0:00:07 > 0:00:11Guess what? I'm back on the road again for Cowboy Trap,
0:00:11 > 0:00:17on the hunt for unscrupulous builders who will take your money, but leave you in a complete mess.
0:00:17 > 0:00:22It just seems to have been sheer luck that there hasn't been a serious injury.
0:00:22 > 0:00:27It was sinister the way they demolished the house and didn't put it together very well.
0:00:27 > 0:00:32Today, I'll show you some real building blunders. You will not believe your eyes.
0:00:32 > 0:00:39They're just playing with people's lives. It's not just about being bad builders. They're taking risks.
0:00:39 > 0:00:45And on the way, I'm going to give you loads of top tips, hints and advice.
0:00:45 > 0:00:51Hopefully, by the time you need a builder, you'll know the pitfalls and how to avoid those dodgy ones.
0:00:51 > 0:00:57He said a lot of lovely words and they were all the right words, but his actions were terrible.
0:00:57 > 0:01:02It's time to tell you how to avoid falling into the cowboy trap.
0:01:11 > 0:01:16I'm in a cracking little village between Manchester and Liverpool.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18It's called Newton-le-Willows.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22'Deep in the heart of this small market town in Lancashire,
0:01:22 > 0:01:27'this house is home to Caroline Collier and family friend Jo Murray.
0:01:27 > 0:01:33'The 250-year-old property has been at the heart of their life for decades
0:01:33 > 0:01:35'and holds fond family memories.'
0:01:35 > 0:01:41Golborne Dale Cottage was bought by my mum and dad in the 1960s. They came from Wigan.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45They were escaping here from the urban life
0:01:45 > 0:01:51to have babies. She had me and my sister in the bedroom upstairs, delivered at home.
0:01:51 > 0:01:57Although my mum didn't have a career in the workplace, she did love this house.
0:01:57 > 0:02:02She looked after us in this house, she looked after the garden, she made jam.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06She worked really hard. This house was like another child to her.
0:02:06 > 0:02:13'Sadly, in 2007, Caroline's mother died, followed quickly by her sister.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17'The double tragedy was a cruel blow for Caroline and Jo,
0:02:17 > 0:02:21'made worse by Caroline developing multiple sclerosis.
0:02:21 > 0:02:26'Her limited mobility meant she couldn't get up the stairs,
0:02:26 > 0:02:31'so she desperately needed wheelchair access around the ground floor.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33'Thanks to Caroline's mother,
0:02:33 > 0:02:37'Jo was allowed to live permanently in the house,
0:02:37 > 0:02:41'so there was an urgent need to modernise it for both of them.'
0:02:41 > 0:02:48Jo came to live with my mum and dad when I was about three or four or perhaps even younger.
0:02:48 > 0:02:54My mum spent a lot of time on her own, so Jo was a companion for her. To me, she's like another mother.
0:02:54 > 0:02:59She looked after my mum when she was ill, she nursed my mum through her illness,
0:02:59 > 0:03:01so she had as much right to live here
0:03:01 > 0:03:07and my mum left in her will a proviso that she was allowed to live here for as long as she wanted to.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12'Caroline buried her mother's ashes in her beloved garden.
0:03:12 > 0:03:18'In a bid to overcome this tragedy, she set about trying to restore the family home
0:03:18 > 0:03:20'to its former glory.'
0:03:22 > 0:03:27Caroline had some life savings, so decided to spend it on this old property
0:03:27 > 0:03:33by having a new bathroom and widening the doors to make it more wheelchair-friendly.
0:03:33 > 0:03:38The reality is she's now ten grand out of pocket and the job is still unfinished.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42Something somewhere has gone very, very wrong.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45'Caroline needed help with the renovations,
0:03:45 > 0:03:50'but Jo was still too upset from the family loss to project-manage the work.
0:03:50 > 0:03:55'And Caroline herself had to cope with her debilitating MS,
0:03:55 > 0:03:59'so she turned to the only other person she trusted.'
0:03:59 > 0:04:06Unfortunately, I didn't really have anybody to help me do the arranging of that work.
0:04:06 > 0:04:13Life's much more difficult because of my mobility which means I can't go out and see everything
0:04:13 > 0:04:18to know what work needed doing, to getting suppliers in and tradesmen in to do the work.
0:04:18 > 0:04:24It all started when her financial adviser, who she really trusted with her finance,
0:04:24 > 0:04:27offered to project-manage the work.
0:04:30 > 0:04:35'Her financial adviser surveyed the property and came up with a list of works
0:04:35 > 0:04:40'which included sealing and waterproofing a rotting beam in the cellar,
0:04:40 > 0:04:43'replacing the garage doors...
0:04:44 > 0:04:49'..widening the entrance way downstairs to improve wheelchair access
0:04:49 > 0:04:51'and doing up the bathroom and toilet.
0:04:51 > 0:04:56'Initially, he quoted around £20,000.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58'But after changes to the plan,
0:04:58 > 0:05:02'Caroline got the quote down to just ten grand.'
0:05:03 > 0:05:06The job was going to take two to four weeks
0:05:06 > 0:05:10and that sounded.... well, it sounded liveable for Jo.
0:05:10 > 0:05:15It sounded great. All my worries would be over in four weeks.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17Little did I know.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23'In fact, Caroline was pretty much in the dark.
0:05:23 > 0:05:28'Her illness confined her to downstairs, so she couldn't get up to see things for herself.
0:05:28 > 0:05:34'And it was in the bathroom and toilet that much of the work was being carried out.
0:05:36 > 0:05:41'Later, an independent surveyor gives us his verdict
0:05:41 > 0:05:45'on the mess this cowboy builder has left behind.'
0:05:45 > 0:05:49It doesn't look like a qualified builder has undertaken the work.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53It looks as though a cowboy has undertaken it.
0:05:53 > 0:05:58'And I get my first glimpse of this cowboy's building disaster.' This is bad news.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05- BELL RINGS - 'I've come to meet Caroline
0:06:05 > 0:06:10'and family friend Jo to try and get to the bottom of what's been going on here.'
0:06:10 > 0:06:15- Hello there. Are you Jo?- Yes. - Hi, I'm Clive from Cowboy Trap. How are you?
0:06:15 > 0:06:19- I'm shaking, but OK.- Don't shake. Never shake. Can I come in?- Yes.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21- Thank you.- Come in.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25Now then, Jo, I hear you've had problems with cowboy builders.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29Could you point me in the direction of where the worst of it is?
0:06:29 > 0:06:34If we start upstairs in the bathroom which is through that door there...
0:06:39 > 0:06:41This is a really old place.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44Let's go and have a look at that damage.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48'Before I can work out how we can help Caroline and Jo,
0:06:48 > 0:06:52'I need to see the state of the botched work for myself.'
0:06:54 > 0:06:58I mean, for a start, as you come through the door,
0:06:58 > 0:07:00look at that for flooring.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04This is floating. There's no way that's solid. That's horrible.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07It just in general looks a mess.
0:07:08 > 0:07:13This is bad news. The workmanship does not look good at all.
0:07:13 > 0:07:19Take a look at this. It is awful. Rather than using proper spacers, they've used bits of cardboard.
0:07:19 > 0:07:25There you've got a mil or two, then in others, you've got a hair's breadth.
0:07:25 > 0:07:32You wouldn't even be able to get any grout into those gaps in the first place. It would be impossible to do.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34They haven't thought it out or planned.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38And the panelling that's hiding probably damp...
0:07:38 > 0:07:41This is an old property. It won't have any cavity.
0:07:41 > 0:07:47Rather than treating the damp, just looking around, they've just tried to cover it up which is no good.
0:07:47 > 0:07:53The tiling is an absolute disgrace. They certainly have no skills when it comes to tiling.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57They have no skills when it comes to flooring, but look at this trim.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01They've used angle that is aluminium and that is so sharp.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05You'll catch clothes on that, you'll catch skin on that.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07Just generally, it's a poor job.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11'And I do not like the look of the electrics.'
0:08:11 > 0:08:15Here's another problem, but this is something from years ago.
0:08:15 > 0:08:21This is a fan heater that's been wall-mounted, but we've got a switch fuse spur.
0:08:21 > 0:08:26The problem with that is if you've got wet hands or steam in the room, it's a bathroom,
0:08:26 > 0:08:30and you try to switch that off, if it arced, you could get a shock.
0:08:30 > 0:08:37'These cowboy builders should have removed this fan straight away and what about this electric shower?
0:08:37 > 0:08:43'Alarm bells are really ringing now. A quick look under the bath and I spot another problem.'
0:08:43 > 0:08:49The other thing I can't see here under the bath panel is there's no earth bonding and that is critical
0:08:49 > 0:08:54because where water and electric are, they don't make good bedfellows.
0:08:54 > 0:09:00And the thing is, touching things like those taps which are metal, this exposed pipe...
0:09:00 > 0:09:03And check this out. As you look down here,
0:09:03 > 0:09:08you've got an earth cable there that should be earthing the towel rail,
0:09:08 > 0:09:11but has just been completely left off.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15It's dangerous. These guys are, you know...
0:09:15 > 0:09:18They're playing with people's lives.
0:09:18 > 0:09:23It's not just about being bad builders or bad, shoddy workmen.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25They're taking risks.
0:09:27 > 0:09:32'It's time for my top tip on the perils of mixing water and electricity.
0:09:34 > 0:09:40'Here at this college in Warrington, they teach all the fundamental building skills.
0:09:40 > 0:09:45'It's an ideal place to come and show you how these jobs really should be done.'
0:09:45 > 0:09:50In Caroline's house, there was no earth bonding to the towel rail.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53That was critical and I'm here to talk to Phil
0:09:53 > 0:09:57- to see how his plumbers would deal with it. Hi, Phil.- Hi, Clive.
0:09:57 > 0:10:03Earthing is there for a reason, particularly when it comes to a wet system.
0:10:03 > 0:10:09If you get a short in your electrical cables, the live connects to anything round the heating system
0:10:09 > 0:10:15or any of the metalwork, that all will become live and it could give you a new hairstyle.
0:10:15 > 0:10:20- Worst of all, it can be fatal. We've got pipework strapped up here now.- Yeah.
0:10:20 > 0:10:25All the pipework for the installation is connected via this earth strap
0:10:25 > 0:10:32and that's so any stray sparks or current of electricity has got a route back to the safe earth.
0:10:32 > 0:10:37It's a route back to ground or, in this case, into the best earth back at the fuseboard.
0:10:37 > 0:10:42If the plumber is going to disconnect some of this, he must make sure he puts it back.
0:10:42 > 0:10:47If there isn't any there, it's his job to make sure the customer is aware of it
0:10:47 > 0:10:51and they must get someone competent to make sure the house is earthed.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55Look out for earth bonding straps and green-yellow cable.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58Anything that's metal has got to be earth-bonded.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02'Back at Caroline and Jo's house in Newton-le-Willows,
0:11:02 > 0:11:07'I've seen the botched job their cowboy builders have made of their bathroom.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10'Surely the toilet can't be any worse.'
0:11:12 > 0:11:18Oh, this is crazy! They've actually put skirting on top of skirting.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22There's no way that's going to sit back and be flush.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25Anybody at home now that was going to do a DIY job,
0:11:25 > 0:11:31are you telling me, even doing a botch like that, you'll stand back and be proud of it?
0:11:31 > 0:11:35You could not possibly be proud of that. It is dire!
0:11:39 > 0:11:42I tell you what - they're having a laugh.
0:11:42 > 0:11:48At the bottom here as the base of the actual toilet pan itself,
0:11:48 > 0:11:51they've used an old toilet seat.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53Check that out.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55It's just madness.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57I mean, look at this as well.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01I just don't get it.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05'I've only been here five minutes
0:12:05 > 0:12:12'and already I've seen unsuitable flooring, cheap materials and poor workmanship.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16'In my opinion, this is certainly the work of a cowboy builder,
0:12:16 > 0:12:18'so how did it come to this?
0:12:19 > 0:12:22'I really need Jo to give me the lowdown.'
0:12:24 > 0:12:28Talk to me about what you know has gone wrong.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31Nobody that I know ever asks for laminate
0:12:31 > 0:12:33because it's totally unsuitable.
0:12:33 > 0:12:40Well, the right laminate can be good, it can be fine if it's fitted correctly.
0:12:40 > 0:12:46- This isn't the sort of house that requires something like that. - Exactly. A real wood floor maybe.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49'Here's an important tip for you.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53'If you do decide to lay laminate flooring in the bathroom,
0:12:53 > 0:12:57'make sure it's greenbacked which means it's water-resistant.'
0:12:57 > 0:13:02- They said they would do a laminate floor?- They didn't tell me anything.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06They must have said to Caroline, "We're putting laminate down." Did she agree?
0:13:06 > 0:13:10You'd have to ask Caroline what exactly they specified to her.
0:13:10 > 0:13:16She had a trust in the builder who was supposedly project-managing this.
0:13:16 > 0:13:23Do you think the builders realised that Caroline probably wouldn't even get up here to see it?
0:13:23 > 0:13:28- I'm quite sure.- They thought they could get away with anything. They obviously have.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30It's a shoddy job, full stop.
0:13:30 > 0:13:36I've already described this as being something that a cowboy builder would be ashamed of.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38It is poor at best.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41It is so bad, everything you see, the tiles...
0:13:41 > 0:13:46They were trying to say to you, "You keep out of it. It's nothing to do with you."
0:13:46 > 0:13:51Yet you were supposed to be keeping an eye on it on behalf of Caroline.
0:13:51 > 0:13:57They've got no skill. They've got no skill in the woodworking, they've got no skill in any carpentry.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00They've got no skill in the tiling.
0:14:00 > 0:14:06When they were tiling, I looked at it and I said, "Why aren't you using tiling spacers?"
0:14:06 > 0:14:11They said, "We always use this technique," which is folded-up bits of cardboard stuck in!
0:14:11 > 0:14:14And in particular, in the toilet in there,
0:14:14 > 0:14:21- they've used this seat base... - From the old toilet.- ..from the old toilet for the base of the toilet.
0:14:21 > 0:14:26How did that come about? Surely, when somebody mentioned that, you must have mentioned it?
0:14:26 > 0:14:28No, it was just done.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32I'm really sorry that they actually dominated you,
0:14:32 > 0:14:37but as the home owner or somebody looking after the property, you are in charge.
0:14:37 > 0:14:42If you don't like it, you've got to put a halt to the job straight away.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45If in doubt, kick 'em out.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49I tried at stage one. After two days, I said, "Stop the job now."
0:14:49 > 0:14:54But I was told to keep my nose out of it because I wasn't the client.
0:14:54 > 0:15:01Everywhere, right, is, as far as I'm concerned, just far worse than before they began.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04It's rather unfortunate. They've taken advantage of you
0:15:04 > 0:15:08and they've certainly taken advantage of Caroline
0:15:08 > 0:15:13because they knew full well that she wouldn't get up here to see it.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15But I think we've seen enough.
0:15:15 > 0:15:21It's time to find out what's gone on and how we got to this stage of employing them in the first place.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24- So let's go back downstairs, Jo. - Right.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31'If you have any doubts about the work your builders are doing,
0:15:31 > 0:15:36'put it on hold and get an independent expert to check it out.
0:15:36 > 0:15:42'It's a real sorry story and the mess in the bathroom and toilet is only half of it.
0:15:42 > 0:15:48'Downstairs, the cowboy builders have left more problems for Caroline and Jo to deal with.'
0:15:48 > 0:15:51Caroline, the remit, or one of them from your builders
0:15:51 > 0:15:57was to make sure that this opening here was easy wheelchair access and it should have been 850mm wide.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01I've measured it and it's about 770 at its widest point.
0:16:01 > 0:16:07Looking at it, I'll be lucky if we can get me through it, so let's have a look and see how we go.
0:16:07 > 0:16:12- If I was having to try and do this on my own...- You'll rap your knuckles.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15It's very difficult. I couldn't really do it.
0:16:15 > 0:16:20- There's not enough space there. - No.- It's safe to say these guys did not have a clue.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24- No.- Anyway, let's go for a spin down the high street.
0:16:26 > 0:16:31'So, remember, if you need to widen any doors in your home
0:16:31 > 0:16:33'for easy wheelchair access,
0:16:33 > 0:16:37'they should be a minimum width of 850 millimetres.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41'Anything less and the wheelchair user won't have enough elbow room
0:16:41 > 0:16:43'to push themselves through.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48'And the problems don't stop there.
0:16:48 > 0:16:55'The cowboy builders were asked to replace the garage doors, but look at this. The doors don't fit.
0:16:55 > 0:17:01'And they were meant to treat this rotting timber beam in the cellar, but they've only done half a job.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04'Like the rest of their work, it's rotten.
0:17:06 > 0:17:12'All this work was done by builders employed by a property company, run by Caroline's financial adviser.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15'She paid him a massive £10,000
0:17:15 > 0:17:20'and because she is almost entirely wheelchair-bound,
0:17:20 > 0:17:24'she trusted him to manage the building work on her behalf.'
0:17:24 > 0:17:28It seems weird, a financial adviser/builder.
0:17:28 > 0:17:32The two don't normally marry in that respect,
0:17:32 > 0:17:36but he didn't do any building himself, did he?
0:17:36 > 0:17:38He had properties of his own.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42He said he had a team who he knew, who he used to do that
0:17:42 > 0:17:46and he would employ the same team to come here and do the work,
0:17:46 > 0:17:52so I assumed he knew the people were qualified and he kept telling me this builder had 30 years' experience,
0:17:52 > 0:17:57so I assumed that he realised that the job had to be done properly by professionals.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01So I paid him. First of all, it was about £8,000.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05- Of the ten?- Of the ten. - Up front?- Yeah.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09- Before any work's carried out?- Yeah. - Did he say what that was for?
0:18:09 > 0:18:13Well, he said he needed it for materials and things.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18So here's our first alarm bell in a way
0:18:18 > 0:18:22and that is a good, bona fide builder will have cash flow
0:18:22 > 0:18:26and they'll have accounts with builders' merchants.
0:18:26 > 0:18:32Not just one, probably two or three. And they pay on 30 days, so that's a rolling system.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36They shouldn't need to take money off anyone to buy materials.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39'Beware the builder who wants money up front.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43'A good builder will have cash flow or a credit arrangement
0:18:43 > 0:18:46'which should be enough to get the job under way.'
0:18:46 > 0:18:51So in terms of the bathroom, what did you want doing in there?
0:18:51 > 0:18:57He didn't talk to me about the details. I hoped he was talking to Jo about what was going to happen here.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01I'll never use the bathroom. I don't think I'll ever see the bathroom.
0:19:01 > 0:19:07I was hoping that him and Jo were talking together to come up with the design for the bathroom.
0:19:07 > 0:19:13When it came to the laminate flooring, for instance, did you want laminate flooring?
0:19:13 > 0:19:18We never discussed the flooring. I hoped that he would be talking to Jo about the flooring.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22It was only when Jo said, "No, they've already ordered this..."
0:19:22 > 0:19:27I thought Jo would be choosing the bathroom suite with them and the flooring,
0:19:27 > 0:19:30but he'd just gone out and bought these things.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32- Cheapest that he could buy.- Yes.
0:19:32 > 0:19:37- A breakdown in communication?- There was no communication between them.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41He was quite menacing because he kept saying she didn't have any power
0:19:41 > 0:19:45because I had the purse, he would only do what I said.
0:19:45 > 0:19:50So it really undermined Jo's sort of say in any of the work.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54I wanted her to actually be working with him,
0:19:54 > 0:19:59but Jo was in shock, she didn't particularly want the change,
0:19:59 > 0:20:06- so she was phoning me up with all these problems, but not really coming up with a rational solution.- Yeah.
0:20:06 > 0:20:12He said a lot of lovely words and they were all the right words, but his actions were terrible.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15It was like a complete fantasy world.
0:20:15 > 0:20:20I got Jo with the nightmare and him with the fantasy and Jo with the nightmare was more honest.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25The straw that broke the camel's back was when David next door
0:20:25 > 0:20:30who is a businessman and who knows the family well, has had a lot of work done,
0:20:30 > 0:20:35phoned me up and said, "Caroline, a six-year-old could have done a better job."
0:20:35 > 0:20:39- He's right.- "You've got to stop." So I phoned up...
0:20:39 > 0:20:45He was meant to come on the Monday and I told him on the Friday not to bother coming back.
0:20:46 > 0:20:51'Relations between Caroline and her financial adviser had clearly become strained.
0:20:51 > 0:20:57'And the stress was beginning to take its toll on Caroline's already deteriorating health.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00'She was thousands of pounds out of pocket
0:21:00 > 0:21:04'and had a bathroom and toilet that should be condemned.
0:21:04 > 0:21:11'Thanks to neighbour Dave Pennington, Caroline finally realised she had to halt the works.'
0:21:11 > 0:21:14- David, you're the neighbour to Caroline.- Yeah.
0:21:14 > 0:21:19Tell us about what was going on and how you discovered all the problems.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21Basically, my wife comes over
0:21:21 > 0:21:24on a daily basis, like, really.
0:21:25 > 0:21:29The first couple of days, obviously, they were stripping it out.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33Then we got, like, into three or four days...
0:21:33 > 0:21:39It might have been a week, a week and a half. She said, "You'd better go round and have a look."
0:21:39 > 0:21:42So I came over and I couldn't believe it.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45There was a hardwood floor that they put down.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49It looked like someone had bit it off. It hadn't been cut.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53Just really, really bad workmanship.
0:21:53 > 0:21:58They'd cut it with, I don't know, a chopper or something. It was so rough.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00- An axe. Axed it off.- Yeah.
0:22:00 > 0:22:06There were gaps from like an inch to a quarter of an inch, you know.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10I said to Jo, "You'd better give me Caroline's number."
0:22:10 > 0:22:14So I rang Caroline up and she didn't really want to listen at first.
0:22:14 > 0:22:19What was her reaction? You rang her, you said to her, what, "There's a problem going on?"
0:22:19 > 0:22:25I said, "You've not paid for it? Have you paid for this? Whatever you've paid, it's too dear."
0:22:25 > 0:22:28So I didn't know how much she'd paid,
0:22:28 > 0:22:33but I just said, "As a friend, you can either listen to me or not,
0:22:33 > 0:22:36"but you've been ripped off."
0:22:37 > 0:22:42I can't believe how bad some of this work is, but don't take my word for it.
0:22:42 > 0:22:48I want our independent chartered surveyor Neil Heyes to take a look and give us his verdict.
0:22:51 > 0:22:57'And it didn't take long for Neil to spot what the cowboy builders had been up to.'
0:22:57 > 0:22:59The workmanship on the tiles...
0:22:59 > 0:23:06..is not to the standard I would have expected off a reputable builder.
0:23:06 > 0:23:11Look at that! That's laminate flooring on a vanity unit.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16A toilet seat on the floor. Unbelievable!
0:23:16 > 0:23:19Unbelievable!
0:23:20 > 0:23:22It's truly a bodged job.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28OK...
0:23:30 > 0:23:34- Neil, come out of that bathroom, son. How are you?- Not too bad.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37You've had a good look around it.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41It doesn't look like a qualified builder has undertaken the work.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45It looks as though, like we say, a cowboy has undertaken it.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48And I would probably give it a one out of ten.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52That might seem low, but that's a factual opinion.
0:23:52 > 0:23:57- Let me tell you something, Neil. That "one", I think, is generous. - I think so as well.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01Thanks, sir. It's so important to get your input
0:24:01 > 0:24:04and I can't wait to get stuck in and get that sorted.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10Well, it doesn't get much worse than that - one out of ten.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14I'm going to declare this whole area a crime scene.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17All that's missing is a chalk outline on the floor.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20I'm going to tape this off now,
0:24:20 > 0:24:26so nobody can get in here until the good guys arrive and I think it's time to go get 'em.
0:24:34 > 0:24:40'Now the cowboys are out and Stuart and his team are in.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43'Stuart has 20 years' experience in the building trade.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47'He and his team are here to put right all those wrongs
0:24:47 > 0:24:50'and they've got a big job on their hands.'
0:24:50 > 0:24:53What's your opinion on the work carried out?
0:24:53 > 0:24:57They may as well not have turned up. They've just made a mess.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59They've made it more difficult.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03Everything's just got to go.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05Every ounce of work needs to go.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09In terms of the dodgy electrics in here, what's your thoughts?
0:25:09 > 0:25:14It's catastrophic. Someone could get electrocuted in here. It's very unsafe.
0:25:14 > 0:25:20With Caroline suffering with MS, she can't physically get up into the bathroom.
0:25:20 > 0:25:26If she could have been able to in the first place, she would have stopped this from happening.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29To make Caroline feel a bit better,
0:25:29 > 0:25:32my dad suffered from MS, I know all about it.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35My dad was a builder.
0:25:35 > 0:25:40And, you know, I just hope we can rectify any problems that she could face.
0:25:44 > 0:25:49'As well as poor tiling, shoddy carpentry and unsuitable flooring,
0:25:49 > 0:25:54'these cowboy builders have left this bathroom a potential death trap.
0:25:54 > 0:26:00'They haven't earthed the electrics on the towel rail, failed to make safe this old fan heater
0:26:00 > 0:26:04'and didn't spot the electric cable to the shower isn't protected.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08'And we all know water and electricity just don't mix.
0:26:09 > 0:26:14'There are loads of things that need putting right in this house.
0:26:14 > 0:26:20'Our builders can't rectify them all, but they'll sort out this disastrous bathroom and toilet.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23'And already they've uncovered more horrors.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25'I've come up to take a look.'
0:26:29 > 0:26:34You've wasted no time, no time at all, son. I'm loving it.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38You've started, but what have you found?
0:26:38 > 0:26:45Obviously, they've stuck the tiles on other tiles, and as you can see, you've got damp adhesive.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47It's never had a chance to set.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51'This job is turning out to be just one botch after another.'
0:26:51 > 0:26:56We have plasterboard on to bonding which doesn't actually take to the wall.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00So, obviously, that whole panel was floating.
0:27:01 > 0:27:07And potentially, as we said before, the tiles could have come off near the bath.
0:27:07 > 0:27:12Also at the top, it could have dropped clean down. The whole wall was gone.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15Not only would you have had the original tiles,
0:27:15 > 0:27:19you'd have had all these crashing down on you in the bath as well.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26How can anyone leave Caroline and Jo in such a mess?
0:27:26 > 0:27:31After all, it's not about bricks and mortar to them. This is their home.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34It's been in their family for generations.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37This builder has caused them untold worry and stress
0:27:37 > 0:27:42when all they wanted to do was enjoy and live in this wonderful old property.
0:27:44 > 0:27:49MS sufferer Caroline gave her financial adviser £8,000 up front
0:27:49 > 0:27:52to project-manage the renovations to her house.
0:27:52 > 0:27:58After just three weeks and warnings from her neighbour, Caroline put a stop to the work,
0:27:58 > 0:28:01even though the project was still unfinished.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04Whilst Stuart and the guys are putting things right,
0:28:04 > 0:28:08we've contacted Caroline's cowboy builder on her behalf.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11He has refused to answer our calls,
0:28:11 > 0:28:16but he has given us a written reply, so we now have his take on this project.
0:28:16 > 0:28:22We've already been asking him questions and there are one or two I just want to...
0:28:22 > 0:28:25The reply that he has sent to us,
0:28:25 > 0:28:31"We were never given the opportunity to complete any of the works they were there to do effectively.
0:28:31 > 0:28:38"They were ordered off, having worked under very disturbing," as they call it, "conditions."
0:28:38 > 0:28:40What's your reply to that?
0:28:41 > 0:28:48I just can't understand the arrogance of him not to actually see
0:28:48 > 0:28:52that none of the jobs were completed and the quality of his work...
0:28:52 > 0:28:58He didn't see the work. If he'd seen the work, I don't think he'd have it done in his house.
0:28:58 > 0:29:03They were very good at demolishing things, but I didn't see any quality putting things back.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06No, I fully agree with you.
0:29:06 > 0:29:12I just want to pick out one more regarding the bathroom and the toilet, the questions we asked him.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15And he's saying again, "These were not finished.
0:29:15 > 0:29:20"The frames were being built for a wooden effect,
0:29:20 > 0:29:26"sympathetic to the building and the character and the style approved by Mrs Collier.
0:29:26 > 0:29:33"However, after putting most of it in, you had asked for it to be ripped out again
0:29:33 > 0:29:35"and put wooden cladding up.
0:29:35 > 0:29:41"The vanity unit and the tiling were not finished and this is the same for the toilet.
0:29:41 > 0:29:47"When it was left, there were wooden frames and cladding that had got to go on at that stage."
0:29:47 > 0:29:52Almost like the job was never finished because they were never allowed to finish it.
0:29:52 > 0:29:57What I'd say to that is I don't think a piece of wood ever went into that bathroom.
0:29:57 > 0:30:00He doesn't even know what he's talking about
0:30:00 > 0:30:03because I think he came twice to the house.
0:30:03 > 0:30:07I don't think he even saw the work that was being done.
0:30:07 > 0:30:13As far as I'm concerned, I have never sat down with him and talked through what I wanted doing.
0:30:13 > 0:30:17There was never any clear brief. He never talked about what he would do.
0:30:17 > 0:30:22I thought I could trust him. He said he had a property business.
0:30:22 > 0:30:28I needed somebody to help me manage this work that needed doing here, so I trusted him.
0:30:28 > 0:30:32A lot of words were said, but the words and actions didn't match up.
0:30:32 > 0:30:36- There was no combination of the two? - No.- What would you say to him?
0:30:36 > 0:30:39I trusted him and can he understand
0:30:39 > 0:30:44how he has abused that trust?
0:30:44 > 0:30:49At any time, he could have stopped the devastation that was happening at the house.
0:30:49 > 0:30:53He knew my mother. He had known me for a long time.
0:30:53 > 0:30:55I thought he would have more respect.
0:30:56 > 0:31:01And I'm just devastated with the mess that he has caused.
0:31:01 > 0:31:07Whether he'll get back to us is another thing. You've had a cowboy builder operating in your property.
0:31:07 > 0:31:09What about lessons learned?
0:31:09 > 0:31:14The first thing I would do is if it was a building job like this,
0:31:14 > 0:31:16I'd get an expert in who's independent,
0:31:16 > 0:31:22so it's making sure you get the right people in at the beginning who know about the job.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25I was in too much of a hurry to get it done.
0:31:27 > 0:31:29And it was a bad time.
0:31:29 > 0:31:33I was grieving. I'd lost two members of my family.
0:31:33 > 0:31:38I knew that Jo was grieving and had this massive responsibility.
0:31:38 > 0:31:44With my mobility problem, the opportunity for me just to go around and check out...
0:31:44 > 0:31:48Even getting into a house, usually there's a step.
0:31:48 > 0:31:54- It's very difficult for me, so I wanted to get somebody to do it on my behalf.- Yes.
0:31:54 > 0:31:59That's why I was hoping my financial adviser would be able to do it.
0:31:59 > 0:32:04He just seemed to take it as an opportunity to get him and his mates a job.
0:32:04 > 0:32:06'So here's a valuable tip.
0:32:06 > 0:32:11'Ask family and friends to have a look at a builder's previous jobs
0:32:11 > 0:32:14'if you can't get to see them for yourself.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17'Even ask them to take photographs or video,
0:32:17 > 0:32:20'so you can make a more considered judgment.
0:32:23 > 0:32:29'This 250-year-old house needed lots of renovation work and when Caroline's mother and sister died,
0:32:29 > 0:32:35'she wanted to modernise the house for her and family friend Jo.
0:32:35 > 0:32:41'Because Caroline suffers from MS, she asked her financial adviser to project-manage the work,
0:32:41 > 0:32:46'but his cowboy builders botched the job big-time,
0:32:46 > 0:32:50'so we got Stuart and his team in to put things right.
0:32:51 > 0:32:55'The cowboy builders left problems all around the house,
0:32:55 > 0:32:59'but we only have time to focus on the bathroom and toilet.
0:33:00 > 0:33:07'It's taken Stuart and his team four days to turn a sow's ear into a silk purse.
0:33:07 > 0:33:12'So far, Caroline and Jo have no idea what they've been up to.'
0:33:13 > 0:33:16I'm feeling obviously still a bit anxious,
0:33:16 > 0:33:21also a bit excited because it would be good to see the work finished.
0:33:21 > 0:33:27I'm a little bit madder at the contractor who was responsible for doing the bad work.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31But I'm holding up OK, I think.
0:33:31 > 0:33:36Something positive and constructive is being done.
0:33:36 > 0:33:42It's not just a matter of destroying the house and not putting it back together. That was worrying me.
0:33:42 > 0:33:47'Steve and his team have had their work cut out, hacking off the old tiles,
0:33:47 > 0:33:53'replacing that dodgy laminate floor, and what about those lethal electrics?
0:33:53 > 0:33:55'This job was real Bodgeville,
0:33:55 > 0:33:59'but our guys have wasted no time putting things right.'
0:33:59 > 0:34:04- You're not packing up?- All finished. - You're finished already?- Yes.
0:34:04 > 0:34:10- What's it looking like in there? - I'd like to think it looks nice. - It does. A lot different.
0:34:10 > 0:34:15- I bet it looks a lot better than nice because it looked horrible originally.- It did.- That's for sure.
0:34:15 > 0:34:20Thanks for all your help. I'm sure it will be brilliant up there.
0:34:20 > 0:34:24- Good luck. Thank you once again. - No problem.- Cheers, guys.- Thank you.
0:34:26 > 0:34:30'Before I show Caroline and Jo what Stuart and his team have done,
0:34:30 > 0:34:33'I want to take a sneaky peek.'
0:34:34 > 0:34:37I tell you what, just looking at it straight away,
0:34:37 > 0:34:43this is no longer a cowboy builder crime scene, so we can take the tape down.
0:34:44 > 0:34:46So we'll just take this down.
0:34:48 > 0:34:50Ho ho ho ho!
0:34:50 > 0:34:52It looks great to start off with.
0:34:52 > 0:34:54Fantastic, clean lines.
0:34:54 > 0:35:01Remember the bendy tiles all over the place? They've now gone and been replaced with some classic tiles.
0:35:01 > 0:35:06It looks much better straight away. Look at the basin and pedestal too.
0:35:06 > 0:35:10That horrible boxing that was in before, that has gone.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13Wonderful streamlines on the bath.
0:35:13 > 0:35:15The actual shower looks fabulous
0:35:15 > 0:35:19and you've now got the shower screen in place which looks good.
0:35:19 > 0:35:24The way it's been painted up, it looks so much fresher.
0:35:24 > 0:35:26But you will notice
0:35:26 > 0:35:30that dangerous situation we had here with the open element fan
0:35:30 > 0:35:36and the switch fuse spur that shouldn't have been there, that has now gone.
0:35:36 > 0:35:40And although we've kept the towel rail because it's useful,
0:35:40 > 0:35:43it's now been disconnected and made safe.
0:35:43 > 0:35:47Love it, love it, love it. I'm just going to do my hair(!)
0:35:48 > 0:35:51I'm going to check out the toilet now.
0:35:52 > 0:35:54Ah, yeah, yeah, yeah!
0:35:54 > 0:35:58Straight away, as you're looking at it,
0:35:58 > 0:36:01the loo seat and the lid is in the correct place.
0:36:01 > 0:36:07Last time, the lid was under the toilet. That's all gone. You've got linoleum down as well.
0:36:07 > 0:36:11It looks so much better and again super-clean lines.
0:36:11 > 0:36:15I'm really enjoying that. It looks a whole heap different.
0:36:15 > 0:36:20We've got a fully usable bathroom and toilet. No worries, as far as I'm concerned.
0:36:22 > 0:36:26Before I get the ladies up here for the big reveal,
0:36:26 > 0:36:29there's just time for me to give you another top DIY tip.
0:36:29 > 0:36:33If you've ever tried to drill a tile before
0:36:33 > 0:36:38and you've got your drill and it's rolling all round this tile because it's highly glazed,
0:36:38 > 0:36:42I've got a couple of super tips for you on how you can drill a tile.
0:36:42 > 0:36:47You need tungsten carbide-tipped... They're like a masonry bit.
0:36:47 > 0:36:52Tungsten carbide-tipped, nice and strong, to get through the glaze.
0:36:52 > 0:36:57I've made sure it's nice and level, lined it up and made two marker holes.
0:36:57 > 0:37:01The other thing you've got to do and you can use a bradawl
0:37:01 > 0:37:05or you can use an electrician's screwdriver with a sharp tip on it
0:37:05 > 0:37:09and all you've got to do is get close to the marker
0:37:09 > 0:37:13and just groove a little mark, so you're breaking the glaze.
0:37:13 > 0:37:17Can you hear that? I've broken the glaze already.
0:37:17 > 0:37:19And be gentle. Just scuff it.
0:37:19 > 0:37:24You can use masking tape. That also allows easy grip for the drill bit.
0:37:24 > 0:37:29But the critical thing now, when you're drilling, is to take your time,
0:37:29 > 0:37:34so get yourself poised, you'll feel it starts to bite and just gently turn the drill.
0:37:34 > 0:37:36And once it starts to bite...
0:37:40 > 0:37:46If I take that drill bit out, be careful where the tip is cos it's quite warm, a bit like myself.
0:37:51 > 0:37:57'I'm really excited to see what Caroline and Jo make of their new bathroom and toilet.
0:37:57 > 0:38:03'Just days ago, it looked like this after cowboy builders left the place like a no-go zone.
0:38:03 > 0:38:08'Caroline's financial adviser was sadly lacking as a project manager,
0:38:08 > 0:38:13'but that didn't stop him leaving her thousands of pounds out of pocket.
0:38:13 > 0:38:18'Up until now, she hasn't been able to get upstairs to see the work for herself,
0:38:18 > 0:38:24'but our knight in shining armour, Stuart the builder, has come to lend a hand.'
0:38:24 > 0:38:29- Caroline, the good guys have been in.- Yeah. - They've done the work for you.
0:38:29 > 0:38:33Before we go and check it out, remind me what it was like.
0:38:33 > 0:38:38I know you didn't get to physically look at it, but you've seen photographs.
0:38:38 > 0:38:40Just describe what it was like.
0:38:40 > 0:38:43Terrible tiling.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46The doors were off. The floor was a mess and wasn't finished.
0:38:46 > 0:38:52It was an electrical nightmare. Anybody could have gone in there and got an electric shock.
0:38:52 > 0:38:57- There were sharp edges.- I'll show you something I hope you'll love.- OK.
0:38:57 > 0:39:00A cracking, usable bathroom and toilet.
0:39:00 > 0:39:05- We're going to get to the point... - I may have to stop here. - We can go no further.- That's fine.
0:39:05 > 0:39:07- I'll let you...- Oh, wow!
0:39:07 > 0:39:13- You can have a quick peek.- At the toilet, yeah. Wow!- No toilet lid now. - The toilet seat's gone.
0:39:13 > 0:39:17- From underneath the toilet. - What a shame(!) Do you want it back?
0:39:17 > 0:39:21- I thought it was a feature(!) - Yeah, it's fantastic.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24- I'm glad it's gone. Are you?- Yeah.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27Tell me when you want the sticks.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32Oh, goodness me!
0:39:32 > 0:39:36It's not the same bathroom. Oh, it's lovely!
0:39:36 > 0:39:40- So clean and fresh.- You've got your new basin and pedestal there.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43- And they turn on the right way. - They do.
0:39:43 > 0:39:45- How about that?- That's wonderful.
0:39:45 > 0:39:51- I know you wanted carpet.- Yeah. - But we put vinyl down. I think it's far easier to keep clean as well.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54But looking around,
0:39:54 > 0:39:57you've got a beautiful bath now, a shower.
0:39:57 > 0:40:03- Very posh.- You've also got your screen, your shower screen. - That's lovely.
0:40:03 > 0:40:07- Doesn't it look great? - Yeah, the cabinet, it looks really...
0:40:07 > 0:40:13- Nice piece of wood as well. - You've got a new light which is regulations standard.
0:40:13 > 0:40:17- You can see it in the mirror. It's lovely.- Look - Beauty and the Beast!
0:40:17 > 0:40:21- But what about that tiling job? - It's just beautiful.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24The fact it comes all the way out here, it looks so beautiful.
0:40:24 > 0:40:27You can see it really is well done.
0:40:27 > 0:40:31- In general, how do you feel now? - Oh, it's 100% better.
0:40:31 > 0:40:36Very, very... Thank you so much. It is a massive improvement.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39- It just shows you what the good guys can do.- Yeah.
0:40:39 > 0:40:45I tell you what, Caroline. I think it's time to fetch Jo to have a look. Do you?
0:40:45 > 0:40:49She's been here through all the dirt and the dust. She needs to see it.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52I couldn't agree more. I'll go and get her.
0:40:54 > 0:40:56Wow!
0:40:56 > 0:41:02'I'm going to leave Caroline and Jo to make the most of their new facilities
0:41:02 > 0:41:06'and it sounds like we've gone from one out of ten to a ten out of ten.'
0:41:06 > 0:41:09It looks as though it's been done properly.
0:41:09 > 0:41:14The tiles are beautifully grouted and a sink I can actually get my feet under!
0:41:14 > 0:41:17It's not hidden in a laminate coffin!
0:41:17 > 0:41:22And the floor as well, it makes the whole room look bigger.
0:41:22 > 0:41:27- It's got a door that closes, Jo. - It was off its hinges the last time I saw it... True.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30It's just so clean and, um...
0:41:30 > 0:41:33Everything seems to sort of fit.
0:41:33 > 0:41:37And it's all beautifully sealed around the edge.
0:41:37 > 0:41:39It is.
0:41:39 > 0:41:42No, it looks...
0:41:42 > 0:41:47No, that looks like a real... you know, super job.
0:41:47 > 0:41:49It's not just 100% better.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52It's thousands of percent better than it was!
0:42:01 > 0:42:07There is still a lot of work to be done to rectify the mess the cowboy builders have left behind.
0:42:11 > 0:42:15But now we've put Caroline back on the right track.
0:42:15 > 0:42:18She won't be falling into the cowboy trap again.
0:42:22 > 0:42:28I think Caroline and Jo are far happier now that the good guys have been in to complete the work
0:42:28 > 0:42:31and our job is almost over.
0:42:31 > 0:42:37But I've got all the evidence here that we've gathered on this builder that I'll take to Trading Standards,
0:42:37 > 0:42:41so they can get an officer to investigate still further,
0:42:41 > 0:42:45but let this be a warning to all cowboy builders out there -
0:42:45 > 0:42:49your days of conning people and ruining their lives will soon be at an end.
0:42:49 > 0:42:54If you've had a problem with builders and you want to tell your story on Cowboy Trap,
0:42:54 > 0:42:57then please call us on this number.
0:43:04 > 0:43:07Or you can send us an email.
0:43:09 > 0:43:12Help us round up the cowboys.
0:43:32 > 0:43:36Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd 2012