I'm new to Switzerland, and am currently searching for a flat in VD generally in one of the small towns north of Lausanne. I've been searching the forums and they provide quite a wealth of information. (Thanks contributors!) Unfortunately, I have the opposite of the noise problem that all the threads seem to be about.

I have gone to see a few flats, and was very impressed with one on the ground floor which I lost out on due to nepotism. Most of the other flats I am finding in my price range are in the middle floors with people living above and below. I am afraid that if I take a flat like this that I will have to be quiet as a church mouse. I am by no means the noisiest person I know, but I do enjoy making my fair share of noise on occasion with the home theater system and the like.

I could care less about the noise generated by other people. I would be perfectly happy to live above a night club, with neighbors in college who hold keggers every weekend, or a stone's throw from the SBB rails if I could make whatever noise I wanted to as well.

Is this at all possible? Am I just being paranoid from reading all the posts on English Forum? If I get a flat in a new building with cement separating the floors will I be alright?

I lived in a place for 18 months within a stone's throw from Zürich Lake and the SBB lines ( 14 times an hour ) and loved it until the rent was raised. So there are such places, just to let you know.

And welcome to the forum!

My son is looking for a flat above offices or shops, so he can play loud music and have parties. Keep looking!

Actually if you look in train stations they often advertise property for rent... property near the train station or in the train station (like above the ticketing office). Its much cheaper than normal property...

I never noticed this, is it just posted on a bulletin board somewhere in the station?

Sorry but not sure you will enjoy Switzerland - nor that CH will enjoy you.

People over here (locals AND foreigners) are much attached to silence and quietness and the tolerance level is fairly reduced compared to neighboring countries.

Personally, I don't think I'd like to have you as my neighbor, neither downstairs nor upstairs, I HATE having to hear somebody else's Dolby Surround System in the evenings through wall/floor/ceiling vibration

But maybe you can get a detached house with a manor garden where you won't be disturbing anybody..

Yep, billboards in train stations.

This brings up my question of how well sound travels between flats. The ones that I have viewed thus far all seem to have cement separating the levels and I have never heard anyone's footsteps from the flat above. (Though I have no idea whether anyone was at home and walking around while I was looking)

Some of the threads in here make it sound as if you can hear a pin drop in the flat above, and in some of the flats I've been in in other countrys, with much less substantial construction, you could. The one flat that I've spent time in with cement between the levels was nearly soundproof though. (70's US construction)

DTS thanks much, and I don't like paying outrageous amounts to sit in a theatre with sound leakage, poor acoustics, and ringing mobile phones.

In all seriousness; I don't want to blast the thing, just enjoy a movie or TV at a reasonable volume.

That would be great, but the few I see available are way more than I need with a price to match. I guess that "granny suites" aren't very popular here. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secondary_suite )

may be a bit presumptious to think that being in a noisy environment means your neighbours wont complain about the noise that you make

The hope is, of course, that we might be able to work out a deal where I put up with their noise and they put up with mine.

Don't count on it - often the most intolerant neighbors are noisy folks themselves. It's not only a question of how much noise, but also of what kind. Schlagermusik played at 100db is allowed (and encouraged!) whilst jazz (or whatever heathenish racket you listen to ) played softly in the background is cause for police intervention.

OK - I'm exagerating, but not by much.

No, the only way to ensure that you can live your life at something above a whisper is to not have neighbors. But as that's pretty hard to do in this tiny overcrowded country - be friendly, polite, get to know your neighbors, cross your fingers and hope for the best.

But be prepared to tow the line after 10pm.

Good luck!

Hi there,

I have a similar problem.
I've been living in Bern for two months and it's driving me crazy...
If I get any more silence non-stop I'll think I'm either:
a) in a mental hospital
b) in a sanatorium

Is there any neighborhood in Bern that gets some noise or at least some neighbor playing some music, doing something around the house (that causes noise) and thus destroys the resident evil type of zombie atmosphere ?

Thanks,
Mihai

I think some of the tips above are useful. Many smaller train stations have an appartment above the Kiosk and SBB desk. I almost got one of these. Also I've seen quite a few businesses with an appartment above them. They are rare but they do exist. Maybe you should check your local public transport company if they have anything on offer. Otherwise you'll just have to regularly check the listings. In the past couple of months I've seen 4-5 flats above businesses

Isn't that the truth? A few weeks ago our neighbours came up to ask us to be quiet. It was 8pm and we were talking on skype with our families. No music, no other noise, just talking, and not even in the room that is above their suite. And I'm not a loud talker.

These are the neighbours with three kids, who scream in the hallways, use their scooter inside on the tile floor, and somehow go to bed two or three hours later than we do.

I was astounded.

If you are seriously considering living near the rail tracks/stations, you may want to look around the large merchandise train hub just west of Lasuanne near Morges. They've just announced new weekend working hours and the 3 communes surrounding it are all up in arms about the noise disturbances it will cause. Look around Denens, Morges, etc. it may be a blessing or a curse depending on how it turns out.

There is no harm in sounding out the potential new neighbours to be about the apartments and in turn tactfully gage what the general vibe is.

I think some comments are over dramatic or just very unlucky.

You can pretty much make as much noise as you want up until 10pm by law anyway.

And as long as your not partying or blasting music all night every day you should be fine.

If you are unlucky and find you have a nutty neighbour and finding a compromise is seemingly impossible, you tell them to piss off, they'll soon get used to it

This is a legend. Excessive noise is always forbidden, the question is the definition of "excessive". Ask your régie for the local traditions about that.

EDIT: Here is a link in English for Geneva http://etat.geneve.ch/dt/SilverpeasW...chment/Images/

I know exactly what the OP is talking about.

I too am looking for somewhere where I can enjoy my films (at a reasonable level), and where the screams won't bother anybody when the girlfriends are over.......

I lived in Zürich's Niederdorf for about three years directly above a bar that played loud music until about 2am (and most of it tailored to people about two generations older than myself). More unbearable than the music itself were the people who sang along with it. Furthermore, if I had the front window open I also heard a lot of noise of people "celebrating" on the street, and if I had the back window open I heard ladies and their customers going about the world's oldest trade.

There was a church around the corner with very loud bells, and believe me, I didn't even hear them.

These places exist and are often quite cheap to rent so don't give up looking.

see exactly what you mean. Although I wasn't specifically searching for it, my family and I moved 4 months ago into a flat around Central (Zurich) where we are the only ' residentials'. All other flats in the building are occupied by professionals (doctors, lawyers..) so the building is all ours in the evenings and at weekend!