Would you buy a house with a very overlooked garden?

[Jumpystar]

Hello

We’ve found a house we like but the garden is really overlooked. Primarily to the right side, their upstairs windows look directly down into the garden (semidetached). To lesser extent from left.

The fence is also slatted so you can see through. I know they are a retired couple and are always in and they have lots of plants and a greenhouse so assume in garden a lot. Not so worried about being overlooked from within the house.

They may be lovely people who have no interest in looking at us (or nosy busybodies who always chat every time you come outside and peep through their curtains) - I guess there’s no way to know.

We have one DC if relevant and hope to use garden a lot.

Has anyone had experience of this and got used to it, having hated the idea before?

Surely most houses will have windows that overlook a garden. I’m in a detached and I can see into both neighbours’ gardens from the top windows. I don’t class that as being overlooked. I’d consider something being overlooked if there were houses at the sides looking in, not just those in line. Once in the garden we have hedges and fences that mean you feel you’re in your own space and can’t see but you really can’t do much about top floor windows of next door neighbours.

If it’s Next doors upstairs windows then wouldn’t bother me it’s pretty normal

I think your unlikely to find a garden that doesn’t have windows looking into it
In a residential area
looked at a house once and it backed onto a row of terraced houses everyone looked into the garden so wouldn’t like that

WHY are people so obsessed about being "overlooked" these days? Our 1960s estate must have looked lovely when it was first built, with open green lawns and low fences between the back gardens. Over the intervening years (but mostly in the last 10) people have planted hideous leylandii hedges and/or installed awful 8 foot high fencing, some of it metal and looking like the outer perimeter of a prison. WTF are you doing in your gardens? I spend a lot of time in mine, but not doing anything I would be ashamed for neighbours to see.

I bought a house with a very overlooked garden and several trees and some trellis later it isn't anymore! There's a lot you can do with planting etc, is that an option?

We had trees and shrubs all along one side on the neighbours side too and they were such a pain as they almost totally shaded our garden apart from a few hours in the middle of the day when we're at work. Thankfully the new neighbours have cut them all down to fence height and we actually get some sunlight.

So that's another thing to consider if you are planting for screening, which was does the garden face and will you risk casting too much shade on your garden or that of your neighbours which isn't fair on them especially if they are keen gardeners.

It's the one thing that put DH off our present house (property behind it quite close) - we went ahead as it was the most suitable house in our ideal part of the village.

We can see into their property from our two back bedrooms (not from floor level). In reality I think they've got more of a property than as they get the sun on that elevation of their property all day - whereas our lounge is set back and absurbed by their tree, and our bedroom windows face north. I enjoy looking out of the window as we have view of hills at all angles, and in 15 years have never felt like they're looking in on us.

Regarding the fence, if it's yours, you can replace it. If not, you are free to plant shrubs, trees near to boundary.

Just depends on the type of person you are- I would hate it because I’d feel I was being watched/judged all the time. But I don’t mind having a train going past the bottom of the garden (noise not overlooked) which would be a deal breaker for others.

They are certainly not keen gardeners the people before were and they must have destroyed thousands of pounds of plants. All south facing so wasn’t a shade issue just a lazy issue i think. I expect they regret it now as both our dogs can see each other and bark when they are in the garden 🤦‍♀️

If you like your privacy, don’t do it.

We overlook our neighbour. We can see her garden and kitchen from an upstairs bedroom. We only go in there to sleep, change, in which case we shut the curtains so at most it is a momentary glance, or to put away washing once a week. Nonetheless she hates that we overlook her.

Even if you live in a large detached house you could be seen by neighbours from their upstairs windows, just as you may see into theirs - unless there are lots of tall trees

I've just spent two days at a friend's house as above and from my third floor room could see much of the neighbour's large garden, but not the area around the kitchen doors and terrace where most activity would take place

I live in a terraced house, and if I wanted to I could look into at least half a dozen neighbouring gardens from my upstairs windows. Unless you're planning on naked sunbathing or similar, I wouldn't worry about it.

I hadn’t realised people were still replying, thank you very much! Really helpful perspectives

When we bought the previous owners had planted leylandii for privacy. Our small garden was dark all day and nothing grew. We cut them down. Now we are overlooked but get sun all day long and I grow lovely things.