0:00:10 > 0:00:13We're travelling all over the UK to meet the homeowners
0:00:13 > 0:00:15forced to live with the grim consequences
0:00:15 > 0:00:16of employing a cowboy builder.
0:00:18 > 0:00:19We hadn't had a toilet for three weeks.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22Er...we hadn't got anywhere to eat.
0:00:22 > 0:00:24We'd nowhere to wash.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28With their shoddy workmanship or downright lies,
0:00:28 > 0:00:30cowboy builders are unscrupulous villains
0:00:30 > 0:00:33who not only destroy dreams - they wreck lives too.
0:00:33 > 0:00:38He threatened to get the pick axe and knock the extension down.
0:00:38 > 0:00:39- You're joking?- No.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42We've got the Good Guys in our posse
0:00:42 > 0:00:45to help turn these houses from hell into heavenly homes.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49It looks like it should have done. It looks really clean.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51It's a very nice design, actually.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54- You don't just look relived, you look happy as well.- I am!
0:00:54 > 0:00:56- I truly...- She hasn't smiled in a long time.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59You know, it's thought cowboy builders cost Britons
0:00:59 > 0:01:02over £700 million each year.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04So if you think you know how to spot one,
0:01:04 > 0:01:05think again.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08Make no mistake - the next 45 minutes could help keep you
0:01:08 > 0:01:10out of the cowboy trap.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22Today's Cowboy Trap -
0:01:22 > 0:01:24a structurally unsound kitchen extension
0:01:24 > 0:01:27which proves that size really does matter...
0:01:27 > 0:01:29in more ways than one.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31The bungling builder didn't stick to the plans
0:01:31 > 0:01:35and built it so big it breached planning regulations.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39They built it too long
0:01:39 > 0:01:40and too high.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43And we catch up with a cowboy builder victim in Yorkshire
0:01:43 > 0:01:47to see how she's doing now, four years after we rescued her.
0:01:47 > 0:01:52- It really boosted my morale to... - Did it?- Yeah, it really did.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56I can't tell you, Jonnie. It's a feeling you can never explain.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01Our first Cowboy Trap saga revolves round a home in Alfreton,
0:02:01 > 0:02:04a picturesque town in the Amber Valley in Derbyshire.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09During the Industrial Revolution, Alfreton was a thriving transport hub,
0:02:09 > 0:02:12because it had good road links to the major Midlands cities.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16Now it has a population of around 8,000 citizens,
0:02:16 > 0:02:19but none as famous as a well-known figure from the past.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24Alfreton is said to have been named after the revered Anglo-Saxon King,
0:02:24 > 0:02:27Alfred the Great, who, according to legend,
0:02:27 > 0:02:29got a good telling-off by a lowly woodcutter's wife
0:02:29 > 0:02:31after he left her cakes to burn.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34Now, one of the interpretations of that story
0:02:34 > 0:02:37is that it's a warning about the perils of leaving a man in charge of the kitchen.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41I don't know about that, but I do know that today's Cowboy Trap
0:02:41 > 0:02:44is a warning about the perils of leaving a cowboy builder
0:02:44 > 0:02:46in charge of the kitchen extension.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49And these are the unlucky people who did just that -
0:02:49 > 0:02:52retired couple Keith and Sandra Jones,
0:02:52 > 0:02:54who've been married for 41 years.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57Keith and Sandra met at a dance hall in Sheffield,
0:02:57 > 0:02:59when Sandra was 17.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02We just sort of danced and what-have-you.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04He said, "Are you coming on Tuesday?"
0:03:04 > 0:03:08I said, "Well, perhaps." You know how you don't give anything away
0:03:08 > 0:03:09when you first meet somebody.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12And then things got a bit more serious,
0:03:12 > 0:03:15and eventually we got engaged and...
0:03:15 > 0:03:19I think it was about three or four years before we got married.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24Sadly, in recent years, the couple's health has deteriorated.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27Keith struggles with severe arthritis
0:03:27 > 0:03:30and Sandra has autonomic neuropathy,
0:03:30 > 0:03:33which is a nerve disorder with symptoms including
0:03:33 > 0:03:35digestion problems and an intolerance to heat.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39I call it my thermostat's scuppered.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41I'm hot,
0:03:41 > 0:03:43but I don't sweat,
0:03:43 > 0:03:46and yet my legs and my arms shiver.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49Sandra and Keith brought up their daughter Sarah
0:03:49 > 0:03:51in a three-bed semi in Sheffield.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54They lived in that house for 31 years.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57Although they loved their home,
0:03:57 > 0:04:00Keith and Sandra had known for a long time that it desperately needed modernising.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03But in 2010, when their daughter got married,
0:04:03 > 0:04:05all their savings went on her big day
0:04:05 > 0:04:07and their plans for a house were put on hold.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10Eventually, with Sandra's condition worsening
0:04:10 > 0:04:11and Keith's problems with arthritis,
0:04:11 > 0:04:14they decided the time had come to sell up and buy a smaller home
0:04:14 > 0:04:16closer to their family.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22The Joneses found a bungalow near where their daughter lived in Alfreton.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24They had lots of interest in their house,
0:04:24 > 0:04:26but no-one wanted to pay the asking price.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29Then they received a most unusual offer
0:04:29 > 0:04:30from a local builder.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34He said he'd pay £160,000 for the Joneses' house
0:04:34 > 0:04:37and build them a new conservatory at their next home,
0:04:37 > 0:04:41with a £2,500 discount on the usual price.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43Sounds odd, but it did the trick.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48So we thought, "That more or less seals the deal."
0:04:48 > 0:04:49We thought, "That's really good."
0:04:51 > 0:04:53The Joneses moved into their new bungalow,
0:04:53 > 0:04:55which had loads of potential.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58Even though they were downsizing, they couldn't wait
0:04:58 > 0:04:59to make it into their dream home.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03Item one on their wish list - a kitchen extension.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07Sandra and Keith had originally wanted a conservatory,
0:05:07 > 0:05:08and they'd been given a discount on one.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11When they moved in, they had a change of heart,
0:05:11 > 0:05:15realising it was almost the last thing they needed, given Sandra's intolerance to heat.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18So they settled on an extension to their kitchen instead,
0:05:18 > 0:05:20and as luck would have it - bad luck, that is -
0:05:20 > 0:05:23their builder was willing to carry out the work.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27Yep, the builder who'd bought their house
0:05:27 > 0:05:29and offered £2,500 off the conservatory
0:05:29 > 0:05:33was willing to transfer that discount to a kitchen extension.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35It seemed too good a deal to resist,
0:05:35 > 0:05:38so Keith and Sandra decided he was the man for the job.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41They didn't even ask any other builders to quote.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44Now, in a previous life, I was a surveyor,
0:05:44 > 0:05:49and in my experience, no builder's deal is ever too good to refuse.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53Take my advice...
0:06:07 > 0:06:09Or you might live to regret it.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16The Joneses' builder's quote for constructing the extension was
0:06:16 > 0:06:18£17,000, including the discount.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20This figure covered all the electrics,
0:06:20 > 0:06:22plumbing and joinery,
0:06:22 > 0:06:25and some pipework and tiling in the bathroom too.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27And for an extra £1,000,
0:06:27 > 0:06:29he said he'd re-fit the kitchen.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33What our aim was, was to get all the plumbing correctly done,
0:06:33 > 0:06:36all the electrics done properly
0:06:36 > 0:06:39and new furniture...
0:06:39 > 0:06:44so that we wouldn't have to spend any more money, because all we would have
0:06:44 > 0:06:45would be our pensions.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49A payment schedule was agreed -
0:06:49 > 0:06:51£5,000 when the foundations were finished,
0:06:51 > 0:06:53£10,000 when the roof was up
0:06:53 > 0:06:56and the final £2,000 on completion.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00Work started in November 2010,
0:07:00 > 0:07:03but it didn't take long for the Joneses to have misgivings.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07For starters, the builders just didn't seem to care about the disruption they were causing.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12We've never had an extension before in our lives,
0:07:12 > 0:07:15so we expected the worst,
0:07:15 > 0:07:17and I think the worst we got.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21It wasn't just the mess that worried Keith and Sandra.
0:07:23 > 0:07:24The builder was rarely on site,
0:07:24 > 0:07:26leaving his labourers to do the donkey work.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32But he did turn up when a private building control company came to inspect the foundations.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37They were approved, and the builder cracked on with the project...
0:07:37 > 0:07:40with the emphasis on the cracking.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44The tiling on the bathroom floor wasn't up to scratch.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48The plumbing was poor, and the work was taking ages.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50In fact, I reckon Brunel could build a bridge
0:07:50 > 0:07:53faster than this bloke could build a bathroom.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56Keith and Sandra's quality of life plummeted.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00We hadn't had a toilet for three weeks.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04Er...we hadn't got anywhere to eat.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06We'd nowhere to wash.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09So we had to let them just carry on.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12Talking of carry on,
0:08:12 > 0:08:15this bodging builder's next stunt would have put Sid James to shame.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19Sandra was pottering around the garden one day
0:08:19 > 0:08:20and got the shock of her life.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24They hadn't brought a portable toilet with them,
0:08:24 > 0:08:29and he went between the garage and the shed.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32And I caught him one day there.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36Having a leak behind the shed?
0:08:36 > 0:08:37Now that's taking the...
0:08:37 > 0:08:39biscuit.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42This build was rapidly becoming a cowboy comedy of errors,
0:08:42 > 0:08:45and no more so than when the time came to install the steel beams
0:08:45 > 0:08:48vital to holding up the extension roof.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50Trust me, Frank Spencer would have done a better job.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54The builder got a brickie in to help fit the steel beam.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57That's like getting a painter and decorator in
0:08:57 > 0:08:59to help with the artwork for the Sistine Chapel -
0:08:59 > 0:09:01somewhat unorthodox.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04The reason the brickie was summoned? Three words -
0:09:04 > 0:09:07bodge...bodge...bodge.
0:09:08 > 0:09:13This bricklayer started building a column of house bricks
0:09:13 > 0:09:15up the side.
0:09:15 > 0:09:20The main builder came and he said, "With the steels, I've had to do this
0:09:20 > 0:09:22"to make it safe."
0:09:23 > 0:09:25Columns of bricks to make an RSJ safe?
0:09:25 > 0:09:27Hmm, I don't like the sound of that.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30But that wasn't the only concern.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34The conservatory exterior bricks were a different style to the house bricks.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37As Prince Charles would say, it looked like a carbuncle.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40And because the kitchen was taking so long,
0:09:40 > 0:09:43the Joneses had to live on fast food for a month.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46When the fittings finally did arrive, Sandra's heart sank.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50The dishwasher we'd picked -
0:09:50 > 0:09:52an ordinary-sized dishwasher -
0:09:52 > 0:09:56we couldn't get through into the extension.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00Because these columns came out too much.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04Sandra had to settle for a slimline dishwasher
0:10:04 > 0:10:06that was totally unfit for purpose.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09Then in late February 2011,
0:10:09 > 0:10:11the builder delivered a bombshell.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14They'd built it...
0:10:14 > 0:10:15too long
0:10:15 > 0:10:17and too high.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19It now needs planning permission.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21Crikey!
0:10:21 > 0:10:24Without planning permission, the council could insist on pulling it down.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27The builder then had the cheek to announce he'd finished
0:10:27 > 0:10:30and demanded his final £2,000 payment
0:10:30 > 0:10:33on top of the 15 grand he'd already been paid.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37We said, "Well, you've not fully finished the job yet,"
0:10:37 > 0:10:40and they just stormed off then.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44The builder took the Joneses to court to get the money he said he was owed.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47After a stressful legal battle,
0:10:47 > 0:10:49the cost became so great for both sides
0:10:49 > 0:10:50that the case was dropped.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54But for the Joneses, the emotional damage was already done.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56We've always had us rows,
0:10:56 > 0:10:58but we row more now than we ever did.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01It was just like our world had fell apart,
0:11:01 > 0:11:04and she was really down about it all.
0:11:04 > 0:11:09I think he feels... In fact, I don't think, I KNOW he feels
0:11:09 > 0:11:11that he's let me down.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16What a mess. Not only have Keith and Sandra been robbed of their dream kitchen,
0:11:16 > 0:11:19but they had to go through all the stress of that court action too.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23And it sounds like they've been left with a right bodge on their hands.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25But the million-dollar question is,
0:11:25 > 0:11:27how much of a bodge?
0:11:27 > 0:11:31It's often the case on Cowboy Trap that, on the surface, things don't look too bad.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34Cowboys can be cunning when it comes to covering their tracks.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38So we asked independent building surveyor Paul Brown
0:11:38 > 0:11:40to inspect the work at the Joneses'.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42He's been through it with a fine-tooth comb
0:11:42 > 0:11:45and he's about to fill me in on what he's found.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48It's not about cost, even - it's just a bit sloppy.
0:11:48 > 0:11:53The first item on the agenda is the brickwork of the conservatory not matching that of the house.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59What's gone on here? Why do these bricks not match?
0:11:59 > 0:12:02The bricks on the original building were imperial bricks,
0:12:02 > 0:12:04which means they were slightly larger and they were made
0:12:04 > 0:12:07before metrification, so they're in inches, whereas modern bricks
0:12:07 > 0:12:11are made in centimetres or millimetres
0:12:11 > 0:12:12and they're slightly smaller.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14And that difference in gauge
0:12:14 > 0:12:16means that when you lay them next to each other,
0:12:16 > 0:12:18you get this problem where they don't match up.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21It gives you these very wide joints. It all looks wrong.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23Not kidding!
0:12:23 > 0:12:25It looks like a completely different building.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28And that mortar is bound to fail and crumble.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30As the Joneses' home video footage shows,
0:12:30 > 0:12:34it's been exposed to freezing temperatures when it was laid,
0:12:34 > 0:12:36so the water inside it is frozen,
0:12:36 > 0:12:39weakening the mortar significantly.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41What on earth were they thinking?
0:12:42 > 0:12:45And this photo of the patio wall doesn't look too hot either.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49What you can see there is a small wall which
0:12:49 > 0:12:51supports the ground behind,
0:12:51 > 0:12:54so it's retaining a small amount of earth -
0:12:54 > 0:12:56- about, I would say, 250mm or so.- Yeah.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58But it's constructed off the paving slabs,
0:12:58 > 0:13:02so the paving slabs are forming a surface for the supporting wall.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04Laying a wall on top of a paving slab
0:13:04 > 0:13:06means you're using a paving slab as foundations,
0:13:06 > 0:13:08but also, laying it on the edge of a paving slab,
0:13:08 > 0:13:10it's going to lift the slab straight away.
0:13:10 > 0:13:15That slab will lift, it will become a trip hazard, and that wall's got to do more than just stay upright.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17- As you say, it's got to retain the soil behind it.- Mmm.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21And in the bathroom, the plumbing is really amateurish too.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26- This pipework doesn't have the right fall, or any fall at all.- No.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30It has... It's a small waste pipe that runs from a sink.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32What's happened is they've put it in
0:13:32 > 0:13:36and it doesn't have the correct fall to take the waste away to the drain,
0:13:36 > 0:13:38so what will happen is water will sit in it.
0:13:38 > 0:13:43In fact, water obviously won't go uphill - it'll sit and create a little pool in that pipe,
0:13:43 > 0:13:46and what that will mean really is that it will actually block.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49Anybody putting pipes in will know that there has to be a fall, won't they,
0:13:49 > 0:13:53- so again, that's kind of highlighting...?- It's sloppy.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56It's not about cost, even - it's just a bit sloppy.
0:13:57 > 0:13:58Sloppy indeed.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00As is the tiling on the bathroom floor.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05In the kitchen, there's an even more worrying concern.
0:14:07 > 0:14:08What we've got here on the wall
0:14:08 > 0:14:11doesn't match the dimensions on the plans.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14That's right. There was an original wall of the bungalow removed
0:14:14 > 0:14:17to allow the extension to be constructed.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19And when they've removed that wall,
0:14:19 > 0:14:22they've obviously needed to support it, and they have installed a steel beam.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25Why would the dimensions of where this pier comes out to,
0:14:25 > 0:14:27why would that be different to the plans?
0:14:27 > 0:14:31Well, we understand that the beam was ordered incorrectly and is the wrong size,
0:14:31 > 0:14:32so it wasn't long enough.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35Wrong size?
0:14:35 > 0:14:37If the beam hadn't been fitted right,
0:14:37 > 0:14:39the house could collapse like a pack of cards.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41That needs investigating pronto.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45But first, it's make your mind up time for Paul.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47How would you mark what's been done here out of ten?
0:14:47 > 0:14:49It's quite poor, Jonnie.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52I think, given that they've got some of the finishing right
0:14:52 > 0:14:55and it's not all terrible... There are some key things that are wrong.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57I think it's only a three.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00- I don't know any builder that would be happy with that.- No.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02Well, in a previous life, I was a surveyor
0:15:02 > 0:15:04and based on what Paul's just shown me,
0:15:04 > 0:15:06I'd have given this a big fat zero.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08Non-matching bricks, wobbly walls,
0:15:08 > 0:15:11a suspect screed and dodgy plumbing.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15And a potentially lethal stunted steel girder too.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19Plus, the Joneses have paid over £18,000.
0:15:19 > 0:15:20Nightmare.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24In short, this comedy of errors has become a tragedy,
0:15:24 > 0:15:26with only one chance of a happy ending.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28Time to call in our Good Guys.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33Head honcho Hugh Dwyer wastes no time investigating that suspicious steel.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41It's terrible news for the Joneses -
0:15:41 > 0:15:44the RSJ is totally unfit for purpose.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49It's far too short, and the packers in the end are not secured properly.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53This totally breaks building regulations,
0:15:53 > 0:15:56and quite right too - it's extremely dangerous.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01No hanging about - Dwyer's dynamos swing into action.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06So much work needs doing, the Joneses are chipping in.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10Hugh's heroes kybosh the old kitchen.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12Good riddance!
0:16:13 > 0:16:16Yep, say goodbye to that sad old sink...
0:16:17 > 0:16:20..and farewell to that fundamentally flawed steel beam.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25Then in goes the new RSJ -
0:16:25 > 0:16:27the correct length this time.
0:16:29 > 0:16:30It's a great start,
0:16:30 > 0:16:33but can they get Sandra and Keith's dreams back on track?
0:16:33 > 0:16:35Only time will tell.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45I'm in Derbyshire, in the bustling town of Alfreton,
0:16:45 > 0:16:50where Keith and Sandra Jones were forced by failing health to downsize to a bungalow.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53They had their heart set on building a new kitchen extension,
0:16:53 > 0:16:56but £18,000 later,
0:16:56 > 0:16:57they were left with a right old bodge
0:16:57 > 0:16:59and a lengthy legal battle to boot.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03Well, our Good Guy builders have now finished their work here,
0:17:03 > 0:17:05so let's see how Keith and Sandra are getting on.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13Hello! Ooh, hello!
0:17:13 > 0:17:15- Sandra?- Yes.- Hello, I'm Jonnie.- Hi.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17You must be Keith. Hello.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19- And THAT must be Treacle. - That's right.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21- Please come in.- Thank you very much.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26As soon as I cross the threshold, I can't resist a quick peek.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28Check out the kitchen!
0:17:29 > 0:17:31It used to be a danger to life and limb.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34Now it's a sight to behold.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36And where there was once dodgy pipework,
0:17:36 > 0:17:40we now have a brand spanking new bathroom.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43And from a shabby short wall...
0:17:44 > 0:17:46..there is now a well-pointed construction.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48Result.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50I bet the Joneses are thrilled.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54Now, before I take a closer look at our Good Guys' work,
0:17:54 > 0:17:56I'd like a chat with Keith and Sandra
0:17:56 > 0:17:58about how they got into this mess in the first place.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02How far into the process were you
0:18:02 > 0:18:03when things started to go wrong?
0:18:03 > 0:18:06It was quite a way in. There was a few things wrong,
0:18:06 > 0:18:10but you don't expect everything to be perfect when they're doing a big job.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13And then, when it came to the kitchen fitter,
0:18:13 > 0:18:16- they brought all the kitchen equipment...- Yeah.
0:18:16 > 0:18:22..and we found that I couldn't have the dishwasher that had come, a normal-sized dishwasher,
0:18:22 > 0:18:27because of the way that they'd put the steels in.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30Yep, because that stunted steel beam
0:18:30 > 0:18:32had to be supported by big brick piers,
0:18:32 > 0:18:34there was less room for the dishwasher.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37But kitchen fitting issues are one thing.
0:18:37 > 0:18:38A lack of planning permission
0:18:38 > 0:18:41because the cowboy got the size of the extension wrong
0:18:41 > 0:18:42is quite another.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45You've got this massive investment
0:18:45 > 0:18:48- and it contravenes planning regulations.- That's right.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51That must have been a shock to the system.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54Well, yeah. Unfortunately, the more we found out, the worse it got.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57- Did you bring this up with the builder?- Yes.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59- And what did he say?- He just walked off.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02How much money had you spent by then?
0:19:02 > 0:19:03We'd spent £18,000.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06He wanted another £2,500.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08I said, "Well, the job's not finished."
0:19:08 > 0:19:10And when we wouldn't give it him,
0:19:10 > 0:19:11they were effing and blinding.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15Threatened to get the pick axe and knock the extension down.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19I said...well, I told him to go ahead and I'll ring the police.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22So they effed and blinded and they went.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27I think Keith and Sandra might have avoided this unhappy ending
0:19:27 > 0:19:30if they'd been more assertive with their builder early on.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32The moment they spotted things going wrong,
0:19:32 > 0:19:33they should have piped up.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36When you saw the wrong bricks going up,
0:19:36 > 0:19:39you didn't say anything. You gave them the benefit of the doubt,
0:19:39 > 0:19:42and throughout life, I think it's a good thing to do,
0:19:42 > 0:19:45but you've invested £18,000 into your home there
0:19:45 > 0:19:50- and I think there were certain missed opportunities to put the brakes on it.- Yes, there was.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54Sandra and Keith couldn't have been expected to spot
0:19:54 > 0:19:57the extension wasn't the size in the architect's plans.
0:19:57 > 0:19:58That was why it was such a shock
0:19:58 > 0:20:01when the builder admitted it and scarpered.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05Our surveyor's investigations showed it was way off.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08- Your surveyor...- Our building expert, yeah.
0:20:08 > 0:20:09..he got this magnificent tool...
0:20:09 > 0:20:11A ruler.
0:20:13 > 0:20:14You can laugh!
0:20:14 > 0:20:17He came and straight away, he knew.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21Yeah, he just looked at the drawing and said, "It's nowhere near the drawing."
0:20:21 > 0:20:23- It's beyond permitted development. - Yes.- Exactly.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27But the good news is that despite that,
0:20:27 > 0:20:30we've now arranged retrospective planning permission
0:20:30 > 0:20:31for the extension.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33Now, before I do a grand tour with the Joneses,
0:20:33 > 0:20:36I want to take a close look at our Good Guys' handiwork,
0:20:36 > 0:20:38starting outside.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41Before, there was a problem with the mortar on the exterior wall,
0:20:41 > 0:20:43because it had been laid in frozen conditions.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45Looking good now, though.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47It must have taken quite a lot of digging out.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50They've used a pointing tool on it. It all looks uniform.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52It looks tidy at least. And...
0:20:54 > 0:20:56..it's not failing - it's got some longevity at last.
0:20:56 > 0:20:57And what about this?
0:20:57 > 0:20:58Do you remember?
0:20:58 > 0:21:01This - only a short wall.
0:21:01 > 0:21:02It doesn't matter how tall it is,
0:21:02 > 0:21:05it should never have been built on these paving slabs.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09You can even see where the bricks were laid on the edge of these paving slabs,
0:21:09 > 0:21:11which would have caused a trip hazard.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13Now? Well, the right thing's been done, and by that I mean
0:21:13 > 0:21:16they've clearly dug foundations out,
0:21:16 > 0:21:20built the wall on top of those foundations,
0:21:20 > 0:21:22and left the paving slabs to do their only job -
0:21:22 > 0:21:23to be paving slabs.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26Right, time to look inside.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30Now, first off, there were cracked tiles in the bathroom.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32Ooh! There are none now,
0:21:32 > 0:21:35which means whatever the problem was beneath those tiles
0:21:35 > 0:21:37has now been remedied, which is excellent.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40And the Good Guys did a great job fixing that dodgy plumbing.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44So, bathroom and exterior both better,
0:21:44 > 0:21:47but the proof of this pudding is in the kitchen.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52Now, there was a specific and exacting design for this kitchen.
0:21:52 > 0:21:53All the units had been bought.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57All the builder had to do was join the dots, to an extent.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59Now, the first thing I see here
0:21:59 > 0:22:00is...
0:22:00 > 0:22:03a full-width 600mm unit here,
0:22:03 > 0:22:06which is supposed to house a proper dishwasher.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10Lo and behold, it has got one, which means that Keith and Sandra
0:22:10 > 0:22:12don't have to put up with a slimline dishwasher,
0:22:12 > 0:22:14which is nothing they wanted in the first place.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16So they've got that in place.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19Now, because the pier came all the way to here...
0:22:19 > 0:22:22Remember, that's why you had a slimline dishwasher.
0:22:22 > 0:22:23So you had a gap to walk through.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25But because now the Good Guy builders
0:22:25 > 0:22:29have managed to take this pier back, as per the original plan,
0:22:29 > 0:22:32not only have you got the walkway where it should be,
0:22:32 > 0:22:35and then the proper dishwasher unit where it should be,
0:22:35 > 0:22:37but also,
0:22:37 > 0:22:40the rest of the plan is now coming together.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43The units they'd bought now sit flush with the pier.
0:22:43 > 0:22:44It looks like it should have done.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47It looks really clean. It's a very nice design, actually.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51But what about that stunted steel beam?
0:22:52 > 0:22:54Good Guy head honcho Hugh
0:22:54 > 0:22:55has come to give me the inside track
0:22:55 > 0:22:59on what he thinks the cowboy tried to hide from his unlucky victims.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02What did you find once you took that plaster off?
0:23:02 > 0:23:05Once we exposed it for the building control to see,
0:23:05 > 0:23:09we found that this side here was only on two inches,
0:23:09 > 0:23:11which wasn't adequate - it should be six.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14In effect, the steel beam was on two inches...
0:23:14 > 0:23:17On two inches of brickwork, yeah.
0:23:17 > 0:23:18So...
0:23:20 > 0:23:22..the pier came out to... What, about here?
0:23:22 > 0:23:23- Roughly there.- Yeah.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27- And there was a steel...- Two steels. - ..spanning all this,
0:23:27 > 0:23:30- and on top of this is the entire gable end of the property.- Yep.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34- All that weight was resting on... - Two inches.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38I wouldn't really be happy walking underneath this.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40No, I wouldn't have been either.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44This kitchen is now safe and sound.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48In the bathroom, Hugh and his compadres discovered
0:23:48 > 0:23:51the cause of the cracked tiles as soon as they lifted them up.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55We found that all the screed wasn't any good underneath.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58- What was wrong with it?- It had just crumbled away and cracked,
0:23:58 > 0:24:00so we took all that up,
0:24:00 > 0:24:03relaid the screed, and we tiled in there.
0:24:03 > 0:24:04Good for you.
0:24:04 > 0:24:05Good old Hugh.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08Now, before I do the grand tour with Sandra and Keith,
0:24:08 > 0:24:11there's one more thing I'd like to discuss with them.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13I wanted to find out their builder's side of the story,
0:24:13 > 0:24:16and I can't wait to hear their responses to his version of events.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19Now, firstly, with the kitchen,
0:24:19 > 0:24:22he says he made the pier thicker
0:24:22 > 0:24:23because he was concerned
0:24:23 > 0:24:26the existing walls weren't strong enough.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29I think he's making himself look an absolute charlatan.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32Especially when he actually admitted to the fact
0:24:32 > 0:24:34- he'd put those steels in short.- Yes.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36Now, on the brickwork...
0:24:36 > 0:24:40your cowboy builder says that YOU did the brick match
0:24:40 > 0:24:43and YOU supplied the bricks.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45That is total rubbish.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48They had their own suppliers
0:24:48 > 0:24:51and they have actually physically taken the brick
0:24:51 > 0:24:55to these suppliers, and they've brought the bricks.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58He denies they were laid in freezing temperatures.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00He said he followed correct procedures
0:25:00 > 0:25:03and can't be held responsible for any drop in temperature overnight.
0:25:03 > 0:25:04That is ridiculous!
0:25:04 > 0:25:09We've got videotape of them actually laying bricks when it was snowing.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11I don't need to say anything now, do I?
0:25:11 > 0:25:12I wouldn't have thought so, no.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16And he says he has a completion certificate for the works
0:25:16 > 0:25:20- from a private company of building inspectors.- That's right.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24And when we had the council inspector to come,
0:25:24 > 0:25:28he said, "This building should never have been passed."
0:25:29 > 0:25:31Well, somehow it was,
0:25:31 > 0:25:32and I can't help but wonder why
0:25:32 > 0:25:36the builder wanted to use a private sector building control firm.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38Take my advice...
0:25:44 > 0:25:47There are good private sector companies and bad ones.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54You don't have to go with the company your builder suggests.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04Well, this extension has been cleared by the local authority now,
0:26:04 > 0:26:06thanks to us, and I can't wait to hear
0:26:06 > 0:26:08what Keith and Sandra think to it.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10First up, the exterior.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13The mortar there looks great - looks uniform. Looks much better.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15- Yeah.- Doesn't it just?
0:26:15 > 0:26:17This had all been damaged by the frost.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20Yep, it's much more frost-proof now.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22And when the Good Guys secured the patio wall,
0:26:22 > 0:26:24they also widened the path.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26Nice.
0:26:26 > 0:26:27This is wider, isn't it?
0:26:27 > 0:26:29Oh, yeah, yeah.
0:26:29 > 0:26:33Because I asked him originally to do it that way.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37- You'd originally asked that to happen, and it hadn't happened? - Yeah.
0:26:37 > 0:26:38Well, it has now.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40From building bodge...
0:26:40 > 0:26:42to building brilliance.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45At long last, the Joneses have got what they wanted.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55You've gone through the fear of the house caving in,
0:26:55 > 0:26:57you've gone through the court case,
0:26:57 > 0:26:59and now you've got the finished product
0:26:59 > 0:27:02that, in my opinion, you should have had in the first place.
0:27:02 > 0:27:03How does it make you feel?
0:27:03 > 0:27:05- Oh, it's brilliant!- Brilliant.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07Don't just... If you're not happy...
0:27:07 > 0:27:08- I am!- She is.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11- I truly...- She hasn't smiled in a long time.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13And here's something else that's making Sandra smile -
0:27:13 > 0:27:15her new kitchen.
0:27:18 > 0:27:19So...
0:27:19 > 0:27:23your kitchen's up and running, at long last.
0:27:23 > 0:27:24How are you finding it?
0:27:24 > 0:27:27- Brilliant.- Yeah? - Absolutely brilliant.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30I've now got the kitchen
0:27:30 > 0:27:31that I asked for.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33And the labour-saving device -
0:27:33 > 0:27:35- a full-size dishwasher. - That's right.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38This kitchen now works for you. First of all,
0:27:38 > 0:27:40that fits where it's supposed to fit.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42It works perfectly, doesn't it?
0:27:43 > 0:27:46And Sandra and Keith can now cook and eat in here
0:27:46 > 0:27:49without worrying about their roof crashing down on their heads
0:27:49 > 0:27:51at any moment.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55Knowing that this steel is properly supported...
0:27:55 > 0:27:57- Peace of mind?- Yeah.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59- Very much so.- Not half!
0:27:59 > 0:28:01That's fantastic, that.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04The difference in what it's sat on now
0:28:04 > 0:28:05to what it was before...
0:28:05 > 0:28:08- it's just ridiculous.- You've seen the job done properly now.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11We saw it when they took all the plaster down.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13Saw it when he'd done it.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16And you don't even have to be a builder to know the difference.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18You could see the difference.
0:28:20 > 0:28:21Not half! And, to be honest,
0:28:21 > 0:28:24I'm not sure if the original guy WAS a builder.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26A stunted beam? What was he thinking?!
0:28:26 > 0:28:28Has a load been lifted now?
0:28:28 > 0:28:33- Pardon the pun.- Oh, I can't tell you how grateful I am to you lot.
0:28:33 > 0:28:37I just cannot thank you enough.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39- Me too.- And that is the truth.
0:28:39 > 0:28:41It's actually changed our lives.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43It's had that much of an effect.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47Well, it's no surprise that Sandra and Keith are delighted
0:28:47 > 0:28:50when you compare before...
0:28:50 > 0:28:51to after.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54It's clear what a difference the right guys can make.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59Make no mistake - by downsizing their home,
0:28:59 > 0:29:01Keith and Sandra made a huge sacrifice.
0:29:01 > 0:29:05But they hoped by doing so they'd make life easier for their retirement.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08Unfortunately, their cowboy builder had other plans.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11These guys went through hell with their building, and on top of that,
0:29:11 > 0:29:14the stress of a prolonged legal battle,
0:29:14 > 0:29:16which makes what our Good Guy builders have done
0:29:16 > 0:29:17all the sweeter.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20Sandra and Keith now have their dream kitchen,
0:29:20 > 0:29:23which has finally turned this house into their dream home.
0:29:26 > 0:29:30Now we're off to revisit someone we first met in 2009.
0:29:30 > 0:29:31Like Keith and Sandra's,
0:29:31 > 0:29:34this story revolves around a cowboy builder
0:29:34 > 0:29:38who had no qualms about leaving his unwitting victim in a death trap.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41Four years ago, Marie Ward from Yorkshire
0:29:41 > 0:29:44thought it was time to ring the changes to her bungalow.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47Her sons kept telling her it was dated,
0:29:47 > 0:29:51so she decided to invest in a luxury kitchen and bathroom.
0:29:51 > 0:29:53She also wanted to lighten things up,
0:29:53 > 0:29:56and thought internal windows and knocking down a wall
0:29:56 > 0:29:58between the kitchen and lounge would do the trick.
0:29:58 > 0:30:02Add the final touch - redecorating throughout.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05But as these photographs that Marie took and scribbled notes on show,
0:30:05 > 0:30:08things went rapidly awry.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12It was going to be my dream kitchen, my dream bathroom.
0:30:12 > 0:30:16It was going to be terrific, a real wow factor.
0:30:17 > 0:30:19Yep, Marie was setting her sights high.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22She desperately wanted to create the home of her dreams.
0:30:24 > 0:30:26This was an exciting time for Marie,
0:30:26 > 0:30:28leafing through interior design magazines
0:30:28 > 0:30:32to find the inspiration for the right look for her newly renovated home.
0:30:32 > 0:30:34But then she made a fatal error.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37She noticed a glossy-looking advertisement for a builder,
0:30:37 > 0:30:40and on the basis of that, she hired him.
0:30:40 > 0:30:41Big mistake.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44When I looked at the glossy magazine,
0:30:44 > 0:30:46I thought, "Bingo!
0:30:46 > 0:30:49"Look at those photographs."
0:30:50 > 0:30:52Well, Marie might have thought, "Bingo!"
0:30:52 > 0:30:56but choosing her builder this way is an absolute lottery.
0:30:58 > 0:30:59Take my advice...
0:31:20 > 0:31:24But unfortunately, Marie went for the snazzy centrefold option
0:31:24 > 0:31:26and got that builder round to quote.
0:31:26 > 0:31:29He came up with a figure of £16,500.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32That was to create the deluxe kitchen,
0:31:32 > 0:31:34fit some internal windows
0:31:34 > 0:31:35and redecorate the hall.
0:31:35 > 0:31:38Marie decided to hold off on the bathroom renovation
0:31:38 > 0:31:39to save cash.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42She gave the builder and his compadres the green light.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45So along they came,
0:31:45 > 0:31:47and they seemed to be very industrious.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50I thought I'd keep away, because there's nothing like,
0:31:50 > 0:31:52the men keep saying, a nagging woman, so I kept away.
0:31:54 > 0:31:56So Marie went off to work each day and left them to it.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59But that turned out to be a mistake.
0:31:59 > 0:32:01While Marie wasn't looking,
0:32:01 > 0:32:03the builders were creating chaos in her home.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06The hall was a total mess
0:32:06 > 0:32:08and they were filling the garden with rubbish.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12The standard of their work was pitifully poor.
0:32:14 > 0:32:16When Marie finally did check up on their efforts,
0:32:16 > 0:32:18she couldn't believe her eyes.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21Remember, she decided to leave the bathroom job
0:32:21 > 0:32:22until she had more money.
0:32:22 > 0:32:25But the builder had different ideas.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29Four weeks into the job, I was absolutely terrified.
0:32:29 > 0:32:31He ripped the kitchen out
0:32:31 > 0:32:32and he ripped the bathroom out.
0:32:34 > 0:32:35There was no toilet, nothing.
0:32:35 > 0:32:39There was just the...what I think they call the soil pipe sticking through the wall.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41And it was just a pile of plaster.
0:32:41 > 0:32:43All the old tiles were ripped off and in a pile
0:32:43 > 0:32:45on the floor.
0:32:45 > 0:32:47And the kitchen was the same.
0:32:49 > 0:32:50Marie was shell-shocked.
0:32:50 > 0:32:54Everywhere she looked, her house resembled a bombsite.
0:32:55 > 0:32:57Marie's home had been gutted.
0:32:57 > 0:32:59There wasn't so much as a toilet,
0:32:59 > 0:33:01let alone that top-notch bathroom or luxury kitchen.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04She was left without central heating
0:33:04 > 0:33:07and with live electrical cables hanging from the walls.
0:33:07 > 0:33:09And to add insult to injury,
0:33:09 > 0:33:11the builder ripped out her alarm system,
0:33:11 > 0:33:15leaving her feeling vulnerable and unsafe in her own home.
0:33:17 > 0:33:19And the last item on this agenda from hell?
0:33:19 > 0:33:22The glass the cowboys had fitted in the internal bathroom window
0:33:22 > 0:33:24was dangerously thin.
0:33:24 > 0:33:26If Marie had slipped and fallen into it,
0:33:26 > 0:33:28she could have been really badly injured.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31Goodness only knows what he thought he was doing.
0:33:31 > 0:33:35By this point, Marie had paid over £10,000 to the builders
0:33:35 > 0:33:39and all she had to show for it was a disaster zone.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43I said to him, "I've given you thousands of pounds
0:33:43 > 0:33:46"and I've got nothing except this shell to live in."
0:33:46 > 0:33:49I said, "I've had enough. You've had all my money.
0:33:49 > 0:33:50"I've got nothing."
0:33:53 > 0:33:56Marie had hoped confronting the builder would shock him into action.
0:33:56 > 0:33:58It kind of worked.
0:33:58 > 0:34:00He walked out, never to return.
0:34:02 > 0:34:05By now, Marie had spent a staggering £30,000 on this renovation
0:34:05 > 0:34:07and there was still work to be done.
0:34:07 > 0:34:12Worse still, because her builder had said he'd provide the kitchen and bathroom suites,
0:34:12 > 0:34:15when he disappeared, she had to spend all her spare cash
0:34:15 > 0:34:17simply to make her house habitable again.
0:34:19 > 0:34:22Not surprisingly, with dreams crushed,
0:34:22 > 0:34:24house practically demolished
0:34:24 > 0:34:26and savings decimated,
0:34:26 > 0:34:27Marie was heartbroken
0:34:27 > 0:34:30and plunged into the depths of depression.
0:34:31 > 0:34:34What a cruel, horrible scoundrel.
0:34:35 > 0:34:37And it all seemed so above board.
0:34:39 > 0:34:40Not so much above board -
0:34:40 > 0:34:42more like totally underhand.
0:34:43 > 0:34:48But Marie wasn't the type to let this fiendish fella off the hook lightly.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52Marie tried to negotiate with her builder on many occasions
0:34:52 > 0:34:53to come back and finish the work,
0:34:53 > 0:34:56or at least give her some of her money back.
0:34:56 > 0:34:59She phoned and she texted, but to no avail.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03It was time to bring in our Good Guys.
0:35:05 > 0:35:07They couldn't fix all the cowboy's bodges,
0:35:07 > 0:35:10but they could certainly try to bring Marie's dreams back to life.
0:35:14 > 0:35:16They decorated the horrendous hallway...
0:35:16 > 0:35:20and fixed the fundamentally flawed floor.
0:35:21 > 0:35:22Impressive work.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27Then they fitted toughened safety glass in the bathroom window.
0:35:28 > 0:35:30Yep, safety comes first.
0:35:31 > 0:35:33Thanks to our posse,
0:35:33 > 0:35:36Marie's bungalow had been given a new lease of life.
0:35:39 > 0:35:41By the time our Good Guys had finished,
0:35:41 > 0:35:44we'd left the place safe and secure and looking in great shape too.
0:35:46 > 0:35:48Marie was back on track.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51But would she be inspired to go on and complete her dream home
0:35:51 > 0:35:52after we'd left?
0:35:52 > 0:35:54Only time would tell.
0:35:58 > 0:35:59Well, it's been around four years now
0:35:59 > 0:36:03since we helped get Marie back on track by bringing in our Good Guy builders.
0:36:03 > 0:36:07Now, when they left, she still had a great deal of work to do, so let's see how she's got on.
0:36:10 > 0:36:12I can't wait to see how Marie's feeling now,
0:36:12 > 0:36:14especially after the cowboy's dastardly deeds
0:36:14 > 0:36:17made her feel so depressed.
0:36:19 > 0:36:21- Hi, Marie. How are you?- Hi.
0:36:21 > 0:36:25'I can already see Marie's rung the changes.
0:36:25 > 0:36:27'Check out this smart car-port roof.
0:36:27 > 0:36:29'And as soon as I cross the threshold,
0:36:29 > 0:36:34'Marie wants to tell me how our Good Guys totally changed her sense of wellbeing.'
0:36:34 > 0:36:38They did all this and just made it really tidy and clean.
0:36:38 > 0:36:40There were holes in the floor.
0:36:40 > 0:36:41It was quite dreadful before.
0:36:41 > 0:36:44There were trip hazards before.
0:36:44 > 0:36:49You know, your entrance to your house is the first room everybody sees. You want it looking nice.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51You certainly do.
0:36:51 > 0:36:56You certainly do. I put enough money into it and came out with holes in the floor.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59It was like a dungeon. And for the Cowboy Trap people to come and do this...
0:36:59 > 0:37:02- It really boosted my morale.- Did it?
0:37:02 > 0:37:05Yeah, it really did. I can't tell you, Jonnie.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08It's a feeling that you can never explain.
0:37:09 > 0:37:11Marie has clearly moved on.
0:37:11 > 0:37:15You can see that by the way she's added her personal touches.
0:37:15 > 0:37:19Just compare what her hall looked like when the bad guys walked out...
0:37:22 > 0:37:24..to what it looks like now.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29And when you contrast the rubbish windows the cowboy put in
0:37:29 > 0:37:32with what our Good Guys fitted.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36If you'd seen these, that would have been a real heart-stopper.
0:37:36 > 0:37:38There was no frame,
0:37:38 > 0:37:42there was just a bit of glass there held in by panel pins.
0:37:42 > 0:37:45That could have fallen out at any time. It's just ridiculous.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48Lovin' those cats, Marie!
0:37:48 > 0:37:50Even the bathroom has bags of personality now.
0:37:52 > 0:37:56The floor's good, but I really like the windows.
0:37:56 > 0:37:58Sometimes when I've got a moment, I just look at them and think,
0:37:58 > 0:38:02"Yeah. They're not bad. They're great."
0:38:02 > 0:38:04See that? "Not bad"!
0:38:04 > 0:38:07- That's as good as it gets with you, isn't it?- Not bad!- Fantastic!
0:38:09 > 0:38:12Well, Marie's smile is better than a thousand words, isn't it?
0:38:12 > 0:38:16I'm not surprised. Remember, the cowboy left her with this...
0:38:18 > 0:38:20When we left, the lounge was on the road to recovery,
0:38:20 > 0:38:22but still a work in progress.
0:38:24 > 0:38:27Four years on, it couldn't be more homely.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30Look at how Marie's made it her own, with ornaments and knick-knacks.
0:38:32 > 0:38:34It's hard to believe that this was the scene
0:38:34 > 0:38:36of a particularly gruesome cowboy crime.
0:38:38 > 0:38:42They dirtied the furniture that was in. I stuck my foot through the ceiling,
0:38:42 > 0:38:43actually just over there.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46You couldn't do anything with it,
0:38:46 > 0:38:47so when they...
0:38:47 > 0:38:51The basis of anything is the floor, so once the floor was in,
0:38:51 > 0:38:53you could get some work done,
0:38:53 > 0:38:55you could put carpets down
0:38:55 > 0:38:58- or whatever, and you could put your furniture in.- Yeah.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01But without that, you couldn't do a thing, could you?
0:39:03 > 0:39:05So our fellas' fantastic floor work
0:39:05 > 0:39:09acted as springboard for Marie to design and create the lounge of her dreams.
0:39:09 > 0:39:11That's remarkable,
0:39:11 > 0:39:14bearing in mind how low she felt when the cowboy left her in the lurch.
0:39:20 > 0:39:24Did you ever think you'd be stood in this room, showing it off like you are?
0:39:24 > 0:39:26A few years ago, after those cowboys had left?
0:39:28 > 0:39:30Only when the depression left,
0:39:30 > 0:39:33because when you've got the depression, it takes your brain away.
0:39:33 > 0:39:36You can look, but you can't see.
0:39:37 > 0:39:39Well, when Marie looks now,
0:39:39 > 0:39:41she can see a wonderful, transformed home.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44Remember, before our Good Guys got involved,
0:39:44 > 0:39:45the house looked like this.
0:39:47 > 0:39:49An eyesore wherever you looked.
0:39:49 > 0:39:52After our Good Guys got Marie back on track,
0:39:52 > 0:39:54we left her house in a much better state -
0:39:54 > 0:39:59bathroom window, hall and lounge all transformed.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03And since then, Marie has pulled out all the stops
0:40:03 > 0:40:04to complete the transformation.
0:40:05 > 0:40:07This is the hall...
0:40:07 > 0:40:08the bathroom...
0:40:08 > 0:40:10and the lounge.
0:40:10 > 0:40:11Great stuff!
0:40:13 > 0:40:15But it's the improvements to Marie's peace of mind
0:40:15 > 0:40:16that's harder to measure.
0:40:17 > 0:40:19I want to talk to her about what she learned.
0:40:19 > 0:40:23First question - when did she realise she'd picked a bad 'un?
0:40:23 > 0:40:26When I came back from shopping one day,
0:40:26 > 0:40:29the bathroom was on the drive.
0:40:29 > 0:40:31My bathroom was on the drive.
0:40:31 > 0:40:35Is that the first time you thought, "Hold on - things aren't going according to plan"?
0:40:35 > 0:40:36Yeah.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39That was the first time - you didn't have a bathroom any more?
0:40:39 > 0:40:41Only a soil pipe. All the tiles, everything off,
0:40:41 > 0:40:42bathroom out, you name it.
0:40:42 > 0:40:46And that was only, "I might think about it."
0:40:46 > 0:40:49That was as far as we got - not "Take the bathroom out".
0:40:49 > 0:40:52So they took it on themselves to force you into having a new bathroom?
0:40:52 > 0:40:54It was intimidation to the limit.
0:40:56 > 0:40:58And that kind of cowboy builder intimidation
0:40:58 > 0:41:00can have a profound effect on homeowners,
0:41:00 > 0:41:04especially women like Marie, who are living on their own.
0:41:04 > 0:41:05I couldn't sleep at night,
0:41:05 > 0:41:09and I began to feel really quite ill.
0:41:09 > 0:41:11What do you think your lowest point in this would have been?
0:41:11 > 0:41:13Well, I was standing outside,
0:41:13 > 0:41:17and it was warmer outside than what it was in here.
0:41:17 > 0:41:19There was no electric in here,
0:41:19 > 0:41:21there was no gas system -
0:41:21 > 0:41:25the cowboy builders had kicked it and immobilised it.
0:41:27 > 0:41:28How appalling.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30It's no wonder it affected Marie so much.
0:41:30 > 0:41:34So if Marie had her time again, what would she have done differently?
0:41:36 > 0:41:39I would not pay a penny until after
0:41:39 > 0:41:42the job was done, because it's really...
0:41:42 > 0:41:44You can check up so far,
0:41:44 > 0:41:46but it's very difficult to check up
0:41:46 > 0:41:50on a professional criminal like that.
0:41:51 > 0:41:53Wise words, Marie, wise words.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56Right, on to happier topics.
0:41:57 > 0:41:59When the Cowboy Trap people turned up,
0:41:59 > 0:42:01they were so wonderful.
0:42:01 > 0:42:03They were hard-working
0:42:03 > 0:42:07and they gave me a terrific kick-start to think.
0:42:09 > 0:42:12From being in a grey world, I could see the colour coming back.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17And Marie's lovely home is full of colour now too.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20This really has become a dream home.
0:42:21 > 0:42:23When they went, I thought,
0:42:23 > 0:42:26"Well, I'll just have to carry this on in their honour."
0:42:26 > 0:42:29You can't expect a little bit of work to be done,
0:42:29 > 0:42:31and then sit back and
0:42:31 > 0:42:33just think, "Oh, well, that's that, then."
0:42:33 > 0:42:36Marie, no-one could accuse you of sitting around
0:42:36 > 0:42:39and thinking, "Oh, well, that's me." Look at it!
0:42:39 > 0:42:41This place is a credit to you.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45Marie's got her spark back, and her home has too.
0:42:45 > 0:42:47Sure, we gave her a helping hand,
0:42:47 > 0:42:50but the credit for this stunning transformation
0:42:50 > 0:42:52must go to Marie herself.
0:42:52 > 0:42:53Good for her.
0:42:56 > 0:42:57Well...
0:42:57 > 0:42:59that's amazing, isn't it?
0:42:59 > 0:43:02I mean, the transformation, firstly of the house -
0:43:02 > 0:43:05it couldn't look more different, could it? It looked amazing.
0:43:05 > 0:43:08But also the transformation in Marie herself.
0:43:08 > 0:43:10She's obviously a lot happier,
0:43:10 > 0:43:11she's confident,
0:43:11 > 0:43:13and a lot of that IS down to the Good Guy builders.
0:43:13 > 0:43:17I mean, even when she talks about the small amount of time they spent here,
0:43:17 > 0:43:19she even starts welling up.
0:43:19 > 0:43:22And to me, well, that just says it all.
0:43:28 > 0:43:30Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd