Fed up of looking at neighbours ugly extension

Woolsery

GDB2222 said:

Woolsery said:

A relative's neighbour thought she could grow clematis up the back of their house, but it soon began to cover the windows in a north-facing room and cut the light. Neighbour was difficult and decided she wasn't going to stop growing the plants, until by a lucky coincidence new windows were accidentally fitted with clear, not obscure glass. The neighbour took this as retaliation and offered to remove the clematis in return for her privacy. This was done, the window company sorted their mistake with the windows and all has been well ever since.

I am totally confused. (Please don't explain!) But, it sounds like a good result.

By agreement, downstairs windows ovelooking neighbour's garden had always been obscure glass.

whosthatgirl1989

Hi All, Thanks for your replies.

Turns our after some more investigation, there’s no documents online for building control so looks like it wasn’t signed off. I looked on Google Maps and the extension wasn’t there until sometime after 1999.

They did try to sell the house about a year and a half ago but then took it off the market and now rent it out instead.

This is what it looks like inside:

It was advertised as a “garden room”.

To clean the windows they have to access the side of our house. I’ve let them in to do it before as dirty windows on top of the horrible wall is even worse. 

The black plastic isn’t holding up too well: 

I’ve been trying to bump into the neighbour to show them to see if their landlord can do anything about it but we never seem to cross paths. I’ll have to knock the door at some point.

My friend thinks the extension could be illegal…

Rosa_Damascena

It's a lean-to! Unless it provides a useful corridor from A to B, what's the point of that?

ETA: I suppose it could be handy to dry washing.

whosthatgirl1989

Rosa_Damascena said:

It's a lean-to! Unless it provides a useful corridor from A to B, what's the point of that?

ETA: I suppose it could be handy to dry washing.

It’s being used as a bedroom by the family renting it. Not sure I would want to sleep in there.

Keep_pedalling

Find a talented graffiti artist to do something like this.

https://blog.globalstreetart.com/image/152329338586

Rosa_Damascena

Keep_pedalling said:

Find a talented graffiti artist to do something like this.

https://blog.globalstreetart.com/image/152329338586

Banksy lives!

Bendy_House

whosthatgirl1989 said:

Hi All, Thanks for your replies.

Turns our after some more investigation, there’s no documents online for building control so looks like it wasn’t signed off. I looked on Google Maps and the extension wasn’t there until sometime after 1999.

They did try to sell the house about a year and a half ago but then took it off the market and now rent it out instead.

This is what it looks like inside:

It was advertised as a “garden room”.

To clean the windows they have to access the side of our house. I’ve let them in to do it before as dirty windows on top of the horrible wall is even worse. 

The black plastic isn’t holding up too well: 

I’ve been trying to bump into the neighbour to show them to see if their landlord can do anything about it but we never seem to cross paths. I’ll have to knock the door at some point.

My friend thinks the extension could be illegal…

It breaks regs, almost certainly - having a CH radiator in there for starters. But I suspect neither Planning nor BC would take action after all this time.

WTG, I wouldn't worry about the plastic bits; once it fails badly enough, they'll know about it... Just find an acceptable and cheap way to cover the blockwork, without actually attaching anything to it. You've been given ideas.

Bendy_House

And, since it's quite likely that the owner will need to carry out repairs at some point, and also since you've been kind enough to allow regular access for cleaning, I'd make it a system that can be easily detached and replaced.

Window cleaning not a prob, as they will be above the screen line, but good chance at some point they'll need better access to fix a leak!

(If you did not - for some justifiable reason - get on with them, then you could also screen off the windows as you wouldn't be cutting down their light to a significant degree as the roof is translucent. If, at any time, it looks as tho' they are replacing that roof with a solid type (which they might do to improve insulation), then you need to give this some thought; they might then be relying on these windows for light, and could possibly accrue a permanent 'right' to this, which might not be in your interests, especially if the occupiers turn out to be a'oles. Just something to be aware of, and - I'd suggest - you sort out if you see them dismantling that roof. THEY have options - say fit skylights - but you might not. I'd, personally, like to retain the OPTION of being able to screen off these windows, just in case...)

Mardle

How about some of these covered with camouflage netting, fake ivy or bamboo screening. Add some fake flowers and solar lights and the eyesore is hidden without anything attached to their building and it's moveable. 

 https://firstfence.co.uk/standard-temporary-fencing-panel/#specification

Woolsery

Mardle said:

How about some of these covered with camouflage netting, fake ivy or bamboo screening. Add some fake flowers and solar lights and the eyesore is hidden without anything attached to their building and it's moveable. 

 https://firstfence.co.uk/standard-temporary-fencing-panel/#specification

And then enter it for the Turner Prize!