Neighbours fence, sharing fence posts?

[Mattatooi]

I am in process of clearing my back garden out and can now see the fence dividing my neighbours and my back garden. I want to put a nice fence up along the side, now that we are getting rid of all the bushes we had before.

My question is, is it advisable to attach rails to the existing posts and put some vertical board fence on, on my side. Or is it better to put my own posts in? I am pretty sure the fence is on their side, but its hard to know. I will obviously be speaking to them to see if its ok if that is the route which I take. But I am thinking more long term. If say the fence posts rot then it may become complicated ?

When I removed old Oil Tank, i discovered an old fence post, probably from when house was built in the 70s.

 

[JohnD]

the position of the old fence posts suggests that they put up a new fence, inside their boundary (probably to hide your neglected garden) so you have no right to touch their fenceposts or interfere with their fence. Wooden posts rot and break and you will get the blame.

Start afresh. Put it as precisely as you can with the outer face on the boundary.

Use concrete posts which will not rot. If you don't like the colour, you can use masonry paint to blend them in with fence stain.

If the neighbours' fence provides a screen, you could, for now, use inexpensive trellis, as long as you tale great care to spave the posts so that standard panels can be slid in later.

Or you could offer to renew or replace your neighbours' fence for them.

Or you could use your existing posts if you think they are sound, and add horizontal boards like I see at the end of your garden. The effort will be wasted if the posts are old and rotten.

 

[Mattatooi]

Yeah that is what I thought. We moved in here 2 years ago and it was built and prev owner had all the bushes etc. Only getting round to sorting out back now. I am thinking just putting new fence in. Not decided on type of fence post as of yet. I know alot of people say concrete but I have also read alot of people saying if wooden posts are installed right, then they shouldn't rot.

 

[Mattatooi]

So just in regards to placement of new posts, how do I work out the exact boundry? As in, should I be leaving a gap for a no mans land? Or should i go tight to their fence as possible? This would mean posts would probably need to sit at different positions than theirs to allow for foundations ?

 

[JohnD]

IMO the old fence, whose posts you still have, will have been put up on the boundary. Stretch a taught wire across them. It can be useful to put a couple of (preferably stainless) vine eyes in the house wall to use in future. Also, at the far end of the garden, put your strongest, most rot-proof concrete corner post to give you a fixed point.

My guess is that the neighbours set their fence inside the boundary, either because they didn't get on with the previous occupant, or to avoid damaging plants and bushes that were pushing out. It is not usual to leave a gap. I fear pets might get stuck in it. If you use horizontal boards I suppose you could leave a gap. I've recently done a fence with horizontal decking boards, which are very sturdy and I think look good. They are not expensive when you look at the price of flimsy fence panels.

 

[Mattatooi]

Yeah thats what I was thinking. Means there is kind of a no-mans land in between fences.

Thanks. Now just gotta get rest cleared. Plenty to do before any fence installation!