We only wish that was a skylight over our bed! Instead, today we have a whole slew of handymen and roofers in and out of our loft. The rains over the last few days have taken a toll on our roof (and consequently our furniture and electronics!) and our loft is a buzz of activity and repair. We're staying put, but others would rather be gone when work is being done in their space, so we ask you: Do you stay or do you go?
In theory the people which you or your landlord hire are insured for any damages that occur while working. But that still doesn't make us feel any better about strangers being in our home when we aren't there to keep an eye on things. Although everything in our loft is covered under our own insurance, that doesn't mean we want to replace it. On the same note, it doesn't mean we aren't trusting, it just feels weird to us.
But we've had friends and family who are ok with knowing the property manager has a key to let people in and having things done while they are away makes thing easier! Which do you do? Would you rather be home keeping an eye on things, or out around town getting things done? Let us know below!
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I'd stay! Better safe than sorry.
http://meowmineh.blogspot.com
It depends -
Do you keep alot of valuables in your home - and are you insured?
Is it just the building maintenance man coming in to fix a leaky sink or is it a contractor that you've hired to install fixtures and requires payment?
If it's the building's personel to fix little things - I have no problem with them coming in as they need to when I'm not home...
...but if it's someone coming in to do a job that might require furniture to be moved or a significant amount of time in the place and payment, I think it's always a good idea to be around - tho not necessarily in the same room because a workman can't do a good job when the owner is hovering around.
id stay if at all possible. mostly because if any issues were to come up, id rather be there to give my say than to show up later after having someone make that decision for me.
I'd leave and run errands, but check back every so often.
I stay. I have a dog, and I don't want strangers alone in the apartment with her. She's a good, friendly girl, but if anything happened, she'd pay the price, and I'm not okay with that.
I stay if at all possible, but with trusted workmen who've done a lot of work for us in the past, I don't mind leaving them there alone.
i stay. i can't stand people in my home when i'm not there. not that i'm totally distrustful...it's just...okay i am.
It depends. Are there aesthetic judgments involved in the work? I have been burned by contractors I thought I could trust who installed tile wrong or made other design judgments that I later regretted.
If I am going to leave someone in my house unattended, I send my dogs to daycare. It's not worth the risk to either the workers or them to leave everyone there together.
I work 20 minutes drive from my home so if it is minor repairs being done with my building manager present, I am okay not being there. If he isn't going to be around or it will take more than a few minutes than I want to be there. But I lock everything up so they can't get to paperwork or valuables.
"If I go there will be trouble,
and if I stay it will be double..."
Or something like that!
I like to be there. However, when I'm there I don't interfere.
I'm usually uncomfortable about giving someone access that I'm not familiar with because, in a way, I'm putting that person in an unfair position. If anything is damaged or missing then it must be their fault?
Even if you are there, like in the case of my questionable satellite tech service, it's hard to predict such a boneheaded move as one where they may place a creamy to go coffee cup on my vintage Eames ottoman leaving a fragrant hazelnut ring on it. My wife was there but she trusted that the tech would make a better decision. If I were there I would have told him to leave the coffee on the kitchen counter. Then I would leave him alone and let him fix the satellite problem.
I'd vote go!
On a side note... what color is that on the wall? That's a must have for my living room!
K0rt - It was that color when we moved in, but I can tell you it's been very tricky to live with. It's not flattering to skin tones when you're next to it and it changes throughout the day depending on the amount of light that hits it. It turns anywhere from Kermit Green to Split Pea Soup and everywhere in between.
I suggest hitting the paint counter for chips and pinning them to your wall for a week before taking the color plunge!
-Sarahrae
In most situations go or at least do some errands and check in.
Rent: you don't have to be there.
Own: you'd better be there.
I stay if I can. (Gotta earn my living, though...) I have had some really annoying near-misses turn out ok because having someone home to see the mistake-in-progress fixed it in time. Then just yesterday, the landscaping company hired by the homeowners' association messed up my yard because I wasn't there to intercede.
Nobody cares more than you do that the job is d one right, and what "right" is can be subjective, too. Be there if you can. Assume nothing about the skill or concern of the workers.
"It was that color when we moved in, but I can tell you it's been very tricky to live with. It's not flattering to skin tones when you're next to it and it changes throughout the day depending on the amount of light that hits it. It turns anywhere from Kermit Green to Split Pea Soup and everywhere in between."
SarahRae--
I have a very similar color of green in my den which gets tons of direct morning sunlight. When I first painted the room, I too thought it was SCARY bright, but once I introduced more elements to the room (Navy Blue Rug & Wing Chair, Raspberry Sofa, Mahogany casegoods, Gilt-Framed mirror and artwork, floor-ceiling multi-colored draperies) the wall color balanced out and has became much easier to live with and the room much cozier.
My apt. complex has (1) live in maintenance guy - and when I moved in I made a point of meeting him and "feeling him out" for the very reason that he has access to my home. He turned out to be a very efficient, and nice guy and when others (plumbers, electricians) are brought in, he's always in the apt with them until they're done - so I guess I consider myself lucky. Most repairs are done during regular business hours, so if you work (like I do) - being at home everytime they come is not really an option. It does feel weird coming home and knowing strangers have been in your place, but that's one of the trade-offs of living in an apt.
I have, and will continue, to stay in my home and watch anyone working in my home. Like a hawk.
I recently had the same thing happen in my loft, but there was no large hole in my ceiling. I stayed and I'd probably stay even if there was a hole. I wouldn't like to have people in my place when I'm not home.
i usually go, especially cause i live alone and i'm at work while the repoairs get done. this last weekend though i left for an hour and came back to find the tile guy had put in everything crooked. I made him come back up and fix it and he reeked of weed. If i had been there I would have noticed him putting it in crooked earlier.
One time my landlord hired a guy to do some work outside our 4-unit house. He blew a fuse and broke into my apartment (1st floor) to gain access to the basement. He left the door to my apartment open, and my 14 year old deaf kitty got out. He didn't even realize he'd done it until he found the cat sitting under his truck. Luckily he called the number on her tag (she put up quite a fight). I got home and everything was back to normal... but it definitely scared me into always being present during repairs.
I stay... and I hover. (I know, I'm sorry.) This has only worked to my benefit so far.
In the past, I was never home, just left the area to be worked on cleared, and it resulted in many unexpected situations happening, so it became clear I needed to stay.
Most recently, I benefited from being there b/c I cleaned the oven and area behind the oven while it was moved out; (I did it while the workers were outside, so I was out of the way); the vinyl flooring had gotten pulled up and had a ridge/bubble in it, so I was able to have them fix it before they left; got input into the backsplash, ensuring I could open a drawer which was previously blocked, etc.
Previously, not being there has resulted in things like the oven being installed in such a way that it blocked a drawer, landlord put everything from my outdoor balcony (covered in dust and spiders) in my bedroom, and my landlord checks things out. Not really snoops, I think, but opens all closets, doors, cupboards, etc. - and this makes me insane.
So, now I have to be there. Works out better for all of us, but is usually massively inconvenient for me, b/c they don't work with me to pick a mutually convenient day, and they give me the bare 24 hrs notice as required by law (sometimes it's a little less than 24 hours). Bah.
Myself, I always stay if I can.
As someone that's been on the other side , I'd prefer the resident stay too. I worked on a telecom wiring upgrade at an apt complex & some chick accused my team of stealing her home phone and was extremely vocal and confident in her accusation until a search by her, my team, and the landlord revealed the phone was under the mounds of crap on her unmade bed.
There are reliable repairmen and then there are morons. Once you have a chance to judge the character of those working in your home....then you can make a more informed judgment call. Good luck to you and I hope all the repairs are completed in record time.
I stay. I would worry that something would go wrong if I wasn't there. I don't meddle though, and I leave them to their business. My husband can't leave work, so I'm always the one that has to meet workers, etc. I worry sometimes about being home alone with strange men around. However, our dogs are loud and scary looking. They wouldn't hurt anyone, but it makes me feel better to have them around! They stick to me like glue when there's something going on, and bark quite a bit (a little too often actually, haha). If I didn't have them as a security blanket, then I probably would leave.