Next door neighbour asking my builder to do some work in his house :/

EmbarrassingMother · 2024-10-04T23:22:03+00:00

We are getting some renovations done in our house including a new bathroom. today my husband was walking our child back from school and saw our neighbour chatting to our builder/plumber and asking him to come inside his house and check out his broken toilet. our lovely builder declined and told him he won’t check his house until he’s finished our job. Isn’t this cheeky fucker territory? Husband thinks it’s not a big deal, but CFN was thinking he’d take our builder on our time and ask him to diagnose a problem… without having to pay a call out charge or anything. The fact my builder declined shows it was wrong. No?

AnnOtherLife · 07/10/2024 12:05

Seems a lot of rage over something that your neighbour just asked without thinking. He is not YOUR builder. Hate when people act like they own a tradesperson. I mean do you pay him an annual salary? Get things in perspective. Classic misdirected anger imo

x2boys · 07/10/2024 11:58

You don't own the builder ,he can do jobs for who he wants .

Sennelier1 · 07/10/2024 11:51

WindowtoyourSoul · 07/10/2024 10:38

I could be wrong, but it sounded like the neighbour was expecting him to take a "quick look" then and there. It is always a quick thing though isn't it, it'll just take a minute etc, and it rarely does!

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Indeed, if asked to step inside that would be a no from me as well. After the workman has finished for the day, o.k. but not sooner. My neighbour asked just that : could you step inside before you drive home.

WindowtoyourSoul · 07/10/2024 10:38

Sennelier1 · 07/10/2024 08:27

If you think neighbour was expecting the plumber to come in right then, yes that would be very inappropriate. If he just asked to step in after he fi ished in your house, that would be fine with me. Recently my own sweet neighbour rang and asked if she might ask our technician to come to her place later. I think that's how it should be done 😊

I could be wrong, but it sounded like the neighbour was expecting him to take a "quick look" then and there. It is always a quick thing though isn't it, it'll just take a minute etc, and it rarely does!

Sennelier1 · 07/10/2024 08:27

If you think neighbour was expecting the plumber to come in right then, yes that would be very inappropriate. If he just asked to step in after he fi ished in your house, that would be fine with me. Recently my own sweet neighbour rang and asked if she might ask our technician to come to her place later. I think that's how it should be done 😊

Jellycatspyjamas · 07/10/2024 00:01

I did this recently, approached my neighbours tree surgeon and asked if he could have a look at the trees in my garden. It's a good way to get a reliable workman - he popped over in his tea break and scheduled the work after he finished the neighbours job. My neighbour was perfectly happy for me to approach him, why wouldn't he be?

BigAnne · 06/10/2024 22:11

@EmbarrassingMother He is A builder, not your builder.

Toptops · 06/10/2024 21:28

No, not CF.
Of course tradespeople are always taking enquiries from new customers by phone and sometimes by neighbours
You are being weird about this. You don't own him while he's working at yours!

Beautifulweeds · 06/10/2024 20:10

I wouldn't mind a few minutes for a look, but then I have wonderful neighbours who would do the same for me. Xx

JMSA · 06/10/2024 01:43

It wouldn't bother me in the slightest if the builder had a quick look

Maggiethecat · 06/10/2024 00:37

EmbarrassingMother · 05/10/2024 19:52

Seems like a mixed set of answers 🤣… I don’t think I’d have it in me to approach a builder in my neighbours front garden who is obviously working and cutting tiles and ask them to come and look at my toilet. I find it rude disturbing people when they’re working. They’re also working long hours to get my job done, as they have other jobs lined up and need to finish within time, so not sure they need to pick up extra little things along the way 🤔…

But isn’t that for the tradesperson to decide whether be can/wants to take on the job and when?

Seems you think that somehow this is all going to affect the timescale/quality of your job. Or are you just peeved that neighbour will have the benefit of the services of ’your’ good plumber?

