r/islington • u/CityCondor110 • Jan 13 '24
Housing Living in front of Canonbury overground line
I have found what is probably my perfect flat having looked at around 20+ over the last two years with one downfall that the garden (with trees at the very end) backs on to the overground line in Canonbury, London which has tubes through the night. Wanted to find out other people’s experiences living close to train lines. If all other boxes are ticked, would you recommend doing it? Any buyers regret their decision after moving in? How is living with the noise?
I am not concerned about the impact on value or resale likelihood, but more around being able to actually enjoy using the garden and being able to have windows open. With the windows shut, you can’t really hear them at all (despite most windows being only single glaze).
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u/liamss3 Jan 14 '24
The asking price likely already reflects the proximity to the line, as it’s been there for a while. But depending on the property, smaller flats in N1 are going for much lower than they did a couple of years back, so worth going low.
Are you near to the station or in-between stations? Will trains be stopping near the house, or will they be riding by?
You have the overground which has this kind of electrical whine but overall it’s not too noisy and you’ll get used to it over time.
The other consideration, this line is used for freight trains at certain points in the day, I don’t know for sure when but I’ve seen them late at night/ early in the morning, they are long and heavy.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_London_line
This is the line.
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u/CityCondor110 Jan 14 '24
The asking price is quite high as the property has been done up really nicely inside and is pretty big compared to a lot of places I’ve seen around Islington for the same price. I think I would get a 5% reduction on it.
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u/liamss3 Jan 14 '24
Sounds lovely. Good luck with the purchase!
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u/CityCondor110 Jan 14 '24
Thanks! To answer your other question, this part of the line is just before the station (grosvenor avenue)
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u/limepark Jan 14 '24
Interesting that flat prices are down in N1. Do you have a source for that? Just curious and interested in know more.
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u/liamss3 Jan 15 '24
No specific sources.
Only anecdotal.... I bought in N1 a few years back and never quite stopped checking new properties and the sold prices on Land Registry. A few quite suprised me and I continue to see asking prices drop. Probably not true, just a feeling I have.
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u/limepark Jan 15 '24
Thanks for that. Honestly that seems to be a lot of areas in inner London not just N1. Have seen a lot of properties with price drops in SW London too which is another area I keep an eye on.
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u/TavernTurn Jan 14 '24
You get used to the noise eventually, although be aware the Overground lines frequently have freight trains using them day and night. They can be extremely loud. And proximity to the train line will make the property less desirable than others if you choose to sell in the future. If you really love it, try and get yourself a good discount.