0:00:03 > 0:00:05Today, we're in Rotherham,
0:00:05 > 0:00:10where one cowboy builder cleaned out a hard working family.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12Basically we were shocked.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15We were like, "We can't afford it, you know, it's too much."
0:00:15 > 0:00:18Leaving their home and finances in tatters.
0:00:18 > 0:00:23They just said, "I'm sorry, Mrs North, you took out the loan, you're responsible to pay it."
0:00:23 > 0:00:25And I said, "But my toilet doesn't work."
0:00:25 > 0:00:28I'm travelling the length and breadth of the country
0:00:28 > 0:00:32and witnessing for myself the devastation cowboy builders cause.
0:00:32 > 0:00:37When the toilet fell off the wall, we tried ringing him, and that's when the number was dead.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41My team of experts will be righting the wrongs and giving people their homes back.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43It's not even the same room, is it?
0:00:43 > 0:00:48Stick with me and I'll help prevent you from falling into the Cowboy Trap.
0:00:57 > 0:00:58On today's Cowboy Trap,
0:00:58 > 0:01:05we'll reveal why you should be very wary if your builder offers to lend you money to pay his bill.
0:01:05 > 0:01:10This young couple fell into one trap and then another, when their builder sold them a loan
0:01:10 > 0:01:14and then a shower room they didn't even need.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17We knew we had to get it paid off quickly,
0:01:17 > 0:01:20so Steve was working longer hours.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23We didn't feel no benefit from Steve working longer hours,
0:01:23 > 0:01:26because we were just using it to clear this loan quicker.
0:01:26 > 0:01:31This young family wanted central heating to improve their sick child's health,
0:01:31 > 0:01:36but ended up with years of debt for a job the builder didn't even do.
0:01:36 > 0:01:42We was gutted, but we knew, well we thought we didn't have a leg to stand on.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46If you're thinking of borrowing money to make improvements to your home,
0:01:46 > 0:01:49I've got lots of advice to help prevent you making the same mistakes.
0:01:51 > 0:01:57We're in Rotherham. Becky and Steve North got their first foot on the housing ladder four years ago.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00The young married couple couldn't afford much,
0:02:00 > 0:02:03and the dilapidated three-bedroom house required lots of work.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06It was really old and dated.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10Walls were pink and green with a red and gold carpet.
0:02:10 > 0:02:11No central heating.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14The Norths were getting by on modest incomes.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18Becky is a teaching assistant and Steve a call-centre worker.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22When they moved in, Abigail and Owen were just toddlers, so they hoped
0:02:22 > 0:02:27most of the work on the house could wait. But then, Owen fell ill.
0:02:27 > 0:02:33Owen was in and out of hospital with asthma attacks all the time and at night, the more it got colder,
0:02:33 > 0:02:36the worse his asthma got in the evening.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39No central heating and a family to keep warm.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42They needed an answer, and they needed it fast.
0:02:42 > 0:02:47And they thought they'd found it in their local newspaper, with an offer that seemed too good to be true.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49We'd seen an advert in the paper.
0:02:49 > 0:02:54Full house central heated and it would cost from £9 per week.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58We thought, "Well, we can afford that."
0:02:58 > 0:03:00So we decided to give that guy a ring.
0:03:00 > 0:03:05The advert said £1,700, but the cost more than doubled
0:03:05 > 0:03:09when the tradesman came calling one evening.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11By the time the chap had got to the house,
0:03:11 > 0:03:13it must have been ten past eight.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18We'd spent nearly an hour discussing where things would go,
0:03:18 > 0:03:21where radiators, which rooms and everything else.
0:03:21 > 0:03:26The tradesman worked out how many radiators were required, and where the boiler would go.
0:03:26 > 0:03:32Then, when he finished doing his sums, he delivered the Norths a big surprise.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35It turned out to be 3,500.
0:03:35 > 0:03:40Basically, we were shocked. So we were discussing how we could pay it,
0:03:40 > 0:03:43and the realisticness of whether we could afford it.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46But, before we'd actually had a chance to
0:03:46 > 0:03:51speak to each other about it properly, he'd already started filling out this booklet.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55Becky and Steve were staggered to discover that the
0:03:55 > 0:04:00quote to install central heating was twice as expensive as the ad said.
0:04:00 > 0:04:05Worried about their young son's asthma they were about to make a terrible mistake.
0:04:05 > 0:04:10He didn't have any figures to hand, because he was just the man what signed the paperwork.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12He said it would have to all go back to the office.
0:04:12 > 0:04:17On the night, everything was just so fast, it was so professional.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21We trusted him. We really believed that he was looking after us.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25He said, "I know how you're feeling, it's awful seeing your kids poorly."
0:04:25 > 0:04:27At the time he was genuine.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29We thought he was really a nice man.
0:04:29 > 0:04:35He asked us to sign them, so he could take them away and complete them back at home. Oh, my God!
0:04:35 > 0:04:38It sounds so bad when I say it back to myself.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42Now, here's the good news. Becky and Steve did get their central heating.
0:04:42 > 0:04:47A few days later, they discovered they could get it free from the Government's Warm Front scheme
0:04:47 > 0:04:48for people on low incomes.
0:04:48 > 0:04:532 million homes have already benefited.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56I was excited, I was like, "Ooh, we haven't got to take a loan out."
0:04:56 > 0:04:58It was a relief.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02So, a happy ending for the family. Or so they thought.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06We phoned the man and said, "Oh, we can have it for free.
0:05:06 > 0:05:12"Can we cancel it?" And he said we couldn't cancel the loan, the finance had already been approved.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15Here's a very important tip.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19When you take out any kind of loan, the law is on your side.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23To protect borrowers who are talked into signing,
0:05:23 > 0:05:27a "cooling off period" is compulsory. Usually 14 days.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30This allows you to cancel the agreement without penalty.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34But the tradesman didn't tell the Norths this.
0:05:34 > 0:05:39Instead, he told them to think of some other building work to spend the loan on.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42So I suggested a kitchen, because it's quite dated.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46But, for 3,500, we didn't have enough money
0:05:46 > 0:05:50to have a new kitchen, because it meant him employing other contractors to come in.
0:05:50 > 0:05:55So, between the three of us we came up with different ideas,
0:05:55 > 0:05:59and we suggested in the end having a shower room put in downstairs.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03Becky and Steve had tried to cancel the loan they could ill afford.
0:06:03 > 0:06:08And now they were about to be conned into having a shower room fitted instead.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11I had this dream in my head, what it was going to look like.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15We picked the colour of the tiles, we said we wanted the tiles to match the floor.
0:06:15 > 0:06:20Now Becky and Steve may have thought that their builder was a real hero,
0:06:20 > 0:06:23by providing them not only finance, but sorting out that bathroom, too.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27But I've got to say he went quickly from hero to zero.
0:06:27 > 0:06:33But, even though the central heating was installed for free, the builder refused to cancel the loan.
0:06:33 > 0:06:38And Becky and Steve were forced to embark on improvements they could ill afford.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41The day after, the young guy came by himself.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45I asked where the boss was, because they were both doing the work together.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49But he never came back to do any work, the young guy did it all by himself.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53And on the day he said that we didn't have enough money for the shower,
0:06:53 > 0:06:58and the tiles and the floor, we could only have a toilet and sink.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02So we was gutted, but we knew, well we thought we didn't have a leg to stand on,
0:07:02 > 0:07:05so we just had to let it go ahead.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09He'd had the money already, the finance company had paid the money directly into his bank.
0:07:09 > 0:07:14So we was paying for something, so we just went ahead with the toilet and the sink.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17This is one of the most depressing stories I've heard.
0:07:17 > 0:07:22A builder shamelessly exploiting a young family trying to care for their sick child.
0:07:22 > 0:07:28Coming up, I'll be inspecting the most expensive toilet and sink I've ever seen.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31This is all you've got? This is what we've got, yep.
0:07:31 > 0:07:32A toilet, and a sink for £3,500?
0:07:35 > 0:07:37We're in Rotherham, with the North family.
0:07:37 > 0:07:42Not only has their new bathroom thrown Becky and Steve into terrible debt,
0:07:42 > 0:07:45it's creating a terrible stink.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48You can imagine what it smells like. It's just stale...
0:07:48 > 0:07:53Ugh, it's awful. You can smell it from the dining room, and it comes all the way in here.
0:07:53 > 0:07:59That's what all this brown stuff is around the bottom of the toilet. As it's leaked, it's stained.
0:08:01 > 0:08:02So we're forever scrubbing it.
0:08:02 > 0:08:09Family friend, Simon Millington, says the bodged bathroom has left the family embarrassed.
0:08:09 > 0:08:10Having a room that you don't go into
0:08:10 > 0:08:14because you're so embarrassed to go into it.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18Embarrassed even to have people come into your home
0:08:18 > 0:08:21because there's a smell in the property from,
0:08:21 > 0:08:24you know, sewage and one thing or another.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26No wonder there's a big stink.
0:08:26 > 0:08:31Look at this bodged pipe work, it's like follow the yellow brick road.
0:08:31 > 0:08:36It goes out of the toilet, up there, down here,
0:08:36 > 0:08:42back of the sink, through my cupboard at the back, through this wall.
0:08:45 > 0:08:51It goes on the floor down here, and then in this corner it goes down.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54Then it comes all the way through here.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05And that's where it goes up again into the down pipe outside.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07Becky and Steve's friends are appalled
0:09:07 > 0:09:13that anyone could so mercilessly take advantage of the young couple.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17I came round and saw it, and it just looks shocking.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20I was genuinely gutted for them.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24Becky, she was every two minutes apologising for the smell.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27We were like, "It's not your fault.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30"It's obviously dodgy builders that have done it."
0:09:30 > 0:09:33There's not a lot you can do about that, is there?
0:09:33 > 0:09:36This family have been treated appallingly.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40First they tried to cancel their loan, and then their new bathroom ends in disaster.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43But just how bad did things get?
0:09:43 > 0:09:46It's time for me to meet the Norths.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49- Hi, Becky. I'm Clive from Cowboy Trap. How are you?- Fine, thank you.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52I hear you've had problems with cowboy builders?
0:09:52 > 0:09:54- Yes.- Do you mind showing me the mess? - Yes, come on in.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03OK, so this is the area that you wanted work on?
0:10:03 > 0:10:07What's the plan for this room? Because obviously there's lots to do in here.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10- This wall was supposed to be knocked out.- Right.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12He said it's just a stud wall.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14Yes, it is. You can hear that.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16A door was supposed to go on that wall there.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20Yes, you've got to have a door separating into the living room.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22- Shower just way you're stood in that corner.- OK.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26All these cupboards were going to be knocked out, plastered everywhere.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29Splash tiles, a new floor.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31OK.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34Out of all of that dream, all you've got is the toilet and wash basin?
0:10:34 > 0:10:37- Yes.- What happened to the rest of it?
0:10:37 > 0:10:42- We didn't have enough money.- As far as I'm aware, he's taken £3,500?
0:10:42 > 0:10:45- And this is all you got? - This is what we got, yes.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47A toilet and a sink for £3,500?
0:10:47 > 0:10:49- But nothing else?- Nothing else.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51And it only lasted six months.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54- What did? - The toilet, we had to stop using it.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56Because it was incorrectly fitted?
0:10:56 > 0:11:01It leaked. The water level was too high, so it leaked down the back, and made the wall damp.
0:11:01 > 0:11:06So it fell off the wall. That's why it's propped up with pieces of wood.
0:11:06 > 0:11:07I can't believe it.
0:11:07 > 0:11:12- I can see the wood now. I didn't know what that wood was for. - To keep it in place.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15So that's holding the cistern in place?
0:11:15 > 0:11:17- Mm-hmm.- Why a Saniflow, by the way?
0:11:17 > 0:11:22It's to do with the pipe work, apparently. We couldn't have a normal toilet because there's no downpipe.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25The downpipe is at the back of the house, not the front.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27Right.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30But surely there must be some drainage out there into the sewer?
0:11:30 > 0:11:32Because you're on the front of the road here.
0:11:32 > 0:11:37Yes. Everybody else has got their drainage pipe at the front.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39Right, OK. I don't get it.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42Certainly, it's not £3,500 worth.
0:11:42 > 0:11:48That's for sure. You're looking, in terms of materials, £500.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50And that's it. That's all you got?
0:11:50 > 0:11:52That's all we got.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54It's not really the dream, is it?
0:11:54 > 0:11:56No, it's not my dream, no.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00We just shut this room off and pretended it doesn't exist. We couldn't bear to come in here.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03- More your nightmare.- Yes, it's a nightmare.- Unbelievable.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07I can't believe what they've actually left you with.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10And the smell is from... nothing leaves that box.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13Everything stays in that box, because the pipework goes upwards.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15Right, so you've got no fall line?
0:12:15 > 0:12:20No. That's why we thought the cats were doing their business in the house,
0:12:20 > 0:12:23but they're not, it's come back to this room.
0:12:23 > 0:12:24To be fair,
0:12:24 > 0:12:29whoever installed this didn't have a clue.
0:12:29 > 0:12:34I'll be honest, I'd go as far as to say I'd rip it up and start again.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38It's just a complete and utter waste.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40It's had a whole new cistern inside as well.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42Wow.
0:12:42 > 0:12:47£3,500. And you're paying for that, still paying for that?
0:12:47 > 0:12:50Still paying for it, yes.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53A £3,500 loan to pay for this?
0:12:53 > 0:12:56With all the interest added, the Norths calculate the job
0:12:56 > 0:13:02will finally cost them £11,000 by the time the debt is cleared.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05So what they've got for their £3,500 is a toilet
0:13:05 > 0:13:09that's not worth a penny any more, they've got a sink and a pedestal.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11That's your lot. £500 tops.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14Just an absolute nightmare.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16I personally can't get over it.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20I don't think I've ever been in a situation like this that's exasperated me so much.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24To think that somebody could do this to a vulnerable young couple.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28It's nothing that I could comprehend.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32I'd like to put things right, so it's time to bring on the boys.
0:13:40 > 0:13:45These macerator toilet systems are specialist kit, and do require care.
0:13:45 > 0:13:50Before we rip out this bodged installation, I want to show how they're supposed to work.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52The manufacturer has a special demo rig.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56The macerator system is an absolute gem when it comes to toilets.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59Now, if you're short on space or you haven't got room
0:13:59 > 0:14:02to put a standard toilet in, and cistern with the pipe work,
0:14:02 > 0:14:07this is brilliant because it works on a small bore pipe, rather than a large bore pipe.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10At the back you've got a little box with a system of blades in there.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14When the waste goes in, it's macerated and liquefied.
0:14:14 > 0:14:21And it can actually be the system that forces water up rather than down as a gravity fed system would.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24Let me just show you what I mean. Let me just lift the toilet seat.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27I'm going to put in a bit of dye so you can see it.
0:14:27 > 0:14:32For this purpose, we've actually put in some clear pipework so you can see this going.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35I'm going to put some toilet tissue in. A few pieces.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37It's a simple system.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39When you flush the toilet,
0:14:39 > 0:14:41you'll hear the motor come on.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43There it is.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46And then, up through that clear pipe there,
0:14:46 > 0:14:51you can see it all whisking away to the soil system outside.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55Simple, easy to install, but you must get the professionals to do it.
0:14:55 > 0:15:01Before our good guys get stuck in, I want to hear from independent building inspector, Colin Harrop,
0:15:01 > 0:15:04and get his verdict on this cowboy job.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07What are the main problems that you've actually found in here,
0:15:07 > 0:15:08that aren't to your liking?
0:15:08 > 0:15:09The problem is here, Clive,
0:15:09 > 0:15:13that somebody has basically turned up and put in a bathroom into a room
0:15:13 > 0:15:15that was never designed to be a bathroom.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18One thing I didn't understand about the toilet was, just
0:15:18 > 0:15:22outside you've got a soil pipe, or a waste, out there.
0:15:22 > 0:15:27And they've decided to put the Saniflow in, and I think take about nine metres of pipe
0:15:27 > 0:15:31out the back. I just didn't understand that at all.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35No, I'm a bit curious as to why that decision was taken as well.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38But why ever it was taken, I don't think it was the right thing to do.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41I don't think they knew what they were doing.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45The work that has been done has been pretty shoddy and there's a lot of problems with it.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48But one of the main problems is, it hasn't been thought through
0:15:48 > 0:15:52in the way that I'd usually expect work to have been thought through.
0:15:52 > 0:15:57Typically, if you've got a room which is a store room or something similar,
0:15:57 > 0:15:59and you want to turn that into a bathroom,
0:15:59 > 0:16:03you should speak to your local authority about getting building regulations approval.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06- As far as I know, that hasn't been done here.- Right.
0:16:06 > 0:16:11And therefore there are arrangements in the design of this that really, really, we wouldn't recommend,
0:16:11 > 0:16:14and are potentially even dangerous.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17The other thing that worried me, and I don't know if it worries you, is, well,
0:16:17 > 0:16:22I know it's going to worry you! And that's a circa Noah's boat, shall we say,
0:16:22 > 0:16:24that that come off.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28About 1958/1960, old, rewireable fuse board.
0:16:28 > 0:16:33- Which is nowhere near modern standards.- Absolutely, you're right.
0:16:33 > 0:16:37The fact that you have an old fuse board in the house isn't necessarily a problem in itself,
0:16:37 > 0:16:43but when you introduce then a sink near it, where people can touch it with wet hands, it's a real concern.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47So this isn't an arrangement that we'd recommend at all.
0:16:47 > 0:16:52When you're dealing with electrical components, you can't mess around. You can't take a shortcut.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56Get an electrician and your council involved because you could come up with something dangerous.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59It's important that these things are done properly.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01What mark out of ten would you give them for the work?
0:17:01 > 0:17:05I think, for the work that's been done here, I'd give them a two out of ten.
0:17:05 > 0:17:10For the way in which it's been approached in terms of regulations, it's none out of ten.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13None out of ten? Shocking.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16Follow my tip when changing the use of rooms in your home.
0:17:16 > 0:17:21If you want to install a toilet in a room where wasn't one previously,
0:17:21 > 0:17:23you must comply with building regulations
0:17:23 > 0:17:27to ensure the work meets all the safety and hygiene rules.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30Becky and Steve's installation would never be approved,
0:17:30 > 0:17:33because it's too close to the main electrical fuse box.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36Water and electricity just don't mix.
0:17:36 > 0:17:43The building control officer for the Norths' area explains how the cowboy builder broke the rules.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45Basically, you have a wet area,
0:17:45 > 0:17:48and there are limitations under the IEE regulations,
0:17:48 > 0:17:50which is the electrical regulations
0:17:50 > 0:17:53for installation of domestic electrics.
0:17:53 > 0:17:58And they've put too close to what was the sink unit.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02If you convert it back into a not wet room, back into the type of room it originally was,
0:18:02 > 0:18:07which was a habitable room to start off with, then you don't need building regulations.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09There's no contravention.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13So this room would never have been approved as a shower room.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17But if the basin and toilet are removed, there will be no breach of the rules.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20We'll have to break that news to the Norths.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23Coming up, I'm shocked to discover Becky and Steve
0:18:23 > 0:18:27are going to be paying back their loan for a very long time.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30We thought it was to be over three years, it turns out it's over ten.
0:18:33 > 0:18:38We're in Rotherham, with Becky and Steve North and their children, seven-year-old Abigail
0:18:38 > 0:18:39and six-year-old Owen.
0:18:39 > 0:18:44Four years ago, a cowboy conman sold them a loan to install central heating.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47But then they discovered they could get it for free.
0:18:47 > 0:18:54But when they tried to cancel the loan, the tradesman refused, and sold them a bodged bathroom instead,
0:18:54 > 0:18:57which should never have been installed near the main fuse box.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00We can't move the fuse box, because the wiring is too old.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02So, they can't have a shower room.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05But Becky and Steve have come up with a great idea
0:19:05 > 0:19:08that'll be a wonderful surprise to their children, Abigail and Owen.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11The children would love it being a toy room.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15They would think it's fantastic being able to go in there
0:19:15 > 0:19:19and not having to have the small space around the table.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23They'd have somewhere to call their own, and they don't know yet.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26They think it's still going to be a shower room, so they've got no idea
0:19:26 > 0:19:29that there's a surprise in it for them as well.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31A new toy room is a great idea.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35The room should never have been converted into a toilet in the first place.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38Mark is running our job today, so what's the plan?
0:19:38 > 0:19:42Just come and explain to me exactly what the plan is,
0:19:42 > 0:19:47in terms of take out and refit, what are you going to be doing?
0:19:47 > 0:19:51We're going to take out the toilet and wash hand basin,
0:19:51 > 0:19:54patch up the walls where there's holes in the walls.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56Put some new flooring down.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59And just decorate, and tidy everything up in there.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02Wonderful. In terms of time, how long?
0:20:02 > 0:20:06Obviously, time is of the essence for us guys, we're all over the country.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09We want to get the job done right. How long do you think it will take?
0:20:09 > 0:20:12We should get a lot of it done today.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15We'll have to come back and finish things off.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17Two, maybe three days.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19Brilliant. Thank you, sir. Good to see you.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21Let's get cracking, come on.
0:20:21 > 0:20:27We've got a big job ahead to transform this horrible, smelly facility into a toy room,
0:20:27 > 0:20:29which is safe for Abigail and Owen.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33We'll strip out the plumbing and cap off the water supply.
0:20:33 > 0:20:38Then we'll make good all the walls and decorate in a colour scheme the kids will love.
0:20:38 > 0:20:45Finally, we'll fit new laminate flooring so the floor is warm, clean and inviting.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49While the good guys get stuck in, I want to track back with Becky and Steve
0:20:49 > 0:20:51and find out more about that loan.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55We needed central heating. We knew when we bought the house it would take us
0:20:55 > 0:20:59quite a few years to save up, but Owen got too bad the first Christmas we were in.
0:20:59 > 0:21:06We saw an advert in the paper where it said, have your full house central heated for £1,700.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08Finance was arranged by him.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11Because that advert stated how much it was, we rang him.
0:21:11 > 0:21:16When he got here, he came in and said no, it's just going to be just short of 3,500,
0:21:16 > 0:21:19because you're not a two-up and two-down.
0:21:19 > 0:21:24What it does is, it allows him in and once he's in, then he goes "No, this is going to cost X."
0:21:24 > 0:21:29The other interesting thing is, £1,700, and he'll organise the finance
0:21:29 > 0:21:33if you can't afford 1,700 quid?
0:21:33 > 0:21:36Owen was ill, so we thought we was doing the best.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39- Everything tipped towards the goal. - Yeah.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43It just felt so right, didn't it? He said, "I can give you the finance."
0:21:43 > 0:21:47We thought the finance was coming from his company.
0:21:47 > 0:21:52At the top of that letter head it would have had a company on it.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56- Did you notice it? - No. We didn't get...
0:21:56 > 0:22:00We didn't actually have it in front of us to see.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04He was sitting here, covering it over, just filling in all the bits?
0:22:04 > 0:22:09We filled in part of it. Because of Steve didn't finish work until eight, it was quarter to nine by this time.
0:22:09 > 0:22:14He said, "This is all duplicated, if you were just sign it I can fill it in at home."
0:22:14 > 0:22:18He was so smooth, he was so professional.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22This is what they are. That's the way they do it, Becky.
0:22:22 > 0:22:27From a financial point of view, he's not even telling you
0:22:27 > 0:22:30what the repayment plan is or what the APR is.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34We thought it was going to be over three years and it turns out it's over ten.
0:22:34 > 0:22:41That's thousands now, double what it is, nearly 11,000 by the time we've finished paying it back.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43It's something we tried cancelling.
0:22:43 > 0:22:49So 3,500 was your original loan and it's now going to turn into
0:22:49 > 0:22:51over 11,000?
0:22:51 > 0:22:53Just short of £11,000.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56It went straight to him from the finance company.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58It never came to our bank.
0:22:58 > 0:23:03- So that money didn't even come to you?!- In his pocket. We didn't get any of it. No change, nothing.
0:23:03 > 0:23:08So, while he was busy filling in those forms, he was actually filling that form in
0:23:08 > 0:23:10for the money to come into his bank.
0:23:10 > 0:23:16Did you at that time not think that you could go to Citizens Advice Bureau?
0:23:16 > 0:23:18We did, but we didn't have no paperwork.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22They said without paperwork, who do we contact?
0:23:22 > 0:23:27You are, I'd imagine, to this moment in time financially strapped for cash.
0:23:27 > 0:23:32Steve's working long hours, missing out on seeing the kids and putting them to bed,
0:23:32 > 0:23:34which is getting to Owen. Owen misses his Dad.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37I think you need help.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39We've got an extra challenge here.
0:23:39 > 0:23:44As well as the work our good guys are doing transforming the washroom into a toy room,
0:23:44 > 0:23:48we're going to see what we can do to help the Norths with their loan.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52It turns out the loan is with a well-known firm, but was sold by an agent.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56We've asked them to investigate the way the loan was sold.
0:23:56 > 0:24:01Coming up, the Norths have done everything they can to repay their loan.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03But it's just not getting any smaller.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06No matter how much actually we paid, it went down by pence.
0:24:09 > 0:24:14We're in Rotherham to help the North family, who were not only sold a loan they didn't need,
0:24:14 > 0:24:19but a bathroom which was installed without regard for this young family's safety.
0:24:19 > 0:24:25Our good guys are on the job now, stepping back the room and making good all the walls.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29We've already removed the illegally installed toilet and basin,
0:24:29 > 0:24:34which put water dangerously close to the main fuse box, and broke all the rules.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37I want to know what happened between the Norths and their builder
0:24:37 > 0:24:39when they complained about the quality of the work.
0:24:39 > 0:24:46Steve complained while they were still doing the work, because all the pipework was showing.
0:24:46 > 0:24:47The young guy said, "Ring my boss.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51"I'm doing what I'm told to do, I'm just following orders."
0:24:51 > 0:24:56Steve rang the boss, who signed the finance with us, and he was just really rude to Steve.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00He said, "Well, I'll take my lad out and you'll have nothing."
0:25:00 > 0:25:04Because the work was only half completed, we had to shut up
0:25:04 > 0:25:09and put up, because otherwise we'd end up with a toilet and no sink.
0:25:09 > 0:25:13We didn't take it out on him because he was following orders.
0:25:13 > 0:25:18He was really quite nice to us saying, "I'm just doing as I'm told." He gave us the boss's number.
0:25:18 > 0:25:24At the time, we weren't on the telephone, so he the even let us use his mobile phone to ring him up.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26We didn't take it out on him.
0:25:26 > 0:25:32He did advise us that when we get our satisfaction questionnaire, to fill it out and be honest,
0:25:32 > 0:25:36and put all our concerns on the questionnaire.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39We never received a questionnaire to fill out.
0:25:39 > 0:25:44The loan company required the builder to fill in a satisfaction questionnaire by the customer
0:25:44 > 0:25:45before they hand over the money.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49The Norths say they were never asked to fill one in.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51They've been paying the loan for three years,
0:25:51 > 0:25:55but were shocked to discover their debt wasn't decreasing.
0:25:55 > 0:25:59When we found out it was going to take 11 years to clear the loan, not four,
0:25:59 > 0:26:03the man on the phone talk to us about if we up our payments to this,
0:26:03 > 0:26:08that's a way of getting it down quicker, because it goes on how much you've got left each month.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11He said, if you pay more it goes down quicker.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13You've got less interest to pay.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16So we'd be paying for 7 years, not 11.
0:26:16 > 0:26:21We knew we had to get it paid off quickly, so Steve was working longer hours.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24We didn't feel no benefit from Steve working longer hours
0:26:24 > 0:26:28because we were just using it to clear the loan quicker.
0:26:28 > 0:26:32When the statements arrived, Becky and Steve were gutted
0:26:32 > 0:26:36to read their sacrifice had virtually been worth nowt.
0:26:36 > 0:26:41Every time I got a statement, no matter how much extra we'd paid, it went down by pence each month.
0:26:41 > 0:26:46The extra overtime and the extra money only made it come down by pence
0:26:46 > 0:26:51and pounds each month, not hundreds like we were expecting it to do.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55We couldn't see it taking seven years like they said. We knew it was going to take longer.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59Follow my top tip to cope with loans and debt.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02If you can't find a way to reduce your debt,
0:27:02 > 0:27:05seek expert help from a debt counselling service.
0:27:05 > 0:27:10You can get in touch by your local Citizens Advice Bureau.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13In some circumstances, they can reschedule and renegotiate payments
0:27:13 > 0:27:14with your loan provider.
0:27:14 > 0:27:19I want to know from Becky and Steve's local Consumer Direct manager, John Field,
0:27:19 > 0:27:22but they should have done to avoid all this heartache.
0:27:22 > 0:27:29They should have gone to the finance company and said, initially, we didn't have cancellation rights.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33At that stage, that would be a major concern to the finance company
0:27:33 > 0:27:35as to what happened and for them to look at
0:27:35 > 0:27:39the paper trail, so to speak, to see when they received that documentation,
0:27:39 > 0:27:45what was sent to the consumers at that time either by a builder or by themselves in terms of cancellation.
0:27:45 > 0:27:50They should have gone back to the finance company and said, we do have a problem with this.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53It's like, because of the size of these organisations,
0:27:53 > 0:27:56the finance company could then get in touch with the builder.
0:27:56 > 0:28:01Clearly they've got more clout, so to speak, that with the builders then you or I do as an individual.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04Because they can say that to that builder,
0:28:04 > 0:28:09you're not going to use our loans and finance facilities in future unless you redress this problem.
0:28:10 > 0:28:17If you're thinking of taking out a loan for home improvement, then follow Clive's five top tips.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20Shop around the best interest rates.
0:28:20 > 0:28:24Compare interest rates from at least three different providers.
0:28:24 > 0:28:28Here's an idea - if you only want to borrow a small amount of money
0:28:28 > 0:28:29for a short period of time,
0:28:29 > 0:28:32it may be cheaper to put the loan on a credit card,
0:28:32 > 0:28:35which offers a special low introductory rate.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37Sometimes, even interest free.
0:28:37 > 0:28:42Make sure you pay it off on time by setting up regular payments.
0:28:43 > 0:28:48Make sure you know the total cost of the loan, not just the monthly repayments.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50Here's an example.
0:28:50 > 0:28:52Paying £50 a month for two years
0:28:52 > 0:28:57is cheaper than a lower monthly payment of £40 for three years.
0:28:57 > 0:29:01If you choose the lower monthly figure for the same loan,
0:29:01 > 0:29:03you'll pay back 220 quid more!
0:29:03 > 0:29:07Don't forget to factor in any penalty charges for early repayment,
0:29:07 > 0:29:11in case you ever want to pay the debt off before the time is up.
0:29:11 > 0:29:16Make sure you avoid loans that are secured against your home.
0:29:16 > 0:29:20Secured loans can be cheaper, because the lender knows it can
0:29:20 > 0:29:23force you to sell your home if you can't pay.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26Don't put your home at risk when you don't have to.
0:29:26 > 0:29:30Only the very largest loans should be added to your mortgage.
0:29:30 > 0:29:34Be wary of loans offered by home-improvement companies.
0:29:34 > 0:29:38Loans offered by home-improvement companies aren't necessarily bad,
0:29:38 > 0:29:40but they may not be the cheapest.
0:29:40 > 0:29:44It can be convenient to take out a loan from them but remember,
0:29:44 > 0:29:48the sales team will almost certainly be earning commission on that money.
0:29:48 > 0:29:52Always shop around. No matter how attractive the first offer seems.
0:29:52 > 0:29:57Think very carefully before paying extra for payment protection insurance.
0:29:57 > 0:30:00Payment protection insurance may be a good idea,
0:30:00 > 0:30:03if you were unable to pay back the loan,
0:30:03 > 0:30:05if you lost your job, or fell ill.
0:30:05 > 0:30:08But you can buy these insurance policies separately,
0:30:08 > 0:30:12usually much cheaper than from a loan company.
0:30:12 > 0:30:16Back at the house, our good guys are cracking on at great speed, righting
0:30:16 > 0:30:20some of the many wrongs this cowboy contractor left behind.
0:30:20 > 0:30:25The finance company are investigating the circumstances of the loan now.
0:30:25 > 0:30:30They sent their own independent inspector to look at the work, before we got started.
0:30:30 > 0:30:34So how are things developing? The toilet's gone, and the sink.
0:30:34 > 0:30:36We stripped all that out. That's the easy bit.
0:30:36 > 0:30:38Demolition, taking things out.
0:30:38 > 0:30:44We took a shelf off here and we filled this channel in where the shelf went into the plaster.
0:30:44 > 0:30:50When that is set we're going to skim this whole wall with finish plaster.
0:30:50 > 0:30:54That can be set and Paul can paint it later on when it sets.
0:30:54 > 0:30:59Do you reckon, I'm going to throw this at you now, because obviously this is going to be at play area
0:30:59 > 0:31:01for the kids too, a playroom.
0:31:01 > 0:31:05This fuse board, that's supposed to actually have a screw in it, right? It hasn't.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08Which means the kids can get at the fuses and the master switch.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11D'you reckon there's any chance we could build something, just
0:31:11 > 0:31:14maybe out of MDF or whatever, just to go round that?
0:31:14 > 0:31:17Something that the adults can get access to when they need to?
0:31:17 > 0:31:21Yes, we'll just make a little wooden box which just goes round the front.
0:31:21 > 0:31:22Yeah. It'd be great if you could.
0:31:22 > 0:31:28It just protects it from the kids' little fingers. Great. OK, cool.
0:31:28 > 0:31:31It's amazing, isn't it? Things are taking very good shape.
0:31:31 > 0:31:37I'm always interested to hear how home owners tackle their builders when things go wrong.
0:31:37 > 0:31:43So I want to know what Becky and Steve did when their bodged bathroom job fell apart on them.
0:31:43 > 0:31:45Eventually the cistern fell off the wall.
0:31:45 > 0:31:50So it bent all the pipe work, there was water everywhere, the floor was a mess.
0:31:50 > 0:31:53So we had to put it back together.
0:31:55 > 0:32:00I did the best we could, but at the minute, it's held up with two bits of wood.
0:32:00 > 0:32:04We tried ringing him up to fix it, there was just a dead tone on phone call.
0:32:04 > 0:32:09The number we rang originally, it was just a dead tone. There was no number recognised, basically.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12Yeah, we rang them and they just said, I'm sorry, Mrs North,
0:32:12 > 0:32:16you took out the loan, you are responsible to pay it.
0:32:16 > 0:32:18And I said, "But my toilet doesn't work."
0:32:18 > 0:32:20He went, "You need to contact the plumber."
0:32:20 > 0:32:25So I asked for his details, because the number we had didn't ring any more.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27But they couldn't leave it to us
0:32:27 > 0:32:31because he had gone through a broker who then went to the finance company.
0:32:31 > 0:32:36So they only had the broker's details, not the actual man's details.
0:32:36 > 0:32:42Coming up, following the visit by the inspector, the Norths receive a letter from the loan company.
0:32:42 > 0:32:48It's nice that somebody's actually admitted that we have been almost robbed.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53We're in Rotherham, busy transforming
0:32:53 > 0:32:58a bodged bathroom into a toy room for little Abigail and Owen North.
0:32:58 > 0:33:02A cowboy conman sold the Norths a loan for £3,500,
0:33:02 > 0:33:06but installed just a toilet and sink, leaving them with years of debt.
0:33:06 > 0:33:13He took advantage of a young couple who, I'm amazed to learn, were once homeless and living by the canal,
0:33:13 > 0:33:17but through sheer hard work, managed to turn their lives around.
0:33:17 > 0:33:21One day I just went into a nursing home and just asked for a job.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23And she said, where's your address?
0:33:23 > 0:33:27I said, "Erm, we don't really have an address." And she got us on our feet, didn't she?
0:33:27 > 0:33:32She gave me work straight away, gave me some money for some new shoes so I could start work.
0:33:32 > 0:33:33She looked after us.
0:33:33 > 0:33:37And lot of people wouldn't be able to stay together through that.
0:33:37 > 0:33:41- Because we're best friends as well. - Yes. It does help.
0:33:41 > 0:33:42It does, yeah.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45If I'm down, he's the rock.
0:33:45 > 0:33:49When it's his moment, I have to step up and be the rock for him.
0:33:49 > 0:33:53Discovering this about Becky and Steve has made me understand
0:33:53 > 0:33:59just how important their home is to them and what a terrible strain this ordeal must have been.
0:33:59 > 0:34:04Family friend, Simon, says the debt has really tested the strength of their relationship.
0:34:04 > 0:34:11I think the general strain basically revolved around what had happened.
0:34:11 > 0:34:16Obviously, they were blaming each other.
0:34:18 > 0:34:22A lot on the monetary side, which does cause anxiety.
0:34:24 > 0:34:26And they just didn't know which way to turn.
0:34:26 > 0:34:30Fortunately, we've got the good guys in now, and after a couple of
0:34:30 > 0:34:34days of hard graft, they're well on the way to transforming this room
0:34:34 > 0:34:40from the smelly, bodged bathroom, into somewhere Becky and Steve's young children can keep their toys.
0:34:40 > 0:34:46We're removing the glass panels from the door, making good the walls, installing shelving,
0:34:46 > 0:34:51and marking out the decor to create separate storage for Abigail and Owen.
0:34:51 > 0:34:56I tell you what, it's looking bright in here, boys! It's nice.
0:34:56 > 0:34:58- It's a bit better now.- It is.
0:34:58 > 0:35:02- We've got some pink and we've got some blue, which is a good combo. Who chose that?- You.
0:35:02 > 0:35:03- Did I choose it?- Yeah.
0:35:03 > 0:35:07Did I choose pink and blue? I think that's a brilliant idea, don't you?!
0:35:07 > 0:35:12- That's what you suggested.- D'you know why pink and blue?- It's turned out better than I thought it would.
0:35:12 > 0:35:14- Listen, mate. I know my colour schemes!- Right!
0:35:14 > 0:35:18Pink and blue, because we've got a boy and we've got a girl. Simple as.
0:35:18 > 0:35:23The children have no idea mum Becky has planned this treat for them.
0:35:23 > 0:35:29But there's even more good cheer coming to this house, because Becky and Steve have had some amazing news
0:35:29 > 0:35:33from the loan company, which they can't wait to share with me.
0:35:33 > 0:35:35Oh, here you are!
0:35:35 > 0:35:36Catching some rays, eh?
0:35:36 > 0:35:38Do you mind if I come and join you?
0:35:38 > 0:35:42Because I hear you've had some good news?
0:35:42 > 0:35:43- Oh yes.- Tell me about it.
0:35:43 > 0:35:47- You can read about it, if you want! - Read all about it!- There you go.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50Brilliant.
0:35:50 > 0:35:51Let's have a check.
0:35:51 > 0:35:53I can confirm that payment of...
0:35:56 > 0:36:01..£3,523.84 is coming back to you.
0:36:01 > 0:36:03And we also recognise
0:36:03 > 0:36:09that you would have earned interest on that payment, so
0:36:09 > 0:36:11we're given you an extra 300 quid!
0:36:11 > 0:36:14Ha ha! They're giving you an extra at 300 quid!
0:36:15 > 0:36:17Well, that...what about that?
0:36:17 > 0:36:19That's got to be a result!
0:36:19 > 0:36:21All thanks to you guys.
0:36:21 > 0:36:25Listen, it's an absolute pleasure. That is a definite result!
0:36:25 > 0:36:27- I'm well chuffed.- 100 percent.
0:36:27 > 0:36:31So the thing is, is that a real load off your mind?
0:36:31 > 0:36:36Yes. Not just that we've got money back, we haven't got too worry each month that we've got to pay
0:36:36 > 0:36:38the finance for something we haven't even got any more.
0:36:38 > 0:36:43- It could have gone on for years as well, couldn't it?- Yes. Another seven years.- Another seven years?
0:36:43 > 0:36:46And has that gone now, that seven-year itch has gone? Brilliant.
0:36:46 > 0:36:50They even said to cancel our direct debit, to make sure they didn't get an extra payment.
0:36:50 > 0:36:52Oh, back of the net!
0:36:52 > 0:36:54- Who actually opened the letter? - I did.
0:36:56 > 0:36:57Were you confused, or...?
0:36:57 > 0:37:01When I first read it, I had to read it again because I thought I had misread it.
0:37:01 > 0:37:03When I read it again, I started jumping about.
0:37:05 > 0:37:10I wish I'd been here! I wish I'd been here for that!
0:37:10 > 0:37:14Yes, it was very welcomed. Put it that way.
0:37:14 > 0:37:18Becky and Steve can look forward to spending much more time with the children,
0:37:18 > 0:37:25because all the loan repayments have been cancelled and the money paid to date refunded, with interest.
0:37:25 > 0:37:27The loan provider, GE Money, told us:
0:37:46 > 0:37:52Coming up - I can't wait to see the family's reaction when we show them the surprise new toy room.
0:37:52 > 0:37:54It's not even the same room, is it?
0:37:57 > 0:38:02Our good guys are putting the final touches to the new toy room at the Norths'.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05For such a small room, it's been a surprisingly big job
0:38:05 > 0:38:08to make everything safe, colourful and inviting.
0:38:08 > 0:38:14The final task is to lay this practical new floor, which is hard wearing and easy to keep clean.
0:38:14 > 0:38:19It's been a busy couple of days, but the room is unrecognisable now.
0:38:19 > 0:38:23First of all, what was that when like before we could get here?
0:38:23 > 0:38:28It was a sham. It was an unusable toilet/sink area.
0:38:28 > 0:38:33It was a waste of space, more than anything. That's what it was.
0:38:33 > 0:38:37Completely unusable, especially for the amount of money that you spent on it.
0:38:37 > 0:38:40And you were continuing to spend on it.
0:38:40 > 0:38:44So, it's that exciting time now. What are you hoping for?
0:38:44 > 0:38:47What are you really hoping we've done in that room?
0:38:47 > 0:38:53I'm not hoping for anything, I just want to see it nice and clean and...
0:38:53 > 0:38:56- Usable?- Yes. And fresh. Yeah.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59OK, listen, I can't wait any longer now.
0:38:59 > 0:39:01Let's go check it out. Come on.
0:39:03 > 0:39:05After you!
0:39:09 > 0:39:10Wow!
0:39:10 > 0:39:13It's nothing like I expected it to be.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18- Are you chuffed? - Yeah!- Are you chuffed with that?
0:39:18 > 0:39:22- Yeah.- It looks good, doesn't it? Now it's a usable room.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25It's not even the same room, is it?
0:39:25 > 0:39:30We've got pink, we've got blues going on, we've got the flooring down.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33- The stickers - cars.- Yeah.
0:39:33 > 0:39:35You've got stickers all over the place.
0:39:35 > 0:39:39I just think it's going to be a fantastic escape, bolt hole, for the kids.
0:39:39 > 0:39:41Gives you a bit of free time too.
0:39:41 > 0:39:46- Yes.- So they can come in here and enjoy themselves, watch telly, play the games consoles,
0:39:46 > 0:39:47or just play with toys.
0:39:47 > 0:39:51We can still monitor them because they aren't upstairs with the bedroom door shut.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53Exactly. It really is brilliant.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57It's so child-friendly all the way round as well.
0:39:57 > 0:40:01It's a fantastic little area. Something they can show off to their friends as well, and to family.
0:40:01 > 0:40:05I have to say, you've had some bad news in the past with your builder.
0:40:05 > 0:40:12You've also, of course, the loan company have put their hands up and gone you know what,
0:40:12 > 0:40:20we've made a mistake here. As an extra bonus, they've paid for this as well, just as a bonus.
0:40:20 > 0:40:21I love it. Thank you.
0:40:21 > 0:40:25I have to say, you guys are very, very important people.
0:40:25 > 0:40:33However, there are two other people in this family that I'm sure are going to love to see
0:40:33 > 0:40:35what has gone on in here.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38- Steve, can I leave you to go and get the guys?- Absolutely.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41While I just stay here with Becky.
0:40:41 > 0:40:45Give us a shout when you're ready to come in and I'll try and move out of the way.
0:40:45 > 0:40:49- In general, it just looks so fantastic.- So different.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52You can't even imagine a toilet and sink being there, can you?
0:40:52 > 0:40:55- How did it fit?!- Exactly.
0:40:56 > 0:41:00Now, that's a safe, clean place for the kids to play.
0:41:00 > 0:41:04- I think they've going to love it. Your big problem will be getting them out!- That's the problem!
0:41:04 > 0:41:06To go to bed, that sort of thing...
0:41:06 > 0:41:09- Mum, can we have our tea in here? - That's what it's going to be.
0:41:09 > 0:41:12I think they're ready.
0:41:12 > 0:41:13I'm going to back out.
0:41:15 > 0:41:18Shut your eyes, shut your eyes!
0:41:18 > 0:41:19Look at your shower!
0:41:19 > 0:41:23- Where is it? - You said they were for Nana!
0:41:28 > 0:41:31- What do you think?- Hey! Look at that!
0:41:32 > 0:41:35- What do you think, guys?- Good!
0:41:35 > 0:41:37Do you like it?
0:41:37 > 0:41:39This is for Mummy and Daddy, this room.
0:41:39 > 0:41:42- You can't use it.- It's just for me.
0:41:42 > 0:41:46It isn't. It isn't! I know they're Owen's.
0:41:47 > 0:41:53Our good guys have completely transformed this room from a smelly, illegally installed washroom
0:41:53 > 0:41:56to a bright and fresh toy room for Abigail and Owen.
0:41:56 > 0:42:02We've given them a brand new colour scheme in co-ordinating his and hers colour waves.
0:42:02 > 0:42:07There are cupboards and shelves to store all their toys and games, and a smart new floor
0:42:07 > 0:42:14so that children can be comfy lying on their co-ordinating beanbags, reading their books.
0:42:16 > 0:42:20This family have had to put up with botched building work from a cowboy builder,
0:42:20 > 0:42:22who also took them to the cleaners.
0:42:22 > 0:42:27We've put it right, and I think you can see for yourself, they're a very happily family indeed.
0:42:27 > 0:42:33Before you go into any financial transactions, always be wary and do your research.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36That way, you won't go falling into the cowboy trap.
0:42:36 > 0:42:40If you've had a problem with builders and you'd like
0:42:40 > 0:42:47to tell your story on Cowboy Trap, then please call us on:
0:42:56 > 0:42:59Help us round up the cowboys.
0:43:06 > 0:43:10Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:43:10 > 0:43:13E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk