Noise
Noise pollution should be an issue to check when choosing a block.
Relatively low noise levels can affect how you enjoy your garden and allfresco areas. Bad noise can spoil your enjoyment inside as well. (We rented for a few months near a railway and would miss 3-4 lines of TV dialogue every time a train went past)
Here are a few potential noise issues to be aware of:
Construction
Buy on a new subdivision and you are going to be woken up a few times at 6.30am as the tradies start until all the neighbouring properties are finished.
Construction noise can be aggravating but at least it does come to an end
Roads
It really depends on the sort of road.
- Major Highways are built with noise walls which control the amount of noise in the house. You will still get a dull roar in the garden.
- With major roads it really depends on the sort of traffic. The more trucks the more of a problem its going to be. Also look out for things like Fire Stations and Ambulance Stations. sirens every night can be a bit much.
- If you live in Melbourne trams can be an issue especially on tight corners where the wheels can squeal.
- For minor roads avoid living on a long straight road….much loved by hoons drag racing. Also check if the street is likely to be a ‘rat run’ used by rush hour traffic avoiding a busy junction.
Railways
Most people quickly become aware of local commuter railway lines. They don’t realise when the local trains stop some lines are used overnight by freight trains that seem like they are over a km in length, with three or four noisy diesel engines.
Aircraft noise
Just because no aircraft fly over the day you inspect the site doesn’t mean that with a change in wind direction you won’t have planes over every 2-3 minutes.
Photographed by Adrian Pingstone in July 2004
A useful link for checking airport approach patterns is Air Services Australia, go to ; http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/aircraftnoise/airport-information for noise specific information
See Blocks for more information on buying land.
I couldn’t believe how loud the trains are at night! And we don’t even live close.
We used to live about 2km from the trains with a hill in the middle in the UK. On quiet nights with the wind in the right direction and we could clearly hear the trains.
Brian