Episode 6 Cowboy Trap

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Over the years, I've seen some real cowboy bodge jobs,

the stuff of nightmares that would keep anybody awake at night.

I don't think I'm ever going to get over

the amount of money that this guy's taken from us.

Today, I'm revisiting homeowners that got caught in the cowboy trap

by bungling builders who left them well and truly in the lurch.

I felt they were quite trustworthy. I'm afraid I was a little gullible.

I can't wait to see how their homes and their lives have moved on

since we got them back on track.

What you've done beyond that is staggering!

-(FRENCH ACCENT)

-Haw-hee-haw-hee-haw!

To actually look around in here and feel like it was a home

instead of a hovel,

I can't tell you what that did for me, it was truly amazing.

And along the way, I'll be giving you some top hints and tips

in the hope it will prevent you from falling into the Cowboy Trap.

'Today's Cowboy Trap is copper-bottom proof

'that you just don't get something for nothing...

'you get what you pay for, or so they say.

'But even some of the most sensible folk take leave of their senses

'when tempted by a cut-price deal.

'In both today's stories,

'unwitting homeowners let their eye for a bargain blind them

'to the all-too-obvious signs that they were dealing with

'a cowboy builder who made a devastating impact

'not just in their homes, but on their lives too.'

I came up here, I opened the door,

I looked around and I just burst into tears.

So was all this exposed for nearly a year?

Yeah. Oh, yeah. There was absolutely nothing here.

And we were stuck in a cupboard that was a kitchen.

'Later, we catch up with retired beautician

'and hairdresser Carol Roberts, who fell victim to a callous con.'

I do trust, and I trust rather too readily, I think, erm,

and I just...I just believed what they said.

'But first, proof that if a deal sounds too good to be true,

'it's probably because it is.'

I'm back in Eltham, South London, a leafy suburb where a whole host

of celebrities have lived over the years,

including Jude Law, Kate Bush,

and even the legendary Bob Hope was born here.

Sadly, it's not fame but notoriety we're concerned with today,

a cowboy builder whose shameful work was a scandal worthy of any tabloid.

'His unlucky victims were local evangelical pastor John Watson,

'his wife Janna and their three children.

'When Janna was eight months pregnant

'with their youngest, Benjamin,

'they hired a local builder to extend their property

'for some much-needed extra space.'

We envisioned us all sort of like,

I'd be in the kitchen and the children were playing,

and rather than being in a completely separate room to me,

we would all be together.

Janna and John planned to build an extension

and convert the garage into the extra rooms they needed.

But when it became clear the garage wasn't worth keeping,

the builder suggested they demolish it

and instead build a two-storey extension, and here's the thing...

he said he would do all of this for a bargain basement price

in exchange for publicity shots of the finished job.

If we agreed to some photos and some things just to make an effort,

he would do the garage as well and he would also put in some

fancy concertina doors that were really special.

'So, two brand spanking new extensions,

'a new kitchen and a playroom.

'John and Janna would get everything they needed for their two kids

'and the one on the way for just over £38,000.'

He basically offered to do everything that we wanted to do,

which originally we didn't think we could afford,

but he was doing this special deal for us, so we, erm,

we were really overwhelmed by that and went for it all guns blazing.

'You can see how pastor John was led into temptation, but in fact,

'he should really have run for the hills.

'Here's a few Cowboy Trap Commandments.

'Beware of any "special offer" deal,

'they're often a ploy to get a large sum up front.

'Good builders get work by word of mouth

'from their satisfied customers,

'so they shouldn't need promotional deals.

'And treat all unusually low quotes with suspicion.

'A decent job should cost a fair price.

'Back at the Watsons, things had taken a turn for the worse,

'and within a couple of months work had come to a halt.

'Worse still, the cowboy had made off into the sunset with John

'and Janna's money, all 38 grand of it, leaving the couple,

'their two kids and new baby Benjamin

'in an uninhabitable building site.'

It was just a mass shock and still is.

I don't think I'm ever going to get over

the amount of money that this guy has taken from us.

Janna and John were really taken for a ride by their builder.

A full year after work had got underway,

all they were left with was a big hole in the garden

and an even bigger hole in their bank balance.

'But then, things started to look up.'

-Hi, John.

-Yes, Clive.

-How are you?

-Nice to meet you.

-Now, I hear you've had cowboy builders in the property.

-We have, yeah.

-Do you mind showing me around the damage?

Not at all, come into the kitchen.

'Let's just say that on the bodge-ometer,

'this one was off the scale.'

-Right.

-The kitchen.

So this is where it's all been happening.

Just looking at that block work over there, John,

straightaway it catches my eye.

That is a real mess.

You're looking at it now and you just think,

-you can see that a lot of this work is really quite poor.

-Yeah.

And that must have been frightening.

There must have been a stage where you must have thought,

"Hang on, this isn't surely going right," you know.

It looks a mess to the naked eye.

Yeah, I think at the time you don't know what it is you should expect

so you assume it's right.

It's only cos we've had others come round that have said,

"Hold on a minute." To me, I thought,

"They just haven't finished it, it's a finishing job.

"Maybe they do something afterwards."

'John hadn't had any idea how bad things actually were,

'and if you think that roof looks OK,

'well, that's because it was built by John's dad, Terry.

'The cowboys had left the extension completely open to the elements.'

So was all this exposed for nearly a year?

Yeah. Oh, yeah. There was absolutely nothing here,

and we were stuck in a cupboard that was a kitchen

for, well, two and a half years.

Which is when John's dad, Terry,

earned his place in the list of the world's greatest dads.

We were just having a coffee, and I said to John,

"Why don't we just do a week? I'll come round one day a week."

So, we agreed that every week, we would do a day's work together.

It took two long years,

but John and Terry did an amazing job of putting the roof on.

Now the family needed help moving on to the next stage.

No easy task when you consider the mess the cowboy builder left behind.

So, before the good guys arrived,

it was time to find out how John and Janna had got themselves into this mess in the first place.

What made you feel confident, Janna, in this particular builder when he came to do the quote?

It sounds really silly, but it was just the way that he was.

-He seemed a nice guy.

-Yeah.

-He seemed reliable.

He was, you know, pin-stripe suit, he talked about this family.

He saw that we had a family, and, in a sense,

you kind of feel like there's something...

You're getting on with someone, and that's where...

maybe you let your guard down a bit.

John and Janna were certainly taken by their builder.

They took far too much at face value, but that wasn't their biggest mistake.

What really lured them into the cowboy trap was being

suckered by that unrealistic bargain-basement deal.

The reason I'm so angry, I'm more angry at myself than the builder.

-Why?

-Because I think it was greed. I speak personally.

I wanted it, and I wanted more for what I wanted, and I was

so blinded by this desire that I thought, "Hold on, here it is. It's coming."

And who lost objectivity. I lost sense. I lost reason.

John was being a bit unfair on himself,

but he was about to have a whole bunch of reasons to be cheerful.

The good guys were in town.

They picked up where John and his dad left off, insulating the roof

and walls in time for winter,

and sealing the deal with a silky-smooth finish,

making this family room part of the house again.

All that remained was for John, Janna and the kids

to take it all in and enjoy the new look.

-Oh, wow. That is incredible.

-That is unbelievable.

It's fantastic. It is completely different.

Now it has become a room, somewhere where we think...

We're seeing it now. Do you know what I mean?

-It's got a fantastic finish. The boys have done a brilliant job.

-Yeah.

It's plaster, but underneath it, you've got the wall boards,

insulation. They've done such a great job it's almost like glass.

It's a real art. Big style.

This is just the beginning, guys, right?

So all I want to say is, fantastic pastor, brilliant plaster.

THEY ALL LAUGH

The good guys had done it again,

turning this cold breeze-block shell into a fully sealed family room.

It was just the beginning, of course, but with a little help,

John and Janna could now start making this the home they'd always dreamed of.

It's been three years since I last saw Janna, John and the kids.

We helped put them back on the road by securing, sealing

and plastering what was basically a shell of an extension.

Not much has changed here, but it's what I always say -

it's not what you can see on the outside, it's what's on the inside that counts.

So, let's see how things have improved since we were last here.

Come on!

Those breeze blocks are part of this massive job that we didn't touch,

and it looks like no-one else has, either.

-Wey-hey! Long time no see. How are you, John?

-Good to see you. I'm good.

-How are you, lovely? All right?

-Really well, thank you.

-Now, from the outside, not much has changed.

-What about on the inside?

-Why don't you come and have a look?

-Come on!

This is the bit I love.

Once inside, this place is unrecognisable.

Hey, I tell you something, I remember this as the blank canvas.

We got it all plastered out, but there were still things that needed doing,

and what you've done is staggering.

I mean, just looking at it now, the things you've done with it,

the way you've painted it. The kitchen, I remember last time,

the kitchen was a bit of a hotchpotch.

It started falling off the wall not too long ago,

-so that's why we've finally got the kitchen in.

-It looks beautiful.

John and Janna's new kitchen is stunning,

with stylish and contemporary units, a real sense of open space

and ceiling lights adding to the magic.

And there's even better things to come.

So, this is the old garage.

Well, it's not an old garage any more, is it?

It was nothing after we had it knocked down, but then, really,

seeing it as it is now, it's just brilliant for us.

It is a fantastic space.

From grotty old garage to sumptuous sitting room,

these guys have transformed this place beyond recognition,

and it's all the more amazing when you consider that most of the work

has been done by John and his dad, and the surprises keep coming.

Wow. It is quite incredible, really.

I remember trying to get out of this back door, and it was like an obstacle course,

and then we'd got all sorts of things in the way.

-Obviously, the kids couldn't play in the garden. It was a wreck at the time.

-Yes.

-I think you have done an incredible job, because I didn't know what to expect.

-Thank you.

Once the good guys had done their bit, John and Janna still had

a massive job on their hands, but they got stuck in and did it,

and they're rightly proud of how they've transformed their home.

Once we'd done what we did, did it give you that impetus,

that lift, to say, actually, we CAN move on now?

Somebody has given us a leg-up?

Yeah, it kind of gave you the permission to start

enjoying the original dream, where you wanted the big family space

and having people round for dinner and having your children playing

while you're doing bits and pieces in the kitchen, and things.

And choosing paint colours suddenly became exciting, rather than,

"Oh, no, it's the building again!"

Which was lovely and that hope that, do you know what?

I think we can actually achieve what we first set out to do.

And also, having the ability to have those people that come and put their arms around you,

and saying, do you know what? We achieved this.

You can definitely achieve the next stage, with a little bit of faith and hope.

We'll get there. I'm in a real positive place.

Can't say fairer than that.

And it just goes to show how much can be achieved with a bit of belief and positive thinking.

From cowboy calamity to happy home.

It's been fantastic to catch up with Janna, John and the family once again

after all these years, and to see just how far they've come

since we helped them out the cowboy trap all those years ago.

It's clear to see they still have a long way to go,

but I believe that they're going to achieve their goal,

particularly when you consider the friends and family support they have.

John and Janna learned the hard way that when it comes to building work,

if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.

It's a lesson that could have prevented 65-year-old widow Carol Roberts

from being swindled out of her life savings.

I'm back in Clacton-on-Sea,

an archetypal British seaside resort with all the trimmings -

arcades, a pier, complete with amusement park,

and of course these, the obligatory kiss-me-quick hats.

I know, pretty as a picture, innit?

Though it's not going to be staying on me bonce for long,

because I'm here to take my hat off to a plucky lady, who,

with our help, managed to drag herself out of the cowboy trap.

Meet Carol Roberts.

A retired hairdresser and beautician, Carol decided

to make a fresh start here after the death of her beloved husband, Don.

She set her heart on finding a bungalow with a large kitchen she could bake in,

and, crucially, no steps to climb.

The only property she could afford was dilapidated and required total renovation,

so what she desperately needed was some reliable builders.

I think we know where this one's going.

Whilst househunting, Carol had received mailshot from some self-styled property developers.

When the recently bereaved pensioner got in touch,

they wasted no time in targeting her.

Having just lost my husband, and trying to do things on my own,

I was finding quite difficult. I felt they were quite trustworthy.

I'm afraid I was a little gullible.

The developers told Carol they could compete everything she needed doing within a week.

They'd fit a dream kitchen, new windows,

a shower with floor-to-ceiling tiling, and even change the layout of the house,

and all for just...

These guys weren't builders, they must've been magicians.

The sat and discussed with me what I would like in the bungalow,

what colours I would like.

They brought two pictures round of the kitchens.

They walked into my bathroom in the flat and said, "Would you like it like this?

"Tiled from ceiling to floor, with tiles on the floor?" And I said, "Yes, please. I would."

The developers gave Carol a two-page list of all the work

they would do for the £8,000. It sounded great.

But this being Cowboy Trap, all was not as it seemed.

Carol first started to feel bad vibes when she was asked to pay

the entire fee upfront, all eight-and-a-bit grand of it.

When I sold my flat, the monies that I had left,

he said, "It will be paid upfront because it's only going to take a week,

"and we like to get that all sorted."

I said, "Well, I've never paid money upfront before."

He said, "Have we said anything wrong to you whilst we've been talking?

"No, we haven't. We wouldn't dream of it.

"And I think you can trust us, don't you?"

I said, "Yes, you've been very, very fair with me."

It's a shame Carol didn't trust her instincts.

Despite an initial flurry of activity,

work soon slowed to a snail's pace, and it soon became clear why.

I spoke to the one gentleman that was here and said,

"Where are all the other gentleman?" He said, "There are none."

I looked, I said, "What do you mean, there are none?"

He said, "There's only me.

"For goodness' sake, don't say I said anything,

"but they've only paid me for four days' work."

My heart sank.

And there was even worse to come in this already sorry saga.

Believe it or not,

Carol's spanking new kitchen turned out to be a hand-me-down.

He said, "The kitchen's in the bedroom there."

I said, "Oh, but that's not black and white.

"That's cream."

So, he said, "Yes, we saw this and thought it would be much better for you,

"and it's going to look beautiful."

When I looked at the kitchen properly, I thought...

I opened the oven door and I thought,

"That's strange, there are crumbs in here." This kitchen was second-hand.

And I asked him, I said, "Has this kitchen not come out of somewhere?" He said, "Yes."

I said, "I don't think so." I said, "There were crumbs in the oven."

He said, "There can't have been."

I said, "I don't think I'm going potty, but there were."

It was like something out of Carry On Cowboy, but Carol wasn't laughing.

She'd already handed over every penny of the £8,000 these scoundrels have demanded

and she now realised that she'd been conned.

I got a phone call to say, "Hello, it's now all ready for you to move in."

I said, "Are you sure?" "Yes, we are absolutely sure.

"Your carpets are fitted, all your furniture's in, you can move in."

He said, "There are a couple of little snagging jobs to be done,

"and the builder will be back on Monday to do them."

I said, "OK, fair enough."

I came up here, I opened the door,

I looked around and I just burst into tears.

I could not believe what I was looking at.

It was clear that Carol was in a pickle and in desperate need of help,

and back in spring 2010, help was at hand.

Thank you. I hear you've had some problems with some problematic builders.

Yes, just a little.

It was a total mess.

Major work to walls and doors was left unfinished.

The dream bathroom was now a nightmare.

There was a boot-sale kitchen, no certification of any kind,

and, what's more, these cowboys had left their calling cards all over the property.

-Just lift that up, Clive, would you, please?

-Oh, I see it's movable.

-Oh, yes. Look, we've even got dog ends.

-Oh, dear.

-There is nothing there, and the draught, feel that. Honestly, now.

-Yeah!

It's an end panel off your kitchen. I don't what that is at all.

It looks like a sort of filler.

Of course, you see, I've had to do all this...

-Where would you be without bubble wrap?

-Look at it. Look!

There's a word that rhymes with "bubble wrap",

and it's a perfect description of the quality of work on show. That's right - trouble trap.

These guys had suckered Carol, who didn't spot that their efforts to befriend her

were simply a cover to rip her off.

I really don't know to this day why I did it.

The only thing I can say is, because of my situation.

Yes, I was grieving.

I was a bit round the end, I think, actually, at the time.

It had been a very, very traumatic experience.

-And they knew that, didn't they?

-Yes.

They knew that you were unbalanced and that you were upset?

It was very, very hard.

As I say, I'm the sort of person, as I said, I do trust,

and I trust rather too readily, I think.

And I just... I just believed what they said.

-I'm really, really sorry...

-Sorry.

-..that you had to go into this situation,

but what I will say is that...

It's a big learning curve, and it was a very, very emotional time for you.

Carol's so-called builders had cruelly taken advantage of her circumstances.

Some cowboy builders will try anything.

So, here's a tip to avoid them.

It's never a good idea to undertake building work

at times of emotional upheaval, such as births or deaths.

Be wary of making important decisions

when you're feeling vulnerable or when emotions are running high.

If you must go ahead, be sure to seek help and advice

and, above all, support from trusted friends and family.

It was going to take a great deal of work to restore Carol's faith in human nature,

but with those dodgy dealers dispatched,

her seaside bungalow was soon filled with builders.

So many, in fact, that we had to pack Carol off to an hotel,

just as soon as we tracked down her cats.

Smoky, come on! Smoky!

With Carol, Misty and Smoky finally off for a spot of pampering,

the good guys tackled the unfinished layout

and rectified those ropy electrics.

They installed Carol's kitchen properly,

and made the gas and electricity safe, with certificates to prove it.

Next, they sorted the bathroom, put new windows in, and more besides.

All that remained was for Carol to see everything the good guys had achieved.

-Are you ready?

-Hmm.

-Three, two, one...

You're in your new house.

HE CLICKS HIS FINGERS

SHE GASPS

Oh, my God.

Oh, my tiles!

SHE LAUGHS

Fantastic, eh?

Oh, look!

It's just how I imagined it in the beginning.

You couldn't have asked for greater praise than that.

Before, Carol's kitchen was in a right state. But not now.

In fact, everywhere you looked,

the good guys had managed to eradicate any evidence of cowboy...

..even the shelf made out of kitchen board and cigarette butts.

Oh, look!

-That's nice.

-Oh, isn't the beautiful?

The grand finale -

that dream bathroom which had become a nightmare.

SHE GASPS

A shower! Oh, my word!

-And new toilet!

-Toilet, bath, shower - see?

What can I say? I'm overwhelmed. I really am.

Now Carol could set about completing the transformation of this house

into the retirement home, sweet home of her dreams.

Now, it's been over two years since I last saw the lovely Carol,

and already I can see evidence that building work has gone on - big sack of sand down there,

and certainly, things have changed on the outside. Let's find out more.

Here she is. It's a sight for sore eyes.

Hey, you!

-How are you, lovely Carol?

-Fine, thank you, Clive.

As soon as you enter this property,

you can see that Carol has made some big changes around here.

Outside, the good guys sorted and untidy block work the cowboys had left behind,

but Carol has added a warm and cosy render.

Very nice.

It's very good, isn't it?

Anything else that's happened inside since the last time I was here?

-I've done quite a bit inside.

-Come on! I can't wait. I'm excited.

Right, here we go. What do you think?

HE CHUCKLES

I tell you what, the thing is, there are so many memories,

not only of you, but of this place from the last time I was here,

and memories of that window, ill-fitting,

with great big gaps around it, and my hair blowing around,

-and all that sort of thing.

-And all that mucky plaster.

Yeah, I remember it well. As you look around, though, things have changed.

-I seem to remember wallpaper on these walls.

-Yes.

I decided one day, as the paper was coming away a bit, I'd pull,

-and on that wall, would you believe, it was bare breeze block underneath.

-Wow!

-So it wasn't plastered or plasterboard?

-Nothing.

So all this, and the ceiling, has been totally re-plastered.

Carol has worked wonders here.

This room was about as cosy as a no-frills B&B in Siberia.

The good guys helped put things straight.

And now that she's totally redecorated, you can finally

see why Carol originally fell in love with this place.

Her handiwork is everywhere. She's even found space for a tiny tribute.

-A look at that and think of you!

-Thank you.

These patio doors, once covered in tape to stop the draught coming through

now finish off a truly stylish living room,

and what they lead out onto is every bit as impressive.

So, you've had the patio put down.

Yes, it goes right way round the side here.

-You've got to be proud of the work that you've done.

-I am.

Yes, it's taken me a long time, slowly but surely.

I'm crazy about roses and clematis.

They're my main large plants, and then just a bit of colour elsewhere.

It's obvious that Carol is really in her element here.

Since the good guys left, there's been a transformation,

not just to the bungalow but to Carol herself.

It seems that life has changed for her for the better, and for ever.

Where do you think you might have been if we hadn't turned up?

What sort of situation do you think you might have been in?

I can honestly and truthfully say if it hadn't have been for you,

-I really don't go where I would have been.

-How is life now?

From when we left, did that lift a massive weight off your shoulders?

Oh, my goodness, yes.

To actually look around in here and feel like it was a home

instead of a hovel, I can't tell you what that did for me. It was truly amazing.

So, I guess by now you realise I've got a real soft spot for Carol,

and if Cowboy Trap has inspired her to do all of this amazing work,

that makes me super chuffed.

What matters most is that Carol's clearly got her spark back

and she is now able to enjoy her retirement in the home she'd always dreamt of.

With those contemptible cowboys finally out of her life,

this sorry saga has a truly happy ending.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd