North Cheltenham To Buy or Not to Buy

Hello and welcome to an extended version of To Buy Or Not To Buy.

They extend everything these days.

-They do. Nails.

-Shop opening hours.

-Hair.

-Films.

-Hopefully, contracts.

-And houses.

-Yes, houses, which is what we're interested in.

-Welcome to To Buy Or Not To Buy. About the contract...

-We'll talk about the contract later.

-OK, fine.

What does an extended show comprise of? We still look at three houses?

-Yeah.

-We still do a test-drive?

-You can't have To Buy without trying and buying.

-We'd better look at some big houses, none of this compact living nonsense.

-I agree.

-Shall we meet today's buyers?

-Yes, let's.

This property used to be a three-bed detached house.

But thankfully and wisely, today's buyers Jeff and Cath Smith chose to extend it.

-It's now a five-bed.

-With a lovely kitchen.

-A glorious lounge.

-And a conservatory.

-All backing on to playing fields.

-With a good local school.

Which all sounds fine and dandy when you factor their three kids into the equation.

-It makes you wonder why they want to move.

-But move they must.

-Let's find out why.

I'm confused. I often am. You have a perfectly good house, lovely place,

school just round the corner and you want to move. Come on. Why?

We've actually grown out of it with the children and the dog.

-It's big enough.

-No, not for our mad family.

You're in a five-bedroom house. You have three children and a dog.

What are you hoping to gain in a new house that you've not currently got?

We could do with a larger living space downstairs, a larger garden.

And also a guest room.

One of the bedrooms upstairs we use as a study or an office.

Occasionally, I work from home, so having a study downstairs would be good.

Once the office is downstairs, you're much closer to the kitchen, coffee, TV's just round the corner.

-Might not be such a good idea.

-That's not a bad thing.

Any other business requirements within the house at all?

I would like some outside space for my aromatherapy business when I get it up and running.

-Hopefully, not too much...

-What, you do aromatherapy outdoors?

-No, I do it inside.

-I see, another building.

-Yeah.

I actually use the old dining room at the moment, but it's not very...

No wonder there's no room when you've got your guests round!

Are you prepared to do a bit of work, maybe convert an outbuilding or a garage?

-A BIT of work, yeah.

-Yeah, not too much work.

-They both looked scared when you said that. I'm assuming "no" on that.

-Yeah.

I'm getting the picture of why you want to move. What style? We're in Cheltenham. Is it Georgian grandeur?

That would be nice, but I think it's out of our price range.

We quite like modern, but we like the old quirky features, really - fireplace, you know...

If we could find some ancient building which had been converted into a modern house?

-Sounds perfect.

-That's the dream, yeah.

What about your current situation? Are you selling your property?

Are you renting it out? What thoughts have you got?

-No, we're going to be selling ours.

-Yeah.

I take it you must have viewed a few properties?

We've viewed some new ones, some old ones and a few things in between.

-I get you. So you're fussy buyers, are you?

-Yeah, well, we're open, aren't we?

We've got all the information we need.

-Just one question left which is rather vulgar, so I'll leave that to Jonny.

-Thanks. What's your budget?

-Up to 440,000.

-OK, that's a pretty healthy budget.

Houses in Cheltenham are more expensive than the average. Is that reasonable for what you're after?

Yeah, from what we've seen, there are properties of that value and the rest is over to you guys.

-Great.

-You have confidence in us.

-We do.

-I don't. Let's get going. See you later.

-Bye!

Jonny, I am not normally a gambling man, but as we're in Cheltenham, home of the Gold Cup,

I will wager that my property on this gorgeous budget will be better than yours.

The odds of that happening will be 3/1.

While he's figuring that out, let's find out why Cheltenham is furlongs ahead of its competitors.

We've done a fair few shows from the famous and very lovely spa town of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire.

Yes, it is a very popular place to live with To Buyers.

If it's not the beauty of the Cotswold countryside and quintessentially English villages

-that people flock here to see...

-..it's the unique Regency architecture of the town itself.

The area also has some famous and sought-after schools, both state and private.

-Which boast some notable alumni.

-Amongst them, the composer Gustav Holst.

And there's the racecourse just down the road.

Yes, Cheltenham has a lot to offer and it's this desirability that makes it a little bit pricey.

But not as pricey as Ascot in Berkshire.

Royal connections aside, this five-bedroomed equivalent of what Cath and Jeff are after

would tip the scales at a princely £599,000.

Warwick also has a racecourse and a castle

and should you wish to bask within sight of its walls in similar five-bed opulence,

get prepared to part with up to £395,000.

Simon, I'm not a betting man, but if I was,

this delightful property in Newmarket would be an odds-on favourite for a test-drive.

As they say in the trade, £465,000 on the nose.

The mystery property hunting team have been working very hard. We've got it down to three properties -

his one, my one and the wild card.

It may be a small field, but there is quality galore and my property, I think, is a real thoroughbred.

This beautiful beast of a house is set in a fabulous location.

I have one slight reservation - its proximity to Cheltenham, but that, I think, is a real goer.

I'm backing property two today. It's all about price and location.

It's not as sweet-looking a filly as Simon's, but if they want downstairs living space, this has it in spades.

Now, what shall we tell you about the wild card?

-Well, it's from a very fine stable.

-It's got some excellent heritage.

-It looks a bit like a stable as well.

-It's got that look about it.

-Do you know what my problem is?

-What?

-I just can't pick a dead-cert winner from any of them.

-You know who can help? The race-goers of Cheltenham.

-Let's go.

Three properties - I want you to pick your favourite, your outsider and your also-ran.

I'm thinking probably it's more likely to be this one.

My favourite would probably be...

-That one.

-I'd go for that.

Favourite, second, third.

If I was favouring location, I'd go for Greet.

I'm thinking this one, but which one do you think? This one?

-That one.

-But not this one?

-No.

I would definitely back that one.

-Excuse me, young man.

-Not that I'm trying to influence you, but that one looks great.

So far, I'm doing brilliantly well, although I'm in fact losing.

But somebody in this town must like my house. I'll find that person.

-The first one.

-That one.

-Favourite? We're agreed on the favourite here.

-OK...

-Second.

-Yeah, I would say the second one, that one, and the third one, that one.

They're going with the bookies.

-Which one would you go for?

-That one.

-Or there's my one?

-Or there's that one.

-Ah.

-I'm going to put my money on this one.

-Curses!

Beautiful. That's the one you want. Absolutely beautiful.

That's the favourite. That's the winner. Carry on.

A lot of strange folk in Cheltenham today!

The good people of Cheltenham seem to agree there is a clear favourite, a rank outsider and an also-ran.

Now let's find that loser Jonny Benarr.

-That one?

-That's the one, yeah.

-But that's Simon's one.

-That's life, mate.

-Can't say fairer than that.

-Is that enough?

-Yeah. Cheers, brother.

-And bringing up the rear of the field, it's Jonny Benarr. I think he's gone lame.

-I've gone lame?

-How did you get on?

-It's gone really... It's gone terribly.

Has it now? I guess that the good people of Cheltenham that you met agree there is a clear favourite.

-Unfortunately, yes. I'm starting to question my own judgment.

-Hmm.

As I am the favourite and I like to lead from the front, we'll start with my choice, property one.

As front-runners go, Mr Benarr, this property is likely to canter home furlongs ahead.

-Like old Devon Loch.

-Devon who?

-Devon Loch, a horse?

It was leading the Grand National by several lengths, then, for no reason, it tripped up and lost.

But this house is on much firmer ground.

Cath and Jeff, property one today is my choice and I'm feeling rather confident about this.

We have brought you to this gorgeous property here, but before we talk about it,

let's put us on the map. We have the Cotswolds over there.

If you wander the other way, down a gorgeous footpath off the road,

you come to the beautiful Anglo-Saxon village of Winchcombe,

just outside of which Liz Hurley got married not long ago.

What do you think of the place?

It's very attractive. I like the Cotswold stone.

It's modern, but it has been clad in that Cotswold stone to fit in with the area. Jeff?

It looks a great size and a nice location.

Not too much garden, so nice and easy to keep.

Oh, you're a fussy one, aren't you?

-Just a bit lazy.

-Hopefully, there'll be a smaller garden at the back.

-You won't have to mow anything then! No, I'm joking, I'm joking.

-OK.

-Anything else to add?

-I've got some good facts for you.

The local pub, always an essential. This is a community-orientated area.

Just a couple of minutes down the road. It's a family-friendly one.

Fantastic food, lovely local ales. That's the research you need!

OK, one last piece of research -

as well as the local pub, there are also some excellent Ofsted-rated schools in this area.

-Fantastic.

-That's where we are, but will the inside suit your requirements? Shall we find out?

-Yes, please.

-Get in there and enjoy!

-Oh, very impressive. It's very airy.

-That's really big, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Nice place to put the dog under there.

-Straight in with a compliment.

-Impressive.

-I like the wooden floor. It's very nice.

-That's a good size.

-We'd get our dining room table in here, wouldn't we?

-Yeah, it'd fit nicely.

This is what I enjoy about the first tour. They're always a bit nervous.

Jeff and Cath walked into the dining room, saw a dining room table

-and said, "You could get a dining room table in here!"

-You could.

-OK, I do like that room very much.

-That's good. Lounge.

-That's a nice size.

-That's really good and straight out into the garden as well.

-Nice fireplace.

-You do have the focal point of that fireplace.

-Lovely stone surround.

-I like its simplicity.

Wow, look at the garden!

Lots of grass and not many plants.

-It's nice and wide. It's not overlooked at all.

-No, not at all.

Nice.

What have you got the brolly for? It won't rain.

-I know as much about the weather as I do about property hunting.

-OK.

Oh, more rooms.

-Oh, wow, that's useful.

-That's great.

-Could be a study.

-Or for the kids. That would be really useful.

-They'd fill this.

-They're now in the playroom, but you've got plans for this.

-It's the aromatherapy room.

Yeah, I like it. It's nice. Shall we see what's through there?

-You'll like this. It's nice and big.

-I like it, yeah. Plenty of room for the table.

-I like the cooker. That's nice.

-And a newish kitchen.

-Five rings as well.

-Loads of space.

Plenty of living space here.

This is exactly the kind of kitchen that Cath was after.

She wanted a kitchen-diner where everyone could be together while someone was doing the cooking.

-I listen.

-And you have provided.

-This is a great bit.

-A great bit extra on to it.

-Yes.

-And a utility at the back.

-Oh, a utility. That's very useful.

-That's a good size as well.

-It is.

I like it. Very nice. And we've got a back door to the garden which is fabulous.

It is useful, otherwise you'd never get into the garden. The fence is too high.

Oh, which way do we go?

-It's nice and big up here.

-Oh, wow, this must be the office.

-That's good. That means downstairs you could keep that as a kids' room or you could flip it around.

-Yeah.

That's really useful. And when you're working,

you get to see the view as well. It even looks good in the rain.

-Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to British summer time!

-It's the glamour of it all!

Oh, this is a nice size, Cath.

-It's bigger than what we've got.

-That's interesting. I like it. It's nice.

It's nice that the carpet runs through the whole of the upstairs.

-En-suite?

-I didn't notice that. That's a surprise.

-That en-suite is so big, there's an echo.

-Wow, what a lovely size!

-That is really big.

-Yeah.

-Nice shower as well.

-Good size.

-And tiles all over. Really easy to clean, isn't it?

-Fantastic.

-And spotlights.

-I wonder if this is the master en-suite, master bedroom?

-Looks like it.

-Yeah.

-Shall we have a look?

OK, let's go and see.

This is a nice, big size as well.

-That's big again.

-Yeah.

-That's probably bigger than the last one.

-Double wardrobes.

-You'd get all your clothes in.

-One each as well.

-A little set of drawers for mine.

-Yeah, I like it.

Jeff knows his place. He gets a little set of drawers. The rest of the fitted wardrobes...

-What a lovely size! Oh, wow, another en-suite!

-That's bigger than the last one.

-There's a double shower.

-Would you keep this one as your master or have the other one?

-This one, definitely.

-I've given them a choice of master bedrooms.

-It's nice to be spoilt.

-Aw, this is really pretty!

-The girls will be fighting over it.

This one is definitely a Megan one. And a double wardrobe. And a single one. I like this room very much.

It's good.

-Bathroom or bedroom?

-Bathroom.

-It's all done the same again. It's nice.

-Yeah. It's quite a good size.

-Split between the two rooms.

-The kids would have this room.

-I've provided a five-bedroomed house and the kids are all shoved in one room.

-I like their thinking.

-Last room then. That's five rooms.

-Yeah.

Three toilets upstairs, one downstairs. Somebody's left out.

I like this room. Got another built-in wardrobe which is so useful.

What do you think then?

-Yeah, I like it.

-It's a good size.

-It ticks all the boxes.

-Nice and big downstairs.

-Yeah. There's not much work to do at all.

-I suppose we'll have to find out how much it is.

-Let's go and see.

I'm feeling very positive for two reasons. First of all, I'm now dry.

-That's a positive, isn't it?

-Mm-hm.

But also we got good vibes through the headphones. You seemed to like this place.

Yeah, it ticked all the boxes, Simon, I think.

Very nice, airy, large downstairs, two en-suites.

And plenty of bedrooms.

Jeff, I know the study was something quite key for you. Again it's been doubled up in the fifth bedroom.

But you have got the addition of the downstairs playroom.

Would you make that the study and have a playroom upstairs or keep it the way it is?

-Probably keep it as it is. Less decorating.

-And the downstairs room is the aromatherapy room.

-Yes.

-We've got an argument about this.

-I know.

You should put the aromatherapy room in one of the garages.

You're better off having it accessed from the outside

-and the kids have a playroom inside.

-Could convert it.

The other benefit of this property is it's only two years old, so the certificates are in place.

If you did encounter problems, you do have an avenue for recourse. That's something to bear in mind.

Right, price?

-Would you like to go first?

-Your budget is £440,000.

How much for this gorgeous place in Greet?

I reckon we're close to budget, probably around 430?

I'll say just a little bit higher - 435,950.

I've been a bit naughty.

This place is actually on the market for £485,000.

-Really? Wow!

-Before you kill me, there's a good reason for that.

The property team and I happen to know that an offer was accepted on this property very recently,

which in the end fell through because the chain fell through,

but much, much closer to your budget than the asking price.

I can't give you figures, I can't say too much, but that's the reality of the situation.

-So they are very keen to move.

-OK.

-But it's massively over your budget. Let's look at property number two.

Jonny, if I said Best Mate, Royal Frolic and Looks Like Trouble, what would you think of?

-That's easy. Me.

-No, they are all ex-Gold Cup winning racehorses which have sadly passed away.

-That's relevant because...?

-You need to flog your own dead horse now.

Let's show them your property.

Jeff, Cath, here we are at my choice, property two.

Simon kicked things off in the beautiful village of Greet.

I've brought us a lot closer to Cheltenham, about ten minutes away.

It's an area known as The Reddings, just on the outskirts of Cheltenham.

Simon's property was this beautiful, Cotswold stone-clad house, and hats off to him on that,

whereas this is a bit more of an unusual property, it's fair to say.

-First impressions of the property?

-It's smaller than the last one.

But obviously, we'll see what it's got inside. Yeah, it looks OK.

I think it's quite deceiving. It might go back a long way, hopefully.

-Yes.

-I like the way it's different from all the other houses along the street.

-I'm not sure about the busy road.

-There's a couple of things to discuss with that.

The phrase "deceptively spacious" was coined for properties such as this.

And all of the properties along this road are individually designed,

so you've got a real air of uniqueness about the property, which a lot of people are looking for.

You don't want to buy a house which is the same as next door and so on.

-Get inside. See you in a bit.

-It won't take you long to get there. Watch out, you'll hit the house!

-That's not a bad-sized hall.

-No.

OK, we'll make our way there.

OK, a good-sized lounge. I like this.

-It's lighter in here, isn't it?

-Yeah, I like the bay windows.

And the radiator covers are a nice attraction.

I worry about what people think about a property when they talk about the radiator covers.

This must be the study. That's nice.

It's a study now. What do you think Jeff and Cath would use it for?

-I'll go with a study.

-Brilliant.

I'm not sure about this bit here, how it would fit in,

if it flows from there into this, if it just hadn't been a dead space?

-We could use it as a little bit of a play area for the children.

-Mm-hm.

-It would be good. Yeah.

-Kitchen?

-Yeah, let's go through then.

Oh, wow, this is great!

-Nice and big, isn't it?

-Jonny's done a really good job here.

The vendors did a fabulous job. I really like the flow of the place and the feel of the place.

It's got an island in the middle, so the kids could race round after each other.

Look at the windows.

-Very nice. They're really nice.

-It's nice and light.

-Gives it a bit of a quirky feel, doesn't it?

-Mm-hm.

Every credit to the vendor-builder of this place

because the extension, the kitchen, with those roof lights is a fantastic bright space

and you get daylight back into the lounge which would otherwise have become a cave.

The thing is, it's not much different from what we've got.

-The landing space is a very similar layout.

-Yes.

-The bathroom looks neat.

-I like the corner bath.

-Quite small though.

-And there's no shower.

-Yeah, that's a point. But I like the tiles and the natural...

-Very natural shell-look toilet seat.

-Yes, it is very nice.

-If there was one part of this property to update, what would it be?

-The bathroom, definitely.

-It's the only area.

-Yeah.

Nice wooden floor.

-That's nice.

-Yeah, it's nice and light in here, isn't it?

I like the double wardrobes, the spotlights.

-That's a good idea. You could get a big bed in here as well.

-En-suite?

-Oh, that's a nice size. Lovely light.

-That's better, isn't it?

Yeah, I like that.

-It's white, so you can just do whatever you like to it.

-It's good.

Normally, I have no time for you,

but on this occasion, I'm going to stand up for you. This is a lovely house.

Oh, next room up.

That's a good size. That's got the same bed as Chloe.

Her bed would be fine in here.

You've got three kids, five bedrooms there. It's a cracking property.

-Another bed. Same again.

-Another bed the same.

-But a bit of a smaller room.

-It's dark, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-It's dark and small and it's probably smaller than the third room we've got.

Space and light seem to be their two biggest concerns here. They were spoilt with your property.

But it's amazing how big a house is when it's £45,000 over budget!

Oh, there's a surprise!

-What, a surprise how small it is or...?

-How light it is, to be quite honest.

Yes, at last, we've got a positive comment upstairs!

Following on the theme with the kitchen, they've put two skylights in, both front and rear...

Dual-aspect, if you will! Even on a murky day, it's lovely and light.

-They're quite a good idea.

-There's a good view over the back there, over the fields. Shall we go?

-Yes.

Thank you.

-That's a nice, square room.

-Nice and light again.

-You'd get a double bed in here.

-And a view out the window again. That's a big plus.

I was expecting another en-suite, to be quite honest, upstairs.

-But obviously, Jonny couldn't find one.

-It's too much like what we've got at the minute.

It's like everything's trying to be crammed in.

You've got good space downstairs, but it's not used very well and upstairs all the rooms are small.

This has gone pretty badly for me.

But it's near the train station. I'm out of here!

No, stay. I'm with you. I'm going to have a word.

-Leave it, Jonny.

-No.

-Leave it. I'll deal with this.

In all fairness, it's not very often we agree on something.

-You asked for a property that had more living space being the most important thing.

-Yeah.

How very dare you! I've been holding off too long.

You live in a five-bedroom house, but it was the downstairs living space that was really the concern.

-Yeah.

-So, with this place, you've got this massive reception room, in excess of 25 feet,

this big kitchen-dining room, a utility room, a downstairs study, and you're still not happy.

I got the feeling that the bedroom dimensions were more of a worry.

The downstairs living space was fine. The kitchen's great, it's nice to have a study downstairs.

-But upstairs is too near to what we have at home.

-I know we were spoilt with Simon's over-budget house

with its big bedrooms!

But you feel that you'd not be gaining enough with this property?

-Yeah.

-The guest bedroom is great, but we know lots of couples, not just single people.

It's not particularly big.

Guess the price. Your budget is £440,000.

At the moment, it's one-nil to Cath, Jeff, so I tell you what - you're going first.

I think probably a bit lower than Simon's because of the space and everything.

Probably less than 400. 380 to 390?

-Well, come on.

-You can't give us a range.

OK. 380.

I reckon...395?

You're both in a similar ballpark, but Jeff, you're going to just pinch this one.

It's on the market for 379,950, so just under the 380 mark.

It's 100,000 less than Simon's place, still 60,000 beneath your budget,

-so it's interesting to see what kind of property you can get without stretching yourselves right up.

-Yes.

What do you think, now you know the price?

I think from where we are now to come to here, the price differential wouldn't give us much advantage.

So you would see this as a move sideways, rather than upwards?

-Yeah, definitely.

-In that case, shall we go onwards and upwards?

-The wild card?

-It's this way.

A history lesson for you now.

When the front of today's wild card was built in the 1600s, England was on the brink of civil war.

I did not know that, but I bet you knew this because of your age.

-When the back of the house was built in the 1970s, The Good Life was on the telly.

-You're right.

-I told you.

Right, Cath and Jeff, the wild card. Everyone loves the wild card. Let's see if you do.

First question. Here it is. Guess how old it is. Date it for me.

Gosh!

-Hmm. 1800s?

-Yeah, definitely more Simon than Jonny, isn't it?

-I beg your pardon? Give us a date!

-I like that a lot.

-Oh, I don't know. 1800s?

-Yeah.

-1979.

-Explain, Jonny.

-There's a large extension to the rear that's been tastefully added to the property,

but as you see it, this dates back to the early 17th century, 1620, to be precise.

It's got loads of history about it.

It was very different. Originally, it wasn't rendered and it was a thatched property.

It was converted in the early 1930s and it was two separate cottages -

a one up, one down on the end and a two up, two down just here.

It's absolutely gorgeous inside and it's got so much character.

-Yeah. The 1979 bit is the bit you can't quite see on the back.

-OK.

-What do you think?

-I think it's very attractive, very quaint.

-But it's got quite a modern look to it as well.

-Jeff?

It looks really nice, an attractive old place.

-The downside is a bit of painting, but hey-ho...

-I know what you're thinking!

"It's old, there's going to be work!" There might be a bit of work.

This is a place you can really put your own stamp on.

-At least it's got the tiled roof, not a thatched that needs replacing every 30 years.

-That can be expensive.

-We love this place. Will you? Let's find out, shall we?

-Thank you.

-Get in there.

A nice, solid door.

-That's nice. It's really roomy, isn't it?

-I really love the space.

-Let's have a look through here. Oh, wow, it's so open!

-This is obviously the new side.

-They've gone straight for the 1970s part of the house.

-Yeah, no choice. That's where the front door is.

-Then that's the old part going through there.

-Yeah.

-I bet it's really cosy here in the winter.

-Nice light coming through.

I'd like to learn to play the piano.

Oh, Cath wants to play the piano. I play the trombone. Do you just play the fool?

-Go through to the kitchen...

-It's a nice size. It could do with a bit of updating.

-You could live in that.

-Easily.

It needs updating, but it's the size that matters.

Look, there's a utility as well. That's really handy.

OK, you could probably knock that through all into one.

-That would be a good idea.

-And give you a bigger space for the table.

Yes, you could have it in the kitchen then.

-OK, so this must be the old half then.

-Oh, yeah.

-Plenty of space under there, so we could have the desk and computer there.

-Good idea.

-Or the dog.

He has to fit somewhere.

Wow, look at the exposed beams!

-Wow!

-That's brilliant.

-That's really nice and big.

-Nice, square room. How cosy is this?

It would be lovely in the winter. Look at the fire!

-Wow, a real fire!

-That would be excellent in the winter.

It must be really cosy and warm. I really like it. Such a change going from the new to the old.

I love the juxtaposition of the old and the new in buildings.

It's a great contrast and in that lounge those period features come to life.

-Shall we look down here?

-Oh, there's more, is there? Oh, fantastic.

-It goes back quite a long way.

-Loads of space for the kids' toys.

Hidden away. You can shut the door and put them all in here at night, so you don't have to see them.

It's a relative TARDIS, isn't it?

Wow! This could be like either a playroom...

-Or a little snug.

-Or a study.

-Or a TV room.

-They could have their own space here.

-That's excellent.

-Yeah.

-What's the most interesting feature in that office?

-You tell them.

In the corner there, the odd shelves are the original staircase from the 1620s.

-Shall we go and see what's upstairs?

-Yeah, sounds good.

Downstairs has gone extraordinarily well.

-This is useful, look.

-That's really massive, isn't it?

-Oh, what a surprise! Wow, what a big landing!

-Proper landing, not just a narrow corridor.

You come up those stairs and you've got this fantastic shaped landing.

It's quirky, exposed beams everywhere, slanted roofs.

To the right is the 17th century and to the left is the 20th century.

-Shall we try this room first?

-Yeah.

Is it a double or a single? It's a big double!

-That is fantastic.

-Brilliant.

-I really like it.

You fall in love with this place as soon as you see those bedrooms with the oak cruck frame and the pegs.

You are walking back in time.

I like the shape of the roof and everything.

-With the beams, that's really...

-It's really quirky, isn't it?

Shall we see how many bedrooms there are? Let's check the rest out. I love the wooden doors.

I love those wooden doors too because they are individually made.

Elm doors that were made from two elm trees by the current vendor.

Wild and exposed, the end, isn't it?

It's a single room, but it's really nice.

-It's got real character to it.

-You could use it as a bedroom or as a study.

-Yeah.

-It doesn't need much painting.

-There's another one over here.

-There's a little step up here.

-It's another big one, Cath.

-Oh, wow!

-That's great.

-It's bigger than the other one.

-That's a little dressing area in the corner.

I like that. You could put your wardrobes there.

It's all painted on the beams this side. On the other side, it's a bit more exposed.

-Is this the new bit?

-No, it's still the old bit.

-You can't tell the difference. It's such a good job.

-Watch the step down.

-That's a door fit for you.

-Perfect height. Don't even have to bend.

This must be... Oh, the bathroom.

-Ooh!

-Interesting.

Yeah. Very '70s.

-Those 1970s avocado suites will be collectors' items.

-It'll be back in fashion in a matter of years.

-It's got a walk-in shower plus a bath. It just needs updating.

-Bidet.

-Oh, yeah.

-Clean your toes!

-Let's get out of here quick.

-It just needs updating.

This must be the master bedroom. It's very spacious.

-Built-in wardrobes.

-Yeah.

-Shall we have a look in the garden?

-Oh, yeah...

-All the rooms have got nice, big windows. Nice and light.

-Makes it light.

-Even though some of it is a bit low down, you tend to get light into the rooms.

Often in these older properties, they do feel very dark cos the windows are very small. Not here.

And carrying on the bathroom theme!

Yeah. The plumbing's there for it, so you could easily change it.

-It'll match some of my old shirts, so I can get those back out again.

-Yeah.

-Shall we see how much it is?

This property reminds me of you and I. I'm like the older part...

-Traditional, steeped in history?

-Yes, but in perfect condition.

Whereas you are much younger, but still in need of modernisation.

You said it would be perfect if we could find a place that was really old-looking, but then modern.

-We did.

-You did.

-What do you think of that place?

Very different. I like it. I like the old, I like the new. It's a nice combination of the two.

-It's just unique.

-Very quaint, yeah.

-Jeff?

It's good. It's got a bit of quirkiness with the old side, nice bit of space in the new side.

It gives you the option to do something. It's the new side that needs more doing than the old side.

It is a lovely property. Despite the fact that it is 300 years-plus when the original property was built,

it flows quite effortlessly and it works nicely, and you've got this fantastic garden for the kids.

-So the wild card has gone very well.

-Yes, indeed.

-I'm very pleased with it.

-But how well?

We will find out by how much it costs. It's "guess the price" time.

Your budget is £440,000. It's one-all. I love this.

-Who's going to go first this time? I think ladies first.

-Thank you.

Taking into account the size of it, the garden, the old and new,

it obviously needs updating here and there,

I would say it was over budget, to be quite honest.

Probably, oh, 459.

OK. Jeff, where are you coming from?

I don't know.

I think probably... I think you've probably been quite kind to us.

-You've probably left us something in the bag.

-Could be wishful thinking.

So I'm hoping, I don't know, 410?

OK, two years ago, you would have been closest, Cath.

-But today, bragging rights go to you, Jeff. Well done.

-Thank you.

-It's two-one.

Two years ago, when the property first came on to the market, it was on for £495,000.

It was taken off for a considerable time, then they put it back on at £395,000.

-Wow!

-So well under your budget, leaving plenty of room to do the work you need to do.

-Or get someone else to do it.

-Yeah.

It just shows how much the market has changed over the last couple of years - a 20% reduction.

That can only benefit you guys.

We've shown you three very different properties.

Time for you to decide which one you'd like to spend more time in.

-Take yourselves off and do that.

-Thank you.

-See you in a while.

-Bye.

Here's a reminder for you at home.

My property number one went down very well with the residents of Cheltenham and with Jeff and Cath,

so I'm prepared to put my house on this property.

My choice, property two. I really liked this place, but it was always going to be a long shot.

They loved the downstairs, but upstairs was too familiar. 100/1 outsider, I'm afraid.

The wild card - we feared that the style clash of the 1970s with the 1600s would be a turn-off.

But like the polarised combination of Simon and myself, it seems to have somehow worked.

It's been a good day for the bookmakers in Cheltenham

-because the favourite, my choice, fell at the last and you've gone for the outsider.

-Mine was a contender.

-No, it wasn't. You've gone for the outsider, the wild card. Why this place?

-Bit of old, bit of new.

Lots of space. Just about enough upstairs.

Downstairs, loads of space. Nice outside area.

-It's a good-looking property.

-Cath?

We'd like to try a village location. It's very quiet, nice views.

Lots of outside space and plenty downstairs living space.

You weren't too concerned that there's not the fifth bedroom or the en-suite?

Well, I thought we could perhaps jiggle around the bottom floor a bit

and see how things go really.

It's nice for Jeff to have something to spend money on and get stuck into in his spare time.

That's what really excited him about this place(!)

-My lazy move's out the window!

-Yeah.

-Our eagle-eyed mystery To Buy Or Not To Buy surveyor has been ferreting around this place.

-OK.

It's not a legally binding survey and we recommend that if you proceed with this property or any other,

you get all the proper surveys and searches done.

You might notice behind me we've got this new fence panel running down the side.

On the other side is the original part of this property's garden that was sold as a business plot.

Planning permission has been granted and a property is going to be built on there.

Do ensure for your own satisfaction that you find out what is going to be going there,

so it doesn't impose too much on to this property.

The other thing he came up with... I'm a geek about this kind of stuff.

One of the interesting points about this place was the multi-fuel burner.

It burns oil, it burns gas, wood, coal, anything.

It was put in when the '70s place was built.

The room it's in, the utility room, does not have adequate ventilation,

so that would need to be looked into.

They're running it off oil fed from a tank which is corroding.

-It's potentially not only a hazard in itself, but a massive environmental hazard as well.

-OK.

That really needs some attention.

Apart from that, it's an old property. Even the '70s part needs some TLC. You know that.

-So get yourselves in there and see which part of the house Jeff wants to start on first.

-Let's get my bag.

-Bag?

-I don't know. Cup of tea?

-Yeah.

-What was Cath on about with that bag?

-I don't know. I suspect it will be bags of trouble for Jeff.

I'm sure it will pay off for him in the long run.

This is going to make the ideal aromatherapy room for me.

-No, it's an office.

-Aromatherapy. Look, a shelf for oils!

-Office, computer, internet.

-No, do that somewhere else.

OK, maybe not then. Poor old Jeff!

Best look for your office elsewhere.

-The wife's aromatherapy suite is rapidly taking shape.

-She's not one to stand on ceremony.

Girls have a habit of making their mark on a property and Cath's itching to get going.

-She might need to hang around for a patient.

-My back's killing me!

That's your age! Jeff had to get something out of this arrangement.

Yes, well, it is nice to see him relaxing into the property.

That looks good. Come on, I've got to be next!

OK. If Cath is to make a go of her business, she needs all the practice she can get.

-You know what practice makes?

-Perfect.

-Indeed, but is this the perfect property for them?

I've got a bone to pick with you, Jeff. The instructions were clear.

Go in there, look at the work, figure out what you'll be doing.

Not go in there, slip your top off and get a massage off the missus. You let us down!

-You spent more time in there. How did it feel?

-Nice place, really relaxing and plenty of space.

Can you work out how to use that space to your advantage?

Yeah, we could use the downstairs room as an aromatherapy room

or a playroom or not a study.

-Brilliant. I like that.

-Yeah, we'll just see.

What about the cider press room? It's a great addition to the house.

Have you thought about how that could benefit your property?

It's interesting. It gives you a lot of space you could convert.

-Maybe that could be the massage room.

-Maybe. Or your office.

Or it could just be a boys' room.

-Or a playroom.

-Suddenly, the games room gets mentioned.

-I like it.

Right, then, we are into the final furlong.

-The finish post is just ahead of us.

-OK.

-Jonny, ask the question.

-OK, guys, To Buy Or Not To Buy?

-I'll leave it up to you.

We've had a good look round and we're definitely interested.

We'll come back and have another view and bring the kids round,

get the dog, see if he can escape the garden, and probably go for it.

-A "To Buy"?

-Yeah.

-Good lad!

-Nice one.

Excellent. That's great. It's fantastically under budget as well. That's the great thing.

There's work to be done to the place to really make it your own.

-That's fab.

-Yeah, brilliant.

If you two guys take yourselves off, I'm a bit tense around here, Cath...

-I'm sure we can do something...

-Yeah, absolutely... What? We'd better go.

Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd 2010