Open plan living could make your home harder to sell

Sharply increasing sound levels in homes are having knock-on effects for buying and selling homes, according to a new study.

More than one in ten of people in Britain who have been disturbed by noise in the past 12 months complained about the din from neighbours walking on wooden floors, rising to one in four of those living in flats. Moreover, noisy homes are becoming a major turn off for househunters according to the new research from insulation specialist Rockwool. It found that 87% of buyers and tenants said noise levels are an important consideration when they are looking to buy or rent, with 43% saying that they are very important.

The research also reveals that:
* 2.9 million British householders say they have removed carpet and installed wooden floors in the past three years
* 650,000 homeowners say they have removed walls to create an open plan space since 2009, removing the noise barriers that internal walls create
* 6% have now looked at or installed insulation in their homes specifically to reduce the amount of noise in the property

Lisa Lavia, Managing Director of the Noise Abatement Society said: “Noise is a major nuisance and problem for people across the country and improving the quality of homes and the levels of noise insulation within them is vital. It is no surprise that the majority of house hunters see noise as an important consideration in choosing a house to buy or rent, and sellers and landlords ignore this at their peril.”

Rockwool UK managing director Thomas Heldgaard added: “While trends towards open plan living and wooden floors may improve the aesthetic quality of homes, they also intensify the level of noise transference within the building and can significantly increase noise within flats, not only for the occupants of the apartment in question but also for their neighbours.”

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