My neighbours are so nosey & are always peeping through the cracks in my fence – now a £6 Temu buy has given me privacy
A WOMAN has revealed that her neighbours are always peeping through the cracks in her fence, so she decided to give it a mega makeover.
So if your fence could do with a transformation, then you’ve come to the right place.
The content creator explained that when she exercises in her garden, she will often spot her neighbours taking a cheeky look.
However, the mother shared that to put a stop to the nosey onlookers, she nabbed some artificial leaf sheets, turning her once dull fence into a stunning oasis.
Posting on social media, the young woman shared a before and after look at her fence, leaving many open-mouthed.
She shared the video with the caption ‘Keep those peeping toms at bay with our rollable artificial leaf fence! Transform your backyard into a leafy oasis and enjoy some privacy!’
The woman then explained: “As you know, my neighbours are nosey as hell.
“Every time I’m doing my yoga and my squats back here, they’re always peeping through the cracks.
“So I thought I might as well go ahead and buy these leaves and put a bunch of them on the fence and that way they can’t see my booty.”
The influencer gave her followers a close-up look at her slatted fence, which was in need of some TLC.
She then used a cordless screwdriver to nail in the artificial leaf sheets, covering her fence.
To complete the DIY privacy screen, she added lights, to really make the space pop.
Whilst the woman didn’t confirm where she nabbed her artificial leaf cover from, you can order artificial ivy privacy wall screens online from Temu for as little as £6.
Thanks to the greenery, the mother not only now has privacy in her back garden, but also style too.
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.
As a result of her DIY project, her fence has been transformed from drab to fab, without breaking the bank.
The TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @therizeffect, has clearly left many open-mouthed, as it has quickly racked up 106,100 views.
How high can a garden fence be?
Despite what many people think a garden fence can be as high as 100m but you need to get planning permission for any fence taller than 2m.
Any fence under 2m does not need planning permission.
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.
Social media users were impressed with the woman’s fence makeover and many took to the comments to express this.
One person said: “This is pretty cool, sorry about the neighbours.”
Another added: “Hear me out, add fake flowers in the holes for extra coverage.”
Whilst a third asked: “How did u get them to stay up? I wanted to do this because of my neighbours, too.”