Edgbaston To Buy or Not to Buy

Today, To Buy Or Not To Buy is in the West Midlands,

-just outside Birmingham City Centre.

-Home to this, one of the UK's finest cricket grounds.

If you're a fan, you will recognise this as Edgbaston.

Which is one of the most affluent places in Birmingham to own a property.

And that's why we're here, to find an all-rounder of a house for today's house-hunters.

-Got your box?

-Have you seen my helmet?

-You'll be all right.

Good morning. Today, we're hoping To Buy Or Not To Buy

will be a bit like a game of Twenty20 cricket.

Yep, one day, three properties, with an inning each.

Before we both go in to bat together for the wildcard.

Instead of a test match, it's more of a test drive. Catch it!

Before they have their own innings, when they get to try one before they buy one.

-Ah! Good shot, old boy!

-Less of the old.

'Coming up on To Buy Or Not To Buy, today's house-hunters have a size complex.

-If this is the main bathroom, it's small, isn't it?

-Yeah.

If I hear the word small once more...

'Jonny gets the silent treatment.'

What do you think to the outside? 1920s detached, gorgeous property.

-Erm...

-Wall of silence.

-The wall of silence. Stunned silence cos they love it so much.

-It's different.

'And we have two completely gobsmacked buyers.'

SHE GASPS

SHE LAUGHS Look!

'Meet Pravin and Barti Patel. They currently live in this detached five-bed house in Moseley.'

'Along with their three children, Sharia, 17,

'Vishan, 16, and Janeel, 19.'

'Pravin works as an IT manager, which takes up most of his time, even when at home.'

'Meaning the poor fella doesn't get much opportunity for the old R&R.'

'So Barti makes up for that for both of them, and spends most of her spare time in her beloved garden.

-'I wish I was a bit more green-fingered.'

-'Mm, you're just sharp-tongued, fella.'

Listen here. We're going to ask you some questions and I want you to answer them with a straight bat.

-What are we looking for?

-A house.

-Yep.

-That's why we're here.

-Thank you.

-Succinct and to the point.

A detached house, hopefully with a bit of work that needs doing to it.

Barti, I'm going to put you on the spot. When he says, "Something we can do some work to..."

-He's not going to do anything.

-Ah, there you go!

-THEY LAUGH

-So you're the delegator.

-Yes.

-I'm the financier.

-OK.

-The kids are growing up, he thinks I need another project,

-so this is what the whole idea is.

-All right. The kids are growing up,

does that means you're looking for a smaller property? Are you downsizing?

No, no, no, I think, for the next decade, certainly for the next five years,

they'll still be in and out and we've got a couple of years to go before the younger two are off to uni

and, in this climate, I think it'll be a long time before they're completely gone.

So I think we need another house for the next decade

which I feel they will still relate to as being a family home.

Are you looking to stay in the same location or is it a relocation? Where do you want to be?

Well, to be fair, we love where we are at the moment,

but Edgbaston's just a mile or two away and we've liked that area for a long time.

Will it make certain things easier for you? Will that change...

For the children, the school will be one bus rather than two.

-So it's convenience, then.

-Yes.

-As well as the fact that Edgbaston is a gorgeous area.

-Yeah.

-How many bedrooms?

-Well, we've currently got five,

so we're looking for something of that sort of size.

Will you need your own space in the house as far as reception rooms are concerned, the downstairs?

I think that is more for when... We tend to have large family gatherings.

Even today, we've got two nephews staying.

-Nieces and nephews are in and out.

-Yeah.

So we need space where the adults can chill and the kids could chill together

and our present house works for us and we're looking for something similar so they can have space.

When you've got this big focal point, the heartbeat of the family home,

all the other rooms do become redundant, so are you looking to replicate

either having that kind of room or building an extension?

It does depend on what it looks like now in terms of the properties as to what sort of work we'd want to do.

-We just don't know yet.

-OK.

-So, garden-wise, are we looking for a big garden? Are we green-fingered?

I am and I think I would like somewhere where I can potter round in the garden,

-so at least the size that I've got at the moment.

-Not quite as big as this?

-Not quite as big as this.

-Nice lawn this, though.

Not unless he could get the gardener in and I'll just do the pots and baskets. But, no, not that big.

Anything else spring to mind? We're looking for the big family room, separate reception rooms.

Anything else? This is your last chance.

The only other major thing is an old, traditional house, not a new one.

-OK.

-So that's very much on the cards. It has to be old.

-We like the period houses.

-Bigger rooms.

-We like the high ceilings.

So, Barti's project. How much do we have?

500 for the base property

and then, to do some work, a couple of hundred thousand.

-Right. We've got all the information we need. Shall we get going?

-Absolutely.

-We'd better get changed.

-That was a seamless conversation.

-Stop it, you've got me in creases.

-Do not worry, we are going to knock this one out of the park.

-As long as we don't slip up. No, come on.

This is a good budget in a lovely part of the world. Let's get down to business!

Indeed. We need to find a lovely period home.

-I know you're enjoying wearing these whites, but let's get changed and get to work.

-OK.

'Earlier, Jonny told you Edgbaston has a reputation as being one of Birmingham's most affluent areas.'

'I did, indeed. Edgbaston is a classy suburb

'and if you live here, you avoid doing the commuting schlep every day,

'as it sits just 2.5 miles outside the city centre of Birmingham.'

'Known as "where the trees begin" because of how leafy it is,

'it has a huge amount of beautiful specimen trees

'lining its streets, which are full to the brim with period properties.

'You can easily see why it often gets compared to St John's Wood in London.'

'Sport plays a major role in Edgbaston.

'We've introduced you to the first-class cricket ground, soon to become even more first class

'once its £32 million update is complete. But Edgbaston certainly boasts more than that.'

'It has a lawn tennis club dating back 130 years.

'A golf club almost as old.

'And a croquet club which was established in the 1900s.'

'Hard to believe all this is squeezed into 610 hectares,

'and it's all right on the perimeter of the second city.'

'On the subject of cities, let's see what other properties are available to buy in some of the UK's largest.

'In the ninth biggest city, Manchester,

'there's this super four-bed end-of-terrace townhouse, complete with a south-facing balcony

'onto a marvellous terrace. All that for 450 grand.'

'Down to the tenth biggest city now, Bristol.

'Situated in the salubrious suburb of Clifton, this home is light and bright

'and on the market for 545 grand.'

'Back up north to the fourth largest city, Glasgow, is this simply stunning detached villa.

'Immaculate throughout with a private, enclosed garden,

'it could be yours for offers over 575 grand.'

'Now back to the second city, where Simon's going to reveal how the decisions on the area's past

'have made Edgbaston what it is today.'

Believe it or not, the whole of Edgbaston has been owned by one family since the 1700s,

the Calthorpes. In 1717, a wealthy merchant, Richard Gough,

bought the land and then married into the Calthorpe family.

As well as rebuild Edgbaston Hall and Edgbaston Church,

the Calthorpes are crucial to this area for one particular reason.

As the new trades brought wealth to Birmingham in the 1800s,

the family slowly allowed the estate to be developed into a very sought-after residential area.

In vogue Georgian villas were built

and they still look as fabulous today as they did then.

As the industrial revolution started to change the face of the world,

the Calthorpes refused to allow this to affect the rural and scenic nature of their estate

by not allowing any workshops or warehouses to be built on their land.

Edgbaston and the lucky people who live here have much to thank the Calthorpe family for,

because due to them and the restrictive covenants they put in place,

this area is as prosperous and as lovely a place to live in as it ever was.

I could wander around for hours.

-OK, Jonny, how have you got on?

-Very well.

I think I've done even better! I think my property will just edge yours today.

-Shall I tell you all about it?

-Go on.

-It is beautiful.

They said they wanted a period property, they've got one.

They said they wanted five bedrooms, they've got them.

They said they wanted a lovely garden, they've got it.

It's detached, it's perfect, there it is, it's a beauty, that's my choice.

I've gone team Patel with my choices. A little bit of something that they both want.

Pravin wants to spend extra money on the house and Barti needs a project,

so it does offer them both those opportunities, because they can move straight in,

-but there'll be a few things they'll want to change.

-Gorgeous. Let's talk about the wildcard.

Really, on this programme, you get to see a house that you would never get access to

and it is a unique property and it's absolutely fabulous.

That's the wildcard today. Shall we show them?

A bit of a tip of the hat to whoever did the floor plan,

because that is incredible. It is an architectural charm.

-That's all we're going to say.

-That's the wildcard. Who's going to bat first with property one?

In a traditional cricket manner, we'll toss a coin. Heads me, tails you.

-Oh.

-Tails, you.

-Me. Property one.

'I'm hoping Pravin and Barti are going to be bowled over by the property I'm putting in to bat,

-'a detached period family house in Edgbaston. How's that?'

-'Brilliant.'

Right then, you lovely couple,

sometimes on To Buy Or Not To Buy, we show houses to people that we think will suit them.

Sometimes, we are fortunate enough to show them houses that we love. This, my choice, is one of those.

I would happily buy this house. First impressions, please?

-It's a bit smaller than I'd expected.

-Is it now?

You know you should never judge a book by its cover, don't you?

Let's just talk about the front, because look at this.

-It's on the cusp of Victoriana and Edwardian.

-Yes.

-It's literally is.

1903 we think it was built, and it's got a sense of the Arts and Crafts movement about it. It's very simple

but beautifully done, I think. But is it too small, that's the question?

Yep, it definitely is. That's my first question.

Simon is right. One thing I'd add, the location is absolutely spot on.

-Mm.

-Are you happy with this? Does this feel right?

-I think, from...

-We're surprised, because we've looked at the other side of this road.

-Yeah.

-And driving up here and seeing this, it's opened our eyes,

-cos we've not considered this side at all.

-It's hidden in the corner.

-We try and tell you...

So that's the first impression as far as we're concerned.

-Get in there, check out this place.

-Go on.

-Lovely door.

-Mm.

-I like the stained glass.

-Yeah.

-Ahh.

-I reckon you might be onto a sticky wicket here.

-Oh, no, once they've seen round this place, this competition is over.

-You said it.

-I like the floor.

-I like the fact it's on two floors. We haven't got that.

-The colour I wanted before.

-Yeah.

-Nice.

Nice and airy. Oh, wow.

-I like this.

-Yeah. This is nice, isn't it?

-Yeah. The windows are nice, stained glass.

-Look at the fireplace.

That's like ours. That's a live fire, isn't it?

-Although it looks absolutely spot on...

-It's not original.

-No.

It was actually bought by the current owners, but it was from exactly the same period.

-I like the...

-Whoa, look at the garden.

-Mm.

-That is lovely.

-Gosh.

-Oh, my goodness!

I like that you can go from here into the garden, as well. It's nice.

Ah. Interesting.

Similar to ours. Old meets new.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

Great example of how to redevelop a property of this period.

Leave your reception rooms, cos that's the grandeur,

but then make that open-plan kitchen-diner on the back.

-Extend, open it all out. Best of both worlds.

-I like it.

I don't know, it doesn't quite feel right to me at the moment.

I like it, but if we're looking to change things,

I don't think we'd have to change anything here, because it's all done, isn't it?

Don't tell me I've shown them a house which is too good and needs nothing doing! Oh!

That window's good. It's bringing lots of light into the hallway.

It's not dark. Ours is a bit dark.

-That's nice.

-It's a fair size.

-Do you think this is as big as Janeel's? Just a tiny bit smaller, do you think?

-Mm. It's a fair size.

-If this was to be Janeel's, we'd get his bed in, wouldn't we?

-Mm.

I'm hearing a lot of positivity in Barti's voice, but not in Pravin's.

Whoa. This is big!

-Yeah.

-It's much bigger than ours!

-I suppose this'll have to be our room.

-Yep.

-And I love the built-in cupboards.

-Yeah. It's nice.

His and hers as far as the cupboards are concerned, so that's good.

And I love the view of the garden from here.

It's beautiful.

Ah!

Interesting.

-So, this is...

-If this is the main bathroom, it's small, isn't it?

-Yeah.

If I hear the word small once more...

-But...it's quite a small bathroom, that, isn't it?

-Yes.

Ah.

-Another bathroom?

-Another bathroom.

So this must be the family bathroom, then.

-That's OK. This would work, wouldn't it?

-Yeah.

-So, what's this? The third bedroom?

-Third bedroom.

-And, again, good size.

-This is OK.

Pink. I suppose Sharia would like this.

She'd miss her en suite, you know? SHE LAUGHS

She's been used to that en suite since she was six.

-Jonny, what do you do?

-You're defending it, I'm not.

You put in an en suite. You said you want a project, you want something to do.

-The light is good.

-Has this all been converted?

The boys will want a floor of their own, depending on what's here.

OK.

-So this would be...

-Ah, now this could work for Sharia more.

-Is there a bathroom, though?

-No.

Oh, no, hang on. Another bedroom.

So how's that going to work?

Well, the boys could have it, then, couldn't they? The two boys up here.

-I actually think it would be better if there was just the one room here.

-This room is very big.

This is fantastic.

-I'd knock it through.

-What for? You'd need the two bedrooms.

Hang on, Pravin, I know you like knocking places around. Do not get rid of a bedroom. Jonny, come on.

No, devalues a property, particularly something of this style and era.

Ah, right, OK.

So that's the bathroom for the boys, I guess.

Yeah. We'd have to convert this into just a walk-in shower type of thing,

-that's the only thing that would work for the boys, if they were upstairs.

-Yeah.

I'm not convinced yet.

I think we've got a split camp here.

-Really?

-I think Barti really likes this place, but Pravin has just not felt the love.

I'm just here acting as a shield, cos he's an angry man.

No, no, no, not at all. First of all, before we talk about the house, garden.

-Garden's nice.

-I think the garden's very interesting.

-I love the traditional plants.

-It's a very mature, settled garden.

-Yes, it is.

So, I think I'm happy to say, location-wise, you seem happy.

Minutes from the city centre, lovely old place. But mixed reaction. Come on, speak to me.

Personally, I find it... It hasn't got a wow thing for me.

It's not sort of screaming out, saying, "buy me".

Don't forget, when we started this discussion, you said you wanted a place that could be a project,

but basically had the bones of a period house,

and I think that's why I'm a bit confused,

because I think what I've provided is a beautiful period house with a lot of original features

-but with potential to improve and develop and become a project.

-You have.

But I think, when I look at the first floor, where you've got the three rooms,

and the two bathrooms on the one side,

it just doesn't gel. I can't see how that's going to work.

Nothing is impossible. Some things can be tricky,

-but that's down to the builder.

-Yeah.

So, budget-wise, around about half a million for a purchase

with about 200K, give or take, to do some changes to it.

But how much do you think for Simon's choice? Who's going to go first?

OK, I'll put my neck out and say round about 595.

-Barti, what do you think?

-550.

550. 595.

You've given me a dilemma there. Doing the maths quickly,

-Prav, you're the winner, only just.

-575.

-Exactly.

This place is on the market for £575,000,

which, again, if my bad maths is correct, leaves about 125 grand in the pot

to make the changes that you would want, and that has got to be doable.

Mm. Yeah. Could be.

But I want to see the other two places.

-Keep all these things in mind as we go off to see my choice, property two, OK?

-OK.

-After you.

'I think Pravin and Barti might have been stumped by Simon's property.

'I have to admit, I'm worried. I might get caught out with mine, too, as it's not a renovation project.

'That said, it certainly has scope for so much more.'

OK, guys, here we are at my choice, property number two in Harborne.

Highly sought-after area. The English pound doesn't go as far,

so before you start saying it's small, what do you think of the outside? 1920s, detached, gorgeous.

-Erm...

-Wall of silence! The wall of silence.

-THEY LAUGH

Stunned silence because they love it so much!

-It's different.

-My thinking was that Simon showed you a property that needed knocking about a bit

to make it work for you, and you were kind of reticent to want to take those things on board,

maybe that vision wasn't there, so instead, I've found you a property

that doesn't need anywhere near as much work doing to it.

There's perhaps a little snagging list, but beyond that, it's already been done for you.

-OK.

-Well, we'll...

-What?

-Reserve judgement.

-Thank you! Yes, do that!

It's been beautifully done. There are improvements I think you'll want to make.

Things that were lacking upstairs in property one are here in property two, twice,

so certain people in the family will be happy. Give it a chance.

-Don't pre-judge.

-OK.

-Go on, in you go.

-Very new.

-Yeah.

Nice and clean.

This is a house that Barti and Pravin would never normally have chosen to look at,

but if you're looking for a horizontal move, you've got to look at everything in your price range

-to make sure that there's not something that might surprise you.

-That's common sense.

Hm.

Looks a bit too clinical for me. You know what I mean?

It's all perfect, isn't it?

It's nice.

Probably one of the first tours we've had where the viewers have come in

and it's perfect and that's a negative.

Hm! Nice size.

Yeah, this is nice, isn't it? Yeah.

This feels a lot more homely, I think.

Oh, the positivity just oozing out of them so far!

Well, I love the fact that it looks out onto the garden

and that we can go straight into the garden from here.

Looks a bit plain, though, doesn't it? Needs lots of nice borders and stuff put in.

-My work cut out, trying to make it...

-Mature plants, yeah.

-Ah! This could be your study.

-Yeah.

I could cook in peace.

This is the right sort of size for a little study thing, isn't it?

This would work for me. I don't need any more room than this, really.

Yes, that is the study, formally the garage.

To be fair to whoever's done that conversion, they've done a brilliant job

-by introducing a bay window to match up with the character of the property.

-It is seamless out front.

-Hm.

-It's a nice size kitchen.

-Yeah.

-Yeah. But we like our kitchen with the family area, don't we?

-Yeah.

With a family room attached. So this wouldn't work for us.

-The only way it could work...

-Is if we do something on the outside, I guess.

We'd actually have to do something outside here.

If they're concerned about the size of the downstairs living space,

coming off the back of the living room, above this patio area, would be perfectly sufficient.

-Absolutely.

-It would give them a nice L-shaped lounge.

-Massive.

-Not a bad size.

-So is this the first or the second?

-First bedroom.

-This would be over the first bay downstairs.

-Yeah.

-It's a nice size. I like the size.

-Yeah.

-Ah! An en suite.

-Oh, right.

-Actually, that's...

-That's lovely.

-This is nice.

-It's really nice.

And a walk-in shower.

-This is nice.

-This'll work, won't it?

-Yeah.

-This room works.

A bedroom's a bedroom. It's a double, en suite,

beautifully done, porcelain tiles, walk-in shower, fantastic.

-This is a nice size, as well. Fair size.

-Yeah.

-Actually, this is all right.

-Which would you... I mean, they're equally good in size.

-Nice view to the garden.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-And another en suite. So that's two.

Credit, though, to Barti and Pravin,

because it's really hard to wax lyrical in a property that's completely empty.

-It really does ask a lot of you.

-Yeah. It's like sitting next to you.

You're completely empty. It's very hard to wax lyrical.

And, again, I like the beams which have been exposed in there.

That's a nice feature that they've left in. That's very good.

And another walk-in shower.

So that's just the opposite of the other bathroom, isn't it? This is fine.

I could live with this room, as well.

There you go. That's two rooms so far that Pravin's liked.

I can't recall him liking any of your ones.

Hm.

-This is a bit small.

-Is this smaller than Vishan's room?

-Er, yeah.

-It is, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-The thing is, Harborne's quite an expensive place to live.

-Very sought-after.

-Yeah.

-So you just get less for your money round here.

-Very sought-after.

-So you've got to make compromises.

Ah, OK. This is nice.

Small. Too small for our family bathroom.

We've got two en suites, that would work,

but for a family bathroom, I think this is too small, so this, again...

This corner's been taken into the bathroom area, that's why.

I don't think I'd be prepared to do the kind of work that needs doing here

just to bring it to what we want, cos it really doesn't tick

many of the boxes that we want.

I think it's nicely laid out.

It's done nicely, but not to our taste, not what we would be looking for in a period property.

So, how does the idea of buying a property that's already done strike you?

-Not this one.

-Yeah. Yeah, this one looks a bit too clinical for us.

-Yeah.

-But I think there's a lot of features that have been ripped out. That's how I feel.

-Mm.

-And if they're old and traditional, it's very difficult to put those back in.

-Cos they're always going to be new.

-That is a fair comment.

But you can go round to architectural reclaim places.

What we were discussing was, you don't go the whole hog and try and rebuild what was there,

but to just put a few Deco touches in, find a nice old fireplace that'd fit,

go and find the original doors that would fit in,

-and just tip a wink to the past, really.

-Mm.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-I take it that this property is maybe not exactly what you were after,

-but it's still got benefits to it.

-And that can all change.

Listen, if all of a sudden, he was getting you an absolute bargain of a place

-in the most sought-after area in the city of Birmingham...

-Ah!

How much for this place? It's 1-0 to you, Prav.

-OK, so...

-I think I'll go for the price, again, of about 500.

-OK.

-550, I think.

-And that would be it, really.

-Well, Prav, you'd get it for that. Well done.

-Is that right?

-2-0. It's on the market for £550,000.

When you are looking to do a horizontal move,

it's one of the hardest moves to do, because you essentially want your house but in a different location,

so that is what makes it difficult for us as finding agents.

So, if that is what you are doing, you have to look at everything in your price range

to rule it out as much as rule it in.

Right. Anyway, two properties, very different.

Listen, you are in for a treat. You want to see a different wildcard?

-You come with us. Come on.

-OK.

'Jonny, how many different cricket grounds have you been to?'

'Simon, I've been to a fair few. I do love my cricket.

-'But I've never been to The Oval.'

-'Ah! Well, I can't offer you a trip to The Oval,

'but I can offer you an innings at The Round House.'

'You crease me up!

'Anyway, let's hope Pravin and Barti enjoy the run and don't feel it's game over with the wildcard.'

Every now and then on To Buy Or Not To Buy,

we have the privilege of viewing a truly unique property.

That is today's wildcard.

We give you The Round House.

-It's amazing. I'm really excited!

