Advice on building fence please, GD?

Dirk Diggler

Dirk Diggler

Dirk Diggler

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Rollergirl
Hi,

I've had some great advice here before so looking for some more please. :cool:

My back garden adjoins my neighbour's side access. My grass is roughly half a foot higher than his path. A 6 foot fence separates us, and is falling to bits. The posts are on his side and are set through his monoblock. We have horizontal slats on on our side, and he has the same on his. 2 posts are snapped and some slats are missing. The fence is an absolute eyesore.

He will not contribute to the cost of replacing said fence.

So, I want to build my own fence with the posts in my garden, hard against the fence that is already there. I know I'll be losing around 4" of the boundary but it doesn't bother me.

I just want to know that it's OK to do this and won't give me problems on selling my house in future or anything like that?
 
If the fence is on your property your neighbour cant touch it, he can't even complain to anyone as long as you keep to the regs.
 
I'd ask him if it was OK to take the fence down and reuse the holes, either way both of you will get a new fence.

I wouldn't like to pay for a fence AND lose 4" of my garden.
 
Neighbours eh? Who'd have them!

If there is any chance of an amicable solution then that is definitely the route you should take.

Any party walls? Do your deeds say anything relevant if you are the homeowner?
 
If you are paying, it would be better to just replace what's already there. Has he actually objected to this?

If he objects to this then -

Is his fence at 6ft from your ground level or his? If the latter is true , then your fence could be built to the maximum allowed without planning and would hide his fence from view. If his fence is not visible, I wouldn't think this would raise any eyebrows to potential buyers later on.
 
Wouldn't go for a separate fence, looks a mess, the existing old fence might damage your new one and having 2 may put off future buyers somewhat. Just remove what's there and replace.
 
Cheers for advice, folks.

I can't replace the existing posts because they go through his monoblock and there's no way I'm paying to have all that lifted and replaced too.

I don't want to build a second fence, for the reasons stated above. I already had my doubts which is what prompted me to start this thread.

I think the best solution would be...

  • Remove all the slats on my side.
  • Put new horizontal straps on the existing posts, top, middle and bottom, on my side.
  • Fix new vertical fencing on to new straps, keeping them tight together.
  • Put some new fence posts on my side in my garden to give the fence stability, and in the process avoid having to touch the original posts which are through the monoblock on his property.

Sound like a plan?
 
I've just been through something very similar and ended up building my own fence infront of my neigbours horrible fence, as well as replacing a nextdoor's fence, splitting the cost with him.

Just to make it clear - if the current fence belongs to him, legally you're not allowed to even knock a tack into it, or paint it or do anything to it without permission - even if parts of it are 'on your side'. you deffinatly cannot replace it or modify it without strict permission.

That works both ways; you are absolutly entitled to erect a fence on your land alongside his. It's good manners to tell him first, and it's good manners to leave a bit of space too (plus you will probably need it)


I had my doubts about doing it myself too but I've absolutly no regrets now as my garden has been absolutly transformed. I was a bit concerned about hurting the guy's feelings etc etc, but I'm so glad I did it! The old fence was too low for our new dog and the guy was becoming a nuisance.
I used concrete posts, boards and closeboard panels. it didn't cost much and is dead straight and dead level. I lost a little bit of land - I'd have lost a lot less if his fence was even remotly straight! but once the new fence is up you can't even see what you have lost.

I can't see if affecting house value in any way at all. you won't know there are two fences and yours will be knew and neat. Mine will almost certainly have a positive effect on value.


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excuse the ASBO car in garden shot... GF's sister just bought it and brought it around for a wash - I have a garage in the garden
The one with the new concrete posts was the new fence erected in front of the old one. replacing it was not an option as he was using it as a retaining wall (there was a third concrete board below the 2 you can see) and he had only recently slotted those new fence panels in too so to him it was relativly 'new' anyway. I talked to him about it and replacing the whole thing was not an option so I had to build in front of it.
 
Thanks RB.

I've just had another fencer round and he had suggested building in front too because like you my garden is a little higher and its £100 more expensive to replace the original.

Pendulum has swung back to building my own in front of the original. :D
 
String said:
Thanks RB.

I've just had another fencer round and he had suggested building in front too because like you my garden is a little higher and its £100 more expensive to replace the original.

Pendulum has swung back to building my own in front of the original. :D
Click to expand...


good, just do it! you will not be mourning the loss of 4" of land for long.

FWIW I marked a reference point at the most average / level part of my patio and used a laser level (at night) to mark the height of the whole fence at 6' high from that point and stuck to that line exactly. I fixed battens to walls and other posts to run stringlines across.
 
It was only at post 17 that I remembered 4" was inches not feet! Go for it. If the neighbour wants to benefit from a new, free fence then all he has to do is take the old one down. Don't get into doing any work on his land especially if taking up mono block is going to be needed.
 
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