Neighbours and sunbathing

[everythingisgoingup]

I am trying to gauge if my neighbours behaviour is usual or if perhaps I am being unreasonable.

They are a retired couple who LOVE the sun to the point that they look orange (the colour of a baked bean).

When we moved in several years ago they would sit for hours in the sun at the end of their garden staring at our house. On every sunny day they would be there.

After lock down they had their terrace/patio redone and it is now several feet higher and wider (half the depth of their garden) it is HUGE.

When they walk on the patio they can see over the fence as the terrace is so high, their head and shoulders are now above the fence. The fence is six feet tall.

This year they have positioned their tables and chairs up to the fence and sit either here with their sun loungers facing our garden (looking directly at us) or at the back facing our house (looking directly at us).

If the sun is out, they are out.

They sit with shirt off (husband) and in a swimsuit (wife) It is almost like they are on holiday tbh.

I find them intriguing and annoying in equal measure 😬😩

Because I work from home I see them from all our back rooms.

Is this usual behaviour ( I have never experienced it and have lived in six houses) Have you experience similar with your neighbours?

I don't know why I am posting I guess I needed to share

The patio stepped down (over three steps) into their garden they then raised the level to the height of the first step outside of their door (iyswim)

Therefore the six foot fence essentially became four feet because the terrace goes up to the fence above the barge boards) meaning they are taller than the fence and look down into our garden.

It is impossible NOT to see them you go out of the door and they are there making our patio unusable tbh

We have put a trellis/screen but this does not hide them at our level and it made worse by the fact they have hello and green neon chairs and parasols.

They have bamboo in pots along the fence but as soon as it reaches the fence height she trims it so see over.

FrozenDaisy our house is a detached house with a mature garden with neighbours who have raised their terrace and now look at us all day when it is sunny!

They're clearly not bothered but personally I would rather build a sunning area so it doesn't face windows. Not the nicest view for either and even if it meant not getting the sun the whole day I would compromise on this. Only solution is even higher fence trellis and try to think they really aren't looking into your home, still not ideal I know. Xx

You are making your patio unusable.

If there isn't a screening solution, which there might be must be something online.

Have you actually talked to them saying "hi guys not sure if you are aware of how much your new patio overlooks our garden so we were just wondering if it would be ok for us (or you guys) to put up a 6ft fence from patio floor up, you know good neighbours high fences"

Has your household actually spoken to their household about this?

Planning permission is needed for any raised platforms greater than 30cm.
Obviously if you go down the route of making a complaint that potentially makes things quite hostile, but I agree with the pp if they’ve ignored planning regs then they’re CFs.

Are they naked? I only ask because we had a neighbour who used to sunbathe in the buff using the flat roof of her garage as her ‘deck’ , overlooking our garden/ rear of house) It was bizarre and frankly exhibitionist as she only did it when DH and teenage DS were outside. If she saw another female, she’d cover up.
One day my (very chatty) FIL saw her up there (couldn’t avoid it) and told her very seriously that the sun was going to get very hot and she’d’ best cover up her nips and bits’ . Bless him, he stood there l hands on hips giving her this advice at the top of his voice for at least 20mins. They had quite an audience. She stayed in her garden after that and we got to use ours without a burlesque show.

Swimming costume (wife) and husband has a pair of shorts and oiled chest 😂

Are you sure they’re awake?

This

Wave, smile & engage them in conversation over the reduced height fence every time you go out. They might decide to face the other way to avoid your cheery, neighbourly chatter

RebelWithCause

Perhaps this is the answer love bombing 😊

Pinkglitterblack 🤞🏻

I hope they do move, but it is not looking likely ☹️

I’d have to be petty and walk around naked or in bathers - this is not a model body - too much jiggling 🤣🤣

Or doing something equally as petty - I like the idea of growing plants on your side and then those plants needing nice fresh manure….

It’s common decency to not stare straight into your neighbours house …. So I find them really rude and would happily grow tall annoying plants/ bushes that drop leaves to their side

Urgh! Annoying.
I would grow a Portuguese Laurel, quick growing and smaller leaves than English variety.
Things grow really well under them too and make good shelter for birds.
Keep it trimmed though - about 8 feet should do nicely!

You can buy (often from a nursery rather than a garden centre) plants that have been grown for several years that have long thin bare trunks, but with lots of foliage starting from fence height. I would not tolerate people watching me like weirdos. They say anything - you say “privacy”.

https://www.grasslands.co.uk/products/photinia-red-robin-full-standard-2?variant=48912169468230&currency=GBP&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw0YGyBhByEiwAQmBEWqKEDGyUoOeDBHBHyLgEwZeE85mSwG67SDUngR75kUL_-3AKYT7AHBoCVoUQAvD_BwE

It does feel rude tbh

When I had my parents over and we ate on our patio they appeared snd started watering plants by their fence 😂

If we go out Mrs appears

She listens, copies and watches

All a bit odd for 70+ year old person imo

You could of had worse neighbours.
Leave them be.

Can you use that mirrored window film?

Also agree with some tall planting which will go higher than the fence. Use a raised bed so it will take less time to get tall enough.

Do you have children who would enjoy a trampoline?

We had similar. Our neighbour built raised decking and could suddenly into our garden. The garden was sloped and he weirdly cut the fence to follow the slope so at some points when on the decking it was literally at their knee height. We put up big willow screens to prevent them looking in but ultimately we moved sooner than we had planned to as it was so invasive. (Fortunately didn’t impact the sale price as we sold in winter when no one was in the garden so you couldn’t tell there was decking running along the fence.

I did briefly research if they could do this and I remember reading that they could only raise the level by 30cm without planning permission so depending on exactly what your neighbours have done it may not be allowed.

Install another 4ft fence on top of the original! 😂 No seriously, sounds a nightmare and i wouldnt like it

CoffeeBeansGalore the mirrored window film sounds like an option thank you 😊

Yes I got mine direct from a nursery on EBay. I think my laurels were already 2 feet tall and made a nice hedge in no time as they grow about a foot and a half a year.
You can get more mature specimens as well though much pricier. Worth it though to stop nosy neighbours.

PoppyCherryDog thank you for your understanding, it is invasive

I understand it may be illegal but can't do anything ☹️

They really don't care, they do what they want (beyond ignorant) imo