0:00:08 > 0:00:11We're travelling the length and breadth of Britain on a mission
0:00:11 > 0:00:15to rescue homeowners from the curse of the cowboy builder.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17It feels as though he's taken away my future.
0:00:17 > 0:00:23Whenever I try to think about a way around it the hope has gone.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26It's impossible to overestimate the damage these guys do,
0:00:26 > 0:00:29whether they're blatant amateurs or simply crooks,
0:00:29 > 0:00:34cowboy builders not only mess up homes, but ruin lives, too.
0:00:34 > 0:00:38I'm disgusted that he can come into someone's life
0:00:38 > 0:00:42and take their money and have no remorse.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45He's left the work in a state of complete disarray,
0:00:45 > 0:00:49incomplete with various breaches of building regulations and everything.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52We've rounded up the good guys to help turn these
0:00:52 > 0:00:55helpless homeowners into merry mortgagees.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59Look at it. There's plasterwork done, there's electrics done.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01I can see sockets in the right place here.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04You're standing in a kitchen in your own home.
0:01:04 > 0:01:05It's...it's amazing.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08Unbelievable and amazing to be...
0:01:08 > 0:01:11in it and to be able to turn on a tap.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14You know, absolutely anyone can call themselves a builder
0:01:14 > 0:01:17which is why it's crucial to know how to spot a wrong 'un
0:01:17 > 0:01:21and why the next 45 minutes could help keep you
0:01:21 > 0:01:23out of the cowboy trap.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36In today's Cowboy Trap, a building project that went
0:01:36 > 0:01:40so badly wrong the unlucky homeowner was left with an unsafe
0:01:40 > 0:01:43derelict dwelling and had to move out.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48I've been to a couple of B&Bs, stayed with a friend.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52I was haemorrhaging money.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57And three years after we rescued them, we catch up with some cowboy
0:01:57 > 0:02:00builder victims in Somerset to see how they're doing now.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02The good guys, when they put your doors in,
0:02:02 > 0:02:04- that was like the starting pistol, really?- Yeah.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08- It was.- Well you certainly won the race. This place looks amazing.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12Our first Cowboy Trap saga revolves around a home
0:02:12 > 0:02:14in the London district of Clapham,
0:02:14 > 0:02:17or Cla'm, as my posher friends call it.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23Its main claim to fame is its picturesque 220-acre common
0:02:23 > 0:02:28overlooked by magnificent Georgian and Victorian mansions.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30And it was in Clapham that William Wilberforce
0:02:30 > 0:02:34campaigned for slavery to become illegal in the 18th century.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38And that's not Clapham's only link to the legal profession.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41Now, the man on the Clapham omnibus is, of course,
0:02:41 > 0:02:44the imaginary reasonable person used by the English courts
0:02:44 > 0:02:48to decide whether a defendant has acted in a reasonable way.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50But, when it comes to crimes against building,
0:02:50 > 0:02:53I can assure you that you don't need 12 good men and true
0:02:53 > 0:02:56to conclude that today's cowboy builder is guilty as charged.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04His unlucky victim lives in this mid-terrace one-bedroom flat.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06It's home to Alicia Goodridge,
0:03:06 > 0:03:09who's an account manager for the Royal British Legion.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13Alicia regards herself as extremely family-oriented
0:03:13 > 0:03:16and misses her parents in the Caribbean terribly.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20As long as I can remember, it was my parents' dream
0:03:20 > 0:03:24and plan to go back to Barbados to live once they retired.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27I try to get to see them as and when I can,
0:03:27 > 0:03:31but unfortunately it's not possible as often as I'd like.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35Two years ago, Alicia sold her house in Battersea
0:03:35 > 0:03:38where she'd lived for five years.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41She decided to downsize so she could raise some money to send back home
0:03:41 > 0:03:43to her parents in Barbados.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46It was a painful decision, so when she found a cute
0:03:46 > 0:03:50garden flat in Clapham in need of renovation, she was on cloud nine.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54It needed some work, sure, but Alicia could see its potential.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58Very excited to finally own the property
0:03:58 > 0:04:02and even more excited at the thought that, eventually,
0:04:02 > 0:04:06when the time was right, I would be able to start putting
0:04:06 > 0:04:09my own stamp on it and making it mine.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14The flat needed modernising and, after two years of patient saving,
0:04:14 > 0:04:17Alicia decided to take the plunge and update her home.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20Her plans included removing chimney breasts from the living room
0:04:20 > 0:04:23and the bedroom to create more space.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26She also wanted to remove an internal wall
0:04:26 > 0:04:28between the bathroom and the toilet at the rear of the property,
0:04:28 > 0:04:32which would have the added benefit of making the kitchen larger.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34And, finally, the electrics and plumbing
0:04:34 > 0:04:36were in desperate need of an update.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38It needed some work to be done
0:04:38 > 0:04:41but it was something which, from the time that
0:04:41 > 0:04:45I moved in, I was aware that that needed to happen and so it was just
0:04:45 > 0:04:48a matter of being patient, I guess, until the time was right.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53In January 2012, Alicia contacted a builder she found on the internet.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56He came round and was really friendly.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59Alicia was convinced he was the right guy.
0:04:59 > 0:05:04I felt that he did understand the brief that I put forward to him.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08He came up with a few things. I felt quite comforted.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11He was open to discussing things with me.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15The builder quoted £25,000.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18This covered rewiring the fuse board, repairing the ceilings
0:05:18 > 0:05:21and fitting a new kitchen and bathroom.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24It also included removing two chimney breasts,
0:05:24 > 0:05:28installing a new fireplace and modernising the plumbing.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30But that figure was much too high for Alicia
0:05:30 > 0:05:35and, after some compromises, the quote came down to £14,000,
0:05:35 > 0:05:38plus £5,000 for a structural surveyor,
0:05:38 > 0:05:41making a new grand total of £19,000.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46We'd worked together and taken off some parts, such as the sandstone
0:05:46 > 0:05:49tiling in the bathroom and the kitchen and that kind of thing.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52Things that I felt, I don't necessarily need those now.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55If I do them at all, I can do them later on.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59That figure was still a bit too steep for Alicia,
0:05:59 > 0:06:03so she decided to save money by not going ahead with the survey.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06But this was a major project involving structural work
0:06:06 > 0:06:09to the flat, so that was a big mistake.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12Take a tip from me -
0:06:12 > 0:06:14chimneys are part of the structure of your house
0:06:14 > 0:06:18and removing them is a very serious business.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20You'll need a structural engineer involved
0:06:20 > 0:06:23and the approval of local authority building control.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26And, if you do anything to a party wall -
0:06:26 > 0:06:29that's one you share with your neighbours -
0:06:29 > 0:06:31you'll need their consent in writing.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34Ignore all this and you're taking a real gamble.
0:06:36 > 0:06:41Despite cutting corners, Alicia was still struggling to raise the cash.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43So she asked the builder to delay the project
0:06:43 > 0:06:46until she could save more money.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49But he said it was now or never.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52And he also insisted on £7,000 in cash up front.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57Hmm, I don't like the sound of that.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00You know, there are loads of warning signs here already.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03An unaffordable quote negotiated down by nearly 10 grand =
0:07:03 > 0:07:06well, that's something we come across
0:07:06 > 0:07:08time and time again on Cowboy Trap.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10Listen, a good job costs a fair price,
0:07:10 > 0:07:14and if a builder's desperate to start, ask yourself why.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17And then we've got a huge chunk of money up front,
0:07:17 > 0:07:19and you know what I think about that.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21But worse still, in cash.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24This one's got disaster written all over it.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29Take my advice, if your builder wants a huge wodge of money
0:07:29 > 0:07:31up front, run for the hills.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33And if he wants it paying in cash
0:07:33 > 0:07:36keep going until you reach the mountains.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39Reputable builders have accounts with suppliers
0:07:39 > 0:07:41and don't ask to be paid in advance.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44Cowboys don't and often do.
0:07:44 > 0:07:45You've been warned.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50Not surprisingly, Alicia wasn't happy
0:07:50 > 0:07:53about being pressured into a decision,
0:07:53 > 0:07:56but she wanted the work doing so her mum could come over and stay,
0:07:56 > 0:08:00so she got two bank loans and gave the builder the green light.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03The project started in April 2012,
0:08:03 > 0:08:06and it wasn't long before more financial demands
0:08:06 > 0:08:07landed in Alicia's lap.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12A few weeks into the job the builder contacted me
0:08:12 > 0:08:16to advise that he would need more funds.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19So he needed more funds to get some more of the materials together.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24By "more funds" he meant a whopping £5,000,
0:08:24 > 0:08:28and before long he demanded another 5,000 on top of that.
0:08:28 > 0:08:33In the space of a month, Alicia had forked out a whopping £17,000.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38Alicia was handing over all this money
0:08:38 > 0:08:41but the weird thing was it looked like nothing was really happening.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43When she raised her fears with the builder
0:08:43 > 0:08:46he told her not to worry, his clients often said that
0:08:46 > 0:08:49but then when it all came together they were delighted.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51Now obviously desperate to get the job done
0:08:51 > 0:08:55and not knowing where else to turn, Alicia ignored her misgivings.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58Do you know what? Jumping ahead a bit, when she finally got
0:08:58 > 0:09:01some other builders around to look at the mess she'd been left in,
0:09:01 > 0:09:03they reckoned only three days' worth of work
0:09:03 > 0:09:05had been done to the property.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07Three days!
0:09:07 > 0:09:11For now, though, Alicia felt obliged to go along with her builder,
0:09:11 > 0:09:13although it wasn't easy.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17I became more... Certainly becoming more distressed.
0:09:17 > 0:09:22I became angry, just desperate to try and get things to change.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26Alicia was right to want things to change.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29The little work that had been done was...
0:09:29 > 0:09:30Well, how can I put this?
0:09:30 > 0:09:32Rubbish.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34The doorway was dreadful,
0:09:34 > 0:09:37the electrical work was execrable,
0:09:37 > 0:09:39the plumbing was pitiful,
0:09:39 > 0:09:42and the flooring was...well, flawed.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46There are some areas which, to an untrained eye,
0:09:46 > 0:09:48you can look and think, "That doesn't look right."
0:09:48 > 0:09:51The work was causing so much disruption
0:09:51 > 0:09:54Alicia had to move out until it was finished.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57And it wasn't just Alicia that moved out -
0:09:57 > 0:10:01so did all her consumer durables, into the garden.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05Poor Alicia started to doubt whether her dream project
0:10:05 > 0:10:07would ever be completed.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11Whenever she returned to the flat, the builder was rarely on site.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14When she raised her concerns, the builder would always trot out
0:10:14 > 0:10:16the same reassuring patter.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19It looks like nothing's happening for ages,
0:10:19 > 0:10:22and then all of a sudden it all comes together
0:10:22 > 0:10:24and everything will start looking...
0:10:24 > 0:10:28Will start looking the way that you want it to look.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32Eight weeks into the project, and with the job far from finished,
0:10:32 > 0:10:35the builder then dropped a bombshell.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38He told Alicia he had to leave because he'd run out of money.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43He admitted he'd under-quoted for the project and handed over
0:10:43 > 0:10:47a document blaming escalating skip costs and wage bills.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50Alicia wasn't convinced.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54He'd either perhaps estimated things foolishly
0:10:54 > 0:10:58or maybe got the funds and used part of the funds
0:10:58 > 0:11:00for other projects, I don't know.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02But he just seemed quite desperate to try
0:11:02 > 0:11:06and put some reason down on paper, but it just wasn't feasible.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12And that was it. The builder downed tools and left.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15But Alicia's problems were only just starting.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18The supporting beams across her kitchen ceiling just didn't
0:11:18 > 0:11:21look right, and her upstairs neighbour said his floor
0:11:21 > 0:11:23had dropped an inch in a month.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25Do we think these facts are related?
0:11:25 > 0:11:27Yes, we do.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30I certainly didn't appreciate before it was going on
0:11:30 > 0:11:32how distressing it was going to be
0:11:32 > 0:11:34until I was really in the middle of it,
0:11:34 > 0:11:37coming to those points where I realised
0:11:37 > 0:11:39this can't be sustained any longer.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43But, for Alicia, it went from bad to worse.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46The builder never suggested she consult local authority
0:11:46 > 0:11:49building control about the work on the chimney breast
0:11:49 > 0:11:51adjoining her neighbour's property.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55Without their sign-off, Alicia would never be able to sell the flat.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59And the builder's work was so bad, the flat was structurally unsound
0:11:59 > 0:12:02and Alicia couldn't move back in.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06And, last but not least, the property was totally unsecured,
0:12:06 > 0:12:09so she couldn't even keep any belongings there. Nightmare.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13It might be useful to save me some costs
0:12:13 > 0:12:17if I could at least store some things here whilst I'm waiting for things
0:12:17 > 0:12:21to be resolved, but with the fact that it's not secure,
0:12:21 > 0:12:23that's unfortunately not an option.
