Elderly Couple's Nightmare: Botched Home Conversion

0:00On March 24th, retired couple Tony and Sue Wade moved to Cambridgeshire for a peaceful life and decided to convert their garage into a cozy living, space with a kitchen and shower. The 82-year-old veteran and his 77-year-old wife hired BSW construction projects through check-a-trade, expecting the job done in two. Months after getting planning permission, they paid 37,000 pounds upfront, then another 45,000 pounds, plus 20,000 more as issues piled up, totaling, 65,000 pounds from their life savings. But the builders showed little skill, often skipped days, and left work half finished by November 2023. The couple faced sleepless nights over safety worries with Tony starting stress medication from the ordeal. They endured two winters without heat in parts of the house and even protested at the builder's door, but got no fixes amid unstable communication. A survey in February 2024 found 35 defects, like a leaky garage and a half demolished conservatory.

1:00The builder made it moving their money to another job, despite promises it would stay separate. Check-a-trade removed the firm over two years ago and offered just 1,000 pounds in compensation, while noting they've since improved vetting in, complaints handling. The weights now live in a cold, unsafe home, still seeking full resolution.