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!

Absolutely not.

I once had someone steal money from a tin whilst servicing the boiler. It was hidden in a cupboard, so they had obviously had a good rummage. We only noticed as they came back under the pretense of looking for a lost tool. DH found him with his hand in the tin. We're not sure if he was taking more, or feeling guilty and putting it back.

We had painters do the outside of the house for a week and then they spent 2 weeks while we were in holiday doing the inside ! Obviously I’m very chilled about this. It was amazing to come home and it was all finished and beautiful.

Yes, if it's a big job. Have builders in now and I'm trying to stay out.

Yes absolutely. How do people cope with work?

I've had a kitchen and bathroom refit in the last year and both times just given them a key. They arrived after me in the morning and left before I got home so it was necessary!

I'm an electrician and get left alone a lot. I've never ever stepped outside boundaries, however I have had a customer video me and make an accusation. Once when looking for an electrical fault , I felt really faint and sat on the bed (immediately next to me in the room where I was working) quickly to steady myself. Almost immediately I took a call from the customer shouting at me for stepping over the line, but , as I left the house on a stretcher and paramedics finished that call- to this day I maintain I did nothing wrong.

That said, the reason I am respectful is because during my apprenticeship I worked with all men who frankly had no respect. We worked in council properties- tenants have to leave while they work to rewire houses- their behaviour made me sick. Throwing tenants underwear and sex toys at each other having searched their drawers, flushing toothbrushes etc. When I complained I nearly lost my apprenticeship and was told to "man" up (I am a woman) and wise up.

So I'm on the fence. Don't hire someone you don't trust. If you trust them, it's not a problem

I had a new kitchen fitted and went on holiday. I checked out their references first , our neighbor kept an eye on them but it all went fabulously well. I had a gorgeous new kitchen when I got back from holiday and they even fed our two cats.

Yep. All the time.

I do, I had a new kitchen fitted last year and I couldn’t be bothered with the hassle, so my son and I went on holiday while it was fitted. It was lovely coming back to a brand new clean kitchen.

I do but we've nothing worth nicking!

Unless they’re randoms who will be doing a one off job on their own (carpet fitter, perhaps) then, of course! Our builders are doing their second big project for us (after a major renovation of our last house). Our plumber has been working with us for 15 years, the electricians were recommended by the plumber, the decorator came from friends. I tend to pop in randomly and unpredictably and have never found anything to worry about. If I don’t like someone they don’t work for me. Simple as that!

If you are having a big job done surely you have to leave the builders. No-one can take a few weeks annual leave to babysit builders.

Yes I do.
DH owns a house building company. All the workmen we have had to do work in the house are employed by him.

If I know them, then yes I give them a key and leave them too it. Anyone else, I like to be there to answer any questions but also to keep an eye on the dogs and make sure they don't leg it when the workmen open the front door.