ᐅ Plot near the highway – is it worth it?

Hello everyone,

we found a plot of land in a rural area: sufficiently large, perfect and quick public transport connections to the big city, no high-voltage power lines – there is only one “but”:
next to it runs a motorway / highway A9. The straight-line distance is about 400 meters (about 440 yards). There is a large noise barrier, so the noise level is definitely acceptable.
We plan to build a detached house (solid construction, sand-lime brick), triple glazing, and controlled mechanical ventilation.
We have a small baby, and my concern is the possible air pollution due to the motorway. There is also a large forest nearby.
Do you have any experience with something like this? Or is the distance large enough to be considered safe? Otherwise, this would be an ideal option for us.
Thank you very much!
Best regards
NilsHolgersson

A tile stove used by neighbors for burning damp wood and household waste is generally much more dangerous. What is the situation— is it rather open and windy? Or is it a basin location where air from the highway can stagnate and accumulate? If it is reasonably well ventilated, I personally would have no concerns. What type of terrain lies between the property and the highway? Residential area? Meadow? Forest?

Quite a few people live within throwing distance of the A1 motorway here. My father is about 150 m (490 feet) in a straight line from the A1. It is considered one of the most desirable residential areas around here. After about three days, you barely notice the slight noise.

I find 400 m (1,310 feet) from the highway to be completely “normal” and acceptable in our relatively densely populated country.

Oetzberger schrieb:

What is the location like? Is it more open and windy?

Thanks for the response 🙂 There is a meadow in between, partly developed with detached houses, but not densely built – so it’s well ventilated in that sense. On two other sides, there is forest.

We currently live on the ground floor of a third row near a four-lane "urban highway," with a house-high earth berm in between. I don’t want to directly compare it to a highway, but the background noise actually becomes hardly noticeable quite quickly. It was only when we visited our building plot in the countryside that I truly realized how much quieter it is there compared to the city 😀

A friend of mine lives near a bridge over the same "urban highway," and there the "clattering" noise from the bridge joints to the regular roadway can be quite annoying.

I would suggest spending an afternoon during rush hour near the plot to really hear what the noise level is like. With a controlled mechanical ventilation system and suitable filters, you can probably reduce quite a lot of noise inside.

NilsHolgersson schrieb:

Thanks for the reply 🙂 There is a meadow in between, partly built up with detached houses, but not densely - so it's well ventilated. On two other sides, there is forest.

Well then, go for it! Don’t worry about the air quality.