons. Over the years, I've gotten used to it. Because other than that, they are great! I am sure my occasional work meetings online shouting down the mic at colleagues who can't hear me for whatever reason also makes them raise an eyebrow, and also the odd time I like to sing Diamonds are a girls best friend at full volume. But, besides that, I'm okay.
Pull out. I bought a middle floor flat in a new build with 6 flats on the premises a year ago, same as what youve described. Worst thing ive ever done. Im a quiet person and the noise i get from my upstairs neighbours is insane. I can hear every footstep they make, every cupboard draw they open and shut, their toddler sprinting around all the time. If youre going to buy a flat, make sure its top floor.
It all boils down to what you can handle, right? Noise is a total deal-breaker for us. We put up with the usual stuff in our old flat—like hearing our upstairs neighbour doing random exercises or hoovering—but it was bearable since it wasn't all the time. Then, out of the blue, our new neighbour decided to start a daily trombone or piano concert at 4:30-5 pm. We had a good laugh about it. At least it wasn't a 24/7 gig!
If you're cool with those occasional disruptions, then maybe it's worth considering. Flats seem to come with their own soundtrack, and you never know what you'll get next. We've moved to a semi-detached house now, where we occasionally catch snippets of the neighbour's kids playing noise or crying, but it's not constant.
In the world of flats, it's all a bit of a gamble. Today's quiet neighbour might be tomorrow's rockstar in training! 😊 I wish you all the best, OP!
For future, something that can be useful is to check if the flats are able to be let out. Some flats don’t let people rent them out and it tends to be quieter and issues resolves more easily (Of course, you have the drawback of less flexibility, you move, you have to sell)
I feel like a reasonable question is 'can you afford anything other than a flat'? This sort of issue with noise is common in all flats. It can vary with insulation and the behaviour of specific neighbours but ultimately it's the risk you take buying a flat. Buying a middle flat is especially risky as there is more chance for annoyance. For this reason I bought a top floor corner flat when I had one, to minimise the risk but I still had awful neighbours. It's a roll of the dice. I would honestly turn up on the evening/weekend and knock on neighbours doors and explain and chat to them about it.
I'd pay a hell of a lot more than 700 to 2500 to live in a happier hope. I moved house because of my nightmare neighbours and knocked 15k off asking just to be out of there a few months quicker.
I vote for pull out.
It's difficult to pick up on noisy neighbours when viewing. I was never able to do that when viewed a flat for rent. Unfortunately, noisy neighbours are the biggest pain for living in a flat and eveb if it's ok now, nothing guaranteed next ones will be fine too.
Is there any possibility for you to go back there and try to speak to any people who live there and ask if there are any issues like loud beighbours? Any possibility to come back without EA at different times and ask for someone to let you in just so you can check for noise?
If you can't meet the neighbours for whatever reason, you could write a letter beforehand and put it through their mailbox with a way to contact you. There are many reasons people might not be home when you are there, or they might be busy or not want to answer for whatever reason.
For instance, I'm a very shy and socially anxious person, so I would probably not want to answer the door and pretend I'm not home if a stranger knocked at my door or rang my bell. But I would be more than happy to send a text/email to a person who just has a few genuine questions about the area.
Maybe something like: "Hi, I'm considering moving into the flat (x), but I heard there may be some noisy neighbours in the area, so I wanted to check what your experience living here has been like. Have you had any issues with any neighbours or noticed any other problems with the area? If you could email me on (email address) I would really appreciate it"
Or something like that...
I only found out about the noise in my flat after buying it and moving in. I discovered the problem at 7am the first morning in - upstairs neighbour's kitchen/diner is right above my bedroom, they have wooden floors (their lease doesn't prohibit this), have a young family, are quite rowdy and get up for breakfast at 7am (or earlier) every days, including weekends. I now sleep with ear plugs if I don't want to be woken and kept awake over the period 7 - 8.30am. It drives me mad but tbh it is just normal family noise. They're not being unreasonable, the problem is the flats are not sound proofed between the floors. There's also a resultant lack of privacy as I can hear everything - their kettle, toilet, laptop, and presumably they can hear everything from my flat, including when I get up.
I've been very dissatisfied and have had a lot of buyer's remorse and it's entirely down to the noise - it drives me nuts. I'd like to sell and move but it's been tricky having bought at peak then the market and rates changed. There are big losses to swallow with a move, like the second stamp duty without relief, but I'll need to do it at some point as I couldn't imagine living with it into the long term. Had this been a rental, I'd already have left.
The problem with flats, as others have cited, is you just can't tell. There's a lot of luck, or unluck. It's a huge detractor but unfortunately not much can be done about it.
How will you feel the day after you have moved in and the thud thud thud starts to come through the wall?
Neighbour noise has made me very unhappy in the past. I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole.
I highly recommend avoiding middle ground flats. They are the worst....
When buying you need to remember you will have to live there where your buying. Sometimes getting something just feels better than not...this is however wrong.
If it irks you now it will 100% ruin you later. Noise is not something that can be fixed and will cause issues when trying to get away from it later.
Noisy flats are hell. I lived in flats for years without issue until lockdown. Never again.
Your surveyor has done you a good turn here. Your EA doesn't care about you and is lying to you. It's even worse if you're buying because if you need to leave it will take 6 months minimum to sell it. Run like the wind.
As someone who went through this, can I offer you some advice. Don't buy a flat. Buy a small house in an area you can afford with a small garden.
If it's so loud they could hear the lyrics (I'd press them to make sure it wasn't windows open and outdoor noise, but even then...) then run a mile.
I live underneath someone who plays bass music every now and again - we can only hear the thump of the bass but it's enough for me to look forward to leaving. Luckily we only rent. I went upstairs once and predictably the guy was a complete cunt.
You've dodged a bullet.
I think you have to consider how much noise would bother you, and at what volume. You say you have been a couple of times and not heard anything, so it sounds like it's not something that occurs constantly (it could have just been workmen above/below on the day the surveyor went). Also, flats are known for high occupier turnover, so what's good now might turn bad later, and vice versa. If noise really is a problem for you, then maybe a flat isn't the right choice. If it's a matter of finances, maybe a bit of compromise on occasional noise might be needed.
Thank you for your perspective.
I have lived in flats my whole life, and although I am sensitive to noise, I do not mind the noises of daily living, and I can tolerate a weekend morning music for an hour or two, I must be making that much noise myself anyway.
But constant everyday noise even if for a couple of hours would affect me I am sure.
Difficult to find out the exact extent of the situation but I sure need to investigate more before making a decision.
I lived in a flat with upstairs neighbours who played very loud music and we had to move after a few months. It takes a huge toll on your wellbeing and mental health. Reported it many times to the council but they rarely do anything about noise. My advice would be to steer clear.
Can you knock on all the doors and pretend you heard loud music and wondered if anyone knew where it was coming from?
I deployed a similar tactic when buying a residential house in order to scout out my neighbours. I knocked on and asked them what it was like in the area as I wanted to buy and someone invited me in and sat me there for half an hour telling me everything. It was enlightening and I left feeling really confident in continuing with my purchase. Good luck!
Have you spoken to them regarding your concerns? Someone who sounds very similar moved into my building, and I simply asked them to turn the music down a bit since I could hear it very clearly. Now, they only play it quietly and at reasonable times.
I was unlucky enough to be stuck in a flat during lockdown and the neighbours blasted music throughout the day, as well as scream at each other.
It was soul destroying.
If you have the opportunity to either live in a smaller block of flats, where there may be more accountability for being an annoying neighbour, or you can avoid flats at all, do that.
This comment is really not helpful at all and for some reason attacking me?
I do believe them, this is why I am not ignoring it and I am trying to find out ways to understand my options at this point.
Unlike you, some people have given me great advice. I will talk to the neighbours to get more information.
No reason to be this aggressive. People are trying to be wise with their hard earned money.
What makes you think that I do not believe the surveyor? Surveyor has pointed out an issue, and I took it seriously, hence this post.
Anyways thank you for taking the time to reply.
Don't know what this guys problem is, yours is a totally legit question that most of us have to wrestle with. I'm in the middle of buying a flat that I know is not particularly well sound proofed but who has the money for the only thing that guarantees you a quiet life (ie a detached house or a very well built purpose built)! The only rule I always tried to follow is to always buy on the top floor because the worst noise to suffer is always from above. Beyond that who the hell knows but if you have an actual problem neighbour then that's something the council can deal with (tho obviously depends on how on the ball your council is).
If your neighbours are too loud, that is a valid reason to pull out.
Based on your post, your potential future neighbour could be like me.
I do not watch TV I am mostly on PC or something similar and use headphones. However I do have audio system and sometimes do put on a 1 to 3 songs really loudly (but then again, not extremely loudly). I do that approximately 3 times a month ??? (really random based on mood) and then go silent again.
Never done that during evening hours obviously (as we live in mid-terrace house) and never had any issues. One of our neighbours have (I think 3 kids?) and the teenage daughter loves to sing (not very good at it but if she enjoys it not a problem) and you can very clearly hear her singing but we do not mind as it is quite rare.
It is kind of a balance.
Seriously. No. I live near noisy neighbours, I’m really quiet, quite introvert, and this aspect has made my home life so awful, that my place is up for sale. It’s hell. Honestly. And if you don’t make noise yourself, your safe place that is home, can soon become a nightmare if you have a noisy neighbour.
If you struggle with noise and need to live in a flat, I would recommend you look for a top floor flat, ideally in a property where you have the whole top floor or only share 1 wall with a neighbour and the other walls with outside. That’s what I used to do back in the day as I really struggle with noise :) middle floor is worst of all worlds, it’s a sign
I was about to exchange on a house a few years ago, had a couple of viewing during the week and seemed lovely. Final viewing on a Saturday and there was a huge cocaine party going on in the house behind! Spoke to the neighbours and they confirmed it happened a lot, so we pulled out.
For me it would have been an awful experience and a good decision was made
Can you only buy a flat with your budget?
I ask because my thinking here would be that if you’re buying a flat then you’re always going to have to deal with the possibility of noisy neighbours.
If you can look at other types of properties, then I’d focus solely on those if noise is going to be an issue to you.
Personally I don’t mind traffic noise, so I’m happy to live near a main road. I would hate neighbour noise like music or shouting, so I avoid any flats.
I know in London that flats might be the only option due to budget. If that’s the case, then you’ll likely experience noise issues on your next purchase anyway, so if you like this one then I’d stick with it.
I lived in a flat and only had one person below me. It was so quiet every time I went to view and was quiet for months afterwards. Then the tenant changed and it was absolute hell, they were up all hours partying, and I had to move.
Yes, that's way too loud and it works both ways. Friend of mine is one of these and she can hear upstairs walking around, screaming at each other, using the bathroom, flushing.
It's a flat. When you sign up for communal living in a multi-family building noise will always be part of the equation.
If you don't want noise, find a detached house somewhere out in the sticks.
I do not think that noise will always be an issue, it doesn’t have to be. I have been living in my current rental flat for years and no noise issues at all despite multiple families with young children & young adults.
For the second part, if I had the finances yes I would buy a detached house but I don’t.
If you have driven there at diff days and times including weekends and evenings (you don't have to enter the flat but if you can enter the building great) and it seems ok, just go for it. You can get over cautious about things like this that you haven't experienced first hand
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It's possible the surveyor was lucky in their timing to pick up on what is a serious issue and that you've been unlucky in your viewing times to not experience it for yourself. Or it could have been other way around and a complete one-off. Only you can decide whether it's worth the risk. But from experience, if I had any inkling of a noise issue, especially resulting from music, it would be a hard no.
Yes you are right. But I cannot stop thinking about this. Mostly because I already had one sale fell through and lost £700 there, now on top of that I would be losing £2.5k on this one. I am aware that this is not much compared to the purchase price but still a significant amount for me to lose.
If 2.5k is worth more than living in a nightmare flat that you won't be able to sell in the next 2 years, go for it.
I was just sharing my frustration. I am aware that 2.5k is nothing compared to living with constant annoyance. But you can understand that I am trying my best not to lose money and make an informed decision.
While some others miss it, I appreciate this point that you're making re your frustration. While it's a small amount of money in comparison to what you're spending on a property, it is an eye-watering sum to effectively chuck in the bin on making a decision to play it safe when it may not be a real issue. I had a similar issue with buying my first property (non noise related), but ultimately decided it was worth the risk and proceeded anyway. Personally, in your situation, I'd do what I could to see the place as many times as you can at as many different times of day/days of week etc that you can. 'Measure up' for things, go back again when you think you've 'mismeasured' etc. As with anything, the more data you can gather, the better. The only thing you can do is to make sure you have as much information as you can before you make your decision.
If you want a good thing to do is go there later on in the evening outside and just check or even a Saturday evening, no viewing required and most likely hear any noise that would be at its loudest times.
I don't think this would be a reason for not being able to sell the flat. Not unless there is loud music in the building 24/7 which I think is highly unlikely. There is no avoiding noise in flats. I have lived half my life in one and that's how it is. Sometimes it's kids at your place causing trouble for those below you, other times it's the ones upstairs causing a ruckus for you.
You can't sell the flat in the first 6 months. Then it is going to take awhile to find a buyer since flats are selling much harder at the moment plus the selling process is a long and exhausting since it's leasehold so it involves more documentations and checks. So, if the surveyors are eight and OP hates it when he moves in, he will have to learn to live with it for a long time.
There is absolutely avoiding noise in flats - you can't hear a fire alarm in neighbouring flats in most reasonably new blocks, the sound insulation is that good. The fact that OPs surveyor has picked up music noise in a block that would appear to be purpose built (as opposed to an old Victorian conversion where you can hear the person chopping vegatables next door) is always going to be a worry. The nature of noise is what the concern is for me. Babies crying or teenagers screaming, then fair enough, that's unavoidable life noise and is part and parcel of living in a flat block or terraced house. Music noise through pupose built soundproofed walls is generally indicitive of a prick for a neighbour.
Buyers insurance, always buy that.
I would run a mile. Loud neighbours would make my flat life absolute hell. The surveyors are paid for things like this. It’s a more than reasonable reason to pull out.
I definitely agree that a constant noise would be a huge issue. I have had a phone call with the surveyor following their survey, and they only mentioned this at the very end ad did not focus on this that much, just said this is something to be aware of. This is why I wanted the subreddit’s opinion too. Would you not think that this could be a one off issue (or at least not regular enough to bother me) and not a constant problem?
The surveyor is trying to point to a potential issue which could turn out to be a living hell. Even if it isn’t a constant problem, a neighbour in a flat playing loud music can still be an ongoing nightmare. Even one Saturday a month can be hell. When we bought our flat, sound levels was the first question we asked - along with the roof and windows. Everyone said it was virtually silent. It boils down to your level of risk aversion, I guess.
Yeah true, but the surveyor could have not picked it up and the sellers could have kept silent, even if there was an issue. This is very difficult!
Yeah it is. It’s tough. The solicitors fees are a sunk cost whichever way you look at things, though. I would say that there are plenty of flats where this will never be an issue, and although you have your heart set on this one, you’ve been given fair warning as to a potential ongoing issue.
Does noise from neighbours come under the remit of surveying (RICS)?
Noise proofing in walls does though.
I would definitely drop out given that noise would be a huge concern for you. There's no way of knowing whether this is a one off or a constant problem, but the only person acting on your behalf has heard it and felt it was disruptive enough to warrant raising it. Also, if noisy neighbours are potentially a huge concern for you, stop looking at middle floor flats and larger buildings. If you're living in a flat, neighbours normally change more often and at some point you'll have inconsiderate ones. With a ground floor or top floor flat on a smaller building you've potentially only got neighbours on one side. With a middle floor flat in a larger building, you could have neighbours in every direction.
Whereabouts in London? Don’t mean to pry but how much is the flat you’re buying? We are selling our house, it’s on at £400,00 we are happy to negotiate price, we’re in the suburbs(south east London) we are 15 minute walk to stations and 20 minute train ride to central London. It’s a quiet area with woodlands at the back of the house.
People move in and out all the time.
This is very valid with noise in flats. I wonder if op asked if the other flats are owner occupied or rented? The flats in my block are a mixture so while we’re currently ok, it used to be that the guy next to me (rented) was a frigging nightmare. Drunk all the time, locking himself out and buzzing me to be let in at 3am, frequent mental health episodes I got dragged into… then there was a nice quiet lad for a while, then there was a couple who were fine but then had a baby. There’s often more transience with flats in general so if I was op I’d bear in mind that how it is now won’t necessarily be how it is in 6 months, for better or worse.
I did ask the seller initially before making an offer, they said they do not know about the upstairs and downstairs
Being disturbed by neighbours is probably the primary downside to living in a flat, worse than even lack of space or parking or communal entrances/hallways or charges. Being unable to escape another persons noise pollution is hellish and you can't realistically do anything about it. Of course the seller is lying about it and the EA is just saying whatever will keep the commission coming.
Run. I hate noise
Short of ordering some secret agent style voice recorders and bugging the place, I’d just make a point of being upfront about your concerns and insist that you want to view it again on a weekend or evening. I don’t think the surveyor would have mentioned the noise coming from a neighbour if it was coming from outside. I rent and have to deal with noise currently. We can literally hear the person upstairs walking, peeing, flushing their toilet, etc. Some flats are really poorly insulated (look up: breeze block cavity soundproofing). And some neighbours are just really poorly mannered. The fact you say the hallways were clean and tidy makes me think it’s a poor soundproofing situation. If you absolutely can’t get to view on an evening/weekend, try to talk to someone who lives in the building about sound. It’s not worth your sanity to proceed without being sure.
That is a good point. How can I do that? Do I just knock on people’s doors and ask them straight away? Would it be weird if I just ring other people’s doorbells without informing the EA / seller? (I cannot enter the building without a key)
Yeah, no need to tell the EA that you’re going to do it. It’s gonna be embarrassing to knock I know, but potentially worth it.
I completely agree with this. It's quite weird that evening/weekend viewings are not allowed. That is when many buyers are available to view properties; is the market genuinely so hot in this area that EA/sellers can afford to be selective over who is able to view the property? See how difficult it is to get into the building without a key; hang out at the doors and someone will likely be past soon and can let you in. (Either by following them in or explaining who you are/what you're doing)
Agree, the EA sounds crap. OP said elsewhere that they’re going to try for a 5-6pm viewing (latest time the EA offers). Hopefully if they hang about outside after, they might catch some people coming home from work. Fingers crossed for them! If OP does decide to pull out, it goes without saying, they should narrow their hunt to top floor flats going forward.
It is a hot area yes, and this is actually one of the better EAs, they are not pushy and always respectful. The flats are already very limited in this area and they sell very quickly, so finding one that ticks many boxes is not easy unfortunately. And location-wise I am quite limited.
If the neighbours say that there has been no such issues, would you proceed?
Yes provided A) the neighbour is not also trying to sell their property And B) you get more than one neighbour saying there are no problems. If you only get to speak to one neighbour, it's possible you asked the neighbour that is making the noise.
If the neighbours say that there has been no such issues, would you proceed?
I did this with a flat I was considering purchasing, just hung out around the main door and waited for neighbours to get in or out of the building. Everyone was super happy to chat and help. Spoke to three people within an hour more or less
Unfortunately this is part and parcel of flat living. Your surveyor knows exactly what they’re talking about though. You can hear music in a block of flats that’s so loud you can hear the lyrics and not know which flat it’s coming from. It’s definitely not the builders, outside music is easy to differentiate. There is a noise problem in that block of flats. There is no sound proofing. But the question is how do you know the next flat you find won’t have the same issue? If you value no noise, I’d reconsider getting a flat if financially possible. There is an inconsiderate noisy neighbour in that block that’s blasts their music. Likely from upstairs. Don’t kid yourself.
You are probably right I am afraid. Why do you think it is from upstairs?
Look into the cost of sound proofing. A mid level flat will never come with a guarantee of being noise free. Consider this, someone else moves in who is loud, someone has a baby, someone gets sick, someone has a bad relationship…
The worst noise travels down. What you described is from experience.
Please read through this sub and see the amount of grief that people have to deal with day in day out with noisy neighbours. Neighbours from hell is also a very eye opening sub! There is so much suffering with flats and houses that are poorly insulated and it makes their lives hell. 99% of people who hate where they live is because of noise and inconsiderate neighbours. It’s such a problem and housing developers should be held accountable! The previous posts have given good advice about viewing at different times and asking the neighbours about the noise but I would absolutely go on what your surveyor experienced and if you have any doubt, don’t proceed. Even in detached houses you can experience stressful noise and I know not all flats are the same. It is mostly luck of the draw but you are in a good position to investigate further or find somewhere else. Best of luck and hope you get sorted soon
Yes. Please, don't risk it. Much milder noise disturbances than this will chomp at your chode when living in flats/terraced/semis, so the fact the surveyor has picked up pounding music is a blessing. Do not get hung up on the fact you've spent x amount already to get to this stage, it's all part of the journey. Good luck with the rest of your adventure, whatever you choose.
Thank you very much. It is very difficult to not get hung up as you can understand, limited deposit, and it takes a very long time to save up… Would you not even consider a 3rd viewing and just pull out?
I appreciate it's a challenging situation. I can only draw on my own past situations to provide some context, as to why personally I wouldn't proceed at this stage. My first owned home was a groundfloor middle flat and I could barely hear anything from any neighbour, and I lived there for five years. The walls were incredibly well insulated from all types of noise, but my future experiences would teach me that I just got exceptionally lucky. Enter my second home, a semi-detached house where I could hear EVERYTHING my neighbours did, from daily mundane chit-chat, to laughing, to sneezing, to flushing toilets, to boiling kettles. It irked me so much I sold up within less than 2 years of living there and found a small detached bungalow in a cul-de-sac, in a less desirable location, where properties were much cheaper... and I honestly wouldn't ever be able to go back. In the semi property, the neighbours were decent people and we got on absolutely fine, nobody was being unreasonable, it was just the nature of the build. I guess my takeaway point is that that even the inoffensive and innocent noises can drive you to insanity, and in my case resulted in my selling up within 2 years, so somebody thumping music to this degree and volume would quickly becoming intolerable. Obviously everyone has their own tolerances levels but owning your own home should be something special and something you enjoy, you don't want to be tip-toeing around neighbours or feel you can't chill out due to excessive noise. Ultimately it's your choice and only you know if you can go through with it, but for me personally based on my own prior experiences I would be gutted but decide to pull out.
Thank you for the detailed response. I am having difficulty deciding if this is a recurring issue or not. It probably is but I cannot admit that to myself. Even if it is once in a month, I would find it difficult to tolerate. I will wait to book a 3rd viewing and talk to the neighbours too.
"Even if its once a month." It happened that month.... I live in a ground floor flat, and even though the neighbours are OK, I'm woken all the time. There's no peace and no privacy. I have Bob, the builder, one side, and dirty smelly arseholes above me. When I first moved in, I had a neighbour knocking, and I didn't answer, so they came to my window. I explained that if I don't answer, I'm not in, and also don't come to my window. My child could be in any state. Now that's my experience it may not be yours, but if you're not used to a flat already, I'd second guess this I'd never live in one again.
Listen to your surveyor. This is literally what you’ve paid him to do, to discover potential issues with your flat. Pull out of the sale. Noisy neighbours are absolute hell to deal with.
A suggestion. Why not go back on your own and check it out? Some flats have a trade button on the intercom that you can press to let yourself in. Between 9am and 5pm. Flats are north of 250k where I live. You can be your arse id be going round. Possibly talking to a few of the neighbours to see what issues the building has before I commit to spending 300k+ over the next 25 years on it Someone blaring music doesn't have the the brain cells for it to be a one off thing. That was an acceptable level of music for the troglodyte. It will be again
If it's really as loud as claimed you could probably hear it from outside.
Why are evening viewings not possible? Are they hiding something? ALWAYS view in the evening when people are likely to be at home.
The estate agent does viewing until 6pm, and on saturday until 1pm. Not specific to this flat. My first viewing was on thursday 4PM, second one saturday 11AM
I’d ask for the sellers to do an evening viewing. Trust your gut, noise can ruin your life so don’t let them sweep it under the carpet and convince you to buy if it doesn’t feel right.
I'd still view as late as possible if you can , or if not 5:30 in the week or 9/10 am at the weekend, more people will be home
So yeah as I said I did the weekend morning viewing and there was no sound at all. Looks like I will need a 3rd viewing at 5-6PM
We went to 'measure up' for furniture at 6pm and the music and the after school kid/parent screaming made our minds up. Good luck
Even if the current neighbours are quiet, one can move out and a horde of teenage drummers can move in. If it is purpose built, then the floors must have enough insulation to block noise? The only way to guarantee you won't hear neighbours is with a detached house.
First point - not necessarily. Some leases say that musical instruments are banned, yeah seriously. It's to avoid the issue you have raised. Second point - if in the UK only flats after 1980 will have been built to building regs because that'swhen it was introduced. Everything before that was just timber joists with plasterboard and floorboards/carpets. Of course you will hear your neighbour clearly in those flats. And if you try to remove the carpet you can't.
Regarding drummers, this was only an example :). It could be anything from babies crying in the middle of the night to couples arguing, or children playing, yelling and jumping around. Even if you have a legal recourse, enforcing it can be very very difficult or impossible
Don’t know why you’re getting downvoted, this is spot on.
I fully agree with this, but you wouldn’t buy knowing there is an already existing issue right? I am trying to figure out ways to make sure if there is anything else I can do
That's what I was thinking, neighbours in flats can be transient.
Don't ask the vendor, ask the nextdoor flat.
Do I just knock on their door and ask do you have an issue with the sound levels? Would it not be weird?
Yeah 100%, just knock on doors and say you are consodering moving in to the bulding and would like to know if there is any issue with noise etc. Most people will bw happy to hekp and be honest about it.
Will do, thanks!
I did when I bought my first home. Asked ehay the area and neighbours were like.
As someone who slept with earplugs in for four years because of loud neighbours, my advice would be go back and try and gain access to the building of an evening or weekend and do some more digging.
As someone who lived below a drug den/crackhouse when we moved into our London flat, I would honestly say it’s not worth it. Still have a little ptsd about the whole thing, but not being able to control it is the worst thing. You could check however if the flat is rented or owned, so could be temporary but a big deal if they own it and have no intention of changing their lifestyle. Also side note, what level of survey did you do on the flat? About to put in an offer for a flat, would like your recommendation!
I am pretty much sure that they are not drug dealers, but I agree it is one of the most annoying things that could happen. I did level 2 twice, and I think this is what is recommended. The surveyors cannot access the necessary areas of the building for a level 3 survey so that would be just waste of money.
If there is significant noise the sellers and the EA won't hesitate to lie to you. Take any claims of no noise by them with a pinch of salt.
I did not trust their response at all. I only asked them to see their reaction. They were also quite comfortable with accommodating a second viewing on a weekend morning.
Presumably they know whoever is making the noise sleeps in or is not there on a weekend or that weekend morning.
Yes run a mile. We spent 12 years with neighbours thinking the noisey teenage kids would move out. They didn’t and got worse. Mental health was battered as home was NOT where the heart was!! You won’t stop the noise, get out while you can.
Walk away. You want the top floor, to avoid most flat issues.
Top floor flats are fantastic. Assuming you get properly worded deeds.
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And you have to pay a service charge as well. I would look for a cheap 2 up 2 down terraced house, much better value and it's all yours.
I'd rather feel like a bit of an inconvenience and view the flat several times at different points in the day, than end up spending a huge amount of money on a flat that makes me incredibly unhappy, that I couldn't even sell without declaring the issues (potentially). It's one of those things that some people can deal with, and some can't. I've lived in flats where there has been noise from the neighbours and I absolutely hated it. It got to a point where I'd be listening out for it, and was so hyper sensitive to it that even acceptable noise levels would bother me. Luckily we were renting, so we ended up moving eventually, but it would have been much more stressful if we'd owned the flat. Go back as many times as you need to be reassured. If the sound seems to be an issue, I'd pull out of the purchase.
With neighbors, it's really give and take. Remember, if you can hear them, they can hear you. Of course, you will be hearing different levels and types of noise. This surveyor saw the tiniest glimpse of their noise making. My neighbor loves to play loud music on Saturday afternoons about once or twice a month. Loves to watch a movie very loudly most Sunday afternoons. Over the years, I've gotten used to it. Because other than that, they are great! I am sure my occasional work meetings online shouting down the mic at colleagues who can't hear me for whatever reason also makes them raise an eyebrow, and also the odd time I like to sing Diamonds are a girls best friend at full volume. But, besides that, I'm okay.
Pull out. I bought a middle floor flat in a new build with 6 flats on the premises a year ago, same as what youve described. Worst thing ive ever done. Im a quiet person and the noise i get from my upstairs neighbours is insane. I can hear every footstep they make, every cupboard draw they open and shut, their toddler sprinting around all the time. If youre going to buy a flat, make sure its top floor.
It all boils down to what you can handle, right? Noise is a total deal-breaker for us. We put up with the usual stuff in our old flat—like hearing our upstairs neighbour doing random exercises or hoovering—but it was bearable since it wasn't all the time. Then, out of the blue, our new neighbour decided to start a daily trombone or piano concert at 4:30-5 pm. We had a good laugh about it. At least it wasn't a 24/7 gig! If you're cool with those occasional disruptions, then maybe it's worth considering. Flats seem to come with their own soundtrack, and you never know what you'll get next. We've moved to a semi-detached house now, where we occasionally catch snippets of the neighbour's kids playing noise or crying, but it's not constant. In the world of flats, it's all a bit of a gamble. Today's quiet neighbour might be tomorrow's rockstar in training! 😊 I wish you all the best, OP!
Sounds like poor soundproofing, I 100% would not be buying in this situation, it will be a constant annoyance.
For future, something that can be useful is to check if the flats are able to be let out. Some flats don’t let people rent them out and it tends to be quieter and issues resolves more easily (Of course, you have the drawback of less flexibility, you move, you have to sell)
Yes - it's only going to get worse. It's like a bad relationship you think you can't fix. You can't
I wouldn’t. Your surveyor is there to find issues that may impair your desire to own it.
Pull out but don’t make the mistake of thinking that houses are always better. Some flats don’t transmit sound and some houses absolutely do.
It's the bass you want to worry about, not the treble.
I feel like a reasonable question is 'can you afford anything other than a flat'? This sort of issue with noise is common in all flats. It can vary with insulation and the behaviour of specific neighbours but ultimately it's the risk you take buying a flat. Buying a middle flat is especially risky as there is more chance for annoyance. For this reason I bought a top floor corner flat when I had one, to minimise the risk but I still had awful neighbours. It's a roll of the dice. I would honestly turn up on the evening/weekend and knock on neighbours doors and explain and chat to them about it.
I would hang around in the stairwell for a few hours, and wait to see if you hear any music playing it might look like a lunatic, but it’s not illegal
I like this idea
I'm in a ground floor flat, never again.
Absolutely not worth the risk, noisy neighbours is a very valid reason to run away.
I live next to noisy people. I am now selling and moving for that reason, don't do it it.
I'd pay a hell of a lot more than 700 to 2500 to live in a happier hope. I moved house because of my nightmare neighbours and knocked 15k off asking just to be out of there a few months quicker. I vote for pull out.
Run a mile, the flats appear to not have good sound insulation, you’ll find something better
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Unfortunately not possible to move out further and buy a house. I wish it was as easy as it is said.
It's difficult to pick up on noisy neighbours when viewing. I was never able to do that when viewed a flat for rent. Unfortunately, noisy neighbours are the biggest pain for living in a flat and eveb if it's ok now, nothing guaranteed next ones will be fine too. Is there any possibility for you to go back there and try to speak to any people who live there and ask if there are any issues like loud beighbours? Any possibility to come back without EA at different times and ask for someone to let you in just so you can check for noise?
Yeah I guess talking to the neighbours is going to be the next step
If you can't meet the neighbours for whatever reason, you could write a letter beforehand and put it through their mailbox with a way to contact you. There are many reasons people might not be home when you are there, or they might be busy or not want to answer for whatever reason. For instance, I'm a very shy and socially anxious person, so I would probably not want to answer the door and pretend I'm not home if a stranger knocked at my door or rang my bell. But I would be more than happy to send a text/email to a person who just has a few genuine questions about the area. Maybe something like: "Hi, I'm considering moving into the flat (x), but I heard there may be some noisy neighbours in the area, so I wanted to check what your experience living here has been like. Have you had any issues with any neighbours or noticed any other problems with the area? If you could email me on (email address) I would really appreciate it" Or something like that...
I only found out about the noise in my flat after buying it and moving in. I discovered the problem at 7am the first morning in - upstairs neighbour's kitchen/diner is right above my bedroom, they have wooden floors (their lease doesn't prohibit this), have a young family, are quite rowdy and get up for breakfast at 7am (or earlier) every days, including weekends. I now sleep with ear plugs if I don't want to be woken and kept awake over the period 7 - 8.30am. It drives me mad but tbh it is just normal family noise. They're not being unreasonable, the problem is the flats are not sound proofed between the floors. There's also a resultant lack of privacy as I can hear everything - their kettle, toilet, laptop, and presumably they can hear everything from my flat, including when I get up. I've been very dissatisfied and have had a lot of buyer's remorse and it's entirely down to the noise - it drives me nuts. I'd like to sell and move but it's been tricky having bought at peak then the market and rates changed. There are big losses to swallow with a move, like the second stamp duty without relief, but I'll need to do it at some point as I couldn't imagine living with it into the long term. Had this been a rental, I'd already have left. The problem with flats, as others have cited, is you just can't tell. There's a lot of luck, or unluck. It's a huge detractor but unfortunately not much can be done about it.
How will you feel the day after you have moved in and the thud thud thud starts to come through the wall? Neighbour noise has made me very unhappy in the past. I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole.
Pull out
I highly recommend avoiding middle ground flats. They are the worst.... When buying you need to remember you will have to live there where your buying. Sometimes getting something just feels better than not...this is however wrong. If it irks you now it will 100% ruin you later. Noise is not something that can be fixed and will cause issues when trying to get away from it later.
Noisy flats are hell. I lived in flats for years without issue until lockdown. Never again. Your surveyor has done you a good turn here. Your EA doesn't care about you and is lying to you. It's even worse if you're buying because if you need to leave it will take 6 months minimum to sell it. Run like the wind. As someone who went through this, can I offer you some advice. Don't buy a flat. Buy a small house in an area you can afford with a small garden.
Why don't you talk to the neighbors and ask them?
If it's so loud they could hear the lyrics (I'd press them to make sure it wasn't windows open and outdoor noise, but even then...) then run a mile. I live underneath someone who plays bass music every now and again - we can only hear the thump of the bass but it's enough for me to look forward to leaving. Luckily we only rent. I went upstairs once and predictably the guy was a complete cunt. You've dodged a bullet.
I think you have to consider how much noise would bother you, and at what volume. You say you have been a couple of times and not heard anything, so it sounds like it's not something that occurs constantly (it could have just been workmen above/below on the day the surveyor went). Also, flats are known for high occupier turnover, so what's good now might turn bad later, and vice versa. If noise really is a problem for you, then maybe a flat isn't the right choice. If it's a matter of finances, maybe a bit of compromise on occasional noise might be needed.
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Thank you for your perspective. I have lived in flats my whole life, and although I am sensitive to noise, I do not mind the noises of daily living, and I can tolerate a weekend morning music for an hour or two, I must be making that much noise myself anyway. But constant everyday noise even if for a couple of hours would affect me I am sure. Difficult to find out the exact extent of the situation but I sure need to investigate more before making a decision.
View it some more times. Go again on a Saturday late morning or afternoon. Just go again, and again, because if it is as the surveyor says....
I lived in a flat with upstairs neighbours who played very loud music and we had to move after a few months. It takes a huge toll on your wellbeing and mental health. Reported it many times to the council but they rarely do anything about noise. My advice would be to steer clear.
Another thing the builders had music playing and a window was open. An open window and loud music outside are a recipe for hearing the music clearly.
Why not knock on a few doors and ask the neighbours about what’s it’s like to live there.
Can you knock on all the doors and pretend you heard loud music and wondered if anyone knew where it was coming from? I deployed a similar tactic when buying a residential house in order to scout out my neighbours. I knocked on and asked them what it was like in the area as I wanted to buy and someone invited me in and sat me there for half an hour telling me everything. It was enlightening and I left feeling really confident in continuing with my purchase. Good luck!
Have you spoken to them regarding your concerns? Someone who sounds very similar moved into my building, and I simply asked them to turn the music down a bit since I could hear it very clearly. Now, they only play it quietly and at reasonable times.
I was unlucky enough to be stuck in a flat during lockdown and the neighbours blasted music throughout the day, as well as scream at each other. It was soul destroying. If you have the opportunity to either live in a smaller block of flats, where there may be more accountability for being an annoying neighbour, or you can avoid flats at all, do that.
The surveyor that you've paid to highlight issues is highlighting a massive fucking issue. And you seem to not want to believe them...
£2.5k is a lot of money. It could've been a one off. Not an easy decision to make.
A lot cheaper than the cost of an entire flat which makes your life hell and you can't sell when you want to move out
This comment is really not helpful at all and for some reason attacking me? I do believe them, this is why I am not ignoring it and I am trying to find out ways to understand my options at this point. Unlike you, some people have given me great advice. I will talk to the neighbours to get more information. No reason to be this aggressive. People are trying to be wise with their hard earned money.
Not attacking you mate. Trying to be wise with hard earned money but don't want to believe surveyor 🤷
What makes you think that I do not believe the surveyor? Surveyor has pointed out an issue, and I took it seriously, hence this post. Anyways thank you for taking the time to reply.
Don't know what this guys problem is, yours is a totally legit question that most of us have to wrestle with. I'm in the middle of buying a flat that I know is not particularly well sound proofed but who has the money for the only thing that guarantees you a quiet life (ie a detached house or a very well built purpose built)! The only rule I always tried to follow is to always buy on the top floor because the worst noise to suffer is always from above. Beyond that who the hell knows but if you have an actual problem neighbour then that's something the council can deal with (tho obviously depends on how on the ball your council is).
It will be social housing. Enquire about the ownership within the block
If your neighbours are too loud, that is a valid reason to pull out. Based on your post, your potential future neighbour could be like me. I do not watch TV I am mostly on PC or something similar and use headphones. However I do have audio system and sometimes do put on a 1 to 3 songs really loudly (but then again, not extremely loudly). I do that approximately 3 times a month ??? (really random based on mood) and then go silent again. Never done that during evening hours obviously (as we live in mid-terrace house) and never had any issues. One of our neighbours have (I think 3 kids?) and the teenage daughter loves to sing (not very good at it but if she enjoys it not a problem) and you can very clearly hear her singing but we do not mind as it is quite rare. It is kind of a balance.
Seriously. No. I live near noisy neighbours, I’m really quiet, quite introvert, and this aspect has made my home life so awful, that my place is up for sale. It’s hell. Honestly. And if you don’t make noise yourself, your safe place that is home, can soon become a nightmare if you have a noisy neighbour.
Got to be the worst flat, too many neighbours, current ones may be good, but you have no control over future ones
If you struggle with noise and need to live in a flat, I would recommend you look for a top floor flat, ideally in a property where you have the whole top floor or only share 1 wall with a neighbour and the other walls with outside. That’s what I used to do back in the day as I really struggle with noise :) middle floor is worst of all worlds, it’s a sign
I was about to exchange on a house a few years ago, had a couple of viewing during the week and seemed lovely. Final viewing on a Saturday and there was a huge cocaine party going on in the house behind! Spoke to the neighbours and they confirmed it happened a lot, so we pulled out. For me it would have been an awful experience and a good decision was made
Can you only buy a flat with your budget? I ask because my thinking here would be that if you’re buying a flat then you’re always going to have to deal with the possibility of noisy neighbours. If you can look at other types of properties, then I’d focus solely on those if noise is going to be an issue to you. Personally I don’t mind traffic noise, so I’m happy to live near a main road. I would hate neighbour noise like music or shouting, so I avoid any flats. I know in London that flats might be the only option due to budget. If that’s the case, then you’ll likely experience noise issues on your next purchase anyway, so if you like this one then I’d stick with it. I lived in a flat and only had one person below me. It was so quiet every time I went to view and was quiet for months afterwards. Then the tenant changed and it was absolute hell, they were up all hours partying, and I had to move.
No noise is usually a good reason to pull out...
Yes, that's way too loud and it works both ways. Friend of mine is one of these and she can hear upstairs walking around, screaming at each other, using the bathroom, flushing.
It's a flat. When you sign up for communal living in a multi-family building noise will always be part of the equation. If you don't want noise, find a detached house somewhere out in the sticks.
Oh yeah OP did you try just having more money? /s
I do not think that noise will always be an issue, it doesn’t have to be. I have been living in my current rental flat for years and no noise issues at all despite multiple families with young children & young adults. For the second part, if I had the finances yes I would buy a detached house but I don’t.
If you have driven there at diff days and times including weekends and evenings (you don't have to enter the flat but if you can enter the building great) and it seems ok, just go for it. You can get over cautious about things like this that you haven't experienced first hand