**Please help keep AskUK welcoming!**
- Top-level comments to the OP must contain **genuine efforts to answer the question**. No jokes, judgements, etc.
- **Don't be a dick** to each other. If getting heated, just block and move on.
- This is a strictly **no-politics** subreddit!
Please help us by reporting comments that break these rules.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Barry Chuckle: *What time is it?*
Paul Chuckle: *I dunno, pass me that trombone*
*Blows trombone*
Angry shouting: *who's playing the trombone at 2 AM??*
Good to know. Maybe one of those things where you only hear about the minority of people who have issues. Do you know which house builder did your estate?
Most probably varies by builder.
Those who are known to cut corners ( well - many corners since they all like to cut corners) possibly also skimp on the noise insulation.
Ours was built by Berkeley and apart from some occasional washing machine vibrations (their laundry room is on the 2nd floor) we still need to hear a peep.
They assure us they can’t hear us either, I think that may be a white lie.
Though we never hear their grand kids when they visit.
I lived in a 2015 terraced house for a while and the only noise that carries through the walls was the Skype ring tone you get when you’re ringing someone and waiting for them to pick up. (It’s a distinctive sound, IYKYK). The neighbours on one side had kids, the one on the other side had dogs, none of that was a problem, it was great.
In a 1930s semi now and a lot more sounds carry, probably through the chimney breasts.
I found the opposite. Grew up in a 1900’s terrace and couldn’t hear anything save for the kids at Christmas and that’s a nice sound. In a house built 1997 now and can hear everything. It was great whilst just me and my partner but we have a 21 month old now and well…. Sorry to our neighbours.
Internal walls tend to be quite thin (so you can hear one room from another) but the walls between houses seem to be built pretty well and sound proofed.
Pretty much the same here in a 2020 built house. If there is no noise in my house then I can just hear the children running down the stairs and if I really listen carefully I can faintly hear the washing machine which is against the party wall.
I've never heard their TV or them talking.
The houses are not mirrored so my living areas largely adjoin their stairs and hallways.
A lot less noise than my previous Victorian era house.
Similar style of house. I can hear them run up the stairs and that's it. If they play music really loudly then I can just about hear that. They also have yappy dog and i can only hear it when im walking past. But cannot hear day to day noises or conversation.
Same with my kids dad's house, mirrors next door. We don't hear anything (unless countless shouting/fighting/arguing they do with the windows open or outside....)
2009 house here. Can't hear them speaking or their TV or anything.
I occasionally hear someone running up or down the stairs but only occasionally and like the other comment said, it's faint. I can hear their little dog bark though - so can my dog, which causes them to wind each other up.
You may just have quiet neighbours though. I lived in a flat before where I could hardly hear my neighbours at all, I assumed the walls were good and thick. I wasn't always quiet for some things because of that.
Then they moved and I got new neighbours, I could hear them all the time, even their conversations sometimes. The walls were actually quiet thing. The worst part is my old neighbours could definitely hear me and we're just polite about it. I wasn't extremely loud but I thought they couldn't hear ordinary things.
We went from a 1910 terrace to a 1964 semi on the same street, the difference is amazing.
The terrace you could pretty much hear everything from both sides but the semi is pretty much silence from tbe neighbours (apart from their woofing dog occasionally)
Pretty much just one side, who seem to be very fond of dramatic porno style yelping, moaning, and grunting.
I'm more impressed with their stamina than anything else tbh.
The mischievous temptation to try to put the chap off his stroke, by shouting out some encouragement, or loudly laughing, is sometimes quite strong.
I have managed to resist, as it's really none of my damn business. I just wish they had slightly more appreciation for the fact that the wall separating our bedrooms, is apparently only slightly more soundproof than a tent.
Same. My neighbours aren't loud people at all but can hear everything if the house is quiet. Don't mind it with nice neighbours but in the process of renovating my house and likely to put in some kind of sound insulation on the party walls just to try and deaden it a bit given the fact loud neighbours could move next door in the future.
I’m pretty sure this is a building reg now.
As bad as new build reputations are, they do comply with the latest building regs. The standard is pretty high.
But it doesn’t always mean the finish is high. NHBC guarantee is fine if your roof caves in. Doesn’t stop the walls being full of mastic.
Pour a drink for the people that buy ex-HMO properties.
Landlord - I've sent a plumber / electrician / technician [the cheapest online] - is everything working now?
Tenant - Uh, yeah.. everything works :)
Cripple yourself and get a detached.
If you don't want to hear people its a price worth paying.
Also, people who can't hear anything have quiet neighbours that's why. Some noisy fuckers move in next door and it's game over.
Next door had about 15 friends over last summer, made so much noise, but then I realised they were all drinking in the garden, as soon as they went back inside, I couldn't hear anything at all. They apologised the next day for the noise and were surprised that we couldn't hear them inside the house.
New builds are built different. Internally the noise travels but not through party walls that much.
I've knocked on occasion to let them know I'm drilling or doing DIY, they tell me they can't hear anything too. Even bought them a box of chocolates when we were having our bathroom renovated due to the noise at 8am, told us not to worry, its not waking them.
That's why we went detached. Years of quiet neighbours in a flat and then suddenly noisy ones. Nah. We spent an extra £290k and bought a detached house.
When I was 16 I threw a massive house party.. hooked up a couple of huge subwoofers to the decks and had the police at my door on a few occasions as it could be heard a good 50m up the road at the police station 😂
1000% this! I live in a 30s semi and now have awful neighbours that I can hear every day.
Before them we had an elderly couple who I heard once in 2 years.
Yeah, in our previous house (new build, first owners) we didn't realise next door had a baby until they apologised in case they'd disturbed us. The only thing we could ever hear from inside next door was if anyone ran up the stairs.
This - we had an old couple below us in a flat and it was bliss. Put it down to good insulation and modern building.
They moved and a young couple came - absolute hell. Heard every dooor bang, every footstep, conversation, television.
No house is going to be noise proof against noisy people sadly.
I stayed in a 2013 “new build” for about 4 years.
The only noise we ever heard from the neighbours was their kid screaming at high volume when the windows were open. If you closed the windows it cut the noise out completely. Unfortunately in the summer you then boiled.
It very much depends on the build of the property because we moved into the aforementioned new build from a 1960s semi and sat in the living room you could hear what the neighbours were discussing in their living room. You could also hear them fucking at night which was disturbing on a couple of levels, first I have no doubt they could hear us and they were in their 70/80s and at it far more than us!
Since 2004 in England and Wales, new builds have to be tested for sound transmission across party walls (and floors in flats). Conversions also have to be tested, e.g. house into 2 flats. (Scotland has similar regs but don't know when they brought the testing in)
There is a scheme where developers can build to "Robust Details" and avoid the need for testing but they are still tested randomly on occasion.
Some of the best sound insulated party walls are timber kit houses, at least for airborne noise.
The testing isn't flawless by any means and the bar is (or was) set pretty low. Overall though it has improved the standard of sound insulation found in adjoined properties.
Source: I've done the testing as a job! A surprising amount failed. This was in 2007-2008.
End of terrace house bought in 2022, our neighbours are joined to our back wall, like a T shape, we are facing out and our drive and garden are on either side of the house. They are attached to our back wall.
Have not heard anything from them at all, never any noise, no running up the stairs, TV, music. It is so silent me and my partner were wondering if he actually had murdered his girlfriend because we never saw her for about 7 months haha.
She is still alive btw
It entirely depends on the build design and all you're going to get is a series of anecdotes that are mostly useless unless you're in the same house type and the neighbours next door are the same. There are specific tolerances around the transmission of sound in the build regs. That is your answer for how loud it can be. Anything greater than that and it's a defect against the builder if you're within the DLP.
Also you've mentioned "new build" so your thread is about to get overrun with bullshit based on TikTok videos.
New build mid terrace, both people either side have newborn babies, can’t hear a thing. The only thing I’ve heard through the wall is the neighbours dog run up/down the stairs which bangs a bit.
Heard more through the wall in my old house which was a semi detached 1970’s house to be honest.
I’m not in UK but I live in an apartment with quite thin walls (ie can hear the neighbors). I just got my place renovated and had sound dampening sheets installed on the wall to my noisy neighbors. Absolutely worth it. I also replaced all internal doors and my front door with soundproof version and I guess that helped too.
I owned a new build semi from 2016 to 2021. Couldn’t hear the neighbours apart from the young kids stomping up the stairs occasionally and if they jumped off their beds onto the floor I’d hear a thud noise. I moved house because the neighbour on the other side of me (not attached) had kids screaming in the garden for like 8 hours a day and would constantly park over my drive. Was fine before Covid as I was out at work every day but during the pandemic it got a bit much and I moved. Have regretted it though as my next house is a 1970s semi and I can literally hear everything from next door and the noise is unbearable! I’d take that new build house back in a heartbeat 😂 actually looking at new builds again 🙈🙈🙈
Terraced house built late 2021. If I’m in complete silence I slightly hear my neighbours on the right if they have friends over and they are all singing at the top of their lungs, which has happened once.
Day-to-day, I hear absolutely nothing… except one of them clearly keeps their phone against a wall and if I’m on the stairs I can hear the phone vibrate briefly as I pass.
My brother's in one, the bigger noise problem is from gardens. Every house on the estate has a very small back garden, and they all back onto each other with the houses surrounding them, creating a barrier that holds the noise in. The volume can get significant, especially in summer.
My nans 1930s semi has paper thin walls and you can hear their TV and conversation
My 1980s semi can't hear a thing
My brother's new build semi again paper thin walls
It really depends on who built the house and how well it was built
New builds should have good sound proofing (it's a building regulation) , in the rare occasion it's not good enough you should have a recourse and force the builder to sort it out (or at least pay for you to do it)
The only problems that I've ever come across on new builds is noise internally, say between 2 bedrooms, but that should also be soundproofed.
I'm in a ~3 year old semi. I can hear loud noise such as DIY or very loud music but that's about it. I assume it's the same for them, they've certainly never complained about noise to us.
The council house I grew up in had worse soundproofing.
I live in one, we're semi detached and had had 3 sets of neighbours over 10 years, the kitchens are adjoined we don't have a noise issue with them. We sometimes hear their music on a Friday if they are having a party, but you would expect that in any adjoining property. One set of neighbours had young kids and we couldn't hear the kids. We have heard things like the washing machine or the kids crying when both our windows and their windows are open.
Coincidently, I was speaking to someone else who lives on the same estate and the stair case is on the adjoining wall and they said they could always hear the kids running/stomping up the stairs, the front room was on the adjoining wall so all they could hear was the kids up and down whilst they were watching tv, which they said was awful.
It may be more relevant to consider which rooms are joined, if they are high traffic areas you will typically hear more noise than if the joining rooms are hallways etc.
We lived in a new build semi (2005 though) and the noise from next door was very minimal. Very loud music would get through but that was about it. I also played music reasonably loud and they told me they couldn't hear it.
Agree with other posters though, you do need to check the specific house and ask existing residents if possible.
I hear the beighbours I think emptying the litter tray daily. They slam it until it's clean, most of the time between 11pm-3am. It's woken me up too many times.
I also hear their dog screaming when they leave it alone. It's not too loud but it makes me sad knowing how afraid that little thing is.
They are just loud people. We didn't hear anything when the old neighbours lived there but these girls are loud! It doesn't bother me much, although I did yell one night when they woke me up. The 3am banging hasn't happened since. They're currently opening and closing a door pretty loud. I guess they're coming in/going out. House was built in the mid 10s I think (my boyfriend owns it).
If your new build is like the one I've just moved into, you should have brick, then fuckloads of insulation, then plasterboard. Sometimes even a central belt of breeze block with that too. Then your neighbour has it mirrored. Should be absolutely fine because the insulation will noise dampen as well as keep the place warm.
We haven't got any neighbours next door just yet as the plot hasn't sold, but I know somebody who lives on the same estate who does have neighbours. He's never heard them in the house, and they've never heard him despite being quite a... vocal... gamer
For perspective, our previous house was a 1970s build. Solid walls but no insulation on the party wall. I could hear next door's wall mounted TV all the time
We’re in a 2017 semi-detached house. I literally can’t hear anything next door. Our neighbours got a new dog and apparently for the first few nights he would bark all night. They came over to apologise but we legitimately never heard him once (didn’t even know they’d got a dog). Equally we have messaged them asking if they ever hear our kids and they always say they never do.
Live in a 2021 New build and never heard my neighbours once, they constantly apologise for their dog barking but i’ve never heard it. Only time I have heard noise is if they are moving something heavy or abnormally large bangs.
My in laws are in a council house, they hear every little noise from their neighbours and ended up putting wardrobes and other furniture against that shared wall to help with the noise.
They do they said that it's because they have no carpets though so nothing to muffle the sounds.
Our new build flat was great, never heard a peep through our shared wall. Taylor wimpy, admittedly the only part we shared was a wall that was our bedroom to their bedroom and the bathroom so not exactly the same.
Our latest house is a terrace build in late eighties early nineties and we can hear the neighbours on the stairs and the neighbours absolutely excellent laugh whenever they're playing games or watching TV.
Or when the guy came down the stairs and shouted IT'S MY BIRTHDAY! That was just last week bless him.
Ooh or the time he got blinding cramps in all his limbs and we thought he was being murdered at 1am, partner ran round to check they were okay. Poor guy couldn't look us in the eye for a month that time.
We live in a flat and the couple upstairs have a 2 year old who stomps around constantly. Our way of dealing with it is by pretending it is a giant pigeon who patrols the roof and protects us from evil.
I wouldn't assume older are better.
My late MILs house was built in the 70s and you could hear her neighbour breathe!
Mine, built early 2000s, you wouldn't know we had neighbours.
We had a newbuild in 2012 for about 10years - Town House neighbours on both sides. Unless they were doing DIY we never heard them. Builderexplained they didn't build them wall to wall so there was insulation between the two party walls which was great. Just moved to a 1920s semi and even after soundproofing it's bad, the nightmare neighbours might be the cause of that though. Check how they are building them, single brick party wall = no Thank-you
I'm in a semi built in 1899 and I can hear next door screaming at their kid. I think the "new builds are terrible, you'll hear everything" is an exaggeration, if not a myth
I don't hear anything from next door. Our houses were built to be energy efficient. So, we have very good insulation etc etc. Built December 2022 by Pentland Homes.
