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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask my neighbours for their shelves?

19 replies

isthisreallyweird · 15/05/2022 20:15

Browsing right move I saw a house round the corner from us for sale so had a nose inside.

It’s obviously not been modernised inside-almost certainly belongs to an older person/people and has a set of mid century ladderax shelves in the living room.

I’ve been looking for some for ages but they go for many, many hundreds of pounds now.

The house is for sale with no upward chain which to me implies they are downsizing/moving into a home/have passed away so might not want to take the shelves with them?!

WIBU to put a note through the door saying that if they wanted to get rid of the shelves I’d like to buy them? I guess i am hoping they might not realise the value of them which is probably really wrong.

even writing this I can see I sound like a weirdo 😬

OP posts:
AntsAntsAntsAnts · 15/05/2022 20:17

I don’t think you have anything to lose - they might say yes, they might ignore you completely, or they might want a lot of money.

BalloonsAndWhistles · 15/05/2022 20:17

Yeah, weird but go for it. Worse they can say is no. Make sure you update us!

Blowyourowntrumpet · 15/05/2022 20:18

So, you're hoping you can rip them off

UnsuitableHat · 15/05/2022 20:21

Nothing to lose by asking.

EinsteinaGogo · 15/05/2022 20:22

Someone did this when my late mum's house went on the market.

They wrote a very nice card and put it through the door. It was
Something like "I really hope you don't mind but I've seen the pictures of your home on Rightmove, some of the furniture, especially the shelving units, are exactly my taste. As and when you are ready, please let me know if you would consider selling them as I would be delighted to have them.
I hope you don't mind me asking.
XYZ and mobile number.

I didn't mind at all and she did end up buying some furniture.

Original poster
isthisreallyweird · 15/05/2022 20:25

EinsteinaGogo · 15/05/2022 20:22

Someone did this when my late mum's house went on the market.

They wrote a very nice card and put it through the door. It was
Something like "I really hope you don't mind but I've seen the pictures of your home on Rightmove, some of the furniture, especially the shelving units, are exactly my taste. As and when you are ready, please let me know if you would consider selling them as I would be delighted to have them.
I hope you don't mind me asking.
XYZ and mobile number.

I didn't mind at all and she did end up buying some furniture.

Ah that’s perfect wording thank you.
I’m glad you didn’t mind them asking.

OP posts:
Johnnysgirl · 15/05/2022 20:27

Very odd thing to do. What makes you think they either won't have space for the shelves or don't know their value?

EinsteinaGogo · 15/05/2022 20:29

Our furniture was Ercol, OP.

Thank did know there was a market value to it and with the buyer, we agreed on a fair but not OTT price.
We definitely didn't mind being asked sympathetically at all.

EinsteinaGogo · 15/05/2022 20:30

*We did know

BelperLawnmower · 15/05/2022 20:36

Johnnysgirl · 15/05/2022 20:27

Very odd thing to do. What makes you think they either won't have space for the shelves or don't know their value?

Very odd post. There's only one way to find out.

EinsteinaGogo · 15/05/2022 20:39

@Johnnysgirl

It sounds like an older person's home, in which case often a lot of the furniture goes to home clearance companies. Charities are really struggling to take and clear tings right now.

I've been through it and didn't mind being nicely asked at all.

itsgettingweird · 15/05/2022 20:42

Well if you don't ask - you don't get.

And if they don't research their value then that's not your problem either.

GarlicGnocchi · 15/05/2022 20:48

EinsteinaGogo · 15/05/2022 20:22

Someone did this when my late mum's house went on the market.

They wrote a very nice card and put it through the door. It was
Something like "I really hope you don't mind but I've seen the pictures of your home on Rightmove, some of the furniture, especially the shelving units, are exactly my taste. As and when you are ready, please let me know if you would consider selling them as I would be delighted to have them.
I hope you don't mind me asking.
XYZ and mobile number.

I didn't mind at all and she did end up buying some furniture.

This is an absolutely perfectly worded message imo

EinsteinaGogo · 15/05/2022 21:03

@GarlicGnocchi - we thought so, and we felt really glad that our mum's furniture (which was great quality, but to us, old fashioned) was going to go to someone who would love it.

IReallyLikeCrows · 15/05/2022 21:05

I don't understand why some people think you're being unreasonable. You're not suggesting that you go and rob the house to get what you want, you're just asking if it's okay to ask. Of course it is. A polite note, as above, and I'm sure the people selling will be fine. The thing is if you don't ask you'll kick yourself and what's the worst that can happen? They say no or ignore you. Nothing awful will happen.

Good luck and I hope that you end up with the shelves you love for a fair price for all.

WibblyWobblyLane · 15/05/2022 21:09

I did this when next door was moving into a retirement flat with no garden, I asked to buy their children's garden slide, swing etc. Anyway they gave me them for free and were actually really relieved because the stuff was very old so didn't believe it was worth putting online and was worried about how they'd get it to the skip.

CorsicaDreaming · 15/05/2022 21:14

I did this when I noticed a house near me was using some lovely Victorian pottery garden edging strip thingies just to weight down a bit of garden membrane in their front garden. So I put a note through the door asking if they would be interested in selling them for a price each which seemed reasonable for what was going rate on eBay - and if so could they give me a ring on my mobile. She texted back and said they'd be delighted to as they didn't want them and it was just the right number for what I wanted. It's definitely worth asking. People can just ignore a note if they don't want to sell.

perimenofertility · 15/05/2022 21:17

I think it's perfectly fine to ask the question, nothing to lose. I would make sure you explain exactly where you saw the photos, so there's no suggestion that you've been peeking through the windows! And make it clear you are simply asking out of hope, i.e. don't mention the assumption that you think they are downsizing - just say you have been looking for a while and haven't yet found what you are looking for.

Tangofandango · 15/05/2022 21:25

This thread has reminded me of my Ladderax units I had when I first got married (1974). Had a whole wall full. I loved them. When we changed them we kept them in the garage for years then advertised them in the local paper. They were snapped up I've always regretted getting rid of them.

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