0:00:02 > 0:00:05Climbing the metaphorical property ladder can be fraught with dangers.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08And if you've been away from said property ladder for a while,
0:00:08 > 0:00:12it's best to take your time, make sure you make the right move.
0:00:12 > 0:00:18Sometimes you've got to cast off your shroud of doubt... and take the plunge!
0:00:20 > 0:00:22Aieee!
0:00:22 > 0:00:24Seven!
0:00:35 > 0:00:40Not bad at all, Ed, though I am completely soaked! Thank you.
0:00:40 > 0:00:45I'm sorry, but you did get to see some absolutely fantastic bombing!
0:00:45 > 0:00:48- Athletic prowess, you mean? - Yeah, it was lovely.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52- Why exactly are we here? - Well, Nikki, today's house-hunter volunteers here,
0:00:52 > 0:00:56and I figured, as it was so sunny, why not come down here and get a chance to swim whilst working?
0:00:56 > 0:00:59- What are you doing? - It's finished, it's empty.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02Have you not heard of the phrase "reduce, reuse, recycle"?
0:01:02 > 0:01:08Nikki, recycling one aluminium can can save enough energy to run a television for three hours.
0:01:08 > 0:01:14- Three hours?- Three hours.- Well, that's all this week's To Buy Or Not To Buy and some! That's amazing!
0:01:14 > 0:01:19- It is an amazing fact. - Why do I feel a green theme coming up for this show?
0:01:19 > 0:01:23It's not all green today as our buyer's name is Rachel Brown.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26Tired of living in rented accommodation in Portishead near Bristol,
0:01:26 > 0:01:29she's decided to make the plunge back into the property market.
0:01:29 > 0:01:35At work, Rachel's an environmental manager, but in her spare time volunteers at her local lido.
0:01:35 > 0:01:40- Along for the ride is sister Lorna. - Ed, have you noticed how tall both our house-hunters are?
0:01:40 > 0:01:43I'd say both ladies are a gorgeous 6 foot 3.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46Luckily, I'm wearing my heels so I don't think it'll be a problem for me.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48- You, on the other hand...- Charming!
0:01:48 > 0:01:52Now, Rachel, are you a stereotypical eco warrior?
0:01:52 > 0:01:56Absolutely! Can't you tell that I am a tree-hugger?
0:01:56 > 0:01:59You look lovely, gorgeous, and your sister... you both look beautiful.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02So what sort of areas do you first of all like? This is gorgeous.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06Kind of Knowsley, Backwell area, cos there's a train station there.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10- Long Ashton. - Long Ashton cos that's easy to get into again with the buses.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13- OK.- What sort of property are you looking for?
0:02:13 > 0:02:17Do you want something that's period? Are you happy to go modern?
0:02:17 > 0:02:20- Do you want detached? Give us some clues.- Do you know what I want?
0:02:20 > 0:02:24I want a decent-sized garden, and the house that's in the decent-sized garden...
0:02:24 > 0:02:29- I don't mind about almost... - You don't mind about? You really are into this eco world!
0:02:29 > 0:02:33- Tell me that you want to live off your own land and grow veg and stuff...- I would, yeah!
0:02:33 > 0:02:38Three bedrooms, but two is fine as long as there's a decent garden.
0:02:38 > 0:02:43- This really is quite flexible, then, isn't it?- Ridiculously so! This is why I can't find a house!
0:02:43 > 0:02:45What about being overlooked? Have you got issues about that?
0:02:45 > 0:02:48- Yeah, I don't want to be overlooked. - OK.- I'm not fussy at all.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52- Is that because of what you'll be doing in the garden?- Absolutely!
0:02:52 > 0:02:55- Are you a naked gardener? - No, I'm not!
0:02:55 > 0:03:01- Presumably with your height, well, both of you, actually, a cottage would be out of the question.- Yes.
0:03:01 > 0:03:06I'm not raising ceilings or lowering floors so I can get through the door.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08I'd like to be able to stand up in my own house!
0:03:08 > 0:03:11So, Lorna, you seem like you're very close as sisters.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15Yeah, we're pretty close, yeah. We've lived together for a while so we know what we've liked
0:03:15 > 0:03:18in houses that we shared and not liked and so on.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21How will you be able to help on this day of house-hunting?
0:03:21 > 0:03:26I'm going to nudge her past that stubborn streak when it's got most of the things that...
0:03:26 > 0:03:28- With that hand movement?- Yes!
0:03:28 > 0:03:32- That's right.- It's more like a shove rather than a nudge! - I'm not looking forward to this!
0:03:32 > 0:03:35No, but I'm interested! Budget, what is your budget?
0:03:35 > 0:03:41I've been looking up to 400,000, but I can't afford that much. So really it's 375.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43Should we be able to achieve it for 375 today?
0:03:43 > 0:03:46I think you should, yeah, I think you should.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50- In the given area, I think it's a challenge you could rise to. - All right, thank you.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54- We are going to leave you now. Wish us luck.- Good luck!- Yes.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57- Thank you.- Thank you very much. We'll see you later. - Can't wait! See you later.- Bye!
0:03:57 > 0:04:01- I find them quite inspiring. - Very inspiring, I would say.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03And for the first time since I've been doing this show,
0:04:03 > 0:04:07I actually think that the garden may be more important to them than the house.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10It is true. They are women after Alan Titchmarsh's heart,
0:04:10 > 0:04:13metaphorically speaking, of course, not literally!
0:04:13 > 0:04:16Now, remember the recycling thing that we were talking about,
0:04:16 > 0:04:19- and I said about the aluminium can, if you recycle that... - Taken it onboard!
0:04:19 > 0:04:23..Three hours' worth of energy... We could do some recycling today right now on television.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26We're going to. Here's some recycled footage for you!
0:04:26 > 0:04:31Bristol's most famous landmark has to be Brunel's Clifton Suspension Bridge.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35It's seen here in 1970 with one of his renowned ships, the SS Great Britain,
0:04:35 > 0:04:38which has since been beautifully restored within the city.
0:04:38 > 0:04:44Other notable engineering feats from Bristol include the maiden flight of the British Concorde in 1969,
0:04:44 > 0:04:46and, of course, hot-air balloons.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50Today, Bristol is a hustling, bustling city, full of culture,
0:04:50 > 0:04:53and almost half-a-million environmentally clued-up inhabitants.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55From stylish city-centre apartments
0:04:55 > 0:04:59to the iconic coloured terraced houses of Clifton, there's something here for everyone.
0:04:59 > 0:05:05And if being green is right up your street, how much will eco-living cost you around the UK?
0:05:05 > 0:05:10This beautiful eco-friendly four-bed barn conversion is near Newick.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14The heating for this place comes from a ground-source recovery system
0:05:14 > 0:05:17and the used water goes into a biodigestor. All of this
0:05:17 > 0:05:20and lots more for...
0:05:20 > 0:05:24This unique two-bed detached cottage is situated
0:05:24 > 0:05:26within the Amesbury conservation area.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30The rainwater-harvesting system supplies water to flush the loos and to water the garden.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33And solar panels power the first-floor radiators.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37Sustainable living for...
0:05:37 > 0:05:41This eco townhouse also has a rainwater-harvesting system.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45Situated in Bushey Heath, Hertfordshire, this futuristic house
0:05:45 > 0:05:48benefits from a solar-heated hot-water system. Hot stuff!
0:05:53 > 0:05:59In 2009, Bristol was shortlisted as a finalist in the European Green Capital Awards,
0:05:59 > 0:06:02acknowledging it as one of the greenest cities in the United Kingdom.
0:06:02 > 0:06:08Since 2004, the local council has managed to achieve a 10% reduction in household energy
0:06:08 > 0:06:13and a 20% reduction in the energy used by the lovely local businesses.
0:06:14 > 0:06:20Did you know that the average person in the UK gets through 38 kilos of newspaper per year?
0:06:20 > 0:06:27But the good news is that 80% of the raw materials that go into making this come from recycled paper.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31Bristol residents have attempted to reduce a growth in transport emissions
0:06:31 > 0:06:37and they're doing pretty good. A recent survey has shown a 40% rise in cycle use in the city centre.
0:06:37 > 0:06:38TING!
0:06:41 > 0:06:45Not exactly the most glamorous location I've ever been on for To Buy Or Not To Buy,
0:06:45 > 0:06:50but did you know there are 50,000 bottle banks like this across the UK
0:06:50 > 0:06:56and by recycling just one bottle like this, you could save almost enough energy
0:06:56 > 0:07:00to power a 100-watt light bulb for almost an hour?
0:07:01 > 0:07:02CRASH!
0:07:02 > 0:07:09Less waste and more recycling. Bristolians now produce 20% less waste per person
0:07:09 > 0:07:12and recycling rates have doubled.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17Do you feel a little bit greener and a little bit more ecologically attuned?
0:07:17 > 0:07:20I would say thoroughly so, inside and out.
0:07:20 > 0:07:25Now property number one in the property game is a former animal storage unit...
0:07:25 > 0:07:29or barn, to give it its proper name. I am very confident about this -
0:07:29 > 0:07:32the picture does not do it justice at all.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35It just looks like a barn, if you will, from the outside,
0:07:35 > 0:07:39but there's so much more on the inside. It's in a lovely-named village
0:07:39 > 0:07:42- and the back garden has a little treat to it. That's it!- Ah! Well...
0:07:42 > 0:07:47I have a three-bedroom 1950s property which has been thoroughly modernised.
0:07:47 > 0:07:52It has a little water feature in the back garden, and it's in the village of Backwell.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56Okey-dokey! Now the wild card, the wild card, most people love the wild card...
0:07:56 > 0:07:59and why wouldn't you love the wild card in a place called Kenn?
0:07:59 > 0:08:03That is where the wild card is. It is a former schoolhouse, it is very lovely
0:08:03 > 0:08:09and, again, it is in a place called Kenn. So, Nikki, where should we start the property journey?
0:08:09 > 0:08:12- Mine!- No, mine, the barn.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18Hold your horses, Nikki, my turn first!
0:08:18 > 0:08:21Here's hoping Rachel could make herself at home in this former animal house.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25A spot of rural living will surely inspire her to live the good life.
0:08:26 > 0:08:31Rachel and Lorna, Lorna and Rachel, walk toward property number one
0:08:31 > 0:08:36which is a barn in Barrow Gurney which is a brilliantly named place!
0:08:36 > 0:08:40If you have any American relatives they would really like to see that on a Christmas card.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43- Yeah.- Using your recycling, reusing, whatever...- Yes!
0:08:43 > 0:08:46- ..We are... See? - What a tenuous link!- Listen!
0:08:46 > 0:08:52Right...nothing has been damaged. Now we are reusing it in a different way for human stock!
0:08:52 > 0:08:54So what do you think?
0:08:54 > 0:08:58We're a little bit out of Bristol but we're going to be using the park-and-ride if we live here.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00So, what are your thoughts?
0:09:00 > 0:09:04It looks lovely. Not the kind of thing I'd thought about at all,
0:09:04 > 0:09:09but it looks really nice. I like the kind of trees and everything around it as well, it's very scenic.
0:09:09 > 0:09:13- Lorna, is this good enough for your sister?- Yeah, I think an ex-stable is perfect!
0:09:13 > 0:09:18- Not a pigsty?- OK, are you coiled and ready and excited?
0:09:18 > 0:09:22- Yes!- Three, two, one, explore the house!- Enjoy it. - Let's go! Thank you.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29Oh! Oh, now, this is nice.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32Oh, that is nice. Lovely and spacious.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34Oh, wow!
0:09:34 > 0:09:36Nice, big room!
0:09:36 > 0:09:39- No fireplace.- There's no fireplace.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42- You could put one in.- Yeah.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45It's a barn! The cows did not warm themselves by a fireplace!
0:09:45 > 0:09:47Pigs never toasted marshmallows over a fireplace!
0:09:48 > 0:09:54- Oh, this is nice out here. - It's lovely.- Not overlooked. - No, no, not at all.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58You'd think you'd clear that away so you've got the water feature properly.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00You can hear it tinkling!
0:10:00 > 0:10:02It's lovely.
0:10:02 > 0:10:07- You could feel closed in with the hills on either side, but actually it feels kind of cosy.- Yeah.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10- I have normally heard a boxroom described as cosy...- Yeah.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14But I have never heard a garden described as cosy before.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16Oh, nice kitchen!
0:10:16 > 0:10:18- That is nice. - That's a good size, actually.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22Cos I don't like them too big cos I just make them really messy.
0:10:22 > 0:10:27- So nice! You've got this area for your table...- And that's where you could fit all the children's toys
0:10:27 > 0:10:32- when they come out to play. - Yes, because you can then just shut them away,
0:10:32 > 0:10:35- but keep an eye on them through the glass door.- Yeah.
0:10:35 > 0:10:40She's imagining the children being there...cruelly saying that she'll lock them away, but really that's...
0:10:40 > 0:10:45- I think the mother agreed with that too!- Yeah, that's true. Well, let's say in a lovely way.
0:10:45 > 0:10:46- Nice room.- Yeah.
0:10:46 > 0:10:51- This is the children's staying-over room.- Well, it is, actually. It would have to be. Because for us,
0:10:51 > 0:10:55- there's actually quite a small useful space in here, isn't there? - Yeah.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01Yeah, another... This one's bigger, isn't it? That's what I was just comparing.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05- Got beams again.- Out on to the garden.- Oh, look in here!
0:11:05 > 0:11:09Oh, wow, cool! It's really nicely done as well.
0:11:12 > 0:11:18- That's nice. Clear and light and all that.- Yeah. - Right, one more to go.- Yeah.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22- So I'd say this is your master. - That's lovely.- This is nice.
0:11:24 > 0:11:25Is that another en-suite in there?
0:11:27 > 0:11:28- It is!- Oh!
0:11:28 > 0:11:32- Oh, that's nice!- That's a huge shower.- That's really nice.
0:11:32 > 0:11:37- That's like a holiday shower to me! - I know.- It's like the kind of thing you get when you're away.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40"Oh, Rachel, what are you doing today? Are you going to work?"
0:11:40 > 0:11:43- "No, I'm on holiday...- In my shower. - Then I'm going to work!"
0:11:44 > 0:11:47So, yeah, this is a good-sized room.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51It's a really nice aspect, it's a lovely location.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54- Yeah.- I wonder how much it is! - Let's go and find out.
0:12:00 > 0:12:05So, Rachel and Lorna, what is it like to hypothetically live as a 21st-century animal
0:12:05 > 0:12:08in a lovely barn like that?
0:12:08 > 0:12:10It is lovely. It's a good choice, Ed.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14- Well done! It is a good choice. - And the water feature in the back garden...- It's fantastic, yeah.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18- Do you notice we're all speaking a little bit loud because there are cars going by?- Yeah, well...
0:12:18 > 0:12:21Let's deal with the cars. Is it an issue?
0:12:21 > 0:12:25- Not until you start talking about it. - Yeah.- Not until you start talking!
0:12:25 > 0:12:31- I can't change that.- And you love the water feature.- Yeah. We need to make more of it.- Yes.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33- So...shall we do it?- Yes.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37- Guess the price. Who wants to go first?- Lorna does.
0:12:37 > 0:12:42- Lorna, you're going to go first. - I'll go first and I'd say...365.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46I think I'd go less than that, actually. I think there's some inconveniences.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49- 365, Lorna. - I'm going to say 350.- OK.
0:12:49 > 0:12:55Someone is bang on the nose. Your maximum budget was £375,000.
0:12:55 > 0:13:00- and, Lorna, you haven't won. It's you, Rachel!- Oh!- And what a victory for £350,000!- Yeah.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04It's a good price, and at that price, and thinking about the things...
0:13:04 > 0:13:06Obviously, as you say, there are kind of inconveniences...
0:13:06 > 0:13:10- for £350,000 I think that's kind of factored into the price in a way as well.- Yeah, I think you're right.
0:13:10 > 0:13:16I can envisage you using all those nettles for nettle soup or nettle tea!
0:13:16 > 0:13:21- Nettle soup's lovely!- See? People do eat nettles.- I'm sure it's lovely. I'm sure people are salivating.
0:13:21 > 0:13:26Go to property two! Oh, nettle soup! Mmm!
0:13:30 > 0:13:36My property may not be as rural but it has everything Rachel needs. Great rail links into Bristol
0:13:36 > 0:13:40and a great-sized garden for her to sink her trowel into.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45Well, Rachel, Lorna... property number two.
0:13:45 > 0:13:49This is my property. Do you know the village that we're in?
0:13:49 > 0:13:54- We're in Backwell.- Yes.- But I don't know it well. But it's got a train station. We like that about it.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58- There you go. And is this an area that you'd considered, then?- Yeah.
0:13:58 > 0:14:04As you can see, there is a huge amount of frontage in the garden. Wait till you see the back!
0:14:04 > 0:14:08- And I've got a water feature too! - Oh!
0:14:08 > 0:14:10So...are we interested?
0:14:10 > 0:14:15It looks good, it looks big. I'm slightly concerned about how it can have a decent-sized garden.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19- Are you?- From the outside.- I think that's a good concern.- It looks like it must have a small garden.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23- Would you say it's a small garden or a decent-sized garden? - Small side of decent.
0:14:23 > 0:14:28- Yes! Yes, I would say this is the indecent side of small.- Oh?
0:14:28 > 0:14:32- Shall we send them in?- Aye! In you go.- Erupt through that door. - Excellent.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34Enjoy it.
0:14:37 > 0:14:43- A nice, bright hall again. Lots of doors...- Yes.- ..To have a look at. - Nice floor.- Yeah.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45Oh, nice room.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50- That's a lovely fireplace, isn't it? - Fantastic.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55Oh, lovely garden! Oh, the water feature!
0:14:55 > 0:14:58- That's a nice little area down there as well.- Yeah.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01With your gin and tonic of an evening.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04Is the sun going to be in the right place for that? No...
0:15:04 > 0:15:06Gin and tonic in the morning.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11Would you be relaxing and drinking a gin and tonic at this sort of time in the morning?
0:15:11 > 0:15:15- At 11 o'clock in the morning?- Yeah. - If I was, I'm not going to admit it now! All right?
0:15:15 > 0:15:18I wouldn't...I wouldn't.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20Wow!
0:15:20 > 0:15:24- That's a lovely room again. - Yeah. I mean they're big rooms and decent-sized ceilings.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28- I know.- Height of the ceilings again. I can jump up and get through the door.
0:15:30 > 0:15:35- Oh, nice kitchen! I do like these freestanding units. - Oh, and look around!
0:15:35 > 0:15:36Oh, wow!
0:15:36 > 0:15:40A lot of money in this one, I'd say, in the kitchen.
0:15:40 > 0:15:46- This is big for a utility room, isn't it?- Wow! Look, you could have all your seedlings on here.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48- It's like it's a greenhouse.- Right.
0:15:48 > 0:15:55Women excited about a cleaning area! Really...really, gentlemen, need I go further?
0:15:56 > 0:15:58Oh, look at this bath, Lorna!
0:15:58 > 0:16:00Oh, wow!
0:16:00 > 0:16:04How long is it as well? Is that longer than normal or is it just prettier than normal?
0:16:04 > 0:16:07- You could lie back in your bath there with your magazine... - Fantastic!
0:16:07 > 0:16:13They've imagined themselves in an advert in the 1980s where a chocolate bar is consumed
0:16:13 > 0:16:17and water is gently lapping over the thing, because they haven't got a care in the world as they're...
0:16:17 > 0:16:20stuffing a chocolate bar into their beak in a bath!
0:16:20 > 0:16:26So is maybe this one your children's room, then, Lorna? You're not sleeping then ever, obviously?
0:16:26 > 0:16:31- No, it's just when I'm on the razz. - When you're on the razz! You're too old.
0:16:31 > 0:16:38Isn't this lovely? She's just, like, Auntie Rachel, but she's really factoring in Lorna's kids.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40Visits from the children, yes. Babysitting.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43That's a good-sized room, isn't it?
0:16:43 > 0:16:46Do you think they'd leave the wardrobe as well? I like it!
0:16:46 > 0:16:49Maybe they can't get it out the door and they've got to leave it!
0:16:49 > 0:16:54- So this is the master, presumably? - Presumably.- Nice.- Let's see.
0:16:54 > 0:17:01- Oh, blimey! I think this might the master, actually.- Oh, wow! - With its little balcony.- Yeah.
0:17:01 > 0:17:05- And this isn't overlooked, is it? - No.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09- Oh, this is lovely up here. - Yeah, it's a really nice feature.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13- I think it's going to be too much, though...- Do you? - ..With all the big rooms and stuff,
0:17:13 > 0:17:16- and so close to the railway station. - It's a big house, isn't it?
0:17:16 > 0:17:18- Shall we go and find out? - Yes, let's go and see.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25Well, my water feature, the lily pond!
0:17:25 > 0:17:29- It's lovely.- And we loved it. - We did, yes. - But what did we think of the house?
0:17:29 > 0:17:34- The house is fantastic.- Yeah, really deceptive as well. You just don't realise what you're going to get
0:17:34 > 0:17:38- as you come in. It's huge inside. - It's a lot of...lot of... lot of house!
0:17:38 > 0:17:42- Nice features, as well. It's lovely. - We liked the fireplaces.- We liked the fireplaces and the bath!
0:17:42 > 0:17:46- I mean, you were like two giggling girls.- Right, how much does it cost?
0:17:46 > 0:17:52Because I felt there was a quiver of "Is this too expensive?" coursing through both of you. Now...
0:17:52 > 0:17:57we're playing with £375,000 as our maximum maximum. What is this on the market for?
0:17:57 > 0:18:02- Well, I'd say the maximum, 375. - 375, with confidence. Lorna? - I think a little less.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06- I'm going to go 365 again.- OK. Well, it's going to be lucky at some point maybe...
0:18:06 > 0:18:08You've just evened the score!
0:18:08 > 0:18:12- Lorna, you were spot on! - How about that?- That's super!
0:18:12 > 0:18:15- 365,000, well done.- Exactly the price. You were both very good.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18Exactly right last time, exactly right this time.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20Knowing the price, what do you think?
0:18:20 > 0:18:25- That's good.- OK.- Do you know, I'm sounding hesitant because there's something,
0:18:25 > 0:18:28but I can't put my finger on what that something is, do you know what I mean?
0:18:28 > 0:18:31That's good. If you decided to buy this now, the viewers would be livid
0:18:31 > 0:18:35- because they didn't get a chance to see the wild card! - We want to see the wild card!- Yes!
0:18:35 > 0:18:37- Shall we go? It's this way. - Let's! Come on.
0:18:41 > 0:18:48- I just love this wild card! - Me too. What else can we say? It's full of charm and character...
0:18:48 > 0:18:51- A bit like me!- Mmm...yes. But have we found Rachel a big enough garden
0:18:51 > 0:18:55or will we both be heading for detention later?
0:18:55 > 0:18:58Now, Lorna and Rachel, it has often been said, and mainly by me,
0:18:58 > 0:19:02the wild card, the wild card, everyone loves the wild card. The wild card is over there.
0:19:02 > 0:19:08- It is a beauty, and its former use was...- It looks a bit schooly, doesn't it?- Yes.- A schoolhouse?
0:19:08 > 0:19:11- Yes.- A schoolhouse.- It was a schoolhouse, built in 1841.
0:19:11 > 0:19:16There we go. So we have recycled a schoolhouse for you, continuing with the green theme.
0:19:16 > 0:19:17- Do you know this village? - Not at all.
0:19:17 > 0:19:22- OK, so we're in the village of Kenn. - Which is twinned with the French village of Barbie!
0:19:22 > 0:19:26- Wow!- Oh?- Look at you! - Of course it's not true!
0:19:26 > 0:19:29It's not Kenn and Barbie!
0:19:30 > 0:19:31Unbelievable!
0:19:31 > 0:19:35I delivered that so convincingly! All right, it isn't twinned with the French village of Barbie!
0:19:35 > 0:19:38- I thought you'd done loads of homework!- Well, I have!
0:19:38 > 0:19:42- You are five minutes away from the train station.- Which is in Yatton.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46The quickest one is 19 minutes, the slowest one is 22 minutes.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50- So that's good, I'd say. - That's a doable commute for you, isn't it?- Definitely.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53- First impressions are pretty good, then?- Fantastic.- It's lovely.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56Lorna, do you think this is the kind of property you could see your sister in?
0:19:56 > 0:19:58Yes, she's very strict and schoolmarmy!
0:19:58 > 0:20:03- So I could just see her in there. - You are going to fall out by the end of the day!- I'll tell Mum!
0:20:03 > 0:20:07All right, then, you can work that out on your way round the house.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10- Enjoy and be good.- Enjoy.- Otherwise it'll be the cane for both of you!
0:20:10 > 0:20:12Go on!
0:20:19 > 0:20:21- It's lovely!- Look at this!
0:20:21 > 0:20:26- These lovely doors!- Yes. And a really handy space straightaway as well.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30- Oh...- Yeah.- The doors are so nice! - Mmm!
0:20:30 > 0:20:35- The children would have looked at those doors, "I don't want to go to school!"- Through these huge doors.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37Now those doors are welcoming and friendly.
0:20:38 > 0:20:44Look at this! Oh, wow! It's got a fireplace. And it's a really nice size.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46And nobody is building there.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49- No.- Because so often when you see these houses and they've got lovely views,
0:20:49 > 0:20:52- it's also prime building land. - Lovely quiet neighbours.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55Lovely quiet neighbours, yes!
0:20:55 > 0:20:59- Nice.- That's a decent size. - Oh, it is actually.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02- Cos when you come in, I thought it was going to be really pokey.- Yeah.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05- You have got to do the hatch! - The hatch!
0:21:06 > 0:21:11I can't open it... I want to see... Oh, there we are! Dinner is served!
0:21:11 > 0:21:17Think of all the personal energy you'd be using up walking round to deliver the meal
0:21:17 > 0:21:22when you can actually efficiently use your energy, saving at least 10% of your own effort,
0:21:22 > 0:21:26- by having a serving hatch! I think that's what Al Gore was talking about, wasn't he?- No!
0:21:26 > 0:21:28Oh, look at this!
0:21:28 > 0:21:34- Oh, look at this! It's so nice!- Wow! - I can really imagine being in here. - I can imagine you in here.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38You know, it's very your style, isn't it?
0:21:40 > 0:21:43- This is nice.- Good area.- It's lovely.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47- I mean, I think I would want to take these up. I don't know how much of a big job that's going to be.- Yeah.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50If they're just plonked on top of the soil...
0:21:50 > 0:21:53and you might get quite a lot of money for recycling them.
0:21:53 > 0:21:58Well, slap my hand with a cane! They love the garden!
0:21:58 > 0:22:00It's getting low, Lorna!
0:22:00 > 0:22:03- Oh!- Oh!
0:22:03 > 0:22:05- Hard hats required!- Yes.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08So...bathroom.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11- That's a nice size, isn't it? - It's a nice size, yeah.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14It's not gorgeous, but it's absolutely fine.
0:22:14 > 0:22:21- Oh, yeah, and surprisingly high! - Yeah.- It is a good office space, isn't it?- Yeah, it is.
0:22:21 > 0:22:27Award us a gold star and say, "Well done, Nikki and Ed." This house has gone "incroyably" well!
0:22:27 > 0:22:31- That's good, "incroyably". - That's what they say in the French town of Barbie!- No, they don't!
0:22:32 > 0:22:38- Oh, gosh! Look at the size of this room.- And you could get a double in there as well.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40Two singles is a nice way of doing it too.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42Mind your head!
0:22:42 > 0:22:46- Oh, look at this! - Oh, wow! That is unexpected!
0:22:46 > 0:22:50- That's a nice big room.- Really. - There's something through here as well.
0:22:50 > 0:22:55That's really handy, isn't it? I mean, it is like a dressing room.
0:22:56 > 0:22:57And look!
0:22:57 > 0:23:02- Oh, an en-suite! - It is nice, but it's very hairy.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05- I do like it, though. - I'm a bit worried about the price.
0:23:09 > 0:23:14So, Rachel, Lorna... the old schoolhouse, the wild card!
0:23:14 > 0:23:19- Reactions?- It's gorgeous! It's lovely, especially downstairs!
0:23:19 > 0:23:23- We got so excited, actually. - Yes...we've been cooing.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29Our nerves outside were about the area we're in. What do you think?
0:23:29 > 0:23:34To be honest, it's smaller than I'd like, but I think that's made up for by the house and location.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37Having said, "No, it's the garden that's the only important thing..."
0:23:37 > 0:23:44- Yeah.- This is interesting. That's the interesting thing about the wild card, it's gets into your head.- Yes.
0:23:44 > 0:23:49- Well, do you want to guess the price? What are we, 1-1? - We're neck and neck, this is it!
0:23:49 > 0:23:51- Do you want to go first this time cos I went first last time?- Ah!
0:23:51 > 0:23:54I think 385.
0:23:54 > 0:23:55Mother of pearl!
0:23:55 > 0:23:59I think it's over budget but not that much, so I'm going to say 380.
0:23:59 > 0:24:05380? OK, neck and neck. The actual price of this beautiful old schoolhouse is...
0:24:05 > 0:24:09£339,950.
0:24:09 > 0:24:10- No?- Yes!
0:24:10 > 0:24:13Which is the cheapest of the lot, and it means you've won, Rachel!
0:24:13 > 0:24:15And also you've won with this.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18Because for all the things you would want to do, refreshing-wise to the property
0:24:18 > 0:24:21and the garden, it's kind of catered for within your budget!
0:24:21 > 0:24:25- Not so bad.- It's lovely. You're at the point where you have to go and make the biggest decision
0:24:25 > 0:24:28of your adult lives, about which one you wish to test-drive.
0:24:28 > 0:24:34- Are you prepared to do that?- Yeah. - Good luck. Wander into the house and do whatever you've got to do...
0:24:34 > 0:24:35- We'll see you later.- Thank you.
0:24:35 > 0:24:40- Here we go.- I'm just delighted that they love it.- I am delighted. - But will they choose it?
0:24:40 > 0:24:44For all of you at home, here's a recap of what we've seen so far.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48Will Rachel choose my blank canvas, waiting for her green-fingered touch?
0:24:48 > 0:24:52Complete with tinkling stream and a three-bed barn conversion.
0:24:55 > 0:24:59Or will she choose my mature and versatile dual-aspect plot?
0:24:59 > 0:25:02Will the lily pond and three-bed detached property swing it for...
0:25:05 > 0:25:09Call me crazy, but will the wild card property be a lesson for us all?
0:25:09 > 0:25:13Everyone loves the wild card, but will it be top of the class for Rachel?
0:25:13 > 0:25:16At the gorgeous price of...
0:25:21 > 0:25:26Well, heavens to Betsy, it's back to the schoolhouse for our eco-friendly sisters!
0:25:26 > 0:25:30And with both of them working for the Environment Agency,
0:25:30 > 0:25:34they're going to be all over the eco-friendly potential of this place.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37- That's a shame, but it is a double thing.- Yeah.
0:25:37 > 0:25:43- One good thing, I think it's all double-glazed.- Yes. - So that'll cut down on heat loss.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49How about the fireplace? Do you think if this works it would take wood?
0:25:49 > 0:25:54- Because if it does take wood, that's the best fuel carbon dioxide-wise. - Mm-hm.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57- Now I can feel a spin-off programme coming on here!- Yes!
0:25:57 > 0:26:01Rachel and Lorna present How Green Is Your House?
0:26:01 > 0:26:06A quarter of the carbon-dioxide production in the UK is from heating and lighting and powering houses.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09- Houses? Is it that much? - Yeah, it's more than transport.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13See? Lorna knows her stuff, doesn't she?
0:26:13 > 0:26:15- I think you could put solar panels on here.- I was thinking that!
0:26:15 > 0:26:18Well, I think overall it's probably fairly positive.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22- Cheers!- Cheers!
0:26:22 > 0:26:24You picked the wild card. Why did you pick the wild card?
0:26:24 > 0:26:29Because you were interested, I felt, in all three of the properties today. What was it about this?
0:26:29 > 0:26:33I think it's just the character of it. It's just there is something about it,
0:26:33 > 0:26:35and it's the feel when you walk through the door.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39- It's special.- Even though it doesn't meet your original criteria, it still does in another way?
0:26:39 > 0:26:43- Yes.- Almost?- Yes. - Shall we do it, then, Nikki? - It's OK.- Say it.- Are you sure?
0:26:43 > 0:26:48- I'm going to be crossing the fingers. - All right...to buy or not to buy?
0:26:48 > 0:26:51- To buy!- Whoo!
0:26:51 > 0:26:52I'm delighted, I really am.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56And I think we both... even though we had our properties, we both really loved this one.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59Everyone loves the wild card! Lorna, is this right for your sister?
0:26:59 > 0:27:04I can really imagine Rachel here. I think it's a good house for Rachel, definitely.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd