0:08:00 > 0:08:03Over the years, I've seen some real cowboy bodge jobs.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07The stuff of nightmares that would keep anybody awake at night.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11We felt stupid. We felt like we were worthless.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14Today, I'm revisiting homeowners who fell into the cowboy trap
0:08:14 > 0:08:18by bungling builders who left them well and truly in the lurch.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21It's just a stress every single day.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24I don't know how they can treat families like that.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29I can't wait to see how their homes and their lives have moved on
0:08:29 > 0:08:31since we got them back on track.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34That is a great job. In fact that is tile-icious!
0:08:34 > 0:08:36I tell you what, it's a great job!
0:08:36 > 0:08:37It looks really good, doesn't it?
0:08:37 > 0:08:41That fact is we've come through it a lot stronger, for the experience.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44We've come through it and we're doing well.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46And along the way, I'll be giving you some top hints and tips
0:08:46 > 0:08:50in the hope it will prevent you from falling into the cowboy trap.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03Today's Cowboy Trap is a stark reminder,
0:09:03 > 0:09:06that botched building work won't just hit your pocket,
0:09:06 > 0:09:08it can also seriously jeopardise
0:09:08 > 0:09:13the two most important things in life - your health and happiness.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16Both our couples failed to pick up on the telltale signs
0:09:16 > 0:09:19that they were doing business with cowboy builders,
0:09:19 > 0:09:22and both had to endure the heartbreaking impact
0:09:22 > 0:09:25this would have on their mental and physical well-being.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28Nobody believed me. I couldn't get the inspector to believe me,
0:09:28 > 0:09:30I couldn't get my own wife to believe me,
0:09:30 > 0:09:33I couldn't get the builders to respond.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35I just felt like in a whirlpool.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37Obviously, they can't say that it's related,
0:09:37 > 0:09:39but Sophie's been born with serious heart problems.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42We really do need to watch for germs.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49Later, I'll be catching up with Tony
0:09:49 > 0:09:52and Margaret Grimshaw from North Wales whose building hell
0:09:52 > 0:09:57had devastating consequences that brought them to the brink of divorce.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00Well, we've been married for 28 years,
0:10:00 > 0:10:03and this is the first time we ever came near to splitting up.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06- It caused enormous strain on us. Sorry.- Sorry.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09HE SOBS It caused enormous strain on us.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13- C'mon.- Sorry.- Mate. Tony.- It's true.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19But first, I'm returning to the scene of a crime against building,
0:10:19 > 0:10:22where shameful work to the drains,
0:10:22 > 0:10:25left not just the foul stench of cowboy, but of sewage too.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29I'm back in Wishaw, Lanarkshire,
0:10:29 > 0:10:32to catch up with a lovely couple called the Higgins.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37Lorry driver Kevin and wife Claire, who works for a building society,
0:10:37 > 0:10:42had been living in their four-bedroomed detached house for five years.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45But with a new baby on the way, they decided to extend their home.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49We knew we could get two extra bedrooms,
0:10:49 > 0:10:53and we thought it would be really good for Lucy to have a toy room.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56And we had a tiny little kitchen before that,
0:10:56 > 0:10:58so we wanted a big family kitchen.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01Also, in these houses, there's only a downstairs bathroom,
0:11:01 > 0:11:05so we thought it would be handy to have a toilet upstairs, as well.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08They set their hearts on building a kitchen and bathroom extension,
0:11:08 > 0:11:11which would almost double the size of their home.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13With a job that colossal, you'd think the Higgins
0:11:13 > 0:11:17would have gone to enormous lengths to check the credentials of their builder,
0:11:17 > 0:11:19but no.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21Me and Kevin were young. We were excited.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25All we wanted was to improve our house.
0:11:25 > 0:11:30So, although they did get several quotes, they made a classic error
0:11:30 > 0:11:32and went straight for the cheapest builder,
0:11:32 > 0:11:35who also just happened to be able to start straightaway.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37But take a tip from me -
0:11:37 > 0:11:41beware of any unusually low quote.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43It's a sure sign that corners will be cut,
0:11:43 > 0:11:45or the builder doesn't know what he's doing.
0:12:01 > 0:12:05Which I'm afraid to say, Kevin and Claire failed to do.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08The builder quoted £16,000 for the job,
0:12:08 > 0:12:10which he said would take six weeks.
0:12:10 > 0:12:15But when work started in July 2006, there were problems from day one.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18Unfortunately, the first thing they'd done
0:12:18 > 0:12:22was dig straight into a waterpipe, and burst it.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26But at the time, you kind of take that as just a bit of bad luck.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29The bad luck went on and on,
0:12:29 > 0:12:31especially when it came to the plumbing.
0:12:31 > 0:12:36And the plumber himself was... How shall I put it? A bit odd.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39The first day I'd seen him, I wasn't too impressed.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43He was travelling from Dundee, which is quite far from here.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47He, for some reason, was banned from driving,
0:12:47 > 0:12:49so he didn't have his own van.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52You'd expect lots of tools, equipment.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55But things went from bad to worse,
0:12:55 > 0:12:57when the builders simply stopped turning up.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00A nightmare for a busy mum with another baby on the way.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04You have so much to do - you have work, and the kids,
0:13:04 > 0:13:06and you're pregnant...
0:13:06 > 0:13:09But the first thing you think of in the morning
0:13:09 > 0:13:14is getting ahold of him, demanding is he coming today?
0:13:14 > 0:13:19And often he wasn't. That promised six weeks, became two years.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23Incredibly, despite all the delays, and even though they could
0:13:23 > 0:13:27see things going wrong, Claire and Kevin stuck with their man.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30You panic, because you think to tell him to go away now
0:13:30 > 0:13:32and to try and get another builder in...
0:13:32 > 0:13:34You know, you just persevere and persevere.
0:13:34 > 0:13:41And when the cowboy finished the job, the cost had risen to £22,000.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43But this luxury kitchen and bathroom extension
0:13:43 > 0:13:46was more like a house of horrors.
0:13:46 > 0:13:50Leaky plumbing, window frames unsealed,
0:13:50 > 0:13:53poor finishing everywhere.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57Even the steps to the new front door were too steep and narrow.
0:13:57 > 0:14:02This cowboy's work stunk - I mean that literally!
0:14:02 > 0:14:03Cowboy builders know no shame.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07I have come across enough of them to know that for sure.
0:14:07 > 0:14:08They'll take your money,
0:14:08 > 0:14:12let you down and leave your house in a right old state.
0:14:12 > 0:14:17Worse still, some of the mess they leave behind can be a danger to life and limb.
0:14:17 > 0:14:23The downstairs kitchen all connected to the previous kitchen waste,
0:14:23 > 0:14:26which was in the kids' toy room
0:14:26 > 0:14:28and he's not sealed it,
0:14:28 > 0:14:31so each time anything's used in this side of the extension,
0:14:31 > 0:14:33there's just a horrific smell,
0:14:33 > 0:14:38and it basically fills the downstairs level of the house.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40An intolerable situation,
0:14:40 > 0:14:44which the Higgins had been living with for an extraordinary two years!
0:14:46 > 0:14:50We've paid a lot of money for a big life-changing thing
0:14:50 > 0:14:53and really to be left with a big problem like that...
0:14:53 > 0:14:56I don't know how you can treat families like that.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00It was clear that the Higgins desperately needed our help,
0:15:00 > 0:15:06and when I first visited their house back in 2008, I was horrified!
0:15:06 > 0:15:08My first port of call was the kids' playroom.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10Hello, Elmo!
0:15:10 > 0:15:12Hello, er...Pooh.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14This was the Higgins' kitchen.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17It's now been converted into the children's playroom.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20But look at this. We've got floorboards up, exposed pipework
0:15:20 > 0:15:22and this is where a lot of the problems occurred,
0:15:22 > 0:15:26because the pipe there is too small to cope with all the waterflow
0:15:26 > 0:15:29it's having to take from the sink, the shower, the washing machine, the dishwasher,
0:15:29 > 0:15:33AND it's going into an open and exposed sewerage.
0:15:33 > 0:15:34It hasn't been capped off
0:15:34 > 0:15:37and if you were in here now, you'd feel physically ill, I promise you.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39The stink is awful!
0:15:41 > 0:15:44Of course, this open drain, not only smelled,
0:15:44 > 0:15:46it was a serious health risk too.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49So take a tip from me.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09If in doubt, ask your local council.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13Back in Claire's kitchen, the air was fresher,
0:16:13 > 0:16:15but the problems kept on coming.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18I just know that these tiles were really expensive
0:16:18 > 0:16:21and I am gutted that they just look terrible.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24Do you know what the actual floor-base was?
0:16:24 > 0:16:28- I think they put plywood underneath it.- It's incredible,
0:16:28 > 0:16:33because plywood is always going to move, you'll always get movement. So when you're walking across it,
0:16:33 > 0:16:36even with the grout between the tiles, there'll be movement.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39That'll start to break and eventually they'll just lift.
0:16:39 > 0:16:40Yep, that's what's happened.
0:16:40 > 0:16:41The preparation was poor.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45- I mean, even to the finish there on the island.- I hate it.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49- Look at that finish. That's not pride in work.- No.
0:16:49 > 0:16:50No two ways about that.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54The builder themselves would not have a job like that in their own property.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56That's what I think.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58There were jobs to do all over this house.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01But that open drain was not only a health hazard,
0:17:01 > 0:17:05it had serious implications for the family's well-being.
0:17:05 > 0:17:10At the time it was getting done, I was pregnant with my little girl
0:17:10 > 0:17:12and obviously standing at that sink all the time,
0:17:12 > 0:17:15doing the dishes and the germs and everything...
0:17:15 > 0:17:19Obviously we can't say that it's related but Sophie's been born
0:17:19 > 0:17:23with serious heart problems and I've been advised by doctors that
0:17:23 > 0:17:27there's no way germs have helped that, basically.
0:17:27 > 0:17:32So that kind of upsets me, and the fact that, you know,
0:17:32 > 0:17:36she's not well now, and we really DO need to watch for germs.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45You know most of the home-owners I meet are at rock-bottom,
0:17:45 > 0:17:49and that's because they're well and truly snared in the cowboy trap.
0:17:49 > 0:17:50But with a little bit of...
0:17:50 > 0:17:53Well, make that a LOT of help from our good-guy builders,
0:17:53 > 0:17:58we hope to get their build on track and put smiles back on their faces,
0:17:58 > 0:18:00which is what we did to the Higgins family.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05First, we lifted those wonky floor tiles in the kitchen,
0:18:05 > 0:18:08and replaced the flimsy plywood underneath.
0:18:08 > 0:18:13Next, we replumbed the leaky loo and sealed that open drain shut.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17We turned those stupid steps into a stairway from heaven,
0:18:17 > 0:18:21and finally, we repaired the poorly finished exterior work with
0:18:21 > 0:18:23smart new boards and facades.
0:18:23 > 0:18:28By the time we were done, we had left the property safe and secure
0:18:28 > 0:18:31for the people most at risk - the kids.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34With things back on track, it was now over to Kevin and Claire
0:18:34 > 0:18:36in the hope they'd finally do justice
0:18:36 > 0:18:38to their dream of a perfect home sweet home.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44Well, here we are back at the Higgins' household.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48Let's find out how things have changed for them since we last saw them.
0:18:50 > 0:18:51Now, I remember these steps.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53We were out here about ten o'clock at night,
0:18:53 > 0:18:56it was absolutely tipping down with rain.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58We had to build this tarpaulin to protect us,
0:18:58 > 0:19:01but at least it's still here and doing the job.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03Hello, you lovely people.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06It's good to see you again. How are you, Kevin? Claire?
0:19:07 > 0:19:11First on the tour itinerary was the kids' playroom.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13Before, this was a health hazard.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15Now it's the room it always should have been.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18Safe, secure and the perfect space
0:19:18 > 0:19:21for Sophie and Lucy to kick back and have fun.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25So what's changed? I can see that the floor's changed, et cetera.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27But what else have you done in here?
0:19:27 > 0:19:30Basically, the kids weren't able to use it before,
0:19:30 > 0:19:32so now their friends are over all the time.
0:19:32 > 0:19:37- It's been completely redecorated - new floor, new furniture.- Yeah.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40- All the toys back in.- It's great.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43Great to think it's still the play area.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45These guys have grown, since the last time -
0:19:45 > 0:19:50that's fairly obvious - into beautiful young ladies!
0:19:50 > 0:19:54This must be the envy of their friends. It's got a telly and everything.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00And it's a transformation that runs right through their home.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05When you guys left, we could concentrate on doing everything else
0:20:05 > 0:20:07rather than worrying about all the building work.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11- So we redecorated, made a feature wall.- Liking that!
0:20:11 > 0:20:14It's really good. Did it give you that inspiration, do you think?
0:20:14 > 0:20:15Once you got out of that hole?
0:20:15 > 0:20:19Yeah, cos there was no point in doing the living room and stuff.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22We knew we'd have to save up to cover everything that they had left.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25So we weren't really doing much
0:20:25 > 0:20:27but since you went away, we've done a lot.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29They certainly have.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32When we left, Claire and Kevin had everything to do
0:20:32 > 0:20:35to achieve the plans they'd always had for this house.
0:20:35 > 0:20:40Now it's genuinely thrilling to see how things always should have been.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43And they've even had time to sort out the garden.
0:20:43 > 0:20:47Now, without a doubt things have changed here.
0:20:47 > 0:20:48What's different, Kevin?
0:20:48 > 0:20:52- Well, we got the sleepers put in. Done that the other day.- Who did?
0:20:52 > 0:20:55- I done that myself. - With your own fair hand?- Yeah.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58I tell you what - great job! It looks really good, doesn't it?
0:20:58 > 0:21:01And, of course, the play area now,
0:21:01 > 0:21:03the walled play area, who did you get to do the wall?
0:21:03 > 0:21:06- My dad's a bricklayer so my dad done the wall for me.- OK.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08Fantastic little job.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11And it keeps them nice and contained to play in that area.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16It's wonderful to see the Higgins family so healthy and happy.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20But before I go I want to make sure they've really managed
0:21:20 > 0:21:22to put their nightmares behind them.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25- Do you feel you've moved on now? - Yep. Yep.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28It's just it seemed like years at the time.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31Now it seems like a while since you came and fixed it and went.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33We've just enjoyed it ever since.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35So, even though it was bad at the time,
0:21:35 > 0:21:40we'd still say it's worth it to have the extension and things.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42How sweet was that?
0:21:42 > 0:21:44Certainly, since we got their build back on track,
0:21:44 > 0:21:47they've moved forward and they're a very happy family indeed.
0:21:47 > 0:21:48That's clear to see.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51And it certainly makes my job so worthwhile.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55Claire and Kevin learned the hard way
0:21:55 > 0:21:58how it's not just your house that's at stake
0:21:58 > 0:22:01when you let a cowboy builder into your life.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04It's a lesson that could have prevented our next couple
0:22:04 > 0:22:07from being taken to the brink of divorce.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12I've returned to the valleys of North Wales,
0:22:12 > 0:22:18an area so beautiful that tourism is now the main industry.
0:22:18 > 0:22:19But I'm not here for a holiday,
0:22:19 > 0:22:23although I certainly needed one after I first discovered what
0:22:23 > 0:22:26a cowboy builder had done to Tony and Margaret Grimshaw.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32The couple have been together for 35 years and, when Tony retired,
0:22:32 > 0:22:36they set about fulfilling their long-cherished dream.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40Margaret and Tony are one of life's creative couples,
0:22:40 > 0:22:43who dreamed of converting the space over their garage
0:22:43 > 0:22:45into a haven for their art,
0:22:45 > 0:22:48where Tony could paint uninterrupted
0:22:48 > 0:22:51and Margaret could soon join him when she retired.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54The original dream was, we were going to have somewhere
0:22:54 > 0:22:57to do our artwork, which is a retirement hobby for both of us.
0:22:57 > 0:23:02Tony's already retired, and he's getting on very well with it.
0:23:02 > 0:23:03And when I retire in a couple of years' time,
0:23:03 > 0:23:05I want to be able to join him,
0:23:05 > 0:23:08so we can have a joint venture together as a retirement hobby,
0:23:08 > 0:23:09something we can do together.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12Margaret and Tony realised this was a big job,
0:23:12 > 0:23:15but they were ready to throw their life savings at it.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18With planning permission granted by the council,
0:23:18 > 0:23:20they set about finding a builder.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24As you can see, Margaret and Tony live in a very rural area,
0:23:24 > 0:23:27and they struggled to find a builder.
0:23:27 > 0:23:28But they decided to take up
0:23:28 > 0:23:31a recommendation from one of Margaret's work colleagues
0:23:31 > 0:23:36and they were really impressed by their professionalism and their appearance.
0:23:36 > 0:23:41But they didn't get any references and that is a classic mistake.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45We were searching around, and Margaret said,
0:23:45 > 0:23:50"My best friend at work has two builders which do a very good job,"
0:23:50 > 0:23:54and that's how we basically found them, through my wife's best friend.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56Seemed absolutely great guys.
0:23:56 > 0:24:01And they promised us a contract, which we insisted on.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03Everything seemed above board,
0:24:03 > 0:24:08from what recommendations my wife got from her best friend,
0:24:08 > 0:24:10it was, you know, all go, go, go.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14The builder quoted £38,500 for carrying out the first fix.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18That means laying the foundations, the blockwork,
0:24:18 > 0:24:22installing the roof, skylights and the floor.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26Work got under way in October 2007 and the Grimshaws were promised
0:24:26 > 0:24:30it would be completed by Christmas. But things went rapidly downhill.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33The biggest problem started with the construction of the roof.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35None of the builders were here
0:24:35 > 0:24:37when the people came to measure for the roof,
0:24:37 > 0:24:41so we don't know what the instructions were.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43They asked us what we wanted to do with the roof.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45We didn't know - we're not builders.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48And because the two builders weren't here to give instructions
0:24:48 > 0:24:51about the roof, when the roof was finally delivered,
0:24:51 > 0:24:54they realised it was much bigger than they intended.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58And, from then on, I think that's when the relationship deteriorated.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01Oh, dear, oh, dear. Not a good start.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05And as the months went by, things went from bad to worse -
0:25:05 > 0:25:09both the work and the relationship between builder and client.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12Well, every day they came,
0:25:12 > 0:25:14every day there was some sort of argument about it
0:25:14 > 0:25:16and at one point, I asked Tony to leave,
0:25:16 > 0:25:19and I would deal with these people.
0:25:19 > 0:25:23The intolerable situation took its toll on the couple's health
0:25:23 > 0:25:27and already-frail Tony ended up on medication for high blood pressure.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30Having the builders in can be stressful at the best of times,
0:25:30 > 0:25:32but take a tip from me.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37If you have disagreements with your builder, try to stay calm.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39If you lose your temper,
0:25:39 > 0:25:43they can use it as an excuse not to deliver what they've promised.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45Write down a list of the problems.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49Go through it one by one and agree on action points to resolve them.
0:25:51 > 0:25:56But the Grimshaws were still unhappy when work was supposedly finished.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59They said to me, "There's nothing wrong with this building."
0:25:59 > 0:26:01They stand by their work,
0:26:01 > 0:26:04and what they had charged us for this for this house is nothing
0:26:04 > 0:26:07to what they've built us for this property.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10Despite being left with a complete mess on their hands,
0:26:10 > 0:26:15the couple had shelled out the entire fee of almost £40,000.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19And when I first met them back in 2010, I was shocked by what I found.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22- Nice to meet you.- And you.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24What were the main construction problems
0:26:24 > 0:26:27that you found in this property?
0:26:27 > 0:26:30Some of the problems, for example, the state of the rendering
0:26:30 > 0:26:32on the outside of the walls, I realised how bad that was.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34You can see the blockwork through it.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37And then, there were various things. The windows leaked.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39They didn't leak when they were here,
0:26:39 > 0:26:40but they looked a bit strange and crooked
0:26:40 > 0:26:42and I thought, "That can't be right either."
0:26:42 > 0:26:44And then we had somebody out from Velux
0:26:44 > 0:26:46to confirm the windows were OK, which they did,
0:26:46 > 0:26:47and I've realised since
0:26:47 > 0:26:51it's the way the windows were fitted that was the problem,
0:26:51 > 0:26:52not the windows themselves.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56There was a list as long as your arm of bodges to this property.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59So if ever there was a case to get an independent building expert
0:26:59 > 0:27:02to cast his eye over the work, this was it.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05If we look at the blockwork, straightaway,
0:27:05 > 0:27:08the quality of it is pretty ropey.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12If we have a look at the roof system, the carcass timbers,
0:27:12 > 0:27:16they haven't been put in plumb, they're out of verticality.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20Obviously, whoever's been on the saw has cut the timbers short.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23What about the actual roof windows as well?
0:27:23 > 0:27:25They are leaking.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27There's draughts coming in, so they're not well installed.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29What about the floor? You come up here.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31I mean, I'm only seven stone, wet through, as you know...
0:27:31 > 0:27:33I'm a lightweight as well!
0:27:33 > 0:27:36But the thing's wobbling all over the place.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38It's like a fairground ride.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40Oh, it's a trampoline.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44According to the original drawings produced by the architect,
0:27:44 > 0:27:48this floor had a single span of beams from side to side.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52Again, the builders appear to have freelanced the design a little bit
0:27:52 > 0:27:55and have introduced a piece of steel, which
0:27:55 > 0:27:58we don't know if there's any calculations for.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00For stress, yes? Stress calculations, we don't know.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03And loadings. The floor joists themselves
0:28:03 > 0:28:05are half the original size
0:28:05 > 0:28:08put down by the architect on their drawings.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12With such a catalogue of disasters to put right,
0:28:12 > 0:28:16the couple were unable to move on to the next stage of the build.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20But the really horrifying thing I discovered on my visit
0:28:20 > 0:28:22wasn't the shoddy work itself,
0:28:22 > 0:28:24but the effect that it had on the Grimshaws.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26This was one of the most distressing moments
0:28:26 > 0:28:28in all my time on Cowboy Trap.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31We've been married for 28 years
0:28:31 > 0:28:35and this is the first time we ever came near to splitting up.
0:28:35 > 0:28:39It caused enormous strain on us. I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
0:28:39 > 0:28:41HE SOBS It caused enormous strain on us.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44- Sorry!- Tony...- It's true!
0:28:44 > 0:28:47It was true!
0:28:47 > 0:28:50I forgot all about that. I didn't realise we got THAT near.
0:28:50 > 0:28:52We were very near.
0:28:52 > 0:28:56It got that bad. And this is the whole stress of it.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59Tony, just take a drink and relax. Listen.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02That is the sort of damage it can do
0:29:02 > 0:29:06to two people who are amazingly close.
0:29:06 > 0:29:09The stress of all of this.
0:29:09 > 0:29:14So, always be on your guard, or it will wreck,
0:29:14 > 0:29:17not only your building, it will wreck your lives.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25High time, then, that we brought in the good guys.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28You know, if there's one thing I love more than sorting out
0:29:28 > 0:29:31a cowboy building job, it's helping a knockout couple
0:29:31 > 0:29:35like Tony and Margaret get through some tough times.
0:29:35 > 0:29:38But, boy, there was loads to do!
0:29:38 > 0:29:40Taking the job from first fix to final fit
0:29:40 > 0:29:43was a costly exercise for the couple,
0:29:43 > 0:29:45with so many bodges to rectify.
0:29:47 > 0:29:49To help get them back on their feet,
0:29:49 > 0:29:52we helped complete the job with a top team of decorators,
0:29:52 > 0:29:56to give their dream a wonderful, professional finish.
0:29:57 > 0:30:03- OK, guys, look up and take a look around.- Oh, my God!
0:30:03 > 0:30:05That's unbelievable!
0:30:05 > 0:30:07That is fantastic! Look at that!
0:30:07 > 0:30:12God! Look at the louvres! I'm telling you, that is stunning.
0:30:12 > 0:30:15I'm lost for words! Sorry, I'm lost for words!
0:30:15 > 0:30:18I mean, you can't believe how they've squared those windows off.
0:30:18 > 0:30:22- They open a doddle now, as well, Tony.- Oh, the windows are straight!
0:30:22 > 0:30:24Yeah, the windows are straight now!
0:30:24 > 0:30:29- That is just...- Look at the light. It looks fabulous!
0:30:29 > 0:30:32It was wonderful seeing Tony and Margaret happy again.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35And we left, knowing that we'd helped them
0:30:35 > 0:30:36put the past behind them.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39That bare shell of a building was now a dazzling canvas
0:30:39 > 0:30:41for the Grimshaws to make their own.
0:30:43 > 0:30:45I'm back in picturesque North Wales
0:30:45 > 0:30:48to find out how Margaret and Tony have been keeping,
0:30:48 > 0:30:51and how the progress on their art studio has been going, too.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54And I'll bet you it's as pretty as a picture.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06- Hello again there, Clive! - I've told you...
0:31:06 > 0:31:10# We'd meet again, didn't know where Didn't know when! #
0:31:10 > 0:31:14- How are you?- Please come in. Please come in, young man.- Good to see you.
0:31:14 > 0:31:16It's freezing out here, by the way!
0:31:17 > 0:31:21Straightaway, I've got a top feeling about this one.
0:31:21 > 0:31:23Tony's not so good on his pins these days,
0:31:23 > 0:31:26so it's Margaret who gives me the tour
0:31:26 > 0:31:28and, boy, have these two been busy!
0:31:28 > 0:31:31CLIVE HUMS FANFARE
0:31:31 > 0:31:34That, I have to say... Is this the tiling you've done?
0:31:34 > 0:31:38I've done this tiling, yes. Tony showed me what to do
0:31:38 > 0:31:41and he cut out various bits, but I laid these tiles.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44Well, you've got to be proud of that, Mrs, haven't you?
0:31:44 > 0:31:47That is a great job. In fact, that is tile-icious!
0:31:47 > 0:31:48MARGARET GIGGLES
0:31:48 > 0:31:52"Tile-icious"?! Ouch! I'm sorry about that one.
0:31:52 > 0:31:56No apologies, though, for showing this lovely moment from our last visit again.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59You surprise me, I surprise you.
0:31:59 > 0:32:01You're surprising me?
0:32:01 > 0:32:03CLIVE LAUGHS
0:32:03 > 0:32:07That, mate, is just magnificent!
0:32:07 > 0:32:08'I was really touched,
0:32:08 > 0:32:11'but now, Tony's taking it a step further by immortalising
0:32:11 > 0:32:14'the good guys, and giving them pride of place on the new wall.'
0:32:14 > 0:32:16Of course, we've got the picture, here,
0:32:16 > 0:32:20of the good guys that built this place and finished it off for us.
0:32:20 > 0:32:24The good builders. Rock solid people they are.
0:32:24 > 0:32:28You never forget what Cowboy Trap is all about. They brought us the good guys.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31Well, we did lend a helping hand,
0:32:31 > 0:32:34but I can't wait to congratulate the artist responsible for this,
0:32:34 > 0:32:39for everything he and Margaret have achieved together since.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42I tell you what, Tony, young man!
0:32:42 > 0:32:44That's a great job.
0:32:44 > 0:32:46And working as a team, the work that you've done,
0:32:46 > 0:32:49you've got to be proud of.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52I'm very proud. Very proud, cos she did it.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55It's amazing, what she, what you can learn.
0:32:55 > 0:32:59And we watch a lot of those, sort of, DIY programmes
0:32:59 > 0:33:03and that's where we get our skills from. It's...
0:33:03 > 0:33:08- And just sitting down and doing it together has been absolutely brilliant.- It's a joint project.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11Really, teamwork. Yes. That's what it's all about.
0:33:11 > 0:33:15And Tony and Margaret's teamwork has clearly worked its magic.
0:33:15 > 0:33:18There's evidence of it everywhere.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21- You've laid the flooring?- Yep.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23Just looks incredible. Absolutely incredible.
0:33:23 > 0:33:25And you've done that yourself?
0:33:25 > 0:33:28Yeah, we had this flooring put in, because it's really good for artwork
0:33:28 > 0:33:31because any splashes on there, it cleans up really well.
0:33:31 > 0:33:35And the artistic flourishes keep on coming.
0:33:35 > 0:33:38I'm loving the feature fireplace, as well, up here.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41It feels really warm too, in here, doesn't it?
0:33:41 > 0:33:45I also remembered that you wanted a Juliet balcony.
0:33:45 > 0:33:47- You've actually got it.- Yeah.
0:33:47 > 0:33:51I'm loving the fact that you've developed it so well.
0:33:51 > 0:33:52It really looks good now.
0:33:54 > 0:33:59When I first arrived back in 2010, this was no more than a shell.
0:33:59 > 0:34:03When we left, it only hinted at what it could become.
0:34:03 > 0:34:05Now, well, it's fabulous.
0:34:05 > 0:34:09The perfect space to seek inspiration and create.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12Do you sometimes have to pinch yourself, to think, "Wow!"
0:34:12 > 0:34:16I can't believe it's got to this stage. It's like another world.
0:34:16 > 0:34:18Another world indeed.
0:34:18 > 0:34:22Far, far away from the hell these two were trapped in
0:34:22 > 0:34:24when the cowboys unleashed their chaos.
0:34:24 > 0:34:27But before I go, I want to have a last chat
0:34:27 > 0:34:28with Tony and Margaret
0:34:28 > 0:34:31to see how things have moved on for them as a couple.
0:34:31 > 0:34:34See, what I try and say to people is this
0:34:34 > 0:34:39it's not about how they hit you so hard in the pocket,
0:34:39 > 0:34:43it's also about how they hit you emotionally too.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46And at times, in those dark days,
0:34:46 > 0:34:49it was stressful for you as a couple, wasn't it?
0:34:49 > 0:34:50It was stressful.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53And, for me, it was a personal journey. Nobody believed me.
0:34:53 > 0:34:57I couldn't get anybody... I couldn't get the inspector to believe me,
0:34:57 > 0:34:59I couldn't get my own wife to believe me,
0:34:59 > 0:35:02things were not happened and yet they were happening poorly outside.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05I couldn't get the builders to respond.
0:35:05 > 0:35:07And I just felt like in a whirlpool.
0:35:07 > 0:35:10I think it's made us stronger as a couple.
0:35:10 > 0:35:16It's... It is a very emotional time but, moving forward, it's just...
0:35:16 > 0:35:19I think we've learned to stay together, unity is strength,
0:35:19 > 0:35:21and that's exactly what's happened.
0:35:21 > 0:35:23We stay together, we stay strong
0:35:23 > 0:35:26and you do get people that... It just finishes them,
0:35:26 > 0:35:28this sort of thing. Something can do that.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31No, we stayed together, stayed strong,
0:35:31 > 0:35:33stayed positive and kept at it.
0:35:33 > 0:35:34And we're taking forward
0:35:34 > 0:35:37the fact that there is life after cowboy builders.
0:35:37 > 0:35:39Amen to that!
0:35:39 > 0:35:43Seeing Tony and Margaret finally fulfil their dreams
0:35:43 > 0:35:44is an inspiration.
0:35:44 > 0:35:46It's taken more than two years,
0:35:46 > 0:35:51but this lovely couple have finally escaped from the cowboy trap.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55It's been great to catch up with Margaret and Tony once again,
0:35:55 > 0:35:57and I'm delighted that they've used our help and advice
0:35:57 > 0:36:01as a springboard to turn their retirement dream
0:36:01 > 0:36:03into reality at last.
0:36:03 > 0:36:07And do you know something? It makes my job so worthwhile.
0:36:07 > 0:36:11And it just goes to show that there is a way out of the Cowboy Trap,
0:36:11 > 0:36:14and remember, prevention is better than cure.
0:36:14 > 0:36:16So please heed my advice and top tips,
0:36:16 > 0:36:19and that way, you won't become the next victim.
0:36:34 > 0:36:36Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd