Woman begs strangers to help her with privacy fence ideas for her rented garden & a £24 Homebase buy comes up trumps
PRIVACY from your neighbours is something many want and expect in their garden.
However, sometimes, that’s not always the case and it happened to one woman who shared her barely-there fence which separated her garden from those who lived next door.
Taking to the Facebook group Gardening On A Budget Official, she wrote her landlady had refused to help get her a better form of fencing.
“Any cheap ideas to get some privacy, please?
“All rented properties and [my] landlady has said she won’t replace the fence as the neighbours ‘need light!’
“She has, however, said I can attach whatever I like to what is already there! Any ideas appreciated.”
In the comments, people suggested bamboo, trellises, and even plants.
One person penned: “Buy the rolls of bamboo or reed and attach to the chainlink. Instant cover and cheap.”
Laurel bushes grow quickly,” another said.
“Temu does 4 metres clear or printed gazebo curtain side waterproof [for] about 40 quid.
“But can cut in half along the full length and pop it on poles on your side and attach to [the] height where your fence comes up to,” a third commented.
Someone else shared a snap of their fencing and wrote: “Reed screening and cable ties!
“Saved us a fortune on fencing and made it much more private. Lasted so well too [grinning face emoji].”
She said she got these £24 ones from Homebase.
The woman added in a reply to one of those trying to help her that it was actually one of her other neighbours who was the issue.
“It’s the GIANT holly tree in the other neighbour’s garden that’s blocking light,” she wrote.
Others slammed the landlady for telling “porkies.”
What are your rights over a fence row?
IT'S very important to know your rights if you are embroiled in a fence row with a neighbour.
How do I know which side I own?
A boundary feature can be a fence, wall, hedge, ditch, piece of wire, or sometimes even just the edge of a driveway.
The only way to know for certain who owns what side and to avoid any neighbour disputes, is to refer to the title plan or Land Registry.
In this, the T mark is used to indicate who the boundary belongs to and therefore who is responsible for its upkeep, say pros at Jacksons Fencing.
Larger developments tend to have some indication provided by the builder, but there are no hard and fast rules
People often think they are responsible for the left (or right) hand boundary wherever they live, but there isn’t any legal basis for this.
You can check with HM Land Registry to see which boundary feature you are responsible for.
Often households can’t get hold of the paperwork but experts say they shouldn’t panic.
Homeowners can guess who owns the fence by checking where the rails are.
Pros say: “The fence is typically facing away from their property so that their neighbour gets the ‘good’ side.
“This is the most secure way of facing fencing so there are no rails for anyone to use to climb into your garden.
“This is then repeated with the neighbour on the other side to ensure that each home has both a ‘good’ and ‘bad’ fence side.”
Walls and fences are often built on the land of the boundary’s owner with the edge of the wall marking the limit.
While professionals agree a glimpse at the fence can give you a hint, it’s not foolproof – so you can’t be certain.
Fines and punishment
It is recommended to always check legal documents before making changes to avoid hefty fines.
There is no law that the neighbour has to get the good side of the fence, so it’s completely up to whoever owns the fence.
Fencing pros have suggested: “It may be worth selecting a double-sided panel with no ‘bad’ side as both sides look the same and rails are concealed within the fence panel.”
If one boundary backs onto a road or footpath you can install the panels with the rails on the inside
But if it’s installed on the outside, it can provide an “easy ladder for burglars to enter your garden”.
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the Property Litigation Association have created a mediation service to help neighbours resolve disputes over their property boundaries without resorting to court action.
RICS also provides a list of surveyors who could assist in boundary disputes.
If a dispute continues, it is ultimately a court that makes decisions, but they do not like such disputes being put before them.
Changing a boundary
If you want to change an existing boundary, such as replacing an old fence with a new one, we always recommend discussing with your neighbour first and making sure it is all agreed.
The registered titles can help you to reach an agreement, but only if this information has been added.
In terms of decorations on a fence legal advisers recommended asking around over who actually first installed it.
But they also urged caution before getting to work on amending the fence without getting more certainty yourself – since there is a danger of actually being prosecuted for criminal damage.
How high can a garden fence be?
The height of the fence is measured from your ground level, this can have an impact when, due to slopes in the ground, your garden may be at a higher level than your neighbours‘.
A garden fence can be as high as 100m but you need to get planning permission if it’s over than 2m.
However, there are some complications to this.
If you are thinking about front garden fences, restrictions state that fences alongside a driveway can be a maximum of 1m or 3ft.
You would need to get planning permission for putting a trellis on a fence of 2m.
But, if any plant that you grow on that trellis exceeds 2m, you do not need to obtain a permit for the growing plant.
“I think 6ft 6 fencing in a back garden is permitted. At this height, it will not block out light.
“Your landlord is telling porkies to get out of the cost of fencing,” one commenter wrote.
Another said: “More like she didn’t want to pay out for it lol.”
A third said: “You’re allowed 6ft!! She’s fobbing you off as she doesn’t want to pay.”
Your garden fence should be no higher than 6 feet and 3 feet in the front garden.
“In a back garden, your fence should be no higher than 6.56 feet (2 metres), while front garden fence height regulations, or if next to a footpath or public road, should be no taller than 3.28 feet (1 metre),” say Buy Sheds Direct.