Neighbours windows

[Ondisplay247]

First time poster and I'm unsure I have posted this is the right place. I have scoured the internet to see if I can find any information about this and am also waiting for the local authority to respond to my query. However, I thought I would post here to find out if anyone else has had a similar problem.

My neighbours property, to the rear of me is built right up to the property boundary. They have several windows that face us. The ground floor windows are frosted and although its not ideal at least they cannot see into our garden. The top floor window is not frosted. This provides them with a view of our entire garden and they can see into our kitchen, two bathrooms and a bedroom. In Winter this will be worse as when we turn the lights on we will be even more visible. We can close the shutters in our bathrooms and bedroom however the kitchen has French doors which do not have shutters. In this instance I do not feel I should be trying to make my kitchen private as I enjoy the light (the kitchen faces North so any light is appreciated).

The neighbours have just moved in. Our old neighbours kept the curtains closed all the time in the top floor room. The also hung an extra piece of fabric at the window for additional privacy. It didn't look good from our side but at least we could enjoy our garden in the warmer months.

Please bear in mind that the only view from the neighbours top window is of our garden and also into our house. They cannot see beyond our house as our house is taller.

The new neighbour introduced themself by opening their ground floor window and began chatting to me whilst I was in my garden. I found this a little off and hope they don't think this is acceptable. However, perhaps this behaviour is a one off so I will let it slide. I took this opportunity to mention the top floor window and and was met with the (sadly) expected unfriendliness. I did explain that perhaps they were not aware of how intrusive the unfrosted window is for us. I asked if they were going to do something about but go no response.

The next morning, early, I noticed the neighbour walking in our road and could see they were trying to determine which house was ours. I'm not sure what this means but perhaps they were looking for our door number.

The curtains in the neighbours top window are open all the time. I can see into there property If I am at my window looking at my garden.

Do I have any right to ask for the top window to be frosted? Even just using that sticky back frosting you can stick on windows would suffice and is a good cheap option for the neighbour. As mention their property is built up to the boundary - they cannot even open their ground floor windows fully without coming onto our property.

Thanks for taking the time to read this - looking forward to getting some honest feedback.

I would just plant the trees.

They take ages to grow but can be chopped down in an instant.

Assuming OP is a woman, I think that would result in them looking into the garden and house more frequently.

You bought the house and you removed the trees with an informal agreement with people who you knew might eventually move.

Get curtains or frost your own windows. No different than people living in flats really- a lot of them are hugely overlooked or have windows onto the street.

This is definitely a YOU issue. You can't ask them to change their property if you don't want to change yours.

This makes no sense, the house was too dark so you removed the trees, then you all agreed that they would keep the curtains closed?!

sorry OP but this is a you problem, if you aren’t happy you need to be the ones to stop them being able to see in to your house, film, blinds, nets, or keep your curtains closed like you want them to do.

Huge sympathy OP but do not plant bamboo. It is hugely invasive and destructive of properties. It’s classed as an invasive plant by many councils. It also breaches the High hedges act.

so please. Do NOT plant bamboo.

More positively… I do think you should raise the issue of overlooking with the council though. We have the same isssue (next door neighbour is a prick with bamboo and illegal side facing clear glazed windows that look directly into our kitchen).

We set up a fence exactly two metres high on the prick side (his land is higher than ours) so it’s totally blocked his ground floor overlooking for us. So much better! However that solution won’t help you, so first step is council then next step is pleached advanced trees to block their view? or possibly a shade sail? Glass verandah that will block their view but still allow light? These are all the things we considered.

Really, really sympathise though.

Could you do a pergola with some fake flower/ivy trellis laid over the top of the plastic roof thing to give some garden privacy?

You caused this by removing the trees!!

The previous owner of our house had loads of trees and cleverly placed outbuildings. When we we moved in the owners of the house to the rear complained to us that their house was dark. We felt sorry for them and removed all the trees and buildings

And therein lies your problem. The previous owner of your house was facing exactly this problem, of feeling overlooked with the other property and windows so close to the boundary fence. I'd hate that too. But rather than ask their neighbour to frost their upstairs windows, they planted lots of trees and "CLEVERLY PLACED outbuildings thus giving lots of shade and privacy and resting / nesting places for birds and wildlife and absorbing carbon dioxide into the bargain.

Then you tore down the cleverly placed outbuildings and cut down the beautiful trees so that the neighbour could make their upstairs dark all the time by keeping his curtains shut, which is a rather mad solution given that he was complaining about lack of light.

Anyway you clearly have to live with the consequences of that decision since bright light is so important and have an overlooked garden.

I guess you can decide on an area you'd want to spend time in and build an arbour or put up a gazebo so you could get privacy there?

So you removed the trees which gave you privacy? But then it's now your new neighbours problem to give you privacy???

So you removed trees to help your old neighbours, didn’t force their hand to get frosted glass per your agreement with them, and are now upset with your new neighbours for not sticking to an unspoken agreement of keeping curtains closed.

And you think your new neighbours are being unreasonable for not keeping upstairs curtains closed.

Because you did nothing about a previous agreement that you just let slide.

Which makes your new neighbours the unreasonable ones.

Added to which, your first conversation with them was a confrontational one in which you told them their predecessors used to keep their curtains closed all the time, for you.

I think you ought to post this little story on AIBU and see what sort of a response you get over there. I know how I would vote.

There's absolutely no way I would frost a bedroom window - it would be horribly claustrophobic to have no proper window and it significantly reduces light. This is 100% a you-problem, not the neighbours. People don't spend their time stood close up to their bedroom windows trying to get a view of inside the neighbours houses. Most of what you see from a bedroom window is from a distance and it's the sky and things at the same height as you. You might peer out at the weather when you open curtains in the morning, but not much more. Like loads of people I live in a normal semi and can see my neighbours entire small garden from my bedroom window but I've really got better things to do than stand there taking notes.

I agree with @Tupster

Its their house as long as they are not being nude in view or anything like that . They do not have to have screening or curtains or anything like that it's their home not yours . If your worried about privacy then you make your own privacy . Or move to a rural area . You simply can't tell people what to do in their owm home.

What about one of those large decorative sails/sunshade things?

I'm aghast that you removed trees for that reason.

I guess... choices have consequences.

Do you really think your neighbour is going to stand in their bedroom window staring into your garden or your kitchen for hours on end? Is your life that fascinating?

@Ondisplay247

you don't necessarily have to buy out buildings & trees, but I'd go around & mention to them that this worked previously but the previous owners found it made the house dark & you removed them to allow them more light in return for them keeping the curtains closed or frosting/film.

mention how you miss the trees & additional storage...

You’re the one with the issue, and you want them to help you?
Surely you bought the wrong house

Oh dear, oh dear!

So you already had the privacy that you wanted, but tore everything down for the sake of the old neighbours!

Why oh why did you not think things through and said no to the old neighbours? Because neighbours invariably move or die, meaning new neighbours, as you have found.

As others have said now you have to live with the consequences.

Until you you can restore the trees (not bamboo) and strategically placed outbuildings, get yourself some privacy film or even some good old fashioned net curtains.

To reclarify their property is built on the boundary. Their property defines the end of our small garden. There is no fence between us. We could put a fence in but it serves no purpose. Their second floor window is in their hallway. We are their only view - they cannot see beyond our house. I certainly don't think I am fascinating on interesting enough for them to stand at their window all day looking at me and my family. Of course they are not going to stand at the window staring all day. However the proximity of the window to our garden makes us feel constantly overlooked. I once read that windows are the eyes of a building or something to that effect and it does now feel that way.
I regret giving in to the previous neighbours and removing the trees etc. It was poor judgement on my part. I thought I was being neighbourly but in fact I was being spineless.
We bought this house as it has access for my daughters disability and is close to the necessary facilities that we need each week for her It works perfectly for us and is one of the few houses in our road that has off street parking - which is a must for us. We cannot move for these reasons and also because I love my home. We also simply could not afford to move right now - it really is not as easy as 'why don't you just move to the country'.
Yes this is a 'me problem' but I was just hoping to discover someone who could provide an example of windows on a boundary needing to be frosted. I have not been able to find this online so it looks like we will just have to accept the situation.

Looks like you will.

millions of houses are overlooked from neighbours in this country….should they all be made to fit frosted glass ?

If it's a hall window then ideally it should have been frosted. We have a very large hall/ landing window that looks towards our neighbours but it is trusted, and beautiful. I wouldn't want it to be clear. I don't know what you can do about it though.

I don't think it's down to them to provide you with privacy. That's for you to do.

I live in a very overlooked London terrace. Overlooked back and sides. The houses have very small yard gardens. I can see directly into the upstairs of the house that backs on to me as it's only a few metres away. They have net curtains up. I only have frosted glass in my bathroom only. Normal glass in landing and bedroom.

I enjoy the view of the other gardens, sky, birds, squirrels etc. I wouldn't get that enjoyment if I were looking at a blocked out window.

If I were your neighbour I would be upset at your suggestion. I may not have much of a view, but it's my view. I also don't like the look of sticky plastic on windows.

I hope you haven't permanently damaged your relationship with that neighbour.

I know they have a right to a view but Im sure if the view is only of our garden they are not going to want to look at it.

Well there's no problem then, if you're sure they aren't going to look out at your garden.

If you think plastic window screening is acceptable, you should put that on your own kitchen windows and doors. Absolutely no way should it be your neighbour’s responsibility.

I can’t get my head round why you think it’s acceptable to ask someone to keep their curtains shut.

I think I have been spoilt all these years with our previous neighbours keeping their curtains closed. Its something I have taken for granted. My partner and I have just visited the neighbour to reintroduce ourselves and to apologise. It went really well and they said they actually don't want the view of our house so close to them and understand why the previous owners kept the curtains closed. They have said our house is very imposing from their view and they feel very over looked as their bedroom and bathroom doors are just beyond their hallway window. They will be replacing the entire window as the current one is very old and the frames are rotting. They will half frost the new window which will ensure they get sufficient light but still have privacy from us. They have also asked that should they need to repoint that side of the house (its in a shocking state) that we would allow for scaffolding and builders in our garden for about four days. They will replace the window in this time too. So in closing, thanks for all the helpful advice. There are some great suggestions here that i had not thought of before. I have wound my head back in and stepped off the entitled platform. As much as it hurt to hear it - I needed to hear it.