Builders, Decorators and Tradesmen/Women

What do you do when you have men in 🤷‍♀️?

Make tea
Make coffee
Stay out of the way
Research Family History
It was good weather so I could garden

Afterwards, clean clean, clean and wonder why you didn't get in a firm of professional deep cleaners!

My DH is in the building trade . An electrician , so most of the trades at our house are friends or colleagues.
We’ve had two big projects and our current house has had 2 extensions. Loft and garage , and extending the back of the house . Both times DH and I project managed it . Not easy leaving for work and people asking about paint and tiles etc .
Yes it is stressful having people in your house , but I always think, it’s not forever and the end result is your lovely house .

I hate anyone in my house. I just about let Friends in ,and only by arrangement

Jaxjacky I have lists, one for each room.

Also a list for after Christmas for more outside work.

I think I have lists of my lists 😹😹😹

Any painting we’d had done has been timed to be coincident with a planning mini UK break. The kitchen refit, done in Nov/Dec 2020, partial lockdown, we camped in the L room with a microwave. We know all our tradesman, so totally trust them and get on with them, if that means we wait for their availability, so be it.
I’d be making lists GG13, of things to get, add or generally make yours your renovations, good luck and 🤞 for a timely finish.

Meant to say it sounds as if the end is nigh GG soon you can sit back and enjoy the peace.

We did have one guy in the last house who was more of a floor specialist, laid wooden floor throughout, but also did decorating. He was such a gasbag, he never stopped talking about his life, four children, two dogs and a cat who he was more responsible for than his wife. He always arrived late having dropped them off at various places, his wife was quite a high flyer an editor of some top magazine and the head honcho who left him to get on with the minutiae. So his 9 am was often 11 am. Once he arrived he'd give us chapter and verse on the domestic front, his not ours!. I'd be smiling, but in my mind I was "can you just shut up and go and do some work" in the end our get out was just that to get out! He also managed to put some wallpaper on upside down, fortunately it was a pattern that looked the same either way up, just as well I don't pick up on finer detail Not as bad as my mum telling me when she used to collect on behalf of our church for the football pool, she'd often be invited in for a cup of tea in neighbours' houses. Apparently someone had papered their walls leaving the edging with "Crown wallpaper" in bold letters

I've got two ladies coming soon to do some decorating. I've bought a variety of biscuits for their tea breaks. However, I shall be glad when its all done and dusted and I can relax on my own again.

I've recounted this before, not as extensive as your building work GG, but we did have a loft extension, bedroom and ensuite, put in two houses ago. The builders told me I'd get plenty of notice when they knocked through the ceiling, that notice one morning went "what are you doing today love" "taking my older child to school, me and the baby will be off to the supermarket after that, about 2 hours" him "make it 3 we're knocking the ceiling out" gee thanks! Covered in dust for ages, hoover gave up the ghost. In the next house, we had 3 bathrooms replaced, never quite sure if and when the plumbers would turn up worked in hazy manyana dog years, the tiler who worked in conjunction with them was frequently exasperated. Decorators, generally not too bad, the one we had here was good quietly got on with it, I just felt I needed an industrial tea urn, boy did he go through vast quantities of Yorkshire tea, but that's never too much of a problem.

My husband is prone to say, usually related to his mother, who wanted things done to the house, but then moaned about the men being there, that was aimed at me sighing about same.

Hopefully, everything crossed we are still on track to be finished by end of November, everything crossed 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻

I have no worries about leaving them in the house alone. I just show them where the tea, coffee, sugar and biscuits are.

I stay in and watch they don't damage anything, price up the family silver or raid the fridge.

AuntieE

I have only ever had people working in one place at any one time, so I take a note of the time they arrived, and later the time they leave, and in between I get on with whatever I would normally do at home.

I prefer not to leave my home while anyone is working in it, as I want to have an idea if the number of hours work I am paying for is correct or not.

We’ve always paid by the job, not by the hour. Our plumber is a lovely man whose become a friend, he likes to chat with my husband and drink coffee while he works.
We’d be paying double if it was by the hour!

Having workmen in is my worst nightmare. We have had two large extension done, both lasting between 11-13 weeks they kept disappearing as they were working on other properties at the same time and were very weather dependent. I desperately need to decorate ost of the house now but just can’t face it.

while I quite enjoy it.

I can't stand having workmen in.

When we had men in every working day for 8 months we just carried on with life as usual. Getting 2 primary school boys out of the door to school, then off to work.
It was pretty mad most mornings as the teams arrived at the time we were trying to get out, and we needed to give them their instructions etc for the day.
The roof of the main house was the only part untouched in the remodelling project. We added a pitched roof to a previously flat roof on a one-bedroomed granny annexe we incorporated into it.
I was glad when it was over I must say.

Many years ago when my DD was a baby about 2 months old we had an extension built. On the first day I told the builders I'd be there most of the time but would be feeding the baby so I showed them where the tea and coffee etc was and asked them to help themselves whenever they wanted as I would be busy.
They were all family men and they were really great. Most of the work didn't disturb me until they knocked through to open up a doorway into the upstairs part. Whenever they made a drink they offered to make me one too. I really missed them when it was finished and they left.

I have only ever had people working in one place at any one time, so I take a note of the time they arrived, and later the time they leave, and in between I get on with whatever I would normally do at home.

I prefer not to leave my home while anyone is working in it, as I want to have an idea if the number of hours work I am paying for is correct or not.

I feel your pain. We have had the same since early September. Downsized in July.
We have had a new kitchen and bathroom, new flooring, front door and new fireplace.
Just at the decorating stage and replacing original doors ( very badly painted poor quality) with oak ones. Phase one will then be complete!
Lounge and hall starting after Christmas.
My husband is still working but I’m retired. I’ve been at our daughter’s house with the dogs some of the time as I’m asthmatic.
Our builder is a friend but arrives really early. Painter and decorator is amazing and used him for over 20 years. Both reliable and trusted. Decorator has slotted us in at weekends.
Other trades people have been more unpredictable and had to return due to issues.
I know how you feel. Will be nice to sit back, relax and enjoy new surroundings.
Just want my usual routine back but it will have all been worth it.

I detest having work men in the house, it feels so invasive, I've been very lucky past 46 years, hubby did 90% of it, at 75, he's starting to struggle, house is too big for us, 4 bed, 3 bathroom, but moving is too much stress and expensive, so decided to stay put and fit a lift when needed

Thinking about it GG13 get out and do all your Christmas shopping. Buy some of what you need on line - plus cards, stamps, wrapping paper, buttons and bows.

Then when December starts you’ll be good to go - staying in, making mince pies, wrapping presents and writing cards at your leisure, decorating your Christmas tree, putting up lights and garlands in your lovely ‘new’ nest.

Not a bad time of year for hunkering down.

You’ll be glad ‘some days’ to go to the gym or meet friends for coffee (or wine) but I should imagine mighty pleased just to Stay Home! (with all your shopping finished in November).

Cosy.
Twinkling lights. “Mulled wine anybody? It’s past the yardarm.”

Well, we have a never ending stream of tradesmen through at the moment, and expect that to last for up to a year.

But then it is what we planned for when we bought peoject house.

Without exception they have all been pleasant and competent and - yes, we do have to leave them in the house,unattended at times. Currently we have men in insulating the loft. We have also had new central heating, plastering floor laying and floor restoring, landscaping and carpentry. Still to come, but not before Christmas are decorators, window restorers and later kitchen fitters and more carpenters, oh and the man to restore and rebuild the fireplaces.

I am rather enjoying it.

What will I do when it is over? Do some volunteering, hopefully at the lcal museum.

Will all be worth it in the end.
I hate having workmen in , you don’t know what to do with yourself, do you.

Last week we had a log burner installed , only 4 hours and two lovely chaps who were professional, respectful and tidy but we were glad when they went.

I’ve had long term builders in in a previous house and it drove me barmy. 🫤🤯.

You’re near the end, so hang on in there . 🤨.

We’ve only ever had decorators in GG13and so approximately 3 days or so. We have two very small apartments one here in Manchester and one in Málaga. We used trusted people and so were happy to give them a key and ‘get on with it’ while we booked flights with Mr. O’Leary - never staying in which place was being freshened up.

However your experience has been above and beyond our minor escapes. Eleven weeks will have stretched your patience as it’s been such a huge undertaking!

Not long now … you’re very nearly done. Woohoo! 🎉

11 weeks is a long time GrannyGravy13!
You'll soon be busy garlanding, twinkling and baking .
It's always soo much easier to keep out of the way during the warm months as you can potter (sit in a deck chair) in the garden, hope you have your house back soon!