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Really? I wouldn't have thought that about the vegetative barrier
Yes at least the fence we put up wasn't a chain link
I think heads would have exploded
Personally I prefer vegetative barriers (although I have a small portion of my yard fenced for the cats), but I also like a nice wooden picket fence as well. For the boundaries of my yard, I have a 12 ft. high hedge at the back, and effectively a 7 ft. high barrier on one side where my next door neighbor never mows their back yard. THAT drives me nuts. However, it's very easy to see where my nice lawn ends and their holy mess of a yard begins, for sure.
If you don't have kids or pets I don't get the purpose of a fence...actually even if you do have them, what does a fence do? Apparently people still argue about land whether there is an actual fence or not. Kids are rarely playing in their yards any more and should know the limits of their yard, otherwise not be left unattended. Even pets can be on a chain to "do their business".
To me a fence is just ugly and chops up everyone's view - too territorial. But yeah, people can do whatever they want on their property if it doesn't affect me. Usually just an expensive eyesore. Even people who don't want to spend on a fence will often find some way to "mark " the corners of their property with a gazebo, or bird birth or swingset or toolshed just as far away from the house as possible....weird.
You should live somewhere with an HOA. Most everything on the CO front range has HOA's that don't allow privacy fences at all. Took us almost 10 yrs to be able to find a property to put one up. We only had a 5 foot at our last house due to HOA.
I don't have kids or pets right now, but I have a 6 foot privacy fence, exactly the way I want it. It makes your yard private & means you don't have to see the neighbors or their yards. I think it's bizarre to sit in your backyard & see all your neighbors out in theirs. It was common when I lived in MN & I found it so odd. I can't imagine NOT having a fence. We waited over 10 years to find just the right property where the HOA allows a 6 foot privacy fence, b/c it was the most important thing to us. Now I have small acreage & my fence, so the only thing missing is the dogs :-) It's a disgusting dark brown color due to HOA requirements, but at least it's 6 foot & private. I HATE seeing my neighbors. I wish I lived in AZ, where they have 10 foot walls separating the backyards! Most HOA's here only allow split rail fence up to 4 feet high. Pretty worthless with large dogs & you can still see the neighbors.
OP did it exactly right, glad he/she got a survey. I've always put up privacy fences at every house I've ever bought, so have had to deal with this a number of times, but have luckily always had civil neighbors & always gotten a survey, so there's no question. I'll usually let me my neighbors know (if they're adjacent) when the surveyor will be there, in case they want to ask questions. The surveyors are so used to dealing with it, they are very often helpful in showing neighbors what the situation is.
ETA: Last survey I paid for was around $300. With new build, it was included in the price of the house, so not sure what it was individually & I'm sure the bldr got deal. I'm expecting the surveyor back any day to fix a marker that got pulled up by a backhoe, I'll ask them if I see them.
Really? I wouldn't have thought that about the vegetative barrier
Yes at least the fence we put up wasn't a chain link
I think heads would have exploded
Done right you can't see through the vegetation and, unless you're on a corner or have side or front height limits, there's no limit to height, so people can't see over it. Which is really all many people want to do, see what you have in your backyard.
There is a group of rural pioneers who have moved here and declared war on chain link. My investor neighbor is one such. She gave me pure Hell about my replacing the fence between our yards, preferably with vinyl, until I had a survey done. Turned out the fence is well on her lot. She still hasn't replaced it with vinyl.
We have a new neighbor on the other side of the street. There is a vegetative barrier in her back yard owned by the people behind her. It's tall, dense and provides privacy but is also now six feet onto her property. There was a crew trimming all the trees and cutting the barrier back to her property line today, she wants that six feet back.
At least fences are static.
Some neighbors just suck. I like having a fenced in yard. We have dogs and they get to roam around in our fenced in yard. Keeps unwanted dogs out. Tends to keep the deer our along with other animals. Keeps neighborhood kids out of your yard as well. Nosey neighbors can't see what you're doing.
Done right you can't see through the vegetation and, unless you're on a corner or have side or front height limits, there's no limit to height, so people can't see over it. Which is really all many people want to do, see what you have in your backyard.
There is a group of rural pioneers who have moved here and declared war on chain link. My investor neighbor is one such. She gave me pure Hell about my replacing the fence between our yards, preferably with vinyl, until I had a survey done. Turned out the fence is well on her lot. She still hasn't replaced it with vinyl.
Ah, no limit on height. That's right. Now I want to add a vegetative barrier as well. Maybe just over by the mean neighbor
We have a new neighbor on the other side of the street. There is a vegetative barrier in her back yard owned by the people behind her. It's tall, dense and provides privacy but is also now six feet onto her property. There was a crew trimming all the trees and cutting the barrier back to her property line today, she wants that six feet back.
At least fences are static.
Do you know why she wants the six feet back? I would be happy if my adjacent neighbors already had something like that.
There is a paver patio in the back and it's beginning to encroach on that. This is in FL and vegetation can grow crazy amounts in a short time. I think she wants to re-establish the property line. People become attached to things they plant, like trees and vegetative borders, not realizing how they have grown and encroached, and get very put out when neighbors want them trimmed back. I'm guessing she probably wants to make her intentions clear from the start rather than deal with it at a later time.
We bought the wooded lot next to us so we have a buffer zone and one less neighbor. This is a dense neighborhood and the property I would love is on the next street. The owner has a triple lot with his house and then bought the three lots behind him, three across the street from him and double lots on both sides. He's left it all wooded except for the lots across the street. He's cleaned it out and left nice canopy oaks and has a park like setting. And no next door neighbors close to his house.
Easily the cruelest way to confine a pet, and one that almost guarantees aggression. So no, fences are better for pets.
If you want large expanses of "view", then buy enough land to give you that view. Otherwise, you might get a fence dividing yourself from your neighbor.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Praline
Do you even own any pets? Why would you want your pet to be chained in his/her own backyard or chained anywhere? If a person wants "more of a view" they should buy a larger property. People have the right to privacy. My daughter (and the dogs) did indeed play in our backyard and I felt they were safer as well.
On a chain is cruel? Our dogs scratched at the door to go out...we put them on the chain...15 minutes later they scratched on the door to come in...no muss no fuss! We also took them on walks - they were a lot less likely to "go" all over the neighbor's yards that way. We didn't leave them out all day...if you do that when you have a fence is it any better? Most places are too hot or too cold many days of the year - I'd never leave a dog out in that, chained or unchained. I think some folks have been watching too many ASPCA commercials to assume a chain is always bad.
Last edited by reneeh63; 04-12-2017 at 07:04 PM..
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However, it's very easy to see where my nice lawn ends and their holy mess of a yard begins, for sure. 
