East Grinstead To Buy or Not to Buy

Ah, the joys, Nikki, of this green and soggy land.

-Isn't it beautiful?

-Yes, and somewhere out there, Ed,

in the wild, wet West Sussex countryside, are two homebuyers

hoping that we will find them the perfect property.

They want to move here for the countryside

and we're getting the moist version of countryside today.

-Yes, but that won't stop us.

-No, it won't.

-Because...

-What?

-This is To Buy Or Not To Buy.

-It is. Watch out for the...

-Oh, sorry.

-Oh!

-The puddle.

-Ugh!

The Meridian Line runs right through this stone,

which is here in East Grinstead.

Nikki, over here, is straddling a certain hemisphere

and I over here am straddling a completely different hemisphere.

Actually, you are an East End boy today

and I'm a West End girl, or eastern, western hemisphere.

You don't see that very often. "Pease touch."

They're a friendly bunch, these folk,

which why our house hunters want to live here. Have a rub of their stone.

Coming up on To Buy Or Not To Buy, have we fallen at the first hurdle?

It's not the country living that you had in mind, is it?

-No.

-No.

-No.

'Things get a little heated outside a property.'

I'm beginning to feel that I might be a little bit annoyed with you two.

'But is there a silver lining?'

-I like it. I really like it.

-OK.

-It's that emotional feeling.

I almost can walk around this house, picturing us living here and the kids running round.

Let's meet today's house hunters.

They are Robin and Claire Watts, who met at work.

Claire is a detective sergeant and Robin, who retired from the police,

is a freelance trainer.

They both have children from previous relationships.

Claire has two and Robin has three,

so it's pretty busy when they all get together.

They've not been married long,

so finding a place that all the family can fit into is more important than ever.

Robin, Claire, what's the bottle, is my first question?

-I think I'll leave this one to you.

-Oh, OK.

The bottle's there because Claire and I met on a truth or dare game.

We were playing in a pub in Victoria and the bottle spun to me and I just said, "Truth."

So Claire said to me, "Is there anybody at all in the office that you fancy?"

-I had this idea of matchmaking him.

-But not with you, then?

No, no, no. I'd always thought he was a nice guy but I really wasn't...

-Who were you going to pass him off on to, then?

-I'd had a few drinks, what can I say?

OK, so we've got spin the bottle at the heart of our relationship.

-Shall we start with the first question?

-Yeah.

OK, let's see.

-Oh, look, it's gone to you, Claire.

-As if by magic!

Claire, what do we want?

We want four bedrooms, we're looking for space.

We're looking to move out from an urban area into a more countrified area.

Certain things are important.

I like the way a house looks. It's got to be right for me.

-What your term? It's got to have a nice face.

-A nice face.

-What is a nice face, though?

-That's not silly.

A lot of people want a nice-faced house.

I think double aspect would be good,

certainly a front garden, a driveway,

-and also the surrounding area.

-A garage.

-A garage.

-What was that out the side of your mouth?

-Garage.

-It's not your turn.

Now it's your turn.

-Robin?

-I'd like a double garage. We haven't got one at the moment.

One of my old passions was just doing up old cars.

-The other thing that's important is to have a panic room.

-A panic room.

-So this is from the police world?

-No.

-I've seen the film.

I know what happens when intruders get into the house, you lock down. Is that what you want?

-No.

-No.

-No.

You'll see that I've got quite a formidable daughter now,

-a three-year-old.

-She gives him a hard time.

-I've got a formidable mother-in-law...

-Uh-huh.

-..and a formidable wife.

So when the three are there, I need to leg it.

I suppose another word for it would be a study.

Areas that we're looking in. We're kind of East Grinstead-ish.

Give us reasons why we're staying in East Grinstead.

It seemed like the best place because it has to be close to London

because I work in London and I need those transport links.

But because I work, my mum looks after my children a couple of days a week

and she lives in Biggin Hill and she needs to be able to...

-Get here easily.

-..get here fairly easily.

-OK.

Now, one of the vital things that you're not mentioning that will define our area.

-Yeah, schools.

-There you go.

My boy, he's started primary school and he's really happy

and that's the one thing about this move that causes me anxiety.

There are some very good schools in this area, that much we know.

So we've now got to find out how much money we've got to spend

on this here dream. Let's see where it stops. Round and round it goes.

It's pointing at you, Claire. What is the budget?

Say, about 450,000.

If we found the absolute dream house, there's room for manoeuvre, up to about 475,

-but that would be pushing us.

-OK, wish us luck.

-Good luck.

-Good luck.

-We'll see you later.

-Thank you.

So, Claire and Robin, a lovely couple.

And who would have thought this could have brought them together?

Now, I'm going to use the bottle to define who does the next bit,

which is the most important part of the programme, setting up what we're about to do. OK.

Wouldn't want this kind of pressure on me. It's stopped on you, Nikki.

Oh, well, I can take pressure.

Their budget is £450,000. They could sneak up to £475,000.

They want four bedrooms, garden, double garage if possible

and within 20 miles of East Grinstead.

-Can that be achieved? Also with a panic room.

-Oh, yes.

OK. The next bit of pressure is who's going to go for property number one?

I don't mind pressure but, Nikki, it's pointing at you.

-It isn't, because there's an extra spin.

-So I'm starting with property number one.

But before that, let's find out more about the local area.

East Grinstead lies in the middle of the Weald,

halfway between London and the south coast.

It's surrounded by beautiful countryside,

which includes Ashdown Forest, an area of outstanding natural beauty.

Not all animals there are natives, though.

If countryside rambling sounds a tad energetic,

then visitors can watch the scenery go by

from the Bluebell steam railway.

While East Grinstead is a popular place to live for those commuting to London,

it has avoided becoming purely a dormitory town

and retains a community feeling, along with charm and character.

The High Street is home to one of the longest rows of 14th-century timber-framed buildings in the UK,

as well as Sackville College, a Jacobean almshouse.

The average price for a detached house here is £447,041,

which is higher than the national average of £379,950.

But what could today's budget of £450,000 buy you

in other areas that are within commutable distance of London?

Well, how about this barn-style property to the north of London

in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire?

It offers flexible accommodation over two floors

and has a mature landscaped garden.

It's on the market for £469,950.

East of London in Hastingwood, Essex,

is this five bedroom, end-of-terrace cottage.

It's stylishly decorated with a very well-kept garden

and is under today's budget at £445,000.

To the west of London in Marlow is this detached property.

Modern, with clean lines, a conservatory and good-sized garden,

it's on the market at £469,950.

East Grinstead is not just attractive to today's house hunters, Robin and Claire - oh, no.

It is incredibly popular for commuters

wishing to use this little beauty to go in and out of London.

That's because there are 1,000 people who travel from here

to London during peak hours every day.

-There are six trains an hour...

-Really?

-..and they only take 58 minutes.

-That is amazing.

House prices within the London commuter belt have proven to be more robust during the economic downturn.

In fact, during the latter part of 2009,

house prices actually rose.

With upgraded railway lines and faster trains,

the commuter belt is spreading outwards.

A new high-speed link is making east Kent a new commuter hotspot.

In fact, some estate agents are predicting a 14% rise in house prices in certain areas

and would you ever have thought of commuting from Somerset to London?

A high-speed rail link now means

that house prices are rising there, too.

The so-called perceived wisdom

that you can get more for your money by moving out to the country doesn't hold water

in the commuter belt.

And in fact a survey has shown that here in West Sussex,

you actually get more value by buying in town

than you do in the rural areas

because people looking for a bolt-hole push those prices up.

Ladies and gentlemen, there is even a website

for people who wish to move out to the countryside

but still work in the Big Smoke.

This country!

We're back from the station.

I've learned a lot about East Grinstead. You've learned a bit.

-I've learned a bit. I've laughed a little.

-You've laughed a lot.

We have enjoyed ourselves but I think from their budget

of nearing £475,000 we should be kind of OK.

I don't think there's going to be too many compromises.

But I have made a compromise with the mysterious property hunting team on property one.

But I think it's a compromise worth making

because within that property is everything, everything they want.

But the compromise, I think they'll get by it, I really do.

-I'm not going to say what the compromise is.

-OK. I was going to ask but I shan't.

I've think I've come up with something superb

because not only has this got five bedrooms,

so one bedroom more than they thought they were going to get,

double garage, incredible country views - it's super.

-Have you made any compromises?

-I don't believe in compromises, Ed.

All right, ladies and gentlemen, today's wild card is a cracker.

We've played very much the period features.

This is the oldest of the lot, it's Victorian.

It's quirky, I think they like quirky.

It's more of a kind of central location, a townie location.

I don't want to give too much more away

but they could commute by train very easily into London.

Shall we start with property number one, the one with the compromise?

You'll understand when you see it.

Today's first property, my one, is a stylish and modern family home,

with all the rooms which Claire is looking for,

plus a place for Robin to tinker with cars to his heart's delight.

But will it have them spinning around?

Robin and Claire, walk towards what I believe could be your future home,

what I hope will be your future home.

-Now...

-Do you hear any of that above the noise of the traffic?

LAUGHTER All right, that was a particularly loud one.

There is the elephant in said room, the busy road.

It is double glazed. What do you think about the road?

Erm, the road is an issue for me, I have to say,

but I'm keeping an open mind

because there's a lot of bonuses to this place already.

I like the look of it. I like the garden,

the fact that it's got parking for a least two cars.

-And gated.

-It's gated, yeah.

-Very safe.

-The snob in me loves that.

-It's gone quiet, as well.

-You see?

-Temporary relapse.

So my first impressions are mixed but I like the look of the house.

I like it. From the outside, I like it.

Single garage. I would have preferred a double garage

but it looks really nice.

The reason the lady moved here was for the schools.

You are two miles from East Grinstead train station.

-Are you ready?

-We're ready.

-We're ready.

Hold your breath and go in.

Mm, OK.

-I like the bay window.

-I like the bay window, as well.

-Yeah.

-OK, all right.

-What do you think about the road?

-I can hear it a little bit.

You can, more than I would have thought.

It's going to get annoying, isn't it?

-That's with windows shut, as well.

-I don't know. Possibly.

I could see beyond it, depending on the rest of the house.

Think less about the road and more about the house.

The people who live here are very happy.

Ed, no matter what you do, they don't like the road.

They're not really buying into your little fantasy here.

Can we hear the road now? Can we hear the road now? No.

Let's see what's in here.

-An office.

-It's a pretty good size.

-Panic room.

Right, he's found it. That is the panic room slash study

-slash dog house.

-It's the dog house.

-Call it what you will.

That is Robin's zone. And, good news, Robin,

it's the furthest one away from the road that you don't like.

-Right. What's this?

-The kitchen.

Ah!

-OK. Smaller than I thought.

-It's a bit small, isn't it?

I like the silver look. You're a bit of a silver person, aren't you?

-I am a silver person.

-Can we see out into the garden?

Ed, if there's ever an advocate for black-and-white television,

wearing what he's wearing there is it, isn't it?

He said what about my jacket?

I think he said it was a call for black-and-white television if ever he saw one.

Well...

-Dining room.

-It's not bad. It's very regular.

Every room is very regular.

-Yeah. Square?

-Square, yeah.

There's nothing quirky, for me.

-Your face is giving it away.

-I know, I know.

I can't really fault it. I can't say there's anything bad with the place

but it's just... There's no kind of little surprises.

Well, it's modern. I'll tell you what the no surprises are - you don't have to rewire it.

"Oh, my pipes are leaking." There's no surprises like that. It's lovely.

-I like the banisters.

-No, I think they need to be white.

-No!

-Yeah.

-No!

No, no. Bedroom. One of the bedrooms.

Oh, this is nice.

-Pretty. Anna's room.

-Anna's room.

-Anna's room.

-Pink. Absolutely.

Do you know what my problem is again?

That everything's so regular. Square.

Do you know what comes with square, right? Functionality.

Yes? Thank you. This is a very functional house.

OK.

-Jacob's room.

-Jacob's room. It's a bit smaller than the other one.

It is smaller than the other one. That's a tiny little bed, isn't it?

-Oh, that is. That is wee.

-It's a really small bed.

-What do you think?

-Is this the master bedroom?

-Yeah.

-Or a guest bedroom?

-I would think master.

-It's an en-suite.

-Oh, OK.

-With a shower. That's good.

-That's for me, then.

You're not a shower person, I am.

It's a bit small, isn't it, this room?

I'm beginning to get a sense that this place isn't really for me.

-The best thing about this house for me was the outside, looking at it.

-Yeah.

And the gates. I did like those.

-Did you hear that, Ed?

-Unfortunately, yes.

The best thing about the place is the outside and the gate.

-What about the square rooms?

-Well, it's not that, is it?

-The bathroom.

-The bathroom.

-OK.

-Yeah, it's OK. I'd want to change it.

It's OK but it's just a little bit old fashioned.

Ah, this is the master bedroom.

-Ah, wow.

-Ooh, blimey.

-Yes.

-Another en-suite, with a bath.

-Ah.

-Yes.

-Ah, he got us there, didn't he?

-Yeah.

This is a classic case of if I could rewind the day and start again,

I'd put a ladder up outside the front of the house,

-I'd make them come in through the master bedroom...

-They'd go, "Wow!"

They'd have this brilliant feeling

and then just push them through the rooms that they don't like.

Hang on, though.

TRAFFIC ROARS

-It's not really the county living that you had in mind, is it?

-No.

-No.

No.

OK. I like this room. It's not square. I can't call this one square.

Yeah, yeah. This one's got a bit more about it for me.

-It's got everything we've asked for.

-It has.

It has everything it's just not got that X-factor.

Now, Robin and Claire, I have never heard the like of which before.

Neither of you came out glowing from this.

We heard one "wow" and we heard a lot of "squares".

I think I can see beyond things that aren't on our checklist

as long as I feel that pull to a house

and I just didn't get it with this place.

-Did you feel the same, Robin?

-Yeah, I did.

There is something lacking. I do like the house.

I think it's one that, if push comes to shove, I could live in.

We can still play guess the price, though.

Right, because of your earlier tale about spinning the bottle,

let's use the bottle to define who goes first.

-Oh.

-Ah!

-In no way was that at all fudged by me.

Robin... you have to go first.

You've got a maximum budget of up to £475,000, isn't it?

Well, 450, but maybe 475.

I think, taking into consideration the road, 450.

OK. I'd probably go a little bit under it but not a lot.

Erm... 440, I think.

-Mm.

-Nah.

Right, then, now, estate agents are doing this fancy thing,

where they are doing a spread of prices between one and another,

so this property is marketed in that way.

I'm going to ask you, Claire. How would you like to choose?

Shall I find the nearest person to the lowest point or the highest point?

-Highest. Go highest.

-Lowest, then.

-Lowest. We can't do what the men tell us.

-Exactly.

-We'll go lowest, please.

-Right, so you choose lowest?

-Lowest, definitely.

-You, in that case, are the winner.

-Oh, no!

-Thank you.

-Fixed, that was, wasn't it, Robin?

-That's not fair.

Right, this house is marketed between 440 and 500,000.

440 to 500. So what's... It's bigger money on the top.

-No, you heard the rules.

-No, this isn't...

-I win, I win.

-Robin, don't be a bad loser.

You're embarrassing yourself on national television.

But we've got two more goes at this.

-We could all have really fallen out by the end of this.

-Yeah!

-Shall we go to Nikki's?

-Let's go.

-Let's go to mine.

OK, lead out that way.

My property is a pristine family home that I think they'll love.

It's got loads of great living space

and an extra-large play room for Robin

and I dare them not to like it.

So, Robin, Claire, we are now in the Hurston Clay area

of East Grinstead.

On the drive up here you'll have realised it's quiet.

-There's one car going past.

-Let's say quieter.

-It's very different.

It's not a main road. Residential.

Just to let you know that East Grinstead is a ten-minute walk from here, that's it.

-To the train station, anyway.

-Perfect.

Eight minutes to a wonderful primary school

and here is property number two - my house.

From the outside, what do you think?

-I like it.

-I do. I like the area.

-First impressions are good. Nice garage.

-The road's brilliant.

-Exactly.

-This is cruel. Some kind of fix has gone on here.

-Not a fix.

Robin, you pointed out that it's a double garage.

-A double garage, yeah.

-Evil.

-Fields beyond the house.

-You've spotted that.

I was not going to say anything. I was going to wait until you went in

and we heard you go, "Oooh, ahh, look at those views."

It's really lovely. I think I've covered everything that you need.

OK. First impressions are really good.

Are you prepared to walk into this house, enter through its door mouth

and rummage round its house brain?

-Three, two, one, go!

-Enjoy.

-Oh, OK, it looks good.

-It's nice.

-Yeah, first impressions.

-Look at the floor.

-Yeah, it's lovely, isn't it?

-That's gorgeous.

This is really nice.

Come and be a pony with me, Ed.

Nay.

-This is lovely.

-Mm.

-This is really, really nice.

-I really like the fireplace.

-It's absolutely gorgeous.

This is really nice. I really like this.

Nice shape, as well. It's not square, is it?

-No. It's not square. And look at that view.

-Oh, wow.

-Oh, that is gorgeous.

-Yeah, it is.

It's absolutely pristine, as well.

Yeah, there's a lot of care taken.

First impressions, Ed.

What a difference from the way they entered property number one.

Speechless.

-Dining room.

-Lovely.

Nice. Square, though. It's not L-shaped, this one, is it?

-It's not sort of square, it is square.

-But it's quirky.

-But it is square.

-It's a quirky square.

-It is a square.

-Quirky square?

-A quirky square.

-I like this window.

-I really like this house so far. Lovely.

-I'm excited to look at the rest of it.

-Me, too.

-Where are we going now?

-The kitchen.

Ah.

-Oh, wow.

-Oh, OK.

It's a lot bigger than I thought it was from outside.

-Mm? It's quite galley-ish.

-It is, it is.

But I don't know. I'm not that keen on the units but I kind of...

I don't know. I know it's not a massive kitchen

but you've got this extra space at the end of the room.

-Perfect for the kids, that.

-Absolutely.

Nice breakfast room. TV, there, which I'd keep.

-They're seeing a future.

-And they're having breakfast in that future.

-Yeah.

What have we got here? Ah. A bedroom.

-What do you reckon? A guest bedroom?

-Very nice.

-Smallish but, yeah.

-It is small. Again, beautiful view.

-Oh, yeah, this wonderful view.

Very nice.

Is this the en suite? Oh, no, another bedroom.

-Yeah.

-It's a nice size. Jacob/Anna size.

-Yeah.

It's good.

We're hoping it's not the master. I presume it's not.

-And again, if you look outside.

-Square.

It is square, yeah.

But there's a nice view. Listen.

SILENCE

I know. It's lovely. It is just such a nice neighbourhood.

Nikki, do you know the name of the street they currently live on?

No.

They currently live at 999 Letsby Avenue.

-Bathroom.

-Bathroom.

-Nice.

-That's OK.

-It's not big but not small.

Yeah. It would do me.

-I've just seen something that I find a bit strange.

-What?

-Ah, they've got a blind up but...

-Oh, I see.

The last thing I want to see in the morning is you doing your ablutions!

Can you remember to pull that down?

You can see through this window as well. It's not frosted.

Yeah. No-one overlooks you.

And if you're that worried, you can pull the blinds down.

-Yeah.

-There you go.

I quite like it.

And thankfully, the blind is there

and, thankfully, for everyone's dignity,

even the neighbours'.

They don't seem to have a problem with it being just one bathroom.

They haven't realised.

Oh, mauve.

-Oh.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Third bedroom?

-Third bedroom.

-Smaller size.

-OK sizes.

-I like the bed.

-That is good, actually.

It's a very purple room.

-Ah.

-Oh, wow.

-This is the master bedroom, then.

-Yes.

-That's brilliant, yeah.

-It's a nice size.

-It's really nice.

We could have fitted wardrobes.

I don't like have a cramped bedroom and this wouldn't be,

even with fitted wardrobes. Yeah, I like it.

So, again, I'm referring it back to my property.

What does Claire say when she walks into that room?

"We could fit some fitted wardrobes in there." Mine had them!

-Ah!

-We have got a study.

-Your bunker. Yeah.

-OK.

-Size wise?

-It's smaller than the other one

but it's in a house that I like more, quite simply.

-Would you be happy in this space?

-Yeah, and I like it being upstairs

because when the kids are downstairs playing around, it disturbs me.

-I like it. I really like it.

-OK.

-Again, it's that emotional feel.

I can almost walk around this house picturing us living here and the kids running round.

It just feels like a warm, nice place to be in.

So, Claire, Robin, I get the feeling

that you rather warmed to this particular property -

my property.

I thought it was lovely, to be honest.

I love the hall and that's a good starter.

Then that living room has so much space, that lovely wood burner,

the fireplace.

I think the difference was I was imagining my kids running round

-and I didn't do that in the other place.

-No, unfortunately for me, you didn't.

But what happened was, because as you said, you get a feeling, a sensation,

you're there and you know it.

-What about yourself?

-Yeah. I got the feeling that Claire liked it from the start

and her heart opened.

Do I like it? Yeah, I really do.

But do you connect with it on the same level?

-No, and I can see some negatives.

-Let's hear those, then.

-Well, the kitchen.

-Yeah.

-It's smaller than what I'm used to.

But, Robin, your concerned with the smaller kitchen

and there is something that you can do.

First of all, you could extend out.

The other houses have done that. That's with planning permission.

-And did you have a look at the hatch and the loft?

-I saw the hatch.

Once again, with the right planning permission,

-you may be able to put two rooms up there.

-Mm, OK.

-The current owners did think about that.

-It depends on the price.

Well, you see, it all does and with the mention of the price,

I shall bring out the trusty bottle,

the bottle that has formed love between you.

Be careful with it because that was our destiny, that bottle.

Where it stops, no-one knows

but who it points at, the first who goes.

Ooh!

It's a fix.

Now, maximum budget £475,000 to play with.

What do you believe this is on the market for?

I don't know. 470. I'm going to go 470.

Robin?

OK, well, I must say, it's nice to get back to 1-1 at last.

Not that I care about that

but I would say that this place is on the market for 475.

Once again, we've got a price range from the estate agents.

Do we take it from who is closest to the lowest price?

We take it so that I win, so whatever way you want to do it.

Because you fitted me up last time, all three of you.

Well, in fact, Robin, you are the closest

because it's on the market for a price range

of between £480,000 and £525,000,

which is above your budget

but that doesn't mean that you can't start lower.

-It's clever, what they're doing here.

-Haggle zone.

-Yeah.

-It's a haggle zone.

But we have one more house with which to negotiate,

a house which will destroy your relationship with guess the price,

cos someone will win and someone will lose.

-He'll be unbearable if he wins.

-No, no, no, no.

-Shall we go to the wild card?

-Let's.

-I'll let the bottle decide where...

Ooh, it's... Ooh!

Today's wild card is a cosy family home with loads of period qualities.

But like all our wild cards, it's got something extra, too.

Now, Robin and Claire, the wild card, the wild card, everyone loves the wild card,

walk towards the wild card.

We have played one fundamental error here, haven't we?

-We've got a road, again.

-Yes.

-But look at what we've found you.

This is the oldest of all the properties.

This is the character you want but, and this is why we've done it,

in commuter belts, it's genuinely cheaper in towns.

People who come out to commuter belts go out to the green areas.

And they push up the prices there.

So to get something this size and this lovely,

that's why we're in the town.

-Yes.

-It's beautiful from the outside. I love it.

-Has it got the face you want?

It's got the face, the door and the bell.

It's a really nice-looking house

but, a big but, totally wrong location for me.

OK, but here comes the thing.

Where it's located, you've got a choice of very good primary schools.

You are probably less than ten minutes' walk to the train station,

so we've got those positives. Any of that help? What are we thinking?

Yeah, I'm beginning to feel

-that I might be a little bit annoyed with you two.

-Go on.

Well, I actually really like it from the outside. I agree with Claire.

The road and the area, the location,

may not be what we would want

and there's something, I think, from the outside, that's lacking for me, as well.

-Oh, it could be a double garage.

-Look what they're doing.

-They've covered it with tarpaulin.

-Yeah.

I can't work under that!

Have an umbrella.

Now, go in there and see what you think about it.

-I think you might be pleasantly surprised.

-I think so, too.

So be positive, go in the house and be on your best behaviour.

Three, two, one, go.

-Oh. What do you think?

-I think it's quite nice.

-What do you think of that?

-That's lovely. It's a real feature.

It's what they feared was going to happen.

They've fallen in love with it.

-Nice.

-Yeah, really nice.

-I like the floor.

-Nice big space. Needs a bit of work, I think.

-Yeah, yeah. Cosmetic?

-Yeah.

But it's a nice big space. The bay window is gorgeous.

-It is. And, in fairness...

-It is. I know what you're going to say.

-It's not that noisy.

-There's no cars at the moment.

-Yes, there is, look.

-That's one.

-One big one.

-That's one car.

-Look, two.

-Here's number two.

MUFFLED ENGINE

Yeah, it's pretty good, I have to say.

They're loving it.

He's saying the road's not noisy. She's saying, "Ooh..."

-Ooh.

-Oh, wow.

Blimey. This is really big, isn't it?

Nice sort of area.

I'm not that keen on the kitchen, though.

It's just not my sort of style.

-I'm happy with it. It's got a country-cottage feel to me.

-It is.

-Oh.

-Oh.

-OK.

-Not the garden.

-This is strange.

Utility area. Oh, blimey, it keeps going.

Oh, OK.

A bedroom. A panic room.

That's nice and peaceful, actually.

This would be ideal. You'd be away from the noise of the kids.

Yeah, it's starting to grow on me.

Is it just me, right,

or do you think Robin is digging this one more than Claire?

So far, I think he is

and not just because he's being pleasant,

he's genuinely responding, isn't he?

I'm not sure what this room's going to be.

-Dining room, maybe?

-Library.

-Oh.

-Oh, wow.

-Another office-type room.

-Nice.

-Or a play room, even.

-A play room would be nice.

-It would.

-I can't get my head round the layout of this house yet.

-No.

-It's huge.

-But you did want quirky.

-Right, let's have a look upstairs.

-There's a bit of height there.

Lovely high ceilings everywhere. Really nice.

I like it. I think it's really nice.

-Bathroom.

-Yeah, this is nice.

-Yeah.

-Yeah. I like the bath.

-That's nice.

Yeah. The suite is good.

-It's got one of them, lovely new roll-top...

-"One of them"?

-I tapped it, it is actually...

-One of those.

-Either way.

I tapped it. Listen, I'm a televisual estate agent.

It's not about what we say, it's how we say it.

A bedroom.

-A big bedroom.

-A big bedroom.

It is, yeah.

-Have you seen the view?

-Let's have a look.

It's not so good.

-Ah. Bricks.

-That is a builder's yard.

I wonder how noisy that will get, there?

Ah, OK.

-Oh, the master. Nice size.

-Big.

Again, a bay window.

We've definitely got the size that we wanted.

And it's a big bed, so if you think of the size of the room,

it doesn't seem to affect the size at all.

But it's the sort of size we're looking for the master bedroom,

so it's nice, I like it.

-Yeah, bedroom.

-Again, really big.

-Front to back.

-Oh, right, yeah.

I've had a count up. There's only three bedrooms up here,

so the one we thought could be the study at the back of the house,

that is your fourth bedroom.

That's a problem, for me. What do you think?

-Who's going to sleep down there?

-My mother.

OK.

-"If only it had a fourth bedroom, we'd like it," right?

-Yes.

-Yeah?

-Yes.

-Watch this.

Claire and Robin, do you feel you've seen the entire house?

-We think so.

-Yeah.

-Think so? Right, OK.

Follow me down this way and there is one key area

which I think will make you look at it in a different light.

Don't be scared or you can be slightly scared because...

it's down here.

Right then, follow me.

Is anyone scared of ghosts or cellars?

I don't like cellars. They're very, very spooky.

Come. Now, as cellars go, be honest, it's in a flux state at the moment,

but it ain't that bad, is it?

It doesn't feel like a scary cellar. Or does it, Claire?

I just find them... I'm just not...

-I thought it was a broom cupboard, for a start.

-Right.

It's a cellar and I just find them creepy.

-But you will never come down here because this is man space.

-It is.

Now, I think this does look like a panic room,

-as you called it earlier.

-I agree.

A work in progress but I'm with you.

There was a reason we came here to this property in town - because of the price.

Shall we play guess the price? You want to play guess the price.

-Yeah.

-Let's not do it now. Let's go upstairs and see Nikki.

-OK.

Let's get out of this scary cellar. I love it.

-Ah, hello.

-Well, hello.

Ah, Robin and Claire.

-We know what that means, don't we?

-We do.

-Mm.

This will decide who guesses the price this time.

-Oh!

-And it's me.

-Erm, 435.

-£435,000.

OK, so you think we've spent that.

We could have spent up to £475,000, your maximum budget, couldn't we?

-OK.

-That's what you've done.

-All right.

-Your go, Robin.

-I'll go for it. 436.

Oh, no!

You're saying 436. OK.

-It's neck and neck at the moment, isn't it?

-Yes.

This is quite important. How much does winning matter to you?

If I won, it would be good, yes.

And, Robin, if you won, it would be really good as well?

I just want to be able to live with her if she's won.

Go on, then. Put us out of our misery.

-Claire.

-Oh!

-Congratulations.

-The actual price, and you've won twice, here, it's 429,950.

-Oh, blimey.

You were down the right path.

This is proof that you get character and you get a lot of house

and you get it cheaper the nearer you are to the town in the commuter belt.

So you get this and the cellar and everything else.

And you've lost.

What you've got to do now, though, you've got to go off

and decide which one you wish to test drive.

-OK.

-Are you able to do that?

-I think we are.

OK, wander off that way and we will see you later on.

-You can rub it in about the competition now.

-Absolutely.

-Wish us good luck on this bit.

-Good luck, then!

-Cheers.

-Right.

-And while they do that, here's a recap of all of today's properties.

I'm daring to hope that they will choose my property, number one,

the modern four-bedroom house in the gated development.

It was within budget, being marketed in the price range

of £440,000 to £500,000

but will they be able to see beyond the road?

Or will they go with their true feelings and choose property number two,

which is mine,

the five-bedroom home with loads of space

and countryside views that made them coo?

It's on the market in the price range of £480-525,000.

The wild card is always good for those who have the bottle

to go for something different.

Well, they loved today's, the Victorian family home,

but will the location make them bottle out?

It's on the market for £429,950.

So, Claire, Robin, here we are again, property number two -

-my property.

-Good, well done.

-Ah, thanks.

-No, no.

-I wasn't going to gloat.

-No, don't.

-Us women never gloat.

-It's unbecoming of a person, I feel.

-Absolutely.

-It really is.

Why have you chosen this for your test drive?

Well, it probably would seem like it was an easy decision

but it wasn't

because we did rule out one quite quick

-but number three gave us a little bit of a problem.

-Mm.

The bedroom downstairs, and you do get more for your money.

That said, you have picked Nikki's property

and we have had our mysterious To Buy Or Not To Buy surveyor give it a once over.

It isn't legally binding, I must stress that,

but it's a heads-up as to what you could get yourself into.

-Now, have you ever heard of the term spalling?

-No.

-Is to do with pantiles?

-Yes!

It's something to do with tiles.

You have evidence of spalling on some of the tiles on the roof.

Not that many. Spalling is where the frost has got the tiles.

It's not life-changing. You don't have to replace the roof.

That is not a problem.

And according to our mystery surveyor,

you see these bushes here?

-They're planted very close to the damp course.

-Oh.

Pull them up and put flowers in there,

or put shingle down because mud can be a problem,

and that problem will be sorted if there was ever to be one.

You can see the damp course. You shouldn't get above the damp course.

-Exactly.

-OK.

-And so there you go.

You don't want to change your mind and go back to my one?

-No!

-No.

-I will take that as a no.

-In three, two, one, commence your test drive. Go!

-Enjoy!

Blimey! How many people does it take to play spin the bottle?

Looks like it's all too much for Robin and Jacob.

Now Claire's hot-footing it out of there, too.

Maybe they've sent in the undercover mob to check out things for them.

They don't look much like undercover cops to me.

What a fantastic view.

You can see all the fields round the back, can't you?

You can picture the kids running round.

Never fear, the wanderers have returned.

Nikki, did you see that? They've made Robin and Claire disappear.

-Who said Britain hasn't got talent?

-I think that's just you, Ed.

Here we are. Hello. Have a nice long walk?

-How far's the train station, then?

-About ten minutes.

-Ten minutes.

-Yeah and probably the primary school the same.

Time for the judges' decision.

So has the outside face that you described,

and the emotional connection you felt,

has it actually translated into a good test drive for you both?

Yeah, it has. Having come back here and sitting here,

it feels like home.

-You look very at home.

-Yeah, and it's still got that nice feel.

I can imagine myself being here and the kids living here.

It's definitely got an emotional connection with me.

-And Robin?

-Yeah, I really like the house.

I really like the area that it's in.

There's some things to think about.

-I could hear that in your voice.

-Hesitancy.

So, in order for us to come to a conclusion,

shall we revert to the bottle that enabled you to meet in life

and use it to work out whether or not to buy the house?

-Are you ready for this answer, Nikki?

-Yes, I am.

Robin, let's have it.

-That's the reason I did it like that.

-Ah!

You have gone for the centre line.

We have. We're sitting on the fence.

What is your reason for going for the middle?

The reason is, do we like the house? Yeah.

We really like the house, the area, the views, everything you got for us was right.

But... And the "but" doesn't mean it's not to buy,

so we were talking about doing the attic, weren't we?

-Mm.

-Putting a bedroom en-suite up in the attic

and then the office would be in the form of a Scandinavian-style shed in the garden.

-Excellent.

-In keeping with the picturesque garden.

-These are real, huge improvements.

-They are.

And that's why we're there because the price of the property

was higher than our budget.

So we want to give it some serious thought to get it right.

You are allowed to hedge around the middle of our expensive game-show board.

-It's a sensible thing to do. Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

Would you say we have invaluably helped you?

-Yeah, you have.

-Has it been illuminating?

-It has.

-Even the wild card made us think.

-Yeah.

-And did you have fun?

-Yeah.

-It's been brilliant fun.

-Thank you. It's been great fun.

-You'll see you later. Thank you.

-Take care. Bye.

-Bye, now.

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Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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