House for sale next to level crossing

bushytailedfox · 21 Aug 2011

Good morning

I've joined the forum in the hope that one of you would be good enough to point me in the right direction.

I live next to a level crossing and have my house up for sale. Unfortunately, the proximity of the house to the railway line is putting viewers off so I have decided to think smart and appeal to people who actually like the railways and who may actually enjoy living near one

I'd very much like to post a link to the house on RightMove but don't know if this would be acceptable on here, or where to do it. Could somebody maybe advise me please?

Alternatively, if you are looking for a house in Solihull next to a level crossing (beautiful view of the Shakespeare Express on a Sunday) please get in touch.

Many thanks

RailUK Forums

Rugd1022 · 21 Aug 2011

Hi and welcome to the forum... I take it you live right next to Bentley Heath Crossing...? I work freight trains past there, apologies if I've ever disturbed your sleep whilst gliding through at two in the morning

bushytailedfox · 21 Aug 2011

Rugd1022 said:
Hi and welcome to the forum... I take it you live right next to Bentley Heath Crossing...? I work freight trains past there, apologies if I've ever disturbed your sleep whilst gliding through at two in the morning

Yes you are right

The strange thing is I've never been disturbed by a train in all the time I've lived here - so carry on gliding at your leisure

John Webb · 21 Aug 2011

There's also the various railway mags - "The Railway Magazine" classified adverts often have a couple of properties each month up for sale.

Minilad · 21 Aug 2011

bushytailedfox said:
Yes you are right

The strange thing is I've never been disturbed by a train in all the time I've lived here - so carry on gliding at your leisure

See that was a schoolboy error right there.
It get awfully tempting to blow ones horn on approach to crossings !!
I hope no XC / Chiltern / Freightliner / EWS / LM driver would do this though if they have read this

yorksrob · 21 Aug 2011

Out of interest, is the property an old crossing keepers cottage because if it were, it would have more cachet amongst the railway fraternity.

theblackwatch · 21 Aug 2011

bushytailedfox said:
I'd very much like to post a link to the house on RightMove but don't know if this would be acceptable on here, or where to do it. Could somebody maybe advise me please?

Feel free to post the link here, as it will no doubt be of interest to members (even those who aren't interested in buying your place!).

Madge Wildfire · 21 Aug 2011

bushytailedfox said:
Yes you are right

The strange thing is I've never been disturbed by a train in all the time I've lived here - so carry on gliding at your leisure

It is strange how people get used to passing trains. I lived right next to the Marylebone - High Wycombe line many years ago and assumed I did hear each train when I was there, but one day while taping a mate's LP (yes it was that long ago) the whole thing finished without any unpredicted noises (door bell, dog barking etc).

However when I listened to the tape, right in the middle of a quiet bit on the album an 8-car class 115 droned past but at the time it had not registered with me at all.

DaveNewcastle · 21 Aug 2011

XCDriver said:
It get awfully tempting to blow ones horn on approach to crossings !!

That's the best remark today!!!

I lived in a house which backed onto the GWML out of Paddington for years - no problem, other than evey loco-hauled train causing the record on the record player to jump (yes, the vinyl years, called 'record player' and not 'stereo'); and my father's family apparently lived right next to the ECML throught their lives. Also, good friend lived in a former station house where I've stayed overnight often enough - not a problem.

I do recognise that some people do find the noise (and vibration) of Railway workings to be intrusive and disruptive. Its not purely a matter of absolute noise levels but also one of acclimatisation. There's a lot of data published on the matter, by the Environment Agency and others (DCMS, DEFRA etc.) and some night-time noise level constraints published by the World Health organisation (WHO), setting a very low level, but which has not been adopted by the UK Gov't.

In short, people adapt (most people, though some will become increasingly antagonistic) and background nose levels are relative:-
A citizen of inner London is already acclimatised to high background levels but may respond badly to intermittent noise in a rural location; a citizen of rural Northumberland is acclimatised to merely weather and animal noise most of the time - and low-level high-speed high-power intercontinental jet aircraft at arbitrary times.

Flamingo · 21 Aug 2011

I used to live in West London, under the approach to Heathrow. It never bothered me after the first month (except for the early Concorde on a Sunday morning).

After eight years I moved away, and about 12 months later went back to visit a friend for a few days. The noise was unbearable!

bushytailedfox · 22 Aug 2011

John Webb - thanks very much, would "The Railway" magazine be the most popular amongst railway enthusiasts would you say?

yorksrob - I would assume that the house would have been the crossing keeper's cottage but have no hard evidence of this. In essence there are 5 houses in my row, 4 terraces which people assume were the railway worker's houses (mine is the closest to the crossing) with a large double fronted house at the other end which is assumed to be the stationmaster's house.

There is a post on the boundary of my house which reads "Great Western Railway Company 1881" so I have always assumed that the railway and my row of houses were built at the same time. It would be great if anyone reading this has any further knowledge of them or what this post's purpose would have been.

The other houses that are next to the crossing (opposite me and the two the other side) are all modern so I don't think it's an unreasonable assumption that mine would be the one that the crossing keeper would have inhabited.

Here's the link for you all http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-29973004.html

Rugd1022 · 22 Aug 2011

Very nice... good luck with the sale, hope all goes well

Your home has featured in several fairly well known railway photos by a chap called Michael Mensing back in the 60s, mostly taken from the footbridge with the odd few taken from the signalbox (sadly now gone of course). Being a local lad, he covered just about every inch of the GWR lines in the Birmingham area.

All Line Rover · 22 Aug 2011

hock: I've just been looking at Rightmove and can't believe how much houses cost in Solihull! 300k plus for a 4-bed detached house!

hock:

hock:

I've never been to Solihull so can't comment on how nice the area is (perhaps it is one of the nicer areas of the West Midlands - if there is one that is

) but nevertheless you can get cheaper houses in Ashford and Dover! :lol:

matt · 22 Aug 2011

I've photographed your house http://railways.mjspencer.com/gallery/v/August09/IMG_4251.JPG.html

@ALR - how much do you expect a 4-bed detached house to cost?

Class172 · 22 Aug 2011

All Line Rover said:
hock: I've just been looking at Rightmove and can't believe how much houses cost in Solihull! 300k plus for a 4-bed detached house! hock:hock:hock:

I've never been to Solihull so can't comment on how nice the area is (perhaps it is one of the nicer areas of the West Midlands - if there is one that is ) but nevertheless you can get cheaper houses in Ashford and Dover!

Out of the 10 most expensive streets in the West Midlands (region), 4 are in Solihull, with the remainder in Worcestershire and Herefordshire. Yes Solihull has some very nice areas - the larger houses tend to be in the SE of the town towards the M42 and the park.

Do you mean West Mids. county, if so there are some very nice areas dotted around; there are some huge houses straddling the A429 between Coventry and Kenilworth.

I'm not surprised by the house prices either, that's fairly normal around where I live; in the most expensive part of Droitwich, houses that size can easily reach £800,000+.

As for the house itself, I'd love to have a house next to a railway line, the noise wouldn't bother me at all.

All Line Rover · 22 Aug 2011

matt said:
@ALR - how much do you expect a 4-bed detached house to cost?

Here are the "average" prices for a 4-bed detached house - with a garden and parking - in the following areas from Rightmove (I take the prices from page 3 for most places):

Solihull: £315k.
Droitwich: £240k.
Wolverhampton: £190k. (No great surprise there.

)
Chester: £260k. (About average, although I don't think Chester is anything special.)
Crewe: £180k.
Nantwich: £280k.
Manchester: £180k.
Newcastle: £215k.
Dover: £275k.
Ashford: £240k. (What a bargain - just 35 minutes from London! :lol:

)
"Royal" Tunbridge Wells: £390k. (Complete rip off!)
Horsham: £390k. (Another rip off compared to Ashford.)
Milton Keynes: £210k.

Considering Solihull is in the "West Midlands" it does stand out a bit! (This house is what I would class as "average:" http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-19310697.html.) Prices for that type of house in the north are generally in the region of £200-£250k. I've always thought Ashford is cheap, though!

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Class172 said:
I'm not surprised by the house prices either, that's fairly normal around where I live; in the most expensive part of Droitwich, houses that size can easily reach £800,000+.

I'd expect a 4-bedroom detached house costing £800k to be near (not in) London. If not, I'd expect it to have many reception rooms, a VERY big garden, a swimming pool and lots of other fancy features! :lol:

Class172 · 22 Aug 2011

All Line Rover said:
Droitwich: £240k.

Thing is, Droitwich Spa has a very wide spread of housing, from the largest costing upto and over £1,000,000 but with many small, cheaper houses that bring the average down. If you look at any demographics of the town, there is a clear east-west divide which generally separates the two areas (generally defined by the main through road (B4090) or the railway. Ask any local person which side is the more affluent overall and they will easily come up with the same answer.

(I'm not trying to be snobby, I'm just trying to get across that averages aren't entirely over larger areas.)

I'd expect a 4-bedroom detached house costing £800k to be near (not in) London. If not, I'd expect it to have many reception rooms, a VERY big garden, a swimming pool and lots of other fancy features!

That could be explained by the fact that most of the houses down that street have huge gardens and that they back onto the town's Lido Park.

Mojo · 22 Aug 2011

matt said:
@ALR - how much do you expect a 4-bed detached house to cost?

It sounds like a bargain to me!

MidnightFlyer · 22 Aug 2011

Class172 said:
Do you mean West Mids. county,

The West Midlands isn't a county, it's an administrative area AFAIK.

All Line Rover said:
"Royal" Tunbridge Wells: £390k. (Complete rip off!)

I'd expect a 4-bedroom detached house costing £800k to be near (not in) London. If not, I'd expect it to have many reception rooms, a VERY big garden, a swimming pool and lots of other fancy features!

Firstly, Tunbridge Wells is one of the nicest towns I have ever been to, far and away better than some of the other 'well to do' towns.

Secondly, what planet are you on? £800,000 for a house in London with a pool and a large garden? Get real!

Mojo said:
It sounds like a bargain to me!

Same here!

Class172 · 22 Aug 2011

MattE2010 said:
The West Midlands isn't a county, it's an administrative area AFAIK.

Fair point, but they no longer belong to their respective historical counties so can be counted as separate to neighbouring counties; therefore it is referred to as a county, but it can be easily confused with the region of West Midlands, which consists of the West Midlands, Staffs, Worcs, Warks, Shropshire and Herefordshire.

All Line Rover · 22 Aug 2011

Class172 said:
Thing is, Droitwich Spa has a very wide spread of housing, from the largest costing upto and over £1,000,000 but with many small, cheaper houses that bring the average down. If you look at any demographics of the town, there is a clear east-west divide which generally separates the two areas (generally defined by the main through road (B4090) or the railway. Ask any local person which side is the more affluent overall and they will easily come up with the same answer.

The same goes for Shrewsbury.

There are many houses round here which cost £500k+, although I consider them to be farms with a house, rather than a family home! :lol:

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Mojo said:
It sounds like a bargain to me!

Of course it's a bargain if you live in London, but London and the surrounding area doesn't reflect the rest of the UK in any way whatsoever.
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MattE2010 said:
Firstly, Tunbridge Wells is one of the nicest towns I have ever been to, far and away better than some of the other 'well to do' towns.

The residential parts of Tunbridge Wells are nothing special, and the town centre itself isn't much better than many other market towns. It's only expensive because of the "Royal" prefix. (A bit like Chester, which is expensive because it's supposedly "posh," even though many areas of the City are actually very run down - so much so some people have been shot just sitting in their car!

)

MattE2010 said:
Secondly, what planet are you on? £800,000 for a house in London with a pool and a large garden? Get real!

First of all, I said "near" London. I have seen very large 4-bed detached houses on Rightmove in Pinner for just £600k. Secondly, I don't expect an £800k detached house in London to have loads of reception rooms and a swimming pool! I said "if not" (i.e. if the house is not in the London area) I would then expect it to have many receptions rooms and a swimming pool (or a very large garden) to justify the high cost.

MidnightFlyer · 22 Aug 2011

All Line Rover said:
The residential parts of Tunbridge Wells are nothing special, and the town centre itself isn't much better than many other market towns. It's only expensive because of the "Royal" prefix.

No, it really is better than a hell of a load of other towns that have the same reputation, for example Chester...

All Line Rover · 22 Aug 2011

MattE2010 said:
No, it really is better than a hell of a load of other towns that have the same reputation, for example Chester...

Chester is a city not a market town.

(Though I'm sure you knew that.

)

bushytailedfox · 22 Aug 2011

Matt that picture is superb - that bridge is a fantastic bonus for seeing all the variety of trains that pass. On a Sunday when the Shakespeare Express comes past in the morning and afternoon I feel like I could sell teas out the front to all the people on the bridge - I'd make a fortune

I can't add much to the housing debate, apart from to say that Solihull is a very nice area to live, affluent and with excellent facilities, transport links and schooling. There's a superb comprehensive about 15 minutes walk away (which the house is in the catchment area for) plus it's only 15 minutes walk from Dorridge station so brilliant for commuting. There are 2 lovely parks within walking distance as well as shops and all the usual stuff so it's a perfect location from that point of view.

I have to say, when I viewed the house it was a dark January afternoon and as I watched a train go past from the back bedroom, I thought there was something very lovely and old fashioned about the way the lights disappeared down the track towards the lights of the station. I just have to hope that someone shares my feelings!!

90019 · 22 Aug 2011

All Line Rover said:
hock: I've just been looking at Rightmove and can't believe how much houses cost in Solihull! 300k plus for a 4-bed detached house! hock:hock:hock:

That's not bad.

I'm doing viewings in a 2 bedroom flat in Edinburgh just now, which is offers over £225k, and I recently did a couple at a 3 bedroom flat near the city centre that's at offers over £425k

All Line Rover · 22 Aug 2011

90019 said:
That's not bad.

I'm doing viewings in a 2 bedroom flat in Edinburgh just now, which is offers over £225k, and I recently did a couple at a 3 bedroom flat near the city centre that's at offers over £425k

But of course you are talking about city-centre flats, which are always very expensive. I'm coming from the perspective of what the average detached house costs in a "residential" area of North-West (ish) England.

I'm actually quite surprised how expensive Edinburgh is, considering the weather! :lol:

WestCoast · 22 Aug 2011

As for the housing debate, well, would you rather be the mansion looking out on the shed, or the shed looking at the mansion? That is the question.

I'd be rather bored in some "posh" towns, and some of them really don't appeal to me. I wouldn't mind being in a good area of a "standard" town/city/conurbation instead. Just my opinion on the matter.

All Line Rover said:
I've never been to Solihull so can't comment on how nice the area is (perhaps it is one of the nicer areas of the West Midlands - if there is one that is ) but nevertheless you can get cheaper houses in Ashford and Dover!

There are nice/decent areas everywhere - you can't write off a massive area just because of preconceptions.

matt · 22 Aug 2011

All Line Rover said:
But of course you are talking about city-centre flats, which are always very expensive. I'm coming from the perspective of what the average detached house costs in a "residential" area of North-West (ish) England.

I'm actually quite surprised how expensive Edinburgh is, considering the weather!

How is Solihull in the North West?

Zoe · 22 Aug 2011

MattE2010 said:
The West Midlands isn't a county, it's an administrative area AFAIK.

The West Midlands is a ceremonial and metropolitan county although the county council was abolished in 1986 the county still legally exists.

All Line Rover · 22 Aug 2011

matt said:
How is Solihull in the North West?

Well, it's North-West of London, and everything is centred around London, isn't it.

Some might even consider Milton Keynes to be in the "North-West." I certainly wouldn't say it's in the "South."

If you take "North-West" to just mean the Manchester/Liverpool/Lancaster area, I honestly wouldn't know how to describe the area in which I live. It's not in Wales, it's not in any part of the Midlands, and it's not near Manchester and Liverpool.

House for sale next to level crossing

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