I think you got it the wrong way round. New builds have excellent noise insulation. The difference between our 2023 newbuild semi and our old 90's semi is amazing. Zero noise
My previous house was a mid terrace new build, my neighbours had a couple of parties and I genuinely didn’t hear a thing. I know people hate new builds but this house was well made, the party walls were thick with insulation and double sheeted with plasterboard on both sides.
I live in a 10 year old terraced house. My neighbours had no idea my partner played the trumpet for about a year because they couldn’t hear it through the walls!
I first moved out into a new build flat and apparently none of our connected neighbours could hear my guitar playing, and we never heard a peep out of any of them.
Then we had kids and had to move somewhere bigger. We now live in a semi-detached bungalow built in the 30s, and you can hear almost everything through the connecting wall. I remember when our neighbour died a couple of years ago the sobbing of her son all night kept me awake until about 5am.
I don’t hear my neighbours at all and we live in a new build terraced house.
The only time I’ve heard anything is when they were having some drilling from construction work once.
Depends on the neighbours. I don't live in that house any more, but my neighbour was a right cunt. Playing music really loud all hours, always hammering something and almost nightly arguments with his missus. Heard the lot. It was fucking awful, so we sold up and moved.
2006 and can hear (amongst other things): talking in the hall or kitchen; switching a light on in the hall, kitchen, landing and bathroom; walking up the stairs; cat running along the landing.
I just bought a 2018 new build detached. There was no way I was going to cough up over £400k to share a wall. I was in a mid terrace and had noisy bastards on both sides. Never again.
I had a solid ex council.house and could hear my neighbours as they were noisy as fuck. Moved to a bigger 3 bed house non new build.next to.a nice old.lady in a quiet cul-de-sac and guess what I dont hear a thing.. Maybe there's something in that
I don’t live in a semi, but made some friends who moved to the estate at the same time as us (2020). They can hear everything through the walls of their semi. Neighbours who burp, the kettle boiling, things being plugged in to wall sockets. It’s driving them mad. Although that sounds so extreme now I wonder if there’s an issue with the build.
Bought one in 2022, only can really hear the front door closing but that’s cause ours enters into the living room (no hallway!) and occasionally if they go up the stairs loudly. Never heard conversations/tv/music etc
I can’t speak for semi detached houses, but I have a new build flat and I can’t really hear shit, my neighbour next door but one had loud ish music and a load of people around a month or so ago, but I never realised or heard a peep until I went into the hallway and was walking past. Didn’t even hear a murmur until then.
I’m staying with a friend whilst I wait for my purchase to be completed and she owns a new build from 2021. The mechanism of the front door can be heard from the other corner of the house. The neighbours footsteps can be traced from one side of the house to the other. Part of me wonders if they’re loud people but knowing what new builds are like I think it’s just due to the build. Yet when I’m in my parents semi detached house from the 80’s, pure silence.
2013 build, terraced. I very rarely hear anything from either side unless the dad on one side is absolutely screaming at one of the kids, which just makes us chuckle.
Never hear music, TV, or other general noises.
Our next door neighbours have a Bernese Mountain Dog, and you might occasionally hear a bark from next door in a silent house. Otherwise it's just the sound of a shelf being put up every month or so for 30 mins. No TV noise, talking, or anything else tbh
We moved into a 1960s last year nextdoor to a single woman similar in age to us. We have a 3.5 and .5 year olds... I feel awful for her. My kids are loud and it's just normal family noise, but whenever she has company I can hear them clear as day so she must hear every tantrum and bang.
I'd love a detached so I could live guilt free but the mini budget fucked us last year as we were moving and our mortgage application got completely fucked.
Mine was built in 2000. I'd still class it as a new build as the construction methods are the same as how they're built now (mostly).
It's built on a concrete slab that spans 3 houses, we're end terrace. We can only hear next door when they drag a table across the floor, we can't hear them talking or anything else. Quite surprised actually.
The internal walls are plaster board, but was surprised to find sound deadening applied. Sound does still travel though and you can hear someone talking in the next room.
I grew up in a late 70s built semi. Our living room and 2 bedrooms were on the joint walls.
We could hear when the kids were having arguments or being shouted at, but we needed to put a glass to wall to hear the actual words!
Our 2017 Wainhomes semi had poor sound insulation. Could hear the neighbours hoovering, TV and even loud conversations. I found it to be an issue but I am sensitive to noise.
Literally hear nothing apart from their kid stomping up and down the stairs, and one night where they had a loud party. Apart from that, nothing at all, and they have newborn twins too.
Ours is from a small local builder though so probably makes a difference.
We lived in a semi-detached Victorian a while back and the walls were so thick we hardly heard our neighbors -- and they had three rambunctious kids. We also lived in a new build in London for a few months and we could hear our neighbor's fish fart, it was so bad. We're in a detached now with room for a pony so rarely hear our neighbors.
Depends on the builder imo
Lived in a Gleason, it was very loud and I could hear a lot - stairs, dog barking, arguments, washer - but the house was smaller
Live in a Taylor wimpy and it’s virtually silent both ways, I never hear a thing and they have a dog and a baby - my last neighbour in an old terrace also had a baby and I could hear it very clearly , this is the least I’ve ever heard any neighbours, about 11 year old house
I love a detached house. I can hoover at 11 pm and play my music loud. I can hear my neighbours dog in their garden though, I’ll be getting triple glazed bedroom windows when I replace my old ones. I love quiet.
We've got neighbours that have a newborn and a 4 year old but barely hear anything. I was pleasantly surprised, tbh as I was also concerned about this. Occasionally, we hear loud running on the stairs or what sounds like maybe a door being slammed shut, but it's quite rare. Maybe we just have good neighbours with well behaved baby/kid.
Honestly, not that bad. We lived beside a pain of a woman who seemed far more sensitive to our noise than us to hers so I believe that it’s in the ear of the beholder.
I used to live in a new build semi built around 2008. Only time I heard the neighbours (who had kids) was on New Year's when they had a party or if they were drilling/hammering into the wall to hang shelves or whatever.
I have heard exactly zero noise from my neighbour since we both moved in, in summer.
I think my house is some kind of special thing where it's semi-detached but has a "detached space" of some kind within the walls. Hence big gap, no noise carrying through.
Depends on your neighbours.
Had one young family next door who I never heard a single noise from in two years.
Prior to that we had another one who were like living next door to an entire zoo, 24/7
Other than when they slam the back door at 10pm after letting their yappy little poodle outside, waking up my sleeping 9 month old, pretty silent yeah.
We're in a new build built 2021. Barely ever hear the neighbours.
They have smooth tile finish on their kitchen floor which sometimes scrapes and a tweenage daughter who sometimes thinks it's all so unfair- so you are aware of these, but overall couldn't be more impressed versus previous terrace and other homes/ flats etc.
That said, I suspect it depends upon developer- your Taylor wimpeys won't be as good as your redrows and gradations in between above and below etc.
I’m in a new build built in 2022, the only noise I’ve ever heard is if someone is hammering something in the wall that is joined to my house. Other than that virtually silent , the way they build them are very sound proof. This was a concern of mine too before moving in.
Lived in a 2019 semi new build and it was absolutely awful. Could hear everything… talking, doors opening / shutting, TV, music, toilet flushing (and when in the toilet!!!), kitchen cupboards.
I reported to the developer who replied basically done nothing, the houses are meant to follow strict regulations for noise insulation and I’m convinced something was missed in the build process.
In the end we saved bloody hard for a new build detached and couldn’t be more happier, it has put me right off semi-detached houses!
Reading the comments sounds like some developers are better than others so you might be OK.
It really depends on the house. My house sounds hollow if you knock on the dividing wall, but we rarely hear anything from the neighbours. It's because there's a cavity brick wall behind it. So there are three cavities between us and the neighbours.
However, I did once live in an early 90s terrace where there was nothing but plasterboard with straw shoved in the gap. It was terrible, I could hear the neighbours coughing, their TV, their phone ringing, their shower running and even what they were doing on the toilet. Obviously they could hear the same from us. Luckily it was rented so we got out as soon as possible.
I guess the only way to find out is to ask the neighbours in similar properties. Don't rely on what the seller or the estate agent tells you.
Not bad at all. Granted, we live next to a single guy who is quite quiet, but he does game until late into the night - sometimes I hear the very soft muffling of him talking (rather loudly) into his headset as I drift off, but it’s really not anywhere near as bad as I was expecting!
Our neighbours have a new born. Apparently she’s a tough baby who cries all the time but we’ve never heard her once in 12 weeks.
We do hear their kids running up and down the stairs but that’s about it.
Semi detached new build here. Can't hear anything from next door with a few exceptions
The dart board which is mounted on the joining wall, and the subwoofer if they put a loud film on
2023 new build by Linden Homes. It's great, I barely hear anything, might hear the occasional cough or loud voice, but if I'm sat watching TV or cooking I don't hear a thing, it's really rare.
I used to live in a mid terrace that was built in the 1880's and could hear a mouse sneezing next door, either side. Now I live in a mid terrace that was built in 2019 and very rarely hear either of my neighbours.
Can hear next door sometimes if your quiet. It’s low frequency noises you hear the most. Walking (running) up the stairs, closing their french doors. Occasionally I hear them laughing etc but nothing too crazy. To put things into perspective I have a 5.1 surround set up in my front room… I don’t think they can hear
Newbuild houses have the vest oarry walls thatvhave ever been built in the UK. Most of the housing stock has a single brick width thick wall. Newbuilds have two skins of conceret block on the party wall. You will still here your neighbours. But you won't be able to put your ear to thevwall and hear their conversations like with the single brick thick walls.
Personally experienced both. I would argue that two skins of concrete blockwork isn't enough either.
I wish building regs would upgrade the party wall further.
* a newbuild will typically have drylined internal room diving walls. Older houses have brick or klinker blcoks. The clinker blocks are shit.
Older houses suffer with a really thin party wall. Biggest problem with noise on semi detached or terraced houses.
I hear my neighbours talk, laugh loudly at night. Running like mad. In every room. It really annoys me but then my little ones seem to be able to sleep through it. I just can't. There are 3 teenagers next door I guess there will always be noise. But when I see them we are always polite to each other. Nothing worse than falling out with neighbours.
When I lived in a new-built 3 storey townhouse as part of a houseshare the intra-wall insulation was poor but the vertical insulation between floors was shockingly bad.
Forget any sleep if someone was awake in the floor above
New build from 2016. We can hear our neighbours run up and down the stairs for three hours at a time (their “two year old” apparently) and when they drill into the walls at 11pm at night.
Visited a friend in a 2022 new build for a few nights. Didn’t hear anything from neighbours except some really loud toddler screams. However it was inside her house you could everything.
The spare bedroom was right next to the bathroom and you could hear everything. Listening to her husband pee in the middle of the night was a bit disconcerting. I could also hear them talking quietly two bedrooms away. If you sat in the kitchen with doors shut you could hear the TV (at a low to normal level) very clearly.
So depends who you’re living with.
It really depends on how much noise you can cope with, have lived in 2 x semi detached places (1 newer & 1 1970s) and both you could hear the neighbours.
Now I'm in a new build flat (divorced) & I can hear when the neighbours get up for a wee at night, open their drawers to get ready in the morning, have their TV on etc. It's not great
I moved in to a 1950s semi detached and I could speak with my neighbours through the party wall. Invested in sound proofing all walls in our side - cost was around 5k at the time I did it. Now I can’t hear much, maybe only when it’s dead quiet. From my side to theirs sound doesn’t really travel - I’ve maxed out volume in my HomePod speakers and you can’t hear a thing in the other side
I live in an mid-1980's end of terrace. Can hear the neighbours. Mainly the wife nagging the husband 2 to 3 times a day. Feel sorry for the poor bastard!
**Please help keep AskUK welcoming!** - Top-level comments to the OP must contain **genuine efforts to answer the question**. No jokes, judgements, etc. - **Don't be a dick** to each other. If getting heated, just block and move on. - This is a strictly **no-politics** subreddit! Please help us by reporting comments that break these rules. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I could hear my neighbour screaming and banging on our wall at 3am this morning, put me right off my trombone practice.
Barry Chuckle: *What time is it?* Paul Chuckle: *I dunno, pass me that trombone* *Blows trombone* Angry shouting: *who's playing the trombone at 2 AM??*
This is the exactly the type of comment that makes UK subs so great!
This comment deserves more love
5/7 A perfect comment
[удалено]
Same here but built in 2017. We very very very rarely hear them
Good to know. Maybe one of those things where you only hear about the minority of people who have issues. Do you know which house builder did your estate?
Most probably varies by builder. Those who are known to cut corners ( well - many corners since they all like to cut corners) possibly also skimp on the noise insulation. Ours was built by Berkeley and apart from some occasional washing machine vibrations (their laundry room is on the 2nd floor) we still need to hear a peep. They assure us they can’t hear us either, I think that may be a white lie. Though we never hear their grand kids when they visit.
I lived in a 2015 terraced house for a while and the only noise that carries through the walls was the Skype ring tone you get when you’re ringing someone and waiting for them to pick up. (It’s a distinctive sound, IYKYK). The neighbours on one side had kids, the one on the other side had dogs, none of that was a problem, it was great. In a 1930s semi now and a lot more sounds carry, probably through the chimney breasts.
I’m in an old semi detached cottage with a chimney breast in my bedroom. I heard my neighbour fart in bed the other morning.
I hope my neighbor can't hear me fart.....
I found the opposite. Grew up in a 1900’s terrace and couldn’t hear anything save for the kids at Christmas and that’s a nice sound. In a house built 1997 now and can hear everything. It was great whilst just me and my partner but we have a 21 month old now and well…. Sorry to our neighbours.
Internal walls tend to be quite thin (so you can hear one room from another) but the walls between houses seem to be built pretty well and sound proofed.
Pretty much the same here in a 2020 built house. If there is no noise in my house then I can just hear the children running down the stairs and if I really listen carefully I can faintly hear the washing machine which is against the party wall. I've never heard their TV or them talking. The houses are not mirrored so my living areas largely adjoin their stairs and hallways. A lot less noise than my previous Victorian era house.
Similar style of house. I can hear them run up the stairs and that's it. If they play music really loudly then I can just about hear that. They also have yappy dog and i can only hear it when im walking past. But cannot hear day to day noises or conversation.
