Trusting work people in your home...help!

[Theonlyfatmiddleagedwomannotonmonjaro]

We are about to commission a series of home improvement projects to our home. We both work full time.

Im.wondering how the hell do I trust these workman in my home unsupervised?
Do I install cameras?
The work wont be all be one job but will cover bedrooms and living areas overall.
I jave one room which is lockable and considering moving all valuablesnin there and locking it however, this i one room we will be having improved so will need to unlock it.
What do others people do? Do we just trust and hope or remove all valuables/private documents or what?
For context we live in a 3 bed 70s semi an no valuable jewellery etc butni have inherited some items of huge sentimental value.
I have been looking online at Eufry cameras. Is this over kill??
Also, for context...we have relocated in the last 18 months to a new area with jo long term contracts. We will be employing a small primarily 1 man workman with 2 "trusted staff" he uses occasionally. Found on FB but with a website with glowing reviews.

Any advice appreciated.

Nothing offensive about it. I witnessed it with my own eyes between him and his workmates at that company.

We had a reputable company in my DB’s house doing a small extension. There are cameras everywhere as he is a carer for my DM who has a tendency to wander. Workmen knew about the cameras & didn’t have a problem with them.
BUT when fitting a door they damaged it really badly. Foreman went nuts at the worker about how “it’s going to cost £300 to replace that f*ing door” etc. Then they attempted to patch it up and didn’t mention it & hoped we wouldn’t notice.
I don’t blame you for being concerned & am a bit surprised at other comments saying you’re being ridiculous about being worried leaving strangers in your house all day.

I don’t think cameras are a goer.

I would just put any valuables away in a locked box somewhere if you’re concerned, maybe safety deposit box for a week, or home of a friend. I’ve got to say we have left workmen in the house and not given it much thought (but they’ve come recommended and I don’t have much of value!)

We have always managed to be in, except when doing up an empty place. We also get recommendations by asking on the local facebook page. Website recommendations may be valid but can also be their mothers. sisters, friends from school (as can facebook comments but you have to look somewhere). Are there pictures of past work?

Employ someone local and hopefully they have a reputation to protect. Lock away anything you dont want damaged or stolen. IME most workmen are fine but I still wouldnt risk sentimental items.

Leave out chocolate biscuits and tea bags, tell them milk is in the fridge. We have offered a bacon butty or an ice cream now and then.

Never had a problem with a tradesperson (probably because they all earn way more than me) until the last time when we had an asbestos removal guy in. Only thing that went missing was a mug - a special order gift one (from a show beloved by men). None of the crappy mugs went walkabout.
So rude.

Obviously, doing the work herself isn't an option - she's already got a full-time job, and is unlikely to have the skills to do the work required.

She's not being unreasonable to worry about having a bunch of strangers alone in her house. All those saying that you know who they are and where they're based if anything disappears - firstly, she might not even notice for a few weeks if something small is taken and secondly. even if she does notice, it's very hard to prove (unless they're caught on camera rummaging through her possessions).

I've had light-fingered "professionals" in my house on at least two seperate occasions. It does happen, unfortunately.

I give them a key show, them the tea and coffee and let them get on with it. In 40 years of home ownership I’ve never had a workman steal from me.

A delivery driver for a ready meals company stole a really good DIY knife from my FIL when delivering the meals. The previous visit he had been all over the garage looking at all the "junk" in there. He was DBS checked. We caught him on camera. He tried to deliver it back through the letter box a few days later and pretend it just must have fallen on the floor. We got it all on CCTV. He was charged and lost his job. Not sure what happened at court.
My main concern was getting him charged so he couldn't work with vulnerable people again.

My FIL carers knew there were cameras. We managed to catch one carer going in and not finding my FIL twice on the same day...first time he was in bed...carer didn't check bedroom.... second visit he was in a high backed chair at the end of the sitting room and wasn't seen and fil very deaf. It was appalling.

To OP. get cameras. And put valuables away.

@Theonlyfatmiddleagedwomannotonmonjaro do you have any retired relatives/ a friend who works from home who could come and stay with you, and hang around when the workmen are there?

I wouldn’t be installing cameras. Tradesmen are no different to anyone else in that there will be the odd dishonest one amongst them but reading some of the posts on here you could be forgiven for thinking that given half a chance they’re all on the rob.

I don't think for one minute that this is the case but that’s not to say that I wouldn’t exercise a degree of common sense and make sure that any valuables and items of sentimental value were hidden away and the doors were shut to any rooms they had no need to go in. I’d also emphasise the need for them to always make sure that the front and back doors were kept closed if they were working where they couldn't see who might be coming in and going out. My own experience is that if they have need to go out to the van they often don’t think to shut the door when they come back in and if I’m being honest this would worry me far more than leaving a long established tradesmen alone in the house all day.
No matter how inconvenient it might be I would try and make sure that I or someone I trusted could be there for at least the early part of the first day so that the key could be handed over and whoever was in charge could be shown where the kettle, tea bags etc were and given instructions about use of the toilet if they need to. Most of the workman that have come to me have brought their own flask (and a radio) but have never said no to a can of fizzy drink and packet of biscuits being left for them. They have also always asked before using my toilet so I wouldn’t be at all embarrassed about mentioning this.

Agreed. We own a business that sends people out to work in houses etc, I'm pretty sad that people still think this way!