‘Workmen wanted to dig up my garden as I’m moving house – I refused’

A woman was left miffed as two workmen she wasn’t expecting showed up at her door and told her that they were going to dig up her front garden

When you’re moving house, you want things to be the exact same way before you move – especially if you’ve got fond memories in the home you’re moving away from. That’s why one woman was left flabbergasted when workmen arrived at her door saying they needed to dig up her front garden – but she hadn’t requested any work be done.

She took to Mumsnet to explain the situation she found herself in, asking whether people thought she was being unreasonable for turning the workmen away. The woman explained she ‘wasn’t happy’ with the workmen digging up the front lawn, as she was trying to ‘keep the house looking nice’ whilst they still lived there.

She wrote: “My husband says I was unreasonable here, but yesterday at about 6pm I had two workmen at my door in high vis jackets telling me that they need to dig up my front garden to lay a cable for the Virgin Media that I ordered.

“I looked at them blankly and said that I never ordered virgin media so they must have the wrong house. They asked ‘are you moving?’ to which I replied yes but not for a few weeks, and they said ‘it must be the new people then’.

“I said that I knew nothing about it and wasn’t happy about my front garden being dug up when we are trying to keep the house looking nice. They muttered something under their breath and went away.

“I have previously been in contact with the new people so if they knew about this they could have contacted me and I would have allowed it.

“I don’t think I did anything wrong, to be honest, they could have been anyone as they didn’t show any ID or have a Virgin Media van, or even know the name of the supposed customer.”

In the comments section, there was a mixed response to the woman’s actions, with some saying she was being awkward for the sake of it, and others saying the house belongs to her until she moves out.

One wrote: “I think you’re not being unreasonable, if you haven’t completed yet, it’s still your house and if they pull out, you’d be responsible for making the garden look nice again.”

“It is as simple as it’s not their house yet”, someone agreed.

“6pm seems a bit late to me”, another pointed out.

“I don’t think you were unreasonable”, someone sympathised. “The sale hasn’t completed and could still collapse and you’ll be left with a dug-up front garden to sort out.

“They can wait till they get the keys. And at 6pm how would you even contact the buyers anyway unless you had their phone number for some strange reason (I didn’t even know my buyer’s name until I saw the contracts!). Estate agents and solicitors will have long gone home!”

Do you think the woman was being unreasonable? Let us know in the comments.