Treehouse staring into our living room

heretolearn_2

Hey I'm back with yet another moan about the local kids. I feel like such a Victor Meldrew these days

Having sorted the issue with them coming into our back garden to play (another firmer word with the kids did the trick), all was peace and happiness.

But new neighbours have moved in to the house that has the garden that runs across the end of ours. Which is up on a terrace so about 4' higher than us. And this weekend they put up a lovely tree house in the tree that overhangs the fence between our gardens (tree house is only on their side but is right on the boundary and is at a height above the fence). It overlooks right into our garden and worse still, as we are a town house with living room in first floor, we now have a treehouse staring straight into our living room from a distance of about 45', which sounds a lot, but really isn't. There is a 'window' - an open strip with no wood in it rather like a bird hide arrangement right across the tree house - on our side so kids have a lovely clear view in.

Time to pluck up courage to go and talk to the neighbours. Do you think it is unreasonable to ask them to cover up the 'window' this side and have a solid wall there instead? There is the same opening on all the other sides so it won't make it particularly dark inside. Am I being weird in feeling uncomfortable with this, after all I have lived in houses that are overlooked before, but I can just imagine the kids crouching in the treehouse 'spying' on us through the window slits as a great game.

sassyblue

I think if you say something you are going to sound like a Victor Meldrew...

Knowing kids they'll probably lose interest in the tree house in a few weeks, just wave at them when they're playing. They might think they're spying on you but what do you do in your own home that's worth spying on?

I don't see the problem sorry. :cool: But if it bothers you that much plant something that will grow tall there, one of those cypress trees that are tall but skinny?

daska

TBH they don't need a huge opening to spy, a knothole is enough, but yes I'd have a word with the parents and ask nicely if they could at least put up a screen. Personally I think putting a treehouse on a boundary is very rude.

If they won't then contact the planning department of your local council as AFAIK all treehouses now need planning permission.

Person_one

If your living room was on the ground floor everybody walking along the street would be able to see in, probably a lot closer than 45 feet too. I think you've just got used to the luxury of having a first floor lounge with some privacy!

Unless you're doing something incredibly fascinating or illegal in your front room the kids won't have any interest in 'spying' on you, certainly nobody would want to watch mine for any longer than about 5 minutes!

peachyprice

I think you're being a little paranoid TBH, what would you be doing in your living room that children would find so interesting that they would sit there watching you? I'm sure they'll have more interesting games to play in there. Maybe the mother is making curtains for the windows but hasn't got around to putting them up yet.

Obviously if they do start peering in, talk to their parents. But to pre-empt that by complaining about what might happen is going to cause unnecessary bad feeling and will make the children MORE determined to sneak a peek becuase there must be something interesting going on if you don't want them to see in!.

heretolearn_2

Now I really don't know what to do :-)

Maybe see how it goes, if kids are making us feel uncomfortable, then go ask them to block up the window this side.

I know we've got used to not being overlooked but it's not just the room, it's the garden as well. It is a bit weird to have a treehouse sitting directly over your fence. It feels really intrusive.

I have to say it's a fab treehouse and we are all dead jealous - we wish we'd had one like that when we were kids, so kudos to the dad who built it really. I wish they'd put a little more thought into what it looks like from our side, that's all.

heretolearn_2

There is also the fact that we might be selling in a couple of years and honestly it is so 'in your face' in our garden it is bound to be an issue for any buyers.

krlyr

heretolearn wrote: »

There is also the fact that we might be selling in a couple of years and honestly it is so 'in your face' in our garden it is bound to be an issue for any buyers.

If that is a real concern to you then that's the route I'd go down. Possibly looking into planning permission issues.

As others have said, if you had a ground floor living room, you'd have more than a few young children as a potential audience. I imagine young boys would be more likely to sneak into the treehouse to eat sweets they're not meant to have and plot their next mission than to spy on the "boring old couple next door" (from a kids POV; I can't see what would be so fascinating to watch, unless you have a safari hidden in your living room!).
If you value your privacy that much then what about installing some blinds or similar? We have venetian blinds in our living room for the privacy it affords us, I personally am not keen on wide open curtains (and don't like net curtains), blinds let in enough light but block the view from outside, problem solved.


http://www.enchantedcreations.co.uk/planning-permission-for-playhouse-treehouse

Under new regulations that came into effect on 1st October 2009 outbuildings are now considered to be permitted development, not needing planning permission, subject to the following limits and conditions:

• No outbuilding on land forward of a wall forming the principal elevation.
• Outbuildings and garages to be single storey with a maximum eaves height of 2.5 metres and maximum overall height of 4 metres with a dual pitched roof or 3 metres for any other roof.
  • Maximum height of 2.5 metres when less than 2 metres from the boundary.
  • No more than half the area of land around the ‘original house’ would be covered by additions or other buildings.
  • No more than 3 square metres and more than 20 metres form the house in National Parks, the Broads, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and World Heritage Sites.
• Within the cartilage of listed buildings any outbuilding will require planning permission.

Person_one

heretolearn wrote: »

There is also the fact that we might be selling in a couple of years and honestly it is so 'in your face' in our garden it is bound to be an issue for any buyers.

'Might'? In a 'couple of years'?

Worry about that if it happens.

floss2

I would make a phone call to Planning for their opinion and see what they say before you go round to speak to the family. The pop round and ask if they would be happy for you to put up some bamboo screening on the side nearest you to give your garden the privacy you had before. They may not have realised your layout or how much it overlooks.

Obukit

OP - do you not think that if you complain and the parents board up one of the windows in the kid's super-new treehouse (presumably blocking most of the light, if this is the "open" side", then, kids being kids, they are going to be even more intrigued and amuse themselves "spying" through the forbidden window?

TBH I can't see it being a major problem for any buyer, especially if they are 45' away. If people wanted to live in total seclusion they would be looking a houses in the middle of the country, not yours.