0:00:07 > 0:00:11I'm on a mission to root out Britain's cowboy builders.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14He'd not put proper joists in all the way across.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18He'd put pieces in, joining it to the existing ceiling rafters.
0:00:18 > 0:00:22It's impossible to overestimate the damage these guys do,
0:00:22 > 0:00:26with their shoddy workmanship and their lame excuses.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29This builder had no clue about building regulations,
0:00:29 > 0:00:32and that is a fact.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34I'm riding with the good guys in my posse,
0:00:34 > 0:00:38hoping to turn these botched builds into ideal homes.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41When we got in the kitchen, it was just horrendous.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43He'd tiled over a light.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46So be sure to learn the lessons of another cautionary tale,
0:00:46 > 0:00:49that could keep you out of the cowboy trap.
0:00:59 > 0:01:03Today, Cowboy Trap is in Greater Manchester, in Salford,
0:01:03 > 0:01:06a city with a long industrial and manufacturing history,
0:01:06 > 0:01:09which dates back to the 18th century.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12Salford is so synonymous with physical toil
0:01:12 > 0:01:14that one Britain's most famous painters
0:01:14 > 0:01:19was magnetically drawn here to capture it on canvas.
0:01:19 > 0:01:24Behind me here at Salford Quays is the Lowry, a huge art gallery,
0:01:24 > 0:01:28dedicated to the celebrated British painter, LS Lowry,
0:01:28 > 0:01:33who's famous for painting scenes of life in the industrial north.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35He lived in Salford for many years
0:01:35 > 0:01:38and much of his work also depicts the life around here.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41Sadly, the subject of today's Cowboy Trap,
0:01:41 > 0:01:44has none of Lowry's skills as a draftsman.
0:01:44 > 0:01:45In fact, what you could say,
0:01:45 > 0:01:48is he's got shoddy workmanship down to a fine art.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52The unlucky victims of this cowboy builder
0:01:52 > 0:01:55live in this three-bedroom mid-terrace...
0:01:55 > 0:01:57and their lovely daughter, Eva Jane.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00Tricia and Rob have been married for ten years.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04As well has Eva Jane, they have a 20-year-old son, John.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08Tricia and Rob met when Tricia worked in accounting,
0:02:08 > 0:02:10and needed some help with IT.
0:02:10 > 0:02:11We really enjoy each other.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15You know, we have a really good relationship and we're friends,
0:02:15 > 0:02:21you know and that's not changed from the day we met, to, kind of today.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24'The O'Donnells is a happy home,
0:02:24 > 0:02:29'but one that's not without its pressures. John has severe autism.'
0:02:29 > 0:02:31'He spends a lot of time in his room.'
0:02:31 > 0:02:32Sometimes you don't see him for days,
0:02:32 > 0:02:36you have to pass food through the door. He won't open the door to you.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39It's like a little tiny crack like that you have to peep through.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41'It's not only John who has problems.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45'Tricia also has health issues and for eight years,
0:02:45 > 0:02:47'Rob has been her full-time carer.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50'Tricia is registered disabled,'
0:02:50 > 0:02:52and suffering from deterioration of the spine.
0:02:52 > 0:02:57She's in constant pain and taking a cocktail of painkillers,
0:02:57 > 0:02:58just to see her through the day.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01And when she goes out, because of her condition,
0:03:01 > 0:03:04she's forced to use a wheelchair.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08'When Eva Jane came along five years ago,
0:03:08 > 0:03:10'Tricia and Rob were over the moon.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14'But they soon realised changes were needed to their home.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18'The new addition to the family needed her own room.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22'Because of John's condition, it wasn't possible to share his.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25'The O'Donnells devised a plan.'
0:03:25 > 0:03:28We wanted to convert the top floor of the house
0:03:28 > 0:03:31into a sort of a self-contained flat.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34Not to go the whole hog but have enough room up there to...
0:03:34 > 0:03:37put in a little kitchenette, little bathroom
0:03:37 > 0:03:40and space for him to call his own.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43'Rob and Tricia also wanted to use
0:03:43 > 0:03:46'part of the converted attic for storage.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49'They found several loft conversion companies on the internet
0:03:49 > 0:03:51'and invited them to quote.'
0:03:51 > 0:03:56Most of them were way beyond the budget we had available. Um...
0:03:56 > 0:04:01Apart from the builder, one who came in at a price we could afford.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04He had a nice flash website showing lots of work
0:04:04 > 0:04:07that he'd already done, which it all looked very nice.
0:04:07 > 0:04:12'The O'Donnells went for the cheap guy. No!
0:04:15 > 0:04:19'Take my device, don't automatically go for the lowest quote.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21'You could live to regret it.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25'To make a profit, the builder might cut corners, add extras,
0:04:25 > 0:04:27'or never finish the job.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32'Sure, there may be bon fide bargain builders out there,
0:04:32 > 0:04:34'but check out references.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38'And go and see previous projects before you commit,
0:04:38 > 0:04:40'or you might fall into the cowboy trap.'
0:04:44 > 0:04:48The O'Donnell's builder quoted £11,080
0:04:48 > 0:04:52to install a staircase and carry out the loft conversion.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54Their dream was to create another bedroom
0:04:54 > 0:04:58and turn the rest of the loft into some usable storage space.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02The builder said he could fit a new kitchen
0:05:02 > 0:05:06and replace some windows for an additional £6,000,
0:05:06 > 0:05:10bringing the grand total to £17,080.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14The O'Donnells gave him the green light and work began.
0:05:14 > 0:05:20But no-one contacted Building Control. No way!
0:05:20 > 0:05:21You know, it still amazes me
0:05:21 > 0:05:25how few homeowners know anything about Building Control.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28They're your local council inspectors,
0:05:28 > 0:05:31whose job it is to make sure that any significant construction work
0:05:31 > 0:05:34that's going on in your home is not only safe,
0:05:34 > 0:05:37but abides by the building regulations.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39Now, Tricia was none the wiser,
0:05:39 > 0:05:42that was, until she was watching a building programme
0:05:42 > 0:05:44that revealed all.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47So she decided to ask her builder some questions.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49But I'm afraid the answers she got
0:05:49 > 0:05:53were conclusive proof that she was dealing with a cowboy.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58Tricia asked her builder in no uncertain terms
0:05:58 > 0:06:01whether Building Control should be involved.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05He said, "You know, you don't need it." I said, "But I've seen it."
0:06:05 > 0:06:07"I've seen it on there."
0:06:07 > 0:06:09He said, "I'll speak to Building Control."
0:06:09 > 0:06:13So he went out and he sat in the van and spoke to Building Control.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16'The builder didn't reveal what was said in the van,
0:06:16 > 0:06:20'but one can only presume he didn't like what he heard.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24'He started disappearing for days on end and when he did turn up,
0:06:24 > 0:06:26'he barricaded himself in the kitchen.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29'Progress slowed to a snail's pace
0:06:29 > 0:06:32'and the O'Donnell's quality of life nosedived.'
0:06:33 > 0:06:39We lived on microwave meals and pot noodles and...
0:06:39 > 0:06:43what we could manage to cook on a George Foreman grill.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46It was... very, er, hard going.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50Tricia and Rob decided to have a sneaky peak in the kitchen
0:06:50 > 0:06:52to see how things were coming along.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54But they were horrified by what they saw.
0:06:57 > 0:06:58'It's just horrendous.'
0:06:58 > 0:07:02He'd tiled over a light... switch.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06He'd tiled halfway over the light switch up the wall.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09It was all pushed in and pulled out, there was grout all over it.
0:07:11 > 0:07:12'And that's not all.
0:07:12 > 0:07:17'The builder had used gutter sealant to feel gaps in dodgy plastering.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20'The floor tiling was a fiasco.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22'And there was no hole in the ceiling
0:07:22 > 0:07:24'for the vent from the cooker hood.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26'Where was the steam supposed to go?
0:07:28 > 0:07:31'This cowboy seemed to be on a one-man mission
0:07:31 > 0:07:34'to stop the O'Donnells from eating.'
0:07:34 > 0:07:36'While he was working in the kitchen,
0:07:36 > 0:07:39'we'd had everything piled up in the back room,'
0:07:39 > 0:07:42including on top of the chest freezer we had in there.
0:07:42 > 0:07:47Somewhere along the line, he managed to unplug the chest freezer.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50Obviously we didn't notice it for several days, because of,
0:07:50 > 0:07:53getting access to it was such a problem. And...
0:07:55 > 0:07:56when we got to it...
0:07:58 > 0:07:59Everything was ruined inside.
0:07:59 > 0:08:04'Just when the O'Donnells thought it couldn't get any worse, it did.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08'The builder revealed he was in financial difficulties
0:08:08 > 0:08:11'and work slowed to a virtual halt,
0:08:11 > 0:08:15'despite Rob and Tricia offering to pay for materials themselves.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18'Matters came to an abrupt end when the builder's father-in-law
0:08:18 > 0:08:22'turned on Trisha, after she'd pointed out some faults.'
0:08:22 > 0:08:25"How dare you, I've been doing this for so many years,
0:08:25 > 0:08:26"who do you think you are?
0:08:26 > 0:08:28"You're just trying to have one over us,
0:08:28 > 0:08:30"you don't say all these things are wrong."
0:08:30 > 0:08:33I said, "We didn't have access to it before to say anything."
0:08:33 > 0:08:34"Don't start with me."
0:08:34 > 0:08:38"I'm telling you, right, you're are trying to, we're not doing it."
0:08:38 > 0:08:41I said, "Fine, don't do it then. Because I'll take you to court."
0:08:41 > 0:08:43So he's stood right in my face by this stage,
0:08:43 > 0:08:45and I just, my legs just went.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49'Rob and Tricia took the builder to court
0:08:49 > 0:08:52'and managed to obtain a county court judgement against him.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55'However, they still haven't got any money back
0:08:55 > 0:08:58'because the builder is pleading poverty.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01'Four years on, and the O'Donnells are still living
0:09:01 > 0:09:03'with the consequences of the botched build.'
0:09:03 > 0:09:06We got Building Control in, and they...
0:09:06 > 0:09:09went through everything and said, "This is wrong, that's wrong,
0:09:09 > 0:09:12"you need a vent in here, you need an access hatch."
0:09:12 > 0:09:15He'd not put proper joists in all the way across.
0:09:15 > 0:09:20He'd put pieces in, joining it to the existing ceiling rafters.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24The floor in the little bedroom, he just would not go on.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26It was just, there was too much movement
0:09:26 > 0:09:28and he wasn't happy in going on it.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32And when we eventually stripped back from below,
0:09:32 > 0:09:36then it was apparent why, because it was just all... patched together.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39Tricia and Rob already had enough on their plates
0:09:39 > 0:09:42without a cowboy builder kyboshing their dream
0:09:42 > 0:09:45of turning their home into a more suitable place
0:09:45 > 0:09:47for their family's special needs.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51But there is light at the end of the O'Donnell's tunnel.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53The good guys are in town.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59- Hello there, you must be Rob. - I am, hi.- I'm Clive from Cowboy Trap.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03- How are you?- OK.- I hear you've had problems with a cowboy builders.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05- Just a bit!- Do you mind if I come in and have a look around?
0:10:05 > 0:10:07- No, come in, come in.- Thank you, sir.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09'Trish is not feeling so well today,
0:10:09 > 0:10:12'and I suspect I'll be in the same position,
0:10:12 > 0:10:16'by the time I've finished inspecting the scene of this cowboy crime.
0:10:16 > 0:10:17'Check out the kitchen!
0:10:19 > 0:10:23'Bodges here, bodges there, bodges everywhere!'
0:10:25 > 0:10:27This is the thing that hits me straight away.
0:10:27 > 0:10:28The plastering work looks poor.
0:10:28 > 0:10:33Under here are aluminium or galv skim beads.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36They are already falling apart and there has got to be a reason for that.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38Let's see what that reason may be.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44OK. Now watch. This door has not been hung correctly.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47So you will hear that knocking noise.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50What is happening here is every time someone is shutting that door,
0:10:50 > 0:10:51they are giving it large.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54And it shouldn't be coming apart like that anyway,
0:10:54 > 0:10:58simply because it hasn't been fixed right, but that won't help.
0:10:58 > 0:11:03Yep, I like my doors like I like my pheasant, well hung.
0:11:03 > 0:11:08And I like my plastering like I like my stout, smooth.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10And this ain't.
0:11:10 > 0:11:17That is awful. It is so rough, it is untrue. Pretty bad. In fact...
0:11:18 > 0:11:23..I'm just looking at it. They have actually joined this worktop.
0:11:23 > 0:11:24I mean...
0:11:24 > 0:11:27You see where the joint is there? It is already starting to lift.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30That should have a biscuit joint to joint the two pieces together.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33Ideally, it should be one long piece.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36But where you have got to join it, you'd use what they call biscuit joints.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39That hasn't been done. I can feel under there.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41Yeah, we've got brackets there,
0:11:41 > 0:11:44metal brackets holding that together. It is not brilliant.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47It looks like it's sloping away, just like this flooring.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49Check this flooring out.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52The tiles are up-and-down like a fiddler's elbow.
0:11:52 > 0:11:53They're all over the place.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56You've got little valleys going on, little gullies now.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58If you've got water... You're in a kitchen,
0:11:58 > 0:12:01it's going to splash in there. That's going to pool.
0:12:01 > 0:12:05And these cabinets have been fitted abysmally.
0:12:05 > 0:12:10The carcasses, the doors, the pelmet, you've got great big gaps
0:12:10 > 0:12:12where the mitre join should fit nice and snug.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15You've got gaps through it, which will mean
0:12:15 > 0:12:18light comes through and it just doesn't look right at all.
0:12:18 > 0:12:23Tiling looks a mess. And look, check this out. This is the duct in here.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30Where was it going? Now, how about that from the cooker hood.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34That was going absolutely nowhere.
0:12:34 > 0:12:39I reckon, if they had ever got round to it, and that is a big if,
0:12:39 > 0:12:42they would have ducted the steam into the floor void above.
0:12:42 > 0:12:43Bad idea.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45Straight away, you'll have problems there
0:12:45 > 0:12:47because you're going to get massive moisture build up.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51That can affect the timbers, it can affect any of the electrics.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53There are loads of problems with doing that.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56That has got to be vented. That in fact is the outside wall.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59So that could have gone straight through the wall really easy.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03Core drill, bosh, straight through, vented on the outside, perfect.
0:13:03 > 0:13:09But what is not perfect is the electrics. Look at this.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12Sockets not on the wall properly. How about that?
0:13:12 > 0:13:17They haven't put the long socket pins on so they can sit in correctly.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20Again, they all over the place them little mosaics.
0:13:20 > 0:13:25I don't think any section of the work carried out in this kitchen...
0:13:25 > 0:13:27Doesn't look right.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31Time to check out the loft conversion upstairs.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33Ooh, I'm dreading this.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38Straight away, looking at these stairs, it is a definite no-no.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41Too narrow, too steep, you only get a 42 degree climb on that
0:13:41 > 0:13:43and that is way higher than that.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45In the case of a fire, in an emergency, if you are trying to
0:13:45 > 0:13:49get out of there in a panic, you are going to be tripping and falling.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53The stairs, for me, are definitely wrong.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56Cripes! Talk about a narrow staircase.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59I know I am not Twiggy but is this guy having a giraffe?
0:14:00 > 0:14:03Straight away, as you come again round this kite section
0:14:03 > 0:14:07of the stairs, you have got to have at least two metre headroom.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09No way have you got that here.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11You stand up, when you get in on top,
0:14:11 > 0:14:13you are going to bang your head.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15The other thing you will notice, is for insulation,
0:14:15 > 0:14:18they've used polystyrene battens. That is a definite N-O.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20And then inside here,
0:14:20 > 0:14:23we've actually got the joists hanging from the purlins.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25Now, the problem with that is,
0:14:25 > 0:14:28if you're taking extra weight up here, or you're actually
0:14:28 > 0:14:31going to use it as a bedroom, you have got no chance.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34They are not designed for that. It is just ridiculous.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38This builder had no clue about building regulations
0:14:38 > 0:14:39and that is a fact.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44This is a building regs bungle-fest.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47It is not just the loft and staircase,
0:14:47 > 0:14:49the downstairs toilet has no ventilation.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53No wonder it has got damp areas on the walls.
0:14:53 > 0:14:58And the drainage outside isn't right either. Where's the manhole cover?
0:14:58 > 0:15:01It is time for me to talk through this almighty mess
0:15:01 > 0:15:04with the unlucky O'Donnells.
0:15:04 > 0:15:09How tough was that, to all of a sudden realise
0:15:09 > 0:15:13what this guy has done under your roof?
0:15:13 > 0:15:15It was just horrendous.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18Emotionally, it must have been crazy, absolutely...
0:15:18 > 0:15:22It wasn't just the fact that he'd done it to us,
0:15:22 > 0:15:25it was the fact that...
0:15:25 > 0:15:27he'd done it to Eva-Jane,
0:15:27 > 0:15:30and then ultimately to John. So...
0:15:31 > 0:15:34..now we've got no bedroom for her,
0:15:34 > 0:15:37we've got ceilings to repair,
0:15:37 > 0:15:39walls to repair...
0:15:42 > 0:15:44- A kitchen that is barely usable.- Yes.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47John won't go in because it's dirty,
0:15:47 > 0:15:50because it's plastered all over the place.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54So in his mind, it's not clean, so rather than...
0:15:54 > 0:16:00Rather than it be part of the solution, it's now become more of a problem.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04So now I don't know... if I'm ever going to get him in now.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08We want to address the problems you've had with the cowboy builder.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12What can we do for you that would make you feel a lot better?
0:16:12 > 0:16:14Top attic storage is...
0:16:14 > 0:16:17- still got an unsafe floor.- OK, so we need to sort the floor out.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20- Yes.- What else would you like us to do there?
0:16:20 > 0:16:23The access he put in there was a staircase,
0:16:23 > 0:16:28- but Building Control say we can't have it because it's not a habitable room.- Yes.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30- That has to come back out again.- OK.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33And a standard hatch and loft ladder put in.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35OK, what else? Down in the kitchen, get that sorted for you?
0:16:35 > 0:16:40The kitchen needs sorting - wall tiles, floor tiles, need redoing properly.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43Downstairs toilet, extract fan, get that sorted out.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45Lots for us to get on with.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49We're going to bring the good guys in to sort it for you. All right?
0:16:49 > 0:16:53Leave it with us and we'll see if we can de-stress you a little bit.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55OK.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59Before we start on our mission to de-stress the O'Donnells,
0:16:59 > 0:17:03I want to get a second opinion about the task in hand
0:17:03 > 0:17:06from independent surveyor Euan Elliott.
0:17:06 > 0:17:12First of all, let's start with outside before we talk about what's gone on so inside.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14Out here, there should be...
0:17:14 > 0:17:18There should be a manhole there for the drains from the downstairs toilet.
0:17:18 > 0:17:24- The window isn't in square. - That window is like...that.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27That's it. And also the lintel isn't in correctly,
0:17:27 > 0:17:31it isn't supporting the brickwork above and that's going to move.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33And you've got a few ton of masonry above that.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37Yes, and it's going to move, it could fail dramatically.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42And with kids around, that's the last thing you want.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45Let's see what Euan reckons when we go inside.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49The plasterwork is cracking. It's going to fail.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52The walls aren't level. They are all over the place.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55The floors are out of level, a trip hazard.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58It's all over the place. The water collects as well.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00The guy doesn't appear to know what he's doing.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03When you think about the poor workmanship that's gone on here
0:18:03 > 0:18:07and the fact that they are £20,000 light, the homeowners, taking
0:18:07 > 0:18:11into consideration the quality of work, give me a score out of 10.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15- Struggle to get over three. - So shall we leave it at three?
0:18:15 > 0:18:17Yes, I think so.
0:18:17 > 0:18:22And I think so too. I also think I know just the fellows
0:18:22 > 0:18:23to put this right.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27Our good guys, led by head honcho Stewart Cuddy.
0:18:27 > 0:18:31Talk us through the whole plan. What do you intend to do?
0:18:31 > 0:18:35- First of all, we need to take the rest of the tiles off.- Yes.
0:18:35 > 0:18:40We need to take the cornice off, it needs ducting through the extractor.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44And also there is a downstairs loo that needs ducting straight outside.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48So we need to box that in so we can do a full skin, new beads,
0:18:48 > 0:18:50resite the door, resite the windows,
0:18:50 > 0:18:54- get everything fenced and registered, get everything to the right spec.- Yeah.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56And get it to the way it should be.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58So that's the kitchen, downstairs toilet.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01What about up in that the loft?
0:19:01 > 0:19:05What's the plan there, cos them stairs are hideous.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08- I'm guessing them stairs have got to come out.- Yes,
0:19:08 > 0:19:13because they have disregarded all the building regulations up there.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16There is not one you can name. It's ridiculous.
0:19:16 > 0:19:21Yep, one word sums it up - ridiculous.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25I'm not sure we can turn this loft into the bedroom the O'Donnells want,
0:19:25 > 0:19:30but at least we can give them the extra storage space they so badly need.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34So much needs doing, the O'Donnells are chipping in.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37Stuart's squad's swings into action.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42They crack on with the kitchen.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44Steam into the staircase.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50And dive into the downstairs toilet. Well, not literally.
0:19:52 > 0:19:57Can they bring the O'Donnells' dream back to life? Only time will tell.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04I'm back in Salford where Trish and Rob O'Donnell were hoping
0:20:04 > 0:20:08that by bringing the builders in, they could make their home
0:20:08 > 0:20:10more suitable for their family's special needs.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14But what they didn't realise was the total amateur they'd employed
0:20:14 > 0:20:17massively under-quoted for the work and eventually
0:20:17 > 0:20:21washed his hands of it, leaving the family to live on a building site.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25Our good guys have now finished their work
0:20:25 > 0:20:28and I'm here to find out if they've done the biz.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30Before I talk it through with the O'Donnells,
0:20:30 > 0:20:33I can't resist taking a sneaky peak.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36OK, I'm keeping my eyes closed.
0:20:36 > 0:20:41I remember this was a right mess before. Here we go.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44Ah, it's fresher, it looks great.
0:20:44 > 0:20:49The floor before was awful - uneven, up-and-down, tiles not good,
0:20:49 > 0:20:52great tiled finish now.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55The whole thing looks so nice as well. Nice tiling.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58If you remember before, around the windows,
0:20:58 > 0:21:02we had that horrible plastic extrusion in sills that were awful.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05Now that's all been tiled and beaded up properly,
0:21:05 > 0:21:07it looks loads better.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09It looks like a proper kitchen should do.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12The cooker hood is different. I don't know what's gone on there.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14That is definitely not the same hood as before.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18That's definitely different, so somebody has supplied a new one of those.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21Nice new tiled splashback as well.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25Yes, it's a definite thumbs up from me. This looks so different.
0:21:25 > 0:21:30So different, and of course nice worktop, all in situ.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32Electrics have been sorted as well,
0:21:32 > 0:21:35there's a new boxed section at the back.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39That's because they fitted a fan in the downstairs toilet for building regulations.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41So that's all been sorted.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45It is a very nice job indeed and I'm sure Trish and Rob will love it.
0:21:47 > 0:21:52So, the kitchen is cushty. But what about upstairs in the loft zone?
0:21:52 > 0:21:56OK, so if you remember last time, we had the stairs here,
0:21:56 > 0:22:00a fixed set of stairs. But the problem was, it wasn't wide enough,
0:22:00 > 0:22:03didn't meet building regulations for safety.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06Now, we've got this set of folding ladders
0:22:06 > 0:22:08that actually go up into the loft space
0:22:08 > 0:22:12and you can see that the structure of the loft is totally different.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16Before, I remember it was just hanging from the purlins.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20That's where the support was for the floor, which is just now good.
0:22:20 > 0:22:25OK, it needs a lick of paint, that's for sure, but in real terms now,
0:22:25 > 0:22:31they've got safety, and above all else, they've got sign-off from building control.
0:22:31 > 0:22:36And without that, you know, you are sunk in the water without trace.
0:22:36 > 0:22:41This loft now meets building regulations for use as a storage space,
0:22:41 > 0:22:44and if Tricia and Rob want to turn it into a bedroom,
0:22:44 > 0:22:47they can make a new planning application.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50Now, before I do the grand tour with the O'Donnells,
0:22:50 > 0:22:53I want a conflab about their cowboy builder.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56I wanted to find out his side of the story
0:22:56 > 0:23:00and I can't wait to hear their responses to his version of events.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04His first point is a bit of a departure from the norm.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07He admits that his work was substandard
0:23:07 > 0:23:11- and that it should never have been done like that.- Yes.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15I've only ever come across this twice before in the whole time
0:23:15 > 0:23:19I've been doing Cowboy Trap. What is your response to that?
0:23:19 > 0:23:24Well, he admitted it very much when we said we were going
0:23:24 > 0:23:25to take him to court.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28He also says that he took the job on in the first place
0:23:28 > 0:23:31because he was desperate for work.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34And he said you wanted the job done on the cheap
0:23:34 > 0:23:37and he tried hard to do it on the budget that was available.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41He give us a quote, we accepted the quote.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43We paid him what he asked for.
0:23:43 > 0:23:49If he priced himself too cheaply, then we didn't push him into that.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51He talks a good game.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54But it's just not how it went.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58OK, he also says that since the court case,
0:23:58 > 0:24:01he's tied to pay you back in instalments
0:24:01 > 0:24:04and a lump sum that he'd already saved up.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08But you are refusing to accept this money.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12The instalments he offered were minimal.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16They started at 20 quid a month, but managed to work up to £200 a month.
0:24:16 > 0:24:21But his justification for that figure was flawed.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25There was no way his figures added up that showed he could afford it.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31Well, whatever the whys and wherefores, one thing is for sure.
0:24:31 > 0:24:36Our good guys have been, they've seen and they've conquered.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39The O'Donnells have been living with the build as it's been going on,
0:24:39 > 0:24:44and I'm now about to show them their transformed kitchen in all its glory.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47Now then. You're in.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50It's so difficult, isn't it?
0:24:50 > 0:24:52But of course, from before,
0:24:52 > 0:24:55there's such a massive change now in the kitchen.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58And it's something that can be worked on and enjoyed.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02Because the kitchen really is the hub of the home, isn't it?
0:25:02 > 0:25:06- Absolutely. It really is. - It's where everything happens.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09Do you remember we had that horrible plastic extrusion
0:25:09 > 0:25:13- all over the place here?- Yes.- It was a mess, wasn't it?- It really was.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15And now of course, all nicely tiled.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18The guys have also put in a new cooker hood as well,
0:25:18 > 0:25:21which looks spot on, lovely in his kitchen.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23And with the tiled splash back.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27The whole thing now just looks like it's a proper kitchen to enjoy.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31- This is what we wanted back, what, four years?- Four years?!
0:25:31 > 0:25:34- This was what it was. - As long ago as that.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36And when you think about the kitchen now,
0:25:36 > 0:25:40- it's something you can walk into and be proud of.- Yes.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43That's the most important thing. What difference will it make to you?
0:25:43 > 0:25:48I think it will make a huge difference because now it's done,
0:25:48 > 0:25:53you know, it's clean and it makes it look so much bigger.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55- Yes.- You know, with it being done properly.
0:25:55 > 0:25:59- The floor is straight for one thing. - Exactly, the floor looks great.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02There's no more tripping over and falling down.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05Which is important, you've got a fantastic tiled floor now
0:26:05 > 0:26:09and with the galley kitchen, trying to make it look that sort of...
0:26:09 > 0:26:12it's almost smoke and mirrors to make it look wider.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15It just needed finishing, as you rightly say,
0:26:15 > 0:26:17and finished it has been.
0:26:17 > 0:26:22And the downstairs loo now has an extractor, nicely boxed, like it!
0:26:22 > 0:26:26The cooker electrics and ventilation have been sorted.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29And the loft is now legal, hallelujah!
0:26:29 > 0:26:31There's still some titivating to be done,
0:26:31 > 0:26:34but after four years of living in a building bodge,
0:26:34 > 0:26:37the O'Donnells have a happy ending at last.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40The most important thing are these little babies,
0:26:40 > 0:26:43these documents tell us everything.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47It's so important that in the future, if you wanted to sell,
0:26:47 > 0:26:50you wouldn't have been able to without these important documents.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54You've got your regularisation certificate from your local council, the building regs.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57So you've met all their needs, Building Control.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00And here are your electrical test certificates.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03These are the installation work certificates that you've got
0:27:03 > 0:27:07for the work that's been carried out here. Again, crucial.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11And your electrician is NICEIC approved.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13- So they are important to keep nice and safe.- Yes.
0:27:13 > 0:27:18- Has it lifted a weight off your shoulders?- It's certainly now...
0:27:18 > 0:27:22- we know it's done properly. Yep.- It's been good.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25OK, it's been lovely to see you. All right?
0:27:25 > 0:27:28I hope the future is nice and bright for you,
0:27:28 > 0:27:30especially with this lovely kitchen now.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32There's a lick of paint needed here and there,
0:27:32 > 0:27:37- but I'm sure you'll get around to that sooner or later. - I can cope with a paintbrush.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39Yes, you see, handyman already.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41All right. No?
0:27:41 > 0:27:44OK. You're going to have to get the decorators in then.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47Listen, lovely to see you. Look after yourselves.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49I'm going to leave you and look around your kitchen.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53- I'll see you again soon. - Thank you very much.- Thank you, guys.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56Oh, I love it when a plan comes together.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59L-L-L-Love it!
0:27:59 > 0:28:03Now that's what I'm talking about. That kitchen looks fantastic!
0:28:03 > 0:28:06And now Trish and Rob have got a loft space
0:28:06 > 0:28:09they can use without any danger to life and limb.
0:28:09 > 0:28:11And of course, after all these years,
0:28:11 > 0:28:13they've now got Building Control sign-off too.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16For me, that's a massive result
0:28:16 > 0:28:18and it's been great to meet Trish, Rob and the family.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20But I've got to get back on the trail.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23And I've got a message for all you cowboy builders out there.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26I ain't gonna stop until every last one of you
0:28:26 > 0:28:27is driven out of town.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd