A couple who bought their dream home discovered they had a looming problem: a neighbor’s giant window overlooking their new yard so they felt like they were being watched.
That’s why Daniel Cox and Nick Hodgins have spent two years coming up with creative design solutions to hide the “hideous expanse” at the bottom of their garden.
The couple launched what they called “Operation Hide the Window” and began planting a series of trees and bushes and adding features to hide the huge dormer window that they claimed had opened from a room that had previously been used as “a porn scene”. .
Now the couple, who have documented the transformation of their garden in a series of wildly popular TikTok videos, are finally celebrating the accomplishment of their mission, as “the eyesore” has “completely disappeared” behind their imposing barrier composed of birches, maples and ferns. .
Daniel Cox and Nick Hodgins (pictured) have spent two years coming up with creative design solutions to hide the “hideous expanse” at the bottom of their garden.
The couple launched what they called ‘Operation Hide the Window’ and began planting a series of trees and bushes and adding features to hide the huge dormer window (pictured).
The couple installed some tasteful garden furniture and planted their first trees at the bottom of the garden before posting a new image saying: “So the ‘window hiding operation’ has begun.”
Now the couple, who have documented the transformation of their garden in a series of highly popular videos on TikTok, are finally celebrating having accomplished their mission, as “the eyesore” has “completely disappeared.”
A source said: ‘The neighbors think what they have done to brighten up the garden and the town is wonderful.
‘They have illuminated the area and there has not been a single complaint from the people in the attic.
“They haven’t caused any problems in the house with its huge attic and window and everyone is happy.”
The couple, in their 30s, bought their three-bedroom Edwardian terraced house in Leytonstone, east London, for £706,550.
They insist there have been no complaints from people living on the property, while neighbors have congratulated them on their work, which is part of a spectacular renovation of the garden.
They called it Hitchcock House in honor of the famous Hollywood film director who was born less than a kilometer away, in an apartment above the grocery store rented by his parents.
One of Hitchcock’s most famous thrillers is Rear Window, starring James Stewart as a photographer who spends his time babysitting his neighbors while locked in his apartment while recovering from an injury that left his leg in a cast.
He witnesses a murder and recruits his girlfriend played by Grace Kelly to help solve the mystery.
Daniel and Nick faced their own rear window nightmare and told their friends that the only downside to their new home was the structure their neighbors had installed more than 10 years earlier.
The couple, in their 30s, bought their three-bedroom Edwardian terraced house in Leytonstone, east London, for £706,550.
They insist that there have been no complaints from people who live on the property, while neighbors have congratulated them on their work which forms part of a spectacular renovation of the garden.
They named it Hitchcock House in honor of the famous Hollywood film director who was born less than half a mile away, in a flat above the fruit shop rented by his parents.
It was built after the owners of a shop behind the couple’s home were refused planning permission to convert the premises into a single-family home in 2006.
The following year, the city council approved permission to convert part of the property into an apartment.
Coincidentally, the store where the attic was built is located on the same street where Hitchcock was born.
Daniel and Nick began renovating their new home and the “awkwardly shaped” garden that was overgrown and recorded their progress on TikTok while creating an Instagram account in the name of their new home.
Describing their battle for privacy, they posted an image of the run-down garden and dormer window on TikTok with the caption: ‘Okay, we’re buying a house in 2022. A neighbor built this horrible extension in breach of planning permission with the window.
“It was built over 10 years ago, so we can’t challenge it or get it removed.”
The couple installed some tasteful garden furniture and planted their first trees at the bottom of the garden before posting a new image saying: “So the ‘window hiding operation’ has begun.”
An additional image showing the progress reveals that the window is “still there,” but after putting up a pagoda and laying black and white terraces and tiles, the couple revealed “a slight improvement.”
More “progress” is being made as the trees reach new heights and announce that they are “almost” there after the window slowly disappears and add a garden kitchen, a marble-topped table and dozens of new plants.
They finally show how the window disappeared when their garden makeover was completed.
Daniel and Nick began renovating their new home and the ‘awkwardly shaped’ garden which was overgrown and recorded their progress on TikTok while creating an Instagram account in the name of their new home.
Daniel and Nick confronted each other and told their friends that the only drawback to their new home was the structure their neighbors had put up more than 10 years earlier.
As they added the finishing touches to the garden, they wrote: “Repairing the garden has been the best investment in the house so far and we’ve managed to do it on a pretty low budget.”
Explaining how they reached their goal, the caption of an image posted to Instagram in May 2023 read: ‘The love of my life, also known as the fern, has begun to produce new leaves.
‘The birch and acer are starting to cover our neighbors’ windows.
‘Interesting story, the apartment that overlooks our garden used to be used as a pornography set.
“Strangely, the real estate agent didn’t include that curious fact in the brochure.”
As they added the finishing touches to the garden, they wrote: ‘Repairing the garden has been the best investment in the house so far and we’ve managed to do it on a pretty low budget.
‘During the warmer months our house seems to double in size, so it’s been worth it.
“I literally live here from March to October, standing by the barbecue with a beer.”
When MailOnline approached the Spanish-speaking occupants of the building with the huge window they said they had no problems with the plants installed to hide the attic.
Daniel and Nick also declined to comment on their work when approached by MailOnline.
But the source added: “They decided to call it Hitchcock House to celebrate Leytonstone, where Sir Alfred was born.”
“There’s a huge mural of Hitch on the corner of his street and he was born less than half a mile away, on Leytonstone High Road.
“Leytonstone is undergoing big changes with restaurants and new shops opening everywhere, which is attracting young creative professionals like them.”