Location Season 44 Episode 3

Reality Realm US

Location Season 44 Episode 3  #RealityRealmUS Reality Realm US

Transcript

00:00Oh! Look, look, look!

00:03This time, we're taking on Scotland's capital.

00:07This Edinburgh market is hard.

00:09We'll stop at nothing.

00:11Are you absolutely sure?

00:13To reach their family homes.

00:15You couldn't have done anything any better.

00:17There'll be no putting our feet up.

00:20Deep breath.

00:20Until the job is done.

00:22I love it.

00:24You love it?

00:24I love it.

00:28Such a child.

00:30We're back in irrepressible Edinburgh.

00:42My couple have said cheerio to Sydney

00:44and returned to the UK to be closer to family.

00:47And my couple have said adios to Aberdeen

00:50and bringing their children to live in Scotland's capital.

00:54I mean, who would want to live in Edinburgh?

00:56It's stunning.

00:57I've never seen it look prettier.

00:59It's particularly special at this time of year.

01:01In the summer.

01:04Any time of year, this place is popular, Pip.

01:07Especially with house buyers.

01:09They come seeking life in a beautiful historic city

01:12and the desirable commuter towns along the East Lothian coastline.

01:17And prices are up almost 7% in the last year.

01:22Edinburgh remains the most expensive Scottish city to own a home in.

01:27With properties 17 grand more than the UK average.

01:30But, by all accounts, there was nothing average about Carl when he caught Natasha's eye in Edinburgh.

01:39A boy walks into a bar and that's how we met.

01:42Hottest human I've ever seen in my life.

01:44There was a girl that was looking at me all night long and she approached at the end of the evening.

01:50Oh, please don't put that on.

01:53That's the truth.

01:53You sound like a stalker.

01:56The mutual attraction was evident when, five months later,

01:59Chief Engineer Carl had packed up in Norwich to live with climate and emissions manager Natasha in Aberdeen.

02:07It was never really the intention to stay as long as we have.

02:10But time flies when you're having fun.

02:1319 years to be exact.

02:1517 of them spent in Aberdeen, where they settled in their jobs

02:19and welcomed the arrival of their children, Bo and Aurelia.

02:24Aberdeen's been a wonderful place to raise the kids.

02:27But we are just looking for a new opportunity really for all of us.

02:31If I was about to start high school, if we don't do it now,

02:33it's going to be at least six or seven years before we can consider it again.

02:37Their wishes looked to have come true when a work move offered a new life in the Middle East.

02:43But 18 months ago, just as they'd sold up their family home,

02:46the job fell through, leaving them back at square one and in a rental to boot.

02:52We've got a lovely house we live in. We live in a lovely leafy area.

02:55There's so many pluses, but it's not our house.

02:58I think the move will bring us a wealth of new things to go and do,

03:01whether it be coffee shops or bars or parks.

03:05It's just a long-running family joke that I love a pub and pub grub and a pub quiz.

03:10And there's more pubs in Edinburgh.

03:14Both can work from Edinburgh.

03:15The place they met and married.

03:18But so far, moving almost 100 miles south to a city they don't really know is proving tricky.

03:23Meaning only six viewings in as many months.

03:26With a young family, coming to Edinburgh is at least a five-hour round trip.

03:30And we just don't get the opportunity.

03:32It's just been really overwhelming.

03:34It's all complicated further by Scotland's offers over system.

03:38Meaning that where we're searching, houses can go for more than 20% above asking.

03:44We don't know where we're looking.

03:46We don't really know how to deal with a rising market.

03:50What they do know is what they want.

03:52And even their top £650,000 is struggling in pricey Edinburgh.

03:57We want to be part of a nice community.

04:00Four bedrooms, but that fourth bedroom could double up as a workspace.

04:03Having a big sociable dining kitchen is really important to us.

04:07Within walking distance of a good school.

04:09A garden, preferably south-facing.

04:11We need a garage because Carl has a classic car and likes to tinker.

04:16Or a double garage in a workshop.

04:18I mean, you'd like a quadruple garage, really.

04:20I would.

04:20Yeah.

04:22For £200,000?

04:22Not a lot, really.

04:26They may be laughing, Phil, but a top-heavy wishlist could drive this search right off track.

04:32How's your own search gone?

04:35Not very successfully.

04:36No.

04:36We're just at a crossroads, aren't we?

04:38It's kind of now or never.

04:39Beau starts secondary school after the summer.

04:41Have you looked into schools?

04:43Probably the number one on our list of what we need.

04:46Yes.

04:47How am I going to work with that?

04:48Top ten schools in Edinburgh?

04:50Top ten schools in Edinburgh.

04:51Yeah, I think that would be.

04:52Yeah.

04:53Catchment areas, as you know, the better the school, the higher the price.

04:56Absolutely.

04:56It may mean that you end up facing some difficult decisions on the property and the size of it.

05:01I think we know that, don't we?

05:02Yeah, I think deep down, yeah, we knew this is a big challenge.

05:05Where do you think the compromise could be?

05:07I think on distance, as long as the transport links are good enough.

05:11We're open to internal layout moves and things as well.

05:13Yeah.

05:14What else do we need?

05:15Garden's really important to us and so is a garage because Carl has a classic car and

05:209,000 bikes and tools.

05:23That's not a single garage?

05:24I haven't got a single garage at the moment, no.

05:26So basically what we want is to lift where we are now to Edinburgh.

05:30Closer to Edinburgh.

05:31How much would that be?

05:32I've got £625,000, as far as I'm aware, in Aberdeen.

05:38Yeah.

05:38So it's probably, you know, put another couple of hundred on that.

05:41Yeah.

05:42We'd better get on with it then, wouldn't we?

05:43Yeah.

05:46With schools starting in three months, you'd better.

05:48For my couple's top £650,000, they want to walk to school, four bedrooms, one for Natasha's

06:01office and a family kitchen diner.

06:04Some work is okay, but a garden is a must, as is Carl's garage.

06:09And they want to be close to town with good transport links.

06:14Good schools are top of the list, so I'll be searching from Edinburgh's desirable suburbs

06:18to its more affordable villages.

06:22I'm heading towards the sea, searching for a town and country balance in East Lothian.

06:28But I'll dip my toes closer to town as well.

06:30To where my couple, Claire and husband Mark, are no strangers.

06:39I grew up in West Lothian, but my dream was to move into Edinburgh. It was the big smoke.

06:45And I grew up in England. This is the England-Scotland dynamic at play here.

06:50Work threw me into Edinburgh, which is where we met.

06:53Back in the 90s, fun, great fun.

06:56After a whirlwind office romance, the fun rolled on.

07:01And they swapped grey skies for blue in Australia.

07:04Oh, look at the beach.

07:0722 years later, three children.

07:09Blue sky, beaches.

07:11We just didn't come back.

07:15However, they are back.

07:17Both have sadly lost a parent and want to be on hand for remaining loved ones.

07:21It was really hard to leave Australia. And leaving our son there, his choice.

07:27I miss him so much.

07:29Following an eldest son Jay's footsteps, middle son Ben is also opting to study in Oz.

07:35That leaves 16-year-old daughter Savannah and the dogs to plan for.

07:40In the six months since landing, they've been all go. Renting in multiple areas and even offering

07:46and being outbid on a house in Gullen in East Lothian.

07:49It was a little gym near the beach.

07:52But it's not easy being away from home for, you know, as long as we have.

07:56Yeah, just understanding how the market works.

07:58So home for now is a rental in the Trinity area of the centre,

08:02close to Claire's medical receptionist job and Savannah's school.

08:06Meanwhile, Mark is taking a career break until they settle in.

08:10What keeps me busy when Claire's at work? The dogs. The dogs. The dogs.

08:16Dinner and a little bit of golf.

08:17But it's not an easy course.

08:21Even with their top spend of 800 grand, going from starter flats here in the 90s to finding

08:26the perfect family home today is a whole new ball game.

08:30They're finding some space, particularly for the dogs.

08:33We don't want to put an extra strain on Savannah getting to and from school.

08:37I love stone, Scottish stone houses. It's got to be bright. It's got to be airy.

08:43My heart's in Edinburgh. My heart is less so in central Edinburgh.

08:48East Lothian. Yeah, it's always appealed to me. It's got access to nature and the beaches.

08:53We're going to know when it's the right place.

08:56And it's exciting. But there's going to be compromise.

08:58There'll be compromise, yeah, but it's also exciting.

09:00Yeah. Ah, compromise. The key to a happy relationship, eh, Kirsty?

09:08You've always found it so, Phil.

09:10This is quite an emotional search. One of the children's still in Australia.

09:16You've both lost a parent. You're making decisions about coming back after 22 years abroad.

09:22It's time to be here. What do you want to get out of a home in Scotland?

09:26Somewhere where we can be settled, somewhere the children can come and go, and for our two dogs.

09:31Walks are an absolute necessity. Yeah, accessibility to outdoors.

09:35Yeah, yeah. How many bedrooms?

09:37Three. At a cost of...?

09:40Three in 600 and 800 is the range.

09:42So where would you ideally be? I just love Edinburgh.

09:45Mark? I would rather be on the outside of Edinburgh.

09:49Am I basically looking for the compromise, or is it that one of you's going to walk in and say,

09:55this is the one for me, and the other's going to say,

09:58you love this so much that I'm going to go with it?

10:00I'm very emotional. Mark's quite sensible. So hopefully we come to some agreement between those two.

10:09Seems it'll come down to head or heart winning this one.

10:12As ever, I'll try to satisfy both, Phil.

10:17Claire and Mark can stretch to £800,000 and prefer open-plan living with lots of light and curb appeal.

10:23They want three bedrooms for kids coming and going and a secure garden for the dogs.

10:31Near open space, amenities and links for Claire and daughter Savannah's Edinburgh commutes.

10:39You're looking resplendent in the Edinburgh sunshine, it suits you.

10:42I've not got a jacket or a scarf on.

10:44You're brave. Crazy housing market though, always is.

10:47My couple, they're coming here for good reasons to do with family.

10:52But there's a sadness about leaving Australia, as you can imagine.

10:56Yes.

10:56My couple's going to be led by walking distance to a school and a double garage.

11:01It's the worst week to go have something.

11:03Why, because it's going to look good?

11:04Everything is going to look as good as it possibly can.

11:07You're going to make our job sound easy.

11:09Oh, that is exciting. Look at the steam. Look, look, look. That's amazing.

11:16Is it the flying Scotsman?

11:18No, Phil. I'd like to see a certain flying Englishman move that fast.

11:23Just hold on tight, Kirsty. I'm full steam ahead.

11:26And even in this fast market, I've found a gem for Natasha and Carl in desirable Kostorfen.

11:33It's a buzzing suburb, just 20 minutes to town and a skip to school for Beau.

11:38Here, we're seeing this 1930s house with bags of potential.

11:43First up, we're in Kostorfen.

11:45This is the house I'm going to show you.

11:48We've got parking. We've got a garage.

11:49We've got a garage, yeah.

11:51Lots of ticks so far.

11:52Yeah.

11:53Something like 23 viewings already and there's 12 booked this week.

11:56Wow.

11:57OK.

11:57It's due to the school and the fact that it is walking distance.

12:00And it's pretty from the outside.

12:02It is, yeah.

12:02Lucky number.

12:04Lucky number seven.

12:05Yeah.

12:06Let's get in.

12:06As long as their vision for work is the same as yours, Phil, that luck could turn into love

12:13inside this box-ticking bungalow.

12:15Downstairs, there's a character reception room, two double bedrooms, one en suite,

12:21and an office for Natasha.

12:23The kitchen and dining would easily combine to create the sociable space they're after.

12:28Upstairs are two further double bedrooms and a bathroom.

12:34Outside, there's a family garden and the all-important garage for Carl.

12:39Honor offers over £510,000. It's expected to sell for around £570, leaving plenty in the pot from

12:46their top 650 for changes.

12:50Come in.

12:50OK.

12:51See what we think.

12:52OK.

12:53Love the paddling.

12:54It is fantastic.

12:55Yeah, it's cool, isn't it?

12:56Yeah, it's really cool.

12:57It's a bit historic.

12:59Knowing how important the entertaining room is to you, let's just tackle that first.

13:05It's calling out to be knocked through to the existing kitchen. Pretty simple to do.

13:09I think we're completely up for this.

13:11Certainly potential here to do something with it.

13:12Definitely.

13:12Yep.

13:13They are asking offers over £510,000.

13:16Yeah.

13:16Brilliant, so well under budget.

13:19A super start, and the idea of work hasn't put them off either.

13:24Well, these are great kids' rooms.

13:26Yeah.

13:27Yeah, I like the fact that they're a bit quirky.

13:29It's always a little bit difficult trying to gauge their reactions on a first viewing.

13:36I'm hoping they will be impressed by both the access into the city and the walking distance

13:41to the school.

13:43It could be massive if you extended out the back and went the full width of the house.

13:46Yeah, absolutely.

13:46Yeah.

13:47It does need a bit of vision. With that applied, it could be absolutely cracking.

13:52I think there is potential to go out that way.

13:53To extend it, yeah.

13:55A garage this close to town was always going to be tricky,

13:58so I'm cheered.

13:59Carl's seeing potential.

14:02How does it sit with you, though, as a package?

14:04Garden's really good.

14:05Love the panelling in the hallway.

14:07Yeah.

14:07I think it's got some really nice, interesting features.

14:10I guess the concern is we probably would have to extend out the back.

14:12Okay, yeah.

14:13The flip side of that is 20 minutes on the bus into town, walk to school.

14:18Yeah.

14:18Yes, exactly.

14:19I think it's a learning process.

14:20Yeah, great first house.

14:21Really good first house.

14:23Let's crack on.

14:23Great.

14:25Well, they seem like they're ready to learn, Phil.

14:28Yep, and good to have the first lesson go down so well.

14:32We're in glorious Edinburgh and East Lovian.

14:45I'm with Natasha and Carl, who are swapping life in the Granite City for a future in the Scottish capital.

14:51Whereas I'm with Mark and Claire, who've packed up and sold down under to search for the perfect spot to settle in Edinburgh.

15:00My couple are leaving Aberdeen after 17 years.

15:03They want a family home, but are struggling to adjust to the Edinburgh market.

15:08Property one had some charm.

15:10Love the panelling in the hallway.

15:12Yeah.

15:12I think it's got some really nice, interesting features.

15:15My couple, returning to be closer to family, are busy readjusting to the city they once called home 22 years ago.

15:23It's not easy being away from home for, you know, as long as we have.

15:27Yeah, just understanding how the market works.

15:29So I'm chuffed to be starting a village they love and tried to buy in before, Gullen, on the East Lothian coast.

15:37It's got the right lifestyle, the great outdoors, easy links to town for Claire and Savannah,

15:43and all just a walk from this aesthetically inspiring abode.

15:47So, here we are.

15:49The semi-detached house.

15:52Very much in the local vernacular.

15:54First impressions?

15:56Lovely.

15:57Wow.

15:57Gorgeous.

15:58Location-wise?

15:59No complaints.

16:00Oh!

16:01Location.

16:02Ooh!

16:03This is a good start to the day.

16:05You're right, Kirsty.

16:07Even Edinburgh-loving Claire seems happy to leave the city behind her

16:11and wait till they see inside this B-listed beauty.

16:15Downstairs,

16:15there's a very bright and open kitchen living space they will love.

16:19Plus, there's a handy sitting room or fourth bedroom for guests and a family bathroom.

16:24The gardens, dog secure, and there's even off-road parking.

16:29Upstairs, the remaining three bedrooms aren't huge but perfectly functional.

16:34And there's a bathroom.

16:35The location is popular and pricey.

16:38So, while it is on and offers over £660,000, anything could happen.

16:42But we'd hoped to secure it near their top spend of £800,000.

16:46In we come.

16:51It's a little bit of Australia, isn't it?

16:52Wow.

16:54Yep.

16:55Oh, wow.

16:56I know.

16:57It's all you want from a traditional house with this.

17:02It's beautiful.

17:03Yep.

17:04It's difficult to fault this house.

17:07The light speaks for itself and this is what we're accustomed to.

17:13You've knocked it out of the park, Kirsty, with a reminder of the good life back in Oz.

17:18It is a really big garden.

17:20Yeah.

17:21It's wide and deep, isn't it?

17:22Yeah.

17:23Offers over £660,000.

17:27Deep breaths.

17:28Fun to think about, isn't it?

17:30From what I've seen right now.

17:31I've literally done stuff.

17:31Yeah.

17:32It's absolutely gorgeous.

17:33Do you want to go and have a look upstairs without me hounding you?

17:36Yes, please.

17:38Good start.

17:40You're being modest.

17:41From Claire's reaction, it's a brilliant start.

17:44As long as the three requested bedrooms upstairs fit the bill.

17:50We'd get a bed in there.

17:51Definitely.

17:52But that would take most of the space, wouldn't it?

17:54Yeah.

17:55Imagine this in the winter.

17:57Tartum blanket, roaring fire.

18:00You'd never want to leave home.

18:04Oh, wow.

18:05Yep.

18:06Two windows.

18:07Two windows is lovely, isn't it?

18:08That's a treat.

18:09Yep.

18:10It's quite hard to beat this.

18:12Gorgeous.

18:14And their reaction was everything I had hoped it would be.

18:18Let's hope it remains that way.

18:21Yeah, so this is noticeably smaller, isn't it?

18:23Lovely view though.

18:24Crest is on the trampoline.

18:27Jumping for joy, Kerstals.

18:30I think best on the move, Phil.

18:32And it looks good from here.

18:35Do you think it's fairly priced?

18:37I do.

18:38I think it needs a little bit of love.

18:41So does that mean we've got this as a genuine contender?

18:45Definitely.

18:46Yeah.

18:47Location great.

18:48House pretty good.

18:49Well, that's how you need to start the day.

18:51Okay.

18:51And just like that, 22 years in Australia and six months searching

18:56could all be ended with just one awesome special.

18:59After you.

19:05In Edinburgh, Natasha and Karl like Property One, but I want to improve on issues around work.

19:11The leafy suburb of Barneton has the right vibe.

19:14Plus, they'd be a stone's throw from one of Edinburgh's best schools.

19:18But it's the house style that is the gamble.

19:22It's probably 30 to 40 minutes on the bus into town.

19:24Okay.

19:25Okay.

19:261970s, attached.

19:27They are really functional houses.

19:30So inside, I think it's great.

19:32It is a very popular area with families.

19:34And the reason for that is revealed inside.

19:37We would probably swipe past on line.

19:40We've come with an open mind, so let's have a look.

19:42Well, they may not be dazzled out front, but inside could really charm them.

19:49Downstairs delivers on the flexible living space they want,

19:52with a breakfast kitchen, study, shower room,

19:56and open-plan sitting and dining space leading to a private rear garden.

20:01Plus, there's the all-important garage for Karl.

20:05The four bedrooms they want, for sleeping and working,

20:08are all upstairs and there's a family bathroom.

20:12And stepping up from property one, there's no work to do.

20:15On offers over £565,000, they could also secure it under their top budget of £650,000.

20:23Now, this is very fresh to the market.

20:26We are the first people to see it.

20:29They're asking offers over £565,000.

20:32Nothing to spend on it.

20:34And all of the bedrooms are upstairs, so we've kind of solved that problem.

20:38Yep.

20:39This I pictured as a kid's snuff.

20:42Yeah.

20:43But it leads through into quite a generous family space.

20:49Yeah.

20:50This is more what we're used to, a separate room,

20:53that the kids can hang out in somewhere that we can be watching telly as well.

20:58The sweetener is through there, at the back.

21:01Oh, is that the school?

21:03That's one of the best in Edinburgh.

21:05You couldn't ask for anything closer than that?

21:06No.

21:07That's why this is very popular.

21:09Okay.

21:09I can imagine, yeah.

21:11Well, the school's got their attention, Phil.

21:14And wait till they see the four bedrooms they asked for upstairs.

21:19It's a cute little room.

21:20Yeah.

21:20That'd be a lovely little room for Auri.

21:22Yeah, it's a good size room.

21:23Yeah, it is, yeah.

21:24This is an interesting little scenario.

21:27It's a very functional house, a really practical home.

21:31And this room is...

21:33Small.

21:34It is.

21:34Very small.

21:36Are they going to go for it?

21:37Well, I don't think so.

21:39But they're going to be tempted by that school.

21:42School couldn't be any closer.

21:44No, it really couldn't.

21:44That's kind of a big priority item.

21:47But I'm not loving the house.

21:51I should give that to Kirsty.

21:54She'd have my heart forever.

21:56Careful, Pip.

21:57After upstairs, that's the only unbroken heart in the house.

22:00The garage is your last chance at love.

22:03Getting the car and everything else inside it is going to be a bridge too far, unfortunately.

22:08Okay.

22:08Okay?

22:09Yeah.

22:10I think they may have some tough love for you, Phil.

22:13Was the garage sufficient?

22:14No, unfortunately not.

22:15Too narrow.

22:16The proximity to the school is a 10 out of 10.

22:18The rest of the house, not really to our liking.

22:22Kitchen wasn't a great social space for us.

22:25I hear what you're saying.

22:26It's trying to find the full package.

22:28We're going to have to compromise on something to get more of what we want.

22:32How would you feel about moving a bit further out?

22:34We need to consider that.

22:36And I will pick up my game tomorrow.

22:37Okay.

22:39Brave dice roll, but no luck this time.

22:42But going further out feels like just the right move.

22:51With Mark and Claire, it's property one to beat.

22:55So I'm going bigger in another of their top East Lothian spots, Abba Lady.

22:59The village has enough bustle and a good commute for the girls,

23:04plus a stunning coastal setting.

23:06Here, I'm hoping to entice them with a barn conversion,

23:09just to toddle from the beach.

23:11But first, confessions.

23:14Did you drive past this?

23:16Yes, I did.

23:17Oh, Mark's Mystery Live.

23:20That's what happens when you're not working.

23:22We are very much in the area, Abba Lady.

23:25And the sea is literally just there.

23:29We've got more square footage than the previous house.

23:31Yeah.

23:31There's a fixed price of 625.

23:34Are you interested enough to look at it?

23:35Yes, yeah.

23:36Oh, right, okie-toe.

23:37Okay, Mark drove away.

23:39I did drive away.

23:40Oh, well.

23:41But I'll always look inside it.

23:45That's a relief, as homes within budget are limited here.

23:49Plus, it's just over 400 square feet bigger than Property 1,

23:52and refurbished.

23:54It has the light and bright feel they crave downstairs,

23:57with an open-plan kitchen-diner, a shower room,

24:00and a double bedroom.

24:03Upstairs, there's two more double bedrooms,

24:05another shower room, and a sitting room with garden access,

24:09which, as well as the front, is enclosed for the dogs.

24:13They even get a garage.

24:15On at a fixed price of £625,000.

24:20This is £175,000 under budget.

24:23And no bidding war.

24:26This is a really nice big kitchen.

24:28Yeah.

24:29Upstairs, you've got a first-floor sitting room with a fireplace.

24:35And then you've got two bedrooms up there.

24:39What you can do is swap around what is living and what is bedroom.

24:43Flexible, it's great.

24:44Well, we're not set, are we? One way or the other, so...

24:46No, which I think is a positive.

24:49It certainly is Kirsty, especially with three kids coming and going.

24:54So...

24:56Wow.

24:57OK.

24:58This is a great space.

25:01Yeah.

25:01It's very light, it's bright, and it's lovely to have the fireplace.

25:06Yeah.

25:07I like it, I like the space.

25:08The light's good, skylight, windows.

25:12Things are looking bright.

25:14Let's hope the bedrooms enlighten further.

25:18Nice outlook, both windows, isn't it?

25:20Yes.

25:20Double window.

25:22This house does have real potential.

25:25But when you've already got houses in the running,

25:28are you going to be bothered to see the potential?

25:32I'm not so sure.

25:35Sometimes it just makes you look for problems.

25:39Is the ceiling lower than average?

25:41It feels lower, yeah.

25:44Not quite the feeling you were hoping for, Kirsty.

25:48No, but this is a top spot, and cheaper than property one.

25:54Interesting?

25:55Not interesting enough.

25:56Yeah, the size is good, but it's just too disjointed.

25:59Right.

26:00Next property involves a little bit of a trip,

26:03and we might find another companion there.

26:07Known to you?

26:08Known to me, yes.

26:09Yes, OK.

26:10But he's a flighty type.

26:11More like fighty, Kirsty.

26:13And I've got your back at the next one.

26:15We're searching between Edinburgh and East Lothian, and so far...

26:28One amazing house, one curious house,

26:31and two people in desperate need of a new home in the old country.

26:36Mark and Claire haven't lived in Edinburgh for 22 years,

26:39but after six months back, to be closer to family,

26:42it's all about property one.

26:43Dumbstock, it's absolutely gorgeous.

26:48On my side, after 17 years in Aberdeen,

26:51Natasha and Carl's dream family move faces the reality of a pricey Edinburgh market.

26:58Something's going to have to give.

27:00It's not going to be the schools,

27:01so, looking likely, it's going to be distance to the city.

27:07Property one showed some promise, but property two fell flat.

27:11Kitchen wasn't a great social space for us.

27:15So, it's further from town we go.

27:19We're in Balerno, an attractive village, 40 minutes south on the bus from town.

27:24It's got a top ten school and the community vibe thereafter.

27:28All a stroll from this cute 1950s house.

27:32We've come outside of the bypass in order today to try and solve those issues with the garage

27:39and issues with the kitchen.

27:40OK.

27:41We're going to have a look at this.

27:42Yeah.

27:42I think it's a really, really pretty house.

27:44It is.

27:45The senior school is the sixth best in Edinburgh.

27:47Excellent.

27:49What did you make of the high street?

27:50It was cute.

27:51Well, you enjoyed it.

27:51It was nice, yeah.

27:52Enough of the community.

27:53Yeah, absolutely.

27:56We'll get on in.

27:58Back on track, Phil, and with a little interior rejigging,

28:01this place could crack our couple's criteria.

28:06Upstairs, there's a double bedroom with large en suite,

28:09whilst downstairs has a family bathroom and three further bedrooms,

28:13one currently a sitting room, but suitable for sleeping, working or as a playroom.

28:20And unlike any property so far, it has the open-plan kitchen,

28:24living, family hub they want, plus a double garage for car man Carl.

28:30Private gardens front and back complete the package.

28:33Ornett offers over 550,000, but likely to go nearer 600,

28:38they should get it under their top spend of 650.

28:41Oh, lovely.

28:42Gosh, I wasn't expecting that.

28:47It's a fantastic space, isn't it?

28:48Yeah.

28:49The big family room.

28:50It is, yeah, yeah.

28:51This is what it's all about.

28:52Yeah, absolutely.

28:53A kind of circular extension.

28:55Yeah.

28:55It's different.

28:56It's quirky.

28:56It's unique.

28:57It gives the feeling of a lot of space.

28:59There's a lot of light in here, isn't there?

29:00Yeah.

29:01They're asking offers over 550.

29:04Okay.

29:05This is a big bonus on what we saw yesterday.

29:07Yeah, absolutely, yeah.

29:09You're cooking with gas now, Phil.

29:11Let's hope the garage is a good dessert.

29:14Ready, Carl?

29:14Yes, I'm ready.

29:15Sure.

29:16Drum roll.

29:16Drum roll, please.

29:19Ooh.

29:19There is a proper space there.

29:20I think it's seven by nine.

29:21Yeah, it's pretty epic, that.

29:23It is a garage that's been causing us problems as it reduces the supply.

29:27Yeah.

29:27It's been marketed as a four-bedroom.

29:29Mm-hmm.

29:29It's currently set up as a three-bedroom with a living room.

29:32You may decide that you're happy with the kitchen, diner.

29:36That's the living room.

29:37Mm-hmm.

29:38In which case, you could have an extra bedroom downstairs.

29:40Okay.

29:41Sounds good.

29:43Well played.

29:44And as long as they're happy with your ideas for inside, this could be a winner.

29:48This would be probably our room, yeah?

29:50Well, or does it become the kids' playroom and we have to use the family space?

29:54This Edinburgh market is hard. It really is. This search is a bit like whack-a-mole,

30:01because you get... One is you get the garage right, you get the community right,

30:05you get the kitchen right, you get the schools right, but then other things come. It's really hard.

30:13Yeah, I think this would have to just be the master bedroom.

30:15Yeah, I don't think you could do a lot different with this.

30:17Else with it, no. It feels like it's missing a room, though.

30:21You have got them thinking here, but inside could be a compromise too far.

30:26It feels quite small and compact. The big plus is the garage. That's a great find.

30:30Massive plus, yeah.

30:31And the schools. And the schools.

30:32School, yeah.

30:33Just not quite big enough.

30:34I think it either needs to be more modern or more period.

30:38More period, yeah.

30:39Mm.

30:40Good luck.

30:41Is property one out of the running or in the running?

30:44I think it's out of the running that needs too much of a spend.

30:47We are really spoilt with what we've got at the moment.

30:49We do have a large, modern family home.

30:51Really, what we want to do is pick that up and move it somewhere else.

30:54To you and Con?

30:55Yeah. I might rent custody.

30:57OK.

30:59I don't know if that'll help or not.

31:02As it turns out, Phil, it's this fairy godmother that needs some magic from you.

31:08With a fabulous option in East Lothian, I'm keen for a contender closer to Edinburgh.

31:12Stock is low, so Beleno is making sense.

31:15It's 40 minutes to town for school and work, and there's plenty of green space for the dogs.

31:21And for the first time ever, Phil and I are sharing a house.

31:25It's that good.

31:26He's staying put to show us why.

31:29This is deja vu for me.

31:31I know. Are you absolutely sure Natasha and Carl don't want this house?

31:34Hopefully.

31:35Because I've never done this before.

31:37No, it's a complete first.

31:38I'm really grateful.

31:40Got some similarities to our first property.

31:42OK.

31:42What are you going to do?

31:44I'm coming in.

31:44You are going to be seeing a house for a second time.

31:49We should do this more often.

31:51Half the workload.

31:53Hello.

31:54Good morning.

31:55Good to see you.

31:56Do you know where we are?

31:57We're in Beleno.

31:59Very, very quiet, but more central.

32:03Does that make you happy?

32:04It doesn't make me happy at all.

32:05Does it make Claire happy?

32:06Yes.

32:07OK.

32:08I'll see where this is going then.

32:09Oh, yes.

32:09Right, OK.

32:11What would you have to find behind this front door to sell you on Beleno?

32:16Another 50% on the house we like.

32:1850% better than house number one?

32:20Yeah.

32:21Well, Phil, you know this place best, so if anyone can convince Mark, it's you.

32:28See you soon.

32:28On it, Kirsty.

32:30And despite Mark's reservations on the location,

32:32I'm confident the open Aussie-style living might help to sway him.

32:37Let's hope so, Phil, as the package works.

32:40With those three spacious bedrooms, one with the en suite,

32:43it's perfect for adult kids visiting.

32:46There's also the dog-friendly garden and useful garage.

32:50We know it offers over 550,000, but reachable nearer 600,

32:55making this a cool 200 grand under their top whack.

32:58So it's cheaper than property one and closer to Claire's preferred patch.

33:03So really, really special garage there.

33:06But the garden is perhaps a little bit of a compromise.

33:09But it's nice, though.

33:11Good start, Phil.

33:12But meantime, I have news about property one.

33:16Yesterday's house was perfect.

33:20We had a call to say that the agent had advised the vendor to accept an offer.

33:26We've immediately rung back and said we were really interested in that house.

33:33So start looking around the house.

33:34OK.

33:35I'm going to go and make another call.

33:40Whilst I tried to keep property one on the market,

33:42Phil can show them what could be a winning alternative.

33:45Are you and Claire looking for the same thing?

33:48I think when we see the house, yeah, absolutely.

33:52But we do have different priorities.

33:54And how are we going to reconcile that?

33:57Compromise.

33:57Your word.

34:00Come on.

34:00This kitchen's great.

34:02This is what it's all about, this room.

34:05Come and have a look at this, Claire.

34:07OK, coming.

34:09This is the room that it's all about, this kind of circular extension.

34:13I like the light.

34:14The light's incredible.

34:15Does it offer 50% more than the first house?

34:18Unfortunately, no.

34:20The bedrooms are good size, but the feeling's not there.

34:24Not for me.

34:25Well, given that you weren't enamoured with the area and it's not 50,

34:28we should probably just move on.

34:30Sorry.

34:31No, don't apologise.

34:32It's your money.

34:33And it seems to be knocking on Property One's front door.

34:37Now, where's Kirsty?

34:40Are you off?

34:41It's not right.

34:42It's not 50% better.

34:44Anyway, things are about 1,000% worse because house number one,

34:49in the space of like an hour or so, someone's come in, made an offer,

34:54and basically, it's a really strong house.

34:58But for now, at least, Property One is open to an offer from us.

35:01With another on the table, Mark and Claire just need to decide how far they'll go.

35:09Back with my space seekers, and I'm trying to find properties

35:13that compare with their perfect rental in Aberdeen.

35:17We're in Ratho Village, where just 15 minutes on the Balerno school bus for Bo,

35:22and 40 minutes on the commuter bus to town, they can buy the modern dream.

35:28This one's my last hope, so I'm holding on to Kirsty too.

35:33It's been a real balancing act, trying to get a double garage, walking distance to a school,

35:39and access into town.

35:40And why do they want such a big garage?

35:42He's got cars, and he tinkers a lot. It's his real passion.

35:46Yeah.

35:48Well, I suppose we can allow it then.

35:50Very gracious of you, dearest.

35:54Hello.

35:55I brought my friend.

35:56Hello.

35:57What do you know about Ratho?

35:59Not very much.

36:00Everyone talks about the good pub, and the food, and the quiz nights.

36:03The school bus comes through the village.

36:04Okay.

36:05But it's a school bus. It's not a public bus. It's a specific bus for the kids.

36:10From what I've heard and gathered over the last few days, all roads lead to this.

