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Hate having builders in the house

31 replies

PiperPublickOccurrences · 09/10/2018 08:34

We're having building work done in the kitchen. I am losing the will to live. The mess. The noise. The constant people in and out of the house. I work from home and am trying to get on with it while people bang and crash. DH leaves before they arrive and they've gone by the time he's home so he doesn't see the issue.

And there's a leak in the ceiling.

OP posts:
Pinkyponkcustard · 09/10/2018 08:43

Me too!!!

Kitchen fitters are banging away as I type, sick of the dust, the cold, having to make endless cups of tea.

WFH throughout it all which is a right laugh, especially when the electric goes off in the middle of video conferencing.

And sick of microwave meals and pot noodles!

Pinkyponkcustard · 09/10/2018 08:44

How much longer for you piper? We’re hopeful we might have our oven and sink in this week

beeefcake · 09/10/2018 08:46

Yeah I hate it too, just the general lack of privacy. My house is tiny so it's really noticeable.

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PiperPublickOccurrences · 09/10/2018 08:48

Hopefully tomorrow will be the end of it for this lot of builders. Then the kitchen fitting is starting in three weeks. After that the bathroom needs replaced....

Urgh. I just want it back to normal.

OP posts:
CaptSkippy · 09/10/2018 08:50

Try to go to a coffee shop for work. Perferably one with good thee, coffee and some hot meals for lunch.

CramptonHodnet · 09/10/2018 08:51

We had builders in pretty much the whole of last year. We bought an old house that needed a lot putting right and more stuff that came to light after we bought it. Kitchen had damp, had to be taken out, damp sorted, new kitchen, new bathroom, new floors everywhere, complete redecorate throughout.

Stress of it all made me completely lose will to live - dust, mess everywhere, noise and incessant singing, whistling and radio of builders. Got to the point where I couldn't bear to be in the house and would go out every day for some peace and quiet.

Totally feel your pain Flowers

DecafLatte · 09/10/2018 08:54

Same here with the builders. Work being done upstairs at the moment. Driving me insane. House is freezing too.
Worst bit was on the first day, about 4 of them trod in dog poo outside my house and treaded it on every bastard step of carpet. That was fun trying to clean off. I WFH too and it’s a nightmare !

Pinkyponkcustard · 09/10/2018 08:57

@CaptSkippy but the bloody builders have blocked me in!

Pinkyponkcustard · 09/10/2018 08:57

That should be I would go out for lunch

Pinkyponkcustard · 09/10/2018 08:59

@CramptonHodnet tell us it was all worth it please.

I keep having a little comfort look at kitchens on Pinterest

PeoniesandPretties · 09/10/2018 09:04

Totally sympathise! I had a new bathroom fitted whilst pregnant... Then we had all that snow my school was closed I thought YES! who bloody made it through the snow to crack on... The builders! My husband still hasn't finished the snags I told them to leave as I'd had enough... Lesson learnt lol. Hope it finishes soon for you.

CaptSkippy · 09/10/2018 09:05

Can you ask the builders to move their vehicle? How long have you been blocked in? That's ridiculous. But I hear you, it's really disruptive and they aren't the most considerate bunch.

PiperPublickOccurrences · 09/10/2018 09:10

I would love to leave - but I really need to be here as they have constant questions and probably won't be here all day. Heating is being worked on today - they have promised they won't leave us overnight with no heating and hot water so they netter stick to that!!

OP posts:
CaptSkippy · 09/10/2018 09:15
Flowers

I see your dilemma. Could you ask your husband to take a day off so he can oversee the work and you can get some peace of mind?

LegoMonkeys · 09/10/2018 09:17

Pinky - at least show them where the kettle is and tell them they are welcome to make their own tea! When they're in your house for more than a day I don't think that's rude (although I'm expecting loads of replies telling me it is!!).

Hoppinggreen · 09/10/2018 09:22

This is why I wait for one specific firm before I get any work done even if I have to wait ages- they started a bathroom yesterday that I have been waiting for since January!
I know the owner well and he comes round for a cuppa and a chat ( we have a shared interest) and all of his guys are genuinely nice blokes who work hard and clean up after themselves. I can give them a key if I need to go out and they clean up after themselves . They even love my nutty dog!
If you find a good builder they are ace - but it’s hard, we went through a few before we found this one.

itbemay · 09/10/2018 09:29

I feel you. I had 3 weeks of it when I had my kitchen done and ....... 9 weeks of it when my bathroom was done. Confused

Pinkyponkcustard · 09/10/2018 09:30

I think you’re right @legomonkey (great name) I just need to woman up and tell em to make their own bloody tea (with 4 sugars! - I mean it’s not the 80s!)

itbemay · 09/10/2018 09:31

And why do they always work such short hours!! 8-3

Sicario · 09/10/2018 09:32

I feel your pain. Exactly the same in my house and I work from home. Although because I'm a woman, whatever I'm doing up there can't possibly be real "work". And then there's that thing when they keep yelling and interrupting you and asking questions or explaining why they need a different kind of flange gauge. My response now is, "I don't fucking care. Just fix it."

Pinkyponkcustard · 09/10/2018 09:33

Yes! @itbemay I was well envious when they said cheerio at 2:45 yesterday!

itbemay · 09/10/2018 09:37

@Pinkyponkcustard I know! Infuriating!

TheCircleFan75 · 09/10/2018 09:41

I’m a builder. I dislike customers who constantly change their mind. Who always ask if you can just do this (outside the agreed work) & expect it to be included in the original price.
If you don’t like us don’t get any work done

Tawdrylocalbrouhaha · 09/10/2018 09:43

I feel your pain too. I have various works that need doing, especially new windows, but I just can't face the upheaval, the constant questions (about things I clearly have no clue about), the dirty floors, etc.

pacer142 · 09/10/2018 09:43

If you find a good builder they are ace - but it’s hard, we went through a few before we found this one.

Same with all trades. We got a good bunch when we first bought the house. The plumber was recommended by a friend and we asked him to recommend others, such as electrician, joiner, plasterer, which worked out really well - it was a group of "one man bands" who knew each other, and regularly worked together.

Unfortunately, one by one they retired/emigrated, and we went through a period of around 10 years or so just having to randomly pick them as jobs needed doing and it was an absolute nightmare. There wasn't a single one that we'd have back and when asked for recommended other trades, another hopeless case turned up. And no, we weren't going for the cheapest/smallest - we went through a few "proper" plumbing firms and a few "proper" double glazing firms.

The worst was getting a combi boiler from a very well respected local kitchen/bathroom showroom. They just sent a subcontractor who was probably the worst plumber we'd ever experienced. Our initial reaction when he turned up on day 1 was to send him back, but we'd taken up carpets, emptied rooms, etc for the pipework laying, so we felt trapped as we knew we'd never get anyone else at short notice. What a mistake. He was a complete idiot. Not just incompetent, but very annoying also. Constantly sighing, banging things about, and humming Mission Impossible! A 2 day job turned into a week, and then he beggared off remarkably quickly once he'd "tested" everything. Day later, no hot water nor heating and the house was flooded from two separate water leaks. We went ballistic at the showroom and insisted they send one of their own employees to sort out the problems, which took another few days because the floors had to come up again, it turned out some of the new pipework wasn't even connected, leaks were fixed and then it transpired the boiler had been fitted wrongly and needed a lot of pipework re-alligning. We really wished we'd trusted our instincts.

Finally, we've got a good team again, found accidentally by recommendations from an odd job man we had to re-roof our garden shed. He recommended a fantastic plasterer, who in turn, a plumber, then a joiner and electrician - they're all "one man bands" again and work together a lot, even working on eachothers' own properties. It works really well as they sort it out between themselves, i.e. arrange between themselves the timing or order of work that each of them do - a kind of project management role meaning we don't need to stress ourselves. We keep joking with them that we don't want any of them to retire or emigrate. We don't even get quotes from them - we trust them and the bills are never unexpectedly high.

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