A Welsh inspector said one uncomfortable request on a building site changed his career.
After being told to conceal a problem from a buyer about to move into a new-build home, John Cooper walked away from the job — and then built a new business around making sure homeowners get what they have paid for.
Here's what to know
BBC Wales News (@BBCWalesNews) reported on Cooper's story in a video posted to Instagram.
Cooper, a co-founder of Swansea-based inspection firm New Home Quality Control, said his breaking point came in 2018, when, while working as a contracts manager, a site manager told him to conceal an issue before a customer moved in.
Afterward, Cooper quit and decided to devote his career to uncovering the kind of subpar work he had been instructed to perform.
Cooper's independent inspections, priced as high as £500 ($660), can sometimes uncover "hundreds of defects" and "exceptionally poor" workmanship.
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In the video, Cooper described the moment that pushed him away from his former role.
"He wanted me to hide something from a customer moving in the next day," Cooper said. "I told him I didn't want to do it."
Cooper turned that experience into New Home Quality Control, which inspects newly built homes for "snags" — defects ranging from cosmetic mistakes to potentially more serious concerns about build quality.
According to BBC Wales News, Cooper wants independent checks to become standard for all new-build homes before owners move in.
More background
When defects are missed, hidden, or brushed aside, the burden often falls on residents who expected a finished, safe, livable property.
An outside inspector is not tied to the developer or site manager, which can help buyers get a clearer picture of what still needs fixing before they unpack and settle in.
For Cooper, much of his decision came down to his own personal standards.
"Everything I normally do is quite perfectionist, and I like to do things properly," he said. "It didn't sit well with me."
Commenters thanked and appreciated the efforts of people like Cooper.
"Glad to see a man of trades, doing what's best for the people and actually taking care of the skilled workmanship he does," said one. "Good on him."
What can be done?
To hold builders and contractors accountable for the quality of their work, buyers should gather as much documentation as possible. This can mean asking for written records of repairs, photographing visible issues, and pressing for clear timelines on any promised fixes.
When buying a home, hiring an independent inspector may add an upfront cost, but it can also surface problems early, while builders are still responsible for correcting them.
Catching loose blockwork, unfinished details, or other defects before possession can save stress and money later. And when it comes to electrical wiring and other potential fire hazards, poor workmanship can be a safety issue, too.
Through his work, Cooper also hopes to change industry expectations. If independent inspections become standard, buyers may be better protected, and builders may face more pressure to deliver higher-quality work from the start.
"I was fed up of seeing exactly what we see on a daily basis, poor workmanship, things that are getting hidden from customers," he said.
Where can I learn more?
Costly surprises around a home can go well beyond unfinished walls or missed repairs. These stories look at homeowners dealing with builder mistakes, risky landscaping choices, and problems that showed up after move-in.
• One buyer said invasive plants became an expensive surprise that no one flagged before closing.
• A homeowner found a dangerous landscaping mistake by a builder suffocating a live oak.
• In a new-build neighborhood, neighbors warned that concerning backyard landscaping plans could create bigger problems.
• After trusting a contractor, one homeowner learned that no vining plants are safe near a house.
• A new homeowner questioned whether troubling landscaping choices by previous owners should be removed.
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