Youcanpayit · 05/10/2024 22:08

😕 I've done that this week. A man with a specific trade was doing a job next door and I spotted him when I went to put something in the bin. "Ooh are you a xxxx man? Can you knock on when you've finished because I need something like that?"

I didn't think I was being a cheeky fucker asking. He knocked on and fixed what I needed and I paid. Win win.

Casperthefriendlygh · 05/10/2024 22:00

I think I'd find that quite annoying

Catza · 05/10/2024 21:56

EmbarrassingMother · 05/10/2024 19:52

Seems like a mixed set of answers 🤣… I don’t think I’d have it in me to approach a builder in my neighbours front garden who is obviously working and cutting tiles and ask them to come and look at my toilet. I find it rude disturbing people when they’re working. They’re also working long hours to get my job done, as they have other jobs lined up and need to finish within time, so not sure they need to pick up extra little things along the way 🤔…

I assume your neighbour is not a clairvoyant and wouldn't know how many jobs your builder has lined up or how many hours he works. They asked, he said he is not interested. I'm not sure where you come in

BustingBaoBun · 05/10/2024 20:53

I like our neighbours but I would be pissed off if they pulled a tradesman off a job they were doing for me, to look at a toilet

Mickey79 · 05/10/2024 20:21

Wouldn’t bother me in the slightest but I like our neighbours 😂.

Original poster

EmbarrassingMother · 05/10/2024 19:52

Seems like a mixed set of answers 🤣… I don’t think I’d have it in me to approach a builder in my neighbours front garden who is obviously working and cutting tiles and ask them to come and look at my toilet. I find it rude disturbing people when they’re working. They’re also working long hours to get my job done, as they have other jobs lined up and need to finish within time, so not sure they need to pick up extra little things along the way 🤔…

OP posts:

WindowtoyourSoul · 05/10/2024 12:34

I have a feeling some of the posters on this thread may be the "CF neighbours" we are talking about. 😂

MasterBeth · 05/10/2024 12:21

Fuss over nothing

WindowtoyourSoul · 05/10/2024 12:14

I think the neighbour should have asked him to take a look, after he was finished your job. I hate when neighbours do this. We have scroungers next door who try to get everything at the expense of others. When we had somebody doing a job, the mean old woman came out, pounced on the poor man who was busy working, started asking questions, trying to get him to fix stuff in her garden for free! She wasn't paying half, and she curtain twitched the entire time! 😡
Some do it to try to get it for free, or for a discount at your expense imo. Your neighbour's intentions may have been good, but ours were CF's dressed up in sheep's clothes!
Oh and the trademan wasn't impressed; they can spot cheeky fuckery a mile away I think.

Nightowl1234 · 05/10/2024 12:10

Totally normal thing to do. The builders just pop by on their break to quote for the work. And it’s efficient for them to do a job nearby as they already have tools on site. As long as they don’t start the job before they’ve finished the first one. What a weird weird thing to get upset about.

mothra · 05/10/2024 12:08

MabelMora · 05/10/2024 07:46

I might be being really thick, but how did he manage to get the handle from the inside of the door to put the lock on the outside when you couldn't open the door?

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He removed the door furniture entirely, let DS out, then switched the handle with the lock to the outside of the toilet door.

FloydGerhardt · 05/10/2024 12:03

Our neighbours had a tree surgeon in and we asked if he’d take out a big bush while he was there. He did it and only charged us £20. Don’t know how my neighbour felt about it.

pinkgrevillea · 05/10/2024 12:00

I think CF territory. If you've got a broken toilet you call a plumber and there is a call out fee, it's not like getting a one-off quote.

BobbyBiscuits · 05/10/2024 11:49

@Puzzledandpissedoff it's good he wanted to finish your job first. But realistically he could probably manage a few other small jobs around the one he was doing for you. He was obviously too busy. Or maybe he will go there once your job is complete. I honestly wouldn't get too het up about this.