-Looks fantastic outside.

Very nice. Very nice.

Just look at it. It is conspicuous by its appearance, it's an architectural gem

and it's just incredible fun! You've got no idea

what lies in store from the outside appearance,

apart from the fact you're going to have a few rounded walls.

-This has got the wow factor.

-Wallpapering will be fun!

You think the wallpapering will be fun, finding somewhere to put your corner units, that'll be fun!

It was built in 1819, but only the round part, and you've got to try and imagine it originally

-with a thatched roof on it.

-Oh, right.

-That burnt down and they put a slate roof on instead.

But from there, over the years, bits and pieces have been added here and there

and it is just... Well, Jonny said it right, it's just a fabulous, fun house.

-Are you intrigued?

-Absolutely, yes. Can't wait to get inside!

Well, then, we won't stop you. Get in and enjoy it. It's beautiful.

-Shall we go and find a corner to sit in? Ah.

-It's The Round House.

-Tricky.

Right, Jonny, let's find out if the weird and wonderful Round House leaves them stumped.

Original beams and original floor, as well.

It's really quaint.

-I love the windows.

-Yeah.

-There is detail everywhere. This is deco-licious.

-HE LAUGHS

Look at the kitchen!

Oh, gosh!

Yeah, traditional, oldy-worldy.

Whoa! Look at the garden!

Oh, my God! SHE LAUGHS

The garden is beautiful. You cannot believe that you are less than a mile from Birmingham City Centre.

Oh, my goodness!

-What's this, then? Oh, is that the garage?

-That's the garage, yes.

Whoa. Look!

Wow, that's a good idea.

-Now, that really is an unusual feature to find in a garage, isn't it?

-Absolutely!

-A glass lantern roof in a garage? That is just decadence, isn't it?

-It is decadence, yeah.

Your dream, to have a house with a cellar.

-Ah, ah, ah. Are you ready for this?

-Yeah. Let's have a look..

-Go on, then.

-Oh, my God.

-Another room!

-This could be your office, couldn't it?

Yeah, I think we could do this up, this part, and that'd really work.

-What's this?

-A tool room?

-Whoa.

Is this a garden room? So, you could use this as it is, which is a shed for the tools.

-No, I think I would have this as...

-I think it's a great idea.

-..a kids' games room.

No, all the tools and stuff can be here, and the garage can be left empty.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, that's not going to be a tool store.

-It's a bit damp at the moment, but that is not a problem. Get it dried out. Come with us on this one.

-Yep.

Ah! Wine solution. SHE LAUGHS

Gosh!

-Now, this is what you call a cellar.

-Definitely!

-Oh, my God.

-And look!

-This is a dream come true for you, not for me.

-Absolutely.

-I've got the garden. Look at this!

-Gosh.

Yeah, I think we'll buy this. Do you think?

OK, so they're sold on this place after they've seen the kitchen, one shower room and the cellar.

-Wait till they see the rest of the place!

-Our work is done.

-Oh, this is a good size.

-Fantastic size.

-Yeah.

-And straight into the garden.

-This would be the dining room,

because I like their table, it's similar to ours, and it would fit.

And it'd work, as well.

Ooh, wow!

-Oh, my God.

-A bedroom downstairs!

Wow.

-Now we're into The Round House.

-Yes.

Oh. And that bedroom, it's on the ground floor, but forgive it.

-So this is half the semi-circle.

-Yeah.

-This is the round part

at the back of the house, isn't it?

-OK.

-So do you reckon all the round parts are going to be bedrooms?

-No idea.

You'd have to get a bed commissioned to be built that specifically sat in that shape room.

-So a flat headboard and then a semi-circular bed?

-Yeah.

Because, at the moment, the bed is sat against the only flat wall,

which is a feature fireplace,

so you would allow yourself to open that up and make it a focal point.

-So this is the other half, isn't it?

-Ah!

-OK.

-I'm just confused now.

-Totally confused!

-So what's this, then?

-What could this be?

-I've no idea. I don't know what you'd call this.

SHE GASPS

-SHE LAUGHS Look at this!

-Oh, my God!

They have definitely given us a wildcard here.

You are going to be totally confused.

-Oh.

-Oh, my goodness!

Now, this is our lounge. Oh, this is great. Gosh!

-This is our lounge? Not the lounge.

-This is happening, isn't it?

I'm just dumbstruck.

Look at that fireplace! The windows!

Look at those windows!

Another great feature of the windows in that room is those lovely iron grills, the decorative grills.

They're copper. If they were cleaned up, they are copper.

Imagine that. Beautiful! But you're right, just a really simple feature,

-not part of the window, just something that someone's designed to add a bit of detail.

-Great.

Goodness me.

-So, what's this?

-Wow. Look at this bath.

-This is the bathroom.

-Yeah.

-I wouldn't change this.

-Wouldn't you?

-I...

-It's a good size for a bathroom and I love it. It's absolutely beautiful.

Whoa. Sharia will have this.

-Mm.

-Or we would have this.

-It looks over the garden, which is fine.

-Yes.

-OK.

I'll just have a little look at the garden, if I can.

Ah, there's the canal. Oh, the railway's there, as well.

-They go past, as well.

-How do you feel about that?

I don't know. It just depends on how noisy it is, I guess.

The railway, local trains, really not much to listen to, and also, you get used to them.

I used to have a train line at the bottom of my garden. You don't hear them.

That's the other semi-circle here.

-So that's bedroom one. And this is quite a good size.

-Yeah.

That is a fair size.

And, again, fitted wardrobes, so we wouldn't have to worry about any more furniture.

-And an original fireplace yet again!

-Mm.

-Right.

-Very good size.

-Yeah.

-So that's the other half of this one, so that makes...

-And fitted wardrobes again.

-Yeah.

We'll have to think about the bathroom compromise. I could live with a compromise somewhere,

-but we will definitely need one more somewhere.

-Yeah.

-Even if it's a downstairs shower room.

-If you've got these two back-to-back,

there may be something we can do in the middle. Let's have a chat with the boys about that.

There we go. The tour's gone very well, but let's hope we can wash away their bathroom dilemmas.

The house is mind-blowing.

-And the garden...

-Dream come true, as far as I'm concerned.

It is absolutely fabulous!

Whilst we're in Edgbaston, let's talk boundaries,

-because this garden, it's a big old space.

-Mm-hm.

-It doesn't all technically come with the house.

As you can see, you've got neighbours here. But because the current owners got on so well,

when they sold this house, they just kept the shared garden.

Right, from this tree, straight out, there's a wall that runs behind us.

This, looking back the other way, that's your garden.

-Is that enough?

-That's plenty!

-Beautiful, isn't it?

-It's absolutely beautiful, yes!

-So the option would be yours.

-If you like the neighbours, keep it shared, if not, you can separate it.

-That's not bad.

-Shall we have a stroll around and see if we can find the boys?

-Yep.

-Let's stroll around this sumptuous garden.

-This is a dream come true. I can see myself pottering around.

-It's amazing, this, isn't it?

-I... Words defy me.

-I don't know what to say about this. Definitely a lot of potential.

-Exactly.

When you've got such a fantastic garden to step out into, it opens up so many options,

the versatility of a room like this.

Because it is a quasi-cellar, that's a new term I'm coining for today, there are elements of damp.

We can see behind this. The thing is, if you're going to pursue a property like this,

you'll want to get a specialist in to have a look, because you can get this sorted out and protected

and it will then enable you to utilise this room

-for so many reasons, one of which is wine storage, I understand.

-Oh, absolutely!

I don't think that's an issue at all.

I think what we can do is literally have this re-gutted

-and have probably a couple of rooms down here.

-Can I just interject here?

I don't know about you, Barti, but I'm very confused.

We've got this beautiful, beautiful house with original stucco work,

-fabulous features, and where do we find them?

-In the cellar.

We've done that bit! You've got to get to the real bones of the property.

-But, you know, it would cost a few bob to get this place right.

-A lot.

Let's just recap this. Your budget, £500,000,

-with a pot of £200,000 or so if the place needed some work.

-Yeah.

So, how much for this place? Come on, Barti, I'm going to put you on the spot,

-cos I know you've fallen in love.

-I know. It's probably the 5 plus the 2.

I think you're taking our full budget.

-So we've spent all your money and the pool for any renovation work, 700?

-Yeah.

-OK. Prav?

-I'm going to go for about 675.

-675?

-Yeah.

-Do you want to reveal?

-Yeah.

You've won again, it's 3-0 to you.

However, Barti, I know you are going to be absolutely overjoyed, as well.

-This place is on the market for £625,000.

-Is it really?

-Mm.

-Wow. Oh.

-Ahh! That's got the cogs turning, hasn't it?

-Fantastic!

-That sounds interesting.

-Doesn't it just?

Before we get carried away with this place, I can see the cogs turning,

we've shown you three very different properties, all unique in their own way, so...

You two have now got to go and decide which one you would like to spend more time in to test drive,

so pop those heads together, get through there, have a think about it.

Well, there you go, a three-wicket maiden for Pravin on Guess The Price

-and they are both bowled over with this one.

-Certainly are. While they decide, here's a quick test cap.

'First in to bat today was my opener, a beautiful Edwardian detached property,

'full to the brim with period features with a well-executed modern twist.

'But will Barti and Prav dismiss it out of the equation for today's test drive?

'I hope not, because I think it offers them all the space they need and value for money

'at £575,000.'

'The second innings was held at my property at Harborne, a detached 1920s family home.

'Now, this may have completely stumped Prav and Barti, and myself,

'but for someone, it will make a great family house for 550 grand.'

'Jonny, if you were going to describe today's wildcard

-'as an all-time great cricketer, who would you choose?'

-'That's easy.

'The wildcard could only be compared to the one and only Freddie Flintoff,

'a great all-round player with a surprise always up his sleeve.'

'Let's see if Prav and Barti think the same about The Round House.

'And at 625 grand, I think they'd be mad not to.'

Surprise, surprise, you have chosen to test drive the beautiful Georgian Round House.

-I genuinely didn't see that coming.

-THEY LAUGH

-We're not the only people who've had access to that front door.

-No.

You get the benefits of having our surveyor give this place a quick once over.

It's not a legally-binding survey, so do go through the normal channels if you proceed.

-It's come up with a couple of things.

-First of all, the heating system itself is a strange one.

It's heated by two different sources.

You've got a combi heating one half of the house and a heating system which should be listed itself,

a 1960s hot-air system on the other side of the house.

His suggestion is to start the heating system from scratch, get a boiler that will do the whole place.

The other things to bear in mind, the Round House originally had a thatched roof.

It burnt down and was replaced with this gorgeous Welsh slate in this fantastic conical shape,

but some of those slates have started to slip,

so a little bit of maintenance would be required, but that's nothing you wouldn't expect for this age.

-Go on, get in there and enjoy!

-OK.

'Look, Jonny, Prav's wasting no time getting a damp specialist round to give him the lowdown.'

This bitumastic damp-proof membrane has gone wrong, so you're getting lateral penetration coming through,

-typical of underground basements.

-Yeah.

I can't see it being a problem.

-It's not a big job, no?

-Not really. You could do all this for about £15,000.

'And it looks like they want to get the kids' lowdown, too.

'Hang on, they can't all be their kids, can they?

'Barti will want the seal of approval on the bedrooms

'from daughter Sharia. I wonder if the lack of en suite will be a deal-breaker.'

OK, shall we go and see what the boys are up to? Yeah?

Probably knock out this wall over here, as well, and it'd be fantastic. Just for me.

-No, I think we should turn it into a games room.

-I don't think so.

-'Personally, I think the boys have got the right idea for Prav's potential office.'

-The food's here.

'Bit of family time now with a takeaway. I wonder if they're blown away by the wildcard.'

'I have a feeling we might have won the match with this one.'

Let's talk damp. What did he come up with for you?

He suggested it's probably about £10,000 to £15,000 worth of work to put it right.

So the basement could become a liveable area for £10,000, £15,000.

-Yeah.

-That would add some significant value to this place,

because it's an unused ground floor, it's just storage.

-You can then make that liveable accommodation.

-Yeah.

Also, it's OK the two of you bowling round this big, old place, but once you've got seven, did we count...?

-They're not all ours.

-Nephews and nieces.

Is this space still big enough? Does it feel big enough?

Well, we can't hear them now, so I guess it probably does.

-I don't know where they are.

-That answers the question, really.

-It does.

OK, it's obvious you like this place. Can I ask you, is this to buy or not to buy?

-I would say to buy.

-A very strong possibility.

-Yeah?

-I'd still need the tick list from the children, I think.

-Of course.

-But, for me, it is definitely to buy.

-Fabulous!

-We'll leave you to bask in the glory of these wonderful surroundings and get cracking.

Yeah. And we'd like to thank you, not only for being such fun,

but also for allowing us to look at such a beautiful building.

Thank you for getting it right. Thank you.

Have a look around.

There we go, another fine innings for the To Buy Or Not To Buy team avoiding the follow on.

-All right. It does prove, though, we are never far wide of the mark.

-Well done!

-No heading back to the pavilion, no tea breaks...

-Enough!

Whichever county you're in, if you'd like us to find your dream home,

-do get in touch.

-Rising from the ashes of the property market.

-You're just being silly now!

-Mid on? Silly mid on?

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