Fencing advice for Great Yarmouth homes
Whose fence is it, and who gets the good side?
Two questions cause more fence trouble than rot and wind put together. Is that fence mine or theirs? And when a new one goes up, who looks at the nice side?
Neither has the tidy answer people hope for. Here is what the official guidance says, what it does not say, and how to keep things friendly.
There is usually no record
GOV.UK's page on property boundaries is blunt about it. In England and Wales there is usually no record of the exact boundary between two properties, or of who owns the hedge, wall, tree or fence between them.
Your title plan gives a general idea of where the boundary runs. Most title plans do not show it exactly.
So the popular rules, such as the left side being yours or the posts being on the owner's side, are habits. They are often true and they are not law.
Where to look for clues
- Your deeds. Some mark a boundary with a small T. By long convention the T is drawn on the side of whoever looks after that boundary.
- The papers from when you bought. Sellers are normally asked which boundaries they have kept up. Your conveyancer's file may still have the answer.
- The fence itself. Posts and rails often face the owner's garden, with the smooth face outwards. It is a hint and no more.
- The neighbours. Someone who has lived there thirty years often knows who paid last time.
If it is still unclear, GOV.UK says neighbours can make a boundary agreement to record things more precisely. That is worth doing before money is spent.
Who gets the good side?
The planning guidance for fences in England deals with height. It does not tell you which way a fence must face. So unless your deeds say otherwise, the choice lies with whoever owns and pays for the fence.
Custom is another matter. Many owners put the smooth side out towards the neighbour or the street. It looks better from outside, and the rails are then on the inside, where they are harder to climb from the road.
There is a third way, and it suits most people: choose a fence with no bad side.
Fences that look the same from both gardens
- Hit and miss panels. Boards alternate front and back on a central frame. Both faces match.
- Double-sided slatted panels. Slats on each face of the frame.
- Composite boards. The same finish both sides by design. See composite fencing.
- Closeboard boarded on both faces. Feather edge on each side of the rails. More timber and more cost, and very solid.
Hit and miss and slatted styles also let some wind through, which is no small thing on the Great Yarmouth coast. Our guide to fences for a windy coast explains why.
Before you replace a shared fence
- Tell next door what you plan and when
- Agree the line. A new fence a few inches over is how disputes begin
- Agree the height, and keep within the height rules
- Ask if they want to share the cost. Do not assume
- Warn them the fencer may need to step on to their side
- Put anything you agree in a text or an email
If you cannot agree
One way through is to put up your own fence on your own land, just inside the boundary, and leave the old one alone. It costs you a few inches of garden and saves a great deal of bad feeling.
For a real dispute over where the line is, GOV.UK describes the formal routes, and a chartered surveyor can advise. It is nearly always cheaper to talk.
Common questions
Do you have to give your neighbour the good side of the fence?
The planning guidance we read for England sets fence heights and does not require the smooth side to face any particular way. Unless your deeds say otherwise, it is the owner's choice. Many people face it outwards as a courtesy, and fences such as hit and miss look the same from both sides.
Can my neighbour paint my fence or hang things on it?
If the fence is yours, they should ask first. In practice most people do not mind a coat of stain on the side they never see. Agree it between you and save an argument.
What are some creative ways to cover up a fence?
Climbers on wires or trellis are the classic answer, as long as the fence is strong enough to carry them. A coat of dark stain makes a tired fence fade behind planting. Slatted screens fixed in front hide old panels, though on a windy plot it is wiser to fix the fence first.
Talk to next door, then talk to a fencer
Boundary rows cost far more than fences do. A quick chat before the old fence comes down saves months of awkward silence, and a fence with two good faces saves the argument altogether.
Describe the boundary and name your part of Great Yarmouth. Getting a price is free.