Does anyone else just hate having workmen in the house?

I do it stresses me it's ridiculous I know. If any work was needed doing years ago I had to be there. Now since my DH retired I say you make the arrangements I am going out. I will prepare a bite to eat for workers but leave my DH with instructions.

I have had to have quite a few workmen recently, and though I would prefer not to have them, I would never consider leaving them in my house while I went out. You just never know what they may look at, open drawers etc. I wouldn't like anyone nosying around while I am out.
Just offer them drinks and let them get on with it, they will do the work quicker if you are in, take less breaks!
Just my thoughts, I know others are different.

Forgot to say invite friends around for lunch afternoon tea etc so you are at least occupied.

Do you have a comfy shed with access to electricity that you can use temporarily.?
Other than that lots of shopping ( of the not necessarily needed kind ) 🙂

I hate it too but wouldn’t go out and leave them alone in the house, except for one trusted builder we have used over recent years. We have decorators coming on Thursday and I’m dreading it but needs must - the ceilings here are too high for us. Always did it ourselves until now. I will just keep out of the way as far as I can whilst being obviously ‘present’.

I hate it but my husband insists on making them coffee and engaging them in conversation. Nightmare.

We have decorators in as we speak, they are lovely and work very hard. I make them cups of tea and am around if they need to ask me anything. It doesn’t worry me having them in the house. When we lived overseas we always had a maid and in fact when OH lived in Egypt he had a maid, caretaker, driver and a gardener.

Make them coffee etc and leave them to get on with it. I don't mean leave the house though. Also get them to put that plastic stuff down to protect your hall and stairs carpets or flooring. Good workmen will hoover and clean up after themselves. Good luck. It'll be worth it in the end. 🚿🛀🧖

I don’t mind too much but I like to have a little haven away from it all. Can you set aside one room which they won’t need to enter and make yourself comfortable in there?

Yes yes yes, I absolutely loath it. I've recently had to have my house rewired, I cant even begin to describe how awful the whole experience was. I had to leave the house from 9 to 5 for 3 days to come home to a house that looked as if a bomb had gone off. To be honest it has deeply affected me. I now need the whole house decorated, but I cant bear the thought of more men in my house feels like an invasion. So looking out for lady decorators, which indeed I can tolerate.

I would prefer not to have them but the end result is what counts.

We have decorators, plumbers, tilers, roofers that we have used for years and we trust them completely. Just need to find an electrician to complete the set.

Oh I don’t have a problem I am so happy to get the jobs done I make tea coffee and biscuits and often chat away with them

You can tell I don’t have so much as a cleaner can’t you? I like my personal space.

It's certainly not fun, but at least you'll be able to keep an eye on the work.
When my bathroom was fitted they put plastic grooving round the bath. I said it wasn't acceptable and when they removed it you should have seen the rubble they had left underneath. Ditto under kitchen units. Unfortunately we were working at the time. I would much prefer to be at home.

Mil used to see you are glad to see them come and happy to see them go.

I'm quite relaxed about it and have just survived 3 weeks of having a new kitchen fitted. There was no means by which to cook, so I ate out every day and microwaved soup for tea with toast in the utility room in the evenings. Once we were down to one man, just the fitter, we gave him the key to come and go. A couple of times the dog was left home alone with him (not on guard!). I went away for a week, but DH likes supervising workmen and learning a few new tricks. Being January/February we were lucky the workmen used to knock off around 4 pm. I don't like anything beyond that and to be honest I'd rather hoover up afterwards myself anyway.

I’m always uncomfortable when anyone else is working in my home. Just can’t settle. It wasn’t so bad in our last home as we had a close neighbour who was a builder and did anything we needed. Different now. You’re fortunate kitty. One of the downsides of moving areas is having to start again.

I hate it as well says the woman who when she worked trusted her decorator with her key!!!! We lived somewhere else then. He even doubled back once when DH was away to close patio doors that were difficult.
When we came here I felt very uncomfortable and left it all to DH,I have gradually got to know a chosen few. If they are going to be here for a few days I buy a tin of biscuits allocate them the downstairs toilet and disappear, into another room or upstairs.
I hate the chimney sweep, in particular, I seemed to end up as his handmaiden. I told a friend and she said they had "The Mucky Duck", company, my answer was I think we had as well.

I hate it as well.
We are having a lot of work done in the spring, I imagine it will be at least a couple of months.
Almost all the tradesmen I use, I’ve been using for years, and trust them, so I just let them in, and head off to work.
I don’t mind them making tea, but I don’t like them using my loos, have to get home and clean them!

I hate it it makes me feel invaded.

Going out? Yes if I trust them, it depends on who they are and how long they are going to be around.
I always leave tea and nice coffee/caftiere/biscuits for them to help themselves. And if I trust them, keys too.

I'm OK with my nice cleaner as she is a really nice person and I trust her and sometimes if I am not well she will do the upstairs them I will get back into bed and she will let herself out.

And I have a lady decorator I feel the same about.

worst was 4 weeks of knocking through a wall downstairs and new kitchen. had to de camp absolutely upstairs and no way staying in with the noise levels all the time. I didnt live alone then, my then DH supervised and checked stuff

- I will not put myself through that again.

Vito

Yes yes yes, I absolutely loath it. I've recently had to have my house rewired, I cant even begin to describe how awful the whole experience was. I had to leave the house from 9 to 5 for 3 days to come home to a house that looked as if a bomb had gone off. To be honest it has deeply affected me. I now need the whole house decorated, but I cant bear the thought of more men in my house feels like an invasion. So looking out for lady decorators, which indeed I can tolerate.

I know what you are going through as we are in the same position. We did evacuate the property while it was done but oh the mess on return. We now need to redecorate and a man has just been with a quote. He can start on Monday or his next free date isn’t until after Easter. Oh what to do especially as we are due to go away on the Thursday. How can I prepare for that whilst the house is upside down and like has been said the days I’m here what do I do? Don’t want to be out the house for hours in end. Aargh.
We liked the man that came but we do have 2 more coming to quote tomorrow. Maybe they will have dates that are more convenient but not too far ahead.

I absolutely hate it.

I'm the one who does all the admin, and we are in the middle of having a huge sort out in our office after closing down our business. There are files and papers everywhere and they can't be dumped until we've looked at them... and I can't concentrate. The electricians are going in and out of the front door to fetch things they haven't got in their immediate tool box. Their van is parked on the main road - we have a cat that is never allowed out onto the street... I spend all my time jumping up and down to make sure he's not in the hallway, and closing the door securely (which they don't), or standing guard by it watching the cat who's watching me watching them rummage around in their van.

It's exhausting.

... and I hate making tea and coffee for workmen. The last man who came (a carpenter) brought his own coffee in a flask... I could've hugged him for that!

I am like everyone else - absolutely hate it.
I have an ongoing issue that began last November and everything crossed will end on Thursday. House is a muddle, I’m exhausting to the point that I feel I’m getting too old to do the housework and must consider getting a cleaner!

I’m sure next week will see me making more sense🤞🤞

Thank you everyone who has replied so far. It's comforting to know it isn't only me......