Abingdon To Buy or Not to Buy

Hello. Welcome to To Buy Or Not To Buy.

The house-hunting show that today is all about synchronicity.

Balance and harmony, because that's what our couple want from their new home.

-How do we do that, I hear you whisper.

-(How do they do that?)

Well, we talk to the river, we listen to the trees,

and we salute the occasional magpie.

Then we show them three properties.

-One of which our harmonious couple will be able to try before they buy.

-Fantastic.

Today we're in the market town of Abingdon in Oxfordshire.

It claims to be Britain's oldest continuously occupied town.

Also, Thatcham, Bedford, Colchester and Ipswich claim that as well!

-They claim...

-Ed, don't get involved in this dispute.

-Fair point.

-Today is about harmony and peacefulness.

-And balance.

A bit like our relationship, isn't it, Ed?

Don't answer that.

Let's meet today's buyers. Ed!

Today's couple are Annie Sang and Darren Ward.

-They're been together for eight years.

-Darren is in IT, whilst Annie is a project co-ordinator.

They live in this three-bed semi-detached house in Abingdon.

They're looking to move into something larger at the earliest opportunity.

Annie and Darren, you've got three bedrooms here.

A nice house. Why are you moving?

-Well, we're getting married in a few months.

-Congratulations.

-Right.

-You know, hopefully there might be the patter of tiny feet.

-Really?

-You never know!

-So there's three bedrooms here.

-Three bedrooms.

-How many children do we need?

-Straightaway?

-A football team!

-Five-a-side.

-How many bedrooms are we talking, then? What's the leap?

-Four bedrooms.

-Four minimum.

-Minimum?

-Minimum.

What areas are we looking in today?

-Anywhere round Abingdon, the surrounding area.

-South Oxfordshire.

-South Oxfordshire.

We're quite flexible on that.

Are there any no-no's, any areas we don't want to go to?

Didcot, purely because there's a power station there.

That's where all the power's coming from. In the modern world, come a nuclear winter, you need that!

-Yeah. We would prefer not there.

-We'd prefer not to be there.

Probably not right where we are now as well.

-OK.

-We want a change.

-That's fair enough.

-Anything we really need to consider about the location?

My brother lives in Bicester, the other side of Oxford.

He's had our first niece, so we want to be close to them

and watch Layla growing up.

My mum lives in Headington so it's great if she can get to us easily.

Style of house. This is a modern property. Do you like modern? Do you want to go quirky and old?

-What's the deal?

-We're not really too fussed.

Probably not a listed property where we have to spend money maintaining it.

But yeah, we don't mind a newer property.

-We like space.

-So open-plan, is that what you're after?

-Not necessarily.

-Right!

-Really?

-We like space in terms of the size of the rooms.

So you want a dining room. Do you want a kitchen/diner or separate dining room?

Separate dining room, separate living room.

I've heard that someone's into Feng Shui. Does that matter as well?

Yeah, it's quite important to us and the rest of the family.

Any examples of how important it is?

-What's no-no?

-There are minor things you can do to offset the Feng Shui.

So if there's a point in the garden, you can put a tree in to block it.

But, for example, the house cannot be west-facing.

-It cannot be in a split in the road because it breaks the channel of the energy.

-Course it would(!)

-No.

-It makes sense.

-Um, what...

-Anything else to consider? Do you have any hobbies? Need space for anything?

Need an office? Anyone work from home?

-Ideally, yeah.

-Yeah.

-And a garage would be good.

-Any other things?

-Sporty stuff? Anything like that?

-Darren's an athlete, so...

But it doesn't take much space!

Nice way of being described! You're an athlete!

-What athletic things do you get up to, Darren?

-Let's just keep him as an athlete! If we define it,

-Darren will somehow...

-He plays tiddlywinks!

I don't want to know what kind of athlete. I like the fact you're an athlete!

-Yeah.

-So I think a home gym would be...

-Yes, for the generic athlete.

Yeah!

Don't tell us what Darren does. So, we're near the big question, aren't we?

You've got a lot that you want. It's a lovely wish list.

So how much money has an athlete and his future wife got to spend?

We're looking at around 400k. Up to around 400k, probably.

We like to factor in a haggle zone, a buffer, if you will.

Could we look maybe higher and hope to haggle back? Or is 400 grand your maximum?

-I think in the current market we could probably look a bit higher.

-Look higher and haggle back.

-I think so.

-Every penny we save is a penny for the wedding.

-That's it!

-Right. I'm with you.

-Yeah.

-Wish us luck. We're off to do it for you.

-Good luck.

-We can't wait to see the results.

-Thank you.

Ed, I'm going to look at this as 100 grand per bedroom.

-Four bedrooms, 400 grand.

-Good way of looking at it.

We normally have one competition. How about two?

At the moment, Darren is a mysterious athlete.

So at home, if you want to guess, what kind of athlete is Darren?

I'm all out of sorts now. I'm going to sprint to a Feng Shui expert.

I'm off to an estate agent whilst thinking what kind of athlete Darren is!

Abingdon is the main town in the Vale of the White Horse.

It's about eight miles south of Oxford,

ideally situated for both the M4 and M40 motorways.

As well as Abingdon, other major towns here include Farringdon and Wantage,

famous as the birthplace of one of England's greatest monarchs, Alfred the Great.

The average cost of a property between April and June 2009 in this region:

compared to...

..in the rest of Oxfordshire.

As Michael Caine once said, "Not a lot of people know this."

Abingdon, now part of Oxfordshire, was once the county town of Berkshire.

Sites of interest in this town include Abingdon Abbey, Abingdon Bridge and Abingdon Museum,

once described as "the grandest town hall in Britain".

Speaking of ancient places, what else can you get for your money

in towns which also claim to be the oldest in Britain?

In Colchester, this four-bed detached house backing onto woodland:

In Ipswich, this modern detached New England-style property

is set on three floors and includes a large kitchen/diner and five bedrooms. The price:

In Bedford, this period bay-fronted house has three bedrooms, a fitted kitchen,

courtyard garden and a conservatory.

On the market for:

Back in Abingdon, I'm going to see expert Irna Beige

to learn more about the art of Feng Shui.

I'm meeting an estate agent to see if Darren and Annie can afford to live their dream here.

You know everything there is to know about Feng Shui, and I know nothing.

Teach me. How can I help Darren and Annie find the perfect home?

-What do I look for?

-If you're buying a house, you want to look at how it's set within the four directions.

What are the areas they should be looking at? Villages round here that are nice?

We've got Sutton Courtenay, Milton, Marcham,

Longworth, Southmoor, the list goes on.

You certainly don't want your house facing the approach of a road.

Don't be at the junction of a road.

Have you got any properties that might be up their alleyway?

-Can we look at something?

-Yes.

We have a selection for Darren and Annie to consider.

What should we consider when we get into the house?

-A nice spacious entrance.

-We have that here. Very nice.

-To invite people in easily.

-Lovely.

You don't want the staircase straight opposite the front door.

Is that worse than a bathroom facing the front door?

It's about the same, yes!

I don't know if you know much about the world of Feng Shui?

Is this Feng Shui'd?

It is actually very good.

That house is only two years old. It has good-sized rooms.

It's quite an open-plan design.

That lends itself to good Feng Shui.

Any last pointers before I help them find the perfect property?

One really important aspect is to look at the history of the house.

-Warwick, it's a pleasure. Nice to meet you.

-See you soon. Thanks.

I don't know where Rani is. I said meet me by Abingdon Abbey.

It doesn't necessarily adhere to the laws of Feng Shui or the laws of gravity!

Where in the... What? How? Who?

I've been taking in the abbey, seeing what it was like.

From what you've learned, is this very Feng Shui?

I can tell you the greenery surrounding it is very peaceful.

I'm very relaxed. Hence I have found the perfect property in this state.

Not draughty at all, unlike the abbey.

-Very draughty.

-Lots of bedrooms, as they wanted. Stands alone on a hill, raised.

-It's absolutely perfect.

-OK. It looks all right. Lovely.

-What? It's great!

But it hasn't got a glossy brochure like that. That's a beauty.

-I'll give you a little whiff of it.

-Lots of pictures.

-There's a lot to photo. You wouldn't want to miss it.

It has "contemporary elegance on a private village lane.

"A modern family home offering genteel and elegant accommodation."

Those things alone have made it into my heart and the hearts of the property team.

It makes me think pricey!

It is a bit, but there's deals to be done.

-Now, Feng Shui.

-Yeah.

-Some things should be kept a mystery.

-OK.

-So the wild card...

-Shall we not do anything?

-That's what I thought.

-I don't think we should show people.

-Does look nice. Through the power of Feng Shui,

-here we go. Ready?

-OK.

-It is a nice en-suite, it really is.

-They're smiling.

Let's use the power of Feng Shui and teleport ourselves out of here.

-On your nose.

-Where are we going?

-We're off to yours. Number one.

-Property One.

-Feng Shui noses.

-Ed, it doesn't work like that.

Doesn't, does it?

My choice of property is in the village of Chiltern,

just off the A34. It's very handy for Oxford and the M4 motorway.

-But does it have a beauty parlour and a pub around the corner?

-It has a lovely pub

-and...

-And it's on the fork of a road?

-Stop it!

Annie and Darren, step up to Property One.

This property is in the village of Chiltern. It's cottagey style,

but it's only five years old.

-Wow.

-As you see, it's nice and raised, just on its own,

so what are your first impressions?

-Looks amazing!

-I really like it!

-From the road, it looks fantastic.

-I really like it!

-Hang on, let her carry on!

-I don't want her to fall in love with it, then notice the forks in the road!

It's not in the forks. If it was on the fork, you could see it here.

-There are forks over there, but we're saying this house is contained.

-Yeah.

-You're the expert.

-I think it's in a good spot.

-Might need to get an expert assessment.

Yeah, I really would. I've seen it happen.

I've seen it happen and the energy loss is massive.

-I'm just saying don't... It looks lovely, but the fork's in the road.

-Just ignore him.

He's just bitter. There's also a garage there, and lots of space inside for entertaining.

Most of all, I think it's got a really nice feel when you go in.

A lovely feel of energy.

-Just ignore the forks! Would you like to go in have a look?

-Definitely.

-Can't wait to go in.

OK. Three, two, one. Enter the house!

I forgot to mention, there's loads of places to cycle. He's an athlete.

Did I mention about the forks in the road? There's one there and one down there. There are forks.

-Wow!

-Wow!

This is great.

-There's the W word.

-Certainly is, an immediate W, as well!

-Where to first? The living room?

-Into the living room. Oh!

Oh!

-Oh!

-This is a nice family area, actually.

It's really big.

It's a good space. A good space for entertaining as well.

-There's no separate dining room. Do you think there is?

-I think so.

-I spotted one on the way in.

-Really?

Oh, my God, this is really big.

Rani, are Feng Shui people able to read the future or anything?

Is there a separate dining room? They think there is. Is there one?

You know what that is. Darren's just athletic, you see.

-His mind's just running away with him!

-Really!

-Yes!

-Wow! This is stunning!

-It's really big.

-Stunning.

-Oh, my gosh!

-Designed really well.

-Yeah. Look at all the space in here!

Loads of storage for all my stuff.

-Yeah.

-And a double oven.

-And there's gas.

-Gas is important.

-You like cooking on gas.

-Cooking on gas.

-Wow.

-Oh, wow!

-Listening to this, Ed?

-I am listening.

-All the space, all the storage. They're so happy.

-They love it!

-I must admit, the whole ground floor feels really airy. Lots of light.

-The flow is really good.

-Mum will like this.

-Yeah, this is really good.

-And a study, which is perfect for me.

-This is great for you.

You can just lock the door!

-There's loads of room.

-I can work here quite easily.

-There's a bed in here so you can chill out.

-Chill out when I don't feel like working!

They might be concerned, seeing a bed in the study, which is Darren's domain

cos he works a lot from home. Are they thinking one of the bedrooms is downstairs?

-But it's not.

-Isn't it?

-Where do we start?

-Start here.

-Oh, how adorable is this?

-Right, so this is bedroom one.

-It's a good-sized room.

-I think so.

-Not the biggest, but not the smallest.

-This is a good-sized room.

-Yeah.

-Ooh!

-A similar-sized room.

-Another good-sized room.

Again, you could easily fit double beds in here.

-That could be another guest room.

-Easy.

-Quite easily.

-And in here...

-The bathroom. Family bathroom. You go in first.

Gosh, this is a really good size.

-This is huge.

-Yeah.

-It's really big.

-It's really nicely done, as well.

-Yeah.

-I really like it.

-It's been nicely decorated.

A nice neutral white suite, which is always good.

-Look at this! A bathroom they don't have to do any work to.

-True.

Neutral white suite. I believe that's key in the Feng Shui world.

-Especially if you clean it!

-Always clean it with a citrus fluid.

-Wow, another bedroom.

-Oh, wow!

-It's more a box room, but it's still big enough to have a bed in it.

-The smallest room,

but they've got built-in storage. You don't have to worry about that.

You could move the study from downstairs. You could maybe put the study in here.

-Potentially.

-If you really wanted to.

Downstairs, because they're going to have a little one, a toy room.

-Good idea.

-Play room. Something like that for the little one.

-Nice idea.

-I'll let you go in first.

-Ooh.

-This is a nice room.

-It's a good-sized room.

-This is a double bed. Is it a king?

-King-size, like ours.

-That's OK.

That's good. They've got an en-suite as well.

En-suite. Perfect.

-We did want an en-suite.

-Yeah. Oh, wow!

-It's great. Not got a shower, though.

-No, but that's OK.

If that's the only thing that needs to be put in in the house...

they've done really well.

It's a cracker. They've only just built this. They've designed it for people living in the noughties.

They don't need to do any more to this house. It's a fact.

-Yeah.

-Cool

-It's really, really nice.

-Good find.

-Very good find.

So how did you enjoy your north-facing house?

Yeah, it surpassed what we'd expected. You've done really well.

You know when you first walk in to a place and it feels really comfortable

-and you can see yourself living there.

-Nice!

-Very good.

-Do you know what your first words were? "Wow!"

-Really?

-We had a double wow!

-That's good.

-Very good.

-Beautiful house.

You've got a lot of rooms. The athletics equipment was mentioned earlier on.

The viewers are having a competition. Can you give us a visual clue

or a hint as to what it is you do?

-Maybe these? The gold colour on these?

-Cos he's number one!

-He's number one.

-That's that competition. The next competition is guess the price.

-Right.

We have a maximum budget of £400,000 to spend.

We said we might go up, to haggle back.

It's a beautiful property. Lovely.

Who would like to go first?

Go on. You have a go first.

-395?

-Right near the top.

-Go on, ask me. I'll tell you.

-She's using her Feng Shui magic to read your mind!

I might give it away!

-395, you say.

-Yes.

-Darren.

-410.

-410.

-Right.

-Annie, this is good news for you.

-This property is on the market at 359.

-What?

-What?! Get out!

-Really?

-That's amazing.

-Push your office downstairs and you've got space for one or two gym rooms!

Whatever you fancy. Is that good?

-Really impressive.

-Pretty awesome, actually. Very surprising.

It's good for the M4 as well, so you can get to Heathrow.

-Great for that.

-There we go.

-That's amazing!

-You want to move in? You want the keys?

-No, no.

-Let's just see what...

There's two more properties to go.

-Shall we go to Property Two? We like this one.

-We do.

-Let's see Property Two. This way.

-Cool.

Like your offering, Rani, my property is also a fairly modern home.

But, unlike yours, mine has that little bit more.

-Go on, tell me. Surprise me.

-I could do, but I won't.

-You'll have to wait.

-Something to hide? A little afraid?

I don't think so.

Just don't want to upset you so early on!

Annie and Darren, Darren and Annie, stand and gaze.

Nay, glare, if you will,

at one of the best Feng Shui'd houses in Southmoor, if not all of Oxfordshire!

-It's lovely and gorgeous.

-That's a claim!

-I got my book out and it meets some of the criteria.

-Just some?

-Well, some.

What I want to know, and I could say a lot about this house, there's a lot to say,

I want to know what you think about it, your first impressions, Annie?

-It's quite grand, isn't it?

-It is grand.

-Grand.

-Not even quite. It is grand.

-It's got its own little courtyard, which is amazing.

-Rani's was on two forks. It was awful.

-I gave you a beautiful house.

-This is a private road!

-It is.

-All right, Annie!

-Zip it.

It is raining heavily now. Any more questions and we'll get soggy.

Go inside, enjoy it, and when you're in there, count the amount of en-suites.

-Ooh! OK.

-Three, two, one. Enjoy your en-suites!

-Thank you.

-Normally, Rani, we do a bit of... But it's wet!

Let's get out of here!

Ooh.

This is quite spacious again.

A spacious entry way.

I'm not getting the wow factor, Ed.

No. No, we're not getting the wow factor.

OK. So I can guess what line of business they're in here.

-So this would be a study for you? Is it a study?

-This could be a study for me.

We're in "the other study" at the moment.

-That one is currently used as a waxing emporium.

-It's a beauty room.

-For the local ladies of Southmoor.

Ooh!

-Oh, I like this.

-Wow!

I think you'd be happy in here. Is there enough storage for you?

Um, yeah.

They've got a massive double fridge-freezer here. That's good.

-You could turn this into a breakfast area.

-Yeah, but look round here.

You've got the dining room here.

Bags of space round here.

-Wow.

-That's lovely.

-Conservatory dining area.

-Bags of space. What's in here?

-Shall we look in here?

Welcome to your study!

-Hi, guys!

-You can come in if you want.

-It was raining outside.

-Normally we're out, come rain, come shine.

But we came in cos it's so lovely. Second office for Darren.

-A second office!

-See?

-Yeah!

-Two studies. That's good.

-Two studies.

-A study each!

Perfect! Good luck with the rest of the house.

-There we go. Live television.

-Don't think they were impressed!

-I could see it in their eyes.

-She was getting out so fast.

-She thought she was invading our celebrity space.

-It's not huge.

-It's not huge.

It's a fairly good space, but it doesn't flow as nicely

as maybe the last place.

There's bags of windows in here so it makes it feel more open.

-Yeah.

-A lot brighter, isn't it?

-Yeah.

Yes.

Annie is right. It does feel a lot brighter. It is lovely.

They're saying the words but I ain't feeling the love.

Twisty staircase.

It always makes the house feel more grand, doesn't it?

Gosh, there's loads of rooms up here.

OK, the first one.

-Stop here.

-Is it the box room?

Room for a single bed.

-You'd be pushing a double in here.

-Yeah.

-OK.

-Have a bit of a stretch, actually.

Are you doing your athletic exercises, Darren?

-Yes, that's right.

-Excellent.

-He's just done that, has he?

-He's needed to, hasn't he?

-Must have got tense going up the stairs.

-2012 is getting ever nearer.

OK. I'm guessing this is the main bedroom.

-It's a good size.

-It's pretty good. All your built-in wardrobes here.

-Yes, that keeps it clean and tidy, doesn't it?

-Yeah.

Oh, look at this en-suite.

-Got a shower in there.

-Not the biggest en-suite I've ever seen.

-But it does the job.

-It does the job.

-So fine.

OK. So this is the family bathroom.

Ooh! That's quite cheeky!

-Family "stroke" en-suite!

-Yeah.

-That's really good.

-The family bathroom leads off into a bedroom,

which is an interesting arrangement!

OK. This bathroom, right. It's not technically a jack and jill.

The technical thing for a jack and jill is if it goes into both bedrooms.

-But it doesn't. It goes into the hall.

-Yes.

So it's a jack-jill I don't know. It's a jack bathroom.

-Jack and his mate.

-One of those. Anyway, that's what it is.

Straight into the next room.

-This is a good size.

-I'm guessing this is the second room.

-Yeah.

You can easily put a double bed there.

Lots of double bed space there.

Another reasonable sized room, actually.

Again, you could fit a double bed in here quite easily.

And this is...

Another bathroom!

-See? Edward's right.

-I see what Ed meant by...

There is a shower in here as well.

That's handy.

I've never seen a house with three en-suite bathrooms.

And think, at Christmas time, when everyone's round,

or when you've got a family,

-that is just perfect.

-Yeah.

The thing is, Rani's convinced you like hers more,

and, reading between the lines, I'm hoping you like this one more.

What are your thoughts? What do you think about this house?

The flow is not quite as good as the first house.

However, it does have a lot of en-suites in this house!

-It really does!

-I've never seen so many en-suites!

-You'll never see a house like this again!

-Feng Shui says you have to keep the bathrooms clean. So it's a lot of work.

-True.

-Three times the work!

-We're in your extra bit here, which you didn't have in the last house.

-No.

-This is very nice.

-It is.

I'm worried that you cook dinner, come in here, sit down and you'd never use that other room.

-You can't be bothered to get up.

-That's realistic. It's what suits your life.

-You're a fantastic cook. After a big meal, you won't hoik yourself back.

-Exactly!

Force yourself to go in the other room!

I'm not the athlete. It's Darren that'll be sprinting to the other side of the house.

-Ooh, is that another clue?

-Could be a clue.

We need another clue about what kind of athlete you are.

-Well, I have been on TV before.

-OK.

In Grandstand.

-This is going back some time.

-Back to 1995, actually.

-You were on Grandstand in 1995.

-Yeah.

If any viewers out there have any idea, that's another clue.

Shoes and Grandstand. Now, the other competition.

It's guess the price time. So far, Annie, you're in the lead.

One-nil to you. How much is this place on the market for?

-Who wants to go first?

-You can go first.

-I will this time.

I obviously got it badly wrong last time.

So I think this is around the 420 mark.

-Don't look at me!

-She doesn't know!

420. 420. Please!

I think it's on for 405.

OK. £405,000 versus 420.

The winner, and tying guess the price at the moment, Darren.

-The actually price this is on for is £435,000.

-Wow!

-Really?!

It's a very posh area. It's a very nice area.

It's lovely, it's got three en-suites.

And also, in these credit crunch times, 10% off this, which is a good negotiating tool,

puts it underneath your budget. So, are we ready to go to the wild card?

-Yeah, we can't wait!

-Yes.

-It's my favourite part of the programme.

-And mine!

-Do you know where it is?

-Just through there.

-This way. Come on.

-Let's go.

-Come on, guys.

I think today's wild card will really challenge Annie and Darren.

Why? Because it's not in an area they've asked us to look?

-There is that.

-And it's on a corner plot! Hope it's good Feng Shui.

There's that as well. Shall we make a run for it now, Rani?

Don't worry, Ed. It's in a village, got four bedrooms and is quite close to the motorway.

It's not all doom and gloom, I hope!

Annie and Darren, welcome to the wild card!

This is a joint choice.

We put our heads together and brought you to Forest Hill.

-Do you know Forest Hill?

-Not really.

-Not at all!

It's a bit further away than the areas you've been looking at.

It's a way out from where we are, but we can see advantages already.

-It's easier to get onto the motorway.

-Yes. Five minutes down the road.

-It's closer to my mum.

-I don't know if that's a good or bad thing!

-If you're planning a massive family, babysitting is important!

-True.

-It's true.

-It is.

-Any other advantages?

-One of our friends lives in the village.

-Do you like this friend?

-Yeah.

-Excellent.

-Look at the view over there.

-I know.

-That is amazing.

-Stunning.

-It's just countryside.

-It reminds me of Devon.

-So we like it?

-Yes.

-Looking good so far.

-OK.

-This is good news.

-That's the location. What about the house?

-It looks inviting, doesn't it?

-It looks like the type of house we've been looking for.

-It's quite new, isn't it?

-It is a modern property.

-Looks big!

-Massive.

-From here, it looks big.

-It looks inviting.

-Look at this!

-Can we go inside?

I want to have a look inside now!

Can we come in with you? No, we shouldn't.

We'll judge it by the headphones. Hope you'll be smiling.

-Three, two, one. Enter the inviting house.

-Thank you!

-Lovely.

-That's really nice.

-That's the power of Feng Shui.

Is it? Listen! CHIMES PLAY

-Ooh, the bells are a good thing!

-It's wind chimes, not bells!

-Ooh.

-Ooh.

-It's really spacious in here.

-Very nice.

-Ooh.

-Yours is the only one that got a wow!

This was a squeal.

-This must be the living room. Looks excellent.

-Look how bright it is!

-Wow!

-They're quite into their interior decor, I can tell.

-Yeah.

Nice uplighters.

-Check that view!

-Oh, my God!

-That's amazing.

-If you're going to live in Oxfordshire, that's what you want.

Annie is getting very excited and so is Darren. "This is amazing!"

Ah, this is perfect study size, I think.

-Or maybe trophy room.

-They've got almost as many trophies as you do!

This will be good for my athletics medals. Some of my racing car models as well.

-Ah, he's given himself a room!

-Yeah.

-He's given himself a room!

Closed door.

Oh, wow!

They've done a really great job with this.

That's really handy. I'm pleased with that.

Let's find the important room for you, the kitchen.

That sounded bad!

Ooh!

Wow!

Oh, I'm really... Oh, wow!

GASPS

Oh, I really like this!

I think she's just fallen in love!

That, I imagine, is how it was when she met Darren.

Look, I've got a rest area over here.

Yes, another sitting area.

-A nice socialising area for parties.

-This is really lovely.

-Yeah!

I think this is when Annie moved in!

Mentally. Maybe physically as well!

Mind the step.

Look! Even the step is gorgeous!

-Looks proper old rustic step!

-That's really cute.

-In a reasonably new house.

-That's what you call attention to detail!

This is our utility, I guess.

-It's got a whole utility room!

-Yeah.

-Wow, look!

-It's great!

-Darren, there's another room off here!

-Another room?

-Oh, my gosh!

So what we were saying before about the study...

-Oh, my gosh!

-There's another study here!

So this is your den and I'd call the other den.

No, this is smaller. I think this is your den. The other one is my den!

-It's just that bit bigger.

-There's no room to put all my cook books on the other side!

Annie, watch the episode back. You let Darren have the previous den as his trophy den.

Now Annie's trying to reverse it and saying, "This is your den cos you said it was."

"No, I said the other one was. You were next to me!"

-Oh, my gosh.

-What have we got?

-Look at the neighbours!

-That's nice!

-We're in good company!

-Ooh.

-Ah, the bathroom.

-Ooh!

-Corner bath!

-Wow.

-This is probably the best bathroom we've seen so far.

-It really is.

Corner bath. Fantastic.

-I like a corner bath.

-This is a modern interpretation of a corner bath.

They can look dated, can't they?

Oh, this is...

This is obviously a young lad's room.

-It's still a good-sized room.

-It's still a good sized room, yeah.

Everywhere's very light. Nice big windows.

And what a great view.

-The view's better out the front, but it's not bad.

-It's not offensive. It's still a pretty view.

-Yes, the view out the front is lovely.

-It's beautiful.

-Gorgeous.

The view out the back is not offensive.

OK. Another bedroom.

-Darren, this is a really good-sized room.

-Built-in wardrobes.

-Yes.

-So storage space.

-This is a really good-sized room.

Yeah. It's a great guest room, really. TV point as well.

-I like this room.

-It's a good room.

I've got a feeling we haven't seen the main bedroom yet.

I'm just thinking if we argue, at least...

Darren, that's why it's so light in here.

-They've got one of those skylight things.

-Tunnel light.

-Another bedroom!

-Again, this is a really good-sized room.

-Yes. I'm quite impressed with the upstairs. It's living up to the downstairs.

-It is.

OK. This is the main event, I think.

Look! You would wake up to that view every single morning.

That is incredible.

-OK. Ooh, look at the room!

-Look at the room itself!

-As well!

-The room's good, too.

And again, two windows. Two big windows. So it's really light.

Imagine in the morning, the sun streaming in here. Amazing.

-We need to check our Feng Shui directions on this house.

-True.

We'll find out. And a nice en-suite.

And an overhead shower.

I love those!

That's great. The first one we've seen in any of the three houses.

It's massive. It's a really good size en-suite.

Now, I showed them how many en-suites in the last house?

-Three!

-Three en-suites.

-Three!

-Two en-suites. One was the family bathroom.

-One led onto a bedroom.

-I showed them three.

And this one has usurped all of them.

Oh, I really like this.

-Yes, it's really well done overall, this house.

-Yeah.

-It's a great use of space.

-That is the best view.

-Fantastic view.

-Amazing view.

-That is such a romantic view.

It's fair to say, from what we've judged via our headphones,

-that you hate this property, don't you?

-Just a little!

You love it! You absolutely love it.

Who would have thought it, eh? Have you looked in this part of the country? No.

-Without us, you'd never have found it.

-We owe you everything!

-Was it worth it for you?

-It was great.

A really nice property. Inside and out.

The problem is, you love it a lot.

You think it might cost more than your budget.

-We're worried about that.

-Yeah?

-Yes.

-Let's get to find out the price.

We'll find out the price now. But how much do you think it's on the market for?

-Who's going first? You're neck and neck.

-It's your turn.

It's your turn! Your turn!

-I think it's 415.

-Right.

A little bit over your £400,000 budget.

What are you saying, Darren?

-Let's go 435 again.

-435. Playing it safe.

You're right to play it safe, actually.

-Because you are spot on!

-Get out of town!

It's on the market at 435, which means you've won guess the price.

It's a bit over your budget, but if you play with the 10% haggle,

that puts it underneath your budget.

It's within the realms of affordability for you.

You now have to go away and make the big decision of which one you want to test drive.

-Before you do that, please.

-Up until this point, we've been trying to decide what kind of athlete you are.

-He's not given away much.

-We know about the shoes and stretching.

-You were on Grandstand.

-Can we have one final clue?

-Bit of a visual clue, this one. OK?

So just watch carefully!

An archer?

-I don't...

-That's a good guess!

They are athletes, yes.

Don't reveal it just yet. We'll ruminate over that.

-Head off, and we'll see you later on.

-Thank you.

-See you later.

That and Grandstand. That's a lot to think about.

Here's a quick recap for you guys at home about the properties.

Property One, my pick, is a four-bed modern cottage-style house in Chiltern.

It's the most affordable for Annie and Darren.

Or will it be my choice? A double-fronted four-bedroomed, four-bathroomed property

in Southmoor? The price is tantalising.

Or will it be today's wild card in the village of Forest Hill?

It has four bedrooms and a garage

and the most stunning views.

Guys, I'm very impressed. You've picked the wild card.

Who would have thought it, you'd pick the wild card?

-It never happens on this show!

-I can see you love it.

Yeah. We're impressed by your legwork, so thank you for that.

The price didn't put you off? You could haggle or stretch?

-We need to haggle, definitely.

-OK.

We've had the mysterious surveyor come and have a look at it.

It's not legally binding, but it's a good heads up,

the survey that he's done.

He had a good look round. Inside it's done fantastically.

This house was built in the '50s.

The roof felt is probably at the end of its life.

The felt is underneath the tiles.

You can look at that inside the loft.

He said there may be a bit of leakage, so keep an eye on it.

-It could go tomorrow, it could go in 20 years.

-OK.

Monitor it. Also, you've got the original part there and the extension here, as well.

It's quite a big extension. What you want to check, if you buy it, if he's got all the permissions.

Right. OK.

The damp course in the new bit, that's fine,

but the damp course there shows signs of coming to the end of its life.

-OK.

-Other than that, the house is really nice.

-It really is.

-You've got time in the next ten years to knock out a few kids and move again anyway!

-A bigger chimney!

-Are you ready to start the brum-brum, the test drive?

-Absolutely.

-I think we are. Can't wait.

Good luck. Enjoy yourselves. We'll see you later.

-Thank you.

-Bye.

-What shall we do?

-We have to guess what kind of athlete he is.

OK. We'll do the archery at the end of the programme.

-Javelin is my idea.

-No, he's an archer! He said an archer!

-'Hang on, the map's out!'

-So Mum is here.

And she works down here as well.

That's good. So we can get dinner easily!

It's very important to see what the Feng Shui is like.

-OK.

-Shall we do that now?

-Bedroom first?

-Yes. Sounds good.

-Main bedroom.

-Shall we go?

It still looks good the second time round.

The view, the view. Enjoy the view.

We should try and do some judgement of the Feng Shui of this room.

I thought you might say that.

I hope the needle on the compass is facing the right way!

That window is facing out east.

That's good!

This room is definitely good for Feng Shui.

Well, the master bedroom is fine, Feng Shui-wise.

How about the rest of upstairs?

It's all looking harmonious.

So, you have test-driven this beautiful property.

Are your smiles any wider from spending more time in here?

-Definitely.

-I think so, yeah.

-I think so.

-We've enjoyed it.

-Have you looked at the step you were oohing about inside?

-We spent most of the test drive looking at the step!

-Touching it!

It is a lovely step. How does it feel, though,

with it being a different area than you thought about?

Have you thought about the commute? What do you think?

You feel really comfortable when you walk into it.

-We could see ourselves living there.

-We feel at home here.

-It's good.

-Commute-wise, it's easier.

-It's closer.

-Family-wise, it's easier.

It begs the question why you didn't look here in the first place!

-Exactly.

-We just never thought of it.

-So...

-Would you say this house has good Feng Shui?

I definitely think so.

OK, we've got to ask the big question.

-The first of the big questions.

-There are two questions.

The viewers at home are trying to guess what kind of athlete you were.

Annie described you as that and we've hung on to that.

You've given us some clues. You've gone for the pumps.

Clue two was Grandstand, the sports show. And clue three was...

-let's see.

-The old, er...

For those of you at home, what have you guessed?

-You are...

-I'm a sprinter for Radley Athletics Club.

Wa-hey! And what is your distance?

-100 metres.

-100 metres.

-That wasn't the biggest question.

-This is the big question.

You've experienced the test drive. You enjoyed it. You loved the step and every part of it.

To buy or not to buy, that is the question.

What do you think? To buy?

-To buy.

-Is it?

-To buy!

-Really?

-Yes.

-Yeah.

-Really?

-Really?

-Yeah.

-Even though it's a bit over your budget,

-you're happy to go in there?

-We'll give it a go.

-Yes.

-Have you had a nice time?

-We've enjoyed it.

-Brilliant. Really enjoyable.

I'm really glad you love the property and I hope it all goes through.

-It'll be there when you get married.

-Come to the housewarming.

-Love to!

We'll see you in 2012, at the start of the 100 metres.

-Why do you do this?

-Cos he's so bold.

-Doesn't help you go faster?

-No, it would make you slower.

We've had a lovely time. We hope to knock on the door and you answer it.

-Good luck and enjoy.

-See you soon.

-Take care.

-Bye!

I can't believe it. I thought he was going to say an archer.

That was a clue. But he's a sprinter. And a Feng Shui sprinter at that, Rani!

-Moving like the wind.

-Truly moving like the wind.

If you'd like us find the property of your dreams...

-..don't hesitate, sprint...

-..like the wind.

-Like the wind.

-Like a Feng Shui sprinter...

-..and get in touch with us.

See you soon. Bye!

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd