Looking for a quieter new home?

How to avoid a potentially noisy building

When you look for a new home, you already have a list of immediate needs to address: cost, location, access to school or work, security, and overall condition. What you might not notice when you visit a potential new home is how noisy it might be after you move in.

The “noise factor” can impact anyone who lives in an apartment or townhouse and shares walls with neighbors. But even single-family home dwellers can get surprised by unexpected, persistent noise. Just ask some of the residents of Cranston, Rhode Island, who endure frequent gunfire from their police department’s outdoor shooting range.

It’s not always a renter’s market

Finding a new place to live is stressful enough. And in a tight housing market, it gets competitive. Sometimes you might not have much time or much choice. But to avoid buyer’s remorse, consider the acoustics of a potential new home by observing some details about the space. Find out what year it was built, notice the quality of the materials, note any low ceilings or hollow walls. And if it looks like it went through a low-budget remodel at some point, assume that it probably didn’t include acoustic improvements.

Of course, you might have only one chance to tour the home, and the neighbors might not be home while you’re there. During the afternoon it might be quiet. So you might not hear any evening activities, whether it’s television, toddlers, or frequent parties.

Before you make a site visit

Before you view a new home, download a decibel app to your smartphone so you can test the noise levels inside. Scope out the immediate neighborhood for businesses that might stay open late at night, and look at airport flight paths with the FlightRadar 24 app. Check any regional noise maps for that area. And download Soundproofist’s handy checklist of noise clues and bring it with you!