Study shows Brits dread troublesome tradesmen

A study of homeowner's opinions shows that the British public dread visits from tradesmen, regardless of the benefits that their work can bring.

npower hometeam, which installs, services and repairs boilers and gas central heating systems, found that 28% of the British public, and 35% of females, dread having workers in their homes, in spite of their extensive expertise.

These responses were justified by experiences including workmen smashing a new marble fireplace and being caught rifling through a client's underwear drawer.

In true British fashion, it seems the nation's ideal tradesman would have impeccable manners, with 65% wanting workers to be polite and friendly, one fifth requesting that they would take their shoes off at the door, and one in 14 hoping that servicemen will bring their own tea and coffee.

West Midlanders were the tightest with their tea, with eight per cent wanting tradesmen to bring their own, while true to form, Yorkshire residents were the most willing to bestow a brew to their boilerman, with just one in a 100 expecting engineers to bring their own.

Despite requiring the skills of specialist workers, 43% of women say they feel nervous about letting a stranger into their home while 60% of the public hate waiting in all day for a tradesman to arrive. Indeed, 86% of Brits (and a staggering 91% of all over-55s) would simply like their tradesmen to turn up when they say they will.

Dispelling the myth that men care less about appearances, males appear more house proud than their female counterparts. They are more worried about tradesmen looking scruffy, leaving their house in a mess, and having a white van parked outside their homes.