0:00:10 > 0:00:14Over the years, I've seen some real cowboy bodge jobs.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18The stuff of nightmares that would keep anybody awake at night.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21- There was nothing in the kitchen, it was just a shell.- Oh, yeah.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24There was no sink, no running water. There was no toilet.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28Today, I'm revisiting homeowners that got caught in the cowboy trap
0:00:28 > 0:00:32by bungling builders who left them well and truly in the lurch.
0:00:32 > 0:00:36- It is an awful thing. - All right, love? It's all right.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38It is an awful thing, yeah, seriously.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40It's all right. Are you all right?
0:00:41 > 0:00:45I can't wait to see how their homes and their lives have moved on
0:00:45 > 0:00:48since we got them back on track, and along the way,
0:00:48 > 0:00:51I'll be giving you some top hints and tips in the hope
0:00:51 > 0:00:54it will prevent you from falling into the cowboy trap.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07My quest to help homeowners who have fallen victim to unscrupulous
0:01:07 > 0:01:11builders has taken me the length and breadth of the country,
0:01:11 > 0:01:16and I'm amazed and disappointed by their cunning tactics.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19Water was leaking downstairs and we discovered there was a hole,
0:01:19 > 0:01:22and he had bunged it with toilet paper, and this was boarded up.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26Today, I am looking back at some of the classic mistakes people make
0:01:26 > 0:01:28when they fall into the cowboy trap.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32- You paid him, what, the 3,000... - Yeah.- ..on top of the nine?- Yeah.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34Oh, no, you didn't!
0:01:34 > 0:01:37And I'll be visiting some scenes of cowboy crimes to see how people
0:01:37 > 0:01:40have moved on since we helped get their builds back on track.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43I think the first thing I would do is actually go and see
0:01:43 > 0:01:46some work they have done for other people.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50Later, I'll be catching up with a Tyneside couple who fell into
0:01:50 > 0:01:55the cowboy trap when their builder made a shoddy job of a shower room.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58This was just a shell, Clive. There was nothing there.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00Just bare, breeze block wall.
0:02:00 > 0:02:01But he kept their money
0:02:01 > 0:02:05and didn't turn up when the courts ordered him to repay them.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07So we attended. In actual fact, I took the holiday from work.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11- I bet he didn't!- He didn't go, no. - No surprises there.
0:02:12 > 0:02:17'But first, I'm heading to Ipswich to revisit a young couple
0:02:17 > 0:02:20'who were in an awful state when I first met them,
0:02:20 > 0:02:24'thanks to a cowboy builder who left them with an unhygienic kitchen...'
0:02:24 > 0:02:27You're using the sink, it is going to a bucket.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30'..unsecure access...'
0:02:30 > 0:02:34So I could've flexed that doorframe back a little and slipped in.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37'..and an utterly unsatisfactory finish.'
0:02:37 > 0:02:40I can see you've got carrier bags all over the place.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44- That's obviously, again, to stop the draught, is it?- Yeah.- And mice.
0:02:44 > 0:02:45- And mice?!- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50I'm revisiting a lovely young couple called Barbara Lawer
0:02:50 > 0:02:51and Lee Richards.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54They've lived in their 1930s semi-detached property
0:02:54 > 0:02:56for the last nine years.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59They rented it for a while, but they loved it so much,
0:02:59 > 0:03:01they decided to buy it.
0:03:01 > 0:03:0430-year-old Barbara Lawer is a charity worker for young adults
0:03:04 > 0:03:07with learning disabilities, and her 29-year-old partner,
0:03:07 > 0:03:11Lee Richards, works as a postal administrator.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15They're a couple in love with each other and their two-bed semi.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18Got a nice-size garden, we've got our gym at the back,
0:03:18 > 0:03:21we get on quite well with the people around us.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23We don't get much trouble here.
0:03:23 > 0:03:28Barbara and Lee had plenty to be excited about.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30A young couple happy in their home,
0:03:30 > 0:03:33their thoughts naturally turned to the future.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36We wanted to buy the house, we could then start doing some work on it,
0:03:36 > 0:03:39we could then sort of plan for a family, really.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43But the original layout of this former council house wasn't right
0:03:43 > 0:03:45for a young family.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48The original bathroom, it was in the kitchen.
0:03:48 > 0:03:53And the kitchen floor was freezing cold. It used to be freezing cold.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58A bit of an inconvenient place to have a bathroom, you know,
0:03:58 > 0:04:00having to go through the kitchen.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04Also, just the layout as well. It was not a very efficient layout.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08You had little nooks and crannies where it wasn't usable space.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12Their dream was to build an extension
0:04:12 > 0:04:15and turn the downstairs toilet into a shower room
0:04:15 > 0:04:18and create a big kitchen/diner.
0:04:18 > 0:04:23Once they had done that, they could think about starting a family.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30Barbara and Lee saved hard for two years,
0:04:30 > 0:04:34and then, armed with their plans, along with a £7,000 bank loan,
0:04:34 > 0:04:39they decided to look for a builder, by turning to the internet.
0:04:39 > 0:04:44We found a builder on a website where you can put the job you want done.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48So, I posted our job on there, and then builders come back saying
0:04:48 > 0:04:50if they are interested in giving you a quote.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54There was about seven or eight builders who showed an interest.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58Barbara and Lee picked their builder based on the reviews,
0:04:58 > 0:05:03but they didn't take up any references, which was a big mistake.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07The extension was to take six weeks at an initial cost of nine grand.
0:05:07 > 0:05:13With additional work, the figure rose to a total of £12,000.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16The couple felt they had made a good booking.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18The builder seemed like a friendly, granddad figure,
0:05:18 > 0:05:20a person they could trust.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22But how wrong they were.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25Even without any experience in the building trade,
0:05:25 > 0:05:30Lee could see the work was being done in an illogical manner.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34And the painfully slow progress was too obvious to ignore.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40It was actually best described as leisurely.
0:05:40 > 0:05:45He didn't seem to go that quickly.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47Not what we expected. Not for the contract stated.
0:05:47 > 0:05:52Barbara and Lee's builder wasn't just slow, he was dangerous too -
0:05:52 > 0:05:55windows were unsecured, gaping holes were left in the walls,
0:05:55 > 0:06:00and he reduced Barbara to cooking on a camping stove.
0:06:00 > 0:06:04The reason we're using this hob is because we haven't had a cooker
0:06:04 > 0:06:07for about five months.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10It would mean a lot to me to have a new kitchen.
0:06:10 > 0:06:11I mean, you know,
0:06:11 > 0:06:16what we'd saved up a lot of money for was to have something nice.
0:06:16 > 0:06:21Just somewhere for when we have kids and we can sit down together
0:06:21 > 0:06:25as a family, have a little dining table, just little things like that.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31When I first met Barbara and Lee, they were at rock bottom.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33Their builder had failed to deliver on his promises,
0:06:33 > 0:06:36and he had also left with their hard-earned cash.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40'And when things go bad, who are you going to call?' Hello!
0:06:40 > 0:06:43- Hi!- You must be Barbara?
0:06:43 > 0:06:45- Yeah, nice to meet you.- And you must be Lee? How are you, guys?
0:06:45 > 0:06:47Yeah, all right, thanks.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50And boy, was I in for a surprise!
0:06:50 > 0:06:54Their builder had created carnage in this kitchen.
0:06:54 > 0:06:59You're using the sink with no waste escape to the drain outside.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02- It's going into a bucket underneath. - Yeah.
0:07:02 > 0:07:07The big problem with that is this - if that bucket gets knocked off
0:07:07 > 0:07:10and knocked over, you're standing on the cable.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14- Yeah.- You've got extension leads all over the place.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18Water and electricity, as I often say, do not make good bedfellows.
0:07:18 > 0:07:19It's as simple as that.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22What has gone on in here?
0:07:22 > 0:07:26Basically, he's started little bits of everything but finished nothing.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28You're telling me!
0:07:28 > 0:07:31This bungling builder had even bodged the back door.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33Initially, that was all exposed.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37- We had about an inch gap either side, and...- And the rest!- Yeah.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39And during that cold spell we had over winter,
0:07:39 > 0:07:42it was absolutely freezing, and we had this massive draft
0:07:42 > 0:07:45just going through here and out the extension in the front.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48So, in order to stop that, I packed it up either side.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50And also, you could actually bend the frame.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54So I could've flexed that doorframe back just a little and slipped in?
0:07:54 > 0:07:56And the side was no better.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59He's put boarding up on the outside, but it's only temporary.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02- That would have actually been me who put that board up.- Ah!
0:08:02 > 0:08:04So, what, it was just a...?
0:08:04 > 0:08:06On the inside, it was just plasterboard.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09Well, that offers no resistance to moisture whatsoever.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13'Behind this curtain, more horrors.'
0:08:13 > 0:08:16That plasterboard there, tell me what that's yielding.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20- Did you have to put that up?- I did that to prevent the draught we had.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22And you put all the gaffer tape on it?
0:08:22 > 0:08:27Yeah, and the bags behind there expanding foam between the cavities.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29I can see you've got carrier bags all over the place.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32- That's obviously, again, to stop draught, is it?- Yeah.- And mice.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34- And mice?!- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37They've been coming in through the gaps and places, haven't they?
0:08:37 > 0:08:39It's health and safety, the hygiene factor,
0:08:39 > 0:08:41now you've got rodents coming into the property.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44Barbara and Lee's home was a right house of horrors.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47It needed walls built, insulation added,
0:08:47 > 0:08:49windows, kitchen and bathroom fitted,
0:08:49 > 0:08:53not to mention whole areas plastered, tiled and decorated.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55But before we got stuck in to that,
0:08:55 > 0:08:59I wanted to hear how they had ended up in such a mess.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02When is the first real alarm bell that you think,
0:09:02 > 0:09:04"Hang on a minute, that's not quite right."
0:09:04 > 0:09:08Well, I suppose the alarm bells didn't go off until quite late.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11Probably about nine, maybe ten weeks into it,
0:09:11 > 0:09:14when he just wasn't showing up when he said he would.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16Although, I was concerned that...
0:09:16 > 0:09:18Hang on a minute, nine, ten weeks later?
0:09:18 > 0:09:20No, no, no, this job was only going to take six. Where...
0:09:20 > 0:09:23- Where has the extra come from? - I'm quite a laid-back person,
0:09:23 > 0:09:26so perhaps the weather wasn't quite in their favour, or...
0:09:26 > 0:09:29- He'd use the weather a lot as an excuse, wouldn't he?- Yeah.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32This was Barbara and Lee's second big mistake.
0:09:32 > 0:09:37They were far too laid-back about the pace of work. Take my tip...
0:09:48 > 0:09:52..So make sure they can justify when work falls behind.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54But make sure the timeframe is realistic,
0:09:54 > 0:09:58and avoid using key events like Christmas or birthdays
0:09:58 > 0:09:59as deadline dates.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04The quality of this cowboy's work was poor, and he was soon demanding
0:10:04 > 0:10:09more money to finish the job, then disappearing for days on end.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11What is your feeling towards him right now?
0:10:11 > 0:10:17Yeah, I feel angry with him for what he's done and how he's left us. Yeah.
0:10:17 > 0:10:18He's sitting in his home,
0:10:18 > 0:10:22I'm sure he's got his basic amenities and whatever else.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25Personally, I feel they lose out more,
0:10:25 > 0:10:29because they've got to sleep with their conscience.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32- I go to bed and I can... - He hasn't got one, though, has he?
0:10:32 > 0:10:33Well played, Barbara.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37I can see this guy is just way too nice - I'm sorry -
0:10:37 > 0:10:39because they don't have a conscience, mate.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43Their build was weeks behind schedule,
0:10:43 > 0:10:47and they'd already handed over nine grand when they made yet another
0:10:47 > 0:10:49massive money mistake.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52The couple had always planned on fitting a kitchen themselves
0:10:52 > 0:10:56once their builder finished, but the cowboy offered to do it for them.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00The only catch was, they would have to pay another three grand.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04- Hang on, whoa, whoa! You paid him, what, the 3,000...- Yeah.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06- ..on top of the nine?!- Yeah.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08- Oh, no, you didn't!- We did.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12You know, I always hate it when good people like Barbara and Lee
0:11:12 > 0:11:15get ripped off by dodgy tradesmen.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17But I love it when we bring in the good guys
0:11:17 > 0:11:20and put their build back on track.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23Our good guys went to work and transformed Barbara and Lee's
0:11:23 > 0:11:27shabby, shambolic shell of a house into a picture-perfect palace
0:11:27 > 0:11:29ready to call home.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32The camping stove and shoddy kitchen of the past
0:11:32 > 0:11:34was turned into a fabulous kitchen/diner,
0:11:34 > 0:11:39and the endless exposed cables and dodgy electrics were made safe.
0:11:39 > 0:11:44In the shower room, the plastic bags and rascal rodents were obliterated.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48In its place, a Moroccan shower fit for a king and queen.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51I couldn't wait to show Barbara and Lee.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55Just a million times better than anything we could've thought of,
0:11:55 > 0:11:57let alone what it was.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00Lee, what's the best thing for you in here?
0:12:00 > 0:12:03Aside from not having to empty the bucket, it's got to be the tiles.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05I do love the way they've come together.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09The good guys certainly put this lovely couple back on track,
0:12:09 > 0:12:13but they still had plenty of hard work ahead if they wanted to
0:12:13 > 0:12:16transform the house into the family home of their dreams.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21I tell you what, it's great to be back in Ipswich,
0:12:21 > 0:12:23and I can't wait to meet Barbara and Lee again.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25I know one thing for sure -
0:12:25 > 0:12:28work has definitely developed since the last time I was here.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30Can't wait to find out more. Come on.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33It's been over a year since I saw this fab couple
0:12:33 > 0:12:35who had been having such a hard time.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44- Hello.- It's great to be back in Ipswich! Barbara, how are you?
0:12:44 > 0:12:47- Yeah, good.- Good to see you again. - Lee, and you.
0:12:47 > 0:12:53- And oh, my goodness!- Yeah.- Tell me - how far gone?- 30 weeks.- 30 weeks?
0:12:53 > 0:12:56- So, ten more to go.- Exciting times. - Yeah.- Exciting times.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59Well, look, I've really come to not just look at your bump,
0:12:59 > 0:13:02which is magnificent, I've actually come to look around the house
0:13:02 > 0:13:05and see how you've progressed since we were last here.
0:13:05 > 0:13:06When I had last saw this,
0:13:06 > 0:13:09the extension was just breeze block and scaffolding.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11But look at it now!
0:13:11 > 0:13:13Barbara and Lee have finished the job.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18Talk me through what has changed out here.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20Well, the first thing that went in was the front door.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24- Who did the rendering?- It was a friend of the family.- OK, well, they've done a great job.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28We'll have it patched up, cos it's quite old, but once it's done,
0:13:28 > 0:13:32we're going to paint the whole thing one colour and tie it all together.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34It might look great outside,
0:13:34 > 0:13:37but wait till you see what Barbara has done inside.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39With her modern use of colours,
0:13:39 > 0:13:42a fantastic new chocolate carpet and a light touch in decoration,
0:13:42 > 0:13:46the couple have created a real wow factor.
0:13:46 > 0:13:47Tell us what you've done here.
0:13:47 > 0:13:52- Erm, well, we knocked out the old front door, which was here...- Yeah.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55..front door, window area,
0:13:55 > 0:13:59which has let a lot more light in since we had this door put in,
0:13:59 > 0:14:03which is obviously a big, massive side panel which we wanted to...
0:14:03 > 0:14:06Cos the light comes round the front of the house in the day, it's lovely.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10We've obviously had all this plastered out.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13- And who did the tiles? - Lee actually did that.- Did he?!
0:14:13 > 0:14:17Yeah, yeah, he did. And yeah, it's just...a home now.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21It's changed so much. It's really, really impressive, I've got to say.
0:14:21 > 0:14:26Just a year ago, it was a hellhole caused by a dastardly cowboy.
0:14:26 > 0:14:31Now, it's a thing of beauty and will soon be a family home.
0:14:31 > 0:14:36'But what have Barbara and Lee learned from their Cowboy Trap experience?'
0:14:36 > 0:14:38We were quite naive to begin with.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41When someone tells you that, "We can do this for you and it'll
0:14:41 > 0:14:45"all be fantastic, you don't need to worry," you know, I believed it.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48Yeah. Well, I actually worry when people do that,
0:14:48 > 0:14:51because this is the whole thing, you know, that they come in
0:14:51 > 0:14:54and they say they can do everything.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57That's not always the case. Which brings me on to the question -
0:14:57 > 0:15:01what would you do differently next time?
0:15:01 > 0:15:04Well, I think the first thing I would have done, what I would do,
0:15:04 > 0:15:09is to actually go and see someone that they've done for other people.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11Something of the same scale that we're proposing to get done.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14And get references from those that he has done work for,
0:15:14 > 0:15:16because I think that's really important.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19Wow, these guys are really cooking on gas.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23They've listened to my top tip, the three Rs -
0:15:23 > 0:15:25research, research, research.
0:15:25 > 0:15:30Now they can feel safe as they wait for their biggest home improvement yet.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32It's something we wanted for a long time,
0:15:32 > 0:15:35but it was part of the reason for wanting to get the house done.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37So, when all that was going on,
0:15:37 > 0:15:40- it was something we couldn't even think about, isn't it?- No.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43But we're just really excited, and can't wait.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47I want to wish you all the very best for the future.
0:15:47 > 0:15:48I hope everything goes super well.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51- Thank you.- Thanks very much for everything you've done for us.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55Listen, pleasure. You know, we're so glad that we could help you out.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04It's been great to catch up with Barbara and Lee again
0:16:04 > 0:16:07and also realise that the work we did has enabled them to use it
0:16:07 > 0:16:10as a springboard to carry on with the good work
0:16:10 > 0:16:12to turn their house of horrors into a beautiful home.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14I tell you something else as well -
0:16:14 > 0:16:17I love the idea that they've got their own extension going on, too.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20Wonder if they'll ever call it Clive? You never know!
0:16:24 > 0:16:27For years, I've helped homeowners across Great Britain
0:16:27 > 0:16:30battle their building blues.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32From towns to cities to villages,
0:16:32 > 0:16:36I've been everywhere righting the wrongs of cowboy builders.
0:16:36 > 0:16:37It's as good as done.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41Next, I'm back in one of my favourite cities - Newcastle,
0:16:41 > 0:16:44under the shadow of the mighty Angel of the North.
0:16:44 > 0:16:49I'm back on Tyneside to revisit a couple whose dream
0:16:49 > 0:16:53of the perfect extension was left in ruins by bungling builders
0:16:53 > 0:16:56when they fell into the cowboy trap.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00Foster parents Carol and George Young
0:17:00 > 0:17:03have lived here for the last 34 years.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07Hoping to foster children with special needs,
0:17:07 > 0:17:10they looked for a builder to create a kitchen extension,
0:17:10 > 0:17:15a downstairs toilet and shower room with disabled access.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20We had two children, the twins, Ryan and Rebecca, still at home then.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23We had two foster children here.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26So, you had set times to get into the bathroom upstairs.
0:17:26 > 0:17:31We decided it would be nice to have a downstairs toilet and shower room.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35In the mornings, you know, could have two showers going if needed,
0:17:35 > 0:17:37or a shower and a bath going upstairs.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40We want a calm house kind of thing, you know,
0:17:40 > 0:17:42because that's part of fostering.
0:17:42 > 0:17:47If you've got challenging behaviours, a child with a problem,
0:17:47 > 0:17:50things have got to be calm in the home, you know.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56The Youngs asked around family and friends, and they thought they had
0:17:56 > 0:18:00found the perfect builder through one of George's work colleagues.
0:18:00 > 0:18:05Who I've worked with for some time, nice lads, and I happened to mention
0:18:05 > 0:18:08we had our plans passed and were looking for a builder.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10And one of the lads said,
0:18:10 > 0:18:14"Oh, my dad's a builder, he does quite a lot of work, good work."
0:18:14 > 0:18:17He says, "Would you want him to give you a price?"
0:18:17 > 0:18:19I says, "That'll be fine, yeah."
0:18:19 > 0:18:23The first thing the builder did was to try and big up his part
0:18:23 > 0:18:27by offering to take on lots of extra jobs as well as the brickwork
0:18:27 > 0:18:29the Youngs had in mind.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32At first I said, "Well, can you just do the brickwork?"
0:18:32 > 0:18:36He says, "I'd rather give you a price for doing the whole extension,
0:18:36 > 0:18:41"because I have my own roofers, who are excellent,
0:18:41 > 0:18:44"I have my own window fitter, who's top quality.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47"These people are what I class as tried, tested by me."
0:18:47 > 0:18:51And I thought, "Well, if he uses them on all his jobs,
0:18:51 > 0:18:53"we'll just go with that."
0:18:53 > 0:18:57The Youngs' builder promised them a brick extension complete with
0:18:57 > 0:18:59French doors and windows,
0:18:59 > 0:19:02plasterboarded walls and a shower room.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06All for a quoted price of 8,640 quid.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09He made good progress with the brickwork,
0:19:09 > 0:19:13but then things slowed right down, and the excuses came thick and fast.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15He couldn't contact his plasterer,
0:19:15 > 0:19:19the window-making machine was broken, fitter wasn't answering...
0:19:19 > 0:19:21You get the picture.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23Half the time we didn't know if he was coming or going.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25So by this time I started to think,
0:19:25 > 0:19:28"Hang on here, I mean, there's people not turning up."
0:19:28 > 0:19:31So, basically, what we had was a shell with a roof on
0:19:31 > 0:19:33and a big empty room with no windows in.
0:19:34 > 0:19:39Carol and George made the mistake of taking a friend's recommendation
0:19:39 > 0:19:42without first getting references or going to see the builder's work,
0:19:42 > 0:19:46or even getting more quotes to make sure they were getting good value.
0:19:46 > 0:19:51The Youngs' cowboy builder made off with their hard-earned cash,
0:19:51 > 0:19:53but left them without windows, plastered walls
0:19:53 > 0:19:56and no shower or toilet.
0:19:56 > 0:19:57I mean, it was cold.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01You had no windows in and no insulation,
0:20:01 > 0:20:04and in September, you know.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07And just thinking, "Well, you know, what do we do?"
0:20:09 > 0:20:13'When I first met this lovely couple, my heart went out to them.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15'Before I could put this bodged work right,
0:20:15 > 0:20:20'I wanted to get a sense of just how big a mess they were in.'
0:20:20 > 0:20:25Now, in terms of your wet room, what was going on in here?
0:20:25 > 0:20:28This was just a shell, Clive, there was nothing there.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30Just a bare, breeze block wall.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33There was nothing at all finished off inside.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37Take my advice -
0:20:37 > 0:20:39recommendations are fine,
0:20:39 > 0:20:41but you must still check out the builder's work.
0:20:43 > 0:20:47It's vital to have a contract with a builder outlining
0:20:47 > 0:20:49a schedule of works and how much it'll all cost.
0:20:54 > 0:20:55This is the cloakroom, Clive.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57'Abandoned by their cowboy,
0:20:57 > 0:21:02'Carol and George had to find an extra £5,500
0:21:02 > 0:21:06'on top of the money they had already shelled out to make the house secure,
0:21:06 > 0:21:11'fit windows, finish the plastering, plumbing and electrics.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13'With money in short supply,
0:21:13 > 0:21:17'George made endless calls to the builder before turning to a lawyer.'
0:21:17 > 0:21:20So we went to Newcastle Crown Court, because we had never been in
0:21:20 > 0:21:24this situation, and they said there's a litigation department
0:21:24 > 0:21:28where you can both meet up and come to some sort of agreement.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31So we attended. In actual fact, I took the holiday from work.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34- I bet he didn't.- He didn't go, no. - No surprises there.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39Foster parents Carol and George are trusting folk,
0:21:39 > 0:21:41and they always want to see the best in people.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44And they certainly gave their builder the benefit of the doubt,
0:21:44 > 0:21:48but sadly, there was more doom in the Toon.
0:21:48 > 0:21:53A judge ordered the builder to repay the Youngs £3,520,
0:21:53 > 0:21:57but they only received 370 quid, a fraction of their money.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01'I wanted to find out how Carol and George felt
0:22:01 > 0:22:03'when their dreams fell apart.'
0:22:03 > 0:22:06I-I was really low.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10Really, really low, because we had gone through the building part of it, hadn't we?
0:22:10 > 0:22:13Did you feel you had any anywhere to turn, anyone to turn to,
0:22:13 > 0:22:15apart from George, of course?
0:22:15 > 0:22:17Well, no, just family, you know.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21They couldn't do anything about it, you know, I mean...
0:22:21 > 0:22:24- It is an awful thing. - All right, love? It's all right.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26It is an awful thing, yeah, seriously.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29It's all right, it's over with now, right?
0:22:29 > 0:22:30It is a dreadful...
0:22:30 > 0:22:33You know, it's important, it's really important, Carol,
0:22:33 > 0:22:38at this stage, to know that... for people to understand
0:22:38 > 0:22:44that this is the sort of disruption and the hurt that these guys cause.
0:22:44 > 0:22:50And with your help, OK, and with you telling us your story,
0:22:50 > 0:22:51you are helping others.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53I was horrified seeing the effect
0:22:53 > 0:22:56the cowboy builder had on the Youngs.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58But I knew once our good guys got stuck in,
0:22:58 > 0:23:01they would feel a whole lot better.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05One man went beyond the call of duty - Eric the tiler.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07It looks fantastic.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09What have you been up to?
0:23:09 > 0:23:12Well, preparation has been 90% of it, to create the folds
0:23:12 > 0:23:14for the wet room.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17The tiling is actually a piece of cake. I do it every day.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21- Yes. You're the professional. This is what we want.- Best of the best.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25This hapless washroom was just a pipedream before we started.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28The walls, bare plasterboard,
0:23:28 > 0:23:32the whole room just looked like the builder bolted halfway through.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35We transformed it into a toilet you'd be desperate to use.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39And this shower room was something out of a horror film.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42We gave it some five-star hotel appeal.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46It was fresh, funky and family-friendly.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50But my favourite moment was showing the Youngs that after all
0:23:50 > 0:23:54they had been through, their dream came true.
0:23:55 > 0:23:56Oh, God!
0:23:56 > 0:23:58CAROL LAUGHS
0:23:58 > 0:24:00It's a different...
0:24:00 > 0:24:03God, you wouldn't think it was part of the house, would you?
0:24:03 > 0:24:04Oh, it's lovely.
0:24:04 > 0:24:09The good guys did a wonderful job, and if that wasn't enough,
0:24:09 > 0:24:13our boys gave them an added extra surprise to keep them snug and cosy
0:24:13 > 0:24:16on those cold Newcastle mornings.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19There's a little secret hidden in here as well - underfloor heating.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21Oh!
0:24:21 > 0:24:24- Oh, that's just... - So it's a thumbs up for that, is it?
0:24:24 > 0:24:27- Oh, yes!- Grand, grand!
0:24:27 > 0:24:29We put the Youngs back on track,
0:24:29 > 0:24:34but they still had lots to do to make their home family-friendly.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40Hard to believe it's been two years.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42Now, I'm back on Tyneside.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45I can't wait to see how Carol and George have been getting on,
0:24:45 > 0:24:47so let's find out.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58Wey-aye! It's great to be back in Newcastle. How are you, Carol?
0:24:58 > 0:25:00- How are you, George? - Nice to see you, Clive.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02Tell you what, it's great to be back, but I'd like to find out
0:25:02 > 0:25:06how things have developed since the last time I was here, if you don't mind?
0:25:06 > 0:25:08- Quite well. Quite well. - Do you mind if I come in?- No.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11Great, let's go and have a chat.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13Can't wait to find out.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16Carol and George have used our help as a springboard to soup up their
0:25:16 > 0:25:18tired-looking kitchen.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21They've fitted new worktops and units,
0:25:21 > 0:25:24and what about those smart, vintage tiles?
0:25:24 > 0:25:26They look like the work of a real pro.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30Same tiler that did the floor and the wall.
0:25:30 > 0:25:35- And that was Eric, the guy we brought in?- Yeah. Yeah.- Brilliant.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38It's nice to know that you can use them any time now, can't you?
0:25:38 > 0:25:41Without a doubt. We wouldn't use anybody else.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45That's more like it! The Youngs have followed one of my top tips -
0:25:45 > 0:25:48if you find a good tradesman, don't let him go.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52The kitchen fitter, we got recommendations
0:25:52 > 0:25:54and work that he'd done, we'd seen,
0:25:54 > 0:25:58so we weren't going down the same avenue that we did the last time.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01The garden isn't finished, but we'll get there.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05- But everything we've done, we've learnt from Cowboy Trap, haven't we, Carol?- Yes.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08'Glad to hear it! Now, what about the extension?
0:26:08 > 0:26:10'What have they done down here?'
0:26:10 > 0:26:12We've got wall tiles up.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16- I'm loving the wall tiles by the way.- Yeah, I know, we love them.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19It just makes the room much bigger.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23- It's got a sort of Victorian feel about it as well, hasn't it, the shapes of the tiles?- Yeah.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26So, although you can still tell it's a bit of work in progress,
0:26:26 > 0:26:29the work is progressing.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32- That's the key.- Definitely.- Now, I want to see if that wet room
0:26:32 > 0:26:35and downstairs toilet have stood the test of the last two years.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37- It does. - Good, let's go and have a look.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44- There you go.- Now, then.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46Now, this does bring back loads of memories,
0:26:46 > 0:26:48and looking at it, it's quality.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52- Still as nice as the day it was done. - It is.- Yeah.- You're not wrong!
0:26:52 > 0:26:55- I tell you what, that is a cracking job.- Mm-hm.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57The whole room, you know, when you are in there,
0:26:57 > 0:27:00it's so spacious, you know, you want to sing!
0:27:00 > 0:27:01Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah!
0:27:01 > 0:27:05The look of the house isn't the only thing that's new.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07Carol's job has also changed.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10After falling into the cowboy trap, she had to put her dream
0:27:10 > 0:27:14of fostering children with special needs on hold.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18A little birdie tells me that you've got a new job.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22Yes, yes. I'm going to be working for the NHS.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26It's on the rapid response team and discharge team.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30I'm so happy. The Youngs have more than turned the corner -
0:27:30 > 0:27:32they've climbed the mountain!
0:27:32 > 0:27:34They've removed all traces of the cowboy builder
0:27:34 > 0:27:36from their suburban ranch.
0:27:36 > 0:27:40Well, it's been great. Thanks for letting us back in for a revisit.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43- Thank you for everything you've done.- Lovely to see you.- Thank you.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46- And it's gorgeous to see you, Carol, me lovely.- Thank you.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53It's been great coming back to visit Carol and George
0:27:53 > 0:27:56and seeing how they've progressed with their lovely home.
0:27:56 > 0:28:01And to see just how they bounced back from their brush with a cowboy builder.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03And remember -
0:28:03 > 0:28:05however bad things may seem,
0:28:05 > 0:28:08there is a way to get your home build back on track
0:28:08 > 0:28:12so that you don't end up in the same situation as Carol and George.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15And that's by taking on board all my advice, hints and top tips,
0:28:15 > 0:28:20and that way, you won't fall into the cowboy trap in the first place.
0:28:45 > 0:28:48Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd