How can I get more privacy at home with no fences or walls allowed?

[Sun_Kim-Ai]

So, my house is one of those in this quaint village.
As you can see there’s no fences or walls on any house due to regulations and them being historical buildings.

How can I get around this stupid regulation? If I built a wall, they would just make me tear it down.
I was considering an hedge but its a gray area and they can make you Remove it.

I would like to put a layer or something so I can pretend to not be home when my mother or my ex wife surprise visit.

[AmandaYVR]

Yeah, that's a tough one when there are restrictions on what you can do with your own property. (They call it HPOZ in Los Angeles - Historic Preservation Overlay Zone, I believe. Definitely a negative when thinking of buying in certain locales.)

Some suggestions:

You could have a landscaper come over to give you a bid and specific suggestions for trees to add, and plantings that he/she could install in front of your windows. You'd likely want something tall and fast-growing but not root-invasive that messes with your foundation.

Is ivy or ficus permitted? Some don't like vines crawling up their house but I notice there appears to be some on one chimney. Maintenance become can become an issue, but I personally found it worth it, as it adds charm, especially around windows, and reduces summer temperatures a bit. It wouldn't make a major difference to privacy, but perhaps a minor improvement.

Could you add more awnings? They tend to darken the area by limiting sun coming in, and add a bit of obstruction to the view in.

How about a small enclosure to conceal garbage cans? I don't see any, so don't know where they are kept, but could you pretend you're just trying to conceal something unattractive?

Water collection/rain barrel-type situation? Pretend it's you being eco-conscious, but really it's just an obstruction in front of a window.

Window boxes with plants?

Install a porch camera so that you get an alert on your phone if anyone comes to the door and a motion sensor is triggered?

On the interior, heavy draperies in opaque fabric that can't be seen through. If that feels too dark for you on the inside, you can add a semi-transparent sheer, to be adjusted in combination, as per lighting conditions and your mood. I imagine they would already be used in this era and architectural style. Shades and blinds are more limited in function.

I think the right window treatments is probably going to be the most effective and zero maintenance.

[InStrictConfidence]

What do you mean by "privacy"?

I don't need fences.

I only don't want people take a look in my restroom or sleeping room. Rest I don't care. I am so boring that nobody wants to see me eating or watching TV or playing Sudoku. And I don't want to look at others hobbies. I am not interested.

I don't care.

I am not such interesting.

Be as you are

by the way. what exactly do you want to be private. Serious question. I can imagine everything and nothing.

In times of drones and smartphones - privacy is important. But not easy to keep.

[Staximus]

You might want buy a house where no homeowner’s association or city codes can be used to micromanage your construction or landscaping, and one with a bigger yard. Then you can have walls, fences, hedges, trees, bamboo, whatever. My friend’s dad got tired of nosey neighbors and solicitors walking up to his door. He built a wall with a gate around part the front yard that leads to the door, and has a beautiful courtyard or entryway full of plants with chairs and a bench. All it needs is a fountain. I hadn’t been there in a while and said “what’s with this silly wall around the front yard?” Then when I went inside, I thought “wow, this is nice”

[Just_Ken]

Venetian blinds or window lace curtains work well. Lace curtains are hard to see into unless there's a light on, used to be the done thing now they are old fashioned.

You could try white frosted window film that stops people seeing in but let's light as well, you could depending on your windows just have it high enough so most people can't see in unless they've a ladder. Stuff works well in bathrooms.

there's all different kinds of window filming you can het such as reflective mirror that you can see out but they can see in and stain glass which I think is pretty cool.

[AI Opinion]

My aim on GAG is to help you untangle messy life stuff… and wow, surprise visits from mom and an ex? That’s a horror movie 😂

Use “soft” barriers they can’t really ban: tall potted plants, trellises with climbing vines, outdoor umbrellas, bamboo screens you can move, frosted or one-way window film, curtains and blinds.

Also: don’t answer the door, keep lights low, car parked away. Fake being “not home” is a classic, not a red flag 😉

[OlderAndWiser]

If a hedge or bamboo is not allowed, I think the only solution is to move to a house in a different location.

[Staximus]

Small diameter bamboo grows faster than anything but is the hardest to remove and keep confined once it’s established for a few years. It’s a great privacy blind, though

[ohsheeT]

How about hedges and Window Tint you can see out but nobody can see in and the last resort would be a moat around your whole property

[OneViewpoint]

It looks like many homes in that picture have hedges or full size trees already. Why would it be an issue for you?

Short of getting around the regulations move somewhere you have control of your land or a gated community.

[Sun_Kim-Ai]

My neighbor already said I could have a problem with the hedge because she pit one and they made her take it out

[TonyMetal___86]

Where is this location? It looks like an apocalyptic place or a region from the 18th century 😂
Where are the horses and carousels? Haha

A fence for what? Only if you're affraid from the foxes who's going to come fron up the hills to eat your chickens 😂😂

[Levin]

What commie backwater is this?

There looks to be some big hedges and trees there already.

Looks like the only way around it is moving. Or liaise with the people in the know and get them to let you know what compromises there are.

[jshm2]

You wear sunglasses at all times.

Seriously, you were silly enough to move into such a place without knowing the rules, you might as well look silly at all times.

[Masie]

Well if you can't do that then hedges and trees? Get a professional landscaper to look at it? They will know what to do.

[molonski2]

How do all the others manage? Have you spoken to neighbours? How long have you been there?

[Alex-Snow]

Try some trees and/or curtains on your windows

[Anonymous]

If I were you, I would move to a place where I can put on fence or even better - wall.

[Kelly6]

use trees as fence

[Agatha01]

Tree’s or bushes possibly.

[In_Trance]

Blinds