Nearly every uncomfortable moment in a home job traces back to something nobody settled beforehand. Not theft — ambiguity. Whether the spare room was included, whether they can use the bathroom, where they were supposed to park, who was going to move the sofa.
The ten minutes that matter
Put the small things in one place
Jewellery, cash, spare keys, prescription medication, a passport if it lives on a desk. One drawer, always the same drawer. This is not an accusation and it is not really about theft — it is about never being in the situation where something is mislaid and nobody can prove anything either way. Medication is the one worth being deliberate about, because it goes missing far more often than jewellery does.
Decide which rooms are in scope
Say it before anyone arrives rather than in the moment: which rooms they need, which they do not, and whether any door stays shut. Deciding this with a person already standing in your hallway is how people end up agreeing to things they did not want.
Sort out the boring logistics
- Parking. Where, and whether they need a permit. This is the single most common source of a bad start to a day.
- The bathroom. Say which one, unprompted. Somebody working in your house for six hours will need one, and making them ask is worse for everybody.
- Water, power and a bin. Where the outside tap is, which sockets work, where waste goes.
- Floors and access. Clear the route in. If something is fragile and on that route, move it yourself rather than mentioning it.
Pets and children
Put the dog somewhere else, even a friendly one. Tools, open doors and an excited animal is how both pets and people get hurt, and a worker who is managing your dog is not doing the job you are paying for. Tell them in advance if there is a cat that must not get out — that one causes real distress and is entirely preventable.
With small children, decide where they will be. It is not about the worker; it is about the drill, the ladder and the open toolbox.
The conversation that prevents most disputes
Before anything starts, five minutes, out loud, and ideally confirmed in a message afterwards so you both have it:
- What exactly is being done today, in your words rather than the quote's.
- What it costs, and what changes that. The useful question is not "how much" but "what would make this more than that?"
- Who decides if something unexpected turns up. The answer should be you, and there should be a number to ring before extra work starts, not after.
- Roughly when they expect to finish, so you are not both quietly annoyed at four o'clock.
The single most valuable sentence: "If you find anything that changes the price, stop and call me before you carry on." Almost every argument about a final bill is an argument about work that seemed obviously necessary to one person and came as a surprise to the other.
What not to bother with
You do not need to clean before a cleaner. You do not need to empty a room somebody is going to work in unless they asked. And you do not need to be visibly supervising — it slows the work down and, on an hourly job, you are paying for it.
Afterwards, before they leave
Walk the job with them while they are still there. Not an inspection — a look. Anything you notice in the moment is a two-minute fix; the same thing raised by message two days later is a negotiation. And if it went well, say so and ask if they take repeat work. That is how having somebody starts.
Frequently asked questions
Should I hide valuables before a contractor comes?
Put small, portable, sentimental or medical items in one specific place. Not as an accusation, but so nothing is ambiguous later — the worst version of this situation is an item that is merely mislaid and impossible to account for. Prescription medication is the one worth being most deliberate about.
Do I need to clean before a cleaner arrives?
No. Clearing surfaces and floors of clutter helps them get to the actual surfaces, and that is the whole of it. Cleaning before a cleaner is paying somebody to do work you have already done.
Should I let workers use my bathroom?
Yes, and say which one before they have to ask. Anyone working in your home for several hours will need one, and leaving it unspoken is more awkward for both of you than simply pointing at a door on the way in.
What should I agree before work starts?
What is being done today, what it costs, what would change that price, who decides if something unexpected appears, and roughly when they expect to finish. Confirm it in a message afterwards. Most billing disputes are two people who remembered one conversation differently.