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.

Leylandii are an absolute curse. In the 1980s, dozens of people bought them by the dozen, described as 'fast growing hedging'. These old horrors are the remains of those who didn't cut them like hedging. Better to remove the entire thing if possible, it will look awful if reduced.

Better to remove the entire thing if possible, it will look awful if reduced.

That’s what I’m now thinking - all or nothing!

It's a shame it's a fir tree. If it were a nice tree it wouldn't put me off too much but as it is I'd want it completely removed.

We rejected a really nice house for a very similar reason. They suck the moisture out of the ground, cast dense shade and are basically a blight.

Yep, I'm battling with my neighbour over getting his cut or trimmed, they not meant to be over 5 meters on a boundary line, but we're currently twice that, they've already brought up my drive which I had relaid last year. I had my two taken down within 6 weeks of moving in as they blocked all the light. Offer to go halves if it means you get s sale

I definitely would feel differently if it was a nicer tree. The tree that causes the shade in the morning is beautiful, with small leaves and a lovely shape.

Leylandii bring nothing to the party, do they?

Nope wouldn’t bother me, its just a tree.

We had a tree taken to the ground by a wood chopping firm who sell fire wood.

The neighbors asked for the wood and paid them to chuck it over the fence. So win win.

We paid £80 - complete bargain

I think it would be cheaper if the tree was just in our garden. It’s the fact it impacts on four gardens that’s the problem.

Yes mostly for the purposes of insurance rather than anything else.

Thanks for the magnolia photo. I wonder if it’s a reaction to the hard prune in the autumn on the top, you can see it’s only flowering on the old wood on the sides and has put on lots of new growth at the top.

You can’t offer to buyers to remove the tree because you don’t own it, such an offer is worthless and most prospective buyers will know that.

I agree the tree brings nothing to the party - a well pruned birch in that position would have been lovely and better for wildlife.

Re taking it down. They don’t need to protect all four gardens. They do need access for men and machinery from one garden , probably the neighbour who owns it.

Basically they just climb the tree , set up a pulley system and cut and lower down each branch at a time. A man on the ground unties it and feeds it through a shredder ( which is very noisy ). The shedder feeds the waste into a container ( usually the back of their truck if there is vehicular access).

They do that until they have just the trunk left like a telegraph pole and they cut that down in sections.

There’s not many thick branches on that kind of tree. The main trunk will be cut up for firewood.

It’s not a complex job as it’s not near buildings, a main road or overhead cables and the tree is healthy . It’s very safe when done well by professionals - nothing is going to fall on anyone else’s garden (apart from the odd twig ).

It’s just the cost and noise / disruption.

I know i probably sound like a tree-hugger but I love trees. Feel its a shame to get rid of them. New neighborhoods always look somewhat sad to me with their pathetic looking little saplings and no real trees, lol. It's unfortunate that it's impacting you though, but i wonder if some people may feel the opposite (like me) ?

@anothermansmother is that correct - no more than 5 metres high on the boundary?

they not meant to be over 5 meters on a boundary line,

Shame that doesn't apply to TPOs. We've a row of huge Scots Pines that have a TPO on them - must be 3 times the height of the adjacent houses and blight the gardens of several people. We all want them cut/pruned but time and time again, the council won't even allow slightly cutting back. Just a blanket refusal whatever any of us ask for.

Does the 5 metre thing apply only if they are being grown as a hedge? Never heard of a height rule for trees.

It wouldn't bother me as it's far enough away from the house and as much as I enjoy the sun I like to be shaded too. hopefully you'll find a buyer who isn't bothered

M0RVEN

Yoire right about the magnolia - there are only a few flowers and not all over.

And thanks for all the info about what needs to be done to the Leylandii - that’s really useful! We did have seven conifers on our side of the fence when we moved in but I had them cut down straight away - everything around them was dead or dying and there was an old bike and a BBQ hidden amongst them! They weren’t nearly as tall as the neighbour’s one though. So I have had experience of the noise and mess!

To be fair the neighbour said I could do whatever I wanted with the tree and she doesn’t like it either, so if it was a deal-breaker for a prospective buyer I would offer to speak to her again.

I think you’ll need to remove it first - if I saw a photo like that I wouldn’t even bother coming to view the house.

I wouldn’t even view a rental with a tree like that in the garden backing on to it let alone view to buy. Sorry op. Get it chopped.

Would not put ex or sil off.

Don’t apologise for not liking it. I’m definitely not a fan.

Yes. I wouldn’t even view.

Its beautiful but it would concern me if a storm uprooted it and it came crashing down. Thats probably just my imagination running wild!

If it helps, we bought this place with six, 25 footers in the back garden. I happened to catch my neighbour to the side one day who asked if I minded her trimming back on her side. My response was 'you can take the lot down for me'.
Quotes of around £1k were had to bring them to ground level. In the end we pulled out the fence, got DH's and our adult kids on the job. Neighbour and I got the beers and the BBQ and we felled the lot one Saturday afternoon.

I love shady trees so wouldn't bother me at all.

No way, sisters!

How did you manage to reach the upper branches? How tall were they?