Builders move into couple’s home when they go on holiday, cook food and sleep in their marital bed

Husband and wife paid £17,000 for renovations... instead two labourers made themselves at home

Delia and Mick Cunningham returned from holiday to find builders had dumped food and empty vodka bottles across the house and moved into their bedroom (SWNS)

A group of “cowboy builders” took over a couple’s home after they went on holiday – and held parties, slept in their beds and even subscribed to Sky TV.

Delia and Mick Cunningham were devastated when they returned to find the rogue workmen had not only botched their £34,000 renovations – but effectively moved in.

The couple were stunned to discover all their food had been eaten and empty vodka bottles had been strewn across the kitchen.

They found two labourers had slept in their bed, taken out a subscription to Sky Sports and used the side of their £250,000 property as a toilet.

Mr and Ms Cunningham had spent thousands of pounds drafting in builders to work on their three-bedroom home in the village of Hardingstone, Northamptonshire.

The couple, who have both just turned 60, wanted to carry out large-scale structural repairs so they could sell up and move to Anglesey to be nearer their son.

They were quoted £34,600 by specialist firm Marek KBI to replace the brickwork, fit new foundations, replace the guttering and insulate the walls.

When the work began in February this year, they were told it would take five weeks to complete, so they went to stay with son Mark, 29, in Anglesey.

But when Mr and Ms Cunningham cut short their visit they were horrified to find the builders had ruined their home of 34 years.

And seven months on since work began, their home remains a building site. A second company they employed also left the job half-finished.

Ms Cunningham, a former store owner, says she now faces a further £34,000 bill to rectify the builders’ mistakes.

“We had wanted to fix up the home and move to be near my son who has Asperger’s syndrome, and his wife, who has a brain injury,” she said.

“After looking around online, we were recommended a specialist who quoted us £34,600 for a number of jobs that needed doing in October last year.

“They began in the February – but from the start it was a disaster. From day one they took over.

The couple found food scattered around the kitchen half-finished, to accompany the barely begun building work (SWNS)

“They built a barbecue in the garden using our blocks and bricks. People were using the side of the house as a toilet and we found cannabis.

“We went away to Anglesey for four days – but when we came back there was this horrible smell.”

They found five bottles of vodka in the kitchen bin with a mixture of mouldy food and packaging – and the fridge had been emptied and restocked with Polish food.

Ms Cunningham added: “Obviously we told them to get out straight away. The place was a tip. These two labourers, who we think might have been homeless, were living here and they didn’t realise we would be back.

“The worst thing is they had been sleeping in our bed. They had used the food out of the fridge and cupboard.

“We found cooked food in all the pots and pans and some was stored in the fridge. It was everywhere, even in the garden.

“The two men had even watched pay-per-view items on our Sky subscription. They had disconnected the gas so we had no hot water or heating.

“But they had managed to find two electric heaters and our blankets and had really made themselves at home.

“We knew they had been sleeping on our bed as the pillows were everywhere and the TV was on a different channel to the one we had left it on.”

The Cunninghams cut ties with Marek KBI halfway through the job, having already paid them £17,000.

On 11 June, after they reached out to other companies to finish the work, Bradford-based firm Your Choice quoted them £13,750 to do the work in 16 days.

By this point, the couple, who have been married for 35 years, had been living with boarded-up windows and doors for months.

They are now in limbo and having to obtain a third quote from a building contractor to fix the work done by both Your Choice and KBI.

Ms Cunningham said: “We’ve had independent people come out and tell us the whole thing needs tearing down and doing again. But we haven’t got another £34,000 to spend.”

Former director of the now-defunct firm KBI, Marek Buza, said he was “deeply sorry” for the way workers treated the Cunninghams’ home.

He claimed that he had not known the two men were sleeping at the house and said he was forced to hire cheaper labour and parts to do the job within the budget.

Marek KBI has been reported to Trading Standards and the Cunninghams say they are considering reporting Your Choice as well.

The couple say the stress of the situation has ruined both of their 60th birthdays.

Mr Cunningham even suffered a blackout weeks ago and fell down the stairs of their home, which doctors put down to stress.

Delia added: “The whole thing has been a complete nightmare, we wish we had never started.

“We just want to warn other people so the same doesn’t happen to them.”

SWNS