Fence Etiquette Tips You Need to Know
Are you thinking about installing a new fence on your property? This is a decision that you need to spend a bit of time with before you make your final choice. The first question to ask yourself is if you actually need a fence. Are there issues with your neighbors that only a fence can help to resolve?
There are also a wide number of other questions that you should ask. How much will it cost to install a fence on your property? How long will it take? What are the results that you wish to achieve by building a fence? These logistical and legal questions need to be answered before you decide on a course of action.
Make Sure Your Neighbors Know Your Intentions
Before you start to build your fence, you need to take a moment to make sure that your neighbors know what you plan to do. After all, this will be a fence that borders their property. You want to be sure that they understand why you feel the need to build a fence. Talking to them will prevent misunderstandings.
For example, if you plan to have a team of workers building your fence, you do need to alert your neighbors to this fact. They may take offense at strangers roaming near the border of their own property. They may not know what all of the noise and commotion is all about. Warning them beforehand avoids these issues.
There may be certain legal issues that need to be addressed. Your neighbor may feel that you are infringing on their property. They may feel that building a fence may violate zoning or building codes that prevail in the area that you both live in. If they threaten legal action, you need to find a way to halt it.
It may be best to sit down and have a talk with your immediate neighbors before you take the final step of building a fence. This may be a good way to resolve any resentment or ill feelings that may exist between you. If necessary, you can schedule an arbitration with a lawyer to make sure all parties are satisfied.
Be Sure to Double Check Your Property Lines
The next thing that you will need to do is to precisely check all of your existing boundary lines. Check and double check until you are sure that you are completely within your own boundary and thus free to do what you want. You don't want start on a fence only to halt midway due to a neighbor's challenge.
By checking and rechecking your boundary lines in advance, you will know exactly where your fence can and cannot extend. You will learn more about the precise legal extent of your property. In the course of checking up on the boundaries of your yard, you will most likely come across legal documents that you can use.
These documents will be invaluable in strengthening your case in case of a legal challenge from a neighbor. By producing them, you will be able to show that you have done your due diligence in ensuring that your fence is legal. You will thus be able to shut down any legal challenge before it has a chance to be filed.
As you check up on the extent of your boundary, you may be able to remove a lot of confusion concerning where your yard ends and your neighbor's begins. There may have been other fences on the property in the past that caused your precise property lines to be blurred. Checking the facts will help to reveal the truth.
If you still have the ability to access the plat that came with your land, this should clear up any objections over property lines. If you aren't able to access the plat, you can pay a visit to the office of your local county assessor. They will have the info you need to back up your legal ability to build your fence.
Make Sure Your Fence Will Blend In
The next question will be what style do you prefer your fence to be. This will be a matter of practical but also personal concern. You want to build a fence that will look good and also last a long time. Since this is bound to be a somewhat costly exercise, you will certainly want to get your money's worth.
The fence that you build should protect your property while also complimenting it. If you live in a traditional country home in a wooded area, it makes sense to have a wooden fence. If this doesn't prove to be practical, there are other styles of fence that you can explore. The key is to blend in with grace.
Keep in mind that the fence you build will have an effect on the curb appeal and resale value of your home. This can be an effect in a positive or a negative manner. You want your fence to be a natural extension of your home. You want it to gently surround your property instead of sticking out like a sore thumb.
The idea is to have a fence that does what it's been built to do. You want a barrier that excludes strangers, animals, and criminals from coming any closer to your home. You want to protect yourself and your family from danger. At the same time, you want to increase the attractiveness and value of your home.
Your best bet is to spend some time researching what sort of fence you need. It's a good idea to consult with an expert on matters of practicality, cost, and style. The fence you build should not only raise your own home value but also contribute to raising home values around your local neighborhood as a whole.
The more you can easily demonstrate that your fence will beautify the area you place it in, the less objection your neighbors will raise to it. The last thing anyone wants is an ugly, rusty eyesore that disfigures the beauty of the local neighborhood. If you want your fence to last, build it with the area in mind.
Make Sure Your Fence is Properly Maintained
As soon as your fence has been built, it will give you a new responsibility. It will naturally fall upon you to do all in your power to maintain it. If the fence is metal, it will need to be regularly checked for rust and other sources of decay. If wood, you will need to check for termites, rot, and other hazards.
While not the kind of task that you need to spend hours on each week, it will still be considerable. It's a very good idea to schedule a check up every couple of months to see what condition your fence is in. This will give you plenty of warning about the presence of certain problems that you need to quickly solve.
If you are not able to do the work yourself, you can hire an expert local service to do it for you. This can save you a great deal of time, money, and energy. This is all the more important if you will be away from your home for long periods of time. Hiring a handyman service will keep your fence in shape.
Don't Spend Too Much on Your Fence
You certainly want to build a fence that will last for many years to come. You want it to look good and perform its task with ease and style. This is most likely not the kind of task that you are qualified to take on all by yourself. To get it done right, you're going to have to hire an expert local service.
The key to doing so is to make sure that you are spending your money in a wise and practical manner. It's a very good idea to sit down and consult with a local service before you agree to anything. You want to know exactly what kind of fence you are getting, where it will extend to, and how much it will cost you.
One thing that you will definitely want to do is get it all in writing. Every aspect of the job, from the planning to the final touches, needs to be fully described and accounted for in an ironclad legal contract. This will prevent the sudden appearance of hidden charges or other nasty surprises you didn't expect.
Getting it all in writing before the job begins is the very best way to make sure your legal and financial rights are protected. It's also the best way to remove yourself from liability in case the job goes wrong. If a part of the fence goes on someone else's property, you can prove it wasn't your fault.
Before you decide to build a fence, make sure you know who you will be dealing with. Be sure to ask your friends and family members for references. If they can't recommend anyone, you can check the web for ideas. The Better Business Bureau is a good reference to check the credentials of local services.
Have Your Fence Installed By an Expert
The last thing to consider is that you definitely want to have your fence installed by an expert. When all is said and done, the fence you build needs to add to your credit, not detract from it. This means that you need to show good taste as well as financial sense when you put this project into operation.
As noted above, you need to make sure that your fence is built by a reliable service with a long record of success in this area. You want the work to be done in a reasonable time for the exact amount, and no more, that you agreed upon. It will be up to you to ensure this occurs by choosing the right team to work with.
There are plenty of ways to ensure that this is the case. Check the web for customer reviews left by people who have dealt with local companies in your area. Choose the service that has the best track record for timeliness, reliability, and customer service.
You don't want to break your budget by spending too much on a fence that doesn't do what you thought it would. Sit down with your service and hammer out the details, one by one. This is the best way to ensure quality.
Good Fences Make For Very Good Neighbors
Building a fence on your property is a matter of both personal and practical import. The reasons you have for building a fence may be public as well as private. There is always the need to keep your property protected and in the best of shape. A fence can a long way toward ensuring this is always the case.
There may also be purely aesthetic reasons to build a fence. You may find doing so is the best way to cap off your property in fine style. It may beautify the area to such a degree that it adds a great deal of curb appeal and resale value. If this is the case, you will be well advised to add a fence to your property.
As stated above, building a fence does bring responsibility in its wake. It will be up to you to make sure the fence is well maintained. It will also be your task to make sure that building a fence does not offend your neighbors. Finally, you'll need to check local laws to make sure that you are within your rights.
Once all of these various concerns are met and satisfied, you can safely build your fence. This is the barrier that will keep you and your family safe from prying eyes, wild animals, and dangerous criminals. It will be the boundary that separates your personal part of the world from the outside and its problems.
