Family of four left in ‘horrendous purgatory’ after builder bails on £115K renovation leaving them homeless for 17 months

A couple who spent £115,000 on their dream family home have been plunged into debt and left living like nomads for 17 months after their rogue builder quit while their hole-filled house was still windowless, damp and uninhabitable.

Zeeshan Noorani, 37, a transition coordinator at Reading College, and his wife Gosia, 41, a technical administrator at ACT Systems Ltd, were left with a leaking roof and no windows when their builder, who came recommended, walked out.

The couple and their two daughters, Clara, five, and Sophia, three, who has Down’s syndrome, have had no fixed address for nearly two years – during which time they have lived with friends, family, in an Airbnb and a two-star hotel.

The “horrific” situation has heaped pressure on the family, with Zeeshan suffering a nervous breakdown and their eldest daughter Clara being taken out of school.

Zeeshan has reported the builder, who is not being named, to Trading Standards, and contacted the local council and police about the issues they have faced but was told it is a civil matter.

To make their home liveable, the couple have been forced to borrow £75,000 and hire another builder who they said is “amazing”.

They are still £8,000 short of the cost for the new work and have launched an online fundraiser to help finish their four-bedroom mid-terrace home – which was originally supposed to be completed in December 2022.

“I don’t really know the words to describe it – dire, horrendous, horrific, all match up to where we are now,” Zeeshan told PA Real Life.

“It felt like we were living in purgatory, being stuck in a hotel room.

“Then we exited it and everyone’s life is moving on and we’re just in this absolute turmoil of just, horrendous mess.

“And the worst thing is that it was done to us.

“It wasn’t like we went out on a mad holiday to the Maldives and blew it all.”

In June 2022, the couple drew up plans with the help of an architect friend to transform their home from a cramped four-bedroom house to a spacious three-bed.

They were recommended a builder who quoted £109,000 for the works, significantly less than other companies.

Work started on September 1 2022 and the family of four moved into a one-bedroom Airbnb on London Road in Reading for £1,700 a month.

They agreed a payment plan with the builder including a £10,000 deposit and more money being paid as the work progressed.

Little did they know, they would not be returning home for another 17 months.

The first hurdle came when, during the demolition, the builder discovered a single leaf wall and said they needed to requote.

“All of our plans were based on a double leaf party wall but because it was a single leaf the work had to stop,” said Zeeshan.

The couple signed a new agreement for £126,000 in December and were then told it should be completed by March 2023.

To celebrate, they planned a family holiday to visit Zeeshan’s brother in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, and were expecting to move into their new home when they returned.

Sadly, this never happened.

“While we were away, I asked one of my neighbours to check on the house,” said Zeeshan.

“He said, no one has been here and there have been no changes.

“I contacted the builder near the end of our holiday, on April 22, and he just flipped, saying you’re not even on site, you don’t know what we’ve been doing.”

By this point the couple had already paid around £75,000 but were still unable to move back into their home, and so decided to push forward.

“The stress was insane,” he said.

Having given up the Airbnb before their trip, Zeeshan was forced to rent another apartment while his wife and children went to live with his mother Mumtaz, 72, in a two-bedroom apartment in Croydon.

“Friday I would finish work and drive down to Croydon and stay there for the weekend,” he said.

“That was pretty horrible.

“Suddenly I don’t have my family and I’ve never been away from my family for more than like eight days.

“We couldn’t justify the commute, so Clara lost her place at school and Sophia wasn’t able to see her therapists.”

By June 30 2023, there were still no windows on the property and the roof was leaking while the couple’s finances were wearing thin.

The property had also suffered severe water damage because of the leaks, there were gaping holes in the floor where floorboards were missing and Zeeshan said the foundations were not safe.

“I was going completely mad having to pack our luggage for the following week and then pack again on Friday,” said Gosia.

“It was a vicious cycle that completely messed me up.”

Zeeshan informed the builder that he would not be paying another bill until progress was made, at which point they became “aggressive” and said they were terminating the contract.

“The next day I got a message saying ‘please accept this as my resignation by the end of today’,” he said.

The family came up with a temporary solution, spending four nights in the Sure Hotel by Best Western on Christchurch Road in Reading and weekends at Zeeshan’s mother’s.

“Croydon was too far, about an hour and half one way,” he said.

“I was doing around 200 miles a week in disjointed journeys.

“I was basically living in my car.

“That was the hardest part, looking in the rear view mirror at my kids, bags under their eyes, absolutely shattered and I don’t know what to do, I have no place to go.”

In October, Zeeshan said he suffered a nervous breakdown and signed himself off work.

“I had a breakdown and went to see a doctor,” he said.

“I couldn’t really function and was just really wired.

“I felt like I was brain dead.”

The couple have reported the builder to Trading Standards who are looking into the case.

They have also contacted the police but were told it is a civil matter.

To complete the works, Zeeshan has been forced to take out another loan for £75,000 after finding a new builder but is still not sure the loan will be enough.

The house is due to be habitable in early January 2024, 17 months after the couple gave the project the green light.

Overall, they gave the builder £115,000 but have not been refunded a penny.

“The reality is we are now living in debt and the funny thing is that I never was before,” Zeeshan said.

To help them get back on their feet, Zeeshan has launched a fundraiser on GoFundMe where he is aiming to raise the missing £8,000 to move back home.

Sharing a message with those who have donated to the fundraiser, which has accrued over £3,000 so far, Zeeshan said: “Thank you for rebuilding my hope and faith in people.

“Thank you for building our home again.

“Thank you for helping me live again.”

To support Zeeshan, Gosia and their family visit: www.gofundme.com/f/cowboy-builder-destroyed-a-family.