Would you be put off buying my house if I remove all the overgrown hedges that hides the neighbours house?

[FabulousFlowerpots]

I live in a city where houses are cheek-by-jowl. The house at the end of my garden (36ft long) was allowed to build a double height extention, so their property now touches my corner fence. This was annoying because I have a row of first floor windows closely overlooking my garden. Then the new owner was given permission to raise the height of the roof and add a 3rd storey. Over lockdown my garden became so overgrown that my boundaries are about 12ft high, meaning that this built-up house is now completely hidden. No one is complaining about the overgrowth. But I feel it's too much to keep up with now and my garden feels much smaller. Though I love having complete privacy outside.
An estate agent told me on no account to remove the greenery because it'll make the house much less desirable being overlooked. But I've decided to stay here for another few years yet. What should I do about all this overgrowth? In addition, the neighbour on the other side has got a trampoline & I have no hassle at all with the hedge being so high.

Is this the house in the press the last week

If you’re staying a while, cut your hedges if you don’t want high hedges.

When you decide to sell, let them grow.

Get someone in to tidy it up but keep the essence

The neighbours sorted that out didn't you see 😆

Surprised it took them until national news coverage to help the guy out but hey ho 🤷🏻‍♂️

Yes I would, but not if it’s neatened up. Could you get it trimmed in stages.

If you are staying trim the hedges a bit to make them look better.
Generally speaking if you leave hedges to grow rapidly without trimming them then the growth gets thin and woody. Its better to cut a hedge at least once a season to stimulate growth and new seems so it becomes a thicker stronger hedge.

OP, as a buyer I value privacy outside. Can you get some advice from a gardener on reducing the width of the hedges so they don't encroach so much, but keeping the height?

This.

They're not real hedges but a mess of overgrown roses, ivy, crab apples & pyracantha. It seems like no one thinks it would be good to clear it all out for the sake of a larger but more managable garden.

This is the trouble now, the hedges are about 8ft thick. But if cut to be less wide they'd be more see-through.

I was pissed off when the neighbour got permission to raise the roof as it was refused the first 2 times of asking when we weren't a conservation area. Now we are, the council had no problem giving permission weirdly. My neighbours house has now had 6 extentions in my time here, going from a 2 up-2 down to a large 5 bedroom, 3 bathroom home. At least there physically isn't any space left for them to build any more.

I'd not want to be a property thats clearly overlooked. Keep the hedge. Just pay someone to trim and shape it. So it looks nice and tidy.

Well, if you don’t reduce its width now, it’ll be 10-12ft wife soon. So get it chopped. Then it’ll have grown back by the time you sell.

Pyracanthia grows like the devil so it wi t take long!

Id definitely keep the hedge. Much better to look at than neighbours. I would definitely be put off otherwise.

I would be put off by an eight foot deep, twelve foot high hedge. I couldn’t manage it myself and would not want the hassle and expense of getting someone in to do it.
Being overlooked would not bother me one bit, I not doing anything I want to keep secret in my garden and doubt the neighbours are that interested in me tbh.

That's ok until you get neighbours that ARE interested in you! The need for privacy can very much depend on the type of neighbour you have.

What should I do about all this overgrowth?
Nothing, for the moment. You must not disturb nesting birds so cutting hedges between March and August (inclusive) is frowned upon.

If I were going to stay for a few years, I'd plant an actual hedge rather than have various overgrown plants there. Look into the various hedging options and choose one that will have grown to 12ft in, say, five years. That will ultimately look a lot better and more considered than if you keep the current set up.

We rejected a couple houses due to overlooking. Gardens were small and it was the big glass doors with Juliet balconies in the converted lofts that made us feel exposed.
We did buy a house with a three story apartment block behind, but the trees screen most of the windows (and in the winter we arent outside so much).
So yes, if you cut hedges back when on the market which meant windows directly overlooking your garden it would put me off.

I would much prefer overgrown hedges to being overlooked.

I’d do this.

Take the too big ‘accidental hedge’ out and replace it with a dense, moderately fast growing, slimmer version.

Can't you do a mix of a normal-sized hedge with strategically placed (in front of their windows) trees planted within it. That way you still get the screening (up high) without losing so much of your garden footprint.

If you trim them on your side you'll reclaim some green area. The trimmed side will grow back thicker - you'll see lots of little shoots on the stalks within weeks. You'll still have your privacy and your hedge will be healthy.

But you can't cut the overgrown bits until the autumn. This is because birds are nesting and also because you'd be cutting new green growth along with established shoots.

As senua says, don't cut them now as it's bird nesting season and illegal to disturb or destroy their nests. Unfortunately it's hard to know when something is nesting as they do it so quietly to keep away predators, and it'd be devastating when baby birds die after you accidently destroy their nest. :(

I'd leave it until autumn time and then cut it down to a more manageable height, i've got a native hedge at the back of the garden and I try and keep it to about 8 foot tall and 4 foot deep, when you cut the ends of branches like pyracantha and apple etc they bush up even more so will hopefully fill in any gaps, or you can train the ivy through or a clematis or honeysuckle to make a thicker screen. At least it will be more narrow then and take up less of your garden :)