Built a cabin and neighbour not happy.

[ReginaaPhalange]

This week, we built a cabin in our back garden and we have complied 100% with guidance which states the highest point must not exceed 2.5m in height. Our cabin is 2.3m at its highest point. We have not put it up against the fence, we have left a good amount of room to fit an adult down the back and around the sides for painting, maintenance and pick up any weeds etc.

On Tuesday, my DH was doing the roof and his bottle of water went into the neighbours garden. This neighbour lives at the back of us, so I went round and politely advised her of what had happened and asked if I could go into her garden and collect the bottle of water and any off cuts that may have come away too. She allowed me to do this and there was literally the water and one small piece of wood, so I took that away and said to my DH who was still on the roof to be careful and he even shouted over to the neighbour to apologise.

When I went to leave, she came out her back door (we were keeping 2m apart) and started saying she's not happy about the cabin, said it's in her view when she looks out of her kitchen window and told me she had spoken to her children (they're away from home with kids etc so probably similar ages with me (30's) )and her kids were apparently not happy either Incase it blocks out the sun. I can confirm when I went round, this was not the case, the sun was beating down and her garden was not obstructed.

Further more, the neighbour said she was not happy that we had not told her of our plans and that we should have told her. I did tell my husband prior to delivery of the cabin that we should maybe tell her, but he said as it was within the guidance of height etc, it did not require planning permission and he didn't need to advise her. In hindsight I wish I maybe did give her a heads up.

Yesterday when DH was tidying up the edging of the room, he overheard the neighbour moaning on the phone saying it's such an eye sore, how it was just there when she came home and how disappointed it is. Now, I fully understand if she had beautiful views from her kitchen window, but she doesn't. Her window looks out to her back garden, fence then the back of our house.

Today, her friend walked around to our house, stood at the end of my driveway, looked into the garden, shook her head and walked away. I didn't say anything as I had just come out the shower and still had my towel around me (I was looking out for the yodel courier when I noticed it).

Further more, 3 years ago, when me and DH were at work, she had her BIL hack away the base of our fence so she would double panel the fence. The fence is owned by us and on our boundary and she acknowledged that, but she never told us she was going to do it. We just found out when we came home from work to find half the base of our fence gone!! We never kicked off, we actually went to her door to ask her if we could panel OUR fence up the back. She was fine and so were we. We have never spoken to her since as you can't see her in the garden as fence is double panelled, we live on different streets so we both have different entrance/ exit routes and our paths have never crossed so it's not a case of avoiding her.

Earlier when I was upstairs I noticed her at the fence (I was talking out to husband asking what he wanted for lunch). She was snooping around and I can only think she was maybe looking for off cuts which fell into her garden, but DH said there's definitely nothing there as he peeked over and checked.

I'm not sure if I should say something to her or just leave it and just hope she leaves it alone, but our neighbours next door who we get on brilliantly with have said they have had problems with her snooping before, peeking over the fence and asking when they had a baby as she saw baby clothes on the line (they have never spoken to her before)

3 years ago btw, she told us her name was (let's say) Barbara (not her real name), but when I was speaking to her on Tuesday, I said "it's Barbara isn't it?" And she said "no, it's Mavis(changed)." I found that a bit off too.... even DH had said to me no, she definitely told us her name was Barbara(charged).

Odd... anyway, I digress. Should I leave it or approach her about it, maybe give her flowers as an apology for not telling her about the cabin?

Cabin will be used as a wee gym for me (treadmill and weights) and she knows this. She did say "thank god it's not a hot tub"

Ignore her. Some people will moan about anything. It rained here yesterday and made our garden all wet. I'm going to write to my MP about it.
Actually, now I come to think about it he still hasn't replied to any of my other letters...

I couldn't give a shiny shite what my neighbours built in their OWN gardens!

Is there space for a hot tub next to the cabin?
That would be my next purchase
(not really - I hate them!)

Actually the people behind us did that our aspect not as nice now. Dh said “shame about the trees” we both shrugged that’s it. As solicitors we know they can do what they want. Although we have a hot tub so evil beyond measure according to most mumsnetters 😁

Ignore her. I know her type and have had the misfortune to live beside them. If you apologize or give her something, she will see it as a sign that she can have opinions about your private life from now on. Better not to go down that path at all than have to take a stand against her later. As long as you have followed regulations then she just has to get on with it.

I remember many years ago when I still lived at home with my parents my dad built a large shed in our garden, he was a meticulous man in everything he did, he knew how big the shed could be before he needed planning permission.

Anyway one afternoon we had a knock at the door and it was someone from the councils planning department saying that there was a report from someone who thought that the shed should of needed planning permission.

Mum let him in and he measured the shed and said it was spot on in measurements for not needing planning permission, so just be aware that you may get a visit from the council.

Don’t give flowers, ignore her and if you do need to communicate with her, don’t be as descript with her as you have been here (Yodel man, what husband wants for lunch, what you’re having in your gym), it’s NOHB.

I phoned our local planning department this week to check the regulations for the largeish greenhouse I'm going to build, and they did say that we could have any size we wanted so long as it was less than 50% of the size of the garden (garden is 3 acres, I reckon we're okay!) and it has to be more than 2 metres from the boundary. So maybe that bit varies according to the local authority. We do live in Scotland, it is agricultural land, and the boundary in question borders a road so that could all affect the regulations, but the 2 metres thing isn't always totally wrong even if it doesn't apply here.

This thread has reminded me to tell my neighbours about the greenhouse! They are amazing and I'd hate to upset them.

I had this. Neighbour threatened to burn it down! Luckily we filmed him being abusive and threatening then contacted 101.

The police went round and my lovely summer house is still very much standing 5 years later.

Record everything OP.

I know your neighbour very well @ReginaaPhalange

Here she is, and pictures to prove it - and her friend....enjoy

viz.co.uk/2014/10/23/meddlesome-ratbag-new-neighbours/

viz.co.uk/2015/09/18/meddlesome-ratbag-3/

viz.co.uk/2014/09/26/meddlesome-ratbag-autumn-leaves/

ps it was worse before TV when they didn't have Corrie and Emmerdale to keep them occupied.

Wind chimes op...bloody loads of them hanging from every corner

Get one of those mooning gnomes with its pants down, and put it on the roof of your cabin with its arse facing her garden.

Yes! Also, you will of course need a huge, prominent sign for your lovely new outdoor building (this element is definitely part of the legal regulations) - maybe surrounded by fairy lights? 'The Rut Hut', 'The Romping Room', 'The Stabbin Cabin', 'The Passion Palace' - choose whichever you prefer. She will be utterly torn between wanting to report you/tell you how disgusting it is and also desperate to come for a good peep through the windows when you next both go in there together

We once had a neighbour who kicked off when I pulled out all the bind weed we had growing in our garden and weed killered it to stop future growth. Apparently his wife liked seeing it growing into the hedge between our gardnes and was very, very upset, couldn't bear to sit out in the garden any more.

I can understand her annoyance if it’s something that she can see. Our neighbours built and extension that comes up to our fence. They haven’t broken planning laws but we’ve gone from a green garden view to the brick side of a house.
I think just because something doesn’t break planning laws, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t impact on others.
From your perspective though it’s just something that your neighbours will have to put up with, just as we have to.
I would just keep the contact as polite and short as possible. There’s no excuse for your neighbours being stupid over it.

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll

Get one of those mooning gnomes with its pants down, and put it on the roof of your cabin with its arse facing her garden.

Yes! Also, you will of course need a huge, prominent sign for your lovely new outdoor building (this element is definitely part of the legal regulations) - maybe surrounded by fairy lights? 'The Rut Hut', 'The Romping Room', 'The Stabbin Cabin', 'The Passion Palace' - choose whichever you prefer. She will be utterly torn between wanting to report you/tell you how disgusting it is and also desperate to come for a good peep through the windows when you next both go in there together

This!!!!!! Think being Scottish, we will go for "the humpin' hoose" 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

She has a new structure in her view and she will get used to it. You could have given her the heads up but that might have just started an unpleasant exchange. You can't do much to placate her if she's aggrieved and I don't think flowers/chocs (or hot tubs!) are in order. Just keep things polite.

Draw some big willies on the back of you cabin then she can look at them.

I wouldn’t worry about it or engage any further with her as you sound as though you are well within your rights.

However,I think you’re a little harsh in what you say about Barbara/Mavis. You use the word “snooping” but she was in her own garden, she’s allowed to have a look at the work you’ve done if she wants to. I don’t find it at all odd that she asked your other neighbour if they’ve had a baby - sounds like a nice, neighbourly question, not the work of an interfering, nosey baggage, which is what you seem to be implying. Yes, she’s been a bit whingey about your cabin but she’s probably bored shitless like the rest of us - as the country slowly gets back to normal and she has more to occupy herself, I suspect she will lose interest.

PanamaPattie
I also agree - get a hot tub, trampoline, swing set, slide and plunge pool.

All of the above and don't forget the wind chimes. Don't send flowers, she will probably consider them to be an apology and you have done nothing wrong.

Enjoy your cabin.

@Balibabe1

I would have a very “ loud chat” with your DH when Barbara/Mavis just happens to be within earshot regarding booking the security guy to install the CCTV overlooking all angles of said cabin 😉. Just incase Rona has sent her rocketing!

@Balibabe1 we actually are getting CCTV 😂

I have just built one mainly for an office for working from home and an area for gym stuff, it's at the end of our garden but the fence only backs onto the side of someones house so really doesn't affect anyone and nobody has said anything to us about it, a lot of people are doing works to their properties in our area at the moment, it is 2.5m high however I was worried when the frame went up that it looked huge but we double checked and it is exactly 2.5, I guess as it was just empty space beforehand it looked so big, looks fine now it's finished. If someone had moaned to me like that and tut tutted across the fence I wouldn't have given it a second thought, some people will moan about anything...too much time on their hands so forget the flowers, I doubt that would pacify her anyway by the sounds of it!

Another saying to ignore and not engage, including flowers. People like this woman feed off the drama/victimhood, this will be the start of many such problems I suspect if you give her the time of day. Ignore and enjoy your cabin!

My mil went nuts when next door built something similar. I never understood why she hated it so much and said the positioning was an invasion of her privacy. They have 3 foot high fences so what privacy? People are bonkers and hate change.

@Covidiot i thought the same that it had to be so far from boundary as our neighbour put uo a large shed a few imches from our fence and someone told me we could object , it didn't bother is bit now our neighbours are being twats so ive been tempted to look in to it

I think she sounds like a bit of a busybody TBH! Many people have these kinds of buildings in their garden .The point is its your garden not hers! If she is at home all day ,then she is just looking at it with nothing to take her mind off it! I would not send flowers or engage in any discussion at all with her .She will have to put up with it !