Ah, our homes. They are our havens from the watchful eyes and ears of the rest of the world. That is, of course, until you catch a nosy neighbour gawking into your window to see you with a towel around your hair and one leg in your underwear. Here we look at five easy options to increase privacy in and around your home, from investing in window treatments to hiring fencing contractors to increase your perimeter privacy.

Purchase window treatments

Windows have many benefits for a home. They help bring natural light into dark spaces, saving electricity during the day and giving rooms a sense of ambience. When opened, they can inundate the home with air, helping rooms to remain fresh and pleasant to be in. On hot nights, they help cool rooms that don't have the benefit of air conditioning from stifling summer conditions. However, windows also provide a view into your home for neighbours, passers-by and, indeed, thieves. Since we all want a bit of privacy every now and then, fitting windows treatments such as curtains and blinds is one of the most important ways to add privacy to your home. When it's time for a bit of alone time with the family, or if you simply want to be by yourself with no distractions, simply close the curtains or blinds and privacy will be yours.

Window frosting

Another option for restricting the view of neighbours and the general public via your windows is by applying window frosting. The best thing about window frosting is that it balances the desire for privacy with the need for natural light to flow into the household. Window frosting is much cheaper than purchasing window treatments, too, and if you're looking to save a bit of money it's a project that can easily be undertaken on your own.

Fencing

If you're looking for privacy not only inside your house but also in your backyard, you might want to look at improving your fencing situation. Many suburban homes still make use of old, wooden fences and, in some cases, wire fences. While these have their own benefits, if you're looking at increasing privacy you can't go past Colorbond fencing. It's tall and impossible to peer through, there are no foot or hand holds to make it easy to climb and, of course, it looks fantastic. With the right fencing installed, you can be free to treat your backyard just like you were in your own house.

Well-placed plants

While fencing is a great way to stop nosy neighbours and passers-by from peering into your backyard from ground level, it may not be able to stop neighbours from windows high above your yard from getting a view into your private space. If this is the case, some well-placed plants or trees can go a long way to increasing your privacy. Since they can grow much taller and still look really great, it's the perfect option. When planting, line them up between the line of sight from neighbours windows into the areas you wish to keep private. Cut off those angles!

Internet privacy

Electronic privacy, or E-privacy, is becoming increasingly important as homes become more and more reliant on electronic technologies such as the internet. As a result, protecting our online activities is just as crucial as preventing neighbours and the general public from peering into our yards. If you use a wireless network, make sure it is password protected, as the signal may stretch beyond your backyard and be utilised by neighbours looking to leech off your data allowance. You should also protect your PC with antivirus software to minimise the dangers of viruses, worms, spyware, adware, keyloggers and other malicious software.