Needing Garden privacy advice
vonnie0217
Posts: 6
Question for all those who love their privacy in their back garden lol......the house im currenlty is is only 2 years old and and myself and my neighbours have like a 5 foot fence seperating us and i really hate it with a passion as i have no privacy what so ever!!Any ideas on what i can do to make it more private as really fed up with the neighbours peering in . I just want to be able to sit in the garden and relax and not feel like im being watched as my neighbours to the left are always out in their garden having parties ect and really hate going out in mine because of how open it is ,
I haveadded a pic of the back garden.... Its Tiny and needs cheering up!!! Ive not touched it since moving in And im desprate to go out and start planting flowers ect for the summer but feel so unconfortable because of my neighbours, to the left of me. I dont even hang my washing up outside because of them hahaha.
All advice is muchly appreciated.
Posts
Have a look at the house deeds if you own the house or check with the council otherwise. Height and type of fence is usually specified. If it isn't, you can erect a new one up to 6ft high. Looking at the existing fences, the one on the left and at the back belong to you, the one on the right belongs to your neighbour (where the posts are on your side, that is generally your fence.) On the fences which are your responsibility, you could also attach tall reed screening similar to this:
http://www.longacres.co.uk/tools-equipment/fencing-and-screening/gardman-1.8m-x-3.8m-reed-screen-09471.html
If you aren't allowed to erect anything like that, then tall shrubs or hedging is all you can do.
http://www.boundary-problems.co.uk/boundary-problems/fences.html
There are all sorts of rules and regs about boundaries. I was told that as you look at the front of your house, the boundary to the right is yours all the way to the back. According to the above link this may not be so. Another rule of thumb is that you own the one with the posts inside as Bob says. Not according to my fence man. It seems that local rules apply and the vendor sets the parameters if he can be bothered. Check the deeds if you have them.
Personally I would go with plants inside the fences and then you woundn't have to worry. It will make the space much smaller but that may not be a bad thing if you value your privacy. Look at sites for small gardens and even the tiniest of yards to see what people have done. It's amazing. The plants/hedges will encourage birds and wildlife as well as cutting down noise and nebbiness! Good luck and let us know what you decide.
Thankyou......i was really only wanting the privacy to the left and the back anyway to be honest.....
Would brushwood fencing look ok attached all around the left side and the back? Or if plants would look better, which ones?? Sorry i am completely hopeless at this! lol
I privalety lease this house and contacted the owners and they are fine with me doing whatever as long as i dont remove the current fensing .
Oh vonnie I would hate that too, mine are a bit higher and not see through but with neighbours so close on right left and back it still feels like a goldfishbowl, only been heree 7 months and came from a really private garden I find it horrible. Hope you can do something nice for yourself I'm still working on it
Brushwood fencing and a couple of Clematis montana will cover it in no time. That'll give you a chance to think about lower down plants to cover the eventual legginess. I wanted to put up willow/brushwood fencing years ago but my husband very kindly pointed out that the place would look like the camp on Tenko! I've not been able to look at it in the same way since.
I've never used it! He put me right off. Depending on the conditions I would imagine you'd get a couple of years anyway though I'm open to correction. I was considering it for a temporary privacy screen until the hedge"proper" grew in a bit. As long as it's not constantly buffeted by strong winds it could last ages. Was it on here that I read somebody held up their fence, well past it's best before date, with a good growth of ivy?
From the photo it looks more like a 3' fence than 5'. Maybe 5' beyond the path at the rear bordering what looks like a playing field. I can certainly understand your feeling of no privacy - there isn't any!
Unless you replace the fences all round with 6' close boarded or similar, the only option I can see is to grow a hedge inside the boundary line. That will not be a quick fix as it will take a number of year to establish and develop. Add to that it looks like quite a small garden to start with and you are going to lose quite a bit of width by adding a hedge.
I'd be tempted to put another shed along that left fence I know you'd lose a bit of ground but I'd be willing to sacrifice that. With fences that low they may as well have just drawn a line marking the boundary.
LMAO the camp on Tenko......hmmmm now im not sure!!! lol