Tradesmen

I dislike things being upside down, I suspect it’s because my energy levels aren’t what they were

You can either leave things or keep up with things. I have chosen the former- I'll just let the house fallt o bits and my children can deal with the rest after I'm gone.

Maybe you could just go away on a nice holiday while the work is taking place?

Well we have just moved house and taken on a renovation project..........................

keepingquiet that’s what we’ve done in the past, our painter, a friend, is booked in for when we’re away, he and his crew move furniture and return it as required.

I guess it's needs must and grit teeth

...and promise yourselves a treat of some description when it's over (eg a really luxury level meal out - or delivered as the case may be).

I know exactly what you mean about hating the disruption and you have my full sympathies - as I had to wait until 60 to buy a house that would do for a "forever home" for me (ie detached and garden) and it's a 1970s house in West Wales and I'm from a very different area. The whole house had to be gutted and this is an area with lots of workmen who are defo unreliable and I suspect often put "locals" first (rather than doing the normal "first come first served"). It was a job and a half dealing with all that and absolutely everything inside my house got ripped out apart from the internal doors and most of the skirting boards - and I HATED having to do all that with a passion.

Take a deep breath and check out those luxury meal treats for rewarding yourself afterwards - or maybe even during it.

Admits that I'm wondering whether I'll be able to bring myself to ever have any work done in my house ever again - even decorating - after all that hassle (and with bad neighbours thrown in). I strongly suspect I'll think "I'm 72 and don't want to live on past average age anyway. It's only 10 years - so blow it". Now I've got the house Scandinavian-style and logically organised = I am very sorely tempted not to touch it again unless I must.

Fourth week of builders here (inside and out)

Every single room in the house is being sorted, so far upstairs, all bedrooms, bathrooms and playroom plaster removed, part of the walls meshed, re plastered, decorated. Oh all ceilings removed and replaced throughout.

Phase two-downstairs is now in full swing, with small excursions upstairs.

I am now without a kitchen for at least three weeks, probably four. In 10 days time I will have all the floors taken up downstairs (hopefully the bannisters will have been replaced before then, do not want to fall onto beams)

Added to which the downstairs loo has stopped working, the TV in our bedroom has decided to turn itself on and off at will and the electric garage door has gone caput!!!

I can taste plaster and cement dust 24/7 after showering and washing my hair there is sediment in the shower tray.
Nothing is in the correct place, my asthma is playing up, permanent headache.

If our marriage survives this I guess he is a keeper

Two rooms being decorated- easy peasey 🤷‍♀️

If you don't have to have things done, don't bother. If it has to be done, be pleased that you are in a position to do it.

If it's really getting to you, focus on how lovely it'll be when it's done. You can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs.

I'm another who hates having daily life dictated by having work done. It's little things like having to be up and dressed early instead of drinking coffee in my dressing gown while reading the news, and feeling 'watched' as I go about my day.

I hate following people into the bathroom, or having them follow me, and when they turn the power on and off it drives me mad, even though I know they aren't doing it for fun.

That sort of thing, plus having to think ahead to what you might need out of different rooms (eg a spare knitting needle or a coat with a hood) just makes it stressful, as does going to get much and finding the microwave is being used to heat a smelly lunch by the workers.

I'm not sure it's about getting older, so much as valuing my privacy, which I've done since I was young. We did most things around the house ourselves when we were younger though, so I can't make a reasonable comparison. Maybe I've just always been grumpy🥳

That should have been 'going to get lunch'

No edit button makes me grumpy, too.

I quite enjoy it, I find it quite exciting. Yes, in the past we did almost everything ourselves. I swear DH was born clutching a screwdriver, but currently our new home is being renovated and,to be honest i would rather have tradesmen in than wait 2 years for a new kitchen installed because DH has to fit it in between being absent abroad for weeks on end and not having the right bit/tool/glue at 5.00 on a Sunday evening.

Kiwiqueen, I have one thing to say.
Pull your self-together dear! Only teasing. 😊
I too get into a fluster whenever we have tradesmen in.
Why? I have no idea, I'm normally calm and confident & have an easy C'est attitude to stuff. Yet when the chaps turn -up,
I become a demented twit offering....tea, coffee biscuits, water,
the Loo! (for goodness sake!)
On the bright- side at least your found some available tradesmen!
Deep-breathes & lots of lovely tea, for you all. 😊

M0nica

Well we have just moved house and taken on a renovation project..........................

I envy your resilience. I hate strangers in my home and the disruption caused by having tradesmen in my space.
I wish you good luck with your renovation.

I had a wonderful electrician here today. Excellent worker and both he and his mate were so respectful of me and of my property. Having said that, I feel as though I have wasted half the day, firstly waiting for a phone call to give me his arrival time, and secondly waiting for the power to be switched back on to do certain things. Not his fault of course, but it is unsettling.

We renovated our current house when our children were 11 and 8. Teams of men in every working day for 8 months, gutting everything apart from the roof.
I came back from work one day to find the kitchen, dining room, utility and loo all one huge space, with nothing but a single cold tap left!
Never again!

I absolutely hate workmen, most have no respect for our property. Either late, or have some family excuse as to why they have to have a day off.
I feel I have to be at the back of them all the time.
Just had a plasterer in, came late, finishes early wants £230 a day- nearly dropped through the floor when I received the bill.
Thank the lord last room to be done & that will have to see us out, as I can’t bothered anymore.
Luckily my husband can do everything else so had saved us a fortune.

Cabbie21

I had a wonderful electrician here today. Excellent worker and both he and his mate were so respectful of me and of my property. Having said that, I feel as though I have wasted half the day, firstly waiting for a phone call to give me his arrival time, and secondly waiting for the power to be switched back on to do certain things. Not his fault of course, but it is unsettling.

What did he charge you? Full day rate?

Ilovedogs22

Kiwiqueen, I have one thing to say.
Pull your self-together dear! Only teasing. 😊
I too get into a fluster whenever we have tradesmen in.
Why? I have no idea, I'm normally calm and confident & have an easy C'est attitude to stuff. Yet when the chaps turn -up,
I become a demented twit offering....tea, coffee biscuits, water,
the Loo! (for goodness sake!)
On the bright- side at least your found some available tradesmen!
Deep-breathes & lots of lovely tea, for you all. 😊

You mean you killed them with kindness 😂

I've had a lot of work done to my present home and I've been very fortunate with all of the different trades people that I have employed.I keep wondering what I can have done next.It's a bit like a weird hobby and I love the end results.

Mt61

I absolutely hate workmen, most have no respect for our property. Either late, or have some family excuse as to why they have to have a day off.
I feel I have to be at the back of them all the time.
Just had a plasterer in, came late, finishes early wants £230 a day- nearly dropped through the floor when I received the bill.
Thank the lord last room to be done & that will have to see us out, as I can’t bothered anymore.
Luckily my husband can do everything else so had saved us a fortune.

£230 a day = £1,150 a week = £52,900 a year (46 weeks, 4 weeks holiday, 2 weeks sickness, other).

Out of that £52,900 he has to pay for all his business expenses purchase and running van business insurance, materials, professional iinsurance, sickness insurance. I would say that is going to to knock at least £10,000, probably more of the income.

Let us say his take home pay is £40,000. The _median- ( 50% earn less, 50% earn more) wage in the UK is £37,430.

I think you were very fortunate to only be paying £230 a day. Plastering is a skilled job and they are much in demand.

What did you expect the day rate to be and what income would that have given the plasterer?

Yes, we seem to have disruption for a good part of this year outside and indoors and still have curtain rails etc to put back up.

The problem with having some rooms done is that you notice others that might need doing.

It's not cheap but yes, they have all the business expenses as well as earning a living.

I never pay anyone by the hour - I get quotations for the ‘job’.
My d.i.ls father, recently retired from his regular job. He has a flair for painting and decorating - so decided to do that as his post-retirement job. He charged me £900 for the kitchen, utility, dining, living, hall stairs and landing. He brought the paint, (I paid for that).
He has done a fantastic job. He was here one week plus a couple of days the following week.
Tea was flowing and for lunch corn beef pies or sandwiches from the local bakery. He’s one who likes to talk, So we got on well .

My point is he’s getting £230, whether he does 4hrs, or 6hrs. A day rate of £230 to me means coming at 9am, hr for lunch knocking off at 5pm.
I paid for materials on top of that.

I think cleaning is a skilled job- I wouldn’t pay £230 a day though

Worked out plasterer did 10.5 hrs, roughly over three days to plaster 18ft x 13 foot living room ceiling. Counted in 5 bags of plaster, tub of poly bond. 1.5 hrs preparation of ceiling. £900