1. Buying a house? Do a soundcheck first
When you're viewing a property, don't forget to listen out for issues, as well as looking for them. 'Try to schedule a viewing for a time when you’d normally be at home – perhaps an evening or weekend,' advises Scott Clay, distribution manager at mortgage lender, Together. 'It’s the best way to know how well soundproofed the house is against potential noise nuisance.'
2. Add soft furnishings to smother sounds
If just a little sound is a problem – perhaps you have one room that seems to reverberate more than the others in your home – then you may be able to minimise the effect with soft furnishings.
3. Add large furniture to absorb sound
Okay, you don't necessarily want to pack your room with furniture, but the fact is, large and heavy items can help to soak up sound and reduce its effects in a space.
'When heavy items are placed within a space, they tend to absorb the sound, creating less noise,' explains Johnpaul Manning
4. Put up panelling
Transforming your walls with panelling will have sound benefits as well as aesthetic ones – but you'll need actual panels, rather than just battens to fake the look.
'Creating textured surfaces on your walls and ceilings is another top tip for assisting with sound reverberations – good news for fans of panelling ideas, as this is the perfect way to texture a wall and still make sure it looks fantastic,' agrees interior designer Cathy Dean
5. Invest in solid doors
If noises from neighbouring gardens or the street are a problem, then a decent front door and internal doors can help to lock out sound. And bonus, they'll help to insulate your home, too!
'Well-fitting solid doors keep noise and heat transfer from room to room to a minimum,' confirms Adam Heath
6. Use curtains and windows to block sound
It makes sense that thicker window treatments, whether that's blackout curtains or insulated window blinds, will help to keep out noise as well as the cold.
'I always advise adding thermal bumps in any of your custom-made blinds or curtains,' says interior designer Cathy. 'As well as keeping the chills out from drafty windows, it also deadens sound.'
7. Add felt backing to pictures and furniture
If, even with the addition of extra soft furnishings, you are still finding your home feels like an echo chamber, then use this trick from interior designer Cathy.
'Get some cheap felt and attach it to the back of all of your pictures and mirrors – it's incredible the impact it will have, and it is totally invisible,' she says. 'You can even add it to the underside of tables and chairs too.'
8. Upgrade your windows
If sound from noisy neighbours and other sources is a really big problem for you, or if you're planning to upgrade your windows anyway, then investing in double or triple glazing will have a significant impact on the amount of sound entering your home.