A short apartment viewing records what you can hear at that moment. It does not show how the rooms sound at every hour or under every condition. The WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines provide recommendations for protecting health from environmental noise from road traffic, railways, aircraft, wind turbines and leisure activities. This checklist is not a test or certification of one apartment.[1]

Before the viewing, decide what matters to you

Choose the rooms and times that matter most for sleep, work or study. If noise is important to your decision, ask whether a second visit at another time is possible. A single visit is one observation, so keep its date and conditions with your notes.

What should you listen for inside?

Spend a quiet moment in each room you care about. Note what you hear, where it seems strongest, whether it continues or comes and goes, and whether you can identify a likely source. Keep your own observations separate from an explanation provided by the representative.

If permitted, compare the room with windows open and closed. Record which condition you observed and do not treat a brief listening check as a measurement of sound insulation. Also note whether doors were open, whether equipment was running and whether other activity could have affected what you heard.

Check the surroundings as well

Walk around the areas you are allowed to visit: the entrance, courtyard and the side of the building facing a street or other sound source. Record the location and time. If you hear an intermittent sound, note when it occurred rather than assuming it is always present.

You can ask the representative whether lifts, pumps, ventilation equipment, parking or nearby works may operate close to the rooms you are considering. Ask what information applies to this exact apartment and what is only a general explanation about the building.

When should you repeat the visit?

If the first visit raises a concern, ask to return at a different time or day. Use the same rooms and note the window and door conditions again. This lets you compare observations; it still does not establish a technical rating or compliance result.

If someone says that a particular window or building feature will prevent the sound, ask for the exact product or project information and what it covers. Dignisi's window-specification guide explains how to identify the scope of a window specification; it does not assess acoustic performance or guarantee a quiet room.

Keep a simple observation record

  • Apartment, room and location in the building:
  • Date, time and length of visit:
  • Windows and doors open or closed:
  • Sound heard and where it seemed strongest:
  • Continuous or intermittent; time it occurred:
  • Source: personally identified, reported by someone else, or unknown:
  • Equipment or other activity observed:
  • Question to verify and person or document to ask for:
  • Whether a second visit or specialist assessment is needed:

The WHO guidelines concern environmental-noise exposure and public health, not a short apartment inspection.[1] If you need a technical sound measurement or an opinion about a particular building, ask a qualified local acoustic professional what assessment fits the question.

For the wider apartment shortlist, see Dignisi's guide to choosing a new-build in Yerevan.

Sources

[1] https://www.who.int/europe/publications/i/item/9789289053563