No enjoying the builders in ..,

[Iamnotagoddess]

Hence my third post in two days.

Is it normal to come back when you have left the builders here to no milk, sugar and very low levels of tea and coffee? Yes

Oddest thread of the day, but it's still early. This has to be someone having a laugh.

Our builders brought their own portaloo. On arrival each morning I made them all tea and coffee and put biscuits out. I bought disposable cups from amazon so I didn't need to worry about mugs. I knew when they were taking their breaks so made them their drinks and replenished the biscuits in time for that, mid morning,lunch and afternoon. They asked me to stop with thr biscuits as they were getting fat 😂

They did a fab job, and really went the extra mile, we bought them all beers on their last day as a thank you. They all cracked one open apart from the driver and drank it whilst chatting to us on their last day. There was four of them.

Why would you begrudge someone this? And post about it on mumsnet that you're that person.

You know builders are people right and if you have people working in your house you would usually provide refreshments and access to basic sanitation like a toilet.

If you are so bothered about the kettle get a cheapie or find one on something like Facebook marketplace.

Ok so I was kind of with you being annoyed that they’d left you no milk whatsoever (although realistically how much could they possibly use in a day? There can’t have been very much left, in which case why weren’t you picking more up on your way home anyway....?) but now you’re having a melt about them not using filtered water? You sound a) batshit and b) a nightmare. You possibly need to be a little more realistic about what you’re expecting of these workmen. And look into why standard filtration does nothing about the water hardness- you need a water softener for that. Perhaps get the builders to install a whole house system whilst they’re on? Second thoughts, maybe not. I imagine they can’t wait to be out of there if you’re carrying on like this to them.

I don’t get free refreshment at work but I am not begrudging that, I am not there and I am annoyed at the general lack of respect. Of course they can use the loo, but they went upstairs with muddy boots and got mud all over the carpet. Am not going to get a portaloo for few days work.

I put the filtered water remark as tongue in cheek ffs, but actually we do live in a hard water area and we filter out water for the iron and the kettle etc.

At the end of the day it’s my house and they are getting paid to do a job.

All this extra stuff you are all suggesting I buy to keep them sweet and do a good job adds to the cost of the job, they are being paid to do a job.

It's absolutely normal to provide these things to builders though, and to realise they need to use a loo and protect your carpets/flooring?

And I haven’t mentioned anything to them other than the mud all over the carpet.

They should be protecting my camera and flooring as part of the job.

Carpets

I was joking about the filtered water.....

I've had builders since May ... I make sure they are well fed and watered with nice tea and coffee and cake and biscuits etc.. isn't that just polite .

I am not there to make sure they are well fed.

They are grown adults who can provide their own food.

I do not begrudge them a cup of tea, we just didn’t discuss it and I was pissed off to come home to two pints of milk and all the sugar gone.

If it hadn’t been for the other things this wouldn’t have pissed me off.

As in not physically there, I am at work.

Agree with you re the carpets- I'd be annoyed at dirty marks too. But you've addressed this and hopefully a good Hoover has sorted it out?

Think of it as a learning curve. Now you know that if you have builders or workmen in again, it is perfectly feasible that they will go through an entire bag of sugar (IME!) and several pints of milk. Now you know the information you can either suck it up and buy more, or just look like a knob if you scowl at them for having used it all.

Totally in your control

I think we all agree on the muddy carpets, but that's all people will agree with you on. And no one suggested you ensure they are well fed. But providing tea and coffee and often biscuits is common courtesy.

Seriously, it costs you an extra tenner for drinks max, and you've got your arse in your hands?

Ha! Last time the plasterer was being briefed by DH (I was getting DD out the door for nursery).

Plasterer hadn’t yet made eye contact with me. DH was showing him the kitchen with tea/coffee/biscuits out and I was racing out the door.

He said “hey love? Where’s that coffee”

Me: “🧐. In the kitchen where you where told?”

Him: I thought you were making me one?

Me: ha ha ha

DH: hiding in the other room, wetting himself.

DD: why are you cross, Mumma?

I’d have kicked his arse out if we hadn’t really needed the work done. Wanker.

I have looked after my builders well, I treat them with respect and they treat me the same .. I don't think I'm better than them and they have me great to me in return .. they have told me loads of stories about people making and drinking a coffee in front of them and not offering one .. I find this quite sad and rude tbh ... I guess I'm in the minority .

I actually thought this was a joke. I'm stunned to think someone actually begrudges the few quid it costs to provide tea and coffee to their builders and whinges it makes the job cost more.

Honestly just when you think it can't get any weirder on here, you read this.

I had about three months of works on my new house, we left tea, coffee, coffeemate, biscuits, sugar, kettle, spoon and cups (although there wasn't always power or water in the address anyway!). I think it's nice to leave something out for people if it's a longer job and if I was home for a short job I would make them a cuppa and offer a biscuit.

I find I come back to clouds of marijuana smoke as well - both from mine, next doors x2, AND the builders doing work at the end of the lane. Do they all smoke pot? Seems like it. Happened last year too when neighbours had work to be done - different builders, but smoking pot so had the kids asking why the smoke smelt funny. Great fun.

It's normal to provide tea, coffee, milk, sugar and biscuits.

I don't mind them going through the drinks supplies though.

When I had my extension done the builders set up a little tea & coffee station in my garage, brought their own kettle and everything!! But they did come into the kitchen to use my microwave and I ended up losing half of my cutlery

They're there to work and get a job done , it's not like they can make a tea or coffee themselves on a job, I don't think I'd expect them to replace it

I've never had a builder smoke pot. Ever. And we have had a lot of work done.