Solihull Centre To Buy or Not to Buy

Hello and welcome to To Buy Or Not To Buy. Today's all about research and facts.

-Fantastic. It's what I've been waiting for.

-Property fact number one.

House-hunters will look at, on average, five properties before settling on their dream pad.

Fact number two ties in with that. They spend six weeks doing that.

-Unbelievable, isn't it?

-Unbelievable.

But today, one lucky house-hunter's going to spend 45 minutes looking at three houses

-to hopefully complete their property journey today.

-They need six weeks, I just told you. This'll never work.

Today we're trying to get inside the mindset of property buyers.

Are you legally allowed to do that? Are you inside someone's mind now.

-Is this legal?

-I'm back. No, it's fine.

Our lady today compiles government statistics.

-You know those facts we did earlier?

-Yes.

-Probably came from her.

So this would be a thank you. If we found her a house, we've given something back. Reciprocal.

-She helps us, we help her.

-Exactly.

-OK. And what would our statistical chances be of succeeding?

-Slim to middling, I think.

-Good.

'Coming up on To Buy Or Not To Buy, we indulge in a bit of mind-reading.'

-What do you think I think?

-I think you think...

-Ohh!

-Unbelievable.

-This was Jonny's, wasn't it?

-Jonny's.

-Not good.

-We'll have to have words.

'Things clearly don't get off to a great start for me.'

-Is this Ed's choice?

-Yes.

-The man's got taste.

'But things don't look so bad for me.'

Could get us a slap around the face or a massive big hug and a thank you for being so clever.

'Oh, yes, today we're hoping for a big hug and a thank you from today's buyer, Eileen Dunston,

'who works as a government researcher. Also lending a helping hand and mind

'is her psychologist daughter, Anne-Marie.'

'After selling her family home of 25 years,

'Eileen is now lodging with her daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren, Bradley and Joel,

'while she's searching for a new home of her own.'

'Anne-Marie might be able to read minds, but I dread to think what's running through her head.

'I think this couple are in need of our help fast.'

Eileen, Anne-Marie, your lovely daughter,

you are a hot buyer. You're in the perfect buying position.

-I hope so.

-So you're sold, you're living with daughter.

I sold a couple of months ago,

thought all I had to do was just pick up the property pages, find somewhere to live and move in.

-Not that easy, is it?

-I arranged to move in with Anne-Marie and David, her husband, and the children

-for a few weeks.

-And how has that been?

-Two months ago.

-Oh, right.

-At the moment, we're still speaking to each other, but I need to move.

-That's where we come in.

-Is that in your mind?

You want to get out for your own self or for Anne-Marie?

-It's both. We both need our space.

-I'm not arguing.

-All right, that's fair enough.

-It's only fair, really.

So, obviously, you've had trouble finding somewhere. Why have you had trouble?

-She's fussy.

-Fussy, right, OK.

-OK.

-High value, low money.

Let's go through the areas of fussiness. Where is your mother most fussy?

-Erm, size of the lounge, because she's got a dining table and chairs that's non-negotiable.

-Really?

-Are you that buyer?

-Cos we say this daily on the programme.

Don't buy a place based on your furniture, unless your furniture cost the same as the house.

-Definitely not.

-But we can't negotiate around these at all?

-No.

-OK. That's a challenge in itself.

-Fussy point number one. What's fussy point number two?

-En suite.

-Right. Has to be one?

-Yes.

-OK.

-Fussy point number three.

-Needs to be, ideally, on the top floor so you don't get noise from people above.

And this is my fussy point for her, actually.

-Right.

-But, because of people who can't use stairs that will be visiting, she needs to have a lift.

-OK. Do you want to see if there's a fussy point number four?

-I'm not sure.

You'd prefer to be on the top floor for noise, but on the ground floor for access. You need a bungalow.

Then you'd have to do the garden, which means my brothers and my husband will have to do the garden.

-So that's potentially fussy point number four. No garden.

-Yes.

-Do we have any more fussy points? I've lost count.

-No.

-No more fussy points?

Cos I've spotted a couple of fussy points in the front room. Two birds.

-Oh, yes.

-Right.

-How could we forget them?

As I walked in this morning, you could hear them chirping away. Santa and Pecksy.

-Are they coming, as well?

-My two cockatiels.

-Somehow I...

-Yes!

-Yes, they're coming!

I can't leave them behind.

-Where do we want to be?

-I'd like to be between Solihull and Dickens Heath, Earlswood.

So, southwest.

You've got an idea of the apartment. Do we care about the style,

whether it is oldy-worldy, character features, modern? We don't mind?

-Don't mind at all.

-Low maintenance rules the roost.

-Maisonettes will be considered?

-Look at that face! No!

-No.

-No, it won't.

-Another swing and a miss.

-Anne-Marie will have it, though.

-Anything will do.

-Get rid! Get rid!

We're tantalisingly close to knowing everything, apart from one thing,

and probably why you've been looking for so long and it's been a bit of a struggle. Go on, how much money?

-180.

-Where did that come from?

-THEY LAUGH

-How much do you really want to spend?

I had thoughts and discussions and we're looking at around about 180.

You want to spend 180 but that means that you can look over and above.

Anne-Marie's looking surprised cos I said all along 170 for my limit.

Oh, I pushed you up even higher! You can haggle.

-Because nothing was coming out at 170, I realised I've got to start looking higher.

-That's a good stance.

All right, wish us luck and we'll see you later. Bye-bye.

I don't know if it was me or I've got a better reading of people,

but I sensed a little bit of tension between mother and daughter

-about what mother wants and what daughter wants.

-You couldn't fail to feel it.

So, therefore, I am very, very nervous about this one.

But it's Eileen's money, so ultimately, she'll have the final say.

-Us kids, we always think we know best.

-True. And, eventually, we do know best.

-But, that said, Eileen knows best today. I'm going to talk to an estate agent.

-See you later.

I'll find out some information from the local people of Solihull.

'Solihull, on the outskirts of Birmingham, translates to soily hill.

'But there's not much dirt around here any more. It's scrubbed up well and is very desirable.'

Solihull covers an area of approximately 69 square miles,

70 percent of which is designated green belt, which is pretty impressive.

'It may be in the suburbs, but it's not sleepy,

'with a vibrant nightlife and a state-of-the-art shopping complex.'

Another benefit to living in Solihull is the introduction of the new high-speed rail link

that's going to cut journey times between London and Birmingham International down to 45 minutes.

By the time you've finished watching this show, you could be in London!

'However, good transport links and a desirable postcode come at a price,

'and I don't need to be a mind-reader to know that this could make today's house-hunting tricky.'

'But what else could you get for 180K and a tad more in some of the UK's other large cities?'

'In Didsbury, on the outskirts of Manchester, this two-bedroom first-floor apartment is stunning.

'Its open-plan lounge, high-quality kitchen and spacious bedrooms

-'could be yours for £199,950.'

-'A bargain, I'm sure you'll agree.

'Further north, on the outskirts of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, is this Victorian ground-floor flat.

'With two bedrooms, modern kitchen and a rather large lounge,

'it seems a steal at £189,950.'

'And on the outskirts of Liverpool, this two-bedroom apartment blends old and new seamlessly.

'With a state-of-the-art kitchen, uber-modern lounge and a quirky bathroom,

'this place is a catch at £184,995.'

-What's the best thing about living in Solihull?

-Erm, I think it's got a lovely town centre,

farmer's market once a month, it's small so you can get round everything, everybody's friendly.

-Now, our lady, she loves Dorridge. Thinks it's brilliant.

-Superb.

-She wants to ideally spend about 180.

-Knowle and Dorridge tend to be more expensive areas.

There are a great range of properties there.

For what she's looking for, she's probably downsizing a bit,

-she probably wants to get that bit of space. Knowle and Dorridge, you may not get that.

-OK.

Probably better looking at Solihull.

I have a ground-floor two-bedroom flat and they're quite reasonably priced. More so than bungalows.

Now, this one, ground floor.

Nice size lounge, so plenty of space for her dining room table and plenty of space for the parrots.

-You had a lovely trip to the estate agents.

-I did. I met an old friend who has helped me out.

Well, he's explained a massive difficulty.

What Eileen essentially wants is very, very hard.

And the areas that she wants to live in, it's nigh-on impossible.

And because she wants a ground-floor flat or a lift,

with her budget, we have done it, but there have been compromises.

A popular term on the show. Compromise.

So, my choice, property one.

It's all about a maintenance-free life for Eileen. That's what she's after.

I've gone for the ground-floor option, and a compact apartment with a delightful cul-de-sac location.

-Property one, it's OK.

-OK? Well, we can get better than OK. We can get nigh-on perfect.

Property two is the wildcard today.

We have shifted it around. It's our joint choice and it's the wildcard.

-It's a radical option.

-It is.

-When you look at it,

it doesn't look that radical, but the concept is quite wild for Eileen

-because it's kind of like an 18 to 30s holiday.

-Yep.

Essentially, if you're under 55 years of age, you cannot live there.

So there could be a slight stigma attached to that for Eileen,

but the property is not like you would imagine it.

It's a very nice property. It's a flat. It's her own property.

-And I think she won't have considered something like this before.

-OK.

My property is a cracker. Now, there are two schools of thought in Solihull.

You either call it "Solly-hull" or "Soley-hull". Living in this part,

you would use the word "Soley-hull" because it is very, very nice. It's modern, it's gorgeous,

it's renovated within an inch of its life, it's fantastic.

It is everything she wants and it's spacious and it's a ground-floor and I can't do any better than that.

-And therefore, it must be the B91 postcode.

-It is the B91 postcode.

-Marvellous.

-Where should we start the journey?

-Let's go here, property one.

'Property one today is my offering. It's been chosen to allow Eileen

'maximum time to enjoy herself, as it requires minimum maintenance.

'It's also only a short distance from the centre of Solihull and, as if that isn't good enough,

'there's another big bonus that Eileen and her bank manager will no doubt be pleased about.'

Well, Eileen, Anne-Marie, here we are at my choice, property number one.

It is a lovely ground-floor flat, two bedrooms,

none of the maintenance issues that you were trying to avoid with some of the other properties,

-and I think it's going to be great for you.

-It's not an area I've looked at.

I actually kept pointing out this road and these flats

-and Mum kept saying, "No, don't want to go there."

-Tension.

-You are a terrible double act. So...

-I thought it was a bit too far out.

OK. We've done some local transport research.

You are very near buses, very near trains.

You can walk 15 minutes, I believe, into Solihull. You should've listened to Anne-Marie

rather than saying, "No, it's too far!" Anne-Marie, are you happy that we've managed to drag you

-to this part of the world?

-Having had two flats myself,

the combination of ground floor and new build normally means you can hear the neighbours above.

-So I'm thinking that.

-This is one of your issues.

-I'm so glad you're off to a positive start!

We could myth-bust here or we could prove a point.

-Let's hope we myth-bust. Are you ready to go in?

-Yep.

-Good luck. Enjoy. Fingers crossed.

-See you.

Now, Anne-Marie is a psychologist

and we have gone to literally no expense in playing upon that fact.

We're going to use whiteboards and perform our own experiments out here

to see whether or not we have got some kind of telepathy.

Bedroom.

I wonder if this is the master bedroom, cos it's a bit small, isn't it?

-This is what I think Anne-Marie's thinking. See if you can get inside Anne-Marie's mind.

-OK.

-Nice and light, though. Good windows.

-Perfectly functional. Fits a bed, fits a wardrobe.

-There's plenty of room for wardrobes.

-Yeah.

-Space for what you need.

What do you think Anne-Marie is thinking?

I love it.

-Ohh!

-Unbelievable.

-The opposite.

-It's the exact opposite.

You like to watch TV in bed, don't you?

And there is nowhere for you to put a TV, unless you hang it from the light, maybe.

Hm. Up there somewhere. Let's see what else there is.

One of the major problems here, Jonny, a subtle undercurrent,

-that is the biggest bedroom and they think it's a bit small.

-Yes.

-Which means bedroom two is going to further compound that disappointment.

-Yes.

I think we know the answer, Mum, on this one.

This is very small.

He did say it was small, but this is...munchkin size.

Being really practical, if you've got the boys coming to stop

and you wanted to even, say, put them in bunk beds,

the bunk beds would be overhanging the window.

It's compact, this apartment, I'd say.

Yeah, compact and bijou, but bunk beds are very, very, very fun.

Oh, it's a bathroom.

I'm now tapping into Anne-Marie's mind. We're doing the bathroom here.

-This is fine.

-This is everything that you want.

-I think she's going to love it.

-HE LAUGHS

It just made me realise, there's no en suite.

-Oh, yes.

-Only one bathroom.

Come on, Eileen, deal with it. You're not going to get an en suite in there.

Erm, good size. It's... Yeah.

We would fit in here. I would.

Well, there we go. Eileen likes the size of the lounge. Anne-Marie, less so.

Anne-Marie, currently, that's her feelings about the lounge.

Although, Eileen's feelings... That.

Oh! Again, functional.

-Dishwasher?

-Dishwasher?

-No dishwasher. No good.

-EILEEN LAUGHS

-What? No!

-They never said this!

-Wash by hand!

-Exactly!

-Don't do washing dishes.

-I think it's a no, Mum.

It's basic.

-Right, what do you think they're thinking?

-Excellent choice.

Whose choice was this?

-This was...

-Jonny's, wasn't it?

-Jonny's.

-Not good.

-We'll have to have words.

Well, I think I've found your dream home. It sounded marvellous outside.

-You...

-No, no.

-OK, let's be honest.

-The headphones do work.

SHE LAUGHS

Let's go through it. What is the right size and what is the wrong size? Or is everything wrong?

I'm just reflecting. We're thinking that we're finding a home for Mum, she's got to move out,

so it might not be that bad after all. You might be able to give and take on some things.

OK. So what is not right in here?

-Bedrooms are far too small.

-Both of them?

-Both of them.

-Why?

-Because you only sleep in your bedroom. Or do you do more?

-I do more than sleep.

-OK. This is daytime, but go as far as you can.

-I do relax

and I like to read and, as Anne-Marie said, I like to watch television at night.

-Wall-mounted television.

-True.

-So that gets you round a certain size.

But you need a little bit bigger than that?

Yes, just a little bit of elbow room.

Let's not forget, we're buying this apartment around a dining table.

-So how is the reception area? Is this big enough, are we close?

-This is not bad.

It's not bad at all in size.

It's at the smallest end of the scale.

-And I don't know where we'd put the birds.

-True.

Yeah, the birds... Why not go the radical route and just let them fly free?

THEY LAUGH

All right, so, I think we've got an idea.

The gamble was, this might be a bit too small.

I guess we thought we'd show you this as an option

and we know that maybe it's a little bit dinky.

As you were hoping for with an apartment, it's got the usual things, maintenance costs...

-Something else to worry about.

-But it's nothing to worry about for you. All the grounds are sorted out,

windows are cleaned, the communal areas out the front are dealt with.

So you've got no worries apart from what's inside here. And that costs £850 a year,

-which is fairly reasonable, I think.

-Yeah.

-Not bad at all.

-OK, shall we play Guess The Price

-and see if that makes us warm more toward the house or ice over?

-You go first.

-How much do you think it's on the market for?

-I would say,

given size, location and lack of en suite,

it's got to be at the bottom end of the scale. I would say 165.

-165, OK.

-So it's now about winning, and I don't know if it's about beating Mum or accuracy.

You've got to decide.

I've got two figures in my head. 157 and 162,500.

I'm going to go with 157.

-Well, either one of them would've given you the win. Congratulations!

-Thank you.

-Good skills.

You two are pros, though, cos you were both pretty close. It's on the market for beneath that, 149,950.

-Wow.

-So it's just under 150, which is excellent value for money!

-It is.

-Knowing that it is that price, and it's a great price,

does that make you warm to it any more? Does that make a compromise occur or not?

I'd rather see what else is on offer first.

-OK. That's good.

-Very shrewd.

-We do have two more. Would you like to come to the wildcard?

-Hm!

-That's exciting, isn't it?

-Yes.

-OK, shall we go?

-I'm excited about the wildcard.

'And here is that said wildcard. The location is fantastic,

'the apartment and the community are fantastic, so surely there's nothing to worry about.'

'Just the minor detail that Eileen needs to be of a certain age to live here,

'and you should never mention a lady's age. I'm nervous about this

'and I don't think Anne-Marie will need to read my mind. She will see fear written all over my face.'

Anne-Marie and Eileen, the wildcard, the wildcard, everyone normally loves the wildcard.

And this one could get us a slap round the face or a massive big hug and a thank you for being so clever.

So you know where we are? Any ideas, ladies?

I've driven up and down this road many times, never looked at this.

-Anne-Marie, anything up your sleeve? You look like...

-I'm pretty sure I saw this in the paper

and pointed it out to Mum and said, "Go and have a look" and she said, "No".

-I can't remember.

-It's for more mature people.

-Yes.

There is an age restriction here, rather like an 18 to 30 holiday,

which are cruel, because if you're 17 or 31, you can't go.

Here, 55s and under are not allowed.

-But...

-You've just scraped in. Does that include for babysitting?

-You're allowed to stay briefly

and then you're drummed out... No. You have got a first-floor apartment,

because Anne-Marie was saying ground floor, noisy neighbours,

so we've given you a first-floor apartment here.

Because you are part of this community, people might think, "Oh, no, you're aging me before my time!"

You would never need to be knowing that you were living in this because you've got your own door

and it's your own flat. There's a couple of other reasons why we've shown you it. Jonny.

You did point out earlier that your friends' access is limited.

That has been addressed in there already.

-Vroom! Straight up the stairs, no problem. I've had a go, it's phenomenal.

-Brilliant!

-What do you think?

-From the outside, it looks lovely.

-From what I can see of the inside, it does look... There's an impression of space.

-OK.

-OK. Do you want to explore that impression?

-Yes, please.

-Let's talk no more.

Go in, experience and see what you think. Enjoy!

Oh! SHE LAUGHS

-Well!

-That's what they were talking about!

Which is useful for Eileen's mum and Eileen's friend.

-And also a great thing for her grandchildren to play on.

-Well...

-There you go.

-The children's favourite toy when they visit Nana.

-SHE LAUGHS

-You could put your shopping on there.

-That's a good idea!

-I'm now going to try and get inside Eileen's mind.

-Ooh, OK.

Right, so... What's this one here?

Oh, gosh, that's a good size, isn't it? Very nice!

What do you think Eileen is thinking about you, Jonny,

for showing her this property and this being your idea?

Oh, grab rails. It does remind you of your age, doesn't it?

What she thinks of me? Erm...

Considerate young man.

Oh.

Again, a good size. Lots of storage.

That was one of the concerns in property one,

-bedroom one was a bit on the small side.

-We've dealt with that.

-Ah!

-It is a cupboard! What did you think it was?

-Not an en suite.

-It's not an en suite.

-I thought they may have ticked another box.

It ain't going to happen. That is the easiest compromise to make if you want the majority of things.

It's surprisingly quiet. You can't hear any traffic out there.

-No, that's true.

-So a good spot for a bedroom.

And she is thinking, "Best wildcard ever".

-It's not so bad, actually.

-I think that's what she's thinking!

-Oh, yep.

-You'd fit a small double in here.

-Or two singles, perhaps.

-Yeah, you would.

-There's your loft hatch.

-Oh, so you've got loft access.

-There you go.

They've been very naughty, finding this, really.

-Why?

-Because it has got a lot of good points, apart from the Stannah stairlift.

Ooh! Did you see that? She's given with one hand and taken with another.

We are being described as naughty, but in a good way,

as in giving a massive banana sundae to someone.

So, does it feel the one?

No, I'm not saying that, but it's... Yeah, it's a good size.

-I agree with her.

-I'm going to go with "love it".

Yes!

Yeah, no problem getting furniture in here.

-No, definitely not.

-So let's see what the kitchen's like.

Good. Good.

So, fridge freezer, done.

-Er...

-Washing machine.

-More storage.

You could get a dishwasher in.

I think you'd want to put a new kitchen in.

Oh, Anne-Marie! If she can't say something positive,

she shouldn't say anything. She was doing really well.

Perfectly good little kitchen and you get to shut the door on the smell. That used to be your worry.

-Yes, this is true, compared to the modern open-plan ones.

-Have we checked out all these cupboards?

-Anne-Marie is a cupboard obsessive.

-She's a fiend for a cupboard!

-She is!

-Boiler cupboard. Loads of storage.

-Oh, yeah. Yeah.

So, not bad for space.

Very good for location.

She's within touching distance of the local shopping centre, called Touchwood.

-See what I've done there?

-You said...

-Touching distance of Touchwood.

It's up to you, Mum. Good for image, too. Not.

Yes, good for image! Yes. SHE LAUGHS

I know what you're thinking. I know what they're thinking. I know what you're thinking.

Yes!

Ed and I have been trying to get inside your minds on this tour

and we've come to the conclusion that the joint property, the wildcard, actually went pretty well.

-Better than I expected it to.

-We'll take that. That's fine.

Well, you exclaimed it! You hit a point in here and it was like,

"You know what? This is all right!"

In Jonny's one, there was a list of things that were wrong.

Room sizes too small, the dishwasher wasn't there.

What about here? What was right about here?

Definitely the size of the rooms. The bedrooms are not massive, but they're a good size, just about right.

-Definitely this room, this lounge, is easily big enough to take my furniture.

-Mm-hm.

I've stumbled across this. If there's a negative in a house, then Anne-Marie's...

But you've got an idea of what you want your mum to live in.

Do you always house-hunt together? Is this why it's a bit tricky?

Not by choice. You do insist on me coming along.

But you're a good double act here.

What is it that's not working here?

Maybe, secretly, Anne-Marie doesn't want her mum to move out

and is constantly knocking every property she sees. Look at Anne-Marie's face.

-That's probably a no, then.

-One thing we haven't done yet is play Guess The Price.

All of these feelings may be given smiles once we've played Guess The Price.

Anne-Marie, you go first, even though you are in the lead. You could win the victory here.

There are some properties like this up the road towards Olton

and they're all 225-plus.

And I'm pretty sure I saw another one nearer Solihull

and I said, "Mum, it's amazing," there was even a guest suite for people to stop in

and I'm sure it was something crazy like 129,950.

So I'm going to say 130.

You're saying 130, based on the fact that you might have already seen the price of this? OK. 130.

-I think I may have done.

-Are you going with this ruse? Is this some kind of gamesmanship?

Absolutely not! I think I'm going to win this time, no matter what I say.

I'm going to say, as it's close to Solihull and in such a good location, I'd say 190.

-190?

-Mm-hm!

-Gosh!

OK. And we were playing with a maximum budget of around £200,000,

but we didn't want to spend all of that, about 170, 180.

-So...

-The answer is...

-The reveal is, Eileen, you're back in the game.

-Ah!

-Nice. Very well played, madam.

Your logic, throw it out of that double-glazed window.

This property is on the market for £179,950.

-Oh, wow!

-So asking price, top of what you're prepared to spend.

-Yes.

-With a bit of haggling, you could get new kitchen, new bathroom,

lovely redecorated apartment, it'd be perfect for you, forget this one.

-What do you think of that price?

-That is a consideration.

I like it! OK! That's good. That's the word we were searching for. A consideration.

We have one more for your consideration, which is my choice. Are we excited and tantalised?

-Cannot wait.

-Very.

-Let's go to it. Come on!

-Over there.

'My property is on one of the poshest roads in Solihull

'and is just a few minutes' walk into the town centre. It was built in the 1960s

'and is a perfect blank canvas, but most importantly, I hope we get this one right,

'as the future of a mother-daughter relationship is reliant on us finding Eileen her dream home fast.'

Anne-Marie and Eileen, I would like you to walk toward this beauty.

This is the third property, and I think this is the last one. This is it.

-We're on Hampton Lane. Have you heard of it?

-Yes, I have.

-It's very posh.

-Very.

-We could be playing a cruel trick here

-and showing you something way out of your price bracket.

-That's why we haven't looked.

-It wouldn't be beyond us.

-No, it wouldn't be, but it would also be cruel.

-How did it feel to arrive here through the electric gates?

-Very grand.

-OK.

-Very grand indeed.

-And you're smiling.

-Yes.

-And seem quite positive.

Absolutely. It's a lovely part of Solihull.

We haven't looked over here at all so far, so, yeah.

-Had you discounted it because it was out of your price range?

-Never occurred to us to look here.

Excellent. And it still may well be. We don't know.

The mysterious property-hunting team are very good.

You have got the ground floor one with the for sale sign.

It's completely empty. It's been renovated within an inch of its life, so it's lovely.

Low maintenance is the key.

All the grounds are sorted out for you. It's very nice.

There is no reason to not buy it. Really.

-So your mum will finally move out.

-Yes!

-Don't sound so happy!

-And your parrots can be in there enjoying themselves.

-Cockatiels!

-They're all the same thing!

-The issues have been size, really.

-Mm.

-I think we've nailed it with this one.

-Don't say we!

-Oh, yeah.

-Thank you! You had your go.

I'm trying to get a bit of the glory with this one!

Not only has the apartment been completely renovated, the management company that own the block

are doing a full refurbishment on the outside.

So all these shabby-looking fascias will all be refreshed,

improved and they're going to follow the theme of these lovely manicured gardens.

That's the standard they'll bring it up to. So it'll look great.

You're not only going to have these wonderful gates, you'll have a flash building, as well.

-I can't believe I might buy an apartment because of electric gates.

-That's a good thing!

-It is!

-People have bought places for crazier reasons than that.

-Are you ready to go and buy an apartment with electric gates?

-Yes.

-Go on.

Very nice.

Oh.

Now, I wonder what room this is meant to be.

-Ah. Now, because there's no furniture in there, the confusion is obvious.

-Yeah.

Bedroom is what it should be.

It's a blank canvas. You could make it whatever you want.

-Yeah.

-It's a very good size.

-It's a blank canvas.

-Very much so. The person has designed it that way.

He had tenants in there. He stopped them and now it's on the market to be sold.

So I would say Eileen, if she likes it, could get a deal on this.

Are you not going to say anything?

-I'm going to let them wonder what I'm thinking.

-SHE LAUGHS

Anne-Marie, if she's got nothing nasty to say, she doesn't say very much.

I've given too much away so far. I'll just... Hmm.

I have managed to use Anne-Marie's skills, I've contacted what's inside her mind.

-This is what she's thinking. What do you believe she's thinking?

-Inside Anne-Marie's mind?

-Yeah.

-I love it.

-Oh!

-That's what she's thinking.

-OK, I'm getting a sense now.

-Oh, right.

-This is the small bedroom.

-Master bedroom, second bedroom.

Cupboards.

Amazing what some snazzy little handles can do to a normal wardrobe.

I like those handles. I've never seen those before.

They are the original 60s cupboards, but it's completely modernised them by changing the handles.

If you've bought yourself a cheap jacket, change the buttons, it'll be lovely. Look what Jonny's done.

Bit of spare carpet,

just in case.

-Good storage. Would you get two single beds in here?

-Erm, you could,

-but I would be moving that radiator.

-I don't think that's an option.

You could put that under the window

-and then you'd be able...

-Unless we get the one you've been trying to talk me into,

the guest bed with the stow-away.

Very nice plan, that, with the old bed that...

Or she could get the old futon bed. That's the hand signal for that.

-A range of options.

-Or one that comes down from the wall. She could do that.

Or one that comes up from the ground. I think I might have just invented those.

-Wow, you've got plenty of storage, that's for certain.

-Oh, yes.

-Which is a good thing.

-Yeah.

-Definitely a lot of cupboards.

-You can declutter. I still have an awful lot of stuff in storage.

-Is that more?

-More.

-Oh, wow! That's good.

Eileen might be doing the old downsize business here,

but she needs her storage and she has mentioned that in every house.

Storage here, covered.

-Really very nicely done, isn't it?

-How trendy is this?

-Oh, wow!

Either Anne-Marie's just looked out of the window at my outfit

or she's referring to the kitchen.

Let's think about this. You've got your oven, washing machine.

-Electric hobs.

-Yep. Room for dishwasher, but very limited kitchen storage.

You would have to use the hall storage for your kitchen.

You're never going to get a sprawling kitchen in an apartment.

Anne-Marie says that as a negative, but it's a great kitchen.

-Small but elegant, like Ronnie Corbett.

-Small and perfectly formed.

Wow. You wouldn't have to do anything with this.

-Is this Ed's choice?

-Yes.

The man's got taste.

Has it only just dawned on her? Eileen, I told you that outside the house!

-Because I was trying to squeeze in on your glory.

-Yes.

Me and the mysterious property-hunting team. Thank you.

-This is good.

-He's certainly done a better job than Jonny.

SHE LAUGHS This is lovely. I do like this.

-Is this one of these shorter baths?

-Well, that suits us, doesn't it? SHE LAUGHS

Now, I felt I could take the liberty of providing a slightly smaller bath

because I don't think it's cruel, but Eileen could be a jockey. She is...

Ohh! Yes!

The furniture's going to fit in here beautifully.

And it's so light and bright! Look at the big windows!

This is by far the best reaction we've had to all three properties.

-It is.

-And it's all Ed.

-Thank you.

Hello. This is a strange sensation in many ways. It's a bit like Romeo and Juliet

-and you're taller than us for once.

-Yes.

-We like this.

-I feel very uncomfortable.

OK, let's get to business. This is great, isn't it?

I'm not asking you first. Eileen, this is a great place.

This is a lovely place. Super storage.

-Beautifully done. Very nicely finished.

-It's in excellent condition.

-Yes.

-We like their taste.

-Good.

-Anne-Marie, what do you think? Cos you have been...

-Challenging?

Yes, the tricky one. Do you like it? In terms of size, space, what do you think?

-What do you think I think?

-I think you think it's surprisingly good.

-I think it is.

-Good!

-I think it's lovely!

-I told you! I'm in there! It's good, though, isn't it? And the room sizes are good.

-Very good.

The living space is good. It's good.

-Is the price good? That's the question.

-Quite.

-Brilliant.

-You put that together nicely. So it's one-all.

-It is.

-Absolutely!

-This is the decider. But before we do Guess The Price,

you know I mentioned the maintenance company are going to be sorting out the outside?

There are maintenance charges. So do factor this is. £1,200 per year,

-which I don't think is too bad.

-No.

-About standard, yes.

They look after all the outside, you're responsible for inside your apartment. I think it's phenomenal.

-We're still not going to give you any clues as to what the price is.

-No.

£180,000 is what you want to spend at the absolute max. Who's going to go first?

Right, 199,950.

-Really?

-Wow.

-Oh-ho-ho! OK.

I would say 185.

Come on, Eileen. You've won.

-No!

-It is...

It is 177,500.

-Really?

-So we've all won, haven't we?

-Yes!

-You've lost massively, but think of the positives,

-we've potentially found a place for your mum to live in.

-Potentially.

-177,500.

Knowing everything, what do you think now?

-I think it's a contender.

-Good!

Now, the biggest decision of your adult lives - which one to test drive?

Rummage and ruminate over all of it and we'll see you later.

-Good luck.

-Ciao. Jump out of there. You all right?

-Yes, thank you.

-I'm an old man.

-So, three interesting properties for them to consider.

While they make that decision, here's a reminder for you.

'So, will it be my choice, a ground-floor apartment in a very quiet cul-de-sac?

'It had all the basics Eileen required and a price to please everyone,

'including the bank manager, on the market for £149,950.'

'Or will it be our joint choice, the wildcard, this over-55s only apartment?

'We managed to escape a slap around the face, but will it get us

'a pat on the back? Eileen's for £179,950.'

'Or, finally, will it be my choice, this 1960s ground-floor flat,

'currently in the throes of external renovation? Eileen seemed happy,

'Anne-Marie seemed happy, and I'm sure the birds would be happy,

'all for £177,500.'

Eileen, Anne-Marie, you have chosen as your test drive vehicle my one.

And a brilliant choice it was, too. Why have you gone for this?

Er, predominantly because it's in such a wonderful location.

I didn't expect to find anything in this location.

And also because it is such a beautifully-finished apartment. It's very well done.

You're clever to pick it. Any of the others, you'd have been a fool.

Well, it would be much easier to move in here than any of the others.

Good news. Now, we have had our mysterious surveyor come round.

It's not a legally-binding survey, but it's a good heads-up if you wish to buy the property.

You have to get your own one done. There's a couple of areas he's mentioned. Jonny, deliver the news.

OK, it's actually all pretty positive. It's quite mundane

but it's stuff that, because it has been refurbished, you'd have to ensure

all the guarantees and certificates were in place, particularly electrics and the windows.

It's the FENSA certificate you want to ensure is in place,

cos as you would've noticed from the outside,

this is one of the few apartments that has double glazing. It stands out

and it does lift this apartment greatly.

Another thing, with the balcony out there, the gap in the balcony

is currently six inches. It should be four inches,

-because little people could...

-Big heads.

-Yes. So it should be four inches.

A simple solution is to put a sheet of Perspex down, so it's still clear, problem solved.

-Or wait until the kids' heads are too big to fit through.

-Before they come.

-They already are.

That is a long time to wait. So, there is nothing wrong with it.

-It's lovely.

-Very nice.

-Do you still wish to test drive it?

-Yes, please.

-We're going to leave you to do it. You're here. We'll just...

-Yeah. See you later.

-Have fun.

-Do whatever you want to do. See you in a bit.

-Bye.

'And today's test drive requires us to resolve a burning issue.

'Looks like Eileen's measuring up for the dining room table.'

-'And Anne-Marie.'

-What am I?

-'Blimey! She's teaching the kids to mind-read already!'

-A chicken!

-'What?'

Right, we are going to do the feet test up here,

see whether or not... they can hear any rumbling.

I can't hear anything.

The biggest concern is the noise of their children.

You can't hear much except for this one.

'And not convinced about our concerns about the railings,

'Bradley's putting them to the test. Call the fire brigade.'

Keep your head out. That's it. Well done.

So, you have spent time here, the children have left and we're now at a moment of calm.

What do you think of the property? What did they think?

-They loved it.

-Yep. Good space.

-They settled in very comfortably.

So Bradley and Joel are giving it the thumbs-up.

What do we all think now there's a little bit more time spent here?

Does it work? Has the concept of no dishwasher irked you to a certain degree?

Are there any other problems or do you like it more?

The biggest drawback is that small kitchen.

-Mm-hm.

-Which is something that I've just escaped from

and I don't really want to go back to.

I think it's lovely, I think the location's perfect and I think, with all the extra storage,

-there are ways you can make it work.

-We are very near the big point

and because we've run with the theme of trying to mind-read you throughout the programme,

I'm now less confident. I mind-read you before this bit and I wish I could change it.

But this is what we think you will say to the question.

-Oh.

-I've just seen what he's drawn. Should've...

-Are we ready for the big question? Do you want to ask it, seeing as you've blown that already?

-Yeah.

-Eileen, to buy or not to buy?

-Not to buy.

-Ed went for...

-Sorry.

-Ohh.

-And I didn't realise that was what we were doing and I drew a picture of a young Jimmy Hill.

-THEY LAUGH

-So I feel like a fool.

Well, now, I have "to buy-ish" which gave me some moving room.

-I think ish is fair.

-There is an ish.

Anne-Marie, we failed. Your mum's still going to be living at your house. Can you push the ish?

Quite. Exactly, there's a few people at home that'll have a few more words.

-It's...

-Right, this sounds like a great time for us to get out of here!

Do really think about this. It is worth having a look round.

From what we've looked at, this is a really good option.

Unless you force yourself to spend more money, this is pretty good. That's a depressing end to the show.

-Have you enjoyed yourselves?

-Very much.

-Good.

-Wonderful.

-And would you recommend us as being quite good at this?

-I'd give you a reference any day.

-Fantastic.

We're going to leave you. As you're not buying it, give it five minutes, then walk out. See you soon.

Bye.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd