Stoke Newington To Buy or Not to Buy

-It is said that a man's home is his castle.

-We'll have the palaces!

I think that's a fair enough deal. If you are in the mood for house hunting, this is the right channel.

It is exactly the right time. So enjoy the next 45 minutes of mid-morning property delight.

-I think my watch has stopped.

-Trust me.

A long time ago there was a poor boy called Dick Whittington who heard of the great city of London

-where the streets were paved with gold.

-But London is a big place, full of people both rich and poor

and Dick did not find any gold, but he did find a fantastic city full of amazing things -

the crown jewels, Buckingham Palace, Van Gogh's Sunflowers are here.

And, most importantly, in terms of current events, the next Olympics will be held in London.

No wonder home hunters still flock here in search of fortune and glory.

Luckily for them, we are here to help, so let today's capital city caper commence.

'Coming up on To Buy Or Not To Buy: maybe Ed isn't as famous as he thinks.'

-Have you heard of Ed Hall?

-I know him.

-Apparently, he's one of the biggest celebrities here.

-No!

'And today it's a double bedroom or bust.'

-Would Charlotte mind a single?

-Yes, she would.

Just checking, just checking!

'But which will it be?' To buy or not to buy?

Ruth and close friend and colleague Charlotte work for a major bank in London

and rent a property together after their company relocated from the northwest.

They work hard and play harder and enjoy everything the capital has to offer,

-from West End theatre to the vibrant nightlife.

-Now after six months renting in Queen's Park,

they are looking for a perfect pad in Stoke Newington, a place close to my heart. First, let's find out

exactly what they want.

-Welcome, and congratulations for moving to an area where one of TV's greatest celebrities lives.

-Really?

-Who lives here?

-Me! I live here!

I know it like the back of my hand.

I could say commiserations for leaving the place where the greatest celebrities used to live -

-Liverpool!

-Oh!

-Do you get it?

-I know what you're saying!

So from Rani's home town - but you live in London now - to Stoke Newington.

-Why Stoke Newington?

-I really like it because it has a kind of village-y feel about it.

It feels really safe, it will be convenient to get to work. Mainly that was why I chose it.

-OK, I'll ask you as the expert, does it have a village-y feel?

-Yes, it does.

-Is it safe?

-Very safe. Because it has no Tube line,

-London isn't very affordable, but this is slightly more affordable.

-As we've discovered!

You say you've discovered prices. This is your first move to London.

-Have you been looking round the area?

-Yes, I've been to see quite a lot of different properties.

-The challenge is definitely budget.

-Right.

-Moving down from the northwest to London,

-your budget doesn't go as far.

-No!

I guess your friends and folks up north, when you say how much it costs here, think you're insane.

-You could have a mansion in the northwest!

-Everyone says that!

-"You could have a mansion up here!"

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-So are you pooling your money together?

-No.

-Ruth's buying.

I had a house in the northwest, which I've sold, so I've got a deposit for a property down here.

-So I'm buying and Charlotte will be my lodger.

-OK.

-I won't be buying for many years to come!

-But you're vital on this. You need lodgers here.

-The devil you know.

-So I'm looking for a two double-bedroomed property.

-Would Charlotte mind a single?

-Yes!

Just checking! Just checking!

You went by Ruth there because she's actually paying for this!

So two double bedrooms. The main thing after that is somewhere safe and convenient to get to work

-and to get back from the city.

-Right.

We don't spend all our time together, so a lot of it will be on our own, coming home from work late

or having been for drinks and the main thing is to feel we can get safely from the train or bus

-to the front door.

-I don't want to sound like a raging party animal,

but if you stay out longer in town, in the West End, you can get here for less than £20,

which isn't so bad considering the price of property and whatever.

My old property had a really big garden, a patio area, and I like pottering around in the garden.

-And here I would like somewhere with some outside space.

-Can you give us a centimetre inch...

-What are you looking for? Gardens come at a premium here.

-Yes.

-What are we talking?

That's probably not realistic. A balcony or a terrace. Somewhere for a little table and chairs,

-glass of wine...

-Couple of plants.

-Two plants. OK.

-Green.

-Lots of plants.

-You've got lots of good parks here.

-It's quite green.

-Very green.

-And I bet you would like a period-style property.

-We would prefer that.

Everyone does. There's a lot round here. There's a lot of new ones,

but the Victorian conversion is very popular round here.

A bit of character, preferably. We don't want a shoebox.

-Right.

-This is maybe why we haven't found anywhere, perhaps!

-We're actually a bit picky.

-You're allowed to dream.

-We'd prefer a kitchen...

-OK.

-..that isn't in the living room.

-A separate kitchen.

-Don't mind it being offset, but I don't want the sofa a foot away from the oven.

-Is that because somebody burns food?

-I like cooking and cook quite a bit and I like baking.

-It does make everything smell of bacon...

-No bacon! Baking!

No, but if you're frying! I've gone beyond baking

-and if you do make bacon, one of the smelliest things to cook, it would...

-I'm a vegetarian.

-Even vegetarian bacon smells!

-Baking would smell lovely. Perfect.

-But you might not want your washing in the lounge.

-Cos you haven't an outside space to dry it in!

-You've thought about this!

-We have.

-It's good to know what you want

and you've seen properties so you know, "I don't want that."

Shall we do it, then? The thing we've talked around is the most important thing.

What is your maximum budget?

Maximum budget is around... 270, 280 at a push.

-280 at a push.

-Would... I don't know why I'm smiling,

if not half laughing. That is a lot of money. Anywhere else...

-You could get a mansion up north!

-A four-bedroomed house!

-It's a lot of money, but in London...

-It doesn't go far.

-Wish us luck. Charlotte, good luck with whatever room you get!

-Yeah!

-I'm getting nervous now.

-Your room might get the compromise... or maybe not!

-No, no, no.

-We will do our best.

-See you later.

-Take care, bye.

-You keep going on. "I'm a local!"

-I'm a local.

-Can Ruth get what she wants here?

-I would say I'm 80% sure that she won't.

-But...there's 20% of me that believes she might.

-Right.

-It is very hard with that budget.

I'll talk to the estate agent to see if he can boost that 20% to 30 or 50.

-I will speak to a REAL local.

-I'm a local!

Stoke Newington is one of London's oldest villages and along with its charming vibe,

it's home to a climbing centre that looks like Hogwarts, a reservoir or three

and a swathe of parklands and two striking churches both called St Mary's.

Hip and trendy Church Street is said to have, for its size, more restaurants and estate agents

than any road in London. No wonder it's a desirable haven for young professionals,

where people move on in and move on up. If it were a shop, it would be a chic boutique.

But don't let its bohemian edge mute its avant garde potential.

Even the infamous street artist Banksy has blessed the wall with his eminent graffiti.

It's also been home to Paloma Faith, the Crafty Cockney Eric Bristow

and the Queen Vic's finest, Barbara Windsor. "Oi! Get out of my pub!"

Charming(!) But away from here what will £280,000 get you around the rest of the UK?

Back in Rani's northwest,

this deluxe two-bedroom apartment in one of Manchester's most prestigious developments.

Now over to the northeast.

This stunning ground-floor apartment in swanky Gosforth has all the features of a grand period property,

with lush communal gardens.

And, finally, to the Second City of Birmingham, where this converted 19th-century school

houses a striking two-bed apartment

mixing character with modern design.

Ladies and gentlemen, meet Richard, the Stoke Newington estate agent.

I know the area quite well, but I don't know today's market as well.

-Excuse me. Have you time to chat for two seconds?

-Sorry. Late for work.

We want to talk about trendy people!

This area here is very popular, very close to Church Street, original architecture.

However, because of the size of the properties, very few flat conversions.

And there's the Banksy I was talking about. Work of art.

Everybody is really friendly. When you go in a shop, a restaurant, when you walk down the street,

everybody likes to live here and stays quite local every day.

This one here is just about to come to market. Top floor, two-bed.

It involves some additional space in the roof.

This has no outside space, two double bedrooms,

but this is £350,000.

-And because of its location it will get that or very close to.

-350?

-That's what you're up against.

-What about celebrities?

-Lots of politicians and journalists.

-We've got MPs around here.

-Have you heard of Ed Hall?

-He lives here?

-He's one of the biggest celebrities.

-No.

Is Stoke Newington trendy?

Is it? It is trendy.

-Everyone's stopping. Is it friendly?

-Everyone wants to live here. It's very friendly.

Lots of nice shops, lots of cafes, lots of pubs, lots of bars.

-There's lots of clubs opening up. Very cool and hip.

-Yeah.

Great social life in Church Street. Short walk home, transport links.

So, yeah, it's pretty good round here relative to other areas.

All right. I feel my work is cut out for me today. If I've got £280,000, which way should I walk?

-East.

-That's where I'm going. I'll see you later.

-Cheers.

-Ed, I am really starting to enjoy your area.

-It's lovely.

-I've had a good chat, met some real locals.

-Were they all aware of who I was?

-You're not in the top 100, but edging your way up. Well done.

-You didn't speak to enough people.

-How about you?

-Property-wise, a great place. Near the station.

Two bedrooms and outdoor space.

I managed to find them the Victorian mansion they wanted.

-Not the whole thing?!

-No. A two-bedroom flat. Two really good-sized bedrooms.

-But there may be a smaller living room.

-OK. It is about compromise.

-The Wild Card. Everyone loves it.

-Yes.

-Look at its sleek contemporariness.

This is closest to Church Street.

-Where shall we start?

-Do you want to?

-I think we should. This one.

How about this Victorian gem? Lovely first-floor, two-bedroom apartment, with everything they're looking for.

There's even a south-facing rood terrace so they can admire views of the city to their heart's content.

Ruth and Charlotte, walk toward Property Number 1, the beast that I am championing today.

You have got the middle of this beautiful, we believe Victorian...

-Possibly.

-It IS Victorian.

-All of that is yours.

-OK.

-It is very lovely. Inside, it's everything you want.

-OK.

At the end of the road is a pub I have eaten Sunday lunch in. It has a blue plaque outside now.

It was lovely, I enjoyed it. I can give that a thumbs up.

Very near to the train station. You could, if you were an Olympic swimmer, hold your breath

and walk to it in one lungful. What do you think of the area?

-Have you seen it before?

-We have.

-Yes.

-We got a bit lost once and ended up round here.

-OK.

-And did you feel safe? That was one of your big requirements.

-Yes. It's convenient for the train

so that's an important thing.

You seem quite positive about the outside, the area,

but what about the inside? Has Ed delivered? ..You have?

-He's the local and he should know! Ladies, make your way in and enjoy.

-Enjoy it.

-This is nice.

-Quite airy.

-I like the fact that it's all white.

-Yeah, that's always a good move.

-Is there a shower?

-A nice shower as well. Quite a big bath.

-Definitely bigger than I imagined.

-Yeah, it's much bigger than we've got now.

-We're used to seeing quite small bathrooms, on top of each other.

Do you think Ruth and Charlotte are the type of girls to come in, switch on the taps, flush the toilet,

or will they ignore those things?

Well, they're from up north and they might not trust us southerners, so they should.

-I'm not quite a southerner. Just because I live here.

-You are.

-So this is the second bedroom?

-Yeah.

-It's quite a good size.

-Yeah.

-It's probably about the same size...

-As what you're in now.

-That's good.

-Nice bright window. And you could put fitted wardrobes in this bit here.

-True.

-Yeah.

-Do you think you could live in here?

-Yeah.

Within reason.

To have a hallway in London really is a luxury.

-That is like a third and fourth bedroom.

-It's amazing.

-It is.

-This room's quite a bit bigger.

-Yeah.

-I actually really like that.

-It's quite nice.

-A nice feature.

-Yeah.

Another big window.

And again you could easily put fitted wardrobes in this bit here.

-That big window brings the natural light in.

-It makes a big difference.

Yeah, I like this.

-That's positive.

-It is positive. They've not hit the one negative and it's a small negative.

-Really small.

-I'm thinking of two compromises.

-One.

-Two compromises. Let's see what they think.

-One.

-Oh, this is nice.

-Oh, yeah?

-OK, so this is the compromise. The kitchen in the room.

-Lounge diner.

-Actually, you could really easily put up a partition.

-Yeah. Something to make it a little bit separate.

Well, Rani. What's happening in there at the moment? Eh?

-They're trying to fix the problem.

-And they have sorted it adequately.

-The kitchen's really big.

-And quite new, which is quite nice.

-You don't feel overlooked or anything too much.

-Another bright window. With a partition, it's fine.

-Even though it isn't what we were necessarily looking for, I quite like it.

-I like it.

Yeah, definitely. Cool.

-Shall we go on?

-Yeah.

Know what I really liked there in that kitchen? They said, "Let's look at the living room,"

-and instead of just turning round, they walked in!

-Exactly. If it was all the same, it's not as much fun.

-Ah, so there's a nice big balcony.

-This is your outside space you desperately wanted.

-Good.

There's still room for friends and people, so you don't feel on top of each other all the time.

-No.

-I'm quite impressed.

-Yeah, I like it. Very good.

-Now I believe that you liked that a lot.

-Yes.

-Yeah.

-Rani and I have had a debate about how many compromises may or may not be made in it.

-OK.

I initially thought one. How many do you believe were made?

-Er, two.

-Two.

-OK, OK. What do you believe they are?

-The size of Charlotte's bedroom.

Compromise one, then, is the room.

-Yeah. I've not got huge issues.

-It's a double, though.

If it can be advertised as a double, it will be. And it's not the smallest double you'll ever see.

-No, this is true.

-OK, compromise two?

-It's that the kitchen is in the lounge.

-I'd say that's the only compromise.

-We could easily put a partition in. It's not a deal breaker.

-Apart from that, Ed has given you outdoor space.

-I was really surprised.

-And this is a good size.

-A lot bigger than we imagined.

-So the house is nice.

-Yeah.

-We're at the most vital part of house hunting in London.

-Yes.

-The budget. Now you said maximum £280,000.

-Yeah.

Let's find out how much is this property on the market for.

Would you like to go first, Ruth?

OK. I'm going to be optimistic I'm going to say 275.

-275. OK.

-I'm going to go with 285.

-OK.

Charlotte thinks, "If it's that low, you could get me a bigger room!"

The actual price is £302,500.

Now it does have a very small compromise.

-You are sold, you are ready to go and that's why I think you should have a look at it.

-Yeah.

What do you think, bearing in mind those things - and you won - but, Ruth, have you won?

I would think that if there is room for negotiation, then it is possibly a maybe.

-OK.

-Ooh!

-Well, I'll take that... lukewarm-ish...

When you walked in, you said it was bigger than you'd seen so far.

-Yeah.

-It definitely is.

-And you like the location.

-Yeah.

-But you've still got my property.

-Maybe I haven't given you three compromises.

-Maybe four!

-Or maybe one!

-We're off to there...now!

For my property, I've chosen this gorgeous split-level two-bedroom apartment in a Victorian conversion.

With lovely features and great-sized rooms in perfect harmony.

My choice could be the property dish of the day!

Right, ladies, welcome to Property Number 2. This is my choice.

Ed gave you good transport links. I'm putting you between Stoke Newington station and Rectory Road.

It will get you into the city, to Liverpool Street. Perfect for you.

-A lovely quiet road.

-Yeah.

-We talked about how up north you could get a mansion.

-The Victorian mansion!

-Very impressive.

-Nice? You're not getting the whole thing for £280,000.

-I'm sorry. We're going upstairs.

-OK.

-First impressions?

-It's nice.

-I like the fact it's off the road a bit.

-Yeah.

One thing we didn't talk about is you'll be working, living together.

but how much space apart you'd like, how much you'd like together.

-I think with this property the living room should be used as the second bedroom.

-OK.

-I think that's the best use of space, but just my thoughts.

-OK.

-Are you excited?

-Yes.

-Pumped?

..Yeah!

Three, two, one. Go house hunting!

-Oh, this is nice.

-Very airy, isn't it?

-It's really bright and light.

It's not over-large, but I quite like it.

-No, it's good.

-You don't want loads of space.

-There's two big sofas. Remember they're quite big.

Let's look out the window.

Oh, that looks nice out there.

-Nice and green.

-You're not overlooked, which is something that can be a bit of a problem.

When you are at the top floor of a building, very rarely are you overlooked, I would say.

-Unless there was a building that's higher.

-They are the overlookers of everyone's back garden,

which is an enviable position. It's almost the scene of a movie.

If anyone's seen Rear Window, it's not a happy ending, but that's it.

-Is this the one she was talking about as a bedroom?

-Potentially.

-In which case it's a lot bigger than the last one.

-Yeah, definitely.

This is a good-sized living room, but I think this could be used as Charlotte or Ruth's bedroom.

-OK, yeah.

-And I just think...

-Is it bigger than the master bedroom?

-If it's smaller, that will be Charlotte's room.

-It's smaller.

This must be the bathroom through here.

So you've got lounge, bathroom, on this level. Nice shower.

-Yeah.

-Sometimes you can get the old showers, but that's a new one.

-It all looks clean and modern.

-And nice.

-Floor's different. Dark flooring.

-Oh, yeah. It's a bathroom.

-A bathroom's a bathroom.

-Yeah.

-Clean, modern, nice. What else would you want?

-Those are three words often used to describe me.

-Clean, modern...?

-And nice.

Oh, this is a nice landing. It's really good for storage.

-That's true. You could even have a cupboard.

-Yeah. Nice.

Nice little landing. You know, we talk about hallways and a nice bit of landing.

-A bit of extra storage. You always need that with two ladies.

-Grandeur.

-OK, so here we are in the bedroom.

-I can't work out whether it's the main bedroom or not!

Yeah(!) It's a good job I'm small!

You're in the roof. It'll be quite warm, with large windows.

Yeah. And there's a lot of room there. That's a double bed.

You could have a built-in unit underneath the sloping wall and move the bed around.

-There's definitely options.

-If you make that a living room... This will sound like an insult.

-You'll be lower down, so the slanting roof won't be a problem.

-No.

-Clever, crafty.

So this will be the kitchen diner.

-This is big, isn't it?

-Very spacious.

-I've not seen a kitchen...

-Not this big, no.

-I'm not sure what to do with all this room!

-It's really good.

-It's really kind of liveable.

-You definitely wouldn't have to do anything.

-A huge plus for us.

And the windows... Lots of light.

-That's nice.

-It's quite a nice view.

Yeah. The rooftops of London.

-I like this. It's got a nice feel.

-And being higher, you don't hear anything.

-It's really quiet.

-Yeah.

-I like this a lot.

-Good.

-Yeah.

Now I'm thinking they can go down the Golden Girls route.

They can hang out in the kitchen, eat cheesecake, talk about the day.

Are you saying that they are silver surfers? Nothing wrong with that,

but they'll be slightly insulted if you call them the Golden Girls.

-I'm talking about friendship.

-As in the Golden Girls.

-OK, this must be the main bedroom.

-Oh, this is big, isn't it?

-It's huge.

-Yeah, wow.

-It's absolutely enormous.

-I would never expect something this big.

-That area there is useful for storage and whatever, shoes.

They've got really big cupboards. Yeah, this is really big. It's really nice and light.

-Huge windows.

-I really like this. It's got a really nice feel to it.

Yeah, cool.

-Girls, you're right. This is a massive kitchen!

-Yep.

-Yep.

-Do you like it?

-Very much so.

-What about the rest of the house?

-Did you take on board what I said?

-Yes. It would be much better to have the bedroom downstairs

-as opposed to the living room, in terms of space.

-Yeah.

-But how do we make that room work as a living room?

-Ed had a good point. It's a slanting ceiling,

so your couch would be there underneath the slanted bit,

but also you've got this massive kitchen with the table and I was thinking meeting here,

-having a slice of cheesecake, chatting...

-Ambling through.

-Yeah.

I think it's definitely worth what we talked about.

Once you're sat down - it does sound ludicrous - you're there.

-This isn't as much of an issue.

-And I was wondering whether we could actually take a bit of that wall out.

-Could she do it?

-You could!

-Yes!

-Check - I wouldn't just swing a hammer through it! I'd check.

That would imply you could.

-So, yeah, something to investigate.

-But could it work when we know what the price is?

-Mmm.

We're in a different postcode here. You're in E5 here, which realistically doesn't mean much.

-A maximum budget of £280,000.

-Yep.

-Who wants to go first? Charlotte, you can go first.

Oh. I think I'll go for 305.

-She thinks it's better than yours!

-OK, you think maybe a compromise is made there.

-It's kind of by size, really.

-OK.

-And I'm going to be a bit more realistic than last time.

I actually think it might be about 310.

-310.

-She likes it so much more than your place!

People think going first is easy. It's not.

Charlotte, you went first and you are closest, which is good.

This property is on the market at 299,995.

OK, it's a lot of nines! It's a lot of nines.

-So it still is over-budget.

-Yeah, we knew that.

-Not as expensive as Ed's.

-No.

-Surprise.

-Yeah, you're surprised. So you do like this place?

I feel you get more for your money. The difference is no outside space.

-Yes.

-So that's the compromise.

-There's always a compromise.

-There is.

-OK. Shall we go to the Wild Card?

-Yes.

-You've built it up.

-It's everyone's favourite part of the show. How could it be better than this? But could it?

-Let's see.

For our Wild Card this morning, we're taking them to this amazing penthouse apartment

-within a recently-converted period building.

-Sporting two bedrooms and a balcony,

it has all the joys of modern living wrapped in a characterful facade. I have a good feeling.

Walk towards today's Wild Card, which is technically in the middle of a gigantic roundabout.

The road does circle round it.

Hence, it's a little bit noisier. Inside, trust me, it's quieter.

Geographically, we are between Rani's property and mine.

So you're between Rectory Road station and Stoke Newington station.

-When I first moved here, this was a Caribbean restaurant.

-OK.

-It's now flats and very nice.

-All your transport links are here. So what do you think? It's a lovely old building.

-It seems OK.

-I want to get in and see how noisy it is.

-It's quite noisy, but look - you've got safe passage.

Also think of the positive. Two girls, in London. You want to be safe, to have hustle and bustle,

-and the bus stop's right there.

-You're also very near Church Street, where the bars and restaurants are.

-If you want to see me and my celebrity friends.

-Celebrity friends?

-Nigel from EastEnders.

-Really? You've never invited me! I'm hurt now.

-Ready and excited?

-Definitely.

-It's the Wild Card.

-Go!

-Off you go.

-OK. This is different.

-The bedroom.

-Reckon this is the main bedroom?

-I don't know. I'm not sure.

If the girls move here, they'd be near a lot of famous Stoke Newington alumni -

myself, Nigel who was in EastEnders, now Holby City,

-I saw Michael Barrymore drinking in the pub over the road.

-Really? Did you get his autograph?

-No.

-The ceilings are higher, I'd say.

-Yeah. And built-in wardrobes.

That's kind of all there.

-Space for a chest of drawers.

-We've given them the best location.

-So it's functional.

Functional location-wise, which is why some rooms aren't as big.

And it's a brand-new development inside, but they've not made anything of the original features.

-OK, so...quite a nice hallway.

-Yeah.

-Again, it's quite nice to have something with a bit of space.

-You could have a table or something.

-Yeah, a telephone table.

-So bathroom.

-Bathroom.

-A fair size.

-It's all modern, it's all new.

-It's white.

-Yeah. Good shower.

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

-And it's got a window!

Well, they do love that bathroom. They don't love anything, really. They're happy with a window.

-So this must be...

-The second bedroom.

-Second bedroom.

-This is slightly smaller.

-I think they're very similar sizes.

-With the built-in cupboard.

-Triple glazing on the windows.

Actually, you can't hear anything.

-You'd struggle to fit additional furniture.

-Any additional furniture. How big is the cupboard?

-Oh, it's quite big.

-Yeah.

-It's quite big, actually.

-We've done quite well today.

-Yeah.

-By showing them three properties with individual characters.

-This one, it's the Wild Card, great location.

-Cracking.

-Outside space.

-Outside space.

-Two decent-sized double bedrooms.

-And one of the compromises I made is not here.

-But there is one other compromise.

-Sort of.

OK, so combined sort of kitchen and living room.

-Interesting shape.

-Yeah.

-I actually quite like it.

-A huge window.

-Yeah. That makes it really light.

-It's a good use of the floor space.

-Yeah. It's just how comfortable do we feel with that kitchen?

-There isn't any way to separate the two.

-What is amazing is that I thought it was going to be loud,

-it's right on the corner - can't hear a thing.

-No.

-Triple glazing.

We're also at the back of the property where the balcony is.

You can't hear traffic that badly, considering what we heard before. I would say, clutching at straws,

it's still usable. You could have a very small, select dinner party.

-So...outside space.

-Ah, a little balcony.

-It is quite a big balcony, actually, to be fair.

-Do you think?

-I suppose you could get pots and plants on.

-You'd get a small table.

-Yeah. Some chairs, glass of wine.

And you're not hearing traffic. It's not as noticeable as I thought it would be.

-It's much quieter than I thought it would be out here. It's nice.

-And no other houses.

-It's great.

-It's good.

-Balcony per buck-wise, Rani, I would say this is probably the most amount of balcony

-you'd get for their maximum budget.

-Right.

-Not spoiling the price.

-Do you think we could afford it?

-I'm not sure after the other two!

Ladies and gents, we should play guess the price and this may be an exciting guess the price

for one reason.

Now when you came into my property and Ed's, it was like, "Wow! Amazing!"

-Here, I wasn't getting that vibe.

-Not really.

-What are you thinking?

-It's beautifully done.

-But...

-It's too small.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-You've got two really good-sized bedrooms.

-Yeah.

-Yes.

-Yes...

-But they are smaller than the previous two properties

-and I think after seeing those, you realise how much smaller they are.

-Yeah.

Obviously it's a new build, within a period property,

but you're much nearer to the guts of Stoke Newington, Church Street, where it's all happening,

which is why you get a little less.

And maybe from that whole exercise, would you rather get a little less and be nearer Church Street or not?

Er, no.

-No, this is...

-That's interesting.

-It's a really good location,

-the bus stop is outside...

-The transport is brilliant.

But for me, I want something that's just a little bit bigger.

-Maximum budget £280,000. Who would like to go first?

-I'll leave that to you.

I'm going to say 295.

-OK.

-OK, I'm going to go 290.

290. Do you know what?

Charlotte, it is a hat-trick. You are clearly better at this,

-and may have earned yourself the biggest bedroom...

-I do like that idea.

-The actual price of this... This is within your budget.

-Really?

-Which is why we picked it.

-OK.

It's £279,950, so you've got £50 to spend on a bottle of champagne when you move in.

But it's within the budget. So, knowing that, knowing that it is at least 20 grand cheaper,

does that help you in any way? Do you like it any more?

Would you rather save money?

Em...no.

-No, that's a good price.

-Yeah.

-And that's a nice price.

-I can see that this will sell really easily.

-It'll be gone.

-But it's not for me.

You are now at that point where you have to make the biggest decision of your adult lives.

-Are you confident and able to do it?

-Yes.

-Yeah.

-Good luck with it.

-We legally can't help you.

-We can't.

-We'd love to, but we can't. We'll see you later on.

-Good luck!

-While they do that, here's a quick recap. Are you all right?

-I am.

My property had almost everything Ruth and Charlotte were after,

right down to the expansive roof terrace and two double bedrooms.

They could live with the kitchen/lounge compromise, but with the £302,500 price tag?

The enormity of the kitchen and bedrooms in my gorgeous Property 2 needed no compromise.

Neither did its proximity to the train station.

The outside space was questionable, but with a price of £299,995, it might well be worth a shot.

And last, but never least, our Wild Card.

Penthouse living in the heart of Stoke Newington. It had two ample bedrooms, a welcoming living room

and a balcony big enough for two.

The size raised issues, but the location was great.

And it was well under budget. This could be a winner.

Well, Ruth, I could tell you had taste. You've picked Property 2, which is my choice!

Why have you picked this one?

We really liked this because it was much bigger,

had a really homely feel to it, was nice and welcoming, and it's on a really nice street.

You have chosen to look at this one. We've had our mystery surveyor here.

It's not legally binding, so if you do go ahead to purchase it, you do need to get a survey done.

You're talking about compromises. He may have brought up a few more.

-OK.

-I'll start with the big one. The roof.

You are one of three flats. We're not sure who is responsible for the roof. You're at the top,

so you might be entirely responsible for it, it might be split, there might be a management company.

You need to look into that because if it's got to go, you're looking at maybe five grand minimum.

You'd have to scaffold the thing, all of that hassle. It's better to know and have that factored in

-to maybe haggling for the price.

-Remember you were talking about the lovely, massive kitchen

and how you'd like to make it into a bit bigger with the living room.

-That wall might not be able to be completely removed.

-Think of them as haggling points.

-Yes.

-Everyone likes a bargain.

-Exactly. But remember a bargain costs money!

-OK!

-We have... Go!

-On that point, go!

-It's true.

Into my Victorian mansion they go and Test Drive here we come.

-This would be the second bedroom.

-Your bedroom, potentially.

Charlotte sets her sights on that lounge, but will her bed fit?

I think you've come up trumps here!

-Charlotte, are you in that bedroom?

-Yeah.

-Not taking our surveyor's word for it, and who'd blame them,

they make up their own mind on that kitchen/bedroom conversion.

Ruth also discovers that there may be potential for an outside niche. House hunting is thirsty work

-and a well-earned glass of wine is called for.

-But there's only one way to take in Stoke Newington

and that's to hit the streets.

# Chaka Khan, Chaka Khan... #

-So, Ruth, you've been in there, spent more time.

-Yeah.

-What do you think of the place?

-Still really nice, but I'm slightly concerned by all the little issues

that might need to be resolved and the financial impact.

When buying a house, there's always some money to be spent and because this is the top of your budget,

-it does get a little bit...

-You're not helping me, Ed.

-Not really.

-But I understand what you're saying.

-Totally. If it is over your budget and you'd have to spend more,

-it's definitely something to consider. However, with that in mind...

-Still clinging to the dream!

-This was a good-sized flat. So you know if you spend a bit more...

-You can get more.

-OK.

Cos you have had a good look around. Is it worth asking the question -

to buy or not to buy?

Er, not to buy.

Actually, I'd quite like another look at number one.

-I didn't hear that, Ed.

-Say it again.

-I would quite like another look at number one.

-I'd be happy if you go to Ed's.

-Ah, good.

-From the start of the day,

when we didn't think we could achieve anything, we found a property for 280

-but we realised it's a little bit too small.

-Yeah.

-So you're kind of in the right ballpark.

-You just need more of a look.

-Yeah.

-You did get me as a celebrity neighbour.

-Fantastic.

-Lovely.

You can bring back trendy and come to Stoke Newington.

-We'll see you soon.

-Take care.

-Thank you.