Neighbours window looks into our garden and hosue - I want a fence up!

[funnyfoursome]

We have been renting a house which we are now in the process of buying.
The house has a 20 year old extension with a kitchen diner with two windows looking onto our side/ back garden then across to a low stone wall -less than 1 metre high. The neighbours house is older and the stone wall boundary is about 2 ft from their kitchen diner. They have clear glass in their windows and they look directly into our garden and into our house - no net curtains.
I have always felt very uncomfortable about this because our privacy is affected massively and the solution we agreed whilst renting was to put 2 large azaleas in pots belonging to the landlady in the front of their windows by the wall which has improved it a bit.
Now that we are buying I want to improve the privacy so w e can actually have a private garden and noone looking into our house - several people have said to me that we can legally erect a 2 metre fence on our side of the wall (which belongs to them). I was so looking forward to this

We went round to have a chat with the neighbours out of courtesy - they are moving on and their house is on the market. I explained we wanted to put some screening up (either a solid wooden fence or I guess a slatted one would be kinder as their light would be less blocked) I would prefer solid as then they couldn't hear us on the patio eating in the summer so much either.
But I was very clear that we would wait until they had sold as we wouldn't want to do anything to jeopardise their house sale. He let us into their kitchen diner and we could see straight into our house. He sad we legally couldn't because of the 'right to light'. But they have 1 more window and 2 Velux's in that room ..... He quite rightly pointed out that we could negotiate with the new people. He was keen we planted shrubs on our side but that will be tricky as there is a magnolia tree there so not much sunlight.

Everyone else thinks we should just put up a fence once our neighbours exchange contracts and safeguard our privacy. I just don't want to upset the new neighbours who we may well be living next to for many years. The two widnows are a) by their kitchen sink and b) by their kitchen table

I think we have a right to privacy but I don't want them to threaten us with a right to light argument or for us to get off on the wrong foot

Feeling so uncomfortable and unsure whether to get legal advice or just crack on!

Why can’t you just put up a fence when your own purchase has gone through? As long as you keep to regs in terms of height etc it’s really not up for negotiation with any potential new neighbours.

Also, I’m not sure ‘right to light’ is actually a thing as your current neighbour suggested. So I would take that with a pinch of salt (or check!).

As far as I know - totally not a lawyer - but the right to light thing is really limited.

Whatever you do, I’d do it now so that it’s the status quo for the new neighbours. I’d much rather fall out with the old ones than new ones.

And prepare to be asked for a diagram!

Thanks I think that's our default! I looked it up - it 's an ancient thing more used for city extensions. I think you are right he was blagging! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_to_light#:~:text=Right%20to%20light%20is%20a,doctrine%20of%20%22ancient%20lights%22.

Will draw one tomorrow!!! I was going to post their house sale link but then got cold feet!

Right to light is still a thing.
But it is only achieved where windows have existed for 20 years or more. I'm not sure from your OP whether it's your extension or there's that has existed for more than 20 years.
Either way, it is hard to prove and would have to go to court, so you could easily remove a fence before legal costs started.
I would put the fence up now. The existing owners are unlikely to start legal proceedings at this stage and it would establish the existence of a fence with the new owners.

Hi, put your fence up now. If your neighbour’s house is on the market they won’t want to complain about it in case it messes up their sale ( sellers have to disclose any problem with their neighbours in the pre sale paperwork). Good luck

If the neighbours were that fussed about their light levels they could put those frosting sheets on their windows, then you wouldn't need a 2 metre fence, would you?

Go on and put up the fence. You won't have any control over what the new owners will do in terms of voiles, blinds, window frosting, etc (or lack thereof, since they might not bother either) so you might as well use your solution.

When I tried to object to an extension which really impacted our light I was told the right to light wasn’t a thing if there were other light sources/windows or if it was a non habiting room (landing or hall). This was direct from the planning officer at the council. But he’s very pro planning permission and anti objections so he may have been talking bollocks. I’d put the fence up.

How about a hedge? Looking out of your windows directly at a fence is bit shit.

I would put a fence up. People buying a house would probably prefer that to someone looking into their house while they are eating their lunch or washing up.

Put the fence up now, it’s not like you are building a double storey extension and blocking their light.
They won’t want to cause a dispute as it will need to be disclosed to the potential purchasers.

Put the fence up before the neighbour sells.

You can't have the purchasers being tricked into thinking they are buying a kitchen with light from your side and then once contracts are signed, a fence goes up. That would be completely dishonest of you and the neighbour.

No one should have windows so close to a boundary at ground floor level. The owners of your house should have objected at the time. Most houses just look out on their own gardens. So put up the fence. They could have had frosted glass! That still gives them light and you privacy. As they haven’t, take action. I’m amazed they were not required to have this.

Probably built under permitted development when there was no control over windows.

What about putting trellis above the wall- then growing climbers over it. It will be less stark in appearance and with time will be much more of a barrier.

Put it up now. They won't risk a neighbour dispute when trying to sell.

Their house is very old - goodness knows why when they sold off the land they didn't give more space between the windows and the boundary or maybe I've got the order wrong.

Thank you everyone for taking the time to reply - it's great to have such backing. We hope to exchange in early May and complete in early June and they will be later than us as theirs only went on the market a few days ago.
I realised yesterday that I feel uncomfortable even being over near their windows in our own garden so think we will just go ahead and out a solid fence up. They can always grown something up it on their side.
I can't find anything that says you can't legally erect a 2 metre fence. The wall belongs to them but we could it against the wall = problem solved

Good option but I don't think that will stop them hearing everything we are saying when outside?

So the windows are in the original house, bit an extension?
How old is the property?
And your house is built on land once part of their property?

Hedge won't grow under the magnolia, and our garden is pretty small so would take up our space

Yes -the original part of their house is probably 200 years old. Their extension is newer, older than ours but I don't know how old. Our hosue is 1972 and was extended into the garden 20 years ago (but still would have ahd windows on that side before)

So it’s been an issue for many years. Put the fence on your land. Don't add anything to their wall.

I would put it up before so the new neighbours know what they are getting.

TBH it is a 50:50. I think most people would not want to buy a house that hugely overlooks (and is in turn overlooked?) by other people. IMO it's only fairly strange people that want to have a grandstand view into other peoples houses.

My house overlooks someone elses house in a way that it dominates (I can look into theirs but they cannot look into mine). I feel a bit guilty looking out my windows and would prefer it if they grew some trees to screen it off (it would probably increase the value of their place as well) but for whatever reason they don't want to, and I don't really have that much space in my garden.