0:00:09 > 0:00:11I'm hot on the trail of cowboy builders,
0:00:11 > 0:00:14who have botched the jobs and ruined the dreams
0:00:14 > 0:00:15of many households.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18He said he could do absolutely everything,
0:00:18 > 0:00:20and I really believed him.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23Remember, cowboy builders know no boundaries.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26They could be knocking on your door any time soon.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28So, watch out.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30This isn't a DIY man at work.
0:00:30 > 0:00:33Because nobody would do that in their own home.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35I want to help put right the wrongs
0:00:35 > 0:00:38these dodgy builders have left behind.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40This is life and death. No two ways about it.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42That comes crashing down,
0:00:42 > 0:00:44that is, "Good night".
0:00:44 > 0:00:46So, stick with me,
0:00:46 > 0:00:49and I'll reveal all my hints and tips,
0:00:49 > 0:00:52in the hope it'll prevent you from falling into the cowboy trap.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03Today, I'm in South Wales,
0:01:03 > 0:01:05the home of the male voice choir,
0:01:05 > 0:01:08Shirley Bassey, and Tom Jones, to name but a few.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11They know a thing or two about building here in Cardiff.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14They've got a medieval castle that's stood for thousands of years,
0:01:14 > 0:01:17and a pier head building, known as "the Big Ben of Wales".
0:01:17 > 0:01:20Of course, they've got the magnificent Millennium Stadium,
0:01:20 > 0:01:23with its retractable roof.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26Let's face it. There's no way any dodgy builder
0:01:26 > 0:01:29would have been allowed anywhere near those iconic landmarks.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32But for some of the unfortunate people in Cardiff,
0:01:32 > 0:01:34they've fallen right into the cowboy trap.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36Go, fetch!
0:01:37 > 0:01:41'Felicity Jandrell is one of those people.
0:01:41 > 0:01:46'Felicity lives in Penylan, an affluent district of Cardiff,
0:01:46 > 0:01:48'with her dog, Poppy.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53'When she bought this beautiful Edwardian property
0:01:53 > 0:01:54'11 years ago,
0:01:54 > 0:01:56'it was divided into apartments,
0:01:56 > 0:01:58'but, since then, she's worked hard
0:01:58 > 0:02:02'to turn it back into a real family home for her three sons.'
0:02:02 > 0:02:07The good news for Felicity was, she lived in a plum property,
0:02:07 > 0:02:09in a great part of town.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11Better still, she was in love.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15But the fairytale story wasn't to have a happy ending.
0:02:15 > 0:02:19'Felicity suffered a series of personal
0:02:19 > 0:02:21'and family setbacks,
0:02:21 > 0:02:24'which left her dispirited, and vulnerable.'
0:02:24 > 0:02:27I'd had a terrible year, previously.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29My son had become very ill,
0:02:29 > 0:02:32and had quite a battle with cancer.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35My father had been diagnosed with cancer, unexpectedly,
0:02:35 > 0:02:38and passed away.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40My dog had died.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42and my relationship broke up.
0:02:42 > 0:02:47It had been a horrible two years, really.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50Now nursing a broken heart,
0:02:50 > 0:02:52Felicity felt ready for a change.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54It was time for a new beginning.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58So, after renting out her home for over a year,
0:02:58 > 0:03:00Felicity set about getting quotes,
0:03:00 > 0:03:05to transform this beautiful period property into her dream home.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08I was so looking forward to a fresh start.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12Moving back into my home again,
0:03:12 > 0:03:14and I'd had a small amount of money.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16I was really looking forward to coming in,
0:03:16 > 0:03:18and having all the work done.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21And, yeah, a fresh start.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25'Felicity's wish list was simple.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28'She wanted to swap her kitchen and breakfast room around.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32'Which meant removing part of a chimney breast.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36'She also wanted double doors out into the garden,
0:03:36 > 0:03:39'and her old downstairs toilet relocated to under the stairs.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44'There was to be a small extension,
0:03:44 > 0:03:46'built for her washing machine and dryer.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49'A troublesome damp problem, at the back of the property,
0:03:49 > 0:03:51'needed sorting out fast.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56'Felicity quickly found a builder
0:03:56 > 0:03:58'who agreed to do the work in three weeks
0:03:58 > 0:04:00'for £6,700.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03'At first, all was well.
0:04:03 > 0:04:08'But a week into the job, alarm bells started to ring.'
0:04:08 > 0:04:11He didn't look after the place.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13This property was empty,
0:04:13 > 0:04:16but he just threw all his stuff around,
0:04:16 > 0:04:19in the two reception rooms downstairs.
0:04:19 > 0:04:24As time went on, it became clear he had no care.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28There were marks on the walls in the two empty reception rooms.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31There were tools everywhere. It was just a real mess.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35'And things went from bad to worse.
0:04:35 > 0:04:40'The work overran, and the builder was demanding additional money.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43'When Felicity refused to pay him any more,
0:04:43 > 0:04:45'he simply upped and left,
0:04:45 > 0:04:49'leaving her home in a right old state.'
0:04:49 > 0:04:53He left the place like an absolute building site.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57He left me with no security on the French doors outside.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00He even removed one of the doors
0:05:00 > 0:05:02and took it with him,
0:05:02 > 0:05:05which I'd already paid him for.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08He took the unfitted skirting boards, that I paid for.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10He took the paint.
0:05:10 > 0:05:15He had left a half-fitted kitchen, which was fitted atrociously.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17I'm really worried about the security,
0:05:17 > 0:05:19because this was the beginning of November.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21It was freezing cold and pouring with rain.
0:05:21 > 0:05:26'This was a cruel blow for a woman who'd been through so much,
0:05:26 > 0:05:30'It's time for me to meet her and put things right.'
0:05:33 > 0:05:36DOG BARKS
0:05:36 > 0:05:38Hiya. Hello!
0:05:38 > 0:05:41- Accosted by a mad dog! - Having trouble with cowboy builders?
0:05:41 > 0:05:43Oh, terrible trouble.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46You need Cowboy Trap, that's what you need. I'm Clive.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48DOG BARKS
0:05:48 > 0:05:50She'll jump all over you now for about five minutes.
0:05:52 > 0:05:53I'll go and take a look around.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56You've had two many problems for my liking.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59- You take a rest and I'll go and check it out.- OK. After you.
0:05:59 > 0:06:04'Since her builder left, Felicity has had some remedial work done
0:06:04 > 0:06:06'to get the kitchen units fitted.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09'She's had the back door joinery finished by another tradesman.'
0:06:09 > 0:06:13On the face of it, it all looks fine.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16But there are one or two problems you can see straightaway.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18You look at the pelmets,
0:06:18 > 0:06:21and different things on the cabinets themselves.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23The finish
0:06:23 > 0:06:26is just horrible.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29Great worktop, but look at how this has been jointed.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31That needed a craftsman
0:06:31 > 0:06:33to biscuit joint that in.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36So it, at least, was completely flowing.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39Of course, with an old property,
0:06:39 > 0:06:40there's no cavity in this place.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43I can see damp all over the place.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45What I AM shocked about is,
0:06:45 > 0:06:48this will almost certainly be a newer extension,
0:06:48 > 0:06:50probably built over the last 20 years, or so.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52It should have a cavity, and yet,
0:06:52 > 0:06:55I'm spotting all over the place, it's still got damp in it.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58Looking at the ceiling, if he's done work in here,
0:06:58 > 0:07:01it seems to me like he's done inspection holes,
0:07:01 > 0:07:04or tried to drop cables for the chandelier.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07Just trying to find joists, if you like.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10There's baton and joist finders on the market these days,
0:07:10 > 0:07:12that takes all the guesswork out of it.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15So you can spot and find them quite easily.
0:07:15 > 0:07:16'Here's a tip for you.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19'If you need to drill into your hidden joists,
0:07:19 > 0:07:21'go to your DIY store,
0:07:21 > 0:07:24'and pick up a baton and joist finder.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28'It'll save you making unsightly holes in your walls and ceilings.'
0:07:28 > 0:07:30Look at this. You have a socket down here.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33This has been all boxed in.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36But there's no way you'll get a plug to go in there neatly.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39The cable will be so tight around that bend,
0:07:39 > 0:07:40you won't get it in.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46Doors, here, on this extension.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49This is like a utility bit that he's done,
0:07:49 > 0:07:50a utility extension.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54But, you've also got damp marks on the ceiling.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57There's obviously problems all over the place here.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59These doors, look at that.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02They've absolutely been butchered.
0:08:02 > 0:08:07He's tried about three different positions for the hinges.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10Just a typical example of somebody that doesn't take the time
0:08:10 > 0:08:14to do what I call "the four measure rule".
0:08:14 > 0:08:17Which is, measure, measure, measure, and, just for good measure,
0:08:17 > 0:08:19measure again!
0:08:20 > 0:08:23'From one set of doors, to another.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26'Made of hardwood, the back door was finished and hung later,
0:08:26 > 0:08:28'by another tradesman.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30'But the frame was fitted by Felicity's builder.'
0:08:30 > 0:08:33This is something that's going to make a carpenter,
0:08:33 > 0:08:35a quality craftsman, cry.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39Because, great timber. Fantastic hardwood.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42But look at the joints!
0:08:42 > 0:08:44They are awful!
0:08:44 > 0:08:48Look at it. He's plastered over the timber.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51The timber's porous, and took all that plaster in.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54Honestly, it makes me want to cry, when I look at it.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57Quality timber, gone to waste.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00'Looking outside, into the garden,
0:09:00 > 0:09:03'it's pretty clear why Felicity has so much damp
0:09:03 > 0:09:05'at the back of this property.'
0:09:06 > 0:09:09Look, we have a slope here.
0:09:09 > 0:09:10We're in Great Britain.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12Whether we like it or not, it rains.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15Doesn't matter when it is. Middle of summer.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18You get a good downpour flooding down there,
0:09:18 > 0:09:20and it will come in, and over the threshold,
0:09:20 > 0:09:22This needs an eco drain put in here.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24'An eco drain is a simple drainage device,
0:09:24 > 0:09:27'that sits flush with the ground,
0:09:27 > 0:09:29'taking away excess rain water.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33'Without it, there's nowhere for the water to go
0:09:33 > 0:09:35'except into the house.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38'I'm afraid the remedial joinery work on the back door
0:09:38 > 0:09:39'isn't up to scratch, either.'
0:09:39 > 0:09:41Look at the door furniture.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43That's not even been rebated in properly.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48That's in the wrong way!
0:09:48 > 0:09:50Again, typical example there,
0:09:50 > 0:09:53this is a would-be burglar's delight.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55Crowbar in there, bang! That's open in no time.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57There is no security.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00We have to make sure she has deadlocks, top and bottom.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02We need to protect.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04'There's another horror lurking
0:10:04 > 0:10:06'just above the door.'
0:10:06 > 0:10:08The render on the outside,
0:10:08 > 0:10:10and what he's done.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13It's something you'd expect a child of four to do.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17You wouldn't expect somebody who's supposed to have skills to do that.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23'What I've seen so far is a real disgrace.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25'And it's so sad.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27'Just a glance around the rooms,
0:10:27 > 0:10:31'and it's clear Felicity really cares about her home.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35'It looks to me like she's had some make do and mend remedial work done.
0:10:35 > 0:10:40'But I want to find exactly what's been going on here.'
0:10:40 > 0:10:42It didn't look really nice, back in November.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44It was a building site,
0:10:44 > 0:10:46an absolute building site.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49This kitchen was just partially fitted.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51The bits that were fitted,
0:10:51 > 0:10:54you couldn't open and close doors properly.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57I had no flooring
0:10:57 > 0:10:59down out there at all.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03I just had a gaping hole where the patio doors were.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05The frame was in place,
0:11:05 > 0:11:07but I had no doors and no glazing.
0:11:07 > 0:11:12Bits of my kitchen were just dumped in the garden
0:11:12 > 0:11:13along with my flooring.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16- Of the new kitchen? - Yes, my new kitchen.- Wow!
0:11:16 > 0:11:19I mean, he's ruined my kitchen.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21As we stand now, where ARE the problems?
0:11:21 > 0:11:24I had a chimney breast removed
0:11:24 > 0:11:26from here.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29This is a bit of a worry, the whole support.
0:11:29 > 0:11:34Because I don't think the support goes right the way across.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38That was quite a major thing, to take that chimney breast down,
0:11:38 > 0:11:42and it's a bit worrying it hasn't been done properly.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44So, that needs further investigation.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48Yes, because we don't know if it's safe, or not.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51'This could be serious.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53'If her builder has removed a chimney breast
0:11:53 > 0:11:57'without putting in the correct steel beams,
0:11:57 > 0:11:59'lives could be at risk here.'
0:11:59 > 0:12:01Where else do we need to look at?
0:12:01 > 0:12:04Well, the dishwasher, here, won't fit.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07It won't fit because of this appalling mess.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11- All the pipe work is boxed in. - Which is all wrong.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14I reckon you've around 50 mil to come back there.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16We need to take a closer look at it.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18The one thing we don't want to do
0:12:18 > 0:12:22- is damage any of the original structure.- No.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24But certainly, I think that could come back.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26So that can fit flush.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28You have damp happening in here, haven't you?
0:12:28 > 0:12:32I've been aware of a damp problem for a long time.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34I was told, because this is a dark area here,
0:12:34 > 0:12:37and the garden's on a slope,
0:12:37 > 0:12:40the water drains down
0:12:40 > 0:12:42and it just sits.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44Look outside.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48Straightaway there, you should have around a 150 mil step there, really.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50- Yeah, to go down.- To go down.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53- So you've got proper drainage.- Yes.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55That isn't...
0:12:55 > 0:12:58He was meant to have done this eco drain. Is that what it's called?
0:12:58 > 0:12:59Yes, that's right.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02To dig down, and inject it with damp,
0:13:02 > 0:13:04or whatever they inject it with.
0:13:04 > 0:13:05That's the walls.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08He's meant to have done all these walls.
0:13:08 > 0:13:14As you can see, all the damp's starting to come back through.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17You can see this door, here.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19He put these on?
0:13:19 > 0:13:20He did, yes.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22- The door handles fall off. - No surprise.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26- And, they're not even flush to the floor.- OK.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30They don't even close properly.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33You've got lots of unfinished stuff in there.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35The water's coming through.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38These are like wardrobe panels you can buy off the shelf
0:13:38 > 0:13:40at some of the big DIY sheds.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43He's obviously tried to make them fit.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46- But he's not done a very good job, has he?- No.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49Have a look outside.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51This is just like a kiddie would do.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54- I take it, he IS responsible for that?- Yeah, all this.
0:13:54 > 0:13:55A mess.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59It's a mess. You're not wrong! There's no two ways about it.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02He built that little external cupboard for me.
0:14:02 > 0:14:03- Who built it?- He did.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05Ah, I didn't realise he built it.
0:14:05 > 0:14:10I had nowhere to house my washing machine and tumble dryer.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13He did that, with a fibreglass roof?
0:14:13 > 0:14:16I did have power to my shed, which I no longer have.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20I've got leaking pipes everywhere, if you go down the side.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23He's having a laugh. Look at this.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26That flashing, there, is made of... I don't know.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28It looks like Flashband -
0:14:28 > 0:14:30it's certainly not lead, which it should be.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32- Right.- That's Flashband.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36And then he's used this resin compound over the top
0:14:36 > 0:14:39and he's just coated it. He's coated it with the resin,
0:14:39 > 0:14:41and that's no good.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44That's got to be chopped in. That's got to be chopped into this coat.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47I reckon I could have employed a six-year-old
0:14:47 > 0:14:50to build this better out of plastic bricks.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53Oh, dear. It's all very depressing, if you ask me.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56'This is such a shoddy job
0:14:56 > 0:15:01'that I'm getting a sinking feeling about another part of the build.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04'I suspect there'll be no damp-proof course on this little extension,
0:15:04 > 0:15:08'so the damp problem will continue here, too.'
0:15:10 > 0:15:11'If you're considering a build,
0:15:11 > 0:15:16'here's my top tip to prevent your own damp disaster.'
0:15:16 > 0:15:20Now, if you're building, say for instance, a small extension,
0:15:20 > 0:15:23if you feel... Or maybe a dwarf wall for a conservatory,
0:15:23 > 0:15:26you're going to need to put the damp-proof course in.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28It stops any moisture rising up the wall
0:15:28 > 0:15:30and possibly getting inside the house.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32Now, this is what it is. It's like a plastic membrane,
0:15:32 > 0:15:36and what that does is it sits on the second layer of brick,
0:15:36 > 0:15:41six inches from the ground level, and then you lay the DPC.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44I'm of the kind to actually put it on mortar bed,
0:15:44 > 0:15:48so I'll put it on a thin mortar bed, probably round about five mil',
0:15:48 > 0:15:52seat it and then the next brick, the house brick, that goes on top,
0:15:52 > 0:15:55I would also seat that on about five mil', too,
0:15:55 > 0:15:56so it's trapped between mortar.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59Beware that if your builder isn't putting that in...
0:15:59 > 0:16:02If you've got a builder in that's doing any work like that
0:16:02 > 0:16:05and you don't see this damp-proof course, ask questions.
0:16:06 > 0:16:11'Later, we uncover the hidden horrors of this Cowboy Trap.'
0:16:11 > 0:16:15You can't believe, can you, that somebody can do work like this
0:16:15 > 0:16:18that could risk somebody's life.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25'Felicity's dream was to turn her Edwardian house into a home,
0:16:25 > 0:16:30'so in 2010, she embarked on a modernisation plan,
0:16:30 > 0:16:34'which included sorting out the damp,
0:16:34 > 0:16:36'swapping the kitchen and breakfast rooms,
0:16:36 > 0:16:39'and installing doors out into the garden.'
0:16:42 > 0:16:46'She quickly found a builder who'd do the work
0:16:46 > 0:16:49'in three weeks for £6,700.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52'But it was all to end in disaster.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56'Where did things go so wrong?'
0:16:56 > 0:16:59I asked a friend of a friend, who...
0:16:59 > 0:17:02I think he'd done a little bit of bathroom work,
0:17:02 > 0:17:07which they said he was very reasonable and he'd done a good job.
0:17:07 > 0:17:12So I then, sort of, made the phone call and asked to meet up with him.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14I wonder what he'd done in the bathroom?
0:17:14 > 0:17:19Cos looking at the work that's been carried out here...
0:17:19 > 0:17:21if he's done any work on the bathroom,
0:17:21 > 0:17:24I would hope it was only to...
0:17:24 > 0:17:26- Well, use it, really. - SHE LAUGHS
0:17:26 > 0:17:29I don't know. I should have checked, but I didn't.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33'Here's a warning for you -
0:17:33 > 0:17:36'don't just take recommendations at face value.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39'Personally check out your builder's previous work
0:17:39 > 0:17:41'before you employ them.'
0:17:44 > 0:17:47'Felicity's builder started in October.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50'The pressure was now on to finish the work quickly,
0:17:50 > 0:17:55'as Felicity had to move out of her rented home within the month.'
0:17:55 > 0:17:58Was there any alarm bells ringing at the time?
0:17:58 > 0:18:01- Did you feel that things weren't right?- Not straightaway, no.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03He started off quite well, I thought,
0:18:03 > 0:18:06seemed to be here and working quite quickly and I thought,
0:18:06 > 0:18:09"Oh, gosh, this is going to be done in plenty of time,"
0:18:09 > 0:18:13but then, as time went on, um...
0:18:13 > 0:18:15It was difficult to keep track all the time,
0:18:15 > 0:18:17because I wasn't physically living in the house,
0:18:17 > 0:18:21but he kept disappearing and going off
0:18:21 > 0:18:24and doing his service contracts, or whatever he was doing.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28'If that wasn't bad enough,
0:18:28 > 0:18:32'within days of starting the job, the builder was demanding money.
0:18:32 > 0:18:37'Worse still, she didn't have a proper written contract.
0:18:37 > 0:18:38'Bad news.'
0:18:38 > 0:18:42It was about £2,000, I think. For materials, he said.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46But I hadn't expected to be asked for that sort of money straightaway.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50I thought that he might want, sort of,
0:18:50 > 0:18:53halfway through the job, some money and the rest on completion,
0:18:53 > 0:18:56and he also, sort of, started saying,
0:18:56 > 0:19:00"Well, the doors aren't included in the price," and...
0:19:00 > 0:19:02- That's because it wasn't written down.- Yeah, I know.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04So, it was... It became...
0:19:04 > 0:19:06It started to become difficult.
0:19:06 > 0:19:13I came in one day and saw that he was mixing his cement
0:19:13 > 0:19:18on my Terrazzo-tiled floor in the breakfast room. Nothing...
0:19:18 > 0:19:20Just on the tiling.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22I was absolutely horrified.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26'Things finally came to a head
0:19:26 > 0:19:29'the day Felicity moved back into her house.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32'The work was unfinished, behind schedule,
0:19:32 > 0:19:35'and the house was in a total mess.'
0:19:35 > 0:19:41At this stage, I had concrete on the floor in the breakfast room,
0:19:41 > 0:19:46I had the framework put in for the patio doors,
0:19:46 > 0:19:50the patio door was fitted, but there was no glazing either side.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54No skirting boards, obviously, no floor laid,
0:19:54 > 0:19:59a very badly fitted kitchen, or half-fitted kitchen,
0:19:59 > 0:20:03all the external stuff outside was all left unfinished,
0:20:03 > 0:20:06pipes, sort of, exposed,
0:20:06 > 0:20:09rendering outside that's incomplete, building stuff...
0:20:09 > 0:20:15I mean, the garden was just covered in goodness knows...
0:20:15 > 0:20:17Just rubbish.
0:20:17 > 0:20:22'The builder then demanded a further £400 for materials.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26'By now, Felicity had had enough.'
0:20:26 > 0:20:29- So, eventually you're moving back into the property.- Yeah.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32What's the relationship like with the builder at this stage,
0:20:32 > 0:20:35by the time you've walked through your front door?
0:20:35 > 0:20:37Well, we got into an argument.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40This was the first row we'd had, but we did get into an argument,
0:20:40 > 0:20:43cos he wanted the money, I wasn't going to give it to him,
0:20:43 > 0:20:45he was threatening to walk out and leave,
0:20:45 > 0:20:47I told him that I was very unhappy
0:20:47 > 0:20:50with the, sort of, standard of work that he'd done.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53I didn't trust him any more, I didn't believe anything he said,
0:20:53 > 0:20:57because he'd make promises and nothing happened,
0:20:57 > 0:21:00and when I came back with the final lot of furniture
0:21:00 > 0:21:04with the removal people, he'd actually left.
0:21:04 > 0:21:09I want people to realise what those dark times are actually like,
0:21:09 > 0:21:13when you walk in and you see around you
0:21:13 > 0:21:19all the absolute mess and destruction.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21What does that feel like?
0:21:21 > 0:21:23I was in a state of absolute shock.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26I didn't know how to cope - that's how I felt inside,
0:21:26 > 0:21:29I mean, I tried not to show it to my children, but I just thought,
0:21:29 > 0:21:31"I don't know what we're going to do."
0:21:33 > 0:21:37'But Felicity's children could see the distress
0:21:37 > 0:21:39'it was causing their mother.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43'Her 23-year-old son Alex, who'd not long recovered from cancer,
0:21:43 > 0:21:45'was there that day.'
0:21:45 > 0:21:47It was so unfair, what he did.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50And he felt no remorse and, like,
0:21:50 > 0:21:54he knew he was blagging my mum for a while,
0:21:54 > 0:21:56knowing that the work wasn't going to be done,
0:21:56 > 0:21:59like materials he'd said he bought that hadn't been purchased
0:21:59 > 0:22:02and stuff like that. But you find all this stuff out after
0:22:02 > 0:22:05when it's too late, but, you know,
0:22:05 > 0:22:09he knew we were moving in to a house with no doors, basically.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12There was a massive hole in our house in winter time.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14It was bad. Bad living.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20'Felicity and her family have had it tough.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23'I think it's time to help them rebuild their shattered dreams
0:22:23 > 0:22:25'and move on.'
0:22:25 > 0:22:31What can we do on the physical aspects of the property
0:22:31 > 0:22:33that will help you?
0:22:33 > 0:22:36The damp. I mean, that was the main...
0:22:36 > 0:22:41That was the most important reason I started this work in the first place,
0:22:41 > 0:22:45and it's very clear that that damp problem
0:22:45 > 0:22:47hasn't been sorted out at all.
0:22:47 > 0:22:52One thing I will promise you is that we are going to put things right.
0:22:52 > 0:22:57Well, I tell you what, if you did, it would be...
0:22:57 > 0:23:00Well, I couldn't tell you how wonderful it would be.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05'I've heard enough about this cowboy builder,
0:23:05 > 0:23:09'but I'm worried that what I've seen of his botched work
0:23:09 > 0:23:11'may only be the tip of the iceberg.'
0:23:11 > 0:23:13I'm keen to get this work assessed
0:23:13 > 0:23:15by an independent chartered surveyor,
0:23:15 > 0:23:18so I've asked Roger North to take a look.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28Now, you must be Roger. How are you?
0:23:28 > 0:23:30- Hi.- Hi, I'm Clive.- Hi, Clive.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32When you first walk into the property,
0:23:32 > 0:23:33you think, "Wow, it's beautiful,"
0:23:33 > 0:23:38but as you look closely... Hey, this is a cracker. Look at this.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41On this door, I don't even have to turn the handle to open it.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45Watch this - bit of magic, this. Look at that.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48It's nuts. But that is just a typical example
0:23:48 > 0:23:50of a lot of things that have gone wrong,
0:23:50 > 0:23:53and what I'd like to know from you is,
0:23:53 > 0:23:55what have you found that's not to your liking?
0:23:55 > 0:23:58- Well, we've got... That's only a minor item.- It is.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00The major items are the structure...
0:24:00 > 0:24:03Structural alterations have been carried out
0:24:03 > 0:24:05without any building regulations,
0:24:05 > 0:24:08the general workmanship is extremely poor,
0:24:08 > 0:24:10the finishing is extremely poor,
0:24:10 > 0:24:13and the building works have been left incomplete.
0:24:13 > 0:24:14And looking at it overall,
0:24:14 > 0:24:17what sort of a score would you give out of ten
0:24:17 > 0:24:19for the work that's been carried out?
0:24:19 > 0:24:21Well, I think I'd give them a very low score,
0:24:21 > 0:24:24possibly two, simply for turning up.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27Two for turning up sounds about right to me.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29Roger, thank you very much for your input.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32It's SO important to get an independent's view of it all,
0:24:32 > 0:24:35but, just in general, it is such a poor job.
0:24:35 > 0:24:36It is a very poor job, yes.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40Well, what else did you expect?
0:24:40 > 0:24:442/10 is a pretty damning verdict on this so-called builder's work,
0:24:44 > 0:24:47so I'm going to cordon this area off, class it as a no-go zone.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51I'm going to get the Good Guys in, sort out all of this work
0:24:51 > 0:24:55and maybe, just maybe, we can put a smile back on Felicity's face.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00'John Sutton and his team are here to help us.'
0:25:02 > 0:25:05'They've got one big mountain to climb,
0:25:05 > 0:25:07'so let's get the plan of action.'
0:25:07 > 0:25:09Now, John, it's great to have you on board.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11Just list for me what we're going to do.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14Well, starting with priorities,
0:25:14 > 0:25:16one of the priorities is the rising damp
0:25:16 > 0:25:18and to stop water penetrating the building.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21So, around the perimeter of the extension here, the annexe,
0:25:21 > 0:25:25we're going to excavate and put in a slotted drainage channel,
0:25:25 > 0:25:28like you'd see on a garage forecourt,
0:25:28 > 0:25:29with a galvanised grating.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33And that will take water coming down the slope towards the property
0:25:33 > 0:25:36away and into drainage. That will stop water penetrating the building.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39We're then going to take the render off
0:25:39 > 0:25:43and expose where a damp-proof course was apparently installed
0:25:43 > 0:25:46- and inject a silicon damp-proof course...- Fantastic.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49..at low level, certainly behind the skirting board level.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52We then have problems that the joinery of the back door, here,
0:25:52 > 0:25:57is really cobbled together with very poor workmanship,
0:25:57 > 0:25:59if any workmanship whatsoever,
0:25:59 > 0:26:02so we're going to rework the back door until we've got it secure.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04So, you're going to address that,
0:26:04 > 0:26:06and dress the render up to the bell-cote?
0:26:06 > 0:26:09The rendering, which has been hacked away badly,
0:26:09 > 0:26:12we're going to put a saw cut through with a diamond blade,
0:26:12 > 0:26:14get ourselves a neat edge to work back to,
0:26:14 > 0:26:18and then re-render the back end, here.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20We're going to re-dress the glass-fibre roof
0:26:20 > 0:26:22and where the glass-fibre roof abuts the house wall -
0:26:22 > 0:26:24with just an open joint at the moment -
0:26:24 > 0:26:26we're going to seal that properly,
0:26:26 > 0:26:29cut a lead flashing into the masonry wall,
0:26:29 > 0:26:32and dress the lead flashing properly down to stop water coming in.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36So, I'm leaving that down to you, I can't wait to see the end result,
0:26:36 > 0:26:38but for now, as regards you and your team,
0:26:38 > 0:26:41- well done, let's get cracking. - Let's go.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45'As the Good Guys set about injecting
0:26:45 > 0:26:47'a silicon damp-proof course
0:26:47 > 0:26:50'into the walls of the breakfast room,
0:26:50 > 0:26:54'the full extent of the horrors left by the cowboy builder
0:26:54 > 0:26:56'start to become apparent.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59'The electrician has uncovered
0:26:59 > 0:27:02'a catalogue of horrific mistakes in the wiring
0:27:02 > 0:27:04'that could put lives at risk.'
0:27:04 > 0:27:09Both of these cables should travel the entirety of the wall
0:27:09 > 0:27:11and end up directly at the socket.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14Here, they've just been jointed, pretty badly,
0:27:14 > 0:27:17to be honest with you, pushed into the wall.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19They're not covered or capped.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21He's used trunking just to take it down,
0:27:21 > 0:27:24which is, you know... It's unacceptable, really.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28Potentially, you're looking at a hazard for the wall to become live
0:27:28 > 0:27:33as there could be mechanical joints just exposed behind the tape.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37'It's shocking that this cowboy builder
0:27:37 > 0:27:39'could have taken risks like this,
0:27:39 > 0:27:41'and that's not all.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45'We could be facing an emergency in the kitchen.
0:27:45 > 0:27:49'I'm worried there isn't a proper RSJ or steel beam
0:27:49 > 0:27:54'supporting the wall where the chimney breast was removed.'
0:27:54 > 0:27:56Tony, give us the verdict, son.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00- Absolutely nothing.- Nothing at all?
0:28:00 > 0:28:04So we now have tons and tons of mortar,
0:28:04 > 0:28:09tons and tons of brickwork, just floating in midair.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12This is the sort of thing that cowboy builders do.
0:28:12 > 0:28:17'So, no structural beam here, but what about at the other end?'
0:28:19 > 0:28:24Looks to me as if he's returned it back into the wall, there.
0:28:24 > 0:28:29- Right, OK.- So it's coming in like an L-shape.- Right.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31- But nothing is... - Is supporting it?
0:28:31 > 0:28:33- Nothing is supporting her on this end.- No.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36That's not supported in any way, shape or form.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39'It looks like the cowboy builder
0:28:39 > 0:28:42'has tried to do something to support the house,
0:28:42 > 0:28:45'but he's put in the wrong beam.
0:28:45 > 0:28:47'It's L-shaped instead of straight.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50'And there's more bad news.'
0:28:50 > 0:28:54- There's a pile of brickwork. - From the actual chimney?
0:28:54 > 0:28:57From the actual chimney, which is inside,
0:28:57 > 0:28:59which isn't resting on anything.
0:28:59 > 0:29:00So it's not supported at all
0:29:00 > 0:29:05- and could have crashed down at any time, really?- Yes.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08This is life and death, really. No two ways about it.
0:29:08 > 0:29:12Anybody working around this area, that comes crashing down,
0:29:12 > 0:29:13that is good night.
0:29:13 > 0:29:16I feel sick, to be honest. Yeah.
0:29:16 > 0:29:21I knew it was bad, but you can't believe, can you,
0:29:21 > 0:29:26that somebody can do work like this that could risk somebody's life.
0:29:26 > 0:29:30'While the Good Guys get on with putting in roof supports
0:29:30 > 0:29:33'to make the kitchen area safe,
0:29:33 > 0:29:36'I want to help Felicity confront her cowboy builder
0:29:36 > 0:29:40'about the dangerous state of the work.'
0:29:40 > 0:29:43If you had three questions, for instance,
0:29:43 > 0:29:46you'd like to ask him, what would they be?
0:29:46 > 0:29:49Why and how could you leave somebody in such a mess?
0:29:49 > 0:29:54Why did he leave, clearly, things that were dangerous
0:29:54 > 0:29:57that he knew, must have known, were dangerous?
0:29:57 > 0:30:02The electrics, the chimney breast that was taken down,
0:30:02 > 0:30:06the support he put in - he must have known that wasn't safe.
0:30:06 > 0:30:10Um, normally, I would say you, as the homeowner,
0:30:10 > 0:30:13to make the phone call, but on this occasion,
0:30:13 > 0:30:15because a lot of the work was so dangerous,
0:30:15 > 0:30:17I'm just going to pitch in a few questions.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20- I'm going to ask you to sit tight.- OK.- OK?
0:30:20 > 0:30:23And it's all right to be polite, at the end of the day. OK?
0:30:27 > 0:30:29Hi, it's Clive from Cowboy Trap, BBC1.
0:30:29 > 0:30:31I want to ask you a few questions.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34- VOICE SHOUTS FROM PHONE - Are you happy to answer dangerous questions
0:30:34 > 0:30:38where you've left this lady in absolute danger,
0:30:38 > 0:30:40with electrical work that's been carried out...?
0:30:40 > 0:30:44- PHONE CLICKS - There's no need to hang up.
0:30:45 > 0:30:47Urgh!
0:30:47 > 0:30:50- HE SIGHS - 'For legal reasons,
0:30:50 > 0:30:53'we can't broadcast what the builder had to say,
0:30:53 > 0:30:57'but what I can tell you is, he refused to accept any responsibility
0:30:57 > 0:30:59'or listen to our concerns.'
0:31:05 > 0:31:10'Back in the kitchen, the Good Guys are working round the clock
0:31:10 > 0:31:13'to get the new steel beams in to stabilise the ceiling.'
0:31:16 > 0:31:19'This is a huge job. It's going to take not one,
0:31:19 > 0:31:22'but two steel beams to make this kitchen absolutely safe,
0:31:22 > 0:31:27'and to do this, they're going to have to replace the kitchen window.'
0:31:34 > 0:31:36'Felicity's troubles began
0:31:36 > 0:31:40'when her builder pocketed nearly £7,000 of her money
0:31:40 > 0:31:45'and left her home structurally unsound and unsecured.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48'The Good Guys have had to install structural beams,
0:31:48 > 0:31:51'tackle the damp and much, much more.'
0:31:52 > 0:31:57'But thanks to them, this house is no longer a cowboy trap.'
0:31:57 > 0:31:59We're back in Cardiff to see Felicity.
0:31:59 > 0:32:02I'm really worried about this job, I've got to be honest,
0:32:02 > 0:32:04cos there were so many bits to be put right
0:32:04 > 0:32:07that were dangerous. Let's go and find out.
0:32:07 > 0:32:11'And I can already smell the sweet scent of success.'
0:32:13 > 0:32:17The last time I was in this kitchen, I left it with two Acrow props
0:32:17 > 0:32:21supporting that beam, that, sort of, fashioned beam,
0:32:21 > 0:32:23that had been done by the cowboy builder.
0:32:23 > 0:32:26Now, that's all been covered over, I can't see what's underneath,
0:32:26 > 0:32:30I'm going to ask John later, but I'm assuming that everything
0:32:30 > 0:32:34is now fine and hunky-dory and we've got the proper RSJs in there.
0:32:34 > 0:32:36This looks like new work surface to me,
0:32:36 > 0:32:38because, you remember that ugly joint?
0:32:38 > 0:32:40That needed a proper biscuit joint in there,
0:32:40 > 0:32:42and that's exactly what they've done.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45I mean, looking at the pelmet and the cornice as well,
0:32:45 > 0:32:48on the actual doors on the actual units themselves,
0:32:48 > 0:32:50they look like they've been mitred properly,
0:32:50 > 0:32:52so the boys have had a go at that, too.
0:32:52 > 0:32:54And they must have had to paint this ceiling,
0:32:54 > 0:32:56cos it'd have been plaster-boarded,
0:32:56 > 0:32:58plastered and painted, so there's just...
0:32:58 > 0:33:02The whole thing looks fresh, it looks great, it looks like...
0:33:02 > 0:33:04Well, professionals have been in and done the work.
0:33:04 > 0:33:07The other thing was, remember where the dishwasher was?
0:33:07 > 0:33:10There was a huge gap. Let's have a look where we are.
0:33:12 > 0:33:16OK, so that's all been panelled out now, with an extra bit of end panel,
0:33:16 > 0:33:19it actually sits flush - if you remember, it was butted out before.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22Now that sits absolutely flush.
0:33:22 > 0:33:25I'm so chuffed with the work that's gone on here,
0:33:25 > 0:33:27but I'm just wondering what... Ah.
0:33:27 > 0:33:31We had a socket that was down right by the boxing,
0:33:31 > 0:33:35which meant you couldn't actually, physically put a plug in it.
0:33:35 > 0:33:37That's been sorted, so that means the electrics
0:33:37 > 0:33:40must have been solved as well, which is really crucial,
0:33:40 > 0:33:42cos there was a load of nonsense going on over there.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45Now, remember these doors? This led us into...
0:33:45 > 0:33:49I said, if you remember, I opened the door and I said,
0:33:49 > 0:33:51"I bet you these hinges are no good."
0:33:51 > 0:33:54They were just awful, so let's have a look.
0:33:54 > 0:33:59First of all, the door opens fantastic, the handle is brilliant,
0:33:59 > 0:34:02and now all those hinges have got all the screws in.
0:34:02 > 0:34:05Now that's all been sorted.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09Just... It's so exciting, to me,
0:34:09 > 0:34:12when I know that Good Guys have been in.
0:34:12 > 0:34:15It just fills your heart with joy!
0:34:15 > 0:34:18- HE LAUGHS - Now, outside we've still got the Cowboy Trap tape.
0:34:18 > 0:34:22We don't need that any more, that's for sure, so that can come down.
0:34:22 > 0:34:26Take that off, because it's not a no-go zone any more,
0:34:26 > 0:34:28this is a zone to go, go, go, I tell you.
0:34:28 > 0:34:32This is something to be proud of. Oh, and outside...
0:34:32 > 0:34:36I get so excited about a good job. The doors have been sorted.
0:34:36 > 0:34:40You know, even where the escutcheon plate was for the door lock,
0:34:40 > 0:34:43even there it was absolutely butchered, the timber was.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46That's all been sorted and looks great,
0:34:46 > 0:34:50the wood's been painted, but the drainage... We've now got drainage,
0:34:50 > 0:34:53cos remember, you know, we're in the United Kingdom.
0:34:53 > 0:34:56When it rains, it was going to be coming down this path
0:34:56 > 0:34:58and straight into the property,
0:34:58 > 0:35:00which was going to cause it loads of grief.
0:35:00 > 0:35:02Now we've got this proper drainage in
0:35:02 > 0:35:05and that water's going to wick away no problem at all.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08And if you remember as well, we'd got bare brick here.
0:35:08 > 0:35:10That's all been properly two-coat rendered
0:35:10 > 0:35:15and, again, the finish, I've got to say, absolutely outstanding.
0:35:15 > 0:35:17Outstanding.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20And then on the extension bit, here, which, as I say,
0:35:20 > 0:35:23was the utility room, that, again, had bits of bare brick,
0:35:23 > 0:35:27the render was rubbish, the actual roof itself was awful.
0:35:27 > 0:35:30That's all been sorted, and looking at that,
0:35:30 > 0:35:33we've now got proper lead flashing,
0:35:33 > 0:35:35it's been cut into the brickwork properly...
0:35:37 > 0:35:38Incredible.
0:35:40 > 0:35:45'Before I get Felicity's verdict on this amazing transformation,
0:35:45 > 0:35:49'it's time to catch up with one of the Good Guys, John Sutton.'
0:35:49 > 0:35:52- Hey, John! Here he is. How are you!- Very good, thanks.
0:35:52 > 0:35:56- Walking through the property, it looks amazing.- Thanks, Clive.
0:35:56 > 0:36:00- This guy has got every single card here...- He has, yeah.
0:36:00 > 0:36:05..and he's brought danger, imminent, to this property.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08- Into the house.- It's not just about cowboy building, this.- No, it isn't.
0:36:08 > 0:36:09This is about life and limb.
0:36:09 > 0:36:13To knock out a chimney breast and leave all this masonry unsupported...
0:36:13 > 0:36:17It's only really from the quality of the house that we're in
0:36:17 > 0:36:19that there wasn't actually some structural damage
0:36:19 > 0:36:21and signs of cracking upstairs.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23What went on here is an absolute disgrace,
0:36:23 > 0:36:25- there's no two ways about that. - Yeah, it is.
0:36:25 > 0:36:29However, the Good Guys have been in, cracking job,
0:36:29 > 0:36:31and I can't wait to show Felicity,
0:36:31 > 0:36:35and I'm so chuffed with it, I can't... I can't tell you.
0:36:35 > 0:36:37It is 100/10 as far as I'm concerned.
0:36:37 > 0:36:39- Thanks, Clive. Much appreciated. - Brilliant.- Thanks.
0:36:39 > 0:36:43'So, we've gone from a score of 2/10
0:36:43 > 0:36:46'to, well...100/10!
0:36:46 > 0:36:49'Time to see what Felicity thinks.'
0:36:50 > 0:36:54- So, it's been a bit of a nightmare time for you...- It has.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57..over these last few months, with your cowboy builder.
0:36:57 > 0:37:00Just tell us what it was like living in such a state.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03Oh, it was awful. Really awful.
0:37:03 > 0:37:05Um, you know, it was a bomb site.
0:37:05 > 0:37:09A real mess, and this is the story that I hear on a daily basis.
0:37:09 > 0:37:12Now, I want to do a bit of a tour round with you.
0:37:12 > 0:37:16Let's go and have a chat about everything that's changed
0:37:16 > 0:37:21and really get a feeling of how you feel now that things have been done.
0:37:21 > 0:37:23- So are you ready?- I am, yes. Yes.
0:37:23 > 0:37:26I think Poppy might follow us as well, which is fine.
0:37:26 > 0:37:30I think Poppy probably will come along for the ride. OK.
0:37:30 > 0:37:32Come on, Poppy. POPPY BARKS
0:37:33 > 0:37:41So... What I see before me now is just incredible.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44How do you feel, first of all, in this kitchen area?
0:37:44 > 0:37:47Because, remember, you know,
0:37:47 > 0:37:51we found out that you were in imminent danger, really.
0:37:51 > 0:37:53- Now that's all been sorted out. - Yeah.
0:37:53 > 0:37:55That's got to be a peace of mind thing.
0:37:55 > 0:37:59Oh, it's such peace of mind. I knew their work was really poor.
0:37:59 > 0:38:03I mean, you only had to see the mess that they'd left
0:38:03 > 0:38:05to know it was really shoddy workmanship.
0:38:05 > 0:38:08But now, it feels so much better.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10But it just all looks finished, doesn't it?
0:38:10 > 0:38:12Instead of, sort of, a botched job
0:38:12 > 0:38:15of everything, really, which is what it was.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18So your overall feeling now, about the kitchen?
0:38:18 > 0:38:22Well, it just feels like I imagined it would in the first place.
0:38:22 > 0:38:25I got a bit more of a "wow" factor, which I didn't have before
0:38:25 > 0:38:27and I'm thrilled to bits with it.
0:38:27 > 0:38:29How are you feeling now about this particular room?
0:38:29 > 0:38:32Well, I just think it looks fantastic.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35I mean, it's just sharper, the woodwork,
0:38:35 > 0:38:39the frame that had been put in was so poorly put together
0:38:39 > 0:38:43we decided to paint the doors. The builder thought it would be better to paint the doors in the end
0:38:43 > 0:38:46because you were never going to get that frame
0:38:46 > 0:38:48looking nice in the hardwood,
0:38:48 > 0:38:52so that's all been painted, all the paintwork everywhere...
0:38:53 > 0:38:58Now, here, of course, the doors actually do open, which is a bonus.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01- They do.- The hinges now have got screws in.- They have.
0:39:01 > 0:39:06- And the doors open and close properly.- They do, yes.
0:39:06 > 0:39:09Yeah, that frame has been lowered slightly,
0:39:09 > 0:39:13which is a really good idea, so that the doors fit flush to the floor
0:39:13 > 0:39:17and we've got some little magnetic things on so when they...
0:39:17 > 0:39:19Little magnetic catches so that they'll stay closed.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22..so that they stay closed when they get closed.
0:39:22 > 0:39:24You know, just looking down now,
0:39:24 > 0:39:26towards the kitchen and everything else, it just looks...
0:39:26 > 0:39:28It's ready for a dinner party.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31It is. And that's so nice, cos it's been...
0:39:31 > 0:39:35It feels like months since... I've been in chaos, really.
0:39:35 > 0:39:39So, now I can just... Yeah, I'm thrilled to bits.
0:39:39 > 0:39:43- Is it a great pressure lifted off you, in a way?- Absolutely.
0:39:43 > 0:39:46I can't tell you what a pressure it is, because all you do is sleep, eat,
0:39:46 > 0:39:51dream "kitchen" and work that needs to be done and dangerous stuff and...
0:39:51 > 0:39:53And will it ever GET done?
0:39:53 > 0:39:57And... Well, I didn't think it ever would get done, in the end. But now look at it.
0:39:57 > 0:40:02'That's the inside, and so far, we have a happy homeowner.
0:40:02 > 0:40:04'But what about the outside?'
0:40:05 > 0:40:08Now, for me, just looking outside
0:40:08 > 0:40:12looks a whole lot heap different, but so much better.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15- The problem was you'd got water coming in over the threshold.- Yeah.
0:40:15 > 0:40:19- Now the drainage system has been put in.- It's fantastic, isn't it?
0:40:19 > 0:40:20That's got to make you feel good.
0:40:20 > 0:40:23I was thrilled to bits with that, with all of it.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25- The render work that these guys have done...- Yeah.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28They've really gone to the nth degree.
0:40:28 > 0:40:32The way they've done that roof as well, they've put on the lead flashing.
0:40:32 > 0:40:34The whole thing is so good.
0:40:34 > 0:40:38Well, it just looks 100% better.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41- One hundred and... - 50 million per cent better.
0:40:41 > 0:40:42It does. A huge difference.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45Now, there is one final thing that I'd like to do,
0:40:45 > 0:40:48and that is that the work that's been carried out here,
0:40:48 > 0:40:50in terms of the gas, the electric
0:40:50 > 0:40:53and getting sign-off from your local building control...
0:40:53 > 0:40:57- Yes.- ..we now have all the relevant documentation.
0:40:57 > 0:40:59- Now, I've got all the documents with me now.- You have.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02I just want to go through what you've actually got here.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04You've got a certificate of completion
0:41:04 > 0:41:08for your building regulations and your planning, that's in that one.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11You've also got the structural calculations and the remedies
0:41:11 > 0:41:15- for what happened in the kitchen. - Really? For the chimney breast?
0:41:15 > 0:41:17Yes, for the chimney breast and the RSJs.
0:41:17 > 0:41:21You've also got the minor works, your electrical installation certificate as well,
0:41:21 > 0:41:24- from a qualified NICEIC electrician. - Oh, that's wonderful.
0:41:24 > 0:41:28So you've got that as well, and also there's your gas safety record
0:41:28 > 0:41:29from a Gas Safe engineer.
0:41:29 > 0:41:32Oh, that's... That's great to have all that. Thank you.
0:41:32 > 0:41:36So you've got all of these documents now, ready to keep in a file -
0:41:36 > 0:41:38you must keep those in a file,
0:41:38 > 0:41:40because if you ever sell the property in the future,
0:41:40 > 0:41:44that's almost like an MOT certificate for a car.
0:41:44 > 0:41:46You need to hand all those over to the next incumbent.
0:41:46 > 0:41:50To show that any work that's been done has been done...
0:41:50 > 0:41:52- By qualified people. - Yeah. Lovely, thank you.
0:41:52 > 0:41:57So now you can enjoy, you know, your life at this wonderful property.
0:41:57 > 0:42:00- Yes. Yeah.- And do you think you'll be able to move on?
0:42:00 > 0:42:04- I think so now, yes. Definitely. - No more cowboy builders?
0:42:04 > 0:42:07No more cowboy builders ever, ever again.
0:42:07 > 0:42:09- Agreed?- Agreed.- That's a deal.
0:42:20 > 0:42:21Well, that's it. I'm off.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26Ah, but wait a minute. There's still one job left to do.
0:42:26 > 0:42:28I've got the information that I've collated
0:42:28 > 0:42:31on Felicity's builder and I'll take it to the local Trading Standards office
0:42:31 > 0:42:33and see what THEY'RE going to do about it,
0:42:33 > 0:42:36and I've got a message for all cowboy builders out there -
0:42:36 > 0:42:38watch out, we're on your trail.
0:42:40 > 0:42:42If you've had a problem with builders
0:42:42 > 0:42:46and would like to tell your story on Cowboy Trap, please call us on...
0:42:58 > 0:43:01Help us round up the cowboys.
0:43:12 > 0:43:15Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd