So, I hired the neighbours of a work friend to do some work in the house when I moved into my new place. This is because they did work for her and she trusts them. So the job started with clearing rubbish, all fine. Putting up shelves, fine. If it takes much longer than I hoped because they work short days.
But then I asked them to quote for painting - they said 2k plus materials. I thought that was OK - two weeks in of short days, the am not happy with what they've done. They have made a mess of the edges, got paint on the windows, on my step ladder and on my carpet edges and some of my clothes that were left out -so it's been slapdash. Not horrendously bad but not the quality I expected. Then they asked for half the money as they needed spends for a family weekend they had planned for ages (which also meant on the Thursday that they wouldn't be back til the Tuesday). Bit of a pain in the ass because I wanted it finished and I prefer to pay on the completion of a job, but I said OK. Then one of them let slip they hadn't gone away but taken another job. I thought OK, disappointing, but now I know, and let them finish the painting.
They did a couple of other odd jobs - putting up shelves and assembling furniture - while waiting for things to dry. Then I saw that they had painted over a wall that had old lining paper behind it so it's all bubbled and looks terrible. (There is a lot of this elsewhere in the house that's the same - they fixed a couple of really bad areas, but cut corners where I'd have taken more care). Worse - in trying to install my TV they cut a channel in the wall for cables, plastered and painted over, but the channel is very visible. Well, they said they supposed they could redo it and paper over it. But not for a few days. And I have a feeling they will ask for more money - I know I will have to pay for materials - to put right the damage. They left loads of their mess and ladders and equipment behind and I can't use the lounge to have my family round as planned.
And now I have discovered they put plaster dust down the toilet before they left - though there was a bin next to it!! There was also plaster dust on the floor, and the plaster has hardened so I've been trying to dig it out of the U-bend.
Now they will want the remaining 1220k plus materials for finishing the job this coming week (to cover remainder of the painting plus the TV installation) but I don't think I can trust them with the electrics and I have had to get a plumber out. I am worried I might need a new toilet since the plaster can't come out.
I'd like to find someone else to finish the work, but it's difficult because they are neighbours of my work colleague. I was so relieved to find people I could trust in the house, but the standard of the work just isn't up to scratch. And with the expenses of the new place and the moving, I'm having to borrow the money anyway,
What would you do? Would you let them finish or find someone else? Would you tell your work friend? What about getting their stuff back to them, changing locks etc? This is such an uncomfortable situation and I am not good at dealing with this kind of conflict.