0:00:08 > 0:00:11Over the years, I've seen some real cowboy bodge jobs.
0:00:11 > 0:00:15The stuff of nightmares that would keep anybody awake at night.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18I just burst into tears. I just thought, "This is it."
0:00:18 > 0:00:21You know, "We're not going to have windows for Christmas."
0:00:21 > 0:00:25Today, I'm revisiting home-owners that got caught in the cowboy trap
0:00:25 > 0:00:29by bungling builders who left them well and truly in the lurch.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32I was so distressed.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35I've never been so distressed and so angry in my life.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38I can't wait to see how their homes and their lives have moved on
0:00:38 > 0:00:41since we got them back on track.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44You're having a laugh! Loving the floor.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46Loving the bath!
0:00:46 > 0:00:49The dream is back on because this looks amazing!
0:00:50 > 0:00:54I've got what I wanted. I'm happier in here now.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59Along the way, I'll be giving you some top hints and tips
0:00:59 > 0:01:02in the hope it will prevent you from falling into the cowboy trap.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16Today's Cowboy Trap is a chilling reminder that if you bung a builder
0:01:16 > 0:01:20a wad of your cash before the job is complete, you could be left
0:01:20 > 0:01:25with a wreck on your hands and no pennies in your pocket.
0:01:25 > 0:01:30Today's victims made the all-too-common mistake of foolishly
0:01:30 > 0:01:34parting with their pounds, leaving their builders little incentive
0:01:34 > 0:01:36to finish off the work.
0:01:36 > 0:01:41Both were abandoned in the midst of bitter winters with their homes
0:01:41 > 0:01:46open to the elements, leaving them completely without comfort or joy.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50I was like shivering in here.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53I had the central heating on, I had heater blowers
0:01:53 > 0:01:56but everything was going up straight through the roof.
0:01:56 > 0:01:57We were just very stressed.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00We didn't know where the money was going to come from.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04Later, I'll be catching up with Marcus in Essex,
0:02:04 > 0:02:07who was abandoned by a cold-blooded builder
0:02:07 > 0:02:11during one of the chilliest winters on record.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14I was left all throughout that period
0:02:14 > 0:02:17with a hole in the ceiling, with no windows.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22But first, I'm returning to one of the most unforgivable crimes
0:02:22 > 0:02:26against building, where a shameful cowboy builder left
0:02:26 > 0:02:28a young family exposed to the elements
0:02:28 > 0:02:33and freezing in their own home at Christmas.
0:02:33 > 0:02:38I'm back in the lovely West Sussex village of Billingshurst
0:02:38 > 0:02:41where St Mary's Church boasts a clock with a mechanism
0:02:41 > 0:02:45that's an exact half-size replica of that at Big Ben.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48As imitations go, it's a pukka job.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52Quite unlike the poor excuse for a builder we're dealing with today.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56It was cleaning company owners Sara and Mark Ellis who were left
0:02:56 > 0:03:00to suffer the consequences with their three young kids,
0:03:00 > 0:03:04Luke and his twin sisters, Evie and Olivia.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07The couple bought their four-bedroom house in 2008
0:03:07 > 0:03:12and wanted to make it bigger and better for their growing tiny trio.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14We had big plans.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17We wanted to extend upstairs to make bedrooms
0:03:17 > 0:03:20and an extension on the kitchen, extension on the lounge
0:03:20 > 0:03:22and just make it our dream house.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26They approached a local builder and were more than happy
0:03:26 > 0:03:30with the timescale he gave to complete the huge job.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32We asked him how long it would take and he said
0:03:32 > 0:03:36- six months from start to finish. - It got better.
0:03:36 > 0:03:41He quoted £90,000, well within the couple's budget to complete
0:03:41 > 0:03:46the two-storey extension, remodel the upstairs and extend the loft.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50So it was full steam ahead and work began.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53With so much money at stake, you'd think the Ellises would have
0:03:53 > 0:03:57really done their homework on this builder, but they didn't.
0:03:57 > 0:04:02They failed to take up references and didn't insist on a contract.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05No wonder the project went quickly off the rails
0:04:05 > 0:04:07so take a tip from me.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11When hiring anyone, contact others they've done work for
0:04:11 > 0:04:14to make sure they have previous happy customers.
0:04:14 > 0:04:19Always get a written contract drawn up signed by both parties
0:04:19 > 0:04:22and make sure it details the work agreed,
0:04:22 > 0:04:25the cost, payment schedule and timescale.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33At first, the Ellises' builder seemed like a godsend,
0:04:33 > 0:04:35but when work began to slow down, it wasn't long
0:04:35 > 0:04:38before they were praying it would all be over.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41Probably about two thirds through,
0:04:41 > 0:04:45I realised that there was no way he was going to get the job done.
0:04:45 > 0:04:50The agreed six-month timescale came and went.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53As the Ellises were paying the suppliers and the builder
0:04:53 > 0:04:57every time he needed wages, by now over £97,000
0:04:57 > 0:05:00had been ploughed into the build
0:05:00 > 0:05:03and the family were starting to feel the pinch.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07I'm sure this builder felt that we just had pots of money.
0:05:07 > 0:05:08We'd bought a house.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11It doesn't mean we've got buckets to throw at a job.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13With the festive season fast approaching,
0:05:13 > 0:05:16the work was actually grinding to a halt
0:05:16 > 0:05:19quicker than Santa's sleigh at a chimney.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23Their family home was a shell and open to the bitter cold
0:05:23 > 0:05:25and Sara was feeling the strain.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28We trusted someone and that person let us down
0:05:28 > 0:05:30and that's what really hurts.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33Sara absolutely worried herself sick to the point
0:05:33 > 0:05:35she couldn't sleep some nights, of one,
0:05:35 > 0:05:37how we were going to pay for it?
0:05:37 > 0:05:40How we were going to get the job sorted?
0:05:42 > 0:05:46Living in a house exposed to the elements with no windows or doors
0:05:46 > 0:05:50and a leaking roof would be a challenge at any time of the year.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53Worse still, this was the middle of winter
0:05:53 > 0:05:56and Christmas was just around the corner.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00Their brazen builder then had the gall to ask for another £2,500.
0:06:00 > 0:06:04When asked what the extra funds were for,
0:06:04 > 0:06:06he told them it was for Christmas!
0:06:06 > 0:06:10Ho-ho-ho - what a turkey!
0:06:10 > 0:06:12I was so angry with him
0:06:12 > 0:06:15and several times I actually burst into tears in front of him.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17It didn't make any difference to him.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21He was just thick-skinned, he didn't care.
0:06:21 > 0:06:26The Ellises refused to fork out any more money and lo and behold,
0:06:26 > 0:06:28this Scrooge of a builder disappeared.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31It was becoming the nightmare before Christmas
0:06:31 > 0:06:35and the family had no reason to be jolly.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38I just burst into tears, I just thought, "This is it.
0:06:38 > 0:06:42"We're not going to have windows for Christmas."
0:06:42 > 0:06:46Mark and Sara were left with a wreck and needed our help.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50When I first met them in 2009, I couldn't believe my eyes.
0:06:53 > 0:06:59- The building site as we like to call it.- That is a real, real mess.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01Just looking around, straightaway, to the naked eye,
0:07:01 > 0:07:04we've got no insulation on the ceiling there, no boarding out.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08If I'm taking a look at the mortar, it's a real mess on the blocks.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10The flooring is a mess as well.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13To cap it all, there was only some flimsy plywood
0:07:13 > 0:07:15between the Ellises and the outside world.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17For us, the security issue.
0:07:17 > 0:07:22We've got no doors, it's freezing cold, we're open to elements.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25In my opinion, Evie could have done a better job.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29Worse was to come. When I went out to the garden for an inspection,
0:07:29 > 0:07:31things were far from rosy.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35Got rusty nails, brick ends, we've got really sharp slate.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37Metalwork that's gone rusty and sharp.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41Cans that are cut open and exposed and the Ellises' son Luke
0:07:41 > 0:07:45climbed on here and cut his hand open on a knife blade.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49This should have all been disposed of correctly, but he didn't do that.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51He certainly did leave this family in danger.
0:07:51 > 0:07:56Any builder with his salt wouldn't leave a home in a state like this,
0:07:56 > 0:07:58especially with kids around.
0:07:58 > 0:08:03When independent surveyor Tracy Robb had a shufty, she agreed,
0:08:03 > 0:08:05that this build was in bedlam.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08There are lots of problems with this property and if we take the porch,
0:08:08 > 0:08:10for example, we can see it's been left in poor condition.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13There's missing guttering, the roof has not been finished,
0:08:13 > 0:08:16there is a missing lintel above the doorframe.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18The mortar mix used is incorrect
0:08:18 > 0:08:21and there is missing insulation from within the cavity wall.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25- What marks would you give it out of ten?- I'd give it a two.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27That was a pretty pitiful score
0:08:27 > 0:08:31for so-called professional building work.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35There was clearly a mountain of work to do but getting the Ellises' house
0:08:35 > 0:08:40secure by finishing off the porch area was everyone's top priority.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42First, I wanted to hear from the Ellises
0:08:42 > 0:08:46how their builder's disappearing act had affected the family.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50All we've done is live and breathe this house for the last 12 months.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53When you come home, it's even not somewhere nice to come home.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56You just hate it.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58We used to just row about it, didn't we?
0:08:58 > 0:09:00Our team are an excellent team
0:09:00 > 0:09:03and we're going to set about that porch and get it done right.
0:09:03 > 0:09:08More importantly to me is that you're happy
0:09:08 > 0:09:12- and that we can put a smile back on your face.- Thank you very much.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14Our platoon of good guys were well armed
0:09:14 > 0:09:18to bring the Ellises' porch back from the point of no return.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22But when work started, they immediately hit a problem.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24Tell us what you found.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27Looks like the concrete's only three inches deep.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29The foundations should have been
0:09:29 > 0:09:31six-inches deep to support the flooring.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34Boy, was this guy a cowboy!
0:09:34 > 0:09:38Still, we're used to rolling with the punches here on Cowboy Trap
0:09:38 > 0:09:44so we set about putting it right. Those wonky walls were replastered.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46We sorted the shocking electrics,
0:09:46 > 0:09:49mended and reinsulated that leaking roof,
0:09:49 > 0:09:51installed some new doors
0:09:51 > 0:09:54and gave it a lick of paint and varnish.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56It was time for my big reveal and I hoped
0:09:56 > 0:10:00it would be a grand entrance the Ellises would be proud of.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03OK, guys.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06What do you think?
0:10:06 > 0:10:10Wow, I love the floor! Doesn't the floor look great, Mark?
0:10:10 > 0:10:14- Absolutely brilliant. And the doors even lock!- And there are doors!
0:10:14 > 0:10:16Really good. And it's so safe as well for the children
0:10:16 > 0:10:21cos we had an issue with safety for the kids. Oh, it's just fabulous. It's really good.
0:10:21 > 0:10:26There is a little bit more. It is the piece de resistance!
0:10:26 > 0:10:31- Dah-dah!- Oh, wow! Look at the steps.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34- Don't they look fab, Mark? - Absolutely brilliant.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37- And look at the lights, look at the lights!- That's not all, Sara.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40Take a look at this.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44- You got some little lights. - Ah, weenie lights!
0:10:44 > 0:10:47Oh, look!
0:10:47 > 0:10:53Our good guys have brought Sara and Mark a ray of sunshine after months of darkness.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56But the family still had plenty to do
0:10:56 > 0:10:58to get the dream home they longed for.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06It's been over three years since I last saw the Ellises.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08And although we helped get them back on track,
0:11:08 > 0:11:10they had huge plans for this house.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13And I've got to say already from the outside, I can see a lot of changes.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16Let's go find out how they got on inside.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22I tell you what, it's looking good.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26- A-ha!- Hello.- Long time no see. How are you, Mark?- Fine, thank you.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29- How are you, lovely?- Lovely to see you.- And you.- Lovely to see you.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32I'll tell you what, I can already see there's changes outside.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36So, shall we go inside? It's great to see, first of all, the porch looks fantastic still.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39- A few little extra little... - Yeah, little girlie touches.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42Girlie touches. I was just about to say that!
0:11:42 > 0:11:46Yeah, it's lovely. We're really impressed with it, aren't we Mark?
0:11:46 > 0:11:50Thanks to a bit of TLC, and some personal touches,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53the Ellises have made this porch a welcoming entrance
0:11:53 > 0:11:55anyone would be proud of.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59I can't wait to see what they've done to parts of the house
0:11:59 > 0:12:01we didn't give them a head start with.
0:12:01 > 0:12:06I'm going to keep my eyes closed for a minute, Mark. Let me feel my way in.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08You're having a laugh!
