to think builder should have more respect for our home?

[AliceRR]

We moved into our house a couple of months ago and have a builder in doing our bathroom atm. He started on Monday and is likely to be here at least four weeks as he is also plastering bedrooms for us.

Today DH and I were out most of the day buying tiles etc. Got home to find the kitchen carpet is filthy, not just that it needs hoovering but is dirty and will need to be cleaned somehow. Yes it’s strange to have carpet in a kitchen and we will change it when we get around to doing the kitchen but realistically it could be 6-12 months (or more) until that happens. There are grubby marks on the fridge door, kettle, kitchen cupboards etc where he has had his grubby hands. (He also had a cold yesterday and that’s not his fault but made it worse as I am germaphobe). There’s mess all through the bathroom, upstairs, stairs and hallway. He left his hammer in the sink along with half a cup of coffee. Another cup of coffee on the toilet. We’re living here and only have one bathroom so it’s about 45 mins of cleaning and tidying after he’s left to get the house in some kind of order.

I understand there is mess involved in home improvements but I feel like he he has no regard to the fact that this is our home and we are living here. I don’t know what’s usual.

I am quite uptight about mess etc and I’m hormonal atm (I get severe PMT) so I’m sure I’m probably being a bit unreasonable but I think he should take a bit more care.

He is friends with DH and a really nice guy but we are obviously paying him to do the work.

I'd put newspapers down and tell your husband to tell him to clear up after himself because the cleaning will cost a fortune after he's gone.

That's very unprofessional. He should be more considerate in your home. I'd be having a word with him.

I'd be having a word with him.

What would you say? I think DH thinks I’m expecting too much and probably won’t like me to say something but I know I’ll get wound up if I have to deal with this every day (we are both off work).

Maybe I should just put a sheet in the kitchen and try to pre-empt him going into the kitchen by offering tea and coffee every hour?! 🤔

I would be annoyed too..I would leave him stuff out to use, mug etc and if you're there make it for him so he has no real need to go in the kitchen.

You can buy sticky plastic that covers your carpets, we've used it quite a few times when having work done.

You can also buy door covers that zip up which are good especially as you are having rooms plastered as it really stops the dust going everywhere.

This would piss me off tbh! I'd be telling him you appreciate the work he's doing but you don't appreciate the amount of mess he's unnecessarily making.

The last time I had a contractor doing work in my home he put on disposable booties over his shoes so as not to track dirt and dust all around. YANBU.

Thanks. I’ll try to make drinks for him so he doesn’t need to traipse round the kitchen. I might put a sheet down to at least give him a hint. The issue is when we’re out and he seems to think he can walk around and go in the cupboards with his dirty boots on and dirty hands.

I might have to say something

Sorry to sidetrack, but I've never heard of carpeting a kitchen! How bizarre.

But yes, your builder should be way more respectful. We had our house renovated last year and our builder and his team went to great lengths to keep our living bit free from their crap. At the very least he should be putting dust sheets down through the house so if he does make a cup of coffee, he doesn't leave a trail of mess behind him. You should definitely have a word.

Sorry to sidetrack, but I've never heard of carpeting a kitchen! How bizarre

I know! I don’t think I’ve ever come across it before. It’s navy blue and looks ok but I’d never choose it. I don’t like carpet in bathroom either though as I think it’s u hygienic.

He sounds completely unprofessional - why is he rummaging in your cupboards with dirty hands and traipsing dirty boots through your house?

Put that plastic roll stuff down to protect the carpet and set them up with a coffee/tea station in the room they are working in.

I really hate some builders

Sympathies on the kitchen carpet - our house had an orange kitchen carpet when we moved in. Previous owners had removed the parquet flooring! Had to live with it for ages until we could afford to tile it. We were very young and poor!

Anyway, about the builder... Time to take a deep breath and politely ask him he could have a bit of a tidy round before finishing for the day. We had a bathroom replaced last year and our two builders left the place spotless every night, even hoovered the landing and stairs!

The last workers in our house never lifted the loo seat. I had to clean piss off it every time they left. Primitive.

My OH (builder) cleans up at the end of every day on site (shame he doesn't do the same at home). This isn't unusual in the trade. Pull your builder up and just ask he tidies up after himself

My dad was a builder before he retired. He always cleaned up after himself, and didn't disrespect someone's home. Get your DH to have a word as it's his friend.

Seriously just have a word. Be polite and say "I know it's unusual but the kitchen carpet is staying so needs to be kept clean and could you make sure tools are away at the end of the day? Thanks. Do you want a cup of coffee?"

He'll automatically step back and treat the house as occupied (if he's any good)

In his (weak) defence, when we start a job where people have just moved in, which kitchen/bathroom carpet etc we do assume that it's being ripped up - very unusual to keep it . Though he should have asked/ built enough rapport with you that this conversation isn't hard!

Use it as an excuse to get your kitchen sorted. Hes there anyway adding in a bit of new kitchen flooring wont cost much!

Thanks. I’ll try to make drinks for him so he doesn’t need to traipse round the kitchen. I might put a sheet down to at least give him a hint. The issue is when we’re out and he seems to think he can walk around and go in the cupboards with his dirty boots on and dirty hands.

He should be putting his own bloody sheet down!

I have just had a new kitchen put in and they covered my flooring in sticky plastic. My mum commandeered a roll of it the last time contractors were at her house .

that's not on. It's part of the job to do a tidy up at the end of the shift. It's because it is a mate, I'm sure, but even mate's rates should not allow for that kind of mess.

I had a craftsman working around my last house for almost a full year - 5 days a week. Lovely man. He brought his own drinks, and food. DH would offer him coffee/tea and it was about 3 months in before he agreed to have one nice cappuccino in the morning. It took us about 6 months until we realized we never, ever saw or heard him use the bathroom. DH worked from home! I don't want to know how he managed, or if he held it til he got home.....

So I’m not being unreasonable then. I don’t have to expect to live in a pigsty 🙄

It’s really bothering me. I expect a bit of mess or even to run the hoover around a by after he’s gone but not to have a dirty carpet and grubby finger prints all over my kitchen. It really is disgusting.

The last workers in our house never lifted the loo seat. I had to clean piss off it every time they left.

😂🙄🙈 oh gosh

In his (weak) defence, when we start a job where people have just moved in, which kitchen/bathroom carpet etc we do assume that it's being ripped up - very unusual to keep it

The carpet is being ripped up eventually. We’re not keeping it forever but the likelihood is it could be a year before we are in a position to do the kitchen and for as long as it’s here I’d like it not to be covered it dirt.

The house is v dated but we’ll looked after and if I have to live with a blue carpet a bit longer then I’d rather it we kept it clean.

Maybe that is why he’s thinking though - that we’ll be ripping it up

that's not on. It's part of the job to do a tidy up at the end of the shift. It's because it is a mate, I'm sure, but even mate's rates should not allow for that kind of mess.

Yes I think it is and I think DH won’t have helped as he’s very lax with him. The builder is his friend but he actually only got to know him through his building work. I feel like DH almost tries to keep him sweet by saying “don’t worry, I’ll clean it” but I don’t know what for. I’m saying that but I don’t really know what he said.

We did up the last house top to bottom before we moved and this guy, whom my DH didn’t know but lived with a good friend of DH, did the work for us. He kind of became a friend and we’ve been out for meals together. He’s a lovely guy but he has always been messy.

DH told me last night he’d sort out the kitchen floor so if he interested to see if he’s done it.

Putting a sheet down might be enough to give him a hint.

Yes I realise he should have put the seat down.

I might close off the door to the living room too. I feel like closing off the door to the dining room as there were dirty marks on the (upholstered seats) chair too where he was sitting. I could probably put up with it for a week but not 4-6 weeks.

Worked for various building companies, employees would get a right telling off if they behaved like that. Most workers provide their own refreshments.

He should be providing his own dust sheets

We left a collection of mugs, spoons, tea and coffee and sugar and the biscuit tub on the worktop daily beside the kettle whenever we have builders in. It means they don’t need to rummage, and know they’re welcome to use what’s out (plenty of biscuits! I refilled to tub nightly).

We also had dust sheets down in a couple of places to keep the worst of the dirt under control. And got used to cleaning a lot, every evening.

Goodness, if this had been my house I would have called him down as soon as I saw the mess and asked him what he thought he was playing at!
None of this passive aggressive laying a sheet down for him nonsense.
If your DH is the one telling him to leave it make sure he is the one who get down and scrubs it! He will soon regret that offer!

I'm all for manners but sometimes people are just too polite about things