At Home Tales, we value building relationships with our clients in order to help create the house of their dreams. This is one of the many things that makes us stand out from the other house extension companies in London. From our experience with ground floor extensions, we have observed that the topic of privacy has become a growing concern, especially when your property is surrounded by several neighbours. That is why we wanted to share the ways in which you, as a homeowner, can increase the level of privacy in your house.

• 

Tinted windows

An easily accessible solution is to apply a tinted film to your rear extension windows and doors, as these are readily available on the market and relatively simple to install. Due to this, it is also inexpensive in comparison to the other solutions mentioned below. However, if you are needing to cover large expanses of glazing, a specialist may need to be involved. Installing electrically tinted glazing is great if you’re looking for an integrated option, however, it requires a lot of involvement from a specialist. Though it can look incredibly sleek as it is bespoke, it can also become quite pricey.

Landscaping

• 

Obstruct intrusive views into your property’s rear garden by planting some natural visual obstacles. This could be multiple small trees, or one large tree with a large canopy effect over the garden. Homeowners can also opt for hedges that run around the perimeter of their house. If you like the idea of this option, but don’t want to come across as someone who is obviously blocking their neighbours out, consider staggered planting. This means to layer your planting to ultimately create a wall of privacy. These natural solutions act as a great noise buffer and visual barrier, whilst adding value to your home by making the home instantly more attractive.

Lattice fence/plant trellis

Installing lattice fencing or a plant trellis on top of an existing wall or fence can filter direct views from neighbouring properties. Both options contribute a medium amount of privacy as they provide a partial obstruction. This also has a smaller footprint, therefore the space in a smaller garden would not have to be sacrificed. It is relatively affordable and there are many styles and colours available to best suit the look of your garden and property.

Pergola

A pergola is defined as an outside structure consisting of a roof held up by 4 posts. This can be freestanding or attached to a building. We will be addressing a pergola that is attached to your house, typically in addition to a kitchen extension. The roof is usually open, as it is made up of extended slats of wood, allowing for climbing vines to thrive along it. A pergola creates a lovely defined space in your garden and recreates the intimate feel of a dining room, outdoors. You can add slatted panels or planting on the sides of it to make it even more private. This will definitely add a substantial layer of privacy to a ground floor extension.

Door style

• 

A subtle and minimalistic solution is to opt for a door with a frame that can create a visual buffer. For example, crittal style doors have vertical and horizontal lines that can distract from the view into your property. This requires very little effort if you discuss this with us before submitting for the planning permission of your ground floor extension project. We can draw a particular type of door into your plans for you, which will be relayed to your builder. Otherwise, if you are in a conservation area, you may have to confer with your council to change the style of your existing patio doors.

Blinds/shutters

• 

Blinds and shutters are popular options to dress windows, as they are easy to install, affordable, and readily available on the market. You can find blinds that are designed for rooflights/Velux windows. They are great for keeping light and heat out, as well as providing visual privacy. However, a ground floor extension may need bespoke blinds and shutters if you are needing to block out the view through your patio doors. Blinds can completely black out your room by covering most of the opening with an opaque material. and can be designed to be electric and automated. Shutters are commonly found in offices as they allow you to control the amount of light and privacy into the room, whilst still making the outside view available to you. This can become a costly option if you have large spans of glazing to cover. There are so many variations of window dressing in 2021, you are bound to find one that fits your needs perfectly.

Curtains

Consider dressing your ground floor extension openings with curtains, an age-old furnishing. Like blinds, there’s a huge variety of materials, colours, and textures to choose from. Sheer curtains provide minimal privacy yet still create a visual barrier that doesn’t entirely detract from an indoor-outdoor atmosphere. These are much better at providing privacy during the daytime, as when it turns to night, sheer curtains can practically turn transparent. Whether you’re going for a cosy or dramatic look, consider installing thick insulating curtains. They provide maximum visual privacy and can make your ground floor extension better insulated from noise, light, and hot/cold temperatures. This option can rack up a hefty price, as fabric is not cheap, especially if it is of the thick, high quality family. If you can’t decide on which you’d prefer, you could layer these materials together to cover all the bases!

As this topic has popped up a handful of times, we hope you have found this post helpful and that you feel more confident proceeding with your ground floor extension. If you would like to discuss any home improvement projects with us further, please call us on 02070432378 or email us at hello@hometales.co.uk. You can also book a telephone consultation with us here.