0:12:08 > 0:12:13Last time I was here the en suite bathroom was dirty, dark and dingy.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17But they've flushed away the bad memories of their old cowboy builder
0:12:17 > 0:12:21and have created a fresh, modern and classy finish in here.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24The Ellises have clearly learnt a thing or two.
0:12:24 > 0:12:30His-and-her sinks, fantastic. Loving the floor. Loving the bath.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33The things you learnt from when we were first here,
0:12:33 > 0:12:38- did they come into play?- Yes. We got a reputable plumber to come in and finish the job properly.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41- And tiler and everything else? - That's it.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44Wow! It's fantastic!
0:12:44 > 0:12:47Having got their own good guys in,
0:12:47 > 0:12:51Mark's shown that their upstairs dunny scrubbed up pretty darn well.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54Over to his other half to show me the transformation
0:12:54 > 0:12:57they've made to a downstairs bedroom.
0:12:57 > 0:13:02This was where we were sleeping when upstairs wasn't finished.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05- I'm not to sure it was as glamorous as it is now though.- No! No!
0:13:05 > 0:13:10We've obviously re-decorated and glammed it up again, ready for guests.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14In the last three years since I was here,
0:13:14 > 0:13:19the Ellises have been busy bees, and their house looks a million dollars.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22I mean, I love this room anyway. It's massive.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25But looking now at the wood burner,
0:13:25 > 0:13:28- it's just such a fantastic focal point.- Yeah, it's lovely.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30It's our little treat. And we love it.
0:13:30 > 0:13:34If I was watching those flames, once that's in, on a nice winter's evening,
0:13:34 > 0:13:38- I'd rather watch that than watch the television over there.- Oh, I'm so looking forward to the winter.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42It wasn't that long ago that the Ellises were forced to spend
0:13:42 > 0:13:45a miserable, cold, dark Christmas here.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48But thankfully, that's a distant memory.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50Their home has undergone huge changes.
0:13:50 > 0:13:56But before I go, I want to see if family life's looking brighter too.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00Actually in those dark days it did drive a bit of a wedge between you guys, didn't it?
0:14:00 > 0:14:05Oh, yes, we were definitely... We were arguing an awful lot, because I blamed him, he blamed me.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08But there was only one person really to blame, and that was the builder.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11But, um, we sort of took it out on each other, didn't we?
0:14:11 > 0:14:15Cos we were just very, very stressed. We didn't know where the money was going to come from,
0:14:15 > 0:14:18how we were going to get it done, who we could trust to get it done.
0:14:18 > 0:14:23So do you think then that, from that experience,
0:14:23 > 0:14:27and from us coming in and the advice that I was handing out,
0:14:27 > 0:14:32do you think that really has made a big impact on where you are today?
0:14:32 > 0:14:35It sort of inspired us to carry on to do - we took it a room at a time,
0:14:35 > 0:14:40- and didn't rush anything, did we? - No. It was one area done properly,
0:14:40 > 0:14:42and we can move on from that area.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46I think we've since discovered that we have to be a bit more careful.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49Yeah. And you've done that, you've shown that already.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51And it's not just behind closed doors
0:14:51 > 0:14:53where the makeover's taken place.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57Their back garden was once a danger zone for the kids.
0:14:57 > 0:15:02It's now a place where the whole family can relax and enjoy.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04I tell you what, well done, guys.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06You have done a brilliant, brilliant job.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09It's been great to come back and see you again
0:15:09 > 0:15:13and I'm really inspired myself now and I'm inspired
0:15:13 > 0:15:17by the fact that you were inspired and motivated after we arrived.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20Yes, it definitely made a difference to make us carry on.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22We were going to give up, weren't we, Mark?
0:15:22 > 0:15:25- Yes, thank you, Clive, for all you've done.- Absolute pleasure.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28Thank you for having me back. It's been lovely to see you.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30Take care of your good selves.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33It was sink or swim for the Ellises.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36But at last, they are out of the hot water
0:15:36 > 0:15:40and learnt that only cowboys want tens of thousands of pounds
0:15:40 > 0:15:41before the job is complete.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45But sadly, the next old friend I'm catching up with
0:15:45 > 0:15:49made the same mistake of being too trusting with his pennies,
0:15:49 > 0:15:52only to also be left in the midst of winter
0:15:52 > 0:15:54with gaping holes in his home.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01I'm back in Essex, in the market town of Waltham Abbey.
0:16:01 > 0:16:06Apparently, statistics show that people who live here are 38%
0:16:06 > 0:16:09more likely to be hit by falling aeroplane parts
0:16:09 > 0:16:13than anywhere else in Great Britain. Whoa!
0:16:13 > 0:16:15I guess that's pretty unlikely,
0:16:15 > 0:16:19as opposed to being hit by a cowboy builder, as Marcus Elkeslassy was.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22When we first met, divorcee Marcus
0:16:22 > 0:16:26had just bought this bijou end-of-terrace maisonette
0:16:26 > 0:16:30to live in with his miniature Yorkshire terrier, Macy.
0:16:30 > 0:16:35But with a grand French famille, he needed more space.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38Marcus had eight brothers and sisters dotted around the world,
0:16:38 > 0:16:41as well as two grown-up kids of his own.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45The dream was to convert the loft to create an extra bedroom
0:16:45 > 0:16:48and bathroom so his family could come and visit.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51I have a very large family and if somebody
0:16:51 > 0:16:55was to come up here, I have nowhere to put them up.
0:16:55 > 0:17:00You know, so I... I opted for a loft conversion.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04That way I can put them in the guest room
0:17:04 > 0:17:07and I can have my own bedroom upstairs.
0:17:07 > 0:17:12Marcus searched around for a builder and sensibly got a few quotes.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15But worried the work would be messy and disruptive,
0:17:15 > 0:17:18he made a crucial mistake and went straight for the builder
0:17:18 > 0:17:21who said he could complete the job the fastest.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23Oh, Marcus!
0:17:25 > 0:17:27I just thought...
0:17:27 > 0:17:30this is a professional guy, he knows what he's doing.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32You know, he's told me
0:17:32 > 0:17:36that he would do the job five weeks from start to finish.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40So, happy with the quote of £24,590,
0:17:40 > 0:17:44Marcus decided not to move into his new home
0:17:44 > 0:17:47until the builders had finished the messy work.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50I actually rented a place for five months
0:17:50 > 0:17:56and put all my stuff in storage for five months.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00Unfortunately, Marcus had forked out the deposit for the builder
0:18:00 > 0:18:04and guess what, the promise of an immediate start never materialised.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07Months passed and the builder still hadn't begun.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11Marcus couldn't afford to pay the rent any longer,
0:18:11 > 0:18:16so had to move in, just as the builder finally got to work.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18I had to actually endure
0:18:18 > 0:18:22everything that I was trying to avoid in the first place.
0:18:22 > 0:18:26It must have been a relief that when the work did eventually begin,
0:18:26 > 0:18:29the builders went for it all guns blazing.
0:18:29 > 0:18:35After all, Marcus had handed over £21,500, almost the full amount.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37But the good start wasn't to last.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39They probably fitted in...
0:18:39 > 0:18:43five weeks of work into two weeks.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48But then everything came to a standstill.
0:18:48 > 0:18:49Full stop.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52About two and a half weeks later,
0:18:52 > 0:18:55the scaffolding was gone and I thought something was wrong.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59I try to make contact, he wasn't responding.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03And then eventually, he would send a man,
0:19:03 > 0:19:09like one afternoon a week to keep me sweet, basically.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13The problem for Marcus was, once the rogue had his hands on the money,
0:19:13 > 0:19:17it gave him no incentive to come back and finish the job.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19So take a tip from me.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22Never pay a big wad of cash in advance.
0:19:22 > 0:19:27Come up with a payment agreement to dish out your dosh in stages.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29And always hold back the final payment
0:19:29 > 0:19:34until you're completely satisfied with all finished work.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41And in this case, Marcus really paid the price.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45Marcus was left with a complete wreck.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47And a gaping hole in the roof
0:19:47 > 0:19:50where dormer windows and doors should have been.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53What's more, it was the middle of winter.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57And I was like, shivering in here, I had the central heating on,
0:19:57 > 0:19:59I had heater blowers,
0:19:59 > 0:20:02but everything was going straight up through the roof.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05So it wasn't just the cold that cut through Marcus,
0:20:05 > 0:20:09his heating bills were costing an arm and a leg.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11I was so distressed, you know?
0:20:11 > 0:20:16I've never been so distressed and so angry in my life, you know?
0:20:18 > 0:20:22By being let down and being conned, basically.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24With no money left,
0:20:24 > 0:20:28Marcus needed someone he could trust to fix this mess.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31So, in 2010, we had our first rendezvous.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34- You must be Marcus.- Yes, I am.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37- Do you mind showing me the damage they've done?- Come in. - Thank you, sir.
0:20:37 > 0:20:42'And even by Cowboy Trap standards, I was in for a shocker.'
0:20:42 > 0:20:46It looks a bit of a mess, that's for sure. Is this how it was left?
0:20:46 > 0:20:50- Yes, absolutely. - No other remedial works?- No.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52Exactly as it was.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56How long has that been in the state it's in, with your door and window?
0:20:56 > 0:21:00Since October. The worst winter we've ever had, I think, in this country.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04'And if that was cold, a decision made by this cowboy
0:21:04 > 0:21:07'could have meant a truly chilling end for Marcus.'
0:21:07 > 0:21:10I noticed as well there is no steel.
0:21:10 > 0:21:17No, in the initial plan, there was supposed to be a ridge beam up there.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21But the builders have taken it on themselves to do away with it.
0:21:21 > 0:21:26- So they ignored your original plan? - Absolutely.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29- Did they say why they weren't putting the steel in? - No explanation.
0:21:29 > 0:21:34'The lack of a steel beam could have made this loft structurally unsafe.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38So once Marcus got the all clear from an architect, our priority
0:21:38 > 0:21:42'was to make sure he didn't spend another winter shivering.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45'But first, I wanted to understand how Marcus got himself
0:21:45 > 0:21:48'into this mess in the first place.'
0:21:48 > 0:21:51I would say that people get blinded by this dream.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55They can see the vision, the vision of this wonderful new room.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59And they can see nothing but that.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01You've got to remember,
0:22:01 > 0:22:05this is the place you want to spend the rest of your life. That sort of thing.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07And you want to make it right.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10You don't want things to go wrong,
0:22:10 > 0:22:13therefore you don't want to fall out with people,
0:22:13 > 0:22:15you want to be as nice as possible.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18Marcus had paid so much money upfront that he was forced
0:22:18 > 0:22:21to give his builder the benefit of the doubt.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23And it took Marcus months
0:22:23 > 0:22:26until the penny eventually dropped that he'd been had.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30He wasn't answering my texts, he wasn't answering my calls...
0:22:32 > 0:22:34..er...e-mails.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38In the end, I sent him recorded letters, you know.
0:22:38 > 0:22:43- How much of your money had he got by then, of the £24,500?- £21,500.
0:22:43 > 0:22:48- Wow! What did they leave you with? - The loft conversion itself...
0:22:49 > 0:22:51I think it needs rebuilding, if you ask me.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53Time to get our good guys in.
0:22:53 > 0:22:58They got Marcus and his loft back on track by closing up the holes,
0:22:58 > 0:23:02making it watertight and preventing any further damage.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05Then it was time for my favourite bit.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09To show him what we'd done to his new bedroom.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13Wow!
0:23:13 > 0:23:18- Yes, that's more like it.- Exactly, that's definitely more like it.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20What was it before?
0:23:20 > 0:23:24- Two holes.- And it was covered by a bit of tarpaulin.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26Not even tarpaulin, it was a bit of plastic.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30The guys have put the window in, you've still got loads to do,
0:23:30 > 0:23:34I understand that. We've started the ball rolling.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38- Elements, you're protected against. - Yeah.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41But what about this fantastic set of French doors?
0:23:41 > 0:23:44- Hey!- What do you think?
0:23:44 > 0:23:48- Brilliant!- Viva, the good guys!
0:23:48 > 0:23:52What was once an abandoned shell became a safe and warm room
0:23:52 > 0:23:56with a set of French doors for our French Romeo.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59He now has a Juliet balcony he can enjoy,
0:23:59 > 0:24:03and thankfully his story didn't end in tragedy.
0:24:03 > 0:24:07Although the space still needed finishing touches,
0:24:07 > 0:24:09it was finally weatherproof,
0:24:09 > 0:24:12so no more winters of discontent for our lead character.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16It's been two years since I last saw Marcus.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18We helped get him back on track
0:24:18 > 0:24:20by making his loft conversion watertight.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22But that was just the beginning of the story,
0:24:22 > 0:24:24there was still loads left to do.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28So I wonder how he's been getting on since we last met. Let's find out.
0:24:28 > 0:24:29Come on.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42Well, as I live and breathe, young Marcus.
0:24:42 > 0:24:43I can't believe it.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47I want to see how far you've come since we were last here.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50- Do you mind showing me what you've done?- Not at all, it's my pleasure.
0:24:50 > 0:24:51Come on, let's go.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55Lead the way, I can't wait.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57This is a massive difference.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01When I was last here, this staircase was grubby and rickety.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05But, thanks to Marcus, it's come on leaps and bounds.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08I'm going to tell you to close your eyes and then open them.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10- Oh, OK. - Like you did to me before!
0:25:12 > 0:25:15And with the loft conversion at the top, I've got a feeling
0:25:15 > 0:25:19it's gone from a stairway to hell to a stairway to heaven.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21Now you can open them.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27Well, it's not very often I'm lost for words.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30But I'm lost for words, because in here...
0:25:30 > 0:25:33In fact, I'm struggling to get my bearings,
0:25:33 > 0:25:38because when I left you, we'd managed to get it watertight
0:25:38 > 0:25:42get it airtight, put the doors in, put the window in,
0:25:42 > 0:25:45and, to be honest, when I first came here I didn't know
0:25:45 > 0:25:48where we were going to start, or even where we were going to end.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50It was very, very complicated.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55I'm staggered that, in just two years, Marcus has managed
0:25:55 > 0:25:58to completely eradicate all signs of the cowboy.
0:25:58 > 0:26:03He's put the lessons he's learned to excellent use,
0:26:03 > 0:26:06and made this loft a stylish but cosy bedroom.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09It was a long haul, but he's clearly on cloud nine.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14The dream is back on, because this looks amazing.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16Yeah, absolutely, absolutely.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20It was hard work, because to rectify somebody else's work
0:26:20 > 0:26:23is harder than to start from scratch.
0:26:24 > 0:26:25Bang on.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29Fixing another builder's dodgy work is a tough task,
0:26:29 > 0:26:32but Marcus's good guys have worked wonders,
0:26:32 > 0:26:34and even the en suite was fantastique.
0:26:36 > 0:26:37Well, I'm loving it.
0:26:37 > 0:26:42And this is all your design and ideas and everything you wanted?
0:26:42 > 0:26:44We shared, you know, the ideas.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46- Between you and the builders. - Absolutely.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48And this is what I came up with.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52Do you mind if I ask you how much extra this has all cost on top?
0:26:52 > 0:26:54Double.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57- Double! - Double what was quoted initially.
0:26:59 > 0:27:00Ouch!
0:27:00 > 0:27:04Marcus's dream loft conversion sure hasn't come cheap,
0:27:04 > 0:27:08but what was once a freezing, uninhabitable shell
0:27:08 > 0:27:12is now warm, welcoming, and with a stunning finish.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14But, before I bid Marcus adieu,
0:27:14 > 0:27:19I want a final tete-a-tete with him to see how he managed it all.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23Where is Marcus Elkeslassy now?
0:27:23 > 0:27:26Where is he here, and here?
0:27:26 > 0:27:32It's behind me, because I've got what I wanted,
0:27:32 > 0:27:34you know, in the first place.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39I hated it before, and I'm much happier.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41It's a weight off my shoulders.
0:27:41 > 0:27:47You know, because I ignored a lot of things that were happening in here.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50I didn't know that the place was unsafe, for one.
0:27:50 > 0:27:55So, what tips did you take forward to your building?
0:27:55 > 0:27:59Do a payment plan, which you have to pay in stages.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03- It's paid dividends, no two ways about that.- Absolutely.
0:28:03 > 0:28:07Voila! It may have been a long and costly road for Marcus,
0:28:07 > 0:28:11but he got there in the end, and all that's left to do
0:28:11 > 0:28:15is to invite the family to stay for a good old celebration.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17It's been great to catch up with Marcus,
0:28:17 > 0:28:21and just look at how much he's done in that short space of time.
0:28:21 > 0:28:22And what a sweet guy he is.
0:28:22 > 0:28:27And, of course, now he's got the loft conversion of his dreams.
0:28:41 > 0:28:47Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd