To want privacy? Garden fence related

[Bilbonaggins]

Sooo as summer is fast approaching it’s got me thinking about our garden situation! We have a lovely large patio and long garden (not south facing unfortunately) HOWEVER our NDNs fence is just over waist height.

The neighbors don’t speak very good English and other than the occasional hello we haven’t really spoken, but if we are both out in the garden at the same time I kind of feel like I’m intruding if you know what I mean?

Would it be unreasonable to ask if we could replace the fence (at our expense) or add a trellis to the top so both sides have some privacy? Or would this be massively rude and offensive?

Thanks!

Yanbu! Of course you want privacy in your garden and to not feel overlooked when you are out there relaxing. I sure your NDN probably feels the same.

You say they don’t speak good English- do you know anyone else who speaks both English and their language? Otherwise it may be difficult to put across your request in a friendly, open way.

If it’s not possible to replace the fence, could some panels within the garden give you privacy - for example, we have put two 6ft x 6ft panels at right angles to our patio, so now the patio is screened off from the road and anyone walking up our path- so much more relaxing to sit out there now.

Yes I’m sure they would prefer not to have our ugly mugs seeing into their garden either 😂

No I don’t know anyone who speaks their language unfortunately - although they do rent through the same agency we used to buy so perhaps we could go through them?

The panels sound like a great idea @lettuceWrap - are yours freestanding or fixed to anything? Perhaps we could put some panels up in front of their fence so that it would remain intact... hmm!

High fences make great neighbours!

Nothing to stop you putting a fence on your side higher than the existing one IYSWIM.

But I totally agree with having a convo with neighbours first. Draw a pic if necessary. If they have kids they usually speak English.

Why would you replace their fence? Just build your own ...

If they are renting, it’s probably the landlord you need to speak too.

Our two screening panels are freestanding, double sided so the wind can get through them but you can’t see through them (at right angles to the wall of our house but not attached to it) but they are very heavy so we used 3 heavyweight 9ft posts and a bag of dry mix postcrete down the post hole too. Panels then screwed to the posts with metal post brackets. We have an exposed, windy site so all that is very necessary!

I’ve just moved in to a house with the exact same issue - one side has a full height rende and the other has waist height. if I’m at the bottom of my garden I can see right through their French doors into their living room etc. I spend more time making sure I don’t accidentally stare at them than anything else!
Hey aren’t English, but understood me well enough when they were out in the garden one day and I just casually said we were thinking of putting a new fence in and making it full height, or would they prefer to keep in as it was? They agreed taller would be better - good job really as I’m not sure what I would have done if they’d said they wanted to keep it!

Whose fence is it? If it's yours you don't need to ask them or discuss it with them.

If it's their fence you shouldn't touch it.

Put up a fence, we have a 12 foot fence both sides and the back of the garden is woods and then farmers fields. It is brilliant and especially because my neighbours don't have children I only like my own children

It is their fence, our fence is full height so don’t have this issue with other NDN. Would a fence in front of a fence not look strange? Plus we would lose some of our garden. What I really need is for them to feel the same way and ask the landlord to replace it! Who wants a fence that low anyway!