Warwickshire To Buy or Not to Buy

Today, a tale of two obsessions!

On the one hand, an epic journey to find the perfect property.

And the other obsession? Well, you're looking at it.

Here it is.

Jonnie, there's no steering wheel.

Why do you think I'm stood this side? Keys!

Today we're in Warwickshire...

Home of such literary giants as Philip Larkin, George Eliot,

Elizabeth Gaskell and, of course, none other than the Bard himself.

William Shakespeare still resonates strongly around these parts.

And he was good enough to lend us the title of the show, sort of.

And that is the question. See what I did there?

Today's house-hunters just can't find the right house.

But it's not for the lack of trying.

Coming up on To Buy Or Not To Buy...

The main requirement.

It's all about the garage.

He looked at a four-bedroom house, yet the garage is the main requirement!

'There's tension in the air...'

Oh, we've spent longer in here than we have in the house.

-But it's the most important thing to do.

-It's not important to me.

I don't believe this!

'And there's a surprise in store.'

What on earth is going on over there?

Yes, today's buyers are Ann and Phil.

They sold their house two years ago and have been renting ever since.

Ann has spent hours on the internet in search of the perfect home.

And Phil's obsessed with his two vintage cars.

Any new home has to have a garage to house them.

They've looked at so many properties that they've driven themselves up a cul-de-sac, so to speak.

Ann, Phil, I can feel anxiety, almost stress. Is that fair to say?

It's very fair to say. I've been stressed for about two months.

What have you got in your hands?

All the property specs I've been looking at.

-It's like the British Library!

-I know.

-Seriously!

-Throw them away.

That is a heavy burden. Feel that! That's heavy, isn't it?

-Amazing. How many there?

-Oh, 200.

You must have an in-depth understanding of the market.

I do. I could be an estate agent now.

How many have you actually viewed?

I've viewed 35.

Does that mean that Ann knows her mind,

or she's just incredibly fussy?

Ann knows her mind. She wants to make a home.

We've been in and out of houses for the last two years,

so we really need to settle down.

Basically all I need is a garage, a double or a triple garage,

-with some form of a house attached.

-THEY LAUGH

I like that! That's pretty good!

The house is Ann's department.

There's annotations on these. "How big is garage?"

"Garden small." "Garage too small." There's all sorts.

"Too much work." "Main road."

There doesn't seem to be one specific characteristic

-that's missing. It's always just something.

-It's mainly the garages.

It's you!

As long as I can house the cars

and then maybe potter in some outbuildings,

-that would be excellent.

-Anything else that you both enjoy?

We like dancing. We've been doing sequence dancing for two years.

Phil, be honest. The dancing - is that just to placate Ann

because she lets you play with the cars, or do you really love it?

-Um...

-I've never asked him that.

-Can I take the Fifth on that?

THEY LAUGH

I like it. It's good exercise.

-It's good fun.

-Yeah.

-Once I'm there,

and the rhythm starts moving...

I like tango and things like that.

Where do you do this? In a dance hall, or...

In the village hall, but before we were allowed to go to the dance,

we had to get lessons, and that was in a double garage that's been...

Oh, no! We're not back to garages again!

Ann, talk to me about the house. These two boys, leave them to it.

-I would love an en-suite bedroom.

-There you go!

-It's a property programme, this, you know!

-I forgot about that.

Nice big kitchen for when we have parties...

You're in the middle market here, by the looks of it.

You're looking at three- four-bedroom detached houses.

A lot of these owners have stayed off the market.

There's been a real dearth of supply,

which has kept prices high. There's just been no choice.

Hang on! There hasn't been that big a problem with supply!

It looks like that. But if you look here,

there's Henley-in-Arden, up to Lichfield,

Coleshill, Warwickshire, Staffordshire...

-You've got a massive area.

-That's right.

Let's hone that in. You're getting desperate,

-so you're spreading your search.

-Yes.

If we could bring you back in, and if we were to do our job properly

-and find you that perfect property, where would it be?

-Warwickshire.

Whereabouts particularly? Or as long as we stay in the county?

-I'd say north of Coventry, northeast or west of Coventry.

-OK.

Big houses normally have big garages and big asking prices.

-Yes.

-So what are we looking at?

There's a whole range of prices here. What's our budget?

Our comfortable level would be 400, but we could go to 425

if it was absolutely adorable, we loved it...

-That wouldn't mean saying goodbye...

-No!

-OK, OK. Fair enough.

-They both come.

And Ann.

THEY LAUGH

-Do some weights with those.

-You can have them back.

-We'll see you later. Ta-ra!

-Thanks.

I do like that expression "a garage with a house attached".

-That sounds fairly easy.

-And not just any house.

How many have they viewed already? This is going to be tricky, fella.

OK. I tell you what - let's split up, do what we normally do.

I fancy finding out facts and figures about this wonderful area.

And I'm going to figure out some facts on the phone. See you later.

Warwickshire - a thousand-year-old county

studded with some of the most attractive buildings

England has to offer.

Stratford-upon-Avon is the big pull for tourists.

Something to do with, er, this bloke.

But Leamington Spa and Warwick also offer living on a grand scale,

and have equally impressive histories.

If you want the quiet life, Warwickshire's a big county to lose yourself in.

So, what will 425K get you in other counties around the UK?

An ancient hamlet location, beam ceilings

and high-spec fixtures and fittings are just some of the delights

with this barn conversion in West Yorkshire,

on the market for 425 grand.

And not too far away is this delightful three-bed near Harrogate.

This place has retained many original features,

but best of all, your very own clock tower!

Bang on budget at £425,000.

Finally it's down to Devon for this amazing quayside redevelopment.

Great empathy has been shown in marrying the original features with a truly contemporary look.

It's also the same money, at 425 grand.

'Ann and Phil have given us a huge area to search in.

'You'd think there would be lots of properties.

'Trouble is, they've seen most of them!

'Time to contact the agents for properties fresh to the market.

'But where's Jonnie?'

I've stolen a march on Simon. I've found my property fairly early,

which gives me the chance to impart some property-based intelligence.

For example, Warwickshire's most famous son, William Shakespeare,

first coined the phrase "household", but, in modern times,

it's the lack of households that's the problem.

At the moment in the UK, we're about a million properties short of demand.

Many believe that, as ten percent of the UK is classed as urban,

it's green belt like this that should be developed upon.

But that is clearly a political hot potato.

Can you get to a point where you've viewed so many properties

that you just can't discern one from the other?

Confusion, I think. One has to compromise

when buying a property, particularly at the moment,

where there's a shortage.

And if you've seen that number,

then, you've got to start making some serious decisions.

Speaking of Shakespeare, it was his queen, Queen Elizabeth I,

that, in 1580, put a ban on any development within London

of three-mile radius, to stop the spreading of the plague,

thus inadvertently inventing green belt.

Does a garage put value on a property?

If there's two properties identical, one has a double garage,

the other doesn't, what kind of difference will that make?

With garages, the double garage of modern build

would be possibly £15,000, £20,000.

It will add that value to a property.

So, if you're thinking of purchasing your own piece of rural bliss,

do your homework. Go down to the local planning department

and check to see if any housing developments are planned.

Now it's time for a brew, methinks.

Jonnie, I'll ask you a question. When is a barn conversion a house,

and when is a house a barn conversion?

-Um... I don't know.

-Good! I'm glad you said that.

When you get both. Have a look at that.

It's absolutely beautiful.

I think it's a winner. Beat that.

Well, you say you're firing on all four cylinders. Mine is a V8.

Look at that! It's in the right part of the world,

north Warwickshire. It's got all the bedrooms they wanted, and see that?

That's where you park the motor. I'm very happy with that.

Yes, that is all-important. Now, our Wild Card today.

Why is it our Wild Card? Well, it does have the double carport,

so it's nothing to do with that. What can we say?

Let's say why it's wild. They wanted north Warwickshire.

It's not north Warwickshire. It's kind of Worcestershire.

It's on the bor... It borders, it borders.

It also comes with something they didn't really ask for.

We're not going to tell you what that is. That's why it's the Wild Card.

-Shall we start the property tour?

-Property number one, your one.

Property one is near Lea Marston, to the north of the county.

This is a cracking barn conversion. Ann will love the high-spec interior

and there's something at the end of the garden that could be right up Phil's street.

Right! Phil and Ann, with great trepidation,

I will start the ball rolling today. My choice, property one.

-It ticks one box - it's in north Warwickshire.

-Mm-hm.

Apart from that, we're going to see if it ticks any other boxes for you

as you walk around. First impressions?

That feels great. Very characteristic.

-Do you like the courtyard?

-I thought it might be a bit lonely,

but obviously it isn't, with all these other people around.

You have neighbours, but not too many.

-Nice bit of community.

-Mate, come on.

-Garage! Where's the garage?

-They will discover if it ticks those boxes

-as they wander round.

-We usually look at the garage first.

-Can we start there?

-No, you can't.

-Please, please!

