A mother-of-two has given up on receiving any compensation after a botched extension left her nearly £80,000 out of pocket.
Vicki Mileham ended up paying £79,550 for the work at her home at Belton, near Great Yarmouth, which was never completed and left her property in a "state".
The builders stopped work on the two-storey extension in Heather Gardens in March 2020 and left a sagging roof, live electrical cables dangling down, wonky walls and gas pipes built into a cavity wall.
The extension then had to be demolished and rebuilt, but a new kitchen area is very basic with just concrete floors and Mrs Mileham's new bedroom has no heating.
Mrs Mileham, 51, and mother of 15-year-old twin daughters, has had to rely on the kindness of friends to try and finish the work, with two of them plastering the kitchen this week.
She had contracted Diamond Standard Renovations for the original work in November 2019, which was meant to have cost £32,000, but ending up costing her £79,550 in transfers to the builders - money she is resigned to never seeing again.
She said: "I have not got any money back. I have been told not to pursue it legally because I won't get it back.
"I carry on paying two mortgages for a home I don't really have. I have something resembling a kitchen. We just get by.
"I currently work a six day week to try to make extra money for the house."
Mrs Mileham, a nurse, said that 2020 had been a "horrendous year" but added: "It is strange because you get used to it."
Diamond Standard Renovations had involved business partners Reece Lloyd and Kyle Muir.
Back in August 2020, Mr Lloyd told this newspaper he acknowledged what he had done, was sorry and he intended to pay compensation.
Mr Muir had said what had happened at the property "was not his responsibility" and had sold his share of the company to Mr Lloyd in December 2019 after their relation had broken down.
Mr Lloyd had added the job had become "overwhelming".
Mrs Mileham wanted to thank friends and neighbours for rallying around her and Alan Osborne of council-approved independent inspectorate Build Insight for his support.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here