0:00:04 > 0:00:05We're crossing the country
0:00:05 > 0:00:09on the hunt for Britain's worst building disasters.
0:00:09 > 0:00:17We knew that we'd paid him £22,500 of our money and he was not going to finish that loft conversion for us.
0:00:17 > 0:00:23Every day, innocent people are being lured in by cowboy builder tricks
0:00:23 > 0:00:25and the next victim could be you.
0:00:25 > 0:00:30Then he said, "Cos we know you, this is what I'm prepared to do for you, no extra charge."
0:00:30 > 0:00:33And he laid it all out. It looked good. I thought, "Yeah, brilliant!"
0:00:33 > 0:00:39We've got a terrific team of professionals on hand to put an end to these bad builder bodges.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41Look up.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43- Wow!- Oh...
0:00:45 > 0:00:47Oh, how big is that?
0:00:47 > 0:00:50Have no fear though, if you arm yourself with my hints,
0:00:50 > 0:00:55tips and advice, that should prevent you falling into the Cowboy Trap.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06We're in Plymouth to hear one big story with a loud warning,
0:01:06 > 0:01:10never to pay your builder before his work is done.
0:01:10 > 0:01:17Today's family hit a cash crisis when their bungling builder wrecked their loft and left them in dreadful debt.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19Month by month, we're paying legal fees
0:01:19 > 0:01:22and still paying off for the emergency and remedial works.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26Obviously, we have a big mortgage and it just shouldn't be like that.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30This loft conversion was a washout.
0:01:30 > 0:01:35There was water pouring through the roof and the bill for emergency builders went sky high.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38It's money and not having the money to do things
0:01:38 > 0:01:42does tend to cause arguments, and it upsets everyone
0:01:42 > 0:01:44and, yeah, it's been a strain.
0:01:46 > 0:01:51Today's Cowboy Trap comes from a city with a long naval tradition, Plymouth.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53We're here to meet the Turner family.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57They live in this three-bedroomed, end-terrace house.
0:01:57 > 0:02:02Sam is a school administrator and ex-Navy man Roly is a deputy catering manager.
0:02:02 > 0:02:07The couple have two teenage daughters, Amie, 16, and Beth, 14.
0:02:07 > 0:02:12Mum, Sam, loves their house and imagines living here for many years to come.
0:02:12 > 0:02:18This property is ideal for a lovely family home with two young daughters.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22We've lived here for some years now and we envisage living here for
0:02:22 > 0:02:29at least 10, 15, 20-plus years in the future, because it would be so lovely with more space.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32Cos the girls, obviously, are getting older and we wanted
0:02:32 > 0:02:36to give them an extra bathroom and a bit more living space, so they can get the friends over.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38They can have sort of sleepovers.
0:02:38 > 0:02:43It was two years ago when Sam and Roly finally decided
0:02:43 > 0:02:47to take the plunge, even though it meant taking out a much bigger mortgage.
0:02:47 > 0:02:53We'd remortgaged the previous summer in order to raise the funds for the loft conversion.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57We'd remortgaged for £25,000, which we, at the time, presumed
0:02:57 > 0:03:00would be enough money to cover an extra bedroom and a bathroom.
0:03:00 > 0:03:06Dad, Roly, was really looking forward to having a bathroom he would only have to share with his wife.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10I think anyone that's got three women in the house or two daughters
0:03:10 > 0:03:14would understand that it was necessary to have an extra bathroom.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17I get my five minutes and that's about it really.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19It's a regimental regime in the morning.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22There's banging on the doors in the morning and,
0:03:22 > 0:03:24"Amie, get out the bathroom!
0:03:24 > 0:03:28"You've been in there for 40 minutes."
0:03:28 > 0:03:30We're always arguing.
0:03:30 > 0:03:36Everyone's got their time slots and if we go over by a matter of seconds or minutes, there's...
0:03:36 > 0:03:38Well, it's not pretty.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42The Turner family knew exactly what they wanted from their loft conversion -
0:03:42 > 0:03:45a new bedroom for Mum and Dad, and a big new family bathroom.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48Now all they needed was a builder.
0:03:48 > 0:03:54Sam and Roly knew of a local builder through their daughter's friend, so they got him in for a quote.
0:03:54 > 0:04:01We had an acquaintance which was a friend of our youngest daughter and we got three people round.
0:04:01 > 0:04:06They had a look round, gave us quotes, put the proper quotes in and it happened to be the middle quote.
0:04:06 > 0:04:12As we felt that we knew him, we knew that he would do a good job for us.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14He had some lovely ideas.
0:04:14 > 0:04:20The builder was just starting his own business, but he showed Sam and Roly photos of work he said he'd done
0:04:20 > 0:04:27and promised that some extra design features were included in his 24-grand quote.
0:04:27 > 0:04:33He'd shown us his portfolio, which looked all great, and we decided to give him a go.
0:04:33 > 0:04:39Converting the loft to create a bedroom and bathroom for Mum and Dad would take 12 weeks.
0:04:39 > 0:04:44The Turners knew that they shouldn't let the builder start work until they had a signed contract.
0:04:44 > 0:04:49The contract stated that the money owed would be paid in instalments.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52We paid an initial deposit.
0:04:52 > 0:05:00Then we paid two more instalments, quite hefty instalments, in cash.
0:05:00 > 0:05:06The Turners handed over lots of money, almost ten grand as a deposit and another seven grand
0:05:06 > 0:05:08on the first day of the job.
0:05:08 > 0:05:14Although we get told not to pay up front, when you've got small companies, they don't necessarily
0:05:14 > 0:05:20have the cash flow that big companies do and it looked above board and normal, so we went ahead.
0:05:20 > 0:05:25The Turners were right to insist on a written contract, but they made a common mistake
0:05:25 > 0:05:27when they agreed to pay up front.
0:05:27 > 0:05:28Take my tip...
0:05:39 > 0:05:44The Turners paid up 70% of the money before work even started.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46The first month of work went really well.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49The builder that we had the contract with started immediately,
0:05:49 > 0:05:53as soon as he had the keys, and he had two subcontractors working with him.
0:05:53 > 0:05:59Everything was going really, really well. He kept turning up on time. The subcontractors were here.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02Progress was as per the schedule.
0:06:02 > 0:06:09The first big stage of the job was to push the roof out to form an extended box-like structure called a dormer.
0:06:09 > 0:06:14Work got off to a good start and the dormer was erected in no time at all.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18Once the dormer had gone up, the buildings regulations were happy
0:06:18 > 0:06:23with the steels and the structure and then, after that, unfortunately,
0:06:23 > 0:06:28the two subcontractors that the builder had had working with him weren't on site any more.
0:06:28 > 0:06:34As soon as the dormer was up, the builder asked Sam and Roly for another five-and-a-half grand.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37Now he'd been paid 95% of the money.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40Paid the last payment when he said it was 50% complete
0:06:40 > 0:06:44and we said, "What's still to do?" and he said, "I've just got to
0:06:44 > 0:06:49"put the insulation up and we've got to put the stud walling up and that's it." And he ran through it
0:06:49 > 0:06:54and he said, "That's only another two weeks' work and that's it pretty much done."
0:06:55 > 0:06:59And now progress slowed down dramatically.
0:06:59 > 0:07:04He wasn't at the property as much as he had been. Any work he was doing
0:07:04 > 0:07:10was of a sub-standard and we began to be concerned about what was going on up there.
0:07:10 > 0:07:16We kept getting fobbed off with, "Yeah, yeah, I've done this," or, "The plumber hasn't turned up,"
0:07:16 > 0:07:19or, "The electrician hasn't turned up." And it just kept going on.
0:07:19 > 0:07:27We're not professionals but we began to wonder how that was progressing and was it work of a good standard?
0:07:27 > 0:07:31About 12, 14 weeks into it, we hadn't actually progressed since the dormer had gone up,
0:07:31 > 0:07:35so for about five weeks there was nothing happening at all.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38We couldn't see any improvement. Tried to get hold of him. At that point,
0:07:38 > 0:07:42we realised something was seriously amiss and, once he'd had
0:07:42 > 0:07:46that 95% payment, there's not really a lot we could have done.
0:07:46 > 0:07:51Sam and Roly handed over 95% of the cash, 22-and-a-half grand,
0:07:51 > 0:07:55but the builder had only done half the job.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57It didn't look like he would ever finish.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01By week 20, we knew that things weren't going to improve.
0:08:01 > 0:08:06We realised, finally, that he wasn't going to complete our loft conversion.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08He had no intention of doing so.
0:08:08 > 0:08:14We had to give him notice of seven days to terminate the contract.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18We were forced to do that and at that point it was heartbreaking because we knew that we had paid
0:08:18 > 0:08:26him £22,500 of our money and he was not going to finish that loft conversion for us.
0:08:26 > 0:08:32Sam and Roly paid their builder 22-and-a-half grand, mostly in cash.
0:08:32 > 0:08:39He said the job would take just two more weeks but, finally, they knew it wasn't true.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43They were left with a leaking roof, wet and mouldy plasterboard,
0:08:43 > 0:08:48damaged insulation, half a bathroom and nowhere to call a bedroom.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52The Turners finally sent the builder packing.
0:08:52 > 0:08:57He then took his tools and he started moving the materials from the loft as well.
0:08:57 > 0:09:03When we asked him why he was taking materials, he explained that we hadn't actually paid for them.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05But their trouble was far from over.
0:09:05 > 0:09:10The Turners were about to get a very nasty surprise.
0:09:10 > 0:09:16The heavens opened and the true horror of this builder's work was revealed.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19The rooflight leaked like a sieve.
0:09:19 > 0:09:25The Turners filmed this video two years ago, just after the builder left.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27Ah, another sleepless night!
0:09:27 > 0:09:35The Turners had to fork out a further £6,000 on emergency remedial work to the leaky windows and walls
0:09:35 > 0:09:39and to make sure it wasn't causing further damage anywhere in the home.
0:09:39 > 0:09:45After paying to make their home watertight, the Turners were drowning in debt.
0:09:45 > 0:09:50Coming up, an expert's damning verdict on this builder's abandoned work.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54There are some things he seemingly has finished, but he's finished incorrectly.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58So those things have to be taken out and done again.
0:09:59 > 0:10:05In Plymouth, Sam, Roly and teenage daughters, Amie and Beth, dreamed of a new loft conversion.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09There would be a new bedroom for Mum and Dad, and a new bathroom
0:10:09 > 0:10:13to make mornings run more smoothly in the Turner household.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17But after taking 95% of their money, the builder completed just half the job.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21It's time to see just what the family was left with.
0:10:21 > 0:10:27These are the lovely stairs coming up to the new loft conversion.
0:10:27 > 0:10:32The job was supposed to take 12 weeks, but the builder abandoned it after week 20.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38I can't even bear to be up here.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40It's... It just... I don't come up...
0:10:40 > 0:10:42I come up as little as possible.
0:10:42 > 0:10:48It just upsets me too much to think of what we could have had and what we've now lost.
0:10:48 > 0:10:54The Turners have had to pay for remedial work to make the roof structure more secure and watertight.
0:10:54 > 0:11:01Here is going to be a storage space and a wardrobe at the front.
0:11:01 > 0:11:07Then we would have our sleeping area here and all that would be is just a bed and two bedside tables.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09We don't need anything else.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11And then the big, nice family bathroom.
0:11:11 > 0:11:17The state of this insulation proves the builder was clueless.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21It's got marks in it, holes in it, tape over it.
0:11:21 > 0:11:26Bits that don't fit properly and have been bodged together.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28Scratches.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32This guy couldn't even put up a simple internal wall.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36He had put up a stud wall
0:11:36 > 0:11:44to separate the bathroom from the bedroom, but you could push it and it would have fallen down,
0:11:44 > 0:11:46so we had to have that removed
0:11:46 > 0:11:51just because moving about up here, it would have fallen down anyway.
0:11:51 > 0:11:56The job has transformed family life, but not in the way the Turners hoped.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00We thought that within three months of going ahead,
0:12:00 > 0:12:05we would be functional with a nice new bedroom, a nice new bathroom.
0:12:05 > 0:12:11We immediately picked out new quilt covers and what coloured curtains we were going to have.
0:12:11 > 0:12:17Sam and Roly have been camping out up here when relatives come and stay,
0:12:17 > 0:12:20but soon they'll be closing it up to get through the winter.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24We are using it to a certain degree at the moment but, come the winter,
0:12:24 > 0:12:29we're going to have to shut it all down again and put a big board up here because the rest of the house
0:12:29 > 0:12:35can't maintain losing its heat for an empty space that's just letting all the heat out.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39It's two years since the builder dumped the family in this appalling mess.
0:12:39 > 0:12:44He left them deep in debt and there's no easy way forward.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47The Turners' hopes and dreams for a bigger family home
0:12:47 > 0:12:52were left in despair when their cowboy builder ruined their loft conversion.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54Time for me to meet them.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58- Hello. You must be Sam. Mind if I come in?- Absolutely. Come on through. - Thank you.
0:12:58 > 0:13:05Winter is just around the corner. I don't want Sam and Roly boarding up the loft again this year.
0:13:05 > 0:13:11We don't have much time, but I hope we can help get them started on that long climb ahead.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14What could we do for you in that short space of time
0:13:14 > 0:13:20that would help you on the road to be able to live in that space?
0:13:20 > 0:13:24Well, because of the fact that during the cold winter months
0:13:24 > 0:13:27it had to all be blocked off and was just a dead space.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31- To be able to have it insulated, plasterboarded...- Just liveable.
0:13:31 > 0:13:36..and just as a blank canvas would just make us ecstatic.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39OK. Well, look,
0:13:39 > 0:13:45let me see what I can do. I'd love to do something positive for you guys.
0:13:45 > 0:13:52There's a big job ahead before the couple can move up here. The space is one big fridge-freezer in winter.
0:13:52 > 0:13:58We've got to replace all the damaged insulation and that's just for starters.
0:13:58 > 0:14:03A polythene-like vapour barrier must be installed to protect the insulation from damp
0:14:03 > 0:14:07and make the space energy efficient. The electric cabling must be moved
0:14:07 > 0:14:12into the right position. That's before we can even think about lining the timbers with plasterboard,
0:14:12 > 0:14:14so it starts to look like a room.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18You know, Sam and Roly could really do with some help in that loft,
0:14:18 > 0:14:21so they can finally use some much-needed space.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25So I think it's time to bring on the good guys.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36But before the good guys get stuck in, I want to get
0:14:36 > 0:14:39the verdict on this builder's work from an independent chartered surveyor.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42There are some things he seemingly has finished,
0:14:42 > 0:14:44but he's finished incorrectly.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48So those things have to be taken out and done again and that's not good enough.
0:14:48 > 0:14:55My main objection to him is the contract he entered into.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57He said that... At least, I'm told he said,
0:14:57 > 0:15:05that 95% of the money was due when 50% of the work was done and that was normal. Well, it's not normal.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08The insulation hasn't been properly fitted.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10It's not sealed. It's not taped. There's no vapour barrier.
0:15:10 > 0:15:16The wiring's been run behind the insulation, which is going to compromise the vapour barrier.
0:15:16 > 0:15:23The builder took almost all of the money for only half of the job, so what score does he deserve?
0:15:23 > 0:15:26The insulation needs adjusting.
0:15:26 > 0:15:27The wiring needs adjusting.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29The plasterboard needs finishing.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32And overall I would give it five out of ten.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34Five out of ten!
0:15:34 > 0:15:38In my opinion, that's way more than generous for this cowboy.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42Coming up, the Turners' cowboy kicked them three times.
0:15:42 > 0:15:48He took their money, messed up the job and cost them a fortune fixing his mistakes.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52You've had to fork out then how much for remedial work?
0:15:52 > 0:15:54- £6,000.- On top of?
0:15:54 > 0:15:58On top of the 22,500.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01The Turner family wanted a loft conversion,
0:16:01 > 0:16:07but when they hired a cowboy builder to do the job, they were left with water pouring through the roof.
0:16:07 > 0:16:13The bills for emergency work came flooding in and left the family drowning in debt.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17Two years on, the roof is fixed, but the loft lies abandoned.
0:16:17 > 0:16:22We've got the good guys here now to try and get the family back on track.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24Bill is leading our team.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26Now, Bill, what's your plan?
0:16:26 > 0:16:28What are you going to do here for Sam and Roly?
0:16:28 > 0:16:31We're going to finish off the insulation that's not been done,
0:16:31 > 0:16:37build a stud wall to form a cupboard area, put a vapour barrier up,
0:16:37 > 0:16:42plasterboard all the walls and ceilings in this area and skim plaster finish it.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45So how long do you think this job is going to take you to do?
0:16:45 > 0:16:48I'm looking at sort of round about the eight days to be finished.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51OK. Well, look, I'll do a bit of a catch-up with you later on. But for now, Bill,
0:16:51 > 0:16:53- thank you.- Thanks, Clive.
0:16:53 > 0:16:58While the good guys get stuck in insulating the loft against the coming winter, I want to track back
0:16:58 > 0:17:03with Sam and Roly and find out how their build went bad.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07At what stage do we get to, when the first alarm bell rings?
0:17:07 > 0:17:13I think it was literally after the dormer went up and the subcontractors,
0:17:13 > 0:17:16who we later found out were the ones that done all the work,
0:17:16 > 0:17:23left site and it was left with the main builder and just then everything dried up, didn't it?
0:17:23 > 0:17:24What about building inspectors?
0:17:24 > 0:17:27Did building inspectors come and have a look?
0:17:27 > 0:17:31Yeah, when the dormer went up, the building inspector was so impressed with the work.
0:17:31 > 0:17:36It was really professional, everything was above board and he was quite happy just to go ahead
0:17:36 > 0:17:39and next time it would be virtually to sign it off, wouldn't it?
0:17:39 > 0:17:44It was when we got him back after we sort of got rid of the builder
0:17:44 > 0:17:47that everything that was done after that was so substandard
0:17:47 > 0:17:51that he was getting quite concerned of other bits that had been done.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54He now realises, as you rightly say, Roly,
0:17:54 > 0:17:59he's not competent to actually complete that work and he's now getting caught out.
0:17:59 > 0:18:05- You decide that you don't want him back any further. Is this what we're saying?- That's right.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09Yeah, he put his final invoice in after that...well, before that...
0:18:09 > 0:18:14and asked for another £4,500 on top.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18- We asked could we have the reasons why...- A breakdown.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22Yeah, a breakdown of your costs, which was very sketchy.
0:18:22 > 0:18:26We wanted to know where this money was going. If he could justify it, yeah, fine.
0:18:26 > 0:18:32But he was charging us for his own labour to come in and work weekends.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36Now he was the one that gave us the quote for his work,
0:18:36 > 0:18:39so he couldn't really ask us for any more money for his overtime.
0:18:39 > 0:18:45Not a chance! But he was going to chance his arm though, because you were prepared to do things
0:18:45 > 0:18:48like pay money up front and probably turn a blind eye occasionally
0:18:48 > 0:18:55to work that might've been substandard, but you're hoping to get the job finished and completed.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57Was it your decision?
0:18:57 > 0:19:00Did you make that decision to say, "You're not coming back"?
0:19:00 > 0:19:02- We did, didn't we?- Yeah.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04Sam and Roly did everything by the book.
0:19:04 > 0:19:08There's a right way to terminate a contract and a wrong way.
0:19:08 > 0:19:13Take my advice, don't just throw your bad builder off the job.
0:19:27 > 0:19:33Sam and Roly gave their bad builder seven days' notice to complete or quit. He gave them
0:19:33 > 0:19:39another week of misery. He hacked a hole in the roof and fitted a skylight. The heavy rain
0:19:39 > 0:19:43was final proof his work was no good.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49The Velux window that was fitted virtually just before termination of contract,
0:19:49 > 0:19:52you could see daylight all the way around it.
0:19:53 > 0:20:00At the end of the seven days' notice, the builder came back one final time to collect his tools.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04He started removing the materials from the loft as well.
0:20:04 > 0:20:10When we asked him why he was taking materials, he explained that we hadn't actually paid for them.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14The builder had even more surprises in store. He hadn't bothered
0:20:14 > 0:20:18to fit any roof tiles to the dormer and the rain poured in there, too.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24We had to get an emergency roofer in as well to come and do that.
0:20:24 > 0:20:29Fortunately, the scaffolding company contacted us the day that we terminated the contract
0:20:29 > 0:20:32just to double check that the work hadn't been finished
0:20:32 > 0:20:36because they got contacted and got told to remove all the scaffolding.
0:20:36 > 0:20:41The cowboy was taking his revenge everywhere.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45The bath that he said he'd actually installed, we used twice
0:20:45 > 0:20:49and then realised that the plumbing wasn't plumbed in
0:20:49 > 0:20:53and we found that out when all the water come out on to the landing.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57The builder even told the firm of electricians to refund him
0:20:57 > 0:21:02the money he'd charged the Turners to do the wiring.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04We did the first fix as he requested.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06Obviously, we were then meant to call back
0:21:06 > 0:21:08to do a second fix at a later date.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11This never materialised and some six months later
0:21:11 > 0:21:15I actually had a phone call to come and do the second fix on the house.
0:21:15 > 0:21:20When I arrived the house was in uproar. I mean, everything, as you saw it, was in a terrible mess.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22There were no ceilings, no plaster, no walls.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26The cables had been all cut and damaged. And at that time,
0:21:26 > 0:21:33the builder was here and, obviously, there had been a fall-out between him and the clients downstairs.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37He then asked us not to come back and do the second fix,
0:21:37 > 0:21:42but in fact to give him some money back, which, as we had a contract with him, we had to do so.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45The builder wreaked havoc wherever he could,
0:21:45 > 0:21:53even though he was once a family friend. He'd had 22-and-a-half grand, but the Turners' bill kept on rising.
0:21:53 > 0:21:58Well, unfortunately, we discovered that the dormer cheeks had been left exposed to the elements
0:21:58 > 0:22:04during a very wet summer for the whole time that the dormer had been up
0:22:04 > 0:22:09to the time when we terminated the contract - a total of 13 weeks.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12So, of course, water was penetrating into the house
0:22:12 > 0:22:17and we had to have emergency works done...
0:22:17 > 0:22:19There was no waterproof membrane installed.
0:22:19 > 0:22:24The insulation was put in at such poor standard, you could put your hand through it
0:22:24 > 0:22:28- between the gaps.- Yeah.- It wasn't even worth having.- No.
0:22:28 > 0:22:33We were fortunate that we had a sound structure, but everything thereafter had something wrong.
0:22:33 > 0:22:34There wasn't one completed job.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38The insulation wasn't complete. The plasterboard that had been used
0:22:38 > 0:22:41was mouldy because it had been left outside for so long.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45You've had to fork out then how much for the remedial work?
0:22:45 > 0:22:50- £6,000.- On top of? - On top of the 22,500.
0:22:50 > 0:22:56- This is what people have to realise. It's the cost of repairing the work these guys do.- Absolutely. Yeah.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59How was it for you guys when you realised he's not coming back,
0:22:59 > 0:23:03you've got to fork out another six grand for remedial works,
0:23:03 > 0:23:09you're looking around the debris that's up in that loft space? What is your reaction?
0:23:09 > 0:23:14We went down and saw Citizens Advice. We went to a mediation service, didn't we,
0:23:14 > 0:23:20to try and keep all the lines open? Try to keep him on side, just to get the money back to finish the job.
0:23:20 > 0:23:27The money we forked out on emergency works, we were quite happy to let that go just to get the job done.
0:23:27 > 0:23:32- Cos getting the job done was the main priority, but we had no joy at all, did we?- No.
0:23:32 > 0:23:39Emotionally, we were heartbroken, drained, just devastated.
0:23:39 > 0:23:46Could not believe that anyone could do this to us when we'd thought that nothing could go wrong,
0:23:46 > 0:23:51that he was an acquaintance that promised us the earth and just didn't deliver.
0:23:51 > 0:23:57Coming up, now deep in debt, the Turners decide it's payback time for their bad builder.
0:23:57 > 0:24:02We decided that actually the builder had taken our money and we wanted it back.
0:24:04 > 0:24:09We're in Plymouth helping the Turner family put their bad builder behind them.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13Two years ago, they had their loft converted. Water poured into the house
0:24:13 > 0:24:19when the builder failed to fix the roof tiles and rain ruined all the plasterboard. But our team
0:24:19 > 0:24:24of good guys is on the job now. We need to strip out the wet and mouldy
0:24:24 > 0:24:29insulation material, re-lay the electric cables and re-insulate the walls and ceilings
0:24:29 > 0:24:32to comply with building regulations.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35Then we need to line the walls with new plasterboard.
0:24:35 > 0:24:43We're going to build a small stud wall to separate the area under the eaves into a big storage cupboard.
0:24:43 > 0:24:48Bill and Joe are measuring up. Stud walls are a quick way of separating
0:24:48 > 0:24:51interior spaces and relatively easy to build.
0:24:51 > 0:24:57Now, Joe, look, you're doing for Sam and Roly, segregating a room off with a stud wall.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59Explain what a stud wall is and what it does.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03- Well, basically, what you'll do... This is your header plate.- Yep.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05This is your base plate down here.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08This will be nailed to the ceiling, that one nailed to the floor,
0:25:08 > 0:25:11- with these nailed in-between...- Yep. - ..which you'd plasterboard to.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14To provide stability, you put these noggins in the middle,
0:25:14 > 0:25:17which would stop the wall from flexing. Then you plasterboard
0:25:17 > 0:25:20- over the top and you've got your separation.- Fantastic!
0:25:20 > 0:25:24While Joe gets the new stud wall installed inside the loft,
0:25:24 > 0:25:28it's time to find out what Sam and Roly did after their builder left.
0:25:28 > 0:25:34After terminating the contract, we realised that the emergency works and the remedial works
0:25:34 > 0:25:40were going to cost some money and we were forced to take out an additional loan, in addition
0:25:40 > 0:25:44to the remortgaging that we'd done. So we had to take out a loan for £6,000.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47The bills just kept on piling up.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51The cowboy hit them not once, not twice, but three times.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55He took all their mortgage money, wrecked their home and, when they were down,
0:25:55 > 0:25:59he through them deep into debt to pay for his damage.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03It was spiralling out of control, cos it was one thing and another.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07We'd managed to make the roof watertight, or the loft watertight,
0:26:07 > 0:26:12but it still wasn't useable. There was no membranes inside, there was no insulation.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16It was coming up for wintertime and all we could do was block it off
0:26:16 > 0:26:19with some insulation and leave it until the spring.
0:26:19 > 0:26:27Sam dreads the arrival of winter because it's another painful reminder of their lack of progress.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31It's absolutely tragic at the end of each summer to have to block it off for the winter because, of course,
0:26:31 > 0:26:35it's not insulated so it's an unusable space completely.
0:26:35 > 0:26:40The financial burden has been a big strain on family life.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44No holidays since then, not even sort of weekend breaks or anything.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48We just piled everything into trying to get as much work done as possible.
0:26:48 > 0:26:57It's caused lots of arguments and there's times where like Mum and Dad have been upset
0:26:57 > 0:27:04for days because we've had like a phone call saying something's gone wrong, or just everything really.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07There's been no ups, it's all been downs.
0:27:07 > 0:27:15But the Turners did strike back. Once the emergency work was done, they decided on their next move.
0:27:15 > 0:27:22Once we had exhausted all possibilities of finding finances to be able to complete the loft,
0:27:22 > 0:27:25we decided that actually the builder had taken our money
0:27:25 > 0:27:29and we wanted it back, so we sought legal advice
0:27:29 > 0:27:35and went ahead to try and reclaim our money through the legal process.
0:27:35 > 0:27:40Sam and Roly were advised by the Citizens Advice Bureau to contact
0:27:40 > 0:27:43the National Mediation Helpline, which they did.
0:27:43 > 0:27:48Going to mediation can provide a very successful alternative to taking your builder to court.
0:27:48 > 0:27:53Mediators bring the parties together to discuss their dispute on neutral ground.
0:27:53 > 0:27:58It enables both parties to express their feelings,
0:27:58 > 0:28:03their views, their opinions in a controlled environment
0:28:03 > 0:28:07where a mediator will actually police the opening statements
0:28:07 > 0:28:12and encourage both sides to reply but stop people interrupting each other.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16So it should be a reasonably calm exchange. Sometimes it can become
0:28:16 > 0:28:20heated and then there's always the option of splitting the parties.
0:28:20 > 0:28:24And the mediator discusses the issues then individually with each party
0:28:24 > 0:28:30and tries to encourage them to come to a common agreement.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33If you're in dispute and can't communicate with your builder,
0:28:33 > 0:28:37try what Sam and Roly did and attempt to go down the mediation route.
0:28:37 > 0:28:41There are lots of advantages over going straight to court.
0:28:41 > 0:28:46Here's my Clive's five top tips on how to enter into mediation with your builder.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51Over 80% of mediations are successful.
0:28:56 > 0:28:58And the process has impressive results.
0:28:58 > 0:29:02Each party gets to express their view
0:29:02 > 0:29:05and the mediator helps them find common ground.
0:29:05 > 0:29:09In certain circumstances, mediation can be free.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16..rather than take up court time.
0:29:16 > 0:29:21If you do have to pay, you and your builder go 50-50.
0:29:27 > 0:29:31Mediation fees start at around £500.
0:29:31 > 0:29:37The agreement you reach can be enforceable by law.
0:29:47 > 0:29:54If you can't get your builder to go to mediation, your only option is to take them to court.
0:30:00 > 0:30:06If you did nothing, you may not get your costs, even if you win the case.
0:30:07 > 0:30:12The National Mediation Service contacted Sam and Roly's bad builder on their behalf,
0:30:12 > 0:30:14but he didn't want to know.
0:30:14 > 0:30:17They were left with no option but to take him to court.
0:30:17 > 0:30:22Coming up, what would Sam and Roly like to say to their builder now?
0:30:22 > 0:30:26Why did he feel the need to do to us what he did?
0:30:26 > 0:30:30What did we do to him that made him feel that way about us?
0:30:32 > 0:30:36In Plymouth, we're helping a family who fell deep into debt
0:30:36 > 0:30:40after their builder bodged their loft conversion. They used credit cards
0:30:40 > 0:30:43and loans to call in emergency roofers,
0:30:43 > 0:30:47scaffolders and plumbers to make their home watertight. Two years on,
0:30:47 > 0:30:51and they can't afford to get the conversion looking anything like
0:30:51 > 0:30:54the bedroom and bathroom they'd planned. Sam and Roly
0:30:54 > 0:31:00tried everything to get their builder to carry on talking but, in the end, they had to take him to court.
0:31:00 > 0:31:04And so it had cost you £6,000 on the remedial works. How much did it cost you to go to court?
0:31:04 > 0:31:12The solicitors and the court fees, to date, are approximately £8,000.
0:31:12 > 0:31:17We've done a lot of paying month by month so far.
0:31:17 > 0:31:23- We're still 3,000... We're paying in monthly instalments.- Wow!
0:31:23 > 0:31:27- You're now looking at £14,000 over the top of what you've already paid. - That's right.
0:31:27 > 0:31:35- That is such a lot of money.- I know. - But your joy is in the fact that the judge said he awards you how much?
0:31:35 > 0:31:44Just over £20,000. That was to cover the money that the builder had taken initially,
0:31:44 > 0:31:46but for having only done half the job,
0:31:46 > 0:31:52- the legal and the court fees... - Emergency repairs.- ..and the emergency and remedial works.
0:31:52 > 0:31:57Have you seen any money from that and has anybody done a structure of how he's going to pay you back the money?
0:31:57 > 0:32:00We haven't seen any money to date.
0:32:00 > 0:32:06It was deemed that he was now unemployed and so was not going to be able to pay the £20,000.
0:32:06 > 0:32:11So he went to court again to present his assets
0:32:11 > 0:32:16and he was told that he could pay us £5 a week.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20- We still haven't seen that. - I think it was a 14-day deadline, wasn't it,
0:32:20 > 0:32:23to pay the full amount, which came and went.
0:32:23 > 0:32:26And then it was left up to us again to do something about it.
0:32:26 > 0:32:32And we chose to get him into court to show his assets, which cost us, again.
0:32:32 > 0:32:37So they served him with that. He didn't turn up and then it was left in our court again.
0:32:37 > 0:32:42So we had to pay again to serve notice on him again and he never turned up again.
0:32:42 > 0:32:47And then, I think it was the third time... And I think it was £100 a time to have this done.
0:32:47 > 0:32:51I think he actually turned up on the third account.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54- But that was like three, four months after the case was finished.- Mm.
0:32:54 > 0:32:59Do you believe, looking back, that the law itself
0:32:59 > 0:33:02sort of weighs in the favour of the bad guy
0:33:02 > 0:33:08- as opposed to the good guy with the way that it's all turned out for you?- Absolutely.
0:33:08 > 0:33:14The law is toothless, cos they can award you this money but then you've got nothing to back it up with.
0:33:14 > 0:33:15And they don't pursue it.
0:33:15 > 0:33:20It definitely favours the criminal because he's walked away with all of our money.
0:33:20 > 0:33:23He's managed to get rid of it all somehow,
0:33:23 > 0:33:29claiming to be unemployed and we're left with nothing and worse.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31Yeah, any other business that would be theft.
0:33:31 > 0:33:35The Turners paid their builder 22-and-a-half grand.
0:33:35 > 0:33:39They spent another six grand on emergency repairs
0:33:39 > 0:33:43And then eight grand more on legal fees.
0:33:43 > 0:33:49They've spent £36,500 on a loft conversion that isn't even finished.
0:33:49 > 0:33:55The builder is paying them nothing, but they're paying off their legal bill at £100 a month.
0:33:55 > 0:34:01Sam and Roly's solicitor says they may get the money back one day.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04You have six years from the date of the judgment to enforce that.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07Although he may not have any money at the moment,
0:34:07 > 0:34:10or have any money or means of paying the judgment at the moment,
0:34:10 > 0:34:13that's not to say he won't be able to pay it in the future
0:34:13 > 0:34:16and that judgment will remain valid for six years.
0:34:16 > 0:34:21And at a later date, if they wanted to take a range for enforcement options like bailiffs
0:34:21 > 0:34:24or a charging order over his property, then that's a possibility.
0:34:24 > 0:34:28Sam and Roly's best friends have supported them through the ordeal.
0:34:28 > 0:34:35They can't believe the court can do so little to bring the builder to justice. He's only supposed to pay
0:34:35 > 0:34:39£5 a week, yet they lost thousands.
0:34:39 > 0:34:43They're going to be 85 by the time he would repaid them the money.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46- What a pointless situation that is. - Yeah.
0:34:46 > 0:34:53You just find it hard to believe that they paid thousands of pounds in legal costs to get him to court
0:34:53 > 0:34:58and get a decision and then to find out that that all meant nothing.
0:34:58 > 0:35:04And, OK, they were going to get paid like for however many years
0:35:04 > 0:35:09but they were never ever going to get that original work done and they were left with a huge bill,
0:35:09 > 0:35:15and solicitors' fees and they couldn't afford to put right the mess that he'd made.
0:35:15 > 0:35:21It's not justice, is it? I wonder what Sam and Roly would like to say to their builder now?
0:35:21 > 0:35:27Sam, Roly, normally at this stage we would be talking about phoning the builder,
0:35:27 > 0:35:33but in your case it's gone a little bit further than that, because you've taken him to court.
0:35:33 > 0:35:39If you had an opportunity to speak to him, even if he was sitting opposite us right now,
0:35:39 > 0:35:43what are the questions - say, for instance, you've got one main one each -
0:35:43 > 0:35:46what are the questions you'd like to put to him?
0:35:46 > 0:35:52- Why?- I would say, why did he feel the need to do to us what he did?
0:35:52 > 0:35:57What did we do to him that made him feel that way about us that he had no intention
0:35:57 > 0:36:03of finishing our loft conversion and had every intention of taking our money in the process?
0:36:03 > 0:36:04What about you, Roly?
0:36:04 > 0:36:11Just why or how he can actually...
0:36:11 > 0:36:15well, sleep at night really knowing that he's done this to us? If he's done it to anyone else.
0:36:15 > 0:36:19If he has, I really feel sorry for them.
0:36:19 > 0:36:24I would always recommend that everyone does a lot of background stuff before they get engrossed
0:36:24 > 0:36:29in the euphoria of knowing what they hope they're going to achieve in the future.
0:36:29 > 0:36:35So don't get carried along on, "Yes, we're going to have this lovely extension or loft conversion!"
0:36:35 > 0:36:38or whatever it may be. Make sure that, you know,
0:36:38 > 0:36:44everything, all the groundwork, is done first way before any of that excitement.
0:36:44 > 0:36:47Sam and Roly have shared a very valuable
0:36:47 > 0:36:51and hard-won lesson. They hope their story can help others.
0:36:51 > 0:36:56Coming up, I can't wait to show them there are good guys out there.
0:36:56 > 0:36:57Look up.
0:36:58 > 0:37:00- Wow!- Oh!
0:37:01 > 0:37:04Oh, how big is that?
0:37:08 > 0:37:13Our work is almost done in Plymouth. It's been a tough two years in the Turner family home.
0:37:13 > 0:37:20No holidays, no family treats, just debts, after their cowboy builder crushed their dreams.
0:37:20 > 0:37:26The loft conversion was bare rafters and damaged insulation when we arrived a week ago.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29Our team has been hard at work getting as much done as possible,
0:37:29 > 0:37:34so Sam and Roly don't have to board up the entrance again this winter.
0:37:34 > 0:37:38There's just time for me to have a sneak preview of the surprise we've got in store for them.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42I tell you what, Bill, what a difference this has made.
0:37:42 > 0:37:49It's amazing what a bit of timber and studwork can do. Just talk us through exactly what you've done.
0:37:49 > 0:37:53We've been putting insulation in the walls and ceilings.
0:37:53 > 0:37:57We've been putting a vapour barrier around the exterior of the property.
0:37:57 > 0:38:01We've then put plasterboard on the walls, skimmed the walls
0:38:01 > 0:38:05and given it a couple of coats of paint to make it look pretty.
0:38:05 > 0:38:09- It's top job and, I'll tell you now, they'll definitely appreciate it, mate. Well, played, Bill.- Thanks.
0:38:09 > 0:38:12While the guys carry on with the final touches,
0:38:12 > 0:38:16fitting the skirting boards and storage cupboard door,
0:38:16 > 0:38:20I want to find out what Sam and Roly will take away from their experience.
0:38:20 > 0:38:25Now, in terms of having this painful bite from the cowboy builder,
0:38:25 > 0:38:29what have you learned? What lessons have you learned?
0:38:29 > 0:38:33I think research is the main thing. Don't take them for granted.
0:38:33 > 0:38:39Don't just look at their portfolio. Go knocking on the doors, get references.
0:38:39 > 0:38:44Just go and check them out and see what they've actually done is what they've actually done
0:38:44 > 0:38:46and they've not just borrowed it off somebody else.
0:38:46 > 0:38:51And also don't just rely on the fact that you think that you know them, because you don't always know them.
0:38:51 > 0:38:54Now, before we take a look at what the good guys have done...
0:38:54 > 0:38:59This is always the bit that really excites me, especially after all the bad news.
0:38:59 > 0:39:06..just remind me about what it was like before we arrived.
0:39:06 > 0:39:12It was an empty, bare, cold shell. There was mouldy plasterboard up in places.
0:39:12 > 0:39:16There was very little insulation.
0:39:16 > 0:39:22- It looked cold and dank and very unfinished.- Just unusable, unsafe. - Yeah.
0:39:22 > 0:39:24What are you hoping for?
0:39:24 > 0:39:32Just a usable space. Just a living space, so we can get back to normal
0:39:32 > 0:39:36- and start doing the stuff that we're supposed to have been doing. - Yeah.- Yeah.
0:39:36 > 0:39:40A blank canvas that's going to be insulated and warm so that we can carry on.
0:39:40 > 0:39:49- So my next question is, are you ready?- Yes!- Definitely.- Shall we go? - Yes.- Come on, follow me.
0:39:49 > 0:39:53'There's been a big transformation up here since Sam showed us around
0:39:53 > 0:39:57'a week ago. I can't wait to see their reaction.'
0:39:57 > 0:39:58Now then, look up.
0:40:00 > 0:40:01- Wow!- Oh!
0:40:04 > 0:40:08Oh, how big is that and how fresh?
0:40:08 > 0:40:10Look, the mirror's up and everything.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13- Storage.- Oh, look at that.
0:40:15 > 0:40:17Door's on.
0:40:18 > 0:40:23- Oh, that is fantastic. Look at that. Oh...- Have a look.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25Don't go locking her in though!
0:40:25 > 0:40:29- What was that like? - Oh, that's fantastic.- Do you remember all what that was like?
0:40:29 > 0:40:32It was just open...open beams, wasn't it? There was nothing.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35There wasn't anything. You can't describe what it was like.
0:40:35 > 0:40:39There was nothing there and now look at it. Oh, it's fabulous.
0:40:39 > 0:40:44You've also got the electrics sorted, so you've got a new RCD fuse board been put in,
0:40:44 > 0:40:48all the second fixes have been done, sockets. You've got your
0:40:48 > 0:40:52zone one lighting up there as well, which is steam resistant and moisture resistant.
0:40:52 > 0:40:56- Your mirror, as you rightly say, is on.- I love it!
0:40:56 > 0:40:57- Your Hollywood mirror.- Yeah!
0:40:57 > 0:41:02You've also got a smoke alarm system that's been put in, too, which has to been done
0:41:02 > 0:41:07when you're doing conversions or any extensions like that, so it meets the regulations.
0:41:07 > 0:41:11It's been a huge job to transform this loft
0:41:11 > 0:41:14from bare rafters into bedroom and bathroom.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17There is some more work required to completely separate the two areas,
0:41:17 > 0:41:21but now the loft is fully insulated and warm and Sam and Roly
0:41:21 > 0:41:23can finally sleep up here.
0:41:23 > 0:41:27There are some very important things that can't be seen. The vapour barrier
0:41:27 > 0:41:31is in place to prevent damp and the electrics have all been second fixed.
0:41:31 > 0:41:38Our team built a low stud wall to separate off the area under the eaves to create valuable storage.
0:41:38 > 0:41:44At a later date, a second stud wall will be required to separate the bedroom from the bathroom.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47The bathroom is fully functioning, the toilet cistern boxed in
0:41:47 > 0:41:51and a smart new mirror fixed above the basin. After that,
0:41:51 > 0:41:54it's all in the finish. The plasterboard has been skimmed,
0:41:54 > 0:41:58skirtings fitted and then all the walls and ceiling have been decorated.
0:41:58 > 0:42:05It's a total transformation, even better than the blank canvas Sam and Roly hoped for.
0:42:05 > 0:42:09- What sort of difference is this going to make to your life?- Oh, unbelievable.
0:42:09 > 0:42:14Unbelievable. It's going to be warm. It's going to be a space that we can use.
0:42:14 > 0:42:18- It's usable.- Yeah. It means that we...- I can have a bath!
0:42:18 > 0:42:25..we move out the way and the girls can grow up and move into spaces that they should have had.
0:42:25 > 0:42:27Are you pleased? Are you guys pleased?
0:42:27 > 0:42:31- Oh, more than...- I can't say how brilliant this is.
0:42:31 > 0:42:32- Superb.- Thank you.
0:42:32 > 0:42:36The Turners really have been through the mill with this loft conversion,
0:42:36 > 0:42:41but we've lent a helping hand and now, finally, they can use that lovely space.
0:42:41 > 0:42:47Remember to always consider the cost implications of taking your cowboy builder to court.
0:42:47 > 0:42:51But, hopefully, you won't get caught in the cowboy trap.
0:43:04 > 0:43:07Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk