0:00:03 > 0:00:09Cowboy builders cost us more than £1 billion every year.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11I would say it was easily the worst experience of my life so far.
0:00:11 > 0:00:16But I'm on a mission to turn the tables on those bad guys and put things right.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19It looks so different. It feels like brand new.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23We're about to see how bad some jobs can get.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25The foxes were coming in and out of the house.
0:00:25 > 0:00:26Using it as a litter tray.
0:00:26 > 0:00:31But if you stick with me, I'll point out all the pitfalls and show you
0:00:31 > 0:00:34how you can avoid falling into the Cowboy Trap.
0:00:43 > 0:00:50We're in Islington, a buzzing area of North London renowned for its bright lights, bars and bistros.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54Perfect location for young solicitor Vicky Downes to buy her first property.
0:00:54 > 0:01:00Perfect, until her builders walked off the job, after turning her home into a house of horrors.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03I had no roof on my extension and it hadn't been plastered.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06The floor hadn't gone down.
0:01:06 > 0:01:07It was dire.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11And in Giffnock, Glasgow, where plans for a dining kitchen extension
0:01:11 > 0:01:17left the Clarke family cooking in the dark and put them in danger.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21The lights weren't earthed. If the kids had touched them, they would have been electrocuted.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24I've been in and around the building industry for over 20 years.
0:01:24 > 0:01:29I've seen it all, and I'd like to think I can spot the bad guys, and
0:01:29 > 0:01:33it's also my chance to pass on the benefits of my experience to you.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37We'll help you to avoid those dodgy bodgers out there.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44Meet Vicky Downes, a successful property solicitor who recently
0:01:44 > 0:01:49bought the ground and basement of this mid-terraced house in Islington.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51It's Vicky's first home and she was looking forward
0:01:51 > 0:01:57to refurbishing the property so it was just the way she wanted it. But her builders had other plans.
0:02:00 > 0:02:05The company were employed to convert the property from a one and a half bedroom, one bathroom property
0:02:05 > 0:02:14to a two bed, two bathroom property, by putting on an extension and various internal rearrangements.
0:02:14 > 0:02:21The work should have cost £40,000 and lasted roughly ten weeks but so far the job's gone on for
0:02:21 > 0:02:29eight months and the cost has soared from £40 to £53,000, including the hire of new builders to finish
0:02:29 > 0:02:34or repair the worst of the bodged workmanship Vicky was left with.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37It was unliveable in, basically.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41I had no boiler, so no heating and hot water and it was the first week in February.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45Um, I was having to shower at work cos I had no wash facilities.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49I'm not the kind of person who gets easily stressed or upset,
0:02:49 > 0:02:53but I would say it was easily the worst experience of my life so far.
0:02:54 > 0:02:59So Vicky was left with a wrecked flat, no heating, no hot water,
0:02:59 > 0:03:03no roof on the extension and broken floorboards everywhere.
0:03:03 > 0:03:11All this chaos has so far cost Vicky £53,000 and the job's still not finished.
0:03:13 > 0:03:18Vicky's home and her hopes were left in tatters thanks to cowboy builders.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22But I know some guys who can't wait to lend a helping hand.
0:03:29 > 0:03:35I want to find out how this savvy young woman fell victim to a cowboy builder in the first place.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39Time to look at the evidence first hand.
0:03:39 > 0:03:40Hi, Vicky, I'm Clive.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42- Hi, Clive.- How you doing?- I'm good.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45- I hear you've had the cowboys in town.- I certainly have.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48It looks like you've had some, er, remedial works done.
0:03:48 > 0:03:49It looks very nice at this stage.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52'Before Vicky gives me a tour of her property, she shows me
0:03:52 > 0:03:56'some pictures she took around the time her builder walked off site.'
0:03:56 > 0:04:00So this area here is that area there?
0:04:00 > 0:04:01That's right.
0:04:01 > 0:04:07Vicky shows me around, pointing out just how much things have moved on since the builders left.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10This half of the house was quite badly affected.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14The floor wasn't level, there were holes in the ceiling, none
0:04:14 > 0:04:18of the lights were here, no light sockets or switches or plug sockets.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22I had pretty much no floorboards upstairs, so I was jumping from joist to joist.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24There were live wires hanging out.
0:04:24 > 0:04:25Ah, what's going on through here?
0:04:25 > 0:04:31Well, this is the one room that I haven't yet done pretty much anything to since the builders left.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33- You intend that to be your wet room? - That's right.
0:04:33 > 0:04:38Very fancy. Very nice. But not in the state it's in at the moment.
0:04:38 > 0:04:39Definitely not.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42I can't believe this mess.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44The wet room's a shambles.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47I mean, who was in charge of this?
0:04:47 > 0:04:52When the builder first came to look around, he brought a site manager
0:04:52 > 0:04:55with him to do the job, who I was quite impressed with.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57He didn't actually start on the job.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59It was a Polish guy who started doing the job.
0:04:59 > 0:05:04He then changed to a younger gentleman who was lovely, but didn't really have any experience.
0:05:04 > 0:05:10Then the original site manager came in for maybe two or three days
0:05:10 > 0:05:16and finally, when things went wrong, another site manager was brought to look around.
0:05:16 > 0:05:17So I think there were four in total.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21Four site managers?
0:05:21 > 0:05:23And they say three's a crowd.
0:05:23 > 0:05:28How is any work going to get done properly with no individual in charge?
0:05:28 > 0:05:32If you ask me, it's a classic case of too many cooks.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34Always know who's the boss
0:05:34 > 0:05:38cos it's their job to keep your work on schedule.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41If you can't be on site to check progress personally,
0:05:41 > 0:05:43give the job to someone you trust.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45Friend or family.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48If you've hired a project or site manager,
0:05:48 > 0:05:51make sure you talk to them regularly.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55What is the main thing you'd like us to do for you?
0:05:55 > 0:06:01Well, there's one room in the house that hasn't been touched at all, my wet room.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04That room is effectively in the state the builders left it.
0:06:04 > 0:06:10Well, if that's what you want, that is what my team and I will provide for you.
0:06:10 > 0:06:17Vicky's cowboy builder left her and her home in a shocking state, and seeing the way she's been treated,
0:06:17 > 0:06:21it really does my head in, but our boys are here to the rescue.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23So let's get cracking.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37Vicky was left with a house that was open to the elements, all because
0:06:37 > 0:06:40her builder wanted more money than they'd originally agreed on.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44But because she stuck to her guns, he walked off site.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48- Coming up, we'll see what affect this all had on Vicky. - It was too cold.
0:06:48 > 0:06:55There was a draught coming in, I had nowhere to wash and I was so stressed that I was starting to get ill.
0:06:55 > 0:07:00And will Vicky dare confront the man who left her living like this?
0:07:00 > 0:07:04Cowboy builders beware - your days are numbered.
0:07:06 > 0:07:13Our second story today focuses on the Clarke family from Giffnock, a smart suburb of Glasgow.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16With four growing children, parents Elaine and Julian
0:07:16 > 0:07:20needed to add more family space to their four bedroomed home.
0:07:20 > 0:07:26When plans for a dream extension turned sour, the family spirit sagged,
0:07:26 > 0:07:27along with the roof.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31They were charged for shocking electrical work and completely
0:07:31 > 0:07:39floored over their grotty tiling, all of which left them wanting cash back for their splash back.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43I feel it's just criminal what has been done.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47The electrics were so bad they were actually condemned.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50Last winter the Clarkes were left cooking in the dark
0:07:50 > 0:07:55in a kitchen so cold, they needed overcoats to prepare dinner.
0:07:55 > 0:08:00The original plan was to demolish an old outhouse, shown here
0:08:00 > 0:08:05on the left, and replace it with a much larger kitchen and utility area.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08We were just going to take the roof off and put a new roof on and then we thought, well,
0:08:08 > 0:08:12if we're going to do that, we thought we should just knock it down and start again.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16But as the Clarkes' build progressed, it wasn't only the extension going up.
0:08:16 > 0:08:21The costs started rising too, until finally their whole budget was blown.
0:08:21 > 0:08:26The Clarkes' original builders quoted £25,000 for the extension,
0:08:26 > 0:08:29but the job's been plagued with problems.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33A collapsing roof, dangerous electrics and poor finishing
0:08:33 > 0:08:39on everything from the slate floor to the woodwork, tiling and insulation.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42Shoddy workmanship, and the costs of getting new builders in
0:08:42 > 0:08:48for emergency repairs, have left the Clarkes with a bill for over £69,000!
0:08:48 > 0:08:51And there's still work to do.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53We've got just the guys to do it.
0:08:53 > 0:08:58Our team of dedicated builders are already on their way.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00The Clarkes have had enough problems.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04For about five months we had considerable disruption,
0:09:04 > 0:09:08and a year later we're back into the same situation again.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10It's freezing cold because there's no insulation.
0:09:10 > 0:09:15We've got to cook with a coat on, there's dust everywhere.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17It's not the living space that we paid for.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21The problem with the Clarkes' roof was a major fault.
0:09:21 > 0:09:26The roof line had developed a curve, or deflection, and required urgent attention.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30The problem we noticed was the roof was curving down the way, like it was sagging.
0:09:30 > 0:09:35The original builders wouldn't help, so the Clarkes had to turn elsewhere for answers.
0:09:35 > 0:09:41At that stage we decided we can't take any chances, so we asked for a structural engineer's report.
0:09:41 > 0:09:48Holes were cut in the roof and once that was done, we realised the supports weren't there.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51The recommendation was to put steel beams in.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55The wooden structure or the kit of the roof was woefully inadequate
0:09:55 > 0:09:57to actually support the weight of the roof.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00It's all the hidden stuff you can't really see.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02- Yeah. Yeah.- The moment they walk away, it looks good
0:10:02 > 0:10:05but they know it's not gonna look good for too much longer.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09- Yeah.- But as long as they get paid, it doesn't matter. - That's right.
0:10:09 > 0:10:14If the Clarkes hadn't been so vigilant, this story could have had a very different outcome.
0:10:14 > 0:10:19Without the proper supports in place, that roof could have collapsed at any time.
0:10:19 > 0:10:20Unbelievable.
0:10:20 > 0:10:26We were told that the roof was not safe and we were told that the roof
0:10:26 > 0:10:32eventually would have slid into the garden, and if there'd been snow, it would not have held the weight.
0:10:32 > 0:10:39The problem? The main roof support should have been constructed from a single strong piece of timber.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43In fact, it was made from short sections of wood nailed together.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47It simply wasn't safe, which put the kibosh on plans
0:10:47 > 0:10:51for a big party celebrating daughter Ros' 18th birthday.
0:10:51 > 0:10:56She was 18 on the 23rd of December and originally planned to have
0:10:56 > 0:11:01a party on the 19th, but we had to delay it cos there was no way that we were going to be ready in time.
0:11:01 > 0:11:07It was quite annoying cos I like to have my birthday before my birthday,
0:11:07 > 0:11:09not after, cos it doesn't feel birthday-ish.
0:11:09 > 0:11:14The roof wasn't just a problem for the birthday girl, it was actually illegal.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17Big work like this needs signing off by building inspectors
0:11:17 > 0:11:22from the local council but it hadn't happened.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25I can't believe this. It's a complete nightmare scenario.
0:11:25 > 0:11:30Building regulations are there for a reason - to make a building safe.
0:11:30 > 0:11:36If you're having building work done and you want to stay legal, here's how.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40Remember it's down to you to call in the building inspector,
0:11:40 > 0:11:43so phone your local council and book an appointment.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47And make sure you're there when an inspector calls.
0:11:47 > 0:11:52With all the money that been spent, the Clarke family should have been living in the lap of luxury,
0:11:52 > 0:11:57with a stylish new kitchen extension and all the mod cons to go with it, but because the work has been
0:11:57 > 0:12:02so badly finished, they've been left tens of thousands of pounds out of pocket.
0:12:02 > 0:12:08Maybe we can do something to help banish the memories of what's gone wrong.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14Tell me exactly what you'd like us to do.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17We've got an expert team of builders ready to come in.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20I think to start off would be to clean up the slate floor.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24We need to change the colour scheme cos we've got more wood in the room now.
0:12:24 > 0:12:28- Any colour scheme in mind?- I think something fairly neutral.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32There's a host of jobs, from replacing the skirting boards
0:12:32 > 0:12:38and repairing the splash backs where the tiles have dropped off, plus that smart oak roof needs treating
0:12:38 > 0:12:41with a coating of wax to give it the quality finish it deserves.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45Our boys will have their hands full with that little lot.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49Time for them to crack on and we'll check back later.
0:12:52 > 0:12:59Back in Islington, property solicitor Vicky Downes is in a tangle with cowboy builders.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01Her two-bedroomed flat is in a mess.
0:13:01 > 0:13:06So far she's spent more than £53,000 on trying to make this
0:13:06 > 0:13:11mid-terraced property habitable and she's now heavily in debt.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14The quote was for about £40,500.
0:13:14 > 0:13:19I think that to date it's probably cost me in the region of 15 to £20,000 more than that.
0:13:19 > 0:13:25Vicky's dodgy builders walked off the job following disagreements about money.
0:13:25 > 0:13:32Earlier, we invited independent building surveyor Gordon Kirby to take a look at what's happened.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35The major one is the shower room that needs to be finished.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38At the back, we have external doors that need to be finished.
0:13:38 > 0:13:45We need water bars at the bottom and I noticed that the flank wall is bare block work.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48So we're gonna have a damp problem.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51You've seen the photographs Vicky had taken on her laptop.
0:13:51 > 0:13:56- Mm.- If you were to give it a score out of ten, what would you give it for the builder's work?
0:13:56 > 0:13:59- I'd give it four.- Four out of ten.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01Harsh but fair.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05It's hard to defend a disaster like this and as you'd expect,
0:14:05 > 0:14:09with Vicky being a solicitor, she's a stickler for the finer detail.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12But this legal eagle still got caught out by a cowboy builder.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15What I'd like to know is just how?
0:14:15 > 0:14:19Everything I think that people tell you that you should do, I thought
0:14:19 > 0:14:23I'd done to make sure that the works went well, but it still went wrong.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27As our guys continue work on the wet room, I asked Vicky
0:14:27 > 0:14:32at what point she began to suspect she'd hired cowboy builders.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35Probably about three or four weeks into the contract.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39I had a request from the builder to pay money into a different bank account
0:14:39 > 0:14:43to the account that the previous funds had been paid into.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46I trusted him and I paid the money into the other account.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48Things started to go really badly wrong.
0:14:48 > 0:14:53I went away for a long weekend and I got back and no work had been done at all
0:14:53 > 0:14:56for the five days I'd been away, even though they knew
0:14:56 > 0:14:59they were getting towards the end date in the contract.
0:14:59 > 0:15:04After a day and a half frantically trying to get hold of the builder, I managed to get hold of him.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08He basically said, the long and the short of it is that we're running out of money on the job
0:15:08 > 0:15:13and I'm not gonna be able to complete it unless you provide me with extra funds.
0:15:13 > 0:15:18I said to him, I'm sorry, but this is a contract price.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20It's a set price. I won't be giving you any more money
0:15:20 > 0:15:23and he said, well, I've no choice but to walk off the job.
0:15:23 > 0:15:27Vicky persuaded the builder to stay but on a new deal.
0:15:27 > 0:15:33In future, she'd pay for extra materials or labour instead of handing over extra money to him.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35The builder agreed.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39Then just a week later, changed his mind.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42He said he needed £500 to buy the flashing for
0:15:42 > 0:15:47the roof, to complete the roof, and to pay the roofer so that he could come in and finish the roof.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51And that he'd be there that weekend to finish it, and would drop the flashings off that day.
0:15:51 > 0:15:57I agreed. He took me down to my bank in Islington.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00I gave him the cash. He went off.
0:16:00 > 0:16:06I phoned him a few hours later to ask when he was delivering the flashing, and he said, I'm not going to,
0:16:06 > 0:16:10I'm walking off the job, and that was a few hours after he'd taken cash from me.
0:16:10 > 0:16:15I had no roof on my extension, or an unfinished roof, so it wasn't watertight.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17The windows weren't attached.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21I had no heating and hot water because the boiler wasn't attached.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24I had a half-finished bathroom, the patio doors weren't attached
0:16:24 > 0:16:26and foxes were coming in and out downstairs
0:16:26 > 0:16:30and effectively using downstairs as their litter tray.
0:16:30 > 0:16:31It was pretty awful.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34Vicky had prepared well for her job.
0:16:34 > 0:16:39She's a property lawyer but once work had started, there were signs of the trouble ahead.
0:16:39 > 0:16:43So how can you avoid falling into the same trap?
0:16:43 > 0:16:47Always be careful about making payments to a builder's personal
0:16:47 > 0:16:51bank account, particularly if he has a business partner.
0:16:51 > 0:16:56Set up a payment schedule based on work done and stick to it.
0:16:56 > 0:17:01Advance payments should only be made if something unexpected crops up.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03If your builder threatens to walk off the job
0:17:03 > 0:17:05if you don't pay in advance,
0:17:05 > 0:17:09try to negotiate but never give in to threats.
0:17:09 > 0:17:15So Vicky's flat was left a complete mess and her builder walked off the job taking her money.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17How is Vicky holding up?
0:17:17 > 0:17:20I'm not the sort of person who gets stressed or upset
0:17:20 > 0:17:26particularly easily but the smallest thing was making me burst into tears.
0:17:26 > 0:17:30I was so stressed I wasn't sleeping properly, I wasn't eating properly.
0:17:30 > 0:17:36I just couldn't comprehend that someone could treat someone like that.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39Are you now over the worst of it, do you feel?
0:17:39 > 0:17:41Emotionally, I'm over the worst.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44If you'd seen me this time last year, it was a different story.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47Financially, it's obviously still having an impact on me.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50I've got big loans that I'm having to pay off on a monthly basis.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54But I'm definitely through the worst now.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59Vicky may be over the worst, but work on her home is still incomplete.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03Our guys are working flat out to change all that.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06Remember, if you're thinking of having a wet room installed,
0:18:06 > 0:18:09it's really important to use the right materials.
0:18:09 > 0:18:17Now wet rooms are very much in vogue at the moment, but before you do anything, make sure you prepare,
0:18:17 > 0:18:20because it's crucial that you put the proper boarding on first.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23This is wet board. Now what they used to do a few years ago,
0:18:23 > 0:18:27and even up until recently, was use plasterboard with a silver foil backing.
0:18:27 > 0:18:31Now although the water won't penetrate out of the silver foil
0:18:31 > 0:18:33and maybe onto the structure of the wall,
0:18:33 > 0:18:37it does make the actual plaster board itself start to disintegrate.
0:18:37 > 0:18:42Look at that. That's a real mess, and, of course, your tiles will start to fall off.
0:18:42 > 0:18:49But let your watchword be preparation if you want your wet room to look good for years to come.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52Exactly how do you fit wet boards to a room like this?
0:18:52 > 0:18:56I asked Chris, one of our builders.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58The adhesive used for the tiles
0:18:58 > 0:19:03has to be two-part flexible adhesive, which allows for any movement and allows for constant water.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07- You use that sort of stuff in swimming pools. - The right ventilation as well.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10- Yes.- Great job so far. I'll catch up with you later on.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12- Great. OK.- Cheers, Chris.
0:19:12 > 0:19:19Vicky's builder problems were hard enough to cope with but at the same time she faced a new family crisis.
0:19:19 > 0:19:25Two weeks after Vicky's builder did a runner with her money, her mother was diagnosed with MS.
0:19:25 > 0:19:31And add to that she had to move in with a friend while her house was being made safe.
0:19:31 > 0:19:32No wonder she had trouble coping.
0:19:32 > 0:19:38Her dad, Calvin, has been alongside her all the way on this emotional rollercoaster.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40She was in a state.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44I mean, I noticed that her hands were trembling,
0:19:44 > 0:19:51she'd burst into tears at the drop of a hat, she'd lost weight.
0:19:51 > 0:19:58You know, to see your daughter having to face those circumstances on her own...
0:19:58 > 0:20:02is not easy.
0:20:03 > 0:20:10And the uncertainty going forward as well is difficult because we just didn't know how we were gonna manage.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14We were all looking to see where we could find money, where we could
0:20:14 > 0:20:21close off insurances that we had and all sorts of things in order just to get us through this difficult point.
0:20:21 > 0:20:26From Victoria's point of view, she just couldn't see any way out of it.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30Fortunately, Victoria's grandparents stepped in.
0:20:30 > 0:20:38The family pulled together and they gave her some money to tide her over, to get the workmen in to get these
0:20:38 > 0:20:42key resources, or key facilities in place.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45Vicky's lucky she had a family to rally around with a loan from her grandparents.
0:20:45 > 0:20:53Even so, she's still £13,000 in debt, thanks to her runaway cowboy builder.
0:20:53 > 0:20:58I wanna hear what this guy's got to say for himself - for Vicky's sake too.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00If you had the opportunity to speak to him now,
0:21:00 > 0:21:04would you be prepared to do that or would you prefer me to do it?
0:21:07 > 0:21:15I think I'd rather you spoke to him, just because I've tried so many times and nothing ever works.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17I'm gonna make that call now.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28OK, it's saying an incorrect number.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32The chances are that that number's gone, so the only other option
0:21:32 > 0:21:38is to call his home number and just see whether he's in.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42'We tried calling four numbers in total. Guess what?'
0:21:42 > 0:21:43All four of them are dead.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47OK, now this is a typical example.
0:21:47 > 0:21:52Home number dead, mobile number dead, and what's happened is,
0:21:52 > 0:21:57because he's got so many people probably chasing him like yourself, that's the first thing they do.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59They start to change their telephone numbers.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02It doesn't matter how inconvenient it is to them,
0:22:02 > 0:22:04the most important thing is they don't want to be traced.
0:22:04 > 0:22:11Later, the builder did email us with a response, claiming Vicky had exaggerated her discomfort.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14He reckons there were only three project managers, not four,
0:22:14 > 0:22:17and that builders walked off the job for good reason.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21Then goes on to lecture us about the legality of the contract Vicky drew up.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24A bit rich, really, given that SHE'S the lawyer.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27Oh, and he still didn't give us a working contact number.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31This coward left Vicky's house open to the elements when she refused
0:22:31 > 0:22:34to pay him more money than they'd originally agreed.
0:22:34 > 0:22:41£13,000 in debt and more than a year wasted on getting her house back together again.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44I'm on a mission to root out the bad apples of the building industry
0:22:44 > 0:22:47and this guy is certainly on my short list.
0:22:47 > 0:22:54You know what you did, we know what you did, and pretty soon Trading Standards will know it, too.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58Coming up, we'll see what Vicky thinks of all our hard work.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01I'm really excited to actually be able to use it.
0:23:04 > 0:23:10Back in Glasgow, Julian and Elaine Clarke have spent almost every penny they have on a kitchen extension.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12Spiralling costs on the original build
0:23:12 > 0:23:15and emergency repairs by new builders,
0:23:15 > 0:23:21who are here fixing the roof, have pushed their total spend to just over £69,000.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25Repairs to that roof simply couldn't wait.
0:23:25 > 0:23:30The central support should have been a single strong piece of timber.
0:23:30 > 0:23:35The Clarke's original builders made one up by nailing short pieces of wood together.
0:23:35 > 0:23:41For them to put lots of bits of wood across an apex of a roof,
0:23:41 > 0:23:44I feel it's just criminal what's been done.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47Now I wish I could say this was the most dangerous thing
0:23:47 > 0:23:52about this build, but inside the extension, things went from bad to worse.
0:23:52 > 0:23:58Once new builders were hired to fix the roof, another nightmare scenario came to light.
0:23:58 > 0:24:05I was told by the remedial electrician that there was one wire with seven spurs off it.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08Now I've got four kids and if five or six things had been put on
0:24:08 > 0:24:12in the house, eventually these wires would have melted through.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16There's only meant to be one or two spurs off any wire.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19And also, they put fibreglass against the wires,
0:24:19 > 0:24:21so a chemical reaction would have happened.
0:24:21 > 0:24:26If we hadn't exposed the roof space like that, we wouldn't have known.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28The lights weren't earthed.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32If they kids had touched them, they would have been electrocuted.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35I don't know how someone could have done that and how
0:24:35 > 0:24:39someone is going round other people's houses
0:24:39 > 0:24:42and probably wiring their houses the way ours is.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46But we're here to help.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50Our guys are still hard at work trying to put things right.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55So how was this build allowed to go so badly wrong,
0:24:55 > 0:24:58and just when did the Clarkes realise there was a problem?
0:24:58 > 0:25:01I came back from work early one day and found a roofer
0:25:01 > 0:25:06taking good slate off the original roof of the sunroom next door.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08And this was Norwegian slate.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12- It's Norwegian slate.- Norwegian slate, which is great slate.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14It's the best stuff you can get.
0:25:14 > 0:25:18- And he was taking it off. - Yeah.- And it was only fitted when, five years earlier?
0:25:18 > 0:25:21Five years before. I said, what's happening?
0:25:21 > 0:25:24He said, well the builders ordered Spanish slate
0:25:24 > 0:25:29and the Norwegian rock's the best you can get but it won't work together.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33So all that top notch Norwegian slate has just been dumped in
0:25:33 > 0:25:37the back garden but I can find a good use for just one piece of it.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39Here's a tip for you.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42If you're having a roof done and you may be replacing the tiles,
0:25:42 > 0:25:46you must ask the roofer if those joists need reinforcing
0:25:46 > 0:25:48due to the weight, just like the Clarke's.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50This was the tile that was coming off
0:25:50 > 0:25:54and this was the tile that was going on. Look what happens.
0:25:54 > 0:25:59As you can see, the tile that was going on the roof was far heavier, so therefore checks must be made
0:25:59 > 0:26:05to make sure that the purlings and all of the joists can handle that amount of extra load-bear.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08To avoid giving your roof that sagging feeling,
0:26:08 > 0:26:12when changing tiles, get an expert to check the roof timbers
0:26:12 > 0:26:14and see if they're strong enough.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18Some modern roof tiles can be heavier than the originals.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26Time to catch up with our builders and see how they're getting on inside.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33- Morning, Dean. How are we getting on? - Morning, Clive, not bad.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35- Seems like a hive of activity. - Right, it is.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39We've got the tower scaffold, but at the moment you're doing your tiling.
0:26:39 > 0:26:44It's all ready now down to how long it's gonna take to cut the tiles. That's soaking up the time.
0:26:44 > 0:26:50Yeah. We've spent about four hours trying to get acid on the slate floor just to bring it up nice and clean.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53- OK.- We've got some painting to do.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57We've also spent about four hours filling in the holes.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01Fantastic, cos that's time-consuming to do that.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04Hopefully we've got skirting going down as well.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06So I won't hold you up any longer.
0:27:06 > 0:27:07- Well done, son.- OK. Thanks.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10It's nice to see things are moving on. See you later.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15The Clarke's story gets very tricky.
0:27:15 > 0:27:20When things started to go wrong, they took it up with the man they believed was their project manager.
0:27:20 > 0:27:25He replied to our first letter in November and in that letter,
0:27:25 > 0:27:28what he did was he, I thought, or we thought,
0:27:28 > 0:27:34tried to distance himself from his project management role and began to refer to himself as an agent.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37And we've got lots of evidence that he was a project manager,
0:27:37 > 0:27:41but he seems in the last letter to become an agent.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44Therefore, not being so responsible.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47So who was in charge?
0:27:47 > 0:27:50The Clarkes thought they knew, but when problems began, suddenly
0:27:50 > 0:27:55no-one would own up to being project manager and take responsibility.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00If you're hiring builders, make sure the contracts name the key people
0:28:00 > 0:28:03and their jobs, whether they're project managers,
0:28:03 > 0:28:07agents or whatever, and spell out that any change in the role
0:28:07 > 0:28:12has to be agreed in writing with you first, the paying customer.
0:28:13 > 0:28:18The Clarkes are still looking for answers from the man they thought was in charge.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22But what will happen if they phone him to ask the big questions?
0:28:22 > 0:28:27How do you feel about giving him a call and finding out exactly his point.
0:28:27 > 0:28:32Is he prepared to stand up and be counted and say, do you know what,
0:28:32 > 0:28:36I am responsible for this debacle that's gone on at this property?
0:28:36 > 0:28:39- Would you be prepared to give him a call?- Yeah, I'd be happy to.
0:28:39 > 0:28:42OK, well let's do it without further ado.
0:28:42 > 0:28:47- OK.- I think we need to find out for everybody's sake and, er, hopefully he'll answer his phone.- OK.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53'The number you have called is not recognised.'
0:28:53 > 0:28:57It looks like the mobile number's been changed and is no longer available, so...
0:28:57 > 0:29:00That doesn't surprise me. I'm sure it doesn't surprise you.
0:29:00 > 0:29:02He's distancing himself.
0:29:02 > 0:29:05That's usually a trait that happens with these people.
0:29:07 > 0:29:12The builder called us to say that the bad workmanship wasn't his fault.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15He'd just followed orders given by his project manager.
0:29:15 > 0:29:21The project manager then called us to say he wasn't the project manager, just a consultant agent
0:29:21 > 0:29:26and that he was fed up with this particular builder whom he'd used for five different jobs
0:29:26 > 0:29:28and three of them had gone wrong.
0:29:28 > 0:29:32You'd think he'd have learnt his lesson after the first bad job.
0:29:32 > 0:29:38You know who you are, we know who you are, and pretty soon Trading Standards will know, too.
0:29:39 > 0:29:46So, two years and £69,000 later, the Clarkes are still looking for a happy ending.
0:29:46 > 0:29:51They've never been satisfied with the poor finish on their lovely slate floor.
0:29:51 > 0:29:55The grouting wasn't cleaned off properly before
0:29:55 > 0:29:57the tiles were sealed. Where's the pride in that?
0:29:57 > 0:30:01Our boys have applied a cleanser to remove the layer of muck
0:30:01 > 0:30:06before resealing it with a shiny new surface.
0:30:06 > 0:30:11The oak panelling on the ceiling looks good, but it will look even better
0:30:11 > 0:30:15with a protective coating of wax to give it a fantastic finish.
0:30:15 > 0:30:19And finally, a revamped colour scheme will complement the warm wood tones
0:30:19 > 0:30:23and make this luxury kitchen picture-perfect.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26Come on, time is running out.
0:30:26 > 0:30:27How are you getting on so far?
0:30:27 > 0:30:30Yeah, very, very good. I'm scrubbing my hardest.
0:30:30 > 0:30:32You're just getting that surface grout off?
0:30:32 > 0:30:35Just getting the last of the grout off.
0:30:35 > 0:30:39Just cleaning the tiles out which comes off quite easily as you can see.
0:30:39 > 0:30:43OK, just tidying that up and tidying all around the sink area.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46- Keep up the good work.- Cheers, mate, will do.- Not long left.- No.
0:30:46 > 0:30:47- See you later.- OK, mate.
0:30:47 > 0:30:53Coming up, what have the Clarkes learned from this nightmare?
0:30:53 > 0:30:55We have definitely made mistakes.
0:30:55 > 0:30:57Do your homework on the builder.
0:30:57 > 0:31:04And finally, we give this long suffering family a reason to celebrate.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08In Islington, North London,
0:31:08 > 0:31:12property solicitor Vicky Downes' builder nightmare is almost at an end.
0:31:12 > 0:31:20So far, she's spent £53,000 on her two bedroomed flat trying to make it a dream first-time home.
0:31:20 > 0:31:24But her original builders walked off the job, leaving the place in a real mess.
0:31:24 > 0:31:28Our guys are now hard at it trying to fix a string of problems
0:31:28 > 0:31:30in Vicky's stylish wet room
0:31:30 > 0:31:33and finish the work on her home at last.
0:31:33 > 0:31:37There are ongoing impacts as a result of the building work
0:31:37 > 0:31:39that I have to deal with on a day-to-day basis
0:31:39 > 0:31:42in terms of paying bills and paying back loans.
0:31:43 > 0:31:47Vicky wishes she'd checked out her builders for County Court Judgements.
0:31:47 > 0:31:53Well, I did a reasonable amount of research, but I think there's always more that you can do.
0:31:53 > 0:31:57Obviously, I should have checked the Insolvency web page and found out
0:31:57 > 0:32:01that they had CCJs against the company, which is something I didn't realise.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05In terms of the payments, I made stage payments on work
0:32:05 > 0:32:10that supposedly had been done, but not knowing enough about various aspects of the building trade,
0:32:10 > 0:32:13I believed that work had been done that hadn't been completed.
0:32:13 > 0:32:18So maybe involving someone like an architect or someone who had more knowledge
0:32:18 > 0:32:21to be able to advise me whether that work had been done.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23When goods and materials had been ordered,
0:32:23 > 0:32:27I should have asked for receipts to ensure that they'd been paid for.
0:32:27 > 0:32:31Yeah, I think just research is probably the key.
0:32:31 > 0:32:34Despite being a property solicitor,
0:32:34 > 0:32:37even Vicky fell foul of cowboy builders.
0:32:37 > 0:32:39If you're getting building work done,
0:32:39 > 0:32:42try to learn from her hard-won experience.
0:32:43 > 0:32:47Check out your builder on the Insolvency Service website.
0:32:47 > 0:32:51Look for County Court Judgements against him or his company.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54If you don't have the expertise to know whether
0:32:54 > 0:32:57a stage of building work has been completed properly,
0:32:57 > 0:32:59bring in someone who does.
0:32:59 > 0:33:00An architect, a surveyor,
0:33:00 > 0:33:03or an experienced family member or friend.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06And when paying your builder for materials,
0:33:06 > 0:33:07insist on seeing the receipts
0:33:07 > 0:33:11to ensure you get what you've paid for.
0:33:13 > 0:33:17Our boys are packing up now, their job almost done.
0:33:17 > 0:33:22In the wet room, we've mended the plumbing and reinstalled the heating system.
0:33:22 > 0:33:26The fittings are now in place and connected
0:33:26 > 0:33:29and there are just some final finishing touches to do.
0:33:29 > 0:33:33- Chris, looks like we're on the home strait.- All done and dusted now.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36Just the silicone in and the finishing off, dusting and the tiling.
0:33:36 > 0:33:40- All right, mate, well you carry on. Well done.- Cheers. Thank you.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43Vicky was so excited about owning her first property.
0:33:43 > 0:33:48Excitement that soon turned to dread when her builder made a run for it with her money.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51She's very close now to getting the home she's always wanted
0:33:51 > 0:33:55and I'm looking forward to bringing some more excitement into Vicky's life.
0:33:56 > 0:33:58What were you hoping for us to do?
0:33:58 > 0:34:01Um, ideally, finish my wet room.
0:34:01 > 0:34:05It's the one room that hadn't been touched at all, so it was a complete mess.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08You're not wrong. It was a mess.
0:34:08 > 0:34:13Time to put an end to all this with a grand opening.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16On a scale of one to ten, how excited are you?
0:34:16 > 0:34:1711.
0:34:17 > 0:34:19HE LAUGHS
0:34:19 > 0:34:22Me too. Right, let's just take this down.
0:34:22 > 0:34:24Ta-da!
0:34:24 > 0:34:26Wow.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32That's fantastic.
0:34:32 > 0:34:37That's really amazing. I can't believe the guys got this done in three days.
0:34:37 > 0:34:39I wish it was mine, actually.
0:34:39 > 0:34:41You can't have it!
0:34:41 > 0:34:43Do you like singing in the shower?
0:34:44 > 0:34:48- Sometimes.- Cos I love this.
0:34:48 > 0:34:49# Oh, Vicky, you're so fine
0:34:49 > 0:34:52# You're so fine, you blow my mind. Hey, Vicky. #
0:34:52 > 0:34:53I'm loving that.
0:34:53 > 0:34:56Finally, a wet room to enjoy.
0:35:01 > 0:35:05The stylish chrome steel radiator was moved from the doorway -
0:35:05 > 0:35:07great if you want to hit your head on it -
0:35:07 > 0:35:10to a safe new position on the back wall.
0:35:13 > 0:35:17We sorted the plumbing, connecting and re-fixing much of the pipe work.
0:35:17 > 0:35:21Then we installed the wash basin on its smart granite plinth.
0:35:22 > 0:35:25The loo is now installed. Always handy.
0:35:27 > 0:35:31And that shower, a key component of any wet room, has been hooked up
0:35:31 > 0:35:35to the hot and cold water supply, boxed in and beautifully finished.
0:35:35 > 0:35:39Even the floor in this wet room is now a luxury item.
0:35:39 > 0:35:41It's not just somewhere to stand.
0:35:41 > 0:35:45Beneath these new tiles, we've put in under-floor heating
0:35:45 > 0:35:47to make sure Vicky's toes stay nice and warm.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50And then there's some under-floor lighting, too.
0:35:50 > 0:35:55We finished the boarding out of every wall and floor to ensure it's waterproof,
0:35:55 > 0:35:58then finished off with quality tiles.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01All fixed with the best waterproof adhesive.
0:36:01 > 0:36:05And a wet room wouldn't be a wet room unless we got it...well, wet.
0:36:05 > 0:36:11Looks like it's time for us to make a discreet exit and leave Vicky to it.
0:36:15 > 0:36:18When you put your trust in someone to do something with your home,
0:36:18 > 0:36:23which is an important place, it's the place where you put your heart and soul into,
0:36:23 > 0:36:27and if someone comes along and abuses your trust like that, it's not right.
0:36:27 > 0:36:31I am looking forward, in that the work's almost completed now.
0:36:31 > 0:36:32I'm out of the worst of it.
0:36:32 > 0:36:37That's fantastic and I can look forward to being able to do new things like getting my garden done.
0:36:37 > 0:36:41Across the country, cowboy builders are leaving people high and dry.
0:36:41 > 0:36:46But with a little help from us, hopefully Vicky can put her nightmare year behind her.
0:36:46 > 0:36:51And now that she's wiser, she should never fall into the Cowboy Trap ever again.
0:36:52 > 0:36:57In Glasgow, the Clarke's family kitchen sink drama is nearly over.
0:36:57 > 0:37:00It's cost them a fortune and meant a cancelled 18th birthday party
0:37:00 > 0:37:05for daughter Ros, all because of the building chaos.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08Now everyone's trying to look to the future.
0:37:08 > 0:37:13I'm not going to let it eat me up because I can't survive like that
0:37:13 > 0:37:16and be bitter, but I do want other people
0:37:16 > 0:37:19not to be in this situation that we've ended up in.
0:37:19 > 0:37:23I've brought my team in to give this poor family the final finish
0:37:23 > 0:37:26to the kitchen they've been longing for.
0:37:26 > 0:37:32One piece of shoddy workmanship that definitely needed attention was the skirting boards.
0:37:32 > 0:37:35When you're spending thousands on a build like this,
0:37:35 > 0:37:38you expect the best, not what the Clarkes got.
0:37:42 > 0:37:46This new extension is added on to a period property.
0:37:46 > 0:37:51Now, what Julian wanted was a continuation of all the period trim as well.
0:37:51 > 0:37:55It's difficult to come across skirting board these days, unless you try really hard
0:37:55 > 0:37:58to source it, but our team here have come up with
0:37:58 > 0:38:02a cracking idea using Meranti timber and a wonderful bit of trim.
0:38:02 > 0:38:06Look what they've managed to do here to create that skirting board.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08I think it's a cracker.
0:38:08 > 0:38:12And to prove this is a floor-to-ceiling kind of show,
0:38:12 > 0:38:16on high, the final wax is going on to that luxurious oak,
0:38:16 > 0:38:18bringing the grain out nicely.
0:38:18 > 0:38:23The slate tiles on the floor have been stripped back, cleaned properly
0:38:23 > 0:38:26and the splashback is being completely reinstalled.
0:38:28 > 0:38:33The new colour scheme is taking shape. Soon it'll be time to show off our handiwork.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36The journey's been long for the Clarke family
0:38:36 > 0:38:39and they've had a lot of hard lessons to learn along the way.
0:38:39 > 0:38:43So just what would Julian and Elaine do differently next time?
0:38:43 > 0:38:46We have definitely made mistakes.
0:38:46 > 0:38:50Don't pay anyone anything until the service has been provided
0:38:50 > 0:38:52or the work's been done.
0:38:52 > 0:38:56We should have checked his background out far more than we did.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59Do your homework on the builder,
0:38:59 > 0:39:01find out how long they've been trading.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04I'll almost certainly guarantee you'll have another tradesperson
0:39:04 > 0:39:08in this property. But, you know, don't be afraid to offend them.
0:39:08 > 0:39:12Make sure perfect preparation prevents poor performance.
0:39:12 > 0:39:17It's just a rule that I have and I think that if you adopt that rule,
0:39:17 > 0:39:20in the future, this will never happen again.
0:39:21 > 0:39:28It's fair to say that this whole sorry sagging roof saga has cost the Clarkes dearly.
0:39:28 > 0:39:32Let down by their original builders, who left them with an unstable roof,
0:39:32 > 0:39:36terrible electrics and a string of faults, the Clarkes were forced
0:39:36 > 0:39:41to hire new builders for emergency work on the major structural problems.
0:39:41 > 0:39:48Even before we arrived, this extension had cost a small fortune - £69,000.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51The extension was designed to make life easier.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54They've had very little cause for celebration.
0:39:54 > 0:39:56That is, until now.
0:39:56 > 0:40:00Time for me to take the Clarkes on a kitchen tour.
0:40:00 > 0:40:04Before we go in and take a look inside that kitchen,
0:40:04 > 0:40:07just remind us exactly what it was like before.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10The roof wasn't built properly. It was curved, it was dangerous.
0:40:10 > 0:40:14The electrics were condemned,
0:40:14 > 0:40:18the plaster board was cracking and going all over the place.
0:40:18 > 0:40:23- The floor wasn't too good. - It needs to feel like a new kitchen after all we've been through.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25It needs to feel like a working kitchen.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28Hopefully we've managed to do that for you.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31- Are you ready to take a look?- Yes, definitely.- Let's go.- All right.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34Let's take a look now. Hope you're ready, Elaine.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40- Oh, it's...totally different. - It's amazing.
0:40:40 > 0:40:43Er, just, compared to when I first came in.
0:40:43 > 0:40:45- First impressions?- It's lovely.
0:40:45 > 0:40:49It's really nice and it looks so different. It feels like brand new.
0:40:49 > 0:40:51It's lovely.
0:40:55 > 0:40:59The walls have been finished in neutral tones to complement the natural wood
0:40:59 > 0:41:03and the wood grain on the ceiling's oak panels has been lifted
0:41:03 > 0:41:07thanks to an application of nourishing wax.
0:41:09 > 0:41:13The splashback is back and looking better than ever.
0:41:14 > 0:41:19This rather cold and uninviting kitchen has been transformed
0:41:19 > 0:41:21into a warm haven for the whole family.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24The effect is fantastic.
0:41:26 > 0:41:31The shine has been restored to the slate floor and the skirting board is brand new.
0:41:34 > 0:41:38But most importantly, we've managed to draw a line under this saga
0:41:38 > 0:41:40of cash and chaos for the Clarkes -
0:41:40 > 0:41:43all of it caused by cowboy builders. And with lessons learned,
0:41:43 > 0:41:48never again will they be the victims of shoddy workmanship.
0:41:48 > 0:41:50It's a different living space, really.
0:41:50 > 0:41:52It's just really what we wanted.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55And I hope you can go on from here and put it all behind you,
0:41:55 > 0:41:57because you've got a fantastic property.
0:41:57 > 0:41:59- Yeah. - Now I'm off to get Ros, so if you...
0:41:59 > 0:42:05If you don't mind, I'm gonna go and fetch her out of her...
0:42:05 > 0:42:10Rozzie! Rozzie. Come on, your kitchen needs you.
0:42:10 > 0:42:11Come on, hold my hand.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13Let me show you. Hold my hand, come on.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15Don't be afraid, I'm not a monster.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19I know I look like one. We've got a special surprise in store for you,
0:42:19 > 0:42:23because your birthday was messed up because of this builder.
0:42:23 > 0:42:28On behalf of all of our team and myself, here at the Cowboy Trap,
0:42:28 > 0:42:31happy birthday, Rozzie. Blow out the candles.
0:42:37 > 0:42:41Here's to a job well done. To the new kitchen extension.
0:42:42 > 0:42:46Thankfully we have our happy ending. And remember,
0:42:46 > 0:42:48not all builders are cowboys
0:42:48 > 0:42:51and there are ways and means of finding the right team for the job.
0:42:51 > 0:42:53I'm gonna go back to the party right now
0:42:53 > 0:42:56and I'll see you next time on the Cowboy Trap.
0:43:03 > 0:43:08Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:43:08 > 0:43:12E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk