It's the first time in history that more people are living in cities around the world than in country and rural areas. Currently, over 54% of us reside in the hustle bustle of city life. It's predicted that by 2040, it will be over 70% of the global population. It's important for us to recognise the pressure that exists from living in a city, and as the population increases, so will the sensory experience of living in a confined area. Traffic noise, pollution and peak hour ar

NoiseNet's recent statistical analysis of 90 000 residential properties in the Brisbane City Council area has given new insights into the noisiest and quietest places to live. The study incorporates calculations of noise levels at each of the properties including aircraft, traffic and rail noise. It also includes the impacts of local zoning and the presence of noise from public facilities and businesses. The properties analysed were all 3 bedroom houses (apartments were excl

If you've ever lived in the country and then moved closer to a city then you know how drastically different the soundscapes can be. In the city your little ears are competing with the busy lives of thousands of others who drive cars, own pets, do the dishes late at night and sometimes, painfully, even their recycling. But perhaps you don't always have to sacrifice silence in order to be near the big smoke. There are some places in cities that are significantly quieter than ot

A natural by-product of the Australian housing boom has been an increase in commute time for the average Australian. According to Ford's commuter calculator, an average worker will spend the equivalent of 417 days commuting to and from the office in their lifetime. This adds up to 1.1 years either sitting behind the wheel or on a crowded train or bus. Time is just the tip of the iceberg when deciding what house price to settle for compared to the distance to the office. There

Deciding to work from home isn't as easy as it seems. To be productive in a home office, you need to be able to conjugate your home experience and your professional personality. This often means being very deliberate when selecting not only a house but the ideal space to conduct business in the home. When you've decided you want to work from home, there's more to it than slumping onto the couch with your laptop. You should start by making a list of everything you need around

If you have ever fought over the volume on the television with a loved one, you have realised ideal noise levels differ from person to person. Noise is otherwise known as ‘unwanted’ sound and is expressed in decibels (dB). Its widely agreed sound over 60 dB is the level which can disturb everyday activities such as watching TV and general concentration. There is no doubt different people have different tolerance thresholds of sound. This could be due to hearing capabilities o

I speak from experience here. Determining if a property is free from noise is not easy. I have got it wrong a couple of times in my life and I have spent the last few years working out how you can avoid the same mistake. 25% of people report that noise is their biggest issue after buying a property and half of them say they would definitely not have bought if they knew about the noise beforehand. Intrusive noise affects your ability to relax, to sleep, to work, your product