A retired couple who expected their home renovation to take three weeks have ended up paying almost £40,000 more than planned while their home remains incomplete two years later. Malcolm Carter, 72, a retired firefighter, said the saga had drained his pension entirely and that, two years on, he is still paying for the restoration after selling his car and releasing equity from his home.
After finding Nationwide Construction Specialists Ltd “highly recommended” on the tradespeople review website Checkatrade, Malcolm and his wife Terri, 71, paid the building company £23,891 to renovate their four-bedroom detached country home in Hythe, Southampton, in September 2022. They booked a holiday in Guernsey after being told the property would be uninhabitable during construction, but when they arrived home, Malcolm described the house as a “complete mess with tools everywhere”, so they spent another three weeks living in nearby hotels.
During that time, little progress was made and, believing the project would never be finished, he finally asked the builders to leave. A representative for the company said they “strongly disagree” with Malcolm and claimed the job was “completed and signed off” and that the only reason “it went sour” was because of an unpaid electrician’s bill.
A survey carried out by loss adjusters concluded that “works carried out at the property are unacceptable” and estimated that finishing the build would cost in excess of £40,000. Hampshire County Court has ordered the company to repay Malcolm around £8,000 after he submitted a claim, but he has yet to receive any money. The work is still being completed by another building company and Malcolm said he has spent £61,415 in total on the renovation, almost £40,000 more than originally intended.
Malcolm contacted Nationwide Construction Specialists Ltd to renovate their home after seeing the company had “five stars” on Checkatrade. He was quoted £24,612.39 for the work, which involved fitting a new kitchen, converting part of the garage into a storage and utility room, and turning one of the upstairs bedrooms into an ensuite. He paid a deposit of £6,700 and booked a three-week holiday in Guernsey, expecting to come back to a finished house.
However, the builders were a week behind schedule, and the couple extended their trip as a result. When they returned home, the house was still incomplete, and they had to live in a hotel. After more delays, Malcolm decided to ask the builders to leave as he felt the build would never be finished. Despite a ruling in his favor, he has not received any money from the company.
Now, almost two years later, Malcolm is still in the process of restoring his home, having hired another building company. To fund the new bill, he had to apply for equity release on his home. Overall, Malcolm said he paid Nationwide Construction Specialists Ltd £23,891, and the renovation has ended up costing him £61,415. A representative for the company disputed Malcolm’s claims, stating that additional work and changes led to the delays. The company has been advised not to respond to the judgment as it is in the process of being closed down.