Glossop To Buy or Not to Buy

Good morning. Jonnie and I are doing what we normally do

-at around 11 o'clock every day.

-Oh, yes! The old grocery-shop!

We're not shopping. Even though we are shopping,

we're not actually shopping today. We are looking for a property

-for two gorgeous people.

-And not just any property.

Three very different properties, only one of which they get...

To try before they buy.

-Tarts!

-What? Where? Ah.

-Tarts! Ooh, they are lovely. Let's get them!

-Come on.

Ed, I think sometimes To Buy Or Not To Buy

is very much like an online supermarket.

Like a what? Like an online supermarket?

Go with me on this one. We get a shopping list from the house-hunters

of all of their property requirements.

I suppose so. In a tenuous way, you're kind of right.

On the list we could have an en suite, a kitchen/diner,

or even my favourite, a double garage.

Oh, yes, chicken. And then we get said property list,

shop around for all the bargains and best deals on the market,

and deliver that to the house-hunters.

I wonder, though, Jonnie, what is on today's shopping list?

-It's all about the R-word, Ed.

-Oh, riverside property?

I've got my swimming trunks in the car.

No, no. Put your costume back in the motor.

It's about relocation, Ed. Why don't you pop off and find the body oil?

You know you love that stuff.

Coming up on To Buy Or Not To Buy,

today's buyers don't mince their words

when it comes to the in-laws.

Could definitely get a double bed in here.

Just about, I would think, yeah.

-Would we really want your parents to come and stay?

-Oof!

My property means the neighbours might get more than they bargained for.

It is a bit of a matchbox, isn't it, by the looks of it?

And maybe a bit overlooked from the other side.

Yes. No topless sunbathing, anyway!

She's given us cakes!

When all else fails, there's only one thing to do.

Try sending us cakes, because we will eat them

-and put them on the screen.

-This is the best day of my life!

Relocating today are Simon and Claire Stanley.

They've been married just over two years,

and been living in Bristol, but with our help,

that's all about to change, we hope.

Simon works for a major supermarket chain,

and out of the blue, got offered a promotion,

an offer that both he and Claire simply couldn't refuse.

The only catch is, Simon's new position is in central Manchester.

They have to find the right house in the right place,

maybe close to the right school for the future.

Sounds like a tall order, Jonnie!

Simon and Claire, we are stood in a supermarket, aren't we?

-Yes.

-For many reasons, which we can touch on...

-Congratulations. You just got a promotion.

-Yes.

I was working in Bristol for Somerfield,

and they've paid for us to come up here.

Paid to relocate! This is obviously a very important -

-He's a high flyer.

-A king of industry.

I believe you are the man... Don't think I'm being rude.

-You are the man who's responsible for BOGOFs, aren't you?

-I am.

So it doesn't seem so rude, explain what one is.

-A "buy one, get one free" deal.

-You work in central Manchester.

-Why Glossop?

-It's just a bit of a haven

away from the city life. We want the party life in Manchester,

but at the end of the day, close the door on it, sit round the log fire

-and just relax.

-Best of both worlds, is it?

Yeah. We have the enjoyment of being in the vibrant city during the day.

If we want to go for a drink after work we can,

and then come back to the country and enjoy the atmosphere

-and the rural lifestyle.

-Claire, while Simon's working hard

-in his new job, you've relocated with him.

-Yeah.

-Have you got a job sorted out here?

-Yeah. I refused to move till I did.

-I was quite lucky.

-Fair enough!

-Are you happy about this?

-Because it's been thrust upon you.

-It's a big move,

and my whole family lives in Bristol,

but there are benefits to moving away from your family, so...

Sounds like a learnt script, and you're doing it well. As it's a big move,

you need to make the property as lovely as possible

so Manchester feels like home. So...

I have, within the theme of the place,

got a shopping list here, but it is empty at the moment,

and needs your requirements upon it. Jonnie, have you put any effort in?

-I have, but it's all in my mind.

-Really?

-Just like my homework.

OK. Right, then, Jonnie, ask for specifics, please.

OK. First of all let's look at location.

You say you want to live semi-rural.

How far away from Glossop can we spread?

It doesn't matter how far away from Glossop.

We just want to be within walking distance of a train station.

-Oh, any train station. Public transport is a must.

-Yes.

-Within half a mile?

-Yes.

-Get that down, Ed.

-Vis-a-vis...

-Vis-a-vis...

-Train station.

-Very good. Check.

-Sorry. My writing's a bit slow.

-Sorry.

-Just do shorthand.

-Carry on, carry on.

OK. Now, er, size. How many rooms do we need? Bedrooms?

Three, please.

Three bedrooms? There's only two of you.

-My hand's a bit -

-Young married couple. Do you want to...

Shall I do it? Are you thinking about children?

-Is this the...

-Definitely, in the next couple of years.

Outside space. Postage-stamp garden, or something big enough

-to grow some veggies?

-Big enough to grow veg.

OK. I've got that down here.

You're taking food out of the mouth of your employers, growing veg.

I'm sure you'll be getting a discount here.

Stop it! Why turn a lovely idea, helping the environment,

into something nasty that will get Simon the sack?

OK. Ignore that bit, but if you're growing your own veggies,

perhaps you like to do a bit of cooking, as well.

-Do you like a nice big kitchen?

-Yes.

-Kitchen/diner?

-Or do you not need one?

-We do have one in our old house.

-Would you like one still?

-We do like it.

-OK.

Do you want a separate dining room?

-We're not really fussed, actually.

-Not fussed.

He seems in a rush. Don't pressure them!

-No, I've got -

-Just put "not fussed" down. That's pretty good.

Not fussed. I like the idea of not being fussed.

It makes our job easier. What about the style of the house?

-Would a terrace be OK?

-No. Either a semi-detached or end-of-terrace,

because what we really want is off-street parking.

You don't tend to get that mid-terrace.

-Is it vital, off-street parking?

-Yes.

-Why?

-Because we've got a new car.

-Ooh! That's good enough!

-Got a promotion, bought a new car.

-All right. "New car".

Now, there is a generic style around Glossop.

Do you like the olde-worlde style of this? Do you want modern?

We really don't mind. We're completely open to suggestions.

You can underline "flexible" or "not fussed".

-"Flexible".

-Bringing the outside in, conservatories?

-I would love a conservatory.

-Would you?

-Yes.

-Why so?

-Like you said, it brings the outside in,

and because it rains a lot here, we can enjoy the outside

-without getting wet.

-It does rain a lot!

OK, so a fairly comprehensive shopping list.

What about the budget? Is it a no-frills budget,

eh, or is it a bit bigger than that?

It's a no-frills budget, unfortunately.

They're always... We need a price. What can we get all this with?

-What's our money in our pocket?

-£152,500.

-HE LAUGHS

-£152,500. That's the dream.

Well, that's what we're playing with today.

If we're looking for quite a lot of stuff,

-are we allowed to go slightly above that?

-Haggle zone?

-That's what I'm getting at.

-So we could go to 160

and haggle back to 152,500.

But it has to be no more than that figure.

-Exactly.

-That's good enough for me. Let's put it in the pocket.

-It's sealed.

-Shopping list!

Right. You peruse the soups and canned meats,

-and we will see you outside Property 1.

-Thank you!

-Ta-ra!

-Cheers.

-See you later.

Simon and Claire, absolutely lovely. Good job I wrote the list down.

-Let's not get this wrong.

-Shopping list. Right. OK.

So, full-fat milk, all-over body-hair remover...

Ssh! Stop it. That's your own shopping list.

That is embarrassing. My shopping list, please?

-In the head, mate. All up there.

-You've lost it.

Listen, I know what they want. At least three bedrooms...

-True.

-They want maybe an open-plan kitchen, a nice-size garden.

-True.

-And the big no-no, no, no, no, massive cross goes against...

-terraced houses.

-Let's get to it.

Glossop is a small market town

nestled between Derbyshire's county borders.

Meaning Sheffield and Manchester

are both just a hop, skip and a train ride away.

Yes - one 30-minute train ride later

and you're in the heart of Manchester,

with its skyscrapers and fashionable hangouts.

Giving Simon and Claire the best of both worlds,

as the gateway to the Peak District is right on the doorstep.

A few miles up the A57 and you're onto the Snake Pass,

which is drenched with stunning scenery like this.

So Glossop really does lend itself well to the term semi-rural,

as it's a perfect place to live if you want country living

without totally giving up the pace of city life.

And if semi-rural is your thing,

you may be interested in buying one of these beauties

around the rest of the UK.

Just down the road from Glossop in Ashton-under-Lyne

is this modern semi. Three bedrooms, a light and bright kitchen,

and a well laid-out garden to the rear.

Over to Stourbridge now, where this pretty mid-terrace

sits in the thriving village of Kinver.

A modern finish with a cracking little garden,

this place is on the market for...

And the final offering today is this gorgeous apartment in York,

spacious open-plan living with great vistas to both the front and rear.

These views could be yours for...

But now let's go back to Glossop,

with some interesting info you may not know about leaseholds.

You'd normally expect business premises and some flats

to be leasehold. However, you wouldn't expect residential houses

to be leasehold, especially large swathes of residential houses

in a town.

Going back to around the 1600s,

a family called the Howards owned most of Glossop

and ran it as a huge estate.

Never wanting to completely relinquish control over it,

they only ever sold the leasehold,

and thus created what we know today as a Lord Howard lease.

Any properties built in Glossop pre-1925

are likely to have a Lord Howard lease.

Even properties built post-1925 on the same land

are also likely to have the same lease.

Even today, Glossop is fairly unique,

as it's one of the few towns in the country

where the majority of the property remains leasehold.

Today developers in the Glossop area

are seemingly following in the Howard family footsteps

and retaining ownership of the land to maintain an income

even after the house has been sold.

So, what does this mean to you, the buyer?

Well, the majority of these leases are 999 years,

which make them virtual freeholds.

Let's face it, you're hardly likely to outlive the length of the lease.

Ground rents are often referred to as peppercorn rents,

referring back to a time when a transaction had to be made

between the lessee and the freeholder.

Back in days of yore, it used to be a peppercorn,

when spices used to have a currency value.

These days it could be anything as little as £1.

As time ticks away on these leases,

the freeholder's interest becomes more valuable.

But when you bear in mind that the leases are probably 999 years,

it's not a problem that you or even your great-grandchildren will have.

It is, however, worth bearing in mind

that you'll struggle to get any residential mortgage

on a property with less than 70 years unexpired.

MACHINE BEEPS

At checkout number one, we have property number one.

Look at her! She's a beauty, isn't she?

It's semi-detached with three bedrooms,

which they asked for. Off-street parking. That's a big tick.

And for Claire, oh, yes - she's got a conservatory.

I think good enough to put in the shopping bag. Checkout number two.

If you were to be involved in a trolley dash,

you would wish to go to one aisle - the aisle that contained Property 2.

She is my beauty, and, like myself, was built in the 1970s.

Also like myself, it is beautiful inside and out.

It is near to Glossop train station, ten minutes' walk,

where they want to be. It's got a modern feature outside.

It looks lovely. Also, parking for two cars.

It's beautiful. It's for them. It's going in the bag.

I think we all realise who will win the supermarket sweep

out of Property 1 and Property 2, but if my property is to be beaten,

it will be beaten by, yes, this one, the Wildcard.

Arranged over three floors, it has all the character you expect

from a period building, but that comes with a compromise.

Keep watching to find out what. Let's put that in the bag

and deal with the next customer. Yes. Next, please. Thanks.

Ticking all their boxes is my choice of property number one.

This three-bed semi is on a small and perfectly formed cul-de-sac,

and there's a special something which I think Claire will love.

Claire and Simon, Property 1 almost makes a mockery

of To Buy Or Not To Buy, because I think this is the house

you're going to want to buy straight away.

I'll give you an idea of the location. You said public transport.

After work here, or before work, a short walk to Dinting,

but locals tell me the thing to do is to drive to Broadbottom,

ten-minute drive away, and leave your car parked there

because it's free. But if you do fancy a couple of nips after work,

it's a walk from Dinting. Happy days?

When you say nips, you mean drinks, don't you?

-Yeah. Nips of whisky, whatever.

-All right. That's good.

Now, the house itself - you asked for semi-detached.

You've got it. You asked for off-street car parking.

Again, you've got it. And what's behind there?

-Ooh, it's a garage. Beautiful, huh?

-Lovely. Really nice.

Those are the big positives. Let's see if we can prick Jonnie's bubble

at any point. Do you have any negatives,

or just go big on the positives? Simon?

It's a really nice house, quiet location.

Off-street parking's a real bonus. Garden's a bit overgrown,

and the houses are a little bit too close together.

OK. There's more positives outweighing the negatives there.

-I would think so.

-Claire?

-I like that it's got a porch.

We like porches. It rains a lot, so you don't want to get wet

once you're in your living room.

You are preparing for this, aren't you?

Inside, this place is a dream. Something to point out -

this house, like many others around here, is leasehold, oddly enough.

It's a 999 year lease.

I think there's something like 986 years left,

and there's only £100 a year to pay in ground rent. It's virtually freehold.

-OK. Are you ready? Are you excited?

-Very.

Three, two, one. Enter that exciting house. Go.

Right. As this is a supermarket- shopping-themed programme,

-what should they do in there?

-Go wild in the aisles?

-Come on! Say it like you mean it!

-Go wild in the aisles.

Go wild in the aisles!

-This is nice.

-A good-size room.

-Yeah. Nice colour.

-It is.

-We wouldn't have to paint it, thank goodness.

-No.

-Nice and warm, actually.

-The furniture's quite big,

but the room's still quite big, so it's quite useful.

-Our tiny sofas would be fine.

-We'd have loads of room. Yeah.

-So, nice big sitting room. I think it's a bit of a winner.

-I think they all dig it.

-Oh, this is lovely.

-It is nice, isn't it?

-It's a good size.

-Massive, yeah. It's very big.

I like the downlighters. I imagine they give a good light.

-The paint's a bit funny over there.

-Not sure on the tiles.

-No?

-No. You need a bit more of a neutral colour there.

Maybe white ones.

That is a very clever neutral-colour choice

to change those tiles to.

That is someone who's seen a lot of programmes like ours. White is a good choice.

And then on to a conservatory, as well!

Wow! I like the floor.

It is nice, although you've got an internal window into a conservatory.

That's so you can look out while you wash up.

-She's got a massive conservatory!

-She does.

There's a reason why the window's there.

That is an original window, isn't it?

Let's not mock, because we're housing experts.

-That's quite a nice room.

-Nice big space.

And laminated throughout. That's very nice.

Good use of the space for the office.

-Want to look at the garden?

-Yes.

-That's a nice bit of decking.

-Oh, lovely.

I've always wanted some decking.

-Quite a nice size, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-It's a nice garden,

-but it's a bit too small.

-Where would you put your vegetable patch?

I can see us sitting on here in the sun, glass of wine.

-There is a lovely sun terrace there.

-"Sun terrace"!

-It's decking.

-It's baked in sun.

-It's decking!

-Oh, this is a nice wide staircase.

-It is quite wide, isn't it?

And not very steep, which is good. It's lovely.

Nice hall.

-Oh, this is nice.

-It's a good-size room.

-Yeah.

-Lots of storage.

-Loads of storage.

-I like the feature coloured wall.

-I do.

It is nice. I can live with the ceiling. I don't know about yourself.

-There's nothing to do to this room.

-No.

-It is absolutely wonderful,

decorated, by the sound of it, to their taste.

-I would say to Sir Laurence of Llewelyn-Bowen's taste.

-He couldn't get his cuffs in there.

-Ooh, bathroom.

-Oh, I like that!

-That's nice.

-Very nice.

-Nicely finished, isn't it?

-Definitely.

-Love the tiles and the downlighters.

Very nice. I like tiles on the wall.

-Yeah. Bath.

-Yes.

Need a bath. Can't cope without a bath.

Ooh, and a nice radiator! That's very nice.

-Oh, that's good.

-Keep our towels nice and warm.

And a nice-looking shower. Nice big head for you. I know how you like that.

Simon is loving that big showerhead. We know not why,

-but I guess more water coverage.

-It's like going into a room

to be rained on. You're going to rain down some pain on yourself.

It's like Manchester, but in a showerhead, isn't it?

But warmer. And slightly...nicer?

OK, so this is the first of the back bedrooms.

-Very pink, isn't it?

-That is a pink room!

-My goodness me!

-It's nice, though. Nice size.

-It's a good size, isn't it?

-You could get a double bed in here.

Just about, I would think, yeah.

-But would we really want your parents to come and stay?

-Oof!

-No.

-Oh, look! A cupboard. See what storage is in here.

-Oh, that's good. Inbuilt storage.

-That's huge!

That's very helpful.

Oh, right! This was going to be my pointing at you and laughing,

-but it's not happening.

-See that point?

-It's gone. Don't laugh at me.

-Back at you!

They like the bedrooms. I'm just happy they're happy!

This is the last, and the box bedroom. Still a good size.

-Oh, it's very good!

-Pink again, though.

-Yeah.

I don't know why you'd have such a big wardrobe in here.

If you took that out, we could get the futon in here

-and have more guests come round.

-And there's room for the computer,

-so you can keep me out the way. I think Jonnie's done really well.

-Very well.

See how much it's gone over our no-frills budget.

But he's got a lot of things on our list. I'm pleased with it.

-She is good!

-Very good.

Is it a no-frills property purchase?

I don't know. Shall we BOGOF and see them?

-Buy one, get one free.

-Oh!

Simon and Claire, that sounded like it went off very well.

-Did it?

-Very nice house.

-For you, Claire, but for you, Simon,

I feel the buzz word, kind of liking it, but the word "small".

Yeah, a little bit. Yeah, a little bit.

The garden, for me, is a little bit small.

-Is it?

-Yeah.

-See, I disagree.

It's got a massive decking area and a nice big lawn.

It's a waste of space, though it's the only bit that gets the sun.

-This is a great debate.

-Isn't it just?

I think this might be a bit of a reality check,

because it's a sought-after area. For our budget,

this isn't a bad-size garden, especially when you bear in mind

the house with all its attributes, such as conservatory

and the bedrooms and off-street car parking.

Shall we play guess-the-price? You have the most specific budget ever. Who wants to go first?

-I will.

-Go on, then, Claire.

I think it's slightly over, but we might be able to bring it down,

so I'd go 155.

155. OK. Simon?

I'm going to go higher. I'm going to go 156,500.

156,500. Jonnie?

You're both right, because it is over budget.

It's on the market for 159,950.

-OK.

-Which in my opinion means it's within range.

Just take some hard haggling. So, what do we think about the price?

-I think it's reasonable.

-Yeah.

-It's a big-sized property.

It's got off-road parking, a garage, a sought-after location.

-There we go.

-You're being very radical.

Do you want to just have this one now,

or would you like to go even more radical

-and look at the other two?

-I think we'll go on.

-I'd say that's a mistake, but lead the way.

-It's this way.

My offering today might not have the added bonus

of a conservatory, like Jonnie's, but it really is a hidden gem.

"Immaculate" is the word I'd use to describe Property 2.

Simon and Claire, we are in the sub-section of Glossop

that is Hadfield. Have you had a sniff in Hadfield before?

-A little bit.

-And did you like what you sniffed?

-Yeah. It's very nice.

-We are going for the 1970s-ish

-with that property over there.

-Which is a classic period.

Lovely. I believe houses were made lovely then,

and this one is an example of that. What do you think of the outside?

Do you like it more than Jonnie's pretend stone build?

I like it a little bit more, because there's a front lawn.

-Yes.

-And I like the steps up to the house.

Yes! And feng-shui-wise, that is a good point...they say.

Simon, what are you thinking?

Er, I like it more as well, unfortunately.

I don't mind you liking it more. That's good!

-Customer is always right.

-I like the lawn

and the bay window, which is a nice feature.

So, now we're in a world of positivity,

let's just push ourselves on and go into fifth gear.

Do you remember the ground rent at Jonnie's one,

how we all winced at the price? It was £100, wasn't it, a year.

-Yeah. Amazing.

-Have a guess what this one is.

-99?

-It's not 99.

-80?

-Not even 80.

-Just tell them, will you? Please!

-£50. That is £50 saved,

and that £50 is a Christmas smile.

-That £50 will buy you a blindfold, blinding you...

-Stop it!

..to the industrial estate over there and the pylons on the hill.

-The views don't matter. Are you ready?

-Yeah.

-Yes.

-Are you even excited and tantalised?

-Definitely.

Feel that £50 that's in your wallet, and go and buy that house.

Well, you did an outrageously good job of hoodwinking them

outside the house. What about inside?

Hoodwinking? They'll love the inside too,

cos what's not to love?

-Oh, this is nice.

-Good size again, isn't it?

-Definitely, yeah. Nice.

-Really big.

-Nice bay window.

-Such a feature, isn't it?

-Lets in so much light.

-Yeah, lovely.

-I like the mantle. That's lovely.

-They've made a good feature of it.

-THEY LAUGH

-They love everything!

Jonnie, right, before we got here, thought he had it in the bag,

and look at his face now!

-Not much I'd change in here at all.

-No. I like this.

-Open plan into the dining room. Yeah.

-It's a nice arch.

-It's pretty.

-They've made a real feature of it.

-Really lovely.

-Nice floor.

-Very nice.

-And nice big doors into the garden.

-Yeah.

-I quite like that.

-It is a bit of a matchbox, isn't it?

Maybe a bit overlooked from the other side.

Yes. No topless sunbathing, anyway. SHE LAUGHS

They've not said, "Wow." They've not said, "I love it."

They've not said, "Ooh, this is good."

They're just saying what they see. It's like watching Catchphrase.

-Oh, this is nice.

-Nice downlighters, aren't they?

-Good floor.

-Maybe a bit too small.

-It is a little bit small, isn't it?

But it is a separate kitchen/diner, so that's why we think it's small.

-Wow, the garage!

-Yeah.

That's a useful side entrance if it's raining outside.

And our car would fit nicely in here.

It would, even though they're using this...

-Oh, right! A sort of utility room.

-Yeah.

The beauty of this property is not just the property alone.

It's the current owner. Show them what she's given us.

She's given us cakes. Now, if you're out there

and you're watching the show, try sending us cakes,

because we will eat them and put them on the screen.

-This is the best day of my life.

-He likes all kinds. Oi! Listen!

-It's good use of the space.

-And the boiler's in here.

It's out of the way, if we get somebody out to look at it.

-Looks like there's some storage as well.

-Brilliant!

If you... If you want to send us in cakes...

..BBC...

-We can put our big fridge down here as well, which is good.

-Useful.

Want one?

THEY LAUGH

We love this place.

It would be easy to put a cat-flap in there,

-and a second one there, but it would give them a chance to dry their paws.

-Definitely.

Anyway...

I wonder what they're up to.

He loves the cake! I love the cake!

He loves cake. You missed a bit on my finger.

-Like the banister.

-It doesn't take from the living room,

-being able to see the stairs.

-Definitely not.

Oh, right! This is the landing. That's a nice window,

to let in some natural light. What's this one?

-Must be the master bedroom.

-It's the front master bedroom.

That's a good space.

-It's all right, isn't it?

-Yeah, definitely.

Big cupboard. We can get lots of storage in.

-Some nice views from here.

-It is a good view,

if you ignore the pylons. You can see over it, especially when it's sunny.

Lovely.

I jest about those pylons. That is a beautiful view of the town.

People do like an industrial vista.

I'm not clutching at straws. People genuinely do.

Oh, the bathroom. It's quite small, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-But nicely done.

Not sure I like the divots on the bath, the design.

Might have to change that, which is a bit of a pain.

But nice that it's tiled to the ceiling.

Who likes the tiles? It's only Claire again.

She wanted to change the tiles in your one, and rightly so,

but here she loves the height.

-What have we got in here?

-Oh, it's a second bedroom.

-Oh, it's really big!

-It is, actually, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-It's much bigger than the first house we saw.

The second bedroom's much bigger. Definitely double bed.

Loads of room for storage. It's a really good size.

The rooms here are all so... I mean...

-Yards bigger. Yards bigger.

-Ladies and gentlemen...

-Yards.

-..this house is smaller than my house.

It's not in any way.

OK, so this one must be the box room.

-Oh, yes. It is.

-Yeah.

-It's not too bad, actually, is it?

-It's still quite a reasonable size.

All these rooms seem slightly more spacious than the other one,

-but they're not as big. I don't know how that works.

-Good use of space, I think.

It is a box room, but praise indeed! "Not too bad"!

You must be happy with that. You'll sleep tight tonight.

I am happy with that. He can work out his BOGOF deals in there

and his three for twos and his one for fives.

Room for the futon, but I don't think you'd get it out.

-This really is a computer room.

-But very nice.

-Very good.

Nice views again from the front. That's always a bonus.

-Shall we go find the boys?

-Yeah.

Well, in a nutshell, surprisingly good, I would say.

I should be very happy if I were you.

-Very happy!

-Go and take some praise,

-and I'll promise not to mention the noise -

-Stop it!

-We're off.

-Of the planes.

Well, Claire and Simon, that went well.

I was expecting it to be compared with my house,

-and fall down miserably. But it didn't.

-We like this one,

but house number one stands out a bit more.

From the outside you liked this one more,

but the inside... You thought the first one was a bit small,

but we've learnt that, budget-wise, it was quite big.

-This one's a little bit smaller.

-Yeah, it is.

You could put conservatory. The neighbours have done it.

But you can't make it much bigger. Is it maybe too small?

-Or...

-It's a nice size.

It would certainly do us. I just think the garden's a bit small

for what Simon would like to do with it,

and the kitchen could do with a bit more workspace.

They've utilised the space well, though. In making it open plan,

you got a nice flow, and you got that garage.

It doesn't feel small.

-It's just that you've seen something bigger first.

-Definitely.

The open plan makes it so much lighter, as well,

but compared to the first one, it's just smaller.

So, shall we play the most important part of the programme?

Yes. It's guess-the-price time. I think you are winning, aren't you?

-I am.

-One-nil up to Simon. Hit me.

156,500.

156,500. OK.

I'm going to go a little bit more at 157.

You are the winner, Claire!

The actual price is 158,950,

so you could haggle. We've shown it for that.

It's a little bit small, but we do have the gloriousness

-of the Wildcard.

-Thank goodness for that.

Now, it's tall and it's wild. Do you want to go there?

-Definitely.

-Are you nervous?

-A little.

Good. You look nervous! Come on.

As usual, now it's time for something completely different.

Simon and Claire did say they were open-minded,

so we're hoping they'll keep their minds just that when viewing today's Wild Card.

Claire and Simon, welcome to the Wildcard.

-Welcome to Mottram. Been here before?

-No.

-No.

Well, it's great.

Basically, remember that lovely train station we talked about?

-Broad... Broadbottom?

-That's the one.

It's a walk from here, not a drive. And the locals -

I didn't tell you this before - they call it Big Bum.

-SHE LAUGHS

-I wonder why!

Who knows? Now, if that isn't a reason to buy this house,

nothing is. But here it is. What a beauty house!

-It is. It looks really nice.

-Really lovely.

OK. The elephant in the room is this road,

but at no point would you stand outside your property for this long

holding a conversation. We are doing it for purely televisual purposes,

and it is double-glazed. What do you think of the beauty itself?

It's a lovely period property. I really like it.

What sort of period, Ed?

Well, when Christopher Columbus sailed around the world in 1492,

who would have thought, just 300 years later,

this would be built? That's a lovely way of saying it, isn't it?

I've been preparing that for a while.

This is a cracker. 1792, this was built.

It's beautiful. It's lovely. This is in the rarefied breed

of houses I would live in. It is lovely.

It is smashing inside. You can see a couple of hints to its past. It's Grade II listed,

so you can't muck around with the outside. If you wanted to, you'd be mad.

But the first floor, you can see where a door used to be,

-where they'd throw the sacks out.

-It looks really good,

-but I'm concerned there's no parking with it.

-OK.

That car park is not yours. That's for that pub over there.

But you have got parking at the side of the property.

It's not a garage, but it's parking.

-I would like you to discover more lovely things inside. Are you ready and excited?

-Definitely.

-Definitely.

OK, Simon. Please, please, you should buy this.

-OK.

-Will you commit to that now?

-No.

-THEY LAUGH

-Honest answer!

OK. Three, two, one. Go in there and think about buying it, though.

-Now, I'm not a betting man...

-No, you're not.

-..and I can't predict the future.

-No, you can't.

But I think - I'm sure - this house will be their favourite.

-Would you bet on it?

-Yeah.

-Wow! Look at this floor!

-It's nice, isn't it?

-It's beautiful!

-It's a lovely feature of it.

-Definitely.

-Don't know how warm it would be on your feet

-in the morning when you come down.

-Slippers are the instant solution.

Who wouldn't want to walk around in slippers?

-Or socks with rubber bits on the bottom.

-Another solution!

I'd buy slippers. And look at the beams! Aren't they beautiful?

-Very good.

-Really lovely.

-Really nice.

Everywhere they look, they're going to see beautifully finished things

and reclaimed things.

Nice window. It's double-glazed, so it would keep the heat in.

That's good. And some of the sound from the road.

-A nice seat here.

-Still hear the noise a little bit, can't you?

It's not too bad. And a really nice colour, actually.

You could just move straight into this room.

Yeah, you could.

-The beauty of this property is that Gaynor, who lives here, has done all the work. How long?

-Eight months,

-and she had to live at her mum's house.

-Gaynor's pain is their gain.

-The flooring goes straight through, which is quite nice.

-Oh, lovely!

-It's a good size.

-And a really nice cottagey feel to it.

Yeah. It is.

The garden's tiny, though, isn't it? It's all paved.

You did say you were thinking about an allotment,

and I wonder if there's any in this area.

-We could have a courtyard garden, and you could do your vegetables somewhere else.

-Right.

The compromise has been made. People compromise when they like things.

They want to live with them. Allotments cost about a pound

-for a year.

-Not much.

-They don't cost much. Not much.

-Oh, I absolutely love this house. I think it's beautiful.

-Yeah?

I don't think our furniture will go in here, though.

It might go in here, though. A bit more modern,

but with the same characteristics, the fireplace and the beams.

-Oh, that's lovely.

-It's another good size.

-Definitely.

-Nice wood flooring.

-And you got the fireplace and central heating.

-And still lots of original features.

-That is good.

-And the views are getting better as you come up.

-Definitely.

That's really nice.

We've gone up the stairs, yet there's a living room there!

It's a lovely living room. I like it because you get the view over...

-Harrop Edge.

-Harrop Edge.

-There's a little room in here.

-Oh, yeah, a little box room.

It's good use, though, for an office, storage, bookcases and stuff.

-Or maybe a nursery in a couple of years.

-Maybe!

-We've planted a seed there, haven't we?

-YOU have!

I'm happy about it, though. That would be a lovely nursery.

It's like hanging around with a midwife, with you!

-This is the bathroom.

-Yep.

Again, some nice features in here. Stones in the windows,

-and the tiles are quite nice.

-Boiler's in here.

That's out of the way. That's good.

I could use this bathroom, though, quite easily.

-Could you?

-Yeah. I do like this property.

Claire is chip-chip-chipping away at Simon. In every room,

she's said something like, "I love this house."

In the bathroom, again, "I really do like this property." She's saying to him, "Please!"

-And up to a landing.

-Yeah.

Nice features with the internal windows.

They let the light in from either side, isn't it?

-That's really good.

-Really nice.

-Nice beams.

-Beautiful.

-What's in this one?

-Oh, look at this!

Oh, wow! Yeah. That's a nice-size room, isn't it?

It's lovely. Yeah, really nice, and so many nice features in it.

-They've done it really well.

-And a great view.

-It is.

-Nice when you get up in the morning.

-Yes.

-When it's not raining.

We've not heard Simon talk like this. This is the third property.

OK, the first one, pretty good. Your one, not so good.

-This one - forgotten about the first ones.

-This is lovely.

-This is beautiful.

-Another good size, isn't it?

-It's a proper double bedroom, this.

-Definitely.

-Nice. Lovely window. I really like this place.

-Do you?

-Yeah. What do you think?

-I do.

I'm scared about how much it's going to cost,

but yeah, it's a very well presented house.

-What about the fact there's no garden?

-Yeah.

That's a pain. It's easy when it's outside the back door,

-but if there are allotments, we could possibly do it.

-Brilliant.

-Compromise, maybe. I did make you move up here, after all.

-Exactly!

Oh, my goodness me! They both love this house.

The only sticking points are, can they afford it -

we know the answer to that - and are there allotments nearby.

Well, fingers crossed, solutions for both.

Are we right? It is beautiful, isn't it?

-I think it's stunning.

-They've done a really good job with it.

The concern is that there's no garden, but having said that,

-I could get an allotment.

-We have been clever, haven't we?

People like this area so much, they don't move house.

-They do 'em up. You can hear it.

-HAMMERING

The sound of renovation. But not about that, Jonnie.

About the allotment, please.

Oh, yes. Not only are we on the cusp of the Peak District,

a garden in itself, but there's allotments nearby.

-Ed, furnish them with the details.

-Do you want a full-size or half-size allotment?

-I'm a full-plot man.

A full-size plot is £46 a year. A half-size is...

-23?

-It is exactly that.

There is no kind of supermarket dealing to make it a bit cheaper.

So, allotments are available. The house is lovely.

Could that swing it? Would that make you feel a bit happier about it?

-Yeah, it would.

-So, it's time to play guess-the-price.

-Are we neck-and-neck at the moment?

-I believe so.

-Who would like to go first?

-I will.

Um, it's a very nice house. Very nicely done,

and period features. I'm going to say 160.

160. OK, so you've gone to the top of the haggle zone.

-Simon?

-I think, because it's just a box room,

even though it is a nice house,

I'm going to go 159,500.

Ooh! Just £500 cheaper.

I like how you try to justify piggybacking on your wife's price.

-Well, in your face, Simon. It's 160 on the button.

-Brilliant!

OK. So, are you happy that you've won, guessed the price,

or are you happy at the price?

-I'm happy that I guessed the price.

-Everyone should be happy about that.

There is no prize. It's just the pride.

-But to the price, 160...

-It's a very good price

for the property. It's beautifully done.

So, I bet you thought this moment would never happen,

but you are off to make the biggest decision of your adult lives.

Are you excited, kind of emotional, and...excited even more?

-Very.

-That's the face of excitement. That's the face of worry.

-Head off, and we'll see you outside your chosen vehicle. Good luck.

-They'll need it.

-So much jeopardy on today's show.

-A lot. It's tangible.

-You can almost taste it.

-They at home, they feel the jeopardy.

Edge of their seats! I think what we need here

is a reminder of all three properties,

because we've had ups and we've had downs,

mostly because we've been on the edge of the Peak District.

First to be checked out was my choice,

a three-bed semi near Dinting. It really did have everything

on their shopping list, and, I think, a bargain at...

Put the brakes on your shopping trolley!

Second through the checkout was my beauty.

It too fulfilled much on their shopping list,

and came in a grand cheaper. The price...

Finally, in the delightful village of Mottram

was the Wildcard, a three-storey former weaver's cottage.

We think it's the deal of the day, with its special interior

and a no-frills price tag of...

Lo and behold, look at us! We're outside the Wildcard.

It's never happened before on the programme, ever!

No-one's ever picked the Wildcard!

Why did you guys pick this beautiful property?

It's stunning, and they've done a fantastic job restoring it.

-It's beautiful.

-Would you like living here?

I think so. We'd have to see how far the allotments are

and what sort of walk it is to the station.

You can do that in your test drive. Because this is a special episode,

we have had our To Buy Or Not To Buy surveyor come round.

It is a non-legally binding survey, so if you are going to buy,

get your own one. Jonnie, deliver the news.

Well, first of all he said it was a lovely house.

The work they had done, they'd done well.

Look out for the damp course. Get certificates for that.

At the back of the property, the pavement is on the high side.

It should be 150 mill below the ground floor.

That might be a job for you to do, or get a man in.

What do you think about those things?

That's fair enough. Have to see how much they'd cost to do,

-but reasonable.

-Check the certification,

because you've got the woodwork, and he's spotted woodworm.

See if it's been treated. Get the electric certification, as well,

and see if that's all up to date and correct and Bristol-fashion,

as they would say. So, knowing that, do you believe you've chosen wisely?

-Yeah, I think so.

-Yes.

OK. Pretend you live in that house for about two minutes on television.

-Go!

-Thank you.

-I'm thinking...

-What?

If it's going to go well, I'm getting ready to high-five you

on the question we're going to ask them later on.

Let's do it. Let's prepare for it.

There they are, Simon and Claire,

about to embark on their first-ever televisual test drive.

They don't look nervous at all!

-Yeah.

-I love this house.

-Nice, isn't it?

Beautiful. I can really see ourselves living here.

-Oh, cool. Shall we look at this part?

-Yeah, brilliant.

Did you hear that, Ed? They can really see themselves living here!

They certainly look at home!

-I think our sofas will fit here.

-Yeah.

-Plenty of room for me to play on the computers, on the TV.

-Yeah.

Where are they off to? Hope they locked the door behind them.

There we go! They're checking out the allotments.

I wonder what they can grow there. Sugar-snap peas?

-Sunflowers, by the looks of it.

-Courgettes.

-Marrows.

Oh, back in the house now. Game of cards, by the looks of it!

-So, are you thinking what I'm thinking?

-Yeah, I am.

-You ready for the big question?

-Yeah. Shall we go and see the boys?

So, Simon and Claire - Claire, you are the winner of most things

in life, in the card world, and you're ready for the big question.

-Yes.

-How does it feel to be here? Were we right?

I've bullied you, and I've said you should buy this.

Am I barking up the right tree? More time here - what do you think?

-Yeah, definitely.

-It feels like it could be home.

What was your favourite room to spend time in?

-I like the living room upstairs.

-Do you?

I don't know why. I like the fact you go upstairs to hang out.

It's great. You've got all the benefits of a normal living room -

the fireplace there, which works -

but you got elevation with the views. Love it.

OK. You've been to the allotments. You've had a go there,

and knowing the size of garden you've got out the back,

do you think, if you can get hold of one of those allotments,

that that might be a world you'd be enjoying?

Once you're at the allotments, you get tips on how to grow things

from people. Is that something you fancy the idea of?

Yeah, definitely. Yeah.

So, the big question is upon us.

-Are you ready for the big question?

-Yeah.

-I've got clammy hands.

-Come on. Do it.

-OK.

Claire and Simon,

to buy or not to buy?

To buy, with conditions.

THEY GRUNT TRIUMPHANTLY

Can we just cut out after "to buy"?

OK. You're allowed conditions, because you've not been here long. The conditions being?

To find out how much the raising of the step

-or lowering of the...

-Uh-huh.

-Few hundred pounds.

-Get a man in, dig it out...

-He is desperate for a "to buy".

-What else would you need to look at?

-We'd like to walk to the station,

-see how far that is.

-It is a 15-minute walk, apparently.

-THEY LAUGH

-OK!

I'm sorry that I'm armed with knowledge!

-Do you want to ask again, then?

-To buy or not to buy?

-To buy!

-Yay!

All right. Fantastic. Good choice, because we would have been livid

-if you didn't choose to buy this.

-These clammy hands can go into dukes very easily.

Because we've got a victory, we're going to say goodbye from here.

Let's all wave! See you!

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd