Would you leave a workman alone in your home ?

Never again.

We had a tree fall on our roof and damage our stove pipe.

They installed the stove pipe upside down.

Had to fight the insurance company and them to get our money back.
 
Wren said:
I have plumbers working in my home, checking and doing a general service, they seem nice men and I’ve met them before but I can’t wait for them to finish so I can go out !

Some of my neighbours work and others just go about their daily routine, happy to leave a key for the workmen but I just couldn’t give people access to my home, I’m in the bedroom, putting away summer clothes, shoes etc.

What is your view on this ?
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When I was in high school, my parents had the whole house re wallpapered and had new ceilings put in all the rooms. The workmen who were recommended to my family were left alone in our home for a week to do this. My parents both worked and everybody else was in school. A week or so after they finished the job my whole family went out for a birthday celebration. When we got home, we couldn't open the door. It had been bolted from the inside. We went around the back and saw burglars had gotten in by breaking a back window on the 1st floor. They stole our silverware, all my mom's mink stoles, most of my valuable jewelry, our television sets, radios and electronics etc. etc. Our cousin who was a cop immediately suspected the unsupervised workmen. Nothing could ever be proven. But I believe he was right. I felt raped and so upset by all the loss but the insurance covered most of it. Some things were never replaced (my antique jewelry) and it was my stuff so it broke my heart. Never leave a workman alone in your place for any reason. A stranger is a stranger and you're responsible. You can't really trust these people. 😦
 
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I worked in the remodeling trade for many years and my partner and I were alone in peoples' houses many, many times.
We earned a good reputation for our neatness (as much as that was possible), our considerateness and discretion.
We got plenty of new business through word of mouth referrals.
That being said, I would be very choosy about leaving a work crew alone in my own house. I'd hire someone who'd already done work for people whom I knew. It'd be very instructive to pay a visit to a job they're currently engaged with and get a feel for how they comport themselves in a home and witness their manners with the family.
 
chic said:
When I'm stuck at home with workmen, I take all the knives out of the kitchen drawers and hide them with the linens and towels. You can never be too careful.
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Cripes Chic, I didn’t think of that I was too busy worrying about my knicker drawer ! 😱
 
I sometimes went in to peoples homes to do jobs
and although I am honest and trustworthy, I always
felt more comfortable if a member of the house was
there with me.

That driver was not even in the house, shows that the
"Ring" door bell is value for money.

Mike.
 
It sounds as though you have the ability to stay while work is done on your home. My advice is to be home when they are there. What happens if they find some problem, like they have to rip out two walls to get to a leak, or a costly problem that needs your OK. Waiting for you to come could be extremely costly to you. And it wouldn't hurt to protect your stuff.
 
When hiring home a home repair outfit to come into your home and perform work, the best advice is to use your common sense.

Hire only licensed, bonded contractors.
Lock up your valuables.
Check references.
If hiring a big outfit, ask if they perform background checks on their workers.
DO NOT give any worker a key no matter for how long.
If your contractor is using a sub contractor for part of the job, check with your contractor how well he knows those people.
Above all, Don’t be shy about looking in on their progress as they do the job.

Quick story, but not relevant. Years ago, I was called to an address to speak with any angry homeowner. He hired a complete unknown person to put a new roof on his home. The owner and the roofer cut a “verbal” deal. The work was to begin on the following Monday. The roofer asked that the owner front him the money for the materials. This was on the Friday before the Monday when the work was to begin.

The owner agreed and gave the roofer $3500.00. (I forget the real amount that he was given.) The roofer was supposed to take the money, go to Home Depot, pickup the materials (tar paper, shingles and nails), return to the owner’s house, deliver the materials and leave until Monday when he was to return and begin the work.

Problem was that once he received the money and left, he never returned. Thankfully, the homeowner had enough sense to ask the roofer for his driver’s license, which he made a copy of using his printer. Using the copy, we were able to put out a BOLO, and in 3 or 4 days he was taken into custody in Virginia at his sister’s home. When arrested, he only had a few hundred dollars on him.

This type of crime has been duplicated other times as well.
 
Mike said:
I sometimes went in to peoples homes to do jobs
and although I am honest and trustworthy, I always
felt more comfortable if a member of the house was
there with me.

That driver was not even in the house, shows that the
"Ring" door bell is value for money.

Mike.
Click to expand...

I have the ring doorbell too...it's got a great wide viewpoint.
 
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