I have one of those Monika and I would venture to say that you wouldn't be able to cut it flat because with everything around everywhere having the waved top it would look really odd I think, and I doubt whether you would be able to paint it at least until the development is well over or you could find the developers all over you, along with residents who like yourselves have signed to agree to the covenants. A lot of people enter into these developments because there is a better chance of people looking after their properties however I will say that I am the only owner occupied in my part of the street, and I am forever weeding everyone else's garden, picking up the rubbish blown from the sea breeze on new builders not looking after their rubbish and the renters chucking empty beer bottles where they have sat on the steps drinking and throw the bottles into the garden and I actually water the rental alongside me as our gardens join, as yours probably does, and they refuse to water it. I want my place to look nice and if left to these renters it would look like homeless shelters. I think the tall pots and something like the black bamboo could look really good :)

While there are no pictures of your house , so I accept that the existing fence may not suit the house , as a fence I actually like it , and would try and use it as a 'base' . Depending on the primary house colours , I'd paint the gates and those filligres or whatever they are called , in a black gloss , and try and add a cap to each pillar , and even a top along the fence , wider than the brick . Taking inspiration from what you term the 'japanese' slats , how about raise the pillars ( in matching brick ) 250-300mm , and add a couple of 100x25 timber rails , or 4 or 5 30x30 ones in that mid redwood stain ? If you house totally doesn't suit the fence , how about rendering or plastering , or even use it but disguise it with vines and shrubs , even use concrete nails to attach battens and then attach the iron ? To demolish the existing fence , and especially changing the front fence line , won't achieve much IMO , except reasonably substantial extra cost .

1. have a nice chat with your neighbour about the water from their yard as we're all required to keep our own water in our own yards ...overflow from their tanks should be able to be redirected with a simple hose into storm water..next step ask council for advice 2. anywhere that has recently had a stump ground or has matted old roots will probably eventually sink as underground roots rot away..but can take a long time so in the meantime some more raised beds could look great and cover up a lot of problems more of the steel trough would be good or try making one long raised garden bed with edges about 10cms away from the fence ..pieces of 30cms treated pine to match your edges or scraps of corrugated iron should be OK but not against the fence ..bang steel spikes into the ground or old bricks on either side to hold them in place and then read up on "dig free garden beds" to make a raised garden bed for veges or big strappy plants...many plants will happily live in only about 30cms of soil on top of concrete footpath so forget the tangled roots and occasional flood and make new raised beds on top

I know Michelle, wrought iron is what we wanted, but the cost is a killer The blade fencing quote is 8.5k, including the gate automation. I should have checked Stratco prices. They have nice/simple designs Hi Kate, the 1st photo looks good, hubby is working on garden bed on both sides of the fence, using our old plants from the same area, but would not be high enough to cover the fence I'm thinking of picking up the design of the window?? but husband said its tacky haha I should have until Monday to decide wether to go ahead with blade fence or change it Husband said if I'm not happy just go and change it - duh! :)