Overlooked garden - ideas for improvement?

[hoorayforharoldlloyd]

Really like a house but the garden is overlooked, which is putting my partner off. Any ideas for how we could improve this or should I give up on this house? Pic to follow!

Pic

Which way does the garden get the sun from? I'd want to plant a couple of trees along the back fence so you couldn't see the houses behind and weren't overlooked. Would your partner consider that?

Sorry Op, I see your partner's POV. The windows in the house behind look like huge eyes. Even if you plant some trees as soon as you move in, it will take a few years for them to grow big enough to block your view of those houses. But they will still be able to see into your house & garden from their upper windows.
That will never be a peaceful private garden & in the summer there will be noise & goings on all around you. Although it looks quite low maintenance, so that would be a positive.

I think the dormer on the house immediately behind you is the most oppressive thing, and it would be hard to obstruct that.

The houses behind us are at a slightly higher level and I hate it, even though they are only 2-storey. I have planted 2 silver birch trees so hopefully in Spring there will be a bit of coverage from the leaves.

Pleached trees - hedge on stilts.
Doesn’t take up much space. You can plant underneath, better to do it at the same time as the trees.
www.hedgesdirect.co.uk/acatalog/Pleached-Trees-Information.html

I have these, planted as a hedge on stilts. They’re evergreen and tough as old boots.
www.architecturalplants.com/product/phillyrea-latifolia/

Or, umbrella trained trees. They form a living pergola- very lovely.
abroughtondesign.com/abd-portfolio/new-build-garden-design-hertfordshire/img_2673-wr/

You need to plant a tree not near the back fence but about a third of the way from it in your garden. It will block out those windows long before a tree near the back fence will.

Thanks for the lovely tree ideas - don't think it will persuade him though! We're not overlooked at the moment at all due to unusual garden layout. I think he's being a bit unrealistic with wanting none but this house is probably a bit too much of a swing in the other direction.

Ah well, we both liked the house and they are coming up in that area, so fingers crossed...

Every house in that row will build a loft extension or so it'll feel! It happened to us in our last house and it was annoying.
Another new fashion seems to be for double height glass extensions.. .i see your DP's point.

Silver birches and rhus staghorn trees less privacy in winter. Nice dappled look in summer.

Bamboo and thicker growing large shrubs in front

Personally I’d heavily plant up the end of the garden so all I could see is greenery.

[quote AuntyFungal]Pleached trees - hedge on stilts.
Doesn’t take up much space. You can plant underneath, better to do it at the same time as the trees.
www.hedgesdirect.co.uk/acatalog/Pleached-Trees-Information.html

I have these, planted as a hedge on stilts. They’re evergreen and tough as old boots.
www.architecturalplants.com/product/phillyrea-latifolia/

Or, umbrella trained trees. They form a living pergola- very lovely.
abroughtondesign.com/abd-portfolio/new-build-garden-design-hertfordshire/img_2673-wr/[/quote]
Thanks for the links - I’m tree shopping, using them! Really useful 👍

Even planting trees at the back will not change the fact that you will have no privacy. That house is really high with the windows looking straight at you. You might have the same problem with neighbouring properties building loft extensions. Turn the page on that one. Good luck.

pergola staggered height with sail canopies - have a look on pinterest for ideas. You could do this at the end of the garden

Honestly, don't buy it, you'll always feel the same (anything tall enough to block that house out would ruin your own garden.). This is something I know about!

Being overlooked is a deal breaker for me and sounds like it is for your DH. Yes you can grow things there but realistically it will take several years to be tall and full enough to be private.

I would put a pergola on the bottom left corner and grow a grape vine or wisteria up the sides and on the top.

All depends on where the sun gets though.

I wonder if that's why the table and chairs are there, once you sat down you wouldn't be seen? Face your own house?

Unpopular opinion but st out old house we had a row of leilandii trees at the bottom of the garden - we didyplantvtyrm, they were there when we moved in.