Residential fencing laws in Victoria. When buying a house and land package, there are many ways of going about it. The more popular and transparent method is to buy a full turn-key home that offers a fixed price and is fully inclusive. Fully inclusive, also means landscaping and fencing.
As each home has a fence dividing each property to the next, the last thing you want to do is upset your new neighbour. Of course, it only seems fair that you and your neighbour pay half each for the fence, but not everyone thinks the same way. Others may not be able to afford it.
A full turn-key solution is an excellent way to buy a brand new home. As the builder offers a fully inclusive service, they will also manage the cost and implementation of the fence. This is a great way to avoid any potential conflict to your new neighbour. It can be a hassle trying to get quotes, approving them with the neighbour and paying half each. This is more complicated if you have built your home first and the new neighbour may be months or a year away from being able to build. They may not yet be interested in buying and implementing a fence.
What are my responsibilities?
The Fences Act contains a number of rules as follows:
- Who pays for a dividing fence
- The type of fence to be built
- Notices that neighbours need to give one another and;
- How to resolve disputes that come up when discussing fencing works with your neighbour.
If you are unsure what you can or cannot do in this regards, the Victorian Government has plenty of important content that may help you with your potential dilemma. It also discusses how to approach your neighbours, what to do if your neighbour says ‘no’, mediation trials etc.
What to do next?
If you’d like to learn more about building a home, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We would welcome the opportunity to help with your property purchase. Our YouTube channel and Market Insights also provide a wealth of information to assist you with many areas relating to property.
While we have taken care to ensure the information above is true and correct at the time of publication, changes in circumstances and legislation after the displayed date may impact the accuracy of this article. If you want to learn more please contact us. We welcome the opportunity to assist you.
September 2022
