Is there an echo in here?

My house had no insulation when I bought it. Not sure why, seems like a basic essential item to put into a house when one constructs one but whatever. Thus, for several months, I’ve been debating on the best way to go about solving the problem. After a lot of thought, I made the decision to turn the attic into usable space and insulate up there at the same time. Win-Win. Great, I find a contractor, he begins the job. Problem is he didn’t finish the job. The attic is finished, it looks great and is the most comfortable part of the house now. However, the guy didn’t put in the new stairs however he did rip out the old ones. Nor did he put in the new door or fill in the hole in the ceiling between the two floors (which, by the way, he made larger in order to do the job). Thus, I have an attic I can’t get into without a ladder. And as an added bonus, I have an echo chamber. You see, with the giant hole in the hallway ceiling leading up to the attic, when you walk through that part of the house, there’s now an echo. This is a bit weird during the day. At night, when I’m in the house alone, it’s downright creepy. Yup, I was sure I was being followed the other night when I got up to use the bathroom at 2 A.M. Okay, okay I know my mind was playing tricks on me because I was half awake. It was bad, very, very bad. My heart was racing and it took me forever to fall back asleep. Now, I’ve called the guy several times but it always goes to voicemail. You would think he would want to come back and finish because he hasn’t been paid in full yet. Yup, I’m one of those people who doesn’t pay anyone the full amount until they’ve complete a job to my satisfaction. At this rate, I’m thinking I should be knocking off a few dollars from the final amount due everyday he doesn’t show up. After all, no one should have to be followed by their own footsteps in their own home. It’s just wrong. And it’s not like this is the first time a contractor has done this to me. I once had a guy who never came back and thus never got paid. And he had done almost the whole job with less than 25% down. Go figure that one. Must be nice to not need the money you’ve worked so hard for. I had another guy who never cashed the check I gave him. After 6 months I stopped payment on it. My thinking was, if he hadn’t needed the money by then, he never would. It’s an odd world we live in, I don’t think I will ever learn what makes some people tick. Me, I know my worth and I want people to acknowledge it and treat me accordingly. And I’m not just taking money here. If I make you a meal, tell me ‘thank you.’ If I give you a smile, smile back. And I almost certainly will not leave a job half done, unless there’s a fire somewhere. Nope, have some pride in what you do, don’t be wishy-washy, don’t make a commitment you don’t intend to keep. Basic rules we teach to a 5 year old. Well, maybe not anymore…