Wolverhampton To Buy or Not to Buy

Once in a while, a property programme comes along which is head and shoulders above the rest

and gives you vistas like this.

Head And Shoulders being a staple in Simon's shopping basket.

-Do you know one of the best things about this programme?

-Yes, but you tell them.

You don't have to wait until later on tonight to see it because this one is on now.

This one is the bee's knees. This one is To Buy Or Not To Buy.

Now, when developers and estate agents throw down the gauntlet,

it's normally the potential house buyers who end up paying the price.

But that's why we're here to help shelter today's plucky house hunters

from the shock and awe of the property market.

And unlike other property shows, this is the only one

-to give buyers the unique chance to...

-Try before they buy.

So time to meet Wolverhampton born and raised Jacqueline McDonald.

She lives with her husband Clive and three of their six children.

Part-time teacher and student and full-time mum to boot, Jacqui will need a little help.

Cue loving mother Gloria, who will need to put down her prize knitting to aid Jacqui on her property quest.

After walking in and out of the same front door for 25 years, they feel it's time to find a new house

with a new front door which they can call home.

-Jacqui, Gloria, why are we moving from this lovely home?

-OK, well, I've been here for 25 years now

and as much as I've enjoyed my time here, I think it's time to move on.

I'm looking for somewhere that I can spend the rest of my days.

Three of the children have left, but we'd like to go somewhere else.

-So is it just a change of scenery you're going for then?

-Yes, I'd like something that's a lot more scenic.

I'd like to look out and see some trees.

It would even be nice to have a little bit of a scenic view.

We want the English countryside disappearing off into the distance.

-Yeah, but...

-It's probably asking a bit much.

But you never know. That's the view from the window.

What kind of property are we looking for?

Ideally, it needs to have three bedrooms.

Possibly four. Two receptions, like I've got at the moment.

I wouldn't mind if it didn't have too much of a front garden,

but we enjoy being out in the garden in the summer,

so a back garden is a must.

What sort of age property would you be looking for?

I love the older properties, but if there's something newer that I like?

-So something with period flavour about it?

-Yes, bit of character.

Period flavour, I like that.

There's an estate agent coming through you yet. And location?

The children need to be fairly close to school.

So Codsall and Bilbrook are where they go to school at the moment, very green and leafy.

If we found somewhere that needed work doing on it, can she do it?

Yes, between her and her husband.

-Why? What does husband do?

-He's in the building trade.

-Well, there you go.

-What's his name?

-Clive.

-We'll find an old wreck.

As long as it's got a view, Clive can get stuck in, mate!

Do you need a garage or off-road parking? What about these kind of things?

Again, I can compromise on that.

We've not had a garage in 20-odd years. But we've always had the space to park a vehicle,

so it would be nice to have a parking facility.

OK. So we've got location. We've got style of property.

We've got the number of bedrooms.

-How much have we got to play with?

-No more than about 220.

I think we'll find a decent property for that price,

especially as the market seems to be slowing down.

We'll be the judge of that! We're in trouble here.

We better get going. That's great. We've got the money.

-So we're looking for a place with a view.

-Somewhere that Clive can really get his teeth stuck into.

-See you later, ladies.

-Thank you.

-Bye.

This will be exciting. Jacqui and Gloria are looking for a fresh start and we'll be part of that journey.

-But this could be the one move she makes for the rest of her life!

-She seemed a bit young to retire.

-So does Gloria. Anyway, focus.

-Well, I'm going to meet the estate agents.

-I'll see you.

-See you later. I'll find out a bit about the local area. Yeah.

OK. So let me tell you about this here, Wolverhampton.

Founded way back in the year 985 by one Lady Wulfruna, the city now boasts several accolades.

It is inhabited by Wolves. Not that sort. Wolverhampton Wanderers FC.

And drum'n'bass supremo Goldie who would feel very much at home

playing the Civic Hall, a top music venue.

The civic motto here promises that "Out of the darkness cometh the light."

Wolverhampton has certainly become a bright metropolis and is now the 13th largest city in England.

And the locals back in 1927 received the country's first ever set of automated traffic lights.

Owww!

-Despite those wolves...

-It's not that kind of wolf.

Despite that, the city was recently named the second happiest in the UK.

And it's no wonder the region's house prices on average have risen to just shy of 165K.

So we're sitting pretty with today's mission.

But how far would their £220,000 stretch around the rest of the UK?

Well, first off in Harrogate, there's this gorgeous four-bed, three-storey, traditional semi.

It's bang on their budget at precisely £220,000.

And our Jacqui also loves the idea of rural,

so she would like this 18th-century cottage in Norwich.

Sympathetically restored with three good-size bedrooms

and just slightly over budget perhaps at £224,950.

And finally with village living being all the rage these days,

perhaps we could tempt her with this charming period cottage

in beautiful Hatherleigh in Devon.

Complete with beamed reception rooms, it's a steal at £225,000.

But we need some local knowledge. So I've called on a local property expert to chew the fat with.

Glyn kindly joins me on the streets today. I'm an estate agent.

There'll be an estate agent-off right here.

But let's talk about budget. I've got £220,000.

Three bedrooms, semi-detached, preferably a period property.

-Are those requirements realistic for that budget?

-I think so.

At 220, there's a number of traditional properties in this area.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are no Everton FC.

They are one year older than my beloved team,

having been formed in 1877. They were founding members of the football league.

They reside in Molineux Stadium,

which, surprisingly, was not named after a kettle,

but a wealthy landowner, Benjamin Molineux.

OK. So what areas should we be looking at around Wolverhampton then?

Castlecroft is a popular area.

But the surrounding areas, Finchfield, Tettenhall, are popular.

When was the Estate Agents Act introduced?

These are difficult questions, aren't they?

-1979.

-One-nil Glyn.

Wool, locks and many other industries

have made Wolverhampton the commercial hub it is today.

But back in the Middle Ages,

the traders who couldn't read the written deed

would come here to the Bargaining Stone.

Here, both parties would put their hands through,

shake on it and clinch the deal.

OK. Estate agent-off question number two -

internal dimensions have to be accurate to within how many inches?

I believe it's three inches.

This man is all over it.

And the first public appearance that Queen Victoria made outside London

was here in Wolverhampton when she came in 1866 to unveil the statue of Prince Albert

who sits proudly astride his steed in the aptly-named Queen's Square.

According to the Estate Agents Act 1979, what does section 21 relate to?

Section 21? I haven't got a clue.

Section 21 was a declaration of where, if you are related to the vendor or the purchaser...

Oh, right, yes.

..you must declare it in writing. Glyn, thank you very much.

We will put things in a complete spin today

because we're doing the wild card first.

-Shall we tell them what's wild about our wild card?

-Yes.

Jacqui said she wanted to move further afield.

Well, she could walk to this place. What have you got?

Well, I've gone for a 1960s period semi-detached property

with a loft conversion. I think they'll love it.

-Did I hear you say 1960s period?

-Yeah, just stick with me.

I've gone for a more traditional period property, a Victorian villa.

It is beautiful with bags and bags of potential.

OK. Let's get started then with a look round the wild card.

Shall we go the other way? I'm feeling sick.

We're not travelling too far for today's wild card as it's only a mile away from Jacqui's front door.

I don't use this term often, but this distinctive and most impressive traditional semi is simply stunning.

With four bedrooms, two receptions and a kitchen-diner,

Jacqui may not have noticed this '30s classic, but she should have.

OK then, Jacqui and Gloria, we are going crazy with the wild card today

-by showing you it first, of all things.

-That is very wild indeed.

-It is also wild because you said you wanted to move further afield from where you are?

-Yes, I did.

But this is just around the corner. We wanted to show that your dream may not be not as far as you think.

-There it is. What are you thinking?

-First impressions - it's a lovely house.

I've been driving past it for 20 years.

I've often wondered what it would be like to look inside

-and I think I'm about to find out.

-You are indeed. Gloria, what are you thinking?

It's a lovely building.

It's exactly the type of property.

-I just hope it's as lovely in as it is out.

-Yeah.

Well, there is more wildness to be had inside.

-So have a look around and we'll see you soon.

-OK.

-Thanks.

There they go for a good "deco" around this place.

-See what I did there? '30s - Deco.

-This guy - great.

-It was good, that, wasn't it? Deco, because this is like an Art Deco house?

-Great(!)

I'll think of something Nouveau now.

First impressions - I think it's very nice.

-It is a lovely welcoming hall space, isn't it?

-Oh, look at it. No need to buy a fireplace.

-This is lovely.

It's a beautiful view. And you can hardly hear the road.

Because of the position, the road noise gets lost.

-Look at the detail on the ceiling.

-That's nice.

-And it's still quite bright.

-Original features throughout.

-It is Deco-licious.

-I'm not keen on this.

That picture rail is part of the architectural features. Leave it alone, Jacqui.

-Oh, my gosh!

-Oh, that is lovely.

-I wasn't expecting that at all.

-That is lovely.

Again, this would be a nice, relaxing room.

I'd want to put down a wooden floor for the children coming in and out.

Kids? Carpets? No. Wooden floors, perhaps.

It's not as... I thought it would be longer.

I don't know why. But it needs a lot of updating.

Some of those cupboards are part of the features of this house.

I wonder what this is? I'm sure Clive could do something with this.

Clive, my friend, you are being put to work.

Downstairs toilet, good idea. But we could probably incorporate this utility bit more into the kitchen.

There are rooms you don't even have, a downstairs toilet

and a utility room. Where is the enthusiasm?

This is a bit small, considering that there's five of us at home. This wouldn't be adequate.

We couldn't fit our table in here.

Do not buy around your furniture.

But if it's a Chippendale table, buy everything around your table.

I think it's getting better.

-Yes. This is a good-size bedroom.

-This is how the girls' beds are set out at home, opposite each other.

It's probably about the same size with the one built-in cupboard.

-I like the look you get from the window.

-It's a nice view.

-They wanted a view with greenery. What's this?

-A view with greenery.

It's a little dated, but that's nothing.

I know we've gone crazy with the wild card first, but so far, so good.

And the good thing about Jacqui and Gloria is they use their imagination.

-That's another good size as well.

-If this is only a three bedroom, then Rhys would have to have this room.

The girls would have to share. We'd be in the master bedroom. But Rhys would be happy with this.

You could take off the doors and dip them.

You can get the doors stripped, but dipping pulls them to pieces.

-That's the bathroom. Toilet.

-Separate toilet and bathroom.

In a family house, do you have a separate toilet to the bathroom?

-Yes.

-But if you remove the wall between the toilet and the bathroom, you get a bigger family bathroom.

You'd have to rip all of this out. It's not very nice.

-Clive, get your tool belt back on.

-Mum, have you noticed the skylight?

-Yes. It's unusual.

Apart from the original features, the best thing about this house is all that natural light pouring in.

And that light well over the top of the landing makes the whole place lovely and light.

I don't know if I'm too keen on that though. I don't know.

-You could change it.

-Put a piece of plasterboard on and skim it.

-Jacqui, you will not touch that!

-We know where you live.

-And this must be the box room.

-Yes, it definitely is.

-Not a bad size for a box room, still.

-It's not even a box room.

-In those days, dimensions were more generous.

If the kids wanted to have a bedroom each, I might use this as a study.

You wanted separate rooms for the kids and now you want a study?

-Look at this.

-It's a good size.

-It's an excellent size.

It is a good size, Gloria. It is an excellent size, Jacqui.

I'd totally rip out everything in here. The windows are the one endearing feature of the house.

-The one endearing feature?

-It's a solid property.

-Yes, you can't go wrong with solid properties.

You can't go wrong with a good, solid '30s property.

-It's got a lot of potential.

-Yes.

Jacqui, we're coming to find you.

-Now, Gloria, this house also comes with this lovely family garden. It is a lovely family house.

-It is.

-It's a good, solid house.

-It is.

-But there's one other requirement as well - off-road parking.

-And this property also comes with a good, solid garage.

-Oh, that's a surprise.

-We like to surprise.

On average, having a garage with a house puts about £8,000 on the value of the property.

-So it's worth having.

-It is.

-So that brings us to guess the price time. Let's find Jacqui and Jonny.

-Jacqui and I are just kicking back on the window seat. How did it go for you?

-The house is lovely.

It's got some beautiful original features. It's just the type of house that I'm interested in.

-The decor is dated.

-No, let's leave it there! I was happy with that.

No, there's a few issues decor-wise and you can easily change that.

The kitchen's slightly on the small side.

-Clive's sledgehammer is coming out, isn't it?

-Yes.

-This house recently went through a price reduction,

which is obviously a benefit to you. And they've brought it underneath the stamp duty level of £250,000.

And the major benefit to you is anything over £250,000, you've got to pay 3% stamp duty,

3% of the property's value, as tax.

That's literally if you go £1 over 250,000. If you go over 500,000, it's 4% and so on and so forth.

That reduction means that you're saving on tax as well.

Before he waffles on any further...

-I was delivering factual gold.

-Yes, I'm sure you were. It's guess the price time, though, ladies.

Now, Jacqui, you love this property and the period features.

-And you picked up on the gorgeous windows.

-Yes.

-They are lovely, aren't they?

-They are.

A lot of people replace these.

But I think you could secondary glaze

and that would help with the insulation.

You can't hear the road anyway.

I wouldn't get rid of the windows. They are a feature of the house.

-Brilliant. That goes for the picture rails as well.

-No.

Oh, yes, it does! It's part of the original features.

We'll have to disagree on that point.

OK. We have a budget of £220,000.

-So it's guess the price time. Who's going to go first?

-I will go first.

I'll give you one other clue. It's definitely under 250,000

because of stamp duty. What are you thinking?

-245.

-245,000. OK.

-Jacqui?

-I'm thinking closer to... 235,000.

Well, this is going to be a tough one to call as it's actually in the middle of your guesses for 239,950.

-What do you think about that?

-Not a bad price.

-Yes.

-Food for thought, though, isn't it?

-It is.

-Technically, I think Jacqui won by 50 quid. I'm sorry, Gloria. 50 quid is 50 quid, Jonny.

-She is closest.

You can take the man out of Liverpool, as they say.

-Let's check out Jonny's choice.

-After you, ladies.

Jacqui wanted a blend of space and panache. Well, she's got it with my choice.

A semi, yes, and an extensively extended family home with a massive lounge-diner

and a penthouse bedroom over which the children will be squabbling.

Let's see if the ladies share my enthusiasm.

OK, Jacqui and Gloria, I take you from the madness of the wild card

to the tranquillity of my choice. What are your first impressions?

It's not a bad-looking house. I don't know if I would've picked it myself.

-With it not being a period property?

-Yes.

The '60s is a period, you'll find. Gloria, what do you think?

I like the look of it from the outside.

-We'll see what it looks like inside.

-Well, get in there.

Have a look around. We will be listening.

-OK. Thank you.

-There was no holding Gloria back there!

Excuse me, I'm older than you, how come you got the chair?

It's my house, man. My rules. My chair.

But you know what straight away? The lower ceiling.

Jacqui, I feel lower all round.

-Shall we go in here?

-Mum, this is wicked.

-"Mum, this is wicked." That is a great hit.

-This is wicked.

This is the wow factor of the house. It's like mine.

-You wouldn't have to do anything.

-I like this door.

-Yes.

-This door's beautiful.

This place is more contemporary inside, so that'll appeal to Jacqui's tastes.

-Let's hope the next room's the same. Oh, Mum!

-Oh, this is fantastic.

-This is gorgeous.

I'm on to a winner here.

We haven't got a problem with seating, so they've obviously knocked through.

No, it's been extended to open it up.

-The furniture fits in with the house beautifully.

-It is nice. I like it.

I think the five of us could live in this space quite easily.

Jacqui's being very accommodating because she said she wanted two reception rooms.

It's a little bit tight coming up the stairs.

-Yeah.

-Not a bad size.

You could easily turn this into a box room, couldn't you?

Think of those fights between Rhiann and Tia. I'm taking it out of the equation.

-This is the next room.

-This is obviously the master bedroom.

-I don't think so.

I think so, because of the pictures.

-It can be the master bedroom if you want.

-You may be right.

-Don't give in, Gloria.

-It's a bit on the small side. My furniture wouldn't fit.

-But minimalist living seems to be in vogue at the moment.

-Don't start your estate agent stuff! No! No!

-This is the next bedroom.

-This is obviously a girl's room. This is very nice.

-It is.

-Tia would love these colours. Tia would love this room.

-She'd like any room as long as it's her own.

-You don't have to worry about getting furniture in here.

-It's lovely.

-It is nice. A bit on the small side.

It's starting to feel a bit small. Bit like me down here!

-So this is the bathroom.

-Mm-hm.

-It's small.

-Extremely small.

-There's that word again, Jonny - small.

-It's not quite a family-size bathroom.

-Aren't they a family?

-Yes.

-I'd feel really claustrophobic in here.

-Oh, Jonny, it's not small any more, it's claustrophobic.

Now this is a surprise. I don't know where to look first, actually. There's so much of it.

That is a wicked kid's bedroom. You've got this awesome beam, a skylight. It's really cool.

-This is in the way.

-I know, but obviously they need that to support the roof.

But it takes up so much of this space. They've made the most of it. But I think it's on the small side.

OK. Presentation here is not as important as the size is.

(Too small. Too small.)

-Have you seen enough now?

-Yes.

-We'll see what the boys have got to say.

Shall we go in, if there's room for us all?

So you like the presentation of this property, but space is an issue?

-Just a little bit on the small side.

-But you referenced this gorgeous door, but you didn't open it.

-No.

-It's time to reveal all.

-What treasures lie within?

Your utility area-cum-garage, cum-storage room.

-It's absolutely awesome, isn't it?

-It's a bit of an Aladdin's Cave.

You could develop the bottom half of the garage.

Make that into a room for the kids and having this kind of side access

-where they haven't got to traipse through with dirty boots will be really handy for you.

-Very. Very.

I'm thinking how you could remodel the downstairs of the house a bit

to bring the space into the main body of the house and make more use of it.

-That's what architects are for.

-At the right price.

-Yes. And it's time to guess the price.

-Let's find Gloria and Simon.

-And find out this price.

-Lovely, peaceful area, isn't it?

-Yes.

We stayed out here cos we were getting too claustrophobic in there.

-I've been showing Jacqui some extra space in the house.

-You looked in his ear?

Chuckle-chuckle. What was your overall opinion on this place then?

I thought it was a lovely house. But I'm not sure if it's the house for me because of the space issue,

-even though it has got potential to expand to the side.

-What do you think, Gloria?

-It's a lovely house.

-But, space-wise, with a big family, they need more space.

-Yeah.

You're giving him ammunition to rain down on me. So let's guess the price. Jacqui, what do you reckon?

I think, because of the location,

-probably about 190, 195. 195.

-OK.

-And Gloria?

-175.

-I am just going to add insult to your injuries.

-This property is actually on the market for £219,000, so right at the top of your budget.

-Mm-mm.

-How does that grab you?

-To be honest, I'd be looking for a bit more for 220,000.

-I'm getting the feeling it's not the place for you.

-I don't think it is.

-Don't make any decisions.

Let's see if I can find you more room in Simon's choice. Come on!

Well, my beautifully presented Victorian peach of a property is the juiciest of them all.

Built in 1854, it has been wonderfully restored, but is still brimming with original features,

high ceilings and the requisite four bedrooms to comfortably tuck everyone in at night.

-OK. Jacqui, Gloria, Simon's choice. Now, you did say, Jacqui, that you liked period houses?

-Definitely.

-When you looked round the wild card, you loved those big high ceilings.

-And the authentic features.

-Yeah.

-What do you think?

-This is more in keeping with what I was thinking when we thought period property.

-Is it?

-Can you see where I'm going here, Jonny?

-I can't hear. It's the road noise.

-What do you think, Gloria?

-It's all right from the outside.

-All right from the outside? Look at it!

-We'll wait until we get inside.

-Then we'll be surprised.

-Don't let him twist you with his words.

-It is nice.

-I'm glad you said that. Do you want to see inside?

-Yes, please.

-Well, don't let us keep you. Get in there.

-Thank you.

-Sorry?

-I can't hear.

-No?

-Not a word.

-A bit of sympathetic double glazing is all you need, mate.

-You see, lovely and quiet back here.

-Can't hear a word you're saying.

-You cannot hear the traffic back here.

-Sorry?

-I'm not listening.

I like the entrance. I don't really like the floor.

Look up! The space! The space!

OK. Impressive. This looks like the study room, reading room.

Hang on. Why aren't they going, "Wow"? This is a beautiful Victorian house.

-Not much in here except for the high ceilings.

-That's how I thought it would be from the outside.

You can't hear any of the traffic.

Did I mention sympathetic double glazing?

This is not a busy road, Mr Benarr.

-Is this the kitchen?

-This is nice.

-It's a nice kitchen.

-You'd need to do nothing with that kitchen.

-OK.

The cupboards might be a bit dated. But it's really nice. I love the worktop.

-Kitchen-breakfast rooms are popular.

-Yes.

-To have your morning coffee, chew the fat.

The view from the window is lovely as well. It's nice and long. You could do a lot with that.

I say, it's a lovely big garden!

What? That is brilliant.

If that hasn't demonstrated to you people at home the sheer size of this garden, nothing will.

-This is the official dining room. Oh, Mum, look at this.

-That's nice.

-It's just nice and spacious.

We could easily put our table and the six chairs in here.

Then you've got the walk out into the back garden. It's just nice and comfortable.

Comfortable? I'd go a step further. I'd say plush surroundings.

Oh. This is the side extension.

-A bit of a storage area. We could make this into a more useful area than just storage.

-Utilise it more.

It's the utility room. It's a very useful area. And Jacqui, it could be your office.

Right. Back into the hallway.

It is... I mean, I thought the other house had a really nice hallway.

But this is two, three times the height of that.

In these period properties, the hall was where your guests greeted you.

-And you wanted that to set the tone for what the property had to offer.

-Exactly.

OK. Oh, look at the bathroom, Mum.

-It's not a bad size.

-No.

-Quite a good size.

-Probably the second biggest that we've seen.

I'm surprised at how low the ceiling is. But I think this might be part of the extension.

Yes, it is. I'm guessing it's when this villa got its first internal water.

It became fashionable to have your bathroom inside.

-The first bedroom. This is a nice size.

-Yes.

This is lovely.

I don't know if this is the master bedroom, though. I can't tell by the way it's laid out or the furniture.

-I don't think it is.

-It might just be...

-Maybe it's at the front.

-And again, we've got the beautiful sash windows.

-It's a nice view.

Mum, look at how much garden you've got.

Look how far away he is.

I guarantee he is going to be exhausted by the time he gets back.

-How are you, fella?

-Fine.

-Bedroom number two. Obviously it's where the person works.

-Their office.

Yes, it's their office space, which is great.

In my opinion, it's big enough to be a double bedroom, quite comfortably.

OK. This is definitely what you call a box room.

-It is.

-I'm disappointed, because from the outside of the property,

I thought the rooms were going to be so much bigger.

But there's still one more to go and you'll be pleasantly surprised.

-It wouldn't be any good for the kids.

-That's a perfect size for a kid's bedroom!

-Let's see the size of this room. This is a good-size room.

-This has got to be the master bedroom.

-Jacqui almost said, "This is my bedroom."

-"Yeah, this is m-m-master bedroom."

-I think I like this one better than the rest, for the size.

-It's a good size.

The wild card was tasty. Forget my choice. This one - contender?

I think so. I'll race you to the bottom of the garden.

-At the wild card, Simon showed you a pretty standard garage, didn't he?

-Yes.

-Now he's gone one step better.

Look at this.

THEME MUSIC: "2001: A Space Odyssey"

There we go, Gloria.

I think that is what we call rustic bling. But the lad has done well.

-He's given us off-road parking and the garage. He's looking after your Jacqui, isn't he?

-Yes, he is.

-Let's see what the price of this place is.

-Let's guess the price.

Not only have I provided you with that GLORIOUS house above us,

also down here, I've given you approximately 476 square feet of cellar.

-Now how do you feel about converting basements into living areas?

-I think that's a very good idea.

The negative for me is I like natural light in a room. That's what puts me off.

But you can put natural light in here. You've got that entrance there. There's another window.

Every room in this cellar could have natural light. You dry-line the walls, put a screed under the floor

-and you've got more living space. How about that?

-Perfect.

-Spending other people's money!

So it's guess the price time. You were both dreadful last time. Let's be honest about it. So nul points!

You're our primary buyer. Your budget is £220,000.

So for this pile that Simon has provided, what do you think?

I'm thinking about £200,000.

-£200,000. Gloria?

-229.

229. So a big split there. And the answer again lies somewhere in the middle.

This place is right on budget. This place is for sale for 219,950 quid.

-(Winner.)

-50 quid short of your budget.

-Excellent.

-Excellent!

I've given you a whole new house down here, let alone what's above!

-It's a good price.

-And the back garden is an absolute...

-It's gorgeous.

-It is.

OK. Listen. Enough about this place because you've actually seen three lovely properties.

-So why don't you have a think about it and tell us which one you'd like to test drive?

-OK.

And here's a recap for you at home.

Our wild card proved that Jacqui's radar should've been targeted closer to home.

Right on her doorstep is this wonderful family property.

And it's all on the market for only £239,950.

And my choice? Not as traditional but just as impressive.

Three storeys of pristine decor and homely attributes,

nicely priced at 219,000.

But of course, we saved the best to last. Fact. My classic Victorian villa is full of character

and original features with a mammoth garden, a basement to intrigue,

and sneaking under budget at only 219,950!

OK, ladies, you decided to test drive the wild card. Our choices out the window. Why this one?

Location, mainly, more than anything else. It's got a possibility of adding to it,

like doing something with the loft, but mainly location.

-What do you think, Gloria?

-Yes, the location and the bedrooms, the amount of bedrooms.

I think the children have one each.

Well, our beady-eyed building boffin has come up with what you'd expect

of a property of this age and on an elevation like this.

He's just got a few issues here and there.

And he thinks it's worth getting a structural engineer to check out the drains before you went any further.

-But apart from that, it wasn't bad at all.

-And you'd expect those problems in a property of this age.

But the real positive thing is the loft space is absolutely prime for converting into an attic.

-So you can get Clive busy up there.

-Yes, that would be my room.

-Oh, Gloria's at the top of the pile! Of course you are.

-Yes, keep an eye on them downstairs.

-You've got to climb all those stairs.

-Yes. Good exercise.

The survey isn't legally binding. And we'd always recommend that you do get a full structural survey.

-OK.

-OK? Go and enjoy. Make yourself at home again.

-Thank you very much.

-There you go - Simon's choice? No. Jonny's choice?

-Nul points.

-Well, your choice(!)

The wild card's a joint choice.

Well, it hasn't taken Gloria long to take the weight off her feet and nestle in with her knitting needles.

-And in the meantime, Jacqui's straight on to the reinforcements.

-Come and look for yourselves.

MUSIC: "Little Green Bag" - George Baker Selection

# Looking back on the track For a little green bag

# Got to find just the kind Or I'm losing my mind

# Outside in the night Outside in the day

# Looking back on the track Gonna do it my way

# Outside in the night Outside in the day

# Looking back on the track Gonna do it my way

# Looking for some happiness

# But there is only loneliness to find... #

And with the family safely gathered in, it's test drive time.

-Hello, Gran! Are you all right?

-Yes.

Cheers.

-How are you getting on with the knitting?

-All right.

-A cup of tea?

-Thank you very much.

-Just as you like it.

Let's not forget Jacqui's a student and with exams looming, she needs to catch up on her studies.

Jacqui, Glo, you've spent some time in the house now with the family. How did it feel for you?

-It felt nice. It felt comfortable. It felt homely.

-Very homely.

-What do the family think?

-Bit of a mixed reaction. One of the daughters think it's still a bit small.

-But the majority of them like the house.

-Thinks it's still a bit small?

-There is no pleasing some people.

-They haven't got my vision.

-What's that?

-It's to do up the loft, put a conservatory on the back

-and see how much additional space that yields.

-You're leaving those picture rails alone, aren't you?

-I've been told I have to leave them.

-Who told you that?

-My daughter said, "You can't get rid of them."

-You see!

-So we move quickly on to the ultimate question then - to buy or not to buy?

-I think I'd like to buy.

-Yeah?

-Definitely.

-Result, my friend!

-That's great.

-Fantastic.

-So you don't have to move too far to find what you want, do you?

-Absolutely.

-That's true.

-It's been a pleasure working with you.

-It's been brilliant. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

-I did as well.

-And we hope you move in here. And Gloria, you get to live in the top of the house.

-Definitely I will.

-Cheers, girls.

-Take care.

-All the best.

-Bye.

Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd - 2008