Living in a built-up area can be a blessing and a curse. Having neighbors is excellent when you want company, but what about when you don’t? Your neighbor’s yard may be much closer than you’d like. If you want to stop your neighbors from looking over your fence and into your home, or if their yard is an eyesore, you may want to create a barrier between your yards. Let’s look at cheap ways to block the neighbor’s view!
Effective (and Cheap Ways) to Block Your Neighbors View
There are many different ways you can block your neighbor’s yard or house from your living room window or deck. The solution you choose will depend on the size of the area you need to cover and what materials you have on hand. Here are some ways for blocking out an eyesore or stopping nosy neighbors looking into your yard:
Build a taller fence
Before you start building anything to block the view, you should consider the height of your decking or living room window and how tall the fence would need to be to block your neighbor’s yard equipment or junk. There may be legal restrictions on how tall your fence can be, so this will need to be considered. You can use wood or corrugated iron to build a higher fence.
This may not be the cheapest solution, and depending on how good you are at DIY, it might not be the easiest. You may need to pay someone to put up a fence to block the neighbor’s view. You might have trouble trying to put up a fence in winter. Otherwise, you’ll be fine to do this any time of year.
Curtains
If you want a permanent solution that requires no hardware, screw hooks into the studs of your wall and hang a curtain from there to cover your window. Be sure to use heavy-duty hooks that can hold the weight of your curtain, or it will sag in front of the window at some point. A curtain will block your neighbor’s view into your home. You may like to choose a thin lace or net curtain as this will block the view but still allow you to see outside. It will also allow light to enter your home.
You can even get outdoor curtains that you can put around your decking or at one side to block the view of your nosy neighbor.
Grow a hedge
Another option is to grow a hedge around the side of your house. You’ll need to be patient, but once the hedge grows, it will give you more privacy and block your neighbor’s view. Alternatively, plant a thick row of trees and bushes along the property line.
Put up sailcloth
You could also put up some sailcloth in your yard. This can be angled so that it blocks your neighbor’s view and gives you some privacy. Soil cloth is also great if you live in a scorching climate as it will provide you and your family with some shade.
Shield your patio with outdoor screens
If you have a patio, then outdoor screens may be a good option. The screen can cover your patio, decking, or balcony and is easy to move around as needed. Outdoor screens are made from wood or metal and provide shade with the added bonus of more privacy as well.
Create levels in your yard
A cascading landscape will give you more privacy. This may seem like a major landscaping project, but it will give you more privacy. You can also use a few strategically placed shrubs and trees to block the neighbor’s view.
Build a wall
You could also build a wall to screen off your yard from the neighbor’s view. This is probably the most permanent solution, and you will most probably need to pay someone to build it for you. Building a wall is definitely not a cheap option but sometimes there’s no other choice!
Grow climbing plants on trellises
If you have a fence, you could grow climbing plants up the trellis. You can plant vines that will climb up the outside of your fence and block your neighbor’s view. It’s best to choose native strains of climbing plants as they are usually healthier for your yard than exotic varieties. If you live in warmer climates, you may be able to grow tropical climbers such as philodendrons in your yard.
Grow large plants in containers
Another option is to grow large plants in containers and place them in front of your fence, decking, or living room window. This again will need a lot of potting and patience, but it will be worth it if you choose the right plants for this project. You may want to plant flowers that attract butterflies or other beneficial garden insects so that you have a natural way to control any insect pests.
Grow bamboo
Bamboo is a good option as it will grow very quickly and provide you with quick privacy. You can choose to plant bamboo near the side of your yard or next to your fence. Bamboo will grow upwards at quite a steep angle, so you won’t have to worry about ugly poles that could be used to climb over your fence by an intruder.
The downside to bamboo is that it can be difficult to manage, and you’ll need to keep cutting out any shoots that are growing in the wrong direction. By planting different varieties of bamboo together, you will achieve an interesting visual effect while still blocking your neighbor’s view.
Conclusion
There are many different cheap ways you can block the view of a neighbors yard, garage, house – anything that’s giving you a view you’d rather not have. Creating a barrier will also stop nosy neighbors from looking into your home and yard. Try out one of the above solutions to block your neighbor’s view.
In the end, it’s up to you what solution that best suits your needs and budget. You may want to try a few things out before settling on one option, so be patient and flexible enough to experiment with different ideas until you find one that works for you.