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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Am I being precious or is this bloke out of order?

60 replies

NorthernComfort · 21/02/2011 09:33

We rent and the landlords were recommended a local handyman to fix a problem with the roof which is leaking and turning the ceilings upstairs black.

He randomly turns up unannounced and expects access to the whole house at 8am when people are trying to get dressed and ready to leave the house. They've only just managed to finally pin him down to do the work and we asked that he didn't turn up until 9am as mornings are not a good time. He turned up at 8.10am anyway and then saw his arse a bit because I wouldn't let him go upstairs where DH had just got out of the shower and was getting dressed.

He left his stuff and went somewhere about half an hour ago, and has just come back, let himself in - as well as some random man who I came down and found in the yard with him.

I'm in with my two and four year old boys and I'm not particularly happy about him wandering in and out without telling me what he's doing and bringing god knows who in.

AIBU?

OP posts:
squeakytoy · 21/02/2011 09:36

Bit of a lack of communication on the part of the landlord, but it sounds like a job that you need doing quite urgently.

I think if you are having workmen in, you have to be prepared to get up and out of the way so that they can get on with the work too.

And I think you are being a bit paranoid worrying about who the builder has working with him. Just keep your kids out of the way anyway.

Original poster
NorthernComfort · 21/02/2011 09:37

I don't think it's the landlord, it's just this guy, he's a law unto himself...

OP posts:
swallowedAfly · 21/02/2011 09:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

kreecherlivesupstairs · 21/02/2011 09:38

Just get up a bit earlier for a couple of days and let the trademan get on with his work.
the sooner he does it, the sooner you get your house back to yourselves.

ApocalypseCheeseToastie · 21/02/2011 09:38

You should have been forewarned about the time but 8am is a usual time for workers.

As for the other guy, he won't do roofing work on his own, when we had our bathroom done we had allsorts in and out, didn't get a meet and greet off each one !!

So YAa bitU

compo · 21/02/2011 09:40

Get out of the house and leave them to it

Onetoomanycornettos · 21/02/2011 09:40

Agree poor communication, however, being up and ready for workmen at 8 isn't unreasonable, they can't do a job between 8-9am can they, to wait for you to all get dressed! I also don't know what you mean by stranger in the yard, he's working with the workman, of course if you have work done then strangers you don't know will be doing it and as you are with your children all the time, I don't see the issue.

Sorry, can see it is all a bit stressy, but much better to have a landlord that gets things fixed than leaves them festering.

ThePosieParker · 21/02/2011 09:41

This is your house and you've every right to have someone there at your convenience.

Original poster
NorthernComfort · 21/02/2011 09:50

Seriously, it's unreasonable to ask him to come after 9am so we don't have to have him in the bedroom whilst we're getting dressed in the morning? We actually weren't expecting him until 9am this morning otherwise DH might have had a shower a bit earlier but surely me telling him not to go upstairs while DH was naked isn't out of order?

And it was supposed to be just this one guy (he's about 70 and works on his own) so was a bit surprised to find another man with him as he'd been gone for ages and not bothered telling me he'd come back/gone to get another man to help him.

Maybe I am BU, I just think it's common courtesy to tell someone you've suddenly invited someone else into their house? Or that you're going and won't be back for half an hour?

OP posts:
ThePosieParker · 21/02/2011 09:52

Workmen do think they're the most important people in the world....one smoked in my bedroom claiming he didn't know he shouldn't....I was eight months pg, the room stank. I went nuts....he said he forgot someone lived in the house, he'd sat on my bed whilst smoking.

HarderToKidnap · 21/02/2011 09:52

Have you had much to do with workmen before?

Sarsaparilllla · 21/02/2011 09:54

He probably thought going for 1/2 hour was better for you, you just said it wasn't a great time when he showed up Confused

Yes, they should've given you more notice it was an 8am start, but you need the job doing so just let them get on with it

sethstarkaddersmackerel · 21/02/2011 09:56

the landlord should have told you, but workmen coming at 8 is perfectly normal - half the time even when you are arranging it yourself and you agree with them to start at 9, they turn up early anyway.

if we have workmen in I just start the day earlier, annoying as it is, but if they didn't tell you he was coming then yes that is a bit much.

Original poster
NorthernComfort · 21/02/2011 09:59

Harder yes. I just usually know when/how many are in the house.

Sarsaparilllla I'm not sure I understand. He came 50 minutes earlier that arranged at a time which is a major pain in the arse when four people are trying to get up/dressed/fed.

He is getting on with it now, I just didn't sign up for people randomly letting themselves in/letting other people in when as far as we knew it was just this one man doing the job. (He isn't actually on the roof, just cleaning out the gutters, I think.)

OP posts:
lubeybooby · 21/02/2011 09:59

YABU

When you have workmen coming in, you need to get ready and out of the way. That means getting up earlier if necessary.

I had to get up and sorted and out the way when my boiler was being replaced... inconvienient but that's the way it is

ginnybag · 21/02/2011 10:01

Annoying but not unreasonable, I'm afraid.

The sooner they start, the sooner they finish and they've still got limited light and variable weather in Feb, so they'll want to get cracking.

As for the other bloke... well, he should perhaps have warned you there'd be someone else, but it's to be expected if he's going to be working on your roof. Or were you intending to hold his ladder yourself? Smile

Original poster
NorthernComfort · 21/02/2011 10:02

He's outside - him doing the work is not the problem. Turning up an hour early and then getting stroppy because we don't want him wandering into the bedrooms when people are getting dressed I thought was out of order?

OP posts:
Original poster
NorthernComfort · 21/02/2011 10:04

FWIW he's tied the ladder on and I have no idea what the other bloke is actually doing...

OP posts:
ApocalypseCheeseToastie · 21/02/2011 10:08

8 am is not an unusual start. I once woke up to find my builder waving at me through the bedroom window resulting in me and dp doing a naked 'duvet hop' to the bathroom so we could get the dcs dressed Blush

And obviously going on a roof they will work in pairs at least

Original poster
NorthernComfort · 21/02/2011 10:11

8am is not an unusual start - unless you arranged a later start, surely? If you've arranged for 9am it's a bit unreasonable, surely? What if we'd arranged it at 9am because no one would actually be at the house to let him in before that time, how is it different?

If I said 4pm and he turned up at 3pm I would be out, genuiunely, for an hour. Would that not be his tough luck for turning up at a different time to the one agreed?

OP posts:
ApocalypseCheeseToastie · 21/02/2011 10:16

Yesssssssssssss, but just say he turned up at each house at 9 and worked a full day. Over a week that equals 7 hours, or a full days work

The reason they start so early is so they can finish early and fit more jobs in, he has a living to make after all.

I had 10 weeks of work done, 1 thing after another, they all turned up at bloody 8, wasn't too happy about it but I understood why and adapted as needed

ErnestTheBavarian · 21/02/2011 10:21

can't believe that someone turning up (albeit early) and doing a job which you urgently need doing gets you so wound up.

"I'm in with my two and four year old boys and I'm not particularly happy about him wandering in and out without telling me what he's doing". Do you really, honestly want and expect him to give you a blow by blow account of what he's doing? tbh it sound a bit weird, and a total over reaction, and yes, imo YABU

squeakytoy · 21/02/2011 10:22

FWIW he's tied the ladder on and I have no idea what the other bloke is actually doing...

does it really matter???

methsdrinker · 21/02/2011 10:33

Go out and ask him what he is doing.
For goodness sake.
Have you offered them a brew yet.
No you have just been skulking and moaning. Its February its freezing and the old man of 70 is on the roof. You stop being so rude and treat them like people.
Tucks judgey pants under droopy boobs and wanders off muttering at what the world has come to.
That they are so far removed from reality that they can't just talk to people.

Teenybitsad · 21/02/2011 10:33

My DH who is in the trade says that you are not being unreasonable at all. He says he would NEVER walk in and if he had a colleague with him then he would be introduced.

Cannot believe the people on here saying you are precious....DH says it's completely not on to just walk in....

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