Perhaps the best option is to let a detached house with some friends. In doing so, a prolonged suffering will be avoided, hopefully.

I live in a 1st floor of a block of flats built by FairView Homes. The block was built ten years ago, and it is very noisy. These flats allow you to suffer the following noises generated by your neigbours: footsteps, dropping objects, light switches being switched on/off, toilet flushing, and the noise of the washing machine. During nightime, it's impossible to have a good sleep here. During daytime, it's impossible to enjoy the flat due to these annoyances.

I have always been under the impression that modern homes are better built, but that is not the case. The most up-to-date version of the building standards document E, which details the sound insulation properties a new home should have, still contains very low values that allow daily routines to be heard. And developers like FairView Homes will build a block of flats with specifications that will barely satisfy the already low building standards.