Massive trees next door, blocking the evening sunlight

[Tahlbias]

Next door was previously a rented house. It has now been sold and a lovely young couple is going to be moving in. When I saw them, I briefly mentioned about them having a lot of work to do in the garden, with all the massive trees there. They just nodded and said "I know, we have loads to do"

My problem is, now the evenings are lighter l, I want to enjoy my garden in the sunshine. But I can't! I will add pictures to this post to show you how big the trees are and the sunshine we don't get compared to my other neighbors.

Would I be unreasonable to ask them to cut their trees down when they do move in?

I feel your pain. We barely get any sun in our garden and the neighbour's tree has grown enough in the last couple of years to totally block out the lingering patch of evening sun I used to sit in. I really don't think I can ask her to cut it down but I feel incredibly pissed off about it.

Why not go halvos? Wait a few weeks ,and then maybe say gently how lovely the garden is,However the trees can be a problem .If they are amenable then they may say we are taking those down ,If they seem to be in doubt then maybe say shall we go halves?

Why can't they just be trimmed back , they don't need removing or cut down.

I'd give them a few weeks to get settled in.

Then maybe drop a house warming gift around and kindly ask if they be willing to ing to look at the height of the trees. If it bothers you that much and you can afford it, you could offer to pay, or go halves on a tree surgeon. Chances are they probably have a protection order on them, so cutting down might not be an option (plus I don't think cutting down any tree is an option(.

I think you need to consider that the privacy and shade provided by the trees might have been part of your new neighbour’s purchase decision.
It certainly was when we bought our house with established trees. I had and still had no intention of cutting them down. They are checked and trimmed by a tree surgeon before every winter storm season but are still tall and dense.

We moved into our current property 11 years ago, have some beautiful big trees at the end of the garden. People at the back of us moved in a few years ago and regularly send their 'heavies' to put pressure on us to chop down the trees. If they had had the courtesy of coming round themselves to ask politely, then we may have agreed to do something but them sending an array of men to try to bully us has made us dig our heels in.

We love the trees, they are home to several bird families and the garden was one of the reasons we moved here.

Can't understand why the neighbours bought their house if they didn't like the trees! Also, their garden is south-facing so no light is lost, their garden is always bathed in light.

Our trees are staying.

I think OP you need to let the new people settle in, maybe pop round with a small welcome gift - cake/wine or something to set up a friendly neighbourly relationship, then perhaps mention the trees at a later date.

Our neighbors know about it but the building is there and we are just plastering, decorating and popping a TV in there. I don't think many people are going to put up much fuss about that 🤔

Personally I would offer to pay and arrange.
A young couple moving in will have a lot they want to do and the garden is unlikely to be their priority.
I would approach by telling them your issue, ask them how they feel about the trees.
If they also dislike say "I know you have a lot on, would it be okay if I arrange X and foot the cost".
No pressure is on them to cause stress and you get what you want.

I feel the same! In this country where the sun is rarely seen 😂 I feel quite bitter about the trees.

I think it’s a perfectly reasonable thing to consider asking but not just yet.
We had similar, an elderly neighbour’s Leylandii trees were huge and left our garden in shadow from around 3pm. The neighbour passed away and just last month the young new couple who moved in have removed them and planted some lovely native trees instead.
You would definitely need to fund all or most of the lopping back or removal as I’m sure their finances are stretched.

That's what I was thinking too. You end up needing to pay to put in artificial shade. People have no idea how awful it is to have an unshaded garden. The glare is awful.

I think you can discuss it with them if you're polite and not pushy. But I do think you need to pay and arrange it yourself. We had some large leylandii removed from our garden four years ago and it cost around £700. Will be more in today's prices. If they are a young couple who have just moved in, they are unlikely to have that money to spare and it won't be a priority for them.

As two look like conifers they could easily have shot up in a few years.

Our next door neighbours, literally the first time we met them, immediately tackled us about the nudge that borders both front gardens, which they wanted taken out and replanted, and a wish that we would replace the fence that separates our back garden because they’d ’never liked it’. I should have realised this signalled they would turn out to be the neighbours from hell.

“Popping a TV in” sounds different for a cinema room. Will it be loud?

Regarding the trees, you’d have been better approaching the landlord when it was rented. Temporary tenants are less likely to be bothered about changes than owners. They may like the trees, and then you’re stuck with them. My garden is overlooked by a massive tree in the field behind, and apart from having the overhanging branches cut (paid for 100% by me), there’s nothing I can do. The field owner wants the tree to stay.

We have a tree that grows vigorously and blocks next door’s view. They mentioned it to us and we now keep it down to a reasonable height to accommodate them. Nobody has to remove trees and habitat - but keeping them managed and to a reasonable height / spread is simple good management. Offer to pay and do it at the right time of year. And if they want anything in return, remember the trees.

Those are ridiculous trees for a domestic property. Can they even get insurance?! YANBU @Tahlbias but you can't just ask the neighbours to cut their trees down as soon as they move in. They possibly will anyway. DH and I bought a property some 2 decades ago, and it had thirteen 12 to 15 ft conifers within 10 to 30 feet of the house. (In the garden obvs.)

Our first thought was 'THEY are coming down!' Like who the F plants trees (that they know will grown higher than 10 feet,) in a small domestic garden, close to the house?! ALSO, when we went to insure our property, the documents stated specifically that they will not cover any damage from the huge conifers. So down they came.

Good luck, but you really can't ask them to chop them down.

A few months after I moved into my house my neighbour knocked and asked me to cut back one of my trees. I said we have so much to do that tree cutting isn’t even on our list of things to do.

We trimmed it last year and that’s 11 years after moving in - I doubt it even makes that much difference to the neighbours, I would need to remove it to make a difference.

Actually, many, many people loathe their neighbours for being so inconsiderate as to do this. Unless you've properly soundproofed the building and will never have doors/windows open, you are totally ruining your neighbours quite enjoyment of their garden

Don't feel bitter about the trees, this could have been sorted out years ago when they were smaller, you don't know what the new neighbours plan to do, they might already be thinking of having them trimmed. If they are cut down what view and privacy will they have, perhaps they won't want to see into your garden, kids on the trampoline, friends round. Let them settle in and enjoy their new home, don't sour the experience for them.

I think it’s an issue that people jump straight to cut the trees down in the way you have. It’s not all or nothing.

There can be a middle ground to get advice about pruning that would keep the trees we need in our gardens to support wildlife and the environment more generally while managing what we want for our home.

Now isn’t the time to do anything anyway while it’s nesting season. You’ve got time to see what your neighbours think about asking a tree surgeon to look at this.

'popping a TV in there' - ugh! If the TV was never switched on, that would qualify as popping it in there. Of course it's going to annoy your neighbours, whether they tell you so or not.

'The building is there' - so are the trees. Sauce for the goose & all that.

I really think you should've bought a house elsewhere which was big enough not to need a TV blaring in an outbuilding right next to someone else's garden & wasn't near any of those ghastly arboreal thingies.

Just noticed a bit more sauce for the goose: 'I don't think many people are going to put up much fuss about that'. Perhaps you're the only person making a fuss about the trees?

If you speak to them about the trees I would definitely open with an offer to pay for the work. Anything else just looks demanding and sets the tone as you being an awkward neighbour.

O don't think k they should be removed, as trees are wonderful for a host of reasons, but they could be trimmed back and thinned.

There's no way I'd cut down trees if my pushy neighbour came over and immediately asked me too. I'd want to keep them so the pushy neighbour couldn't stick their peak over my fence and find more stuff to complain about lol