0:00:07 > 0:00:11We're travelling the length and breadth of Britain on a mission
0:00:11 > 0:00:14to rescue homeowners from the curse of the cowboy builder.
0:00:14 > 0:00:19- I hate seeing you so depressed with it and upset.- Yeah.- I feel helpless.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23It's impossible to overestimate the damage these guys do,
0:00:23 > 0:00:26whether they're blatant amateurs or simply crooks.
0:00:26 > 0:00:31Cowboy builders not only mess up homes, they ruin lives too.
0:00:31 > 0:00:36All the happy feelings I had about getting this bigger kitchen have completely gone. It is a nightmare.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38Apart from the roof, the floor, the screeds,
0:00:38 > 0:00:41the plaster and the plumbing...
0:00:41 > 0:00:43- Good job(!)- Good job(!)
0:00:43 > 0:00:46We've rounded up the good guys to help turn these helpless
0:00:46 > 0:00:48homeowners into merry mortgagees.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51And this is a fantastic bedroom.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54This is a room where you'd want to spend time, it's nice and light.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56It's a total transformation.
0:00:56 > 0:01:01We thought our dream had been lost and we didn't actually know about how we'd get it back.
0:01:01 > 0:01:05- If you guys couldn't help us, we were stuck.- It's brilliant.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08Absolutely anyone can call themselves a builder, which is
0:01:08 > 0:01:11why it's crucial to know how to spot a wrong-un.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14And why the next 45 minutes could help keep you
0:01:14 > 0:01:17out of the Cowboy Trap.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31On today's Cowboy Trap, the parents of an autistic child who wanted
0:01:31 > 0:01:35an extension built to create a large bedroom for him and a bigger
0:01:35 > 0:01:39kitchen for the family, but ended up with a dangerous disaster.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43He looked at the beams, the support beam the builder had put in,
0:01:43 > 0:01:46and said, "Actually, that's all got to come out and you've got to redo that."
0:01:46 > 0:01:49And three years after we rescued her, we catch up with
0:01:49 > 0:01:53a cowboy builder victim in Redditch to see how she's doing now.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56Your extension was supposed to help you live on the ground floor.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00- You couldn't even get in.- I couldn't, no. It wasn't wide enough.
0:02:00 > 0:02:05Our first Cowboy Trap saga revolves round a home in Birchington-on-Sea in Kent.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09Birchington was first registered in 1240
0:02:09 > 0:02:12and its parish church graveyard has a famous resident.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16The artist Rossetti was buried here in the 19th century.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20The village's population is just 9,800, but that swells
0:02:20 > 0:02:24considerably in the summer when tourists flock here in their droves.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28Birchington has everything you'd expect from a seaside resort.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31Beach huts, windsurfing, sailing and fantastic,
0:02:31 > 0:02:34albeit rather blustery walks along the seafront.
0:02:34 > 0:02:39But it's also got something else, the odd cowboy builder or two.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42And this one's unlucky victims live in this four-bed semi.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46It's home to Ian Humpheryes, his wife Carol Torry
0:02:46 > 0:02:49and their children Ellis, Nicholas and Lottie.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52Ian's a biologist for an environmental agency
0:02:52 > 0:02:54and Carol's a supply teacher.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58Oh, and we mustn't forget, a host of pets live here too.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01Cripes! It's like Noah's Ark!
0:03:01 > 0:03:03Carol and Ian met each other at a party
0:03:03 > 0:03:06and it was love at first sight.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11- Yeah, it was a very long time ago. We met at a friend's house.- Yes.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15It was a mutual friend and we just sort of clicked.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17We got on well together.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20You made me laugh, made you laugh and yeah, it was really nice.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26After eight years' courting, Ian and Carol married in 1990
0:03:26 > 0:03:29and moved in to the house in 1993.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33In May 2011, they decided to extend the property.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37Ian and Carol badly needed some extra space.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39Their son Nicholas is autistic
0:03:39 > 0:03:42and as they began to realise their son might never leave home,
0:03:42 > 0:03:45a bigger bedroom for him became a top priority.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48What's more, by building an extension,
0:03:48 > 0:03:51they could also have the big kitchen they'd always dreamt of.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55The perfect place to bring the family together every evening at dinnertime.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58This was what Carol really wanted and I was
0:03:58 > 0:04:00so pleased we could get both done.
0:04:00 > 0:04:05Nicholas is priority number one and then this, fantastic.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08One of Carol's colleagues gave a builder
0:04:08 > 0:04:11she had used a glowing recommendation, so Carol invited
0:04:11 > 0:04:15him round to quote, but Carol's first impressions weren't great.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18Now, call it women's intuition,
0:04:18 > 0:04:21but Carol had a bad feeling about this builder.
0:04:21 > 0:04:26She couldn't put her finger on it, but she found him overfriendly and well, a bit phoney.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29She was also concerned that the job was out of his league,
0:04:29 > 0:04:32but Ian disagreed and Carol gave in.
0:04:35 > 0:04:40And despite Carol's misgivings, they didn't ask the builder for any proper references.
0:04:40 > 0:04:45They relied totally on the opinion of Carol's colleague. Big mistake.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47Take my advice:
0:05:02 > 0:05:05If you do this and get positive feedback, you can
0:05:05 > 0:05:09proceed with well-informed confidence in your builder.
0:05:13 > 0:05:18Carol and Ian would live to regret not casting their net wider.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21Their builder quoted £18,480.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25This was to remove the existing conservatory
0:05:25 > 0:05:29and extend the kitchen into the dining room.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33It also included moving the existing upstairs bathroom to the front
0:05:33 > 0:05:37of the house, enabling a bigger bedroom to be created for Nicholas.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40Carol and Ian had contacts who could sort the windows,
0:05:40 > 0:05:42electrics and scaffolding,
0:05:42 > 0:05:47but the builder was to plaster inside and render the outside.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51We detailed out in the letter exactly what we expected,
0:05:51 > 0:05:54exactly what we wanted and we wanted it complete,
0:05:54 > 0:05:59ready to decorate, and we made that quite clear.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03The builder demanded £9,000 to be paid at the start of the job
0:06:03 > 0:06:09in cash. Now, Carol, who I'm rapidly getting to like, told Ian, "No way.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12You don't have to pay builders up front.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15Any decent tradesman has accounts with local suppliers who
0:06:15 > 0:06:18allow 30 days to pay for materials.
0:06:18 > 0:06:23Correct. So what did Ian do? He paid him anyway.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26Ian should have listened to Carol's advice.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30I was too trusting and I thought, well, I've worked with builders
0:06:30 > 0:06:35and things and some of them do have small cash flow problems.
0:06:35 > 0:06:40- That's what he said, cash flow problems. - So I thought, that'll get him started
0:06:40 > 0:06:42and then the job will progress quickly.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45Wishful thinking, Ian!
0:06:45 > 0:06:48The build started in June 2012 with our cash-hungry friend
0:06:48 > 0:06:51saying it would be completed in six weeks.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53This was perfect for teacher Carol.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57It would all be done and dusted by her summer holidays.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59I'm thinking, that's great.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01Six weeks, it'll all be done
0:07:01 > 0:07:05and then I can just get in with a paintbrush and start decorating.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08Sounds like a plan. But things didn't get off to a good start.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12From day one, the builders kept coming up with reasons for Ian to hand over
0:07:12 > 0:07:16more money, like the foundations needed to be deeper than expected.
0:07:16 > 0:07:21And he kept leaving a terrible mess. The garden was strewn with rubble.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27Oh, and another thing, have you heard that song Firestarter?
0:07:27 > 0:07:29I think it was named after this guy.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32I came home from work one day to find that they'd had a big
0:07:32 > 0:07:36bonfire in the middle of the lawn, which was a bit...not...right.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39And where the sparks had shot off,
0:07:39 > 0:07:42it had burnt through the children's trampoline.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44So Ian had a word with him about it
0:07:44 > 0:07:48and he said he wouldn't do it again and then two days later, he moved
0:07:48 > 0:07:53the trampoline across the garden on top of a flowerbed
0:07:53 > 0:07:56and had another bonfire. So, we thought, "That's not right."
0:07:58 > 0:08:02The little work that was being done was, how can I put it, rubbish!
0:08:02 > 0:08:06The mortar between the bricks was soft and crumbly.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10That's good for chocolate, but not so good when it's supposed to hold your house up.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13The drains were unfinished and smelly
0:08:13 > 0:08:17and concrete was spilled on Carol and Ian's once immaculate garden.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21They began to realise their builder was way out of his depth.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25I think he didn't have a clue on this size structure.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27I think he's OK on doing small jobs.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31In terms of a proper builder, he didn't have a clue.
0:08:31 > 0:08:36The builder's working day could be measured in microseconds.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39He'd be away by 3pm and when he was around,
0:08:39 > 0:08:41he spent most of his time on the phone.
0:08:41 > 0:08:46I thought that was a bit odd. Trying to get a job done quite quickly.
0:08:46 > 0:08:51But he seemed to be getting slower and less done and we're thinking,
0:08:51 > 0:08:53- "Hm."- Yeah.
0:08:53 > 0:08:59Hm, indeed! The builder was asking for cash left, right and centre.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01Carol and Ian started to wonder
0:09:01 > 0:09:04if it was being spent on a project closer to home.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07Or more precisely, spent on HIS home.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10As he was doing our job, "My wife's kitchen's all being
0:09:10 > 0:09:12"done at the moment," and we're thinking, "Oh, OK."
0:09:12 > 0:09:16When he first started, when he got the materials and he had the first couple of lots of
0:09:16 > 0:09:21money off us, he kept saying to me, "She's having a wonderful kitchen. "I'm buying all these new tiles."
0:09:21 > 0:09:25I think we rapidly realised afterwards that all the money we'd given him
0:09:25 > 0:09:29wasn't going on our job, it was going on his wife's kitchen!
0:09:29 > 0:09:33And this cheeky fellow wasn't finishing...well, anything.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36The floor in the kitchen wasn't complete,
0:09:36 > 0:09:40the roof was a shambles and the guttering non-existent.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44The whole project was rapidly descending into chaos.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46He kept making excuses saying,
0:09:46 > 0:09:49"We can't do the floor because we have to do the plastering first.
0:09:49 > 0:09:54"We can't do this because that has to be done first." We said, "OK."
0:09:54 > 0:09:56The situation was becoming farcical.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00Carol actually spotted the builder foraging in the garden
0:10:00 > 0:10:02for wood to use for the joists.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06He was reusing old nails and old bits of plywood.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08You couldn't make it up, could you?
0:10:08 > 0:10:10We were saying, "Hang on.
0:10:10 > 0:10:15"What's going on?" He said, "It's all right."
0:10:15 > 0:10:19He brushed everything away, if you spoke to him about things.
0:10:19 > 0:10:23This fella must be the cheekiest cowboy of all time.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26His next ruse was to tell Carol that he wouldn't be doing the roof
0:10:26 > 0:10:28or the plastering.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32He said to me, "I didn't quote for this. This isn't in the quote that I gave you.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36"I shouldn't be doing this." I said, "Actually, it is.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39"I've got the quote." "Oh, I forgot I'd given you a copy."
0:10:39 > 0:10:44So I said, "Yes." So at that point, I really began to panic.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46And I'm not surprised.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50Ian then showed the builder all his bad work, which took a while.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54And the builder said if they were so unhappy, he would leave.
0:10:54 > 0:10:55And he did!
0:10:55 > 0:10:59By this point, Carol and Ian had handed over £16,500
0:10:59 > 0:11:03and their home had been completely wrecked.
0:11:03 > 0:11:08It is a nightmare. I really wish we'd never started it.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10And the nightmare was about to get worse.
0:11:10 > 0:11:15Carol and Ian called in Building Control, who pointed out a series of problems.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19The biggest thing was that he looked at the support beam
0:11:19 > 0:11:21the builder had put in and he said,
0:11:21 > 0:11:24- "Actually..."- It was a piece of timber from the garden.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28"..he's used a piece of rotten timber that's the wrong size for the support beam.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32"That's all got to come out and you've got to redo that."
0:11:32 > 0:11:36Using rotten timber to support the floor above?! Incredible!
0:11:36 > 0:11:39The whole building could collapse like a pack of cards.
0:11:39 > 0:11:44Not surprisingly, this whole episode has had a massive impact on the couple.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46Ian feels guilty he chose the builder.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50Carol's been left in the depths of despair.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54- I hate seeing you so depressed with it and upset.- Yeah.
0:11:56 > 0:12:01But to be honest, I think we have a very strong marriage.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04We've been married for, like, 23 years.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06And if we didn't have it, I think
0:12:06 > 0:12:09possibly we would have split a long time ago.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11What a ghastly mess.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13Not just the bricks and mortar, of course,
0:12:13 > 0:12:16but the effect it has had on the family.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20Now, Ian, I know, has been doing a lot of work himself to try to put things right,
0:12:20 > 0:12:23but I've got a feeling this one's going to be
0:12:23 > 0:12:27far beyond the scope of a beginner, no matter how committed they are.
0:12:27 > 0:12:32But how unsafe is the disaster zone this cowboy left behind?
0:12:32 > 0:12:35What is the true extent of this building calamity?
0:12:35 > 0:12:38To find out, we asked independent building surveyor
0:12:38 > 0:12:40Ian Alexander to inspect the work.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43He's been through it with a fine tooth comb
0:12:43 > 0:12:46and he's about to fill me in on what he found.
0:12:46 > 0:12:51They're living with this debacle, aren't they? This kitchen, here.
0:12:51 > 0:12:56First item on the agenda, the jaw-droppingly dreadful floor.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58It is appalling.
0:12:58 > 0:12:59What they have done is put
0:12:59 > 0:13:01a screed down and they have
0:13:01 > 0:13:03completely got it wrong.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06Looking at this photo, the levels are all wrong,
0:13:06 > 0:13:10and if you get the flooring wrong, everything you put on top of it is going to be wrong too.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14I wonder what Ian thinks as to how the doors have been fitted.
0:13:14 > 0:13:15They're not draught proof.
0:13:15 > 0:13:20There's basically a gap all around the doors.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23When we look at the outside we see that the basic
0:13:23 > 0:13:27details of weather-proofing have been missed.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31These doors already look ten years old. That's not surprising.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33No gutters have been fitted,
0:13:33 > 0:13:36so water is continually running on to them.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39The entire kitchen looks like something out of Steptoe And Son.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43It would look even worse if the floor above comes crashing down
0:13:43 > 0:13:46and Ian's investigations have revealed that as well
0:13:46 > 0:13:51as rotten timber supports, the cowboy put suspicious steels in too.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54- Is this any good?- In a word, no.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57They haven't put adequate fixings. All the connections at either
0:13:57 > 0:13:59end of the steel are poor.
0:13:59 > 0:14:04And on the external wall side, you can actually see daylight.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08It looks like the upstairs might end up downstairs before you know it.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11Talking of upstairs, Ian was horrified with what
0:14:11 > 0:14:14he saw in what was supposed to be Nicholas's room.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19If you actually look at the joists, you'll see that the joists are not
0:14:19 > 0:14:25structurally supported in places, but also that there's a ledge.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28These joists here are proud of the existing floor.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32To put floorboards on top of it, you've got a step.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34And that is truly bizarre.
0:14:34 > 0:14:39A split-level floor? I guess it's not surprising this cowboy did a runner.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41The builder has absconded here.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45Now, leaving a house in this state, it's an absolute disgrace.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48It is. You could step through one of those floorboards
0:14:48 > 0:14:51and you'd be straight through into the ceiling below.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55The higher up you go, the worse things get - because the cowboy
0:14:55 > 0:14:59left the couple with no roof, Ian had to try to fix it himself.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02And there's insufficient overhang.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05Moisture will just run down the wall.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09So apart from the floor, the screed, the plaster and the plumbing...
0:15:09 > 0:15:11- Good job(!)- Good job(!)
0:15:11 > 0:15:14I mean, seeing such a debacle,
0:15:14 > 0:15:18how would you mark this building work out of ten, Ian?
0:15:18 > 0:15:21It's got to be two, three.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25- Yeah.- Cos they turned up. - Cos they turned up, yeah.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29From what Ian's showed me, one could argue he's being a bit kind.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32When it comes to this catalogue of disaster, blimey,
0:15:32 > 0:15:34where do you start?
0:15:34 > 0:15:39A rotten beam, a chaotic kitchen floor, a sloppy slab,
0:15:39 > 0:15:45French doors full of gaps, a bungled bedroom, no guttering,
0:15:45 > 0:15:48a rubbish roof and not to forget a render that's wetter than
0:15:48 > 0:15:52a wet weekend in Wetwang! And to cap it all,
0:15:52 > 0:15:56the cowboy walked off the job in a totally unfinished state.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58In short, if this was a lesson in buffoonery, it would be
0:15:58 > 0:16:02a master-class. Time to bring in the good guys.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05Yup, here's our man who can hopefully put a smile
0:16:05 > 0:16:10back on Ian and Carol's faces - good guy head honcho Brendan Healy.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12So much needs doing to make this place safe
0:16:12 > 0:16:16and secure for the little ones, Carol and Ian are chipping in.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19Under the watchful eye of the family cat,
0:16:19 > 0:16:21Healy's heroes swing into action.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25It's out with the saws, drills and spades.
0:16:25 > 0:16:30They can't fix every bodge. Health and safety comes first.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33The main priority is sorting the suspect supports.
0:16:33 > 0:16:37And making the upstairs bedroom fit for purpose.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41Compared to what they were faced with, it's a great start.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45But can Brendan's boys get Ian and Carol's dreams back on track?
0:16:45 > 0:16:47Only time will tell.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55I'm on the Kent coast in Birchington-on-Sea where
0:16:55 > 0:16:58Ian Humpheryes and Carol Torry wanted to extend their house to
0:16:58 > 0:17:02give their son Nicholas, who has autism, a decent bedroom.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05But the builder recommended by a friend at work turned out to
0:17:05 > 0:17:10be a cowboy, who turned their home into a disaster zone.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13Well, our good guys have now finished their work,
0:17:13 > 0:17:16so let's see how Ian and Carol are getting on.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19This was a really challenging rescue mission.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22Let's hope our fellas have saved the day.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26- Hello. Carol?- Yes.- Hi, I'm Jonnie. Ian?- Nice to meet you.- You too.
0:17:26 > 0:17:31- And this is?- Enzo.- Hello, Enzo. - Come on through.- Thank you very much.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35As soon as I cross the threshold, I can't resist a quick peek.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39Remember before, the kitchen was catastrophic.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42Now, check it out. It looks amazing.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46Upstairs, the bedroom supposedly destined for young Nicholas
0:17:46 > 0:17:49was in a state of chaos.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53Can't say that now. What a stunning transformation.
0:17:54 > 0:17:58Right, before I take a closer look at the good guys' work,
0:17:58 > 0:18:03I'd like to ask Carol and Ian about when they first realised they were in serious trouble.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06So how did things come to a head then?
0:18:06 > 0:18:09There was a question of he moved the bathroom from the back
0:18:09 > 0:18:15of the house to the front of the house, so we could build and there
0:18:15 > 0:18:17was, surprisingly,
0:18:17 > 0:18:21some pipes in the room where he had moved the bathroom from.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24And he said, "I didn't expect there to be pipes there.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28- That's going to cost more money cos I'm going to have to get the plumber in.- What?
0:18:28 > 0:18:32- He wasn't expecting to find pipes in the bathroom?- That's right.- Yes.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35- That's what he said to us.- "I didn't expect there to be pipes there,
0:18:35 > 0:18:37"so I'm going to have to get a plumber back to move those
0:18:37 > 0:18:41"pipes, so they're out of the way, so we can open up the bedroom."
0:18:41 > 0:18:45Well, that's one of the daftest things I've ever heard.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47And despite Ian agreeing to pay extra for the plumber,
0:18:47 > 0:18:51the builder still walked off the job.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54How much money had you paid at this stage?
0:18:54 > 0:18:56At this stage, we were £15,500.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59And how long had they been on and off site?
0:18:59 > 0:19:01Well, it started at the end of June
0:19:01 > 0:19:05and by this time it was end of July, 27th.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07They'd been on the site about a month.
0:19:08 > 0:19:13Fifteen and a half grand?! Not bad for a month's work, eh?
0:19:13 > 0:19:16Well, that's if you can call it work.
0:19:16 > 0:19:23It wasn't just under par and bad workmanship, it was life-threatening.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25- Yeah.- He could have killed the whole family.
0:19:25 > 0:19:32I don't care who they are, and how much they want the money or how they rip people off,
0:19:32 > 0:19:36there is no excuse for putting a family's life in danger.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42No, there is not. But thankfully, our good guys came to the rescue.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46And it's time for me to check out their handiwork.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48Starting outside,
0:19:48 > 0:19:51it's great to see they completed stage one of rectifying that
0:19:51 > 0:19:55risible render, creating a gap to stop water coming into the house.
0:19:55 > 0:20:00Of course, we're not out of the woods yet. There's still more work to be done.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04Now, this rendering, it's just terribly put on in the first place.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08But also, it's not even thick enough. Look at that, here.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11But here is the main problem.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15Now, this here, you see. This is the damp proof membrane.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17Now this is the ground floor,
0:20:17 > 0:20:20if you like, this is where you walk along inside the home.
0:20:20 > 0:20:25Now, damp, that will travel up if it can find any sort of root.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28Now this membrane will stop it travelling above this
0:20:28 > 0:20:29course of blocks.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33But unfortunately, this render has been laid, or had been laid,
0:20:33 > 0:20:36over the top of this membrane, so the damp could continue to rise
0:20:36 > 0:20:39and bridge over the membrane and then into the house,
0:20:39 > 0:20:42rotting floorboards, rotting anything it comes into contact with.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46So, thankfully, someone has managed to chip away at this render
0:20:46 > 0:20:48so this is not being bridged.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52There's a gap here now to stop water coming up through,
0:20:52 > 0:20:55but also now there needs to be some sort of beading come out here,
0:20:55 > 0:20:58so the rendering can come out onto the beading
0:20:58 > 0:21:01and then drop below and then continually having a gap here
0:21:01 > 0:21:05so the water can't come up and back into the house.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08It's a huge relief to see the damp proof course now exposed,
0:21:08 > 0:21:10ready to be sorted out.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13Right, let's check out the first floor bedroom.
0:21:15 > 0:21:22Couldn't have done that before. Now, I wonder how our good guys did this.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26If you remember, it was just joists here, but the big problem
0:21:26 > 0:21:32here was this new floor was sitting proud of the existing floors there.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34There was about that much gap.
0:21:34 > 0:21:39Plus if you put the floor on top of it, you'd be looking at that.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43But...one level there.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46This floor is as flat as a pancake.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50The change from this to this is absolutely remarkable.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53It's a really good size room now, isn't it?
0:21:53 > 0:21:57We've got electrics here, it's lovely and warm,
0:21:57 > 0:22:00central heating, a brand-new radiator at the end.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04It's plastered, it's painted. It's finished.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08But let's not forget here, the whole reason why Carol
0:22:08 > 0:22:12and Ian went through the ordeal of having this extension was to
0:22:12 > 0:22:15get extra space for their son Nicholas.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17And this is a fantastic bedroom.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21This is a room where you want to spend time, it's nice and light.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25It's a total transformation. I'm absolutely chuffed.
0:22:25 > 0:22:30And last but hopefully not least, I'm going to check out the kitchen.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34This is fairly different. Goodness me! First things first, really.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38It was unsafe. Now, that's been fully remedied here.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41They've managed to sort out that almost floating pillar.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43Steels all boxed in.
0:22:44 > 0:22:49Phewf! That's a relief proper steels, properly fitted.
0:22:49 > 0:22:54I'd rather not have Nicholas's smart new bedroom landing on my head, thank you very much.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57And when I look down, there's more good news.
0:22:57 > 0:23:02The flooring's been levelled off and check out these snazzy tiles.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05Plus there's underfloor heating too. Brilliant.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08What most pleases me about this place is that
0:23:08 > 0:23:12so much has gone on in this room to get to just this.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16OK, there's a few bits and bobs that need finishing off,
0:23:16 > 0:23:19but this is an amazing room now.
0:23:19 > 0:23:24Let's not forget, this is the new part of the house that wasn't
0:23:24 > 0:23:29weather-proofed, wasn't watertight and most importantly for the
0:23:29 > 0:23:35family, it was unsafe and now, well, it's pretty much done, isn't it?
0:23:36 > 0:23:39I reckon our good guys have played a blinder.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43Head honcho Brendan's come to talk me through the challenges he faced.
0:23:43 > 0:23:49- The cowboy builders put in a steel. - They did.- In the kitchen.- Yeah.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53- Now, what was that like? - We felt that there was issues
0:23:53 > 0:23:55that there was a gap between the pier
0:23:55 > 0:23:57they built on the left side
0:23:57 > 0:23:59and the existing party wall.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03We referred it to the building officer who is local and he agreed
0:24:03 > 0:24:08that we should remove the pier and mechanically fix a wall starter pack.
0:24:08 > 0:24:12Well, that must be a massive weight off Carol and Ian's minds.
0:24:12 > 0:24:13As must the fact,
0:24:13 > 0:24:18they now have a functioning bedroom for young Nicholas.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21Upstairs on the first floor, there was
0:24:21 > 0:24:25flooring missing from what is now clearly a bedroom.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29How did you go about that? Cos there was all sorts of different levels, the joists were proud.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32There was no guarantee that we could get it to the right level,
0:24:32 > 0:24:36but what I did first was I put down a temporary floor, which gave me
0:24:36 > 0:24:38a safe working area.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42And last but not least, proof that Brendan's got a heart of gold.
0:24:42 > 0:24:46- We painted the walls for free. - Good on you, mate!
0:24:46 > 0:24:48We thought, we'll do a miss-coat, make it look ready.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51At least it'll spur them on.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55That gave them one room that they could use.
0:24:55 > 0:25:00This needs to be a bedroom for a very important member of their family.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04- They wanted a bigger bedroom and now they've got one. So fair play to you.- Lovely.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08Before I do the grand tour with Carol and Ian,
0:25:08 > 0:25:10I'm going to chat to them about their cowboy builder.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14I wanted to find out his version of events. It seems only fair.
0:25:14 > 0:25:18But unfortunately that's proved easier said than done.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22Now, we always give the cowboy builder a right to reply,
0:25:22 > 0:25:26to allow them to give at least their side of the story.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30But in our attempts to get hold of him, he refused to talk to us.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34- He put down the phone on us. - I'm not surprised. That doesn't surprise me at all.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37As I say, it is the whole way he engaged with us.
0:25:37 > 0:25:38Didn't want to answer questions.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41You asked him questions about various things and he refused.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43He was rude to you at times, wasn't he?
0:25:43 > 0:25:48Further to our attempts to contact him, we sent him a detailed report
0:25:48 > 0:25:53of what the surveyor highlighted and he has just ignored that.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55I'm not surprised. I think he would.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58He's pretending it didn't happen and it would carry on.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00It wouldn't affect him. He didn't care.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02You could tell that, the way he just packed up and went.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06He had no concern what he left us in and no concern for our family.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09- He just wanted the money and gone. - He may well be watching this now.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12What's your message to him now, if he is watching?
0:26:12 > 0:26:17Well, I don't know how, personally, how anybody can live with themselves
0:26:17 > 0:26:22when they can do such bad work that it can actually cause death.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25And if our house had fallen down, it could have killed us.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27So true.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31This was a particularly traumatic cowboy trap for Carol and Ian to endure.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35But the good news is our fellows have totally transformed this place
0:26:35 > 0:26:41and it's time to find out the impact their work has had on Carol and Ian's lives.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44- Now, we finally have the big kitchen.- BOTH: Yes.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47- Goodness me. This does look different.- It does, yes.
0:26:47 > 0:26:52- It feels much better, doesn't it? - What has happened to your little bit of handiwork?
0:26:52 > 0:26:55You had built some form of sink.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58The rustic sink has been relegated to the garden.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01- Firewood soon, that will be. - Not a bad shout.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04It looks, I mean, I love these worktops.
0:27:04 > 0:27:05It's a great job.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07The transformation from this...
0:27:08 > 0:27:10..to this is remarkable.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14- You've come on great guns, haven't you?- Yeah. We can see daylight now.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18- That's the main thing. - You can't see daylight where you shouldn't see daylight!
0:27:18 > 0:27:22Straight up at the ceiling and everywhere else, that's right. Yes.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25You can see daylight through the proper places, which is great.
0:27:25 > 0:27:30Right. Onwards and upwards into Nicholas's bedroom.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35- You must love coming into this room. - Yes. Yeah.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38It's fantastic and it's for our son, when we see his face
0:27:38 > 0:27:40and you know this is his future, isn't it?
0:27:40 > 0:27:45He is going to be living with us for the rest of our lives
0:27:45 > 0:27:47and this is a space that he can grow into
0:27:47 > 0:27:51and just have his own sort of comfort, isn't it, really?
0:27:51 > 0:27:55Extra space for Nicholas was the catalyst that started Carol and Ian
0:27:55 > 0:27:58off on this emotional rollercoaster.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01It's wonderful that it now has a happy ending.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04Nicholas hates change and he actually took to this room, didn't he?
0:28:04 > 0:28:06- We were amazed.- Really?
0:28:06 > 0:28:09- He doesn't like anybody else coming in here.- No.
0:28:09 > 0:28:13This is his space. He's owned it. We wouldn't even have to change the colour of the walls.
0:28:13 > 0:28:17He had to keep the walls the way they were because he loved it as soon as he walked in the room.
0:28:17 > 0:28:22I love it, too. What it looked like before to what it looks like now.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25Who could fail to love it?
0:28:25 > 0:28:28I've rarely seen an example of something that's had
0:28:28 > 0:28:30such a beneficial effect on people that this is.
0:28:30 > 0:28:34When we came in here you both brightened up as soon as you opened the door.
0:28:34 > 0:28:36The pressure's come right off us.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38Our dream was to give Nicholas a room he could grow into
0:28:38 > 0:28:43and we thought our dream had been lost and we didn't know how to go about getting it back.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46- Without you guys coming to help us we'd have been stuck.- It's brilliant.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48Well, that's music to my ears.
0:28:48 > 0:28:52Time to leave them and their lovely children to enjoy their new home.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59Initially it's pretty frustrating to hear how the careless acts
0:28:59 > 0:29:03of a cowboy builder can have such a profound affect on a family,
0:29:03 > 0:29:06especially their son Nicholas who, let's face it,
0:29:06 > 0:29:09was the main reason they embarked on this project in the first place.
0:29:09 > 0:29:11But having looked around,
0:29:11 > 0:29:14we can see the family, at least, have turned a corner.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17Looking at Nicholas's room, it looks fantastic
0:29:17 > 0:29:19and apparently he thinks exactly the same.
0:29:19 > 0:29:22So hopefully, moving forward, there are a few bits and bobs
0:29:22 > 0:29:25to finish in the kitchen which Ian is more than happy to carry out
0:29:25 > 0:29:28and then, well, they've got the family kitchen they all wanted
0:29:28 > 0:29:33but also, moving into the summer, they can get out and start tackling that garden,
0:29:33 > 0:29:36which I know is exactly where they want to be.
0:29:38 > 0:29:40For our next Cowboy Trap saga,
0:29:40 > 0:29:44we revisit a homeowner we first met three years ago.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47Like with Carol and Ian, this story revolves around a cowboy builder
0:29:47 > 0:29:52who didn't care about stitching up a customer by leaving an unfinished disaster of a job behind.
0:29:52 > 0:29:57His unwitting victim was Carol Alley who lives in Worcestershire with her daughter, Kirsty.
0:29:57 > 0:30:00When we met her, Carol was about to have an operation
0:30:00 > 0:30:04on her feet, which had long been a problem for her.
0:30:04 > 0:30:08I was born with club feet and started to develop a lot of pain
0:30:08 > 0:30:14when I got to about 40 and found out I'd got degenerative arthritis.
0:30:14 > 0:30:19Carol saw a specialist who gave her the news she'd been dreading.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22Carol was told she would have to have two major operations
0:30:22 > 0:30:26on her feet, which would leave her wheelchair-bound for over a year.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29This, of course, had huge implications,
0:30:29 > 0:30:31not least how she would manage in her home.
0:30:31 > 0:30:33Carol decided the only course of action
0:30:33 > 0:30:37was to convert her garage into a bedroom and bathroom.
0:30:37 > 0:30:39I've got a garage that I didn't use
0:30:39 > 0:30:43and I thought it was the best idea to have my bedroom and an en suite there.
0:30:43 > 0:30:47I talked to the council and they said I could have a grant
0:30:47 > 0:30:49but it wasn't until April 2010
0:30:49 > 0:30:52and that was halfway through my operations
0:30:52 > 0:30:55and I needed it before then.
0:30:55 > 0:30:59So I remortgaged and picked a builder to come and start work.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04The builder Carol chose quoted £17,000 to do the work.
0:31:04 > 0:31:09That was to convert her garage into a bedroom and en suite bathroom.
0:31:09 > 0:31:11The conversion was to be wheelchair-friendly
0:31:11 > 0:31:14with wide doors and ramps.
0:31:14 > 0:31:16The build started in late January 2010.
0:31:18 > 0:31:22Week one was digging footings for the extension.
0:31:22 > 0:31:26And I was happy with that so I paid at the end of the week
0:31:26 > 0:31:31and it seemed fine up until, I would say, week three,
0:31:31 > 0:31:35when I started noticing things that he'd said he was going to do and he hadn't done.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39Yep, the builder was poor at keeping his promises.
0:31:39 > 0:31:43Like keeping the project on schedule, for a start,
0:31:43 > 0:31:46and fitting doors and windows that shut properly.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49Plus those weren't the only problems.
0:31:52 > 0:31:55The builder made a catalogue of errors,
0:31:55 > 0:31:57including a wrong-shaped door in the wrong place,
0:31:57 > 0:31:59which wasn't even wide enough for a wheelchair.
0:31:59 > 0:32:02What's more, the floors finished at different levels,
0:32:02 > 0:32:05creating even greater problems for wheelchair access.
0:32:05 > 0:32:07You couldn't make it up.
0:32:07 > 0:32:11Unless you're the author of particularly grim fairytales,
0:32:11 > 0:32:13which I guess you're not.
0:32:13 > 0:32:15It's unbelievable that the room was pretty much
0:32:15 > 0:32:19as wheelchair unfriendly as you could imagine.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23You have to step up into it rather than flush level
0:32:23 > 0:32:25with the floor with the rest of the house.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28He'd said to me it was going to be one level and I'd be able to move
0:32:28 > 0:32:32around it in a wheelchair without any trouble, if I needed to.
0:32:34 > 0:32:36There is actually an approved standard measurement
0:32:36 > 0:32:39for internal door widths for a wheelchair
0:32:39 > 0:32:42and it's a minimum of 840 millimetres.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45Any builder worth their salt would have known this or at least looked it up.
0:32:45 > 0:32:48And as for the laughable so-called bathroom door,
0:32:48 > 0:32:52it concealed a truly grisly bodge.
0:32:52 > 0:32:56The plumbing to the toilet was a disaster.
0:32:56 > 0:33:01For some reason it had a backfall so the water from the loo had to come up before it went out.
0:33:01 > 0:33:05Inevitably, the waste from the toilet would stay in the pipe
0:33:05 > 0:33:08after flushing or even end up in the shower.
0:33:08 > 0:33:09Disgusting.
0:33:12 > 0:33:15And the cowboy's work was unsafe, too.
0:33:15 > 0:33:19The light fitting didn't have an IP rating weather protection.
0:33:19 > 0:33:21Obviously, there's steam in a bathroom
0:33:21 > 0:33:24and water and electricity don't mix.
0:33:27 > 0:33:29Take my advice:
0:33:45 > 0:33:48..or is government approved.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51If in doubt, ask your local council for advice.
0:33:51 > 0:33:55And looking at the slapdash efforts of the guy Carol hired,
0:33:55 > 0:33:58he should have been in stirrups and a Stetson.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02Carol was becoming increasingly worried
0:34:02 > 0:34:04so she called in a building inspector.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07He agreed with Carol and put his concerns to the builder.
0:34:07 > 0:34:11But our man was a bully who didn't take criticism well.
0:34:11 > 0:34:13When I asked him about any issues,
0:34:13 > 0:34:19he swore at me and said that if I didn't shut up
0:34:19 > 0:34:21that he was going to walk off anyway...
0:34:22 > 0:34:25..which worried me because I needed it finished for my next operation,
0:34:25 > 0:34:27which was due in October.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30In the end, I did say to him I wasn't going to be held to ransom
0:34:30 > 0:34:33and I wasn't going to give him any more money until I could see
0:34:33 > 0:34:35things were moving on a bit better.
0:34:36 > 0:34:40He just turned his back on me and walked off.
0:34:40 > 0:34:42And he didn't come back.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45So after spending nearly £8,500,
0:34:45 > 0:34:50Carol was left with a split-level floor, a dreadful door,
0:34:50 > 0:34:54pitiful plumbing, shocking electrics...
0:34:54 > 0:34:58Oh, I almost forgot to mention that the tiling was only half done.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01Carol was so distraught she cancelled her operation.
0:35:03 > 0:35:05But guess who came to the rescue?
0:35:05 > 0:35:09Our Cowboy Trap crack team of good guy builders set about
0:35:09 > 0:35:12rectifying the rubbish job.
0:35:12 > 0:35:16First up they removed the door frames so wider doors could be fitted
0:35:16 > 0:35:19and then it was onto the plumbing, electrics and tiling.
0:35:22 > 0:35:26Never easy fixing a badly bungled build but guess what?
0:35:26 > 0:35:29The good guys did a fantastic job.
0:35:30 > 0:35:32Carol got the en suite bathroom with wheelchair access
0:35:32 > 0:35:34she'd wanted all along
0:35:34 > 0:35:37and her bedroom was totally transformed, too.
0:35:37 > 0:35:43From this building bodge to a bit of building brilliance in one good guy fell swoop.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47Thanks to our helping hands, Carol was back on track
0:35:47 > 0:35:50but would her new wheelchair-friendly home give Carol
0:35:50 > 0:35:52the quality of life she so desperately needed?
0:35:52 > 0:35:55Only time would tell.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01It's been almost three years
0:36:01 > 0:36:05since we helped Carol out of the Cowboy Trap and even with the snow,
0:36:05 > 0:36:08I can see there's been a few changes around here.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11I know Carol's still having problems with her arthritis
0:36:11 > 0:36:13so let's see whether that hard-earned extension
0:36:13 > 0:36:16did indeed give her the ideal home.
0:36:17 > 0:36:22I want to see whether our good guys have changed Carol's life for the better.
0:36:22 > 0:36:25She has another operation coming up which will stop her walking for months.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28A wheelchair-friendly home is essential.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34- Hey, Carol.- Hiya.- How are you doing?- I'm fine, thank you.
0:36:34 > 0:36:38- Now, then. Someone's been busy. - I've had a builder in to do my drive.
0:36:38 > 0:36:39Haven't you just?
0:36:39 > 0:36:43I haven't got over the threshold yet and I can already see the builders
0:36:43 > 0:36:46Carol got into landscape her garden have done a great job.
0:36:46 > 0:36:51When we met, Carol said she felt so low she vowed never to use tradesmen again.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54Clearly our good guys have revived her faith in the building fraternity.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59- Time to head indoors. - Come on through.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02The changes we made three years ago have clearly given Carol
0:37:02 > 0:37:05the quality of life she so desperately needed.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08It just seems ridiculous, doesn't it?
0:37:08 > 0:37:12Your extension was to help you live on the ground floor but you couldn't get into it in a wheelchair.
0:37:12 > 0:37:14No, it wasn't wide enough.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17The ramp our good guys installed will come into its own
0:37:17 > 0:37:20when Carol has her latest operation, as will the widened door.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23The cowboy got that badly wrong.
0:37:23 > 0:37:26It went narrow at the bottom so it didn't shut.
0:37:28 > 0:37:30- So we had to have it widened. - Hilarious.- To make it fit.
0:37:30 > 0:37:32Here, as well.
0:37:32 > 0:37:36The window, beforehand, there was no real windowsill, was there?
0:37:36 > 0:37:38- It didn't fit properly? - It didn't fit properly.
0:37:38 > 0:37:42- But now it looks like it should do. - And draught-proof.- And draught-proof.
0:37:42 > 0:37:45- This is where you sleep, for goodness sake.- I do.
0:37:45 > 0:37:48And thanks to our fellows securing the windows,
0:37:48 > 0:37:52Carol has been able to sleep soundly for the last three years.
0:37:52 > 0:37:57You're not always going to be using a wheelchair but you need to be able to use it.
0:37:57 > 0:37:59Every time I go in and have an operation,
0:37:59 > 0:38:03I need to be able to just get in and be able to get into this room.
0:38:03 > 0:38:06And beforehand, you were worried about not getting this done in time.
0:38:06 > 0:38:11I had to cancel an operation to get the work done.
0:38:11 > 0:38:13Well, that's ridiculous.
0:38:13 > 0:38:17It just goes to show the damaging affects cowboy builders can have on your life.
0:38:17 > 0:38:19Right, into the bathroom.
0:38:19 > 0:38:22Once the scene of a humungous cowboy bodge.
0:38:22 > 0:38:25Three years on, it now completes the picture of ground floor living
0:38:25 > 0:38:27Carol desperately needs.
0:38:27 > 0:38:31- Beforehand you could see underneath the shower tray...- You could.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34And when you flushed the toilet, the waste used to come into the shower.
0:38:34 > 0:38:36It did.
0:38:36 > 0:38:40The cowboy couldn't even get the tiling right.
0:38:40 > 0:38:42The bad guys left it like this.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45Our good guys weaved their magic and in the years since,
0:38:45 > 0:38:50Carol has given her own personal touches to an en suite that's proved a resounding success.
0:38:50 > 0:38:52It has just made life so much easier,
0:38:52 > 0:38:56just being able to come in and get on with things.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59That's why you went through this in the first place, isn't it?
0:38:59 > 0:39:02A lot of people like to have the luxury of an en suite
0:39:02 > 0:39:05but for you it's a necessity.
0:39:05 > 0:39:06Your mobility is restricted
0:39:06 > 0:39:09so that you want everything as close as possible on one level?
0:39:09 > 0:39:14- And now I've got it.- Now you have it and you are smiling at last.
0:39:14 > 0:39:16And Carol has good reason to smile.
0:39:16 > 0:39:22The gravel forecourt outside is a really professional job.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25I imagine it's probably better for you with your walking, isn't it?
0:39:25 > 0:39:27Yeah, it's fine. I don't have any trouble.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30I thought that having stones it might be a bit tricky
0:39:30 > 0:39:31but it hasn't been at all. It's been great.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34In this weather it's probably better than having flagstones.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36It would be slippy, yeah.
0:39:36 > 0:39:38Now, beforehand, when the builder left,
0:39:38 > 0:39:40this wasn't in the original builder's remit,
0:39:40 > 0:39:43but he left it in a right old state after working on it.
0:39:43 > 0:39:47He mixed his concrete and broken the slabs that the car was sitting on.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50- He mixed his concrete directly onto the slabs?- He did, yes.
0:39:50 > 0:39:52And they were broken, he'd broken them.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57From my days on-site, I can't recall a builder doing that.
0:39:57 > 0:39:59Any decent builder mixing concrete puts timbers down
0:39:59 > 0:40:02to protect the surface underneath.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05Carol has certainly rung the changes around here.
0:40:05 > 0:40:07If you look at what the cowboy left behind
0:40:07 > 0:40:11and compare it to when our good guys got things back on track
0:40:11 > 0:40:15and then three years on, after Carol has weaved her magic,
0:40:15 > 0:40:18what a transformation!
0:40:18 > 0:40:21OK. Time for a sit-down chat.
0:40:21 > 0:40:23I want to find out how Carol's faring three years on
0:40:23 > 0:40:27from the emotional turmoil of being caught in the cowboy trap.
0:40:27 > 0:40:29What was going through your mind
0:40:29 > 0:40:33when you had this looming date for this vital operation
0:40:33 > 0:40:37and you had nowhere to really go and live afterwards?
0:40:37 > 0:40:38I was scared, really.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41I thought, "I can't really go for this operation,
0:40:41 > 0:40:43"knowing I've got nowhere to sleep."
0:40:43 > 0:40:46- So you cancelled the op?- I did.
0:40:46 > 0:40:51I had to wait another six months to be taken back onto the list
0:40:51 > 0:40:54to get the operation done.
0:40:55 > 0:40:58And the good guys timed their rescue perfectly,
0:40:58 > 0:41:02completing the job just before Carol's rearranged operation.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07- They finished work the day before I went into hospital.- Wow!
0:41:07 > 0:41:09Just in time.
0:41:09 > 0:41:12It was nil by mouth at 12 o'clock and into hospital
0:41:12 > 0:41:15and then four days later, I had a room to come back to.
0:41:15 > 0:41:18It must have been reassuring to know she was coming back
0:41:18 > 0:41:23to a room that look like this rather than a bodge that looked like that.
0:41:23 > 0:41:28What would you do different now, if you were to hire a builder?
0:41:28 > 0:41:31I did it in the right order, I thought.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34I looked at three quotes. I'd still get three quotes.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37Do you think you kicked the cowboy out at the right time?
0:41:37 > 0:41:40- No. I should have done it sooner. - Yeah.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43- I think, for me... - I felt intimidated, though.
0:41:43 > 0:41:45It's part of the cowboy trap.
0:41:45 > 0:41:47It's very easy for people on the outside to say,
0:41:47 > 0:41:51"You shouldn't have paid all this money or you should have kicked them out earlier."
0:41:51 > 0:41:55This is all part of the cowboy trap that gets you as owners sucked in.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58I think in the future, and you'd know this now,
0:41:58 > 0:42:00- it's put your foot down. - Straightaway.
0:42:00 > 0:42:03That's not right. Yes.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06So where do you think you'd be if the cowboy builders had left
0:42:06 > 0:42:08and you hadn't got in touch with Cowboy Trap?
0:42:08 > 0:42:11Don't like to think cos it upsets me.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14I just wouldn't have been able to move on.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17I hadn't got the money, I hadn't got the resources to...
0:42:17 > 0:42:20And if I hadn't have made that e-mail to you,
0:42:20 > 0:42:23I would have been in such a state.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26It's amazing that after, how many years is it now? Three years?
0:42:26 > 0:42:30- Three years.- Three years, the emotions can still be so raw.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34It's amazing what these people did to you.
0:42:34 > 0:42:39- But it's moved on tremendously. - It's moved on, it has.
0:42:39 > 0:42:41It's just so much easier.
0:42:43 > 0:42:45It's taken the weight off my shoulders,
0:42:45 > 0:42:46thinking that I can just come in
0:42:46 > 0:42:50after an operation and stay down on the ground floor.
0:42:50 > 0:42:54- It's given you a future here, in this house.- Thank you.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57And with that it's time to bid Carol and her lovely home farewell.
0:43:00 > 0:43:04It's great to see first-hand how things have improved for Carol
0:43:04 > 0:43:07since we first met her three years ago.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10As she said herself, the extension now feels fully
0:43:10 > 0:43:13part of her home and with another operation on the way,
0:43:13 > 0:43:19it's a relief to hear that she can go into this vital surgery with peace of mind.
0:43:45 > 0:43:47Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd