Leaving builders alone in your property

Lifeisbutadream

My husband and I run a building and joinery business and lots of people leave the workmen alone. My husband would be mortified if he thought anyone thought he would take something or do something he shouldnt.

Next week he is feeding a customers hamster whilst they are on holiday!

Our reputation is what keeps us going and we wouldnt have a business if we were completely honest and trustworthy.

But saying that, if you are not comfortable with it, then dont do it.

Becles

I bought a house with my ex and it needed a new kitchen. We used a company that my parents used and thought it was reputable. As neither of us could get time off work, the fitters were left alone in the house.

We'd just moved in and didn't have much furniture. We didn't have any cabinets in the sitting room but had loads of fitted bedroom furniture, so my ex's CD and video collection was in the bridging unit above the bed. We had small appliances such as a microwave, food processor etc., in the cupboard under the stairs. The cupboard just had a small door which the sofa stood in front of and it wasn't immediately obvious the cupboard was there.

We were burgled during the day. We think it was mid-afternoon as a neighbour said he noticed a car on the drive when he took his dogs out, but it was a similar colour to my ex's, so he just thought my ex had popped home for something.

They forced the back door. The sofa had been moved and the understair cupboard was open with the electricals gone and the only doors open in the bedroom were the bridging unit and the CD's and videos were gone. Also I'd been cold and put a sleeping bag over the bed and that had been taken. Police suggested they used it as a sack to carry the stuff downstairs in one go.

After having the kitchen fitted we'd bought a stereo and a computer. These were boxed and on the floor in the empty spare bedroom, but they hadn't been in that room and they were still there.

We never did find out who had burgled the house, but it just seemed very strange that the kitchen fitters had been left unattended in the house, and the burglars knew which two cupboards had the most valuable items in.

PS: This was in 1994 when CD's and videos were quite valuable

gwen80

Nope! Years ago I left a workman and a younger lad to fit an extractor fan in my bathroom. I'd got them from a large, local reputable electrical firm. When I returned, the extractor fan had been fitted. I also had large dirty (brickdust) handprints on my newly painted cream walls. I also had a big black biro scribble (it was bigger than my hand, no way was that accidental) on the wall. The worst part of all was that they'd been in my bedroom, which there was no need to have done and sat on my bed...leaving a brickdust @rseprint on my clean bedding... In hindsight, I think the younger lad was on work experience and got bored while the older guy did the majority of the work. Needless to say I'll never use that company again and I'll never leave a workman alone in my house again.

Gwenx

[Deleted User]

I read your OP yesterday and thought, how weird we have the same thing happening soon but I don't have to worry about it because my husband will be around for that week and I got home yesterday to find out that he's been offered a 4 week contract (he is freelance) over those dates.

We discussed it last night, and my OH thinks that it would be fine to leave the decorator at the flat alone for 5 days but I am not so sure. Whilst I really don't want to use 5 days holiday sitting around a flat that will be dusty, messy and full of crates, I also don't feel comfortable leaving a stranger in our home - his work comes highly recommended through ratedpeople but I don't know him personally, I am sure he would be horrified to think that we don't trust him. :eek:

It's a tricky one, but I have decided to take time off work to be there. Our flat is completely open plan so I can't lock off any rooms.

Hope it all goes well.