I had no privacy in my garden but a £2 Shein buy transformed my gappy fence in seconds – everyone says it looks so good
THERE’S nothing worse than people peeking into your garden, that’s why one savvy homeowner decided to take matters into her own hands and fix her gappy fence.
Taking to a popular Facebook group she explained that her garden backs on to a busy road, so she needed a cheap fix.
Although there were some other options, all of them seemed to be too expensive, that is until she stumbled across a bargain from Shein.
“So I needed some privacy screening up on my fence as my garden back right on to a lay-by,” she explained.
“But couldn’t afford the packs in B&B where it’s £34 for four bits.”
The privacy screens from Shein only cost £2.85 each which worked out loads cheaper than other options.
And the green leaf print didn’t look out of place in the garden either, making it the perfect purchase.
She added a few of them the the inside of the fence and was impressed with the result.
After a fresh lick of paint the fence looked completely different and no one could see in anymore.
Although her garden project isn’t finished yet she updated fellow gardening fans to let them know she ordered 70 more of the screens.
“I think I need 60 or 65 the way I’m doing it. Fence is about 15m wide,” she said.
People rushed to the comments to rave about the before and after snaps.
“Brilliant idea. I love this group. There are so many good ideas here,” one wrote.
A second agreed: “Love this, great idea.”
“I have done similar but put green ground sheet on first then the trellis from Home Bargains,” another wrote.
“Great idea, was looking at these on Shein thought they would be to small , but going to order some now,” someone else commented.
Privacy fence tips from an expert
Jay Harrison, the founder of partiesmadepersonal.com, previously shared some tips to avoid a feud over your fence.
SUGGEST SPLITTING THE COST: If it is a boundary fence, they might be willing to split the cost, which makes for a friendlier atmosphere.
You would be surprised how many neighbours are just as sick of you as you are of them.
KEEP IT STYLISH: Fences should not just be blocks of wood hammered into the ground.
A good-looking fence can increase the value of both properties, so get your paint brush out and be creative.
RESPECT THE RULES: Make sure the fence does not violate local regulations.
The last thing you need is a telling-off from the council putting a spanner in the works.
CONSIDER THE HEIGHT: While the aim is to keep prying eyes out, an excessively tall fence might come across as very hostile, so do not go too over the top.
Six foot is probably fair.
THROW A PARTY: Once the fence is finished, have a party and invite next door to show there are no hard feelings.
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.