0:00:09 > 0:00:13I'm back on the road again and on the hunt for more cowboy builders
0:00:13 > 0:00:17who've left homeowners in the lurch and done total bodge jobs.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20The shower leaks, the ceiling's a mess.
0:00:20 > 0:00:24It's a little disaster area, as far as I'm concerned.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28I'm hoping to help homeowners badly let down by cowboy builders
0:00:28 > 0:00:30and left counting the cost.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32It's been such an awful experience
0:00:32 > 0:00:34that I never want to go through again.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37And along the way, I'll be giving you loads of hints and tips
0:00:37 > 0:00:42in the hope that it will prevent you from falling into the Cowboy Trap.
0:00:51 > 0:00:56'We're travelling across Britain to meet two sets of homeowners,
0:00:56 > 0:00:58'both of whom have fallen into the Cowboy Trap
0:00:58 > 0:01:02'when they hired builders lacking the right skills for the job.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05'All Virginia Graham wanted was her basement bathroom
0:01:05 > 0:01:08'restored to its former glory.
0:01:08 > 0:01:13'She didn't expect to be left with a catalogue of catastrophes.'
0:01:13 > 0:01:17I'm cross, annoyed, hurt. And not knowing who to turn to.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22'And we'll meet a couple whose terrible tradesmen left them
0:01:22 > 0:01:26'with a bunch of bodged jobs throughout their entire home.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33'Today, the cowboy trail brings me to one of my favourite places -
0:01:33 > 0:01:35'the seaside city of Brighton.'
0:01:35 > 0:01:37I would love to buy a gaff here.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39It's no wonder that 200 years ago,
0:01:39 > 0:01:42Prince Regent made Brighton his home.
0:01:42 > 0:01:43And what a home!
0:01:43 > 0:01:47As beach houses go, the Royal Pavilion would take some beating.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50'This was the perfect patch for Virginia Graham,
0:01:50 > 0:01:55'who moved into her three-storey townhouse over 30 years ago.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59'The former actress fell in love the moment she set eyes on it.'
0:01:59 > 0:02:04My idea of what a house should be is exactly like this.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06Little nooks and crannies,
0:02:06 > 0:02:08interesting places.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12and, I guess because I just love old-fashioned things,
0:02:12 > 0:02:14an old-fashioned house.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17Virginia's home was a former guesthouse
0:02:17 > 0:02:20run by a group of nuns called the Sisters of Mercy.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22Virginia loved the house so much, she wanted to buy it,
0:02:22 > 0:02:25so asked the nuns if they were prepared to sell it.
0:02:25 > 0:02:26But it wasn't up for sale.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29Later, the nuns posted a letter through her door,
0:02:29 > 0:02:32saying they were now interested in selling the property.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34So, all of a sudden, her prayers were answered.
0:02:34 > 0:02:39Oh, it was absolutely a mixture of being elated and scared.
0:02:39 > 0:02:44Because the house had been virtually untouched in over 100 years.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47'Virginia set about renovating her home.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51'And a few years ago, turned her attention to the basement.'
0:02:51 > 0:02:56I wanted a functioning shower, um... a shower area
0:02:56 > 0:03:00and a kitchen area that would be...
0:03:00 > 0:03:02used as a laundry room.
0:03:02 > 0:03:07'Virginia wanted her basement to reflect a bygone era.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09'But bygone turned to bungling
0:03:09 > 0:03:14'when she hired cowboy after cowboy in an attempt to get the work done.'
0:03:14 > 0:03:19I haven't been very successful in my choice of people to do work for me.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21Perhaps I'm rather naive.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25When they get into the basement of my house,
0:03:25 > 0:03:26it all seems to go a little bit wrong.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30'Determined to beat her basement once and for all,
0:03:30 > 0:03:34'when a friend recommended a handyman, she booked him.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37'He promised a one-week completion time
0:03:37 > 0:03:41'and quoted £240 per day in labour costs.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44'Virginia agreed to pay for materials as well,
0:03:44 > 0:03:48'bringing the total cost to around £2,200.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52'The handyman got started.
0:03:52 > 0:03:57'But it wasn't long before Virginia once again saw slapdash work
0:03:57 > 0:03:59'and noticed him using modern materials.'
0:04:01 > 0:04:04I wanted reconditioned wood which would have had age to it
0:04:04 > 0:04:08and would have not warped or twisted because it was seasoned.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12Um, but I ended up with modern pine.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16'When Virginia complained, the handyman lost interest
0:04:16 > 0:04:18'and then stopped coming altogether.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22'She'd already spent thousands on previous cowboys.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26'The latest had cost another £2,200.
0:04:26 > 0:04:31'Devastated by the experience of yet another hapless cowboy,
0:04:31 > 0:04:34'Virginia closed the door on her basement.'
0:04:35 > 0:04:39It's still like a badly-finished building site.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43The shower leaks, the ceiling's a mess.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45It's a little disaster area, as far as I'm concerned.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49Virginia has come across so many cowboys in the last few years,
0:04:49 > 0:04:51she must think she's living in the Wild West,
0:04:51 > 0:04:52rather than the sunny south.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56But I've got news for her. There's a new sheriff in town.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59'It's time for me to meet Virginia
0:04:59 > 0:05:03'to see what I can do to get this bodge-job basement back on track.'
0:05:03 > 0:05:05Hiya.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09- I'm guessing you're Virginia. - That's correct. You must be Clive.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12I am indeed. I hear you've had problems with cowboy builders.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15- Would you like to have a look? - Please. Where is it?
0:05:15 > 0:05:18- In the basement. - It's down in the basement!- Yes.- OK.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22- Mind how you go. You're a big bloke. - Thanks a lot.- Cheers.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25'And bingo, Virginia's basement of bodge jobs.'
0:05:25 > 0:05:29It's not bad, this. Nice little kitchen, vestibule area.
0:05:29 > 0:05:30It's nice.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33'But it's the shower room I'm interested in.'
0:05:33 > 0:05:36This is it. This is definitely it.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38Well, it's certainly bodgey.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40My first instinct with the plasterwork,
0:05:40 > 0:05:43the plaster's been put on and it's started to craze.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45It's dried out too quickly.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49The problem with that is they haven't put PVA in the mix.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52It not only acts as a bonding agent,
0:05:52 > 0:05:55which is great when you're putting it onto the wall,
0:05:55 > 0:05:58but it also prevents the original wall
0:05:58 > 0:06:02sucking all the moisture out of the plaster, causing it to craze.
0:06:02 > 0:06:07The timberwork that's been done here is not bad.
0:06:07 > 0:06:08But it's not been treated.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10Getting moist. It's a bathroom, after all.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13That is not going to look good after a period of time.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17What I'm not quite happy with is these old-fashioned lights here.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21These are glass droplets. But they're exposed.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24And again, with a lot of steam in the area, it's not good.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26So that light fitting would have to go.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30'The hazards continue on the floor.'
0:06:30 > 0:06:33The tiling here meets the tiling in the toilet,
0:06:33 > 0:06:36but there's a lip on it, like so.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38You're going to be tripping up. It's sharp, as well.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41It's really jagged. It's not been cut properly.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45'And the wall tiles are not much better.'
0:06:45 > 0:06:47The tiling's a mess in here.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50In the shower area, as you get to the ceiling height,
0:06:50 > 0:06:53there's a big gap. All they've done is filled it with grout.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57Moisture will get into that and the tiles will eventually fall off.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01There's loads wrong in here. I need to go and speak to Virginia
0:07:01 > 0:07:04and find out exactly what's been going on.
0:07:07 > 0:07:12OK, Virginia, just talk me through what's been going on in here.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14I'm sort of guessing here
0:07:14 > 0:07:18that many hands have made not light work, but heavy work.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21How long has this project been going on for?
0:07:21 > 0:07:25- It must have been an on-and-off thing for about four years.- Wow!
0:07:25 > 0:07:28There's a lot gone on that really isn't right.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30The lighting, for instance, over the shower.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33- The plasterwork is not good. - It's not anything.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35It's just...a child could've done it.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38So, how many tradespeople do you think you've had
0:07:38 > 0:07:40in this area, working on this job?
0:07:40 > 0:07:43- Six.- Six?!
0:07:43 > 0:07:48My problem I've got is once you've had one bad one,
0:07:48 > 0:07:50it tends to beget more as you go along.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54- It's a trap.- It is. It is indeed. It's a cowboy trap.- It is a trap.
0:07:54 > 0:07:55And that's what you fall into
0:07:55 > 0:07:59because every successive one seems to agree that they would put it right,
0:07:59 > 0:08:03but because it wasn't done right in the first place, it just multiplies.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05It does. So, shall we get out of here?
0:08:05 > 0:08:08- I think so.- Let's go.
0:08:09 > 0:08:14'It's no wonder this shower room is driving Virginia up the tiles.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16'I want to find out more.'
0:08:16 > 0:08:19I thought, I'll start refurbishing again.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23So I started on the basement, which was in most need of work.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27Put in a shower, redo the toilet and get that up and running.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30Because it was absolutely unusable.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32- This was the dream for the basement. - Absolutely.
0:08:32 > 0:08:37But it didn't seem to work out. However much I tried,
0:08:37 > 0:08:38I never seemed to get people
0:08:38 > 0:08:41who were sympathetic with what I wanted to do.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45And it just... It got in a mess and in a muddle.
0:08:45 > 0:08:49'This muddle is the work of a posse of cowboys.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52'I want to know about the last one to darken her door.'
0:08:52 > 0:08:55How did you find your builder?
0:08:55 > 0:08:57Recommended from a neighbour.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00Assured the work was excellent.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03Nice guy. Do a good job.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06Was it just really a verbal contract?
0:09:06 > 0:09:09It was a verbal contract, with me explaining what I wanted doing.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11That seemed to be all right.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13It was going to be £240 a day for the work
0:09:13 > 0:09:16and I would buy the materials.
0:09:16 > 0:09:21The bone of contention was me saying a daily rate means from 8:00-4:00,
0:09:21 > 0:09:23and the answer came back,
0:09:23 > 0:09:27"No, that's what I charge when I turn up for however long I'm here".
0:09:27 > 0:09:32'With no contract in place, Virginia was unsure where she stood.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34'Don't let this happen to you.
0:09:34 > 0:09:39'If you decide to pay a daily rate, take my advice.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43'Agree a contract before any work begins,
0:09:43 > 0:09:47'outlining your builder's start and finish times.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50'As with all jobs, draw up a work and payment schedule.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53'A daily rate doesn't mean paying every day.
0:09:53 > 0:09:58'Make sure your work is on schedule before settling up.'
0:10:00 > 0:10:03'Virginia's handyman promised a shiny new shower room
0:10:03 > 0:10:05'in just seven days.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09'But one week in, and after spending a total of £2,200
0:10:09 > 0:10:14'in labour and materials, the work was nowhere near finished.'
0:10:15 > 0:10:17What is going on in your mind?
0:10:17 > 0:10:20I'm cross, annoyed, hurt.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24Feeling silly and not knowing who to turn to.
0:10:24 > 0:10:28What would you like to happen down in that basement?
0:10:28 > 0:10:30I would like it to be safe.
0:10:30 > 0:10:35I would like to feel proud of it and not ashamed of the mess that it is.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40'Coming up, I call in an independent chartered surveyor
0:10:40 > 0:10:43'who makes a potential deadly discovery.'
0:10:44 > 0:10:48The lights installed above the shower could be a lethal installation.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50You'd be safer showering in the dark.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55We're in Blackley, West Yorkshire,
0:10:55 > 0:10:57the home of Fox's biscuits
0:10:57 > 0:10:59and Robert Palmer.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01You know, the guy who sang Addicted To Love.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04Well, I'm the guy who's addicted to biscuits.
0:11:04 > 0:11:09'Blackley's also home to legal services director Sarah Wilkinson
0:11:09 > 0:11:12'and her partner, government advisor, Alistair Burgess.
0:11:12 > 0:11:17'They live on a quiet cul-de-sac with Alistair's daughter Holly, who's at school,
0:11:17 > 0:11:19'and Sarah's daughter Sophie.'
0:11:20 > 0:11:23Sarah and Alistair met six years ago
0:11:23 > 0:11:26when sparks flew at a local martial arts club.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28When they got to grips with each other,
0:11:28 > 0:11:30love took hold and floored them both.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32We both did martial arts as a hobby.
0:11:32 > 0:11:37Um...and we were both doing it together for a while
0:11:37 > 0:11:39and then we got together.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41'Alistair was renting at the time,
0:11:41 > 0:11:46'but in 2009, he and his daughter decided to move in with Sarah.'
0:11:46 > 0:11:49Sarah and Alistair wanted a two-storey extension
0:11:49 > 0:11:52over the driveway to create more space for the family.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55The children would have some privacy in having their own rooms,
0:11:55 > 0:11:59but we'd have a private part because we'd be separated by a stairwell.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03So when a former neighbour recommended her builder,
0:12:03 > 0:12:05they decided to check him out.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08A friend lives on a development and this builder
0:12:08 > 0:12:12was working on one of the houses there. So she recommended him.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15Other than go down to the house that he was currently building,
0:12:15 > 0:12:18we didn't look anywhere else, we didn't take up any references,
0:12:18 > 0:12:22which was probably...where we went wrong at the start.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25'Sarah and Alistair booked their builder
0:12:25 > 0:12:29'who agreed to construct their dream two-storey extension.
0:12:29 > 0:12:34'The additional downstairs space would allow for an office, bigger kitchen and shower room.
0:12:34 > 0:12:39'Upstairs, the couple would have a larger bedroom with a new en suite.
0:12:39 > 0:12:44'The builder offered no contract and no payment plan, but instead,
0:12:44 > 0:12:48'he wanted to be paid whenever he required money during the build.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51'The work was due to take three months
0:12:51 > 0:12:55'at a total price of £46,700.'
0:12:55 > 0:12:58While the work was being carried out,
0:12:58 > 0:13:00Sarah decided to move into Alistair's flat.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02There were three months left on the lease
0:13:02 > 0:13:06and their builder assured them the work would be completed
0:13:06 > 0:13:09and their home would be ready to move into.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13He gave us a date that he said it would definitely be finished by.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15So we gave notice on the flat
0:13:15 > 0:13:20and then we booked a holiday to allow us a couple of weeks' leeway
0:13:20 > 0:13:24just in case he hadn't finished what he said he was going to do.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27'But things did seem to be going well.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29'The foundations went in, the walls went up
0:13:29 > 0:13:31'and the roof went on without a hitch.'
0:13:31 > 0:13:37However, it wasn't long before alarm bells started to ring.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39When we were on holiday, I was texting him to ask
0:13:39 > 0:13:42if the house was ready to move into when we came back from holiday.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44And he just said no.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46We later found out he was in Spain on holiday himself.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49There was no work being done here while we were away.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51Sarah and Alistair were now four months
0:13:51 > 0:13:54into what was supposed to be a three-month schedule.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58Their hopes of having their fantastic family home finished
0:13:58 > 0:14:00were left in ruins.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02'With nowhere to live,
0:14:02 > 0:14:05'the family was forced to move into their bombsite home.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09'Sarah's daughter Sophie remembers it only too well.'
0:14:09 > 0:14:11It was a really rocky period
0:14:11 > 0:14:15because of how stressed my mum was and how stressed everyone was.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19And we were all just living under completely erratic circumstances.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23'And things were about to get worse.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25'Having finished his bricklaying work,
0:14:25 > 0:14:30'their main contractor recommended other tradesmen to finish the interior jobs.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33'But Alistair and Sarah believed he would be supervising them.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36'They couldn't have been more wrong.'
0:14:36 > 0:14:37When he finished his building work,
0:14:37 > 0:14:40he abdicated all responsibility for the build.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42He wasn't taking any accountability for them.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45'With no-one supervising the work,
0:14:45 > 0:14:49'mistakes were being made and progress began to slow.'
0:14:49 > 0:14:51I would not go out to work
0:14:51 > 0:14:54to stay in for the tradesmen to come in.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58And people wouldn't come and then I'd just be on the phone constantly.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01It was a really, really stressful time.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03'This couple had lost control.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06'They believed their builder was responsible
0:15:06 > 0:15:08'for overseeing the tradesmen,
0:15:08 > 0:15:10'but with no contract nailed down,
0:15:10 > 0:15:13'the areas of responsibility were, at best, vague.
0:15:13 > 0:15:18'Don't this happen to you. Take my tip.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21'Ensure your contract specifies exactly what jobs
0:15:21 > 0:15:24'and materials your quote includes.
0:15:24 > 0:15:29'Discuss the amount of man-hours required to do each job.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33'And make sure a realistic cost is included in your contract.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36'Remember, adding extra hours and jobs later
0:15:36 > 0:15:39'can often work out more expensive.'
0:15:41 > 0:15:44'Sarah and Alistair ended up paying
0:15:44 > 0:15:47'a massive £20,000 for extra work,
0:15:47 > 0:15:51'including the electrics, tiling, plumbing and joinery required
0:15:51 > 0:15:54'to fit their new kitchen.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58'In total, they'd forked out £61,000.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02'But they were unhappy with the general standard of work,
0:16:02 > 0:16:04'so they decided to pay no more.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07'This their cash-crazy cowboy did not like.'
0:16:07 > 0:16:10I found him quite threatening. I ordered him off the property
0:16:10 > 0:16:13and told him not to return until he could show me some respect.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15I never saw him again.
0:16:15 > 0:16:20'Their dream, their home and their bank balance was in tatters.'
0:16:20 > 0:16:23The wardrobes, they looked quite good.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26But as soon as you used them, they started to fall apart.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29Tiles that you can land a plane on, they won't crack,
0:16:29 > 0:16:32an eight-stone girl walks on them, they crack.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36Nobody's been back to finish it off and to put right the problems.
0:16:36 > 0:16:41And nobody's contactable. I've lost complete faith in builders.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43It's time for me to meet Sarah and Alistair
0:16:43 > 0:16:47and find out how we can help put this sorry situation behind them.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55Now, I'm looking for two lovely people called Sarah and Alistair.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58- Nice to meet you.- How are you? I'm Clive from Cowboy Trap.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01Now, I know you've had problems with an extension.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03Looking from the outside, it all looks fine.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05I take it the problem's on the inside.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07- Do you mind if I look around? - No.- Great.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10- You might want to start in here. Into the office.- OK.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13- Oh, into the office.- Mm-hm. - Let's have a look.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17'This is part of the new extension.'
0:17:17 > 0:17:21So it looks like we've got real wood. (What's the rest of it like?)
0:17:21 > 0:17:23'Looks all right on the surface.'
0:17:23 > 0:17:26I don't know think he's done the floor, though.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29These sections should be glued together.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31And it looks like to me
0:17:31 > 0:17:34that there's a possibility that the floor's not level.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37'Next is the kitchen, where first impressions look good.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40'But on closer inspection...'
0:17:40 > 0:17:44I can see here that... this is on the dishwasher.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46That's not sitting back properly.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48So that's not fitting right.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51'And this corner looks unfinished.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54'Worse, though, is the danger lurking here.'
0:17:56 > 0:17:59That's an old gas pipe. Look how it's just been capped off.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02That needs boxing off completely
0:18:02 > 0:18:05or actually terminating below the floor level.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08Not just sticking up like that. That's terrible.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10(Let's have a look upstairs.)
0:18:10 > 0:18:13'Now for the bedroom bodges.'
0:18:13 > 0:18:15First thing I notice as I come in,
0:18:15 > 0:18:18when I look up at the low-voltage lighting,
0:18:18 > 0:18:22we've got two that are offset there. There's absolutely no reason.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25Ooh! Looks like somebody's building some wardrobes.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27'Or maybe they're part of the problem.
0:18:27 > 0:18:31'I really need Sarah to talk me through what's going on
0:18:31 > 0:18:34'with this slapdash extension.'
0:18:34 > 0:18:37OK. So, in here, we have the kitchen.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41Yeah. Now, it's a nice kitchen, this is.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45The joiner fitted the kitchen and did all the electrics and plumbing.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48'A joiner working on the plumbing and the electrics
0:18:48 > 0:18:50'is a recipe for disaster.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53'No wonder these lights look so dangerous.'
0:18:54 > 0:18:57- Did you check your electrician was qualified?- At the time, no.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00- Did you check your gas guy was qualified?- At the time, no.
0:19:00 > 0:19:01There's a gas pipe sticking up.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04That should have been terminated under the floor.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06- I hadn't even noticed that. - It's not good.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09'And what about this dishwasher?'
0:19:09 > 0:19:12He didn't connect the, um...waste pipe,
0:19:12 > 0:19:15so after about a fortnight, it leaked.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18We couldn't shut the dishwasher. We couldn't use it.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21- So I think the plumber has pulled it out just so we can use it.- Right.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23But he's never been back to fix it.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27'The trail of the bodge-job joiner doesn't end there.'
0:19:27 > 0:19:33The joiner said that he would use the same unit doors...
0:19:33 > 0:19:36- Yeah.- ..to build cupboards.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39I gave him some cash to go and get them.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41We've not seen him since.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44So he's run off with just short of £1,000.
0:19:44 > 0:19:49'I think I need Sarah to talk me through the decidedly-dodgy office.'
0:19:49 > 0:19:53The things that stand out for me in here was your wood floor.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55- Are there other problems? - Yes. The bookcase.
0:19:55 > 0:20:00- It was splitting before we put anything on it.- There's a reason.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03He's put the screws in the side here.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06It should've actually had hangers under there
0:20:06 > 0:20:09so it could sit properly.
0:20:09 > 0:20:16All that shelf is relying on are two very small screws. That's not right at all.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19That should have had supports, hanger supports, underneath.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23'The cowboy catastrophes continue upstairs.'
0:20:23 > 0:20:28OK. Now, when I came in here earlier on, the one thing that did stand out
0:20:28 > 0:20:30for me was, why were the lights not in line?
0:20:30 > 0:20:33They did them all the same.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37- Right.- The electrician moved them over when the wardrobes went in.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41The wardrobes have got no doors, they're coming off the runners.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43In fact, you can't use them.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45They don't open.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47- We've lived like this for two years.- Wow!
0:20:47 > 0:20:48'And in the en suite...'
0:20:48 > 0:20:52We've got problems in here...
0:20:52 > 0:20:53- Yeah.- ..aplenty.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57'The grout is coming out, the tiles are cracking,
0:20:57 > 0:20:59'and the shower tray looks wonky, for starters.'
0:20:59 > 0:21:02It's the foundation. It's happening underneath.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05It's not on the right board, for a start,
0:21:05 > 0:21:07so it doesn't matter how flexible the adhesive is
0:21:07 > 0:21:11and how flexible the grout is, it's not going to stand it.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15'There's certainly an accumulation of bodges both below the surface
0:21:15 > 0:21:18'and on show around this house.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21'All the work of a variety of tradesmen.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24'I want to get Sarah and Alistair together to get to the bottom
0:21:24 > 0:21:27'of what's been going here.'
0:21:27 > 0:21:28Why this particular builder?
0:21:28 > 0:21:32What did he say or do that convinced you?
0:21:32 > 0:21:35- He was recommended.- A personal recommendation, unfortunately.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38Right, so you got to have a look at his work?
0:21:38 > 0:21:40- We went and had a look. - The finish looked OK.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43OK, so you've ticked a box for me there.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46How were the staged payments managed?
0:21:46 > 0:21:50He made demands on a weekly basis for cash.
0:21:50 > 0:21:51In large sums.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54Sometimes it was three, sometimes it was five, sometimes it was ten.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57And are you happy to hand the cash over?
0:21:57 > 0:22:00Again, naively, we didn't think there was anything
0:22:00 > 0:22:02particularly wrong with it.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05So we get the building up, are you within your 12 week parameter still?
0:22:05 > 0:22:06Not even close.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10The shell was here, but there was no internal walls up or anything like that.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13As soon as he'd done his bit of the brickwork,
0:22:13 > 0:22:17he disappeared then and I think went off on the next job.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20- I think that's all he was - a brickie.- And then in came the next phase -
0:22:20 > 0:22:23say, the plasterers, the joiner.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27He never managed or supervised them. There's no accountability for him once he'd walked.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30With their brickie builder off on his next job,
0:22:30 > 0:22:32he wasn't checking up on his recommended tiler,
0:22:32 > 0:22:34plumber, and joiner,
0:22:34 > 0:22:37so mistakes started to occur.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40But the biggest error was when Sarah and Alistair
0:22:40 > 0:22:42decided to go on holiday.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45We gave him an extra two weeks by booking a holiday,
0:22:45 > 0:22:50and no work whatsoever was done, to our knowledge, while we were away.
0:22:50 > 0:22:51He actually went to Spain!
0:22:51 > 0:22:54I wonder whose money he was spending in Spain? Interesting.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57So, by this stage, you'd paid him how much?
0:22:57 > 0:22:5841,000.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02- What had you got?- You couldn't live in it. We were technically homeless.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05So you find the builder and said what?
0:23:05 > 0:23:08HE contacted us and said, "I need some more money."
0:23:08 > 0:23:10I said, "You're not getting more."
0:23:10 > 0:23:13The couple had paid a staggering £41,000
0:23:13 > 0:23:15when their builder stopped coming.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19They then forked out an additional 20 grand
0:23:19 > 0:23:21to the builder's recommended tradesmen.
0:23:21 > 0:23:27This £61,000 outlay had bought them a home riddled with problems,
0:23:27 > 0:23:31and left their dream in tatters.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34What is it that we could do for you to help?
0:23:34 > 0:23:37In our bedroom, the wardrobes, they've got no doors on them.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40- Yeah, yeah, yeah.- Would be quite nice if clothes were out of sight,
0:23:40 > 0:23:42and drawers that work.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44And what about the bit round by the utility?
0:23:44 > 0:23:49We've no storage room whatsoever, so to actually put a door on the bit
0:23:49 > 0:23:53under the stairs would at least give us a little bit of space
0:23:53 > 0:23:57where people don't see how many boxes we've still got to unpack!
0:23:57 > 0:24:00Well, look, I'll tell you what we'll do, I'll get the good guys in
0:24:00 > 0:24:04and we'll see what we can fit in in that allotted time.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08But, for now, thanks for talking to us, and I'm sure you've learnt
0:24:08 > 0:24:10some really tough lessons.
0:24:10 > 0:24:11Pretty painful ones.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13It's almost...
0:24:13 > 0:24:16It-It-It's almost like, um,
0:24:16 > 0:24:19you look at it and you think,
0:24:19 > 0:24:23"I'm not going to let these get me," you know?
0:24:23 > 0:24:25They have got me.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27They don't deserve your laughter,
0:24:27 > 0:24:29- they certainly don't deserve your tears.- I know.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31There's no two ways about that.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34Because it's been such an awful experience that I would never, ever
0:24:34 > 0:24:35want to go through again.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39It's just been horrendous.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42'I'm determined to wipe away these tears
0:24:42 > 0:24:45'and turn this house back into a home.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48'Coming up, I prove that the good guys are out there,
0:24:48 > 0:24:51'when we transform this family home.'
0:24:51 > 0:24:55They are majorly better than what was up there before!
0:24:57 > 0:25:01'We're travelling back to Brighton, where Virginia Graham
0:25:01 > 0:25:04'spent thousands hiring cowboy after cowboy
0:25:04 > 0:25:06'to sort her shoddy shower room.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10'But it's been left with terrible tiles, lethal lights,
0:25:10 > 0:25:14'and pathetic plastering.'
0:25:14 > 0:25:16There's so much bodging gone on here,
0:25:16 > 0:25:19and I've seen enough of it, to be honest!
0:25:19 > 0:25:22So I've called in independent chartered surveyor Stephen Pook,
0:25:22 > 0:25:24to come and take a look!
0:25:34 > 0:25:36- I know that man! How are you, Steve? - Hello, Clive.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38I'm all right, thank you.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42Now, you've had a chance to have a look around at the work.
0:25:42 > 0:25:46- What is not to your liking?- The plastering is a bit of a nightmare,
0:25:46 > 0:25:50the tiling works have been carried out by someone
0:25:50 > 0:25:53who probably likes to think they're competent but, in reality,
0:25:53 > 0:25:55has very little competence at all.
0:25:55 > 0:25:59Aspects I like the least - the electrical installation is suspect.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01It doesn't appear to comply with regulations.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04Those lights were installed above the shower.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08If they weren't provided with the appropriate safety circuits etc, it could be lethal.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12You could be covered in water - I can touch it and I'm not the tallest -
0:26:12 > 0:26:14and, frankly, you'd be safer showering in the dark.
0:26:14 > 0:26:19OK, now, important point for us is work that's been carried out here,
0:26:19 > 0:26:24- as I say, it may have been done by many hands, not just one.- Yes.
0:26:24 > 0:26:29What mark out of ten would you give the work that you can see?
0:26:29 > 0:26:33- Right, in terms of the plastering, I would give two out of ten.- OK.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35It's shocking, it's very poor.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38The electrical installation, I would give zero out of ten.
0:26:38 > 0:26:42OK, so we're going to fall on the zero out of ten
0:26:42 > 0:26:46for the electrical work, and two out of ten for the best bodge, the plastering.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49- Yes.- But the rest of it is also a zero?
0:26:49 > 0:26:50Rest of it is poor, very poor indeed.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54Stephen's report is a crucial piece of information.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56Now for action!
0:26:56 > 0:27:00And what I really want to do is get Virginia's life back on track
0:27:00 > 0:27:02by putting this basement right.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05So, I'm going to cordon it off,
0:27:05 > 0:27:10and the only people allowed past the tape are the good guys and myself.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16'Local builder Neil Horton is here to sort out this shower room.
0:27:16 > 0:27:21'With tools at the ready, Neil's team is set to get cracking.'
0:27:22 > 0:27:24Hey, it's the big man!
0:27:24 > 0:27:27- You must be Neil! - Hi, Clive, nice to meet you.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29- How are you, mate? - Not bad, not bad!
0:27:29 > 0:27:32What have you seen on this build that you're not happy with?
0:27:32 > 0:27:37The lights is the big one for me, I think. They're not IP rated, very dangerous, I think, in the shower.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40Touch them in the shower, that could be it.
0:27:40 > 0:27:41So we need to change them,
0:27:41 > 0:27:44update the fuseboard, do quite a bit of carpentry,
0:27:44 > 0:27:48replaster the whole place, and also, put an extractor fan in as well.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52- Of course! Never thought about that. - Bit of ventilation and new regs that come in October.- Yeah.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54- New ceiling going in I think. - Oh, OK.
0:27:54 > 0:27:58Yeah, take up the floor, level it all out, put the toilet back down,
0:27:58 > 0:28:01re-tile it, make it look nice and decorate it for the lady.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03Fantastic! Now, that is exactly what we want!
0:28:03 > 0:28:05Good man! I'll let you carry on having a look at that.
0:28:05 > 0:28:10Don't worry too much about the outside, I think it's just age, a bit like meself, you know?
0:28:10 > 0:28:12- Cracking up! See you, mate!- Cheers.
0:28:12 > 0:28:18'Coming up, I can't wait to show Virginia her shiny new shower room.'
0:28:18 > 0:28:20Look at the shower, it's gorgeous!
0:28:23 > 0:28:26'In Batley, West Yorkshire, Sarah Wilkinson and Alistair Burgess
0:28:26 > 0:28:31'hired a recommended contractor to build their dream extension.
0:28:31 > 0:28:35'They thought he was overseeing the tradesmen he introduced to the job.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37'But after their builder stopped coming,
0:28:37 > 0:28:40'and they had forked out 61 grand,
0:28:40 > 0:28:45'they've been left with a house chock-full of dodgy work.'
0:28:45 > 0:28:48There are a catalogue of builder bodges around this property,
0:28:48 > 0:28:52so I've asked independent chartered building surveyor Colin Harrap
0:28:52 > 0:28:56to cast his expert eye across this extraordinary extension.
0:29:06 > 0:29:09- Hello, Mr Harrap!- Hello, Clive, how are you?- How are you, sir?
0:29:09 > 0:29:11Um, I've got to be honest.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13First of all, I'm just going to tell you where I am.
0:29:13 > 0:29:16Brick work is fine.
0:29:16 > 0:29:19Everything else, got to be honest, dodgy.
0:29:19 > 0:29:22I think when you probe a bit deeper and have a look at
0:29:22 > 0:29:25the standards of finishes, some of the things that have gone on,
0:29:25 > 0:29:27the little bits and bobs, they soon add up.
0:29:27 > 0:29:28And you soon start to think,
0:29:28 > 0:29:31"This just hasn't been finished off properly
0:29:31 > 0:29:35"by someone who knows all the different trades, as well as the brickwork they've done."
0:29:35 > 0:29:40Bearing that in mind, what score out of ten would you give the work carried out inside the property?
0:29:40 > 0:29:43Inside, certainly, I wouldn't give it much more
0:29:43 > 0:29:45than a sort of three out of ten score.
0:29:45 > 0:29:48For me, I think that is a generous score,
0:29:48 > 0:29:50but three out of ten is what it shall be.
0:29:50 > 0:29:53- Thank you very much, sir. - Thank you, Clive.
0:29:53 > 0:29:56'With the low-down on that low-scoring work,
0:29:56 > 0:29:58'I now know exactly what's needed.'
0:29:58 > 0:30:02So I'm going to tape this area off, declare it a no-go zone,
0:30:02 > 0:30:06and I think it's now time to get the good guys in.
0:30:08 > 0:30:12'We've called in local builder Darren Haymer to get stuck into this job.
0:30:12 > 0:30:16'Sarah and Alistair want their woodwork sorted.
0:30:16 > 0:30:18'Darren has brought his joiner along too.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21- 'I'm keen to hear about their plans.'- How are you?
0:30:21 > 0:30:26- Hi are you? Good to see you, Darren. And you are?- Kevin.- Hi, I'm Clive.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29What is the overall plan? Go through that one with me again.
0:30:29 > 0:30:31The drawers need remaking and fixing.
0:30:31 > 0:30:35New lever doors would be nice. There's a badly fitted flooring in the office.
0:30:35 > 0:30:41- Shelving is inadequate.- And what about in kitchen, off the utility?
0:30:41 > 0:30:44Some new doors to fit under the stairs which weren't finished off.
0:30:44 > 0:30:49I'll let you carry on talking drawers. Cheers, boys.
0:30:49 > 0:30:54'But when it comes to wonky woodwork, it doesn't take long for the good guys
0:30:54 > 0:30:59'to strip out the botched job joinery and put things straight.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02'Sarah and Alistair are still living at home
0:31:02 > 0:31:06'and after just two days, they are already thrilled by the progress.'
0:31:06 > 0:31:08They've been brilliant. Really good.
0:31:08 > 0:31:12They've turned up on time, done what they said they were going to do.
0:31:12 > 0:31:15This time, it's been a pleasant experience, generally.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21There is light at the end of the tunnel now.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24'While the good guys keep cracking on with the job,
0:31:24 > 0:31:28'I want to help Sarah and Alistair put their cowboy builder
0:31:28 > 0:31:32'and this whole sorry saga behind them.'
0:31:32 > 0:31:38- When was the last time you spoke to your builder?- September 2009.
0:31:38 > 0:31:42We are giving him the opportunity with a call of a right to reply.
0:31:42 > 0:31:46Who is going to grab the mantle?
0:31:46 > 0:31:48I think that's over to you.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51- I don't particular want to speak to him again.- OK.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54So, here we go, let's call him.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59Hello, it's Alistair Burgess from Batley.
0:31:59 > 0:32:04I've got the BBC with me doing a review of the work that's been done.
0:32:04 > 0:32:09Basically, they've commented on some pieces of your work.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12Hello?
0:32:12 > 0:32:17- Hello? He's hung up. - OK, that's a shame.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20Rather than face the music,
0:32:20 > 0:32:24he decides to put the phone down and do a disappearing act.
0:32:24 > 0:32:29- It's the cowardice that runs within him, I'm afraid. - Yes.- He's got his money.- Exactly.
0:32:29 > 0:32:33'We did manage to contact the builder
0:32:33 > 0:32:37'who claimed Sarah and Alistair owe him £7,000
0:32:37 > 0:32:41'and stated he's never had any complaints about his previous jobs
0:32:41 > 0:32:45'and said this couple's problems are due to poor joinery work.
0:32:45 > 0:32:49'Something he denied has any responsibility for.
0:32:49 > 0:32:53'Well, thank heavens for the good guys.
0:32:53 > 0:32:58'Sarah and Alistair wanted their storage sorted.
0:32:58 > 0:33:00'Our lads have done them proud.
0:33:01 > 0:33:08'With the job finished, time to find out what Sarah and Alistair think. I can't wait!'
0:33:08 > 0:33:11- What are you hoping for? - A nice office,
0:33:11 > 0:33:15nice working conditions. A nice bedroom.
0:33:15 > 0:33:17Somewhere without the shelves on the floor.
0:33:17 > 0:33:22- And somewhere to hang the clothes up. - Office first.- Right.- Let's go.
0:33:22 > 0:33:25'Although they've been living here,
0:33:25 > 0:33:28'we've managed to keep the finishing touches a secret.'
0:33:28 > 0:33:31Oh, that's fabulous. That is so much better.
0:33:31 > 0:33:35- I'm really pleased, thank you. - That is so much better, isn't it?
0:33:35 > 0:33:37- It makes the room look bigger.- Yeah!
0:33:37 > 0:33:41'Before, the wooden shelves bowed under the weight.
0:33:41 > 0:33:47'These new stronger shelves are more practical for the storage needs in a busy family home.'
0:33:47 > 0:33:50Now the flooring, I have to say, is laminate.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53So your original flooring was wood.
0:33:53 > 0:33:57The problem with that, you can sometimes get indentation marks.
0:33:57 > 0:33:59It was quite badly scratched, the other one.
0:33:59 > 0:34:01- It just looks like real wood. - It does.
0:34:01 > 0:34:06- Looking good. Looking good so far, Alistair, yeah? - Yeah, it's nice, an excellent room.
0:34:06 > 0:34:10So our next move then is to go and take a look up in the bedrooms.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13Let's go, come on, onward and upward!
0:34:15 > 0:34:18Oh, brilliant. Look at these.
0:34:18 > 0:34:24It is slightly different because it was going to be a bespoke wardrobe, which is what you wanted originally.
0:34:24 > 0:34:27But I think they are just so suitable for this room.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30They are majorly better than what was up there before!
0:34:30 > 0:34:34- Yeah, that wasn't difficult, was it?!- It wasn't.- No.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37- They really... We've got so much space in here. Again.- Yeah.
0:34:37 > 0:34:41- It gives you that feeling... Before, you had drawers on the floor.- I know.- Yeah.
0:34:41 > 0:34:46Mornings were a nightmare trying to get across in the dark without tripping on something.
0:34:46 > 0:34:51'All this clutter and these clothes are now tastefully hidden away.
0:34:52 > 0:34:57'And behind these doors are new drawers to keep their drawers tidy!'
0:34:58 > 0:35:01Now, in the girls' bedrooms,
0:35:01 > 0:35:04we've managed to salvage the original wardrobes.
0:35:04 > 0:35:09- Do you want to check those out as well?- Yeah, that would be good. - Come on.
0:35:09 > 0:35:12- Wow! - It's now got the closures on it.
0:35:12 > 0:35:15- Yeah.- Much better, isn't it? - Yeah, that's much better.
0:35:15 > 0:35:18The same has happened in the other bedroom as well.
0:35:18 > 0:35:23We've done exactly the same. All been nicely sanded down, painted up.
0:35:23 > 0:35:25- Oh, good.- It looks so much better.
0:35:25 > 0:35:30- So there's only one thing left to look at now and that's the kitchen. - OK.- OK.
0:35:31 > 0:35:35'In the kitchen, the dodgy electrics are now fixed
0:35:35 > 0:35:40'and the spotlights are on. But that's just the start.'
0:35:40 > 0:35:43Now, do you remember this bit under here?
0:35:43 > 0:35:47- That's great.- It was a minefield. - That is really good.
0:35:47 > 0:35:51'Before, a dangerous gas pipe stuck out above the floorboards.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54'And all this clutter was out on view.'
0:35:54 > 0:35:57The door being there hides a multitude of sins as well, doesn't it?
0:35:57 > 0:36:01- Oh, it does. We've got a storeroom now instead of just a...- Hole. - A hole.- Yeah.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04Come with me. The light will come on.
0:36:04 > 0:36:06'This light has a movement sensor.'
0:36:06 > 0:36:09- Shazam. - HE CHORTLES
0:36:09 > 0:36:12- Oh, brilliant.- As if by magic. - Oh, that's great.
0:36:12 > 0:36:14Finally, we don't have to look at that eyesore.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17'Eyesore indeed.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20'I'm so glad the good guys have covered up the boiler.'
0:36:20 > 0:36:22- Much better all round? - Oh, much better.
0:36:22 > 0:36:25So, is everybody happy at this stage?
0:36:25 > 0:36:27Definitely. Definitely.
0:36:27 > 0:36:28Get the kettle on.
0:36:28 > 0:36:33- THEY LAUGH - Come on! Semi-skimmed milk, one sugar.
0:36:35 > 0:36:37'Back in Brighton,
0:36:37 > 0:36:40'actress Virginia Graham's dream of a sparkling shower room
0:36:40 > 0:36:46'was shot to pieces by not one, but a corral full of cowboys.
0:36:46 > 0:36:50'Her final attempt to sort things out using a recommended handyman
0:36:50 > 0:36:53'left her another two grand out of pocket.
0:36:53 > 0:36:58'Just as well we brought in the good guys to lasso this job into line.
0:37:01 > 0:37:05'Since arriving, they've ripped out the rotten work,
0:37:05 > 0:37:09'flattened that uneven floor and installed an extractor fan.
0:37:09 > 0:37:14'They've even put right the pathetic plaster job and fitted woodwork
0:37:14 > 0:37:18'to recreate the old-fashioned feel Virginia longed for.
0:37:18 > 0:37:22- 'She's thrilled at the progress.' - It's been absolutely fantastic.
0:37:22 > 0:37:25They've been a great bunch of guys, they really, really have.
0:37:25 > 0:37:30And it's been so exciting to watch it finally come to fruition
0:37:30 > 0:37:32and not be the terrible mess it was.
0:37:32 > 0:37:35'And there's still plenty to be done.'
0:37:35 > 0:37:38This morning, we are tiling the walls in the shower room,
0:37:38 > 0:37:42tiling the floor, putting the architraves on the wall
0:37:42 > 0:37:45ready for the painters to be done, and general prepping
0:37:45 > 0:37:47for the decoration to be done on Monday.
0:37:49 > 0:37:54'It's reassuring to know the good guys are here making this room safe,
0:37:54 > 0:37:58'especially when it comes to these dangerous unsealed lights
0:37:58 > 0:38:02'so close to the shower. They could have put Virginia at real risk.
0:38:02 > 0:38:06'Her last cowboy charged her over £2,000
0:38:06 > 0:38:09'and was meant to sort the shower room out once and for all.
0:38:09 > 0:38:12'I reckon she was lucky he DIDN'T finish the job,
0:38:12 > 0:38:15'or those dangers might have gone undetected.
0:38:19 > 0:38:21'Thank goodness for the good guys.
0:38:21 > 0:38:23'It's time to check what they've been up to.
0:38:23 > 0:38:27'I'm sure this shower room's scrubbed up nicely.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30'The last few finishing touches have been added
0:38:30 > 0:38:33'and our boys are now heading off.'
0:38:33 > 0:38:37I can see pink. Let's find out what's been going on in there.
0:38:38 > 0:38:40Oh, yeah. What a difference.
0:38:43 > 0:38:44Come on!
0:38:44 > 0:38:46What a difference.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49The first thing I noticed straightaway -
0:38:49 > 0:38:51the floor, if you remember, we had that little step...
0:38:51 > 0:38:54I don't know, about 15 mill?
0:38:54 > 0:38:57That's gone, that's all nice and smooth now, into the toilet.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02I'm loving all this. This has been done out nicely.
0:39:02 > 0:39:04That looks like picture framing or picture rails,
0:39:04 > 0:39:06so they've done nicely, there.
0:39:06 > 0:39:10That's wonderfully mitred, too. The light fitting's gone.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12- HE CHUCKLES - It's gone there.
0:39:13 > 0:39:15New boiler!
0:39:15 > 0:39:17Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, YEAH!
0:39:17 > 0:39:21Let's have a look in the shower room. Yeah.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24Shower's in, shower door's in.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29We've got a new chrome upstand to that tap.
0:39:29 > 0:39:31The tap's got a little duck on top of it.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34That looks really neat, all been finished off lovely.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37I tell you what, that ticks all t'boxes.
0:39:38 > 0:39:41'Now, there's a man I'd like to thank.'
0:39:44 > 0:39:46Not perusing paperwork, are you, Neil?
0:39:46 > 0:39:50- Hello, Clive.- All right, son? - Not bad, mate, yourself? - Good, mate, I'm fine.
0:39:50 > 0:39:53- Now, the job looks amazing, I have to say.- Thank you very much.
0:39:53 > 0:39:55Just talk us through exactly what, first of all,
0:39:55 > 0:39:57problems you may have come across,
0:39:57 > 0:40:00and, secondly, what you actually did to put all that right.
0:40:00 > 0:40:04What we did, we found the floor was on two different levels,
0:40:04 > 0:40:07so we re-fixed the subfloor, we re-tiled the whole floor lovely.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10Inside the shower, the tiles were cut incorrectly,
0:40:10 > 0:40:13so we've had that all redone, we've re-plastered the whole area,
0:40:13 > 0:40:16we've put a new multi-point water heater in for the lady,
0:40:16 > 0:40:17with a new balance flue outside.
0:40:17 > 0:40:21- OK.- We cored through the wall, put an extractor fan in there for her
0:40:21 > 0:40:25to cover her for the building regs. We've changed all the lights to IP-rated lights
0:40:25 > 0:40:28- and decorated the whole place. - It looks fab.- Thank you very much.
0:40:28 > 0:40:32It looks absolutely fab, mate. Such a difference. It's a transformation.
0:40:32 > 0:40:36But the main thing is, now, that it's safe as well, which is the absolutely critical thing.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39Do you know what, mate? All I can say is lovely-jubbly.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41- Lovely. Thanks, Clive.- Cracking job.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44I let you carry on looking through the paperwork. See you later, mate.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47'There's one approval I still need, though -
0:40:47 > 0:40:49'Virginia's.'
0:40:55 > 0:41:00SHE GASPS Wow. Amazing. Absolutely amazing.
0:41:00 > 0:41:02- It's so beautiful. - (What a difference.)
0:41:02 > 0:41:04I know.
0:41:04 > 0:41:08- It's gone from Grey Gardens to House And Gardens.- Yeah.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11- It just looks amazing now, doesn't it?- A few things have changed.
0:41:11 > 0:41:13Do you remember that step down into the toilet?
0:41:13 > 0:41:15Yes, but look at the shower.
0:41:15 > 0:41:17It's gorgeous. Look at it.
0:41:17 > 0:41:21Absolutely wonderful. See, and the little sink...
0:41:21 > 0:41:23The whole thing.
0:41:24 > 0:41:28The woodwork... It's beautiful. Looks really old-fashioned, but new.
0:41:28 > 0:41:32It does. It is amazing. And you've got, I think, one of the most important things -
0:41:32 > 0:41:33a new boiler.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35SHE LAUGHS
0:41:35 > 0:41:37A brand-new boiler, which is fantastic, too,
0:41:37 > 0:41:41so this whole area now, the way it's been painted.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44State-of-the-art. It's lovely, it really is.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47- It just looks amazing. Do you like it?- Love it.
0:41:47 > 0:41:51If it gets the thumbs-up from Virginia, then I'm really happy.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54- I'm really happy. Lovely to meet you.- And you. Thank you.
0:41:54 > 0:41:57You take good care. Enjoy that shower.
0:41:57 > 0:41:59- See you, Virginia.- Yes, thank you.
0:41:59 > 0:42:04'Before we brought in the good guys, the shower room was a shocker,
0:42:04 > 0:42:08'but our transformation has made Virginia's dream come true.
0:42:08 > 0:42:13'We've fixed the floor tiles, put right the pathetic plasterwork,
0:42:13 > 0:42:17'and made safe those dangerous electrics.
0:42:17 > 0:42:23'At last, a shiny shower room Virginia can be proud of.'
0:42:23 > 0:42:26I hope you'll agree, that job is a top job and no mistake.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29The good guys are out there if you do your research,
0:42:29 > 0:42:33but to all those cowboy builders out there, I have a message for you -
0:42:33 > 0:42:37don't go looking over your shoulder, because we're right behind you.
0:42:37 > 0:42:39'If you've had a problem with builders
0:42:39 > 0:42:42'and you would like to tell your story on Cowboy Trap,
0:42:42 > 0:42:44'then please call us on...'
0:42:57 > 0:42:59'Help us round up the cowboys.'
0:43:07 > 0:43:10Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd