Having the garden fenced with close board ready to sell the house.

Neighbour doesn’t want to pay anything for the side he owns, the other side backs onto woodland.

Had just assumed to have it fenced in the traditional way…good side facing out, posts and arris rails facing in. The contractor told me if it were him he would have the good side facing in as it a, looks better and b, is easier to mow along as there is a straight edge rather than getting around posts sticking out. He said nowadays many people opt to have the good side in if they are paying.

As I’m selling the house I don’t mind too much, but wanted to see what the combined STW opinion was if they were looking to buy a house would they prefer good smooth side in, or the more traditional “bad side” facing in?

I guess the advantage of good side out is it is it would be more difficult for intruders to climb.

Normally the boundary is the good face. Spinning it round will mess that up so unless it is well documented that’ll be lost as will who owns it. Definitely looks better with good side facing you but personally I’d prefer it ‘correct’ with the boundary at the good face.

Leave it and let the new buyer do it how they want? It’ll be wrong either way otherwise.

If I’m paying it’ll always face in. If nothing else it’ll piss off your skinflint neighbour who will always have to look at it

I’d have post and rails on the inside as I think it looks nicer, plus the other side is harder to climb up and over if someone was looking to gain access. But, if you are moving I wouldn’t overthink it 🙂

Posts on inside for me when I done it so if a new neighbour (rented next door) moved in and was an arse I could double slat it. I did eventually

What trail rat says.

Stick with tradition.

There is another reason for good side out, if any nails are a little high or low and miss the centre of the Arris enough to poke the point through, there isn’t a sharp point poking out to a neighbour.

TR has it. Paint rude words on his side too.

Next door is rented, landlord doesn’t want to pay. Not bothered about pissing anyone off, just want to get the best price / fastest sale for my house.

Looks like opinion is split 50/50 ish

If it was the front of the house then good side out for kerb appeal. Rear garden good side in. So much neater. Make sure the contractor finishes it of properly with a rain-capping. Makes no end of difference to the look.

After many years of procrastinating and half arsed attempts at building a fence my other half’s neighbour got mightily peeved when we paid for a 144ft long fence where we go the good side.

It doesn’t matter that his idea was to concrete god awful, 8ft high, 5″ diameter round metal poles in the ground which for years (before I met OH) he kept promising he was going to build a fence around.

He “expected” we were going to build a panel fence, wasn’t interested in going 50/50 even though according to the deeds it’s his side, just another reason to do what we did.

He’s planted leylandii along his side now, guessing it’s supposed to annoy us. Ah well, fingers crossed it will actually help with the drainage. Used to have lots of trees in the garden, only 10 left and it’s a bit of a quagmire when it’s really wet.

Anyway, if you can afford to annoy your neighbours go ahead and do what you want.

If you’re moving save money and go with fence panels. DIY to save even more. Doesn’t answer the original question tho

Really doesn’t matter, I think both my fences are ‘backwards’, both are the wrong way round.

trail_rat – Member
If I’m paying it’ll always face in. If nothing else it’ll piss off your skinflint neighbour who will always have to look at it

This.

Our back garden fence has the nice bit facing inward, for just this reason.
If they had decided to contribute, we could have discussed it.

Just building a featheredge fence for a friend at the moment as it happens.

The bit at the back and the long run to the camera I’ve done(she wanted) good side her side, to the left of the camera is an L-shaped section that butts onto the road which will be good side to the neighbour and road.
So a combination…

It’s a shame that often neighbours can’t/don’t discuss these things themselves but whoever is paying decides ultimately. 🙂

I wonder if there is another nation of earth where people are worried by this problem? I feel almost proud to be part of the discussion.

OP you are a true Brit … Paying for a fence you shouldnt have too and still worried about manners… Sir, I doff my cap…. 😀

If the skinflint neighbour/landlord was traditional putting up the fence the good side would be facing you, would it not ?

Therefore, even though you are paying for it, good side to you.

Happy days

Wonder if the Mexican will have the good side facing themselves…. What about the israelis ??

I wouldn’t always say it’s a skinflint neighbour. When I moved in I changed a concrete post + thin metal wire fence with a 5ft wooden fence (I didn’t actually check with the neighbour as didn’t really know him and thought it was a bit much to ask him to contribute given I’d only just moved in). Then 2 years later and a change of neighbours and had a note through my door asking if I’d contribute to a new 7ft tall fence, I politely chose not to (mostly as I just thought it was a waste of money as the fence I put in was perfectly sound, rather than taking offence they wanted a higher fence :p I rarely use my garden anyway).
I don’t think they were too happy as they left the side of the fence facing me untreated and the old panels in my garden (I’d have been more bothered if I used my garden regularly). Right now I’m waiting for it to rot from my side so they’ll realise it wasn’t such a smart move. Maybe I’m being a dick but having paid for a perfectly good fence myself I don’t see why I should pay again as new neighbours want a higher fence.

My neighbour refused to pay for the fence on his boundary so I paid for it and had the nice side facing me.

Fuzzywuzzy – just the idea of a 7ft fence would annoy me, have negotiated with neighbours to reduce ours to 3ft 🙂

As for OP – would just go traditional if selling, nice side out and along line of boundary

If you are not bothered then ask your neighbour which they would prefer and go with that!

Leaning towards “nice” side in, just cos it will be easier to mow and hopefully will be more attractive to buyers. Still seems a bit wrong though, almost like being fenced out of the garden if that makes sense.

It’s not wrong as there’s no law.

If I was selling and the neighbour wasn’t interested then I’d have the nice side on my side.
Will make the garden look nicer, so may actually help with the sale.

I went for nice side facing out, as being smooth it’s harder to climb. Grew Clematis along most of it, so don’t see it anyway…

Normally the boundary is the good face. Spinning it round will mess that up so unless it is well documented that’ll be lost as will who owns it.

I fenced both sides of mine and have now managed to ‘shift’ ownership for both neighbours on one side (who moved in after my fence was put up) and have each replaced the fence they don’t own….