Episode 8 Cowboy Trap

Over the years, I've seen some real cowboy bodge jobs.

The stuff of nightmares, that would keep anybody awake at night.

I was left with a shell, an absolute shell. No floor, just a shell.

Today, I'm revisiting homeowners that got caught in the Cowboy Trap

by bungling builders who left them well and truly in the lurch.

It will never be finished. We're always going to live in squalor.

I can't wait to see how their homes and their lives have moved on

since we got them back on track.

It's amazing what you've done.

-Well, you haven't seen anything yet.

-You've got the stone tiles down.

-Yes, David did it.

-All the way through.

We've learnt from you, Clive, how to vet builders now.

I think we could take anybody on now.

And along the way, I'll be giving you some top hints and tips in the hope

it will prevent you from falling into the Cowboy Trap.

Today's Cowboy Trap is a cautionary tale of cowboy builders

running amok, and a stern lesson on what can go wrong

if you lose control of your building project.

Two couples, two seriously big builds.

What both have in common is that by biting off more than they could chew,

they ended up with the cowboys calling the shots,

with consequences that would wreak havoc with their homes and lives.

-I would have been quite happy just to pack a bag.

-Happy to pack a bag?

Just go, yeah.

There's no way that foundation is deep enough to alleviate this problem.

We need to underpin.

I think this is where the anger really overflows now,

because these builders have had no regard for anybody's safety.

Later, I'll be catching up with Donna and Ash from Leicester,

whose failure to keep tabs on two cowboy builders

resulted in the stuff of nightmares.

Just don't know what to expect, you know.

The worst scenario, they could pull the whole extension down.

But first, I'm returning to the London Borough of Greenwich,

where Susan and David Bassett's ambitious plans to redevelop

this three-bedroom semi came unstuck, because they failed to notice

their builder was incompetent and simply not up to the job.

Banking PA Susan and landscape gardener David were near-neighbours for 14 years,

before love blossomed and they decided to tie the knot eight years ago.

In 2006, they bought their first house together.

It was in a great location but needed refurbishing

and would have to be adapted

so that their mothers could visit the property.

Both of our mothers, unfortunately, are in wheelchairs and to have them

at the property, they would need the access to a downstairs toilet.

The happy couple also wanted space to pursue their own interests.

This would include a room to house former DJ David's mighty record collection

and an art studio upstairs for them both.

The view from the top of the house is excellent.

I have interest in painting

and I thought this would be an ideal art studio and, with the vision

across the park, would be one, relaxing and two, inspiring.

In March 2010, they hired a builder to carry out a loft conversion,

build a double-storey side extension,

and add a garden room at the back of the house.

It was a colossal job, which came with an equally hefty

price tag of 94 grand.

The work appeared to get off to a good start.

But as Susan and David weren't around during the day,

they failed to spot what was really happening - nothing.

Neighbours had told us, "We've noticed that when you've

-"been at work, there's nothing happening."

-That was September.

That was alarm bells.

We think, "This should be completed by the end of October.

"This is September and there's no work happening."

Take my advice.

It's never a good idea to embark on a major building project

if you can't be there to supervise it.

At the very least, you need to ask a friend or relative

to help make sure your builders are on site and on schedule.

With a project as big as this,

you're best off hiring an independent project manager.

Back at the Bassetts', it felt like the builder was playing

a game of hide-and-seek.

But Susan and David gave him the benefit of the doubt.

We took this up with the builder, and we were given excuses,

one after the other which...

But they were all fairly plausible at the time.

So plausible, in fact, the Bassetts believed him

when he told them not to worry, as everything was on schedule.

But as weeks of delays turned into months, they began to suspect

the builder's long list of excuses was little more than lies.

Susan suffers with sciatica, and she and David ended up

with no roof and no central heating at the worst possible time.

Winter was the worst ever on record.

We had to watch TV with coats, hats and gloves on.

In February 2011,

four months after the job should have been completed,

Susan and David's builder walked off the job

and said that another builder was coming to take over.

That was the last they'd heard from him.

Before their cowboy fled, Susan and David had paid him £78,000,

just 16 grand less than their original quote.

But they were left in an unbelievable

and dangerous state, without heating, guttering,

no kitchen or bathroom and an incomplete roof.

You get the picture?

A contractor they had brought in to take over the job made the most of

what little money they had left, but the house is nowhere near finished.

The couple began to wonder how they were going to get out

of this mess they were in.

I still look at it and I think it will never be finished

and we're always going to live in squalor.

'Susan and David were at rock bottom when I visited them in spring 2011.'

-Hiya.

-Morning, Clive.

-You must be Susie and David.

-We are.

-Can I come in?

-If you'd like to put your boots on...

'On this occasion, first impressions weren't misleading.'

Join in the plaster there.

'The Bassetts had wanted an accessible downstairs toilet.

'But they hadn't got one.'

What's this supposed to be?

The door to the garage... Oh, that's a toilet.

'I discovered one bodge job after another

'and things weren't much better in the bathroom upstairs.'

I'm not 100% sure how this floor's been laid out.

I just felt one of these tiles move under my feet.

Somebody must have had a plan. I'm just not sure who.

'Back downstairs, the heating system was missing a vital ingredient.'

Radiators in. It's not parked up, that's for sure.

I hope they weren't like that in this last winter.

Because if that wasn't plumbed in, it would have been chilly-willy in here.

'And outside, things were every bit as shoddy.'

Well, look at this.

This is nuts.

As you look down here,

this is where the drainage system should be to drain away.

I don't know how long this has been in this situation,

but you can see we've got saltation coming out onto the brickwork.

That means there is a lot of rain gathering there and that's not good.

This is an incomplete job, for sure.

Those bricks there that have been faced off,

they're ready for a render coat.

The bad side of it far outweighs the good, without a shadow of a doubt.

'It was a catalogue of disasters, in fact.

'And when I arrived, Susan and David had been living in a building site for two long months.

'There was no doubting the profound effect the experience had had on the couple.'

When you got to the stage where you had come to loggerheads, and you thought to yourself,

"That dream I always had in my mind has now gone,"

what did that feel like?

-I would have been quite happy just to pack a bag.

-Really?

We had that talk, yeah.

Happy to pack a bag due to this guy?

-Just go, yeah.

-Wow, now that is hard to take.

That's the level of stress that these guys can cause.

-Yeah.

-And that's something you can really hate them for.

There's no two ways about it.

If ever there was a need for our good guys, this was it.

If the Bassetts were to get their dreams back on track,

it would take our knights in a shining van to do it.

Head builder Paul and his team not only transformed the bathroom,

they made the staircase safe, sorted the heating out

and made the downstairs toilet accessible

for David and Susan's mums to use when they visit.

They even worked their magic outside, too.

# They re-rendered. They re-rendered. #

That looks a cracking job.

That was bare brick before. Now it's been rendered, painted... Love it!

And I also love it when our good guys show just what can be

achieved when you get skilled tradesmen on the job.

Thanks to their efforts, this build was back on track.

But Susan and David still had plenty to do to achieve

the transformation they'd dreamed of.

I'm back in Greenwich to find out if Susie and David

have managed to build on the kick-start that we gave them.

I can already see they've improved their kerb appeal.

Last time I was here, this place was a dumping ground.

Now it's as sweet as a suburban nut.

(Looks different.)

'I wonder what else they've been up to since I last saw them a year ago.'

Here they come.

-Oh, it's lovely to see you again.

-Hello.

-Susie, how are you?

-Hello, Clive.

-Lovely to see you.

-And you. I tell you what, it looks different already from outside.

-A lot of changes.

-Certainly does.

-Do you mind showing me round what's happened inside?

-Certainly, come in.

-Great.

'What an entrance. I don't mean mine, of course.

'I'm talking about the stunning work the couple have done

'to their passageway.'

You've got the stone tiles down.

-David did it.

-All the way through.

-Yeah. Wow.

In fact, David did this the way you showed him to on the show,

-so basically...

-Yeah, planning it out, dry-laying it.

-And all the plywood first.

-Really pleased with it.

-Plywood throughout.

-Fantastic.

'What can I say? This man was taught by a master.

'Well, if they can do this, I can't wait to see

'how they've transformed their artistic retreat upstairs.'

So here we are, Clive, in the attic room.

So this is the attic conversion.

I do remember the last time I was here it had sub-floor,

-didn't have the boards down.

-That's right.

Certainly wasn't decorated or anything like that. It had a couple of chairs in it.

But I think the way you've actually designed this is amazing.

'Before, it was just bare floorboards,

'and, well, a room begging for help.

'Now this is a room to paint in and admire the gorgeous scenery

'or soak away the daily grind in this beautiful en suite.'

I tell you what, if the rest of the property is done as lovingly as this, I can't wait to see it.

-Look forward to showing you.

-Come on, let's go.

Lovely jubbly.

When we left, the stairs were made safe

but they have carried on to finish the hall

and put their own stamp on the place.

And there's been another pronounced change here -

and that's to David himself.

So with you coming down and getting myself motivated,

as I work for myself,

I spent more time at home than with my clients to get the jobs done.

Once I had seen what you'd done, it fired me on to carry on.

And wait till you see the piece de resistance,

cos I've saved the best till last.

Remember that garden room and kitchen? Last time I was here,

it was a culinary catastrophe that made you want to eat out.

Amazing. It's finished. The flooring has been laid.

Now this looks like the work of a real pro

and the new kitchen-diner is fit for a family feast.

With luxurious lighting and fantastic knick-knacks,

this kitchen looks like a real showroom.

Susan and David can be rightly proud of all their hard work.

But how did they do it?

We had so much to do at the point you left and, of course,

it was at that point we'd let all the traders go as well

because we had no money left, so, really, this is all down to David.

I mean, he's had to pick this up and do everything himself.

But in real terms, what you've done, I have to say,

puts that builder to shame.

Both Susie and I have done a lot to this house

that we actually can turn round and say that we did,

even though Cowboy Trap gave us a direction

for us to carry on and complete it.

It's all change outside as well.

Before, the garden was a desolate disaster -

hardly inspirational for David and Susan's paintings.

Now it's breathtaking.

They've created a floral wonderland that captures the imagination.

With mature flowers and plants

and a meandering path to get lost in, this is the icing on the cake.

Aw, thank you, darling.

-Well, it's a bit soggy out here, I'm afraid.

-It is.

'Just my luck, then, that it started pouring.'

Great garden.

-You did all the planning of it?

-Yeah, we did, we did.

David landscaped it.

-You've done such a fantastic job.

-We even put a little pond in.

-Aw, glad you like it.

-What's in the pond?

We've got frogs in here, we've got newts in here.

Hopefully, if the weather brightens up, we'll get some damselflies.

-It's supposed to be a wildlife pond, so no fish.

-But I love it.

I tell you what, you've done yourself proud

-and I'm glad we've given you that springboard...

-You definitely did.

-..to go forward.

Now, do you think these flowers match my eyes?

-Yeah.

-Yeah?

-Definitely.

-Ooh, you cheeky monkey. Let's get in out the rain.

-Come on, then.

'It's great to see Susan back on form.

'Banishing her builder blues has been a real tonic for her

'and it's given her relationship with David

'an unexpected twist too.'

I mean, for David and I now, we've had to work so closely together

that I think we understand one another a lot better

and I think it's made us stronger as a couple.

I think we could take anybody on now - anybody and anything.

It's wonderful to see Susan so happy

and the couple's triumph over adversity is a truly inspiring tale.

You guys have inspired me

and I'm sure you've inspired lots of people at home who are watching today.

From the position you were in to where you are now

is a planet's worth away for me.

It's just quite amazing.

And now I think we're much more positive

and it just sort of proves you can't let these things beat you.

-You've got to carry on.

-Listen, good luck with the future.

-Thank you.

-I'm so pleased you're much better.

-I am.

-All power to your elbow and I hope it improves and improves and improves.

-Thank you.

-So well done.

Well, how good was that?

It's been fantastic to see Susie and David again.

And what about the amount of work they've got through since I was last here?

It's been wonderful to know we've inspired them to get on with it.

I know there's one or two little jobs extra to do

but if that's anything to go by, the future looks very bright indeed.

Susie and David have learned the hard way how vital it is

to supervise your building work every step of the way.

It's a lesson that could have saved our next couple

from the grim results of employing not one but two cowboy builders.

I've returned to Leicester,

a bustling Midlands city with a famous tradition for making hosiery,

and, of course, a football team that are nicknamed the Foxes.

And that's appropriate because I'm on the scent of some vermin -

a pair of cowboy builders whose work was not only bad, it was dangerous.

It's one thing being ripped off financially,

but these builders have had no regard for anybody's safety.

Meet Ash, a funeral director,

and his partner Donna, who works in childcare.

Between them, the couple have four children from previous relationships.

So when they moved in together,

they needed a bit more space than Ash had at his three-bed semi.

We've got a growing family.

We were quite fortunate to find love a second time round, the pair of us,

and we certainly needed a house that was going to be big enough to cater for us as a family.

This was the second builder Ash had employed.

Some years before, the first built him a double-storey extension.

But he was a cowboy who walked off the job,

leaving little more than a shell.

Stung by this experience,

Ash decided to look closer to home for his next builder.

As luck would have it, a friend knew just the man.

The agreement was that he would do the knock-through

from the old part of the house into the new extension,

create, with a stud wall,

the extra rooms that we required, the bathroom,

and then also kit them out.

That included the plumbing, the electrics,

it included the tiling. It was a complete job.

It was a big old project, then, but to begin with,

things looked like they were going well.

We started seeing the progress

and that gave us a little bit more confidence.

So confident, in fact, that Donna and Ash allowed the builder

to make himself at home.

Big mistake.

He would have something to eat with us or if we had leftover food from tea,

he would take it home.

Yeah, we were treating him like one of the family, really.

Take my advice - it might be tempting,

but never make your builder feel at home

because your home is his workplace.

Be sure to maintain a professional relationship at all times.

Remember, your builder isn't your friend

and if you blur the lines, you will create problems later.

In Ash and Donna's case,

it would lead them to take their eye off the ball.

Instead of scrutinising every step of this hefty build,

they simply put their trust in the builder to pull it off.

So far, so good. But -

and as you'll know by now, there's always a but -

six weeks turned into ten weeks and the job remained unfinished.

Worse still, things were falling apart.

The boys had just literally gone to bed and we'd said goodnight to them

and we heard this massive crash and a crack.

We went into the main bathroom

and behind the toilet system, there's, like, slate big tiles,

and one fell off the wall

straight onto the toilet and cracked the toilet seat and broke the chain.

Whoa, that was too close for comfort.

I dread to think what could have happened.

But when I arrived on the scene in 2009,

I was about to discover a whole heap of dangerous problems.

-Hi, Ash.

-Hi.

-I'm Clive from Cowboy Trap. How are you?

Nice to meet you, Clive. I'm well, thank you.

Ash showed me their nightmare bathroom.

The water was leaking downstairs and we discovered that it was a pipe

that was bust and it was for this shower in the en suite.

When I had a good poke around in the bathroom,

I discovered loads more major problems.

There were gaps in the plasterboard, the blockwork was a total disgrace,

and the builder had tried to fix a plumbing error

with a technique that you will not find on any plumbing course.

What he'd actually done, there was a hole,

and he'd bunged it with toilet paper to stop the leak,

and this was all boarded up.

Oh, you are having a laugh! Loo paper to stop a leak?

But this black comedy was about to turn into a horror film

when our good guys got a very nasty surprise.

The first builder, the fella who had originally built the extension,

had left a cowboy calling card.

-Have you seen this?

-Look at the size of that.

I didn't see that earlier on. Was it...?

It was boarded over, wasn't it?

We just took the plasterboard off and...

-Oh, no, I don't like that.

-The wall's totally in half.

-It is. And all the way up, virtually, as well.

-Yeah.

In fact, it's all bar one block.

Whatever happens, now that that's been exposed,

we have to get that checked out.

'And guess who had to break the bad news to Ash?'

-Ah, Ash...

-Yes, mate?

Oh, I tell you, I've just been up with the boys in your bathroom.

They've pulled back the boarding and underneath,

we found a fairly big crack in the blockwork that I'm concerned about.

Obviously, we can't ignore it now, we've exposed it,

-we've looked at it.

-Yeah.

I'm slightly concerned about it, but I need a second opinion.

I hope you don't mind but I'm going to need to call in

the local building inspector to take a look at it.

'Calling in a building inspector was a huge deal.

'These guys had the power to condemn this house.

'Crossing every finger,

'I hoped that Ash and Donna wouldn't lose their home.

'The building inspector took one look at the crack in the bathroom

'and headed straight for the basement.

'This pillar on the ground floor sat directly below the bathroom

'and supported the entire weight of the extension,

'so if this wasn't kosher,

'the whole deck of cards could have collapsed at any minute.

'It was one blow after another for Donna and Ash

'and the building inspector confirmed their worst fears.'

Well, as requested, we've had the inspection hole dug right now,

so I want you to see for yourself.

There's no way that foundation is deep enough.

This reveals enough information

to suggest that, to alleviate this problem, we need to underpin.

OK, so it's an underpinning job.

Now, underpinning is where we strengthen

the foundations of a building, and to do this,

we need to prop up the house with some mighty strong supports.

Now, you know that I'm used to rolling with the punches on Cowboy Trap by now

and often things can take an unexpected turn for the worse.

I came here expecting to repair a bodged bathroom.

Little did I know we were going to need to shore up the whole extension

for fear the thing was going to collapse.

There was more bad news for Donna and Ash.

Our electrician had inspected the electrics installed

by the second cowboy builder and I was shocked by his findings.

It's not encased in a box to isolate it, it's actually live.

It's what turns the hallway lights on

-so they can see when they're going to bed.

-There's kids in this property.

It is unbelievable, anyway.

Cos I've obviously noticed it, I do have to issue a danger notice now

to say that, obviously, the electrics are unsafe to use

until they've been inspected and tested.

The electrics in the extension

were so bad that the electrician was forced to condemn them.

Donna and Ash paid out 30 grand for a dream extension

but, instead, they were hung out to dry.

Just feel shocked and numb and, I don't know,

my stomach feels like a washing machine.

It just keeps going around.

I think the more and more they do, I think, "What else are they going to reveal?"

I think this is where the anger really overflows now

because it's one thing being ripped off financially

but these builders have had no regard for anybody's safety.

It was time to get the good guys in to make safe this building disaster area

and turn this useless pillar into the stable structure

it should have been.

With the help of the good guys, we made the house safe.

-You've saved our lives.

-Definitely.

We'd done our bit - it was now up to Donna and Ash

to learn from their mistakes

and finally realise their dream of a perfect home sweet home.

Well, that was then, and this is now.

It's been three years

since the last time I saw Donna, Ash and the family.

But looking at the building from the outside, it looks very different.

I wonder what's been going on inside?

I can't wait to find out. Come on.

DOG BARKS

Even the dog's barking with excitement.

-CLIVE CHUCKLES

-Hello.

-How are you?

-Good to see you. Lovely Donna.

-Hello! How are you?

Whoa, it looks totally different from outside.

-Let's have a look inside.

-Come on in.

Hey, I tell you what, straightaway, that's great, that.

I'm feeling the love.

In the extension, Donna and Ash have created

a welcoming lounge, with feature walls, luxurious fittings

and a beautiful open kitchen, perfect for all the family.

But where's that pesky pillar?

And that in the corner there is the dreaded pillar.

I was just thinking about the pillar.

I was trying to get my bearings as to where was that pillar.

-So the actual pillar is...

-In that corner, yeah.

-Wow.

-In that corner.

-It's amazing what you've done.

-You haven't seen anything yet.

-Let me show you the rest of the house.

-Great, where are we going to start?

-Downstairs?

-Yeah, let's start downstairs.

-Come on, then, let's have a look.

'It's time to see if Donna and Ash

'really have de-bodged their bungled bathroom.'

Here we are, then, Clive.

Come and have a look.

Oh, man.

'What was a place of nightmares has been given some much-needed TLC,

'with contemporary new fittings and flooring

'and swanky new tiling that will remain on the walls.

'This is a dreamer's paradise.'

Do you remember this?

I didn't want to look at that wall!

I remember walking in this bathroom...

It was frightening, cos I didn't know at that stage what was going to happen.

Was the building collapsing?

I mean, looking at it now, it's just incredible.

It is a cracking - absolutely cracking - bathroom.

'From crack to cracking.

'I can't believe how far this couple have come. So what's their secret?'

You've taught us a lot, really. We had lots and lots of quotes.

I mean, I felt sorry for the guys who actually took on the work,

because, I mean, we were, like, bullying them,

actually on top of them all the time,

-and, yeah, we knew what to look out for.

-Yeah.

'What a transformation. And this time, I don't mean the house.

'Remember, like the Bassetts, Donna and Ash's problems started

'when they failed to keep tabs on their builder.

'But now they've turned into a right pair of pernickety project managers.

'And I love it.'

I remember very distinctly one of your quotes that you said,

which now I quote to friends and family and people,

and you said that builders are not your friends,

your home is their workplace.

We've learnt from you, Clive, how to vet builders.

We got these guys on recommendations from friends.

We went to see the work first.

-Well done, you two.

-We've listened!

Blimey.

-We've listened.

-Amazing.

'I tell you what, though, this home really does have Donna's stamp all over it.

'Most people take on my hints and tips

'on how to avoid hiring a cowboy builder

'but our good guys have taught Donna how to avoid having to hire a builder at all.'

When it came to, like, internally, these guys were absolutely fantastic.

I don't mind getting my hands dirty, and, to save money,

they showed me how to lay the wooden floors. So I laid the floors.

They actually left me the tools so I could do the floor.

-Guess what I bought her for her birthday?

-Oh, here we go.

-Chop saw.

-I've learned a right few tricks, I have.

Move over, good guys, I think Donna has her eye on your job!

Now we've got a beautiful family home.

There's four kids and Donna and I,

and now we have six bedrooms and three bathrooms,

so it's more than adequate.

-Wow.

-I'm not moving anywhere.

-Definitely not.

-We're not moving.

Asked us three years ago and we might have thought about it, but, no, not now. That's it now.

I'm a bit scared that the kids might not move out now!

It's been wonderful catching up with Donna and Ash again

and seeing just how they've bounced back out of the Cowboy Trap.

Their home looks amazing, and it's also great to know

that the cowboy builders haven't won this time,

not by a long chalk.

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