Now, I personally think this place is beautiful inside,

and I also think we are going to test what I call "downsize syndrome" with this place.

-Right. Get in there and enjoy.

-So it's small.

-Never mind!

You'll find out. See you on the other side.

It's quite modern, isn't it? It's quite contemporary looking.

She's seen so many properties, she's not going to go, "Wow!"

"Oh, it's a bit like that one I saw last week, that one I saw on Tuesday."

Good floorboards.

This looks like real wood, doesn't it?

-BOARDS CREAK

-Could do with a bit of anti-squeak.

-Quick question - how do you stop floorboards squeaking?

-Rug?

-HE LAUGHS

-Yes, but apart from that?

-If you want to stop the squeaking?

-Levitate?

Shall I tell you? You make a tiny hole

where it can't be seen or there's a crack big enough, and you put talcum powder down.

That's a nice window.

Yeah. Really good.

I like the quarry-tile slabs.

-There's a nice window there, look.

-Oh, yeah.

It's nice! It's not bad. You've just done it as well.

"It's nice." No, I don't want that. I want, "We've done it."

"Throw away those property details. We have found home."

That's what I want.

Oh, this is nice.

I've always wanted a conservatory. We've never had one, have we?

Are they real beams?

Well, no. I don't... They're not. They're distressed.

Phil is right and wrong there, Ann, because they are real beams.

They do serve a function. But they are distressed

because they're new timbers made to look old.

-Look nice, though!

-Yeah!

-I like the hallway.

-This is a nice feature.

You could see who was at the door before you opened it.

-Oh, it's an office!

-Mmm! That's very nice.

Oh, God, there's no window in there!

-THEY LAUGH

-Oh!

-Bit claustrophobic.

-I can just lock you in there.

THEY LAUGH

It's a cupboard, there's no natural light in there.

You would never want to do any work in there.

Perhaps if you're not sitting there gazing out the window like you do

in your office, you might get some work done.

-Look at those clouds!

-Exactly.

Oh, this is nice. Wow!

-Mmm!

-Mmm.

-That's really nice.

-Looks nice quality, doesn't it?

-Is that...

HE TAPS ON BATH

-That's enamel, too.

-We never have baths, though.

-No!

-The tiles are nice.

-Contemporary.

Yes. It's nice to see contemporary in an old building.

That's what I like.

That's quite nice. I just wonder if there is another bathroom.

There might be.

I wonder what they use this room for?

-One of your reception rooms?

-Could be the dining room.

Dining room, yeah. It's, um... It's a good size.

We can get our table and chairs there.

This is nice. Oh, look, it's got a nice log-burner.

-Oh, that's lovely, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Very cosy little room.

-Floors are less squeaky here.

-Just for two of us.

I do like these doors. They feature all the way through, don't they?

And they're thick. The ones that we've been in earlier...

-I know.

-Something like half an inch, but that's good, substantial stuff.

Good point, Phil. That's what I was talking about - quality here.

Those doors, the old ledged-and-braced doors -

sorry, the replacement doors - are really good quality.

-Everything's been done really well, hasn't it?

-Thank you!

-Been converted very nicely.

-Mm!

-It's quite small, this, isn't it?

This could almost be a granny annexe, couldn't it?

-It's cosy in there, isn't it?

-Yeah.

And if you had visitors, they could have their own little suite this end.

That back bedroom should be made into a walk-in wardrobe

or an en suite, and the room before that should be the bedroom.

I completely agree.

-Oh, wow!

-Mm!

Really nice, this is. Look.

-It's my favourite room of the house.

-It's gorgeous.

You walk in and say, "I want this to be my bedroom."

-Very nice!

-Yeah!

But you'll be... I'm OK.

-I can get under it with my heels on.

-Oh, look at that!

-Oh, yeah. That is nice.

-How they've got the curved beams.

-Oh, this is nice. Another bath.

-Yeah.

It's a nice size. They've certainly got a single shower.

The tiles are really nice. I like the sink.

That's a nice feature. The marble's really nice.

-Substantial, there.

-The bath looks quite small.

If you want a bath, you've got that fantastic downstairs bathroom.

-Upstairs, the en suite is there for convenience.

-Yeah.

-Come on. I want to, er...

-You want to see the garages.

Hmm!

Wow! This looks big enough.

Yeah, but where's the...

-Where's the access?

-Hang on a second.

There's no doors. Can't see any doors.

Don't worry about that, Phil! We'll sort it out!

He wouldn't give you a garage without access.

Phil said he wouldn't mind even building a garage!

Here's one that just needs doors putting on it, and he's not happy.

This is a triple garage, isn't it?

Want me to hold your tape measure? Which way?

Just take it to there.

-The tape measure's out.

-Is that what it is?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, it's a good 21 foot.

-21 foot? And what about that way?

-We can do something if there's nothing the other side of that.

-What about this way?

There is a massive amount of space here. It's fantastic.

What they don't realise is, there is vehicular access at the back,

so they can drive in, work on the cars to their hearts' content. It's fantastic.

You could have this. You know what this could be?

-This could be your little den.

-My hideaway.

And you could have your cars in here.

-Mm, stables!

-Stables!

I thought I could smell stables.

-This would make a good garage, too.

-They're not big enough for a garage.

-How have you got on?

-It's very interesting.

-Quite nice.

-It didn't sound very interesting.

-Simon's a little bit gutted.

-Is he?

-I didn't feel that warmth.

-It didn't have the wow factor for me.

The perfect property is not out there.

We're in a very sought-after part of the world,

and you want a lot of outside space, quite a bit of inside space.

You've got to start imagining,

perhaps reconfiguring some of the areas that you see.

Yeah. I mean, the problem is, I'm just thinking about the access.

-Access road right here.

-We're going to have to...

I can't get a Mustang through there.

You don't have to keep these loose boxes.

You can do away with them if you want access this way, or look at access here.

I like the courtyard. You don't want to take that up.

That's a good hardstanding.

I can make use of that to build a garage,

then you've got the space here for a workshop.

It's also secure, as well, if you're working on it here.

People aren't seeing you working on it,

so from the security point of view, it's ticking boxes.

-There you go! I'm brightening!

-Just need to check the access.

The swing on the Humber isn't really good.

The Mustang'll get round.

-You'll get it in here! Don't worry!

-Now we're on this positive,

let's start a very integral part of this show.

It's guess-the-price time. Who's going to go first?

-Nobody wants to go first.

-I'll go first.

-Well done. Go on.

I think, um, 375.

I don't know. Maybe 395?

Hmm!

Well, it's one-nil to Phil.

-Ooh! Lucky.

-Put another four and a half thousand on there, mate.

It's actually fifty quid under your desired budget -

399,950.

-399,950.

-Wow!

-That's pretty close, isn't it?

I'd be quite happy if I was you, Phil.

-Are you disappointed it's that much?

-I was thinking because it's a semi,

that it would not be so valuable as a detached,

and that's why I thought the 20 grand off.

But the barn conversion is very desirable.

I think now this is the standard I've got to try and beat.

-Property-number-two time. It's going to be a stormer. Follow me.

-There we go.

Property two is in Ratcliffe Culey, a picturesque village

only a stone's throw from the Leicestershire border.

The house is perfect, but I don't know what Phil's going to make of the garage.

Now, then, property number two, my choice,

-is this beauty!

-Look at that!

-Very nice. Looks really good.

-Mm. Looks substantial.

It is substantial. The first thing to bear in mind is,

we're doing this in reverse. Your back garden is your front garden.

-Oh, right.

-It's your only garden.

Obviously, this time of year, no leaves on these trees.

It's a lot more private than this in the summer,

but you need to know. There's nothing out the back of this.

I know where you're going to be looking.

I can see it, unless there's anything more round the back.

There isn't. At the moment you'd get your Mustang in there,

-but old Harry the Humber, he's getting wet outside.

-I know.

This property isn't listed.

There's no conservation orders over the village.

Now, my idea would be to knock that garage down, OK?

You've got an annexe there. I would build onto the gable end

of the property, therefore giving you a double garage,

but not increasing the footprint of the property.

The planners should be amenable to that,

-as long as it's done within the character of the building.

-Yeah.

-Thoughts there?

-Yeah. Looks good.

I'd like them side by side, and you can see that door isn't wide enough.

Here we go again! Can't we talk about the house a bit more?

-I'm ready to use my tape.

-Keep your tape in your hand at the moment.

-Now, looks of the house.

-I think it looks nice.

-It looks well maintained.

-First...

-Yeah.

-It looks nice.

-This house used to be three cottages.

There were farm-workers' cottages, tied to the farm.

Now it's all been knocked into one, making a very large family home.

Good. So there's not three staircases, then?

There's not, no, but there's plenty to see.

OK? It might need a bit of updating for your style,

-but that's what we want to hear about on the headphones.

-You ready?

-Away you go.

-Enjoy!

Shall we go and sit in the... There IS no back garden!

All right. Don't go on. There's a nice swing over here.

KNOCKING

Nice loud knocker on the door there.

Oh, it's got a wood-burning fire. That's really nice, isn't it?

-That'll be cosy.

-Look at that! Mmm.

That door they've just gone through there, Simon -

-oak on the outside, mahogany inside.

-Gorgeous!

-Lovely.

-It's quite a nice light area, isn't it?

-Cosy.

-And there's three doors here.

-Oh, I like that.

Looks as though it's got a nice flow to it, doesn't it?

-Three doors leading off that room. Does that make it a-door-able?

-Almost!

Don't know if there's a separate dining room there.

-Oh, and this is an office, so this is where you'd be.

-Right!

Not necessarily. That office would be knocked...

Yes, yes. You told us outside. The office goes.

-The garage gets made bigger. Can we talk about the house, please?

-OK!

It's nice. I don't know if it's a... Can't use that for any space.

No, but it's just a passageway, isn't it? What's in here?

Oh! Do you want to come and have a look?

Looks like a utility room, downstairs toilet.

-Is that a gas boiler?

-I don't... Yes.

That's unusual for a village, to have a gas boiler.

-Oh, this is quite a nice size.

-Modern.

It's got double glazing everywhere, as well.

That's unusual, on a house that's this old.

Tile are quite nice. A bit neutral, but...

"A bit neutral"? I've never heard that before.

A bit neutral! "It's a bit neutral, a bit radical."

-I think I'd want to replace this kitchen, though.

-Yeah.

-I can see a nice Aga in here.

-Oh, yeah.

We're hearing good and bad here. At least they're planning, telling us what they like.

I don't like the table. I prefer an island.

It's good for parties, and you can...

People can walk round and talk to you while you're cooking.

I think you're onto a winner here. In property one, my choice,

they wandered round without saying too much. Here they are flowing with ideas!

That's got a nice colour, sort of a natural...

-This is a nice-size room.

-Oh, yeah. Very nice.

-Oh, yeah. I like this.

-Mm.

Very nice.

-Oh, look at this!

-Oh, is this the deeds?

-It looks like it, doesn't it? That's interesting.

-Oh, right.

-They found the original deeds.

-Yeah!

-Dating back to 1835.

Those deeds go to 1837,

but the houses were built apparently two years beforehand.

This looks like a real fire. That would be nice, wouldn't it?

No, it's quite... I'm not so sure about the red brick.

I don't like the fireplace, no.

They haven't said such nice things about this house,

-but I'm positive about that.

-They're restructuring it, rebuilding it in front of us.

-It's quite spacious up here.

-It is, isn't it?

-I didn't expect it to be this big.

-Very nice.

-Yeah, I like it.

-Quite impressed.

It's white. It's all white, isn't it?

That's what I like. You can do more with it then.

Oh, this is the bathroom.

Oh, this is a nice size.

-Yeah. Oh, yeah.

-No shower.

There is a shower, a walk-in one. It's further down the corridor.

Oh, nice large bedroom.

Oh, this is a nice size.

Very good.

Don't know if this is the master bedroom, but, um...

-No, it's quite a good size.

-Yeah.

-Nice-sized bedroom here.

-This is another double, isn't it?

That's the second double. You could put an en suite there.

-They could, actually.

-They're very practical thinkers, aren't they?

So, what's that? One, two... It's the third bedroom.

-They're the same size, aren't they?

-Yeah.

-They're all doubles.

It was three cottages originally, I think.

-Carpets are all in good condition.

-Not sure about the colour.

It's just a carpet, at the end of the day.

The house, particularly upstairs, does need modernisation.

Oh, there's another bedroom. That's four.

-This would make another nice office.

-Actually, it's quite... Yeah.

This would make a better office than downstairs.

That's enough of bedrooms. Can we go and have a look...?

I suppose you want to look at the garage. Got your tape measure?

Come on. Let's have a look at the main requirement.

"The main requirement"! I love that!

A four-bedroom house, and the garage is the main requirement!

Let's measure the length first. That's the critical thing.

-Mm. 17 foot, yeah.

-17 foot?

Although allowing a bit for the bench,

the Mustang would start touching there,

but it's got the makings of it.

How can a garage have the makings of being a garage? How can that happen?

If we can... If we can extend out,

we probably wouldn't need to knock down that study area.

I'd like a walk-through from that study

straight through, knock this wall down.

I think that would give me an extra couple of feet.

-Listen to the design effort going into the garage!

-Unbelievable.

We've spent longer in here than we have in the house.

But it's the most important thing to do.

It's not important to me!

I don't believe this. What on earth is going on over there?

I'm already clocking up the pound signs here

of how much I'd need to spend on the house,

-so depending on what the price is...

-I don't think you need to do much.

-There's plenty! New kitchen, bathrooms...

-What?

En suites, you know... Money!

Oh, no. It's... This... I need some central heating in here.

No, no. No more central heating.

-Central heating for his cars?

-He wants central heating!

THEY LAUGH

We hit a first today. You spent more time talking about the garage

than about a four-bedroom period detached property.

-It was amazing.

-I said that I needed a garage

-with some sort of a house attached.

-We thought you were being flippant.

-You're serious!

-Absolutely.

-I know!

Ann, let's talk to you, then. House.

I liked it. It's got a nice flow, a nice feel.

It's a blank canvas in a way.

I would have to change the kitchen,

bathrooms, put in an en suite, but that's not a great deal of money.

Let's talk price, then, because money talks, as we know.

-Your budget, £400,000.

-Going up to 425.

-425.

-Oh!

-THEY LAUGH

-I hope that wasn't a hint.

-THEY LAUGH

-Phil, you're one-nil up.

-I would say 420.

-420 from Phil.

-Mmm...

I think 425.

Well..

Two months ago, you'd have been right.

It came on the market at 425. But Phil goes two-nil up,

-because...

-I can't believe this!

-He's doing no work at all.

-Yeah, all that work you've done!

It's good news, because you're out, but you're out in a good way.

It's just been reduced to offers around 395.

-Oh, right! Hmm!

-Hmm!

You're playing for pride now, remember that,

-but let's cheer everybody up. It's Wild Card time.

-Come on!

To paraphrase Shakespeare, darlings, the Wild Card is such stuff that dreams are made of.

We brought Ann and Phil to the village of Sambourne,

12 miles from Stratford-upon-Avon.

There are a lot of things to love about this place,

but just as many reasons for Ann and Phil not to like it, and there's the rub.

Phil and Ann, our final property, the Wild Card.

Everyone loves the Wild Card - but will you?

Before we talk about this lovely property,

let's talk about the area. You're further west than you asked for.

-How do you feel about that?

-I know the area quite well.

-Nice shopping just down the road.

-Lovely town. Studley.

I've been for a pootle round it myself. Lots of amenities.

So you're on the edge of somewhere, but it feels nice and peaceful.

-Yes.

-Now, if you can cope with the area,

let's talk about the property. What do you think of that?

-That looks really good.

-Pretty, isn't it?

-I like that.

We're not talking about pretty garages now, are we? Come on! I'm losing the will here!

-It's a historic garage.

-It is!

-We've got to get him on side.

-You saw what happened to my house.

-It's an oak-framed timber garage!

-Is it tall enough?

-It's my... It's brilliant.

There's also planning consent here for more stabling,

or let's call that garaging,

so your garaging is more than adequate here, I would hope.

Come on! Focus! Can we talk about the house,

-this big thing in front of us?

-It looks really nice.

-It looks old but modern.

-It is very much that inside.

They're converted stables. There's been a bit of a theme today,

hasn't there, Simon? That theme has been "nice".

We've heard the word "nice" a lot. If you don't like it...

You can say bad things, you can say good things,

-but "nice" is now banned.

-What about "wow"? Can we say "wow"?

-If you mean it, I want to hear it.

-That's exactly what you're going to say. Go and give us some wows!

-See you on the other side!

-We're still going to get "nice"s.

-That'll be nice.

It's nice brickwork.

-Nice.

-Oh, this is nice!

They're doing this on purpose. But it is spacious.

-It's a very welcoming space.

-It's lovely.

That's really good.

Look at the dresser there!

-We're not buying the dresser.

-No, I know,

but our furniture, the dresser we've got,

would fit in that space.

No, I like that. Blue bricks.

-It's very light.

-They're really good.

Really light and spacious. I like the open-plan feel.

Presumably it's the dining room. This is not...

I'm not sure how big the...

how many reception rooms there are, so it's a multi-purpose...

The staircase is nice, as well, isn't it?

Doubling up as an office there. Wonder when this was built?

-This looks, like, modern, doesn't it?

-Yeah.

-That was only built recently.

-You can't... You know what?

They've matched the brickwork really well here, even the styles.

And the windows. Everything is well matched.

-Downstairs...

-Very modern bathroom!

-All right.

-These tiles are nice.

I like this.

-This is really...

-It's very bright.

-I like the shape of that.

-Mmm.

Nice big shower. That's a bit tall, though.

No, really good.

I tell you what - this is the most lyrical we've heard them, isn't it?

It is. They are waxing lyrical, indeed.

-Oh, here's the kitchen.

-The kitchen.

There's an awful lot of brickwork everywhere.

There's always a lot of brickwork in houses, I find,

-otherwise there's no roof...

-You know what she means. Exposed brickwork.

-I was being facetious.

-You were.

-Belfast sink.

-Ooh, it's got an Aga.

-That's nice.

-Mm.

What you've got in this house is a real heart.

The kitchen's always the engine room, but it really has a beautiful feel.

A lot of properties with brick, they're very dark,

but this is light.

That's a dining room, so that's a breakfast-kitchen area.

I wonder where the lounge is, then?

This is a nice-size room. Oh, I love that fireplace.

That's good. Wonder if that's real, or...

Judging by the amount of logs I saw outside -

-No, I think they're for show. That's gas.

-Really?

-I love that fireplace.

-Yeah.

"Love". Heard the "love" word! I'm happy here.

Come on!

And I love the shape of the windows.

They've carried the theme all the way through,

that sort of pointed arch. They've carried it through.

-And that quirky...

-I know. The staircase!

Hey, this could be our bit and someone else's bit!

It's almost like a helical, spiral staircase. Oh, right!

Let's see if they like upstairs as much as they do downstairs.

-Cos it kind of takes a bit of getting used to.

-Yeah. You're up in the roof.

-This is nice.

-Nice.

This must be...one of the small bedrooms, perhaps.

-Oh, there's a nice view from here.

-Oh, right.

-Look at the nice view!

-Oh, yeah.

Oh...

That's really good. I'm not so sure about getting out of the bath there,

-but, um... Have to watch your head.

-No shower in here, is there?

-Oh, no.

Just about get a shave there.

The upstairs bathroom, beautifully appointed,

good use of space, tucked into the eaves, but it works.

So this must be bedroom two, perhaps.

It's about the same size as the other one.

So that's two bedrooms and a bathroom.

You could have this as a master... It's not big enough for a master suite, is it?

-Couldn't get a shower in.

-Wasn't there another staircase?

-I didn't notice. Was there?

-In the dining room,

when we first came in. They must have two staircases.

I didn't notice.

Hang on! Phil didn't notice the stairs in the dining room.

He would've noticed if there were stairs in the garage!

That's it, Phil. Up the stairs you didn't notice first time.

This must be the master bedroom.

Yeah. That... Wow! That is... That is quite spectacular, isn't it?

It actually...

gives the impression of...

a bit more space.

Nice view, when you wake up in the morning,

out of that little window over there.

Oh, this is really cute.

It is cute. Very cosy, very welcoming.

Do you think they'd put up with going up and downstairs

to the bathroom, if that was the master bedroom?

Hm, there's a question.

-I really like this.

-I like it. It's got a lot of potential.

-What did you think?

-I thought it was really nice. Quirky.

But you know, because you've looked at an awful lot of property details,

perhaps you get what you pay for.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Bear that in mind.

-Yeah.

-But you get even more than you asked for, as well,

because look around you! All this lovely land, it could be yours.

You get 2.2 acres of land.

-SHE GASPS

-Down to the hedge line.

-Can't afford that.

-Really?

-And this field at the side here.

Wow!

It's not anything you asked for,

but you're asking for something quite special -

a special house with lots of outbuildings,

that often comes with the land.

Now, Phil, quite pleased as Punch, really. You're two-nil up.

Yeah. He keeps singing "two-nil" to me.

-Good man!

-You're playing for pride now, Ann.

I am. This is my reputation at stake.

-Yes, quite. So...

-Beginner's luck for me.

-Who's going on now? Who's up?

-I think I'd better.

OK, then, Phil.

-I would think 475.

-OK.

-Ann?

-I don't think that much.

I think 450.

Sadly, Ann, Phil will now be singing "three-nil" to you.

-THEY LAUGH

-I can't believe this!

-He's not looked at any houses.

-THEY LAUGH

-I'm glad you're laughing, because...

-500? 600?

-No, no. It's 485...

-485.

-..it's on for.

Hmm!

Your maximum budget's 425. Now, some people go crazy.

With agricultural land, a few years ago, you'd only get a few thousand pounds an acre.

But historically, even round here, some people have paid £10,000 to £20,000 per acre.

You've got access to the road here. With a following wind,

you might be able to get 30, 40 grand back, if you get the right buyer

who wants some land locally.

So it would get you back down towards your price.

Also, speaking to the vendor, as Simon and I have,

-he's able to do a deal.

-Oh!

-It has been on for a while.

We've shown you three very different properties!

Go away, have a think about it, and we'll see you in a while

and decide which one you want to spend more time in. See you soon.

Here's a reminder at home of today's classic-car journey, the three-house tour.

Could property one be right up their street?

It may have lacked defined bedrooms, but it had bags of character

and enormous Phil-pleasing workshop.

Phil did seem enthused by the potential of the garage at property two,

and they both seemed excited by the house.

But will the lack of a back garden leave it stuck in reverse?

Over the budget and over the other side of the county,

the Wild Card was a rich mixture of old and the new.

It does boast a big slice of Warwickshire out back.

Big money, with offers in the region of 485 grand.

Ah, the classic cars are back - at the classic Wild Card.

You've chosen to revisit this lovely property.

-What was it about this place?

-I like the uniqueness of it.

I like it because it's old, but the interior's contemporary,

and it's the nice balance between the two.

-Is it anything like any of the 35 properties you've seen before?

-No!

-Good!

-It's completely different.

It's a nice balance. It's picked out some of the properties we've seen.

This has got a nice mix of a lot of items we've seen,

but not all grouped into one spot. I like the staircases here,

I like the kitchen. I think there's certain areas

outside the house which are also of interest!

-I wonder what that would be!

-THEY LAUGH

Leaving the garage alone for a minute,

the mystery surveyor has also had a look round this place for us.

It's not a legally binding survey, but it has come up with some interesting points.

This is an old building, so a bit of extra care and diligence

at the start of the process is always recommended.

You look behind... All eyes go to the garage for you anyway, don't they?

-And in the back of my head, as well.

-Lot of timber there.

That was probably built at the same sort of period

as this part of the building here, and the timbers there are old.

There might be a bit of infestation and rot.

So it's well worthwhile getting a timber report done,

not only on the barn and the garages, but on this part of the building too.

The thinking is that, when this place was first converted,

they wouldn't have allowed chimneys on it, because it was a barn,

and they'd be incongruous. However,

that thinking has now changed completely.

With global warming in mind, they really encourage people to put in wood-burning stoves.

So he thinks they would be a lot more amenable

to a chimney possibly being put on this building,

and you'd have that lovely heart to the living room.

-That would be great.

-Such a feature of an old building.

-It needs that,

-to make it more authentic.

-I tell you what else it needs.

-It needs you to go and relax and enjoy this building.

-Oh, yes.

-Have you got your tape measure there, Phil?

-I have.

Armed and dangerous. You're going in separate directions, aren't you?

-I'll go and make a cup of tea.

-Yeah, OK. See you later.

On cue, here's the tape measure!

He doesn't seem too bothered that there are no doors on the garage.

Oh, and a nice bit of synchronised parking there!

-It's almost like a dance manoeuvre.

-Oh, very good, Jonnie. Nice segue.

Very nice.

TANGO-STYLE DANCE MUSIC PLAYS

-It's a very nice room, isn't it?

-Very nice. I like this.

-I could see us living here.

-And...

-LIVELY JAZZ-DANCE MUSIC PLAYS

-Wahey! No messing there!

Not too fast!

ROMANTIC DANCE MUSIC PLAYS

Oh, nice movers! But will they be moving in here?

-It's nice.

-What do you think?

-I don't know.

What are we going to do with all that land?

Always build another garage.

Now, this Wild Card has pushed the realms of the Wild Card even further.

OK, it's over budget at the moment. There's a lot of land here,

and it's not exactly where you asked it to be,

but we've had some great reactions. As we're in Warwickshire,

I think you should ask this question in a very Shakespearean manner.

OK...

To buy...or not to buy?

-That is the question.

-That is the question.

What's the answer?

Well, I think there's quite a bit to think about,

and there's a lot of potential here -

-conversion of the garage, and...

-PHIL CLEARS HIS THROAT

Oh, don't start! Just answer the question. Never mind the garage.

But I really like it, and I always go for the most expensive.

Yes. How do you manage to do that? Every time!

Um, so I think...

-..to buy.

-Get in!

Fantastic! We ticked all the boxes. We found a lovely house for Ann,

-and a double garage for Phil.

-Can't ask for anything more.

Can't ask for more than that!

I wouldn't want any more from an answer! That's fantastic.

Very exciting. There's so much planning for you to do, isn't there?

There's budgetary stuff, any questions...

-I'm already calculating the pound signs.

-I bet you are.

Phil's already working out how the Mustang will back into the garage.

-Shall we go?

-Yeah. Have a good time.

-Thank you. Bye!

-Aren't you the lucky one?

-Yeah!

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