0:00:07 > 0:00:14We're on a mission to rescue homeowners across the UK from the misery left by cowboy builders.
0:00:14 > 0:00:19It's in your mind all the time. You can't get rid of it.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23You should be trying to concentrate on doing things with your grandson, but I wasn't.
0:00:23 > 0:00:29Whether shoddy workmanship or downright lies, cowboy builders are unscrupulous villains
0:00:29 > 0:00:32who destroy dreams and wreck lives.
0:00:32 > 0:00:38I said, "What do you mean there's no damp proof course? That's what I paid you to do."
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Am I on a different planet?!
0:00:40 > 0:00:46One silly thing that's been done is there's a timber door that's been put on upside down.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49It's a really basic silly mistake.
0:00:49 > 0:00:55We've rounded up the good guys to help turn these helpless homeowners into merry mortgagees.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59- I thought this was a new garage. - It's brilliant now.
0:00:59 > 0:01:05- It's been raining today. In there, it's bone dry. - It's dry. It's amazing.
0:01:05 > 0:01:10- You seem pretty happy now.- I am. Now I've got smooth, dry walls
0:01:10 > 0:01:14and I'm just looking forward to having my home back.
0:01:14 > 0:01:19Even the smartest people forget basic common sense with builders,
0:01:19 > 0:01:25so the next 45 minutes is a cautionary tale to help keep you out of the cowboy trap.
0:01:34 > 0:01:41Today's Cowboy Trap is a stern lesson in the dangers of leaving your builder to get on with it.
0:01:41 > 0:01:48These homeowners failed to adequately supervise their projects and would live to regret it.
0:01:48 > 0:01:54I want my house sorting out so I can get on with my life again.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58I felt betrayed, I felt angry. I felt disgusted.
0:01:58 > 0:02:03I suppose whenever those emotions subsided I was just gutted.
0:02:03 > 0:02:08Later, we catch up with a homeowner in Yorkshire who paid a builder to renovate her home and garage
0:02:08 > 0:02:12but ended up with a bungled bodge of a job.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15Our first Cowboy Trap location is Belfast,
0:02:15 > 0:02:21capital of Northern Ireland and a centre for industry, the arts and higher education,
0:02:21 > 0:02:26but 100 years ago this city was renowned for a different field - shipbuilding -
0:02:26 > 0:02:30although one of its vessels didn't last too long.
0:02:30 > 0:02:35The Titanic was built here in Belfast by Harland and Wolff
0:02:35 > 0:02:37and it was a massive project.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41No one had ever before attempted to construct a vessel so large.
0:02:41 > 0:02:47The Titanic was said to be unsinkable. As it turned out, a worthless claim,
0:02:47 > 0:02:52a bit like today's Cowboy Trap where a so-called guarantee meant nothing
0:02:52 > 0:02:54and it ended up dead in the water.
0:02:54 > 0:03:02This cowboy builder's unlucky victims live in a three-bed semi, home to social worker Sarah McCusker
0:03:02 > 0:03:05and her Maltese puppy Alfie. Sarah enjoys boxing,
0:03:05 > 0:03:11but her main passion is helping underprivileged people through her work.
0:03:11 > 0:03:16I love my job. Some might say I'm a bit of a workaholic.
0:03:16 > 0:03:21I get a sense of satisfaction out of working with other people
0:03:21 > 0:03:24and trying to build a relationship.
0:03:24 > 0:03:29Sarah went to uni in Belfast and lived with her parents,
0:03:29 > 0:03:32but after graduating she felt it was time to move on.
0:03:32 > 0:03:38Sarah's parents have always encouraged her to save. Three years ago, she had enough for a deposit.
0:03:38 > 0:03:44So when she spotted a 1930s semi in a quiet neighbourhood fairly close to her parents,
0:03:44 > 0:03:48she was over the Moon. It needed quite a lot of work, yes,
0:03:48 > 0:03:51but Sarah could see its potential.
0:03:51 > 0:03:56I fell in love with it instantly. Great house, quiet street,
0:03:56 > 0:04:00own garden. Everything that I needed.
0:04:02 > 0:04:07Sarah's homebuyer survey stated some vital remedial work needed doing for the mortgage to come through.
0:04:07 > 0:04:14One area of work was the damp proof course, so I thought, "I need to get that work done
0:04:14 > 0:04:16"and send everything to the bank."
0:04:16 > 0:04:21Sarah realised the had to find a builder quick. At that time, she worked evenings in a bar.
0:04:21 > 0:04:26A regular recommended someone who'd worked for him.
0:04:26 > 0:04:31I said, "Brilliant. Saves me trying to look for a builder."
0:04:31 > 0:04:38The builder came round and quoted £3,500 to put in a damp proof course with a 25-year guarantee
0:04:38 > 0:04:40and underfloor ventilation.
0:04:40 > 0:04:45Work began on 19th May, 2009. Sarah couldn't move in until the job was finished,
0:04:45 > 0:04:49so she basically left him to it. Big mistake.
0:04:49 > 0:04:55I just gave him a key because the house was empty, nothing had been moved into it yet.
0:04:55 > 0:05:01So I didn't see a step-by-step process. I didn't supervise the work or anything.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05Hmm. An unsupervised builder? Not great.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07Take my advice.
0:05:17 > 0:05:23They should take photos of work in progress and keep you updated on whether it's proceeding as planned.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27Fail to do that and you could be heading for trouble.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31After two weeks, Sarah's builder called her to say he'd finished,
0:05:31 > 0:05:36but when she came to check the work she got the shock of her life.
0:05:36 > 0:05:42The whole floor had been ripped up. He said, "Don't worry. I'll replace that free for you."
0:05:42 > 0:05:44I thought OK, no worries.
0:05:44 > 0:05:50He suggested replastering the walls in the bedroom as well since he'd done the ceiling.
0:05:50 > 0:05:57He did say... To me there wasn't anything wrong with the walls, but he said, "You'd be best doing it now."
0:05:57 > 0:06:01And that added hundreds of pounds to Sarah's final bill.
0:06:01 > 0:06:07As did the fact the builder charged her for the new floor. I thought that was going to be free.
0:06:07 > 0:06:12And he charged her for new skirting boards. And he didn't mention VAT in his quote.
0:06:12 > 0:06:19His final bill for what was supposed to be just a damp proof course was £2,000 more than Sarah expected.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23The total amount ended up just over £5,500.
0:06:23 > 0:06:29Sarah tried not to let the inflated bill spoil the excitement of moving into her first home,
0:06:29 > 0:06:33but something else did. The builder left the house in a right state
0:06:33 > 0:06:39and the damp proof certificate he'd promised was conspicuous by its absence.
0:06:39 > 0:06:46Sarah chased the builder for the guarantee, but he constantly gave excuses for not sending it,
0:06:46 > 0:06:51like his wife was due to give birth and then that he was too busy with the new baby.
0:06:51 > 0:06:58I said to him I was expecting this guarantee. I chased for another while and it never materialised.
0:07:00 > 0:07:07The lack of guarantee would end up becoming a bone of contention as 18 months after the damp proofing,
0:07:07 > 0:07:13serious problems started to emerge. Sarah noticed a damp spot under her settee.
0:07:13 > 0:07:18I actually thought, "Have I spilt a drink?" It seemed to be wet on the floor.
0:07:18 > 0:07:23And I pulled the settee forward and thought, "Gee, look at that!"
0:07:24 > 0:07:29The floor was soaking and it wasn't just under the settee that was wet.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33Mould started to appear on the walls, plaster began to bubble,
0:07:33 > 0:07:38rot appeared on the skirting boards and walls became wet to the touch.
0:07:38 > 0:07:43You can feel that it's just loose, cracked bits of plaster stuck behind the wallpaper.
0:07:43 > 0:07:48If you pull the wallpaper off, you'll pull half the plaster with it.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52Sarah's home was turning into a swamp. She phoned the builder.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55"There's damp back in my house."
0:07:55 > 0:08:01Initially, he said there couldn't be. I said, "I assure you, there is. I'm looking at it now."
0:08:01 > 0:08:07After much cajoling, the builder eventually came to examine Sarah's wet-through walls.
0:08:07 > 0:08:14He's looking and he paused for a minute and three times he said, "That shouldn't be doing that."
0:08:14 > 0:08:18I'm looking at him going, "You're telling me!"
0:08:18 > 0:08:22The next week, the builder returned and cut some inspection holes.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26Sarah was horrified that her lovely laminate floor had to be ripped up,
0:08:26 > 0:08:30but she was even more horrified when the builder said...
0:08:30 > 0:08:36"As I suspected, there is absolutely no DPC - damp proof course - in that house."
0:08:36 > 0:08:40I think I was just confused and lost and thought,
0:08:40 > 0:08:47"Am I on a different planet or is he?" I said, "Look, what do you mean there's no damp proof course?
0:08:47 > 0:08:49"That's what I paid you to do."
0:08:51 > 0:08:58And guess what - this cheeky cowboy then gave Sarah quotes to put in a damp proof course.
0:08:58 > 0:09:06She asked some other builders to inspect the work. They said that no DPC had been put in.
0:09:06 > 0:09:12So here's why Sarah never got her 25-year guarantee. It was an imaginary damp proof course!
0:09:12 > 0:09:19I mean, you couldn't make it up. When Sarah made one last attempt to get the cowboy to rectify matters,
0:09:19 > 0:09:21things turned ugly.
0:09:21 > 0:09:27Yep, not only was this cowboy awful at doing what he'd promised and charged for,
0:09:27 > 0:09:32- he was also pretty poor in terms of his phone manner. - He was very aggressive.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34"Go ahead. Take me to court!"
0:09:34 > 0:09:41Sarah hadn't got enough money to take legal action against the damp proof desperado.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44Her first home had turned into a nightmare.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48I felt betrayed, I felt angry. I felt disgusted.
0:09:48 > 0:09:54And I suppose when those emotions subsided, I was absolutely gutted.
0:09:54 > 0:10:01What an extraordinary tale. You feel he took advantage of Sarah's youth and inexperience.
0:10:01 > 0:10:08It's a dreadful thing to happen to any first-time buyer, especially as she'd tried to do it properly.
0:10:08 > 0:10:13So what, if anything, did he do to Sarah's home when she wasn't looking?
0:10:13 > 0:10:20To investigate this mysterious missing damp proof course, we got building expert John Ashenhurst.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24He's about to fill me in on his findings. First item to discuss -
0:10:24 > 0:10:27'where the damp proof course should be.'
0:10:27 > 0:10:32We should be seeing it in this open area.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36- It should be between the joists. - The damp proof course itself?- Yeah.
0:10:36 > 0:10:42I would suspect it hasn't been injected in this area. The surface of the plaster has gone.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46The plaster behind is very dark, which shows it is full of damp.
0:10:46 > 0:10:52'So John's forensic attempts to find evidence the cowboy put in a damp proof course have come to nought.
0:10:52 > 0:11:00- 'The implications of that aren't hard to spot.'- You can see in the picture where there's a large area
0:11:00 > 0:11:04where the plaster's come away, especially behind the radiator.
0:11:04 > 0:11:11There's also an area by the entrance to the kitchen where there are salts that appear on the wall,
0:11:11 > 0:11:17a tell-tale of damp. You can see that the surface of the plaster has gone.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21The plaster behind is very dark, which shows it is full of damp.
0:11:21 > 0:11:26'There's so much damp, it will affect the strength of the walls and cause the floors to rot,
0:11:26 > 0:11:32'but it's not just about bricks and mortar. Damp affects the house occupant's health, too.'
0:11:32 > 0:11:35I'd be concerned about the health issues damp would cause.
0:11:35 > 0:11:43- Respiratory health issues?- Yes. Over time, if you live in a damp house, that would be more the problem.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46'For Sarah's sake, this clearly needs sorting ASAP.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50'It's not just rising damp that's a concern.'
0:11:50 > 0:11:57Let's talk about this damp here. What is this? Is this condensation? Is it rising damp?
0:11:57 > 0:11:59The mould itself is condensation.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03'And guess what - that's caused by poor air circulation,
0:12:03 > 0:12:07'caused by the cowboy putting the air vents in the wrong place.'
0:12:07 > 0:12:12He has taken the least resistance, which has been the side wall.
0:12:12 > 0:12:19If he had put one through the front wall as well, it would increase circulation, but it's more work.
0:12:19 > 0:12:24'And to this guy work was clearly a four-letter word.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27'It's make your mind up time for John.'
0:12:27 > 0:12:32Seeing what you've seen, how would you grade this work out of ten?
0:12:32 > 0:12:35I would say probably a two or three.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39- Is that all?- Yes. - 'I can see why John isn't impressed.
0:12:39 > 0:12:44'Check out what Sarah has to live with because of this con artist.
0:12:44 > 0:12:51'Damp here, there and pretty much everywhere. Plaster becoming cracked, mould patches
0:12:51 > 0:12:53'and long-term health concerns.'
0:12:53 > 0:13:00In short, if there was any hope of a happy ending to this soggy saga, it was time for the good guys.
0:13:02 > 0:13:07And here's head honcho Kenny Andrews leading his posse into the fray.
0:13:07 > 0:13:13So much needs doing, Sarah's chipping in as she hopes her damp problems will be fixed for good.
0:13:13 > 0:13:18'First things first - removing the poorly-applied plaster.
0:13:18 > 0:13:24'Then the good guys have to drill deep into the walls so the damp proof treatment can begin.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28'The next stage - injecting the magic ingredient.
0:13:28 > 0:13:36'So far, so good, but can our fellas make Sarah's first home dry as a bone? Only time will tell.'
0:13:41 > 0:13:48I'm in Belfast where first-time buyer Sarah McCusker's new home was in dire need of a damp course,
0:13:48 > 0:13:54but she was taken advantage of by a cowboy builder who just pretended to do the work,
0:13:54 > 0:14:01leaving her despairing of a house riddled with damp. Our good guys have now finished. Let's see it.
0:14:01 > 0:14:06'It's still a work in progress as the new plaster has to dry.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09'I bet Sarah can't wait to decorate it.'
0:14:10 > 0:14:14- Hi, Sarah.- Hiya! - How are you doing?- I'm good.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17- It's a bit rainy out here. - Yeah, come in.- Thank you.
0:14:17 > 0:14:23'Sarah's in a bubbly mood. While she puts the kettle on, I'll take a quick look around.'
0:14:23 > 0:14:26Well, can't smell any damp,
0:14:26 > 0:14:31but this is the main offending wall. This is the external wall.
0:14:31 > 0:14:37It was in a right old state, but there's almost like a magical watermark.
0:14:37 > 0:14:44It starts here and goes right across to the end. And below it, there's dark, very fresh-looking plaster.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48You can still feel it quite damp. It's in the process of drying out.
0:14:48 > 0:14:56There's no way of rushing this so they're doing as they should and letting nature take its course.
0:14:56 > 0:15:01'Yep, it's good to see an early sign that the job's been done properly.
0:15:01 > 0:15:06'Remember what this wall looked like before? Wetsville, Tennessee.
0:15:06 > 0:15:11'Now it's on the right track and this plastering looks spot-on.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15'Our good guys didn't do a slapdash job like the cowboy.'
0:15:15 > 0:15:20Everywhere you look, you see new, fresh skimming and plasterwork.
0:15:20 > 0:15:26They must have had to take all that back to the brickwork, everywhere you see this new plastering.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30This looks like a much bigger job than I anticipated.
0:15:30 > 0:15:37'Right, into Sarah's dining room. Because of the cowboy's virtual damp proofing,
0:15:37 > 0:15:43'the wallpaper was peeling and the plasterwork was cracking, but it's now damp-free
0:15:43 > 0:15:45'and plastered beautifully.'
0:15:45 > 0:15:50There's a new floor covering here. They've put damp proofing down.
0:15:50 > 0:15:56Also I like to see that if there's rising damp, they'll have to chop back to the brickwork,
0:15:56 > 0:16:01but everywhere you see is fresh plaster, even the ceiling as well.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07'Sarah will be able to decorate this room as soon as the plaster dries
0:16:07 > 0:16:13'and we all know first-time buyers love to decorate. I like what I see.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17'Good guy head honcho Kenny has come to talk me through the challenges.'
0:16:17 > 0:16:23You deal with damp day to day, day in, day out. What can you attribute all this damp to?
0:16:23 > 0:16:27It was mostly rising damp coming up from below the ground.
0:16:27 > 0:16:34- Partly penetrating damp coming in through the walls. Soaking wet. - Right, so two-fold there.- Yep.
0:16:34 > 0:16:41- When you say rising damp, that was coming up through the brickwork. - And through the plasterwork.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45'None of which would have happened if a DPC had been put in originally.
0:16:45 > 0:16:50'So we're back to the mystery of what the cowboy actually got up to.'
0:16:50 > 0:16:54What evidence of work had you seen had taken place?
0:16:54 > 0:16:57There was some randomly drilled holes in the brickwork,
0:16:57 > 0:17:02an old-school method that never worked. You have to inject the mortar bed.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06Injecting bricks does no good. There were random holes.
0:17:06 > 0:17:12'Aha! At last we get to the bottom of it. The cowboy did do a bit of random damp proofing,
0:17:12 > 0:17:16'but in a totally useless and ineffective way.'
0:17:16 > 0:17:18Take my advice.
0:17:18 > 0:17:26It's crucial you identify what kind of damp you have - rising, penetrating or condensation.
0:17:35 > 0:17:40The only way to be completely sure is to consult an independent damp specialist
0:17:40 > 0:17:45who has no vested interest in recommending unnecessary work.
0:17:45 > 0:17:50Before I hear what Sarah thinks, I'm going to chat to her about her cowboy builder.
0:17:50 > 0:17:56I wanted to find out his side of the story and I can't wait to hear her thoughts on his side of events.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00He says he was never contracted to do a damp proof course.
0:18:00 > 0:18:06He says you told him your surveyor's report indicated there was already one present.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10All he was doing was hacking the plaster off the walls to redo it.
0:18:10 > 0:18:17He was contracted to do damp proof work. He's also given me the quote here. And the receipt.
0:18:17 > 0:18:24In which, you know, he says there, "a damp proof silicone".
0:18:24 > 0:18:30- His position becomes rather more untenable when it's in black and white here, isn't it?- Absolutely.
0:18:30 > 0:18:37He denies he was intimidating and aggressive on the phone. He shouted as he was on his hands-free.
0:18:37 > 0:18:43It's not that it could have been misinterpreted. I asked him several times. I said, "Stop shouting at me.
0:18:43 > 0:18:49"Could you stop shouting?" And he responded by further shouting, "I'm not effing shouting at you!"
0:18:49 > 0:18:55'Hmm, very non-aggressive(!) Looking at the results of this guy's handiwork, I'm not surprised
0:18:55 > 0:19:02'he wasn't keen on hearing from previous customers. So what has Sarah learnt from the experience?'
0:19:02 > 0:19:06- Do you regret not coming round more frequently?- I do to an extent,
0:19:06 > 0:19:13but I'm not too sure that me standing watching what he was doing... I still wouldn't have known.
0:19:13 > 0:19:19I was 21, 22, when I bought the house and he thought... Yeah, exactly.
0:19:19 > 0:19:26It's all part of being a first-time buyer. You are naive. It's a learning process.
0:19:26 > 0:19:31Unfortunately, someone else has taken advantage of that.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34'That's exactly what cowboy builders love to do.
0:19:34 > 0:19:39'Anyway, that's now ancient history. It's time to hear whether Sarah's damp-free home
0:19:39 > 0:19:42'has changed her life for the better.'
0:19:42 > 0:19:49Now this... I know it's not finished, but this must be completely different to how it was.
0:19:49 > 0:19:56It's totally different. It's so good to have nice, smooth, dry walls and new floor and skirting boards.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00- How bad did it smell? - Musty kind of old smell.
0:20:00 > 0:20:06'You'll have to take my word for it, but I can assure you Sarah's home doesn't smell musty any more.
0:20:06 > 0:20:11'Now she's finally in a position to turn this house into her dream home.'
0:20:11 > 0:20:16- Talk me through the colour schemes and stuff.- I'm going to paint it.
0:20:16 > 0:20:21It was papered, kind of because it had to be, but now I've smooth walls
0:20:21 > 0:20:27and I think the paint will look great. I'm thinking of a cream and teal, probably.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31'I've no idea what teal is, but I'm sure it's very nice.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33'Next, into the lounge.'
0:20:33 > 0:20:37Now this room... Well, it was carnage in here.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39Yeah.
0:20:39 > 0:20:45- When I spoke to Kenny, our good guy builder, he said that was, well, he said it was soaking.- It was.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47It was actually wet to the touch.
0:20:47 > 0:20:53- When it's all painted, it'll feel like a brand-new home. - It does already.
0:20:53 > 0:20:59Even though to other people looking at it, it might look unsightly because it's just this plaster,
0:20:59 > 0:21:03but in comparison with what it had before, it's such a great difference.
0:21:03 > 0:21:09'And that's because, as always, our good guys have gone the extra mile.'
0:21:09 > 0:21:15He could have just sorted out the damp bit, but he thought we'll make the finish look like it's new,
0:21:15 > 0:21:17so he's gone floor to ceiling.
0:21:17 > 0:21:22'From quagmire to quality, in one fell good guy swoop.'
0:21:22 > 0:21:25All's well that ends well, really.
0:21:25 > 0:21:30It's been lovely to meet you. I'm sorry you had to go through this.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34- It must have been upsetting at times.- Mm-hm.- But you seem happy.
0:21:34 > 0:21:40I'm over the Moon. Now I've got smooth, dry walls and I'm looking forward to getting painted
0:21:40 > 0:21:47- and having my home back. - 'And on that happy note, it's time for me to bid Sarah and Archie
0:21:47 > 0:21:49'a fond farewell.'
0:21:49 > 0:21:52Some rather typical changeable weather here in Belfast,
0:21:52 > 0:21:56but while it's damp outside, it's not inside Sarah's house,
0:21:56 > 0:22:03due in no small part to our good guy builders. They've done a cracking job leaving Sarah just one task -
0:22:03 > 0:22:09that's to redecorate her new home. But it's also another opportunity for a housewarming party.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12I'll wait for the invite.
0:22:12 > 0:22:17Sarah found out the hard way that when it comes to cowboy builders, if you're out of sight
0:22:17 > 0:22:19you're very much out of mind.
0:22:19 > 0:22:25Our next cowboy victim was also deceived by a builder who could talk the talk,
0:22:25 > 0:22:28but didn't work the work.
0:22:31 > 0:22:36We're in Easingwold, a small market town near York.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39It's a town with a history. Back in 1221, it had an old tollbooth
0:22:39 > 0:22:45and in the Middle Ages Easingwold was renowned for rows of shambles where butchers sold their wares.
0:22:45 > 0:22:52I can't help but wonder whether a few hundred years later a certain fellow of disrepute
0:22:52 > 0:22:54rode through on his way to York.
0:22:54 > 0:23:01Back in the 18th century, notorious highwayman Dick Turpin was imprisoned and executed in York
0:23:01 > 0:23:05after he was captured living nearby under an assumed identity.
0:23:05 > 0:23:10These days highway robbery is consigned to the history books,
0:23:10 > 0:23:17but locals are still being targeted by an outlaw of a much more modern kind - the cowboy builder.
0:23:17 > 0:23:22'His unlucky victim lives in this two-bed bungalow.
0:23:22 > 0:23:27'It's home to Judith Metcalfe, a cleaner. Judith is a mother and grandmother,
0:23:27 > 0:23:31- 'who dotes on her grandson Tom.' - He keeps me going.
0:23:31 > 0:23:37He loves his tractors and he loved making things with his granddad, who loved making things with him.
0:23:37 > 0:23:43'Tom's granddad, Judith's much-loved husband of 35 years, Alex, sadly passed away
0:23:43 > 0:23:47'from cancer in 2011, with Judith by his side.
0:23:47 > 0:23:52'In his younger years, Alex was a farmer and after they married in 1980,
0:23:52 > 0:23:57- 'Judith adored her outdoors life with him.'- He was very easygoing.
0:23:57 > 0:24:05We were happy going for walks and in the garden. When he died, it was hard. It was very hard.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09When Alex died, Judith not only had to cope with losing her soulmate,
0:24:09 > 0:24:13she was also forced to accept she could no longer live where she was.
0:24:13 > 0:24:19Reluctantly, she decided to downsize her home. As she suffers from arthritis, when a bungalow came up
0:24:19 > 0:24:22close to her family in Easingwold, it seemed ideal.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26When I moved in, I realised it needed a bit of modernisation.
0:24:26 > 0:24:31There was a loft which I thought I would like boarded now.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33I'd promised my grandson a train set.
0:24:33 > 0:24:38And the loft was just the start of Judith's grand plan.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42She wanted a new bathroom, new kitchen, the garage renovating
0:24:42 > 0:24:48and electrical, plumbing and joinery work doing, too. One of her friends recommended a builder
0:24:48 > 0:24:55who came round to quote. He came up with a figure of £25,000 to fit the new kitchen and bathroom,
0:24:55 > 0:25:02board up the loft and renovate the garage with rendered walls and new roof, with £10,000 upfront.
0:25:02 > 0:25:08Judith gave the builder the green light, but didn't put a contract in place or agree a schedule of works,
0:25:08 > 0:25:14- and would live to regret it. - With everything happening, I never stopped to think things through.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16I trusted this builder.
0:25:16 > 0:25:22The builder started on 5th August, 2012, assuring Judith the job would be finished in two weeks.
0:25:22 > 0:25:29Because her bathroom was going to be out of action, Judith decided to move out until it was finished.
0:25:29 > 0:25:35The builder promised to take care of her precious furniture and expensive beds while she was away.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39I just grabbed some clothes, put them in a suitcase.
0:25:39 > 0:25:45And tootled off to the nearest B&B. She popped back the following afternoon to say hello,
0:25:45 > 0:25:51- but her house was like the Marie Celeste.- It was maybe three o'clock and there was no one here.
0:25:52 > 0:25:57Clocking off before 3pm on the first day? Not a great start.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59The same happened the next day, too.
0:25:59 > 0:26:05Perhaps Judith not being around to keep tabs on the builders was turning out to be an issue.
0:26:05 > 0:26:11There was no way the project would be completed within two weeks, given the speed they were working.
0:26:11 > 0:26:19And what little had been done looked really shoddy. And she was shelling out to stay in B&Bs.
0:26:19 > 0:26:24Before long, the build had passed the three-week mark
0:26:24 > 0:26:27and the cost of the B&Bs was mounting up.
0:26:27 > 0:26:33Judith's outlay had reached £1,000 because her bathroom still wasn't usable.
0:26:33 > 0:26:38There was a big hole in the wall and the quality of the work was awful.
0:26:38 > 0:26:46Judith tried to raise her concerns with the builders, but that didn't go down well with the main man.
0:26:46 > 0:26:51I was told to stop pestering them. I wasn't pestering them. It was my money.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55And I was just looking after my money.
0:26:55 > 0:27:01Finally, at the end of August, a full two weeks after the build was supposed to be finished,
0:27:01 > 0:27:07Judith was told her house was ready. She paid the builder and he left, but she soon wished she hadn't.
0:27:07 > 0:27:13Her home was in a state of chaos and her precious beds were nowhere to be seen.
0:27:13 > 0:27:20- Eventually, she tracked them down to the garage.- They weren't covered, just laid against this garage wall.
0:27:20 > 0:27:25When her beds were brought in, they were in a terrible state.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29I just looked and I cried because they were filthy.
0:27:30 > 0:27:36No sweet dreams for Judith, then. And it wasn't just because of the state of her bed.
0:27:36 > 0:27:42The first time she used the shower, it leaked and water flooded the bathroom. The basin leaked, too.
0:27:42 > 0:27:47And the water coming out of the taps was scalding. She couldn't let Tom near them.
0:27:47 > 0:27:51She phoned the builder to complain, but he was having none of it.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55He made me feel as though I was...daft.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59I was a woman on my own and didn't know what I was on about.
0:27:59 > 0:28:04So no marks for customer service or for the garage render, either.
0:28:04 > 0:28:09It looked a right bodged job with gaping cracks letting water through.
0:28:09 > 0:28:14And the garage roof was one loose sheet of metal. Rain was getting in.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18I thought, "I can't do with all this wet. I want it dry."
0:28:18 > 0:28:23It wasn't just her damp garage that concerned Judith.
0:28:23 > 0:28:28One wall hadn't been rendered at all. Judith asked the builder to come round and explain. His excuse?
0:28:28 > 0:28:33"My belly is too big to get to that bit." You couldn't make it up.
0:28:33 > 0:28:37What he did or rather didn't do in the loft was no laughing matter.
0:28:37 > 0:28:41Where was the safety rail around the hatch?
0:28:41 > 0:28:43He knew the loft was for my grandson.
0:28:43 > 0:28:50I said to put some railings round. I didn't want him to step back and fall through the hole.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53So bathroom, bad. Loft, bad.
0:28:53 > 0:28:59Garage, bad. Surely he got the kitchen right. Well, what do you think?
0:28:59 > 0:29:03Yeah, no prizes for guessing that was bungled, too.
0:29:03 > 0:29:09The kitchen tiles had been put on uneven. Judith again summoned the builder to discuss the problem.
0:29:09 > 0:29:15- He couldn't blame his belly this time, so he'd a different excuse. - They were bevelled,
0:29:15 > 0:29:20so they couldn't be put on even. He made me feel as though I was daft, I suppose.
0:29:20 > 0:29:27Well, I don't think it was Judith who was daft. Everywhere she looked, there were problems.
0:29:27 > 0:29:31The drainpipe was dodgy and the electrics unfinished,
0:29:31 > 0:29:37but, running out of excuses, the cowboy wasn't up for any more pow-wows. Despite her best efforts,
0:29:37 > 0:29:43- Judith hasn't been able to track him down since. - I've never disliked anybody.
0:29:43 > 0:29:47This builder, I don't want to set eyes on him again.
0:29:47 > 0:29:53Having her hopes of her dream home shattered by a cowboy builder has had a devastating emotional impact.
0:29:53 > 0:29:57It's even affected her quality time with Tom.
0:29:57 > 0:30:04It's in your mind all the time. You know you should concentrate on doing things with your grandson,
0:30:04 > 0:30:09but I wasn't. And I know it changed me as a person.
0:30:10 > 0:30:16Judith's paid £29,500 and seen her hopes of a dream home fall apart.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19She doesn't know where to turn.
0:30:19 > 0:30:25I want my life sorting out. I want my house sorting out so I can get on with my life again.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28Oh, sorry.
0:30:29 > 0:30:33Heartbreaking, isn't it? Judith's had so much to cope with -
0:30:33 > 0:30:39the death of her beloved husband, the emotional upheaval of downsizing and now this.
0:30:39 > 0:30:45How cruel that thanks to one rogue builder, her hopes of a fresh start have been left in tatters.
0:30:45 > 0:30:52'The problems in the bathroom, kitchen, loft and garage are all too apparent,
0:30:52 > 0:30:56'but often with cowboy builders this is just the tip of the iceberg.
0:30:56 > 0:31:03'To find out the full extent of this bungled build, we asked surveyor Colin Harrap to inspect the work.
0:31:03 > 0:31:09'Colin's been through it with a fine toothcomb and is about to fill me in on what he found.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12'First item on the agenda - that appalling garage.'
0:31:12 > 0:31:18The garage has been put together fairly quickly without much thought.
0:31:18 > 0:31:23The outside is rendered and it hasn't been given any weatherproof coating. It isn't waterproof.
0:31:23 > 0:31:26Eventually, water will seep through.
0:31:26 > 0:31:31Also, the roof is pretty thin, no insulation. Just a single sheet of profiled metal.
0:31:31 > 0:31:36Outside the garage, dreaded cracks. Is this how it's dried or...?
0:31:36 > 0:31:41There are one or two cracks. The render is quite cement-rich.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44That makes it quite brittle and prone to cracking.
0:31:44 > 0:31:51- Now the bottom of this render, where it's hitting maybe block work, this looks scrappy.- It is scrappy.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54It should have proper detail there.
0:31:54 > 0:31:59'So he didn't start things right and didn't finish things right either.'
0:31:59 > 0:32:05One of the silly things done here is there's a timber door and it's been put on upside down.
0:32:05 > 0:32:10It's a really basic, silly mistake. I'm not sure why it's been done.
0:32:10 > 0:32:15The only thing I can think of is it was done on a Friday afternoon.
0:32:15 > 0:32:19The rail should be at the bottom of the door. It's at the top.
0:32:19 > 0:32:25- You mentioned a number of jobs. They all add up to make you think they just threw this up.- Exactly.
0:32:25 > 0:32:32'And it's the same story inside. The bathroom is wet in all the wrong places.'
0:32:32 > 0:32:40The shower tray leaks and the way the WC has been installed isn't good. It blocks access to the stop tap.
0:32:40 > 0:32:42It's not very good forward planning.
0:32:42 > 0:32:48'And when it comes to the loft, it doesn't look like there's been any planning at all.'
0:32:48 > 0:32:53The main access staircase comes through a hole in the floor. That hole's unguarded.
0:32:53 > 0:33:00- It's pretty easy to step back towards the hole.- 'And that could be the last thing you do.
0:33:00 > 0:33:05'It's a long way down. Right, it's make your mind up time for Colin.'
0:33:05 > 0:33:09What you've seen overall, how would you mark this out of ten?
0:33:09 > 0:33:15- I'd probably give this a four. - 'I can see why Colin is unimpressed. Check out the evidence.
0:33:15 > 0:33:20'An abysmally-rendered damp garage with upside-down doors and appalling roof.
0:33:20 > 0:33:26'Badly bungled drainpipes, a dangerous loft hatch, appalling electrics,
0:33:26 > 0:33:31'a bathroom with leaks, scalding taps and mould in the corners.
0:33:31 > 0:33:33'And sloppy tiling in the kitchen.'
0:33:33 > 0:33:39Bodge upon bodge, in fact. But no long list of problems can adequately sum up
0:33:39 > 0:33:43the emotional fall-out from this job. Time for the good guys.
0:33:43 > 0:33:49Here's head honcho Richard Attridge and his team coming to the rescue.
0:33:49 > 0:33:53So much needs doing, Judith is chipping in to get her dreams back.
0:33:53 > 0:33:57First things first - sorting out that rubbish garage roof.
0:33:57 > 0:34:01Good to see how the professionals set about the task in hand.
0:34:01 > 0:34:08Then it's on to those all-important electrics. And making that loft hatch safe for young Tom.
0:34:08 > 0:34:12It's a great start, but can they get Judith's dreams back on track?
0:34:12 > 0:34:15Only time will tell.
0:34:20 > 0:34:26I'm at Easingwold, near York, where 59-year-old Judith Metcalfe hoped to make a new beginning
0:34:26 > 0:34:31after the death of her husband, but she got a cowboy in to refurbish her new home,
0:34:31 > 0:34:39with dire consequences. Well, our good guys have now finished, so let's see how Judith is getting on.
0:34:43 > 0:34:48- Hello, Jonnie.- Hi, Judith. - How are you?- All right, until this weather.
0:34:48 > 0:34:54- Well, come inside.- Thank you. 'While Judith puts the kettle on, I look at the good guys' handiwork.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57'First up, the bathroom.'
0:34:57 > 0:35:03Right then, now... All the tiles around the shower look nice and dry.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06Looks like they've sorted that out.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09Now this loo,
0:35:09 > 0:35:13it was closer to the wall before, so it must have been moved.
0:35:13 > 0:35:19You couldn't get to the stopcock, so you couldn't read the water meter or, most importantly,
0:35:19 > 0:35:23when you've got a leak, you need to turn the water off.
0:35:23 > 0:35:28Now here it looks like... Let's have a look at this. Ah.
0:35:28 > 0:35:34That's easy, isn't it? Straight to the stopcock and very easy to read your meter.
0:35:34 > 0:35:40When the cowboy left, Indiana Jones would have struggled to find the stopcock.
0:35:40 > 0:35:46Our good guys have provided a totally sensible solution, but what about that life-threatening loft?
0:35:47 > 0:35:52That wasn't here before. Already it's safer coming up.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55But that wasn't the big issue before, was it?
0:35:55 > 0:36:00Now look at this. You know what? I wasn't expecting to see this,
0:36:00 > 0:36:04but because we've got this structure here,
0:36:04 > 0:36:10this room doesn't feel like a loft. It feels like a play room, a proper part of the house,
0:36:10 > 0:36:14rather than the death trap it was before.
0:36:14 > 0:36:20Our fellas realised the importance in the grand scheme of things of getting the small things right.
0:36:20 > 0:36:24Just little attentions to detail, like these little peg joints.
0:36:24 > 0:36:31It looks now like a proper structure, which will give Judith real peace of mind when Tom is here.
0:36:31 > 0:36:36I'd love a quick go on his train sets, but I've got a garage to check out.
0:36:36 > 0:36:40Remember the render was dreadful? It looks better now, eh?
0:36:40 > 0:36:46It looks tidier. There's no cracks in the render for water to get behind and blow out later on.
0:36:46 > 0:36:51There's a new roof. That was a tin roof or something.
0:36:51 > 0:36:57New guttering. And here we've got a uPVC door, fitted - guess what - the right way round.
0:36:57 > 0:37:03Funny how that's beyond some cowboys. This guy left the garage interior in a right state.
0:37:03 > 0:37:09But our fellas have transformed it and put in an entire new roof structure, too.
0:37:09 > 0:37:13Before it was a tin roof that looked like it might blow off any time
0:37:13 > 0:37:20and was probably not much more than just a roof covering. Now it feels... Well, you can see.
0:37:20 > 0:37:24It's obviously safe to keep the white goods. Very impressive.
0:37:24 > 0:37:32Our good guys have certainly done the business. Head honcho Richard talks me through the challenges.
0:37:32 > 0:37:35So how long were you guys here?
0:37:35 > 0:37:37- About 14 days, on and off.- Really?
0:37:37 > 0:37:41- 14 days.- It's the detail. That's what was missing before.
0:37:41 > 0:37:45It's small things that take time. They're the bits that matter.
0:37:45 > 0:37:50I've noticed it's had a good lick of paint on the outside. There's no cracks.
0:37:50 > 0:37:55No, it's all sealed. It's had three coats, two coats of weatherproof.
0:37:55 > 0:37:59- So it looks the part and will continue to in years to come.- Yes.
0:37:59 > 0:38:06And that's important. Judith wanted a low-maintenance garage that would stand the test of time,
0:38:06 > 0:38:10not a badly-bungled build requiring constant upkeep.
0:38:10 > 0:38:14'Before I do the grand tour with Judith, we chat about her builder.
0:38:14 > 0:38:19'I wanted to find out his side of the story and hear her response,
0:38:19 > 0:38:22'but that's not been possible.'
0:38:22 > 0:38:27We always give the cowboy builders a right to reply, to offer their side of the story.
0:38:27 > 0:38:33Unfortunately, he's refused to answer any of our questions as he says it's with his solicitor.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36I'm sure he'll be watching this.
0:38:36 > 0:38:42So if he is, what would your thoughts be towards him? What would you like to say to him?
0:38:43 > 0:38:48Why didn't he answer my phone calls? And why did he do what he did?
0:38:48 > 0:38:55He just about ruined my life. I was so low at one point. Very, very low.
0:38:55 > 0:39:01You've been through so much. These past few years have been just the hardest they could be for you.
0:39:01 > 0:39:08- Yeah.- And this is the one thing that was supposed to be helping you get back on track.- Mm-hm.
0:39:08 > 0:39:15Because of all these problems, Judith got so low she feels her relationship with Tom suffered.
0:39:15 > 0:39:20I just didn't... I wasn't doing what I normally do.
0:39:20 > 0:39:22With my grandson.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25- He means the world to you.- He does.
0:39:25 > 0:39:27He does, hm.
0:39:27 > 0:39:34And I'm sure Judith means the world to him. The good news is there is light at the end of the tunnel
0:39:34 > 0:39:41and soon his train set will be back in action. Time to see if we changed Judith's life for the better.
0:39:41 > 0:39:45Our first destination, her sparkling new kitchen.
0:39:45 > 0:39:51- The first thing I notice here is it just looks a lot tidier. - The tiles are a lot better.
0:39:51 > 0:39:58- They've sorted these all out now? - They have.- 'And they've sorted the bathroom the cowboy left behind.'
0:39:58 > 0:40:04- I noticed it was all dry in there, the floor. Is that all sealed? - Mm-hm, it's all sealed.
0:40:04 > 0:40:10- It's nice to have a shower now and not have to mop the floor.- Yeah. - For months I've had to mop the floor.
0:40:10 > 0:40:17Hopefully, you won't have to use the stopcock in the near future, but you can get to it now
0:40:17 > 0:40:20and you can read the meter.
0:40:20 > 0:40:26'Instead of a bathroom with ugly holes and scalding taps, Judith has a readable meter, reachable stopcock
0:40:26 > 0:40:32'and a bathroom floor that doesn't require flippers to navigate. Result.'
0:40:32 > 0:40:39- These are lots of little jobs that, if you add them up, stress you out. You paid good money.- Yeah.
0:40:39 > 0:40:46- They should have been right. - But now...- They're right. It's a lot better.
0:40:46 > 0:40:52'Time to go up to the loft. Before, the safety barrier had to be somewhat improvised
0:40:52 > 0:40:56'due to the cowboy's negligence. Now it's totally fit for purpose.'
0:40:56 > 0:41:01- I wanted to see just how easy it was to come up. Like a normal staircase. - Yes, very good.
0:41:01 > 0:41:08- Know what I'm picking up straight away? You're leaning against something...- Oh, I know.- See?
0:41:08 > 0:41:12I couldn't have done this before. It's wonderful, it really is.
0:41:12 > 0:41:18'I'm not surprised Judith's delighted. Tom's play room is no longer a danger zone.
0:41:18 > 0:41:22'Once again, she's spending quality time with him.'
0:41:22 > 0:41:25- It's clearly used. - It is. He loves the loft.
0:41:25 > 0:41:32- It's one of his favourite places. - It's easy for you to get up here as well, though. The handrail,
0:41:32 > 0:41:36on a structure that wasn't here. You flew up.
0:41:37 > 0:41:41'Our final location on the grand tour - Judith's garage.
0:41:41 > 0:41:46'The cowboy builder left that in an awful condition, inside and out.
0:41:46 > 0:41:51'I wonder what Judith thinks of the new, improved version?'
0:41:51 > 0:41:56- I almost thought this was a new garage. It looks cracking. - It's brilliant now.
0:41:56 > 0:42:03- It was a problem. It was a massive problem.- It's been raining today, but it's bone dry.
0:42:03 > 0:42:05It's dry. It's amazing.
0:42:05 > 0:42:09'Because of our good guys' work, Judith now has her extra space.'
0:42:09 > 0:42:15It's more of an extension to the house. You downsized, but you still need storage space.
0:42:15 > 0:42:20- That's what it was meant for. - You've got space for more stuff.
0:42:20 > 0:42:26I've got stuff I need storing. I live in London. I need all the space I can get.
0:42:26 > 0:42:31- You sound like you're in good spirits now.- I don't know what I would have done without you guys.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34- I was completely lost.- Really?
0:42:34 > 0:42:38- Cracking to meet you, Judith. - Thank you.- See you again.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42What a lovely note to end on.
0:42:42 > 0:42:48Even lovelier is the fact that young Tom has turned up for some fun times with Gran. That's what it's about.
0:42:51 > 0:42:56Well, after a year I'm sure Judith can't wait to forget,
0:42:56 > 0:43:01it's great to see she's finally got her smile back. And that's due to the good guy builders.
0:43:01 > 0:43:08They've come in here, been all over this house. Inside and out, their work has been pretty much flawless.
0:43:08 > 0:43:15And that is what's making this lady plan for the future. Not only has she got a house she can call a home,
0:43:15 > 0:43:22but she's also looking forward to the regular visits of her beloved grandson, Tom. Happy days.
0:43:35 > 0:43:37Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd