Should You Buy a Home Near an Airport?
On occasion you may find yourself in a new home and become increasingly aware of the annoying buzz that occurs around the same times each day, growing louder and then softer. Unfortunately you may realize too late that you are on the flight path leading towards your local airport or, even worse, the nearest big airport that sees much air traffic in and out each day.
However, if you are in the process of looking for a home to buy you may be considering homes that are in neighborhoods close to an airport. This isn’t always a bad thing! There are pros and cons to houses near the airport which you should take into consideration if you are currently house hunting. If you are wondering if you should buy a home near an airport, here are a few things to consider.
The pros of living near an airport are that you are able to get easily to and fro from the airport without having to spend hours fighting traffic. Additionally you might find that the places you need the most are more conveniently located, like grocery stores and restaurants. You will probably have an easier time convincing a friend or family member to drive you to the airport when you need to take a flight, too! Neighborhoods located near airports are also great for picking up visiting friends and family without having to worry about long lines and fighting hours of traffic to get back home.
Neighborhoods near airports often have lower rents because of the airport noise and traffic. Depending on your location relative to the airport you may find that the noise of the airplanes and the traffic isn’t as much of an issue as you may have previously imagined. These neighborhoods also usually have increased options for public transportation which you can utilize for more than just getting to the airport.
On the downside, living near an airport can mean lots of traffic and noise from aircraft flying overhead. Your home can be harder to sell as well because it is in the vicinity of an airport, which is not always desirable among real estate investors. Not all homes have good soundproofing so the flight path of the airplanes could prove to be a deal breaker.
While some noise is easy to adjust to (think of the traffic on a busy street level of sound) if you are sensitive to noise and know that the house you are looking at doesn’t have good sound proofing, living near an airport probably isn’t for you.
Weigh the options and see a few potential properties before deciding if living near an airport is right for you or not. The location of your house near to the airport can be a major factor in the amount of noise you might have to deal with, as homes closer to the airport and not directly under a flight path report less noise pollution than other homes.