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I wouldn't do it.
In addition to the fairly obvious noise and pollution factor, you will inevitably run into the problem of few people who will want to buy that home when you are ready to sell.
Take a look at the older, small, bungalow-type homes on roads such as Route 202, and you will see homes that are occupied by now-elderly folks who bought those homes--in the good old days--when the road was much narrower and had much less traffic. As the years pass, most highways wind up being widened as the traffic volume increases, and the portion of the property abutting the highway winds up being taken by eminent domain in order to widen that roadway, thus placing the home even closer to that congested road. Thirty to forty years after buying these homes, just exiting from their driveway onto a congested highway is a living hell for many of these people.
When they finally do decide to sell, in most cases the only interested parties are companies that are willing to convert that old house into commercial offices (or to knock it down)--if the local zoning permits such usage. That reality can be somewhat...limiting...when it comes time to sell.
I notice that on a lot of roads that were quiet years ago but are now jammed with traffic. Rt. 206 and River Road in Piscataway are notable examples.
I wouldn't do it.
In addition to the fairly obvious noise and pollution factor, you will inevitably run into the problem of few people who will want to buy that home when you are ready to sell.
Take a look at the older, small, bungalow-type homes on roads such as Route 202, and you will see homes that are occupied by now-elderly folks who bought those homes--in the good old days--when the road was much narrower and had much less traffic. As the years pass, most highways wind up being widened as the traffic volume increases, and the portion of the property abutting the highway winds up being taken by eminent domain in order to widen that roadway, thus placing the home even closer to that congested road. Thirty to forty years after buying these homes, just exiting from their driveway onto a congested highway is a living hell for many of these people.
When they finally do decide to sell, in most cases the only interested parties are companies that are willing to convert that old house into commercial offices (or to knock it down)--if the local zoning permits such usage. That reality can be somewhat...limiting...when it comes time to sell.
#1 rule in real estate is location, location, location. One day, you will need or want to sell the house. If you're already questioning buying a property on a busy road, just keep in mind that everyone else who looks at the home will also be questioning it.
No, I would not (unless it's a pretty low speed limit).
When we were looking, I was impressed by a home I saw online...pretty low priced, all redone. Until I did a google street view & saw it was on a very busy road, and one of my least favorite roads. Deleted it from my 'wishlist' immediately.
If you have pets or children, consider their safety.
When I was younger, before I had a family, yes. I would have no issues with it as I was never really home that much to begin with. Friends and family that came over were all relatively young as well and making noise would have never been an issue.
When I was married with children, no, absolutely not, more for safety reasons than noise.
Now, I like quiet. I like being able to go outside on the patio at night and have a drink, smoke my pipe and hear nothing but crickets.
It isn't that bad unless you are looking at a really major road. Mine has commuter traffic during the day, but at night, it is quiet. On the plus side, if I want to sell something, or give away something, a thousand people per day notice it.
My biggest regret is not buying the same house over on the side street, because it was out of our budget at the time.
No-solely because of the noise factor. Route 31 runs just over a half mile past my house and there's even a 200' ridge between my house and highway and I can still hear the whine of trucks passing by early in the morning and late and night when I'm outside and everything else is quiet. It's a minor annoyance in my situation, but I can't imagine what it would be like to live within 50-100 yards of the roadway as many houses are.
No-solely because of the noise factor. Route 31 runs just over a half mile past my house and there's even a 200' ridge between my house and highway and I can still hear the whine of trucks passing by early in the morning and late and night when I'm outside and everything else is quiet. It's a minor annoyance in my situation, but I can't imagine what it would be like to live within 50-100 yards of the roadway as many houses are.
Yup!
Back in the '50s, relatives of mine bought a new house in Merrick, Long Island, which was no more than 100 feet from the edge of The Southern State Parkway's property. Luckily, heavy trucks weren't allowed on that stretch of road, but even the noise from cars produced a constant droning noise that could be heard very clearly--especially at night--and as a result I never slept well when I visited those relatives.
I rented a home on a busy street here in Houston for 2 years and I liked it. I'm a "white noise" kind of person, and the constant back and forth of cars was soothing to me.
I did make sure I wasn't on a corner or near a bus stop. I did not want to hear cars booming music sitting at a light, or a bus grinding gears trying to get up to speed when the light turned green.
Just curious. Would you or have you lived on a major road? I'm considering buying a house on a pretty major road but really concerned about pollution from cars & noise. The price is good because of the location but I fear I will regret it!
It depends on a lot of factors, but yes... given the right circumstances, I would not let a double-yellow dissuade me from buying. I've owned multiple homes on double-yellow roadways, but none on multi-lane highways. (One home even had its own parking lot!)
Some advantages:
1) More house for my money!
2) Yes, the downside is lower-priced residential resale value, but the upside is potential higher-priced professional-use resale value!
3) Utilities — water, sewer, and natural gas services. (Some houses in town are still on well and septic, and piped gas lines are not yet in all streets.)
4) Street lighting.
5) Ease of being found and giving directions, and
6) Hassle-free professional use for in-home businesses.
In my double-yellow homes, only one sat "near" the road. (In my younger days, I lived there for three months while renovating and "flipped" it.) Most set-backs were between 40 and 100 feet. Today, I wouldn't buy a house on any street that is too close to the road.
Having young children and/or pets is an undeniable concern. When my kids were young, there was always a barrier between house and road. (Row of hedges, trees, fence, etc.) Pets were trained, but then again, I wasn't in the habit of letting them run loose.
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