Stuart Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 We are making a a move from the home we have lived in for 17 years. Closer to my husband's job(same distance for me) and the beach. This area is pricey with houses about $100,000 more than here so our choices are limited. We made our wish list knowing we would have to compromise on some things. Long story short there is a house that is perfect except that it is on the main road. Set back about half an acre and the backyard is fenced. My son did a survey and there were 17 cars in 5 minutes at 3 pm. What do you think? I grew up on the main road don't really have any bad memories of it. It has everything on our list except for waterfront(dreaming) plus some extras. It has a small apple orchard and from the day I met him my husband has said he wanted an apple orchard. Such a hard decision. Wondering what random strangers would do. My family says no big deal. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess in the Burbs Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 If the traffic wouldn't bother you and you plan on staying a long time, why not? The traffic would bother me. Resell would be harder on a main road. But we bought a house years ago that had power lines across the street. Realtor advised me not to buy it. We did anyway. Sold it quickly less than a year later due to moving. It was the perfect house. So I think if it feels right to you, go for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 Well, I prefer living in town and consider 17 cars in five minutes to be a medium amount of traffic - slightly more than the residential road I'm on now and far less than the more travelled road we'll be moving to in a month. What exactly are your concerns with the road? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 I think you'll hate it. There will be constant and/or intermittent traffic noise depending on the time of the day, traffic is likely to increase over time (just in general, in most places), you won't be able to let little kids run around without worrying about them getting into the road, ditto pets, parking will be difficult, you will not have a refuge. Don't do it. I'm so so so glad I didn't, in retrospect, even knowing how much more house we could have had for the money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart Posted June 24, 2015 Author Share Posted June 24, 2015 I guess road noise and resale are my biggest concerns. I don't remember noise when we were inside and the windows were open and I don't remember it in the back yard. Front yard had obvious noise. I think I need to go for another visit. I got googly eyed by how much I loved it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barnwife Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 I wouldn't. But we live on a dead end country road. There are only a handful of houses past ours. I am not sure 17 cars go by in 2 or 3 days. And the noise from the highway (short distance down the road) is enough to drive me batty sometimes (when outside...I rarely notice any if I'm in the house). I am not a city person. So clearly this would not be the house for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Home'scool Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 We lived in what sounds like the same set up years ago. 1/2 acre back means you are not right on top of the road, which is good. If you ever want to get rid of anything just put it at the top of your driveway and someone will stop to take it! No more having to lug things to the dumpster or wait for the Salvation Army to get it. We put out an old headboard and some old kids toys once and I swear there was almost an accident with people stopping to take stuff. A main road means you get power back on quickly if there is a storm. We live in a neighborhood now and are last priority during a snowstorm. I always was a little more inspired to decorate for Halloween and Christmas because I knew so many people would see it. Our house now cannot be seen from the street and everytime I see something nice for the front door I always think "eh, no one will even know it is there!" Like anything else there is good and bad but it would definitely not stop me from buying a house if I liked it. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 I lived in a house on a main road for 9 years. I had a love/hate relationship with it. Over time I stopped noticing the traffic, mostly. Fortunately we did not have to back out of our driveway; that helped a lot. We had a balcony off the front that we never used; I felt too exposed to passers-by, even though they were all driving at least 40 mph and wouldn't have noticed us. It was in a semi-rural area and there was no place we could walk anyway, so it didn't matter that we couldn't safely cross the street. However, I loved other things about the house (there were also other things I hated). Funny, my husband put in a small apple orchard. He loved the place more than I did. It's hard to know if being on the busy road made reselling harder. We had to sell at a bad time. it did sell, but it took a while and we didn't get what we'd hoped for it. But there may have been other factors there. I think if everything else is great, and you can easily get in and out of your driveway, I'd go for it. ETA: I know someone who lives in a house on a main road. They have a great house and yard. When they have gatherings people have to park around the corner because there is not enough driveway for all, and the street has no parking. Doesn't seem to stop people from going to their house. They love their house and would not move. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 That honestly doesn't sound like that many cars. Are you able to plant a tall hedge at your front margin to baffle the noise? The road we are on has at least that many cars but we are set back behind trees - we really don't hear the cars. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart Posted June 24, 2015 Author Share Posted June 24, 2015 A plus to the main road is being plowed in a storm. Both my husband and I have no choice but to go to work regardless of weather. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 That few cars wouldn't phase me much, especially with the house being set back from the road a good distance. I live in a subdivision and we probably get more cars than that when people are going to/coming home from work.. I grew up on a truly busy road (state highway). You get used to the noise and after awhile you don't notice it at all. One thing I'd consider on any main road is the future likelihood of widening or commercial development. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart Posted June 24, 2015 Author Share Posted June 24, 2015 There are 14 apple trees in the front yard so I would think that keeps the noise down. It's a smaller town main road. Much less traffic than where I grew up. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lb20inblue Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 if there is a decent set back, and it sounds like there is, then living on a main road isn't as much as a problem as you would think. I live on a busier street and having a set back and tall bushes in front of the house makes this place feel more private. Also, during a storm my power comes back on quickly and the road is always plowed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart Posted June 24, 2015 Author Share Posted June 24, 2015 There won't be any development directly around it. It is surrounded by homes and conservation land. Huge driveway/Parking area easy to turn around in. We live on a backroad that is used for a cut through to the highway. This morning at 6am we had 12 cars pass us on our 45 min walk. Problem we have with traffic here is the road is not meant to handle that much traffic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LivingHope Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 We live on the main road of a gated rural, equestrian community. We thought our community was small until a traffic study revealed that about 700 cars pass our house daily. Since our road is a dirt road, there is usually a tidal wave of dust hitting our house. The dust has really made my ds15's asthma so intense that he has been in the urgent care a lot and rarely can go outdoors. We will be putting our house up for sale very soon. Also, everywhere we go we meet new neighbors who recognize us because they drive by our house daily. A bit more privacy would be nice. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RKWAcademy Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 I wouldn't buy it. We are on a moderately busy country road - not a main one by any stretch. My kids are little so I deeply regret not having a safe place for them to ride bikes or for us to walk. People FLY down our road. I don't feel safe with my kids in the front yard, either, just because it is so public. Plus, resell is not as good. I can hear the cars in the house during the day but I've never noticed the noise in a keeping-me-awake kind of way. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 I'm thinking half an acre of buffer space might be sufficient for me to live on a main road. I agree with your plan to visit the house again specifically to see if street noise is bothersome at all. This house may just be the best compromise for a costly area. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellifera33 Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 We live on a main road. Well, we live on a small side road, but our backyard faces a main road. I don't even notice the traffic noise, unless there are sirens. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 I live off of a main road. I don't know that I'd care to live on the main road, but if it is set back that far that might make it better. Here the houses are set close to the sidewalk and road. I do like living so close to everything. In terms of noise, you won't hear it anymore after awhile. My dad lives on a highway. Kinda crazy, but he is used to the noise now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 I have always lived near a main street because I rely on public transport. The only noise I get is from the Amtrak trains. I can't hear the noise from the traffic even though an expressway is just round the corner. I do agree that in the event of a power outage, I do get my electricity back fast. Besides the street lights are bright enough for me to easily get my flashlights. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 Set back as you described with a fenced yard would be no problem for me. I don't have young children any longer. But even if you do, some firm rules as to how far they can go or they need to stay in fenced area would probably work. Congratulations! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 Now that my kids are older, I think a main road would be less of a big deal. My biggest concern would be road noise. We stayed in a vacation home that was on a main road, set pretty close to the street, and the traffic noise was incredible. It kept me up at night. The speed limit was 45 and it was a road that trucks also traveled on. That might be something to check on. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skimomma Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 I live on a road with much more traffic than that and the house is only about 8 feet off of the road. You do get used to the traffic noise and tune it out. If you think you can get used to it and everything else is perfect, I would go for it. Yes, resale value might be lower but that is part of the reason you are considering it. There will always be people willing to compromise for a bargain. Unless the house has been on the market for a very long time, I would not worry about it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksr5377 Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 I grew up in a house about 15 ft. from a highway. Lots of traffic, lots of semi trucks. We weren't allowed to play in the front and the backyard was fenced, it was fine. You do get used to the noise from the traffic. When I first moved out I couldn't sleep because it was too quiet. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink and Green Mom Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 I[m not sure where you live, OP, but I think sounds are lessened when there are leaves on the trees. If you are in a place where the leaves fall off the noise could be louder in the fall/winter. I know it sounds silly but someone I know who lived on a main road said you really could tell the difference between the seasons. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Tick Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 With the set-back and the fenced back yard, it sounds good. If the noise bothers you, you could put in a small water feature on a switch, nothing like the peaceful sound of burbling water to cover road noise. Ahhh. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart Posted June 24, 2015 Author Share Posted June 24, 2015 My son is 12 and the back yard is fenced for the dog. There is plenty of room to romp. Lot is about 21/2 acres. This is the view to and from the street. I am the worst decision maker ever. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 As long as that 12 yo mows the lawn, looks great! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 It's too pretty to say no to! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 I would consider that far enough back that the traffic would not be a huge issue. It sounds like it is somewhat rural, so being on a main road has a lot of advantages. Last time I was living rurally we were out of power for two weeks after an unusual hurricane event and weren't plowed out for five days after a giant snow storm. And FWIW even though we were off the highway, we could actually still hear it. I wouldn't be so worried about resale. You will have to sell it for less to hit the right price point, but that is also why you are buying it for less. I suppose the thing is, what will your trade-offs be in a house off the main road? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 I think I'd go for it. The house is not right on the street. Sounds like the lot is big. You are somewhat protected from noice. Does the driveway have a turn around or is there space to add a place to turn the car around. It would be good not to have yo back out in traffic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 I would take it, but then this is the second house in a row in which we have lived on a main road. The one we lived in last was right on the road - the front yard was very small - but the back yard was huge and private. The house we are in now is set back quite a ways from the road, with geographic features separating us, which is definitely a better situation. What you describe doesn't sound like a problem to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraidycat Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 I'd go for it. It sounds like a lovely place. Traffic noise = bacground noise. Should've kept reading...pictures. It looks great. I'd have no issue getting a place that is set that far back from the road. You probably won't even notice road noise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 It wouldn't bother me to live there. Cute house! We lived in a house off a major hwy here with major dump truck traffic and a speed limit of 50 (which means people drive 60+). You got used to even that noise after a while. There are about 6 acres between that road and our house now, and we still occasionally hear the traffic, but it doesn't bother us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IfIOnly Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 That is a lot of lawn to upkeep. We had a lawn like that once (a house we flipped) and never again. It's sucked so much of our few warmer months and leisure time maintaining. We've lived on an 80 acre farm and that was okay though. The difference is the land was pasture, so the animals were maintaining it rather than us. :) If you can put a few sheep out there, I say go for it. Ha! It is beautiful though! The traffic would not bother me at all if there's a fence. Children's safety would be my main concern over any noise. You get used to it. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IfIOnly Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 I would check with the water company and find out what the average monthly bill is in the growing season. It's a good thing to look into and factor in your decision. There's also yard equipment and maintenance to think about. Fertilizer, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 My son is 12 and the back yard is fenced for the dog. There is plenty of room to romp. Lot is about 21/2 acres. This is the view to and from the street. I am the worst decision maker ever. That's gorgeous. If all other factors work for you, I wouldn't let the road be the deal breaker. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incognito Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 Look around and see if there are any manufacturers in the area - we had some factories down the road so when the shifts would get off it would be busy. For us, seasonal tourist traffic would up the #'s as well. BUT, the traffic wasn't a big deal for us. It is nicer for us now to be on a side street, especially with small kids. With a 12yo, I wouldn't think it would be a big deal (traffic/biking/yard safety stuff). If you go on a lot of walks (especially with your dog), I would consider what that would be like. Living on a side street can be much more relaxing/enjoyable for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmrich Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 pretty house! How big is the road? Can you exit your driveway safely? What is the speed limit on the road? Those are things that would matter to me. I would hate to live off a divided highway and have to U-turn everytime to get in or out of my home, for example. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grantmom Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 Does your ds like to ride a bike? Would he able to ride a bike from your house, or would you have to put it in the car and drive to a park or something with it? We have a lot of city noise around us, and I don't like the noise, but I'm kind of used to it. I do, however, like the fact that my kids can ride their bikes down the street, walk the dog, etc. However, with that much land, that would be really nice to roam on for a 12 yo boy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart Posted June 25, 2015 Author Share Posted June 25, 2015 Since I've been thinking this over all night, I've made a few decisions. Road noise will not bother me, getting out of driveway will not be an issue since turning around is possible, house is set far enough back that even from the front porch you can not see traffic clearly through tree, yard maintenance is no biggie since we already deal with that here, it is move in ready, all the other houses we have seen need a lot of work. The main issue that arose in my brain was that walking my dog around the block will be nearly impossible to enjoy since there are no sidewalks. My husband assures me it will be fine since we will have a large lot, lots of open space near by and the beach within a 5 min drive. He's probably right. I love this house it felt like home. Thanks for all your thoughts. I wish I was a more confident decision maker. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart Posted June 25, 2015 Author Share Posted June 25, 2015 My son doesn't ride is bike often. He likes to hike and explore much more. The road is one lane each direction. Speed limit is 40. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 The house looks beautiful! And so far from the road. I'm starting to envy you. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 My son is 12 and the back yard is fenced for the dog. There is plenty of room to romp. Lot is about 21/2 acres. This is the view to and from the street. I am the worst decision maker ever. It looks lovely.. I would do it. You're far enough off the road and 17 cars in one hour is not that bad. My only suggestion would be to visit during rush hour. My sis lived on a frontage road that ran beside a major highway for 20yrs. They learned to block out most of the road traffic noise. On the plus side, they had a big lot and no neighborhood issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grantmom Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 Don't beat yourself up about decision making! I am the same way, but sometimes you just need to talk out loud (or write out loud, lol) to think things through. That is a big decision! But I would go with your gut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 To me it looks far enough from the road that the traffic shouldn't be a big issue. Go for it! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink and Green Mom Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 The house and yard is beautiful. This is one thing I would do, though. I would go to the city/town/county and ask to see planning records regarding the road. It is two lanes now but are there any plans (even long range ones) to widen the road at any point? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 I can't even see the road in the photo. I love the house. I would buy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wendy not in HI Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 The house is cute! Our last house was on a pretty busy road, and it wasn't bad. Here's the thing, 3pm wasn't bad. 5pm was terrible. 7am was crazy. The morning and evening school drop off/commute time was pretty intense. We learned quickly to back in to our driveway. If we were going to be there longer, we would have considered a circular driveway. Pros - our road was always kept plowed during snow storms. Very easy to give directions to visitors or pizza delivery guys. Friends could easily keep an eye on our house if we were out of town. We had a few friends who lived in neighborhoods further up the road, so we were an easy pick up/drop off for car pooling. Very few solicitors - I often saw JW's in the surrounding neighborhood, but they never walked down our busy street. Easy commute for dh. We had large front yard, and large backyard, the back yard was very quiet and private - you really couldn't hear road sounds out behind the house. Cons - our kids were older, so the front yard wasn't an issue, but when we had company come by, I would worry about little kids running out to their cars. We also worried about our dog, and eventually put in an invisible fence. We had occasional weirdos out on the road. Friends would notice any change - "are you guys remodeling a bathroom? I saw a toilet on your front lawn..." Be careful walking past the front windows in only a towel... Also, when you forget to put out the garbage can and go running out to the road in your pj's, your best friend's husband is sure to be passing by on his way to work - honk honk! When we first moved in, I really regretted it - it felt so exposed! But after a while we got used to it, and it was really a great house. When we sold it, it sold in a couple of days for over asking price - comparable to other homes in the area without much (if any) difference for the busy road. Best of luck with your move! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truscifi Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 5 minutes from the beach in a house you love? Sold. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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