Central Coventry To Buy or Not to Buy

And the nominees to present today's To Buy Or Not To Buy are...

Simon O'Brien and Jonny Benaar.

Nikki Bedi and Rani Price.

Ed Hall and Jonnie Irwin.

And this morning's house-hunting honour goes to...

..Ed Hall and Jonnie Irwin!

Thank you! You're too naughty!

-You are so naughty!

-Who'd have thought it?

-Calm down!

Seriously, seriously.

JONNIE MOUTHS

When I woke up this morning... This is too much.

I would like to say when I was a little boy growing up,

watching the great Spicer, Llewelyn-Bowen and Smillie,

-I never thought that this...

-We.

-We!

-Sorry.

We never thought that this would happen. I'm humbled by this recognition.

-It's too much.

-It's a great honour.

It is a great honour to be asked to do today's To Buy Or Not To Buy.

And, of course, a huge recognition must go to the remarkable property hunting team,

without whom we wouldn't be standing here today. This is for you guys.

On a personal note, I'd like to thank my taxi driver. Without him, I wouldn't be here today.

I joke. I joke too much.

But of course, this show of To Buy Or Not To Buy

that we all know and love, it's in the nation's hearts,

it would be nothing, nothing,

without the house hunters that contribute to the success of this show.

You know who you are.

So stay tuned, strap yourselves in for some high-octane TV property gold.

Thank you!

Coming up on To Buy Or Not To Buy, we have properties to take your breath away.

-Wow!

-Fall on the sofa!

-I wasn't going to say it but this has definitely got the wow factor!

And has Saturday Night Fever come to the shores of the UK?

-Check this out!

-Did John Travolta design this place?

But will it be a...

To buy or not to buy. That is the question for you, Kat.

Taking top billing today is recently-qualified drama teacher Katherine Price,

who has just started a new job at a school in Coventry.

Ah, so that's why it feels like we've just won an Oscar

as budding actress Kat loves everything about the dramatic arts

and has starred in productions of all calibre.

Yes, she loves nothing more than treading the boards and dancing the night away.

Completing the cast today is Kat's boyfriend, Chris,

a professional drummer who owns his own home in Leeds

and has done many viewings with Kat.

He certainly knows what she's after, so it's time to find out what that something might be.

Chris and Kat, welcome to Belgrade Theatre in Coventry.

Quite a suitable place to start today

-because you've recently qualified as a drama teacher.

-Yes.

-Looking forward to getting stuck in to work?

-Yes, excited.

-Meeting the kids?

-Yeah, can't wait.

-One of them could be on here.

-Exactly.

-Treading the boards.

-Let's hope.

So, we're here to buy a property in Coventry. You don't live here?

-No, I'm from Birmingham.

-Chris, you don't live here?

-No.

-You're not going to live here?

-No, I'm just here for the eye candy.

-You do look adorable.

-I thought he meant the cameraman!

What is Kat like? Is she impulsive?

-Be nice.

-She'll be very honest. She knows what she wants.

You're a teacher. The first rule for teachers is to live nowhere near the school!

-Fingers crossed, yes.

-That's the main criteria.

-Yes.

-Because as much as you love them, you don't want them near you.

-Not on the doorstep, no.

-So where is the school?

-The school is in the Wood End area of Coventry,

-so north-east area.

-In the nicest possible way,

how far away from the school do you want to be?

Coventry's not huge, so it could be the other side of Coventry and I'd be quite happy.

A balance between far enough away from school, but close enough for a lie-in!

It's your first house. First home, let's say.

-Yep.

-In your mind's eye, what would you be wanting to look at today?

I quite like the idea of apartments

for the security because I'm living by myself.

Ideally two bedrooms to give me that extra bit of space

and I like having friends over and it gives them the option to stay in the spare room.

Apart from that, I'm not really too fussy, really.

I don't want to do loads of work.

What about houses that have been split into apartments? Older places.

-I prefer the more contemporary style of living.

-You can't have contemporary with old.

But you can have contemporary with contemporary.

-And you're a contemporary kind of gal.

-Leaning more that way.

But I'll see what you show me.

This is essentially a holiday home for you?

You come from Leeds and choose to holiday in Coventry, as many do.

-It's a villa. That's what it is, my villa.

-Are you happy with the decision about your holiday home?

We'll see what you find.

-What about a car? Do you drive?

-Yes.

-So you want somewhere to park the motor?

Ideally, parking space would be good rather than fighting for on-road parking.

-Don't want a fight.

-No.

