Evesham To Buy or Not to Buy

Hello and welcome to To Buy Or Not To Buy,

where we work really, really, really, really, really hard.

-That's right. We put in a lot of overtime, don't we?

-We do.

Going that extra mile, to ensure we get only the very best properties for our buyers.

-In fact, my middle name is Property.

-But I thought it was Cedric.

It's extraordinary, Ed. Very rarely do we get to spend time

in something that represents the place we're in.

We're in the Swiss town of Jacuzzi, are we? Is that where we are?

No. We're in Bath, obviously.

Surrounded by thermal spas, water, all that jazz.

Eventually, we'll have to leave this bath to go to the actual Bath that is Bath.

-And then begin the search?

-Yeah.

Finding three properties and giving our buyers the opportunity to try before they buy.

-Sounds a brilliant idea.

-Yep.

Oh, it is, Edward. Now here is today's buyer, Maria.

A pretty chilled senora, too.

Currently renting in Litchfield, she wants to return to the Bath area,

to be closer to her family and in memory of her husband, Christopher.

Maria's got a very cosmopolitan background. Her mother's Columbian, her father's Spanish.

-She lived and got married in Africa and she teaches Spanish and Italian at the local college.

-Tres bien!

Maria will be joined on her property voyage by Sue,

a retired school teacher and friend for over 20 years.

Tres bien? Voyage?

That's French, Jonny.

Now, viewers at home, you are probably not aware

that To Buy Or Not To Buy is a massive global brand.

And today, we are reaching our arms across Europe,

-because, Maria, I believe you have many language skills.

-I do, indeed.

Now, how many ways can you say "I would like to buy a house in Bath today," how many languages?

-Right. Vorrei comprare una casa qui in... a Bath.

-That's one.

-Quiero comprar una casa aqui en Bath.

-Two. I like it.

Jai vouloir, um, acheter, um, une maison, um, in Bath.

I like it. Three different languages. Here we go.

If you are from any of those countries, you'll know exactly what Maria is looking for.

Why Bath? Why do you want this house in Bath?

Well, my husband died a few years, erm, from cancer.

And he was from the area. And when I came to the UK,

I lived for a few months here in the area.

And one of my boys, the middle one, was born in Bath.

I think I like to say that I am honouring my husband's memory

and come back to where his roots were.

And I always thought it's a beautiful city,

full of British traditions,

and yet so cosmopolitan.

And of course, you'll be assisted by your friend Sue, here.

Sue, are you in tune with Maria and what she's looking for?

Yes, I hope so. I've been round quite a few properties with Maria.

And I've known her for about 20 years.

We've been very close friends.

She's gone through an awful lot in life.

And I want to see her really happily settled

in a wonderful house in Bath.

-So, you've looked at quite a few houses?

-I have.

Is Maria difficult? Be honest.

-Oh, absolutely, yes.

-She's fussy?

She just wants the perfect house, which we all do.

Maria, you are temporarily living where you are.

Does this mean that you have sold your property?

-I have.

-This is fantastic news.

Currently you're sitting as pretty as it gets in the property market, aren't you?

-They say so, yes.

-It's true.

-I would like to think it is.

You'll be able to negotiate some good deals, as well.

Because Bath is a quintessentially English city and you're very much a Latin lady,

give us an idea of the sort of property we're going to be looking for down here?

I'd like to find a property with a degree of character.

It could be a new property, as well.

I'm not against new properties,

providing that's it's not in a very large new development.

Is it a house, an apartment?

I think I would prefer a house, yes.

How many bedrooms do we need?

-Three minimum.

-Three minimum.

-What else are you looking for?

-Gardens, driveways, any specifics?

-Yes, a little bit of garden.

I like to keep my traditions. Having breakfast in the garden.

-Al fresco?

-In the summer,

-when this beautiful British summer...

-Yeah. I bet, I bet.

-What?

-Um, so, OK.

-And she doesn't want too much work.

Because she's taken on houses in the past with so much renovation,

-haven't you?

-For me the location is important, as well as the house.

-OK.

-Yeah.

If I have to travel a little bit out of Bath, it's not a problem, really,

providing that it's the right house and the right location.

A mini flat over there is about half a million quid.

How much money have you got to spend, Maria?

Can we get a mini flat over there?

Oh, I would like to say that, if you could get me a mini flat

in the Royal Crescent for 350...

Ah, that's the budget. Sadly we can't, then, can we?

Erm, I think that is going to be my limit.

Wish us luck. Can you wish us luck in a different language?

-Buena suerte, buona sorte.

-I like it.

-Sue, can you do it in a different language?

-Er, just find us a house.

-Thank you very much. We'll see you later.

-See you later.

-Ed, you're going to like this.

-Go on, then.

-Mi casa es su casa.

What does that mean translated?

-My house is your house.

-Is your house in Bath?

-No.

Because I was going to say, if you could make your house Maria's house,

-show ended. Not a problem.

-Done.

-But it isn't it, is it?

-No.

