How can I determine whether a home with common walls has good soundproofing?

Question

I'm looking to buy a new house in England. It's not likely to be detached. I like a quiet life and would like to choose one where neighbour noise isn't an issue.

I have read that during the 1980s, the building regulations were quite good on this but they deteriorated in the 1990s and may have improved in 2003

Does anyone have definitive information about "good/bad" years for house construction in this regard?

Alternatively, does anyone know ways of measuring/estimating this when viewing a house?

Thanks!

Answer 1

While codes and regulations can be good, there may have been a bad builder or contractor in one particular house. Or an inexperienced homeowner making repairs / upgrades. So, regulations can be a good guideline, but I wouldn't treat them as gospel.

Your best bet is to either try to hear the neighbors as they go about their daily business, or go talk to them and ask how good the sound-proofing is. I'd probably do both if I really liked the house. Both require the neighbors to be home, of course, so you may need a second visit when they're home. Note that if your direct neighbors aren't home on your first visit, other neighbors may be around who could offer opinions on their houses. Not directly comparable (see first paragraph), but it's still informative.