Neighbours have no blinds

[FaFoutis]

My neighbours at the back have built a huge glass extension, the size of a petrol station, and it is lit up with bright white light. They have no blinds (they said they can't put blinds in it) so I have watched them have their breakfast and dinner and had the white glare all winter.

At the moment the woman is putting away the dishes from dinner wearing a pink tracksuit. I can see this from 5 of my 6 windows. It used to be dark and private before this eyesore and I'm finding it so depressing. The woman who lives next door but one to me has the same view, she talked to me about it and she cried. So not just me.

What should I do?
Option 1. Aim to piss them off so much that they get blinds (I don't believe the blind thing). I don't know how though. Install faulty security lights in my back garden? Get a massive sign that says 'get some fucking blinds'?
Option 2. Somehow screen them off. Their house is raised above mine and the extension is huge so I can't think how.
Option 3. Get therapy to stop being bothered by it.

I do shut the curtains, but there the fucker is again when I open the curtains.

My neighbour across the road has virtical blinds. She always opens them fully. I can see through her house. I don't look enough to know what she's doing and when though.

Bit strange to me that you seem to be looking enough to know they're doing so many things?

You don’t have to look for things to see them, Hanna1992.

Sorry OP, I've gone back and read the full thread - apologies for my repetition. Ripple's pic is what I was describing. I didn't know about hornbeam - I've filed it away for future use.

Some excellent ideas on this thread The cricket scoreboard is my favourite.

Thundering narcissists and spectacularly inconsiderate (thanks River) is how I'd describe my neighbours (also of the Pinterest/Grand Designs persuasion albeit in a bijou terrace). Don't get me wrong I love a bit of Kevin but think of your surroundings/impact people.

My garden is fairly simple and inexpensive but I've worked really hard to make it wildlife friendly and attractive through the seasons. I've let it lapse over the past 18 months as I can't bear to spend any time out there. Unfortunately due to ill health I'm not in a position to move.

I really hope you have some success OP. I'd second the group complaint to the council (be very persistent but don't get your hopes up).

Giant mirror, genius that it is, would be quite tricky to find and implement, wouldn't it? And it would need to be plastic/shatterproof, or you could just see your neighbours "accidentally" throwing a boulder into it...
I'm amazed, OP, that you've waited two years to post and created an extension out the front instead of getting busy planting screening/finding screening solutions. Though I really feel for you, our new neighbours are below our garden which is on a slope, and they have all glass at the back facing us, but both them and us have hedges/trees which provide just about enough screening, however they also have glaring lights and velux windows which from above though we thankfully can't see into, they are not screened enough facing upwards and with us esp upstairs these shafts of light in the garden are very annoying. There's just two of them there in a massive house, I don't understand why they require industrial strength light on at all times 😐

www.primrose.co.uk/6ft-4ft-extra-large-garden-mirror-reflect-p-61498.html maybe there are bigger garden mirrors out there or you could have it custom made lol with strong lightbulbs on like they have in showbiz :)

Someone mentioned eucalyptus. Please don’t. Our neighbours had one and the roots were coming up in their dining room.

Fluffi,

But in this case the roots are likely to come up in the neighbours glass outbuilding?😁

I can see an eucalyptus from our windows (one of the neighbours has it, at the bottom of their garden furthest from the house), it's an amazing beautiful tree I must say.

Cassandra
They are attractive but are, I think, used in soggy places because they are very thirsty, hence the questing roots

OP I feel for you. Neighbours some distance from us have a glass box extension and despite having large gardens I am surprised how bright the light is from it and also how the noise carries. I really do not want to see or hear how they live. It is so bright. If we all had extensions it would bring everyone living closer together along with light, noise and smells as ours are heavy smokers and have a dog that they never walk and barks constantly.Document events and take photos however I feel planning dept cannot do much. Your local councillors will be on planning committee maybe take it up with them. Good luck with the screening. 

Im always looking out my windows so see how this would be annoying. U may get used to it with time.

I think that you should beg/borrow/steal a ginormous telescope (the kind used to see a gnat on the moon) and place it in one of your windows.

Get some glow sticks and wave them every time you see them with a smile on your face.

You can get mirrored acrylic sheeting pretty cheap.

Just put up a giant board and back it with the sheeting. If the neighbors complain, just say you're working on an art installation and it won't be much longer. You could drag this out for years.

Oh, and paint your side with a lovely view of the Cotswolds or something.

Whilst this is annoying (you), this is also their house to do as they choose as long as it is approved by the council.
What happened to people being tolerant of each other. Live and let live. Look at putting up blinds in your house. extend the fence, build a wall :-D, Get a hobby or a job - so you don't spend all your time watching your neighbors. Just a few suggestions.

As for your other neighbor who cried over this- I have no words. Stop talking to people who just add fuel to fire. It doesn't help.

The mirror idea is fab

Look at the ad I got under this thread

I have neighbours with gigantic windows that means I can see right into their appallingly ugly living room.

I mentioned it nicely at the same time as complaining about their pool pump going off at night. They took it well and are busy growing massive bamboo to shield themselves.

I'd set up a webcam to film them then advertise it like one of those wildlife camera sites where people from all over the world can look in and watch.

Might generate you some advertising revenue.

Example here - explore.org/livecams/african-wildlife/african-river-wildlife-camera

You could name yours 'Life in Suburbia' - a thrilling look at the world of the Jones.

I sympathise OP. Those saying 'don't look' forget how the eye is drawn towards bright lights.
Our neighbours at the back like to walk about naked in their bedroom with the curtains open. You see movement, look up, and wish you hadn't!

You have my sympathy op. You lived in a place where those neighbours were not so present. Suddenly you now have front row tickets to the day to day detail of their lives. As an introvert i would feel hemmed in. I would hate to have to close my curtains or always avert my gaze in order to feel i had some private space.

They may be unaware of how visible they are but i don't see how they can develop that awareness with out being invited over to yours, and even then they may not mind.

Some people just don't care. Our neighbours (the naked prancing ones) positively enjoy it.

I'm surprised planning permissions don't consider light pollution for these glass box extensions.

Presumably, they have some way of screening out sunlight so they don't heat up like greenhouses? They need to also screen out internal light so they don't blast out the whole neighbourhood with light.

Some good idea on this thread! I love the mirrored surfaces reflecting them back to themselves! Also the sail could be very effective and would look great from your perspective - maybe not so much from theirs!

Agree with people saying not leylandii - I have had neighbours plant this and refuse to trim it. It was a major headache to keep under control, and actually provided no screening at for the lowest 6ft once it was grown. We had to put in a fence under it to provide privacy.

Thanks for the great advice and the sympathies on this thread. I'm starting to plan planting. Ordered a sail too.
Still considering the wildlife camera, mirror ideas. My son & I sat in his bedroom last night and observed pancake day in the eyesore. The pancakes were not as good as mine.
This thread has made me less miserable about the situation despite the bell-ends.

Just to add - the neighbour who cried is an elderly woman who is nursing her husband at home, she can rarely go out. All their windows face the eyesore and they are even closer than me. Live and let live though eh?

Poor woman. I wonder if your Eyesore neighbours have any idea how much distress they are causing?