Hi Anita 3M have a range of films you could look at using. Last time I looked, they come in a range of finishes from standard frosted look, to some more decorative finishes. Personally I would get them installed professionally, as they may end up bubbling like DIY window tint. All the best.

As a professional window tinter here in Tasmania , I've often solved many of these types of situations with an application of a decorative opaque / frosted film to the glass balustrades with an added suggestion of using light weight plant holders hooked onto the stainless top rail ;if safe to do so ; to increase the overall privacy height as well as doing same to the end/ side walls . I believe doing it this way will allow you a wider choice of smaller & cheaper plants to choose from rather than having to use up valuable floor space with larger pots and equally taller and more expensive plants which may also limit the choices suitable for the location . Photo included here is one showing only a portion of each panel of glass done starting from the lower edge of the glass going up part way by approx 600 mm. which still allows the scenic views over the neighbours roof lines. As you have have a situation with high buildings overlooking you as well ,does make the situation harder to offer the best alround and cost effective way to solve your particular situation ,but I hope this may be of use . As much as I like decorative mesh screens as a suggestion , I believe the deco film option can be the cheapest option whilst providing extra glass protection by shatter proofing the glass . Gary ,Protek window tinting & blinds (Tasmania )

I'd go for the higher privacy screens within your own boundary. Get a car junk yard to store some old crushed car bodies on piled high on top of each other for 3-6 months to create the screen. They will be au fait with safely securing them. They may even pay for the temporary space leaving you with enough money to later build a truly aesthetically pleasing barrier, something like that big reflective glass barrier to her if she doesn't move! Hopefully she will decide to move when that is all she can see. My dad actually used this strategy successfully with a problem neighbour in the past! Meanwhile have a chat to a lawyer. We have one of those problem neighbours who complains about (non) barking dogs and gets her kicks by watching us put out washing. She now looks onto my chicken coop and thought it was a dog kennel. It makes me feel like going naked when I tend the chickens to give her something to really scare her and having a heavy metal rock band rehearse regularly in my garage. It is horrible to be overlooked by a neighbour who is so problematic and likes to use your family as her reality television set! Do check with a lawyer about her possible trespass onto your property. My guess is she used Round Up on a windy day!

Thanks for the photos, they help clarify your situation. A few points. The front wall, going by the brickwork, is approx. 700mm high. You could get this down to 600mm by sloping the lawn or garden slightly. Doing this should be fine and then you can pass the construction off as complying and replacement of existing wall. I'd assume the garden in front is part of the council nature strip in which case you can't move forward. I can't see neighbouring front fencelines so it's not obvious. Often there is up to 600mm between the boundary and the footpath but not always. I think there would be too much gabion. Contact a landscaper for a comparative price with sandstone. Obviously it's cheaper if you were intending to build the gabion yourself. The driveway is quite narrow. Widen it towards the lawn, not the boundary. You need to leave that narrow garden for softening of the fence in particular. A picket fence along the front should look fine in white, if that colour appears on your house but the paling fence should not be white. If you are doing a major reno of the house then the landscape items would be best left until the major work is complete. Then you can consider the landscaping in relation to the new look of the house.