I don't know what to do when 'men' are in the house!

It depends where they are, but I just get on with whatever I want to do somewhere else.
And make them tea and coffee.

I've had a lot of work done over the last couple of years and just got on with work while they were doing what they had to - offering cup of coffee or tea now and then. Worst thing is when they've been working in the bathroom or toilet

or they have to turn the water off!

Man came to clean the carpets last week. I retreated to the kitchen. The sink is shinier than when I bought it, the microwave is pristine, there isn't a single crumb in my cutlery drawer. I can see my face in the kettle and the toaster, and the oven door now looks filthy as he finished before I got to it.

I try to keep out of the way but can never resist having a sneaky peak to see how they are getting on.

When I had men working in the bathroom I made sure I had a bucket in the garage in case of emergency.

As the youngsters say ... 'True Dat' wildswan16

Depends what the men are like and what they are doing. Some of them are happy to chat and friendly while they are working, and some are best left to get on with it so I’ll just do something else myself in another room.

The worst thing is having rewiring, they're in every room in the house! You can't get out of the way at all, there's no escape!! If they're only in one room I usually just make them a cuppa, then leave them to get on with it. As others have said, that's when a few long awaited chores get done If H is in though, he talks with them non stop. Wish he wouldn't, cos I always think he's putting them off.

Our plumber likes to chat. He takes ages to do stuff leaning back on his haunches to make a point. But, he comes whenever. Luckily he doesn’t charge for chat time!

Mostly get on with things as normal apart from making tea or coffee but my plumber is a chatterer so usually stand and have a natter with him

My husband always chats to them which i think is wrong as it stops them getting on with the job and if they are doing something like checking the boiler i feel they need to concentrate on what they are doing not chatting about football!!! Me i just disappear to another room and leave them to it.

I usually retreat to the study and my computer unless that is where the workers are.

I, too, try to keep out of their way by doing some ironing or some such, but offering tea/coffee as required if it’s going to be a lengthy job,

I find jobs in another room when workmen are here, if all else fails I retreat to a quiet spot with my book, (best option ).
Workmen here in France don't want endless drinks but do take a lunch break.

I just make them a drink and leave them to it.

Like others I find something to do . Garden is a good start then clean the car . Sort out my paperwork and file ...something I put off and normally escape to the shops.

I take it as a good excuse to sit in a corner and knit or crochet.

We have a very sensitive dog that is afraid of strange men in the house, so I usually explain that then hole myself up in a room with her. I pop out every now and again for a few words and to make tea/ get the biscuits .

Our plumber won't seem to shut up. Friendly, but it goes on a bit too long

Do we all share the same plumber or is it a trait of plumbers to be chatty? Mine stays about an hour of which 20 mins max he is working. But he charges a very reasonable price and tries to come within a few days if the boiler isn’t working. I could tell you about all his holidays, family, new house etc

A few years ago we had builders and decorators working on the house for seven months, mostly on the ground floor but also the bathroom at one point, and even in the loft. It was sometimes hard to find anywhere that was 'work free' and fortunately there are nice public toilets a few hundred yards away in the village. Because they were with us for so long we got to know them and chatted to them and worked around them, though I never interrupted the electrician if he was wiring something! We began by supplying a 'watering station' with tea, coffee and soft drinks but after a while some of them brought their own preferred beverages, and they all brought their own mugs - company rule to avoid breaking customers china! As they were with us through a lovely warm summer we could also escape to the garden, and DH to beloved his shed. The roof was tiled during a couple of very hot days and it was most pleasant sitting in the garden watching a well-built roofer stripped to the waist!! We of course took the precaution of putting fragile items, valuables and private documents safely out of sight, and not revealing any info regarding finances etc. in casual conversation.

If we have workmen here for just a few hours or a couple of days we just sit/hover in an adjacent area, put the tv on perhaps, or do some ironing, so that they can talk to us if they want/need to, and just leave them to get on with the job. I always offer a cup of tea.

If you already know the person working for you, personal safety & security is probably not an issue, but if it's someone unknown to you always ensure you can easily exit your house to get help if you should need it.

Workmen are not often chatty when they come to my place, but then neither am I. I always leave them to their own devices. I don't drink tea or coffee so they only get the offer of water or Diet Coke, which they usually refuse. I had a plumber in the house yesterday, to do two jobs. When he had finished in the kitchen I did some baking, but before that looked on Youtube for papercraft videos. Learnt to make easy peasy spiral flowers.
Can I ask does anyone give these people a tip? I used to but no longer do.

I had a decorator a couple of years ago who went to the loo when he arrived (early) and then went to sit in his car to eat his breakfast which I thought was a bit odd. When my Fitbit app congratulated me on losing 6 pounds and I’d not been on the scales, I realised he was getting weighed on my WiFi scales when he got here!! His work was great but he would start smacking his lips every hour and saying ‘it's thirsty work this wallpapering’ meaning he wanted me to make him a cup of tea??. I couldn’t bear him being in the house so we didn’t use him again

Just leave them to get on with it and feed them coffee or tea when they need it.