Would you prefer privacy or a view?

[wigglylines]

We have a very small garden. Parts of our fence blew down recently, and we're talking with our neighbours about what to replace it with (fence is old and needs replacing anyway).

Unusually, in our deeds we co-own the fence, so we need to reach agreement.

We may move soon, and although I know what i'd prefer for myself, I wonder what might make the property more attractive to buyers, bearing in mind the garden is tiny!

Option 1: 6 foot fence all sides. Provides privacy. View of roofs, distant tops of trees and sky.

Option 2: 6 foot fence on one side, low, waist-height fence on the other. Views of lovely hills from the garden and the ground floor. But, loss of privacy as neighbouring family can see over into garden.

As the garden is tiny, either option dramatically changes the nature of the garden. The fenced version would make the garden feel very fencey, but private. The version with the nice view, you might as well be in the neighbours garden, but the view to the hills is lovely.

WWYD?

[cafesociety]

As someone who can't get out into my garden due to a neighbour who insists on talking for hours to me every time I set foot outside [ I feel stalked and I swear she has cctv watching for me to leave the house]....I would go for the privacy.

Because this is driving me insane. I opted for hedging [long story] and it's not growing fast enough.

[wigglylines]

Cafe if neighbours were nice would you feel the same?

[wigglylines]

Or, I should probably say, if you knew nothing more about the neighbours than they were a family with kids, as that's probably all you'd know if you were viewing a place.

I know which option I want for me (but notsaying just yet as trying not to prejudice mumsnet jury ) I'm trying to work out which option most buyers would want.

[wigglylines]

FWIW I like hedging too, but it's not an option. It'd be bog-standard wood fencing, most likely.

[expatinscotland]

Privacy!

[wigglylines]

Thanks for the replies :)

[manfirstual]

Privacy, privacy, privacy. Absolutely no doubt.

[MadameMattise]

Privacy for me. I like the thought of being able to wanders about naked without worrying about upsetting (scaring) anyone.

[specialsubject]

I'd differ and put the lower fence up to give the view. New owners can always add a trellis or change the fence.

[MadameMattise]

Specialsubject is probably quite correct. This is not particularly about what you want. If you are going to sell your house then the view probably would be a selling point and it should be relatively cheap to add the privacy bit later on.

[ogredownstairs]

Yep. Privacy. In fact we have a very similar situation and have done exactly that - high fences and trellis on top, despite tiny 36 foot London garden. I like the 'town garden' feel it has. Our neighbours are nice enough but low fences would put me off a house.

[MrsJohnDeere]

Privacy. Low fence would put me off, particularly if I found out that the fence arrangements could only be changed in consultation with the neighbours.

[NaturalBaby]

What is there in the other gardens? I would go with the majority.

If you put a low fence in then would it be a direct line of sight into the neighours house? If they have trees and large shrubs to obscure the view then I'd be tempted. Or put in a low hedge with some shrubs/trees/trellis with climbers to obscure the view a bit on your side.

[WitchOfEndor]

Privacy, you like your neighbours now, what if they move and you get someone you don't like? If you can't change the fence without their permission it could be a problem, and it would put me off buying.

[KhloeKardashian]

I would have the nice view with the low fence and some trellace and greenery near the house for privacy.

[LondonGirl83]

Waist height fencing is too low for me. How about something in between?. My garden is quite overlooked but it doesn't bother me. I don't think anyone is interested in what I'm up to and I am happy to speak the neighbours when they see me. But waist height is too low to ignore someone and it would feel too communal.

[wigglylines]

To be clear, the privacy is into the garden, the house is private either way.

[wigglylines]

"What is there in the other gardens? I would go with the majority."

Good question! However the answer is both.

We're a corner house (which is why our garden is titchy, much smaller than everyone else's)

On one side we already have a 6ft fence. This is the side that turns the corner to the adjacent road, and all of them that way are 6ft fences.

However on our road, on the side which has the view, all the gardens have low fences. In fact the neighbour's boundary on the other side is just wire.

[wigglylines]

(the other side of their garden I mean, not ours(

[wigglylines]

"If you put a low fence in then would it be a direct line of sight into the neighours house?"

No, no line of sight into their house. They have an extension, we don't, so the first 10ft approx of our garden boundary is their wall.

The only way we could see into their house would be if we were to go down the end of our garden and actually hang over the fence!

[wigglylines]

"If they have trees and large shrubs to obscure the view then I'd be tempted"

There is currently a waist height fence with a row of trees and shrubs there. I like this. But they are going to cut them down. I would much prefer them to stay, but they are on their side, and so not our decision, totally up to them and I completely respect that, I'm not going to try to influence that decision, it's their garden to do as they like with!

[HerRoyalNotness]

In that case if I'm reading right, you have a bit right outside your house where you could sit unseen at patio table and undisturbed so I would go for the low fence to enjoy the views

[wigglylines]

Yes you're exactly right, there is a bit like that.

[TooMuchRain]

With the private bit near the house I would prefer the low fence as a buyer because it offers more choice, you can either keep the view or add trellis and some climbers later that way.

[wigglylines]

I'll put my cards on the table, I want to keep the fence low. Our garden is a tiny triangle (we're the corner house, the other gardens on our road are massive by comparison.)

The view of the hills lifts my spirits. It compensates a bit, in my mind, for having such a small garden.

If we had 6ft fences on all sides, I'll feel fenced in and claustrophobic. The trees are going to go too, so what feels pretty natural at the moment (which I love) could be replaced by something which makes me feel - literally - boxed in.

I want to be fair to our neighbours however, they are nice and I respect that they want privacy. Hoping we can reach some kind of happy compromise.