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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Would you say something?

142 replies

Zosebrina · 26/07/2016 10:56

I am having some work done on my house, specifically my upstairs bathroom.

The person doing the work is a friend of one of my relatives and I wasn't able to stay home today to let them in etc so I gave a key to a relative who then gave a key to the tradesman, they have had work done before and It's very good. I was a bit nervous about giving some random person a key but my relative assured me he is totally trustworthy and has been alone in their house doing work lots of times.

Before I left for work this morning I shut all the doors to the bedrooms upstairs and the living room.

I have a burglar alarm linked to my phone and motion sensors in all the downstairs rooms, a contact sensor on the back door and motion sensors in all the upstairs bedrooms (I live on my own and have been burgled before incase anyone thinks I'm a bit OTT with the sensors!)

I can look at the motion sensor activity from my phone and just popped to have a look just to see if he had turned up to do the work.

So far he has spent 3/4 an hour in the kitchen (presumably having a coffee - fine by me), has gone outside into the garden (or at least opened the back door) has gone in the living room and all the upstairs bedrooms...

I'm trying to workout why on earth he felt the need to go in any of the bedrooms when the doors were shut? He wouldn't have been looking for the bathroom because I left that door open and you have to walk past it to get to the bedrooms so he would have seen it immediately as he walked up the stairs.
I can sort of understand him going in the living room, perhaps he wanted to sit with a coffee on the sofa but the bedrooms?? I am a bit annoyed that he has gone in there because I have cream carpets in all the bedrooms and obviously he wouldn't have taken his shoes off to do work.

IABU to feel a bit unnerved that he has gone into my bedrooms when there was no need? Should I say something?

OP posts:
Missgraeme · 26/07/2016 11:51

Phone him and say is everything all OK at the house as your phone has alerted u to intruders in all the rooms!!?? Say u need to know whether to auto open the basement and let your raging rottweiler loose???

NavyandWhite · 26/07/2016 11:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ExtraHotLatteToGo · 26/07/2016 11:51

I wouldn't do any work for you again because I'd be mightily pissed off that you were, unbeknown to me, spying on me from a remote location & I'd find that creepy.

ExtraHotLatteToGo · 26/07/2016 11:52

Yes.

Original poster
Zosebrina · 26/07/2016 11:53

well I wouldn't have mentioned that I knew he was in the kitchen for almost an hour and went outside etc as I really have no issues with that as long as he doesn't turn round and say he will have to charge me another days work as he couldn't get it finished in time today - then I would probably say well hang on you spent half the time in the kitchen or whatever.

Just makes me feel uneasy that he went into the bedrooms - my first thought was "is he looking in my wardrobe" - probably not but it went through my head nonetheless.

Perhaps its just me - if I was in someone's house on my own and doors were closed I wouldn't dream of entering them, unless I really needed to, they are obviously closed for a reason but perhaps I'm not 99% of the population I don't know.

I'm not sure how long the job would take to be honest I cant see it lasting longer than today unless something goes horribly wrong.

OP posts:
NavyandWhite · 26/07/2016 11:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ExtraHotLatteToGo · 26/07/2016 11:53

You think someone should work in a hot & stuffy environment - why?

ExtraHotLatteToGo · 26/07/2016 11:53

I do have a need, to open the windows to let some air in.

NavyandWhite · 26/07/2016 11:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MrsFarm · 26/07/2016 11:56

surely opening the window of the bathroom would be enough to let some air in - even one bedroom, but not all of them!

NavyandWhite · 26/07/2016 11:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MrsFarm · 26/07/2016 11:57

I would definitely say something! i would hate the thought of some nosey bugger looking through my private things

VimFuego101 · 26/07/2016 11:58

I would go ape over this. He has no reason whatsoever to be nosing around.

ExtraHotLatteToGo · 26/07/2016 11:59

MrsFarm. I'd only open the ones I needed to, to get a breeze going through. Deoends on the day & layout. My point is I'd do what was necessary to make the environment comfortable. It's ridiculous to be precious about oeople opening a window or a soace up when they're working n your home. It's like a bloody oven upstairs here, I'd certainly not begrudge anyone up there opening every window to cool it down.

CheeseOn · 26/07/2016 12:05

I would definitely say something. Ha had a few tiles to fix in a bathroom, why is there a need to go anywhere else at all in the house? You wouldn't expect a gardener or window cleaner to just bop in, make a brew and have a nosey at your bedsheets.

I wouldn't be hiring him again for sure.

Hullygully · 26/07/2016 12:12

There is absolutely no reason for him to open your bedroom doors other than nosiness. Get rid.

Original poster
Zosebrina · 26/07/2016 12:15

No I don't mind if they wanted to open a window - if that's the reason - but actually, I would mind today because it's absolutely throwing it down and both of the front bedroom carpets get soaking if the windows are open even a little bit, as its exposed on a hill so I would be a bit miffed if he did that yes.

I'm annoyed for 2 reasons a) if I'd have thought for a minute he would be walking in the bedrooms I would have put dustsheets down as the carpets are brand new and cream, he went outside before going upstairs and its throwing it down so shoes would have been dirty, and b) I don't really like the thought of a random person going into my bedrooms for what seems like no need.

I suppose it might be my fault that he spent so long in the kitchen - I left him a cup and a spoon out, coffee and tea right next to the kettle, 3 different packs of biscuits and a cake so probably took him a while to get through that lot Grin I just thought it was a nice gesture...

I don't have his number (all done via relative - probably stupid on my behalf I know but it was all done last minute as previous tiler had let me down several times) but I suppose I could ring relative and ask if everything is ok as my sensors had been going off..

OP posts:
NavyandWhite · 26/07/2016 12:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GnomeDePlume · 26/07/2016 12:16

Is he having to switch water off to do any of the work? If so he is possibly looking to see if there are any other taps than in the bathroom on that floor.

LittleMissUpset · 26/07/2016 12:18

Yes I would ring your relative and just say you are checking everything is ok and about the sensors, it seems a really odd thing to do.

I love having a nosy but I wouldn't dream of going round someone's house like that Shock

randomer · 26/07/2016 12:20

its not on. its an abuse of power

Wondermoomin · 26/07/2016 12:22

I can't think of any reason why he'd need to go into bedrooms if he's doing tiling work. He's probably just having a nosey, but opening closed doors without reason is not on.

I would go home when you're able to and ask him "I was wondering... What did you need in the bedrooms?" Don't fill any silence with justifying why you're asking. If he denies it, say your burglar alarm app on your phone alerted you to movement in your home in rooms you weren't having work done in, and ask him the question again.

youngestisapsycho · 26/07/2016 12:27

He was probably just having a nose around and looking to see what the rooms were or how big they were... sort of thing I would do to be honest. If you didn't have all these sensors and alarms you wouldn't have even know he'd done it!

BalloonSlayer · 26/07/2016 12:34

I would expect him to be having a nosey.

I thought that was fairly normal in a "poke your head round the door to see what the rooms look like" kind of way. Although I suppose if doors were shut that's a clear "Do Not Enter" sign and you've got a point.

I must say that I find it odd that someone as concerned as you about burglaries etc would leave someone you didn't know in the house anyway.

insancerre · 26/07/2016 12:36

Maybe he's looking to see if there might be any future work for him?
Maybe he needed a plug socket for a radio and to charge his phone/ iPod?
Maybe he needed more space or light on the landing so he opened the doors?
Maybe he's just nosey?

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