Leaving workmen in your house yes or no??

[kissmelittleass]

Got some workmen in at moment and they've been left alone for about six hours of the day till I get home.
I'm off today so in house apart from school pick up, school mum told me a story on why she'd never leave work men in her house alone again and thinks I'm silly for having had them here for a few days on their own!
So do you leave work men on their own in your house or do you arrange that your home whilst they are in your house? Thoughts please!

Only if I’ve known them for years.

Otherwise no. No disrespect to workman but if you don’t know them, it’s like trusting anyone else you meet for the first time.

Depends on if I know them or not. I don't leave total strangers there , certainly not for long. I may pop to the post office or shop but only 20 mins max.

I do, yes. But we have only (to date) hired workmen that come highly recommended by friends or family or who we know personally for a long time.

Yes we do. We are having building work on our kitchen this week. I have mainly been here but have had to go out a couple of times for 4ish hours. I have only given them a key to the door we will be replacing in a couple of weeks though.

All the time but there's usually a known connection in our town/community & my best valuables are in a safe

No. Workmen are the same as random strangers on the street.
The only workman I've left on his own in my house is a friend of my parents'.

I prefer not to.
Last time I did that, one of them broke a glass in the kitchen (that’s ok, it can happen) and cut himself. As a result, he bled all over the kitchen, there were even blood drops in the cutlery drawer.
I spent the whole evening cleaning my kitchen with bleach water. If you can avoid it, don’t do it id my advice.

I was talking to my neighbour earlier and she works full time and would leave work men alone all day as she has no choice and these would be local work men and not anyone she knows like myself.
I feel today they are wondering why I'm home all feels a bit awkward iykwim! Funny thing is I do feel like I shouldn't be home haha

Only if I know and trust them, even then I'm still cautious. If they're anywhere that I can't keep an eye on them, I've even set up a camera in areas they shouldn't be going - especially if it's things like working on an en suite, they have no business in the rest of the bedroom and shouldn't be going there. 99% time they're trust worthy and I feel guilty for thinking I need the camera. But then I only record in spaces they absolutely shouldn't be going. At the same time I'm nice and make as many drinks as they need and often have some home made cake or something to go with it.

I'm about to do just that. But I live in new build and they're doing some long awaited snagging. I see them everyday around the site, they can't exactly get away with anything!

Usually if I have someone in I would try to get someone I know eg plumber, electrician etc. Otherwise I stick around!

Oh god motortroll I misread that at first as long awaited shagging

Yes I probably would just leave the workmen to it.

I'm having a wickes kitchen fitted at the moment and have given them a key and gone to stay with a Freind.

It's no different to leaving the cleaner / dog walker etc to come and go as they need to really.

DH is a tradesman and is frequently in people's houses while they're at work - I don't really see how working people manage to have work done without leaving tradesmen in the house alone, unless they use AL to ensure they are at home.

We are getting work done that will take a few weeks, and we certainly aren't staying in every day! If it was a day or two I'd probably stay in if it were feasible, but that's more because we have a dog I think and wouldn't want to leave her alone with people she doesn't know.

I prefer to be out of the house when workmen are in. That way I'm not getting underfoot and they don't have to feel like I'm looming. Most people can't afford to take days off for weeks on end while the workmen are in! If you've hired a reputable company that several people have recommended, it's unlikely they'd do anything in your house anyway. They want their good reputation intact.

I had months of this due to an extension. I work full time so had no choice. Had to rely on the main builder to oversee and vouch for the various sub contractors.

Seems like half of you stay in and the rest are out!
I'm home today but as I said was out other days, I don't know these guys at all but a plumber I was talking to gave me their number and they were reasonable price wise so I went with them.
We can't all know trades men I don't know any so had to trust them whilst I was working had no choice.
I get the feeling they don't like me around haha but I'm keeping myself to myself in the sitting room till school collection

Yes, for sure. Electrician is my down the road neighbour and plumber used to live in this house before me, I don't really worry about either of them doing anything dreadful Got builders right now but they came with personal recommendation from another builder friend and in any event as I work full time not much choice but to leave them to it.

I don't the first time I use them, or the first day for a long job, but as long as I feel comfortable after that then I will. I can work from home sometimes so can be around but not always plus nursery pick up and drop off means I'd be unlikely to be around 100% of the time.

I do but i live in a bit of a one horse town where everybody knows everybody and i only use local tradespeople who come recommended by people i know. We even went on holiday abroad once and left the builders in - it suited them to not have to clean up every night and it suited us not to be there whilst they knocked walls down.

Yes. We have far too much work to do for me not to.

I do, but I live in a small town where reputation would be important as word gets around and only use people who are recommended by family or friends. We had an extension last year and no way could I have stayed home for eight weeks!

Yes! We are having an extension built on the back of the house starting soon. It’s going to take 3 months we couldn’t take all that time off to watch over the builders!

We had an extension built and I couldn't stay in while they were there. I had a 2 year old and staying in all day for 6 weeks would have driven us mad, plus I hated feeling under observation all the time, like I had to apologise everytime she cried or apologise when we got in the way while I was trying to cook her dinner.

I have done when having extensive work done in the past. Or bing happened