When Karen and Tristan Crook got married in 2011, they did not have to look far to find their first marital home. Karen's grandmother had recently passed away, leaving behind her 1920s semi. The couple decided to buy out her parents and other relatives and become the new owners of the family home. The house needed modernisation so they planned to update the rooms, convert the loft and build a rear extension. They were sure they had found a builder they could trust, as he was an ex-boyfriend from Karen's teenage years. The builder assured them he could do the whole job for £68,000, and quickly got on with ripping everything out. Only trouble is, he did not do much putting back! Four months on, the builder had walked off site with £41,000 of their money, without having started the loft conversion or the extension and leaving their treasured family home gutted. Melinda has a mountain to climb if she is going to get Karen and Tristan into their home – she even resorts to sending out her builder John in search of free materials. Meanwhile, Dom finds out that Karen's ex-boyfriend is a cowboy who is a master of excuses...

• Melinda Messenger
• Dominic Littlewood