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Original poster

Neighbours' conservatory privacy problem please help

28 replies

OhWesternWind · 27/01/2012 13:26

I am in the process of buying a house which is mainly great. One of the main problems is that it is a semi and the neighbours have a conservatory on the back right on the boundary line which has a glazed wall looking right into my garden and also into what will be my bedroom on the ground floor. They can also see right into the kitchen and garden. There is no fence at all on this part of the boundary, the glazed wall actually forms the boundary. This conservatory looks quite old so probably it wasn't even the current neighbours that built it, but what can I do? I don't want to fall out with them as soon as we move in but I am going to have to put up some kind of fence just to give us a little bit of privacy. Any advice how I can go about this and what type of fence/barrier would be most acceptable?

OP posts:

3littlefrogs · 27/01/2012 13:32

Sorry - not helpful I know, but are you really sure you want to buy it?

I can't imagine anything worse, and I have had my share of neighbour problems.

You may find that you are not allowed to put a fence up in case you block their light.

What does your surveyor say?

Original poster

OhWesternWind · 27/01/2012 13:43

Hi, yes, I do really want to buy this house. It is the only one within my budget (old lady house) in a decent area near the children's school. We have just relocated once to get away from abusive ex so we now need somewhere decent to settle down. Otherwise we are stuck in grotty rented accommodation . . . Haven't seen anything else I can afford i the last yaer.

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Lightofthemoon · 27/01/2012 13:44

Is it the council planning department that deals with fences? Can't you find out if you can put a fence up before you buy it? Then it's tough luck if they don't like it, I would certainly find out what you can do legally before you buy.

Original poster

OhWesternWind · 27/01/2012 13:51

I have just looked at the planning website after I read your first post (thank you!!) and it says that fences and hedges don't need planning or building regs if the fence is out teh back and less than 2m high. So I think the upshot is that I could do it but I really don't want to fall out with them before we have even started! But equally they are very open to us, we can see right into their house and garden as well so maybe they won't be too upset? I don't think the old lady who had the house before us went in her garden much so probably it has been like that for years.

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Original poster

OhWesternWind · 27/01/2012 13:52

Oh sorry Lightofthemoon, didn't read properly and got you mixed up with 3littlefrogs. Sorry!

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Bramshott · 27/01/2012 13:52

When we moved in here the neighbours conservatory looked straight into our living room so we got a few evergreen, already fairly large bushes and planted them on our side of the boudary.

Heswall · 27/01/2012 13:54

I would go around now before it goes any further and explain you plan to put the fence up and gauge the reaction before you are committed.

Original poster

OhWesternWind · 27/01/2012 13:54

Thank you Bramshott, that is definitely an alternative. Did you speak to your neighbour before you did this? Were they okay about it afterwards?

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PigletJohn · 27/01/2012 13:56

you could start out with climbing shrubs on wires, then go to trellis later, they won't have a sudden shock then.

Or if you build raised decking and a trampoline so your family can look into their house, they might decide to fit blinds or curtains.

You are entitled to build your own conservatory next to theirs if you feel like it, and you could fit frosted side-class or even solid walls.

Original poster

OhWesternWind · 27/01/2012 14:01

Thanks Piglet! We can already see right into theirs and their garden so they might find me and two children who spend a lot of time otudoors are a bit more intrusive to them than a housebound old lady. Shrubs/trellis might be a better way to go than a solid fence, maybe?

But putting finer feelings aside your idea about building my conservatory next to theirs is possibly a really excellent idea as I need to replace a leaking flat-roof extension anyway. Good thinking that man.

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SucksToBeMe · 27/01/2012 14:04

The trellis/climbing shrubs is a great idea,i might do the same in my garden.

Bramshott · 27/01/2012 14:04

I'm afraid we didn't, as we didn't want to give them the chance to say no .

Original poster

OhWesternWind · 27/01/2012 15:10

Leylandii?

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Hullygully · 27/01/2012 15:17

I would tell them very politely, "Hi, just wanted to let you know we are going to put a fence up so we all have some privacy, I'm sure you'll be relieved, you won't want two children watching you like the telly."

Original poster

OhWesternWind · 28/01/2012 19:33

I have it! Bamboo! I have been on ebay looking at container types and have found one which will be just the ticket. It will start off small/medium and quickly get to about 1.5 m above the container and block out all signs of neighbours (unless one of them is a seven footer).

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chipmunksex · 28/01/2012 19:40

Doesn't bamboo, cause loads of problems if it gets out of control though? [scared]

MadameCastafiore · 28/01/2012 19:44

Just tell the kids to constantly watch them through the window - they will then do something about the issue from their side and it won't cost you a bean.

Bamboo is bloody hideous stuf - don't go there.

Original poster

OhWesternWind · 28/01/2012 20:08

This is a small clump-forming type which doesn't send out loads of runners like the invasive ones, it grows to 1.5-2m, it will tolerate shade, it is ideal for containers, it likes the damp (good job too) and it is evergreen. I think as well it is going to be less confrontational than whopping a great big fuck off fence panel right in front of their conservatory window, although we will get the same effect in the end!

You're right though about some of the large bamboos, they can be a real nightmare. Wouldn't touch them with a bargepole, but this is a different species altogether. (Fargesia murielae if anyone's interested )

If all that fails, I will use the neighbours as kids' TV and that will sort them! They got a spy kit for Christmas so are quite inspired by that sort of thing.

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Daftapath · 28/01/2012 20:13

So is their glass your boundary? Surely you could put frosting on the outside of the window then?! How do they clean it?

You could put bamboo in containers but i would steer clear of putting it in the ground as many types of Bamboo spread like mad. And will be a nightmare. Leyllandeii would be no good as b the time it has fully grown there will be no foliage on the bottom 5ft!

This conservatory must be really old, I'm sure it could not be built now without semi-opaque glass. I wonder if it is worth your solicitor searching whether it is a legal extension but if not, I guess you will be pissing off the neighbours before you move in!!

maybenow · 28/01/2012 20:13

i'd go round on day1 and introduce myself and say 'oooh, what are we going to do about the boundary? my kids are going to be in the garden a lot, what do you think? a hedge? trellis?...'

i'm sure you can come up with something together for both your benefit that will come across as friendly rather than intrusive.

Daftapath · 28/01/2012 20:16

Or knock on the door and say you are naturists

Bramshott · 30/01/2012 09:05

I've checked what we have an it's a Euonymus Japonicus - evergreen, with variegated leaves. We got a largish one from a specimen plant nursery which was about £50 I think, and covered the window immediately.

Original poster

OhWesternWind · 30/01/2012 15:15

Ooh that sounds great Bramshott, thanks. Does it need a lot of watering/looking after?

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wheredidiputit · 30/01/2012 16:02

I didn't think you could have glazed units that faced neighbours garden.

When mum had her conservory built at both this and her previous house she had to have plain UPVC walls between houses for safty.

FWIW her neighbours in her previous house had glazed units between and they shattered over our garden.

mousymouseprice · 30/01/2012 16:04

brambles on a trellis?

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