Really boring extension question… tea for builders?

[Jessforless]

Our extension starts imminently…

the work we’re having means I won’t be able to have access to where they’re working for the first part of the build without walking around to another street. (Our back gates come from a road behind) Our current back door will be boarded up while they build the main part of the extension.

My parents keep asking how I’m going to give them tea / coffee throughout the day..

Should I set something up outside? (Can’t think how?!)

Or did you not provide refreshments for your builders?

see? Really boring question 😂

I had work done for about a year and didn't provide a single cuppa. They always brought their own. They were fine with it and didn't expect me to make them tea and coffee at all.

I’d ask them, always worth keeping builders on side by being nice. Most builder I know actually sort out their own teas and coffees these days, but always nice to offer :)

I always offer one. They generally have their own.

Two bathrooms refurbed and a heating. System put in recently (this year)

I had loads of work done on the house and bought a cheap kettle and provided tea, coffee milk and biscuits. On hot days I had cold drinks available.

Do you have anywhere you can put something like that? Or are they not having access to the house at all?

I found just being a bit kind with refreshments meant my builders did go above and beyond for me, so I would try and work it out if you can.

I’d buy a few cheap cups / kettle / biscuit supplies and leave it there for them.

Until ur able to provide it easily I just wouldn't be offering. Or u cld always say if u are looking for a coffee come to front door and I'll make u one. A lot of trades people I've had out in the last few yrs don't seem to take a drink. They already have stuff with them. The landscapers I had in recently wldnt even come in to use the toilet, said no we will just pop to Morrisons we don't want to get ur bathroom all dirty.

A few yrs ago when I was getting my driveway done they kept knocking on door looking for more cups of tea. I was quite miffed to be honest I'd offered in the morning (as it suited me) but I had a baby of a few months old which they knew and it wasn't always bloody convenient for me (like in middle of feeding baby etc).

I had a full house renovation not that long ago which lasted three and a half months. The property was empty, but I visited regularly to project-manage. Didn't offer the builders anything, but always paid promptly and in full.

Every evening the bins were full of empty biscuit and pie packets, drink bottles etc. Just like most of us, they bring their own food and drink (and cigs!) to work.

As soon as the outside is built and they knock through they will have access so I can do it easily from then… it’s just the first part where I can’t get to them without walking down and around the block to the back.

We do have a home office where my DH works at the end of the garden, I could set a kettle up in there but no fridge for milk (unless I buy a little fridge?)

No running water either but could keep a big bottle of water.

Just stick a flask of cold milk out there, it’ll be fine and builders aren’t that fussy tbh!

We've just finished 2yrs of renovating a derelict property and lived in a caravan onsite. DH and I started providing drinks/biscuits, but it got too much. We both WFH. The last straw was when they were knocking on the door and ringing DH when he was presenting at a work conference, to have their drinks ready in 10mins. We were washing up 6 mugs, every 2/3hrs at one point!!!

If it was a 1 off trade who was there a day, fine, but not long term ones. Eventually one lot bought along their own kettle/tea/coffee etc. Others just bought their own costa along.

It doesn't sound feasible for you to provide it anyways. They manage on sites with no 'home owner' providing hot drinks, so can crack on themselves IMO.

IF you do leave stuff for them, buy cubed sugar as its less messy. Also, don't leave a whole packet of biscuits/cakes out. I had whole packs taken unopened- even though I found out those workmen didnt eat them!

On some very hot Summer days, I did put a cooler box out with water, drink cans in ice and offered ice lollies. They were working outside and it was very hot though.

When we had similar work done I set up a tea station in the garage. Kettle with tea/coffee, cups and spoons plus some big bottles of bottled water. Popped some milk in a wee cooler with an ice pack every morning and a selection of biscuits in a foil tub with a lid. They seemed pretty happy with that.

We are coming to the end of a 7 month extension and renovation.

i think we’ve gone a bit overboard with snacks and drinks tbh but only did it at the start when we had a workable kitchen and they were building outside. Frequent hot drinks, cold drinks when it was hot, biscuits, doughnuts, ice lollies on super hot days and bacon butties on a Friday! Haven’t done much since they’ve been knocking through and we’ve moved out to rented. Take occasional pack of doughnuts and biscuits.

I think if you can, keeping them fed and watered is nice and appreciated. That said, I know I’m a fussy customer and demanding and they’ve gone above and beyond for me and have accommodated me changing my mind. They have turned up on time every day, work their socks off and are doing an Excellent job managing it all and the logistics.

Decent and flexible builders are worth their weight in gold, and I know I’ve been a pain!

I always offer tradespeople tea/coffee/biscuits
When we had our extension done we did breakfast on a Friday too
In my experience it pays to be nice to people especially when they are going to be working with you for a reasonable period of time and you want them to come back for any snagging issues.

I made lots of tea for them and provided biscuits. They worked some Saturdays and I made them bacon butties. They were nice guys and we got on well.

I think it’s nice to provide hot drinks but if you can’t access the builders then leave a kettle etc. I used to make bacon sandwiches, but that’s perhaps going too far!

I had the same crew for weeks and weeks in 2017. I set them up under the carport with one of those camping electric things and an old kettle, tea, coffee, camping table and chairs. Left a pint of milk and a pack of digestives out every morning. They did have access to the downstairs loo.

I've always found if you look after your builders, they'll look after you, and I wasn't disturbed by hints and requests during the day.
You could set them up a small gazebo.

Same, ours have just finished renovating for us.

They did try and make it easy and generally all of them took their drinks all the same way.

A couple of them came back this week to fix out some snags and commented that their job before us didn't offer any drinks and the job they'd moved on to didn't either.

They've gone out of their way and over and above what we got them in for originally, at no extra charge either (including legal advice from their legal team following a thing with a neighbour totally unrelated to the works).

We were nice to them, they've been good to us.

I'd try and set up a drinks station for them if you can!

Our builder say the same to us! Said was chalk and cheese, their new customers don’t even say good morning to them and haven’t offered one drink. Nowt weird as folk!

I bought cheap cups from a shop , not paper ones , and offered tea or coffee at 10am and then after lunch.

On hot days I offered squash , or cold water as well.

And on Fridays I offered a treat such a cakes or buns or donuts.

They worked so hard on my house I was actually in tears of gratitude.

Thanks all! I will use my daughters new cool flask for milk and set up tea and coffee in the garden office…

im so glad I asked my boring question! You’ve also all inspired me to offer a sandwich on a Friday. (Even though my dad thinks you should offer a beer on a Friday 😂 )

Set it up near the door, or your office will get trashed with chalk/muck/prints/dirt/mortar/everything!

We went along to the pub with ours on Fridays, they invited us to join them so we did 🤭

I always offer people tea/coffee when they arrive to work on the house and then around halfway through the job by my estimation. The only difference was my garden landscapers who were here for two weeks in mid November. They got access to the utility all the time and could make their own tea from the cheap kettle i got for them as it was bitterly cold that year. They were so polite and apologised for needing to use our toilet as they were muddy. Mate I have wipe down floors, empty that bladder whenever.

We had a similar extension and our builders were clearly expecting to sort themselves out - they set up their own temporary tea and coffee station.

When it's going on for months, it just isn't practical to do several tea rounds every day and I think they preferred not to have us in the building site as well