We have unsightly neighbor's yards..any ideas for cheap DIY fencing?

try pallets and paint them

Arbor Vitae's are a very tall shrub. They would block the view for you.

Try planting some Leland cypress or Red-Tipped Photinia, they both grow really fast. Just don't plant them too close together. Over time, they will fill out and be huge.

I used to have a neighbor like that...put up 6' cyclone fence with 4x6' panels of white resin lattice over it.

plant fast growing trees. Go to second hand store and buy doors for a solid fence

You could stack two pallets, or part of a second one. Make sure the best looking side is on your side of the yard and let the nasty yards see the worse side. You may want to put some kind of finish on it to make it last longer.

Oh dear, I feel for you. Here are a couple links for you to peruse.

https://morningchores.com/cheap-fence-ideas/

https://www.pinterest.com/explore/cheap-privacy-fence/?lp=true

Hi Margo, I have several links below from windscreen to more for you to choose from. Keep in mind though that inexpensive does not always equate with good looking (that would be something you would have to spruce up on your own with paint, stencils, whatever), and there's no guarantee you'll be happy with it. The following 3 links are the most reasonably priced "inexpensive" privacy fences I could find online for their size and materials:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H4P7BFQ/ref=asc_df_B00H4P7BFQ5176157/?tag=hyprod-20&creative=395033&creativeASIN=B00H4P7BFQ&linkCode=df0&hvadid=193980915053&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11759449353900648723&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9015114&hvtargid=pla-311186982363

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Gardenpath-Reed-Peeled-and-Polished-Fence-In-A-Bag/39295694?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=22222222227026972985&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=56095844289&wl4=aud-310687321802:pla-88703962329&wl5=9015114&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=39295694&wl13=&veh=sem

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Backyard-X-Scapes-Rolled-Fence/21069876?action=product_interest&action_type=title&beacon_version=1.0.2&bucket_id=irsbucketdefault&client_guid=e326121e-bc6a-48b3-8aad-231d53fadf22&config_id=2&customer_id_enc&findingMethod=p13n&guid=e326121e-bc6a-48b3-8aad-231d53fadf22&item_id=21069876&parent_anchor_item_id=17164779&parent_item_id=17164779&placement_id=irs-2-m2&reporter=recommendations&source=new_site&strategy=PWVUB&visitor_id=U6J2WMW1H9xcB8B8krLjZw

Good Luck, and thanks for asking HOMETALK for "cheap DIY fencing."

@Margo. The plastic construction fencing could mask all the sides of your yard. It comes in different heights which are attached to tall stakes. The fencing comes in green, and maybe orange or red. That would give you time to plant trees or shrubs, buy 6-8 foot wooden fencing, or move. Best wishes 😇

First, have you contacted your town to check your community's ordinances on blight, etc.? That'd be my first call for sure.

In our area, stockade fencing is the cheapest type of solid wood fence you can purchase. Sometimes you can find individuals selling fencing as they update their yards (on Craigslist, Let It Go, etc.) for very reasonable amounts.

A living fence of bamboo can be done easily, although you would need to plant the bamboo in trough-like planters to contain it as bamboo spreads very rapidly.

You might want to check out http://www.doityourself.com/stry/inexpensive-ideas-for-garden-fencing for some other ideas.

I like the idea of bushes or trees. Just be careful with fast growing trees like poplars. They grow very fast and tall, but in my region, they die by the 10th year or so and need to be removed.