Treehouse staring into our living room

YoungBaker

Maybe you should just be happy the kids have a treehouse which is a safe place for them to be and otherwise keeps them away from being in your back garden/front step causing mess, annoying you and other troubles.

NAR

OP does this "window" you are concerned about not look to the back door of their property? Thus giving parents a view of them, or an opportunity to call them in?

45ft away is quite a distance to be worrying about peering eyes, unless they use binoculars.

Mojisola

Person_one wrote: »

It is 45 feet away from their house, that's a fair distance, and its completely on their land.

I think its nice that they've made the effort to build a treehouse rather than expecting them to play on an Xbox or whatever all summer.

The neighbour could have built exactly what he has done but just not put a window on the side that overlooks the OP. It only takes a bit of thought to keep the neighbours sweet.

Dunroamin

Considering the number of people who, very sensibly, have their living room looking out onto their back garden, I don't have much sympathy with the argument that it's normal to have people looking in.

I'd have a quiet word about the "slit" (why on earth would parents put this in to a tree house on the side away from their garden?) and/or have a word with the planning department. There are usually quite strict rules about not having a balcony at first floor level and this may well cover your situation.

Good luck!

purple.sarah

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.

Honestly it might not be there in a couple of years. It could fall apart or the kids could grow out of it. OTOH, problems with the neighbours will definitely put buyers off.

Mojisola

Dunroamin wrote: »

I'd have a quiet word about the "slit" (why on earth would parents put this in to a tree house on the side away from their garden?) and/or have a word with the planning department. There are usually quite strict rules about not having a balcony at first floor level and this may well cover your situation.

I would check the rules without giving addresses to start with.

If the tree house ends up having to be taken down because planning have got involved, neighbourly relations are going to suffer.

If you know that it breaks planning rules, it puts you in a strong position. If the neighbour sorts out the overlooking problem, you won't need to mention planning controls. If he's reluctant, you could explain that the treehouse does break some rules but that you appreciate its play value and don't want to cause him any problems as long as he sorts out the window.

Person_one

Dunroamin wrote: »

Considering the number of people who, very sensibly, have their living room looking out onto their back garden, I don't have much sympathy with the argument that it's normal to have people looking in.

I'm pretty sure the vast majority have their living rooms at the front!

Person_one

Mojisola wrote: »

The neighbour could have built exactly what he has done but just not put a window on the side that overlooks the OP. It only takes a bit of thought to keep the neighbours sweet.

Fair point, it would certainly go down better if the OP only mentioned this window as a problem rather than demanding the whole thing go.

After all, without that window there's no problem at all, if there ever was with it!

Mojisola

heretolearn wrote: »

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.

Person_one wrote: »

Fair point, it would certainly go down better if the OP only mentioned this window as a problem rather than demanding the whole thing go.

I think that's all heretolearn is concerned about.

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.

heretolearn wrote: »

It is a bit weird to have a treehouse sitting directly over your fence. It feels really intrusive.

I wish they'd put a little more thought into what it looks like from our side, that's all.

Mojisola wrote: »

I think that's all heretolearn is concerned about.

Not quite.

Maybe if the window gets sorted though she'll get used to it and it won't seem like such an imposition.