0:00:09 > 0:00:12It doesn't matter who you are or where you're from,
0:00:12 > 0:00:15you could get caught out by a cowboy builder.
0:00:15 > 0:00:20Stress, anxiety, frustration, disappointment.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23It got so depressing to come home every night.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26You know, these bodgers cause misery with their dodgy excuses
0:00:26 > 0:00:28and their shoddy workmanship.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30We both felt like we'd failed our boys,
0:00:30 > 0:00:33cos we made a wrong decision.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35Now, then, I've rounded up the good guys to turn these
0:00:35 > 0:00:37homes from hell into divine dwellings.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41We just couldn't do this any more, it was just ripping us apart.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43Think you know what makes a cowboy builder?
0:00:43 > 0:00:45Well, you might not have a clue.
0:00:45 > 0:00:46So stick around for the next 30 minutes,
0:00:46 > 0:00:49because it could well keep you out of the Cowboy Trap.
0:00:59 > 0:01:03Today, Cowboy Trap is in Essex in the town of South Ockendon.
0:01:03 > 0:01:08Once a small rural village, South Ockendon became heavily urbanised in the 1940s
0:01:08 > 0:01:12when it was chosen as a site to re-home London's East Enders
0:01:12 > 0:01:14bombed out of their homes in the Blitz.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18Just a few miles from here is a spot that has great
0:01:18 > 0:01:20significance for UFO buffs.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23It was claimed that, back in 1974,
0:01:23 > 0:01:27an entire family were beamed aboard an alien spacecraft in what
0:01:27 > 0:01:31was known as one of Britain's first ever alien abductions.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34Now, if you think that story is a bit far-fetched,
0:01:34 > 0:01:37wait till you hear the story of Peter and Vicky Norcott,
0:01:37 > 0:01:40who had a close encounter with a cowboy builder.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45Yep, the owners of this three-bedroom house had an
0:01:45 > 0:01:49experience Steven Spielberg could easily make into a disaster movie.
0:01:50 > 0:01:55No wonder its unwitting stars - Peter and Vicky Norcott, their children,
0:01:55 > 0:02:01Teddy, Liam and Jack, and their family dog Max - look so miserable.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05Peter is a transport manager and Vicky worked for a leading
0:02:05 > 0:02:09clothing retailer until she gave it all up to become a full-time mum.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13We'd got engaged, which was lovely,
0:02:13 > 0:02:19and then a few weeks later I found out I was pregnant with Teddy.
0:02:19 > 0:02:24As soon as we had Teddy I knew it was absolutely wonderful.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27I turned round to Pete and said, "I want another one."
0:02:30 > 0:02:33Peter and Vicky have lived in this house for 12 years
0:02:33 > 0:02:35and have always loved it.
0:02:35 > 0:02:40But with a growing family, they realised it was simply too small.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43We've got three boys, they were all in one bedroom.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45They all get on well, but, boys being boys
0:02:45 > 0:02:48and siblings being siblings, they have their moments where they argue.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51So we decided that we would be better to have their own bedrooms,
0:02:51 > 0:02:54and seeing as we had the space, we thought we'd do an extension.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57For the whole family, these were really exciting times.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00After all, who gets to plan from scratch exactly what
0:03:00 > 0:03:02they need in their home?
0:03:02 > 0:03:05For the Norcotts, they wanted two new bedrooms for the boys,
0:03:05 > 0:03:09a utility room and an extra bathroom.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13To create the space for all this, in February 2011 the Norcotts
0:03:13 > 0:03:16decided to commission a double storey extension.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20Their ambitious plan included access from the living room
0:03:20 > 0:03:22to the garage, where the boys park their bikes,
0:03:22 > 0:03:26and a new front door to the carport for Peter.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30The access downstairs into the hallway is an idea that we
0:03:30 > 0:03:34had where we could obviously get into the new bathroom,
0:03:34 > 0:03:36the utility room but, more importantly,
0:03:36 > 0:03:40to get access to the front of the house so that when we came
0:03:40 > 0:03:43in with the car we was able to get into the carport, get the kids
0:03:43 > 0:03:47out, it's raining, and we obviously avoid getting wet and muddy.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51Peter and Vicky hired an architect who'd done some work for them
0:03:51 > 0:03:54in the past and got him to draw up the design.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56But planning permission proved tricky
0:03:56 > 0:04:00because the Norcotts' neighbours objected to the plans.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03The concerns the neighbours had over the extension was the
0:04:03 > 0:04:05fact that they was worried about the sunlight into their garden
0:04:05 > 0:04:07and also overlooking their gardens,
0:04:07 > 0:04:10so what we done was we brought the extension in a metre,
0:04:10 > 0:04:15both from the front and the back, and we put frosted glass in the back window.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19The Norcotts' compromises led to the council giving the green light
0:04:19 > 0:04:24to their plans. So, the Norcotts were ready to go.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27And, do you know what? They didn't even have to find their builder.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29Because he came to them.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31Due to their successful planning application
0:04:31 > 0:04:35they got loads of unsolicited mail through the letterbox.
0:04:35 > 0:04:36They decided to sift through it all
0:04:36 > 0:04:40and chose the builder that they thought was the best.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42Big mistake.
0:04:42 > 0:04:43Take my advice...
0:04:48 > 0:04:52Some councils even sell on lists of these applications they've received.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56Your address and proposed works will be there for everyone to see, so...
0:05:01 > 0:05:04Thing is, most good builders are busy and don't go touting for work.
0:05:04 > 0:05:05So...
0:05:09 > 0:05:11..especially if they turn up at your door.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18The builder who approached the Norcotts quoted them
0:05:18 > 0:05:20£38,000 for the double storey extension,
0:05:20 > 0:05:24including two bedrooms, a utility room and a shower room.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28Peter checked out the builder's references, which were positive,
0:05:28 > 0:05:31but the couple simply couldn't afford to spend that much money.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34The finances was coming from, obviously,
0:05:34 > 0:05:39a remortgage on the house, which we had equity in,
0:05:39 > 0:05:43and we didn't get the valuation that we thought
0:05:43 > 0:05:47we were going to get on the house, so we had to adjust our budget.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50By raiding their life savings,
0:05:50 > 0:05:54Peter and Vicky were able to raise 32 grand.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56It was a big financial stretch,
0:05:56 > 0:05:59but they were desperate to achieve their dream.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02The builder accepted this revised figure,
0:06:02 > 0:06:03much to the Norcotts' delight.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08The builder told them that the job would take about three months
0:06:08 > 0:06:12to complete, so they agreed on a payment schedule.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15But part of that agreement was that the builder asked
0:06:15 > 0:06:18if they'd transfer the money into his daughter's bank account.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21Now, then, that got me thinking. That means he's
0:06:21 > 0:06:25possibly not paying his VAT and he's not paying his income tax.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29On top of that, there would be no paper trail - no invoices,
0:06:29 > 0:06:32no receipts and, worst of all, no contract.
0:06:32 > 0:06:37To me, that's a massive tell-tale sign that they were dealing with a cowboy.
0:06:38 > 0:06:43When work started, Peter and Vicky immediately ran into problems with their neighbours.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45They'd always had reservations and now,
0:06:45 > 0:06:49thanks to the builders' slapdash approach, their fears had come true.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54I was clearing up the rear garden, I was clearing up their mess,
0:06:54 > 0:06:57the neighbours were coming in with bits of wood
0:06:57 > 0:07:01and brick that had fallen into their garden.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04The strained situation went from bad to worse
0:07:04 > 0:07:06when the builder put scaffolding up.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10He erected it much too close to the neighbours' property.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14In my letter to him, from day one I was very clear,
0:07:14 > 0:07:18he needed to build from the inside and he would not be allowed
0:07:18 > 0:07:21to put any kind of scaffolding anywhere around the neighbours' areas.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25Peter and Vicky's neighbours called out
0:07:25 > 0:07:29health and safety inspectors, who said the scaffolding was dangerous
0:07:29 > 0:07:31and showed the builders where they should have put it.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35Moving the scaffold held up work for days.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39So, the job got off to a bad start, but you ain't seen nothing yet.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43Within weeks, the builder had become more and more unreliable.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47There was weeks where the builders just didn't turn up.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50And you're in contact and the builder would say, "Yeah, we've got it sorted, trust me,
0:07:50 > 0:07:52"don't worry, we'll sort it out."
0:07:52 > 0:07:55So you're trustin' 'im to do this job, cos that's what you're
0:07:55 > 0:08:00paying him to do, but on the same hand he wasn't turnin' up.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03On the rare occasions he did turn up, this cowboy
0:08:03 > 0:08:08had a habit of demanding money for ever more outlandish reasons.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11One time it was because he'd crashed his van,
0:08:11 > 0:08:15another because his wife had run off and taken all his cash.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18Like the fools that we were, we felt sorry for him
0:08:18 > 0:08:23and we felt that, you know, we're in here, we're so far down the road
0:08:23 > 0:08:27with the build, to turn it off now would probably be quite difficult.
0:08:27 > 0:08:32So we said that we tell him on the basis that he would help us.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34I think the most frustrating thing is that we actually
0:08:34 > 0:08:38believe now that these were all lies.
0:08:38 > 0:08:45What's that famous saying? "Lies, damned lies and cowboy blooming builders!"
0:08:45 > 0:08:48OK, I made that one up, but you get the idea.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52And it wasn't just the porkie pies that dismayed the Norcotts, it was the sheer incompetence
0:08:52 > 0:08:57of the little work the builder had actually done.
0:08:57 > 0:09:02I had to protect the rear garage roof where he'd never made any protection.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04Plastering was done upstairs
0:09:04 > 0:09:08and it was open to the elements for probably at least six weeks.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11It got so depressing to come home every night to it.
0:09:12 > 0:09:17Six months after the work started the plot took an unexpected turn.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21It went from disaster movie to detective story.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23The builder vanished into thin air.
0:09:25 > 0:09:29And Agatha Christie herself couldn't have dreamt up what happened next.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33Peter received an e-mail from the builder's e-mail address
0:09:33 > 0:09:35purporting to be from a friend.
0:09:35 > 0:09:40He said the builder was so down he'd decided the world would be a better place without him,
0:09:40 > 0:09:45so he got drunk, took a load of pills and tried to commit suicide.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48Apparently the friend found him just in time.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51At that point we discussed it together, me and the wife,
0:09:51 > 0:09:54and we just thought, "We've got to let go of this builder."
0:09:54 > 0:09:58We just couldn't do this any more. It was just ripping us apart, really.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02The builder's next move was to e-mail the Norcotts to say
0:10:02 > 0:10:05they owed him money and had seven days to pay up.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08The additional costs that he was claiming that he'd
0:10:08 > 0:10:14incurred on our build was, in my eyes, totally incorrect.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19It was to do with scaffolding et cetera and the delays that were
0:10:19 > 0:10:22tied around the actual brickwork part of the build.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27Not surprisingly, Peter didn't see the funny side.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30He refused to pay another penny.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33Nine months later, he and Vicky are left with gaping holes
0:10:33 > 0:10:38to their beloved home and their life savings.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42It caused me and Pete to snap at each other, "Why ain't...?", do you know what I mean?
0:10:42 > 0:10:45You'd say, "Why ain't they here?" Do you know what I mean?
0:10:45 > 0:10:48But I'd be blaming Pete because Pete was sortin' it out.
0:10:48 > 0:10:55Stress, anxiety, frustration, disappointment.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59All this all rolled into probably around about two months' worth,
0:10:59 > 0:11:01and was taking its toll, you know?
0:11:01 > 0:11:03Not sleeping, literally wondering,
0:11:03 > 0:11:06"Is this builder ever going to come back?
0:11:06 > 0:11:08"Is he going to finish this build?
0:11:08 > 0:11:11"Do we have enough money to finish the build?"
0:11:11 > 0:11:15The Norcotts' hopes had been dashed, their lives decimated
0:11:15 > 0:11:20and their savings depleted. They were at rock bottom.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23You know, it's always amazing that even the most sensible of people,
0:11:23 > 0:11:27when they get the builders in, seem to put their brain in neutral.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30And the Norcotts' story sounds a really sad one.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32I hope with the help of the good guys we're going to be able
0:11:32 > 0:11:35to get them back on track.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37So let's find out a little bit more.
0:11:41 > 0:11:42DOORBELL RINGS
0:11:44 > 0:11:47- Hello, you must be the Norcotts, Vicky and Peter?- Yes, we are.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49- How are you? Nice to see you. - Nice to meet you.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51I'm Clive from Cowboy Trap.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53- I hear you've had problems with cowboy builders?- Yeah.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56- Do you mind if I have a quick nosy round?- You go ahead.- No, not at all.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58Great, you go back inside, then.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01Kick back, relax, have a cup of tea, maybe stick the kettle on, and I'll see you later.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04- OK.- OK.- Cheers, guys.- Thank you.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07Well, we've covered most of the film genres,
0:12:07 > 0:12:10let's see if this is going to be a horror story too.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13Well, here's a scary sight for starters!
0:12:13 > 0:12:19It always worries me, especially when you've got a pier like this, how it's actually been tied in.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21You know by now I always love to see them
0:12:21 > 0:12:26bonded in to the existing brickwork, and that isn't, it's just butted up.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30You've got the exposed catnic lintels there as well.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33So original building, this is part of the extension.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35You notice, one thing you always notice with these things is,
0:12:35 > 0:12:38again, lighter mix, darker mix.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41That just gets right on me, I tell you now.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46Just to do a simple mix, that's all it is, and keep it consistent, you know?
0:12:46 > 0:12:50The original building, that's consistent.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52This building, not consistent.
0:12:54 > 0:12:59And do I not like that! Check that out! Oh, man!
0:13:01 > 0:13:06This wall should have been flat. Instead, it's, er, fat.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08Look at it!
0:13:08 > 0:13:11It's another one with my belly on it. Look at that!
0:13:11 > 0:13:15I tell you what's happened here, I guarantee. See how tight it is here?
0:13:15 > 0:13:18They haven't put scaffolding up, for whatever reason,
0:13:18 > 0:13:19they haven't put scaffolding up.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23They've actually laid those bricks overhand from inside.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27And, you know, it's a technique that can be done, but it needs to be done
0:13:27 > 0:13:30by a professional, somebody who knows what they're doing.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33Looking at that, they don't know what they're doing.
0:13:33 > 0:13:38Crazy paving is one thing, but crazy brickwork - no thanks!
0:13:38 > 0:13:41Time to see what's been going on inside.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43Here we go.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47We've got cables, that always worries me, cables.
0:13:47 > 0:13:48You know what that means, don't you?
0:13:48 > 0:13:51I've got to get out my trusty tracer.
0:13:51 > 0:13:56I was just going to say, "Hopefully there's no power." Look at that
0:13:56 > 0:13:59Totally exposed cables, and we are live!
0:14:01 > 0:14:05James Bond himself would be shaken and stirred by this,
0:14:05 > 0:14:08but I don't think even 007 could find his way into this extension -
0:14:08 > 0:14:12unless he had a stick of dynamite, of course!
0:14:12 > 0:14:18I can't see any way that you actually get through from the original building into here,
0:14:18 > 0:14:20so I don't know what the plan is for that.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22And I've got to say, this is a big job
0:14:22 > 0:14:24and it's sort of beyond our budget.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28This is quite a big extension, and they're in such a mess.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31But the one thing I'll make sure that we can do is get them back on track.
0:14:33 > 0:14:38I've seen enough. Time for a powwow about this cowboy builder with his unlucky victims.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42- How did you go about finding your builder?- There was quite a long process, really.
0:14:42 > 0:14:47I mean, we got quite a few flyers come in through builders that obviously heard that
0:14:47 > 0:14:50we were getting the extension done through the council, I assume.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54And then the process started to come in in terms of people making enquiries to us,
0:14:54 > 0:14:57builders obviously approaching us and things like that.
0:14:57 > 0:15:02And we made... I would say about six or seven different builders coming round,
0:15:02 > 0:15:06and from then on we went on to, obviously, narrow it down.
0:15:06 > 0:15:11With the help of references, Peter and Vicky selected their man and, to begin with,
0:15:11 > 0:15:14they thought they'd chosen well.
0:15:14 > 0:15:20The initial start of the project was going OK, the footings and everything like that.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24Up until, I'd say, the brickwork, we didn't really have any problems with.
0:15:24 > 0:15:29It was from, really, a certain stage early on in the brickwork that we started getting a few
0:15:29 > 0:15:33little complications and delays and things like that.
0:15:33 > 0:15:41And as the brickwork went higher and higher, we got more and more concerned about the builder -
0:15:41 > 0:15:47him turning up, not turning up, not sending the tradesmen through and things like that.
0:15:47 > 0:15:52Initially we just thought that he was working back to front, do you know what I mean?
0:15:52 > 0:15:56So he'd done the plastering without any windows in, he'd done, like, woodwork without any windows.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00We had... and all this was being done and there weren't no roof on it, do you know what I mean?
0:16:00 > 0:16:02Everything just seemed to be taking a long time.
0:16:02 > 0:16:07We kept ringing him up and he's saying, "Yeah, it's going to happen. Yeah, it will happen by Thursday."
0:16:07 > 0:16:09Then Thursday would come and it still ain't happened.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12"Oh, it'll happen by Tuesday." Do you know what I mean?
0:16:12 > 0:16:16And you're getting all these dates and then you just have periods of time when you don't
0:16:16 > 0:16:22hear from him for a few days, and then he'd come back on board again and do a little bit again.
0:16:22 > 0:16:27Which made you feel good that he was back, and then he'd disappear again for a few days.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30So you'd have your highs and then you'd have your lows again.
0:16:30 > 0:16:35Was it driving a wedge between you guys, emotionally, as well? Were you getting angry with each other?
0:16:35 > 0:16:38It was stressful, do you know what I mean? The boys obviously see us that way.
0:16:38 > 0:16:44- So Mum and Dad are arguing round the kids and they are taking it all in?- Yeah.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46They can see, obviously, things are wrong.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49They can see, yeah, that we're getting tense. Sorry.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52Do you know, this is the thing that drives me crazy about cowboy builders.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55They are dream wreckers if you allow them to be.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00More than just the financial cost of their shattered dream,
0:17:00 > 0:17:05Peter and Vicky have paid a huge emotional price for this builder's bodged work.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08And they still can't see a way out of this cowboy trap.
0:17:08 > 0:17:13The more I think about it, the more I'm just thinking, "How's it ever going to be done?"
0:17:13 > 0:17:17- But with your help, hopefully we can get there.- We'll make a good start on it, that's for sure.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21- Absolutely, yeah. - This is going to be one tough job.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23To make sure I haven't missed anything,
0:17:23 > 0:17:28I've asked independent expert Michael Marriot to give a second opinion.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31Just go through what is not to your liking.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34Well, I think one of the main things is it's not finished.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36- That's true.- It's incomplete.
0:17:36 > 0:17:41- And there are some parts which have not been completed properly.- Yeah.
0:17:41 > 0:17:47There is a big problem internally as well as externally. That gable wall there, it looks pretty poor.
0:17:47 > 0:17:52- Yes, it undulates...- It does.- And it looks unsightly,
0:17:52 > 0:17:58both because it undulates and because the mortar pointing, the bit between the bricks, has not been done well.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02And the other point is this, as you rightly pointed out, it's not what you can see -
0:18:02 > 0:18:05- who knows whether it's got enough ties in there?- Precisely.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09- So there's all sorts that absolutely send alarm bells ringing for me. - Yes, yeah.
0:18:09 > 0:18:14So taking all that into consideration, what you've seen and what you haven't seen, potentially,
0:18:14 > 0:18:21- what sort of mark out of ten would you give it?- I would give it only a five out of ten.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23- A five out of ten? - Yes.
0:18:23 > 0:18:29Half marks isn't a great result when you've forked out 32 grand, is it?
0:18:29 > 0:18:33Do you know what? I've just about had a belly full of this, and that's a big belly.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36We've got live cables, tripping hazards all over the place.
0:18:36 > 0:18:41It's not safe for anybody to be going in there. That's why I'm going to declare it a no-go zone.
0:18:41 > 0:18:46The only people allowed past this tape are myself and the good guys.
0:18:47 > 0:18:54And here they jolly well are, Gary Fenn and his posse. Time to ask him the million-dollar question.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56Tell us what you're going to do?
0:18:56 > 0:19:00Well, initially we will check what's been done by others.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03That's involving checking the electrical installation,
0:19:03 > 0:19:07- the plumbing and heating installation, alter that where we have to.- Yeah.
0:19:07 > 0:19:12We will then cut an opening through this wall here.
0:19:12 > 0:19:17OK, great, we need that. At the moment the only way of accessing it is coming out the house to get in.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20- So we'll be doing that, cutting that opening through there.- OK.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24We would then put this floating floor here.
0:19:24 > 0:19:29We have to put a floating floor here because, as you can see, this studwork's been put up which is...
0:19:29 > 0:19:32- Well, it's untreated, for a start. - It's untreated timber.
0:19:32 > 0:19:37So if we put a wet floor on that, during the drying out process it's going to absorb moisture...
0:19:37 > 0:19:41- And swell and shrink and crack... - And you're going to have all sorts of problems.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44- We'll put on a new front entrance door and frame.- Great.
0:19:44 > 0:19:48- Trim this area of joisting here, which you can see has not been done very well.- Definitely.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50So structurally, that will be sound.
0:19:50 > 0:19:55- Tile this lobby floor, then put the skirtings on top of that and then decorate.- Brilliant.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59The other thing I will say is, as far as your boys are concerned,
0:19:59 > 0:20:02- there is live cables dangling around in here.- That's right.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06- So obviously getting the sparks in is going to be critical.- That's the very first thing that we will do.
0:20:07 > 0:20:13This is going to be a big job, so the Norcotts are chipping in to help get the work done.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16Gary and his team waste no time getting started.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19The Norcotts' extension becomes a hive of activity.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25Cement mixed, screws drilled and joists, er, joisted.
0:20:27 > 0:20:33Can Gary's gang get the Norcotts' dream back on track? Only time will tell.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42I'm back in Essex, where Vicky and Peter Norcott had set their hearts
0:20:42 > 0:20:47on making their home large enough for their young family.
0:20:47 > 0:20:53But their dreams turned to dust when the cowboy building their two-storey extension vanished,
0:20:53 > 0:20:57taking their cash and leaving them on a building site.
0:20:58 > 0:21:03Our good guys have now finished their work, and I'm here to find out if they've saved the day.
0:21:03 > 0:21:08Before I talk it through with the Norcotts, I'm taking a sneaky peak.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11Remember, before it was a Hammer House of Horror.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17Hopefully we're on our way to a happy ending.
0:21:17 > 0:21:22Peter hired a builder to complete the boys' rooms back in January 2012.
0:21:22 > 0:21:27And it looks like our good guys have now sorted the downstairs too.
0:21:27 > 0:21:32Remember last time, all that was there was a bit of timber framing and some plyboard?
0:21:32 > 0:21:36That wasn't secure, and this is something the family were worried about.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39Look what we've got now, solid, solid door.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43Of course, security big style, but it now enables them to take through the bikes
0:21:43 > 0:21:47and all that sort of thing without having to go all the way round. And that is real solid.
0:21:47 > 0:21:52In fact, my nine stone wet-through won't push that!
0:21:52 > 0:21:54But what lies beyond?
0:21:58 > 0:21:59Oh, you see?
0:21:59 > 0:22:05This is the thing that I'm always talking about, and that is you just don't know what is behind doors.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09You don't know when the good guys have been in what the finish is going to be like.
0:22:09 > 0:22:15I mean, you're always expecting great things but, man, this is just amazing. The transformation.
0:22:15 > 0:22:21Remember, last time we were in here, there was all bare plaster boards and timbers and all sorts,
0:22:21 > 0:22:24no decent flooring in. Well, now you've got...
0:22:25 > 0:22:29I see quality, this has got quality slammed all over it.
0:22:31 > 0:22:37And, hey presto, an access route from the house to the extension. What a bright idea!
0:22:37 > 0:22:42There was no door here before, now we've got a door just in the opening here around the reveal.
0:22:43 > 0:22:50As I see where the beading has gone and where the plaster finish has happened, real, real quality.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53All the upstands, fantastic, door looks great,
0:22:53 > 0:22:58radiator in. We've got the smoke alarm there as well.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01Nice light.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04The whole thing, even down to, you know,
0:23:04 > 0:23:09where they've actually mitred the joins there of all the skirting, spot on.
0:23:09 > 0:23:15You know, we've always got to expect quality, but when you actually see it in the flesh,
0:23:15 > 0:23:20so to speak, it does look, quite simply, brilliant.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22What a result!
0:23:22 > 0:23:28Before I do the grand tour with the Norcotts, I'm going to chat to them about their cowboy builder.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31We've been in touch with him to find out his version of events,
0:23:31 > 0:23:35and I can't wait to hear their responses to what he said.
0:23:35 > 0:23:41He says he never walked away from the job, first and foremost, he said he had a breakdown
0:23:41 > 0:23:45and he asked you to give them a bit of time to sort things out,
0:23:45 > 0:23:47but you weren't prepared to.
0:23:47 > 0:23:52- How true is that?- Well, it's not entirely true, because we did give him time.
0:23:52 > 0:23:58We gave him about five or six days, and we still didn't get anywhere near a conclusion
0:23:58 > 0:24:00as to when he would be able to come back.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04And, don't forget, we were six months into a three-month build at that point.
0:24:04 > 0:24:09He agrees that the job went on for too long and he accepts part of the blame, but he says that
0:24:09 > 0:24:14the main problems was your relationship with the neighbours, why the job couldn't get done.
0:24:14 > 0:24:19Our relationship? Did he mention anything about the warning that he had from us on numerous occasions
0:24:19 > 0:24:25about the neighbours and the fact that you will not get access to the garden?
0:24:25 > 0:24:30Funnily enough, the builder didn't mention any warning about the access problems,
0:24:30 > 0:24:34but he did say that the dodgy pointing wasn't his fault.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37He claims it was because he couldn't get the right scaffolding up.
0:24:37 > 0:24:43He had various types of scaffolding up at various points but, at the end of the day, that's no excuse
0:24:43 > 0:24:51for the pointing when he was advised quite clearly how and what he had to do to get that brickwork done.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54He also says that his original quote was too high for you,
0:24:54 > 0:25:00and when you talked him down on the price and agreed a figure of 32 grand,
0:25:00 > 0:25:07so the 32 grand was just for the upper level to be completed, not the downstairs?
0:25:07 > 0:25:09- That's a complete lie.- Yeah. - Absolute lie.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11He said he'd finish all of it for 32.
0:25:11 > 0:25:16- I mean, our quote indicates the complete build.- The only thing that we had to do was supply the bathroom.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19- Yeah.- But he would do all of it.
0:25:19 > 0:25:24I'm quite frustrated at the fact that he said that the price was just for upstairs,
0:25:24 > 0:25:27because why did he start the studwork and the plastering downstairs
0:25:27 > 0:25:29- if that was the case? - Yeah.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33- And the drainage...- And the drainage. - Which was wrong, but he started it.
0:25:33 > 0:25:38Yep, whatever you start, you should finish. That's one of my mottos.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40Anyway, enough of that!
0:25:40 > 0:25:43It's time for the bit I've been waiting for.
0:25:43 > 0:25:50The Norcotts have been living with the work going on, and now it's time to reveal it in all its glory.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54Now, before we go in, the interesting thing is we've actually got a door here now
0:25:54 > 0:25:59- that wasn't there before.- Yeah. - Which is a rather nice door, too.- It is, it's lovely.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02And, again, I have to say, from a personal point of view,
0:26:02 > 0:26:06- looking at that makes such a massive difference.- Yeah, it does.
0:26:06 > 0:26:11Come inside. Have a look at this.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14- Now, it's quite...- Oh, wow! - It's lovely.- Oh, that's fantastic.
0:26:14 > 0:26:19- It's quite compact and bijou in here.- It is, but, oh the difference is amazing!
0:26:19 > 0:26:23- Now, what a difference!- Oh, what a difference!- Really, really nice. - Fantastic, hey?
0:26:23 > 0:26:27- Yeah, it's lovely.- Now the quality... It's the quality.
0:26:27 > 0:26:32The first thing that hit me when I come in was the quality of the workmanship.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36- That is brilliant, absolutely fantastic.- And the light they let us choose,
0:26:36 > 0:26:39- that looks fantastic up there, doesn't it?- It does look great. - Yeah.
0:26:39 > 0:26:44Just the way they've done the architrave of the doors, the way they've done the reveals
0:26:44 > 0:26:48- and the way they've beaded it up and plastered it, it is phenomenal. - It's really good.
0:26:48 > 0:26:49I love the floor as well.
0:26:49 > 0:26:54- It's got this glittery finish to it. - Yeah.- I get a feeling he'll be doing his John Travolta out here.
0:26:56 > 0:27:02Busting some moves and throwing some shape on the floor! I mean, it's amazing, really.
0:27:02 > 0:27:07There's still work to do behind these doors, you know? But it really is a super step forward.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11And, of course, the door that you've got now at the front, that's the first thing that hit me
0:27:11 > 0:27:15when I came up to the property, was you've now got a door there rather than...
0:27:15 > 0:27:18I think it was a bit of ply that was up there before.
0:27:18 > 0:27:23- Yeah. And we had no security.- No security, that is the biggest thing, is that we've got security, yeah.
0:27:23 > 0:27:28- Which is really lovely.- How do you think this will change things? - I feel a lot more positive now.
0:27:28 > 0:27:32As where before, we just didn't want to carry on because you didn't know who you can trust.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36Now we feel a lot more positive that we can actually finish it off, do you know what I mean?
0:27:36 > 0:27:38This is a great start, do you know what I mean?
0:27:38 > 0:27:42The boys have got freedom, they're getting all their bikes and scooters
0:27:42 > 0:27:47and everything out of the garage and we've got security. The main things that we wanted have been done.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49And you know where the good guys are.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53That's the key thing, is we know where we can go to get the rest finished when we can afford it.
0:27:53 > 0:27:54Yeah.
0:27:54 > 0:27:58- That's the important thing, because we just didn't know where to turn. - Yeah.
0:27:58 > 0:28:03I'm not surprised Vicky and Peter are delighted with this. Our good guys have played a blinder.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09Well, I think we've got them back on track.
0:28:09 > 0:28:11Now, Vicky and Peter have still got work to do,
0:28:11 > 0:28:17but I'm hoping that the quality and professionalism of our good guys will give them fresh hope.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20I tell you what, I'm going to wish them all the best.
0:28:20 > 0:28:24And I've got a message for all you cowboys of Great Britain -
0:28:24 > 0:28:27look behind you, because we're coming at you!
0:28:31 > 0:28:34Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd.