Buyers Respond to “What would entice you to buy a house on a busy street?
I polled home buyers with the following question:
“What would entice you to buy a house on a busy street (a 4-lane, for ex.), whether it backed, sided, or faced the busy street? This would also assume there were other similar homes in the neighborhood that were NOT on the busy street. What would make you choose the one over the other?”
Thought you might find the answers helpful (I grouped them as “Absolutely Not”, “Maybe” and “Only Under These Conditions”).
ABSOLUTELY NOT…
A. Nothing!! I would never buy a house on a busy street. Much too dangerous and I like my privacy and wouldn’t want to live where cars drive by constantly.
A. If you have children or pets don’t do it. We bought on a busy street and our dog was run over. Our children were in danger just getting on and off the school bus. We lasted only nine months there.
A. I think the only thing that would make me even think of it is the price, but it still would not be worth it to me. Way too much noise, and would hate to back out of my driveway every day thinking my car would get hit. I’m sure I would not do it.
MAYBE…
A. This might sound silly, but someone might like the “sleep noise” aspect. The street my mother lives on has progressively gotten very busy over the past few years. If the TV isn’t on, the traffic is almost like white noise—can be soothing. ‘Course, there’s no honking and that sort of thing, just a steady hum of tires and swishing sounds.
A. Many retirees are looking to buy within walking distance of shopping, close to medical facilities, entertainment and leisure/educational facilities. If gas prices increase, the convenience of having services close by also becomes more important for people on fixed incomes. Being a baby boomer myself, I think about what my needs might be when I retire.
A. One of my good friends lives on a busy street and it’s also two blocks from a major hospital. I am amazed at how quiet it is due to top-of-the-line windows to block out the street noise. The large yard is about 1/2 acre and the house sits back far from the street. After the last snow storm, there is a definite advantage to being close to the hospital: her street was plowed while I was waiting for the city to remember where my street was!
A. I did, entirely by accident. I was new to the area, and I didn’t do my homework. But it worked out great. A previous owner planted pine trees along the front property line. Those trees are now 20 feet tall and do a lot to limit the noise.
A. We bought a home on a half-acre downtown lot backing up to a 4-lane. Sidewalks everywhere, and within walking distance to post office, library, grocery, pharmacy, vet, police, city hall, fire dept., doctors, shops. Always first to have our power restored. Trees at the back of the lot provided privacy, and yards can be fenced in. We loved it there, our kids loved it there, but it’s not for everybody. Eventually sold it as commercial property ($$$!!!).
ONLY UNDER THESE CONDITIONS…
A. What would make me choose the one over the other? Price!
A. It would have to be a great price, it would have to be charming in some way, and it would have to have safe entry/exit. I would also have to be looking for a permanent home—i.e., not looking to sell and move in the foreseeable future. Traffic noise does not bother me.
A. Obviously, some people don’t have a problem with them since people live there. The biggest incentive would be price. And if it was near my job, that would be good. Maybe people buying their first home would do it. Maybe when I was single and younger, I would have.
A. Traffic noise doesn’t bother me. I actually find it quite peaceful—I was the one who couldn’t sleep when I visited a friend in Iowa because there wasn’t any noise! An attractive barrier between the house and street would help. The house would absolutely have to be move-in ready. Having something none of the other houses had, maybe.
* * *
Sounds like the consensus is:
- Easy driveway access—a circle-drive perhaps.
- Turned-up landscaping for privacy and sound muffling.
- Desirable upgrades or features.
- Proximity to what’s important: work, shopping, schools.
- An attractive price.
Idea: Don’t have time to install extensive landscaping? Consider offering a gift card to a local nursery as an incentive to buyers.
Wondering where to invest in those enticing upgrades or features? Having staged close to 9,000 homes, I see what people like by what they have in their homes. Give me a call and let’s put our heads together!
You might also like: Design Mistakes that Create Bad Resale Value
Copyright © 2022 by Cynthia Gentry Black, Home Staging by Cynthia, LLC in Kansas City.
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