-No-one wants to fight. Ever.

It seems very easy going. Is there anything that you need to have,

anything to be factored in?

-I don't think so.

-That's all right.

It's quite laid back, you know?

This is all right now. There might be leaks in the bucket coming out later on!

It all seems very easy going. How much wonga have we got to spend here in Coventry?

-Roughly 100,000.

-Roughly?!

-Roughly.

Will we... I always like to get into the Oxford English Dictionary with the phrase "haggle zone".

-Yes.

-If we see something above 100, can we haggle you back down?

Possibly, because it's a buyer's market, isn't it?

-I like a cheeky bargain.

-Everyone loves a bargain.

Give us a haggle zone. How far up can we go?

Maybe 105.

-OK. We're off. We're going to do it. Can we do it? That's the question.

-Oh, yeah.

-Got faith.

-Come on!

Shall we break a leg?

-Er...

-No. No.

-It's drama!

See you later!

That's straightforward. That went well, didn't it?

Phenomenally well. Your performance on the stage was brilliant.

-Really?

-Second only to mine. I thought I was great.

-But yours was brilliant.

-I liked the way you projected your voice.

I saw someone stir. You may have woken them up.

I've been working on that. In keeping with the dramatic start to the show,

I am going to seek out Coventry's lesser known dramatic past.

Interesting. I'll wait for that. While you're doing that, I'm going to meet an estate agent.

Coventry was the birthplace of motor manufacturing giants Rover,

Triumph and Jaguar which, throughout the 20th century,

became the cornerstone of the UK car industry

and massively transformed the region forever.

Coventry was also home to James Starley, the English inventor dubbed the father of the bicycle industry

whose nephew JK Starley went on to become one of Rover's founding fathers.

Furthermore, the city boasts considerable sporting talents

including Coventry City football club, ice hockey team the Coventry Blades

and the World F1 stockcar championships.

That's Coventry for you, the 11th largest city in the UK.

However, what could Kat's 100-grand budget get you elsewhere round these shores?

In London, in Islington's Ice Wharf,

this amazing one-berth narrowboat blends cosy with spacious.

It's galley kitchen is worth walking the plank for.

In Glasgow, this delightful modern end-terrace oozes contemporary space,

sports an ample two bedrooms

and even has an enclosed garden.

Finally, up in Chris's beloved Leeds,

this traditional terraced worker's cottage has great-sized rooms,

a cellar and a rear yard ripe for those long summer evenings.

But back in Coventry, it's high time for Jonnie's showdown with Clint,

this town's premier property slinger.

Clint, thanks very much for seeing me today.

First of all, how are we getting on in Coventry in property terms? What's the market doing?

At the moment, Coventry is a very good place to buy.

We're seeing quite a few people coming on the market.

One factor is down to the abolishment of HIPs when the coalition government came in.

This means there are a lot more properties on the market now to choose from.

If it's drama Kat's after, she could do little better than Coventry.

Behind me is the Belgrade Theatre,

Britain's first purpose-built civic theatre, built in 1958.

In 1965, the first Theatre in Education company was formed here,

a movement that has since spread worldwide.

And Coventry remains at the forefront.

The effect on prices that I've personally seen is that there are a lot of speculative sellers.

People just giving it a go on the market.

So people who are motivated to sell are pricing their houses right

and the speculative sellers are slightly over on that price

which helps the motivated sellers sell their property at the right price.

From theatre to cinema.

The scene from the movie The Italian Job where the Minis are driving through the sewers of Turin

was actually filmed in Coventry.

They were able to do this because the sewers were fitted at the time

and they were the largest sewers in Britain.

What sort of people are you selling houses and homes to?

Are people coming from outside the area and moving to Coventry?

There are a few people from outside the area. Coventry is a great place to get the train to London.

It's cheaper to buy in Coventry. So we get a few people from out of the area.

There's not that many first time buyers buying.

What I find is there's a motivation behind buying. You get people upsizing,

people moving jobs and people with a specific reason for moving property.

This part of the West Midlands is home to two famous actors.

We have got Sir Nigel Hawthorne.

Oscar-nominated for his role in The Madness Of King George.

And, born in 1964, sexy ladies' man, Clive Owen,

star of Shoot 'Em Up and King Arthur.

Who knows whether Kat will be nurturing the next generation

of Coventry Hollywood royalty.

In your opinion, in current market terms,

where would you say the first-time buyer market is?

What price does it start from and go to?

We could start anything from 40 or 50,000. You can start on the shared ownership ladder.

