0:00:08 > 0:00:11We're travelling all over the UK
0:00:11 > 0:00:14to meet the homeowners forced to live with the grim consequences
0:00:14 > 0:00:16of employing a cowboy builder.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19I'm thinking possibly that my little boy and my little girl
0:00:19 > 0:00:21are going to have to come in our bedroom
0:00:21 > 0:00:24in case the steel collapses and it bends,
0:00:24 > 0:00:27cos my little boy's room's right above that.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30Whether shoddy workmanship or downright lies,
0:00:30 > 0:00:33cowboy builders are unscrupulous villains
0:00:33 > 0:00:36who not only destroy dreams - they wreck lives, too.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40He admitted he'd messed up, and shouldn't have put his trust
0:00:40 > 0:00:43in the tradesmen he'd subcontracted to do the job properly.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47- You're all right now, babe. - SHE SOBS
0:00:47 > 0:00:49They finally admit to it now!
0:00:49 > 0:00:53We've got the good guys in our party to help turn these houses from hell
0:00:53 > 0:00:55into heavenly homes.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58Our good guys were supposed to make this place safe,
0:00:58 > 0:01:01but looks like they've done a whole lot more than that.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04Is this what you thought it would look like?
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Yeah. Better than what we thought it would look like, yeah.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09- Really?- Yeah.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11You know, it's thought cowboy builders cost Britons
0:01:11 > 0:01:14over £700 million each year.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17So if you think you know how to spot one, think again.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19Make no mistake -
0:01:19 > 0:01:23the next 45 minutes could help keep you out of the cowboy trap.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33On today's Cowboy Trap,
0:01:33 > 0:01:37a family who fell victim to not one but two cowboy builders.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39And their ill-fated extension
0:01:39 > 0:01:41that we discover might have to be pulled down.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44I basically touched the wall with no pressure at all,
0:01:44 > 0:01:48just a tiny little bit, and the whole wall was wobbling away.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51It hadn't been, er... It hadn't been joined up at all.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55And we're in Wales to revisit two former soldiers and their family
0:01:55 > 0:01:59who we rescued from the cowboy trap, to see how they're doing now.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03- You both seem proud of this house. - Yeah. Very much.- Definitely.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06It's exactly what we wanted for 20 years.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10You know, we were... This was... This was the end goal.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13Our first Cowboy Trap saga revolves around a home
0:02:13 > 0:02:17in Birkenhead, Merseyside, an area famous for shipbuilding,
0:02:17 > 0:02:22and, of course, a destination for the famous ferry across the Mersey.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26Believe it or not, the Mersey's considered sacred to British Hindus,
0:02:26 > 0:02:29who worship it in a similar way to the River Ganges.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33So I suppose that goes to prove that appearances can be deceptive -
0:02:33 > 0:02:36a lesson that would have saved a young couple here
0:02:36 > 0:02:38from the heartache of hiring a cowboy builder.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40The unlucky victims of this cowboy trap
0:02:40 > 0:02:42live in a two-bed semi.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46It's home to Amanda Bowen, her partner Chris Ascroft
0:02:46 > 0:02:48and their young children, Aidan and Pippa.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52Amanda, who's a care assistant, and Chris, who's a delivery driver,
0:02:52 > 0:02:54met in a nightclub six years ago.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57It was definitely love at first sight!
0:02:57 > 0:03:00I fell in love with his spiky hair. SHE LAUGHS
0:03:00 > 0:03:02She did play a bit hard to get, really.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04She just, er... You know, it was one of them.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08You had to put a bit of charming in. Took her on a few dates,
0:03:08 > 0:03:11and once I'd done all that, it was all right, really.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15It was so "all right", Amanda and Chris decided to live together
0:03:15 > 0:03:19and start a family. First Aidan came along, then Pippa.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22But Pippa's birth was far from straightforward.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25She was born breech.
0:03:25 > 0:03:31In intensive care for two weeks before Christmas.
0:03:31 > 0:03:36Um, she was on a ventilator for the first 24 hours of her life.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38They were not sure whether she was brain-damaged.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42We had to wait for tests,
0:03:42 > 0:03:45and got to bring her home two days before Christmas.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49Thankfully, Pippa arrived home with a clean bill of health,
0:03:49 > 0:03:54and now it seemed the perfect time to give the go-ahead to extending their home.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56When Amanda and Chris first bought their house,
0:03:56 > 0:03:59they did it with a view to doing it up and selling it on.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03But as their children came along, they realised they already had their ideal family home.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06It just needed to be a bit bigger. Amanda loves cooking,
0:04:06 > 0:04:08and felt the kitchen was too small,
0:04:08 > 0:04:12so she and Chris wanted a wall taken down to make it more open plan,
0:04:12 > 0:04:16and create a dining room where their old conservatory was.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20The dream for this house was a big kitchen, open-plan kitchen,
0:04:20 > 0:04:22an extension on the side for a dining room
0:04:22 > 0:04:25so we could have our tea in there,
0:04:25 > 0:04:28and hopefully to build up again on the side of the house,
0:04:28 > 0:04:31to make extra rooms.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34Amanda and Chris just wanted the shell of the kitchen
0:04:34 > 0:04:36and dining-room extension doing,
0:04:36 > 0:04:39and would fit both out when they'd saved up enough money.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41We can still use it as a functional room.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44It just would've been a matter of finishing it off ourselves,
0:04:44 > 0:04:47just painting and getting it rendered outside.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49The couple found their builder on one of those websites
0:04:49 > 0:04:52where you get to rate the tradesman you use,
0:04:52 > 0:04:56and in April 2012, he came round to discuss the project.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59His initial quote was £14,000.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02This included removing the old conservatory.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06But when Amanda and Chris explained they only had £10,000 to spend,
0:05:06 > 0:05:11he reduced his quote to that, saying he could do it on the cheap.
0:05:11 > 0:05:12Take a tip from me.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33..and run for the hills.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38Amanda and Chris gave the builder the green light.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40However, they didn't ask for any references,
0:05:40 > 0:05:43there was no contract in place,
0:05:43 > 0:05:46and they agreed to pay £5,000 upfront.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48What on earth were they thinking?
0:05:48 > 0:05:51Not surprisingly, it didn't take long
0:05:51 > 0:05:54for things to start going wrong - well, two days, in fact.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59He come down, took half my conservatory down,
0:05:59 > 0:06:03and just basic dumped all the wood on the patio.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06He started building up the walls, and I come home from work
0:06:06 > 0:06:10and I basically touched the wall with no pressure at all,
0:06:10 > 0:06:13just a tiny little bit, and the whole wall was wobbling away.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16It hadn't been, er... It hadn't been joined up at all,
0:06:16 > 0:06:19you know, to the original house.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23There were no wall ties - a schoolboy error.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25The construction was totally unsafe.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29Chris phoned the builder up to demand the £5,000 back.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32With having kids, if that fell down,
0:06:32 > 0:06:36then, you know, it could've been the death of my child or something.
0:06:36 > 0:06:41He actually come round with the money and threw it in the porch,
0:06:41 > 0:06:43and then drove off.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45And he'd only returned £3,500,
0:06:45 > 0:06:48so Amanda and Chris had paid £1,500,
0:06:48 > 0:06:51and all they got was a wobbly wall.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54They set about tracking down other builders to put things right,
0:06:54 > 0:06:57and eventually found a building firm they liked.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01And the boss of this company certainly said all the right things.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05He said that he couldn't believe another builder could do that to us,
0:07:05 > 0:07:09knowing that we've got kids and one's been ill in hospital,
0:07:09 > 0:07:12and just the fact that, you know,
0:07:12 > 0:07:14what state he left it in, and it being unsafe,
0:07:14 > 0:07:18and he even promised me, with him being a family man himself,
0:07:18 > 0:07:20that, you know, he'd put us right.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22These builders might have been charming,
0:07:22 > 0:07:25but after what the couple had just been through,
0:07:25 > 0:07:28they made exhaustive checks on the new guys, right?
0:07:29 > 0:07:31Wrong!
0:07:31 > 0:07:33Again, they didn't ask for any references.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35I've got a bad feeling about this!
0:07:35 > 0:07:38Chris told this builder they only had £8,000 left.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41He said he could do their extension for that,
0:07:41 > 0:07:43as long as they paid him cash.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46Now I've got a REALLY bad feeling about this.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49He wanted money for the materials first,
0:07:49 > 0:07:51which we handed over,
0:07:51 > 0:07:54and then each week he wanted payment of 2,000.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58Chris and Amanda agreed, and work began in June 2012.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00Well, when I say work,
0:08:00 > 0:08:03it wasn't so much a working day these builders were into -
0:08:03 > 0:08:05more like a working moment.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08When they were turning up late and leaving early,
0:08:08 > 0:08:11and no materials were coming...
0:08:11 > 0:08:14They were just using what the other guy already bought in.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16They were using his skip, they was using his cement,
0:08:16 > 0:08:20you know - just anything to not spend any money.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22Talking of money, these fellas were prompt
0:08:22 > 0:08:25when it came to demanding their £2,000 every Friday.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29Funny, that! Amanda and Chris were obliged to pay it
0:08:29 > 0:08:32because of the original agreement with the builder,
0:08:32 > 0:08:35even though the work itself was proceeding at a snail's pace.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39Take my advice. Before you green-light any building work...
0:08:57 > 0:09:00That will focus the builder's attention, I can tell you!
0:09:02 > 0:09:05Amanda and Chris started to spot that the little work being done
0:09:05 > 0:09:10was - how can I put this? - really shoddy.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14The window the builders fitted was too small for the hole they had created.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17There was an ugly gas pipe left exposed in the middle of the kitchen.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20The bottom of the patio doors was so high,
0:09:20 > 0:09:25the children kept tripping over it, and the roof was a total mess.
0:09:25 > 0:09:30He didn't even have anything on it. It was just breathable material
0:09:30 > 0:09:32with batons over the joist,
0:09:32 > 0:09:36and just left it where you could see daylight coming through.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39But a leaking roof might be the least of their problems.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41Amanda and Chris feared the extension could collapse
0:09:41 > 0:09:43like a pack of cards at any moment.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46The wall was cracking where the stair was on top.
0:09:46 > 0:09:51They'd put the wall on top of a piece of wood on the floorboards.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53The builder then waited for Chris to go to work,
0:09:53 > 0:09:55announced he'd finished the job,
0:09:55 > 0:09:57and demanded the rest of his money from Amanda.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01He got threatening with her then, saying, "Hand over the money."
0:10:01 > 0:10:03"We want our final wage. If we don't get it,
0:10:03 > 0:10:06then, I'm going to basically knock your boyfriend out
0:10:06 > 0:10:10and put him in a bad way." So she just felt scared,
0:10:10 > 0:10:12and the fact that the kids were in the house,
0:10:12 > 0:10:15she just thought, "Pay him. Get him out the way."
0:10:15 > 0:10:19So the builder got his cash, but Amanda and Chris didn't get their dream extension.
0:10:19 > 0:10:23And as for the work in the kitchen, there were increasingly worrying signs
0:10:23 > 0:10:26that the steel support the builder put in
0:10:26 > 0:10:28wasn't strong enough to support the rooms above.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31The bathroom is starting to crack.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34There's a crack right through the socket in my little boy's room.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37I'm thinking possibly that my little boy and my little girl
0:10:37 > 0:10:40are going to have to come in our bedroom with me and my partner
0:10:40 > 0:10:43in case the steel collapses and it bends,
0:10:43 > 0:10:47cos my little boy's room's right above that.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49Chris and Amanda were left with a wreck on their hands,
0:10:49 > 0:10:51and no means of sorting things out.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54But, as with so many cowboy-builder stories,
0:10:54 > 0:10:57the saddest thing about this one is the devastating effect
0:10:57 > 0:11:00the experience has had on the couple's relationship.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04Me and Chris are in a really dark time at the moment,
0:11:04 > 0:11:06where it's caused arguments,
0:11:06 > 0:11:10um, on the verge of splitting up.
0:11:10 > 0:11:15I've packed my bags, um, basically ready to go and leave,
0:11:15 > 0:11:19and, you know, with no actual clue where I was going to go,
0:11:19 > 0:11:23but just the fact that I just felt like I had no other choice.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25You kind of have to keep going for the sake of your kids,
0:11:25 > 0:11:27but it's so difficult.
0:11:27 > 0:11:33I just wanted somewhere where I could share family times,
0:11:33 > 0:11:36and right now we're all just basically stuck in one room
0:11:36 > 0:11:38all the time.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43What a sad story! We often say on the programme
0:11:43 > 0:11:45that cowboy builders wreck homes as much as houses.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48Well, this is the proof.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52But what is the full extent of this building bodge,
0:11:52 > 0:11:54and how dangerous is the steel support?
0:11:54 > 0:11:58To find out, we asked independent building surveyor Euan Elliot
0:11:58 > 0:12:01to inspect the work. He's been through it with a fine-tooth comb,
0:12:01 > 0:12:04and he's about to fill me in on what he found.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09There's a strong likelihood of this moving and collapsing.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12'First on Euan's agenda is the RSJ
0:12:12 > 0:12:14'sitting on top of that precarious brickwork pier.'
0:12:14 > 0:12:17What's this bit of timber sticking out of?
0:12:17 > 0:12:20Well, that's the other end of the lintels.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24That's the brickwork pier. It should be brickwork all the way down.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27Fortunately a big bulk of timber here is holding it up.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30- What - timber underneath the pier? - That's right.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33The brickwork comes down and finishes on a piece of timber
0:12:33 > 0:12:36across the floor joists. Instead of being carried to the ground,
0:12:36 > 0:12:41- it finishes short.- We've got compromises to the structure now.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44- That's right.- Now, elsewhere you've got a picture...
0:12:44 > 0:12:47here, of an RSJ. Now, what's going on there?
0:12:47 > 0:12:50There are two RSJs, one side by side,
0:12:50 > 0:12:52holding up the back wall of the house.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56It's fairly obvious that they're very small. They're undersized.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59He's bought something that looks about right
0:12:59 > 0:13:01and just put them in!
0:13:01 > 0:13:04'And that's not the only thing that's undersized here.'
0:13:04 > 0:13:07- This lintel here, you say it's too short.- That's right.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09It finishes there. Where should it come up to?
0:13:09 > 0:13:11It should be a minimum of 100 millimetres,
0:13:11 > 0:13:15150 millimetres, bearing onto the end of the brickwork here.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19But it's not. It's only about 50 or 60 millimetres. Way too short.
0:13:19 > 0:13:24'And this cowboy's ideas on interior design leave a lot to be desired.'
0:13:24 > 0:13:28Now, a lot of people I know love to have an island,
0:13:28 > 0:13:31a cooking island in the kitchen. Very fashionable now.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33That is taking it a bit too far.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36What on earth is this doing in the middle of the room?
0:13:36 > 0:13:40It's totally unplanned. That's where the cooker was before.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43Unfortunately the builder didn't bother moving it!
0:13:43 > 0:13:47So the only place for the cooker was in the middle where the gas pipe is.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51The gas pipe's unsupported. There's a risk of somebody kicking it,
0:13:51 > 0:13:54- and we could have a gas explosion. - 'This is terrifying!'
0:13:54 > 0:13:58Jobs like this must be handled by a trained specialist,
0:13:58 > 0:14:01not a fly-by-night builder.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04The builder just really did not care about the safety
0:14:04 > 0:14:07of people living in this house, with these exposed gas pipes,
0:14:07 > 0:14:10or he dared not touch it. He didn't know what to do.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13Well, he's not allowed to touch it unless he's Gas Safe registered,
0:14:13 > 0:14:17and if you're not, you can't touch gas appliances.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19But, you know, you would've got somebody in,
0:14:19 > 0:14:21because it's so obvious that it's unsafe.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25And there's as much trouble outside as there is inside.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29Now, going outside, go through some double doors here,
0:14:29 > 0:14:32and you've got some... Well, you've got...
0:14:32 > 0:14:35this strange pipe-work underneath the step,
0:14:35 > 0:14:38these strange levels on the patio here...
0:14:38 > 0:14:40- Again, more bodgery.- That's right.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43The door, when it was first put in, was at the wrong height.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47- Oh, was it?- This is a second go. It had to be dropped down.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51They were having to, um, duck down to get out of the building.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56The only advantage of ducking down when you step outside is,
0:14:56 > 0:14:58you don't have to look at the pitiful roof tiles.
0:14:58 > 0:15:03The tiles haven't been finished. It's open to the elements.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06All the rain is just pouring in through there.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09This, to me, looks like pictures you see on the news
0:15:09 > 0:15:11- after a hurricane has gone through a street.- That's right.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15Same idea. It's just they haven't been put there in the first place.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19But instead of a hurricane, some cowboy builder's done his work.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22It hasn't been finished. The batons are too short.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24They need to be lengthened
0:15:24 > 0:15:28to make sure that there's something to fix the tiles onto.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30And Euan doesn't pull any punches
0:15:30 > 0:15:32when it comes to the dining-room extension
0:15:32 > 0:15:36where the original conservatory once stood.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38What can be done with this extension?
0:15:38 > 0:15:40There's so much wrong with it, the easiest thing to do...
0:15:40 > 0:15:43There's no point in trying to rectify it.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45It's easier to take it down and start again.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47Are you condemning this extension?
0:15:47 > 0:15:49It... It needs to be taken down.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53- Really?- It's just... There is nothing there worth saving.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57I knew this was going to be bad - but demolished?!
0:15:58 > 0:16:01- What would you give it out of ten? - It just wouldn't get a mark.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03- No. It can't, can it?- It can't,
0:16:03 > 0:16:06- because there's nothing there worth giving a mark to.- Zero?
0:16:06 > 0:16:09Zero out of ten. Nothing at all.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13Zero out of ten! And based on what I've just been shown,
0:16:13 > 0:16:15I have to agree with him. Check out the evidence.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18Trust me, there's loads to pick from.
0:16:18 > 0:16:23A shoddy roof, inadequate drainage, windows and doors that don't fit,
0:16:23 > 0:16:28exposed wires, holes in the floor and a lethal gas pipe,
0:16:28 > 0:16:31not forgetting that extension that has to be knocked down.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35All that's bad enough, but what about that potentially dangerous supporting beam,
0:16:35 > 0:16:38a problem that could quite literally bring the house down?
0:16:38 > 0:16:41Time to bring in our good guys.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43And here's the man in charge,
0:16:43 > 0:16:47hotshot builder and all-time good guy, Paul Hilton.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50First task, checking out the worrying beam
0:16:50 > 0:16:54with the local building-control officer, Andy Price.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58The supporting beams that have been put in place
0:16:58 > 0:17:02are woefully inadequate. So it's not just a case of non-compliance
0:17:02 > 0:17:06with building regulations. There is a definite safety issue
0:17:06 > 0:17:08that needs to be addressed.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11Paul and his team waste no time getting stuck in.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15So much needs doing just to make the kitchen safe, secure
0:17:15 > 0:17:19and ready to be fitted out, Amanda and Chris are chipping in.
0:17:20 > 0:17:25Priority number one, replacing that hazardous RSJ.
0:17:25 > 0:17:30Then on to building suitable brick pillars to support it.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34Now, that's what it's supposed to look like.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38Next, the lintel over the rear door needs reinforcing too.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42Then it's on to the dodgy electrics.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45When you consider what they're faced with,
0:17:45 > 0:17:49it's abundantly clear what a big rescue job this is.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51DRILL WHIRRS
0:17:51 > 0:17:53There's certainly no hanging around
0:17:53 > 0:17:55when it comes to this bunch of good guys.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59But can they put the wrongs to rights? Only time will tell.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09We're in Birkenhead, where Amanda Bowen and Chris Ascroft
0:18:09 > 0:18:11were left with a dangerous wreck on their hands
0:18:11 > 0:18:15after hiring not one but two cowboy builders.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17Well, our good guys have now finished their work,
0:18:17 > 0:18:20so let's see how Chris and Amanda are getting on.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23'This couple were truly at rock bottom.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25'Fingers crossed, things are on the up.'
0:18:27 > 0:18:29- Hello.- Hello! - Amanda? How are you? I'm Jonnie.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31- You must be Chris. - Yep.- How you doing?
0:18:31 > 0:18:34- All right.- OK, yeah. Come in. - Thank you very much!
0:18:34 > 0:18:38'As soon as I step inside, I can't resist a quick peek.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44'Immediately I love what I see. The good guys have played a blinder.'
0:18:44 > 0:18:48This band of cowboys left a wake of destruction behind them.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51But our good guys have made this once wreck of a kitchen
0:18:51 > 0:18:53into a safe, functional area
0:18:53 > 0:18:56ready for Amanda and Chris to make their mark.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01'Now, before I take a close look inside,
0:19:01 > 0:19:06'I want to find out how the couple found themselves caught up in this mighty cowboy trap.'
0:19:06 > 0:19:08You found the first cowboy builder from a website.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11You found the second cowboy builder...
0:19:11 > 0:19:13From the same one.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15I'm wondering why you went down the same route
0:19:15 > 0:19:19of finding the cowboy builder that you did the first time.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21It's cos they have references on the website -
0:19:21 > 0:19:24you know, on this website that we went on to find him.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27When they approached us, they've got references
0:19:27 > 0:19:30of people what they've commented, of the work and stuff,
0:19:30 > 0:19:32and how they've done.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36Written references on screen are one thing.
0:19:36 > 0:19:41What you need is to see the evidence of the work to back them up.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44To me, it sounds like they hadn't actually built an extension,
0:19:44 > 0:19:47- not a whole extension. - Yeah.- To do that,
0:19:47 > 0:19:51you need people that know their way around construction, foundations,
0:19:51 > 0:19:54engineering, electrics, plumbing.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56If you don't have those, you subcontract out,
0:19:56 > 0:19:59- but you have to have an understanding of it.- Yeah.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02Now, who was doing those specialist jobs? Were they doing them?
0:20:02 > 0:20:05They were doing them. One was specialised in one thing...
0:20:05 > 0:20:08One of them... His brother was a brickie, weren't he?
0:20:08 > 0:20:12- The guy who took the job was a painter and decorator.- Yeah.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16Do you regret not doing a bit more research?
0:20:16 > 0:20:20- Yeah.- Yeah, in a way. We wasn't even going to go on this website.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23We was going to do a Yellow Page jobbie, the old-fashioned way.
0:20:23 > 0:20:27But you know what - websites, Yellow Pages, phone books,
0:20:27 > 0:20:29advertising, glossy brochures...
0:20:29 > 0:20:33They're all fine to get a telephone number.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35But that's all it is. What you have to do
0:20:35 > 0:20:39is look at the jobs they've done, and those jobs they've done,
0:20:39 > 0:20:42- they have to be similar to the jobs you're asking them to do.- Yeah.
0:20:42 > 0:20:47- Cos, you know, painter and decorator ain't no builder.- Yeah.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49Well, thank heavens that's all in the past now,
0:20:49 > 0:20:52as our boys were the real deal.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54What did you think when the good guys turned up?
0:20:54 > 0:20:56- Er... - Well, they've come in...- Great.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00They've come in and they've done it brilliant, haven't they?
0:21:00 > 0:21:02They've totally changed our lives, you know?
0:21:02 > 0:21:04- We can plan now for the future, can't we?- Yeah.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07Well, you can't ask for more than that.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11Right! Let's go and have a look at the good guys' efforts.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16- HE LAUGHS - This is a bit different, isn't it?
0:21:16 > 0:21:18I mean... Well, where do you start?
0:21:18 > 0:21:22Our good guys were supposed to make this place safe,
0:21:22 > 0:21:25but looks like they've done a whole lot more than that.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27Obviously we've got downlighters there.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30Everywhere you look, it's been plastered and skimmed,
0:21:30 > 0:21:32where before you just had exposed brickwork.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36There were holes in the floor. But guess what's missing,
0:21:36 > 0:21:40thank goodness - the cooker, the central-island cooker
0:21:40 > 0:21:44with its gas pipe - a very dangerous gas pipe,
0:21:44 > 0:21:47and one which our good guys were quick to sort.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51That atrocious brick pier? Also sorted.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55And the undersized RSJ, sorted too.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59Well, these... These are bigger doors.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03I think they're brand-new doors, which is a bonus.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05Do you remember, there was a bit of a leap of faith?
0:22:05 > 0:22:09No more. There was a big drainpipe you had to step over.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12That's been moved or rerouted.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15Well, it's all good when you look down,
0:22:15 > 0:22:18but remember what happened when you looked up.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20Now check it out!
0:22:20 > 0:22:22Good. There's lead flashing...
0:22:22 > 0:22:25Well, there's tiles where there were holes.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28This is brilliant news. There's a whole new fascia
0:22:28 > 0:22:30going along there as well.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32This looks... I mean, it's how it should have looked.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35This is finished, which is brilliant news.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39But what about that extension, so flawed as to be destined for the scrap heap?
0:22:39 > 0:22:42Well, there's even some good news here.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46I'm stood in what is essentially the condemned part of the extension.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49It's such a shame. But our good guy has spoken to Building Control -
0:22:49 > 0:22:54shows his experience, really - and negotiated for this to be saved
0:22:54 > 0:22:58and become a conservatory, which basically saves their investment
0:22:58 > 0:23:00and turns this into a really useful room.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03It's great news.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06That's a job Chris and Amanda will need to do after we've left,
0:23:06 > 0:23:09but because conservatories are exempt from building regulations,
0:23:09 > 0:23:12it's a job well worth doing.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16'Time to meet the man who's given them their dreams back.'
0:23:16 > 0:23:19- Did you do these electrics and plasterwork?- Yeah, yeah.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23We, um... We put all new spotlights and downlights in there for them.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26I've also seen that there's no holes in the roof any more.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30- No, no, we're sorted. We took the roof down completely.- Did you?
0:23:30 > 0:23:33We took all that down, created a vaulted ceiling.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36We then had to obviously secure the floors,
0:23:36 > 0:23:39cos all the floors were all, um, unstable.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41'But that's not all.'
0:23:41 > 0:23:44Paul's really gone the extra mile for this young family.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46You didn't have to do this extension. Why?
0:23:46 > 0:23:51Purely because, well, you see the predicament that the family are in.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53I'm a family man myself.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56So you've done this out of the kindness of your heart?
0:23:56 > 0:23:58Well, basically, yeah.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02But before we embark on the grand tour with Amanda and Chris,
0:24:02 > 0:24:05I'm going to chat to them about their cowboy builder.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08I wanted to find out his side of the story,
0:24:08 > 0:24:13and I can't wait to hear their responses to his version of events.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17Now, he says he told you at the outset
0:24:17 > 0:24:21that the job could not be completed at the price you were able to pay.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23He says you signed the contract on the basis
0:24:23 > 0:24:27that he would do as much as he could for you.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30- No.- No, not at all. We've got the contract in there.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33- There's stuff on that contract that hasn't even been done.- Really?
0:24:33 > 0:24:35Yeah.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39When the money ran out, he says, what was he supposed to do?
0:24:39 > 0:24:44He should still be able to do an extension, even if it was a shell,
0:24:44 > 0:24:47at least airtight and the proper steel in, under the money we got,
0:24:47 > 0:24:50and building regulations to make that safe.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53We could've done the plastering ourselves.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55We could've got an electrician and a plumber in.
0:24:55 > 0:25:00Now, he says, you, Chris, kept moving the goalposts all the time.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03All the changes you kept making to what you were doing
0:25:03 > 0:25:06made it an impossible job to do.
0:25:06 > 0:25:11We had a contract that he was going to take the walls down, weren't he,
0:25:11 > 0:25:13- on the inside... - Put a roof on, which he didn't do.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16..put a roof on, and build an extension on the side with a roof.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18And he did none of that, basically.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22He says YOU were in breach of contract,
0:25:22 > 0:25:24so even though he didn't want to walk off the job,
0:25:24 > 0:25:27things were just getting worse and worse.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30Oh! He wasn't even here half of the days!
0:25:30 > 0:25:33Yeah. He was only here on payday, weren't he?
0:25:33 > 0:25:36The builder also denied intimidating Amanda
0:25:36 > 0:25:39with threats to Chris, saying he's a reputable tradesman
0:25:39 > 0:25:41who works with charities.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45But there is one thing he does admit.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48When we confronted him with our surveyor's findings,
0:25:48 > 0:25:52he admitted he'd messed up, and shouldn't have put his trust
0:25:52 > 0:25:55in the tradesmen he'd subcontracted to do the job properly.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02Er... I personally think that they are all the problems, aren't they?
0:26:02 > 0:26:06They are all the... There, babe.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08SHE SOBS
0:26:08 > 0:26:12SHE SNIFFS They finally admit to it now!
0:26:12 > 0:26:17Yeah. Finally, after all these lies,
0:26:17 > 0:26:20when confronted with the black-and-white facts,
0:26:20 > 0:26:22- he admits he messed up.- Sorry!
0:26:22 > 0:26:24I'm not surprised Amanda's so upset,
0:26:24 > 0:26:27but whatever the whys and wherefores, one thing is for sure -
0:26:27 > 0:26:30the good guys have totally transformed this place.
0:26:30 > 0:26:35'It's time to find out the difference their work has made to Chris and Amanda's lives.'
0:26:35 > 0:26:39Remember, we instructed the good-guy builders to make this place safe.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42Sort the steels out, sort the electrics out,
0:26:42 > 0:26:45and then sort your gas out. But looking around,
0:26:45 > 0:26:48you know, it's, like... I saw bare brick before.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51But now I see finished, plastered walls.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54I see new architraving. I see new skirting boards.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57I see new downlighters. You're just ready to paint here, aren't you?
0:26:57 > 0:26:59- Yeah. - Another thing about this room is,
0:26:59 > 0:27:02we're talking about the kitchen, but with those new big double doors
0:27:02 > 0:27:06going out into the garden, it feels like you're bringing the outside in
0:27:06 > 0:27:10- at long last, doesn't it? - It's very fresh and open.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13Is this what you thought it would look like all that time ago?
0:27:13 > 0:27:16- Better than what we thought it would look like, yeah.- Really?
0:27:16 > 0:27:19- Yeah.- It definitely changed our lives for the better.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21- Yeah.- Really?- Yeah.
0:27:21 > 0:27:26So, I mean, looking around, first of all, it's safe.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29Wiring, plumbing... It's not going to fall down.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31That's obviously peace of mind.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35But you also, to me, as a couple, you look like you've moved on.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37You're planning things together.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40I know you've had tough times relationship-wise.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43- It looks like you're going forward together again.- Yeah. We are.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45- We're like a unit now, aren't we? - Yeah.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48We're just... We're planning things like colours,
0:27:48 > 0:27:51where the kitchen's going to go,
0:27:51 > 0:27:53- and we're looking further to the future now, aren't we?- Yeah.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57- It's a relief knowing it's all safe. - You look like a unit, as well.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59- Yeah, yeah. - Arguing over colours now.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02That's good, though, isn't it, right?
0:28:02 > 0:28:05You know, these are the sort of tiffs you're supposed to have,
0:28:05 > 0:28:08not, you know, "Is our house going to fall down?"
0:28:08 > 0:28:11It's always going to have a terrible effect on your family life.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14But now...you can just plan.
0:28:15 > 0:28:19And with that, it's time for me to leave this young family
0:28:19 > 0:28:23as they start mapping out their happy-ever-after.
0:28:23 > 0:28:28Well, that couple have certainly been through it -
0:28:28 > 0:28:32not one but two cowboy builders. But it was certainly the second one
0:28:32 > 0:28:35that did all the emotional and physical damage to this home.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38Which makes it all the more gratifying
0:28:38 > 0:28:40to see what the good guys have done.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42They really have gone the extra mile,
0:28:42 > 0:28:45and in salvaging that investment they made, that big extension,
0:28:45 > 0:28:47and turning it into a conservatory...
0:28:47 > 0:28:50Well, they've got something to look forward to, to plan for.
0:28:50 > 0:28:52And I think in a couple of weeks, when it's all done,
0:28:52 > 0:28:54this family will be on cloud nine.
0:28:59 > 0:29:01For our next Cowboy Trap saga,
0:29:01 > 0:29:03we revisit a family in Treharris, Wales.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05As with Amanda and Chris,
0:29:05 > 0:29:10this story clearly illustrates the dangers of using the internet.
0:29:10 > 0:29:14Former soldiers Russ and Donna Ryan were this cowboy's unlucky victims.
0:29:14 > 0:29:18When we first met them, they'd been married for 20 years
0:29:18 > 0:29:21after meeting while serving in the British Army.
0:29:21 > 0:29:24Donna left the forces to bring up their three children,
0:29:24 > 0:29:28Liam, Luke and Cerys, but Russ carried on.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31He saw action in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34That took guts, and it was tough for Donna, too.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37Living with a soldier is hard.
0:29:37 > 0:29:39Um, constantly going away,
0:29:39 > 0:29:43and then you've got to get back into a routine when they come home.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46It is hard on the children, but they learn to adapt,
0:29:46 > 0:29:49that Daddy goes away and then Daddy comes home,
0:29:49 > 0:29:51and then he could go away again.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54Like many forces families, the Ryans were constantly on the move
0:29:54 > 0:29:56and living in military accommodation.
0:29:56 > 0:30:00So when Russ retired from active duty on Christmas Day 2011,
0:30:00 > 0:30:03he set his heart on finding his family
0:30:03 > 0:30:05their first proper home together.
0:30:05 > 0:30:08And when he did, he soon embarked on a new mission -
0:30:08 > 0:30:11making it their ideal home.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14We wanted a new kitchen. The kitchen, it was utilitarian.
0:30:14 > 0:30:19It worked, we could cook things, but it's not what we wanted.
0:30:19 > 0:30:21It's not what I wanted personally.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24And outside, there was wasted space, you know?
0:30:24 > 0:30:27There was an outside toilet. We're in the 21st century now.
0:30:27 > 0:30:29I'm not living with an outside toilet!
0:30:29 > 0:30:32Russ and Donna also wanted to change the layout
0:30:32 > 0:30:34of the living and dining rooms.
0:30:34 > 0:30:38The way it was laid out, it didn't quite work. It just wasn't right.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41We wanted it to flow, so you went right through.
0:30:41 > 0:30:43And that wasn't all.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46Russ and Donna wanted to incorporate two concrete outbuildings
0:30:46 > 0:30:49into the house, to create a utility room
0:30:49 > 0:30:51and underfloor heating in the kitchen.
0:30:51 > 0:30:55And the last piece of the jigsaw, giving the upstairs bathroom a complete makeover.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58The Ryans knew this was a major project.
0:30:58 > 0:31:00Quite apart from all the construction work,
0:31:00 > 0:31:03there was the plumbing and electrical labour required, too.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06But Russ had the lump sum he'd been given as a gratuity payment
0:31:06 > 0:31:09when he'd left the army, and what better way to invest it
0:31:09 > 0:31:14than making their first family home the home of their dreams?
0:31:14 > 0:31:18So Russ and Donna set about finding a builder,
0:31:18 > 0:31:21and posted an ad on exactly the same kind of website as the Bowens.
0:31:21 > 0:31:25Several contractors replied and came out to look at the job.
0:31:25 > 0:31:27Their quotes varied enormously,
0:31:27 > 0:31:30so the Ryans decided to opt for the one in the middle.
0:31:30 > 0:31:34So far, so good. But then the Ryans took leave of their good senses
0:31:34 > 0:31:37by failing to check their builder's track record.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39They should've spoken to former customers
0:31:39 > 0:31:41and checked out examples of his work.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44They didn't, and that left the former soldiers sitting ducks
0:31:44 > 0:31:47for our old enemy, the cowboy builder.
0:31:47 > 0:31:51I looked into his references, the ones that were on that website,
0:31:51 > 0:31:54but what I didn't do was ring round, which I should've done...
0:31:54 > 0:31:56was ring round and ask people.
0:31:56 > 0:32:01But the references that he had all seemed legit. They all seemed good.
0:32:01 > 0:32:03He was also - which is another mistake, I guess...
0:32:03 > 0:32:05He was an ex-soldier.
0:32:05 > 0:32:09Because of the military connection, Russ let his guard down.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12He and Donna would live to regret it.
0:32:12 > 0:32:14Take my advice.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37But the Ryans went with their former soldier,
0:32:37 > 0:32:40who said it would take eight weeks to complete the project
0:32:40 > 0:32:44at a cost of £15,000. This was for labour only.
0:32:44 > 0:32:47Russ and Donna were to provide all the materials.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50The builder wanted to be paid cash in hand,
0:32:50 > 0:32:52rather than do a properly invoiced job,
0:32:52 > 0:32:57and, what's more, he wanted £2,000 upfront before work even started.
0:32:57 > 0:32:59So, from the off, this looks dodgy,
0:32:59 > 0:33:02and it went rapidly downhill from there.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05The Ryans' dream, remember, was to have underfloor heating
0:33:05 > 0:33:07beneath their tiled floor.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10Now, a water-based setup really needs to be installed
0:33:10 > 0:33:12by a specialist heating engineer,
0:33:12 > 0:33:15but the electric system they opted for here is a pretty simple job.
0:33:15 > 0:33:18So, that's one thing their builder did properly, right?
0:33:18 > 0:33:20Wrong.
0:33:20 > 0:33:23When it came to him laying the underfloor heating,
0:33:23 > 0:33:26that was when alarm bells started ringing.
0:33:26 > 0:33:31Um, we'd said to him that it needed to be put into a screed,
0:33:31 > 0:33:34and he kept telling us, "No, it doesn't need to do that."
0:33:34 > 0:33:39And then he put the tiles down as you would a patio slab,
0:33:39 > 0:33:42and I'm there thinking, well, you know, I'm not a builder,
0:33:42 > 0:33:45but I know that's not how you're supposed to be doing it.
0:33:46 > 0:33:50What's more, Russ noticed the builder was spending most of his time on the phone,
0:33:50 > 0:33:54when he should have been paying more attention to the quality of his labourers' work.
0:33:54 > 0:33:59When he fitted the shower, I said, "Well, that tile's not flush."
0:33:59 > 0:34:02"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll get to that. I'll refit it."
0:34:02 > 0:34:04It's still not flush.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07The plastering was abysmal, and the plumbing was dreadful.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10There were more leaks than you could shake a leek at.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13The pipe-work in the downstairs toilet,
0:34:13 > 0:34:15that's leaking to the point where we now have mould,
0:34:15 > 0:34:18and it's been there less than two and a half months.
0:34:18 > 0:34:22The tiling on the floor, all the grout's disappeared.
0:34:22 > 0:34:24We had a leak underneath the sink.
0:34:24 > 0:34:26- Um... - SHE LAUGHS
0:34:26 > 0:34:30- But I got a local number... - It wasn't a leak under the sink.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33The hot-water pipe came off.
0:34:33 > 0:34:38And when it came off, the Ryans' brand-new kitchen was flooded,
0:34:38 > 0:34:42and it shorted the electrics. They were wet, hungry and in the dark.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45The whole ten, 12 weeks that he was here,
0:34:45 > 0:34:48he promised us, virtually every week,
0:34:48 > 0:34:50"If anything goes wrong, I'll come back."
0:34:50 > 0:34:53"If anything goes wrong with the tiles, I'll come back and fix it."
0:34:53 > 0:34:57"You know me, Russ," which was, you know, what he kept saying,
0:34:57 > 0:35:01and every time he guaranteed us, "I'll come back. I'll come back."
0:35:01 > 0:35:05But when the Ryans called him about the hot-water tap,
0:35:05 > 0:35:07he accused them of sabotaging it.
0:35:07 > 0:35:11And when they complained about the underfloor heating not working,
0:35:11 > 0:35:14he said it was their fault for buying it from an auction website.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17And things were about to get worse.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20Russ and Donna called a local tradesman to fix some of the problems,
0:35:20 > 0:35:24and he noticed the gas hob hadn't been put in right.
0:35:24 > 0:35:29I've had to get yet another gas engineer to come out
0:35:29 > 0:35:32and put the right fittings for my gas hob,
0:35:32 > 0:35:34so I could actually use it.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37Russ had looked forward to settling down
0:35:37 > 0:35:40after 22 years living a nomadic existence in the army.
0:35:40 > 0:35:42Not surprisingly, he was heartbroken
0:35:42 > 0:35:45that his long-awaited home renovation
0:35:45 > 0:35:48had turned into an unmitigated disaster.
0:35:48 > 0:35:50I'm trying to make a home for my family here,
0:35:50 > 0:35:53and there's people out there that'll just...
0:35:53 > 0:35:56You know, they don't see it from my point of view.
0:35:56 > 0:35:59And, um...it's scary.
0:35:59 > 0:36:02It's... It's... It's upsetting.
0:36:04 > 0:36:06That's what it is.
0:36:08 > 0:36:12After over two decades serving Queen and country,
0:36:12 > 0:36:15this was the last thing Russ and his family deserved.
0:36:15 > 0:36:19But you know the plot. Our good guys swung into action,
0:36:19 > 0:36:21led by head honcho Anthony Williams.
0:36:23 > 0:36:28They set about fixing the floor, and sorted the loo, too.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31Next it was time to remove those floor tiles
0:36:31 > 0:36:35so they could rectify that wonky underfloor heating.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40Then our knights in shining armour put it all back together
0:36:40 > 0:36:43like it should have been done in the first place.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46Our fellas completed their task with aplomb.
0:36:46 > 0:36:48From before...
0:36:49 > 0:36:52..to after, the difference was striking.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57When you think of what the good guys were faced with...
0:36:58 > 0:37:01..and what they left behind when they'd finished,
0:37:01 > 0:37:03the Ryans were definitely back on track.
0:37:04 > 0:37:07Would our good guys' efforts inspire them
0:37:07 > 0:37:09to go on and complete their dream home?
0:37:09 > 0:37:11Only time would tell.
0:37:18 > 0:37:22Well, it's been less than a year since we first met the Ryans,
0:37:22 > 0:37:25but by all accounts, what a difference a year has made to this family!
0:37:25 > 0:37:28When we first met Donna and Russ, they were at their wits' end.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31They couldn't see a way out of the mess they were in,
0:37:31 > 0:37:34and all the stress the cowboy builder left behind
0:37:34 > 0:37:37had certainly taken its toll on this once-happy family.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40But now I hear things are very different,
0:37:40 > 0:37:43so I can't wait to meet them.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47'I'd like to say that hopefully our good guys have saved Private Ryan
0:37:47 > 0:37:50'from this builder from hell, but Russ was a sergeant
0:37:50 > 0:37:52'when he left the army, so never mind.'
0:37:52 > 0:37:55Ah! Hello! I couldn't hear the doorbell,
0:37:55 > 0:37:57so I didn't know if it was working or not. I'm Jonnie.
0:37:57 > 0:37:59- Hi, Jonnie. I'm Donna. - Hi. You must be Russ.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02- Nice to meet you.- Can I come in? - Course you can.- Thank you very much.
0:38:02 > 0:38:06The doorbell may not be working, but as soon as I cross the threshold,
0:38:06 > 0:38:09I can see that this utility room is coming in for a lot of use.
0:38:09 > 0:38:12A tidy desk might show a tidy mind,
0:38:12 > 0:38:14but an untidy utility room - that's fine by me.
0:38:14 > 0:38:18This is, you know... This is part of what you wanted
0:38:18 > 0:38:21- to make your house a home, this room.- Exactly, yeah.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24I tell you what, it certainly looks and feels lived in, doesn't it?
0:38:24 > 0:38:28'Which is the whole point of a utility room, after all.'
0:38:28 > 0:38:31When you look at what the cowboy left behind...
0:38:32 > 0:38:35..to the transformation our good guys achieved,
0:38:35 > 0:38:38and how the Ryans have now made it their own,
0:38:38 > 0:38:41you can see a dream home evolving before your eyes.
0:38:41 > 0:38:44What does it mean, to have this extra space for you now?
0:38:44 > 0:38:48Everything's where it should be, and we can both be in the kitchen at the same time.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51Well, kitchen and utility. I can stand and watch her cook.
0:38:51 > 0:38:53THEY LAUGH
0:38:53 > 0:38:55This is how we left the utility room,
0:38:55 > 0:38:58and now it's clearly coming into its own,
0:38:58 > 0:39:01and the kitchen is, too. So what else have the Ryans been up to?
0:39:01 > 0:39:05I've actually finally finished decorating the rest of the house.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08What a wonderful job Donna's done!
0:39:08 > 0:39:10She's certainly got an artistic flair.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13'And, after 22 years living in military quarters,
0:39:13 > 0:39:16'Donna has clearly loved giving her home the personal touch.'
0:39:16 > 0:39:19What did it feel like, decorating your own home at last?
0:39:19 > 0:39:22I loved it. Absolutely loved it. It was hard work,
0:39:22 > 0:39:25but it was a matter of, "Yeah, I can do this."
0:39:27 > 0:39:32And she's done it beautifully. Check out the guest bedroom upstairs!
0:39:32 > 0:39:36- You both seem proud of this house. - Yeah, very much.- Definitely.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39It's exactly what we wanted for 20 years.
0:39:39 > 0:39:43We were, you know... This was the end goal, you know?
0:39:43 > 0:39:45All those years of fighting, and then getting to the end,
0:39:45 > 0:39:48and this is what we were aiming for.
0:39:48 > 0:39:50It's been a tough journey getting here.
0:39:50 > 0:39:54Remember the dreadful state the cowboy left this place in?
0:39:54 > 0:39:57Well, compare that to how it looks now.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00You can see how much Russ and Donna's home has changed for the better.
0:40:01 > 0:40:05'But have their lives changed for the better, too? Time to find out.'
0:40:05 > 0:40:07In less than a year,
0:40:07 > 0:40:10things have moved on physically,
0:40:10 > 0:40:12but I think, from where I'm sitting, more emotionally.
0:40:12 > 0:40:16People don't realise that. It might be little small things
0:40:16 > 0:40:18that the builder's ripped you off on,
0:40:18 > 0:40:21but immaterial of how big or small it is,
0:40:21 > 0:40:23- it does put so much pressure on you. - Yeah.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26And once it's gone, it was as if somebody had picked it all up,
0:40:26 > 0:40:28chucked it in the skip and taken it away,
0:40:28 > 0:40:31when they'd done it all, and then it was a matter of,
0:40:31 > 0:40:34"Right, well, we can get on with it now."
0:40:34 > 0:40:37And who'd have thought, less than a year after this, they'd be able to?
0:40:37 > 0:40:41But thanks to our fellas rectifying the cowboy's calamities,
0:40:41 > 0:40:43get on with it they certainly have.
0:40:43 > 0:40:47So, what lessons have they learned from the entire experience -
0:40:47 > 0:40:49the good bits and the bad?
0:40:49 > 0:40:51The good-guy builders turned up.
0:40:51 > 0:40:55Door van opens. Are you thinking, "Here we go again"?
0:40:55 > 0:40:59No, because I'd actually looked up these other guys. I was blown away.
0:40:59 > 0:41:03I love the fact that you'd instantly learned from that mistake.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06You know, even though we'd got the good guys in,
0:41:06 > 0:41:09you thought, "Hold on a minute. Let's do a bit of research."
0:41:09 > 0:41:11That's music to my ears, really.
0:41:11 > 0:41:15Yep, the way to avoid building bodges like this
0:41:15 > 0:41:17is rigorous research,
0:41:17 > 0:41:20especially when your source of tradesmen is the internet.
0:41:20 > 0:41:24And as the Ryans now realise, it's not just about letting your fingers do the walking.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26Take a tip from me.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46What would you do different to the first time?
0:41:46 > 0:41:50I'd go and look at jobs that they've already done, and speak to the people.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53I think it just requires that extra step on your behalf
0:41:53 > 0:41:58- to say, "OK, you got references. Let's speak to the people."- Yes.
0:41:58 > 0:42:02There's no point being shy when it's your hard-earned cash on the line.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06Anyway, thanks to our good guys' hard work
0:42:06 > 0:42:08and their own after we'd left,
0:42:08 > 0:42:12at long last, the Ryans have their dream home.
0:42:12 > 0:42:14When your home was in turmoil,
0:42:14 > 0:42:17you were probably struggling to get out of bed in the morning.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20- Completely. Didn't want to get up. - Now you're jumping out of bed
0:42:20 > 0:42:24and going to work, and when you finish work, decorating.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27And, you know, some people's idea of hell - mine...
0:42:27 > 0:42:29THEY LAUGH
0:42:29 > 0:42:32It's... You know, you as people, as a family,
0:42:32 > 0:42:34just seem to be in a completely different place.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37Oh, completely different and it's absolutely fabulous.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42Right. Time for me to bid the Ryans a fond farewell.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45Mission accomplished!
0:42:47 > 0:42:49Well, if ever there was a case
0:42:49 > 0:42:53of someone's frown being turned upside down, this is it.
0:42:53 > 0:42:56Our good-guy builders... Well, they did a great job,
0:42:56 > 0:42:59but I think their work here has helped Russ and Donna,
0:42:59 > 0:43:03well, move on emotionally so far in such a short amount of time.
0:43:03 > 0:43:06Now, well, they've got a family home
0:43:06 > 0:43:10that after - what, 20 years of living in army accommodation,
0:43:10 > 0:43:14they can be proud of and call their own. It's great.
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0:43:19 > 0:43:23E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk
0:43:23 > 0:43:23.