So about 2 years ago my family & I moved within the same township literally about 1 mile away from our old home. Our home was very small for our growing family and we needed an upgrade. I did my homework as best I could (but not good enough). Among many things on our wishlist was more privacy which is very hard to find in my overpopulated and crowded South Jersey area. We were able to find an extremely affordable home that backed up to a decent patch of woods on an over extended lot. I absolutely loved that aspect of the home, in fact I wouldn't be on this website or have fallen in love with wood as much as I am if I didn't purchase this home with a fireplace and plenty wood behind my home. We had to put some work into the home for sure as it was very dated but we had some family help and I am pretty handy as well. With all that said, I had many original concerns of its location as it is very close to two busy and noisy roads. On top of that I've learned my street is used as a through street to a shopping plaza and also one of the access roads to reach the rest of the development and another development. My street is so busy at times that I encourage my kids to play out back vs. out front as speeding down my street is another issue. In my home I can hear almost the constant sound of traffic going by the front of my house and back/side of my house. The hemi engines going by almost every few minutes, the kids with those mufflers and muscle cars are constantly heard all within a few minutes of each other. At night since am up higher I can hear it even more then eventually it dies down around 10 - 11PM but only the rear up again at 5-6AM with people going to work, then the school buses start at 6:30AM. I really failed and have been kicking myself for two years, I've been devastated. I can't believe I made a mistake of this magnitude. It's been eating at me since the day we practically bought the home, but I took a leap of faith figuring it wouldn't be as bad as I thought and my wife loved the home and it does have all that we wanted. But I am a very private guy, enjoy peace and quiet. My kids are already in school and we also have another baby on way due next month. None of this bothers my wife and kids, they love the home and the thought of uprooting my family again and going through this all over again is utterly daunting and has kept me up at night thinking about it all. I realize there are only two options and basically just venting and ranting here. It's something that is constantly on my mind and is just eating away at me. I actually avoid going out front at times as it make my blood boil to see so much traffic and see people speeding. What also kills me is I feel I am handcuffed. The many home projects and outdoors projects I've dreamed of doing I simply don't do because I don't know if I am staying or going. Am in a constant state of limbo! I did have a heart to heart with my wife a while ago and she is on board with us moving again if need be, she would support me 100% but it is still very very daunting of a thought. There are a few more complications in this whole thing such as my brother in law how helped us gut and redo the entire kitchen (he was well compensated for it) but still bothers me if we were to sell. Other complication is I don't know where I would go. I want a little bit of land, privacy, no neighbors on top me and of course not near any noisy roads. But I'd have to move further away from where I am to get that and move away from so so many family and friends who live within a few miles of me, especially my aging parents who need my help more and more each day. Just to put into perspective, I realize on the grand scheme of things of life I am a very very lucky man. I have a wonderful family, a job, a roof over my head a car, my health etc... I don't want anyone to ever think I am ungrateful. Thanks for lending an ear or should I say eyes!
Good to be able to download and FHC members can understand where your coming from. I was fortunate in that when I left Jersey in 1982 I was able to do so because of not having a lot of ties. That state was the pitts back in 82 and I can well imagine how much worse it must be now. Good luck in solving your situation.
Thanks Rottiman! Yeah I can't say many good things about NJ, being close to the Ocean and the shore is very nice and we do have some good public schools but overall it's a very crowded and overpopulated and I would leave in a heartbeat but I just have so many dam ties to family.
I feel for us ReelFaster, I once worked in Manhatten, for 9 months and hated every minute of it! Some suggestions, depending on your budget, the noise bothers you, not the family, spray foam or sound insulate the front of the house. Yes it' some money but your sanity is important to. Besides cedar hedges, those things work great for stopping speeding cars. Do most of your upgrades in back look into sound deadening measures (cedar hedge) plantings fences etc etc works a little for that when full.
Have you considered some sort of fencing or maybe a berm out front? Wouldn't help much if you're upstairs. Oh, I see CbVT beat me to it. I was about to also suggest some sound deadening at the front of the house as well.
I've thought about putting $$ into the house, triple pane windows, sound proofing, etc... but at the end of the days it's simply not where I want to be. But more and more thinking that I really don't have a choice either I suck it up and stick it out or we pickup and move. My sanity is important I don't want the day to come where my unhappiness is affecting my family or Dad's miserable and unhappy and it rubs off on the whole family. Not sure I'll ever get over making a mistake of this magnitude!
I run a radio all day to try to drown out some of the noise at my house, I have lived here about 30 years and the traffic is crazy...Then they just added rumble strips I can't afford to move....
I know you really don’t want to be where you are, but in the meantime... three rows of firewood, stacked 6’ high, can make a nice privacy fence and sound barrier. Plus could be a great way to work out some frustrations. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
You have my sympathy. Can you afford to buy some land now? You could have a peaceful place to go to on the weekends and cut wood. Good luck!
Thanks everyone some very sound advice! Cutting wood and stacking some cords did help me take my mind off things BIG time. And I owe this house to me getting into firewood. I've kinda slowed down as my fireplace is open and not very efficient which brings me back to house projects. Do I put an insert in knowing I may move? Half of me wants to have it done it yesterday but then other half is like that's crazy if I really want to move. Really in a bind but eventually I need to make my mind up I suppose! There are ton of pro's to being here, but I'll tell those few cons are HUGE in my book. Trying to go by the quote "Just because you spent a long time making a mistake doesn't mean you have to take that long to get over it" or something like that. I kick myself just about every day! Milleo, I do that all the time. I run the TV or put music on all the time to drown out the sound. In fact in our bedroom we have a sound machine. We had for the kids when they were babies and I've since confiscated it. Sometimes though I just like to shut everything off and hear silence and just relax. Sometimes I get it on the weekends if am up early it's not too bad out. Thanks again all!
On well traveled roads through communities up here, they use a cement wall system. Cement posts with tracks down the sides and then cement slats are installed between them. They look very nice and really deflect the noise back into the street.
In the mean time, plant some trees/bushes Blocking Road Noise with Trees and Shrubs - Fence Specialists
Build a wall of wood out front to deaden the noise and show everyone what a hillbilly living in the city looks like!
Hahaha I love it!! Funny the guy down the street has his entire driveway just about stacked with wood, he did a nice job too stacking looks nice.....!
