charm vs location

[Kate]

I am looking at a 75 year old bungalow in Virginia. My real estate agent tells me this row of 5 bungalows have been difficult to sell in the past both due to the busy two-lane street and a gas station on the corner (4 houses away.) There is a driveway and large flat lot behind house which has an alley. It needs a lot of work.

My question - can street sounds be minimized to make a front bedroom comfortable? and as a neighborhood becomes more popular - is it reasonable to assume the busy street will be less of a negative?



kmurphy@nasm.si.edu

[Ken Holmes]

I once lived along a very busy two-lane highway in a small town in Maine. The road was the main state route into town, and as such got lots of truck traffic. The short answer is that, yes, you can minimize road noise with draperies and carpeting in the room, and with smart landscaping outside.

As for the bigger question of whether the busy street will become less of a negative: Talk with your real estate agent. Talk with other agents. Ask neighbors. Try to figure out where the neighborhood is headed, and what forces may further increase (or decrease) traffic on the offending street. And then use your common sense.

What would worry me in this situation is that while you may willingly live with a certain amount of noise, if that noise is perceived as a negative by potential buyers, it will forever hold down the value of your property.

Good luck,

Ken Holmes

kholmes@mail.oldhouseweb.com