0:00:09 > 0:00:11We're travelling all over the UK
0:00:11 > 0:00:13to meet the homeowners forced to live with the grim consequences
0:00:13 > 0:00:16of employing a cowboy builder.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19He says he's "bent over backwards for you
0:00:19 > 0:00:22"and absorbed much of the extra cost."
0:00:22 > 0:00:25He says, "We will give you a building certificate."
0:00:25 > 0:00:27We never got nothing on completion.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31It's impossible to overestimate the damage these guys do.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34Whether they're blatant amateurs or simply crooks,
0:00:34 > 0:00:36cowboy builders not only ruin homes,
0:00:36 > 0:00:38they wreck lives, too.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42'The fact that I was not able to see some of the quality of the work
0:00:42 > 0:00:43'until after it was finished.'
0:00:43 > 0:00:48Of course, it gave them the time and space to get away.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51What looks like a lovely finish for the first few months
0:00:51 > 0:00:54in a year or so will look an absolute disaster.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56We've got the good guys in our posse
0:00:56 > 0:00:59to help turn these houses from hell into heavenly homes.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02I feel like I've just gone and bought myself a new hat!
0:01:03 > 0:01:06Well, in a lot of ways, you have!
0:01:06 > 0:01:09- A 100-square-metre hat! - Yes! It's lovely.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11This is the main entrance to your house
0:01:11 > 0:01:13and it didn't look great before, did it?
0:01:13 > 0:01:16It's a lot nicer, now.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18110 improvement.
0:01:18 > 0:01:23It's thought cowboy builders cost Britons over £700 million each year.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26So if you think you know how to spot one, think again.
0:01:26 > 0:01:32Make no mistake. The next 45 minutes could help keep you out of the cowboy trap.
0:01:42 > 0:01:47Today's Cowboy Trap is a cautionary tale about the dangers of paying your builder in full
0:01:47 > 0:01:49before they've finished the job.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51All these homeowners did just that,
0:01:51 > 0:01:56and found themselves stuck with the nightmare of an unfinished bodge on their hands.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58The realisation starts to sink in
0:01:58 > 0:02:00that they're not going to come back.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04And that we're going to be left trying to sort this out.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08Seeing water in a brand-new property, coming through your roof,
0:02:08 > 0:02:11was really soul-destroying.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13I actually felt like running away.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17Later, we tell the story of the neighbours who clubbed together
0:02:17 > 0:02:19to improve the access to their homes.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22But ended up with a driveway of despair.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25But first, we're in Northamptonshire,
0:02:25 > 0:02:26in the picturesque village of Ecton.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30Ecton's parish church of St Mary Magdalene
0:02:30 > 0:02:31dates back to the 13th century
0:02:31 > 0:02:36and, believe it or not, this tiny village is a place of pilgrimage for Americans
0:02:36 > 0:02:41because of its links to one of the Founding Fathers of the United States.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45Benjamin Franklin's ancestors lived here for more than 300 years,
0:02:45 > 0:02:47many of them village blacksmiths
0:02:47 > 0:02:50based here at the site now occupied by this pub.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52Franklin was an extraordinary fellow.
0:02:52 > 0:02:57Accomplished author, politician, scientist, musician, inventor, the list goes on.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01The exact opposite of the builder at the centre of this Cowboy Trap,
0:03:01 > 0:03:04who puts me in mind of an altogether different American institution -
0:03:04 > 0:03:06The Muppets!
0:03:06 > 0:03:08This cowboy builder's unlucky victims
0:03:08 > 0:03:10are retired couple Sue and Fred Ellis
0:03:10 > 0:03:13who live in this two-bedroomed mobile home.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16Sue and Fred first met an impressive 51 years ago.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19Sue was just 15 when she fell in love with Fred,
0:03:19 > 0:03:21who was her family's gardener.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23Ah, love's young dream!
0:03:23 > 0:03:27I thought, when I saw Fred, he was quite a handsome hunk!
0:03:27 > 0:03:31He was very tall, and I'm very small.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35He was the sort of man I had in mind of marrying.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38I thought very, very nice girl. Very pretty and that.
0:03:38 > 0:03:43Course, she was a fair bit younger than me.
0:03:43 > 0:03:48As time went on, it just took off, like, you know.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51The couple tied the knot and went on to have four daughters.
0:03:51 > 0:03:56And it was on their family holidays that the couple fell in love with caravanning.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00The kids loved it. It's nice and free, they've got plenty of freedom.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03It's perhaps no surprise, then,
0:04:03 > 0:04:06that once their girls had flown the nest and Fred had retired
0:04:06 > 0:04:08the couple decided to sell their bungalow
0:04:08 > 0:04:11and opt for a nomadic life caravanning around the UK.
0:04:11 > 0:04:17Sadly, all this came to an end when Fred was diagnosed with prostate cancer three years ago.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20'It was a very aggressive one, you know.'
0:04:21 > 0:04:27And I had to go to hospital every day for two months
0:04:27 > 0:04:28to have radiotherapy.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33This shock news forced Sue and Fred to re-evaluate their lives
0:04:33 > 0:04:35and in order to help Fred on his road to recovery,
0:04:35 > 0:04:37they decided to put down roots.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41It was a big step for the couple to have to settle down again
0:04:41 > 0:04:44after so many years of freedom out in the open air.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47They set about it with somewhat heavy hearts.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50But then they remembered a mobile home site they'd stumbled upon some years ago
0:04:50 > 0:04:53and instantly fallen in love with.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55It was a Eureka moment for Sue and Fred,
0:04:55 > 0:04:58so they made the journey to take a look for themselves.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01We came over to Ecton village
0:05:01 > 0:05:03and had a look at the site.
0:05:03 > 0:05:09The fields, and the sheep and the openness of it.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11It's just lovely. All I can say, it's lovely.
0:05:11 > 0:05:17It's lovely and peaceful, lovely views, nice people.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20After checking out the cost of ready built homes,
0:05:20 > 0:05:24Sue and Fred decided building from scratch would be the best option.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26They found a builder on the internet
0:05:26 > 0:05:28who specialised in bespoke cabins.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32One of my daughters said, "Go on to Google
0:05:32 > 0:05:38"and you'll find them on there. Lots of people make these places."
0:05:38 > 0:05:40And I went straight onto there,
0:05:40 > 0:05:43and found this builder.
