3 Landscaping Considerations that Make You a Good Neighbour

Your garden is your own space and you should always feel like you’re able to make your own decisions and ensure everything in it is to your liking. With that said, the spaces we occupy as households rarely exist in isolation and for the vast majority of us, taking some simple steps towards being good neighbours can enhance your own experience, without infringing on your neighbours’ property and lifestyle.

Fencing & Borders

The border between you and your neighbour is nothing but a red line on a map until something physical is put in place to mark it in reality. Fencing has changed a lot over the past decade and designs have certainly taken into account more modern architectural trends that tend towards neat lines and coordination with other landscaping elements such as decking. 

A great example of this is the MaxFence range, which alongside being aesthetically neat and well-designed, is generally capable of withstanding gale force nine winds, which serves to protect both yours and your neighbour’s property in the event of turbulent weather. Choosing a high-quality fencing solution is most certainly a considerate thing to do as it lessens the potential for disruption and damage for both your household and those neighbouring you too.

The plants you choose along your border should be considered too, as the fence, hedgerow or other border aspects will only extend a certain height upwards and a limited depth downwards. This means there’s still scope for incursion onto neighbours’ property even with a physical barrier in place. 

Height of Plants – All Year Round

Tying in closely with the fencing and border point; plants and trees etc must be considered in their state during all four seasons and also their adherence to border lines over the course of the next few decades. There are clear rules in place for how neighbours can correct an incursion from next door’s tree branches, but the onus remains on the owner of the tree to ensure there isn’t an incursion to begin with.

This should also be considered a seasonal issue as plants on and near the border area may have a varying impact on sunlight reaching a neighbour’s property during Winter vs Summer given the differring position of the sun and how the tree’s vegetation varies throughout the year.

Position of Your Functional Space

Creating an attractive, comfortable outdoor space in your garden opens up a wonderful opportunity to invite friends and family to your home or enjoy a warm Summer evening relaxing. In the planning phase of such a project, it’s important to consider the proximity of any gathering to your neighbour’s home.

Installing a decked area where you’re likely to host gatherings has the potential to lead to noise complaints; whereas the same decking space on the opposite side of the garden away from the boundary may likely be unnoticeable to your neighbour. Whilst you indeed have the right to choose where your decking rests in your garden, part of your decision-making should include your neighbour’s comfort too. After all, they have the freedom to bring noise and disturbance close to their side of your shared boundary too.