Builder turned our house into a death trap on stilts – leaving us £125,000 out of pocket and then disappearing

A builder turned a family’s home into a ‘death trap on stilts’, left £125,000 out of pocket and then disappeared.

Ryan Ward, 37, and his wife, who did not want to be named, were hoping to turn their three-bedroom semi-detached house into their ‘forever home’.

The couple moved into the house in Leeds, West Yorkshire, in 2021. They spent the next three years saving £70,000 to renovate their home to accommodate their growing family.

The planned renovations included emptying their 30 square meter basement and adding a 16 square meter extension to their house, as well as landscaping the garden.

The production designer said they began contacting potential builders in January 2024, hoping to finish the job by the end of the year.

Mr Ward received quotes ranging from £120,000 to £150,000 until a builder offered him £95,000 for the job. The couple jumped at the opportunity and hired the contractor to begin work in July 2024.

The following year, they claimed the house had become ‘rat infested’ and ‘structurally unsafe’ for the family, including a pregnant wife and three-year-old son, to live.

The builder eventually filed for bankruptcy and was never able to complete the job; this cost the family £125,000. This came after they had to borrow a further £30,000 from friends and family for emergency repairs.

The following year, they claimed the house became ‘rat infested’ and the family, including a pregnant wife and three-year-old son, became ‘structurally unsafe’.

Builder demolished house’s exterior cellar wall and installed Acrow supports to hold house up

The contractor said that he ‘did not give up on the project’ and that he had to stop the work ‘due to bankruptcy proceedings’.

He said the situation was ‘entirely unfortunate’ and that he was working in ‘good faith’, adding that he left the site ‘secure, appropriately supported and supervised’.

Mr Ward said his family were left with the ‘horrible thought’ of not knowing if the house ‘was going to collapse’. He added: ‘He put my family at risk, essentially making us live in a death trap on stilts.

‘It knocked down the walls and left large holes in the side of our house where mice got in and terrorized our kitchen.

‘What he did makes me angry and sad because we trusted him, but he could have killed us instead.’

Mr Ward said he did not see the dramatic £60,000 drop in the bid as cause for concern, as the builder was apparently friendly and well-spoken.

The man, who is now a father of two, said the price was a “no-brainer” as they were looking for the “most competitive price”.

He said: ‘You would think such huge support would be a red flag but it didn’t seem that way.

Ryan Ward (pictured) received quotes ranging from £120,000 to £150,000 until a builder offered him £95,000 for the job. The couple jumped at the opportunity and hired the contractor, ensuring work would begin in July 2024.

The builder eventually filed for bankruptcy and was never able to complete the job; It cost the family £125,000 after having to borrow a further £30,000 from friends and family for emergency repairs.

‘He had such extensive knowledge of the industry that the details, the words he used and the way he explained the process of completing the job gave us confidence.

‘When he talked to structural engineers and architects they didn’t give him any trouble because he was saying the right things.’

Mr Ward signed a contract for £95,000 in the belief that the work would be completed in 14 weeks.

He described the work, with at least three tradespeople on site every day, as ‘going according to plan’ when it started. They started by demolishing the staircase connecting the back door to the garden to make room for the extension.

Work continued in the 6-foot excavated cellar before shoring up the surrounding walls – strengthening the foundation of the house’s walls – before reaching the wall they shared with their neighbours.

The project was delayed by a month following a delay in receiving the Party Wall Award for the wall, which was only awarded to them in November.

According to Gov.UK, the Party Wall Act 1996 resolves disputes between neighbors regarding building works involving shared walls or boundary structures.

However, by this stage the builder had demolished the exterior cellar wall of the house and installed Acrow supports to hold the house up.

In January 2025, the builder demolished two walls inside the basement and installed Acrow supports to hold the weight.

Mr Ward signed a contract for £95,000 in the belief that the work would be completed in 14 weeks

Three walls coming from the basement were built to extend their garden. Mr Ward described this point as when the renovations ‘went off track’.

He said: ‘There was an unexpected delay to the party wall which prevented us from supporting it for nearly a month.

‘It would also delay things further as it would have to be done manually.

‘We were expecting to add a delay of around two months to the date the work was to be completed and did not feel this was anything to worry about.

‘But during this time things slowed down and there was no recovery after that.’

In January 2025, the builder demolished two walls inside the basement and installed Acrow supports to hold the weight.

But Mr Ward was later told he was using the wrong support materials at the time and that they were not designed to support the weight of his 40-tonne home, thus endangering his family.

The builder disputes this claim and adds that the house is ‘safe and properly supported’. He added that ‘the interim support plan has been approved by both the Building Control Officer and the Structural Engineer’.

The family eventually met housebuilder philanthropist Graham Nash (pictured), who called out the cowboys on social media and helped affected homeowners.

The contractor claimed that ‘approximately 98 percent of the structural work has been completed’. He added that he offered to ‘complete the remaining 2 percent’, which he estimated would take about a week with the help of an experienced operator.

He continued: ‘All structural work completed to date complies with the Building Regulations and has been examined and approved by both Building Control and the Structural Engineer.’

At this stage Mr Ward said the builder disclosed his own financial problems. He said: ‘When he told us about his money problems we kept paying him because we needed the job done.

‘It was starting to drag and become a burden as we thought we would have completed everything by now.’

In February the builder told the couple he could break down the basement ceiling and install their new staircase, but this never happened, leaving Mr Ward ‘worried’ about the renovations.

The contractor said he was ‘fully aware’ of the couple’s financial situation and that they ‘communicated difficulties regularly’.

He said the financial problems stemmed from cash flow issues, regulatory changes, the delayed party wall, ground conditions and the delay of two separate profitable projects planned.

The news comes after Mr Ward’s wife became pregnant with their second child in March.

The builder is also alleged to have claimed a further £27,000 after misreporting material costs. He said it ‘made clear’ that the cumulative impact of these issues meant ‘a significant additional financial input will be required to complete the project’.

He added: ‘Clients reported they had no other funds available and asked if savings could be made. I said this was unrealistic.

‘The original contract price was £95,000; this was a discounted figure and significantly lower than two comparable quotes customers received, which were around £120,000 each.

‘Any skilled contractor would have faced the same unforeseen circumstances and incurred additional costs in excess of £30,000.

‘We have mutually agreed to continue to move things forward as much as possible.’

The builder also added that he believed the company’s cash flow, supported by two ongoing projects at the time, would allow him to move the project into a “sealed structural shell” as a “gesture of good faith.” Therefore, he said this would give his clients time to raise the additional funds needed.

Mr Ward claims limited progress was made until August 2025, when he said the builder had filed for bankruptcy. He later left the site.

The builder claims this is because two delayed projects have cost him £250,000 in cash flow. He added that this left him needing to ‘borrow’ £25,000 from friends and family to keep his business afloat, and his bankruptcy was made official on 16 December 2025.

Mr Ward said the news was ‘heartbreaking’, adding that the family were ‘left in complete uncertainty’ and had paid the full amount to him. [they] We were so desperate for it to be completed’.

The father said he contacted several builders to see if they would complete the work, but they all turned down the offer, saying it was a ‘structural liability’.

The family eventually met builder philanthropist Graham Nash, who called out cowboy builders on social media and helped affected homeowners.

Mr Nash, who has 35 years’ experience, said it was ‘the worst construction job he has ever seen in his career’. This claim has been disputed by the original builder.

When Mr. Nash posted his work online, the other builder texted Ryan to say he would remove the stilts from his home.

Mr Ward said he reported the incident to West Yorkshire Police, who confirmed they were investigating the incident before dropping the case.

The builder said: ‘I was saddened to learn that the matter was being pursued on social media despite my offer to complete the remaining structural works.

‘Removing supports without professional expertise will result in a risk of serious injury or death.’

Mr Nash told the family he could fix the house for £29,000, which they could then scrap, leaving them ‘financially unstable’.

Once the steel beams were installed, the house is now stable, but the family still needs the basement bathroom installed, plumbing and electrical work done, and redecorated.

Mr Ward hopes the work can be finished by the end of the year.

The builder said: ‘This is an extremely unfortunate situation. My team and I have worked diligently and in good faith to overcome extraordinary and unforeseen challenges.

‘The loss of two major projects last year made bankruptcy inevitable.

‘Nevertheless, my offer to complete the final structural phase of this project remains unconditionally open and is subject only to the receipt of appropriate assistance on site.’