Cheap £7 hack will give you privacy this summer away from the gaze of your nosy neighbours
TEMU is selling the perfect product to keep your garden safe from nosy neighbours – and it’s just £7.
With summer now almost upon us, many of us will be spending our evenings and weekend relaxing in the garden.
However, there’s nothing worse than sitting out on the patio with your friends for a good gossip, only to realise that your neighbours are peeping over the fence.
Putting up a high fence may seem like the obvious solution, but these can be pricey – and lead to disagreements with neighbours.
Instead, Temu‘s Artificial Ivy Privacy Fence, provides a solution perfect for wallet watchers.
The £7.19 fence features a chic leaf design, so it will easily blend in to your greenery.
It can be set up in just a few minutes by using ties to fix it on to an existing fence, railing or balcony.
Plus, the 300cm by 50cm screen comes with free shipping, so you don’t have to worry about it breaking the bank.
Shoppers have flooded the Temu website with praise for the product.
One person said: “I wish I’d ordered more!
“It’s great and hides my bins.”
A second person said: “Well worth the money, these look brilliant.”
A third person said: “Superb. The leaves look very natural and will enhance my trellising whilst affording considerable privacy.”
B&Q’s Lifelike Grape Leaf Foldable Artificial Green Wall is another penny-pincher friendly buy perfect for keeping your garden secluded.
The stylish screen comes in a realistic leaf design, perfect for blending in to your greenery.
Plus, the product has been made with premium wood and weather resistant plastic, making it extra durable – so you don’t have to worry about it coming down in windy or rainy conditions.
What are your rights over a fence row?
IT'S very important to know your rights if you are embroiled in a fence row with a neighbour.
How do I know which side I own?
A boundary feature can be a fence, wall, hedge, ditch, piece of wire, or sometimes even just the edge of a driveway.
The only way to know for certain who owns what side and to avoid any neighbour disputes, is to refer to the title plan or Land Registry.
In this, the T mark is used to indicate who the boundary belongs to and therefore who is responsible for its upkeep, say pros at Jacksons Fencing.
Larger developments tend to have some indication provided by the builder, but there are no hard and fast rules
People often think they are responsible for the left (or right) hand boundary wherever they live, but there isn’t any legal basis for this.
You can check with HM Land Registry to see which boundary feature you are responsible for.
Often households can’t get hold of the paperwork but experts say they shouldn’t panic.
Homeowners can guess who owns the fence by checking where the rails are.
Pros say: “The fence is typically facing away from their property so that their neighbour gets the ‘good’ side.
“This is the most secure way of facing fencing so there are no rails for anyone to use to climb into your garden.
“This is then repeated with the neighbour on the other side to ensure that each home has both a ‘good’ and ‘bad’ fence side.”
Walls and fences are often built on the land of the boundary’s owner with the edge of the wall marking the limit.
While professionals agree a glimpse at the fence can give you a hint, it’s not foolproof – so you can’t be certain.
Fines and punishment
It is recommended to always check legal documents before making changes to avoid hefty fines.
There is no law that the neighbour has to get the good side of the fence, so it’s completely up to whoever owns the fence.
Fencing pros have suggested: “It may be worth selecting a double-sided panel with no ‘bad’ side as both sides look the same and rails are concealed within the fence panel.”
If one boundary backs onto a road or footpath you can install the panels with the rails on the inside
But if it’s installed on the outside, it can provide an “easy ladder for burglars to enter your garden”.
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the Property Litigation Association have created a mediation service to help neighbours resolve disputes over their property boundaries without resorting to court action.
RICS also provides a list of surveyors who could assist in boundary disputes.
If a dispute continues, it is ultimately a court that makes decisions, but they do not like such disputes being put before them.
Changing a boundary
If you want to change an existing boundary, such as replacing an old fence with a new one, we always recommend discussing with your neighbour first and making sure it is all agreed.
The registered titles can help you to reach an agreement, but only if this information has been added.
In terms of decorations on a fence legal advisers recommended asking around over who actually first installed it.
But they also urged caution before getting to work on amending the fence without getting more certainty yourself – since there is a danger of actually being prosecuted for criminal damage.
How high can a garden fence be?
The height of the fence is measured from your ground level, this can have an impact when, due to slopes in the ground, your garden may be at a higher level than your neighbours‘.
A garden fence can be as high as 100m but you need to get planning permission if it’s over than 2m.
However, there are some complications to this.
If you are thinking about front garden fences, restrictions state that fences alongside a driveway can be a maximum of 1m or 3ft.
You would need to get planning permission for putting a trellis on a fence of 2m.
But, if any plant that you grow on that trellis exceeds 2m, you do not need to obtain a permit for the growing plant.
A product description reads: “Bring refreshing greenery to your outdoor décor with this artificial hedge panel.
“Designed for versatility, it works as a fence screen, wall décor, or garden hedge.
“Its durable construction offers UV protection, while the breathable design ensures proper airflow.
“Perfect for balconies, patios, or terraces, it combines beauty and practicality without the need for ongoing maintenance.”
However, the privacy screen is only available online, so you will have to order it via the B&Q website instead of heading to your local store if you are keen to snap up the bargain.