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Original poster

Neighbour wishes to paint our fence?

123 replies

tigger1167 · 13/08/2022 08:54

Thoughts please. We are in a bought house and we have a fence which we paid for and had put on.

Our new neighbours who are not bought are slowly doing up the garden. In conversation, she said the other day that she would like to paint the fence, to which I replied do you mean our fence which I have been painting. She said yes. I said I didn’t mind as long as she painted it the same colour.

I could tell she perhaps didn’t like our choice of colour but her oldest son yes we will pick something close.

I’m not sure that they realise that we have paid for this fence and that it isn’t a ‘housing’ fence and therefore she can’t just decide to paint it without us agreeing.

is it wrong of me to say I’d like the fence to be painted in the same colour or something similar that that will blend in?

OP posts:
dmask · 13/08/2022 14:07

I can see why people have so many problems with their neighbours!! You’ll never see the colour of their fence, why does it bother you so much. If there were drips, just ask them to touch your side up (but to be honest I would just do it myself if I had the paint). Our neighbours have painted their fence grey. Not to my taste, but imagine if I replaced one of the fence panels and said it had to be painted my colour? Their garden would look ridiculous. I think this is being controlling for the sake of it, glad my neighbours aren’t like this.

crazy4cats · 13/08/2022 14:08

blimey do people really get caught up in such pathetic drama? When our neighbours painted their fence it never even occured to me that they were painting 'my' fence.

If nothing else painting both sides helps preserve it

BunsyGirl · 13/08/2022 14:13

You’re being ridiculous OP. In most cases, people only own the fence on one side of their garden. The neighbours own the other. Unless everyone in the street agrees on the same colour, people are going to end up with different colours at each side of their garden!

SpidersAreShitheads · 13/08/2022 14:13

I’m about to move into a house which is a corner plot. One side of the fencing belongs to my neighbour. The other side of my fencing is made up of the back fences of all the neighbours on the street that runs perpendicular to ours. There are at least 7 different houses so 7 different fence panels. And then another neighbour and their fence panels which run across the back of my garden.

All the fences are different- it currently looks like a patchwork quilt 😂😂

If I can be arsed I’ll paint them because it looks terrible right now. I don’t see why anyone would care what happens to the reverse of a fence panel that they will never have to look at. Some of the precious responses on here are just astounding….let’s hope none of the 8 neighbours think the same way!!

Suzi888 · 13/08/2022 14:16

BunsyGirl · 13/08/2022 14:13

You’re being ridiculous OP. In most cases, people only own the fence on one side of their garden. The neighbours own the other. Unless everyone in the street agrees on the same colour, people are going to end up with different colours at each side of their garden!

What? 🤣

So you’d happily pay thousands for a fence. Paint it and seriously not mind if your neighbour paints it a different colour and it all drips through to your side? hmmm ok.

For · 13/08/2022 14:18

If they paint their side then unless they’re extremely careful the paint will seep through the gaps and spoil the finish on your side. There’s been Mumsnet threads on that before!

Drop a note round, explain that to avoid any confusion you want to explain that you bought and built that fence, and it 100% belongs to you, it isn’t shared. Say that you don’t want your fence damaged by paint seeping through from the other side. Say if they want a particular colour it’s probably best if they buy and build their own fence next to yours, but if they use the same exact colour as you have (name colour) then you can give permission for them to paint your fence.

Agreeeeed · 13/08/2022 14:46

What? 🤣

So you’d happily pay thousands for a fence. Paint it and seriously not mind if your neighbour paints it a different colour and it all drips through to your side? hmmm ok.

^^ yes. I would. Have done in the past.
once a couple of specks came through and I covered it on my side. Provided people have been careful there shouldn’t be huge amounts coming through.
having spent thousands on a good quality fence, I tend to find paint from the other side doesn’t just seep through.

and for my being amenable and neighbourly, I benefit from good neighbours.
who popped round with a bottle of wine when we re-did the fence. (Which was our responsibility to do, we owned the previous fence).
Who keep an eye on our house when we go on holiday. And are generally a friendly helpful sort we have maintained good relations with.

If the op is difficult, about this and other things, she may just find the ‘tenant’ next door neighbours move out. And replacing them, tenants who do not care about the garden. Or fence. And she risks looking at a pile of rubbish in their garden through the rotted fence as they haven’t bothered Maintaining it. I know what I’d rather.

drunktrifle · 13/08/2022 14:48

There are eight houses sharing two of my fences. On their side one is green, one blue, one cream, two dark grey, one light grey and one is that awful reddish brown.
It's their boundary but I paid to replace them all when we did up our garden. It would look horrible if they all insisted I had their choice of colour on my side.

BunsyGirl · 13/08/2022 14:52

@Suzi888 absolutely. In fact everyone on my street paid a lot of money for their houses which were new builds and therefore came with new fences and no one has had an issue with their neighbours painting the other side of their fence. We all have our own colour schemes and no one wants a two tone fence!!!

toomuchlaundry · 13/08/2022 14:54

We have just had new fences put up after storm damage. They are fully treated so don’t need painting/preserving.

Suzi888 · 13/08/2022 15:08

Depends how careful they are @Agreeeeed if you have lovely neighbours- amazing. However I’d be pretty ticked if someone spray painted their side of my fence and it dripped through. I wouldn’t put a fence up on the boundary line for this reason.

Cervinia · 13/08/2022 15:29

VioletToes · 13/08/2022 09:03

What? Surely no one can dictate what colour fence you have on your own side? You paint your side what you want and they paint their side the colour they want?

Don’t be silly, how would you feel if you’d spent 1500 on new fences and your NDN painted their side black. and it leaked through……like some one on here a few weeks ago.

Bindayagain · 13/08/2022 16:04

SpidersAreShitheads · 13/08/2022 14:13

I’m about to move into a house which is a corner plot. One side of the fencing belongs to my neighbour. The other side of my fencing is made up of the back fences of all the neighbours on the street that runs perpendicular to ours. There are at least 7 different houses so 7 different fence panels. And then another neighbour and their fence panels which run across the back of my garden.

All the fences are different- it currently looks like a patchwork quilt 😂😂

If I can be arsed I’ll paint them because it looks terrible right now. I don’t see why anyone would care what happens to the reverse of a fence panel that they will never have to look at. Some of the precious responses on here are just astounding….let’s hope none of the 8 neighbours think the same way!!

Out of 7 different neighbours chances are you will upset at least one of them if you do that! Plus, all could have different styles or heights or fences. You could install your own fence on your side of the boundary, or plant a hedge if you preferred - would probably look better too

HarryPotterDucks · 13/08/2022 16:22

Are we not painting our fences to protect from rot?

bluekostree · 13/08/2022 19:24

Depends if it's a fence with gaps or a fence panel. I wouldn't want potential driving/ staining on my side. If they really dislike it then can put their own fence panels up all side yours?

GinIronic · 13/08/2022 19:38

Tell her to put up her own fence and she can paint it what ever colour she likes. Make sure she knows that it is your property.

22fgjiyt · 13/08/2022 21:33

5zeds · 13/08/2022 12:33

What is the relevance of 'bought' and 'not bought '? Tbh I don't think it is unreasonable of them to want to paint it, and as long as it doesn't leak through I'm not sure why you would care?
Well one means it’s yours and you own it and one doesn’t?Confused

It was more that the OP seemed to feel she had more rights over someone that had "bought" their house rather than a lowly housing association tenant she has the misfortune to live alongside

RedHelenB · 13/08/2022 21:35

VioletToes · 13/08/2022 09:03

What? Surely no one can dictate what colour fence you have on your own side? You paint your side what you want and they paint their side the colour they want?

In the real world you're right , but mumsnet get all weird about it.

22fgjiyt · 13/08/2022 21:35

I meant had more rights as a homeowner than a "housing association tenant"

I'm of the the belief that who ever owns the fence can do whatever, but the OPs attitude stinks

JasmineIndigo · 13/08/2022 21:40

This seems so petty to me - why shouldn't the neighbours have the colour they want in their own garden, you won't see it so why do you care? If you are worried about damage just say it's fine as long as they pay for a professional decorator to do it.

Original poster
tigger1167 · 13/08/2022 21:43

No, its not slide panels.

OP posts:
Original poster
tigger1167 · 13/08/2022 21:54

They didn’t actually ask as such. She was just talking about the things in the garden they were going to do and happened to mention that she was planning on painting the fence.

These neighbours are nice, hence, why I said I didnt’ mind them painting the fence and it doesn’t have to be the exact same colour as nothing worse if not to your taste but think she should paint it something similar to blend in so it wouldn’t seep through.

OP posts:
Original poster
tigger1167 · 13/08/2022 21:57

If she paints it say a really dark grey for example it would seep through and then I’d have to redo all the painting I’ve just done like all the sides, tops etc which is hard work as it’s a particularly long fence. It’s not about being petty.

OP posts:
Original poster
tigger1167 · 13/08/2022 22:04

just to be clear, because we live in a bought house and have paid for our own fence does not make us think we are any better than housing tenants.

My niece actually rents from the housing.

The fact is we have paid for the materials, labour etc of the fence which was actually broken twice by previous housing tenants who did not so much as offer to repair it, so we were the ones out of pocket actually.

OP posts:
Original poster
tigger1167 · 13/08/2022 22:13

@BunsyGirl actually we own the whole fence as we had to take the whole fence down, put new posts in and build it all back up. So the neighbours do not own their side of the fence.

I’ve explained I’m happy for the neighbours to paint as it’s good to see them making the garden nice again.

just concerned about the colour seeping through and then me having to redo all the painting I’ve did.

OP posts:
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