WWYD Garden outside of somebody else's window!

[SilverDoe]

A WWYD rather than AIBU.

We are expecting to move soon, from one flat to another with our housing association.

I'm cautiously excited about this move, but one thing I have wanted for ages is a garden.

This flat actually has a garden, but we are on the upper floor, and the window that the garden is directly under is not ours! It belongs to the ground floor flat.

What is the etiquette here? The layout is the flats back onto a huge countryside field which is lovely, though there is a tree line shortly after the gardens. Would it still be okay to put some seating at the end of the garden, away from the window?

I have kids and would have hoped to put maybe a playhouse or similar outside. Would this be an absolute nightmare for them?

Is it your garden or the other flat's garden? If its yours then do what you like, a few kids play items is not unreasonable. If its not yours then you cant just put stuff in it!

Could you chat to the resident? I’d suggest that you have some planters with shrubs a couple of feet high, a small distance from their window, so you both have a bit of privacy but not blocking their light.

If it's your garden, you can do what you like, but you should be mindful that someone else will be looking at your "mess" and hearing your "noise". Just be courteous and perhaps avoid topless sunbathing.

It’s your flat’s garden, so what you’d like with it. Playhouse, seating, whatever suits you.

If the ground floor flat doesn’t like it, they can put that one way reflective stuff on so you can’t see in while you’re using your garden.

Thanks, these answers are reassuring and that's what I was thinking; more than happy to chat to them and see what they are happy with!

It's definitely ours, the area is divided into bits for each flat and I know which one is ours, but there is basically 2 in front of each flat.

Just to give context, we are moving because of a horrendous neighbour situation and because my son absolutely needs some kind of outdoor space. This is hopefully temporary, but temporary could be 2 - 3 years. I'm keen to have a decent relationship with the ground floor residents

You could pop some seating and a couple of tubs with shrubs strategically placed to partly shield your view of them/their view of you

I live in the upstairs part of a conversion. The garden is divided into downstairs neighbour and my place. So she has a small square garden outside one of her windows and mine goes in an L shape around 2 sides. I just use my garden normally, as does she. It's fine. When gardens are divided up in these ways you find a way to make it work.

Your seating plan sounds fine. You sound like a considerate person so there really shouldn't be any issues, unless your neighbour is a nightmare! Which wouldn't be your fault.

I would say most people are absolutely fine with kids playing. Constant shrieking and screaming, not so much! But just general play is fine. Next door have a young child and she always says hello when she see's me out, she's very sweet. I enjoy hearing her having fun. Doesn't bother me at all, loud music on the other hand really annoys me! Hopefully your neighbour will be nice 🙂