Leeds grandma swindled out of lifesavings by 'cowboy builder' to get her dream extension
A Leeds grandmother who was conned out of her life savings by a rogue trader is set to see her dream extension become reality - thanks to a kind-hearted builder.
Yvonne Elliott, 70, was left devastated after a ‘cowboy’ builder took £14,000 from her for a 3m by 6m living room extension but failed to complete the work and left her garden turned upside down.
Yvonne said the incident had ruined her life to the point that she was too upset to even venture to the side of her house where the extension was due to be built.
Touched by Yvonne's plight, local builder Graham Nash - of Pinnacle Builders Leeds - said his team of staff and sub-contractors would carry out the work by providing his time and expertise completely free of charge, the latest in a long line of such projects he has delivered over the last five years.
A GoFundMe appeal has raised around £4,500 to help fund some of the materials required and builders’ merchant Travis Perkins has agreed to supply the remaining £7,500 worth of products to complete the job.
The Travis Perkins donation was revealed as a surprise to Yvonne and Graham as they featured in a live interview on ITV’s This Morning.
Yvonne said: “Graham has been incredible throughout this whole process and for him to donate his time and skills free of charge is amazing.
“I’m equally grateful to the people from Travis Perkins for the material donation. When Alison (Hammond from ITV’s This Morning) told me about the donation, I squeezed Graham’s hand. I felt blessed and so glad that someone would help me.
“My faith in mankind had been destroyed after what happened. I was so low but I’ve been uplifted now thanks to the overwhelming support that I have received from everyone.”
Builder Graham, 54, has been in the trade for three-and-a-half decades and has carried out regular jobs free of charge to help those in need since 2021.
He said: “Yvonne’s story is a really sad example of what can happen when people get conned by unscrupulous cowboy builders.
“Yvonne is 70-years-old and should be enjoying peace, warmth and security in the home she’s lived in for decades. Instead, she’s been left with the pain and chaos of a shattered dream.
“We’re stepping in to put the work right and give Yvonne the extension she expected and deserves.
“For Travis Perkins to back us by making this incredible materials donation is absolutely fantastic and I’ve nothing but respect and admiration for them doing so.
“For anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation to Yvonne’s, there is help out there. I’m always happy to talk to anybody who has been on the wrong end of a cowboy builder and there is also Trading Standards who can assist.
“The big thing for anyone who is thinking of having an extension, a new roof, windows or any structural alterations is to make sure they have planning permission and a building control application which ensures all regulations are adhered to.”
Carine Jessamine, Group Marketing & Digital Director of Travis Perkins, said: “We’re delighted to be able to help Yvonne by supplying the materials required to finish this job.
“Yvonne has been very unfortunate to find herself dealing with an unscrupulous rogue trader. We know that this unfortunately can happen but, as the UK’s leading builders’ merchant, we also know that the overwhelming majority of tradespeople are honest, hardworking people with a passion for quality and delivering outstanding service to their customers.
“When we heard about the situation, we had no hesitation coming forward to supply materials. We look forward to seeing Yvonne’s finished extension and hope it brings her many years of joy.”