My F**king Builder.

[PavlovtheForgetfulCat]

He took all his tools last week, after receiving an agreed additional payment (from the final that we owe him) To clear the loft for the final lot of plastering he said. To be able to gain perspective he said. (he did not do this last time he plastered and there is only remedial plastering to do now up there, the rest is on the stairs, hallway etc). He talked to us about this and that, all nice.

After about 30 mins, I became a bit suspicious, again that he might have done a runner as he took everything apart from a yellow bucket. He took is ladder, why would you do this if you were plastering at height? Anyway, I am naturally suspicious. It is part of my job, it is part of my make-up. DH was a bit worried too, but we put it down to being nervous about this job. And I reminded myself of his reassuring conversation about him completing and DH and I agreed we were being unecessarily suspicious.

He was not coming in monday he said, bank holiday, out with the kids, he said.

This morning, he did not show. Did not answer his mobile. DH and I have been panicking. Eventually at 11am he phones.

And he said:

His younger brother has been rushed to hospital, is critical, collapsed lung (he only has one apparantly) and next 48 hours are critical. it had only just happened. He would try to get his plasterer mate to help him out.

Now. I am very cynical. DH said, initially, he appeared genuine. But DH is a very forgiving person and sees the best in everyone. I don't. DH started to doubt whether this was the truth or a blag. But, we are very nervous about whether this is true or not.

I actually want it to be true, so he that it means he has not done a runner with most of our money and left us in a hellhole. Does not make me a nice person I feel But then I also think he is very elaborate with his stories, has been so far and this smacks of some bullshit.

Either way, this week is dead for any work. and I am getting closer to my due date. And now, calm, chilled relaxed DH is starting to pull his hair out.

Sorry. Half of you probably won't even know what on earth I am banging on about but I needed to vent as I am so annoyed and upset and stressed and fed up it is unreal. I have no space. I am not sleeping as I am sharing with a toddler who talks in her sleep and a DH who is smoking too much and therefore snoring.

Mrssixx - We have contacted "cowboy Builders" channel 5 - we are hoping they will come back to us. Trading Standards seem very uninterested, as does the local building inspector!!! I have every intention of making this man pay for what he has done to my home. He has wrecked it. He is taking no responsibility but has taken all our money. Does anyone know if the police would be interested in either a fraud case or criminal damage case?? Our insurance legal assistance have told us in the first instance to write him a letter - so tonight a letter I will write!!! Not sure he can read though, he certainly can't read plans!!!!

nikiw oh, I am so so sorry you are having to go through this. How absolutely awful, i would not wish this on anyone, its just the worst feeling isn't it? I know how you feel, that feeling that we, thinking we were clever enough to make adult decisions involving thousands could result in being so majorly ripped off one person causing such utter damage. I did not think it would happen to us yet it did.

My home insurance said I am covered for telephone advice, but building work is not covered for legal expenses .

We are at the stage of preparing defense and counterclaim, we have 14 more days. But the sooner the better as this baby won't hang around for long and I want our claim in asap. We have a letter from SE and are trying to get hold of BI for his input (he needs to sign off the work anyway).

I really hope you take the bastard to the cleaners, do keep posting, we can hold hands through it

PavlovtheForgetfulCa - I think for you to survive all this stress and hassle and be so pregnant is amazing. I'm sure if this had happened to me whilst pregnant, the hormones would have taken over and I would have flipped!!!!! Or probably worst. . . . Good luck with eveything and the baby of course?
We have just had the BI round (at my request), he is going to do a letter about the poor state of the roof (structure), but really doesn't want to get involved. The home insurance legal advisor said to write a letter to builder giving him time to repair his mistakes then if he doesn't, to get quotes from others to put his work right and sue him for these costs - they can log it as a case - as we can go down the breach of contract route with them, but the letter has to be done first - so thats 1 bit of good news.

niki - i have lost it a few times, and i have found it exceptionally hard to cope. it has marred this pregnancy so badly and more than the money I cannot forgive that. But, i think i coped more due to necessity, there was not an alternative.

I am now having wobbles about going up there though, and think DD is going up there instead. For now at least.

I had an idea about posting some things you should look out for or ways of covering yourself when hiring builders. I asked DP for his top tips and I was amazed at some of them - would never have known to do any of them - do you think they would be useful to people if I posted them? Just a thought

Definitely would be helpful jeanjeanie, & appreciated

Sorry to hear of your builder troubles nikiw

jeanjeanie yes, definitely, sounds like a great idea .

Painting almost done. Another coat in the hallway and done.

And, I spoke to the carpet guy, and he will do us a deal on carpet up there. We could not really afford it after all this expense esp as we will have the problem of sorting out the space left after lobby is moved, but he will do us a fantastic deal for cheap but nice carpet, and DD will go up there. Next year, when we get the lobby moved and she has trashed it we will get a better one. So, on wednesday next week we will have a complete loft apart from velux blinds (got to wait til pay day now!), and DD will have a new bedroom! And we will be ready for the new baby .

Phew, with 3 weeks to spare, we are almost there. (presuming baby is on time not early like dd was!)

Cool - I will get onto DP when he's recovered from his man flu/bug! I thought it would be good for others to share their top tips too.

Phew, Pavlov 3 weeks to spare....but you got there

Just a little update.

Have handed in all the paperwork for our counterclaim, so should receiving what is called an allocations form in the next couple f days, which will give us a chance to add any further evidence, and explain what evidence we have etc.

The SE has provided us with a report and copy of plans with certain bits highlighted, to evidence what was required according to the plans and what actually was done, and that this was the fault of the builder not following the plans, his involvement in getting him to lower it to follow plans. He is also adding a supplement to advise that certain elements of the work still do not confirm to the plans (skylights in wrong place, stairs, lobby, small bedroom still wrong).

AND, the BI has come out, and finally signed off the loft as legal and complete. We showed him photos of the steelwork put in by new builder as we have not been able to get hold of the BI over last few weeks before we had to plaster and paint it all. He is happy with the work, can tell the difference since last time he was here, and was impressed with the design to remedy the unsupported beam.

He has also said that he will be happy to stand as a professional witness, he does not know formally where he stands with that, but if he is called, and he is allowed/requested to stand, he will happily stand up and say the standard of workman was absolutely shocking, the plans were clearly not followed and the mistake was absolutely and entirely the fault of the builder 100%. He said to us that there is no way he should be able to get away with it, and he is pleased we are countersuing and hopes we get every penny back. He is going to email me the details of the two steelwork visits, so we should be able to include those as evidence. He said the place looked great and he was pleased to see us happier than last time he saw us.

So, all good so far. I hope it stays this way. Baby is imminent and we have mostly finished painting etc, and I am now ready for the baby to arrive. We have our home back and DD is sleeping through the night (almost!) I shall get around to posting some photos soon, once we have some artwork up!

Thanks again for everyone's support and as I get more news/progress on the court case I shall keep you informed if you are interested.

Lovely to hear you so much more positive. Sounds like the place is nice and no longer a building site. Yay to dd sleeping through the night. Hope that everything goes well with the imminent arrival .

Thanks rebl. I feel more positive. We have a clean, tidy and mostly organised home again, for the first time in what feels like a very very long time. I had honestly started to think it was never going to get to this point and I was becoming very very depressed. Now, I have soft carpet under foot, clean support walls and ceilings, a huge space for DD to love being in, lots more space, and my bedroom back, and have been able to prepare a little for the new arrival. I now hurt from being heavily pregnant and worn out from all this, but I can put it all into perspective now that I can relax, now that I am not in the thick of it. DH can relax too and concentrate on making the rest of the place lovely, decorating baby's room, putting up shelves. The fact that the work is signed off and all legal now is a huge relief. We will deal with whatever else happens as it happens.