Is there a place to live without neighbor/noise issues?

[Bearded Man]

Seems like one has to move to the country to avoid the noise and problems of neighbors. Although, I remember having grown up in the country, although we didn't have noise issues, we did have some controlling neighbors who thought they owned the road that was public easement and caused trouble.

In any case, it seems like living in the greater Seattle area, it's hard to get away from the noise and "douche bag" neighbors who just don't get it. No matter where I've lived, there is always one person who just doesn't get it, loud music, basketball hoop, parties, loud mufflers, etc.

Maybe it's the INTJ in me, but this crap is getting old. I can't imagine living like this for the rest of my life. A quick search of the internet shows I'm not alone. While the thought of selling everything and moving into the wilderness seems appealing sometimes, I realize it's a solitary life and unrealistic.

So I'm considering making my next home purchase a property with acreage. I plan on having chickens and other livestock, not to mention a garden in a greenhouse, like I used to. Ideally, I would be somewhat close enough to the city that I could commute, but alas, I can find telecommute jobs as well.

Now, in the greater Seattle area, it seems that even a house in a remote area is expensive. If you know of any areas I should look, do tell. Otherwise, I'm open to suggestions. I've considered Ocala Florida, where I can get a nice house on several acres for 100K, but the fact that central Florida is sink hole capitol of the world makes me reconsider.

[AustinKat]

Speaking only to your last sentence: Florida has much greater problems than sinkholes. ;-)

[Spork]

I share your sentiment.  My wife and I (and now my uncle also) joke about wanting a 500 acre piece of land with the house right in the dead center middle.

...but that sort of solution is a little expensive.

We are on almost 8 acres.  We're at least 450 ft from "problem neighbors."  On many days: this isn't enough.  (That said, our nearest neighbors are probably 200 ft away with lots of saplings/underbrush hiding them from us.  We have 0 issues with them.)

[Lady Fordragon]

I live in a suburb in the Dayton, OH area (not a big city by any means, especially since I'm originally from NYC), but I'm within an hour's drive to Cincinnati and Columbus and about two hours from Indianapolis.  Anyway, our neighborhood is pretty quiet for the most part.  I can hear the crickets most nights without even trying.  Our house is on a quarter of an acre lot, which I find to be a bit much most days, but we're definitely far enough away from our neighbors, which is really nice, especially after having grown up in NYC and the houses being right on top of one another.  Also, the cost of living out here is fairly low.  I'm actually surprised that this area isn't swarming with early retirees, but then again most people are consumerist suckas.

[Trimatty471]

I have been echoing this same thought.

Between the 2 houses on my street that wants to talk all loud after 11pm, loud sex noises, loud mufflers, booming sound systems, dogs barking all through the night.
Living in isolation is appealing to me.

I just cannot afford the commute.

[h2ogal]

Moving to the country is not at all unrealistic!  We live on 17 quiet private acres, 3 minute drive from the nearest small town and 40 mins from the second largest city in NY.   I have a great job working for a large corporation, 7 miles from my house.We LOVE it.  The neighbors here are the type that don't want to be bothered with the rules of suburbs, so we all get along.

[Spork]

Moving to the country is not at all unrealistic!  We live on 17 quiet private acres, 3 minute drive from the nearest small town and 40 mins from the second largest city in NY.   I have a great job working for a large corporation, 7 miles from my house.We LOVE it.  The neighbors here are the type that don't want to be bothered with the rules of suburbs, so we all get along.

Sadly: this isn't always a permanent solution.  Neighbors come and go (or in our case they die and leave their land to a bunch or crackhead kids).  What is today's serene acreage may be tomorrow's redneck rampage extravaganza.

[scrubbyfish]

I posted something similar a year ago. People warned me that rural areas can have sounds, too.

I moved to a hamlet, and adore it. Winter was/is the best part -sheer silence. Late spring it changed somewhat: influx of summer residents and visitors; some people talking loud til late; trucks and motorbikes; bird craziness at 530am. Most of the time it's still super quiet -anyone visiting from a city would laugh that I'm grouchy about the rare sounds here- but I'm super sensitive and really tense up even at those occasional motors, etc.

I consider moving out of the hamlet one day and into seclusion, but the birds will follow me as far as I go and so far the occasional sound is worth being able to walk to friends, library, etc. I love being car-free six days a week while still being able to easily access everything I love. And in 8 weeks, the noisier folks head out and we return to months of walkable silence :)

[Gone Fishing]

We only have 6 acres in the country but it comes with with plentiful sounds including ATV's/dirtbikes, gunfire(some of it mine), loud mufflers (some of it mine again), dogs barking, people mowing insane amounts of grass and, oh yeah, a rooster (definitely mine).  Thankfully most people are civil and knock it off around 9-10pm with the exception of the dogs at night and roosters in the (very early) morning, but I think I am mostly used to them at this point.  Overall, I would say it is much quieter than living in a urban environment but not much different from the suburban neighborhood I grew up in (maybe louder). If I ever build a house, it will be heavily insulated for energy conservation purposes which will also help with sound, but I would probably insulate the master bedroom as well for noise reduction.  Placing the bedroom on the back of the house, dense shrubbery, positioning your bed against an interior wall, heavy curtains, and white noise all help as well.    Look for a neighborhood with a "mature" population (ie favored by retirees).  Not only do they go to bed at night (or at least inside), but they are also good a keeping an eye on things.

