Oxfordshire To Buy or Not to Buy

-Do you ever reflect on how beautiful Great Britain is?

-Not as much as I should do.

But it is a shame that we can't all live in such palatial abodes as that.

Having said that, we can all find a corner of this wonderful land and call it home.

Ladies and gentlemen, we are black-belt house hunters.

We aim to find you houses that feel as good as that looks.

Because this is To Buy Or Not To Buy.

PANTING

Tell you what, this Great Britain of yours, Jonnie,

-isn't half breathtaking!

-My sentiments exactly. Just look around.

But no time for all this. We've got a challenge of our own.

Today we're going to call upon all our specialist training

to find a home for some desperate house seekers.

Then we're in the right place.

Ladies and gentlemen, right here on BBC1

is the only place you're going to see three smashing houses toured.

And one of them is going to get the chance to have its French doors test-driven off it

by today's house hunters.

"But who are these house hunters?" I hear you ask.

Who are they?

Peregrine, Osbert, Constance and Linda

are not heroes from a new Saturday morning adventure series

or a chart-topping Swedish band,

but today's hopeful house hunters.

The family relocated from Devon to the Midlands with Perry's work

and have been renting a lovely period property for the past few years.

Motorcycle enthusiast Perry has ridden all the way to Morocco and back in search of the perfect pad,

whilst feng shui devotee Linda

will need her dream home to tick a few more boxes than the regular home seeker's criteria.

Perry and Linda, welcome to To Buy Or Not To Buy. Why are we looking in Oxfordshire?

About two years ago, we moved up from Devon,

and we didn't really know Oxfordshire.

So we decided to rent and get to know the area a bit better.

But we really must get our act together now.

OK. Have we given ourselves a point where we've got to buy a house?

I think by the middle of this year. We don't want to spend the next winter where we are.

So what areas have we looked at?

Chipping Norton area, down to Witney.

-It ain't a cheap part of the world, let's face it, for a three-bed character property.

-No, not at all.

-That's why we've asked you.

-Yes.

-To pull the rabbit out of the hat.

-So there's four of you moving in. How many bedrooms do we need?

-Three bedrooms.

What style of property are we after? Character? I'm guessing not brand-spanking modern.

No. Definitely character, please. Not just square boxes. Something a bit quirky.

Moving on from this, you're going to do a house up.

You say you want any renovation done ultra-sympathetically.

Are we looking at feng shui, things like that?

As far as feng shui is concerned, I very much believe that, if the house isn't quite right,

you can do a lot with colour and furniture

to make it more harmonious for you and your family.

So why not do that?

-What's his DIY like, Linda?

-It's very good.

The quality is excellent, but he just doesn't do enough of it.

-I'm guessing we need a garage because of the motorbikes.

-A garage would be nice.

But if the space, especially at the back of the property,

if it's got rear access so the bikes are off the main road, that would be great.

The car could sit anywhere, but the motorbike needs to be put away at night.

What about pets?

We need a garden. We've promised the children, because they don't want to move.

They adore the house we're in now.

We said, "If we move, we'll get a garden and you can each have a pet."

Do you know what? Barack Obama did that.

-Yes, he did, didn't he?

-It was part of his speech.

He lured his children and said, "You can have a puppy dog when you get in here."

Quirky, character, Oxfordshire, comes at a premium. How much money have you got to spend today?

Up to £250,000.

This is a challenge for you. We understand.

It does sound a bit of a challenge, but we're up for that.

-Wish us luck?

-Oh, definitely!

-Thank you. See you in a bit.

-We need it!

-Thank you.

The easy part is they've given us six months to find them a property. That is relatively easy.

It would be if we had six months to make a programme. We've only got a day.

I've been in the Oxford area. Character we can do. They want character, we can do that.

-The problem: garden space.

-Garden space, three beds, room for pets.

-And motorbikes.

All for 250 grand? That, my friend, is the challenge.

A challenge, hopefully, an expert can help us out with.

I am going to talk to an estate agent. That seems sensible.

I'll look at character, maybe a beautiful pile of bricks somewhere.

That's not going to help us at all.

Oxford, "the city of dreaming spires",

famous for its world-renowned university, its English dictionary,

and the home of Dr House himself, Hugh Laurie,

along with "Tiger Tim" Henman and Richard the Lionheart.

All kings in their own realm.

And what royal wouldn't want to reside at spectacular Blenheim Palace?

In the village of Woodstock, it's Oxfordshire's most prestigious pad.

More about this architectural pearl in a while.

And from Woodstock to the Rolling Stones - or at least the Rollright Stones,

a complex of megalithic oolite limestone monuments

spread over three villages just north of Chipping Norton.

According to folklore, these stones are the petrified remains of a king and his knights,

and they are evidence of a prehistoric habitation dating as far back as 4,000 BC.

But back to these modern ages, Ed.

And what would Perry and Linda's money snare them elsewhere throughout our own lovely kingdom?

First, in Addingham, Yorkshire,

this exquisite, stone-built terraced cottage has two bedrooms and an attractive garden,

providing a sense of northern majesty.

The price:

In Ermington in Devon is this stunning, two-bedroom apartment

with its huge living room, fitted kitchen and luxury bathroom.

Perry and Linda can enjoy modern living in this converted bakery

for just:

Finally, this Birmingham city centre penthouse apartment

offers views of the Midlands metropolis,

with two bedrooms and a high-class finish.

A lifestyle change may be required, but it's a snip at:

Whilst you're off chatting to estate agents, I'll find out more about Blenheim Palace.

I have a quest for you.

I've got a family, I've got £250,000,

and they want a three-bed property.

-Is it achievable?

-It will be a challenge.

Witney and Charlbury are in high demand.

For that reason, properties are selling fast.

Blenheim Palace was built between 1705 and 1724

on land gifted by Queen Anne and a grateful nation to the First Duke of Marlborough

who, when fighting in the Wars of the Spanish Succession,

successfully led his troops against the French in the Battle of Blenheim in south Germany,

which lends its name to this great palace

and is the current home of the 11th Duke and Duchess of Marlborough.

All the tied properties in serious need of renovation

are, of course, selling for a lot less money because they need serious money spending on them.

So, for that reason, they are in absolute high demand

just as much as any other property in our area.

The palace's most famous resident

is the First Duke of Marlborough's great-great - I think there are six "greats" - grandson,

Sir Winston Churchill.

Undoubtedly, he's one of the nation's most famous and favourite leaders

and also witnessed four wars on four continents,

wrote 35 books,

painted 570 paintings,

and won the Nobel Prize for literature.

He's the current Duke of Marlborough's godfather and was born in this very building in 1874.

-Have you any properties the mystery property hunting team can look at?

-Absolutely.

I've got a few properties in mind that I think would be ideal for your candidates today.

Before we do that, do you know which way the doors face?

-Not as we speak at the moment, but let's go and have a look.

-OK. See you later on.

-I know they wanted to do a little bit of DIY-ing.

-Mm-hm.

What I'm going to do for property one

is show them a house that has been DIY-ed.

It's all been done.

If you listened to what they said, it marries a little more with mine, property number two.

It's a DIY project, perhaps more of a building project.

It does, however, have character and it does have a garden.

With the wild card, because it's the wild card, it has a few quirks, a few little exciting factors.

-But we're not going to say any more about it.

-I don't want to spoil it.

Why don't we go to one I think they might not buy, property one?

That is cruel. They will buy this one.

My property is a belter,

snuggled in the lovely town of Witney.

This renovated cottage oozes character, has the required three bedrooms, a garden,

and even room for those bikes.

But will the alignments of this charming abode be up to Linda's feng shui touchstone?

Perry and Linda, walk forward toward property one,

the beginning of your journey.

We are in one of your chosen areas, Witney. Witney's just down there.

It's a very nice place. It's got a lot going on in it.

Now, earlier on, you did mention the idea of doing some DIY and doing a bit of work.

And you wanted character.

Now, this is everything.

This is what you can get when it's all done up.

So, as an exercise to see what you could have...

-It's a DIY project, but someone's done the DIY for you.

-LAUGHTER

I like that. I love the old part,

but I'm also very appreciative of the new part.

Old and new together, it gives it character.

-Are you ready to go in?

-Absolutely.

-Three, two, one. Enter this house.

-They've gone very quiet. I think they're taking it all in and may be quietly impressed.

-I think so.

-That's lovely. A real fire.

-It's nice and warm.

And it's nice and light.

-That's good. And it's got a real fireplace. That's a brilliant bonus.

-Yes.

-I'm just wondering, would our L-shaped sofa fit here?

-I think it would fit but...

-It's a little bit cosy, isn't it?

-Yes.

Most old houses around here will be a tad cosy.

They don't want housing estate houses.

They want, within their budget, cottagey type houses. That's what they're going to get.

Wow. It's just so... It's so cottagey.

-It definitely doesn't need any work.

-No! I'm amazed at that.

But it has got a lovely, charming, old-country feel about it.

We occasionally get this.

People who want to do a little bit of work get very excited about it.

Then, when you show them the work all done...

"We could live like this. Love this. All that work we talked about doing..."

SHE GASPS

This is so modern! Look. You don't have to do anything, do you?

-My goodness.

-That's a surprise.

-Not what I expected at all.

-No. This is not what I expected.

-We go from an old cottage to a modern London flat, almost.

-I love those windows.

That is the contrast of old and new married perfectly.

-Quite tight stairs, aren't they?

-A little bit, yes.

Oh! This is very pretty.

Again, a fireplace! That we didn't ask for, but we love.

-That's great.

-That's very nice.

-A little bit cosy, but ideal for a child, do you think?

-Definitely.

-You don't get massive rooms.

-Not really, because the people in those days were tiny things.

Ah. I think we've got a bathroom here.

Again, it's a little bit cosy.

Very odd, the shower next to the beam. Looks a bit off to me.

But that'll work. Again, it's just beautifully done.

I was behind Perry earlier on, and Linda, measuring them up.

-They will fit underneath that shower. That's a fact.

-Just fit under.

I quickly measured them, put it under and went, "Phew! That's fine."

-Ah! This looks like a boy's bedroom.

-Instant colours.

-Yeah!

The beauty of Perry and Linda and the children's bedrooms

is that they have children that are both male and female, Osbert and Constance.

So Osbert will get the blue room, Constance the pink room.

Who would think that life would define their rooms simply by colour?

We're up on the third floor now,

and there's a nice Velux window, which I really like.

Up in the attic.

-Plenty of light.

-A view of the tree.

-And it's certainly big enough for a double bedroom.

-Definitely.

There's no problem with that at all for us.

Have you any idea how much this might be? If we could afford this?

Do you think it will come under our budget?

-Shall we go and find out?

-I just don't know.

-No, I don't know.

We thought you quite liked it, from outside in the garden.

-Yes.

-So what do you think of the idea of this?

This is an all-singing, all-dancing character house with new bits as well.

It's a surprise for us. We weren't expecting something like this.

It's definitely got the character. We love the exposed stone walls.

The fireplaces were a real bonus because we hadn't mentioned that.

Guess The Price. Very important part of the show.

-Does anybody want to go first?

-Can I go first, please?

-Go on, yes. No one ever says this.

I think it's about £260,000. I think.

-Your maximum budget was £250,000, wasn't it?

-Yes. I think it's a bit over.

-Erm... £250,000.

-£250,000.

-Perry, you're out by five quid. It's £249,995.

-Well done, Perry!

So it's just underneath.

So that's the price. You are winning in Guess The Price.

Also, we're winning because we can afford this.

So remember what you can get for your maximum budget.

So this is the standard that I have to beat. Property two is next, and it's mine. Follow me.

In the tranquil village of Brize Norton is my property,

a striking, end-terrace cottage with original features,

paved garden area and even a stone outbuilding for those motorbikes.

This, Edward, is a vintage classic.

Look at this potential beautiful home with character.

First of all, feng shui. East-facing door.

-It is. That's really good.

-This is the back door.

It doesn't matter. If that's the main door you use for the house, that's your front door.

Like that? High-five.

It's only two bedrooms,

but I'm giving you the opportunity to not just do a bit of DIY.

This is a building project as well, so it's a bigger challenge.

-Excited?

-I definitely want to look inside.

Don't hang around. Get in there.

-Ah! Beams in the hallway.

-Oh, yes.

-I like the style of this.

-Let's go in here.

That's a nice door.

-A downstairs bathroom.

-And a funny-shaped tub.

-Nice size for a bathroom.

-Not a bad size at all.

Shall we go through here?

This is a very pleasant, compact kitchen,

-with something special - a hatch!

-Oh, right. Yes, excellent.

I'll give you the marking scheme. Mine was "quite pleasant".

This, "very pleasant".

Oh, that's lovely.

-Oh, a fireplace. That's excellent.

-A decent-size fireplace as well.

I quite like the low ceiling. It just makes it a bigger room.

-Well, this is quite unexpected, actually.

-Yes.

I love the two recesses on either side of the fireplace.

Linda is being spoken to by the house at the moment.

The house is speaking back to Linda. I think Linda is developing a warmth for this.

-This is nice.

-Yes. Kiddies will like that. Watch the aeroplanes.

That's nice. I'm going in here.

This is nice, isn't it, for a children's room.

-Nice-size bedroom.

-We could get two beds in here if we needed to.

As a starting trick, yeah.

They might not be entirely happy with it, but it's not impossible.

I'm going to say that these pair are undaunted by a challenge.

-This is a challenge.

-It is a challenge. They asked for a challenge.

-They did!

-I provided them with a challenge, unlike you.

-I gave them the escape route with the challenge done.

This is a similar size, but this would do.

-We can get a double bed in here.

-Yes.

It would be a bit cosy and a bit compact,

but it's a pleasant feel, isn't it?

Sometimes you hear "pleasant feel", but she's got a bit more behind it. She's got feng shui.

And this says to her "cosy feel", "warm".

-That's very pleasant. Look, fields.

-That's a great view. Shall we go downstairs and look at those?

-Yes.

-How did it go?

-Well, it's got a really nice atmosphere.

It has. I like the vibes altogether.

-Shall we play Guess The Price?

-Yes.

-Maximum budget: £250,000.

-Yes.

Linda, to keep this competitive, you need to win this.

You went first last time. Do you want to go first or second?

-I'll go first.

-Confidence again. Linda?

-I think it's £230,000.

-Look at the confidence from Linda there!

That's made me think it's £230,000. Perry?

I'll... creep it up.

£235,000.

-He's playing cagey.

-Yes.

Well, you've dragged it back. You're the winner here, Well done.

It's on the market for £219,950.

Oh! I didn't expect that.

We need to think about all those things en route to the wild card.

-Are you still excited about the wild card?

-Absolutely.

-Yes.

-Shall we go? This way.

Here comes the wild card, and this one's a peach.

Nuzzled in the heart of the much-desired Witney,

this three-bedroom cottage is a star find.

Certainly is, Ed. With beamed ceilings and a wood-burning stove,

this Grade II listed family home is the personification of a character dwelling.

Perry and Linda, the wild card. Everyone loves the wild card.

The question is: will you love the wild card?

We're back in Witney, and it's over there.

As you can tell, by the traffic and this bus that's about to whiz past us,

we're on a main road.

BUS ENGINE ROARS Quite a main road!

What do you both think?

My immediate reaction is it does look rather nice and sweet.

I'm quite for it.

Three floors, I think that's good. That's definitely a good point.

According to the agent, around 350 years old.

-So you asked for character. You should find some in there.

-I think we will.

This road does seem busy, but there is a diversion in the area, so it may be busier than normal.

But a great way of finding out how good or bad it is is crossing it.

Cross the road safely down there, then have a look round the house.

-Excellent.

-Good luck.

-Safety first.

Oh, lovely!

-Tiled floor.

-It's really open-plan, isn't it?

-It's gone quiet. The door's shut.

-That is first concern solved. Quiet. It is quiet.

I like the height of the ceiling.

-From the outside, I got the impression this room would be...

-Very low.

Yes, would somehow be lower and darker.

That's quite a surprise, to come in.

So the outside impression, I think they were holding back a bit.

I don't think they liked it that much from the outside, but inside it is different.

I don't want to use the word "Tardis-like". We should be able to come up with a better analogy.

-Deceptively spacious?

-I like that much better.

The back view is lovely.

You can see the garden and everything.

I think a huge advantage is, if you've got a table,

-in the summer you can have the window open.

-Yes.

And it's almost as good as being able to eat outside.

This house is crying out for a little more ground-floor space.

-If it had that critical mass...

-Look over there.

Over there they've done it, and there. Even a conservatory would give them extra dining area.

Well, this is a nice, light room - with an original fireplace!

-Oh, excellent.

-That's a nice bonus.

Slightly bigger than I would have thought, so that's very good.

It's the whole width of the house.

-So, upstairs they liked the fireplace. They liked the fireplace in my property.

-Loved it.

-And in yours.

-They did.

-Fireplaces they like. This house has fireplaces.

Mine was the only fireplace that was on, for the keen viewer.

-Wow. There's a colour and a half.

-I don't mind that.

-It's small, but not ridiculously small.

-No. You'd be in the bath for this. That's half the battle won.

It's not massive, but an old property won't have a palatial bathroom. It's not Blenheim Palace.

If you want character, character comes with a tiny john.

-Oh, another nice-size room.

-Lovely.

-This has really got character, this room.

-Yes.

-I like that everything's the wrong angle. It's not straight or square.

-Yes.

-And the floor is slightly sloping.

-It is, quite a bit.

Roll a marble on the floor. It's everywhere.

Wow! This is quite a steep-pitched roof up here.

Wow! This is weird.

This is a surprise, isn't it? I didn't expect this.

But it's a very good size.

-It's quite nice looking out over rooftops as well.

-Yes.

That's a nice, uplifting feel. Well, so far I like it quite a lot.

Let's not bring the bed up here, up the staircase!

At the start, Perry, we were feeling from outside

that you weren't immediately enamoured with it.

-But the higher up the house you got, the more you liked it.

-Close to heaven, almost.

Well, yes. The noise was my big worry. It is on a main road.

-If we can just have a moment's silence...

-Mm-hm.

-It's not that bad.

-That's not bad at all.

-But can you afford it? It's Guess The Price time.

-Right.

-Who wants to go in the deciding round of Guess The Price?

-Your choice.

-I want to be hopelessly optimistic because I like this house.

-Come on, Linda.

I'm going to go for...

£235,000.

-And your maximum budget was £250,000.

-Yes.

OK.

I think it's... higher, because it's in the town centre.

I'll run at £245,000.

-Edward?

-Linda, it's great news for you because you're closest. You have won Guess The Price today.

The good news is,

the actual price of the property is £199,995.

-199,995 quid.

-That's a lovely surprise!

-That is a surprise, actually.

Because it's a great town, and the town centre is just down the road.

There you go. You're doing it. Go.

With the price and everything racing through your minds,

you have to wander off and decide which one you wish to test-drive.

-Are you able to do that?

-I think so.

-Good luck. Have a wander around Witney and we'll see you later.

-Mind that traffic.

-That went amazingly well. You were doubting that a little.

-I should never doubt the wild card.

So, whilst they're off making this huge, momentous decision,

here is a brief refresher course of today's three properties.

My property was everything Perry and Linda asked for,

and a kind builder had done all the work for them.

For that reason, I'm confident that this natty three-bedroom cottage

will be snapped up for:

I've got a feeling that they preferred my village gem.

Only two bedrooms, granted,

but with that open-plan ground floor and period features

it's well worth the £219,950 price tag.

But everyone loves our wild cards,

even ones on a busy town-centre thoroughfare.

With three bedrooms, an awesome downstairs living space and a quaint courtyard,

this mid-terrace classic boasts 350 years of charm,

and is a cool 50 grand under budget,

on the market for only:

And our wild card has it.

Get your motors running, head out to the test drive.

Perry's bike is like one of the family

and needs to cast its headlights over their potential new property.

Osbert and Constance have come along to scout it out

and are already negotiating for which bedroom they'd each like to snag.

-Yeah, it is pretty good, actually.

-You're not having this.

And, for Linda, the truth is in the alignment of those walls and the direction of those doors.

But will that trusty compass boost her emotional union with our exalted wild card,

or has their family search for a homely sanctuary only just begun?

I should never doubt the wild card, but you've picked it.

Can you furnish us with the answer as to why you picked it?

The house is just beautiful from the back. It really is beautiful.

The front, fine.

Overall it's got three bedrooms. One can move into it straightaway.

Feng shui? Fung shway? I'm covering all bases with pronunciations here.

How has that worked out in here?

The front door is perfect for us. That's lovely.

Even better, the number of the house I adore - nothing to do with feng shui.

-The children, do they like it?

-I think they do.

-I think so, too.

-They've been extremely positive.

Then that leads us towards the ultimate question.

It does. To buy or not to buy? That is the question.

-The house is nice. In fact, it's beautiful. I like the house.

-Right.

The road I can learn to live with if it works.

-But the nice thing is, the price means we'll have money left over.

-50 grand!

-Which is quite a lot.

-Maybe a workshop as well as a garage.

-It's close.

-It is incredibly close.

I think you're very sensible. There is a lot to think about.

The wild card always has something a little different.

It's the road, and a few bits about the parking. But that's why it is the wild card.

If you find out more and it all works out, hopefully you'll go to the next stage.

Yes, there's a very good possibility.

You shocked and surprised me today. That's what I hoped for and I've really enjoyed it.

Don't look at any more houses. You found this one. That's it.

-We'll definitely take it further.

-Good.

We're off now, and if you do buy it - and we hope you do - let us know.

-We'd love to see how you're getting on.

-Thank you.

-We'll keep in touch.

-See you soon. Good luck.

-Thank you very much. Bye-bye.

-Bye.

Ladies and gentlemen, Jonnie, I would say that is a success.

But we do have a problem.

Normally this is the part where we say: if you're looking for your dream house, get in touch.

But our car's over there, isn't it?

My car is parked right behind there.

How are we going to...?

We'll see you later, viewers. We might be a bit late for tomorrow's programme.

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