0:05:43 > 0:05:48Fred was hugely impressed with the pictures and prices on the builder's website.
0:05:48 > 0:05:53We went to his house and we explained what we wanted.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55He explained what he did.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57He done some rough drawings there and then
0:05:57 > 0:06:00and he told us a price.
0:06:00 > 0:06:05I thought it was fantastic. Cheaper than what I was going to pay anyway.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08And we could have it built our own way.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10So I definitely went for him.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15Everything seemed perfect. Too perfect, perhaps?
0:06:16 > 0:06:19This goes to show how misleading the internet can be
0:06:19 > 0:06:22and how dangerous it is as a way of finding your builder.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25I've had a look at this guy's website and it's pretty impressive.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28There's no way you'd think you were dealing with a cowboy.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31But as we've seen so many times on Cowboy Trap,
0:06:31 > 0:06:35glossy brochures, newspaper ads or slick-looking websites count for nothing,
0:06:35 > 0:06:39as Sue and Fred would soon discover to their cost.
0:06:39 > 0:06:44The builder quoted £46,000 to build a mobile home to the Ellis's design
0:06:44 > 0:06:46with 10,000 paid up-front.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49This included all plumbing, gas and electrics
0:06:49 > 0:06:52plus installation of the kitchen and bathroom.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54Despite the hefty deposit,
0:06:54 > 0:06:56Sue and Fred were happy with the arrangement
0:06:56 > 0:06:59and agreed a start date of January 2012.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02But when the couple came to make their first payment,
0:07:02 > 0:07:08they discovered the builder's financial arrangements were...somewhat unconventional!
0:07:08 > 0:07:10When we paid the first instalment,
0:07:10 > 0:07:13it was about 10,000,
0:07:13 > 0:07:18and he asked us to make the cheque out to this particular lady
0:07:18 > 0:07:21which we did, which turned out to be his girlfriend.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26His girlfriend?! Take a tip from me.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47Trust me. You'll live to regret that later.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50Which is exactly what happened to the Ellises.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53In fact, warning bells were ringing from the outset
0:07:53 > 0:07:57because although the couple were told the work would be done and dusted within ten weeks,
0:07:57 > 0:08:01this builder appeared to be all talk and no action.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04We kept saying, "When are you going to start?"
0:08:04 > 0:08:09And in the end, I think it was towards the end of January
0:08:09 > 0:08:12that he actually started the foundation.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16So already the build was weeks behind
0:08:16 > 0:08:19and the pace of work wasn't gathering any momentum.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21Sue and Fred began to worry
0:08:21 > 0:08:25that the move-in date the builder promised was drifting further and further away.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28So Fred decided to pay the builder a visit.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30And he was horrified by what he found.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34I go over to his works place, find out where he works.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38I went over there, and all it was was a yard with all his timber in
0:08:38 > 0:08:40and a little old shed.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44I thought, "Oh, he's conned me now", straightaway.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47Fred called the builder, looking for answers.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51The builder said the yard was empty because he was working on another job, too.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53So the couple gave him the benefit of the doubt
0:08:53 > 0:08:55and even handed over their final payment
0:08:55 > 0:08:58in the hope that it would speed things up.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01Some weeks later, work was indeed complete.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03Or so they thought.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06Finally, Sue and Fred were able to move in to their new home.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09Sure, it had taken a few months longer than they'd hoped
0:09:09 > 0:09:11and yes, there had been one or two hiccups along the way.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15But now you come to mention it, the place did seem a bit cold.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19But the couple were over the moon. It wasn't to last.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23Every time we turned the water on,
0:09:23 > 0:09:29the boiler made a - sounded like a lorry coming down the road, literally.
0:09:29 > 0:09:34We kept thinking, "Where's that noise?" and it was coming from the central heating boiler.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36Sue and Fred called out a plumber
0:09:36 > 0:09:39who told them not to use it because it hadn't been regulated.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41And that wasn't the only problem.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44We said, "We haven't got enough radiators in."
0:09:44 > 0:09:52And he said, "The radiator in the living room will warm the whole of the living room up."
0:09:52 > 0:09:56We said, "It can't do. There's just not enough there."
0:09:56 > 0:10:00We said we wanted more radiators put in.
0:10:00 > 0:10:06And he gave us a quote of 2,650.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09And that was just ridiculous.
0:10:09 > 0:10:14Not kidding. And just when Fred and Sue thought it couldn't get any worse, it did.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17The roof started leaking like a sieve.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22Seeing water in a brand-new property coming through your roof
0:10:22 > 0:10:24and ceiling,
0:10:24 > 0:10:27was really soul-destroying.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30I felt - I'll be honest -
0:10:30 > 0:10:32I actually felt like running away.
0:10:33 > 0:10:39Sue noticed all the water coming through. I felt like going berserk, then.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41The stress of it all.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45Apart from the first leak in the bedroom,
0:10:45 > 0:10:50we'd got leaks on the outside, dripping down the windows.
0:10:50 > 0:10:56All of a sudden, I started to realise everything was connected to the roof.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58Sue was absolutely right, of course.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00When the builder sent round a roofer to take a look,
0:11:00 > 0:11:03well, he dropped a bombshell.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06His roofer came down and had a look.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08And he said to Fred,
0:11:08 > 0:11:11"The whole roof's got to come off.
0:11:11 > 0:11:12"It's no good."
0:11:12 > 0:11:14And we were horrified.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17So the couple's dream home was riddled with leaks
0:11:17 > 0:11:24and as for the cowboy, you won't be surprised to hear it wasn't long before he rode off into the sunset.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27My husband rang the builder
0:11:27 > 0:11:31and told him we've got to have a new roof.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35And that's when all contact was severed.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38And the sad thing about this sorry episode
0:11:38 > 0:11:41is that it could have been so easily avoided.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45I do wish Fred and Sue had taken up proper references for this guy.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48They could have spared themselves a whole lot of heartache.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52Building inspectors will not have been involved in this project in any way
0:11:52 > 0:11:55and that's because mobile homes are exempt from building regulations.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59So I'm fascinated to see what our surveyor has to say about it.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04So just how shoddy is the work on the Ellis's mobile home?
0:12:04 > 0:12:08To find out, we asked independent building surveyor Jack Bradley to inspect it.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11Jack's been through it with a fine-tooth comb
0:12:11 > 0:12:13and is about to fill me in on what he found.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15How old is this roof?
0:12:15 > 0:12:18- It's less than a year old.- These are real problems we've got coming in.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22'First off, that disaster zone of the roof.'
0:12:22 > 0:12:25This, to me, looks like a roof that's been squashed!
0:12:25 > 0:12:27It's an attempt at a pitched roof.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29I call this a flat roof.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31We measured this at about seven degrees.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35With these roof tiles on, it should be closer to 17 degrees!
0:12:35 > 0:12:37So that's a huge difference.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41The big problem with that is you treat a flat roof completely differently
0:12:41 > 0:12:44to a pitched roof. The loadings, the wind loadings,
0:12:44 > 0:12:46the dead-loads of the tiles,
0:12:46 > 0:12:48everything is completely different.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52And this amount of concrete tiles on, in essence, a flat roof,
0:12:52 > 0:12:55creates completely different loads on the structure
0:12:55 > 0:12:57to what a pitched roof would.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59This is going to start bowing, pretty soon.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03Inside that home, there's large rooms there.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07And you will start to see the ceiling start to bow slightly
0:13:07 > 0:13:09if you left those concrete tiles on there.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12Because all the weight is pushing down on it
0:13:12 > 0:13:13and that will make it curve.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17Then your boards start to open up so the ceilings start to crack.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20So what looks like a lovely finish for the first few months,
0:13:20 > 0:13:23in a year or so will be an absolute disaster.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27'That's something that needs to be sorted pronto
0:13:27 > 0:13:28'if disaster is to be avoided.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31'But the problems with this worthless roof don't end there.'
0:13:31 > 0:13:34The ridge tiles, my understanding of roofs,
0:13:34 > 0:13:37are the first point, the central part of the roof
0:13:37 > 0:13:42where the water might hit and is the first opportunity for water to get diverted over the rest of the tiles.
0:13:42 > 0:13:43If you're building a pitched roof,
0:13:43 > 0:13:47it needs to hit the roof and run off. That's the idea of it.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50Because this isn't a pitched roof, it's a flat roof,
0:13:50 > 0:13:52water will hit the roof and stay there.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56'And when you go inside, you don't have to look very hard
0:13:56 > 0:13:58'to see the long list of bodges continues.'
0:13:58 > 0:14:02In this photo here, you see one radiator located in the corner.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05But over the other end of the room, and this is a big room,
0:14:05 > 0:14:06it's freezing cold.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09- Only one rad for the whole lot? - One rad for the whole room.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13'Right. Time to ask Jack that all-important question.'
0:14:14 > 0:14:16So overall, then, how would you mark this project?
0:14:17 > 0:14:20Generous at one out of ten.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22- Generous, one out of ten? - One out of ten.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25There's just no technical understanding by the builder here
0:14:25 > 0:14:30of how to build and finish this home.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34'One out of ten. Sounds fair to me.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36'Check out what the cowboy left behind.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39'Leaks everywhere and a threat to the basic structure of this home
0:14:39 > 0:14:42'thanks to that concrete tiled flat roof
0:14:42 > 0:14:43'which will have to come off.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47'A distinct lack of radiators for the size of the rooms,
0:14:47 > 0:14:49'an incorrectly-fitted boiler
0:14:49 > 0:14:52'and no certification for either the gas or electrics.
0:14:52 > 0:14:58'And remember, Sue and Fred paid more than £46,000 for this shoddy job.'
0:14:58 > 0:15:03In short, Fred and Sue's mobile home dreams were pretty much at the end of the road.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05Time to bring in the good guys.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10'And here's head honcho Konrad Skubala riding to the rescue.
0:15:10 > 0:15:15'there's so much to do here, we're concentrating on that wet blanket of a roof
0:15:15 > 0:15:17'and replacing it with something fit for purpose.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19'The Ellises are chipping in.
0:15:19 > 0:15:24'First things first, getting rid of those completely unsuitable tiles.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28'Next, prepping the area to make it flat and smooth.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33'And then it's on to covering the whole area in plywood
0:15:33 > 0:15:35'ready for the weather-proof mineral felt.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38'The good guys are making a great start.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42'But can they give Sue and Fred the dream home they really want?
0:15:42 > 0:15:45'Only time will tell.'
0:15:49 > 0:15:51I'm in the small village of Ecton,
0:15:51 > 0:15:54where Sue and Fred were looking forward to spending the rest of their retirement
0:15:54 > 0:15:56in their dream mobile home,
0:15:56 > 0:16:00until their so-called builder left them with a cold and leaky bodge on their hands.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03Well, our good guys have now finished their work.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05Let's see how things are looking now.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10'The Ellises were at their wits' end before our work got underway.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12'I really hope they're feeling happier now.'
0:16:14 > 0:16:16- Hello, Sue.- Hello, Jonnie. Pleased to meet you.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19- You too. How you doing? - Very well, thank you.- Good.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22- Come in.- Thank you very much.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24'As soon as I'm inside, I'm back outside again.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26'Bit like the hokey-cokey!'
0:16:26 > 0:16:31So, from this angle I can see there's been some felting done
0:16:31 > 0:16:33but I can't see much from down here.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35I suppose I should get on top.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38I'll be needing one of them!
0:16:39 > 0:16:41'Climbing roofs? I'm not sure that's in my contract!
0:16:41 > 0:16:44'Anyway, onwards and upwards.'
0:16:44 > 0:16:46Well, this is more like it, isn't it?
0:16:48 > 0:16:52The pitch on this roof is fairly flat. It's a really good pitch for a flat roof.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55That's clearly what our good guys have decided to do.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58Put a square peg in a square hole, if you like!
0:16:58 > 0:17:04Because the wind would blow any rainwater underneath those shallow-laid tiles,
0:17:04 > 0:17:08all the moisture, any rain, would come underneath these tiles and give them leaks.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11But now the good guys have assessed the situation
0:17:11 > 0:17:15and thought, "It needs a flat roof surface put down."
0:17:15 > 0:17:17And it looks exactly as it should do.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20'It might not be the most exciting thing to look at,
0:17:20 > 0:17:23'but a new fit-for-purpose roof means the house is now water-tight,
0:17:23 > 0:17:26'which gives Sue and Fred their home back.'
0:17:26 > 0:17:32Now the roof tiles before could have been used if they'd been put on a decent fall pitched roof.
0:17:32 > 0:17:37What amazes me is that whoever constructed this
0:17:37 > 0:17:41had perfect examples all around them. There's one!
0:17:41 > 0:17:44That's how you do a pitched roof with concrete tiles.
0:17:44 > 0:17:49But if you use them on a flat roof system, do it like this, this time!
0:17:50 > 0:17:54'What a difference. Our good guys have really played a blinder.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57'Time to speak to the man in charge about the challenges they faced.'
0:17:58 > 0:18:00What was Sue and Fred like
0:18:00 > 0:18:02when you turned up with six guys on top of their house?
0:18:02 > 0:18:04Initially, when I first met them,
0:18:04 > 0:18:10with the bad boy builders that left here, they were a bit sceptical
0:18:10 > 0:18:11what to expect.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15But straightaway, we turned up, started doing the work, straight into it.
0:18:15 > 0:18:20- They were a bit shell-shocked with the amount of people! - Six people on top of this!
0:18:20 > 0:18:24Couple down here. Had to try and get rid of about 100 square metres, that roof.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27There was a lot of tiles that had to come off before then.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29There are about 30 sheets of ply that have gone back up.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33- Goodness me.- It's a lot of manpower to start with, to get it sorted.
0:18:33 > 0:18:37'Yes, manpower. A job for an entire posse.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41'Not a lone ranger like the cowboy the Ellises employed.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43'And those leaks should now be a thing of the past.'
0:18:43 > 0:18:46- Now, inside, water was coming in. - It was coming in, yes.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48That's obviously not happening any more.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52We're not paid to do anything to put it right inside, but now they can do.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55They can let that dry for a few weeks and then start redecorating
0:18:55 > 0:18:57and get it back to a new home, as it should be.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01'Time to head inside and have a heart-to-heart with Sue and Fred.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05'I want to hear what they've got to say about their cowboy builder's version of events.'
0:19:06 > 0:19:08He says he offered you a felt roof,
0:19:08 > 0:19:13but you said it would make it look like a shed and you insisted on him using tiles.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16Definitely not true. Definitely not.
0:19:16 > 0:19:21He's obviously protecting himself now, that's what he's doing.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26Now he does admit, however, that as a result of what's happened,
0:19:26 > 0:19:30he's now "reviewing their current build process."
0:19:30 > 0:19:33Oh, well he needs to!
0:19:33 > 0:19:39We weren't builders. We wouldn't know what was the best thing to use. That's the thing.
0:19:39 > 0:19:44You pay your builder to do the best for you, not to ask you.
0:19:44 > 0:19:45- No. Quite.- Right.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48He goes on to say that the delays in completing the work
0:19:48 > 0:19:51"were totally beyond his control."
0:19:51 > 0:19:55Bad weather, for example, and the fact that five weeks into the build,
0:19:55 > 0:19:57you changed the layout of the home.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00- Yes, I did.- We did, yeah. - I did, admittedly.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04- Cos he told us we could do. - Which he told us we could do.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07No building had gone up on the side.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10He was putting it out with pieces of wood to show me.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13And I realised I'd got it wrong.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15I'd got the bedroom this end, and it should have been that end.
0:20:15 > 0:20:20All it was was some four by twos going up, like... It was just nothing.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24- Not even the walls.- It was no problem.- The windows weren't in or nothing.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26Let's remind ourselves.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29You've told me that the initial building of this home
0:20:29 > 0:20:31- was supposed to take a few weeks. - Eight weeks.- Eight weeks.
0:20:31 > 0:20:35Because of bad weather and the slight re-jigging of the layout, it took how many?
0:20:35 > 0:20:38- Six months, nearly.- Six months?! - Yeah.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42So finally, he says he's "bent over backwards for you,
0:20:42 > 0:20:45"and absorbed much of the extra cost.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48He "feels very disappointed and let down by all of it."
0:20:48 > 0:20:51What's his... Can he name his extra costs?
0:20:51 > 0:20:54I feel very disappointed in him, to be honest.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56Because we were very nice to him.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00And we paid every penny when he asked.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05You know what, if only they'd been a bit more hard-nosed about things,
0:21:05 > 0:21:07none of this would have happened.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09But enough about the cowboy.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12What I want to know is, has having this new roof
0:21:12 > 0:21:14changed Sue and Fred's lives for the better?
0:21:14 > 0:21:16Finally, you've got a home.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20- You've got this dream home. - We have. It's beautiful.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22We love living on here.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27I feel like I've just gone and bought myself a new hat!
0:21:29 > 0:21:32Well, in a way, you have bought yourself a 100-square-metre hat!
0:21:32 > 0:21:34Yes. It's lovely.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36Let me just end all this, then.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39What you need to concentrate on is enjoying your lovely home.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42That's all we wanted to do. Enjoy our home.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46- And you can now?- We can, yes, definitely.- Certainly.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49- Good luck in it.- Thank you very much.- Thanks for everything. - Thank you.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51'And on that note,
0:21:51 > 0:21:54'it's time for me to bid farewell to Sue and Fred.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58'At last they can enjoy their dream mobile home sweet home.'
0:21:58 > 0:21:59Well...
0:21:59 > 0:22:03the last thing Fred needed when he was ill was more stress.
0:22:03 > 0:22:08But when your house, or roof, is leaking like a teabag,
0:22:08 > 0:22:10that's exactly what he got.
0:22:10 > 0:22:11But thanks to our good guys,
0:22:11 > 0:22:14they've put a roof on which is now water-tight.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17It's a fairly simple thing,
0:22:17 > 0:22:23but thanks to their good work, Fred and Sue have got now a beautiful home to retire in
0:22:23 > 0:22:25and the most important thing here,
0:22:25 > 0:22:27simple isn't it? Peace of mind.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32Sue and Fred learned the hard way you should never pay your builder in full
0:22:32 > 0:22:35until the work has been completed to your satisfaction.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38It's a lesson that could have saved our next unfortunate homeowners
0:22:38 > 0:22:40an awful lot of heartache.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44We're in Swinton, near Manchester,
0:22:44 > 0:22:46a busy town with a long history.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49Swinton is thought to have originally developed
0:22:49 > 0:22:51around an ancient pig farm or market,
0:22:51 > 0:22:53hence the name "swine town".
0:22:53 > 0:22:56Which is apt, because the bloke who made this driveway
0:22:56 > 0:22:59made a right pig's ear of it.
0:22:59 > 0:23:00Meet Peter Wheeler, who's 59,
0:23:00 > 0:23:02and his guide dog, Zak.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05Peter is registered blind,
0:23:05 > 0:23:07suffering from a degenerative eye disease.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09It's an inherited condition,
0:23:09 > 0:23:12but when Peter began to lose his sight about 20 years ago,
0:23:12 > 0:23:15he never really grasped how bad things would turn out.
0:23:15 > 0:23:20At the time, I tended to ignore
0:23:20 > 0:23:22the possibility of going blind.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25I thought the condition would probably stabilise
0:23:25 > 0:23:30and I'd have a level of sight that I could use.
0:23:30 > 0:23:35That wasn't the case, and in 1991 I had to stop work
0:23:35 > 0:23:37because I couldn't read text any more.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40These were tough times for Peter.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43Not only was he struggling to come to terms with being blind,
0:23:43 > 0:23:45but soon afterwards his marriage broke down
0:23:45 > 0:23:48and he became a single dad to his nine-year-old son, Christopher.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51It was a balancing act, really,
0:23:51 > 0:23:54of trying to keep all the balls in the air.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56And I guess, in a way,
0:23:56 > 0:24:00having so much going on kept me going.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03Two decades on, Peter enjoys a successful career
0:24:03 > 0:24:05as a university lecturer.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07Christopher has grown up and left home,
0:24:07 > 0:24:10leaving Peter reliant on his faithful companion Zak,
0:24:10 > 0:24:12a nine-year-old labrador retriever cross.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16They've been best friends since Peter got him as an 18-month-old pup.
0:24:16 > 0:24:21I don't have to worry, I don't have to think about the environment that I'm walking through.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24I have the trust and confidence in Zak
0:24:24 > 0:24:26to take me where I need to go.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30Peter also has neighbours on whom he can rely.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32Jack and Joan Watkiss live next door
0:24:32 > 0:24:34and are close in more ways than one.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37I've known them for all the period that I've been here.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40They've always been extremely helpful.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42We love Pete to pieces
0:24:42 > 0:24:44and when he first became blind
0:24:44 > 0:24:46and he was left with Christopher,
0:24:46 > 0:24:48I used to do his shopping, didn't I?
0:24:48 > 0:24:50Smashing bloke.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54Peter and Zak are able to move confidently around their home.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57But about a year ago, it became clear that their only means of access
0:24:57 > 0:24:59was in desperate need of repair.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03The driveway was the original driveway that was cast
0:25:03 > 0:25:05in the early to mid-'60s.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09And it had got into quite a bad state of repair.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13Pieces were chipping off it
0:25:13 > 0:25:16and it was like walking on stones.
0:25:16 > 0:25:21If Zak decided that it was too painful
0:25:21 > 0:25:24or too difficult for him to walk over the old driveway,
0:25:24 > 0:25:26he wouldn't walk.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28It wasn't just Peter who had problems with his driveway.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32Jack and Joan's had been laid by Jack way back in 1963
0:25:32 > 0:25:35and now the concrete was beginning to lift,
0:25:35 > 0:25:37making it tricky for him in his wheelchair.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39So when a cold caller knocked on the couple's door
0:25:39 > 0:25:41to ask if they wanted their driveway doing,
0:25:41 > 0:25:43it seemed like a stroke of luck
0:25:43 > 0:25:45and in a way, it was.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47A stroke of wrong luck.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52This gentleman came in. Lovely portfolio.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55Showing us lovely pictures
0:25:55 > 0:25:57and he said he would give us a quote.
0:25:58 > 0:26:04So Jack said to him, "Is there anything off for pensioners?
0:26:04 > 0:26:06"And is there anything off for cash?"
0:26:06 > 0:26:09The builder said not only could he give them a discount for cash,
0:26:09 > 0:26:13but he could do an even better deal if they could get any of their neighbours interested.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17So Joan mentioned it to Peter. And Peter jumped at the chance.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19I spoke to them both.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22I said, "While we're doing it, I've been thinking of having mine done
0:26:22 > 0:26:23"because it needs replacing.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27"Why don't we get it all done in one
0:26:27 > 0:26:31"and then it'll be one consistent driveway, all the same."
0:26:32 > 0:26:34It might have sounded an attractive deal,
0:26:34 > 0:26:35but take a tip from me.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57..Or you may live to regret it.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01Which is exactly what happened to Peter, Jack and Joan.
0:27:01 > 0:27:05The builder quoted £5,000 for Peter's part of the driveway,
0:27:05 > 0:27:09while it would cost Jack and Joan £5,700,
0:27:09 > 0:27:12making a grand total of £10,700.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15The builder said the work would only take a matter of days.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17When it got underway in May 2012,
0:27:17 > 0:27:20initial impressions were good.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24They had a large team of people working on the job.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27It was going along on schedule.
0:27:27 > 0:27:34And I believed that we were going to get a really good professional job.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39But as things turned out, nothing could be further from the truth.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42It didn't take long for these guys to demonstrate
0:27:42 > 0:27:44they weren't exactly driveway experts.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48On day one, Peter's electricity meter was knocked out of the wall
0:27:48 > 0:27:50when they accidentally rammed it with a digger.
0:27:50 > 0:27:55Not a great start, but one that set the tone for the entire bungled project.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58Because when creating this kind of driveway,
0:27:58 > 0:28:02the concrete is laid, and then the pattern etched into it using a concrete stamp.
0:28:02 > 0:28:07It's a tricky technique, and you have to work fast before the concrete gets too hard.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10So what you don't do is lay it on the hottest day of the year
0:28:10 > 0:28:13and attempt to do the whole thing in one go.
0:28:13 > 0:28:18The area is too big to do in one pour.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21They should have done it in possibly three, or maybe even four,
0:28:21 > 0:28:24distinct and unique sections.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29Desperate for answers, Joan called the builders several times.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31Finally, she managed to get through.
0:28:31 > 0:28:35We said we'd like to see the foreman.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37I said, "We're not happy with the path,
0:28:37 > 0:28:40"there's no... The imprint isn't very good at the top."
0:28:40 > 0:28:44The foreman admitted to us that the printing hadn't taken
0:28:44 > 0:28:47because the concrete had gone off.
0:28:47 > 0:28:51The foreman agreed to return and rip it up and start again.
0:28:51 > 0:28:56Part of the driveway at the top was replaced. But they never sealed it.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59These guys never seemed to finish what they started.
0:28:59 > 0:29:04Peter began to suspect they were taking advantage of his disability.
0:29:04 > 0:29:09The fact that I was not able to see some of the quality of the work
0:29:09 > 0:29:13until after it was finished, gave them the time and space to get away.
0:29:13 > 0:29:17And then Peter, Jack and Joan made an all-too-common error.
0:29:17 > 0:29:19Even though the job wasn't finished,
0:29:19 > 0:29:21they paid up pretty much entirely.
0:29:21 > 0:29:24I kept £200 back
0:29:24 > 0:29:29because Pete had said, "I'm not giving them the full money."
0:29:29 > 0:29:33When they'd poured the concrete, and imprinted it,
0:29:33 > 0:29:39and they'd covered it with this powder to dye it,
0:29:39 > 0:29:41there was only one job left for them to do
0:29:41 > 0:29:44which was to clean it and then seal the drive.
0:29:45 > 0:29:47That's right. It still required sealing,
0:29:47 > 0:29:50a not exactly trifling part of the process.
0:29:50 > 0:29:52But guess what? It would never get done
0:29:52 > 0:29:55because these cowboys were now nearly ten grand richer
0:29:55 > 0:29:59and customer satisfaction clearly wasn't high on their priority list.
0:30:00 > 0:30:05He went out, went to the van at the front, and the lads were packing up.
0:30:05 > 0:30:10And he was on his haunches and he was paying them with the money that I'd just given to him.
0:30:11 > 0:30:15So I, to myself, I was sat in here and I thought,
0:30:15 > 0:30:17"Oh, they must be casual labour."
0:30:17 > 0:30:19As the weeks turned into months
0:30:19 > 0:30:23and with no sign of the builders returning to apply that all-important sealant,
0:30:23 > 0:30:27Jack, Joan and Peter were not only concerned about their investment,
0:30:27 > 0:30:29they felt conned.
0:30:29 > 0:30:31We felt stupid that we'd been had.
0:30:31 > 0:30:36Didn't we? We just felt so frustrated and humiliated.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39And there were other problems, too.
0:30:39 > 0:30:42The cowboys had left the drainage in a sorry state,
0:30:42 > 0:30:44as Peter found out to his cost.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47They never finished the grids. Our grid's not finished.
0:30:47 > 0:30:50Next door's grid, he had his arm down and hurt his arm, Pete,
0:30:50 > 0:30:53getting rubble out cos it was overflowing.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56They never provided drainage covers
0:30:56 > 0:31:03to stop debris, leaves and all that stuff clogging up the drains.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07The cowboys also left more than two tonnes of rubble
0:31:07 > 0:31:09outside the front of Peter's house,
0:31:09 > 0:31:10partially blocking the pavement.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13With no sign of them returning to finish the job,
0:31:13 > 0:31:15let alone clear up after themselves,
0:31:15 > 0:31:17Peter eventually involved the police.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20By the time the cowboys finally removed their rubbish,
0:31:20 > 0:31:22it had been there three long months.
0:31:23 > 0:31:28Peter, Jack and Joan's dream driveway had turned into a never-ending nightmare.
0:31:28 > 0:31:31What's more, the work that was done was so shoddy
0:31:31 > 0:31:34that Jack now finds it difficult to make the journey to his garage.
0:31:34 > 0:31:37And there are a multitude of trip hazards for Peter and Zak.
0:31:37 > 0:31:42Not surprisingly, the experience has had a major impact on everyone involved.
0:31:43 > 0:31:47It got me so stressed out, Jack not being well.
0:31:47 > 0:31:49It's a lump of concrete.
0:31:49 > 0:31:53A dear lump of concrete
0:31:53 > 0:31:55but it really, really bugged me.
0:31:55 > 0:31:57It really bugged me
0:31:57 > 0:32:01that they'd taken our money and not done what they'd promised.
0:32:01 > 0:32:03They've never said, "We're not coming back."
0:32:03 > 0:32:07So all the time, you're dangling on a line,
0:32:07 > 0:32:11hoping that they're going to turn up and do something.
0:32:11 > 0:32:13But of course, as the year has passed on,
0:32:13 > 0:32:16the realisation starts to sink in
0:32:16 > 0:32:18that they're not going to come back
0:32:18 > 0:32:22and that we're going to be left trying to sort this out.
0:32:22 > 0:32:27It's hardly surprising that Peter, Jack and Joan have been left so frustrated and fed up
0:32:27 > 0:32:29by this experience.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32A simple job that in the hands of professionals would have been "bish, bash, bosh"
0:32:32 > 0:32:34has turned into an exasperating saga
0:32:34 > 0:32:36with no end in sight.
0:32:37 > 0:32:39But just how dire is this driveway?
0:32:39 > 0:32:44To find out, we asked independent building surveyor Paul Brown to inspect the work.
0:32:44 > 0:32:47Paul's left no stone unturned
0:32:47 > 0:32:50and is about to fill me in on what he found.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53It's a driveway for a blind person.
0:32:53 > 0:32:56- Mm.- So this has got to be the best job you can.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59'First things first, what about these nasty gaps and cracks?'
0:32:59 > 0:33:03What you see there are the gaps which have been cut into the concrete
0:33:03 > 0:33:06to prevent shrinkage cracking occurring.
0:33:06 > 0:33:08All concrete will shrink after a period of time.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11Usually fairly close to the point that it sets
0:33:11 > 0:33:15they cut lines in it to control the points at which that occurs.
0:33:15 > 0:33:17But here, again you can see
0:33:17 > 0:33:21that what should happen is that those lines should then be sealed
0:33:21 > 0:33:22with a mastic sealant.
0:33:22 > 0:33:28That should prevent debris and small particles building up in there
0:33:28 > 0:33:31and grass and little stones chipping the edges.
0:33:31 > 0:33:33And it should make those lines look neat.
0:33:33 > 0:33:35But obviously that hasn't been completed.
0:33:35 > 0:33:38What you also see is a bit of crazing around the edges
0:33:38 > 0:33:40due to initial shrinkage.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43That may be because the concrete dried out very quickly
0:33:43 > 0:33:46and this was laid in a very hot period of the year.
0:33:46 > 0:33:48That's one of the problems which have caused some of these defects.
0:33:48 > 0:33:50All this cracking, this uprooting,
0:33:50 > 0:33:52is going to form a trip hazard.
0:33:52 > 0:33:55There's no option of having a trip hazard here.
0:33:55 > 0:33:58No. Absolutely not. It should be the case on every drive that's done like this
0:33:58 > 0:34:03that you shouldn't have steps or any of this early degrading of the surface that you have here
0:34:03 > 0:34:05because of the issues that have been caused.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09'In other words, because the concrete was never sealed,
0:34:09 > 0:34:12'this driveway has been heading onto the rocks ever since.
0:34:12 > 0:34:14'Still, at least it looks nice(!)'
0:34:14 > 0:34:16You've got different coloured mortar joints,
0:34:16 > 0:34:21it's starting to look like a bit of a DIY job, isn't it?
0:34:21 > 0:34:25It looks like it hasn't been completed correctly
0:34:25 > 0:34:30and is something which looks less than the impressive job
0:34:30 > 0:34:32that you should get when you have one of these types of drives.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35This is an imprinted concrete drive so it has a pattern
0:34:35 > 0:34:39which is supposed to mirror, in this case, flags, in a decorative style.
0:34:39 > 0:34:43But those patterns aren't correct and they haven't been imprinted properly.
0:34:43 > 0:34:45So first off, it just looks shabby.
0:34:45 > 0:34:47'And talking of defects,
0:34:47 > 0:34:49'check out those drains.'
0:34:49 > 0:34:53This looks like a right old mess here. What's going on here at the wall?
0:34:53 > 0:34:56The first clue is you see all the silt sitting adjacent to the wall.
0:34:56 > 0:35:00That means that water is sitting adjacent to the wall and dropping the silt.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03That water is arriving because the drive is quite steep
0:35:03 > 0:35:05so you get quite a lot of rainfall
0:35:05 > 0:35:06washing down towards the house
0:35:06 > 0:35:08and arriving at the wall.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11What should happen, if you design these drives correctly,
0:35:11 > 0:35:14is that water should be directed away from the house and away from the walls.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17The contractors have introduced a very small channel
0:35:17 > 0:35:21adjacent to the wall, a piece of plastic with slits cut into it,
0:35:21 > 0:35:23which should take the water away.
0:35:23 > 0:35:26But that is not adequate to take the volume of water
0:35:26 > 0:35:29which is travelling down the drive.
0:35:29 > 0:35:33'Which probably explains the slip hazard to add to the trip hazard,
0:35:33 > 0:35:37'as Peter, Jack and Joan have also had moss to contend with.
0:35:37 > 0:35:39'Well, it's make your mind up time for Paul.'
0:35:39 > 0:35:41How would you mark this out of ten, Paul?
0:35:41 > 0:35:43I'd give it a four, Jonnie.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46It's not a great job and they haven't done all the things they should have done in design
0:35:46 > 0:35:50and they certainly had a problem with the laying of the concrete on the day.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54'Four out of ten? I think these guys have got off lightly.
0:35:54 > 0:35:56'Check out the evidence.
0:35:56 > 0:36:01'Signs of decay and deterioration everywhere because the concrete wasn't sealed,
0:36:01 > 0:36:03'leaving a hazardously uneven finish.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06'Drainage that directs water towards the house,
0:36:06 > 0:36:08'levels all over the place,
0:36:08 > 0:36:12'oh, and did I mention it looks absolutely horrible, too!'
0:36:14 > 0:36:18All that, and this road to nowhere cost a total of £10,000.
0:36:18 > 0:36:20Time to bring in the good guys.
0:36:21 > 0:36:25'And heading up our good guys is main man Paul Hilton.
0:36:25 > 0:36:29'First things first, it's time to clean up this driveway with a pressure washer.
0:36:30 > 0:36:34'Only then can this concrete be given that all-important seal.
0:36:36 > 0:36:38'Next, it's on to sorting out the terrible drainage
0:36:38 > 0:36:40'under the watchful eye of Zak, of course.
0:36:42 > 0:36:46'And then re-housing the electricity meter the cowboys damaged.
0:36:47 > 0:36:49'Paul and his team have made a tremendous start.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52'But can they make good this disaster area of a driveway?
0:36:52 > 0:36:55'Only time will tell.'
0:36:58 > 0:37:01I'm in Swinton, Greater Manchester,
0:37:01 > 0:37:03where Peter Wheeler, who's blind,
0:37:03 > 0:37:05and his elderly neighbours, Joan and Jack Watkiss,
0:37:05 > 0:37:07fell victim to a cowboy builder
0:37:07 > 0:37:10who left them with a dodgy driveway.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13Well, our good guys have now finished their work here.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15Let's see how they're all getting on.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20Well, before I even knock on the door,
0:37:20 > 0:37:23you can see the work that the good guys have done.
0:37:23 > 0:37:26Driveways, they're all about first impressions, aren't they?
0:37:26 > 0:37:29You hear about it on... Its kerb appeal, if you like.
0:37:29 > 0:37:31Well, this house now has it.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34It looks totally different.
0:37:34 > 0:37:36There's no crumbling of the concrete.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39We've just had a downpour of rain.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42And there's no pooling, there's just bubbles here.
0:37:42 > 0:37:45Because if you remember, there was a whole load of silting.
0:37:45 > 0:37:48Basically, this drain area wasn't really working.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51But it's all been cleared out and it's great to see.
0:37:51 > 0:37:54Beforehand, this would have been a big pool of water.
0:37:54 > 0:37:56There's been some pooling or laking here.
0:37:56 > 0:38:01But what a perfect time to come, soon after it's rained.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05Remember how the cowboys rammed Peter's electricity meter with a digger?
0:38:05 > 0:38:07Check it out now.
0:38:07 > 0:38:11Last, and by no means least, there's some concrete along here
0:38:11 > 0:38:13or some kind of render, and it was all cracked.
0:38:13 > 0:38:18Small job, but obviously done by someone that cares about appearances.
0:38:18 > 0:38:20That's been sorted out with this paving slab
0:38:20 > 0:38:24and all sealed, which is just as well, because you've got electrics inside there.
0:38:24 > 0:38:29So, all in all, it looks and feels right.
0:38:30 > 0:38:34'Time to chat to the man who's responsible for making it look and feel right.
0:38:34 > 0:38:36'Good guy builder Paul Hilton.'
0:38:36 > 0:38:43It's the sealant that stops the freeze and thaw cycle taking place
0:38:43 > 0:38:46- on the concrete.- So unless you finish it properly, seal it properly,
0:38:46 > 0:38:48you're going to have problems thereon.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51- It's all going to fail.- The surface would keep blistering
0:38:51 > 0:38:55and before you know it you've got holes or cracks.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57So, what was your first job?
0:38:57 > 0:39:01First job obviously was to clean it all up.
0:39:01 > 0:39:05It was a mixture of jet washing where we could
0:39:05 > 0:39:10and then a bit more work, a bit more delicate, the surface was flaking a bit.
0:39:10 > 0:39:14We had to get down on our hands and knees and use scrubbing brushes
0:39:14 > 0:39:17and soapy water, just to get it clean.
0:39:17 > 0:39:24If you didn't get the dirt and the green algae out, you would just seal it into the concrete
0:39:24 > 0:39:27rather than having a nice clear varnish to it.
0:39:28 > 0:39:30What a transformation!
0:39:30 > 0:39:32With the drains sorted, too...
0:39:33 > 0:39:35..it's now clean,
0:39:35 > 0:39:37gap-free,
0:39:37 > 0:39:40and a safe, steady surface for Peter and Zak to walk on.
0:39:41 > 0:39:43Time to head inside.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50- Hi, Peter.- Jonnie. How do you do?
0:39:50 > 0:39:53Very good, thanks. How are you? Is this Zak?
0:39:53 > 0:39:55- That's Zak.- Beautiful dog.
0:39:55 > 0:39:59'Peter's invited Jack and Joan over so we can discuss their cowboy builder.
0:39:59 > 0:40:02'I wanted to find out his side of the story.
0:40:02 > 0:40:04'But despite all of our efforts,
0:40:04 > 0:40:07'this cowboy has refused to respond to any of our points.'
0:40:07 > 0:40:11First, how does that make you feel, knowing they've not even bothered to get back to us?
0:40:11 > 0:40:14- I'm not surprised.- You're not, Peter?
0:40:14 > 0:40:18No. My son tracked down where their yard was
0:40:18 > 0:40:21and a week or two ago, he went back.
0:40:21 > 0:40:27What he found was that all the vehicles had been re-written, sign-written.
0:40:27 > 0:40:31- Right.- And the company has changed its name.
0:40:31 > 0:40:33But they're still trading there
0:40:33 > 0:40:35but under a different name now.
0:40:35 > 0:40:39Joan, what would you say to them now if they were the other side of that table?
0:40:39 > 0:40:42Why? Why didn't you come back to us?
0:40:42 > 0:40:45We paid you money. We trusted you.
0:40:45 > 0:40:47And we trusted you with a lot of money.
0:40:47 > 0:40:52You know, we were silly, but we've learnt and we'd never do it again.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55'So, a lesson learned the hard way.
0:40:55 > 0:40:57'But it just goes to show how wary you need to be
0:40:57 > 0:40:59'of any builder that approaches you.'
0:40:59 > 0:41:01We thought they were genuine people.
0:41:01 > 0:41:04And we did want it doing.
0:41:04 > 0:41:05Oh, they were so nice.
0:41:05 > 0:41:08I'll never use a cold caller again.
0:41:08 > 0:41:12Anybody that comes to the door. It's spoiled it for other people as well.
0:41:12 > 0:41:16Thankfully, though, the good guys, Paul and his lads,
0:41:16 > 0:41:19- they did get involved.- Absolutely.
0:41:19 > 0:41:22Did you notice, was there any difference in the way they operated?
0:41:22 > 0:41:27It was evident that he knew what was needed.
0:41:27 > 0:41:32I didn't need to discuss with him the issues.
0:41:32 > 0:41:36He was picking them out and he was telling me, "This is what we've got to do.
0:41:36 > 0:41:37"This is how we'll do it."
0:41:38 > 0:41:42'And when you think about it, that's not too much to ask, is it?
0:41:42 > 0:41:47'Anyway, time to step outside and find out whether this newly-finished driveway
0:41:47 > 0:41:49'has changed things for the better around here.'
0:41:50 > 0:41:56Peter, for you, one of the reasons you wanted the new driveway put down
0:41:56 > 0:41:58was to protect Zak's paws, wasn't it?
0:41:58 > 0:42:02It was. The old driveway was ripping up.
0:42:02 > 0:42:06And at times he was reluctant to walk on it
0:42:06 > 0:42:08in places.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11- And he's your eyes and ears, isn't he?- Absolutely.
0:42:11 > 0:42:16It is important that he feels comfortable walking wherever we go.
0:42:16 > 0:42:20- Course he is.- And it's ideal now.
0:42:20 > 0:42:22He doesn't have any problem with it at all.
0:42:22 > 0:42:24This is the main entrance to your house.
0:42:24 > 0:42:26It didn't look great before, did it?
0:42:26 > 0:42:28Oh, it's a lot nicer now.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31It's a 110 improvement.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34We're absolutely delighted with it now.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37I'm chuffed to bits that it's finally sorted.
0:42:37 > 0:42:41It shouldn't have got to this. Should never get to this stage.
0:42:41 > 0:42:42Thank you so sincerely, really.
0:42:44 > 0:42:48And with that, it's time to leave these knock-out neighbours to get on with their lives,
0:42:48 > 0:42:51safe in the knowledge the driveway that's been so draining for them
0:42:51 > 0:42:53is now rather delightful.
0:42:56 > 0:42:58As frustrating as it is
0:42:58 > 0:43:02to see cowboys taking advantage,
0:43:02 > 0:43:06it's also a relief to know that people like our good guys do exist.
0:43:06 > 0:43:08Putting right those wrongs.
0:43:08 > 0:43:11But also giving people like Jack, Joan and Peter
0:43:11 > 0:43:13one thing that money can't buy.
0:43:13 > 0:43:15And that's peace of mind.
0:43:39 > 0:43:42Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd