Moseley To Buy or Not to Buy

Just a few more key ingredients...

Jonny, why are we standing here with a chemistry set on a property programme?

Because I'm trying to come up with the perfect property potion for today's To Buy Or Not To Buy.

Well, that didn't blow up in our faces, but hopefully today's house hunt will go off with a bang.

Today we're looking at properties in Birmingham, near Moseley.

Now we know where we're looking, but what's the point of this?

Well, today's house hunters have got a fair amount of chemistry between them in more ways than one.

Yes, today's buyers are newlyweds Sara and Sabhir Visram,

and they're both pharmacists!

Ah, I see what you mean by chemistry now!

Yes, of course.

Married a year ago, they've been living with Sabhir's parents while seeking their dream home.

Hopefully that will be today, but this property search won't be easy.

Sabhir and Sara are poles apart when it comes to their passions.

That's right. Sabhir loves all things cars,

and spends much of his time sprucing up his pride and joy or cruising the streets of Moseley.

Sara, meanwhile, is more of a home bird,

diligently swotting up and preparing her PhD.

I don't know about you, Simon, but I feel we've got our work cut out here.

How true, Jonny, how very, very true.

There seems to be a difference in focus regarding what this purchase is about.

-Yeah.

-Talk me through your requirements, Sabhir.

My main requirements is a driveway and garage.

-That's it.

-That's it, isn't it?

You'd happily just buy a forecourt.

I would, actually. Just a little Portakabin on the side.

Well, unfortunately,

we talk about property on this programme,

so Sara, what are your requirements?

A three-or four-ish, nice bedroom house within Birmingham.

Not too far from this place - not the car, the house.

-This is your parents' house?

-Yeah.

What style of house do you like?

I tend to go for newer properties. I'm more taken by them,

whereas Sabhir appreciates older properties a bit.

This is going to be fun, this, today, isn't it?

Would you prefer something cheaper and do the work, make it your own?

Yeah, we're quite amenable to that. It makes it yours, doesn't it?

Also, I feel that older houses are better built.

-You can't hear the neighbours.

-This is true.

-You see? So...

So this is the classic argument, then, isn't it?

Period properties with their charm and solid walls against modern amenities.

The cloakroom and the en-suite.

That's what she looks for, you see.

Am I guessing that if this is your passion, this is Sara's passion?

Yeah. I've got just one little wardrobe. The rest are all hers.

Where are we thinking of looking?

Within walking distance of this place, basically.

Walking distance but within a three-mile radius of this.

Where would be your ideal location?

-Name some areas.

-We're in Moseley now.

Somewhere like Hall Green or Acocks Green, Yardley.

-King's Heath.

-Yeah.

-OK.

-And Moseley itself is on the list.

-Yeah.

Let's call Moseley the centre of our search, yeah?

-Basically.

-OK, right.

So the focus of our property search is family, isn't it?

-It's to be close to family and friends.

-Yeah.

-And the potential to raise your own family, also.

-Definitely.

OK, so, how much for this dream? That is the big question.

What is your budget? How much can you spend?

-Say, 220?

-I don't mind something cheap to do up.

-Basically.

-So, 220 we've got from Sara, Sabhir, what do you say?

-Cheap as chips.

If you've seen the show, at this point Simon says, "But really, how far will you go?"

If we really push it, what's the most you'll commit to?

-About 220, 230.

-220?

-220, 230.

225 sits in the middle of that, that's a nice number.

I've just got one last question. We've got a lot of work to do.

-Give us the car keys.

-Yeah, sure.

HE LAUGHS

-It's the cameras.

-He hasn't got them. Shall we walk?

-Come on, then.

-Sure.

Excellent. Our newlywed couple are very much in love,

but there's a little bit of conflict.

That's where we come in, Jonny.

-So you want a modern property...

-Period property.

-Large garage.

-Wardrobe space.

-For 225 grand.

-Cheap as chips.

Just do your own thing, see you later.

Today's search brings us to Birmingham,

taking in Moseley, King's Heath and the surrounding area.

Though just a few miles south of central Birmingham,

Moseley is still a highly desirable area for trendy folk.

Still known as Moseley Village, it retains many villagey qualities,

with many parks nearby.

Neighbouring King's Heath is larger but still has its fair share of greenery,

lying just five miles from the city centre.

Average house prices in the West Midlands have fallen, and now stand at around 160k.

Moseley and King's Heath are exceptions,

so we'll need our wits about us to find the perfect property.

Let's see what their 225K would get them elsewhere in the UK.

How about this in Jesmond, a fashionable Newcastle suburb?

Sara and Sabhir could get this two-bedroom ground-floor apartment with detached garage

for just...

Or why not try this four-bedroom Victorian semi in Salford?

It offers big reception rooms and is close to Manchester.

A snip at...

Even further south, you could buy this three-bed Victorian terraced house in Bristol,

with period features and a lovely garden.

The cost? £229,000

of your hard-earned cash.

Now back to the property hunt.

I'm a bit confused.

Sara and Sabhir don't know what they want, and nor do I.

I need some help. The good people of Moseley should be able to help.

There is a slight conflict with regard to their requirements.

Our gentleman is relaxed, but wants space for his car.

He's going to be happy with that.

Sara is going the other way. She maybe wants more than is really realistic.

In an ideal world, semi-detached, three or four bedrooms, en-suite,

walk-in wardrobes, utility rooms, separate reception rooms, no work,

-for £225,000. Is that realistic?

-Difficult in Moseley.

To live - Moseley or King's Heath?

-King's Heath every time.

-OK.

-Too transient, Moseley.

-All right.

-Period or modern property?

-Period.

OK. Finally, I think I know the answer to this, but you never know.

Garage or wardrobe space?

Wardrobe space.

I've got my own workshop, so...

They'll find a little bit more for their money in King's Heath.

Moseley centre, extremely popular.

Younger couple, bars and restaurants are important for them.

They're only a mile apart, but are quite different.

Jonny, I've been chatting to the locals and asking them that age-old question -

period or modern, what details do you want?

And it's all now clear as mud.

I hope you did better. How have you got on?

Not bad. The estate agent says you get more for your money in King's Heath than Moseley.

With that in mind, I've gone for Moseley but it's a period property,

so that will maybe appeal more to Sabhir than to Sara.

It's a detached house. It does need modernisation,

but it's the kind of property that, as first-time buyers,

they can put their stamp on it and make it their own.

-I'm quietly confident about it.

-OK, that's property one.

I'm glad you've leaned towards Sabhir more because I've leaned towards Sara more.

I've got a modern property, it is detached as well,

and I'm in King's Heath, where you get more for your money.

There's very little to do. They could move straight in.

It's a gorgeous property with very quiet neighbours.

-The wild card, Jonny?

-The wild card today.

It's wild because it incorporates a bit of mine, a bit of his.

It's not in an area they asked for,

but that's part of the fun, isn't it?

Also part of the fun is working your way around,

-trying to work out how it was extended.

-Yeah, it's a bit...

-Eclectic.

-That's the word, thank you for filling the gap.

-Shall we start the tours?

-Indeed. My choice, property one. There she is.

This detached house in Moseley is only a short walk from Sabhir's parents.

It needs some updating but has loads of our favourite "P" word, potential.

Just right for a young, energetic couple.

Here we are at property number one.

Like a good ex-estate agent, I'll point out the negatives so you can enjoy the positives.

-I'm aware this isn't a quiet country lane.

-Sorry, what?

Don't start, all right, O'Brien?

Once you get inside, all that double glazing does ensure you can't hear it.

I'm also aware the garage isn't wide enough for your car, but that's OK.

The neighbours have set up gates across their driveway, so you could establish this privacy.

You don't get the workshop you were hoping for, you'd have this as a private area.

-But... it's detached!

-Yeah.

-We like detached.

-What do you think?

It's nice, it's got a lot of character.

-It is.

-I like the whole...

-Is that Tudor?

-Front gable, mock Tudor, isn't it?

-I like it.

It's not new, you do realise?

-Sabhir, what are you thinking?

-Yeah, it's nice.

I wouldn't mind a bigger driveway. You've got steps going down.

-Yeah.

-But... it would be nice to have the garage.

-OK.

Let's talk about the other side of this property. I'll add this to what Jonny said.

This was his choice.

I am nothing to do with this.

It's all on him. That's all I'll say.

-Beauty is only skin deep is what I'll say.

-OK.

-You're quite a DIY expert, aren't you?

-Not an expert, no.

I completely misinterpreted what you said. Go, go, go. We'll see you in a bit.

-Wow.

-This is nice.

The lounge.

-It's quite a small lounge.

-It's very square, but it's not that big, is it?

From the outside, the width of the house, it looks...

-You'd think it would be bigger.

-Yeah.

Needs updating a bit, but it does have, like, nice features.

It's a very traditional-feeling property when you step in -

front door, stairs up, doors left and right. It's got an open feel.

It's really quiet in here, even though there's a main road outside.

Yeah, because when the cars go by, given how loud it seems out there,

you can't really hear them in here at all.

Exactly, that's the beauty of it.

It's not only double glazing, it's set back, which dampens the road noise.

I wish I was in there, nice and quiet.

-Into the kitchen.

-Your domain.

-The all-important kitchen,

which we will use.

Otherwise I'm going to go hungry.

-We'll manage.

-Start practising.

-Mum and Dad aren't too far away.

-It's nice. It's a good size, isn't it?

-Yeah.

Ooh, a utility-type thing. What is it?

-You could have it as a utility. That's a...

-A naughty cupboard.

A naughty corner, yeah.

-Hm. Like a second reception.

-Second reception or dining.

Got lots of character in here. I think it's really nice.

Got a little storage cupboard.

Another naughty cupboard!

He must be very naughty. There's a lot of naughty cupboards.

But this room could be really nice, like as a sort of family room,

or a dining. It's a good size.

I love the fact they're looking through what's there and making the space their own.

-Wow! It's a wet room.

-Yeah.

You could make it really nice.

A sauna!

-THEY LAUGH

-A Jacuzzi room, it'd be great.

-Like it. They are quite bling though, aren't they?

-Yes.

I was thinking that would be my utility area, my food-preparation area.

Oh, no. Plenty of space for that. Jacuzzi. Sauna.

This is the garage.

-The focal point of your attention.

-Yeah.

This is it for you. This is all you asked for.

-Yeah, but it's not that big.

-No, it's not.

-It's more of a shed, really, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-So can you get your car in here?

-Don't think so.

-Not wide enough.

-You wouldn't be able to open the doors.

-Over there.

The car doors. I've got to get out. I'm not going to sleep in it.

-I know you think I might, but...

-I think you'd rather.

-Could you fit my car in?

-No.

Not fitting any cars in apart from mine.

SHE LAUGHS

Sara, if you had the smallest car in the world, it would not be in the garage.

You have to see past the choice of decor and see what it could be.

Which is good, use your imagination.

-Do you know what I mean?

-I won't have to work hard.

-Yeah.

Ooh, wow, it just kind of gets bigger. You walk all the way round and it just continues.

Why do bedroom doors always open inwards into the bedroom,

rather than against the wall?

-I don't know.

-It's a Victorian premise.

If there was a lady in there who was undressed,

she would see the door opening and say, "Please don't come in."

-Preserving her modesty?

-There you go.

-I like that.

Another bedroom. This is more like a single room.

-Yeah, it's the supposed box room, isn't it?

-Yeah.

It's quite funny because on the back of the house, it feels really low.

And on the front, you feel quite high up.

I think it's the depth of the garden.

But it's quiet again, this at the front.

It's not too small for the smallest room, I assume.

The long-awaited bathroom.

Not bad.

-It's all right, it's just...

-Yeah, it's a good size, isn't it?

-Yeah. You realise you don't have an en-suite?

-Mm.

But because the rooms are a good size and you've got a bathroom downstairs, quite a big one,

having one upstairs is quite nice.

-Bedroom number three.

-That's big.

-Mm, it is, it's really big.

This is my bedroom, yours is the one we just saw.

Yours is the little cupboard downstairs that I wanted to put a washing machine in.

-This is very spacious.

-Yeah.

You could have wardrobes and a sofa.

Only a matter of time before Sara's wardrobes came up.

We talked about Sabhir's car when we were standing outside.

It's Sara's turn now. We're upstairs. It's wardrobe time.

-You can have a drawer.

-All I want.

-All our wardrobes, you can have a drawer.

Very generous. She's going to let him have one drawer to himself.

I really like the two windows. You lose walls, but...

-There's more light.

-Yeah, it's really bright and airy and light.

There's not much work to do in the house, really.

-It's more cosmetic, isn't it?

-Yeah.

There were some reservations, but we started very well.

-"We"?

-Yeah.

-You didn't have my back on this place at all, but that's gone pretty well.

-It has.

This went pretty well.

I know I took it to the extreme as far as work is concerned,

but it is a detached house.

-It is.

-But it does need modernisation.

-That didn't faze you, though.

-No, definitely.

There's scope for improvement. You can extend out,

make it bigger because the garden's quite big.

-All it needs is a bit of decorating.

-Bit of TLC.

-Yeah.

That is a fair point.

The outside of the house has been completely re-enveloped.

Structurally it's good, and you've got this gorgeous garden.

One of the other benefits is that you could take your garage down,

have a driveway at the side and establish a garage out back

if you wanted to,

and you wouldn't impact too much on the size out here.

-If he was desperate.

-It's got potential. What are you saying?

-She said, "If he was desperate."

-For a garage.

Exactly. He is desperate for one, we know that.

-It's guess-the-price time.

-It's detached.

-It is detached.

-And it's Moseley.

-And it's Moseley.

Who's going to go first? Shall we say ladies first?

-He's going first.

-OK.

-It's been pre-agreed.

Oh, really?

-215.

-215?

-215?

I think less. I think...

210.

-OK.

-Or a little less. Yeah, 210, I'll go for.

OK, well, Sabhir, congratulations, mate, you win.

But you are a little bit short.

It is a detached house, it is a period property.

-The asking price is £235,000.

-Just a little out, then.

But you're first-time buyers, we're in a difficult market.

Personally, I'd be coming in at least 10% below that,

which brings it within budget.

Having spoken to the estate agents beforehand,

a detached version of this house done up nicely is minimum 275.

-Wow.

-So a lot of potential to generate some real income.

-Definitely.

-Interesting, eh?

-Yeah, it is.

But still over budget.

Ha-ha! Will property two be? We'll find out, shall we?

That's that way. Come on, let's go.

Now forget all about the "P" word, potential.

My choice is in King's Heath, and the "P" word for this? "Perfect".

Right, Sabhir and Sara,

I'll tell you how this works.

Jonny picks the first property, I pick the second.

It is... How can I put this? The chalk to Jonny's cheese.

Jonny picked an older property that would take all your DIY skills to turn into a home.

This one needs a little bit of TLC,

but you could move straight in. First impressions, please.

-It has a garage.

-It does! Great.

Sabhir's happy. Sara?

I like the cul-de-sac location. It's a detached property.

-It's a very pretty house, isn't it?

-It is.

-Lawn on the side.

-It's quieter.

-It's very quiet.

-All right, I'll take that as kind of a dig.

The first road was slightly busy.

Sara, you said a modern property, a cul-de-sac were appealing to you.

Looks like a perfect family home.

-I think mine did, too, actually.

-I think it does.

-I completely agree with you, Sara.

-It looks like a happy family home.

-How does King's Heath sit with you?

-Not too bad.

It's not that far a drive from Moseley.

An excuse to get the motor out.

It is a nice area.

The estate agent said you get more for your money here than in Moseley,

so Simon's picked you potentially a winner here, though I think...

He's giving ground.

I think you'll love it even more when you get inside, so get in there and enjoy.

Intriguing.

A little sort of porch, cloakroom place. What's that?

-Downstairs toilet.

-Handy.

Living room. OK.

That's a nice lounge.

It is.

-Very square.

-What do you think compared to the older house?

-Better.

-You kind of walk into this, don't you?

-Yeah.

-You walk straight...

-It is very open-plan.

-Yeah, it is.

You've got all the rooms leading off from here.

That's a fair comment that, because the footprint of this place

certainly isn't as big as the period property you showed them.

But because all the rooms lead off the main living space, it feels very spacious.

It does have a nice flow to it but not having that central hallway is going to be a concern.

The kitchen! It's quite big. It's a nice size, isn't it?

-It's a very good size.

-It's a really nice-sized kitchen.

-Huge cooker.

-Do you think you could...

-rustle up something nice for us?

-With a cooker that size, I might have to.

I like this, this is a really nice feature, isn't it?

-You don't need to use the dining room all the time.

-No.

You don't need a table. It's a nice breakfast bar.

Breakfast bars are funky, aren't they?

They're so social. They invite you to sit down and have a coffee.

-I'm so old-fashioned. I don't go with breakfast bars.

-Do you not like them?

-No.

-It's a garage.

-Oh!

That was unexpected.

-It's nice to have...

-Can I have a look in the garage?

-Sure.

See you later. I'll look at the rest of the house.

-It's a good-size garage.

-Is it?

-Yeah.

Overlooks the garden.

-It overlooks a graveyard.

-Oh yes, so it does.

-That'll be nice at night.

-Quiet neighbours.

Quite nice that you've got an entry all the way round.

-Yeah.

-Few entry points, and that arch is really pretty. It's really nice.

-Very open plan.

-Yeah, it is.

-And there's a lot of doors you can close.

-Exactly.

-Separate the rooms.

-Yeah.

If you were to close that, you've got your through lounge. It's a through lounge.

-You could get... could you get a six-seater dining table?

-I think you could get a bigger one.

-You're running.

-Take a look upstairs.

Another L-shaped hallway.

It looks like the master bedroom, doesn't it?

-Looks like it might be something of a kind...

-You've got your wardrobes.

-And an en-suite.

-There you go, the master bedroom, en-suite!

-Hello.

-That's brightened Sara up.

-And fitted wardrobes as well.

-Absolutely.

-The shower's nice, isn't it?

-That's a big shower.

-Yeah.

Really nicely tiled as well.

It's nicely laid out. Good use of space.

Not very big master bedroom. It's more long. It's like...

It's because it's got fitted wardrobes, it takes up a bit of space.

But it doesn't look like I've got much DIY to do here.

-No.

-That's all right. Sounds good.

Don't want you to be let off that easily.

There you go, now Sabhir's brightening as well because

-there's no DIY to do. It's suddenly dawning on him.

-Hooray.

Ooh, bathroom.

Is there a sink, is the question?

Yes, there is!

-It's all right size.

-Yeah, it is. Once you're in.

It's nearly the size of the en-suite, just with a bath.

Another bedroom? Quite a big bedroom.

Just opens up, doesn't it?

-It's not a bad size, though.

-Not bad.

-It has still got a sofa and...

-You've got a double bed.

-Fits a double bed.

Do you know what, I wanted more. The second bedroom is another good-size double bedroom.

No work needs doing. I'm not hearing the love.

This is interesting.

Never seen one of these places in my life.

Never been to the gym.

This could be anything, though. They've utilised it as a gym.

Quite good use of it. But it is a good single bedroom.

Good-size single bedroom.

-You could get a single bed in here.

-Easily. Good few wardrobes and stuff.

Why do you want wardrobes everywhere?

A final bedroom, or a study. Or something.

That's all right. Come in handy for you.

Obviously they're thinking about what you're saying.

-Put some thought into it, haven't they?

-Yeah. A gym for you, a study room for me.

-A garage and a drive.

-A garage for your car.

-En-suite.

So there you go, they're making all the right noises. It seems I've ticked all the right boxes

-but I don't hear the joy.

-There's no passion there.

-Shall we go and find out why?

-Yes.

Now, when you'd finished that tour,

we felt that everything was in there that you wanted,

-but we didn't feel that vibrancy.

-That buzz.

-Yeah, the buzz.

Talk to us.

The only issue I've got is the graveyard in the background.

-Now...

-It's understandable.

-It kind of is, but there's also, truly, a positive to that as well.

I know people can be a bit spooked by that, but when you look at it

practically, it is very unlikely that that lovely green space with all these mature trees

is ever going to be built on. You're always going to have

this peaceful outlook here. And it is very peaceful.

-Yeah.

-So...

In property terms, that is a positive thing.

A view is very hard to guarantee.

Absolutely right. And that is a guaranteed view.

-Is it because of the spookiness of it, or...

-Are you scared?

-It's not that I'm scared. It's just from a selling point of view in future.

-I understand.

We want to appeal to everybody.

-Not everyone would go for it.

-You may limit your market in future. I can see that.

-OK. So, it's guess the price time. Sabhir, you're 1-0 up?

-I am indeed.

Budget is about 225,000. I sailed a bit over with mine, but how has Simon done with this place?

-Sara, will you go first, or bottle out again?

-I'll bottle out again.

-OK.

-Sabhir, it's down to you.

-Right, I'd say about 220.

-220? OK.

I would have said about the same, but to create a little bit of competition,

I'll go for 225. A bit higher.

OK. Well, the competition is alive and well because it's 1-1!

But, I have to say,

because you are a little bit off the mark here, I've been a bit cheeky with this place.

It's a lovely property. It's detached, in a lovely peaceful cul-de-sac.

-It's on for £249,950.

-Brace yourself.

What we're discovering is we can get a garage for you, no problem.

It's just getting all Sara's needs that's pushing us over budget.

-She's the fussy one.

-Yes, but it's time for the wild card. Ready?

-Come on!

Here we go.

For the wild card we decided to go the extra mile, as we like to do on To Buy,

and show them a property in lovely Shirley that will really focus their minds.

And "Shirley" it's a good bet, as they get more than they bargained for.

OK. Sabhir, Sara, here we are at the final property today.

Everyone's favourite part of the show, it's the wild card.

The wild card!

Do that again!

"The wild card!" We love it!

You clearly are excited.

-You've probably figured out why it's the wild card.

-I fell asleep on the way up.

-It's not exactly in the areas you specified.

-No.

But it's still part of Birmingham.

-Still got the M42 to get you to Rugby.

-Just.

We're on the border of Shirley and Solihull.

That's the point, for your commute in to Rugby, this is a bonus.

It's close, definitely.

Is this an area you would have considered, previously?

-Previously, no.

-Not this far out.

But now that we're here,

-I don't see why not.

-Definitely.

-It adds to the wild card credentials.

You've got no choice.

And it definitely looks worth considering.

Exactly. First impressions?

-Quirky. I like it.

-Big driveway.

-Big garage.

-Looks like a big house.

-It's extended on top

-of the garage as well.

-Yep.

-It looks quite big.

-I like the front windows.

-The big bay windows.

-Very pretty.

-They are gorgeous.

It tells you straightaway they're going to be lovely, naturally light rooms.

The sun is going to flood in there. It's going to be great.

We think it's a great house.

We're really excited. We checked the garage, it's car-width potential.

-You're going to be all right in there.

-Definitely.

-Let's go.

-We going to take that excitement inside?

Get in there and enjoy it!

That's a nice hallway. Go round.

-Nice, big windows.

-Isn't this lovely? That is lovely.

And a radiator going all the way across. I can imagine really warm, winter nights.

That is always a good sign.

When people start imagining a house all cosy in winter, that's a good thing.

You've got three domains in this room, haven't you?

-You've got three areas you can use.

-Sections.

There's a single-storey extension on the back

that includes the kitchen. It makes it into this huge reception room.

OK. It's long again, isn't it?

It's not as spacious as the last one we seen, is it?

No, but it's still quite long. It's just more that

-it extends that way.

-But it needs redoing, really.

-Modernising.

-It does.

I agree. It's not the most beautiful kitchen,

but it's a decent enough size.

Happily, they both have the imagination to see through what's there

and put their own mark on it.

-There's a little room attached to it.

-This looks interesting.

-What is this?

-You could have it as like a little breakfast room.

Yeah, or like a family TV chill-out room.

It's also attached to a nice, big garage.

Is that finally the right size, then?

I think it is. This is definitely a good size.

Good, I'm glad to hear it.

Look, you can actually live in here! There's a toilet, too.

-That's all you need.

-That's great.

-Is this the extension part that we saw outside?

-Yeah, on top of the garage.

-It's quite a big room.

-Yes, it's given it a good double, hasn't it?

-Windows from both sides.

-Again.

-The light...

And it seems quite a big garden, as well.

It is a good-size room. No wardrobes, I have noticed.

But there's plenty of room for wardrobes.

-Shall we go in to this room?

-Let's go.

My favourite colour, just not this much of it in one place.

-It's like a box room. A single room.

-Yeah.

-The room's OK, isn't it?

-Even the door's pink. Wow!

I do wonder what their favourite colour would be.

-Every girl's favourite colour.

-Pink?

-And yours, isn't it?

-Yes.

Built-in wardrobes. Lots of them.

And an extra.

-Good double, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-That is a great-size room.

-It certainly is.

The one that sits above the original lounge, gets the big bay-window feature.

There's a whole wall of wardrobes.

See how deep this is.

-You could always get these removed and fit new ones on.

-Yeah.

It is quite deep, isn't it? Lots of storage space.

-But you wouldn't want to keep them, would you?

-No.

What? The wardrobes are going?

I don't understand this. This makes no sense to me.

She wants wardrobes and now the wardrobes are coming out.

Bedroom number two. Look at this.

-This is a better size than...

-It's got a sink.

-Yeah.

Is this a bedroom?

It is a nice-size double bedroom, but it's got a sink in the corner. Why do people do that?

-It's a convenience thing, but I always feel like I'm in a B&B.

-It's got that feel to it.

Good view of the neighbour's garden.

-You're a nosy neighbour.

-Yeah.

-Got a little closet thing here.

-Boiler cupboard.

-It's a toilet.

-It's a WC.

-It's got a separate toilet and bathroom.

-Yeah, separate toilet and bathroom.

Let's look at the bathroom, then.

-It's got a shower, bath.

-Right.

-It's all separate.

-Yeah.

-It's a bit cluttered, though.

-It is, because of that.

-We can solve that problem, can't we?

-Exactly. The bathroom is tight.

The shower cubicle's next to the bath, but if you knocked it all through,

put the toilet in that same room, you'd have a really big, bright bathroom.

It's amazing how much extra space that makes.

A few square feet, massive bathroom.

I think it's a good idea having the toilet separate.

-I don't really like that.

-Don't you? So you don't want...

It's an older thing, I think.

One person can have a shower and one person can be in the toilet.

-You can still wash your hands in your bedroom.

-Yeah.

Right. Big rooms, big windows, big garage.

-Big price?

-Big decision.

-Big house.

-Big house.

-Slightly confusing house.

-Odd shaped.

-Yeah.

-Ins and outs.

-Yeah. I think it's all the extensions.

As you can see,

that's how this '50s semi would have looked

before it's been extended sideways, backwards, up.

"Higgledy-piggledy" I think is the estate-agency term

we'd use to describe it. How did it feel going through it?

It's very spacious, very roomy. It is quite big, but it's very spread out, you know?

Things crop up where you don't expect them to.

Perfect for you, Sabhir. Your own downstairs loo in the garage.

-You'd never have to go in the house.

-That was amazing.

Get yourself a fridge in there, and a microwave.

-And a wardrobe.

-There was a fridge in there as well.

This place could work, but we're guessing it comes down to price.

It's 1-1 at the moment. Your budget was £225,000, although

we happily admit we've kind of struggled a bit

to keep in budget to get all the things you wanted in these houses.

-Who's going first?

-Looking at me!

There is no choice this time. I am standing up for us. Sara, you're going first this time.

Am I now? That sounded rather authoritative.

-Exactly. If I ask nicely, you just make Sabhir do it.

-Yeah.

I'm going to go for 220.

-OK.

-Because it's extended, and it's Shirley. Could be more.

Never mind that. You've stuck your neck out, nailed your colours to the mast.

-Sabhir?

-I'd go for about 230.

-OK.

-230, interesting.

It is the first semi-detached house we've looked at, so that affects the value, but...

You're our champ. You're really good at this, you're only £50 out.

This place is on for £229,950.

-I can see a new career...

-There's always a space.

It's the less expensive of the three houses we've shown you.

That's reflected in the location, it's not where you wanted to be.

-And it's semi-detached.

-Indeed.

-Yes.

-A big house and a pretty decent price.

-Four bedrooms.

We've now shown you three very different houses.

-Yes.

-And you've got to decide which one you'd like to spend more time in.

-Lots to think about.

-Why don't you go and put your heads together

and come up with a decision for us? See you in a minute.

This is the exciting part of the show. We don't know which way it will go.

While they're deciding, here's a recap.

Decisions indeed for Sara and Sabhir.

Will it be my choice, this three-bedroom detached period property located in trendy Moseley

but in need of some modernisation? The price...

Or, will they test drive my choice in neighbouring King's Heath?

En-suite, downstairs loo, fitted wardrobes, it's got all the modern touches.

But it's also the most expensive at...

Or will they go for the wild card?

This semi-detached house in Shirley has a large garage,

situated in a quiet, pleasant cul-de-sac, but it is further away from Sabhir's family.

It's on the market for £229,950.

In many ways today, common sense, Sara and I prevailed because,

Sabhir and Sara, you chose to test drive my property, property two, the more modern,

the newer of the properties that we showed you today. Why?

Probably because I'm lazy and don't want to do much decorating.

I told you, common sense prevailed. That is common sense.

Sara, what works about this place for you?

As you say, it's a newer property.

Very picturesque, and I think of the three, we liked

-the features a bit more.

-Right.

-How so, what do you mean? It felt right?

-The cloakroom,

the en-suite and even, as I say, the outside. I think...

-The location.

-More appealing.

You two get the benefits of our surveyor

giving this place the once-over. It's not legally binding,

so you will still need to get it checked out, but he has some helpful hints.

-Now, you've got these big oak trees that we're aware of in the garden.

-Very pretty.

They are very pretty, they might have preservation orders on them

because they're attached to the graveyard to the rear.

Even to prune them, you may have to check,

so that's worth looking into.

Perhaps the bigger issue is these leylandii down the side.

Essentially they're considered a weed. They're of no use to you.

They're too close. They can have roots that go under the house and cause damage.

He says just get rid of them.

The other thing is this place is around 20 years old.

The boiler needs a bit of a change.

It's got one of those microbore systems, the really fine tubes.

They were fashionable, very easy to fit and nice and discreet.

They're not that efficient. They don't pump the heat round too well.

While you're getting the boiler changed it might be worth changing the whole system.

So there's a few things to bear in mind as you have a look around.

But, apart from that, I think you've made a very wise choice. I would.

It was my choice, so go and enjoy it some more.

-Thank you.

-See you in a bit.

Enter Sabhir and Sara's family and friends to offer their opinion.

First order of the day, a guided tour. Girls downstairs, boys upstairs.

-The kitchen. Come through.

-Good size.

Nice and big, isn't it?

Let's drop in to the manly chat upstairs.

It's quite spacious. Sara loves the wardrobes.

-Very nice.

-Enough space to put her stuff in.

-Fitted wardrobes.

-Breakfast bar, so you don't need an extra table in here.

-That's true.

This is the second bedroom.

Again, this is a good size, as you can see.

Nice room. Nice window.

-See out the garden into there.

-You can see the cemetery.

I hope those built-in wardrobes are going to be big enough.

-With that many dresses she could give Kate Moss a run for her money.

-Indeed she could.

It looks like Sabhir is trying to give Sir Steve Redgrave a run for his money.

Wait for it, here comes Sabhir's pride and joy... driven by his dad?

Well, Simon, I think that ticked over rather nicely.

I think so too, but are we still in the driver's seat?

Sara, Sabhir, you've spent more time in Simon's property, and what an excellent choice it was.

-Thank you.

-Four-bedroom, detached family home, everything you asked for.

-How did it feel?

-I still think there's an issue with the cemetery.

I told you, that's a positive. Come on, Sabhir.

They'll never build on it, you'll always have that view.

-You're still spooked by it!

-He's scared.

-I am. I'll be honest.

Sara, how did you feel?

Coming back a second time, I did like it. I liked it a lot.

-Kitchen is lovely. Ticks lots of boxes on our checklist.

-Yes.

The only major disadvantage for me is the stairs in the lounge. I don't quite like that,

but it is a pretty house. Spending more time in it, you feel that even more.

Maybe this is just your first step on the property ladder.

-You can always move ahead.

-Exactly. Not a bad place to start.

It's that time in the programme, it's the big question.

I'm going to ask, to buy or not to buy?

I think on this occasion, not to buy.

It's slightly above our budget.

-Guys, come on!

-I wouldn't let the budget faze you too much.

You are first-time buyers, you've got the greatest negotiating power in this market.

-Don't let that put you off.

-It's something we could look in to.

OK. While you look into that, we have to scoot.

It's been an absolute pleasure.

We've enjoyed it too, thoroughly.

-See you later, guys.

-Bye.

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