Mi casa es...somewhere else. I tell you what. I feel this will be quite tough.

So, I am going to go and really, really, really, really put a lot of effort in now.

I suggest you do the same. What are you thinking?

I'm thinking, she wants three bedrooms, a traditional character house in Bath,

she wants parking and we've only got £350,000 to spend. Yikes.

-I tell you where's a good place to go. Estate agents.

-All right.

-You do that and I'm going to go...

-I'm going to go and really work hard.

-Au revoir.

Ah, Bath. Literary inspiration.

World Heritage site. Film backdrop.

Hang on, is that a Bath bun you're eating?

No, it's a Bath Oliver, Jonny. If you were a true Bathonian you'd know that.

Or if you were of a certain age.

Like you'd also know that 5,000 of Bath's striking Georgian buildings are listed.

I may not be Bathonian.

But I did try some of the spa water earlier on.

Did you know it's full of minerals?

That's right. Over 42 of them,

as well as trace elements and iron.

Now, you can tell from the general gorgeousness of Bath

that spending Maria's 350K here won't be remotely problematic.

But how far would that stretch in other spa towns around the UK?

Let's start with Cheltenham.

There, it would get you this three-bedroom flat

simply screaming style and luxury.

Available for 350K on the nose.

Just up the road you can get this Georgian townhouse in Leamington.

Again three bedrooms and again, the last word in opulence.

But for less money. A mere £335,000.

But Matlock takes the biscuit, if not the Bath bun.

A charming three-bed cottage, with period features and fabulous views.

And on the market for just shy of £350,000.

Right, time for a property-based rub down.

You're enjoying that, aren't you?

-Hi, Justin.

-Hello. How you doing? Nice to see you.

Likewise. Thanks for speaking to me.

-No problem.

-I'm hoping you can help me out.

Brad, by your accent, you're probably not going to

be able to help me on the property hunt of Bath.

No, probably not.

-Whereabouts are you from?

-Canada.

OK. All right. The thing is, I've got a lady who's from...

from Spain, originally, but she wants to move back to Bath.

You've been here, you've got the, er,

you can view Bath as a true professional.

What do you like the best?

She's got a budget of £350,000 to spend.

-Now, she is looking for three bedrooms.

-Right.

Ideally, wants a, sort of, a period house,

traditional Bath-style property in the Bath stone.

-I know Bath comes at quite a premium.

-It does, it does.

So I appreciate that £350,000 may not get us far,

but does it sound realistic?

There are houses that would suit her.

Area-wise, definitely, sort of, downtown.

-Um, sort of, high street-ish.

-Uh-uh.

Got a good culture in there.

And just this whole entire area.

Doing this job, you must be in a fancy penthouse, or something?

Yeah? Not quite. I do live in a three-bedroom flat, though.

-Oh, really.

-Yeah, yeah. Just Kingsmead Square.

Are you prepared to sell it?

-No, no, no. I just got it. So, not a chance.

-Ah.

It's a three-bed Edwardian.

Lots of features, pleasant garden.

And this is all the Bath stone, is it? The original Bath stone?

-Yeah.

-Great.

Have you ever head massaged any estate agents, Brad?

Yes. I'm pretty sure I have.

-Are they a different breed?

-They're a little more stressed,

especially at this time of year.

Very good point, Brad. Very well tied in.

How are you finding things down here, in the market?

Are your finding your vendors are quite open and acceptable to offers?

Get the price right, it will sell.

There are still buyers there. Less buyers, therefore, you must be more aggressive on pricing.

Brad, if you're OK with this, can I call Steven,

-my estate agent contact, whilst this is going on?

-Yeah, of course. Go ahead.

Hello, is that... Oh, hold on a second. Is that Steven?

-'It is, yeah.'

-Steven, Steven.

-It's Ed here. How are you?

-'Yeah, good thanks, Ed.'

Now, Steven, I'm receiving a head massage, as we speak,

but I figure I might as well multitask.

Steven, what is the area of Bath like for a lady coming back, who used to lived here?

She wants the full experience of Bath in its glory. Where should she be?

When the market is difficult, you must have vendors

that have been on the market approaching a year?

We're now weeding them out, saying, "Got to be realistic.

-"We're not magicians. We're estate agents."

-Yeah.

And people are realising there is a recession.

It's here, whatever the banks or the government like to say.

Things are slow. You have to be realistic to sell.

OK, Steven, thank you. I've got to rush now,

because I've got to carry on house hunting. I'll see you later.

-Cheers for that.

-'Bye.'

-Let's give it another five minutes, eh, Brad, shall we?

-Yeah, course.

-So, this is how it goes down, is it, Ed?

-I beg your pardon?

I've actually been working. I've actually been working.

I've called Steven up, who is an estate agent.

And I've had the mystery property hunting team bike my details round.

So, what I've done is I've... yes, had a massage on my head

with Brad, who's a lovely guy. And I've got this.

So, done everything lying down. What have you done?

Can I close my eyes through this and relax?

Yeah, make yourself comfortable.

Property one. It's something special as far as apartments go.

And I'm quietly confident that she'll be interested.

-That is good news.

-I've also plumped for the joint choice.

-Really? And you're putting my name to it?

-I am.

-Is it a good one?

-I'll run through it and you let me know if you're happy with that.

-OK.

-It's a period property.

-Yep.

-It's double bay fronted.

-Like it.

-Made of Bath stone.

-Nice.

It's got three bedrooms, a big kitchen, outside space

for the al fresco dining that she was interested in.

-And it's within budget.

-I'll put my name to that.

Great. That's two properties.

I've gone for the wild card. Mine and the viewers' favourite part of the show.

I'm not going to show it you. Have a look at that?

-I like that.

-It's a cracker.

-Yeah.

It's a good end to the show. It's a 45 minute journey, um,

and that's a worthy, worthy end to it.

I'm just going to pop it there, Do you want...

I'm just going to relax. Too relaxed.

While Ed relaxes, let's start the journey. Property one.

Picture the scene, Ed, you ready?

A bijou pied-a-terre in the centre of Bath. Full of character.

Three bedrooms and the River Avon at the bottom of the garden. Ding, ding. Jackpot, baby!

But it's not actually a house, is it, Jonny?

Wasn't that quite far up Maria's list? As in, the top of it?

List, schmist. It's got two floors. And it's pretty special.

There are two major schools of thought

in the cliche-packed world of property. And they are as follows -

first impressions count and never judge a book by its cover.

Now, this property settles into the latter one.

Doesn't look like much. What do you think?

-Yeah. It's a bit on the plain side.

-A bit disappointing.

-It's quite noisy, as well.

-Yeah, the traffic.

Yes, it is. It is a fact, yes.

Don't judge a book by its cover. Because inside it's delightful.

It won't blow your mind, but I think you'll be impressed.

-We'll take your word for it.

-I hope so.

And, without saying too much, the garden is lovely.

It's really, really nice.

It is. So, what we can work with though - location.

We are obviously fairly central here, aren't we, Maria? What do you think?

Is this a good location for you?

Well, yes. I will say it is, yes.

Because it's accessible to all the main places. Yes.

OK. Sue, is Maria being honest?

-Is this the right place?

-Bit noisy for me. But, we'll see.

-OK.

-It'll have to be good inside to warrant this.

Remember, this is Jonny's choice.

-Please be kind to him.

-Right.

-So, let's see.

-OK. In three, two, one. Get in that house.

-Right.

-Woo-hoo.

-Straight in there.

All right, this is interesting. Hmm, bicycles.

I think it's back to student days, here.

Right. Viva Maria, this place is going to rule.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

I wonder who does the decoration of this entrance.

-Think it's communal living, isn't it?

-Yep.

And, um...

..OK.

-Communal living?

-Don't judge a book by its cover.

-There's so much more.

-They're inside the cover now and they're kind of seeing...

they've realised, oh, it's communal living.

Oh, look. There's a room in here.

But the question is, is it a bedroom or is it a living room?

-I don't know. It's not very big, is it?

-No, no, it isn't.

It's not the lounge. It's one of the potential bedrooms.

-Good news.

-It's a versatile room.

Nice and bright but, er...

Does it have double glazing?

-I wouldn't think so, Maria.

-No?

Can I have a little look through the window.

Oh, no, the windows need replacing, by the look of it.

That's it, yes.

I like the way they're picking up on all the positives so far.

Right, yes. Another room here. Yeah.

This is nice and bright.

-Well, it is. Yes.

-Sunny room.

-Natural light, people love it.

-They certainly do.

I've been told in the area that a lot of houses in Bath

are quite dark when you get inside.

-Then this one is bucking the trend.

-It really is. That's quite a rarity.

It is a nicer room than the front room.

And you can't hear the traffic as much.

No, no. The big difference is the noise that you get from the outside.

-Yes.

-This has, er, nothing else.

Doesn't seem to have many power points, I've noticed.

-No.

-One there. That's very poor. And in the other room only one.

Right, Jonny. It would seem it is time to play that age old game,

how do you solve a problem for Maria?

The power points, yeah?

-Love that.

-How do you solve that?

I would call a local electrician.

-OK.

-And ask him to come and fit some new points.

-Brilliant.

Right. So, well, this is a bit different.

-Some stairs going down.

-Like a landing with stairs.

-Very mysterious.

When Maria says, "Different," it's like being damned by faint praise.

Yeah, it is. And I don't even think there's any praise there.

-It's kind of like a massive negative point.

-Yeah.

-Oh, I never thought we were stepping in the bathroom.

-Bathroom.

So, that room at the front must be a bedroom, mustn't it?

-You think so?

-I think so. There's a bathroom here.

You wouldn't have a living room, a bathroom, a bedroom and a bathroom.

What about a kitchen? I was expecting to see it somewhere here.

-Sue.

-There you go. Sue's just got it.

