A family’s excitement about their dream home project turned into a nightmare when a ‘snoring builder’ became the first sign of trouble. Tracy Daly, Robert Cannon, and Elaine O’Brien found themselves living in dire conditions after hiring a Kirkby-based firm, Celsius Home Improvements, for their renovation projects. They shared a mattress on the living room floor, while Elaine slept in a room without electricity or heating for over a year. The situation was so dire that the family had to use their overcrowded reception room for dining, sleeping, working, and playing. The project that was meant to enhance their home had left them in distress for 15 months.
After an investigation by the Liverpool Echo, it was revealed that three families had similar harrowing experiences with Celsius Home Improvements, claiming the company left their properties in a half-finished, derelict state. Meanwhile, the director of the company, Frank Deary, resided in a luxurious multi-million pound home in Aughton, West Lancashire. Despite attempts to reach out to Mr. Deary for comments, he did not respond to the allegations made against him and his company, leaving the affected families devastated.
Tracy and her family’s ordeal began in 2023 when Elaine invested over £70,000 of her life savings into creating a loft extension and ‘granny flat’ with Celsius. Initially a member of FairTrades and TrustMark Scheme, Celsius was later expelled from both after failing to comply with the code of conduct. Tracy recalls the promises made by Mr. Deary of a ten-week project, but work did not start until January 2024, leaving the family concerned about the builder’s lack of preparation and tools on day one.
The family’s concerns escalated when the builder resorted to sleeping on the bathroom floor during working hours, prompting Tracy’s partner to capture footage as evidence. Tracy’s young daughter was left frightened by the stranger sleeping in their home. Despite this disturbing incident, they chose to give the builder the benefit of the doubt, only to realise later that it was just the beginning of a series of problems that led to them terminating the contract with Celsius. They suffered financial losses and were left with a derelict home as a result of the company’s incompetence.
Tracy’s family was not alone in their grievances, as a network of 28 households also came forward with similar complaints against Celsius Home Improvements. These families, who collectively invested almost £1.5 million, formed a support group on social media to share their negative experiences. The revelation that Mr. Deary’s companies were operating under different names added further complexity to the situation, with Clearmetric Ltd facing a winding-up order earlier this year.
Authorities, including the Insolvency Service and Trading Standards departments in various regions, are now investigating the allegations against Mr. Deary and Celsius Home Improvements. Complaints have been lodged, and customers are seeking justice for the financial losses and distress caused by the company’s unprofessionalism. The families affected by this ordeal are hopeful that these investigations will lead to accountability and prevent others from falling victim to similar scams in the future.