Swapping the noisy city for a quiet town might leave you more rested, but set you back £100k

Turns out you can put a price on a little peace and quiet

Has a shouting neighbour (or potential prime minister) ever startled you out of a deep sleep? Or have you been forced to shut you bedroom window during a heatwave to block out the almost constant soundtrack of car horns and wailing sirens? If you live in a city you’ve probably already experienced all of this and then some.

Related: The 17 UK towns and cities where you can snap up a family home for £100k or less revealed

Well, if you’re anything like us, you’ve probably considered swapping your noisy city life for a little peace and quiet in a small town. But escaping the noise might actually end up costing you as much as £100k.

Estate agent, Springbok Properties, found that out of 23 UK cities with excessive noise pollution, putting up with the noise in half of them would work out cheaper than pursuing a quiet life.

house with white wall and wooden door and plants

(Image credit: Future PLC/Brent Darby)

The study compared the average house prices in 23 cities where noise pollution surpassed the recommended levels by the EEA, to those in a quieter area. On average, moving to a more serene town will cost you 5% more than opting to buy in a noisier area.

The largest price difference was found when trading in noisy Southampton for nearby Romsey. The prices increased by 55 per cent from £115,044 to £323,203. Other cities with high noise pollution levels included Nottingham, Plymouth, Leicester, Manchester, Belfast, Liverpool, Bristol, Cardiff and Birmingham. Moving to quieter nearby areas would cost you between 4 per cent and 37 per cent more than staying put.

building with brick wall and natural background green grass

(Image credit: Future PLC/Polly Eltes)

However, if you live in Glasgow, Sheffield, Edinburgh, Leeds, Oxford, Cambridge, Newcastle, Newport, Swansea or London you can seek peace and quiet without the additional cost. Moving from the capital to Aylesbury could, in fact, save you £147, 726.

Moving from the more affordable Glasgow to East Kilbride will save not only a few restless nights but also £6,354.

small town in UK

(Image credit: Future PLC/Polly Eltes)

‘Noise levels can be a particular turn off for second and third-time buyers,’ says Shepherd Ncube, founder and CEO of Springbok Properties. ‘It’s at this latter stage of life, many of us opt for a quieter location.’

‘Unfortunately, this often means paying that bit extra for it but the fragmented nature of the UK market means there are some peaceful spots at a more affordable price,’ he adds.

Related: Buyers can save an average of £250k by crossing over the River Thames

Would you pay more for a peaceful nights sleep?

Rebecca Knight
Deputy Editor, Digital

Rebecca Knight has been the Deputy Editor on the Ideal Home Website since 2022. She graduated with a Masters degree in magazine journalism from City, University of London in 2018, before starting her journalism career as a staff writer on women's weekly magazines. She fell into the world of homes and interiors after joining the Ideal Home website team in 2019 as a Digital Writer. In 2020 she moved into position of Homes News Editor working across Homes & Gardens, LivingEtc, Real Homes, Gardeningetc and Ideal Home covering everything from the latest viral cleaning hack to the next big interior trend.