Aargh! I need to phone the double glazing company and say "yes please replace our windows" but I'm dithering over the bathroom window. I know it's completely boring but I was hoping Mumsnet might help me make up my mind...
There is one small-ish window in our bathroom. It's in the center of the wall with the toilet underneath, the sink to the left and the bath/shower to the right. Currently, the window opens with the hinge at the right hand side. It opens out over our back garden which is overlooked from all angles by other houses.
When we were getting quotes, one of the salespeople pointed out that hinged this way, if we were to open the window while we were in the shower then one of our neighbours could see straight in from thier bedroom window. It's not something that has bothered us in the past as we don't tend to leave the window open when we're showering, but we're getting the windows done with a view to making the house more saleable so I don't want to put others off.
The thing is, the other side of the shower wall is next doors house, so if we were to hinge the window on the other side, it would look directly over next doors garden which I would hate if I were them. It's not like we're going to be hanging out of there at all hours as it's a tiny bathroom window but as various threads on MN cann attest, people can get funny about these things. If it makes a diference, next door is a rental property. Another neightbour would then be able to see straight in but would only catch us brushing our teeth at the sink.
Option 3 is to hinge the window from the top but I'm not sure I like that idea. Those sorts of windows always give me slight vertigo when I open them. You might still be able to see in the smaller gap too.
Option 4 is to fix the bottom half of the window and just have a small opening portion at the top. It would stop people seeing in from any angle but would also make cleaning harder (1st floor window so would then require a ladder rather than swinging open to clean as the double glazing we've chosen swings in as it opens so you can get an arm out to clean the outside) and would reduce ventilation. The bathroom isn't a particularly damp room though so maybe this wouldn't matter.
I'm aware that I'm over-thinking this as it is "just a window" as DH puts it but I know if I don't decide and just go with what's there, it'll bug me until we move out -which could be a few years yet.
WWYD?