0:00:07 > 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.
0:00:16 > 0:00:22I was so sure the roof was going to come in. I just stood and watched it. I froze.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26Today, I'm revisiting home owners that got caught in the cowboy trap
0:00:26 > 0:00:30by bungling builders who left them well and truly in the lurch.
0:00:30 > 0:00:33I almost felt I was close to breakdown.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37I would be out in the garden and I would just be sobbing my eyes out.
0:00:37 > 0:00:43I can't wait to see how their homes and their lives have moved on since we got them back on track.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47I'm so over the builder, it's unreal.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50I don't think about him any more.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53- You like it?- I've come into the world of a princess, haven't I?
0:00:53 > 0:00:59- Have we helped you to crack on and finish all these jobs? - There's no stopping me now.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02Along the way, I'll be giving you some top hints and tips
0:01:02 > 0:01:06in the hope it will prevent you from falling into the cowboy trap.
0:01:17 > 0:01:23Today's Cowboy Trap shows that no matter what scale of building work you want carried out in your home,
0:01:23 > 0:01:27make sure the tradesman you hire has enough notches on his tool belt
0:01:27 > 0:01:31to prove he is capable of doing a good job.
0:01:32 > 0:01:38Our two stories are testimony to the fact that both big and small projects can go horribly wrong
0:01:38 > 0:01:41if the builder turns out to be of the cowboy variety.
0:01:41 > 0:01:46And don't underestimate the impact that can have on you!
0:01:46 > 0:01:48I gave up on the garden.
0:01:48 > 0:01:53I gave up on doing repairs and things like that. And my crafts?
0:01:53 > 0:01:55I couldn't go into the shed.
0:01:55 > 0:02:00I've got to say it's probably the worst period I've had in my entire life.
0:02:00 > 0:02:06Later, we'll be heading north of the border to catch up with bonnie Lorna Russell
0:02:06 > 0:02:13whose dream of a bay window ended up as a complete wash-out, leaving her devastated.
0:02:14 > 0:02:21But first, a Cowboy Trap saga which started in 2007 in the large Suffolk town of Ipswich.
0:02:21 > 0:02:28There, insurance broker Moira Rhodes' dream was to modernise the bungalow she lived in with her kids.
0:02:28 > 0:02:34She decided to start the renovation project with swish new bay windows and found the man to do them
0:02:34 > 0:02:37in a most unorthodox place.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40Big mistake here. We went to a boot sale.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44And this man happened to be selling,
0:02:44 > 0:02:49along with a lot of other equipment off the back of this huge lorry...
0:02:49 > 0:02:52And we started talking to him.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56Initially, we only wanted somebody to come and install the windows.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02You could say Moira's builder fell off the back of a lorry.
0:03:02 > 0:03:08Anyway, when he came round to look at the windows, this geezer switched on the charm
0:03:08 > 0:03:11and said he could do all Moira's other jobs too.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14He said, "I tell you what I can do for you."
0:03:14 > 0:03:18He said, "Have you got all these other things to do,
0:03:18 > 0:03:22"installation of heating system, electrics?"
0:03:22 > 0:03:24He said, "I can do all of these."
0:03:24 > 0:03:29He said, "I will finish your property to such a high standard,
0:03:29 > 0:03:32"you will not regret taking me on."
0:03:32 > 0:03:39Our back-of-a-lorry builder quoted what Moira thought was a reasonable price of £5,000
0:03:39 > 0:03:43for a host of jobs he claimed he was qualified to do.
0:03:43 > 0:03:50This included installing new windows and doors, as well as tiling, plumbing and electrics.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53As part of the deal, Moira would pay for materials.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57Now, hiring someone for labour is OK in principle,
0:03:57 > 0:04:00but if you do take that route, here's some advice.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04Set up your own account with a builders' merchant.
0:04:04 > 0:04:09They'll give you professional advice on the exact materials needed,
0:04:09 > 0:04:12especially for bespoke items like windows.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16Make sure jobs like electrical work, window installation and gas fitting
0:04:16 > 0:04:19are carried out by a qualified person,
0:04:19 > 0:04:21registered with the relevant bodies.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24Hiring an amateur could be dangerous.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27If you are hiring someone for labour only,
0:04:27 > 0:04:30there should be no need to pay them any money up front.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33Wait until the work's complete.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37Unfortunately, Moira wasn't quite as savvy as she should have been.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41She hired the apparently multi-skilled builder
0:04:41 > 0:04:44and he instantly tried an age-old cowboy ploy.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47When he first came, day one,
0:04:47 > 0:04:53and again alarm bells should have been ringing because at this point he hadn't done any work,
0:04:53 > 0:04:56he asked for £1,650.
0:04:56 > 0:05:01Demanding cash on the first day - not good!
0:05:01 > 0:05:06Moira went to the bank and got him it. That's really not good.
0:05:06 > 0:05:12And that wasn't all. This builder's idea of a working day was pretty unacceptable.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16He'd go out in the morning and we might see him mid-afternoon for an hour,
0:05:16 > 0:05:19just to potter about, then he would disappear off.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22We were getting uptight.
0:05:22 > 0:05:27We had this work that needed doing and our builder wasn't there.
0:05:27 > 0:05:34I've heard every single excuse there is for not to work. In one week, he must have had about three illnesses.
0:05:34 > 0:05:39Six weeks and approximately 18 illnesses later,
0:05:39 > 0:05:44this fibbing fraudster was barely scratching the surface of what he had promised to do.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47And what little work he did was lamentable.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51Moira decided to cut her losses and send him on his way,
0:05:51 > 0:05:54but her problems didn't end there.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57He left us with windows that were not level.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59A hot flushing toilet.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03We have doors on that were put in back to front.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06We have daylight.
0:06:06 > 0:06:11We can see through doors where there's no sealant, nothing's been sealed in.
0:06:11 > 0:06:18Nothing out of any of the jobs that were started were completed.
0:06:18 > 0:06:23Before sending him on his way, Moira had paid this cowboy £3,500
0:06:23 > 0:06:29and then she had to plough a further seven grand into trying to put things right.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32Not surprisingly, the stress took its toll.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36Literally, the whole family was blown apart.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39The bickering that went on, um...
0:06:41 > 0:06:45..was just nothing that I'd ever entailed before.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49I've got to say it was probably the worst period I've had in my entire life.
0:06:49 > 0:06:55Moira and her family had really been put through the mill, so in 2009,
0:06:55 > 0:06:58we paid her a visit to see if we could help.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02- Moira?- Yes.- I'm Clive from Cowboy Trap.- Hello.- How are you?- Hi.
0:07:02 > 0:07:08I didn't know if I should slip my sylph-like figure through the gap at the bottom of the door!
0:07:08 > 0:07:11And check out the front door too.
0:07:11 > 0:07:18Apart from getting a draught in through there, we also have trouble with the other elements, the rain.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22- The rain comes in almost a bit like a stream.- That's not good.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25The fitted windows were no better.
0:07:25 > 0:07:30I've actually got a half-inch gap between where the window should be
0:07:30 > 0:07:33and the actual house.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37- In winter time, that must be really cold.- It's freezing. It's freezing.
0:07:37 > 0:07:42And the bathroom brought tears to Moira's eyes.
0:07:42 > 0:07:47It's a bit of a cross between a bidet and a toilet
0:07:47 > 0:07:50because it flushes quite warm water.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53- So it's been piped up wrong?- Yes.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56The loo is almost too hot to handle.
0:07:56 > 0:08:02I'm going to test its temperature. I'm just going to find out how hot that water is.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05Go on.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09- Look at that. - Oh, my... I can't believe that!
0:08:09 > 0:08:12It's over 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15That is unbelievable.
0:08:15 > 0:08:20Well, to me, I'll tell you now, that gives a new meaning to the term "hot flushes"!
0:08:20 > 0:08:22It certainly does for me.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26It's not surprising Moira gave this guy the heave-ho.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30It can't be fun risking your derriere on that raging inferno.
0:08:32 > 0:08:38Before we got the good guys in, we wanted to do an experiment on that worrisome side door.
0:08:38 > 0:08:45Sometimes the rain's lashing down. I'm just going to give this almost a gentle flow of water.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47Watch what happens.
0:08:47 > 0:08:52That's really just light water going in there
0:08:52 > 0:08:55and it's already, I would imagine, pouring...
0:08:55 > 0:09:01Yeah, lots of water going inside there. That's definitely what you don't want.
0:09:02 > 0:09:08It was clear as day. There was plenty for our good guys to get stuck into.
0:09:08 > 0:09:15Firstly, sorting the bathroom's preposterous plumbing, then on to sealing those wibbly-wobbly windows
0:09:15 > 0:09:19and fixing those fundamentally flawed doors.
0:09:19 > 0:09:24With our knights in shining armour hard at work, it was a chance
0:09:24 > 0:09:28to find out more from Moira about the amateur she had hired.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32He's come to your property, he's looked at the windows and doors,
0:09:32 > 0:09:35and then he says, "I can do gas, I can do electric,
0:09:35 > 0:09:38- "I can do your heating system..." - Yeah.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41Didn't that send an alarm bell ringing?
0:09:41 > 0:09:45The thing was, he was so plausible.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48I must have been like this sponge sitting there, saying,
0:09:48 > 0:09:52"Give me some more rubbish cos I'm soaking it up so well."
0:09:52 > 0:09:55The excuses became more elaborate.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59I could write a book on the lessons I've learned.
0:09:59 > 0:10:05But before embarking on her career in publishing, Moira had another task on her hands,
0:10:05 > 0:10:08enjoying the fruits of our good guys' labour,
0:10:08 > 0:10:14starting with the once leaky side door which had been re-hung and re-sealed.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20I don't know if you notice, but the door looks a bit different now.
0:10:20 > 0:10:27- Oh, yes. I can see already the draining is on the outside.- Correct.
0:10:27 > 0:10:32- But do you remember the problem we had before with water just pouring in that gap?- Yes.
0:10:32 > 0:10:38I want to do another test. Sprinkle a bit of water on the bottom of the door. Give it a good soak.
0:10:43 > 0:10:48If I open the door now, because of the way that's now sealed,
0:10:48 > 0:10:50not a bit is going inside.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53That is such a godsend.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57As was Moira's suddenly waterproof front door.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00I'm really pleased.
0:11:00 > 0:11:06I can see already that it's sealed which I never had before.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10- That's wonderful.- Simple, really. - It's great.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12We also sorted those shoddy windows.
0:11:12 > 0:11:19- The boys have put a nice piece of unit in there now that looks really the business, doesn't it?- Yeah.
0:11:21 > 0:11:26Last but not least, in the bathroom, that volcanic toilet had cooled down
0:11:26 > 0:11:31thanks to our good guys connecting the cistern to the right water supply.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35There we go.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39And we are down to 20 degrees Celsius,
0:11:39 > 0:11:44which means that it's around about 65 Fahrenheit or thereabouts.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48- Thank you.- I tell you what, we now feel flushed with success!
0:11:50 > 0:11:55Yeah, Moira's house had received a new lease of life, that's for sure.
0:11:55 > 0:12:00But have we put her back on track in her quest for a dream home?
0:12:00 > 0:12:04Would she complete the rest of the job she had planned?
0:12:04 > 0:12:06Only time would tell.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12Three years on and check out Moira's house now.
0:12:12 > 0:12:17The good news is Moira's cowboy didn't put her off builders for life.
0:12:17 > 0:12:23Our guys restored her faith and gave her the confidence to construct the perfect home.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27Cowboy Trap came along.
0:12:27 > 0:12:32They put everything that needed to be put right
0:12:32 > 0:12:35and it was a platform for me to rebuild
0:12:35 > 0:12:38and go forward.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40And go forward she did.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43Check out this sparkling new conservatory
0:12:43 > 0:12:46which Moira put up herself.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48Nice one, Moira.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53I'm not a builder by any, any bit of the imagination,
0:12:53 > 0:12:57and luckily enough, one, it's still standing,
0:12:57 > 0:13:02and second, it fits in well with everything else and it's watertight.
0:13:02 > 0:13:09And Moira found a non-cowboy builder to construct a den for her teenagers in the garden. Looks great.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12The cabin is one of the very first things
0:13:12 > 0:13:17that we've actually had outside people to come in and erect.
0:13:17 > 0:13:24Now, it was the Cowboy Trap that gave us the combined tools of common sense really
0:13:24 > 0:13:30to enable us to do the right thing in employing the right people.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32We didn't do it before.
0:13:32 > 0:13:38And we can see the result of what they've done. This time, all right.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42Thanks to our good guys and Moira's good guys,
0:13:42 > 0:13:45that dastardly cowboy is ancient history.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52I'm so over the builder, it's unreal.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56I don't think about him any more. That's history.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01I'm gaining confidence in employing people to do work.
0:14:02 > 0:14:07Part of that is down to me doing a lot more checking
0:14:07 > 0:14:09before I take somebody on.
0:14:09 > 0:14:16And Moira found out she could actually do a better job than her cowboy builder. Funny, that!
0:14:16 > 0:14:21We can do some things ourselves, so it's a total turnaround.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23Fantastic.
0:14:26 > 0:14:33A happy ending and a valuable lesson for Moira - one you can learn from, too.
0:14:33 > 0:14:40It's all too easy to slip up by hiring an incompetent builder who takes your cash and bodges it.
0:14:40 > 0:14:46Moira found out the hard way. And so did the Cowboy Trap victim in our next story,
0:14:46 > 0:14:52who also hired a man who was far from capable of delivering her dream.
0:14:53 > 0:14:58Our next cowboy controversy took place in Bonnie Scotland,
0:14:58 > 0:15:01where a builder went way beyond the pale.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05I'm in Angus on the north-east coast of Scotland,
0:15:05 > 0:15:09an area of outstanding natural beauty
0:15:09 > 0:15:12and birthplace of JM Barrie, the author of Peter Pan,
0:15:12 > 0:15:16who famously invented the Wendy house whilst living here.
0:15:16 > 0:15:22That's a strange coincidence because a Wendy house is what came to mind when I first saw the work
0:15:22 > 0:15:27a cowboy builder carried out at poor Lorna Russell's house.
0:15:28 > 0:15:35In 2011, Cowboy Trap took the high road to visit Lorna's end-of-terrace ex-council house.
0:15:36 > 0:15:41Mum of four and grandmother of nine, Lorna retired ten years ago.
0:15:41 > 0:15:48She wasn't only a dab hand in the garden, but also a skilled crafter of gnomes and figurines.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54It's always been a love of mine. I was very good at it at school.
0:15:54 > 0:15:59But I don't sell anything. I have the greatest pleasure giving them.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03Lorna had been suffering with arthritis for over 30 years.
0:16:03 > 0:16:08As she got older, managing the stairs was easier said than done.
0:16:08 > 0:16:14So she hit on the idea of converting a timber outbuilding into a downstairs bedroom
0:16:14 > 0:16:20and in the process she'd fulfil a lifelong dream of having a bay window.
0:16:20 > 0:16:26I'd been, when I was younger, in somebody's house visiting and they had a bay window.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30And I thought, "That's what I would like."
0:16:30 > 0:16:36In the autumn of 2008, Lorna was ready to make her bay window dream a reality,
0:16:36 > 0:16:40but forgot some crucial early steps prior to getting the job started.
0:16:40 > 0:16:45She didn't get all the right professional advice about the work,
0:16:45 > 0:16:50so had no drawings or building warrants in place.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55Take our advice. Before you start any structural work,
0:16:55 > 0:17:00you should ask an architect to draw up accurate plans for the project.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04Contact your local council planning department and building control
0:17:04 > 0:17:08to seek advice about any permissions you may need.
0:17:08 > 0:17:15Getting the right paperwork is wholly your responsibility, NOT your builder's.
0:17:16 > 0:17:21But poor Lorna had no paperwork and no architect's designs.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23Not a good start.
0:17:23 > 0:17:30Anyway, moving swiftly on, Lorna launched into finding someone to do the job.
0:17:30 > 0:17:36I phoned up a few builders and the third one came over to have a look.
0:17:36 > 0:17:42I asked him, "Could I possibly have just a nice bay window? That's all I want."
0:17:42 > 0:17:46And he said, "Oh, that's no problem."
0:17:46 > 0:17:50He said he'd start in a couple of weeks, which he did.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54The builder quoted £1,650
0:17:54 > 0:17:56and wanted 800 quid up front.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00Lorna gave him the green light and handed over the cash.
0:18:00 > 0:18:06Not clever. It didn't take her long to realise she was on a slippery slope
0:18:06 > 0:18:09into a cowboy trap.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13The first thing I noticed when things were going wrong was
0:18:13 > 0:18:17one day I was at the foot of the garden and I looked out and saw him
0:18:17 > 0:18:22with this gaping hole and he was trying to do something to the roof.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25He was scratching his head. He didn't know what to do.
0:18:25 > 0:18:30And I just thought, "I have a cowboy builder here."
0:18:30 > 0:18:37But Lorna made the schoolgirl error of letting him carry on and things went from bad to worse.
0:18:37 > 0:18:43In the third week, there was water coming in because it had been raining.
0:18:43 > 0:18:50He came back to do some repairs to stop the water, but it never really stopped.
0:18:50 > 0:18:57And despite the fact that this dripping disaster was clearly his fault, he refused to return
0:18:57 > 0:19:01- unless he got more money.- I said, "You have to make it watertight."
0:19:01 > 0:19:08He said, "If you ask me to come back and you don't pay me the money, I'll have to charge you more."
0:19:08 > 0:19:15He came back to try and fix it and said that was the best he could do and that was it.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17So far, so bad.
0:19:17 > 0:19:25But just when you thought things couldn't possibly get any worse, they did, with brass knobs on.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29Lorna's ceiling started to cave in before her very eyes.
0:19:29 > 0:19:36I just heard like a scraping noise. And I looked and it was like in slow motion.
0:19:36 > 0:19:43A long piece of paper came down with this huge piece of plasterboard
0:19:43 > 0:19:48and then I saw the fibreglass stuff dripping onto the floor into a pile.
0:19:48 > 0:19:55I was so sure the roof was going to come in, I just stood and watched it. I froze.
0:19:57 > 0:20:04Lorna was left in the lurch with only buckets to pick up the pieces of her wash-out of a job.
0:20:04 > 0:20:11I was emptying it every day in the winter when there was icicles inside.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14How could somebody do this and not repair their mess?
0:20:14 > 0:20:19When I say cowboy builders don't just ruin homes, but lives, too,
0:20:19 > 0:20:22Lorna was a classic case.
0:20:22 > 0:20:28By wrecking her home, this cowboy sent her into a spiral of depression
0:20:28 > 0:20:32and caused her to lose motivation for the things she loves doing best.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37I gave up in the garden, I gave up on doing repairs
0:20:37 > 0:20:42and my crafts... I couldn't go into the sheds.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46Poor Lorna's whole life was being turned upside down.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50When we first paid her a visit in spring, 2011,
0:20:50 > 0:20:55her leaky roof had loomed over her for three years and was getting worse by the day.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58Hello. You must be Lorna.
0:20:58 > 0:21:03How are you? Oh, you're dragging me in! I like that.
0:21:03 > 0:21:09So while Lorna put the kettle on, we waded in to see the damage.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11You've got to be having a laugh.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17What on earth has been going on?!
0:21:18 > 0:21:24Whatever has been going on has been a complete disaster. The weight is forcing that down.
0:21:24 > 0:21:30These timbers are just no good now. When they dry out, they're going to warp all over the place and move.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34Look at all the spores and everything growing on this lot.
0:21:34 > 0:21:42- This whole thing's going to have to be stripped out.- And what we saw next only compounded our worries.
0:21:42 > 0:21:43Whoa!
0:21:43 > 0:21:45I'm not liking that.
0:21:45 > 0:21:52At all. We've got damp in these walls and a socket. I need to check if that's live.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54Shocking.
0:21:54 > 0:21:59Anyone knows water plus electricity equals potential disaster.
0:21:59 > 0:22:04Time to get outside to find the root of this rotten roof.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09What the heck has been going on?
0:22:09 > 0:22:14There's a valley. This is raised too high for the actual flat roof itself.
0:22:14 > 0:22:19I don't think I have ever seen anything quite like this before.
0:22:19 > 0:22:26It was clear that Lorna had been the victim of a low-down, doggone cowboy.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30It was time for a pow-wow about how she got into this pickle.
0:22:30 > 0:22:36- Were you happy with the way work started?- Sometimes he'd stand scratching his head
0:22:36 > 0:22:41and worried about it and I thought, "Something's going wrong."
0:22:41 > 0:22:47I could see the sagging in the roof, but when I saw it, you know, completed,
0:22:47 > 0:22:54- I was pleased with it. But it wasn't so thick as this one here.- No.- That's what I noticed.
0:22:54 > 0:22:59Lorna's so-called builder had even used interior doors for the window.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03That room was never going to be warm or safe.
0:23:03 > 0:23:08Lorna had wisely withheld the last payment because of the shoddy work,
0:23:08 > 0:23:11but that led to an unexpected development.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14His wife came to the door and threatened me. Yeah.
0:23:14 > 0:23:19She was worse. She threatened to come and pull it down.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23I've cried a lot. Buckets full like that.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26- It was just... - A dreadful...- ..time.
0:23:26 > 0:23:33- I want to put things right for you. - Thank you.- Tell me what you would like us to do with that area.
0:23:33 > 0:23:39All I want is a bedroom and because of building rules and stuff like that,
0:23:39 > 0:23:42I cannot have a bay window.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45Lorna had to forego the bay window she'd dreamed of,
0:23:45 > 0:23:52but our Good Guys made the best of her garden view and put in some lovely, big double-glazed ones.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56They built new walls and made the room watertight and safe.
0:23:56 > 0:24:02And the icing on the cake of Lorna's brand-new bedroom was a fresh lick of paint.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06Time to show lucky Lorna the stunning transformation.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10This is a totally different world.
0:24:14 > 0:24:19- What do you think?- Fantastic. It really is. I love the colour.
0:24:19 > 0:24:24I'm so chuffed! My friends will be jealous.
0:24:24 > 0:24:30- Will they?- Yeah! - Our knights in shining armour had rectified the shoddy bay window
0:24:30 > 0:24:33and revamped the patio area, too.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39The exterior had clearly got Lorna's seal of approval.
0:24:39 > 0:24:44Next, it was time to check out our Good Guys' good work inside.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46Isn't that something?
0:24:46 > 0:24:48Hey...
0:24:48 > 0:24:49Oh, boy.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52I think I'm going to faint!
0:24:53 > 0:24:56Oh, thank you, Clive.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00- You've got a new floor... - Roof?- Roof.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04- Walls.- I know. And look at my look-out as well.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07- That is beautiful.- The garden.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10- Is this your dream?- It is.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14- So we're really up there on the chuff-ometer?- The very top.
0:25:14 > 0:25:19No wonder she was happy. Lorna's bedroom had been transformed
0:25:19 > 0:25:23from a dripping disaster zone into a wonderful, watertight room.
0:25:25 > 0:25:30But had it inspired Lorna to do more work in her quest for a dream home?
0:25:30 > 0:25:33Only time would tell.
0:25:35 > 0:25:41Now it's been a good year since I last saw Lorna and she had massive plans for that room.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45I can't wait to see what she's done with it. Come with me.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52- Hiya!- How are you, lovely Lorna? - I'm OK. Are you OK?- I'm good!
0:25:52 > 0:25:58Before we're even over the threshold Lorna brings out a rather fetching eye mask
0:25:58 > 0:26:01to make her big reveal an even bigger surprise.
0:26:01 > 0:26:06- You're having a laugh! I'm going to look a right plonker!- No, you won't.
0:26:06 > 0:26:11- Let's do it.- Well, this is a first even for Cowboy Trap.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15Right, it's time to embark on this magical mystery tour.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18Yeah. What do you think?
0:26:19 > 0:26:22I've come in to the world of a princess!
0:26:22 > 0:26:26- Well...- Cor, blimey! - You like it?
0:26:26 > 0:26:30- There's not too much stuff? - No, it's amazing.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32- It is just so you.- Yeah.
0:26:32 > 0:26:38Well, our Good Guys worked their magic, converting the dangerous, leaking shell
0:26:38 > 0:26:42into a safe, fresh and watertight space,
0:26:42 > 0:26:48but Lorna's turned it into her own Never Never Land, cosy and feminine.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51Every inch reflects her unique style.
0:26:51 > 0:26:56It was a real blank canvas for you to do exactly what you wanted to do.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59You've got the deep shagpile.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01- Look.- Ahh!
0:27:01 > 0:27:04- Isn't that something? - I think I've put on weight.
0:27:04 > 0:27:10Yep, it's good news. We've helped take a weight off Lorna's mind.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13She now has the heavenly bedroom she prayed for.
0:27:13 > 0:27:20But there's still the million-dollar question. Has Lorna beaten those bad builder blues?
0:27:20 > 0:27:24If you were to have another builder in again, in the future,
0:27:24 > 0:27:30have you learned lessons from the time of having the cowboy builder in?
0:27:30 > 0:27:33I'd be very much aware, you know?
0:27:33 > 0:27:38And I'd do like what you said and get into the ins and outs of it.
0:27:38 > 0:27:43- And also go to the council to have plans drawn up proper.- Yes.
0:27:43 > 0:27:48And all these kinds of groundwork that you need to have to start.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51- It's lessons learned. We can tick that box.- Absolutely.
0:27:51 > 0:27:57- So have we inspired you to crack on and finish those jobs? - There's no stopping me now!
0:27:57 > 0:27:59That's great news.
0:27:59 > 0:28:05Lorna's got her makeover mojo back, undeterred by the nasty chapter with a cowboy builder.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09We've helped her story have a happy ending.
0:28:09 > 0:28:14Well, I think it's amazing what Lorna's achieved since we were here.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18And what about those adorable angels? That bedroom is just her.
0:28:18 > 0:28:26I have to say it's another victory for our Good Guys. Remember, if you do your research and take my tips,
0:28:26 > 0:28:30the building work will be a blessing and not a curse.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd