Episode 4 Cowboy Trap

I'm here to uncover some really dodgy building work.

Now, these cowboy builders may be able to hide their dodges from you,

but there's no way they're going to hide them from these eyes!

I've never had such feelings of anger towards anybody

in my entire life as this guy.

I'm going to arm you with some top advice and tips

on how you can spot the telltale signs of the cowboy builder.

I just want it back to how it was.

My team will put right the wrongs those cowboy builders leave behind.

Been camping in this place for so long,

I can't remember what it's like to live properly.

Today, I'm going to show you some real building blunders.

In fact, you won't believe your eyes!

Today, Cowboy Trap has come to Norfolk,

home of the breathtaking Broads, the fabulous Fens and miles

of stunning of stunning shoreline.

Today, I'm in the village of Swardeston, just outside Norwich.

I'm here to meet fine art student Gillian Bexfield

and her partner Robin Watson,

who has recently retired.

They've lived in this 19th-century semi-detached cottage

in this quaint village for 21 years.

Now, it was Gillie's passion for art that led them to dream

of having a conservatory built on the back of the property.

Then she could paint in peace and quiet and not disturb Robin.

They were both really looking forward to it.

I'd just embarked on an access course

and I end up having so many books and lots of stuff and I was, like,

taking over the house with everything.

So I really felt that I needed a space myself.

Gillie had given up her career as a retail manager to pursue

her fine art degree.

She took on a part-time job in a local bakery

to keep some cash coming in,

but when a long-term saving plan matured,

she finally had the money to invest in her dream studio.

She had an ISA,

and there seemed to be, now, just enough in the fund

to cash it in and buy this studio building.

Before Gillie even considered going ahead with the studio,

she and Robin needed some odd jobs doing on the outside of their house.

Just by chance, she got talking to a builder in her bakery

and she asked him to quote for the exterior maintenance work.

The next morning, he came round to look at the house, and I just,

off the top of my head,

cos I'd been at the weekend looking at garden rooms, sort of studios,

and thinking with a view of having it as an art studio...

And so I was just chatting to him, just, you know, like you do,

and he said to me, "Oh, I can build you a studio,"

and he said, "You've got a place here that's ideal, and I could build one attached to your house."

Gillie thought that the free-standing studio she'd looked at

would be far cheaper than building an extension onto the house.

I said that to him, you know, "I wouldn't be able to afford that."

And he said, "Oh, I can do you one for the same price!"

In a matter of minutes, the silver-tongued builder

had managed to manipulate Gillie,

so the work increased from a few outdoor odd jobs

to building her conservatory-cum-studio.

He offered to show her an example of a similar job,

so she went along the next day, thinking it was good research.

So he picked me up out of work that afternoon and he took me

to look at a cottage a couple of villages down the road,

and which he said he'd done the work on.

It was a dining kitchen extension.

And it was an old cottage and it was very sympathetic to the building,

so I just felt he was on the right wavelength.

So I took photographs of the cottage to show my partner.

So, in effect, I felt I'd checked him out.

Gillie's dream was to have a stunning studio

attached to the front of her home and knocked through

to their living room.

This would provide a creative space to paint

and study, overlooking her garden.

And somewhere to store her art supplies and books.

The smooth-talking builder quoted £8,200

for a brick-based oak and glass-topped structure,

fully plastered and insulated with oak doors and pine floorboards.

Gillie and Robin knew it was a bargain price,

but they believed it was because the builder

would be getting some added benefits.

He did say that he would like to use it as an example of his work,

maybe, in, oh, I don't know, Homes And Gardens magazine

or something like that.

And he was going to use it in advertising and things like that.

So one thought that as he was getting a little extra something

out of it, that maybe this was why he was prepared to do it

a bit cheaper.

Gillie was told the work would take four weeks

and believed she was getting a good deal,

so didn't think twice when the builder said they'd only do the job

if he started straightaway.

He said that we would have to have it done immediately,

that he'd got a six-week slot between doing a windmill

in Little Melton, which is somewhere locally,

and we thought, "That sounds pretty impressive."

This arrangement should have set alarm bells ringing,

so take a tip from me...

Good builders are usually booked up for weeks -

if not months - in advance.

Make sure you see at least two examples of previous work

before you contract any builder.

Gillie was so pleased with the conservatory she was shown,

she went ahead with the job.

She agreed to hand over £4,000 up-front for materials

and the rest at weekly intervals to cover labour costs.

She had no plans and no written contract,

and within half an hour of turning up,

the builder's team was already causing chaos.

The first thing that went wrong was one boy was left to remove

a Boston ivy, had this huge creeper all over the house.

He was only supposed to remove it from the front elevation,

but he cut the whole thing down, thus killing it instantly.

Well, we knew we had a problem, because it's an old cottage

and we knew the end wall, at some point, would need repointing.

But when the creeper came down, of course, that exposed lots

of blown-out bricks and pointing that needed doing.

So he immediately said,

"Don't worry about that, don't worry about that."

Gillie had already handed over half the agreed quote up-front,

so felt she had no choice but to carry on.

The builder's team dug up the foundations, built the brick walls

and began constructing the oak framework for the roof.

But without a proper set of plans, arguments soon arose.

I said I wanted a brick wall so far down to allow for shelving

and a sort of cupboard area for storage, for my art stuff.

And he wanted to demolish part of the brick wall

and make it narrower. And I said, "Well, no,

"because I won't be able to use the room for what I want it for."

With no drawings of the build,

it's no wonder these disagreements started.

Gillie and Robin had made a massive rookie error.

Take my advice...

Gillie wasn't happy with the quality of the work she was seeing,

but she ignored her instincts to put a stop to the build.

She allowed the persuasive builder to talk her into going ahead

with the job.

Then they wanted to do the plastering,

to which my partner said, "It's absolutely crazy, there's no glass in it."

But every time he talked to me, I got somehow manipulated

into doing things that I knew weren't right, by him.

He assured me that the glass would go in the next week.

Next week came and went, no glass.

Six weeks later, still no glass.

Fed up with their bungling builder's excuses,

Gillie and Robin got in touch with Trading Standards,

who advised the couple to lay out their concerns in writing.

The builder ignored this letter,

but his appearances became few and far between.

Then he had the cheek to ask for more money.

The problem was

he'd had all but about £1,500 of his labour costs.

And I said that we couldn't afford to give him any more money

until he'd finished.

He said he couldn't come to work for nothing,

and that's basically when he stopped coming.

By the time this cowboy scarpered,

Gillie and Robin had handed over nearly eight grand,

plus additional payments for hidden extras like a step,

drainage and the repointing work required after the builder

had killed the creeper.

Four months after the job should have been finished,

winter was fast approaching, and the couple were left

with a newly plastered conservatory with no roof, no glass

and a shoddy structure.

The main problems were the corner posts, which weren't square,

so they couldn't be glazed.

The doors are totally unfit for purpose

and weren't thick enough to take regulation glass

and no way would be watertight.

The skylights, um, nobody could see how they could be watertight at all.

But there's an issue with the archway.

The metal plinth that he proposed to use as support,

where the window was coming out and the doors were going in,

is totally unsuitable.

Now they've been left with a shattered dream,

they're financially worse off, and to top it all,

they've got no usable conservatory or studio.

It's been three years since this cowboy made a run for it,

leaving Gillie and Robin bitterly disappointed and annoyed.

I've never had such feelings of anger towards anybody in my entire life as this guy.

He... Well, he change my personality, almost, when I was in his presence.

Emotionally, it's been very stressful...

um...and, well, the money aspect of it very worrying,

because I just felt I couldn't let this chap just walk away.

Robin has seen the stress this has caused poor Gillie.

She's been very upset, very depressed.

She's had a lot of headaches and neck problems and a lot of sleeplessness.

And I think it's all of these things that...

things like that that have affected her the most.

I'm here to see what we can do to help

and get this build back on track.

-I'm guessing you're Gillie, to start off with.

-Yes, I am.

-This must be Robin.

-This is Robin.

-You'll be Clive, I take it.

-Any chance we could see what damage these cowboy builders have done?

-Yeah.

-Sure.

-Fine, let's go.

'I want to check out the state of the incomplete studio,

'which is at the front of the house, overlooking the garden.'

In terms of the tarpaulin, it's been put on pretty neat. Did he do that?

-No.

-No.

-And it's been like this for how long, though?

-Three years.

-Three years it's been covered up.

Is there any chance we can sort of get a feel of it and get inside?

Ta-da!

Right.

Well, it's not what I was expecting.

Um...

OK, let's have a look. Room for a slim one.

-OK. Whoa. It is definitely not finished.

-No.

-That's for sure.

-No.

OK, give us a rough idea of what the plan was

and what you've been left with.

We didn't actually have a plan, because it said, "Plan to follow",

and we requested it for about six months, and one never appeared.

Only a few scrappy little drawings on a piece of paper with no detail or measurements.

Wow.

Hence the problem, cos he was building it as he went along, out of his head.

The oak rafters are a different oak to the mullions. This is...

somebody called it fell oak, and it's prone to splitting.

-You can see it's splitting all over the shop.

-Yes.

-And big knots and stuff in it.

-I'm also intrigued as well about plastering up.

I tried to get Gillie to stop him doing that.

Why would you plaster up before you've actually made it watertight?

He talked me round and assured me that the following week,

the glass would go in.

Right. This is not the way it's done.

A quality plaster would have never come in and said, "I'm going to plaster this wall before,"

because the heavens can open at any time. This is the United Kingdom.

It doesn't matter what time of year it is. It must be freezing in there.

-We don't use it.

-We can't use the room. We don't use the room.

What a shame! It could have been a great addition to the property.

The skylights...nobody could see how they could possibly work.

Well, it looks as though he's just made them out of a bit of rough-cut timber.

I think, for now, I've certainly seen enough. It's...really horrible.

No two ways about it.

It looks as though he's been doing the job,

as you say, from whatever idea he had in his mind,

but he hasn't been able to transmit that into a real good finish

and a real good job.

Gillie and Robin have been badly let down.

I don't know how they've coped with having this constant reminder of their awful situation.

What a mess! I'm not happy with the concrete base, for a start.

It's all over the place. At least we know the footings are OK,

but when you look around, a plastered wall when there's no glazing in...

it's just ridiculous! Timber not fit for purpose.

And of course you've got doors that won't take or fit

the right-sized glass panelling.

But in terms of the quality of the work, the builder just had no idea.

Just looking around, it's such a waste.

And finally, those skylights, they really are poor.

It is just not a good job, full stop.

And yet, when you think about it, so many thousands of pounds have been thrown

towards this conservatory and possible artist's room for Gillie...

it's worthless - absolutely worthless - as it stands.

If you're planning on building any wooden structure for your home,

there are some basic rules for getting it right. Here's a top tip.

You remember Gillie and Robin's timber conservatory.

A lot of the timber that had arrived for that job was already

twisted and bent and warped.

That's always good to happen, to a certain degree.

But you've got to keep your eye on it. And I've got a top tip for you.

If you go into the DIY stores, pick up the timber,

no matter how big or small,

and just wink...give it the wink and look down.

And this particular piece of timber here, beautiful as it may be,

is more akin to a banana. So what I'll say to you is this...

give it the wink to check for kink. If it straight, you're "all raight".

For three years now, this poor excuse for a studio has been haunting Gillie and Robin.

Their neighbour, Ian, has watched them go through this ordeal.

They say everybody needs good neighbours, and, Ian, you live next door to Gillie and Robin.

Tell us what your opinion was of how the build was going.

All I could see was that it was taking a very long time,

and that work on it was erratic,

didn't go on all the time.

And the end result

has just been really very cruel,

because it's obviously not been properly done.

Well, everybody's done a bad job in their time - that's not exceptional.

But it's dragged on and on and it hasn't been put right.

It's been very cruel for them, you know, because they've not just had it hanging about,

but it's also affected their use of the rest of the house.

And so, not only are they no further forward than they were, they're back.

And I just think it's very unkind to behave like that.

-Ian, it's been great to talk to you. Thank you.

-You're more than welcome.

Coming up...I call upon the expertise of a chartered surveyor

to assess the carnage of this botched build.

You can see that whoever started this work just did not have a clue.

'And Gillie and Robin reveal more about the terrible tale.'

What, you told him you'd got 10 grand?

-Yes.

-Yeah.

-And I said I couldn't afford...that is what I had.

Gillie Bexfield had a dream to work and study in her own art studio,

overlooking the garden.

It would also provide a quiet spot for her partner, Robin, to enjoy his retirement.

After shelling out almost all of their eight grand quote,

plus more for hidden extras, their hopes - and their home - were left in ruins.

The ended up with the newly plastered but shoddily built structure,

with no roof and no glass.

Gillie and Robin have had to live with this building bomb site for three years now.

So it's essential we help them to get their home back.

'But first, I want to find out just how they landed themselves in this cowboy trap.'

So he came in. He didn't do a quote. There was a reason for that. Why?

Well, I happened to be just be...in general chatting...

to mention that I'd been looking at garden rooms, independent studios.

He replied that he could build me one attached to the front

of my house for the same price as I could buy an individual one.

-A freestanding one?

-Yes, in the garden.

Had you saved up enough money? Had you got enough collateral?

Well, I actually did have £10,000 savings that I thought

I would use for this, for a studio.

-Cos it's a long way...

-I did happen to say that...

What, you told him you'd got 10 grand?

-Yes.

-Yeah.

-And I said I couldn't afford...that is what I had...

for the studio.

And he then said he could build me one for the same amount of money.

OK. Well, look, if we are sitting here playing poker now...

we've got our poker faces on, we've raised 10 grand,

it's in the middle of the table...

do you think I'm going to flash my cards and go, "Have a look"?

No.

Now, under those circumstances, he knew exactly how much you'd got.

-So you showed your hand early doors.

-That's the trouble.

If you'd have said to him, "I've got seven grand," what would he have said?

-Probably the same thing.

-He would indeed have said the same thing.

It would have mattered what amount of money you were talking about.

He was going to make sure he extracted it from you.

This is what cowboy builders do best.

This is an easy way to fall into the cowboy trap, so take note...

Put the onus on them to quote you a realistic cost.

Gillie's builder had persuasive skills down to a fine art.

She'd become so swept up by his patter

that he'd even convinced her to pay labour by the hour.

I'd look out the window, and they'd be on their mobiles

-or sitting on the trestles or having a smoke.

-And you're paying for that?

-Yeah.

You're paying for them on their phone, having a smoke.

We complained that they weren't working -

every time he went off the job, they stopped work, basically.

We realised that the time he was putting down, he wasn't actually here.

I mean, he never came in the morning, early,

and left late and done a full day's work.

He'd usually come, like, a few minutes before I'd go...

Or he'd say he'd be here at 11, I'd have to go to work

and I wouldn't know when he arrived,

and then he'd be gone when I came home, quite often.

And a few times, we thought,

"Are they actually here the time they're saying they are?"

Cos it was just going on forever on this hourly rate.

And Robin came home a couple of times at lunchtime,

and there was nobody here at all.

The chaps that he left on the job, you know,

weren't making the most of their time.

A lot of the time, he was having to come back

and correct what they'd been doing.

And also, you know, were they really here?

So we were really, really worried about the money.

Paying by the hour is always a mistake, so take a tip from me -

set your budget in advance and stick to it.

Agree a payment schedule, alongside a plan of works...

Gillie and Robin had asked their builder

to do a couple of other outdoor jobs.

So, along with all the hidden extras this crooked cowboy had added,

this meant costs had shot up from their initial eight-grand quote.

Where are we right now? And how dark has it got for you guys?

You're out of pocket by how much?

We've now... About £13,000 we've spent, altogether...

um, with him.

And we'd only got part of the house decorated

and the garden wrecked and just...

Ooh, just a mess everywhere - a room I then couldn't use and...

He's refusing to come back and carry on with the work?

No, he was coming back for a couple of hours on a Saturday morning,

just to more or less say he was still on the job.

-A token gesture?

-Oh, yeah.

'It wasn't long before this bad-boy builder stopped coming at all.'

How are you feeling?

To be honest, the money is the real worrying thing, because we've...

You know, this is our home, we don't want to live in this state forever,

and I feel that I instigated the entire...

-Do you feel responsible?

-Absolutely. Yeah. Absolutely.

And Robin - this is where I get upset, because I'm really upset -

Robin was about to retire, he'd worked out all his pensions

and his money and everything, and because it was on the house,

that then involved him, so he's had to draw on money that he'd set aside,

and obviously the first year of his retirement,

when he thought he'd be gardening and doing things...

Every window, driving up to the house...

everywhere we are, there's actually no escape from this mess.

Even if I see one brick with a bit of...

Any evidence I see of him, I just try to dismiss it,

I just want it back to how it was.

What I need to desperately do now

is to get this builder from under your skin,

so in the short period of time that we're here, what can we do for you?

If that extension could be habitable,

so we could move everything back in there that should be in there,

and everything else put back in its place so we can use the house again.

OK. Well, I tell you what, what we're going to do for you, then,

is we're going to get a team of guys in

and we're going to put that right for you. How's that?

-Brilliant.

-All right? Is that a deal?

-It sure is!

-Glad to hear it.

Gillie and Robin launched a legal action against their builder

and called in chartered surveyor Christian Mountney

to compile a report on the condition of their conservatory.

So I've asked him to share his findings with me.

Hey, Christian.

-Clive.

-Tell you what, it's good to see you again.

Nice to see you, yeah.

Now, just tell us, stage-by-stage, what you've seen that you do not like.

You can see that whoever started this work

just did not have a clue what they were doing,

particularly in terms of the joinery.

This has been carved out of square pieces of oak, on site,

with hand tools, and meets no sort of accepted standards

of traditional workmanship by any stretch of the imagination.

Quite apart from some bizarre thinking with the doors,

the doors aren't thick enough to take double glazing.

With oak, you shouldn't use mild steel fixings for a start - it should be stainless steel.

What sort of mark out of ten

would you give for the work that's been carried out?

It's got to be completely redone, so it can be nothing more than a zero.

Christian, always crucial to get your input.

-I'll let you carry on making copious notes.

-Lovely. Thank you.

-I'm off for a cup of tea.

-Cheers.

I don't know about you, but in my mind, this is a rubbish job,

so I'm going to seal it off as a no-go zone,

get the good guys in and put it right!

Now, this is the bit I like, boys - that's introducing the good guys.

-I'm Clive, by the way.

-Yeah, Chris.

-All right, Chris?

-Sean.

-Sean.

Obviously, I see loads and loads of dodgy building going on,

and lots of dodgy building work.

Fortunately, with this particular job, the base seems

we can get away with, but what is the plan for the rest of it?

They've been like this for three years!

What we're planning on doing is taking down the existing structure,

taking it to the factory.

And trying to reuse as much as we possibly can,

salvage as much as we can.

How much of this timber do you think you're going to be able to salvage?

At this stage, we're hoping an awful lot.

If you can't, it'll having to be replaced.

It'll have to be replaced, and if it's not so old as what we're using,

then we have to give it a coat of ammonia.

-To age it?

-To age it.

What about the roof, though? What's the plan for that?

Originally, she wanted a glass roof.

Yeah, she wanted a glass roof.

-Since then, we're now going to use the imitation slate.

-Yeah.

Lightweight.

So, again, it'll look in keeping with...?

Look in keeping, a rustic conservatory with a slate roof.

-Yeah.

-Insulated.

Nice and cosy - probably the warmest place in the house!

Especially with these old properties. Boys, great to have you on board,

and I can't wait to see the finished article.

We've got a big job on our hands.

Thanks to input from the experts, Gillie and Robin

now have a clear idea of what they want for their studio.

That includes fitting a tiled roof instead of a glass one,

which will make the studio warmer in winter and cooler in summer.

The couple are now so desperate to get the studio finished

that they're contributing to the overall cost of the work.

They're thrilled to have Chris and his team on the case

and they have another surprise in store

when they receive some welcome news from their solicitor.

-Happy birthday.

-What?

-It is a result?

-Yeah, it is.

-Whoa!

-He never turned up.

-You're kidding!

-No.

Following a claim against their cowboy builder,

the judge has found in their favour.

What a day!

-All in one day!

-I'm pretty...

-Conservatory down and now a result.

-Yeah.

-Double result.

-Can you believe it? All on the same day.

-Yeah, happy birthday!

-Cheers!

Gillie and Robin won't get all their money back, but they have been awarded costs.

Despite not attending the court hearing,

the builder intends to appeal the judgement.

'Coming up...I put the cowboy builder's version of events...'

Well, I'm just flabbergasted, because that's just so untrue.

'..and I just can't wait to show Gillie and Robin

'the results of the good guys' hard graft.'

-Wow!

-Oh, my God!

-That's amazing!

In the East Anglian village of Swardeston, Gillie Bexfield

and her partner, Robin Watson, fell into the cowboy trap

when they hired a bodging builder.

They wanted a brick-and-oak-framed studio

for Gillie to pursue her new vocation in art.

But after taking £13,000 from our couple, the builder bolted,

leaving them devastated, with an incomplete and inadequate structure.

Chris and his team are pulling out all the stops

to turn this messy mishap into a stunning, state-of-the-art studio.

The main thing that was wrong with it was the fixings.

Again, because of the tannin in the oak, everything's just rotten.

Gillie and Robin are overjoyed

that the job is finally up and running again.

I'm back on the vision, I'm back on my vision and the dream again.

Yeah, which made me come round today.

-The nightmare's turning into a dream again.

-Yeah. Yeah, it's excellent.

'While Chris and the boys work their magic,

'I want to help Gillie and Robin get some answers to those questions

'they've been asking themselves for the past three years.

'I've got some surprising news for them.'

Now, your original builder, that you're in dispute with,

was given a chance of right to reply,

and he has replied to our office.

Now, he's saying that,

"I totally dispute the report that the work is substandard.

"I have a report from a chartered surveyor,

"which says that my work was fine.

"It was a bog-standard conservatory, and I did it properly."

This is the builder talking.

"There is no problems with the conservatory as it stands.

"In fact, it is stronger than the house." This is in his opinion.

"I wrote to her," being Mrs Bexfield, Gillie.

"I wrote to her solicitor to have a carpenter go there

"and have the joinery finished,

"but she would not allow me on the property,

"so this is why I could not finish it."

So if you don't mind, I'll start with you, Gillie, on that one.

Well, I'm just flabbergasted, because that's just so untrue. Um...

We did suspend him from working here, which we were told, you know,

that that was the procedure and what we should do,

and when we received the report, condemning the building,

obviously we, at that stage, didn't have him come back.

We were then advised that we should give him every opportunity

to come and rectify things, which we have done for the past year,

and we've had letters going backwards and forwards to him,

from my solicitor.

And each time, he's come up, saying, "Yes, I'll have joinery doors made,

"I'll have this done, I'll have that done."

Then months have gone by, we haven't seen him, heard from him,

nothing has happened.

So another letter has been sent, and this has been going on now

for an entire year of him promising that he would come

and rectify things, and he just never came.

The second question that we pitched, this is his answer -

"I gave her the price as quoted, and Mrs Bexfield was really happy about it.

"She was really happy in the beginning and then, all of a sudden,

"she couldn't afford to pay me, and that's where it all went wrong."

I had paid him for goods he never delivered. I'd paid him in full for the materials up-front,

in the very first week. That was part of the deal.

I'd paid him about £7,000 at that point,

bearing in mind the quote was £8,200.

And I could see we hadn't got the glass,

and there was still a lot, lot more work to do,

plus he owed me £1,400, and that was at the point

I did say, "Well, you know, I can't pay you any more at this point."

This is always the problem when you've not got a contract,

a proper, written contract, and signed between the two parties.

And that's something that, I think, needs addressing for future reference,

because we'd be able to look back on that and go,

"Well, look, here it is - this is what we signed

"and agreed in the first place," so there's no dispute there whatsoever.

And if changes are made, you make another contract to go with it.

But for now, Gillie and Robin, thank you.

'Thank goodness for the good guys.

'Chris and his team have created a mini masterpiece

'with this sensational studio.

'As they add the finishing touches and pack up their kit,

'I want to take a crafty look around.'

My word.

That's amazing.

Come on!

Oh! This is...

Well, it's just...

I've got the word for it - it's craftsmanship, that's what it is.

Now, first of all, we haven't got the glass roof,

so obviously, we've got a slate roof on there,

thermally insulated as well, so it's got U-value, great for wintertime.

But the quality of this wood...

You know, the thing is about this as well is that a lot of people would use pine,

and at the moment, oak actually works out cheaper than pine,

and doesn't it look better?

It just looks fantastic - all the knots in it and everything.

It just feels a million dollars.

HE LAUGHS

I'm absolutely gobsmacked with this job.

We've got a wooden floor,

whereas before, it was all horrible screed that was down.

Oh, come and have a look at this - come and visit the knots.

This is the beauty. This is the beauty of this sort of wood.

The oak is just fantastic.

You've got huge, great knots in it, and it gives it a fantastic feel.

There's a huge one in the door as well.

I mean, yes, Gillie wants a place like this so she can retreat

and do her artwork, but this is also a place to entertain.

And as you notice, look, you've got a great view out there -

it's almost bringing the outside inside.

It's just got a fantastic feel to it.

That is a job and a half.

And when you do your research

and you get the right guys for the job,

this is what you're likely to get.

I can't wait to show them - they are going to love it!

Before I reveal this beauty of a build

and get Gillie and Robin's reaction, there's a man I need to thank.

Hey! What a top job. How are you, Chris?

-Not bad.

-What a difference this is,

compared to the last time I was here, some weeks ago.

-From what we had.

-Definitely.

-That's something to be proud of.

-Oh, yes.

-That's a top, top job.

We used 85% of the original timber.

You've used 85% of that timber that looked a real mess?

That looked a mess.

-You took all of that off site, worked on it.

-Yep.

Tell us how long you worked on it, because this has taken an age,

but it was well worth it.

That was down the workshop for about four weeks,

but you can see from the finished product...

Basically, what we've got here

is a rustic, bespoke conservatory, handmade.

I'll tell you what, I'll go as far as to say,

I think this is one of the best jobs I've ever seen on Cowboy Trap.

-Thank you.

-I'll be honest, it is a cracker of a job.

It takes some intricate work,

to take the timber off site and re-work it,

to get it in the state it's in now, is just amazing.

Chris, it's been a brilliant job.

I can't wait to show the guys just what the good builders can do.

Brilliant, mate, I'll let you carry on inspecting.

I'm so impressed by this transformation,

but it's not about me -

it's time to find out what Gillie and Robin think.

Boy, oh boy.

I've actually seen the finished article you've got now

attached to the back of your property.

I know you've seen little bits and bobs of it,

you haven't seen the completed works, the job fully finished.

-How excited are you?

-Very, yeah.

Before we go and take a look at it, remind me, first of all,

what it was like before we arrived, when we arrived.

What were we looking at in those dark and dismal days?

You were looking at the tarpaulin,

over a wooden structure flapping about in the wind.

A very crude wooden structure with lots of splits

and gouges in it, woodworm, rusting screws,

because it had been tosh-screwed, I believe it's called, and glued...

the mullions into the wall plate and the sill, and it was rickety,

warped and pretty horrible, worrying-looking structure.

It wasn't fit for purpose, that's the key.

OK, let's waste no further time. Let's go take a look.

What I want you to do is I'm going to take Gillie's hand.

Gillie, if you take Robin's hand.

What we'll do is, if you look down, so we can't see it,

we're going to go out the back. Let's go.

OK, keep looking down. Stand there a minute, stop, keep looking down.

I'm going to turn you round. Robin, you come over this side.

Keep looking down.

Have a look.

-Oh, my God!

-Wow! That's amazing.

Wow, I had no idea it would turn out quite as good as that.

That's just fantastic.

That's the bit we saw in the workshop, the front bit.

When the glazing beads are in, it completes the pattern.

Oh, that does look like everything

that I personally would've hoped for.

-Amazing.

-It is amazing.

It looks as if it's been there forever,

it really does suit the property.

Absolutely fantastic.

The only thing that's changed slightly from the plan

is we were going to have a glass roof, that was your original plan.

Now you've got a thermal lined roof,

which means you've got great new value there.

It can be great in the wintertime as well as in the summertime.

Keep you nice and cool in the summer but great in the winter.

Keep that warmth in.

It's a bit like stepping into Narnia.

It's so good, it is so good.

Let's go take a look. Come on. Let's take a look at it.

Wow!

Look at the threshold for a start as we're here now,

look at the detail on these doors.

I love it. Isn't that fabulous?

It's good, they've kept the rustic charm like an old barn or building,

something like that, and yet it's properly made

properly put together.

Let's go inside, come on.

You've got real wood floor as well, all your electrics in too.

Look at this, the ceiling.

Those are amazing, those tie bars. I can't get over that.

We'll be able to hang stuff off there.

It's almost like vaulted, the ceiling, it's got that feel to it.

As you look out into the garden, this is what I was amazed by,

because you've got all the beautiful greenery all around.

-It brings the outside in.

-That's right.

It's a proper garden room.

When the weather's not good, which it often is,

you feel you're in the garden even in the warm.

-Brilliant.

-It is just so superb.

Look at that door. Look at those doors.

-They're fantastic.

-They're just something else.

I can't believe after 2 1/2 years of having it under tarpaulin,

in the space of not even two months, that's done.

I could never ever visualise it ever

-like walking through doors here and it being done.

-Being completed.

I can't tell you.

Before we brought in the good guys,

Gillie and Robin's dream was in tatters.

Their conservatory was criminal -

nothing more than a collection of splintering oak framework

and peeling plaster, all covered in a giant green tarpaulin.

This transformation is just sensational.

I'm sure it's going to change their lives.

-What's the plan for in here, Gillian?

-The plan is,

I've bought a big table that I'm going to have here,

my work table, with some lamps,

and then the carpenter who's made this,

has said he's going to build me some bookshelves.

I'm going to have bookshelves here, to put my books in,

and cupboards to put all my art stuff in on that side.

That will be all neatly...

Are you allowed in here?

-I will have to ask very nicely.

-For permission?

-Yes.

Instead of having all that mess and junk and stuff everywhere,

it'll be neatly in cupboards.

All of the rest of the house will be all nicely organised again.

I can't imagine it being any better.

I can't see how it could be any better.

They've just worked so hard. They're absolutely mega.

I can't stress any harder how brilliant Chris and the team are.

An absolute pleasure. Great to see you, Robin.

Good luck, you. Really good luck.

Way-hey!

You take good care.

Really enjoyed this. It is a fantastic place.

OK, guys, I'll let you have a look around,

enjoy this wonderful, wonderful building.

-See you soon. Take care.

-Thank you.

-Thanks again.

-Excellent.

-Oh, goodness!

-It's just fabulous.

-Isn't it just?

It's just amazing.

Do you know, I'm so pleased

that we've helped Gillie and Robin finally realise their dream.

That conservatory is fantastic, and all it took

was a bit of research to find the good guys,

and I have a message for all cowboy builders out there -

don't look over your shoulder, because we're right behind you.

If you've had a problem with builders

and you'd like to tell your story on Cowboy Trap, please call us.

Help us round up the cowboys.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd