The Peculiar Designer

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I hired The Peculiar Designer Ltd for a full design-and-build refurbishment of my flat. Unfortunately, my experience was extremely devastating. Despite paying around 92% of the total cost (nearly £100,000, including £42,000 of fixtures and fittings), the project was left substantially incomplete and the property remains uninhabitable. We currently have no working toilet, bath, shower, sinks or electricity. The fuseboard trips immediately, and we received no electrical map despite several requests. All radiators and air-conditioning units paid for never arrived; the kitchen is half-built with a temporary tap, no worktop and multiple missing units and shelves; flooring is unfinished in several rooms; the wardrobes don’t fit; some expensive fittings have been damaged (likely beyond repair); and many lights are misaligned. Items we did not want were installed without permission, including spotlights and an oversized electric boiler. Work repeatedly stalled without explanation while the company posted videos of their team working on another large job. We were also placed under pressure to make additional payments, including being told to pay £4,560 directly to a manufacturer for wardrobes we had already paid for months earlier. Two neighbouring flats suffered water leaks during the works (causing £1,500+ of damage); communal areas were damaged; and a skip belonging to the contractor was left blocking the ambulance bay for weeks (it is still there). We paid £600 for lift repairs after the contractors were seen overloading and damaging it. As neurodivergent pensioners, the delays left us displaced for over 10 additional weeks, living in a small caravan in winter, which affected our health. Our bank eventually blocked further payments to protect us due to concerns about paying for undelivered goods and work that was continually promised but not delivered (the bank are currently investigating the company). We have terminated the contract under the Consumer Rights Act, reported the company to Trading Standards via Citizens Advice, and are now proceeding with a different builder who estimates only 50–60% of the project has been completed. I’m sharing this factual experience to help protect others from going through the same situation. My advice: run for the hills!