0:12:23 > 0:12:28Because of the builder's botched work, Alicia's flat has no kitchen,
0:12:28 > 0:12:30bathroom, electricity or heating
0:12:30 > 0:12:33and there's a great big hole in her bedroom.
0:12:33 > 0:12:38She's just been quoted £25,000 to put it all right.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40There's no way Alicia can afford that,
0:12:40 > 0:12:43and she can't afford to take the builder to court, either.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47Even if I thought cut my losses and that's it,
0:12:47 > 0:12:51just get rid of it, sell it and try and start again, I couldn't.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55Everything that I've done and worked for for the past six or so years,
0:12:55 > 0:13:01from the very first property I ever bought, would be gone completely.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04Not surprisingly, the whole episode
0:13:04 > 0:13:07has had an emotional impact on Alicia.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10It feels as though he's taken away my future.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13He's...put a darkened screen,
0:13:13 > 0:13:16just put it in place where I was looking ahead
0:13:16 > 0:13:18to what was going to happen,
0:13:18 > 0:13:20that something's just been put there
0:13:20 > 0:13:22and all I can see is that dark screen.
0:13:22 > 0:13:28Wherever I try to think about a way around it, the hope has gone.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32Now, we're used to horror stories on Cowboy Trap,
0:13:32 > 0:13:36but this really is a nightmare of epic portions.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38Remember, this was a perfectly liveable dwelling
0:13:38 > 0:13:40before the cowboys came to town.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42When they left? Well, it was a building site,
0:13:42 > 0:13:45gutted and, worse still, structurally unsafe.
0:13:46 > 0:13:50But how unsafe? And what exactly needs to be done to get Alicia
0:13:50 > 0:13:52back in the comfort of her own home?
0:13:52 > 0:13:56To find out, we asked independent building surveyor Simon Levy
0:13:56 > 0:13:57to inspect the work.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01He's been through it with a fine tooth comb
0:14:01 > 0:14:04and he's about to fill me in on what he found.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08When it comes to the timber floor in the bedroom,
0:14:08 > 0:14:10he doesn't mince his words.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12- That flooring is collapsing.- Yeah?
0:14:12 > 0:14:15You stand on it, it bounces up and down.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18There is a structural defect in that floor that requires correction
0:14:18 > 0:14:20and immediate, immediate attention.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23The main issue is that the floor's structural joists are insecure,
0:14:23 > 0:14:27they're decayed and a repair is desperately needed there.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31And the dodgy flooring isn't the only problem.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34The chimney breast has been removed.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36Now, I can't tell whether or not there's any
0:14:36 > 0:14:38support in for that or not, it needs to be checked.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41Well, if there hasn't been any support put in, that means
0:14:41 > 0:14:44you've got the entire chimney stack from first floor upwards
0:14:44 > 0:14:47- with no support, that could come down.- That's right.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49So it's dangerous, very, very dangerous.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52It's dangerous and it's in breach of the Party Wall Act, as well.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56- So it needs some further investigation, at the very least. - That's correct.- Right, OK.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59It would also be good to investigate how this cowboy could charge
0:14:59 > 0:15:02Alicia a penny for this unfinished fiasco.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07The bedroom is a total mess. Look at those doors!
0:15:08 > 0:15:12And the timbers in the bedroom ceiling are in a state, too.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14Those joists have been nailed into position.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16The nails could work themselves loose
0:15:16 > 0:15:18and the whole lot could come crashing down.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22The joists should be bolted, not nailed.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28- This looks like some real bodge it and scarper job here.- That's right.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31The structure here was insecure and it needs strengthening.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34Once proper strengthening's been put in place,
0:15:34 > 0:15:37then that'll need to be, what, insulated then plastered?
0:15:37 > 0:15:40- It needs sound insulation, because that's a flat above.- Yeah.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42Then it needs to have a double layer of plaster
0:15:42 > 0:15:45for the purpose of fire protection and, again,
0:15:45 > 0:15:47to comply with the building regulations.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51Into the kitchen. It looks like something off the Mary Celeste.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53Now what's going on above this window here?
0:15:53 > 0:15:55Is that lintel sufficient there?
0:15:55 > 0:15:58It's been badly installed. It needs remedial work.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00The brickwork on the side of the window
0:16:00 > 0:16:02requires proper making good and repair.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05There's a lot of general building work that needs to be done
0:16:05 > 0:16:07to get the place straight and safe.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09This couldn't even be considered a dwelling.
0:16:09 > 0:16:10Squatters wouldn't want to go in there.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14It just needs a huge amount of work to bring it up to a basic standard
0:16:14 > 0:16:15that will be acceptable.
0:16:15 > 0:16:19Talking of which, the electrics are far from acceptable.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22This consumer unit, these old fuses,
0:16:22 > 0:16:24I mean, they're off the Titanic, aren't they?
0:16:24 > 0:16:27That's non-compliant with current standards and that would need to be
0:16:27 > 0:16:30replaced, and that just demonstrates the work's incomplete.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34What a mess. Well, I think I know the answer already,
0:16:34 > 0:16:37but I want to hear Simon's final verdict on this building bodge.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41How would you mark this builder out of ten?
0:16:41 > 0:16:44- Zero.- Zero? - There's no question about it.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46He's left the work in a state of complete disarray,
0:16:46 > 0:16:48incomplete, insecure...
0:16:50 > 0:16:53..with various breaches of building regulations and everything.
0:16:53 > 0:16:54They'd throw the book at him.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59Well, ideally, it would be a very big book about building,
0:16:59 > 0:17:01because this guy clearly hasn't got a clue.
0:17:03 > 0:17:10Alicia paid him £17,000 and all she got was pathetic pipe work,
0:17:10 > 0:17:13badly patched up ceiling trimmers,
0:17:13 > 0:17:15an unfinished window,
0:17:15 > 0:17:17a prehistoric fuse box,
0:17:17 > 0:17:20a garden that looks like a war zone
0:17:20 > 0:17:23and a suspicious lack of steel joists.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27All that's bad enough but what about that chimney breast
0:17:27 > 0:17:29the cowboy removed from the bedroom?
0:17:29 > 0:17:33Bodge that and you could bring the house down, literally.
0:17:33 > 0:17:34Time to bring in the good guys.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38And here's the head honcho -
0:17:38 > 0:17:40striding along like John Wayne in his pomp,
0:17:40 > 0:17:43our main good guy, Bill Fountain.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45You could call him a fountain of knowledge.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50He'll need to be - an unsupported chimney stack can be lethal
0:17:50 > 0:17:54and will need fixing properly, and pronto.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58So much needs doing just to get this place safe,
0:17:58 > 0:18:01secure and habitable, Alicia is chipping in.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06No hanging about, Bill's band of brothers swing into action.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10First up, making the site secure.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15Then setting the scene for the all-important beam work.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19Next, it's time to ready the bathroom for its brand new loo.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23It's a solid start, but can they get Alicia's dreams back on track?
0:18:23 > 0:18:25Only time will tell.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34I'm in London where Alicia Goodridge was hoping to renovate her
0:18:34 > 0:18:36garden flat here in Clapham, but,
0:18:36 > 0:18:39in one of the worst array of bodges we've ever seen on Cowboy Trap,
0:18:39 > 0:18:43her builder left her home completely uninhabitable.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47A massive job for our good guys, so let's see how they got on.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49'I have no idea what to expect.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52'This place was practically derelict before.
0:18:52 > 0:18:53'I wonder what it's like now.'
0:18:53 > 0:18:56- Hi there.- Hello, how are you? - I'm well, thank you.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58You're not wearing a hard hat, that's got to be good news.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01- I'm not, no, things have changed. - Good, let's have a look.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04'Not kidding. "Things have changed" is an understatement.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07'The good guys have done such an amazing job
0:19:07 > 0:19:09'Alicia's been able to move back in.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13'Remember what her bedroom looked like before?
0:19:13 > 0:19:14'Now check it out.'
0:19:17 > 0:19:20That really is stunning.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23And the kitchen has gone from this...
0:19:23 > 0:19:25to this.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27It's absolutely unrecognisable.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30Here's the bathroom before...
0:19:30 > 0:19:31and here it is after.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36Alicia was clearly so thrilled by the good guys' efforts,
0:19:36 > 0:19:38she's done some extra work herself.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42Now, before I take a close look at the good guys' handiwork
0:19:42 > 0:19:44and meet the man behind it, I want to hear how Alicia got
0:19:44 > 0:19:47caught in the cowboy trap in the first race.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51How long had the job been going on until you started to have
0:19:51 > 0:19:54- real reservations? - Maybe a couple of months in.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57- The job was supposed to be taking what, five weeks?- Five weeks, yeah.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59And after a couple of months you started thinking,
0:19:59 > 0:20:03- "Hold on a minute." Was money changing hands?- Yes.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05He would come back and say it was for specific things
0:20:05 > 0:20:08so it would be, "We've had to do more removals,"
0:20:08 > 0:20:11or "We've had to... With the work that was done in the bedroom,
0:20:11 > 0:20:14"that's used up, we need some more for that,"
0:20:14 > 0:20:16and all along I was made promises.
0:20:16 > 0:20:20When did you realise you were being conned?
0:20:20 > 0:20:23I was a bit suspicious about the work that had been done,
0:20:23 > 0:20:26so whilst he was still officially on the job I'd had
0:20:26 > 0:20:29other tradespeople come over and have a look.
0:20:29 > 0:20:30What were their thoughts?
0:20:30 > 0:20:32I had to scrape jaws off the floor
0:20:32 > 0:20:34for each one who came in the front door.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37- So you'd lost all faith in the guy? - Completely.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39So how did it finish?
0:20:39 > 0:20:41He wasn't going to come back on site after that point
0:20:41 > 0:20:44because he'd said, "I'll only come back if I get more funds."
0:20:44 > 0:20:47He was acknowledging, "I've used up all the money
0:20:47 > 0:20:50"but to do anything more you need to give me some more."
0:20:51 > 0:20:55Alicia had already handed over £17,000 for what was little more
0:20:55 > 0:20:58than a demolition job, and she was forking out money
0:20:58 > 0:21:01because she couldn't live in her own home.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04I shared a single room
0:21:04 > 0:21:06with my boyfriend for a while.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10I've been to a couple of B&Bs, a couple of rental places.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12So you're renting places or B&Bs.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15How much money where you spending each week?
0:21:15 > 0:21:18I was haemorrhaging money to be honest.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21If that was me I'd be pretty angry now.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24If my partner and I are talking about the whole situation
0:21:24 > 0:21:27we don't say his name much any more.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31It's just, the emotions you get from the name...
0:21:31 > 0:21:34It's...it's not good.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38Not good? Well that isn't the phrase I'd use,
0:21:38 > 0:21:41but full marks to Alicia for being so polite.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45I'm gobsmacked how much this place has changed.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47Time to take a closer look.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51So, the bedroom with the requisite bed
0:21:51 > 0:21:53in place that's clearly slept in.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57I mean, it's such a relief to see that Alicia's moved in here now.
0:21:57 > 0:21:58Now, cast your minds back.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02There was a huge hole in that floor which needed making good.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04The doors didn't work,
0:22:04 > 0:22:08but, perhaps most importantly, the timbers above...
0:22:08 > 0:22:11Well, they needed sorting out, they needed bolting,
0:22:11 > 0:22:14and then they needed double plaster boarding for fire regs,
0:22:14 > 0:22:17and then plastering, not forgetting the sound insulation.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20Another person lives above here and it's all been done.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23And reinforced steel joists have been put in place
0:22:23 > 0:22:25to support the chimney stack upstairs.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30Right, next room.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32Ha! A kitchen!
0:22:32 > 0:22:34It's... Well...
0:22:34 > 0:22:37I can't believe they got this far, actually.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39There was so much to be done.
0:22:39 > 0:22:40There was no window there.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42Well, I recognise this.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45These, this washing machine and the fridge,
0:22:45 > 0:22:47they were just garden furniture,
0:22:47 > 0:22:49but now they've been, thankfully, brought inside.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52I can't believe the builder left them outside there in the weather,
0:22:52 > 0:22:55but there's plaster work done, there's electrics done.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57I can see sockets in the right place here.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01Now, every lady likes a nice bathroom,
0:23:01 > 0:23:03and Alicia is no exception.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07I think she prefers this to what it looked like before. Don't you?
0:23:08 > 0:23:11- HE LAUGHS - Quite some bathroom! Look at that!
0:23:13 > 0:23:15Wow! I mean...
0:23:16 > 0:23:19This is lovely, isn't it? A really nice suite.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22Now, I think Alicia had this, or owned this suite,
0:23:22 > 0:23:25but the fact that this is now done is amazing.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27I mean, again, there was no electrics
0:23:27 > 0:23:30or no electrics you could use in here.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32You've got the fan in here and everything like that.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34Now, I can see, this window was here,
0:23:34 > 0:23:36but the one in the kitchen actually matches that,
0:23:36 > 0:23:38so they've done really well there.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40And the tiling looks perfect.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42This is...
0:23:43 > 0:23:45This is a real triumph.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50Yep, our team certainly grasped victory from the jaws of defeat.
0:23:52 > 0:23:53It doesn't just all look great.
0:23:53 > 0:23:57They've also dealt with that worrisome security issue.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59Well...
0:23:59 > 0:24:01That's different, isn't it?
0:24:01 > 0:24:03If you remember, that was just a board of wood
0:24:03 > 0:24:05and even that wasn't fitted very well, but now,
0:24:05 > 0:24:07let's not forget this is a lady living in London.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09It's nice to have lockable doors, isn't it?
0:24:09 > 0:24:11It just looks so different!
0:24:11 > 0:24:15I think that was just brickwork. Badly pointed brickwork, mind,
0:24:15 > 0:24:18but fully rendered, tidy,
0:24:18 > 0:24:21and out here, well...
0:24:21 > 0:24:23It wasn't a building site, was it? It was a bomb site.
0:24:23 > 0:24:24This looks a lot clearer.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27There must have been a wagon-load of rubbish here.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29So, not only has Alicia got a home that she can live in,
0:24:29 > 0:24:32she's actually got the makings of a garden.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36The good guys played an absolute blinder.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39'Head honcho Bill has popped back to give me
0:24:39 > 0:24:41'the inside track on the challenges he faced.'
0:24:41 > 0:24:44The one advantage was you could start from scratch pretty much.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48Yeah, that is it, everything that was done had to come out.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51- We had to strip out any cabling, any wiring, um...- Did you?
0:24:51 > 0:24:53We've done a total rewire of the flat.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57At the end of the day, you just have to get stuck in and get it done.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59Well, get stuck in you did!
0:24:59 > 0:25:02- You fitted the entire bathroom, didn't you?- Yeah, the bathroom.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05- A cracking job.- Yeah. - You rendered all this.- Yeah.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07You made good the floors. What about the ceiling?
0:25:07 > 0:25:10- Basically, we had to bolt them all together.- So you bolt them?- Yeah.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13- Because they were just nailed before.- That's right, yeah.
0:25:13 > 0:25:14So we bolted them through.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17Obviously, everything's been inspected by the building inspector.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19- Yeah.- So everything's been passed off there.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22You've done an absolutely sterling job and, well,
0:25:22 > 0:25:24you've given someone their home back.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28- I know Alicia's over the moon. - Well, you know, um...
0:25:28 > 0:25:29Well, you're a modest...
0:25:29 > 0:25:31I'm not going to ask you to blow your own trumpet,
0:25:31 > 0:25:34that's my job, but I tell you what, looking round there,
0:25:34 > 0:25:36it looks absolutely fantastic. Great stuff.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38Well, I'm very pleased you've said that. Thank you.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43Well, there's no doubt Bill's boys clearly did a great job.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46Now, before I do the grand tour with Alicia,
0:25:46 > 0:25:49I'm going to talk to her about her cowboy builder.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53I wanted to hear his side of the story so I could put it to Alicia,
0:25:53 > 0:25:56but that's proved easier said than done.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59Now, we give the cowboy builders a right to reply,
0:25:59 > 0:26:02to at least give their side of the story,
0:26:02 > 0:26:06but on this occasion they've failed to respond in any kind.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09- That doesn't surprise me. - Doesn't it?
0:26:09 > 0:26:12I, um... The letters that I sent through,
0:26:12 > 0:26:16I sent them as recorded delivery, um, and I had no response to them.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18So I think it was a case of,
0:26:18 > 0:26:22perhaps if I bury my head in the sand, if I...
0:26:22 > 0:26:26If I ignore this for long enough, then it will go away.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30So if you had the opportunity now to speak to him, what would you say?
0:26:30 > 0:26:33There's probably a lot that I would not say on camera.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35Does that mean you're angry still?
0:26:35 > 0:26:40I am disgusted that he can come into someone's life
0:26:40 > 0:26:43and take their money
0:26:43 > 0:26:47and then leave that person in that situation
0:26:47 > 0:26:50and have no remorse or comeback from it. That...
0:26:50 > 0:26:51I am...
0:26:51 > 0:26:56I'm disappointed, I'm upset, I'm angry.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58This will not go away for me.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03'Alicia remains understandably bitter
0:27:03 > 0:27:05'about the state her home was left in.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07'But have the good guys restored her faith
0:27:07 > 0:27:09'in the building fraternity?
0:27:09 > 0:27:11'It's time to find out.'
0:27:13 > 0:27:15So this is, you know,
0:27:15 > 0:27:18- this is evidence that you have actually moved in?- Yes. Yes.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20Which is hard to believe
0:27:20 > 0:27:23- when you consider what these ceilings were like.- I know. I know.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27There was a lot of work that had to be done up to this,
0:27:27 > 0:27:30on this wall where the chimney breast was removed
0:27:30 > 0:27:32but not supported correctly.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36So, er, the builder's team did a fantastic job sorting that out
0:27:36 > 0:27:38and supporting it and having the council come in
0:27:38 > 0:27:40and do all the checks that they needed to.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44I think this room, more than any other room, when you realise that,
0:27:44 > 0:27:46you know, the job that the cowboy builder had done
0:27:46 > 0:27:49was so poor that he expected you to get a good night's sleep
0:27:49 > 0:27:51- underneath that floor...- Yeah.
0:27:51 > 0:27:52- ..it beggars belief, doesn't it?- Yeah.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56'Alicia can sleep soundly
0:27:56 > 0:27:59'now she has full sign-off from local building control.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03'Structurally safe and looking fantastic, too.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06'I mean, check out this cool kitchen.'
0:28:07 > 0:28:09You're standing in the kitchen in your own home.
0:28:09 > 0:28:15Oh, it's amazing, unbelievable and amazing to be in it
0:28:15 > 0:28:17and to be able to turn on a tap
0:28:17 > 0:28:20and the simple things that you do when you're at home.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23I notice some garden ornaments have been brought inside!
0:28:23 > 0:28:24THEY LAUGH
0:28:24 > 0:28:26This big beast, yeah. Yeah. It's, um...
0:28:26 > 0:28:29The washing machine, the tumble dryer, the fridge freezer,
0:28:29 > 0:28:33- that were all left in the garden for all those months.- Left for dead.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36Left for dead. And they gave me a bit of a fright at first.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39- I think they were upset for being left out there so long.- Yeah!
0:28:39 > 0:28:41But they started working, so that's all good.
0:28:41 > 0:28:45'It's also good that Alicia's home is now secure,
0:28:45 > 0:28:48'and it's great that she has a bathroom with walls.'
0:28:50 > 0:28:53- You'd be sitting on what was the loo there...- Mm-hm.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56..and you could previously put your order in for dinner, couldn't you?
0:28:56 > 0:28:58- You could!- There was no wall there! - That's right.
0:28:58 > 0:29:02Can you sum up how you feel now you've got all this?
0:29:02 > 0:29:06It's...just every part of...
0:29:06 > 0:29:11I didn't think I would, or could, enjoy my home as much as I do.
0:29:11 > 0:29:15Just taking a breath and looking around and seeing it as it is,
0:29:15 > 0:29:17and I sometimes find myself...
0:29:17 > 0:29:20I'll just walk around and look at things and look at it
0:29:20 > 0:29:23- and think, "I can't believe I'm actually in here."- Brilliant.
0:29:24 > 0:29:28'After what she's been through, Alicia deserves her lovely home.
0:29:28 > 0:29:32'It's time for me to leave her to enjoy it with her boyfriend, Peter.
0:29:32 > 0:29:36'He's Hungarian, so maybe a spot of goulash tonight, then?
0:29:36 > 0:29:39'Better that than the recipe for disaster
0:29:39 > 0:29:41'her cowboy builders left her with, eh?'
0:29:43 > 0:29:46Well, our mission this time was quite different, because there was
0:29:46 > 0:29:50so much work to be done after the cowboy builders upped and left.
0:29:50 > 0:29:52And, let's face it, anything they had done to this property
0:29:52 > 0:29:55needed ripping out and starting again anyway.
0:29:55 > 0:29:57So, our goal this time
0:29:57 > 0:30:00was to make safe and secure this place for Alicia.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03But our good guy builders worked so hard and so well,
0:30:03 > 0:30:05she's already moved back in
0:30:05 > 0:30:08and she's now faced with the much more satisfying task
0:30:08 > 0:30:12of providing her very own personal finishing touches. Brilliant.
0:30:14 > 0:30:17Our next Cowboy Trap saga revolves around a family
0:30:17 > 0:30:19we first met three years ago.
0:30:19 > 0:30:23Just like with Alicia, a cowboy builder was happy to extract
0:30:23 > 0:30:27tens of thousands of pounds from unwitting homeowners,
0:30:27 > 0:30:31then scarper, leaving an unsafe building bodge behind.
0:30:32 > 0:30:36His unlucky victims were Dave Haramis, his partner, Yvonne,
0:30:36 > 0:30:38and her twin sister, Annette.
0:30:38 > 0:30:42In 2009, they bought a property together in Yeovil, Somerset.
0:30:42 > 0:30:44Annette uses a wheelchair,
0:30:44 > 0:30:47so they wanted to improve disabled access to their new home.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51The plan was to build a two-storey wheelchair-friendly extension.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54It was to have a lounge and kitchen on the ground floor
0:30:54 > 0:30:57and bedroom and shower room for Yvonne and Dave on the first floor.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01Yvonne, Dave and Annette had high hopes for their new extension.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04All they needed was a builder capable
0:31:04 > 0:31:06of delivering such a major undertaking.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08So they did what we always advise
0:31:08 > 0:31:11and got three quotes from three local tradesmen. Good!
0:31:11 > 0:31:15But then, they ended up giving the job to a bloke Dave knew from work.
0:31:15 > 0:31:17Bad!
0:31:17 > 0:31:21The builder we eventually went with, he came into work and I just
0:31:21 > 0:31:24happened to mention that we were having some building work done
0:31:24 > 0:31:25and he said, "Well, how about me?"
0:31:25 > 0:31:28You know, "Have you thought of me doing it for you?"
0:31:28 > 0:31:33Yvonne, Dave and Annette should've run a mile, but they didn't.
0:31:33 > 0:31:35Instead, they got the bloke in to give a quote.
0:31:35 > 0:31:40He looked at the plans and said he could do it all for £47,500.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43Yvonne, Dave and Annette gave him the green light
0:31:43 > 0:31:46and work started on October 1st, 2009.
0:31:46 > 0:31:50But if didn't take long for the family to start to worry.
0:31:50 > 0:31:53Work was proceeding at a snail's pace.
0:31:53 > 0:31:57The kitchen just didn't seem to be making any progress.
0:31:57 > 0:32:01Doors were being removed, but there was no sign of them being replaced
0:32:01 > 0:32:04and what little work was being done was a bit like
0:32:04 > 0:32:07what he had lumped in the garden - garbage.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10The roof on the extension was risible.
0:32:10 > 0:32:15And the French doors had a massive gap at the top. Sloppy!
0:32:16 > 0:32:18This job was dragging on and on,
0:32:18 > 0:32:21but whenever Dave and Yvonne asked their builder what was happening
0:32:21 > 0:32:23and if everything was on schedule,
0:32:23 > 0:32:25he said there was no problem, everything was fine.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28In fact, the couple had absolutely no idea
0:32:28 > 0:32:31how much trouble they were in until the builder walked off the job.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36Yvonne, Dave and Annette had gone away for a week's holiday.
0:32:36 > 0:32:40When they returned home, they got an unpleasant surprise.
0:32:40 > 0:32:44Didn't get back here until Monday lunchtime,
0:32:44 > 0:32:48only to walk in and find that they'd taken all their tools
0:32:48 > 0:32:52and our first reaction was, "They've gone."
0:32:52 > 0:32:56Their first reaction was spot on.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59And the project was far from finished.
0:32:59 > 0:33:03The electrics weren't connected, the plumbing wasn't completed
0:33:03 > 0:33:06and the windows had been hurriedly screwed into place.
0:33:06 > 0:33:08Bodge, bodge, bodge!
0:33:08 > 0:33:12And they paid the builder £47,500!
0:33:12 > 0:33:14Oh, dear!
0:33:14 > 0:33:17They'd only done part of the roof,
0:33:17 > 0:33:20so we had lots of leaks all over the place.
0:33:20 > 0:33:25Holes in the roof, no hot water, no heating.
0:33:25 > 0:33:26Felt sick.
0:33:28 > 0:33:32- Yeah.- Worried.- Felt sick, worried. "What are we going to do now?"
0:33:34 > 0:33:36What they did was call the building inspector,
0:33:36 > 0:33:39who'd they got to know rather well.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42He had been over 16 times...
0:33:43 > 0:33:47..because he felt that he needed to keep an eye on them.
0:33:47 > 0:33:51Um, he also informed us a few things that we didn't know about.
0:33:51 > 0:33:56One of them was about the footings, which they'd charged us extra for,
0:33:56 > 0:33:59um, which they shouldn't have.
0:33:59 > 0:34:03Yvonne, Dave and Annette had forked out over £50,000
0:34:03 > 0:34:07on a monumental bungled build.
0:34:07 > 0:34:12We did have a phone call from the builder on the Tuesday morning,
0:34:12 > 0:34:14after he'd left on the Monday,
0:34:14 > 0:34:17um, saying that he was really stressed out,
0:34:17 > 0:34:20he'd ran out of money and didn't know what to do.
0:34:20 > 0:34:23He told me he was going to have a week off
0:34:23 > 0:34:25and then he would come back over and see us.
0:34:25 > 0:34:29HE was stressed out?! What about his unlucky victims?
0:34:29 > 0:34:30When he eventually came back,
0:34:30 > 0:34:35the cowboy said he'd finish the job if they paid him another £11,000!
0:34:35 > 0:34:40Blooming cheek! Not surprisingly, he got short shrift.
0:34:40 > 0:34:42But that was no consolation to his poor victims,
0:34:42 > 0:34:45who were left in a state of turmoil.
0:34:45 > 0:34:46What a mess!
0:34:46 > 0:34:49Yvonne and Dave were forced to live in just one bedroom
0:34:49 > 0:34:52and Annette was unable to move around her home.
0:34:52 > 0:34:55The whole experience had a devastating impact on everyone.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58Annette's son, Matthew, was shocked
0:34:58 > 0:35:01by how badly his mum had been affected by the whole experience.
0:35:04 > 0:35:08She just can't get on with her life, basically, until this is done.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11I mean, she's obviously worried,
0:35:11 > 0:35:13the same as Yvonne and David are, as well.
0:35:13 > 0:35:15I mean, they've obviously been living in it
0:35:15 > 0:35:16all the way through the project.
0:35:16 > 0:35:20I mean, just coming down and seeing the looks on their faces
0:35:20 > 0:35:23and, you know, I don't know how they managed to keep going, really.
0:35:24 > 0:35:29Not kidding. This was a catalogue of disasters from top to bottom.
0:35:31 > 0:35:33There was no way we could right all the wrongs here.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36Getting this house finished was going to be a long road.
0:35:36 > 0:35:38But the question was could we do enough
0:35:38 > 0:35:42to give Annette access to her home and make it safe and secure?
0:35:42 > 0:35:47Our good guys entered the fray led by head honcho Chris Watts.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50Chris's crack team installed
0:35:50 > 0:35:53the correct-sized French doors in the living room
0:35:53 > 0:35:58and, unlike the cowboy's bodged job, they fitted perfectly.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01Then it was on to the paving and patio.
0:36:01 > 0:36:05Super level and wheelchair friendly. Nice.
0:36:06 > 0:36:09Improving Annette's mobility was priority number one
0:36:09 > 0:36:14in this Cowboy Trap rescue mission and they pulled it off with aplomb.
0:36:14 > 0:36:19Oh, he's brought the garden into the kitchen. It's absolutely lovely!
0:36:19 > 0:36:23Look at how the place had been transformed.
0:36:23 > 0:36:25By the time our good guys had finished,
0:36:25 > 0:36:29things were very much back on track for Dave, Yvonne and Annette.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32But would all this spur them on to finish their quest
0:36:32 > 0:36:35for a dream home after we'd left? Only time would tell.
0:36:40 > 0:36:41It's been almost three years
0:36:41 > 0:36:43since we last saw Dave, Yvonne and Annette.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46We helped them out of the cowboy trap, but of course,
0:36:46 > 0:36:50they had huge plans for their home. Let's see how they got on.
0:36:50 > 0:36:54'Hopefully, our good guys inspired them to complete their dream home.'
0:36:56 > 0:36:58- Hi, Dave.- Hello, Jonnie, come on in. - Thank you very much.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01- Where's the ladies? Out the back? - The girls are out the back.
0:37:01 > 0:37:03- How did you guess? On a day like today.- Yeah!
0:37:04 > 0:37:08'This area has certainly come on great guns.'
0:37:09 > 0:37:12- It was just a right old mess before, wasn't it?- Yes.
0:37:12 > 0:37:15- You couldn't come out here. - It was a building site.- Yeah.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18- It was literally a building site. - It was a building site.
0:37:18 > 0:37:22They blocked the front door up, so I had no access at all.
0:37:23 > 0:37:26'Because our good guys made it wheelchair friendly,
0:37:26 > 0:37:29'Annette's got much more independence.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32'And since we were last here Dave and Yvonne
0:37:32 > 0:37:35'have transformed the outside of their home with a smart render.'
0:37:36 > 0:37:41- What I love about this so much is you can be home on your own.- Yeah.
0:37:41 > 0:37:45- You're not waiting for your sister or Dave to come home, are you?- No.
0:37:45 > 0:37:48- You're just doing your own thing, as you should be.- Yeah.
0:37:48 > 0:37:50Yeah, if she wants to come out in the garden, she can.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53If she wants to stay in the kitchen and cook, she can.
0:37:54 > 0:37:58'Right, time for a close look at what's been done inside.'
0:37:58 > 0:38:00It was after you guys came
0:38:00 > 0:38:02- and put these doors in...- Yeah.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05..that we could get on and do it.
0:38:05 > 0:38:07The good guys, when they put your doors in,
0:38:07 > 0:38:09- that was like the starting pistol, wasn't it?- It was.- Yeah.
0:38:09 > 0:38:13And you certainly won the race. This place looks amazing!
0:38:13 > 0:38:16'Yup! A race victory Mo Farah would be proud of!
0:38:16 > 0:38:19'When we arrived, the kitchen looked like this.
0:38:19 > 0:38:21'Our good guys did a sterling job outside,
0:38:21 > 0:38:24'but there was still much to do inside,
0:38:24 > 0:38:27'and Yvonne, Dave and Annette haven't hung around.'
0:38:29 > 0:38:31It's very well-designed. I mean, looking around it,
0:38:31 > 0:38:34I can see how it's suitable for all of you. You've got access...
0:38:34 > 0:38:38For you, Annette, getting around, it looks pretty easy.
0:38:38 > 0:38:42- Yes.- No real changes of levels, the doorways are nice and wide.
0:38:42 > 0:38:44The main thing is the flooring for me,
0:38:44 > 0:38:46because if it was carpet or rugs...
0:38:46 > 0:38:50- Yeah.- I mean, it's a no-no, really. - Of course.- Really hard.
0:38:50 > 0:38:54So these tiles and wooden flooring is great.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57'Right, into the lounge.
0:38:57 > 0:38:59'Before, it looked like this.
0:38:59 > 0:39:01'Now check it out.'
0:39:02 > 0:39:05So one thing I'm seeing is you must have used tradesmen again?
0:39:05 > 0:39:07- We have.- Builders and what have you.
0:39:07 > 0:39:11Yeah, we've had to learn to trust them again and, er,
0:39:11 > 0:39:15we've had them in to do different things, like the fireplace,
0:39:15 > 0:39:18- for example, which we couldn't do ourselves.- No.
0:39:18 > 0:39:20And we've been lucky enough to get
0:39:20 > 0:39:24friends and family to come and help us, as well.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27Perfect. I mean, having seen our good builders here,
0:39:27 > 0:39:31did that help you turn the corner and start trusting people?
0:39:31 > 0:39:34- Oh, yeah, definitely, but we had to, didn't we?- Yeah.
0:39:34 > 0:39:38To make it work for us and get life back on track, basically.
0:39:38 > 0:39:44'And back on track it certainly is! No wonder everyone's so happy.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46'Remember, before our good guys got involved,
0:39:46 > 0:39:49'the house and patio looked like this
0:39:49 > 0:39:53'and, after our good guys came to the rescue, we left them like this.
0:39:53 > 0:39:58'And since then the family's continued the transformation.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01'Check out the lovely lounge...
0:40:01 > 0:40:03'the cool kitchen...
0:40:03 > 0:40:06'and the pristine patio.
0:40:06 > 0:40:07'Fantastic!'
0:40:09 > 0:40:11'But what did Yvonne, Dave and Annette learn
0:40:11 > 0:40:15'from their unlucky cowboy builder experience? Time to find out.'
0:40:16 > 0:40:18What would you do different now?
0:40:18 > 0:40:20We'd ask questions about, um, about them
0:40:20 > 0:40:24- to other people that they'd done work for.- Done work for, right.
0:40:24 > 0:40:28We'd also ask if we could go and have a look at their work.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31Um, we would check on the internet
0:40:31 > 0:40:35- with these sites that you can check for...- I think the first bit.
0:40:35 > 0:40:37You go and look at their work
0:40:37 > 0:40:40- and you speak to the people they have worked for.- Yeah.
0:40:40 > 0:40:42- You cannot get a better recommendation than that.- Yeah.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45'Well, at least they've now learned their lesson.
0:40:45 > 0:40:47'Better late than never.'
0:40:47 > 0:40:49What do you regret doing the most?
0:40:49 > 0:40:51- Starting it.- Really?
0:40:51 > 0:40:55Well, on occasion we did, because it did get us all down
0:40:55 > 0:40:59and, you know, we got depressed and we worried about money.
0:40:59 > 0:41:03Do you think you were maybe a bit trusting of this,
0:41:03 > 0:41:05- this "friend" of yours? - Yeah.- Yes.
0:41:05 > 0:41:07- Definitely, too trusting.- Yeah.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11'It's always a risk getting a friend in to do work for you.
0:41:11 > 0:41:14'If it goes wrong, you've got a bodged build
0:41:14 > 0:41:16'and a fractured friendship.'
0:41:16 > 0:41:19What are your feelings towards this cowboy?
0:41:19 > 0:41:22- Not very good ones. - No.- No, I'm afraid.
0:41:22 > 0:41:24What are your feelings, Yvonne?
0:41:24 > 0:41:28Very disappointed in him that, you know, he could...
0:41:28 > 0:41:30- Do what he's done to us.- Yeah,
0:41:30 > 0:41:34take on a job that, obviously, was more than he could cope with.
0:41:34 > 0:41:36Didn't tell us earlier.
0:41:36 > 0:41:38- You could have done something about it.- Yeah.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40Well, if we'd spoken more about it, we could've.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43'Yvonne, Dave and Annette made some other mistakes,
0:41:43 > 0:41:46'which you can also learn from. Here's some tips.'
0:41:46 > 0:41:50Be suspicious of any unusually low quotes.
0:41:50 > 0:41:54If the price you're given seems too good to be true, it usually is.
0:41:54 > 0:41:58And, if you do know your builder personally, still get at least
0:41:58 > 0:42:03three corroborated references and have a cast-iron contract in place.
0:42:03 > 0:42:07Insist on a schedule of staged payments. Only pay the final sum
0:42:07 > 0:42:10when everything is completed to your satisfaction.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15How have our guys, the good guys from Cowboy Trap,
0:42:15 > 0:42:21- helped you move on? Have they? - Yeah.- 100%.- Yeah, definitely.- Yeah.
0:42:21 > 0:42:23They gave us security, for one thing,
0:42:23 > 0:42:26- because we weren't secure before the doors were put in.- Yeah.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29And I think they gave us the boost to say,
0:42:29 > 0:42:32"Right, we have got it all in now, let's get on and rip
0:42:32 > 0:42:36"the kitchen out and get it finished, and let's go on and do the patio."
0:42:36 > 0:42:39You've turned the corner and, you know,
0:42:39 > 0:42:41you're trusting the right people.
0:42:41 > 0:42:43You know, the people you've had in here
0:42:43 > 0:42:44clearly know what they're doing.
0:42:44 > 0:42:46- Yeah.- Good for you.
0:42:46 > 0:42:48'Good for them indeed.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51'Time for me to bid this lovely family
0:42:51 > 0:42:52'and their smashing home farewell.'
0:42:56 > 0:42:59Well, it's been great to catch up with Annette, Yvonne and Dave.
0:42:59 > 0:43:02Before Cowboy Trap got involved, this place...
0:43:02 > 0:43:05Well, it was literally a building site, not really fit to live in,
0:43:05 > 0:43:09but in these three, just under three short years,
0:43:09 > 0:43:11they've done so much to this place.
0:43:11 > 0:43:14And they've turned it not only into a home,
0:43:14 > 0:43:17but I think now, finally, they've achieved their original objective
0:43:17 > 0:43:21and that was to get independence for all three.
0:43:37 > 0:43:40Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd