0:00:04 > 0:00:06Cowboy builders are on the loose
0:00:06 > 0:00:09and they could be coming to a town near you.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12So many different emotions, continuously.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15From anger to frustration to...
0:00:15 > 0:00:16Helplessness.
0:00:16 > 0:00:21I can't believe how many bodged jobs these so-called "builders" leave behind.
0:00:21 > 0:00:26I just can't hear anything else wrong with this house any more.
0:00:26 > 0:00:31My team and I are here to right the wrongs those cowboy builders have left behind.
0:00:31 > 0:00:35- I don't know what to say. - Fantastic, eh?- Very, very good.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38Stick with me and I'll pass on hints and tips in the hope
0:00:38 > 0:00:42it will help prevent you from falling into the Cowboy Trap.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54On today's Cowboy Trap, we're in Devon to meet a couple
0:00:54 > 0:00:58whose builder promised to extend their bungalow for a special discount price.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00But they learned the hard way.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04The only thing that came cheap were his broken promises.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07If I met him tomorrow what would I want to say to him?
0:01:07 > 0:01:09Er, I don't...
0:01:09 > 0:01:12Probably think of half a dozen things, but I don't think
0:01:12 > 0:01:16I'd be able to get all of them out into one sensible question.
0:01:16 > 0:01:21The builder went on a demolition derby with their home and their dreams, but they were lucky
0:01:21 > 0:01:24he didn't kill them while he was about it.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26In the fuse box, you've got the coppers
0:01:26 > 0:01:29that all the live wires come into.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33All of those were exposed and had we gone and touched any one of them.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37Well, it just doesn't even bear thinking about.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40We're in Newton Abbot, Devon.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43Rachel and Simon Ballamy have been married 11 years.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46Rachel works as a paralegal and Simon a mobility adviser.
0:01:46 > 0:01:53Three years ago, they found just the home they were looking for, for them and their dogs, Alfie and Molly.
0:01:53 > 0:01:58The unmodernised bungalow had been owned by the same family since it was built in the 1930s.
0:01:58 > 0:02:03They knew right away they could transform it into the perfect home for them.
0:02:03 > 0:02:08It had a really lovely-size garden and you could see a potential in
0:02:08 > 0:02:14what the garden could look like and then a potential with the house to make it into a lovely home.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16- And it had stayed in the same family, hadn't it?- Mm.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20It had stayed in the same family, I believe, since when it was built.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24It had just been passed through the generations and you could really feel that.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28Rachel and Simon had found their perfect home to make their dreams come true
0:02:28 > 0:02:31and there was plenty of land for the dogs.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35Rachel and Simon planned to extend the bungalow from two bedrooms
0:02:35 > 0:02:40to a four-bedroom house with two extra bathrooms, a new kitchen and utility room.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43Outside, they would flatten out the long sloping garden
0:02:43 > 0:02:47by creating a huge deck area across the back of the house.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51The reason they wanted all the extra space was to become a family.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54Their own attempts to have children hadn't worked out,
0:02:54 > 0:02:59but now they planned to apply to become foster parents.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02After a few years of fertility treatment, I think we now can't have children.
0:03:02 > 0:03:07We just decided that we were at the right time, I think, in our lives.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11You know, kids, if they're being fostered, are being fostered for a reason and usually it is because
0:03:11 > 0:03:13they're going through turmoil at home.
0:03:13 > 0:03:19Just be nice, if they had to be plucked out of their own homes, that they could be put into a home
0:03:19 > 0:03:23that is quite welcoming and normal.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26As normal as we'll ever be anyway!
0:03:26 > 0:03:29Rachel and Simon hoped their plans to create a large family home
0:03:29 > 0:03:33would help their application to become foster parents.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35We sort of designed it around
0:03:35 > 0:03:40the principles to help to foster kids, so they would have their own area, we'll have our area.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42We'll have family areas as well.
0:03:42 > 0:03:48To do the process and the lady come round and say, "Yes, you're perfect candidates.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52"As soon as you get your house built, the red tape will be done
0:03:52 > 0:03:55"and you can have some foster children".
0:03:55 > 0:04:01It took a year for the council to grant planning consent for the extensive changes to the bungalow,
0:04:01 > 0:04:04so they had plenty of time to look for a builder.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07The builder they liked best had lots of exciting ideas.
0:04:07 > 0:04:14Even better, he promised to do the job at a discount to help Rachel and Simon realise their dream
0:04:14 > 0:04:17of becoming foster parents.
0:04:17 > 0:04:22From a money side of things, we were only going to pay 10% above the materials
0:04:22 > 0:04:25and the labour would be near enough at cost,
0:04:25 > 0:04:29so from a quote point of view, it was always going to come in below everybody else.
0:04:29 > 0:04:34Rachel and Simon thought their builder was doing them a favour by pricing the job cheap.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38As they discovered, the only thing that comes at a discount is demolition.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41They were brilliant at demolishing things,
0:04:41 > 0:04:46but when it came to putting back stuff... Taking the roof off, for example.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48- Done in two days, wasn't it?- Yeah.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51But the roof was off for six weeks, six-to-eight weeks.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54Knocking down the walls, well, that's easy.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57They got a jack hammer in and there was dust flying everywhere.
0:04:57 > 0:05:02All the ceilings were coming down, windows were being pushed out and that was great.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04They were having a whale of a time.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06But nothing was being put back in.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10The walls came down, the floors came up and the roof came off.
0:05:10 > 0:05:16All at alarming speed. The once lovely garden filled with rubble.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18Rachel watched their dream home crumble,
0:05:18 > 0:05:21but she was desperate to believe the builder had a solid plan.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24I would see them daily, literally every day,
0:05:24 > 0:05:26asking what they were supposed to be doing today.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29At the time, I took what they were saying as read,
0:05:29 > 0:05:33because then Simon would come home from work and it would be like, "What have they done today?"
0:05:33 > 0:05:37And at one point, I was almost justifying what they had or hadn't done,
0:05:37 > 0:05:40because it just seemed quite natural.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44But we got to the point where we were scared not to pay him.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47Because we were so far behind schedule, we thought, "Well,
0:05:47 > 0:05:51if we don't pay him, and there were no materials on site, he would say, "I'm behind schedule.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54"You've not paid me." We didn't want to be the ones at fault.
0:05:54 > 0:05:59Rachel and Simon had agreed to pay the builder every two weeks, no matter how much work he did.
0:05:59 > 0:06:05So when work slowed down, they were worried, but he always had a ready excuse.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07He kept promising as well.
0:06:07 > 0:06:12We'd have the conversations and he'd have the chat with us and he would make it sound very good.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15He was very much of a charmer from that point of view
0:06:15 > 0:06:19and he made it very believable what was going to happen, what is happening
0:06:19 > 0:06:25and every time we did have a good chat with him, things would happen for a week or so.
0:06:25 > 0:06:30So all of a sudden your confidence was back, things started to happen and then it would just lapse again.
0:06:30 > 0:06:37The builder was drip feeding them stories, while Rachel and Simon were flooding him with their cash.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41We had one conversation with him, he told us to go out choosing taps.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44"Go and choose your taps in your bathrooms. " So we did.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46And then, what's the point?
0:06:46 > 0:06:48Cos we had no rooms to put them in.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51But it's laughable now when you think about it.
0:06:51 > 0:06:57Rachel and Simon did sign a contract with their builder, but the contract was in his favour.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01He received £10,000 to start the job.
0:07:01 > 0:07:06Then he would get another £5,000 every two weeks throughout the four-month build.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08Take my tip.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12But don't agree to time-staged payments
0:07:12 > 0:07:15which become due on regular dates.
0:07:15 > 0:07:21Make sure the contract states...
0:07:30 > 0:07:34Rachel and Simon's build quickly fell massively behind schedule.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38There were young labourers on site, but few skilled trades
0:07:38 > 0:07:41and they rarely had any materials to work with.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44They were nice lads, but they didn't seem to know what they were doing.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47It was taking three of them to do a single job.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49They also never had any materials, did they?
0:07:49 > 0:07:53You'd sort of be thinking, "Well, what are they going to do?"
0:07:53 > 0:07:55Cos there was nothing there for them to use.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58All of a sudden you'd have a batch of materials, a bit of work would get done
0:07:58 > 0:08:02and then you'd only have one guy here, or two guys here,
0:08:02 > 0:08:05and all of a sudden there would be a little bit of a surge of work
0:08:05 > 0:08:09and then it would all fall back and then you wouldn't see anyone for a couple of days.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11That's how it sort of went along, wasn't it?
0:08:11 > 0:08:15For three years, Rachel and Simon had been planning a tenth anniversary
0:08:15 > 0:08:20second honeymoon to Florida and Jamaica to renew their wedding vows.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22Now the builder made a promise of his own.
0:08:22 > 0:08:27While they were away for the month, he would transform the project.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31The idea behind that was to renew our wedding vows. It was ten years.
0:08:31 > 0:08:37The idea, when we're away, the house was going to be first fixed when we got back.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39- So the roof would be on... - Ground floor first fix.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42The ground floor would all be done. Electrics, plastering.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46We had no contact from him while we were away.
0:08:46 > 0:08:51He had all our contact details where we were staying, e-mail addresses, all of it. We were very organised.
0:08:51 > 0:08:57- Every single thing.- We heard nothing for the first couple of weeks and thought everything was fine.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00Rachel and Simon thought the builder's silence was a good sign,
0:09:00 > 0:09:04because their best friend was staying in the house to look after the dogs.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08Unbeknownst to them, Russell didn't like what he saw at all.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11They started turning up about 9.30,
0:09:11 > 0:09:15going at 3.30, 4pm and then they got less and less.
0:09:15 > 0:09:22We had scaffold planks from the lounge to the toilet, no flooring, no kitchen, no roof on.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26I'd have liked to have told them, but I wouldn't ruin their holiday.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30Both sets of parents joined the couple for the first leg of their special trip,
0:09:30 > 0:09:34but they were in for a shock when they got home!
0:09:34 > 0:09:38We came back after the two weeks and dropped in
0:09:38 > 0:09:41to look at the property before we went home
0:09:41 > 0:09:43and absolutely nothing had been done.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45Hardly anything had happened.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47It almost seemed exactly the same.
0:09:47 > 0:09:52Rachel's stepdad decided not to phone Simon and Rachel. He phoned the builder instead.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56The builder, in turn, promised immediate action.
0:09:56 > 0:10:02So on Simon and Rachel's behalf, rather than worry them whilst they were still on holiday,
0:10:02 > 0:10:08I contacted the builder myself, who promised me that there had been problems with sickness
0:10:08 > 0:10:12as far as his workers were concerned and that was the reason for the delay,
0:10:12 > 0:10:15but he would get onto it straight away.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18And true to his word, the builder did act.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22He sent round one of his men to show everyone just who was in charge.
0:10:22 > 0:10:28He came in on the Monday morning, took the toilet in the bathroom out and just disappeared,
0:10:28 > 0:10:32left us with no running water, no toilet or anything like that.
0:10:34 > 0:10:39Unfortunately, I had to let Simon and Rachel know then, which her mum did.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41She contacted them.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45It was the phone call Rachel and Simon dreaded.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49The news completely ruined the last two weeks of their second honeymoon.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52- The two weeks after that were just...- Just horrible.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54..disjointed, wasn't it, really?
0:10:54 > 0:10:58Cos you got so fed up with me being on the phone to try and sort it out.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00And we were cycling the Blue Mountain, weren't we?
0:11:00 > 0:11:07And Simon took a photo of while I'm on the phone, leaving yet another message to say, "Please, ring us.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11"Don't ruin this holiday for us. Just ring us and let us know what's happening".
0:11:11 > 0:11:17Despite the early warning, the couple were completely unprepared
0:11:17 > 0:11:19for what they saw when they got home.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21When we get back,
0:11:21 > 0:11:27I think there was about 20 tiles on the roof in one little corner
0:11:27 > 0:11:30at the front of the house, tarpaulin still over the whole of the roof.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33We've walked in.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36There was still no floors going towards the bathroom.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38Some of the walls had been plastered, I think.
0:11:38 > 0:11:42Yeah, he'd ripped one floor up that we'd agreed not to.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44That was to...
0:11:44 > 0:11:47- Stay.- ..stay as it was. The kitchen...
0:11:47 > 0:11:53I walked straight into the kitchen and I went into a state of almost shock.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57I said to Simon, "The kitchen's not going to fit in. The door's in the wrong place".
0:11:57 > 0:12:04The builder quoted £50,000 to transform the unmodernised two-bedroom bungalow
0:12:04 > 0:12:10into a four-bedroomed house with new kitchen, bathrooms and remodelled garden.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14By the time they came home, they had paid £45,000.
0:12:14 > 0:12:20They had no water, no electricity, no roof, no floors, no kitchen and no outside deck.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23They were devastated.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26Almost all the money spent, they wondered how they would ever
0:12:26 > 0:12:29fulfil the dream of opening their arms to foster children.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32This is our decking, which is, well, not a decking.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34Basically, the framework's gone up
0:12:34 > 0:12:38and that's about it. We sort of put two chairs on a plank of wood
0:12:38 > 0:12:42and that's about where we can sit, but it's not a pleasant place to sit at the moment
0:12:42 > 0:12:46and it's really where we want to be sat most evenings.
0:12:46 > 0:12:51But, at this point, it's a useless bit of framework stuck on the back of our house at the moment.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53Not something to enjoy.
0:12:53 > 0:12:58Coming up, our independent inspector gives his verdict on the job.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01So the electrics... very poor, very dangerous. There's potential for shock
0:13:01 > 0:13:06or fire there and, obviously, an electric shock has potential to kill.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11We're in Devon with Rachel and Simon Ballamy.
0:13:11 > 0:13:15Their hopes of becoming foster parents have been dashed by a builder
0:13:15 > 0:13:19who promised them a discount extension, but delivered them a demolition job.
0:13:19 > 0:13:24Instead of a safe haven for foster children, Rachel and Simon's plans
0:13:24 > 0:13:28for an extension had turned their home into a dangerous building site.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32Time for me to meet them and find out more.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37Hi. Rachel, Simon. Hi, I'm Clive. How are you?
0:13:37 > 0:13:39Hi. I'm fine, thank you.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43- Problems with cowboy builders?- Yes. - Yes.- Can I come in?- Course you can. - Great. Thank you.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49It's a year since the Ballamys' builder left.
0:13:49 > 0:13:56They've had to pay other builders to make the property safe, but their home still bears the cowboys' scars.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58Just mind your head on there, OK?
0:13:58 > 0:14:01Wow, it's Munchkinland.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05Right, so this is probably the last room, really, which we need to sort of do.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07We've sort of forgotten about this.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11Got to do the floor inside the wet room, so we can get the height ready for the drainage.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13That's still got to be done.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16There's still a few electrical bits and pieces we need to be finished off.
0:14:16 > 0:14:21The plumber then has to finish off with the bath, doing all the side panels and, basically,
0:14:21 > 0:14:23the last bits of plumbing in here.
0:14:23 > 0:14:24Was building control ever invited?
0:14:24 > 0:14:28Yeah, they came through two or three times.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31And when the second set of builders came in, they came back in and gave them
0:14:31 > 0:14:35- a long list of jobs which were needed to do.- OK.
0:14:35 > 0:14:40- Supporting the roof, which wasn't supported in certain areas.- Wow! - Yeah.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44The new builders have made the roof and the electrics safe inside,
0:14:44 > 0:14:50but outside the couple have only been able to afford the structural work, not the cosmetic.
0:14:50 > 0:14:55Right, so what we've got here is, we moved the door forward to allow us a little bit more hall space.
0:14:55 > 0:15:02And if you took the lintels away, which the second set of builders put in, that's basically as it was left.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04- With no lintel?- No lintel. Exposed.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08Little bits of wood just holding the original frame in. That was it.
0:15:08 > 0:15:13Now, I have to say, not only are they putting themselves in danger, but they're putting you in danger
0:15:13 > 0:15:18and this is the real problem here, that they didn't do that. It's unbelievable.
0:15:18 > 0:15:23The huge expense of making their home safe and getting the house
0:15:23 > 0:15:29back to this level has taken a year and it's cost them another £42,000.
0:15:29 > 0:15:34I've got to be honest with you, Simon, some of this render is appalling. If you just tap it...
0:15:34 > 0:15:35- HOLLOW TAPS - It sounds hollow.- It does.
0:15:35 > 0:15:40A couple of winters, any moisture getting in behind there, freezing hot, it's going to blow out.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42This is going to drop off in huge chunks.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45- This is what it should sound like. - SOLID TAPS
0:15:45 > 0:15:48- Nice and solid.- OK.- You have to do the tap test all around.
0:15:48 > 0:15:53There might be certain sections you need to just chunk out and redo, rather than take the lot off.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55But I'm telling you now, all that has got to come off.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57- Is that why it's cracking? - It's cracking.
0:15:57 > 0:16:03I mean, again, where it's cracking, you'll understand that any moisture now is going to travel through that.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05It's going to ingress in behind it.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08Once that freezes, bang, it's off.
0:16:08 > 0:16:09- Fine.- Absolute waste of space.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12So you're going to need to definitely sort that out.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15- I'd rather see that done before the winter.- Fine.
0:16:15 > 0:16:16What is left to be done, Simon?
0:16:16 > 0:16:20- From what you've just explained, we've still got some rendering to be done.- Yep.
0:16:20 > 0:16:25There's still bits and pieces which need to be done here, or this needs to be painted or redone.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28There's little holes and so forth that we need to sort out.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30The whole of the decking needs to be done.
0:16:30 > 0:16:35And from our point of view, obviously, the garden because, obviously, that was ruined.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37We need to, obviously, make a garden that we can sit in.
0:16:37 > 0:16:42OK, brilliant. But I think there's lots of remediate work to be done
0:16:42 > 0:16:45and, financially as well, it's going to cost you a few pennies.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47Well, if it's going to save the house, it needs to be done.
0:16:47 > 0:16:48For sure.
0:16:48 > 0:16:53Simon has even turned builder himself to try and get the house ready,
0:16:53 > 0:16:57so he and Rachel's home can be approved to welcome foster kids.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00But saddled with unexpected debts, they have run out of funds.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03I wonder if perhaps there is something we can do
0:17:03 > 0:17:08to make the garden safe and take them one step closer to their dream.
0:17:08 > 0:17:13In the short space of time that we are here, OK,
0:17:13 > 0:17:17what is it that we can do for you?
0:17:17 > 0:17:21What could we do for you that would turn things around a little?
0:17:21 > 0:17:23Internally, I think we're there.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25We've done the hard work there.
0:17:25 > 0:17:32What's left, obviously, is we've concentrated inside and we've not done anything outside whatsoever.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34The decking was left...
0:17:34 > 0:17:37- Well...- Framework. - It was a frame, it wasn't decking.
0:17:37 > 0:17:43So it was unstable, we had a couple of boards on it and the garden
0:17:43 > 0:17:47was just left in piles of rubble which had come from the foundations.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51So, of course, from our point of view, from our dogs' point of view,
0:17:51 > 0:17:55and when we do foster, we want a garden.
0:17:55 > 0:18:00- You want a garden and you want the decking sorted out? - Yeah.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04OK. I tell you what, here's a deal, right.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08In that short space of time, we'll sort out your decking, all right?
0:18:08 > 0:18:11And we'll sort out your garden, OK?
0:18:11 > 0:18:14And, hopefully, that will give you that little bit of push
0:18:14 > 0:18:19to get that little bit further to get those foster children in here.
0:18:19 > 0:18:25It's going to be a big job to make this huge deck safe and secure.
0:18:25 > 0:18:30Because of the steep slope of the garden, it provide essential access at the back of the house.
0:18:30 > 0:18:37There is no way Rachel and Simon could foster children with unsafe decking and a garden that's a tip.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40I think they need a big pair of helping hands.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43Time to bring on the good guys!
0:18:49 > 0:18:55Before we get to work transforming that dangerous decking and building site into a garden,
0:18:55 > 0:18:58I want independent chartered surveyor Stephen Turnham
0:18:58 > 0:19:01to cast his expert eye over the bad-builder evidence.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05Overall, from the photographs I've seen, I've seen worse.
0:19:05 > 0:19:06I've obviously seen better.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10The main thing is that they left before they finished the job.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14The actual construction of the deck is fine, to be fair.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17It's completely unfinished, though.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19The electrics is a completely different issue.
0:19:19 > 0:19:24Very poor, very dangerous. Assuming they were left as the electrician's report,
0:19:24 > 0:19:29there was potential for shock or fire there and, obviously, an electric shock has potential to kill.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31The electrics have been made safe now,
0:19:31 > 0:19:37but after looking at the evidence, what score does the Ballamys' builder deserve for this job?
0:19:37 > 0:19:42For the building overall I guess around six out of ten in that it's,
0:19:42 > 0:19:45from what I've seen and from the photographs, round about 60% complete,
0:19:45 > 0:19:49but for the electrics, they were downright dangerous and for that
0:19:49 > 0:19:52it would be zero out of ten or a negative.
0:19:52 > 0:19:59Six out of ten for the building work and zero out of ten for the electrics. That's a shocking result!
0:19:59 > 0:20:03Coming up, I discover there was a big warning bell on this build,
0:20:03 > 0:20:07but it didn't save the couple from disaster.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11I thought, "You could be an unscrupulous builder, for all I know, coming and knocking on the door
0:20:11 > 0:20:14"to try and make me feel bad about my current builder".
0:20:17 > 0:20:21We're in Newton Abbot, Devon, helping Rachel and Simon Ballamy.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25Their builder was hired to transform an unmodernised two-bedroom bungalow
0:20:25 > 0:20:28into a four-bedroom house with new bathrooms and kitchen.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32He promised a discount job, so that the deserving couple
0:20:32 > 0:20:37could fulfil their dream of welcoming foster children into their home.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40But his team went on a demolition derby.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44A year later, the couple have almost made the house safe.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46Friends have helped do lots of the work,
0:20:46 > 0:20:52but we're helping with the final push, making the deck secure and removing the rubble from the garden.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54Matt is leading our team today.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57I'm hoping he can salvage some of the structure for the new deck,
0:20:57 > 0:21:02which we're going to build right across the back of the house.
0:21:02 > 0:21:03It's in a pretty bad state.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05Luckily, the framework is good.
0:21:05 > 0:21:11The priority is, obviously, getting the framework up to scratch, getting the levels correct
0:21:11 > 0:21:16and making sure everything's ready to go structural-wise and then we'll bolt from there.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20This is a big deck, so we've got the professionals in,
0:21:20 > 0:21:24but don't be deterred from realising your own decking desires.
0:21:24 > 0:21:31Now decking is a suitable project for DIY, but here are my top tips to keep you safe.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35Only lay your deck boards once you've got a strong structure.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38Choose the right materials for the job.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41Remember, decking is not maintenance-free.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44You need to pressure wash it and treat it every year or so.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47Remember, safety first.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50Well-designed handrails and steps are vital.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54While the good guys get stuck in making this deck safe and secure,
0:21:54 > 0:22:00I want to track back with Rachel and Simon and find out why their builder offered them a discount job.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04We'd invited three... I think it was three or four builders to...
0:22:04 > 0:22:08So we could sit and have a chat with them.
0:22:08 > 0:22:14- Where did you find them? - Erm, every single one of them actually came through recommendation.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16- Yeah. - Ooh!- Every single one of them.
0:22:16 > 0:22:22- Even the guy that you had...- That's the difference.- That's the difference. Now...
0:22:22 > 0:22:27- OK. Whoa, whoa, whoa.- Yeah. He didn't come recommended. I knew him from my old workplace.
0:22:27 > 0:22:35He'd been into my workplace over the last seven years, so I'd built up a relationship and friendship with him
0:22:35 > 0:22:42and his partner over this sort of period of time. So...
0:22:42 > 0:22:45- Your previously work was selling top-class cars?- It was, yes.
0:22:45 > 0:22:52- OK. So you've got to earn a few quid to order one of them?- Yeah. - True. Yeah, very much so.
0:22:52 > 0:22:57So, obviously, them coming in, having chats with them and slowly but surely him saying,
0:22:57 > 0:23:02- "Well, I'm in the building trade". - Simon felt that he knew him fairly well
0:23:02 > 0:23:08and so we actually trusted him, over any of the other builders that we saw, to a certain extent.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12- Yeah, the guard came down. - Completely dropped.
0:23:12 > 0:23:18Very soon after work started, Rachel got a surprise visit from a disgruntled builder.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20He warned her to be very wary of the man
0:23:20 > 0:23:23she'd already paid to extend their home.
0:23:23 > 0:23:29He had seen the building company's sort of advertising plaque out the front.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31Ooh, they even advertised.
0:23:31 > 0:23:36Yeah, yeah! He told me a story that had happened to him.
0:23:36 > 0:23:41I didn't know whether to take him seriously at first or not, because I thought, "Well, you could be
0:23:41 > 0:23:45"a unscrupulous builder for all I know coming and knocking on the door to try make me feel bad
0:23:45 > 0:23:47"about my current builder".
0:23:47 > 0:23:49Anyway, he told me what had happened to him and he said,
0:23:49 > 0:23:54"If you don't believe me, this is my solicitor's name and number."
0:23:54 > 0:23:57Then, obviously, huge alarm bells going off in my ears now.
0:23:57 > 0:24:03Rachel was unnerved by her visitor's warning, so she plucked up the courage to talk to her builder
0:24:03 > 0:24:05about what she'd been told.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09He gave me the most plausible explanation back and that was that
0:24:09 > 0:24:15Mr Jones was a subcontractor and that he'd had a falling out with Mr Jones on a subcontracting basis.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17We talked about it and I ended up...
0:24:17 > 0:24:21Well, I say I ended up believing the builder.
0:24:21 > 0:24:26Even to this day, I still have that scrap of paper that Trevor gave me with the name and the numbers on.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28So there was obviously something that just made me think.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32Rachel did the right thing when she asked her builder to explain.
0:24:32 > 0:24:37But if she'd gone and spoken to the builder's customer, she would have heard a very different story.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39Take my tip...
0:24:44 > 0:24:48Much better to check out a builder's references before hiring him.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52But you know what they say, better late than never.
0:24:53 > 0:24:59The disgruntled builder turned out to be a good Samaritan, but his warning had come too late.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02He learned the truth about the cowboy the hard way.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06The sign board was up saying this company
0:25:06 > 0:25:08and I thought, "Well, this is odd,
0:25:08 > 0:25:11"cos I'd heard that he had gone into receivership. "
0:25:13 > 0:25:19I knocked on the door and she, Rachel, had told me then exactly
0:25:19 > 0:25:26what was happening here and how much money she had paid for this so-called "extension".
0:25:26 > 0:25:32And I knew, just by experience, that she certainly did not have her money's worth at that time.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35The Samaritan builder took the cowboy to court,
0:25:35 > 0:25:41but he still hasn't seen a single penny of his £8,000 unpaid bill.
0:25:41 > 0:25:46It was huge at the time, cos we were only a small company,
0:25:46 > 0:25:51and to have over £8,000 outstanding is a lot of money to us.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54We still have to pay our tradesmen.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58We have to pay our merchants and that made an awful lot of difference,
0:25:58 > 0:26:05cos trading is quite hard at this moment in time and it has been for the last few years.
0:26:05 > 0:26:11And it made it extremely difficult for myself and the partners of the company.
0:26:11 > 0:26:18Coming up, Rachel takes her builder to court, but the judge has some sage advice.
0:26:18 > 0:26:24And her last words to us were, effectively, "You've done the easy part of getting it to this stage.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27The hard part is now" getting the money".
0:26:27 > 0:26:32We're in Devon helping couple Rachel and Simon Ballamy.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34Their plan was to extend their two-bedroom bungalow
0:26:34 > 0:26:38into a four-bedroom house, so they could welcome in foster children.
0:26:38 > 0:26:42Simon's previous job was at a luxury-car dealership.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45The builder was a customer who owned two of the posh cars.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49He promised Simon a discount job, but take my advice.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53Beware of builders who turn up in flashy cars offering discounts.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57Stop and ask yourself, "Who's paying for that?"
0:26:57 > 0:27:04The flashy builder with the smart car left the job dangerous and the property half demolished.
0:27:04 > 0:27:09Over the last 12 months, Rachel and Simon have hired new builders to make the inside of the house safe.
0:27:09 > 0:27:14Now we're playing our part outside to clear the rubble, lay turf
0:27:14 > 0:27:17and complete the deck along the back of the house.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20Their builder said he would get the job done while Rachel and Simon
0:27:20 > 0:27:25were away on their second honeymoon, but he barely did anything.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28When they got back, they asked him to explain.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31He demanded more money.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35The final meeting was him sort of saying, "OK, well, there's still
0:27:35 > 0:27:37"money outstanding from the extras."
0:27:37 > 0:27:43And we went down this list and all but three of the extras hadn't even been started, let alone finished.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45Most of the extras didn't have an amount by them
0:27:45 > 0:27:49and it was only three of them that we actually agreed had been done.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52We'd already paid for things which hadn't been done already,
0:27:52 > 0:27:56which was quite amicable. You know, it wasn't heated from that point of view.
0:27:56 > 0:28:02And then, at that point, I turned round to him and said, "Also I'd like some receipts."
0:28:02 > 0:28:05And he got really, really angry then.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08He went like a sky rocket and I got a bit scared.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11Just started cussing and swearing.
0:28:11 > 0:28:16Just, basically, swung the front door open, swearing as we went out the front door.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18He wheel-spun away from the property.
0:28:18 > 0:28:26Rachel and Simon had paid their builder all but £4,000 of his £50,000 bill.
0:28:26 > 0:28:31They made the mistake of making payments every two weeks, regardless how much work he had done.
0:28:31 > 0:28:37Now with the builder and their money gone, Simon was about to have to turn builder himself.
0:28:37 > 0:28:42Did some tiling, so the bathrooms. I had a friend who came and helped.
0:28:42 > 0:28:46He used to be a handyman, so he came and helped and guided.
0:28:46 > 0:28:51And then just tried to do things like the skirting boards, the coving around the tops and bought
0:28:51 > 0:28:55the bits where I didn't have to cut bits out and then just decorating.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58So it was really sort of the simplistic DIY stuff. That's what I did.
0:28:58 > 0:29:05Simon did what he could while Rachel put to use the skills she learned at work as a paralegal.
0:29:05 > 0:29:10She decided to take the builder to court to reclaim the £42,000
0:29:10 > 0:29:14they had to spend on new builders to put right all the mistakes.
0:29:14 > 0:29:18Our claim was not for the money that we'd paid the builder.
0:29:18 > 0:29:22Our claim was for the money that we'd paid the new builders to put right what he'd done
0:29:22 > 0:29:23and to complete the job.
0:29:23 > 0:29:31I kept receipts for everything, even £1 bags of, I don't know, plaster dust or whatever it is.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34I kept receipts. Everything was fully receipted.
0:29:34 > 0:29:38We wrote to him saying, "Right, we've sent you our paperwork.
0:29:38 > 0:29:45"You're supposed to reciprocate and send us the paperwork that you intend to use to defend the claim."
0:29:45 > 0:29:49We didn't hear anything from him whatsoever.
0:29:49 > 0:29:55We then, at that stage, went and spoke to a solicitors just to clarify the situation that we were in.
0:29:55 > 0:30:00He turned round and looked through our paperwork and said, "Well, there isn't anything
0:30:00 > 0:30:02"that I could have done differently to what you've done.
0:30:02 > 0:30:04"You're more than capable of doing this at a hearing,
0:30:04 > 0:30:07"but do you know you can go for what's called a summary judgment?
0:30:07 > 0:30:13"Because although he has said he will be defending his claim, actually he has no defence to the claim
0:30:13 > 0:30:18"because he hasn't submitted anything and there is no defensible argument to what he's done. "
0:30:18 > 0:30:22So on that advice, we then wrote to the court and said,
0:30:22 > 0:30:26"We want to apply to the court for what's called summary judgment."
0:30:26 > 0:30:30They agreed. They set a hearing date. We had to go to the hearing.
0:30:30 > 0:30:32We represented ourselves.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35- We took everything that we were due to take.- This was read in judges' chambers?
0:30:35 > 0:30:40Yes, and the builder was expected to be there. He didn't turn up.
0:30:40 > 0:30:44Basically, the judge asked us to demonstrate the contract, demonstrate proof of payment.
0:30:44 > 0:30:48He could have the money that I'd paid him.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51I wanted the money that I'd paid somebody else to put right what he'd done.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53- Yep.- He didn't turn up.
0:30:53 > 0:30:59The judge read through all the information that we'd given and the hundreds of individual receipts
0:30:59 > 0:31:04that we'd kept, letters for the new builders confirming what they'd had to do to put right.
0:31:04 > 0:31:09She read all of that and then, when she turned round and viewed the photos, she said,
0:31:09 > 0:31:11"I don't need to see any more. "
0:31:11 > 0:31:13And she awarded in our favour.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16And her last words to us were, effectively,
0:31:16 > 0:31:21"You've done the easy part of getting it to this stage. The hard part is now getting the money from him."
0:31:21 > 0:31:24And that has proved to be the case.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28Going to court should always be the last resort.
0:31:28 > 0:31:33Always consider very carefully what your chances of success are.
0:31:33 > 0:31:37Here are Clive's five top tips on how to take your builder to court.
0:31:37 > 0:31:40The court expects you to try and resolve your dispute
0:31:40 > 0:31:43and they may penalise you if you don't.
0:31:43 > 0:31:45Recommended methods are...
0:31:49 > 0:31:52You can get free advice from the Citizens' Advice Bureau.
0:31:52 > 0:31:58Know exactly what you want from your builders and give them a chance to respond.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01Consider very carefully what you want your builder to do
0:32:01 > 0:32:04and what you're likely to get.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11Build up your own body of evidence.
0:32:22 > 0:32:26Check your insurance. It may cover your legal costs.
0:32:26 > 0:32:30You can present your own case to the county court.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40This can be costly.
0:32:40 > 0:32:43Be realistic about what the judge can do.
0:32:50 > 0:32:52You may also have to hire bailiffs.
0:32:52 > 0:32:56Don't bank on a successful verdict.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59There are plenty of homeowners who have won their case
0:32:59 > 0:33:01but never seen a penny back from the builder.
0:33:01 > 0:33:08Rachel and Simon won their country court judgment but their cowboy doesn't respect the law.
0:33:08 > 0:33:15- I was outraged, decided to give him a call.- I decided to call him.
0:33:15 > 0:33:18And from what I can understand, from what Rach told me,
0:33:18 > 0:33:22she spoke with the builder first of all, who was apparently quite accommodating,
0:33:22 > 0:33:26but quickly had the phone taken off him by his partner.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29She came on the phone and basically laughed.
0:33:29 > 0:33:32- Yeah.- And said, "You're not going to get a penny out of us.
0:33:32 > 0:33:37"You're not going to get anything out of us. You need to be talking to the liquidator".
0:33:37 > 0:33:43He'd tried to liquidate the firm and her words to me were, "Yes, I know the judgment.
0:33:43 > 0:33:47"I know it was found in your favour, but the courts can do what the hell they like.
0:33:47 > 0:33:49"We don't care what the courts say. "
0:33:49 > 0:33:52She had no respect for the court or the judgment of the judge.
0:33:52 > 0:33:55"I don't care what you try and do..."
0:33:55 > 0:33:56And it will always stick in mind.
0:33:56 > 0:33:59She laughed and went, "You can't touch us!".
0:33:59 > 0:34:04Coming up, what would Rachel like to say to the builder now?
0:34:04 > 0:34:11Am I likely to see any of the cash back and how does he sleep at night?
0:34:11 > 0:34:14In Devon,
0:34:14 > 0:34:18we're helping Rachel and Simon Ballamy put their bad builder behind them.
0:34:18 > 0:34:23They need their home to be safe and secure so they can become foster parents.
0:34:23 > 0:34:29They've had in new builders to make good most of the damage inside, so our team has been busy outside
0:34:29 > 0:34:33completing the half-built decking and clearing the garden.
0:34:33 > 0:34:37The team are doing a great job. Some agricultural students from the local college
0:34:37 > 0:34:43where Rachel and Simon first met have volunteered to rotavate the ground and lay the turf.
0:34:43 > 0:34:47While the good guys get on, it's time for this cowboy to account for himself.
0:34:47 > 0:34:52You know, I can't understand how Rachel and Simon's builder
0:34:52 > 0:34:55could leave them in such a mess and why he didn't come clean.
0:34:55 > 0:35:00It's time to give him a call and find out what he's got to say for himself.
0:35:00 > 0:35:04When was the last time you had any dialogue with your builder? Can you remember? Months, weeks?
0:35:04 > 0:35:07It was two weeks after the court judgment.
0:35:07 > 0:35:14I rang him to try and negotiate when we would receive settlement
0:35:14 > 0:35:20for the judgment and it was a short, very sweet conversation. Well, not so sweet, actually, conversation.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23OK. It might have been a bit of sweet and a lot of bitter.
0:35:23 > 0:35:25Yeah, I think so.
0:35:25 > 0:35:30If you had the opportunity to speak to him on the phone, what would you like to ask him?
0:35:30 > 0:35:34Why he did what he did, knowing the reasons why we'd done the build?
0:35:34 > 0:35:41Am I likely to see any of the cash back and how does he sleep at night?
0:35:41 > 0:35:43OK.
0:35:43 > 0:35:48I'm going to give you that opportunity to make a phone call,
0:35:48 > 0:35:50if you want to take that opportunity.
0:35:52 > 0:35:56- I'd like you to ring him. - You'd like me to ring him? OK. - Yeah. Two reasons.
0:35:56 > 0:35:59One, I think if he heard my voice, he'd just put the phone down.
0:35:59 > 0:36:04- And two, I don't think, emotionally, I'm strong enough to speak to him. - No, I can understand that.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07All right. OK.
0:36:07 > 0:36:10If you just sit tight, I'm going to put it on speaker phone anyway,
0:36:10 > 0:36:12so you can hear what he's got to say.
0:36:12 > 0:36:16- Even if something he says annoys you, stay calm, OK?- Yep.
0:36:16 > 0:36:17So here goes.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20Let's have a go.
0:36:23 > 0:36:25PHONE RINGS
0:36:27 > 0:36:29Well, I'm hoping he's got an answerphone.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32Yeah. He did all the time before.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35Has he switched his answerphone off?
0:36:35 > 0:36:38He's got stepsons in that house. Someone's got to be there.
0:36:38 > 0:36:43- So they're saying, "Don't answer the phone whatever goes down"?- Yeah.
0:36:43 > 0:36:47- So we're getting under their skin. They're not answering the phone. - Yeah, that's right.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50- Just one more for luck. - PHONE RINGS ONCE
0:36:50 > 0:36:52- No.- Nah.- He's a coward.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55Yeah, you got it spot on.
0:36:55 > 0:36:59Cowboy builders, coward and they do not care.
0:36:59 > 0:37:04- But as for whether they sleep well at night? Oh, yes, they do. - Yeah.- OK, look.
0:37:04 > 0:37:11Let's, fingers crossed, one day, he, along with every other cowboy builder, gets his comeuppance.
0:37:11 > 0:37:15And if I can stop somebody else being hit, then so much the better.
0:37:15 > 0:37:20This builder cost Rachel and Simon dear when he promised to do the job at a discount.
0:37:20 > 0:37:26They paid almost all of his £50, 000 bill and then their new builders
0:37:26 > 0:37:30another £42,000 to put right all his mistakes and finish the job.
0:37:30 > 0:37:35I'm glad we've got the good guys here to help get the garden safe for them.
0:37:35 > 0:37:37Eh, all hands on decking!
0:37:37 > 0:37:39This is what I'm enjoying.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42This job looks fantastic, Matt, I've got to be honest with you.
0:37:42 > 0:37:46- Not too bad.- Tell us what you've done and what you've still got to do.
0:37:46 > 0:37:52Yeah, sure. Well, what we've done is, the original framework was good, the post, etc, the concreting.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55So we were good to go off from that, so that got passed.
0:37:55 > 0:38:00So we've clad it with 32mm deck boards, newel posts,
0:38:00 > 0:38:04the balustrading coming through off the fence that Stuart's finishing off.
0:38:04 > 0:38:06So that's all good. Went in lovely.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09The stringers are in now for the steps.
0:38:09 > 0:38:12We're just finishing boxing them off with feather edge
0:38:12 > 0:38:15and the void from the decking has been clad with feather edge.
0:38:15 > 0:38:17We're loving that. It looks great.
0:38:17 > 0:38:21It looks nice and strong. A real showpiece to where the garden is.
0:38:21 > 0:38:25- And it's a great entrance and exit to the property, too. - Yeah, definitely.
0:38:25 > 0:38:29So, in terms of time, how long's it took you and how long have you got left?
0:38:29 > 0:38:32In total, we've done six days.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35We've got about half a day to finish and, obviously, tidy up, which,
0:38:35 > 0:38:39obviously, is a key thing at the end of any job. Get it nice and tidy.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42- So if you say between six to seven days from start to finish.- Yep.
0:38:42 > 0:38:44Job's a good 'un.
0:38:44 > 0:38:46Brilliant. I always enjoy a Matt finish!
0:38:46 > 0:38:49- Well, played, son.- Top man. - Great job.- Well done.
0:38:49 > 0:38:56Coming up, I can't wait to see Rachel and Simon's reaction when I show them their fabulous new deck.
0:38:56 > 0:38:58Our garden.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04Our job is almost done in Newton Abbot, Devon.
0:39:04 > 0:39:09Rachel and Simon are a step nearer achieving their dream of becoming foster parents.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12Their builder promised them a discount job,
0:39:12 > 0:39:15but when they let him work on their home, they paid a heavy price.
0:39:15 > 0:39:19We've been lending a helping hand to make their garden safe for children.
0:39:19 > 0:39:21This is my favourite bit.
0:39:21 > 0:39:28We go through all that angst and all of those problems, but the good guys are out there.
0:39:28 > 0:39:32But before all that, I would like to know what
0:39:32 > 0:39:36you think you've learned from having a cowboy builder in your property.
0:39:36 > 0:39:42First thing, run it like a business. Do it with your head and not your heart, without a doubt.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45Don't go for the dream, go for the reality.
0:39:45 > 0:39:52- Yes. Critical.- And I think as well, rather than do timed-staged payments, do it, effectively, room by room.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54So you complete one stage, you get paid.
0:39:54 > 0:39:56You complete the next... Not time payments.
0:39:56 > 0:39:59- OK.- Cos the time slips away and that's where we fell foul.- Yep.
0:39:59 > 0:40:01OK. Well, there's a couple of lessons learned.
0:40:01 > 0:40:03Now, here's the bit.
0:40:03 > 0:40:07What are you hoping we've done for you?
0:40:07 > 0:40:11Well, we're hoping that we've got a garden so I can mow it.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13- OK.- And decking.
0:40:13 > 0:40:14And I've got a deck, so I can sit on it.
0:40:14 > 0:40:18Something a bit more level than what it was before and decking
0:40:18 > 0:40:23which isn't just made out of bits of wood, bits of plank.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25The guys have worked really hard, OK?
0:40:25 > 0:40:30And I'm hoping to show you something that I personally think is pretty spectacular.
0:40:30 > 0:40:32Come and stand in front for me. If you stand there...
0:40:32 > 0:40:36- OK.- Young Rachel. You come this side.
0:40:36 > 0:40:40- All right.- And I am going to say, "Close your eyes just for a minute."
0:40:40 > 0:40:48Close your eyes. Keep those eyes tightly closed just for a second or two while I draw back the curtains.
0:40:51 > 0:40:53Open your eyes.
0:40:53 > 0:40:55Fantastic.
0:40:56 > 0:40:58Our garden.
0:40:58 > 0:41:00I don't know what to say.
0:41:00 > 0:41:02- Fantastic, eh?- Very, very good.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05Yeah. Don't, cos you'll set me off.
0:41:05 > 0:41:09What do you reckon, mate? Nice, grassed area there.
0:41:09 > 0:41:10I can mow a lawn.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13- Yeah.- You can mow a lawn.
0:41:13 > 0:41:16I can stand on here without trying to fall through it, so very good.
0:41:16 > 0:41:23I'm just speechless. It's nice to have something good.
0:41:24 > 0:41:29The builder left Rachel and Simon's garden looking like a building site.
0:41:29 > 0:41:31Our team of good guys stepped in at the final stage
0:41:31 > 0:41:36of their long list of remedial work to help them make the decking safe.
0:41:36 > 0:41:40We've checked the abandoned structure and extended it as originally planned.
0:41:40 > 0:41:44We laid a weed-proof membrane underneath to keep the deck
0:41:44 > 0:41:47clear from growth and then clad the structure in feather-edged timber.
0:41:47 > 0:41:51On top, we've laid sturdy boards and then, to make the deck
0:41:51 > 0:41:55comply with building regulations, we've fitted handrails and steps.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58The lawn has been transformed from a rubble-strewn demolition site
0:41:58 > 0:42:03to a green and tranquil oasis of calm, thanks to the local students.
0:42:03 > 0:42:08Hopefully, now Rachel and Simon can fulfil their dream of becoming foster parents.
0:42:08 > 0:42:16Can you see, in the future, some of these lovely foster kids having fun in the garden?
0:42:16 > 0:42:19- I've got, in the shed, giant garden games.- Oh, have you?
0:42:19 > 0:42:22- Yeah. So they'll all come out. - It's a great starting point.
0:42:22 > 0:42:24- Give us hug, missus!- Thank you.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27All right. You take care, yeah?
0:42:27 > 0:42:29- Thank you.- And enjoy.- Will do.
0:42:32 > 0:42:36Well, I'm so pleased that Rachel and Simon's hopes for a family home
0:42:36 > 0:42:40are back on track and they can look forward to the future.
0:42:40 > 0:42:43But just remember, if a price looks too good to be true,
0:42:43 > 0:42:48it IS too good to be true, and don't be swayed by dodgy discounts.
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