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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To have asked my neighbours to...

81 replies

Shadowboy · 20/01/2017 22:16

Have removed a item from their garden that was preventing our house from selling?

We have been inundated with viewings but the same comment keeps on coming up as to why potential buyers are not putting in an offer.

We are a semi in a fantastic area. The only semi in the area in fact. We've had 1/2 viewings per day since the house went online. Some are simply unproceedable and a few have mentioned they are concerned about the neighbours because of the item in the front garden. It was left there by the son who has now gone to uni. Parents have not moved it (a mannequin sat on a bench) it's very obvious from the road (especially as he was for some time dressed as Father Christmas so bright red and is now naked but making a certain gesture with his fingers.) parents seem completely fine with it being there but the estate agent have pretty much said that other than not having an en suite there Have been no other negative comments, simply a concern that the neighbours are 'odd' or 'weird' so EA asked us to pop round and ask it to be temporarily removed. I did but it didn't go well so now I'm wondering if I was unreasonable to ask?

I was very polite but perhaps they took it personally so it is still there for all to see (you have to dive past their house to get to ours)

Frustrating thing is they are actually fine as neighbours go!

OP posts:

pipsqueak25 · 20/01/2017 23:07

don't remove said item you might find yourselves in trouble with the police or something equally daft.

TheWitTank · 20/01/2017 23:07

YANBU. I would have gone round and asked very politely if they would mind temporarily moving their mannequin (and would offer to move or help move it) and explain why. I would try and make it light hearted and friendly and then if they did agree buy them a box of chocs or something.
If you think you have offended them, I would pop over again and apologise and ask if they would like you to help move it?

Bushymuffmum · 20/01/2017 23:10

They are being unreasonable and un-neighbourly to not temporarily remove it if it's causing buyers to see a 'red flag'. The assumption will be that they are nutters and that's possibly why you're moving away. I wouldnt be happy at all with my neighbours having a mannequin in their front garden and it sounds like u have been very nice about it but now it's stopping your house from selling. I would go over again and be a little more serious about it "look, it doesn't bother me personally as I know what great neighbours you are but its really acting as a turn-off to potential buyers. Could you pretty please just stick it in the garage until we have a buyer and then il buy u a nice bottle of wine?" Or something...?

Dogsmom · 20/01/2017 23:12

Is it just me who wants a photo??

Op has already outed herself to anyone who knows there is a semi detached house for sale with a mannequin in the next doors garden so there's nothing to lose

Floralnomad · 20/01/2017 23:13

When you say 'it didn't go well' , what did they say , it seems perfectly reasonable thing to ask them to move it if it's causing offence / putting buyers off . I wonder if an anonymous complaint to the local PCSO would help .

KoolKoala07 · 20/01/2017 23:19

It's a shame you don't wake up one morning, to find the poor mannequin, very sadly has been involved in a hit and run during the night

BillyButtfuck · 20/01/2017 23:20

Im an ex agent, I'm afraid I'm going to need a photo to advise you appropriately

IamSwitzerland · 20/01/2017 23:23

OP I have devised the following cunning battle plan. Note that photos and updates will be expected as payment forthwith.

                             <span class="underline">Cunning Battle Plan</span>

Visit with a bottle of wine and ask to borrow the mannequin for:

a) A zombie movie you are making - they get artistic director credit obvs.
b) A faux stake out scenario - invent friend with local drug dealer issue.
c) A friend for your dc because invisible dinosaur/dragon/waif vanished.
d) Someone impartial to talk to as advised by your relationship counsellor.
e) A queue stand in for your next amusement park adventure.
f) A holiday, that bench must be boring by now surely?

There is also stealth plan G which requires no visit, chat or relinquishing of valuable vino;

g) Send postcards in the manner of kidnapped Gnomes worldwide

Masketti · 20/01/2017 23:28

Under cover of darkness remove it yourself then innocently thank the neighbours for listening to your request. Jon done. House sold. Neighbours never need to know the truth.

Masketti · 20/01/2017 23:30

^Job even. Who Jon is I've no idea.

Sillysausage123 · 20/01/2017 23:31

Their garden so they can have what they like in it, they don't have to move it.
What might not be your taste could be someone else's

user1477282676 · 20/01/2017 23:31

I'd arrange a trip away for it personally.

Nick it in the night and then burn it.

northernmonkey1010 · 20/01/2017 23:34

Get someone to steal it and return it at a later date

PyongyangKipperbang · 20/01/2017 23:34

Your mistake was asking them, I would have just taken it but then I have had issues with asshole neighbours before now who would have no purely on the principle that I had asked them.....

Mistressiggi · 20/01/2017 23:36

Put something worse in your garden, and then declare an amnesty when both objects are removed.
This will only work if there's something they dislike/fear that you can make a display out of! ("My neighbour is a twat" sign perhaps?)

MontyPythonsFlyingFuck · 20/01/2017 23:38

I'd arrange for someone else to remove it, and then thank them effusively as per Masketti's post. Just in case they have CCTV, you see.

TitaniasCloset · 20/01/2017 23:39

Yabu. I love the sound of your neighbours, they have a sense of humour.

TitaniasCloset · 20/01/2017 23:40

Switzerland I vote for d, because its creepy sad and weird. They might take pity on op.

CherryChasingDotMuncher · 20/01/2017 23:44

I think it's terribly unfair if you don't at least post a photo OP

SanitysSake · 20/01/2017 23:44

I'd have another go at the neighbours, if no joy, I'd go to the police and tell them of your predicament. The fact the mannequin is displaying a rude hand gesture is impacting on others in the immediate area. This is anti-social behaviour.

What you don't want is for the mannequin to disappear for something far worse to reappear... !

Best of luck!

Memoires · 20/01/2017 23:55

Why can't the EA introduce it - "this is Mabel, she likes a bit of sun, don't you Mabel? No, seriously ProspectiveBuyer, the vendor assures us that the neighbours are fine, and that Mabel belongs to their son, who's away at Uni right now. They're expecting him to remove her next time he comes home"; or that sort of thing.

IamSwitzerland · 21/01/2017 00:02

Plan D will require downcast eyes and the occasional sniffle, tissue to hand.

CondensedMilkSarnies · 21/01/2017 00:09

Next time there's a viewing get your DH to sit next to the dummy . Dress it up in a frock and long wig and tell DH to hold it in a romantic embrace and snog it. The EA can then tell viewers that the 'neighbours' are newly weds.

ADishBestEatenCold · 21/01/2017 01:07

You went about it entirely the wrong way, Shadowboy. What you should have done is invented a school project or an am-dram set you were building, and asked if you could borrow the mannequin for a few weeks!

Oh well. Too late now.

You could always acquire another one, deck it out as a photographer or bird-watcher, and set it up at the garden boundary, with camera or binoculars trained upon their mannequin. That might provoke some sort of reaction.

hamble123 · 21/01/2017 02:29

The longer your house is on the market, you may find that you may need to lower your asking price as there will be a perception that it isn't 'fresh' to the market and there may be something wrong with it (and that's before someone even comes to view it).

How much is it worth to you to get the mannequin removed? You say that the young guy next door has gone to uni. He is most likely strapped for cash if he's a student. Would you be willing to offer him some cash? Don't go too low or he won't bite....could you offer say, a hundred pounds? (Fifty pounds may or may not work but I reckon he may snatch your hand off for a hundred....he may want to go to a festival in the Summer).

If you do a deal like this, get him to agree in writing that he will move the mannequin from all areas of his parent's property - including posing it just inside a window lol!

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