An old chestnut this one. Looking at buying a house. Next door has a huge DEATH WEED EVIL BUSH growing right up to 'our' garden boundary. It's already, ooh, 10-15 metres. No-one knows how big these devils grow - the oldest yet found is still growing! Now. It's blocking light etc. I don't know if the prospective neighbours will be amenable to chopping it down but we want it gone if we're gonna buy the place. To cut to the chase - if I chop the parts overhanging 'my' garden, which I am perfectly within my legal right to do, it will die. Would that be out of order?
It will only die your side, it will continue to grow their side. So your side will look brown and theirs will be green. If you dont like the trees, dont buy the house. simple Unless you want a long wrangle. And immediately alienate the neighbours.
It's tough though, because the house is good apart from that, and we can't afford to be too fussy. Cut more than a third into old wood on any conifer and it's curtains for the whole plant though, surely? Not just browning on my side. Plan A is certainly to speak with the neighbours, mind. Just bracing myself. Seriously, leylandii needs to be banned!
Not banned, just people that dont control it get it a bad name, loads of other plants will do exactly the same thing given time. Yeah have a word they might want it taken down themselves but wont pay the bill. I've seen them completely bare at the base with just a few green bits on top where somebody cut off only the branches they could reach. After a few years it gets going again.
Steady there Andrew, the farm behind us has huge lelandiai blocking the view for the houses across the road. Bloke who bought one of the houses & offered to cut them down at his expense. Farmer went mental " Bloody folk from London, coming down here & tellin us what to do, well he can #### right off" Didn't go down too well
If they are going to be an issue, don't buy the house. View them as an immoveable wall that you can do nothing about - would you still buy the house? Alienating your new neighbours is not a good look - you will live to regret it. I think we all know or have heard of horror stories of neighbours refusing to budge or negotiate over them. But yes, I intensely dislike them as well. The problem, as Pete has said, is people planting them...and then not doing the necessary maintenance.
They certainly haven't maintained it Aaron. It's HUGE! It's frustrating though. We can't afford to be fussy - tight budgets and not much within our range - and this is one of the few great places we've seen. Apart from the damn deathweed next door! We'll speak to the neighbour, but if they turn out to be immovable then my horticultural skills are going to have to come into play. At least a third is spilling over into 'our' garden. I'm within my rights to cut that. And it should be enough to kill any conifer.
I don't think cutting a third off will damage the trees. But I am thinking more of damaging relations with your new neighbours - yes, you are completely in your rights to do this (and remember to offer back the cut bits, but don't throw them over the fence/hedge into their garden, that's just antagonistic). But will they take kindly to you doing this?
Well, fingers crossed that the neighbours will be reasonable and come to an arrangement. But if they insist on keeping it, it'd be such a shame. It would mean either picking a fight, or losing out on the house! But it would have to come to that. As I said, no-one really knows for sure just how big the damn things can grow.
If you really like the house and it is within budget, then you have just two options. Buy the house and try to negotiate with your new neighbour, hopefully coming to a reasonable/friendly arrangement. OR Buy the house and start a fight. Just make sure your new neighbour is not someone like me! Chopper
I'm hoping they will turn out to be a friendly old couple who accidentally let it become unmanagable and will be delighted to have some help chopping the thing down. Knowing my luck it'll be a meathead with a family of rotweillers who planted it deliberately in the hope that someone would take issue with it...
I do believe they are supposed to be kept to a certain height, by law. But find out for definite before doing anything. I know a couple who had a 5 year battle with a 'friendly old couple' over the leylandii boundary.
Put an offer in on the house with a clause about the trees ..... .. Talk with the neighbours maybe you can come to an agreement.... Maybe they grew the trees as the neighbours previous were a nightmare...!!!! See what agreement you can come too.. If no agreement but you are still desperate, cut your side right back & plant a few Clematis Montanas & let them rassle...!!! That will be beautiful to look at..... :wink: Semi evergreem too..!!!! Good luck mate, let us know how it goes....... :thumb:
I agree with what Marley says, go and knock on the neighbours door, it's a great excuse to get to know them beforehand. Who knows they might be perfectly reasonable about it.