Or anything ranging up to 150,000 depending on if it's two first time buyers partnered up

or if it's someone on their own.

People on their own are looking at up to the £100,000 mark. What we call a buyers' market.

-Sounds good to me. Anything we can look at in the office?

-I've got a fantastic apartment.

Great. Let's have a look.

-How did you get on?

-I've had a lovely time.

I've informed the nation - not you - I'll tell you later, about the sewers of Coventry.

They are an inspiring place to be.

-Sent the right man for the job!

-Thank you!

I had a showdown with a man called Clint. It could have got ugly, but it went very well.

So well, in fact, I'm rather proud of Property One.

-It does look lovely.

-This property,

she asked for a two-bed apartment, but not one with canal-side views.

But it's got it!

-Look at that. Beautiful place.

-What area of Coventry are you in?

-Longford.

-I am also in the area of Longford.

Visually, this is nicer.

Internally, this is nicer.

It would require an internal inspection, as estate agents often say.

They say, "It is a newly-built, luxuriously appointed, two-bed ground floor apartment

"with park views to the rear. Offered chain free."

That is good news for the person wishing to haggle.

A deal to be done. They'll be going into your haggle zone.

We picked the wild card because it's got four distinct areas -

Arcadia, Privilege, Pascha and Marquee.

Those are our properties. The wild card is spectacular.

-I think we should start where?

-Start by finishing these coffees

-and then the audience can meet us at Property One.

-Brilliant.

-Get it down you.

For my property, Property One, I've found this superb ground floor apartment in nearby Longford.

It has two bedrooms, a huge lounge and great views of the canal from the communal gardens.

Kat and Chris, we are starting today very much on a high. Do you know this part of the world?

Yes, I'm familiar with it.

I know why you're familiar with it, but for viewers, tell them why you're familiar with this area.

Because I have a friend who happens to live in this block of flats!

-Does it get her seal of approval, living here?

-Yes. Very much so.

Oh! So you're moving to a new area on your own.

-It would be nice to have a familiar face nearby.

-Certainly.

You asked for a two-bed flat. You didn't ask for canal views, yet I've delivered them!

-You have, mate. They're lovely.

-Really nice, actually. I really like this area.

-Chris, you're going to be spending time here.

-My villa.

-This is your Coventry pied-a-terre.

It's like Venice, almost! It is like Venice.

-Would you like to spend time here?

-It's very nice. A bit of a villa in summer.

-Waterside views. Maybe a glass of Chardonnay.

-Out on the terrace!

Tres bonne. The vital question, is this far enough away from the school?

Very much so and because it's close to the motorway, it's easy to get to school. I like that.

You do have the opportunity to park your car here.

Your own car parking space.

-Bonus.

-Yeah?

-Bonus.

-Tres bien.

-It seems phenomenal. Are you excited and enthused

-at the idea of looking round a ground floor flat in Coventry?

-Big time.

-Bring it on! Get in there!

-Off you pop!

-Spacious.

-It's nice and light and airy, isn't it?

So, viewers, you're probably wondering where we've come from.

We've come in an imaginary lift from the ground floor, my property,

-to a first floor flat owned by Kat's friend.

-Yes.

-She's called Vicky. This is her flat.

-That's a long way of saying we're in Vicky's flat.

-This is a decent size as well, isn't it?

-Yeah. Weird shape, though.

-The angle's weird.

-Yeah, but you could fit a double bed in there somewhere.

-Weird angles? It's a weird angle he's coming from.

-He's very clever. Cunning.

-The problem is not his because he's not moving here. He's in Leeds.

-He's a part-timer.

Maybe have your drawers or something there.

Or bed there and big plasma telly there.

-Beautiful.

-Or on that wall. Yeah, I like it.

-This is the other bedroom. Is this bigger?

-It's a bit smaller.

Yeah.

-The bedrooms aren't that big, are they?

-They're not huge.

But you'd probably still get a double in.

-You could put it against that wall.

-Or a walk-in wardrobe.

Or, if that was going to be the main bedroom,

get a futon and then have a desk as well.

Obviously I need to do school work somewhere.

Kat's on board with putting the furniture in here. "Where's this going to go?" She's talking futons.

Bathroom.

-That's quite a decent size, actually.

-Yeah.

Yeah.

-What's the suite like?

-It's nice.

-Decent shower.

-Yeah.

Jonnie's done all right here.

Now, here's a thing.

You've run out of something. Out of sugar. Cup of tea.

Step out your French doors, shout up,

Vicky, I've run out of something!

They tie it to Vicky's hair, like Rapunzel,

-and lower it down.

-Nice idea. Nice idea.

-This is good.

-That's good. It's really big.

-Look, a veranda, if you will.

-Little terrace.

Nice having that space outside.

-Get the barbecue out.

-Not today, but you could do.

-I like it.

-It's really nice.

That's good. Nice and spacious.

We'll go through to the kitchen.

-That's really nice as well.

-Really nice.

I like that.

I like that there's the separate kitchen.

-Some of these flats, it's all in one.

-Too open.

But this is really spacious, so I like that.

-Jonnie's done quite well with this one.

-It's got a nice feel to it.

-Location is really good.

-Good layout.

-I think that went very, very well.

-It did.

There are two ways out of this sequence. One, we walk that way.

-Or we use the imaginary lift.

-Ground floor, please.

We all had a lovely old time.

You, by the sounds of it, love this flat.

Yeah, I really, really like it.

Just what I was after, maybe.

This is only the first property we've been to!

-Yeah.

-So far. So hold your horses!

-OK.

This - overused term - blank canvas.

What would you do?

Upstairs, Vicky, I spied a feature wall.

Yeah, I like that idea.

You can see how big the flat is.

-Where a sofa and a dining table will fit.

-Yeah.

-It's a big flat.

-Really spacious living space. The lounge. I like that. It's important.

-This is where you'll spend most of your time.

-Exactly.

-Right.

-We love it.

-Uh-huh.

-You almost want to buy it now, which is off-putting for me

because my property's next. But how much is it?

-Who should guess first?

-Ladies first.

-Oooh.

-I'm a gentleman.

-How gallant, Chris(!)

Well,

I roughly know what Vicky spent on hers, but that was a few years ago.

I'm going to go 99,950.

OK. OK. Chris?

I think it'll be top end. I reckon 103.

103?!

-That sounds top end to me!

-And 50!

You can add another 50p if you like.

-Because, unfortunately, you're spot on the money, Kat.

-Was I?

-Spot on.

-Let's not end the programme here.

It would be disappointing and we'd have to start other programmes sooner.

-No-one's set their recorders.

-Let's keep the disappointing theme

-and go to a property that doesn't have canal views.

-OK.

That is so cruel! Let's go.

Property Two is also a ground floor two-bed apartment.

It has excellent sized rooms throughout, a Juliet balcony overlooking the gardens

and is surrounded by quaint municipal parkland.

It's everything Kat's looking for.

Kat and Chris. Tantalise yourself no more.

We are at Property Two, which is my beauty.

It's lovely. The other good news is it's not raining.

But were it to rain, do you know anyone round here

-who could harbour us?

-Not in the near vicinity, no.

-So we're breaking new ground.

-We are. But, nevertheless,

let's focus on the massive positive which is that beauty there. A ground floor flat.

The ground floor flat has views over Longford Park, which is adorable.

I think it's nice. It's similar, with the quiet cul-de-sac.

-Where's the nice water feature I gave them?

-That is true.

But there's a park, so... Swings and roundabouts.

-Literally!

-Literally.

Chris, this could potentially be your holiday home when you come down from Leeds.

What do you think? The park, you could go on the swings.

It's very nice. It looks quite new.

-I imagine it to be quite tidy inside.

-Very tidy.

-Tidy!

-A nice park. Good approach.

-Are you ready and excited to go in?

-Certainly am.

-You should be.

This, I don't want to give too much away,

over delivers in the bathroom department. Go.

-Go!

-"Over delivers in the bathroom?"

-I wonder what that could mean?

Ooh!

-That's nice, isn't it?

-Very nice.

-I like it.

-Quite spacious again.

-Yeah.

Ooh!

-Very nice!

-This is really nice.

-Noises, we've had noises.

-Very nice noises.

-I say "we" - I mean "me".

Look at that posh chair!

I don't think it comes with the place.

-I like it.

-Look at that!

Yes, it's good when it's got furniture in, so you can actually see.

Posh chair? Is it that posh?

To Chris, who's a drummer, it's allowed to be posh. You know, he's a drummer, isn't he?

-He's from Leeds.

-They put them on stools for drums.

Just a low-level stool. That's how they do it. It is posh to him.

-It's a lot bigger than the last one.

-Much nicer.

-It's nice.

I can't get over how posh this bedroom is.

What's in here? ..Ah!

Check that out!

-En-suite!

-Lovely!

-En-suite?!

-I like that.

That is really nice.

Take it!

-Definitely more my kind of thing. It's very nice.

-Really, really nice.

We have got to the core of the woman and the core of the woman is an en-suite.

-Who doesn't like an en-suite?

-I love an en-suite.

-Maybe Chris doesn't like them?

-Can't believe that. En-suite?

-Promising start, Ed.

-En-suite?

-Promising start.

-This, I'm guessing, is the main bathroom.

-Bathroom number two.

-That's nice.

-And a bath.

-No shower in here, but there's a bath.

I like the decoration in here. The tiling. You wouldn't have to do anything.

-Maybe put a shower in. Cos you've got the guests.

-Yeah.

-Really nice.

-Big hall.

-Yes.

-Is this another bedroom?

-Bedroom number two.

-Good size.

-That is actually quite decent. I thought it wouldn't be.

-Get a little sofa bed. Desk.

-Desk.

Definitely.

-Excellent.

-Well done, Ed. Onto a winner!

Onto a winner? Is that a prediction without even seeing the wild card?

Mine went down well. This has gone down very, very well.

They're indecisive. They would have bought yours had they not seen this.

-Don't buy the first house.

-This is the beauty of this show.

-We show you three.

OK. Living room. See if it can beat Jonnie's.

It's a little bit smaller, but it's got the open-plan thing.

-Plenty big enough.

-I like it, actually.

We did say about the open-plan thing before, didn't we?

They didn't ask for open-plan, but it sounds like it's a bonus.

I know about the youth. The youth of Britain love open-plan living.

-What more do you want?

-And the view outside.

This place must be well over your budget.

-Yeah.

-It's really... It's beautiful.

-It's ready to move into.

To be honest, I wouldn't do a lot.

-Good location.

-They listened to what I said.

-Yes.

Contemporary, contemporary. I like it.

Well, on a scale of the thumbometer, I would say I'm there!

-I am there.

-Let's go and find out if you're right.

Chris and Kat, mother-of-pearl! Is this not a lovely property?

-It certainly is a lovely property.

-You like it a lot as well, Chris.

-I do. I love it, to be honest.

-Reason to move from Leeds, maybe?

-Not that much!

-Come on! You don't like that?

-It's not an invite, no.

Favourite part of the property?

-The en-suite.

-Got to be the en-suite. The kitchen's nice as well.

Jonnie was trying to turn this into a negative, a kitchen/lounge.

-Hmm.

-Does it bother you?

-I think it does you, doesn't it?

It doesn't bother me, no, but I just think it offers less space than the last property

and if you're cooking something a bit smelly, it's going to...

-Click your hood on and you're away.

-Yeah.

-And less space to have a table.

-This has an en-suite and nice open-plan living

against a slightly larger flat where you can have separate dining space.

-That's what you have to weigh up.

-Exactly.

-Now.

Shall we do it, because you were nervous, very nervous.

What is the score? It's one-nil.

I think you suspiciously got the price right

when one of your friends lived above!

-I genuinely didn't know but...

-You protest too much.

-Don't accuse our contestants of cheating!

-I'm not.

How much is this place on the market for, Chris?

I think absolute top end. 110, but a bit of wibble room cos they want to sell.

Here's hoping. Kat?

I'm going to say around 107, so I'm going to go 106,950.

-We're neck and neck. Chris, you are £50 away from the price.

-Ooh!

-You can't teach that.

You can't. That is one heck of a skill.

-The actual price, 109,950.

-OK.

Exciting, now we know the price?

Yeah.

Obviously we'd have to see if a deal could be done. Like I said, I like a cheeky bargain!

-I'm in a good position.

-So, you know what that means now.

-It's everyone's favourite part of the programme. Excited?

-I am.

-It's the wild card. Go that way.

Finally, a wild card today that should be more like a wow card.

Kat wanted new. This apartment is brand new.

Two bedrooms, as requested, and modern living at its finest.

So, Kat, on behalf of Jonnie and myself, you're most welcome.

Kat and Chris, welcome to Tile Hill

and welcome to Ed, mine and everybody else's favourite part of the show, the wild card.

First, Tile Hill. Great area for you, I think,

because you're leaving your beloved Birmingham behind, but this is the Birmingham side of Cov.

-Yet you can get to Cov easily.

-Chris, you're a keen man, a keen eye.

-I try to be.

-What is different about that area over there?

-It's a building site.

-It is a building site.

It is currently a building site and we are going to do something crafty.

-We're going to show you the show home.

-Excellent.

