• [Stoke-on-Trent Live Icon]
• News
• Stoke-on-Trent News
• Sandyford

The Stoke-on-Trent firm that's rescued single mum from 22k cowboy builder hell

Single mum Sarah Erraji had no kitchen and bathroom - and had to wash her children using the outside tap

[0_JS412078808.jpg]

View 3 Images

Mum Sarah Erraji, of Sandyford, pictured with Triora workers Arron Stanier and Stuart Coates(Image: Pete Stonier)

A construction company has performed its own DIY SOS - after a single mother was left in the lurch by cowboy builders. Triora Group, based in Fenton, carried out the two-week renovation project - for free.

Company director Paul Williamson had received a call from Sarah Erraji asking for a quote to complete kitchen and bathroom renovations in her Sandyford home. But Paul was left shocked after seeing the state of her property.

Mum-of-two Sarah had already spent 22,000 on building work - only for the jobs never to be completed.

Paul, aged 40, told The Sentinel: Sarah is a lovely lady. She told me all about the previous contractor shed had. Hed gone in and taken a 7,000 deposit off her to do some work around the house. He ripped the kitchen and the bathroom out. Then he never came back to finish the job.

The house had been left a mess. The family was left without hot water. They couldnt cook or do their laundry. Sarah was forced to wash her children outside using the hose tap. Her son suffers with severe eczema, so not being able to have a proper bath has caused his skin to dry, crack and bleed.

It really pulled on my heartstrings. Nobody should be left living like that. I asked her to show me the messages between her and this contractor. He was clearly a cowboy builder whos taken the money and scarpered. She asked me how much it would cost me to fix it. I said Ill do it for free.

[0_JS412078812.jpg]

View 3 Images

Building contractors Triora were called in by Sarah Er-Raji a single mum from Sandyford, after she was left with no kitchen or bathroom due to a previous builder not completing the work. Sarah paid the previous firm 6000 in advance but was left with no running water since May. She has had to use an outside cold tap to wash and her son suffers with a number of skin conditions . Triora saw her situation and reached out to suppliers in the trade including MKM Building Merchants in Stafford and Tailormade Flooring and have rectified the work free of charge. Sarah is pictured with Triora workers Arron Stanier and Stuart Coates in the kitchen which is currently being refit

Kind-hearted Paul quickly got his crew to start transforming Sarahs home.

He explained: The parts for the new kitchen were on site, so we installed it along with some new electrics. Then we put in some new tiling. Then we spoke to MKM Stafford, who agreed to supply a new bathroom free of charge. Then we spoke to Taylor Floyd flooring, whove generously agreed to supply and fit new linoleum flooring in both rooms.

We would have been able to complete the work sooner if we didnt have to fix all the shoddy work that had been half-completed before us. The bathroom panelling had been put on the wrong way around, they fitted an external soil stack when all the drainage was internal, the kitchen had been left a complete mess. But we got that all sorted.

Its been a real transformation. Im really proud of what everyone involved here has managed to achieve for this family. Its a social value project which allows us to give something back to the community. Weve done free jobs before but this one has really hit home. I dread to think where shed be now if nobody had helped her out.

[0_JS412078812.jpg]

View 3 Images

Building contractors Triora were called in by Sarah Er-Raji a single mum from Sandyford, after she was left with no kitchen or bathroom due to a previous builder not completing the work. Sarah paid the previous firm 6000 in advance but was left with no running water since May. She has had to use an outside cold tap to wash and her son suffers with a number of skin conditions . Triora saw her situation and reached out to suppliers in the trade including MKM Building Merchants in Stafford and Tailormade Flooring and have rectified the work free of charge. Sarah is pictured with Triora workers Arron Stanier and Stuart Coates in the kitchen which is currently being refit

Now Paul has issued words of warning to Sarah - and anyone else who is thinking about having building work done on their home.

He added: Prior to this, she'd had another cowboy builder take 15,000 off her. Shes forked out 22,000 in total so far and seen nothing for it. So weve given her some advice about how the industry works and what to watch out for.

For anyone who is thinking about getting some work done around the house, I always give the same advice. Make sure youre looking for well-established businesses with plenty of good recommendations and references. Make sure theyve got the right certifications and experience for the job.

Avoid one-man band operations with no customer reviews. And if someone is offering a deal that sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Ensure our latest headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search

[Stoke-on-Trent Live Icon]

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Choose The Sentinel as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.