Fences are essential when it comes to establishing property lines. As much as you may love your neighbors, it is always better to give yourself a bit of personal space and privacy by separating the two houses by a fence.
Privacy fence lets you feel more secure in your backyard. The kids have a safe area to play, the animals can be kept safely outdoors, and you have a quiet place to connect with nature. While building a fence is out of the question, the issue of where to place one may be problematic.
Even though you may want to build a fence far from the house to maximize the property lines or wish to have it directly next to your home, installing a fence doesn’t solely come down to your preferences. Each area has some legal regulations and laws enacted to maintain the area’s visual uniformity and neighbor relations at the right level.
If the issue of how close to the property line can you build a fence keeps you awake at night, here is a list of solutions and ideas on how to solve the problem and regain inner peace.
Home Buyers
It may be that you don’t already own a property but are looking for one.
Choosing the right house itself can be an exhausting task, not to mention when you have to think about additional factors such as the backyard, the property lines, and the privacy fence. Nevertheless, you must be mindful of those other matters before buying a property. Only this way you can save yourself a lot of trouble later on.
If you want to become a South Carolina resident, TOP Hilton Head real estate – The Pattisall Group has got your back when it comes to finding a beautiful property, with a well-established property line, and a fence built to the legal requirements.
Suppose you wish to have wealthy neighbors and live in a safe and luxurious area in California. In that case, Sotheby’s International Realty will provide you with the best quality property offers – all of them with a correctly defined property line and a new fence.
Walk around the area to see if the neighbors build their fence directly next to their house or closer to the property line’s borders. They knew all about the laws and legal regulations when installing a fence, and they have done it according to the rules.
Once you see how most people install the fence, you can compare it with your potential new house design to establish whether the fence is built correctly.
Home Owners
You may already own a beautiful home, and be wondering how to place the fence correctly. Here are some necessary steps to do everything according to the law, and avoid unnecessary complaints from the neighbors.
Check the Rules
Check what the laws have to say about correctly establishing a property line and building a fence. Mostly they will relate to the fence position, placement, height, and type.
The regulations differ slightly from state to state or from area to area, so make sure you are reading the ones referring to your neighborhood.
In those laws, you will surely find an answer to the most commonly asked question – how close to the property line should I build a fence? In most cases, you may do it directly on a property line shared with your neighbor.
The one exception is when you share a property line with a public entity. In such a case, you may not be allowed to build the fence directly on the property line. You may need to move it back a couple of feet.
Get a Survey
Getting a survey will help you make sure you know if your fence is on your property line, inside your property line, or even on your neighbor’s property. Chances are you had already paid for one when you bought the property.
If not, they usually cost from $500 to $1000 from a reputable surveyor. It may seem expensive or unnecessary at first glance, but it is best to invest some money and make sure that you haven’t accidentally built a fence where your neighbors live.
Inform the Neighbors
Apart from the fact that you may be legally obligated to notify the neighbors that you will install a fence, it is just a matter of personal culture to tell them so.
Conclusion
The privacy fence is one of the essential features of valuable property. No matter if you are buying a house with an already existing fence, or plan on installing one in your backyard, you should be mindful of the rules and regulations that apply to your neighborhood.
Most of the time, you can place the fence where the property line ends. Make sure you notify the neighbors before you get down to work. This way, you will maintain a friendly relationship and save yourself potential adverse consequences.