-Exciting indeed.

-It is.

They have done it out like a person who holidays in Ibiza, the flat.

-It is very jaunty.

-It's a show home.

-It's very jazzy.

-For parties.

-You might make your house look like it.

-Brilliant.

-Is there a disco ball?

The floor is disco-esque. I don't want to spoil it. I really don't.

-Information-wise that's good enough.

-There's much more to be given inside because there's options available.

I'm very excited.

-Are you ready?

-Ready.

-Let's go.

-Go toward that building site.

Ooh!

-Wow.

-Lovely.

-Very nice.

-Nice and spacious, isn't it?

Ladies and gentlemen, you haven't tuned in to To Buy Or Not To Buy, the horror version.

-We are indeed - where?

-On a building site in a new part of the development.

Ooh, this is done out really nicely, isn't it?

Plenty of space as well, although it would appear small.

Because you've still got the bigger tables either side.

-It is quite small. Is this the master? It might not be the biggest one.

-No. Storage space.

-It's almost a disco ball above the bed.

-Fantastic. Just what you want! No, I like it.

Are we in to Kat's potential first home?

Fingers crossed. That said, all of them have been great today. All of them.

They must not get attached to this property, as it's not the one they'd buy. It's the show home.

This is inspiration for them, hopefully.

-Bathroom. Green!

-I like that, though.

-Do you?

-I think that's cool.

One man's green is another man's blue!

-Sparkly floors. I'm loving that.

-It's very disco.

-I like it.

Would it be wrong for them, on this tour, to have a little disco dance

as it's so disco-based in there?

-If they were to test-drive this place, I'd want to see them dancing.

-I would.

-Ah, that looks a bit bigger.

-It does.

-Wow, check that out!

-I like it.

-I'm a bit of a magpie.

I'm drawn to sparkly things. This is doing it for me!

So, we know that, rather like Gollum,

Kat likes shiny things.

-Sparkly things.

-Like said magpie.

-And an en-suite. Check this out!

-Did John Travolta design this place?

Wow. There's your shower.

-That's nice.

-That is really, really nice.

Bit of en-suite. We like an en-suite.

I love all this. This is really to my taste. This is great.

So, an en-suite, similar to what you provided them with.

I did. I gave them a beautiful en-suite. It was nice.

They liked it, appreciated it, adored it.

Not as posh as this, and Chris gets his shower.

Wow!

-Corner sofa.

-I said I wasn't going to say that, but this has the wow factor!

Plenty of space for people to come round. Your plasma screen.

-I love it.

-Get two sofas in.

-This is the party pad!

The floor. Hard floors in your living room.

-Not a fan, but...

-Doesn't worry me, I have to say.

It's almost as if you and I have gone into this flat

and sprinkled stardust on it to make it attractive.

Wild card stardust.

I don't know what you think, but I think the space in here is better than Property Two.

-Yeah.

-Because the kitchen seems more spacious.

-Yes.

-But it is still a separate space.

Still space to have your table.

-Yeah.

-But I think this is going to be a lot more expensive than anything we've seen.

Yeah, but it's a show home. How much of it would you get to choose? That's the thing.

-What, if...

-How much of this is included and how much is added on.

Ah, Chris. He might just be a rhythm keeper in a band, but...

-He's a practical man.

-He knows what he's talking about. He wants to do a deal.

The ladies are out front, in the marketing office.

-We are now friends with them.

-Close friends.

-We might help them out on this one.

-Isn't this amazing? You've got lighting under the sofas!

-Fantastic.

-Once you've seen it, you wouldn't want a house any other way.

-I do love it.

Were there any negatives we didn't pick up on?

-I don't think so. Don't make any up!

-Being a show home,

you don't know what's included, at what level.

-You were clever to take that, Chris.

-I'm a wise man.

Very astute.

I've got something to show both of you. Ed, a sad time, I'm going to part company.

-OK.

-Make yourself at home. Catch you in a minute. Follow me.

-Bye, Ed.

-Bye.

On completion, all this will be cleaned up.

-Hopefully, a bit of art on the walls.

-OK.

-But this is the unfinished version, OK?

-Right.

-It's a bit echoey, cos there's no carpets. Come in.

-OK.

-Again, not finished.

-Yep.

But it's pretty much a carbon copy of where we've just been.

So, the choices here are with the kitchen.

They've got eight different kinds of kitchen you can choose from.

-You get the choice to upgrade to have nice worktops and nicer cookers.

-Yep.

This will all be finished. The only thing you have to put in yourself

is a floor covering, or you can get them to put it in.

-OK.

-What's your thoughts?

-I like that. I like that there's options

and choices to it.

Because you make it more your own taste and that sort of thing.

Now that it's empty, you've seen the show home. How would you like this to be laid out?

Um, I'd probably do a similar sort of thing.

We were saying the corner sofa's not a bad idea.

-Yeah.

-TV there.

-Yeah, TV definitely.

-Sofa, table.

The table is important to me for having friends round.

-Let's have a look at the bedroom.

-OK.

-Yeah.

-So you get a spare bedroom, which is a bonus, really.

-It is. I like it.

-Space to have friends come and stay.

-Put a desk.

-Exactly.

You don't own any furniture. You've got a bed?

-I've got a bed and a futon.

-What are you going to do? Where will you get it all from?

I don't know. Beg, steal, borrow!

Not a bad idea.

You could also go for a furnished package.

It costs a few thousand, depending on what specification you go for.

They're obviously buying a whole lot at wholesale, so you get quite a good price

for everything that will fit into this flat.

If you're struggling for ideas, they've had interior designers come round these places

and choose specifications and styles that go with this sort of space.

-Quite reasonable, is it?

-It's pretty reasonable, but my tip is

these are brand-new apartments.

-They want to sell.

-Yeah.

-I would do my best to get a discount on the furnished package

-or even get it included in the asking price.

-Yeah.

-OK.

Again, you get the two bedrooms.

-And you get the en-suite.

-Excellent.

-With the bathrooms, you get the choice of tiles.

-Right.

-So you can make...

Even though there's loads of apartments here, you get to put an individual touch on it

-before it's completed, which is a bonus.

-I like it. It's good. You can see what you can do with it.

It looks bigger when there's nothing in it!

Like Ed's head! OK, let's go and have a chat with Ed.

Then it's guess the price time, at one-all.

-Yeah?

-No pressure!

-Let's go.

Vis-a-vis the furniture packages and everything else,

-has Jonnie opened your eyes to the possibilities of choosing surfaces, et cetera?

-Definitely.

-It's very exciting.

-It is.

-A whole new world.

So we know we like it, we know about the furniture packages.

We're playing with a maximum budget of 100.

You're nervous because you think it might be slightly over budget.

Who goes first?

Go on, then.

I would say I think it's top end.

-So I'm going to say...109,950.

-OK. OK.

Chris?

I would have said

it would be really high, so I'm going to go for 109,949!

-He's gone one pound under! You usurper!

-If it's any lower,

-I win, and that's what counts.

-I think it's higher.

-It's 110 grand.

-If you'd only gone one pound over, you'd have won this.

-I know.

-Never mind.

Although we're ten grand over your budget,

because they've got so many of these apartments to sell, you stand a chance of negotiating down.

If you choose this one, that is.

It's the point when you have to go and make the biggest decision of your adult lives.

-Can you do it?

-We can. We can be strong.

-A few arguments. If we do this, we can do anything.

-Brilliant.

-Rock on.

-We'll see you later.

-Look at that. So brave!

-First time into this property market.

-But it's been a hell of a day!

-Goodness me.

Ups, downs, but we've looked at three flats.

Let's remind ourselves of what they looked like.

Property One was everything Kat was after and more.

I even threw in canal views!

It was big enough for her, but could she see through the blank canvas facade? I hope so,

as it was under her budget for only 99,950 quid.

Yes, but the sheer plushness and poshness of lovely Property Two

will certainly sway Kat towards my pad.

There was even an en-suite to entice,

not to mention Longford Park on the doorstep.

But Ed, face it, everyone loves the wild card

and today's new build was no exception.

The show home paved the way with its impeccably contemporary decor

and the unfinished apartment screamed of potential.

On for a haggle-zone-ready price of...

But which will take home the gold statuette?

So, here we are, in a very echoey wild card.

A surprise or no surprise? What made it better than the other two?

I suppose the layout of it.

The fact that it was everything that I'd asked for.

-And a little bit more!

-And it could become everything you want it to be.

-Yes.

This property is leasehold. It's a 125-year lease.

With most leasehold properties, you get a ground rent and a maintenance charge.

That adds up to around £1,090 each year, paid annually.

My thoughts here are that it's not yet built.

Some of those charges will include the cleaning of the common areas, or communal areas.

They're going to be full of dust, you can't enjoy the ground yet because it's a building site.

So if you pursue this, I'd negotiate and say I'm not going to pay that entire amount for a couple of years

-and save some money.

-Fair enough.

-Good move.

-Very good.

We've had our mysterious To Buy Or Not To Buy surveyor come over

and give it a thorough once over. It's not legally binding, I stress that,

but it's a good hit-up if you wish to pursue the purchase of this building site.

-Want to know what he said?

-I'd love to.

Our man has spotted it's a timber-framed beauty and it has a high level of insulation.

He's been able to spot that because it's literally a building site.

That leads him to believe that it will be very, very energy efficient.

-So that's great news.

-Saving money on your bills. Also NHBC, a buildings guarantee,

-for ten years.

-Yeah.

So any snagging problems, you get them to sort it out for gratis.

Zippety-doo-dah, zippety-day.

Are you excited? Are you pleased you've been so clever to pick this?

I am. I think it's a good choice.

-Are you ready to test-drive it?

-Certainly!

-Chris, you could leave Leeds for this, all right?

-Could do.

-Maybe you will!

-He's not convinced yet.

-Good luck and go. We'll see you in a bit.

-What are they going to do in this place?

-I don't know! Maybe finish it.

Whilst they do that, I've spied some furnished properties. Come with me.

Amazing. Come on. Ooh, look at this one!

And with no hesitation, Kat and Chris get into those finishing touches.

They're all quite similar, aren't they?

With their kaleidoscope of carpets, a plethora of kitchen doors

and more tiles than a Scrabble board, the choices are endless.

But once a drummer, always a drummer. Chris picks a spot for his kit

whilst Kat enjoys the hip and trendy furniture package of the show home.

No point waiting in the wings, Kat. This is the time to solve those first-time buyer queries.

The glamorous lady from the marketing suite is on hand with the answers.

-We could just have it as the empty shell?

-Just as the empty shell, yes.

And the empty shell is what's up for grabs here.

So Chris and Kat check out the lie of the land and try to visualise the wild card's potential.

Do you want to make one of these walls like a feature wall?

-Crazy wallpaper.

-Exactly. You could do that quite easily.

The other thing is whether the bed was gonna fit in here.

-Yep.

-So...

Yes, Kat, the only piece of furniture you own will fit like a glove

in this ample double bedroom.

It may not be Saturday night, but every night and day should be a movie night or day.

So please turn off your mobile phones and Kat, please save me some popcorn.

Kat and Chris, you had a good test drive.

Does this show home potentially feel like home to you?

-I think it could do, yeah.

-Really? Ooh.

-What do you think of the layout? Would you keep things as they are?

-It's a little jazzy for my tastes.

But some of the elements and ideas in it, I do like.

-The big DJ picture on the wall is a keeper?

-It's a fave.

-That's a deal breaker!

-It's a keeper.

-What about a picture of you playing the drums, Chris?

Don't give him ideas!

You've been up to a few things. Have any of these things helped you

to form an opinion about the purchase?

We know where the bed is going and that it will fit.

-Good. That's all you own, furniture-wise.

-Pretty much, yes.

-Is it a nice place to hang out and watch a film?

-Yes.

-Very relaxing. I could see the two of us on an evening.

-Nice corner sofa.

You got to do one of the exciting things that I've had a look at.

-Choosing the beigeness of your carpet!

-Oh, I know!

I looked at that for a long time. It's like a conundrum.

You look closer, and they're all the same colour.

-Which beigeness did you like?

-We went more for the chocolate beige.

That was my third favourite beige.

Out of ten beiges, that's quite something.

The other beige was nice. The coffee beige.

You've had a chance to look at all of that.

-You've met the ladies out the front as well.

-Very nice ladies, yes.

Did you try and haggle with them at that point?

Not at this point, but it will be done. It will be.

OK. Sounds like you've done a bit of research. Something to be done later.

Shall we do it? We're ready and tensed.

To buy or not to buy? That is the question for you, Kat.

-Possibly.

-Possibly?! We've not done 45 minutes for a "possibly"!

Explain yourself properly.

I would say we'll get my people to talk to their people to see if we can do a cheeky deal!

-Right.

-Then it would be to buy.

-We'll take that.

-We've done quite well, though.

Chris, will you move to Coventry?

Mm-hm.

We'll leave you to have an uncomfortable discussion about that.

Let us know what's going to happen.

-We'll see you soon.

-Thanks for your help, guys.

-Bye!

Alfred Hitchcock once said drama was life with the dull bits taken out.

A wise man once said, "The wild card. Everyone loves the wild card."

That was me! Didn't they love it today?

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd