Would this tree in my neighbour’s garden put you off viewing my house?

[FamilyOfAliens]

It’s in the garden of the neighbour at the back, not in my garden, but because it’s so huge it does cast shade in my garden for 1-2 hours a day.

I’ve estimated it’s about 50ft high.

I’ve spoken to the neighbour who is lovely, but not in a position to have it reduced. It’s been there since we moved here 15 years ago, but obviously it’s got way taller and it just keeps growing. It doesn't affect anything although nothing much grows at that end of the garden. It does gives us some privacy as the neighbour’s children have a tree house which would otherwise overlook our garden.

‘Just be aware that if it’s taken down or reduced, there will be a million homeless spiders in the vicinity! ’

Maybe you should move now and rent while you wait for a buyer

Our NDN has one but fortunately it's on the other side of their garden so it doesn't affect us.

However, they had the crown reduced last year (I honestly don't know why they didn't just get rid but it's down to them obviously) and it just looks like someone's bitten the top off as it's now flat and looks worse.

Our other NDN has a massively overgrown bush (smirk) at each end of her garden which both cut out our last bit of sunshine every day. It really fucking annoys me, especially as I'm out at work all day so during the week, I don't get the benefit of an otherwise very sunny garden. We're genuinely great mates but she's quite protective of the worst offender and I really don't to fall out with her so not sure how we can progress this...

You’ve more chance of being hit by lightning than having a tree fall on you. Our neighbours have a massive tree next to our house. I quite like it and it didn’t put me off.

I think id rather look at the tree than the houses behind that would be on view if it were gone (or kids staring at you from a treehouse!).

We had similar but 1 taller tree and I miss it now they have reduced the size.

It wouldn't bother me but I understand why it would bother some. I think someone also briefly mentioned, but there will be hundreds, if not thousands of spiders suddenly looking for a place to live it you do get it taken down, so keep in mind you may get a spider infestation.

I've just had a quote to have a similar size conifer taken down and it was £400 to be chopped down to ground level and all waste removed. Stump left in. Midlands.

As PP said that would put me off buying.

I love your garden - but would hate the cold in the shade of that tree and the accompanied root/dampness etc, sap, leaves. It's a shame, because you have such a cute garden that would be great for just realxing in.

We're about to buy a house with over a dozen, protected, 10m plus trees. We would've liked to reduce them a little bit we can't, it changes nothing about the house though so we're still buying.

No, I love it. I love trees and prefer sitting in the shade.

Got to point out that trimming that tree isn't going to help very much as the one immediately behind it appears to be the same size!

It does look like Leylandii and you have my sympathy. My neighbour has a whole hedge of the and they are about 12 foot on my side. I can't afford to have them trimmed and it's far too big a task for me to tackle. She asked to use my garden to trim some back which were covering her shed, swearing to remove what was cut off. Nearly three weeks later I still have a heap of them in my garden, so tempted to throw them back over!

By the photo alone yes it would put me off

Yes. I'm currently house hunting and the first thing we look at is whether there are massive trees overlooking the back garden.

Thank you for all your responses.

I’ve just had a tree surgeon round, who was recommended by the firm that reduces my trees and he was in the area.

£800 + VAT to reduce it by 50% (and he said it would look awful for a while), £1500 to reduce it to ground level. We may have to suck it up as part of the costs of preparing the house for sale.

YouJustDoYou - thank you, we love our garden too. The photo doesn’t show the patio area next to the house so it’s actually quite big. I’d never had a garden with trees in before we moved here and I’m not looking at any properties without one!

No.

I’d rather have privacy and some shade, it seems summers will be very hot and shade makes it bearable.

Nearly three weeks later I still have a heap of them in my garden, so tempted to throw them back over!

I think by law you can take them back to her, but it depends how much you value keeping the relationship friendly! Do you have a green garden waste bin? All our cuttings go in ours.

Assuming no issues with roots or trees coming down on the house then no it wouldn't put me off. I love trees and shaded gardens and would far rather have that than the neighbours over the back. I like my privacy.

Wouldn’t put me off, I like shade!

I’d rather have privacy and some shade, it seems summers will be very hot and shade makes it bearable.

That’s a good point, actually.

Though the shade in my photo (which I took this morning) is from another massive tree in my neighbour’s garden to the left in the photo! The sun will be behind the leylandii at around 2-3pm today.

So maybe reducing it rather than obliterating it is a good compromise.

Yes, it's putting too much of your garden in shade.

Yes it would. I like to garden and big trees like that in my experience make it harder to grow anything near it. However I would prefer that than my neighbours three giant sycamores, I spend half my life cleaning up after them and trying to stop more from growing

There is an even bigger one in a similar position to our garden (which is an even smaller/shorter garden than yours is) so I feel your pain. When I bought the house, I didn't think too much about it and it hasn't really made things unbearable or anything and has in fact kept our garden bearable in the last couple of hot summers but if I move again, I'd avoid it too . We have lawn under it which looks a bit scraggly but the main issue is the constant dropping of pigeon and bird poo which covers anything under it , so sitting there for too long is not that nice really. Ours is covered in ivy as well so even in the autumn very little light gets through.

The neighbours had the crown thinned a couple of years ago and it was much better but it is begining to be quite oppressive again and I believe it cost them thousands to so so they are unlikely to do it again for a while (I don't blame them really!)

Luckily my garden is South facing so it does still get quite a bit of direct sun at different parts of the day and is not all gloomy , just the bit directly under the tree by the fence

Hopefully the person buying my house will have less of a problem with it !

The trouble with reducing it is that it will grow back again quickly. That may not be your problem, but purchasers may well have that in mind.

As for the spiders, we have a British Funnel Web Spider that’s been living in a recess in our garage for four years (probably not the same spider). He would eat any homeless spiders that ventured near to his web in a second!