0:00:08 > 0:00:10Hi, I'm Clive Holland,
0:00:10 > 0:00:15and I'm on a mission to run those cowboy builders out of town.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17I walked in and was absolutely horrified.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20The house, basically, was anything but complete.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22All over Britain,
0:00:22 > 0:00:25people are having their lives ruined by these unscrupulous chancers,
0:00:25 > 0:00:28and it's got to stop.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30If anything happens to what's left up there,
0:00:30 > 0:00:33it's going to have an effect on this house.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35And there'll be bricks and rubble
0:00:35 > 0:00:37and that coming through the roof, and goodness knows what.
0:00:37 > 0:00:43But I've got the good guys in my posse to help give these horror stories a happy ending.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47I remember him saying, "I'm not trying to rip you off, Deb."
0:00:47 > 0:00:51And with hindsight now, that's absolutely what he was doing.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54So do yourself a favour, and take some notes.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57Because what you're about to witness could well keep you
0:00:57 > 0:00:58out of the cowboy trap.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11Today, Cowboy Trap is on the northeast coast,
0:01:11 > 0:01:13in the small seaside town of Seaham.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19Seaham was once the unlikely home of the mad, bad and dangerous-to-know
0:01:19 > 0:01:22poet Byron, who wrote a couple of his most famous poems here.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27More recently, Seaham was a mining town,
0:01:27 > 0:01:29its harbour shipping coal to London.
0:01:29 > 0:01:35But these days, Seaham's main claim to fame is its gorgeous beaches.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37Another famous former Seaham resident
0:01:37 > 0:01:39is the footballer Paul Gascoigne,
0:01:39 > 0:01:43who owned a massive grade II listed mansion here.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47And if you remember, Gazza cried in the 1990 World Cup finals
0:01:47 > 0:01:50when he was playing for England. But you know what?
0:01:50 > 0:01:56Today's cowboy builder story is also enough to make a grown man cry.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59Make no mistake, this is a cowboy trap with brass knobs on -
0:01:59 > 0:02:04a tale of shameful handiwork, shattered dreams,
0:02:04 > 0:02:08and wait for it - a life-threatening piece of bodged structural work
0:02:08 > 0:02:11that could quite literally bring the house down.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14We're here to meet Debby Sutcliffe,
0:02:14 > 0:02:17who works as a manager for voluntary organisations helping people
0:02:17 > 0:02:21who have problems with drug and alcohol abuse.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25In the last couple of years, Debby has had to fork out £8,000 to
0:02:25 > 0:02:30try and fix a bodged build. And her house still isn't right.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34She is up to her eyes in the cowboy trap.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36In 2009, after a painful divorce,
0:02:36 > 0:02:41Debby made the bold decision to move from her home in Scarborough up to Seaham.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44It was 70 miles away, and Debby was sad to leave her friends
0:02:44 > 0:02:46and family behind.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49But she was desperate to start afresh.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52Leaving Scarborough and leaving what I was leaving behind in Scarborough,
0:02:52 > 0:02:56particularly my friends, it did make it quite important
0:02:56 > 0:03:00that the property I bought had the right feel
0:03:00 > 0:03:02and location was quite important,
0:03:02 > 0:03:06because I was moving totally on my own, with no friends or
0:03:06 > 0:03:10family in this area. I needed to feel quite safe and secure.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12Debby had a dream.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15Divorced and now having to go it alone, she wanted to be
0:03:15 > 0:03:19financially secure, and what better way than through bricks and mortar?
0:03:19 > 0:03:25After some intensive house hunting, Debby was relieved to find
0:03:25 > 0:03:29a place which ticked all the boxes - a two-bedroom terraced house.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31It was in need of some serious renovation,
0:03:31 > 0:03:34but for Debby, it was love at first sight.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37It was very reasonably priced.
0:03:37 > 0:03:42It clearly needed some updating, but the good price that it
0:03:42 > 0:03:47was gave me the confidence that I'd actually have enough money to be able to do the work.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50It gave me the opportunity to put my little stamp on it and make it my little palace.
0:03:50 > 0:03:55But transforming it into a palace was going to be no easy task.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59Much needed to be done just to bring it up to date - rewiring,
0:03:59 > 0:04:02plumbing, a damp course for starters.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04And Debby didn't want to stop there.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07I wanted the chimney breast taken down in the dining room
0:04:07 > 0:04:08and the spare bedroom,
0:04:08 > 0:04:11and a garage extension and a porch on the front,
0:04:11 > 0:04:15new garage roof, sunroom at the back, the windows that
0:04:15 > 0:04:18weren't already double glazed, new windows putting in.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24Debby was also keen to reduce heating bills in years to come,
0:04:24 > 0:04:27so she wanted insulation throughout.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31She wanted part of the garage converted into a utility room.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35And the final piece of the jigsaw - plastering throughout
0:04:35 > 0:04:38and new doors, door frames and skirting boards.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42It was clearly an ambitious project.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44Being quite new to the area,
0:04:44 > 0:04:47Debby didn't know how to go about finding a reputable builder,
0:04:47 > 0:04:51so it came as a great relief when a friend at work suggested her
0:04:51 > 0:04:54son, who runs a small building company.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56Now, she was really happy with the recommendation
0:04:56 > 0:05:01so close to home, and decided not to take up any further references.
0:05:01 > 0:05:02Big mistake!
0:05:03 > 0:05:07Take my advice - if you're looking for a builder, always
0:05:07 > 0:05:10check out examples of their previous work.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14This work needs to be a similar job to what you need doing.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18The more references from satisfied customers you can get, the better.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22Rather than doing that, Debby decided to meet up with the builder
0:05:22 > 0:05:26to talk through her dream, and see if she felt he was up to the job.
0:05:26 > 0:05:31He talked the talk, everything seemed fine,
0:05:31 > 0:05:34and there was nothing that
0:05:34 > 0:05:38alerted me, that made me think,
0:05:38 > 0:05:40you know, he wouldn't do the job that he said he would do,
0:05:40 > 0:05:43and that I hoped he would do.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47But then, Debby made another basic error.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52Debby let slip that she'd got £40,000 available to get
0:05:52 > 0:05:55the work done, and when the builder's quote came in,
0:05:55 > 0:06:00guess what - you got it - it was for £40,000. Was that a coincidence?
0:06:00 > 0:06:01Of course it wasn't.
0:06:01 > 0:06:06Here's my top tip - never tell your builder exactly how much money you've got to play with.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08Put the onus on them to come up with a price,
0:06:08 > 0:06:10and give you a written quotation.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14In fact, my rule of thumb is - get three quotes.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17Debby agreed to the £40,000.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19And the builder promised
0:06:19 > 0:06:23if he started in August it would all be done and dusted by December.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27He asked Debby to pay him in four instalments of £10,000,
0:06:27 > 0:06:29the first upfront to buy materials.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33Debby did as he asked, and moved out into rented accommodation,
0:06:33 > 0:06:37because the house was going to be uninhabitable during the build.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41When she returned to take a look at their work, her heart sank.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45It was the plastering in the dining room - I remember walking in one day when they were here,
0:06:45 > 0:06:50and just looking up at the ceiling, and asking if they were drunk when they plastered the ceiling.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54And was then told, "Don't get hung up on that - it all smooths out
0:06:54 > 0:06:55"when you paint it."
0:06:55 > 0:06:58And that was when I knew that things weren't right.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03And when she went upstairs to her bedroom, she was gobsmacked.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07I actually questioned the windowsill in here,
0:07:07 > 0:07:11and was told that I'd asked them to leave it like this.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13Believe it or not, this is clean.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17And apparently I'd said I liked wood and wanted it leaving.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22Debby started to wonder just where her money was going.
0:07:22 > 0:07:28There was something in the garage and I clearly had questioned something.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32And I remember him saying, "I'm not trying to rip you off, Deb."
0:07:32 > 0:07:37And with hindsight now, that's absolutely what he was doing.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40But it wasn't just value for money which was a concern -
0:07:40 > 0:07:42so was the schedule.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45The builder kept on promising he'd be finished on December 23rd like
0:07:45 > 0:07:50they agreed, but Debby was convinced he was running behind,
0:07:50 > 0:07:52and for her it was a race against the clock.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56She was desperate to move in for her dream Christmas.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00Fast forward to just three days before Christmas.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03The lease was up on Debby's rented house and so she decided to
0:08:03 > 0:08:07take a day off work and go and visit the removals men who were
0:08:07 > 0:08:11delivering her furnishings to a newly refurbished home.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14But I can tell you now - the tidings were far from comfort and joy.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19Rather than a palace ready to move into for Christmas,
0:08:19 > 0:08:22Debby was faced with a house of horror.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27I walked in and was absolutely horrified.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29The house, basically, was anything but complete.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32There weren't skirting boards in any of the rooms,
0:08:32 > 0:08:35there were floorboards up in one of the bedrooms
0:08:35 > 0:08:37and at the top of the stairs, which would have made it
0:08:37 > 0:08:43impossible for removals to safely have moved furniture up there.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47Obviously, carpets couldn't go down because there were no skirting boards,
0:08:47 > 0:08:50and the place was just filthy.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55The builders had left a total mess,
0:08:55 > 0:08:59and neither the electrics nor gas were working.
0:08:59 > 0:09:04Debby tried to phone the builder, but he took some tracking down.
0:09:04 > 0:09:09I finally got hold of the builders to be told that they'd finished,
0:09:09 > 0:09:13that as far as they were concerned they'd completed the works.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17Debby couldn't believe her ears - or her eyes.
0:09:18 > 0:09:23She'd forked out 40 grand and her home looked like a bomb site.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28But with her rental lease up, she had no choice but to move in.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33It wasn't the Christmas present she'd been hoping for.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35I hope her builder had a nice Christmas,
0:09:35 > 0:09:36because Debby certainly didn't.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39She spent it all alone on a building site.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41I hope I never have to go through that again.
0:09:41 > 0:09:47No kitchen, no bathroom, house total shambles - wrecked, really.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50I just didn't want anybody coming to the door,
0:09:50 > 0:09:53didn't want anybody feeling sorry for me,
0:09:53 > 0:09:55and, you know, kind of Christmas Day -
0:09:55 > 0:09:59cooking your lunch on a camping stove and a microwave.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01Not good.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04The builder came back briefly in the new year,
0:10:04 > 0:10:07but never looked like finishing the job.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09When he had the gall to ask for a further three grand,
0:10:09 > 0:10:11it was the final straw.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13Debby asked him to leave.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16All my hopes and dreams for the house
0:10:16 > 0:10:21when I moved in and all the security and safety and financial
0:10:21 > 0:10:26security that I was after - I basically got exactly the opposite.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29Over the past couple of years, Debby has managed to get
0:10:29 > 0:10:32some cash together to repair some of the botched work.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35But nothing could repair the damage these guys had done
0:10:35 > 0:10:37to her self-esteem.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40And I'm worried about that chimney breast they removed -
0:10:40 > 0:10:42that's no job for a cowboy.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44But first, I need to find out more.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51- Aha, you must be Debby.- I am.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55- I'm Clive from Cowboy Trap. How are you?- Fine, thank you.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58Nice to see you. Now I hear you've had problems with cowboy builders.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02- D'you mind if I come in, and you can talk me through it?- Absolutely not. - Great.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06As soon as I stepped through the door, it's clear Debby has spent a lot of money on fixing
0:11:06 > 0:11:08the cowboy builder's botched job.
0:11:09 > 0:11:14I'd usually come into devastation. Looking at this, it looks fine.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18So my question is, in terms of the problems, what's your major?
0:11:20 > 0:11:24Well, NOW - one of the reasons that you're here today is
0:11:24 > 0:11:27to have a look in the loft, because the chimney breast
0:11:27 > 0:11:30had been taken down and it's been left unsupported.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34- OK. So chimney breast has come out on two levels?- Two levels.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36And they've left all the masonry floating above?
0:11:36 > 0:11:38- Is that what you're saying?- Yes.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40Well, I need to get a closer look at that.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43- In terms of the loft, now, I know I'm only a small guy...- Obviously!
0:11:43 > 0:11:47Nine stone wet through. D'you think I'll actually get in there?
0:11:47 > 0:11:49I think you'll do it, Clive.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52OK, great. Well, listen. If you don't mind, d'you mind sticking the kettle on?
0:11:52 > 0:11:54We'll have a cup of tea, then we'll have a chat later.
0:11:54 > 0:11:59- But first I want to get up to that loft.- OK.- All right. Thanks, Debby.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01Joking apart, if you don't remove a chimney breast properly,
0:12:01 > 0:12:04it can come down on you like a ton of bricks.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08Debby has performed a minor miracle by fixing much of the cosmetic work here.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12But she's done the right thing to call for help, because it's the
0:12:12 > 0:12:16structural damage that cowboys do that's the most dangerous.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18A bit of a tight squeeze.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21Oh, yeah! That looks dodgy all right.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23Let's take a closer look.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29Seems my fears were justified. This needs sorting, and fast.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32Oh, look at that. I see.
0:12:32 > 0:12:38Now, interestingly enough, they've almost done an inverted V
0:12:38 > 0:12:40removing that brickwork there,
0:12:40 > 0:12:46so it's displacing the weight either side of the V down onto a
0:12:46 > 0:12:51suspended roof joist. It's just floating in mid-air, really, on both sides.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55And then they've got a little bit of 2x2 noggin battening at the back,
0:12:55 > 0:12:58that seems to be supporting it.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00But it's not the way to do things.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03Now if you imagine, normally if you're taking a chimney breast out,
0:13:03 > 0:13:07you'd take a chimney breast out and you'd take it out
0:13:07 > 0:13:09downstairs - above, you'd have it all Acrowed up,
0:13:09 > 0:13:14and rather than like that in an inverted V displacing weight either side,
0:13:14 > 0:13:20you'd actually get yourself an RSJ - bang - right under the bottom area of where the bedroom is,
0:13:20 > 0:13:22to support all that weight of masonry
0:13:22 > 0:13:25because there's a few tonne there of brickwork,
0:13:25 > 0:13:29and if that was to ever come tumbling down and crashing down,
0:13:29 > 0:13:33I think it's Debby's bed that's right under there, or somebody's bed.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36Now, you can imagine how dangerous that is going to.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43And worse still, it seems the masonry's already on the move.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45You can see a slight bit of movement down the right-hand
0:13:45 > 0:13:49side there of the inverted V - there's a long crack that
0:13:49 > 0:13:51runs for about five feet around the brickwork.
0:13:51 > 0:13:56I've got to say, it's certainly not clever.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58It looks like we got here just in time.
0:13:58 > 0:14:03I've got a horrible feeling Debby made a crucial mistake when this build started.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06A mistake which could have cost her her life.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09Did you call in building control?
0:14:09 > 0:14:12No, I had no idea I needed them in.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15I was oblivious of that until the surveyor came the other week.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17So, no.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21And when the surveyor came, he told you the problem's with?
0:14:21 > 0:14:23- The chimney.- Yeah.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27Basically that had been unsupported.
0:14:28 > 0:14:33OK, the chances of a lot of masonry come crashing down.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37So it just doesn't then come onto finances or emotions?
0:14:37 > 0:14:39No, that's life and death.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43That comes on to life and death, that's correct.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46'Take my advice, chimneys are part of the structure of your house
0:14:46 > 0:14:49'and removing them is always a serious business.'
0:14:49 > 0:14:51You'll need a structural engineer involved
0:14:51 > 0:14:54and approval from building control.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57If you do anything to a party wall - that's one you share
0:14:57 > 0:15:01with your neighbours - you'll need their consent in writing.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05What you've got to understand is, you're employing these people,
0:15:05 > 0:15:11and if they do anything wrong you need to broach the subject.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13Don't bury your head.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15Because if something like this...
0:15:15 > 0:15:18You've got an alarm bell right at the beginning - the 40 grand.
0:15:18 > 0:15:24I'm telling you now, there'll be mega alarm bells right up to, you know,
0:15:24 > 0:15:29great big air horn warning systems going off by the end of the build.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31Which is obviously what has happened.
0:15:31 > 0:15:36Listen, the main thing is now you know what dangers you've been left with.
0:15:36 > 0:15:41We would particularly like to concentrate on that area
0:15:41 > 0:15:47of the work, because it is so dangerous.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51And we really want to be getting on with that.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55If anything, it's for peace of mind.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57We're going to get the good guys in.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59We're going to address that.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01- Can I keep them?- Of course.
0:16:01 > 0:16:02Can I build a little shed for them?
0:16:02 > 0:16:05- Of course you can, you can keep them in your garden.- Thank you.
0:16:05 > 0:16:10How's that? But, we're going to... I'll have to ask their permission, of course.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14But I'm sure they'll look after you and will get the job done.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18But before we get cracking, I want a second opinion from an independent surveyor.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21Peter Fall has checked out the chimney,
0:16:21 > 0:16:23and now I'm going to pick his brains.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25What's not to your liking?
0:16:25 > 0:16:30Basically, he's taken away all of the support that held
0:16:30 > 0:16:34the chimney breast in the loft space in position.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37Let's remember, when that chimney stack was first built,
0:16:37 > 0:16:39he built it off a foundation on the ground.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41All the load went down on the ground.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45He tied it back to the party wall, between the two houses,
0:16:45 > 0:16:47just to stop it falling over.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50- Not to hold it up.- Yeah.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53So what he's gone and done now, he's taken everything
0:16:53 > 0:16:58away between the foundation and the roof and left nothing.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00However, not quite nothing.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04Because what he did do is put a piece of wood in.
0:17:04 > 0:17:10- What he's gone and done, he's rested that on the ceiling joists.- Yow.
0:17:10 > 0:17:11We are big guys.
0:17:11 > 0:17:15- Those ceilings are not meant for you and me to ballroom dance on there. - They're not.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17They're meant to hold the plot.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20The ceiling joists were never, ever intended to carry the chimney.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22To carry that sort of load bear?
0:17:22 > 0:17:26So what's he got? He's got it on the ceiling joists it can't cope with,
0:17:26 > 0:17:29and he's got nothing else between that
0:17:29 > 0:17:31and the foundation underneath the ground floor.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34What's the worst case scenario? Just spell it out to us.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38In the short-term, the mortar that's literally holding
0:17:38 > 0:17:41it in place will gradually degrade with age.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44It will slacken, the bricks will become loose,
0:17:44 > 0:17:48the load will settle down a bit more on top of the joists.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51Until eventually the joists says, "Hey, this is too much weight."
0:17:51 > 0:17:56Now, the work you've seen so far, I need a mark out of ten for, as usual.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58What sort of score would you give that?
0:17:58 > 0:18:01- Oh, Clive.- I've got a feeling.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03You know my scoring system.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07I am so depressed when I see this from the building industry.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10It isn't normal to see it like this.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13He's made a good job of taking it out of the bedroom beneath.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17Let's give him two or three points for that, and that's it.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21And I might even take one or two points back off him for just not
0:18:21 > 0:18:25thinking hard about what he'd done for the bit that's left in the loft.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29It's not only Debby that's affected by this chimney travesty.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31So is next door neighbour, Kenneth Stockdale.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36The chimney joins the two houses together.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40I do know that if anything happens to what's left up there,
0:18:40 > 0:18:44it's going to have an effect on this house and there will be bricks
0:18:44 > 0:18:49and rubble and that coming through the roof, and goodness knows what.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51That's a major worry.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55And it's not just the chimney that concerns Kenneth.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57He is also worried about the impact all the stress has
0:18:57 > 0:19:01had on Debby's health.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03She's been really depressed.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06She really has. And, er...
0:19:09 > 0:19:11..how she rises above that,
0:19:11 > 0:19:15I don't know, given the circumstances she's in.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19She had dreams and those dreams have gone.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26But perhaps we can help Debby's dreams get back on track.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30Here come our knights in shining armour, led by Joe Dixon.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32Time for a powwow about his plan of action.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37Just try and describe to us what you intend to do.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41So imagine, we've got the inverted V, what do you intend to do?
0:19:41 > 0:19:45On the bottom, you see where the chimney breast would have come down in this area here?
0:19:45 > 0:19:46Yes.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50Above in that area, what they put in is a bit of scrap,
0:19:50 > 0:19:52heavy timber, literally resting across...
0:19:52 > 0:19:54To me, it only looks like about 2x2?
0:19:54 > 0:19:56Yeah, it's poor, it's poor.
0:19:56 > 0:20:01We need to look at putting a steel bracket, if you can imagine,
0:20:01 > 0:20:04up into there where the chimney breast has come down in that V.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07There's a bracket that needs to be put up to support the brickwork
0:20:07 > 0:20:11which is protruding approximately 400ml out from there.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13So that bracket then takes the bearing.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17Listen, Joe, what I'm going to do, I'll leave you to it.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19It's great to have the good guys on board.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22And then we'll pop back and see how you're getting on.
0:20:22 > 0:20:23Brilliant, see you soon.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26- I'll let you carry on.- Thanks, bye.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29As an added bonus and a nice little surprise for Debby,
0:20:29 > 0:20:33I've also asked John to do some work on her bodged utility room.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36How anyone could think this is finished is beyond me.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39The plastering is pants, the tiling is shoddy,
0:20:39 > 0:20:42and there's that hole in the ceiling.
0:20:42 > 0:20:43And don't get me started on the doorway!
0:20:43 > 0:20:48And that horrible trunking to the light switch. Eugh!
0:20:48 > 0:20:52Joe and his team waste no time getting started.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55They get to work on that useless utility room,
0:20:55 > 0:20:59and like Santa at Christmas, they head off to the chimney.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02The sooner that's fixed, the safer.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06Can they secure that stack so Debby can sleep easy at night?
0:21:06 > 0:21:08And will their work pass building regulations
0:21:08 > 0:21:13so Debby's house gets a belated clean bill of health?
0:21:13 > 0:21:14Only time will tell.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23I'm back in Seaham on the northeast coast,
0:21:23 > 0:21:27where recently-divorced Debby Sutcliffe decided to make
0:21:27 > 0:21:32the brave decision to start a new life away from her family and friends.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36But her dream home soon turned into the stuff of nightmares,
0:21:36 > 0:21:42when the builder she hired to undertake the renovation work turned out to be a cowboy.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44Our good guys have now finished their work,
0:21:44 > 0:21:48and I'm here to find out if they've saved the day.
0:21:48 > 0:21:53Before I talk it through with Debby, I can't resist taking a sneaky peek.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57My first destination...the utility room.
0:21:57 > 0:22:02Oh yeah, now this looks totally different and really clean and bright.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04The walls have obviously been plastered
0:22:04 > 0:22:08and there was some horrible trunking down to the light switch which didn't look nice.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12That's all been taken away, painted, worktop.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14I'm loving the gloss units in here as well,
0:22:14 > 0:22:17this is like a proper, working utility room.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19And we've got great flooring too.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23Skirting boards painted, everything looks really good.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26I am liking that.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29Pleased about the utility room, but the real proof of the pudding
0:22:29 > 0:22:32when assessing our good guys' work lies upstairs.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37Now, if you remember the real problem was up in the loft.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41We had that inverted V of the chimney breast that wasn't supported.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43Potential for all those bricks to fall down.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45I'm hoping our guys have done their job properly
0:22:45 > 0:22:48and that way we can get building control sign-off.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51But the one thing I hate, and maybe you do too, is getting up these lofts.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54Particularly today, it's dirty up there and it's hot and sticky.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57But anyway, it's important we go and have a look.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01Oh, room for a small one.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03Wow!
0:23:03 > 0:23:07It's immediately apparent, we've closed this particular can of worms.
0:23:07 > 0:23:13If you remember, we'd got... All of that masonry on the inverted V was floating in thin air.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16Well, it was sort of on a trimmer, but that was doing nothing,
0:23:16 > 0:23:18that's a lot of weight of masonry.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21Now we've got that steel in place, this is the thing that
0:23:21 > 0:23:25building control were concerned about, this whole chimney breast removal.
0:23:25 > 0:23:30They want to see exactly that and that will give us the sign-off, I'm pretty sure.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34But for me now, that is taking all the weight of that masonry.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37And the thing more importantly is,
0:23:37 > 0:23:40it's taking the worry away from Debby.
0:23:40 > 0:23:46She was sleeping below and always concerned that one day all this might come tumbling down.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49Not any more it won't, because that is a job well done.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53Phew, what a relief.
0:23:53 > 0:23:58Now, before I talk it through with Debby, I want a powwow about her cowboy builder.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01I wanted to find out his side of the story.
0:24:01 > 0:24:05So I could hear her responses to his version of events.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09Unfortunately, that's proved easier said than done.
0:24:09 > 0:24:14We've worked really hard to try and track him down, but we've had no luck.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17Now, this is rare that we haven't managed to get hold of him.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21It interesting because, if I remember rightly,
0:24:21 > 0:24:26from when we were doing the chat before, that he was...
0:24:26 > 0:24:28- Was he a brother or...? - A son.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31A son of somebody you worked with.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34Why do you think we're having the difficulty of tracking him?
0:24:34 > 0:24:36I really don't know.
0:24:36 > 0:24:42I know he's not trading any more because I did a search for them just before the programme,
0:24:42 > 0:24:45and I know that they're listed on Companies House as no longer trading.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47Right, OK.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49But other than that, I don't know.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53We've really had a struggle, I tell you.
0:24:53 > 0:24:58And we don't leave any stone unturned when we try and track these guys down.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00But to not have any of the numbers working,
0:25:00 > 0:25:02he's obviously wanting to disappear.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04Because there's got to be a reason.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08Anybody that feels they've done a good job would have been there...
0:25:08 > 0:25:09- Defending it.- ..defending it.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11On this occasion he hasn't.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15However, we have had the good guys in to your property
0:25:15 > 0:25:19and I can't wait to show you what they are capable of.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22Now, we're going from the bad news to the good news.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26Good news indeed! Hear all about it.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29Now, I can't ask Debby to squeeze into the loft with yours truly,
0:25:29 > 0:25:32that would be a denial of her human rights!
0:25:32 > 0:25:36So we're going to talk it through in her now-safe bedroom.
0:25:36 > 0:25:41Now, Debby, normally at this stage I would be opening a door and going, "Ta-dah."
0:25:41 > 0:25:44And we'd be able to see something nice and bright and shiny.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48On this occasion it is quite nice, it is quite bright and it is quite shiny,
0:25:48 > 0:25:52but all it is is a chunk of metal that is actually holding up
0:25:52 > 0:25:57that remnants now of the brickwork from the chimney breast.
0:25:57 > 0:26:02It didn't meet building control, it was in breach of building regulations.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04But, not any longer.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08Our good guys have been in, they've done the job.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12And because they've done such a cracking job on this stack,
0:26:12 > 0:26:19I have in my hand a piece of paper that guarantees peace of mind in our time.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21It's a certificate, but it's important.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23It might only be paper, but it's important.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27Because this gives you now, this is the regularisation certificate.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30And it means now the chimney breast and all of the work that's
0:26:30 > 0:26:34been carried out on it, to do all of the remedial works, is now...
0:26:35 > 0:26:39There's your certificate and it's no longer in breach of building regs.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42I want you to keep hold of that now because it's important.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44In the future if you ever sold your property, yeah?
0:26:44 > 0:26:47That goes with the new incumbents.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51You might not sell it, but at least now you are above board and legal.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53Good! That's really good.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57I mean, I didn't even know I was supposed to get this, or that the builders were.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00Having got it retrospectively, fabulous.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02- You're happy with it?- Yes.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05Now that's sorted, we can move on.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07Debby has seen the work going on in her utility room,
0:27:07 > 0:27:12but now I'm about to reveal the finished results in all their glory.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16- That is amazing, isn't it? - It looks so much bigger, as well.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18It's nice, it's got clean lines.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21I'm loving the white units, those gloss, white units look fantastic.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25And there's no brush marks on the ceiling and all the chunking is all gone.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29- Yes, the chunking's gone from the light switch.- Brilliant, that's great.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32- So that looks better, flooring down as well.- Shiny.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34How much of a difference is this going to make now?
0:27:34 > 0:27:38You've got a utility room you can actually use as a utility room.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40The extra space is great.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44- I'm not going to be like, fighting my way between utilities as I was before, so yes.- Yeah?
0:27:44 > 0:27:48And probably going to have to use it now though, aren't I?
0:27:48 > 0:27:50I think you are, I definitely think you are.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52So, the main thing is now, are you happy?
0:27:52 > 0:27:55- You know there are good guy builders out there.- Mm-hm.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58You've just got to search for them.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02'Yeah, seek and ye shall find. That's my motto.'
0:28:02 > 0:28:07What a great result, that chimney breast is now as safe as houses.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10And once again, Debby can sleep soundly at night.
0:28:10 > 0:28:14And what about that utility room? It looks a real cracker.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16This has been a long and drawn-out saga,
0:28:16 > 0:28:19but at least we've got Debby back on track.
0:28:19 > 0:28:23And for all you cowboy builders that are watching at home, I've got one thing to say -
0:28:23 > 0:28:27I'm fed up of your cock and bull stories and we are coming at ya!
0:28:30 > 0:28:33Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd