How can you pre-test the noise pollution in an apartment?

You've found the perfect apartment: the kitchen is modern, the rental price is reasonable and the view is fantastic. But during the fifteen-minute viewing, it is suspiciously quiet. Is it really that quiet, or do you happen to be lucky that the neighbors are not home and the garbage truck has just passed? Nothing ruins your living experience faster than a noisy neighbor, a booming elevator, or a nearby café that doesn't close until three in the morning.

Noise pollution is one of the most common reasons for neighbor fights and early moving. Because you often sign a lease for at least one year, you don't want to discover afterwards that you're living in a soundbox. Fortunately, you don't have to gamble. With a little bit of detective work and the right tactics, you can estimate an apartment's noise levels surprisingly well before you sign.

The timing of your visit: choose the “rush hour”

Most agents schedule viewings during the day, when most people are at work and children are in school. This gives a distorted picture of the peace in the building.

Schedule a second round at a critical time

Ask if you can come and watch a second time at a time when there is a greater risk of noise. Think about:

• Around 5:30 p.m.: When people come home from work, they cook and the kids are busy.
• On the weekend: When the neighborhood is alive and people may be sitting in the garden or on the balcony.
• Evening hours: If the house is on a busy street, you want to hear how the traffic noise sounds when it's otherwise quiet outside.

If a physical viewing is not possible at those times, go to the neighborhood on your own. Stand in front of the building and listen. Do you hear a lot of shouting, loud music or engines roaring? That is your first warning.

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Listen to the “breathing” of the building

During the viewing, you should not only listen to the broker, but especially to what is not said. Be completely silent in different rooms for a few minutes.

Test the walls and floors

Ask the agent to be quiet for a moment and listen to the neighbors. Do you hear the neighbors talking, the neighbor's television or the toilet draining? If you can literally understand normal living noises from the neighbours, the insulation is probably bad.

• The heel test: Walk around the room with firm steps (on your heels). Does it sound hollow or does the floor vibrate? Then the neighbors below will probably hear your every step of the way, and you will probably hear those from your upstairs neighbors too.
• The lift and pipes: Take a moment to stop at the wall that borders the hall or the elevator. The hum of an elevator installation can vibrate through the walls in some apartments.

Use technology: the decibel meter app

You don't have to be a professional acoustic advisor to get grades. Download a free decibel meter app to your phone. Although these are not 100% accurate, they do give you a good indication of the basic sound (the noise floor).

Keep your phone by the window while traffic passes by. A level of 30-35 dB is considered quiet for a bedroom. Does the meter shoot to 50-60 dB while the windows are closed? Then the glass or frame finish is insufficient to shut out city traffic. Also test this with the windows open to see how closing the window affects the sound level.

The neighborhood inspection: what's around the corner?

Sometimes the noise does not come from your immediate neighbours, but from the environment. Use Google Maps to search for hidden causes of noise within a radius of 200 metres:

• Primary schools and daycare centers: Lovely on the weekends, but noisy during weekday breaks.
• Cafes and terraces: A terrace looks cozy during the day, but can cause inconvenience until late at night.
• Bus stops and traffic lights: Moving buses and trucks cause much more low-frequency noise (vibrations) than moving traffic.
• Supermarkets: Note the loading and unloading zones. Trucks that unload at six in the morning can give you a nasty alarm clock.

Ask residents the right questions

If you get the chance, talk to the current tenant or the neighbors in the hallway. A real estate agent has an interest in selling or renting out the home, but a neighbor is often more honest.

Don't ask, “Is it quiet here?” (People almost always answer “yes”).

Instead, ask specific questions:

• “Do you ever hear the upstairs neighbors walking?”
• “Is the street here very lively at night?”
• “Are the walls here thick enough to watch a movie without disturbing the neighbors?”

The way they respond often tells you more than the words themselves. A short hesitation can say enough.

Check the construction materials and year of construction

The year of construction of a building is one of the best predictors for noise.

• Before 1930: Often wooden floors and thin walls. Charming, but extremely noisy in terms of impact sound (walking, sliding).
• 1950 - 1980: A lot of concrete construction, but the insulation standards were not so strict at that time. You often hear less contact noise, but you do hear voices or installation noises.
• After 2000: New buildings must meet strict requirements for sound insulation. Here you have the best chance of a quiet home, although construction errors can also occur here.

Look at the windows too. Do you see ventilation grilles? These often let in a lot of outside noise. Is there double glazing, or the much quieter HR++ glass?

No apartment is completely silent, especially in the city. It's about knowing what sound you can accept and what a “deal breaker” is for you. By systematically testing and not just based on your first impression, you can prevent your new dream home from turning into a noisy nightmare.

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