Neighbouring garden putting off buyers

Postik

Silly question but can't you just hack everything back that overhangs your boundry (including with the help of a tree surgeon if it's high up)?  Anything on the other side is your neighbours and I think you have as much right to get them to tidy this up as you do to ask them to tidy up their kitchen or anything else about their house.  I can completely understand your frustration, but your neighbours sound scruffy and probably have no motivation whatsover to tidy things up.  I think I would just get my half as tidy as it can possibly be and then hope for the best.

In a way it would be like having a neighbour who has 6 cars on the driveway, all leaking oil and half of them jacked up and missing wheels.  It would be an absolute eye sore but nothing you can do about it.

subjecttocontract

The issue with conifers (and these, I underestand, are at roof height) is that the greenery is only a few inches deep. So, if you cut the tree back to the boundary you end up looking at brown (dead) wood which might be worse than some overhanging greenery. In other words......it won't really fix the problem and may well make it far worse.

timehastoldme

We took the lower branches off as best we could on our side and it's all immediately covered in creeper anyway. There's some shorter very dead conifers half way along, then these  looming monsters.

I think we're resigned to making careful ecologically sound suggestions and riding it out.

Plus hoping our maybe interested person can see past it. It's really very private. And I couldn't really give two hoots what next door does with their garden, it's just when it impacts negatively beyond their space that it's frustrating. 

Thanks all

Jaybee_16

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

My understanding is that homeowners are responsible for ensuring that the things growing on their property do not overhang the pavement (or road).

Back in the past the hedge at the front of my property overhung the pavement. The next door neighbour complained to the council and I received a letter giving me 28 days to reduce back to my front wall or they would do it and bill me. 

LifeisYours

I do symapthise OP it must be so frustrating! I am selling my house and have a neighbour who smokes a lot throughout the day and I fear this will put potential buyers off.

YoungBlueEyes

If you’re thinking of knocking a chunk off in September why not just do it now? 

I don’t know how big a chunk you’re thinking but I can almost certainly guarantee it’ll be cheaper than going all legal. And a damn sight quicker too. 

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

As an added thought has your neighbour seen this:

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/alan-titchmarsh-rewilding-gardens-biodiversity-b2376471.html

Personally I think tending to a garden that's going to benefit nature can be a fair bit of hard work, are you sure rather than loving nature they simply aren't interested in the garden? 

timehastoldme

If I'm entirely honest I think they're a [redacted] who doesn't want to look like a bad guy and likes having the occasional tantrum for the attention. The excuses don't often add up, there's a mass of inconsistent contradiction. They have said before they want help and it's gotten out of control and when we offer help they back away quickly. I have a background in biosciences, I can make the ecological argument and offer referenced advice, money and time. I don't think they'll take it. 

We're waiting to see if this potential buyer comes of anything, we thought wait till September to reduce again because we just reduced by £5k (I wanted to do more but EA and OH were happy with £5), everything's really slow, and in Autumn that bloody creeper turns a beautiful colour. 

(Redacted because I don't want to name call or armchair diagnose.)

saajan_12

Could you offer to pay to have it tidied up by a gardener? Make an appointment with a gardener for yours, then in the morning have the conversation again with the neighbour. Say  you're happy to arrange and pay, and once they agree, get your gardener to come over to the neighbour the same day before there's a chance to backtrack. Even if its not everything but an incremental improvement. Mentally or for yoru partner, consider it a fraction of the cost you'd have to reduce the sale price by. 

MultiFuelBurner

Life is full of considerate and inconsiderate neighbours.

The worse.ones I have found are the ones you talk to and offer help and they say they are sorting said issue and really they are playing lipservice and have no intention of doing anything.

All part of life's tapestry but bloody annoying when tryin to sell. You have our sympathy.