     

[Another Reader]

When you reach age 55, you can always buy in one of the Sun Cities.  Go for one of the older ones, with lax HOA's and large lots.  People are up early and in bed by 9 PM in those places.  Of course, you will get some noise from the passing golf carts...

[rocketpj]

Small details exaggeration syndrome can be an issue anywhere.  Not that all the issues are that, but if you want to you can find or make issues with any neighbours.

[Dollar Slice]

Small details exaggeration syndrome can be an issue anywhere.  Not that all the issues are that, but if you want to you can find or make issues with any neighbours.

Yeah. My dad's house is not far from his next-door neighbor (NYC suburb, land is very expensive and lots are small) and if he can hear ANYTHING from their house he takes it as a personal affront. He will complain about noises that I literally didn't notice were happening while I'm sitting right next to him. He gets annoyed if they do yardwork at 7PM on a Saturday and acts as though they are doing it on purpose to disturb his dinner. Some people can't accept that living in a town means you will occasionally have evidence of other human beings existing nearby.

But then you have neighbors like the ones I had last year who had loud parties until 4AM every week and their drunken friends would ring my doorbell in the middle of the night at least twice a month. Among many, many other offenses, like leaving the outside door to the apartment building wide open when it was 15F outside, doing drugs on the shared porch, etc. That is a real neighbor/noise issue!

[AZDude]

I live right on the edge of of a retirement community. Literally walk across the street and I'm in 55+ territory. The subdivision here is full of snowbirds and the retired with only a handful of people younger than 50. By 8PM, its a ghost town and we do not hear a peep. Right now, being summer, half the people are in Minnesota or wherever. It is VERY quiet, especially given we moved from an apartment complex that was down the street from a university. Its almost eerily quiet at times.

So maybe look at demographics and find an area that is geared toward seniors but does not have an age restriction?

[dachs]

I'm still looking for a good solution to that. Maybe noise cancelling headphones? Earplugs are just very uncomfortable. Also, one of my neighbours will not understand that his subwoofer is super annoying (at night), and earplugs won't help in that case.

[Arktinkerer]

Can take hard looking but you can find what you are looking for.  One coworker lived adjacent to a wildlife reserve just outside the city.  Lots of folks live on land adjacent or even surrounded by National Forest, National Parks or State Parks.  Now, it is EXTREMELY hard to do this within biking commute of a good size town or city.  Most people would probably have to make some employment tradeoffs to make that work.

[NV Teacher]

I share your sentiment.  My wife and I (and now my uncle also) joke about wanting a 500 acre piece of land with the house right in the dead center middle.

Can I come too?  I grew up on a farm surrounded by fields of hay, barley, and oats.  Between our house and my uncle's house there was an orchard with apple trees, plum trees, and a small creek where all the cousins spent long summer days climbing, building forts, and playing in the water.  Currently I live in a small town that is nice but it's nothing compared to living with some space around you.  Someday.

[wenchsenior]

I share your sentiment.  My wife and I (and now my uncle also) joke about wanting a 500 acre piece of land with the house right in the dead center middle.

Can I come too?  I grew up on a farm surrounded by fields of hay, barley, and oats.  Between our house and my uncle's house there was an orchard with apple trees, plum trees, and a small creek where all the cousins spent long summer days climbing, building forts, and playing in the water.  Currently I live in a small town that is nice but it's nothing compared to living with some space around you.  Someday.

ME TOO. We'll have to subdivide and put up sound proof barriers.

Human noise (esp engines, such as jetskis, snowmobiles, and atvs) makes me crazy, but the worst is barking dogs. Even a few barks make want to go postal, let alone continuous or regular barking.

[Dee18]

I am working for a month in Vermont and have been provided a lovely house in the country.  I keep hanging out at the house because it so incredibly pleasant.  Right now I can hear birds and frogs and the stream....no barking, no machines.  I love it.

[Sayonara925]

Human noise (esp engines, such as jetskis, snowmobiles, and atvs) makes me crazy, but the worst is barking dogs. Even a few barks make want to go postal, let alone continuous or regular barking.

Concur about the barking dogs.  Could never understand how anyone could think it's okay to impose this nuisance on other people's peaceful enjoyment of their home.  It's a curse that somehow seems to follow me, even if I survey a new neighborhood before settling in.  The outdoor noisy barking dog people seem to show up later or the next door neighbor decides to get a batch of barkers after I've moved in.  In my current home there was initially only 1 small elderly Jack Russel that could hardly bark, but this lasted only 6 months.  Those folks added 2 barkers, including a howling hound; another couple moved in across the adjoining fence with 3 crazy barking terriers that seemed to go into extended fits;  the guy behind me showed up with a giant poodle looking dog with the loudest bark in the neighborhood; and the new renters across the drive decided their spaniel would be a nice addition to the chorus despite dogs being prohibited.  Minus the dogs, the neighborhood would be 99% blissfully quiet.

[jrhampt]

So maybe look at demographics and find an area that is geared toward seniors but does not have an age restriction?

Bingo.  I live on a dead-end road in the suburbs of a city with a very bad school district.  Few kids in this neighborhood, nice and quiet.

[herbgeek]

I bought this place out in the country to get away from people, having lived in a condo for 10 years prior with some not-well-behaved neighbors.  All was good for a few years, just woods across the street, could see the neighbors through the trees but not really hear them.  Then the neighbor on the diagonal sub divided the property, and a big McMansion was built directly across from me.  They use my driveway all the time because they have a monster SUV that the mom drives and she can't really operate it.  Dad mows the lawn at least twice a week, and blows off the driveway every other day (we are in THE WOODS- there's gonna be leaves) and has all kinds of noisy machinery that he has to start up before 8am on the weekends.  Then there are the parties where their guests block the road/ or inhibit my backing out of my own driveway.  Its a dirt road about 1.5 lanes wide, so if cars are parked on the side of the road its difficult to get around them without being reallllly careful.

Even moving to the sticks doesn't make you immune.

[RetiredAt63]

Re this idyllic country life you are all discussing:

You are responsible for water and sewage - when your well pump goes out on Good Friday, have fun.  When your front yard starts to stink, you have a new leach field to pay for - or like people I once knew found out, the septic tank that was supposed to come with your house did not exist, all your house sewage was gong into a grey water well and you are about to spend $20,000+.
Your electricity will be billed as "rural low density", this is any company's most expensive rate.
Be sure there is county garbage and recycling pickup, or you will have the dump hours memorized.  And they are not set for your convenience.  And check location, if the next municipality's dump is closer, you will not be able to use it.
Country people get up early, you get machine noises at 6:30.
Woodpeckers like the sound of beak on metal - that could be your TV antenna getting pounded on at 6:30 AM.
Roosters crow regularly, not just once in the morning.
Depending on your area, your quiet country road can have trucks (milk bulk trucks, sewage pump out trucks, big oil tanker trucks, gravel trucks, etc.), tractors and other farm equipment (that take 1.5 road widths so you are doing 5 km behind them), ATVs going super fast, snowmobiles crossing, etc. etc.
Out back will be the snowmobiles.
Snow belt - if you are that isolated, no plow contractor will take your business, because you are too far away from the rest of the clientele (gasoline and time issues), so be ready to clear that lovely long driveway yourself (East Coast people, I really felt for you this past winter).
Noise - along with the birds will be the frogs in the spring, the coyotes howling at night, the raccoons knocking over your garbage cans if you are silly enough to put them out the night before, the baby raccoons crying (unearthly, someone is being tortured sound) because mommy has been away too long, dogs barking (legitimate, there are raccoons in the corn, a deer munching on your apple tree, a strange car coming up your very long driveway).
Hunting season - if you have a dog, how is it with loud noises?  If it hates thunderstorms, you will know when hunting season starts, because your dog will be a quivering pathetic mess.  For weeks.
Smell - farmers spread manure.  Skunks stink after being hit by a car, and if your car runs over a dead one, it will also stink.
Road hazards, depending on area - deer, moose, groundhogs, skunks, raccoons, squirrels, stupid male grouse showing off to a female in the middle of the road, male moose in rut thinking it is annoyed at your truck, etc.

If all this sounds like "no problem", welcome to the country  ;-)

[ltt]

I would think you would need at least 20+ acres with a property that sits back off of a road as to avoid some traffic noise, and no road leading to any other properties (think in terms of the letter "T" where a more main road is at the top and then you have a very long private driveway that you take into your property/house and surrounded by trees).

[I'm a red panda]

My nice country road behind my house is about to be paved and connected as an interstate exit.

The idolic setting is about to become traffic filled.

I am not happy.

And no, nowhere is safe.  (I'd say that even if you surround yourself with land and live in the middle. I have been astonished what can be taken as "eminent domain" recently.)

[Mrs.LC]

Re this idyllic country life you are all discussing:

You are responsible for water and sewage - when your well pump goes out on Good Friday, have fun.  When your front yard starts to stink, you have a new leach field to pay for - or like people I once knew found out, the septic tank that was supposed to come with your house did not exist, all your house sewage was gong into a grey water well and you are about to spend $20,000+.
Your electricity will be billed as "rural low density", this is any company's most expensive rate.
Be sure there is county garbage and recycling pickup, or you will have the dump hours memorized.  And they are not set for your convenience.  And check location, if the next municipality's dump is closer, you will not be able to use it.
Country people get up early, you get machine noises at 6:30.
Woodpeckers like the sound of beak on metal - that could be your TV antenna getting pounded on at 6:30 AM.
Roosters crow regularly, not just once in the morning.
Depending on your area, your quiet country road can have trucks (milk bulk trucks, sewage pump out trucks, big oil tanker trucks, gravel trucks, etc.), tractors and other farm equipment (that take 1.5 road widths so you are doing 5 km behind them), ATVs going super fast, snowmobiles crossing, etc. etc.
Out back will be the snowmobiles.
Snow belt - if you are that isolated, no plow contractor will take your business, because you are too far away from the rest of the clientele (gasoline and time issues), so be ready to clear that lovely long driveway yourself (East Coast people, I really felt for you this past winter).
Noise - along with the birds will be the frogs in the spring, the coyotes howling at night, the raccoons knocking over your garbage cans if you are silly enough to put them out the night before, the baby raccoons crying (unearthly, someone is being tortured sound) because mommy has been away too long, dogs barking (legitimate, there are raccoons in the corn, a deer munching on your apple tree, a strange car coming up your very long driveway).
Hunting season - if you have a dog, how is it with loud noises?  If it hates thunderstorms, you will know when hunting season starts, because your dog will be a quivering pathetic mess.  For weeks.
Smell - farmers spread manure.  Skunks stink after being hit by a car, and if your car runs over a dead one, it will also stink.
Road hazards, depending on area - deer, moose, groundhogs, skunks, raccoons, squirrels, stupid male grouse showing off to a female in the middle of the road, male moose in rut thinking it is annoyed at your truck, etc.

If all this sounds like "no problem", welcome to the country  ;-)

Well said! Need to add the neighbor's cows breaking out of the fences regularly and trampling your lawn and garden. Instead of having that quiet cup of coffee on the front porch you spend three hours chasing animals. Always fun, too, when their bull greets you on the road when you are trying to take a walk.

[charis]

We live in medium sized city in the Northeast.  We are in a neighborhood almost exclusively full of young families or retirees and there is zero issue with noise.  We specifically sought out this particular neighborhood.   

[partgypsy]

I posted something similar a year ago. People warned me that rural areas can have sounds, too.

I moved to a hamlet, and adore it. Winter was/is the best part -sheer silence. Late spring it changed somewhat: influx of summer residents and visitors; some people talking loud til late; trucks and motorbikes; bird craziness at 530am. Most of the time it's still super quiet -anyone visiting from a city would laugh that I'm grouchy about the rare sounds here- but I'm super sensitive and really tense up even at those occasional motors, etc.

I consider moving out of the hamlet one day and into seclusion, but the birds will follow me as far as I go and so far the occasional sound is worth being able to walk to friends, library, etc. I love being car-free six days a week while still being able to easily access everything I love. And in 8 weeks, the noisier folks head out and we return to months of walkable silence :)

Really? You are complaining about bird sounds? Get some earplugs.

[I'm a red panda]

Really? You are complaining about bird sounds? Get some earplugs.

I have a neighbor who bought one of the more expensive "pond view" lots in our development. She put up a HUGE house.  Then the geese came. She called her builder and asked her to "do something about them".

Um- they are migratory birds. You live on a pond.  They are there every year.  You're going to have to deal with it.

[The_path_less_taken]

My nice country road behind my house is about to be paved and connected as an interstate exit.

The idolic setting is about to become traffic filled.

I am not happy.

And no, nowhere is safe.  (I'd say that even if you surround yourself with land and live in the middle. I have been astonished what can be taken as "eminent domain" recently.)

This. And very sorry for you, iowajoes. Also agree with Retiredat63: that and more.


To answer the OP: I worked in downtown Seattle and lived in Poulsbo (had 5 horses). Not a quick or cheap commute, but came to love the ferry.

I'm on just over 15 acres, but the lot is fairly skinny/long. I can barely hear cars passing if I'm standing in the front of yard. But I did have an issue where a neighbor that decided to fence 8 feet into my land: on the long side of the property. Tried talking nice, repeatedly. Then went over with a Sawzall and cut all the posts down. When he tried to put them back up, sheriff.


It's not a real solution to a lot of sound, but there are many soundproofing options for walls: one is soundboard, but you can also diy with cleaned egg cartons and foam. I lived in a triplex I owned and the woman next door had a baby. I had a contractor come soundboard the 17ft high walls the next day. Worth it.

Depending on your lot, you can also landscape a lot of issues away. Expensive but permanent solution is stone: a rock wall is best. Or even just the stack 'em up brick kind of thing waist high, with dense plantings will buffer/deflect sound.

When I can no longer deal with all the ranch work I will have to move to town....dread that day. I will soundboard the mother I buy to within an inch of it's life, and plant MEGA huge planters to keep noise at bay.

Good luck!

[partgypsy]

When I think of my neighbors and sound, realize, we are probably the bad neighbors. We are on a small lot so next to multiple lots, and have a barking dog. Also 2 kids. But don't play music loud have loud vehicles or a mower/leaf blower.

We have many songbirds in and around our yard but we love it. Well most of the time. Spring early morning they were so loud hubby sat up suddenly and yelled out "Stop chirping!" We then we both giggled uncontrollably.

[acroy]

it's hard to get away from the noise and "douche bag" neighbors who just don't get it. No matter where I've lived, there is always one person who just doesn't get it, loud music, basketball hoop, parties, loud mufflers, etc.

Hahaha, I'm that guy !! LOUD cars, and the occasional home theatre night dialed up to 11. If it's too loud, you're too old!!

Seriously though, I try to be respectful of the neighbors. We (young family) live in a neighborhood full of grandparents & retirees. It just worked out that way, not by design. it is quiet.

[TreeTired]

And if they don't connect you to the nearest interstate they might add a runway or change flight patterns at the airport 30 miles away,  and suddenly you have low flying jumbo jets roaring over your house continuously day and night....


We have been very lucky with our neighbors most places we have lived.  They have either become good friends or simply polite, "good morning, how are you?"  type folks.  Never any problems and I have told my wife we shouldn't take it for granted.  Have heard way too many "neighbor from hell" stories.   

The one exception -  and this was 35 years ago -   our next door neighbor in a zero lotline neighborhood worked at night and left his dogs out barking all night!  Sleep deprivation is a form of torture.

[HoosierGirl]

The country has annoying neighbors too. We live on 7 acres out In the country and have always enjoyed our privacy until the house across the street from us sold to someone who rents it out. A year or so ago he rented it to the most annoying redneck couple ever. Loud glass packed muffler on his truck that he loves to rev constantly etc. they kept us up until 3 am on Sunday with loud Harley's adding to the noise. We have no noise ordinances so we have to grin and bear it until they move or we do.

On the other hand, if it weren't for the rude neighbors and the 15 mile commute to work, I love it. We just finished a 2 mile single track bike trail through forest and we can go fishing out back whenever we want to.

[scrubbyfish]

Get some earplugs.

Why?

I'm extremely happy! Yes, living in a bird sanctuary has its impact when they crescendo into their chorus at 530am -it wakes a person- but no, I'm not complaining. I'm stating. Rural has sounds too. We simply mustn't assume it's quiet. As almost everyone here has noted, it's not necessarily or always. Worth being woken at 530am by an intense bird schtick? Absolutely. Quiet? Not always. But the birds generally delight me out the wazoo!

[Chris22]

Really? You are complaining about bird sounds? Get some earplugs.

I have a neighbor who bought one of the more expensive "pond view" lots in our development. She put up a HUGE house.  Then the geese came. She called her builder and asked her to "do something about them".

Um- they are migratory birds. You live on a pond.  They are there every year.  You're going to have to deal with it.

They're not always there. 

-guy who owns an air rifle with a scope

[scrubbyfish]

For all the reasons people have posted above (whole thread), I rent. I ADORE my current place, feel the occasional surprises of sound are worth it, and am excited that the "off season" comes again soon. But I also love knowing that if construction started, or a highway were added, or a partier moved in nearby, I could just pack everything I own into my car and go to the next place that's quiet. For all the reasons stated, I wouldn't own or build. Areas change. Short of finding the impenetrable land situation described, being mobile is what makes quiet an ongoing option for me. Happily, I also love relocating, and there seems to always be lots of rural rentals available.

[Spork]

Re this idyllic country life you are all discussing:

You are responsible for water and sewage - when your well pump goes out on Good Friday, have fun.  When your front yard starts to stink, you have a new leach field to pay for - or like people I once knew found out, the septic tank that was supposed to come with your house did not exist, all your house sewage was gong into a grey water well and you are about to spend $20,000+.
Your electricity will be billed as "rural low density", this is any company's most expensive rate.
Be sure there is county garbage and recycling pickup, or you will have the dump hours memorized.  And they are not set for your convenience.  And check location, if the next municipality's dump is closer, you will not be able to use it.
Country people get up early, you get machine noises at 6:30.
Woodpeckers like the sound of beak on metal - that could be your TV antenna getting pounded on at 6:30 AM.
Roosters crow regularly, not just once in the morning.
Depending on your area, your quiet country road can have trucks (milk bulk trucks, sewage pump out trucks, big oil tanker trucks, gravel trucks, etc.), tractors and other farm equipment (that take 1.5 road widths so you are doing 5 km behind them), ATVs going super fast, snowmobiles crossing, etc. etc.
Out back will be the snowmobiles.
Snow belt - if you are that isolated, no plow contractor will take your business, because you are too far away from the rest of the clientele (gasoline and time issues), so be ready to clear that lovely long driveway yourself (East Coast people, I really felt for you this past winter).
Noise - along with the birds will be the frogs in the spring, the coyotes howling at night, the raccoons knocking over your garbage cans if you are silly enough to put them out the night before, the baby raccoons crying (unearthly, someone is being tortured sound) because mommy has been away too long, dogs barking (legitimate, there are raccoons in the corn, a deer munching on your apple tree, a strange car coming up your very long driveway).
Hunting season - if you have a dog, how is it with loud noises?  If it hates thunderstorms, you will know when hunting season starts, because your dog will be a quivering pathetic mess.  For weeks.
Smell - farmers spread manure.  Skunks stink after being hit by a car, and if your car runs over a dead one, it will also stink.
Road hazards, depending on area - deer, moose, groundhogs, skunks, raccoons, squirrels, stupid male grouse showing off to a female in the middle of the road, male moose in rut thinking it is annoyed at your truck, etc.

If all this sounds like "no problem", welcome to the country  ;-)

Many of these are not such a big deal.  There are lots of rural areas with actual water service.  Traditional septic tanks (when you have land that percs) are not so much work.  Yeah, you may have to put in a new drain field every 10-20 years. 
We pay the same electric rates as in town.
We actually have COMPETITION for trash pickup -- not some government monopoly.  We can choose from 4 different companies that really want our business.
We get up when the sun comes up.
Woodpeckers are my favorite birds.  We have at least 5 different varieties.  About 6 months out of the year we'll have a pair of Pileateds running through our woods.
I don't care about sounds of nature -- or even dogs barking.   ...but I don't want to hear the highway.  I don't want to hear a stereo.  I don't mind someone working on their car every now and then... but I don't want to live next to the guy revving his engine all day every day.
I don't mind occasional gunshots or target practice... but I don't want to live next to a gun range or rednecks that don't have a clue which direction to shoot to avoid hitting me.

[I'm a red panda]

Really? You are complaining about bird sounds? Get some earplugs.

I have a neighbor who bought one of the more expensive "pond view" lots in our development. She put up a HUGE house.  Then the geese came. She called her builder and asked her to "do something about them".

Um- they are migratory birds. You live on a pond.  They are there every year.  You're going to have to deal with it.

They're not always there. 

-guy who owns an air rifle with a scope

Wouldn't work well for you in my area.  It's illegal, and 6 very nearby neighbors are all in law enforcement. (We also have a lot of nurses. I have no idea why the area has attracted people from essentially two career fields with a few other people scattered in.)

I live in a neighborhood though, not totally rural.  It's just that the neighborhood is IN a rural area.

[iamlittlehedgehog]

As mentioned above - even country homes have a fair share of noise/nuisance issues. It just boils down to what type of noise/nuisance issue you would prefer to deal with. I for one will take the headaches of a country home over the suburbs or a city any day.
As for Florida - snow-birding might a viable option but I do not suggest moving here. In 10 years that spacious plot of land you buy in the middle of nothing will be surrounded by development. Florida is growing faster every year and is steadily being overrun. *grumpy native Floridian alert here*

[Chris22]

Really? You are complaining about bird sounds? Get some earplugs.

I have a neighbor who bought one of the more expensive "pond view" lots in our development. She put up a HUGE house.  Then the geese came. She called her builder and asked her to "do something about them".

Um- they are migratory birds. You live on a pond.  They are there every year.  You're going to have to deal with it.

They're not always there. 

-guy who owns an air rifle with a scope

Wouldn't work well for you in my area.  It's illegal, and 6 very nearby neighbors are all in law enforcement. (We also have a lot of nurses. I have no idea why the area has attracted people from essentially two career fields with a few other people scattered in.)

I live in a neighborhood though, not totally rural.  It's just that the neighborhood is IN a rural area.

In my area, it's in a gray area.  It's illegal to KILL the geese, but it's not illegal to harrass them to get them to leave.  And the air rifle (it's actually not air, it's one of those high-powered spring ones that you cock by folding the barrel) is also in kind of a gray "frowned upon but not strictly illegal" zones.  I used it sniper style, prone on the floor of the deck, picking off geese to get them to fly away.  Usually hitting the same one 2-3 times causes the whole flock to take off, and the eventually stop coming back.

[GuitarStv]

In any case, it seems like living in the greater Seattle area, it's hard to get away from the noise and "douche bag" neighbors who just don't get it. No matter where I've lived, there is always one person who just doesn't get it, loud music, basketball hoop, parties, loud mufflers, etc.

There's not much you can do about the occasional car with a loud muffler going by.  People playing basketball, the occasional dog bark, kids making noise on a Saturday afternoon, those are all reasonable noise levels.  With loud music/parties though . . . have you talked to your neighbours about it?  Are you just being overly sensitive?

Living in a city, you need to accept that people are around.  They will sometimes be noisy.  That said, if it's late at night and the noise is unbearable . . . call the police.  I've had to do this once living in a pretty dense area (some people were having a wedding in their driveway with some very loud acoustic drums at midnight on a Tuesday).  By and large though, if you're reasonable with them people will be reasonable with you.

[Bearded Man]

My nice country road behind my house is about to be paved and connected as an interstate exit.

The idolic setting is about to become traffic filled.

I am not happy.

And no, nowhere is safe.  (I'd say that even if you surround yourself with land and live in the middle. I have been astonished what can be taken as "eminent domain" recently.)

This. And very sorry for you, iowajoes. Also agree with Retiredat63: that and more.


To answer the OP: I worked in downtown Seattle and lived in Poulsbo (had 5 horses). Not a quick or cheap commute, but came to love the ferry.

I'm on just over 15 acres, but the lot is fairly skinny/long. I can barely hear cars passing if I'm standing in the front of yard. But I did have an issue where a neighbor that decided to fence 8 feet into my land: on the long side of the property. Tried talking nice, repeatedly. Then went over with a Sawzall and cut all the posts down. When he tried to put them back up, sheriff.


It's not a real solution to a lot of sound, but there are many soundproofing options for walls: one is soundboard, but you can also diy with cleaned egg cartons and foam. I lived in a triplex I owned and the woman next door had a baby. I had a contractor come soundboard the 17ft high walls the next day. Worth it.

Depending on your lot, you can also landscape a lot of issues away. Expensive but permanent solution is stone: a rock wall is best. Or even just the stack 'em up brick kind of thing waist high, with dense plantings will buffer/deflect sound.

When I can no longer deal with all the ranch work I will have to move to town....dread that day. I will soundboard the mother I buy to within an inch of it's life, and plant MEGA huge planters to keep noise at bay.

Good luck!

A buddy of mine lives in PB and commutes to Seattle. He had a similar issue with his neighbor and last we talked, they still didn't seem to get along. The neighbor tries to strike up conversation with my friend but my friend is still so pissed at his antics (and rightfully so) that he completely ignores him, even in front of others.

We had neighbors cows get out and come onto our property when I was growing up, we lived on 10 acres. We also had neighbors with constant aggression over who had a right to use the dirt road that led up to our property.

What a few other posters noted about how their area was ideal until the bad neighbors moved in, or the area got developed rings very true. Unless you are are he base of Mt. Rainier, you likely will not escape the development in this lifetime.

I know we are not the only ones. When you google it, there are many others who have these issues. It's still better to live in the country where you enjoy peace for a while. I thought buying a house in an expensive area with an HOA was the solution, but the HOA has proven to be next to useless.

At least living in a house doesn't have as many noise issues as an apartment, though I will say, the apartment I lived in for 10 years was quiet. Then I lived in two other apartments in one year in Seattle and OMG, no sound insulation at all. I could hear the neighbor below me unravel the toilet paper to wipe their butt! Don't get me started on the stomping neighbor from above.

In any case, living in a house has removed some of the issues, like the noise issues that come with shared walls, but then you have the issues that come with people having garages, driveways and yards where they and their kids are constantly out playing loud music, running a saw or grinder, etc.

I have to come up with a solution to this. Part of the problem is my gf has a commute to Bellevue but doesn't make that much. In her mind, she thinks $19 an hour is great, but for a 1 to 1.5 hour commute to Bellevue from where we are now (not that far, just traffic...) it's not. She is not going to want to move to the sticks with a longer commute, and she doesn't want to change jobs. She was talking about  finding a job closer to home until she got a better boss. Alas, I may have to decide to move and hope she joins me, because I don't find it reasonable to limit my options for sanity when I make 4-5 times as much, just so she can stay close to a job that really doesn't pay well for the area...

[Bob W]

Consider my place in central Missouri -

Lake of the Ozarks area --- we live on 3 acres.  We are the noisy neighbors often hosting back deck parties on Saturday nights.   I don't think our neighbors care as they rarely come out of their houses so are probably glued in front of the TV. 

No road noise,  no sirens,  no city hum.

It is cheap to live here in a very nice home,  taxes are super low, people are helpful but not intrusive.   The lake is just down the road.  We are 4-7 miles from shopping. 

You can buy acreage in just a tad different direction for pretty cheap as well.    One thing to remember is that sound appears to travel far in the country when there is no background noise.  So depending how your land sits and the way the wind blows you can hear your neighbors mow their lawn even if they are 1 mile away.

Oh  and   ---- last night the milky way was glistening and I saw 6 or 9 falling stars rip across the sky in about a 4 minute time period.

I can never understand why people chose to live in big cities?   

[RetiredAt63]

Or the calves find a small hole in the fence to slip through and are playing in the neighboring hayfield (not good for the hay!) while the cows are calling their errant babies.  Much ado until the farmer comes.  Fun to watch though.

Wild turkeys - population explosion here - they come on people's lawns now.  And Canada Geese during migration season - no population crash for them.

Bull or bull moose - not sure which is worse for attitude.  But moose are larger.

Well said! Need to add the neighbor's cows breaking out of the fences regularly and trampling your lawn and garden. Instead of having that quiet cup of coffee on the front porch you spend three hours chasing animals. Always fun, too, when their bull greets you on the road when you are trying to take a walk.

@Spork - I know this is not always true, I was just tossing out what is reality here.  But if you have municipal sewage and water you are not rural (IMHO).  It can go the other way, my first house had town water but a septic system, it had been in a cottage area until urban sprawl hit it.   
But urban people can be amazingly unaware of the realities of country life.  On this very forum someone made a negative comment about all the wasted land planted in rural lawns - never realized that those were leach fields.  Might as well have the front lawn be the leach field, that leaves the backyard free for more productive activities.  And of course geography matters - if you don't have a good perc rate, you won't have a septic system.  I do - and I have rural internet, no cables come out here, TV was satellite and internet is tower.  Did I mention no added services for the phone - Bell doesn't do voice mail and call forwarding in my area.  Too far from the exchange, too spread out to be worthwhile.

Since I am definitely rural, I obviously can live with all this.  Although a 45 pound dog quivering and drooling on you at 5:30AM gets tired fast - but it is rural and people hunt, so there it is.  If I thought I could be a good enough shot I would be hunting too, there are more than enough Canada Geese and wild turkeys to go around.

[Chris22]

I can never understand why people chose to live in big cities?

Opportunity.  I'm not in the big city, but I'm in the suburbs of one, and the opportunities here are staggering compared to many other places. 

[NoraLenderbee]

I live right on the edge of of a retirement community. Literally walk across the street and I'm in 55+ territory. The subdivision here is full of snowbirds and the retired with only a handful of people younger than 50. By 8PM, its a ghost town and we do not hear a peep. Right now, being summer, half the people are in Minnesota or wherever. It is VERY quiet, especially given we moved from an apartment complex that was down the street from a university. Its almost eerily quiet at times.

So maybe look at demographics and find an area that is geared toward seniors but does not have an age restriction?

Yes, but aren't the TVs all turned up to eleven because the residents are hard of hearing?

j/k . This is a good idea. I'll consider retirement areas in my planning, because neighbor noise is a problem for me, too.

[tn3sport]

Consider living on a boat.

If you don't like the neighbors, pull up anchor and move.
Seriously, if you have the cash, look at large catamarans. Catamarans dont heel like other boats. They are stable in choppy water. There are power and sail options.
Install some solar panels and a battery bank. Wind generators are noisy. So, stick with solar. There are live-aboard communities that have laundry, club houses, and showers, and reserved parking spots. All depends on how much you have to spend.  Of course, if you have nothing, there are people living in inlets for free in parts of Florida. They come ashore via dinghy for shopping and other activities. (Although the Florida government is trying to limit this with new anchoring restrictions.) When the bad weather comes, there are rivers where you can hide out or worst case, pull out of the water. i.e. Green Cove Springs, FL is one of the best hurricane hide-outs in the state. Old WW2 navy yard has lots of cheap places for boats/yachts/ships.

If you can't move, sound proof the bedroom in your house. Double the insulation in the ceiling above your bedroom. Then, double your drywall with a 1'' air gap between layers.  Put 1 inch fir stripping over the existing drywall (to act as a surface to screw the new drywall to.) then install a new layer of drywall. Put replacement windows (Home Depot <$100 each)  in the interior of the window seal while leaving the old exterior window in place. This creates about 3 inches of insulated glass.

Lots of tricks, but these will block out most noises.

[Dollar Slice]

I can never understand why people chose to live in big cities?

Art. Music. Culture. People-watching. Jobs. Niche communities for everyone. Dynamic and interesting people (not "glued to the TV" neighbors). 24-hour public transit. Diversity. Tons of incredible free/cheap things to do. Walking distance to practically anything you need, much of which is available 24-7. History. Architecture. Etc.

If you're the kind of person who just wants to hang out with your family and fish and hike and relax, then the country is obviously the place for you. I enjoy a lot of mental stimulation (art/music/conversation with new and unusual people/etc) so city life is more ideal for me.

[scrubbyfish]

If you're the kind of person who just wants to hang out with your family and fish and hike and relax, then the country is obviously the place for you. I enjoy a lot of mental stimulation (art/music/conversation with new and unusual people/etc) so city life is more ideal for me.

I have the best of both those worlds :)    Rural living in a village of super smart people and lots of diversity, art, conversation, etc. I think these characteristics aren't specific to "city", just as hanging with family isn't specific to "country". Some people in the country are all about meth labs, parties, constant engagement; some are all about art, connection, endless conversation, etc. Ditto both for cities.

[Spork]

@Spork - I know this is not always true, I was just tossing out what is reality here.  But if you have municipal sewage and water you are not rural (IMHO). 

Municipal fresh water extends waaay out into the rural areas here.  We are not on muni sewer... traditional septic.