Treehouse staring into our living room

Mojisola

Person_one wrote: »

Not quite.

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

I think you're right. Because of the window, it feels intrusive. With that blocked up, it will just be something on the boundary, like a neighbour's shed or greenhouse.

Without the feeling that they are being stared at, I can't see it affecting a house sale.

digitalphase

I understand your annoyance.
We had horrible neighbours a few years ago (we have since moved house) and just to add to their constant noise, they moved their large trampoline right on the adjoining fence. So when they were bouncing on there (17 year old and adult height) they could see right into our dining room/kitchen.

They knew full well this would affect our privacy even before moving it, as when we first moved in and relations were still OK, the neighbour was painting the adjoining fence while we were eating lunch and looked quite embarrassed when he looked over and saw us looking at him :rotfl:

One could say they were well within their rights to put their trampoline anywhere in their garden they wish (and same here, with the treehouse), but any neighbours with common decency and respect would take neighbour's feelings/view point/privacy into account before doing such things.

purple.sarah

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'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!

I know plenty of houses that have a living room facing the street. Ours faces the back garden but we happen to spend more time in the kitchen/dining room, which does face the street. People could peer into our window from a distance of about 4 feet rather than the 45 feet that bothers the OP but I've never seen anyone do it and if it bothers us we have blinds!

A word with the neighbour if it proves to be a problem would cause less of an issue than calling the planning department (about a tree house!)

Person_one

digitalphase wrote: »

I understand your annoyance.
We had horrible neighbours a few years ago (we have since moved house) and just to add to their constant noise, they moved their large trampoline right on the adjoining fence. So when they were bouncing on there (17 year old and adult height) they could see right into our dining room/kitchen.

They knew full well this would affect our privacy even before moving it, as when we first moved in and relations were still OK, the neighbour was painting the adjoining fence while we were eating lunch and looked quite embarrassed when he looked over and saw us looking at him :rotfl:

I don't get it, you can stare at them but they shouldn't be able to see into your house?

Mr_Toad

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 you are planning to sell then then talking to the neighbours and starting a possible dispute isn't a good idea. If that happens and things resort to letters and complaints to the council I think you have to declare any such dispute with neighbours to your solicitor on the Sellers Property Information Form when you come to sell.

There's nothing like a dispute with neighbours to make potential buyers run away!

I'd take a step back and think things through as there a several things to consider.

If they haven't broken any rules, what then?

As someone else said, I doubt the kids will be the least bit interested in what you're doing and after the newness has worn off they'll be back in front of the XBox before you can say 'planning permission'.

Get some net curtains if it really bothers you.

You've got a couple of years to grow some cover.

heretolearn_2

Wow loads of replies, thanks!

Few quick points:
1) If you read my posts you'll see I think it's a rather fab treehouse and my only issue is having a large window (area not filled in with wood) facing us.
2) 45' may sound a lot but just pace it out. It isn't actually very far in reality. It's about twice the length of our living room. If you need binoculars at that range then you have pretty bad eyesight.
3) It is not the same as someone walking past your living room. It's like someone setting up a couple of deckchairs outside your window and sitting there watching you for as long as they like. And being able to do the same when you are outside in your back garden.
4) They aren't actually in the same street as us, if that helps you visualise it, they are on the road we turn off so they are at 90 degrees to us with their garden running along the back of mine and 2 neighbours gardens.

Anyway, I'm going to go and talk to the parents and see if they will block up that window, if they are reasonable people I can't see it being an issue for them, they probably just haven't thought about the effect outside their own boundary. If no joy, we'll have to see how the kids behave. If they are a nuisance or make us feel uncomfortable sitting in the garden etc, then I'll make another plan. Last thing I want is to get into a whole neighbour dispute/planning department issue (although I have found out that they should have got planning permission for it, and this law was introduced exactly because of the problems of treehouses overlooking neighbours). If need be this could be a bit of leverage to make them nail up another couple of planks, that's all it needs doing to it for us to be perfectly happy. I don't really care if the kids peep through little gaps and holes, there's just something unnerving about something that looks like an observation window/spy hole pointing right at you. Imagine a garden shed that someone's cut a hole 8 inches high by 4 foot wide in the wall so they can sit there and look out at you! There's nothing else for them to look at on this side, we aren't just an accidental view, we are the only view.

Person_one

heretolearn wrote: »

3) It is not the same as someone walking past your living room. It's like someone setting up a couple of deckchairs outside your window and sitting there watching you for as long as they like. And being able to do the same when you are outside in your back garden.

Your next door neighbours can probably do that from their upstairs windows if they wanted to, people don't generally want to.

aliasojo

Person_one wrote: »

Your next door neighbours can probably do that from their upstairs windows if they wanted to, people don't generally want to.

'People' perhaps.

'Kids' (who the treehouse is for) are a species all to themselves.

Perhaps I just know more mischievous children than the rest of you but right now I can think of 3 (2 lads, 1 girl) who would happily sit in this tree house all summer and wind the neighbours up by staring at them, squirting a water pistol out the window, hiding underneath the window where they can't be seen but would sit there making weird noises etc etc.......

Honestly I kid you not, this could be summer fun depending on the kids involved. :undecided

On the other hand they could be polite unassuming and considerate kids and there wont be any problem at all.

Unknown quantity at present.

I'm on the 'err on the side of caution' team, I'd be asking for the window to be blocked up too.

purple.sarah

heretolearn wrote: »

Wow loads of replies, thanks!

Few quick points:
1) If you read my posts you'll see I think it's a rather fab treehouse and my only issue is having a large window (area not filled in with wood) facing us.
2) 45' may sound a lot but just pace it out. It isn't actually very far in reality. It's about twice the length of our living room. If you need binoculars at that range then you have pretty bad eyesight.
3) It is not the same as someone walking past your living room. It's like someone setting up a couple of deckchairs outside your window and sitting there watching you for as long as they like. And being able to do the same when you are outside in your back garden.
4) They aren't actually in the same street as us, if that helps you visualise it, they are on the road we turn off so they are at 90 degrees to us with their garden running along the back of mine and 2 neighbours gardens.

Anyway, I'm going to go and talk to the parents and see if they will block up that window, if they are reasonable people I can't see it being an issue for them, they probably just haven't thought about the effect outside their own boundary. If no joy, we'll have to see how the kids behave. If they are a nuisance or make us feel uncomfortable sitting in the garden etc, then I'll make another plan. Last thing I want is to get into a whole neighbour dispute/planning department issue (although I have found out that they should have got planning permission for it, and this law was introduced exactly because of the problems of treehouses overlooking neighbours). If need be this could be a bit of leverage to make them nail up another couple of planks, that's all it needs doing to it for us to be perfectly happy. I don't really care if the kids peep through little gaps and holes, there's just something unnerving about something that looks like an observation window/spy hole pointing right at you. Imagine a garden shed that someone's cut a hole 8 inches high by 4 foot wide in the wall so they can sit there and look out at you! There's nothing else for them to look at on this side, we aren't just an accidental view, we are the only view.

Maybe they just wanted the extra light or fresh air? Try not to take it personally.

purple.sarah

aliasojo wrote: »

'People' perhaps.

'Kids' (who the treehouse is for) are a species all to themselves.

Perhaps I just know more mischievous children than the rest of you but right now I can think of 3 (2 lads, 1 girl) who would happily sit in this tree house all summer and wind the neighbours up by staring at them, squirting a water pistol out the window, hiding underneath the window where they can't be seen but would sit there making weird noises etc etc.......

Honestly I kid you not, this could be summer fun depending on the kids involved. :undecided

On the other hand they could be polite unassuming and considerate kids and there wont be any problem at all.

Unknown quantity at present.

I'm on the 'err on the side of caution' team, I'd be asking for the window to be blocked up too.

Surely if the kids are determined to cause trouble then a bit of board over the window won't stop them and will just set them off and show them they can get a reaction? Also the OP would probably have mentioned if the kids were troublemakers.

I think it would be better to address this kind of behaviour if it happened rather than complaining just because it could. Also kids are influenced by negative expectations. Even a normally nice kid who hears the neighbour thinks he's a peeping tom or a troublemaker could act up accordingly.