Are properties facing main roads bad?

Whenever I see someone backing out into a busy main road from a house and just waiting for traffic to subside I just think "I would never have the patience to do that." The noise and fumes would be frustrating in itself, but going out and having that extra wait would also be an inconvenience I imagine.

 

I've been earnestly told by a friend that it might be better to buy on a main road because less likelihood of burglars/robbers. I'm assuming because of the high visibility... That may be completely wrong (no stats to back this, just something someone said to me) but there's a potential upside if you like.

Personally no I would not buy a property on a State Route. And never backing on a highway/motorway.

I've seen a house in Daisy Hill for sale recently that is right across a T-junction with the traffic lights at the doorstep. You have to wait for a green light to drive into your driveway.

 

Depends on visibility and whether it's "main main" or a smaller main road. A road may have traffic lights further up which just means you have to wait until the next flow comes through.

If it's really well positioned you can just walk to shops and the like which are more likely to be on a main road, so may not even have to drive as much. Still has some advantages that way.

I like my peace and quiet so not sure I could live with it these days, but if just starting off I would bare it for a while to be in an area I wanted to live. Same with renting - rented on main roads in my earlier days. When you are 25 and partying most nights/not home much, who really cares right?

With a family member, it definitely helped them get into a desirable house (not main road) a few years later. You just have to handle the b/s for 5 years or the like.

Seems true. For nearly 6 months my rental was vacant as I came back a few times a week to renovate it before sale. First few weeks I was really worried about break-ins. The entire time until settlement it was all fine. You get a bit of rubbish tossed/blowing onto your front lawn/nature strip though which is annoying.

 

Rule that I use is if all things are equal (zoning (now and future), orientation etc)
Main rd is 10% less than side street, Main rd with service lane is 5% less
I also use a rule for orientations with North rear being 10% more than South rear

 

Is that a downside? I would simply push the crossing button at the lights so that all the vehicle stops and you don't have to worry about how busy the road is really.

 

main road properties are usually at discount price, invest and spend a bit in double glazed windows to help reduce the noise and then it like any other house in a quiet street. I would agree it has less risks to break-in due to high visibility and active road.

Whilst I acknowledge, others may have a preference to live and own a house on quite inner streets, away from main roads.

 

I know it sounds rather paranoid, but would pollution ever be an issue? Say if you're hanging around the backyard, would you end up breathing in a bit of the vehicle smog?

Assuming a typical 4-lane 60km/h road rather than those giant 8-lane 80km/h ones.

 

I personally do not feel anything like that, but this can vary from person to person how you look at it.

 

'Bad' and 'main' can meet anything.

I would prefer not to face a 4 lane highway in the context you probably mean, however I have lived in a rear townhouse on a 4 lane 50kph highway and it wasnt a problem, infact having a bus stop at the end of the driveway was not without benefit.

The answer really depends on the layout of the property and the nauture of the 'main' road.

 

What are these mythical 8 lane highways of which you speak? Here in Sydney, you're lucky to get 4 lanes and then they plonk a hefty toll on it, and you're supposed to be grateful.

 

I work near Pennant Hills Rd in Sydney. Its a 6+ lane (3 @ way) 17km mess from Hornsby through to Parramatta and dates back to the days of convicts. STOP, START, STOP. Its busy 24/7. In the past year the underground toll tunnel has taken most trucks off the road (compulsory) and many other vehicles to the tollway. But many cars are coming back to avoid the cost. The difference in noise and traffic issues is startling. You couldnt walk on the footpath and talk to someone or on a phone. The smell and noise is terrible. Accidents at traffic lights almost daily. Then more traffic. Now its usually quiet. The other day the M1 freeway was blocked and traffic was gridlocked and the tunnel closed. Horrid. 2km trips took people 2-3 hours. Fumes & breakdowns etc. These areas often attract a different type of property buyer. It may be all they can afford. Developers build apartments which still cop (reduced) noise. Property on main roads often isnt well cared for externally. On Pennant Hills Rd most have large brick walls which dont help much. A few locals have been killed leaving or coming into their own driveway when a truck driven at 80km drives up their rear end.

No thanks. I would NEVER live within 1.5kms. As a kid I lived 500m off Pennant Hills Rd. You could hear trucks at night and that was before it was widened. Wet weather or fog was even worse. Noise travels. I dont know what the odds are but probably 80% of people wont consider such a property. So its sold for less to find a buyer who...may lack ability to pay much more. In tough markets nobody will be interested unless you drop the price. A lot.

 

Seen a few horrific looking accidents at the Pennant Hills golf course corner. And I'm sure there was a time when a little car was sandwiched inbetween 2 large trucks. Also one time I swear I aquaplaned and my brakes locked up (wet night) and I ended up in the front yard of a house on Pennant Hills Road in Carlingford just up from Carlingford Court. Ended up crashing into a tree in their front yard otherwise I would have gone a lot further. I was just shaken up but not injured otherwise.

Anyway, so I wouldn't buy near that road either.

 

I used this formula for a few places I was looking at, and interestingly enough it's fairly close to what a lot of main road properties I looked at sold for!

Although a direct comparison was often hard especially when there wasn't a lot of recent sales of similar properties, but I did find there seemed to be a 7-15% price increase for going just one street in from the main road.

By north rear, do you mean the rear of the house facing north? I would've thought it'd be the opposite (living areas facing north more valuable)?

 

Rear or back of house ideally is where the living area is and flows out into the North facing backyard is the best

 

Interesting discussion. What do people think of this one? Prime example of main road with bus stop at front which would probably fetch much more if it wasn't.

https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-doncaster-140098027

 

Good development site close to freeway access.

 

Saw an article once about an autopsy on an older lady (non smoker).The pathologist was explaining that the damage to her lungs was likely caused by her residence on a busy road. Put me off traffic a bit. Of course electric vehicles is the game changer.

 

great as a petrol station location.

 

See the article below, No way I would want to live on a main road if it affects my health.

Conclusions
Road proximity was associated with incidence of non-Alzheimer’s dementia, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis. This association may be partially mediated by air pollution, whereas noise exposure did not affect associations. There was some evidence of protective effects of greenness.

Road proximity, air pollution, noise, green space and neurologic disease incidence: a population-based cohort study | Environmental Health | Full Text.