Will neighbours extension lower value of my house?

Wanderingpomm

The windows should not be on your side if the boundary. I imagine that they were supppised to be obscure glass in the planning permission. So get the trellis or plants to give you some privacy

Davesnave

Wanderingpomm wrote: »

The windows should not be on your side if the boundary. I imagine that they were supppised to be obscure glass in the planning permission. So get the trellis or plants to give you some privacy

The windows are inside the neighbour's wall, so they are very unlikely to be on the OP's side of the boundary.

If there was planning involved, or even if there wasn't, then it is likely that the glass should have been obscure. However, as the OP doesn't know the age of the neighbour's extension, it's possible it's gained a right to light via prescription over 20 years. If it has, then any attempts to block the light received from these windows could be successfully challenged.

Regardless, the OP has no right to put privacy film over the windows; that's an action bound to lead to conflict, which is not needed if she's selling soon. A neighbour dispute, which would have to be disclosed, could affect the saleability of her house more than the existence of the windows.

Here's a radical idea: why doesn't the OP put privacy film or blinds on her own windows? If that's not acceptable, then something like trellis with climbers strategically placed, but not blocking the light, might be OK.

It's obvious these windows have been there some time in their current form without any challenge, so there's now a need to work within the situation that exists, including the stated animosity between the OP and the neighbour.

Doozergirl

People can enforce the Right to Light if they have it, but either via an injunction or by means of payment in compensation based on the property value, % loss of light and the use of the room in question.

I wonder what the value of the houses are.

Is it worth the cost of legal injunctions and will it be seen as reasonable that someone has windows right on the boundary with their neighbour? - something which wouldn't really be allowed under planning rules, certainly not opening ones and at least obscured and surely not directly on the boundary. Privacy is a right. I don't know the answer to my question, by the way.

The only RTL issue I've been involved with was a £10k compensation payment for an extension within 3m of a side facing bathroom window and an element to a lounge of a £3.5 million house in Central London.

So are we talking Stoke on Trent or Central London here?

I'd be sounding out my options to extend my house and remove the problem because it will devalue the property by reducing the enjoyment of the most important part of the garden and potentially part of the house itself.

harasnrubdoow

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Hope this has worked, that's the view out of my back window. Putting frosted glass in my kitchen window is not an option. The photos from when the house was up for sale / rent don't show the windows, something I've never noticed before. I'm going to try and find a photo looking up my garden to show you what I mean better.

I definitely am starting to think from all the replies (thank you by the way) that she should have put frosted glass in. I forgot about the right to light thing, I was only thinking about my privacy. Any more help greatly appreciated!

harasnrubdoow

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Getting carried away now I know what I'm doing with the photos!

As you can see other houses on my row do have windows facing windows with their neighbour but that's because it looks onto the back path where they would step out their front door. My next door neighbour has built a full width extension and I think that's the issue; she could basically only have one door and one window right at the end if she hadn't put these windows in? I also have come to the conclusion that 3 is excessive, I don't think 1 of them even gets light (the one closest to my house). I'm not sure what the situation is with her neighbour on the other side, it's hard to look because we have garages at the bottoms of our garden blocking the view but I'll try to peak to see if she's just done this to my side or the other too. My mam strongly thinks she shouldn't have the windows there and that she might have done it while the previous owner was away in the army. Can't find any evidence of planning permission anywhere either but could be me being !!!!less.

missile

Your neighbour really is taking the Michael. I would speak with my solicitor asap.

MrsPorridge

Were those windows already in when you bought your house?

Sambella

It looks like she has added a conservatory type extension to her extension rather than it being one big extension.

I wouldn’t be happy with that. Maybe the new owners will remove the windows as they might not like it either.

Meanwhile I’d plant some tall shrubs or bamboo in pots.

Davesnave

It looks suspiciously like a conservatory, or outbuilding, as there cannot be any tiles or slates on a roof with that pitch.

Conservatories and outbuildings aren't proper extensions, don't usually need planning, or to conform to building regulations. They therefore don't have the same rights as 'proper' extensions and you may well be able to do what you like there.

I would!

wesleyad

I'd ask her to put up some frosted effect film, we have put some up and the finish is very nice. I mean what view is she going to lose, just you in your undies!

This of thing:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B010PTLAKE/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_AePzCbDPWNPYR

If that fails then I'd either takes the undies off or continue the fencing down