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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Husband's painting

106 replies

restofthetimes · 26/10/2017 12:30

DH has been saying we can't afford to re-do our front garden for 9 years now. It has been tricky to get quotes in from reliable people, and its a massive space - about 1/2 acre. Its quite a wilderness and I want to basically pull it all up and grass it, and also re-cover the drive, which is quite long.
Well, he has quite a lot of assets eg wine, and today I found out that a small nude oil painting we have in our bedroom is by a rather famous artist (Bernard Dunstan) and worth around £10k.
This would probably pay for the front garden.
AIBU to get him to sell it? He's saying no way, as he is in love with the painting and he looks at it every day. I like it, but thinking about that money........ we could easily put up with a print or unknown artist instead.

OP posts:
pisacake · 26/10/2017 12:35

Wine isn't an asset surely.

The painting will increase in value, the garden won't.

Needadvicetoleave · 26/10/2017 12:35

If you were on the breadline and needed the money to pay the mortgage I'd say YANBU, but basically you're asking him to sell something that gives him pleasure to pay for something that'll give you pleasure and that's selfish. If you want the garden doing save up for it yourself and prioritise family savings accordingly. YABU.

blueskyinmarch · 26/10/2017 12:36

There is no way i would sell a painting i loved to get the garden done. Just no way. Your DH loves his painting and it is an asset which should increase in value.

Why don't you make a start to the garden yourselves? Our garden was a wilderness when we first moved in and my DH has singlehandedly tamed it despite working long days in his job.

MomToWedThorFriday · 26/10/2017 12:37

Wine an asset 😂😂😂

Pansiesandredrosesandmarigolds · 26/10/2017 12:38

Yabu.

MiniCooperLover · 26/10/2017 12:38

Wine actually can be an asset. G you buy the right wines at the right time their prices increase but I would have thought you’d need to buy a lot to make any money on it?

Re the picture, no. You’re being unfair. I wouldn’t sell an original either to fix a Garden.

Whatthefoxgoingon · 26/10/2017 12:39

errrr wine can absolutely be bought as an investment provided you don’t drink it. I’ve made some money with it.

confusedlittleone · 26/10/2017 12:39

And what will you be selling of yours?

Whatthefoxgoingon · 26/10/2017 12:40

Selling the painting is short sighted.

Believeitornot · 26/10/2017 12:40

Wine is an asset.

Have you been actively saving for the garden or just buying “assets”?

Surely that would have been more sensible - cut back on frivolous spend and prioritise saving.

DesignedForLife · 26/10/2017 12:42

YABU. He loves the painting and you've no guarantee that it's worth that much, very subjective to auction or gallery sales, both of which will take a heafty cut.

sunandmoonshine · 26/10/2017 12:45

YABU to spend £10K on the fucking front garden! Shock

DarkPeakScouter · 26/10/2017 12:45

God no, keep the painting

Believeitornot · 26/10/2017 12:45

£10k isn’t an unreasonable amount for a huge garden!! Including the drive...!

Clawdy · 26/10/2017 12:46

I'd never, ever part with a painting I loved, unless it was so valuable it would change my life.

littlechous · 26/10/2017 12:46

YABU. We have a significant amount of money tied up in art, that we both love looking at every day. If we want to spend money on something else we would save for it.... like most people would?

As a PP said, if you were on the breadline and struggling to pay mortgage that would be different. But asset worthy wine, original artwork and half acre front gardens don’t sound very breadline to me Grin

FeelingAggrieved · 26/10/2017 12:48

YABU.

MorrisZapp · 26/10/2017 12:48

Oh this is marvellous. Just perfect to be published by Persephone and given a glowing preface by India Knight. Easy ten grand right there op!

DonkeysDontRideBicycles · 26/10/2017 12:50

Don't think you should push him to sell the painting but I couldn't stand coming home to an overgrown or grotty front garden for 9 years.

Northumberlandlass · 26/10/2017 12:51

YABU - I am currently doing up house...it needs A LOT of work. I have run out of money. I have a beautiful oil painting worth upwards of £7k which would just about cover it...It has honestly never crossed my mind to sell it.

heron98 · 26/10/2017 12:57

Wow. Who the fuck would spend 10k on a painting, never mind a garden...

blueskyinmarch · 26/10/2017 13:01

heron people spend millions on art. However i am actually guessing that OP and her DH have had it a while and it wasn't worth that when they bought it or inherited it. Art usually grows in value which is why it is a good investment.

Viviennemary · 26/10/2017 13:02

No he shouldn't sell the painting. But artists can go up and down in the popularity stakes so it isn't a definite that the painting will continue to increase in value. I think wine is quite a dodgy investment.

MiniCooperLover · 26/10/2017 13:03

We don’t know OPs DH spent £10k, just that its worth £10k now. Either way it sounds like something the DH bought before being with the OP. But if he could afford it why not?

littlechous · 26/10/2017 13:03

10k for an original piece of art that you love and will go up in value is very reasonable heron. And who would buy it? Presumably someone who could afford it no? So even more reasonableConfused