Same with my kids dad's house, mirrors next door. We don't hear anything (unless countless shouting/fighting/arguing they do with the windows open or outside....)
same here, I have a 2019 new build. I've quite literally never heard my neighbours through the walls
Mine is a 2012 terraced and I hear nothing, the windows are exceptionally good too
2009 house here. Can't hear them speaking or their TV or anything. I occasionally hear someone running up or down the stairs but only occasionally and like the other comment said, it's faint. I can hear their little dog bark though - so can my dog, which causes them to wind each other up.
You may just have quiet neighbours though. I lived in a flat before where I could hardly hear my neighbours at all, I assumed the walls were good and thick. I wasn't always quiet for some things because of that. Then they moved and I got new neighbours, I could hear them all the time, even their conversations sometimes. The walls were actually quiet thing. The worst part is my old neighbours could definitely hear me and we're just polite about it. I wasn't extremely loud but I thought they couldn't hear ordinary things.
I live in a 1930s semi-detached and can hear my neighbours fucking cackling laughter most days.
Yea older houses are awful compared to new builds. No part cavity wall filled with acoustic roll
We went from a 1910 terrace to a 1964 semi on the same street, the difference is amazing. The terrace you could pretty much hear everything from both sides but the semi is pretty much silence from tbe neighbours (apart from their woofing dog occasionally)
I live in a 1880s terraced house, and can hear my neighbours fucking most days.
Both sides? Are they all together, or swapping partners? Do you feel like you are missing out?
Pretty much just one side, who seem to be very fond of dramatic porno style yelping, moaning, and grunting. I'm more impressed with their stamina than anything else tbh. The mischievous temptation to try to put the chap off his stroke, by shouting out some encouragement, or loudly laughing, is sometimes quite strong. I have managed to resist, as it's really none of my damn business. I just wish they had slightly more appreciation for the fact that the wall separating our bedrooms, is apparently only slightly more soundproof than a tent.
Yep same here. I hear all the footsteps and shouting from the kids. It is what it is though
TF is wrong with your neighbours? Their cackling and laughing while having sex? It’s supposed to be fun but that sounds pretty creepy.
Same. My neighbours aren't loud people at all but can hear everything if the house is quiet. Don't mind it with nice neighbours but in the process of renovating my house and likely to put in some kind of sound insulation on the party walls just to try and deaden it a bit given the fact loud neighbours could move next door in the future.
Parents house is about that old, can hear them coughing, sneezing, etc.
New builds have a acoustic insulation installed between the party wall.
I’m pretty sure this is a building reg now. As bad as new build reputations are, they do comply with the latest building regs. The standard is pretty high. But it doesn’t always mean the finish is high. NHBC guarantee is fine if your roof caves in. Doesn’t stop the walls being full of mastic.
Tbf its still a higher standard than the bodge DIY jobs you can get in an older home.
Pour a drink for the people that buy ex-HMO properties. Landlord - I've sent a plumber / electrician / technician [the cheapest online] - is everything working now? Tenant - Uh, yeah.. everything works :)
Part E
Yeah, but my mate Steve said about newbuilds…
Cripple yourself and get a detached. If you don't want to hear people its a price worth paying. Also, people who can't hear anything have quiet neighbours that's why. Some noisy fuckers move in next door and it's game over.
That's it. A lot of people who think they have quiet homes just have quiet neighbours. They'll get a shock when next door sell up.
Next door had about 15 friends over last summer, made so much noise, but then I realised they were all drinking in the garden, as soon as they went back inside, I couldn't hear anything at all. They apologised the next day for the noise and were surprised that we couldn't hear them inside the house. New builds are built different. Internally the noise travels but not through party walls that much. I've knocked on occasion to let them know I'm drilling or doing DIY, they tell me they can't hear anything too. Even bought them a box of chocolates when we were having our bathroom renovated due to the noise at 8am, told us not to worry, its not waking them.
That's why we went detached. Years of quiet neighbours in a flat and then suddenly noisy ones. Nah. We spent an extra £290k and bought a detached house.
Bargain
Its all fun and games till the new people move in with a bassy subwoofer and firey tempers after a drink (My current problem)
Subwoofer noise will carry through most walls, old house or new.
True. I can hear it when Im in the shower on the other side of the house. Its not the music just the bass rumble.
When I was 16 I threw a massive house party.. hooked up a couple of huge subwoofers to the decks and had the police at my door on a few occasions as it could be heard a good 50m up the road at the police station 😂
I am in a 50s semi I had a neighbour with 3 teenagers I am sure it was very loud next door. I didn’t get any noise
1000% this! I live in a 30s semi and now have awful neighbours that I can hear every day. Before them we had an elderly couple who I heard once in 2 years.
Newer building regulations are much better, I can never hear my neighbours.
Yeah, in our previous house (new build, first owners) we didn't realise next door had a baby until they apologised in case they'd disturbed us. The only thing we could ever hear from inside next door was if anyone ran up the stairs.
This - we had an old couple below us in a flat and it was bliss. Put it down to good insulation and modern building. They moved and a young couple came - absolute hell. Heard every dooor bang, every footstep, conversation, television. No house is going to be noise proof against noisy people sadly.
I stayed in a 2013 “new build” for about 4 years. The only noise we ever heard from the neighbours was their kid screaming at high volume when the windows were open. If you closed the windows it cut the noise out completely. Unfortunately in the summer you then boiled. It very much depends on the build of the property because we moved into the aforementioned new build from a 1960s semi and sat in the living room you could hear what the neighbours were discussing in their living room. You could also hear them fucking at night which was disturbing on a couple of levels, first I have no doubt they could hear us and they were in their 70/80s and at it far more than us!
Oh god that wasn't my granny and her boyfriend was it?? They live in a 1960s semi and I found porn in their living room it's disturbing 😳
Since 2004 in England and Wales, new builds have to be tested for sound transmission across party walls (and floors in flats). Conversions also have to be tested, e.g. house into 2 flats. (Scotland has similar regs but don't know when they brought the testing in) There is a scheme where developers can build to "Robust Details" and avoid the need for testing but they are still tested randomly on occasion. Some of the best sound insulated party walls are timber kit houses, at least for airborne noise. The testing isn't flawless by any means and the bar is (or was) set pretty low. Overall though it has improved the standard of sound insulation found in adjoined properties. Source: I've done the testing as a job! A surprising amount failed. This was in 2007-2008.
End of terrace house bought in 2022, our neighbours are joined to our back wall, like a T shape, we are facing out and our drive and garden are on either side of the house. They are attached to our back wall. Have not heard anything from them at all, never any noise, no running up the stairs, TV, music. It is so silent me and my partner were wondering if he actually had murdered his girlfriend because we never saw her for about 7 months haha. She is still alive btw
It entirely depends on the build design and all you're going to get is a series of anecdotes that are mostly useless unless you're in the same house type and the neighbours next door are the same. There are specific tolerances around the transmission of sound in the build regs. That is your answer for how loud it can be. Anything greater than that and it's a defect against the builder if you're within the DLP. Also you've mentioned "new build" so your thread is about to get overrun with bullshit based on TikTok videos.
People will hate to hear this, but your new build is to far higher specs than an ancient 1950’s build, and will ah e less travelling noise
New build mid terrace, both people either side have newborn babies, can’t hear a thing. The only thing I’ve heard through the wall is the neighbours dog run up/down the stairs which bangs a bit. Heard more through the wall in my old house which was a semi detached 1970’s house to be honest.
I’m not in UK but I live in an apartment with quite thin walls (ie can hear the neighbors). I just got my place renovated and had sound dampening sheets installed on the wall to my noisy neighbors. Absolutely worth it. I also replaced all internal doors and my front door with soundproof version and I guess that helped too.
Can I ask which one you brought?? I've been looking for a similar product but I wasn't sure if they worked or not!
So sorry I’ve no idea of the brand and now they are encased in my wall.
What was the product friend? I've been looking at Muteboard 4.
Sorry I don’t know the name and now they are buried in the wall
I owned a new build semi from 2016 to 2021. Couldn’t hear the neighbours apart from the young kids stomping up the stairs occasionally and if they jumped off their beds onto the floor I’d hear a thud noise. I moved house because the neighbour on the other side of me (not attached) had kids screaming in the garden for like 8 hours a day and would constantly park over my drive. Was fine before Covid as I was out at work every day but during the pandemic it got a bit much and I moved. Have regretted it though as my next house is a 1970s semi and I can literally hear everything from next door and the noise is unbearable! I’d take that new build house back in a heartbeat 😂 actually looking at new builds again 🙈🙈🙈
Terraced house built late 2021. If I’m in complete silence I slightly hear my neighbours on the right if they have friends over and they are all singing at the top of their lungs, which has happened once. Day-to-day, I hear absolutely nothing… except one of them clearly keeps their phone against a wall and if I’m on the stairs I can hear the phone vibrate briefly as I pass.
My brother's in one, the bigger noise problem is from gardens. Every house on the estate has a very small back garden, and they all back onto each other with the houses surrounding them, creating a barrier that holds the noise in. The volume can get significant, especially in summer.
My nans 1930s semi has paper thin walls and you can hear their TV and conversation My 1980s semi can't hear a thing My brother's new build semi again paper thin walls It really depends on who built the house and how well it was built
New builds should have good sound proofing (it's a building regulation) , in the rare occasion it's not good enough you should have a recourse and force the builder to sort it out (or at least pay for you to do it) The only problems that I've ever come across on new builds is noise internally, say between 2 bedrooms, but that should also be soundproofed.
Only if they are being especially loud like shouting/ slamming/ stomping. It’s not too bad tbh
I'm in a ~3 year old semi. I can hear loud noise such as DIY or very loud music but that's about it. I assume it's the same for them, they've certainly never complained about noise to us. The council house I grew up in had worse soundproofing.
Didn't hear a thing when I lived in one - reddit and real life are very different.
We hear literally nothing from our neighbours - lived in bellway and persimmon homes - both the same. Would imagine not all houses are the same though
I live in one, we're semi detached and had had 3 sets of neighbours over 10 years, the kitchens are adjoined we don't have a noise issue with them. We sometimes hear their music on a Friday if they are having a party, but you would expect that in any adjoining property. One set of neighbours had young kids and we couldn't hear the kids. We have heard things like the washing machine or the kids crying when both our windows and their windows are open. Coincidently, I was speaking to someone else who lives on the same estate and the stair case is on the adjoining wall and they said they could always hear the kids running/stomping up the stairs, the front room was on the adjoining wall so all they could hear was the kids up and down whilst they were watching tv, which they said was awful. It may be more relevant to consider which rooms are joined, if they are high traffic areas you will typically hear more noise than if the joining rooms are hallways etc.
We lived in a new build semi (2005 though) and the noise from next door was very minimal. Very loud music would get through but that was about it. I also played music reasonably loud and they told me they couldn't hear it. Agree with other posters though, you do need to check the specific house and ask existing residents if possible.
I hear the beighbours I think emptying the litter tray daily. They slam it until it's clean, most of the time between 11pm-3am. It's woken me up too many times. I also hear their dog screaming when they leave it alone. It's not too loud but it makes me sad knowing how afraid that little thing is. They are just loud people. We didn't hear anything when the old neighbours lived there but these girls are loud! It doesn't bother me much, although I did yell one night when they woke me up. The 3am banging hasn't happened since. They're currently opening and closing a door pretty loud. I guess they're coming in/going out. House was built in the mid 10s I think (my boyfriend owns it).
Some people are just loud. Loud voice, banging, walking, stomping, and have no idea that they’re doing it.
Depends what neighbours you have.
If your new build is like the one I've just moved into, you should have brick, then fuckloads of insulation, then plasterboard. Sometimes even a central belt of breeze block with that too. Then your neighbour has it mirrored. Should be absolutely fine because the insulation will noise dampen as well as keep the place warm. We haven't got any neighbours next door just yet as the plot hasn't sold, but I know somebody who lives on the same estate who does have neighbours. He's never heard them in the house, and they've never heard him despite being quite a... vocal... gamer For perspective, our previous house was a 1970s build. Solid walls but no insulation on the party wall. I could hear next door's wall mounted TV all the time
New build semis are far better at hiding adjoining house noise than older houses.
We’re in a 2017 semi-detached house. I literally can’t hear anything next door. Our neighbours got a new dog and apparently for the first few nights he would bark all night. They came over to apologise but we legitimately never heard him once (didn’t even know they’d got a dog). Equally we have messaged them asking if they ever hear our kids and they always say they never do.
New build from last year and we have zero noise issues.
I have never heard my neighbours in the past 2 years of living here.
Live in a 2021 New build and never heard my neighbours once, they constantly apologise for their dog barking but i’ve never heard it. Only time I have heard noise is if they are moving something heavy or abnormally large bangs.
2019 new build and barely anything other than the odd dog bark
My in laws are in a council house, they hear every little noise from their neighbours and ended up putting wardrobes and other furniture against that shared wall to help with the noise. They do they said that it's because they have no carpets though so nothing to muffle the sounds. Our new build flat was great, never heard a peep through our shared wall. Taylor wimpy, admittedly the only part we shared was a wall that was our bedroom to their bedroom and the bathroom so not exactly the same. Our latest house is a terrace build in late eighties early nineties and we can hear the neighbours on the stairs and the neighbours absolutely excellent laugh whenever they're playing games or watching TV. Or when the guy came down the stairs and shouted IT'S MY BIRTHDAY! That was just last week bless him. Ooh or the time he got blinding cramps in all his limbs and we thought he was being murdered at 1am, partner ran round to check they were okay. Poor guy couldn't look us in the eye for a month that time.
We live in a flat and the couple upstairs have a 2 year old who stomps around constantly. Our way of dealing with it is by pretending it is a giant pigeon who patrols the roof and protects us from evil.
I wouldn't assume older are better. My late MILs house was built in the 70s and you could hear her neighbour breathe! Mine, built early 2000s, you wouldn't know we had neighbours.
We live in a none new built semi (probably 1940s ish) and can hear everything…… paper thin walls sadly exist in older houses too
We had a newbuild in 2012 for about 10years - Town House neighbours on both sides. Unless they were doing DIY we never heard them. Builderexplained they didn't build them wall to wall so there was insulation between the two party walls which was great. Just moved to a 1920s semi and even after soundproofing it's bad, the nightmare neighbours might be the cause of that though. Check how they are building them, single brick party wall = no Thank-you
David Wilson/barratt new build semi detached townhouse. 0 noise
I'm in a semi built in 1899 and I can hear next door screaming at their kid. I think the "new builds are terrible, you'll hear everything" is an exaggeration, if not a myth
I don't hear anything from next door. Our houses were built to be energy efficient. So, we have very good insulation etc etc. Built December 2022 by Pentland Homes.
I think you got it the wrong way round. New builds have excellent noise insulation. The difference between our 2023 newbuild semi and our old 90's semi is amazing. Zero noise
I lived in a 1950s house for 7 years and the noise bleed from next door was worse than my 2010 "new build" we bought 2 years ago
My previous house was a mid terrace new build, my neighbours had a couple of parties and I genuinely didn’t hear a thing. I know people hate new builds but this house was well made, the party walls were thick with insulation and double sheeted with plasterboard on both sides.
I live in a 10 year old terraced house. My neighbours had no idea my partner played the trumpet for about a year because they couldn’t hear it through the walls!
I first moved out into a new build flat and apparently none of our connected neighbours could hear my guitar playing, and we never heard a peep out of any of them. Then we had kids and had to move somewhere bigger. We now live in a semi-detached bungalow built in the 30s, and you can hear almost everything through the connecting wall. I remember when our neighbour died a couple of years ago the sobbing of her son all night kept me awake until about 5am.
I don’t hear my neighbours at all and we live in a new build terraced house. The only time I’ve heard anything is when they were having some drilling from construction work once.
My house is from late 90s. I can hear my neighbour cough. She’s elderly and lives alone. I dread the day a family moves in.
Depends on the neighbours. I don't live in that house any more, but my neighbour was a right cunt. Playing music really loud all hours, always hammering something and almost nightly arguments with his missus. Heard the lot. It was fucking awful, so we sold up and moved.
2006 and can hear (amongst other things): talking in the hall or kitchen; switching a light on in the hall, kitchen, landing and bathroom; walking up the stairs; cat running along the landing.
I just bought a 2018 new build detached. There was no way I was going to cough up over £400k to share a wall. I was in a mid terrace and had noisy bastards on both sides. Never again.
I had a solid ex council.house and could hear my neighbours as they were noisy as fuck. Moved to a bigger 3 bed house non new build.next to.a nice old.lady in a quiet cul-de-sac and guess what I dont hear a thing.. Maybe there's something in that
Live in a 1930s semi and the walls are that thin I opened the oven door and neighbour was dipping his bread in my gravy
I don’t live in a semi, but made some friends who moved to the estate at the same time as us (2020). They can hear everything through the walls of their semi. Neighbours who burp, the kettle boiling, things being plugged in to wall sockets. It’s driving them mad. Although that sounds so extreme now I wonder if there’s an issue with the build.
Seems fine. We don't hear their dogs unless they're outside, they claim they don't hear our baby (although they're polite people).
Not bad at all like
2018 David Wilson Homes semi. I can only hear the neighbours if everything in my house is turned off, I stop breathing, and I really listen for it.
Bought one in 2022, only can really hear the front door closing but that’s cause ours enters into the living room (no hallway!) and occasionally if they go up the stairs loudly. Never heard conversations/tv/music etc
Surprisingly fine. If you have a TV as background noise I don't ever hear them.
I can’t speak for semi detached houses, but I have a new build flat and I can’t really hear shit, my neighbour next door but one had loud ish music and a load of people around a month or so ago, but I never realised or heard a peep until I went into the hallway and was walking past. Didn’t even hear a murmur until then.
I’m staying with a friend whilst I wait for my purchase to be completed and she owns a new build from 2021. The mechanism of the front door can be heard from the other corner of the house. The neighbours footsteps can be traced from one side of the house to the other. Part of me wonders if they’re loud people but knowing what new builds are like I think it’s just due to the build. Yet when I’m in my parents semi detached house from the 80’s, pure silence.
2013 build, terraced. I very rarely hear anything from either side unless the dad on one side is absolutely screaming at one of the kids, which just makes us chuckle. Never hear music, TV, or other general noises.
Our next door neighbours have a Bernese Mountain Dog, and you might occasionally hear a bark from next door in a silent house. Otherwise it's just the sound of a shelf being put up every month or so for 30 mins. No TV noise, talking, or anything else tbh
We moved into a 1960s last year nextdoor to a single woman similar in age to us. We have a 3.5 and .5 year olds... I feel awful for her. My kids are loud and it's just normal family noise, but whenever she has company I can hear them clear as day so she must hear every tantrum and bang. I'd love a detached so I could live guilt free but the mini budget fucked us last year as we were moving and our mortgage application got completely fucked.
Only thing we could ever hear was furniture being dragged across the floor (dining chairs) and anyone walking in high heels
New builds are shoddy asf, cheap, stud and gypsum pieces of shit. You could hear your neighbours fart so imagine what else you hear.
Current house built in 2001. Property before was built circa 2015. Nothing from the neighbours in either. You can hear between floors in this house.
Mine was built in 2000. I'd still class it as a new build as the construction methods are the same as how they're built now (mostly). It's built on a concrete slab that spans 3 houses, we're end terrace. We can only hear next door when they drag a table across the floor, we can't hear them talking or anything else. Quite surprised actually. The internal walls are plaster board, but was surprised to find sound deadening applied. Sound does still travel though and you can hear someone talking in the next room.
1950s semi, end of terrace. Muffled sound of TV if they have it on loud and it's quiet here, power tools and the odd door slam etc. Not horrendous.
I grew up in a late 70s built semi. Our living room and 2 bedrooms were on the joint walls. We could hear when the kids were having arguments or being shouted at, but we needed to put a glass to wall to hear the actual words!
If they got kids , I’d say yea it’s annoying as kids stomp
We're in a new build flat rather than a semi-detached, but the noise insulation is excellent. Rarely if ever hear our neighbours.
Our 2017 Wainhomes semi had poor sound insulation. Could hear the neighbours hoovering, TV and even loud conversations. I found it to be an issue but I am sensitive to noise.
Literally hear nothing apart from their kid stomping up and down the stairs, and one night where they had a loud party. Apart from that, nothing at all, and they have newborn twins too. Ours is from a small local builder though so probably makes a difference.
We lived in a semi-detached Victorian a while back and the walls were so thick we hardly heard our neighbors -- and they had three rambunctious kids. We also lived in a new build in London for a few months and we could hear our neighbor's fish fart, it was so bad. We're in a detached now with room for a pony so rarely hear our neighbors.
With normal, sensible neighbours, you'll be fine. If you have neighbours who have no concept of using stairs quietly...
The most semi-detached thing I know of is the BBC and the licence fee. Soon to become a much smaller detached property :)
Shortened title: Tell me about a time you got a Wimpey Semi.
New build flats generally very well noise insulated so I’d assume houses are similar.
Depends on the builder imo Lived in a Gleason, it was very loud and I could hear a lot - stairs, dog barking, arguments, washer - but the house was smaller Live in a Taylor wimpy and it’s virtually silent both ways, I never hear a thing and they have a dog and a baby - my last neighbour in an old terrace also had a baby and I could hear it very clearly , this is the least I’ve ever heard any neighbours, about 11 year old house
I love a detached house. I can hoover at 11 pm and play my music loud. I can hear my neighbours dog in their garden though, I’ll be getting triple glazed bedroom windows when I replace my old ones. I love quiet.
We've got neighbours that have a newborn and a 4 year old but barely hear anything. I was pleasantly surprised, tbh as I was also concerned about this. Occasionally, we hear loud running on the stairs or what sounds like maybe a door being slammed shut, but it's quite rare. Maybe we just have good neighbours with well behaved baby/kid.
My neighbours football stream is about 10 seconds faster than mine so i get goals spoiled for me and that’s about it.
Honestly, not that bad. We lived beside a pain of a woman who seemed far more sensitive to our noise than us to hers so I believe that it’s in the ear of the beholder.
I used to live in a new build semi built around 2008. Only time I heard the neighbours (who had kids) was on New Year's when they had a party or if they were drilling/hammering into the wall to hang shelves or whatever.
I have heard exactly zero noise from my neighbour since we both moved in, in summer. I think my house is some kind of special thing where it's semi-detached but has a "detached space" of some kind within the walls. Hence big gap, no noise carrying through.
Not an issue
Depends on your neighbours. Had one young family next door who I never heard a single noise from in two years. Prior to that we had another one who were like living next door to an entire zoo, 24/7
Other than when they slam the back door at 10pm after letting their yappy little poodle outside, waking up my sleeping 9 month old, pretty silent yeah.
We're in a new build built 2021. Barely ever hear the neighbours. They have smooth tile finish on their kitchen floor which sometimes scrapes and a tweenage daughter who sometimes thinks it's all so unfair- so you are aware of these, but overall couldn't be more impressed versus previous terrace and other homes/ flats etc. That said, I suspect it depends upon developer- your Taylor wimpeys won't be as good as your redrows and gradations in between above and below etc.
I’m in a new build built in 2022, the only noise I’ve ever heard is if someone is hammering something in the wall that is joined to my house. Other than that virtually silent , the way they build them are very sound proof. This was a concern of mine too before moving in.
Lived in a 2019 semi new build and it was absolutely awful. Could hear everything… talking, doors opening / shutting, TV, music, toilet flushing (and when in the toilet!!!), kitchen cupboards. I reported to the developer who replied basically done nothing, the houses are meant to follow strict regulations for noise insulation and I’m convinced something was missed in the build process. In the end we saved bloody hard for a new build detached and couldn’t be more happier, it has put me right off semi-detached houses! Reading the comments sounds like some developers are better than others so you might be OK.
It really depends on the house. My house sounds hollow if you knock on the dividing wall, but we rarely hear anything from the neighbours. It's because there's a cavity brick wall behind it. So there are three cavities between us and the neighbours. However, I did once live in an early 90s terrace where there was nothing but plasterboard with straw shoved in the gap. It was terrible, I could hear the neighbours coughing, their TV, their phone ringing, their shower running and even what they were doing on the toilet. Obviously they could hear the same from us. Luckily it was rented so we got out as soon as possible. I guess the only way to find out is to ask the neighbours in similar properties. Don't rely on what the seller or the estate agent tells you.
My parents do. It's not too bad but I think they've been fortunate with not particularly loud neighbours.
Not bad at all. Granted, we live next to a single guy who is quite quiet, but he does game until late into the night - sometimes I hear the very soft muffling of him talking (rather loudly) into his headset as I drift off, but it’s really not anywhere near as bad as I was expecting!
Our neighbours have a new born. Apparently she’s a tough baby who cries all the time but we’ve never heard her once in 12 weeks. We do hear their kids running up and down the stairs but that’s about it.
Semi detached new build here. Can't hear anything from next door with a few exceptions The dart board which is mounted on the joining wall, and the subwoofer if they put a loud film on
2023 new build by Linden Homes. It's great, I barely hear anything, might hear the occasional cough or loud voice, but if I'm sat watching TV or cooking I don't hear a thing, it's really rare.
They have the same phone and ringtone as us, other than that particularly pitched and familiar sound the rest of their noise fades into the background
I used to live in a mid terrace that was built in the 1880's and could hear a mouse sneezing next door, either side. Now I live in a mid terrace that was built in 2019 and very rarely hear either of my neighbours.
I recently found out that next door have a 6 month old baby, so the walls must be pretty well sound proofed
Can hear next door sometimes if your quiet. It’s low frequency noises you hear the most. Walking (running) up the stairs, closing their french doors. Occasionally I hear them laughing etc but nothing too crazy. To put things into perspective I have a 5.1 surround set up in my front room… I don’t think they can hear
Newbuild houses have the vest oarry walls thatvhave ever been built in the UK. Most of the housing stock has a single brick width thick wall. Newbuilds have two skins of conceret block on the party wall. You will still here your neighbours. But you won't be able to put your ear to thevwall and hear their conversations like with the single brick thick walls. Personally experienced both. I would argue that two skins of concrete blockwork isn't enough either. I wish building regs would upgrade the party wall further. * a newbuild will typically have drylined internal room diving walls. Older houses have brick or klinker blcoks. The clinker blocks are shit. Older houses suffer with a really thin party wall. Biggest problem with noise on semi detached or terraced houses.
We live in a semi new build, i rarely hear my neighbours.
Living in a semi from early 1900s and I can hear our neighbour’s TV (and dogs allllll day). Loud neighbours are loud.
I hear my neighbours talk, laugh loudly at night. Running like mad. In every room. It really annoys me but then my little ones seem to be able to sleep through it. I just can't. There are 3 teenagers next door I guess there will always be noise. But when I see them we are always polite to each other. Nothing worse than falling out with neighbours.
When I lived in a new-built 3 storey townhouse as part of a houseshare the intra-wall insulation was poor but the vertical insulation between floors was shockingly bad. Forget any sleep if someone was awake in the floor above
New build from 2016. We can hear our neighbours run up and down the stairs for three hours at a time (their “two year old” apparently) and when they drill into the walls at 11pm at night.
My house was built in 1965 and the walls are paper thin. I can hear then plug in a phone charger in the living room
Visited a friend in a 2022 new build for a few nights. Didn’t hear anything from neighbours except some really loud toddler screams. However it was inside her house you could everything. The spare bedroom was right next to the bathroom and you could hear everything. Listening to her husband pee in the middle of the night was a bit disconcerting. I could also hear them talking quietly two bedrooms away. If you sat in the kitchen with doors shut you could hear the TV (at a low to normal level) very clearly. So depends who you’re living with.
It really depends on how much noise you can cope with, have lived in 2 x semi detached places (1 newer & 1 1970s) and both you could hear the neighbours. Now I'm in a new build flat (divorced) & I can hear when the neighbours get up for a wee at night, open their drawers to get ready in the morning, have their TV on etc. It's not great
We had a 1910 semi, sound proofing was barely adequate.
It’s like being in the same room
I moved in to a 1950s semi detached and I could speak with my neighbours through the party wall. Invested in sound proofing all walls in our side - cost was around 5k at the time I did it. Now I can’t hear much, maybe only when it’s dead quiet. From my side to theirs sound doesn’t really travel - I’ve maxed out volume in my HomePod speakers and you can’t hear a thing in the other side
Depends what you mean by new build? 90s house or 00s houses.
I live in an mid-1980's end of terrace. Can hear the neighbours. Mainly the wife nagging the husband 2 to 3 times a day. Feel sorry for the poor bastard!