Sue has put the old property Sherlock Holmes hat on.

She's now worked out the rooms.

But it is a good size.

-Nice tile floor.

-Yes.

-Slate on the floor.

-Yes.

Nothing very special, is it though?

-No, no, no.

-But it's a nice space.

-You could do a lot with it, couldn't you?

-Yes, I think so. Yes.

Lots of potential in that bathroom. If it didn't have anything in it.

-Which, I guess, is praise in a way.

-Hmm.

Oh, so this is the living room.

Well, this is full of surprises.

Yes it is, isn't it?

Quite a nice size.

This must be a living room

because the fireplace is there.

Looks on to the garden.

Oh, yes. This area's a nice patio

-to put my terracotta pots.

-Yes, lovely.

-Good, good, good, so far.

-Not a bad size as well.

Yeah, I actually like this.

It has sort of character.

Dare I say Mediterranean, Jonny?

-It's full of surprises this house, isn't it?

-Definitely.

Storage cupboards.

Oh, plenty of storage. Well, that's good because there's always...

A work bench there for you to do your woodwork on, Maria.

SHE LAUGHS

Woodwork? Woodwork?

Not only are they electricians. They're carpenters to boot.

What do you think here, with this entrance?

Let's see what we've got.

-Oh, my God.

-Oh, my goodness me!

Look at it? It's a coal cellar, is it?

Well, that is... I can apply the Spanish Inquisition here.

-Who lives within the...

-A-a-a-ah!

I think you'd think there was a ghost lurking in here.

-Quite a frightening looking room.

-The whole vault-y thing?

-Yeah.

I wouldn't go in there if you paid me.

Let's have a look in here. Come on, Maria.

All right, so which room?

Oh, this is a dining room.

I like the little fireplace.

Yes. That's pretty, isn't it?

So, what period it is, this house?

-It is the...

-I would think it's Georgian, wouldn't you?

-Yes.

I don't think it's Victorian.

What period? It's a Georgian house this, in fact.

-Made from traditional stone.

-Was it?

-Yeah, it's lovely.

-Oh, well, it's a pink kitchen.

-Wow.

-Ideal for a girl.

-That's different.

I think the bathroom is bigger, isn't it?

-I'd say it's very similar size to the bathroom.

-Right.

-You know what, Ed? I'm not going to pretend any more.

-What?

They really don't like it. They just don't seem to really like it at all.

No. That is the problem with this.

What do you think? I think it's great.

I like it. I mean, the people at home, um...

if you can force the cameraman through power of thought, right, to vote with yourselves.

Do you think they like the house?

No, they don't. That's impressive, they managed to do that.

Right. So, shall we ask the boys to see, find out.

Yes. We've got a lot of questions here, haven't we?

Definitely, yes. Absolutely, yes.

We must remember all the questions that we have. Yes.

But it is an interesting property.

-Very.

-So, let's find out.

Come this way, girls. How was that for you?

-Well, we're surprised.

-Yeah?

-Full of surprises.

-Follow me down the garden path.

When you say surprise, were you talking good or bad surprises?

Well, mixed I will say, yes.

-Because I notice that it is only two bedrooms.

-Right.

-Although there's a possibility that maybe the dining room to be used as a bedroom.

-Exactly, it's versatile.

But listen, out here, this is one of the major selling points of this property.

-Lovely garden.

-The fact you've got this superb garden.

-It is, yes.

It is a lovely atmosphere with all this trees and all that.

And yet it's in the centre of Bath.

And I've just spotted at the bottom of the garden... Is that water?

Absolutely correct, Sue. That is a river.

It's the River Avon. If you wanted to buy a boat,

you could keep it right down there.

If you didn't want a boat, you could rent it out. Which would be nice.

You've got mooring rights down there.

-I can see myself there sitting there doing my fishing.

-Yeah, like that?

-Yeah.

-I don't think you'll catch anything, But you have fun.

-You never know.

-Ed, come in here.

-That's all the questions answered, bar one.

Which is how much does it cost?

Sue, you've not really spent any time in Bath, have you?

No, I haven't. I'd guess, a wild guess, 325?

Maria's the one who's going to be buying it. What do you think?

I will say 300.

Maria...you're bang on.

This is £300,000. You got it absolutely perfect.

-Ah, amazing. Yeah. Wow, the winner.

-Exactly. One-nil to you.

Ladies, as much as you've been bullied by Jonny into liking this property.

I think property two, the joint choice that Jonny and I have thrown together today,

might just tickle your fancy.

It's a short swim and a walk this way. You coming?

-Ah, well, are we swimming?

-Yes?

That's how you fish.

Oh, sorry. I'm so used to driving.

Let's swim this way. It'll take us a while.

Yeah, let's have a fish.

We're going all modern for the joint choice.

Well, for Bath anyway. Which isn't very modern at all.

And neither is this Edwardian place.

No, but I think we've done really well. Three double bedrooms,

gorgeous garden, nicely decorated. What more could Maria want?

And it's a proper house too. None of this two-floor apartment business.

She'll love it.

Now, Maria and Sue, after the first property we visited,

I have got an inkling, a feeling,

a sensation that the joint choice today

is going to be a little bit more up your street.

Have a look at that.

Maria, what do you think? Is this kind of more what you're after?

Um... Sort of.

I'd be interested in seeing what it is like inside.

OK. What's holding you back? There's a hesitation.

I think it's mainly having a school at the end of the road.

-Well.

-Yes.

-Here's a question. What time are you at work from and till?

Difficult to tell. Sometimes I am at home and sometimes I am at work.

I hoped you'd say you get back at five so I could say you'll never see the schoolchildren.

You could turn that round. From a resale view,

having a school in the neighbourhood is going to be really beneficial.

Yeah, it could be. Thinking about it in long term, yeah maybe, yes.

It's a nice house. It's Edwardian.

-It's made of Bath stone.

-It looks nice.

Believe it or not, despite my earlier efforts,

this has got everything you want.

Bath stone. What famous building is made out of Bath stone?

Hmm, this is a question.

Buckingham Palace!

If it's good enough for the Queen, is it good enough for you, Maria?

-Sue, what do you think?

-Stylish.

-Good.

-Clean.

Thank you. In three, two, one. Be that house. Go on.

Get yourselves in there, girls.

Buckingham Palace, remember?

An interesting fact about Buckingham Palace,

obviously this house being built of the same material, it's built back to front.

-Oh.

-Built back to front.

-Right.

-I had no idea...

-Let the tour commence.

It's quite narrow here, isn't it?

-It is, yes. It is.

-Narrow staircase.

Of course it's cramped. It's a corridor.

Oh, well. So, this goes through...

-It's a lounge-cum-dining room.

-That's it, yes.

-Nice bay window.

-Um-hmm.

-Plenty of light.

-That's it.

With the joint choice we have stuck with the - hard to find in Bath -

light and airy house. We've found another one.

But I like the character of the room.

-They kept it...

-Nice features.

..I imagine it's the original colouring in here.

So, quite strange to have two different periods of fireplaces.

Well, they don't match, do they?

Yes, the fireplaces don't match, Sue. But you could replace them.

The fireplace that you think doesn't match the one that you think is original, is actually Victorian.

-When this is from where?

-Edwardian.

-Yes.

So, you could just go and get two Edwardian fireplaces and they'd be... Sue!

Argh! She's got me annoyed.

Well, we'll see the rest of the house.

So far, so good.

-Got a nice stone floor here.

-Yeah, like the flooring. It's good, yes.

And a nice size kitchen.

Yes, with the breakfast area.

It's handy, isn't it? Yes.

What I'm hoping they're going to like is the lounge diners, the great living area,

the kitchen diner means you've got an informal dining choice

as well as a formal one in the main room.

Units look new though, Maria, don't they?

Yes, yes, yeah. It is a nice kitchen.

It is. And it overlooks the garden, which is another asset, isn't it?

Oh, yes. And it has an apple tree. I always have liked apple trees.

Lovely kitchen. Shaker style units. Fully integrated as well.

We've got washer-dryer, dishwasher, refrigerator, freezer.

-Wow.

-And a lovely big stainless steel six-ring type range cooker thing.

-I like them. I do like them.

-Yeah. It's a chef's kitchen.

Right. So, now upstairs.

A bit narrow, don't you think?

-Yes, rather narrow.

-Definitely.

But it's a narrow house, it's a terraced house.

And I think also the colours being dark, it makes it narrow.

-Yes, they do. If they were lighter...

-Where shall we go? Forward?

Then, let's go this way, shall we?

Ah, a blue room.

-Very blue.

-Ah.

Quite a nice size room, anyways.

-Yes, yes, because it does fits a double.

-It's a boy's room, isn't it?

-Yes, it is.

-Overlooking the garden.

-This is nice.

-They've kept the original fireplaces.

Which is nice, isn't it?

Let's see if it's got power points.

Oh, she's done it!

Sue's done it again. She's done it again.

Can't find any.

Power points... Argh! Sue!

Right, into the bathroom, Maria. An avocado suite.

Oh right. Yes, an electric shower.

That's cream, not avocado.

-OK.

-That's cleared that up.

And cream was only out of fashion ten years.

Avocado was 20. So...

Like, very plain.

I think it's probably old-fashioned, don't you think?

Because the sink doesn't match the bath.

It's probably quite an old suite, isn't it?

Because this avocado was fashionable about 20 years ago, wasn't it?

Oh, right. Oh, interesting.

What is fashion?

(Not that. It's not that.

(It's that. It is that.)

MOUTHS

It is that.

Another nice big bedroom or study.

Good size. Yeah. If I use it as a study,

-probably will be a problem...

-You'd have to have a sofa bed.

Who wouldn't want a sofa in the study?

Do a bit of study then have a little snooze. Study, snooze.

So, a futon or something like that.

-Definitely.

-But it is quite a big room to do that.

It is a good size and I like the fireplace.

-Yes. It's cosy, isn't it?

-It's nice.

You could even have a little fire in there, you know?

A little stove or something. Electric one or gas.

I love where Sue's coming from.

The optimism's flowing back in.

Let's go and have a look at the third bedroom, Maria.

-All right. Yes, yes.

-Oh, a nice light room. Quite large.

Yeah, I like this. Yes, because this...

-I have always liked rooms with plenty of light.

-Absolutely.

-Yes. And also it can fit a king bed size bed.

-Yes.

Yes, I like this room. Definitely.

-It's a pleasant room.

-It's nice in white.

In fact, I've been told that painting a house white

gives you this sense of tranquillity.

Difficult in my case because I never feel that relaxed.

-You might do in Bath.

-Right.

OK. So, the kitchen's great.

The living space is fine. The bedrooms are spot-on.

Apart from the hall, which is pointless as no-one even lives in a hall.

OK, Maria and Sue, follow us through.

Now, is it fair to say that this viewing went a little bit better than the first one?

Well, this house is... It's in a better condition. Yes, definitely.

It doesn't need as much work done on it as the previous one.

-That was a real concern, wasn't it?

-Yes, that's it. Yes. It has three bedrooms and I like the garden.

-Seems to have an apple tree, which are my favourite ones.

-Which is good.

Sue, what is your obsession with power points, right?

It seems to go so well and then it's like, where are the power points?

-Where's this come from?

-Isn't that important?

-Well, it is.

It's so annoying when you go into a house

and you need extensions because there's not enough power points.

We discussed a solution for this.

-Get an electrician round.

-Well, exactly.

I must admit, when I, when I see Sue say it, it makes sense.

Now, do you remember what I was saying about the Bath stone...

this being built from that. And also Buckingham Palace?

Do you want a Bath stone fact to impress your friends?

Did you know that it's an oolitic limestone?

Very soft and crumbly in the ground.

But when you expose it to air, it becomes rock solid.

-I didn't know that.

-Didn't, did you?

-No, we didn't.

-Interesting.

-Get out there and tell your friends.

-Great asset.

Listen, it's guess the price time. Maria, you are one-nil up.

Very well done. Your top budget is £350,000.

You can go first. How much do you think?

Erm... 320?

-OK.

-OK. Not bad guess. Sue, what do you think?

300?

It's £310,000. So, that makes guess the price officially a tie.

I don't think we've tickled your taste buds enough so far.

-No.

-You know, number one didn't float your boat.

This one, we've had to extract the joy. There is one more property.

It is my pleasure today, to do the wild card. I don't often get this,

so please be kind to it.

-Try to be.

-And I think it's this way.

Sue, you better be kind to it, otherwise you'll be in trouble.

-I'll try.

-All right?

OK. I know today's wild card is very wild,

but I reckon it'll appeal to Maria's wild Mediterranean side.

She'll be wild when she sees that there's no access by car down to the house.

Don't let mere access problems

quench the spark of imagination in this place.

It's a moment captured in time.

The wild card, the wild card. Everyone's favourite part of the show is the wild card.

And what a cracker we have for you in this beautiful part of Bath.

Are you ready? Is everyone ready?

Are we all steady, and so? Let's get to this position.

So as we can see it perfectly.

Viewers at home you can now...

-Can we look?

-..open your eyes with Maria and Sue and Jonny, and look.

Oh. Oh, wow!

-Wow. Oh, yes!

-There you go.

That's all right, isn't it?

Let's have the first thoughts, Sue.

-Cos you have been the harshest one so far.

-Have I?

You have, Sue. Don't pretend.

-What do you think?

-I think it's fantastic.

-Brilliant.

Maria, you're the one buying the house. Hopefully this one.

Exactly. I like the balcony.

-Looks very continental.

-Yes.

-Which is what we were going for.

-Absolutely. Yes. Mmm.

Ladies, we're in the very desirable area of Bath Eastern.

Have you heard of Bath Eastern? This is quite hot.

This house is nothing short of beautiful.

-And we're really tucked away down here.

-Yes.

-Look at that.

-It sounds very much like me.

-Short and beautiful.

-Oh, Maria!

What's it like on the inside? Find out in a second.

-The entrance is this way.

-Can we go?

-Be on your best behaviour, Sue.

-I'll try.

-They seem to really like it.

-I think they love it.

-Yeah. Croquet?

-I love the idea. With headphones?

-I love where you're at.

1,001, 1,002, 1,003... Ah! 1,003.

-I got to 12.

-It's not bad though, is it?

We're going in this room first.

This looks like a study.

Yeah. Very sunny with, um... with, um, the patio there.

-The view is absolutely fantastic.

-Wow!

-Yes, definitely.

-Yeah, very nice.

We have three bedrooms. They're currently in the one that overlooks this beautiful view.

You're not overlooked in any way.

There's a room there. Let's look.

I think it's more of a wardrobe.

Oh, right. Let's see whether there's any light in there.

Is this the one? Oh, yeah.

Oh, yes, this a very deep wardrobe.

It's a walk in wardrobe, isn't it?

Plenty of space inside, yes.

Maria's loving it, isn't she?

Rightly so. It's genuinely awesome.

-You've done fantastic.

-I really have.

Oh, wow. Look at this room.

-Lovely big space, isn't it? Living space.

-Oh, excellent.

Now, Jonny, this house has probably not got the same amount of character as property two,

but it has the stove. Hopefully they won't miss that.

It has, um...

-wooden burner.

-A wood-burning stove, yes.

-Oh, fantastic. I like that.

-Very nice.

-Yes.

-This is a very cosy sitting area.

-Yeah. And I like the open space.

Yes, it gives a feeling of room and space, doesn't it?

-Definitely, yes.

-No, I like that.

-Really nice.

-Yeah. I do.

Ah, this is great.

They're working as a team now. Sue is mopping up the housing terminology -

spacious. And Maria's doing the fine details there.

Oh, what is this?

-Very nice.

-Wow, a Jacuzzi.

What a lovely, lovely bathroom.

This is possibly one of the...

sexiest bathrooms we have come across.

It is absolutely awesome in there.

Wonderful. Bit of imagination, isn't it?

That's it, yes.

Is this slate, do you think?

I think so, yes. Definitely, yes.

And I like the towel rail because that's really good for...yeah.

1,003, 4, 1,005, oh!

1,005. I'm getting very close.

-How many have you got?

-Erm...

One, two, three, four.

Only four? I got 1,005.

Let's go in here, Marie.

-Lovely, small bedroom here.

-Oh, yes.

-Isn't it?

-Luckily I'm not very tall because look at the ceiling.

Yeah, the ceilings are very low.

First time I can touch a ceiling.

She says luckily, it's not luck.

It's myself and the property hunting team and Brad the masseur that have organised this.

Did you remember me in the buyer's chat sneaking behind Maria measuring her?

-Do you not remember?

-Is that what you were doing?

-Yeah.

-I thought it was weird.

-Worked it all out for that. It's all tailor made.

These are the bedrooms.

Oh, right. Another bedroom. And I thought this was the kitchen.

Oh, that's a nice room.

-Very nice.

-Like it.

-Oh, gosh. Look at the view over the garden.

-Oh, God. This is the... beautiful view. Yes.

-Very nice.

They're in the biggest bedroom now. The master bedroom.

Lovely wooden floors, bright decor with those French doors opening out onto the terrace/veranda.

It's lovely.

Do you think these are 1930s' doors?

I wonder what the age of this house is.

I would say sort of '60s.

Wasn't it '60s, '70s when they, sort of, used to...

board up everything and it was flat.

They look quite, quite solid.

-Do you know the age of the property?

-I'm going to throw out '50s?

Yeah, it is. About mid-'50s.

I think 1956.

Oh, wow! How lovely.

Isn't it a fantastic kitchen?

-It is. Superb.

-Yes. Oh, I love it. Yes. It is really nice.

And look at the view, Maria.

What I love is all the glass around.

-You can see.

-And the wood. The wood is just superb.

It is nice.

The best room in the house.

This room.

It is very, very, very deceiving

because from outside you don't imagine that it's so modern inside.

Somebody's had a lot of imagination, haven't they?

That's it, yes. Yeah, definite.

-Very nice.

-I like the cooker there and the oven. Everything is nice.

This is a good worktop, isn't it?

-Good work surface here.

-That's it, yes.

Yeah. I like the split level idea. That's good.

Yes, yes. I like wooden floors.

Well thought out.

This is just fantastic. It's like being on holiday!

Absolutely stunning view.

Come on, Maria. Let's sit down and enjoy the sunshine and the view.

Yes, yes.

-Oh, this is glorious.

-Oh, lovely. Hello, boys.

-Hello. You having a lovely time?

-Oh, yes.

Yes, it is absolutely stunning to be here, yes.

-I love this decking.

-I think this is an extension.

-Do you think so?

It's had an extension. It is an extension.

I'm no, I'm no property Poirot, but look at that.

Of course it's an extension.

And it looks all newly done, doesn't it?

I don't think it's been done very long.

Yeah, but definitely the garden is absolutely beautiful.

I think he's still in the middle of doing it.

He's facing it with this wood.

Want to play guess the price?

-Oh, yeah.

-Yeah, let's play that. Let's play guess the price.

I do really, really want to know the price, yes.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-Hello, hello, hello, hello. OK, if you could.

-Can we sit down?

Yes, come on. Let's make it like the '60s.

Right, now, Sue, you were on your best behaviour in there.

-Was I?

-Well... or did you genuinely love it?

-No. It is a super house inside.

-It is, isn't it?

-Really good, yeah.

-Maria, what did you think?

-I think it's fantastic.

Yes, I love... Particularly I like the sunny kitchen and the balcony.

The focal point of the property, isn't it?

-Exactly.

-It's interesting because at the beginning of the show,

you were saying that you wanted a traditional Bath stone property,

but this is completely different.

It's as far removed from that as you could possibly get.

It is, yes. It is. The bathroom is absolutely fantastic.

-Stunning.

-Absolutely, yes.

So, you can see yourself having parties?

Oh, absolutely. Look at this, all this grounds.

Was that you dancing for a second?

Ideal for a, for, um, parties.

-Yeah. Even a barbecue's down in the garden there.

-Exactly.

What are you thinking? Ed's brought you to this fantastic property,

but has he got you a bargain?

Is it within budget or has he sailed beyond it?

-Well, that is a big question.

-So, it's guess the price time.

-It is, it is.

-Who wants to go first?

-You go first.

-Yeah, me? Um...

-Let's just remind ourselves of your budget.

-It's £350,000.

-Right.

-What do you think this place is on for?

Because of the grounds and because I would need to buy

a couple of donkeys to carry my shopping.

Um, I will say that is 325?

OK.

310.

HE EXHALES

Maria, it's £340,000.

-Oh, right.

-So, it's right near the top of your budget.

Now, there is room for negotiation, considering your position

that you are a cash buyer.

You're ready to go. You're as good as it gets.

Right. Well, that's good to know that.

Ladies, you now have to go away

and make the biggest decision of your adult lives.

About which one you wish to test drive.

Jonny and I cannot help you.

-Are you up for this?

-Absolutely.

-Good stuff. Wander down there.

Maybe take a cappuccino in Bath and just think about it for a while.

-And we'll see you later.

-That's a good idea.

Yes, we know where to go, don't we?

All right. Well, head off that way and we'll see you later.

-Fantastic.

-Thank you.

-Good luck.

-See you, boys.

-See you.

-Oh, dear. Right. There we are.

-See you later.

While they're off doing that, here's a recap.

Right then, will my bijou duplex apartment

with the Mediterranean garden and mooring rights float Maria's boat? Bang in Bath proper

and affordable at £300,000.

I reckon our joint choice.

The Bath stone beauty with three bedrooms and an apple tree,

but not quite enough power points might do it.

A tad dearer at £310,000.

You know, Ed, maybe the charms of the croquet lawn,

al fresco lifestyle and balcony at your wild card will swing it.

That bathroom could tip the balance all by itself.

Still under the budget at 340K.

Things are looking good in the kitchen. But which kitchen?

Ah, no wonder Sue's going all wild. She's in the wild card kitchen.

Sue's obviously a lady of taste.

I can't wait to eat all that. Sue's invited us along later, you know.

Hang on! Who's arrived to eat our tea?

I tell you what, though, Maria's really going for the al fresco dining experience.

No, don't bring all the food out. Just bring the wine.

It's not looking hopeful for us.

Maybe there'll be an olive left. Or some scraps of patatas bravas.

Hello.

-Hello there, boys.

-Did no-one say that we'd be turning up for the food?

Well, you've come a bit late.

-Where have you been?

-I don't know!

We were so hungry we had to start.

-We heard that you invited us for this time.

-You're late.

No, we didn't, we said half an hour ago.

-Anyway, have a drink.

-All right. This is awful.

It's still far too early.

Now, what I want to know.

-Yeah.

-What I want to know, you've had the friends round.

What do they think about this property?

Well, they thought it is... that it is a fantastic place, yes.

Lovely, especially for these type of occasions.

Entertaining friends, the decking, fantastic.

And the property has a cosy feeling as well.

Umm... So, in and out we are pleasantly happy. Yeah, yeah.

Good stuff. Sue, how's it gone for you?

-Yes. Well, this property is a little jewel.

-I like it. I like it.

Especially on a day like today.

Entertaining, cooking, wonderful.

Gorgeous kitchen.

No, it is superb. But...

there's always got to be a but, hasn't it?

There's always a but with you, Sue.

The access is very difficult.

Can't get a car down to the property.

So, is your glass half full or half empty at the moment?

-Well, I'm a half full person.

-Yeah?

-All the way.

From a property point of view, you can see yourself here

enjoying the space you've got around you.

Yes. Yeah, from that point of view, yes.

But I definitely have to get a better job.

So that I can get a helicopter that lands right on there. Yeah.

We can't end the show without the important question.

I think we've kind of danced round it already.

And I think I know what the answer's going to be. But, but here we go.

To buy or not to buy, Maria? That is the question.

Big question.

I will say, at this moment in time, I will say I love the property.

I love the garden.

But I have to give a good thought to that question before I commit myself to say to buy.

It's all about the access, isn't it?

That's it, yes. That's the main worry for me.

Maybe if we at night time just chop

some of the hedges down and build a road.

That might sway you towards a positive. Do you think?

-Yes.

-Good.

-A big possibility.

Good. I like it. Sue, let's get the hedge trimmers later.

-Yeah.

-We've had a lovely time.

-All the very best.

-Thank you, boys.

Thank you very much.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media.