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There are many ways to soundproof your condo. Consider that if the location and price is really great, and you like everything else about the condo.
Even if everything is fine right now and you have very quiet neighbors, things can change - people die, or move out, and your new neighbors could be family who can't control their kids or just simply don't care. https://www.soundproofingcompany.com/soundproofing101/
I lived in a townhouse complex that was built in the late 1970's and had 5-6 units in a row per building. It was a suburban type townhouse with wood siding, shingle roof, wood frame construction. The entire length of the living room was a shared wall with my neighbor. The floor was industrial tile.
I could not listen to music at a reasonable volume or even watch TV without my neighbor banging on the wall at me. I moved out after a couple of years, even though I lived there 6 years before she moved in. There were other reasons I moved, but damn.
I'm looking to buy a townhouse located in Southwestern CT. This townhouse complex is built in the late 1970's and has 5-6 units in a row per building. It's a suburban type townhouse with wood siding, shingle roof, etc, probably wood frame construction. Most residents seem to be older couples. The thing with these townhouses is you don't know how good/bad the sound situation is until you buy it and move in. I would hate to hear my neighbor's toilet flushing, or their TV, or casual conversation after dropping hundreds of thousands on a home. Is there any way to tell how good the sound proofing may be during a viewing? I'm going back to take a second look this weekend.
I can get annoyed by noise from neighbors. My wife and I actually both grew up in very old, pre-WW1 rowhouses. These old brick rowhouses were built like tanks with solid masonry walls between units and we have never heard anything from neighbors on both sides. We are currently renting a brick duplex built in the 1960s (NYC area), we share one big wall with 1 neighbor, and we have never heard anything from them either. On the other hand, we rented a condo in upstate NY a while ago, and that was horrible. We could hear footsteps, TV noise, toilets etc. I could hear the snoring at night too. This drove me nuts. The thought that I may buy a place like this and be stuck with it for a long, long time fills me with dread.
Knock on the door of your potential next-door neighbors and tell them you're considering moving in, but you wonder whether it's a good place for you to play your piano. Their reaction will tell you all you need to know about the sonics of the building.
Any chance you can get ahold of the building plans and look to see how the common wall was constructed? Maintenance office, county building department, etc. I have seen townhouses with wood frame construction, except for the common wall which was masonry block (which also acted as a firewall). I have also seen townhouses with wood frame construction, but the common wall was double thick (say 12") and filled with sound insulation. Can you spend a night in any of the units?
I lived in a townhouse complex that was built in the late 1970's and had 5-6 units in a row per building. It was a suburban type townhouse with wood siding, shingle roof, wood frame construction. The entire length of the living room was a shared wall with my neighbor. The floor was industrial tile.
Well I live in a very similar condo to what you describe and it is very quiet. I suspect it is because they are all quite people.
My suggestion,
Find out from public records who lives in the units next to you. For instance I have two people on both sides of me and they are all single women. Not likely to make noise.
Check out the type of heating. For instance my heater is heat pump and those can be noisy so it kind of suggested that there had to be some protection from that.
Knock on the door of your potential next-door neighbors and tell them you're considering moving in, but you wonder whether it's a good place for you to play your piano. Their reaction will tell you all you need to know about the sonics of the building.
Better, tell them you play an electric organ in a rock band and your roommate plays a drum set.
"I could not listen to music at a reasonable volume or even watch TV without my neighbor banging on the wall at me."
Mitch Hedberg:
I had an apartment and I had a neighbor, and whenever he would knock on my wall, I knew he wanted me to turn my music down, and that made me angry 'cause I like loud music... So when he knocked on the wall, I'd mess with his head. I'd say "Go around! I cannot open the wall! I don't know if you have a door on your side, but over here there's nothin'. It's just flat."
Well I live in a very similar condo to what you describe and it is very quiet. I suspect it is because they are all quite people.
My suggestion,
Find out from public records who lives in the units next to you. For instance I have two people on both sides of me and they are all single women. Not likely to make noise.
Check out the type of heating. For instance my heater is heat pump and those can be noisy so it kind of suggested that there had to be some protection from that.
I'm a single woman and I was apparently too loud.
Incidentally public records would only reveal who owns the property, and would not include tenant's names or marital status, etc.
"I could not listen to music at a reasonable volume or even watch TV without my neighbor banging on the wall at me."
Mitch Hedberg:
I had an apartment and I had a neighbor, and whenever he would knock on my wall, I knew he wanted me to turn my music down, and that made me angry 'cause I like loud music... So when he knocked on the wall, I'd mess with his head. I'd say "Go around! I cannot open the wall! I don't know if you have a door on your side, but over here there's nothin'. It's just flat."
LOL. Seriously.
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