36:15I think it's the same house type as the one we rent at the minute.

36:18There we are. We picked our house up and bought it here.

36:20What did you ask for?

36:24Well, there's no place like home, Carl, except this place.

36:28It's everything they want and more.

36:30Upstairs, there's five fabulous bedrooms, two ensuite, plus a family bathroom.

36:37Downstairs has two living rooms, one for parents, one for kids, and a handy loo,

36:42plus the desired large kitchen diner, out to their preferred south-facing garden,

36:48and, of course, that double garage.

36:52Space-wise, this feels huge compared to anything else we've seen.

36:56On at offers over £600,000, it'll go for closer to £625, 25 grand under their top spend.

37:07Big kitchen diner. Yeah.

37:10So we've got the extra rooms. No, it's great so far.

37:13And we've got a smile from us. Yeah, this feels much more...

37:16It feels a bit more at home, really, if I'm honest. Yeah.

37:20That's what we aim for, Carl, and I want to know if the garden passes the rental test.

37:24Oh, a hot tub. Very large hot tub.

37:28I mean, how does this compare with your garden in Aberdeen?

37:30Erm, it's almost an identical size, I would say.

37:34It is familiar territory. Where it is, everything's got a space.

37:38It's exactly as we already have. That is uncanny.

37:41I love it. You love it? I love it.

37:44Well, Phil is going to be chuffed to bits.

37:45But it's 600,000 offers over. OK.

37:49What will Natasha be thinking?

37:51Er, she'll be probably jumping up and down next door, I would imagine.

37:54Gearing up for party time by the sounds of it...

37:56Not overlooked by anybody at the front, which is actually an improvement on ours.

38:00It is.

38:01Well, this couldn't get any better, Phil.

38:04Don't be so sure, Kirsty.

38:07Here we go.

38:09Settle in. I think my work is done.

38:13I'm not moving anywhere. I'm very suspicious of the whole set-up.

38:16Are you? What do you mean?

38:18Well...

38:21Really good size for our furniture.

38:22We know the furniture fits, yeah.

38:24Yeah, we know everything fits.

38:26Makes a lovely noise, doesn't it?

38:28I knew you were going to say that.

38:34Such a child.

38:38And I'd like to speak to some adults now, please.

38:40There's not really any downsides.

38:42None of it isn't, no. Just a case of going back and making sure all our numbers are in line.

38:46Yeah.

38:47And just having a bit more of an investigation in the local area as well, I think.

38:50And you couldn't have done anything any better in terms of picking our house up and bringing it here.

38:54Yeah, it's the first time we've been able to do that in 25 years.

38:57Yeah, it's an absolute.

38:57God knows people have asked us.

39:00No, I think it's brilliant.

39:02Well, you gave them what they wanted.

39:04And as long as the village pleases, this one could be the one.

39:12It's the first time we've been able to do it.

39:14It's the first time we've been able to do it.

39:15In Edinburgh, with Natasha and Carl, it's come down to property four in Ratho.

39:21Not overlooked for anybody at the front, which is actually an improvement on ours.

39:24But in East Lothian, tensions are high. Mark and Claire have fallen for property one in Gullen,

39:30on at offers over £660,000. But with one offer already in and more expected, it's time for brass tacks.

39:40House number one has, well, let's put it this way, the interest in house number one had heated up.

39:47Someone had turned up the dial. You know you want that house.

39:50Yeah, we do. We do.

39:53House number one that we saw offers us virtually all that we had hoped to find.

40:00Wow, I don't hear that often, Mark, to be honest.

40:03That's true. It really does tick all the boxes.

40:06Because this all happened so fast, we've been exchanging messages with agents and vendors

40:13and solicitors and trying to navigate what's going on.

40:16Yeah.

40:19The fact that it's not a case of there's a figure which we've got to...

40:23That's it. Yeah. Unknown.

40:25At the moment, it's very unknown.

40:30And with so much interest, this is surely heading for a closing date.

40:34It'll come down to how high they can go.

40:36In Edinburgh, Natasha and Carl loved property four in Ratho.

40:41Honour offers over £600,000.

40:44They returned for a look at the village, and I'm waiting to hear how they got on.

40:49So am I safe to assume decisions and debate has all come down to the house in Ratho?

40:54The trip through the front door was very, very familiar.

40:55Very familiar. The garden was amazing.

40:57That has never happened before.

40:59But you did, when we originally met, we sat down and you said,

41:03if only you could pick up our house in Aberdeen.

41:04Yeah.

41:05We did. Brief fulfilled.

41:07Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, we did.

41:08We spent some time comparing the high school that would be in catchment with Ratho

41:13to where the children will go to academy at the minute.

41:16In Aberdeen. In Aberdeen.

41:18And we just hadn't appreciated how good that academy is.

41:21And then we went back this morning really with an open mind again,

41:24thinking, let's go and look at the village.

41:25The canal was phenomenal.

41:27The pub was lovely.

41:28But there just wasn't anything else there.

41:30The house was perfect.

41:31I mean, it works for us as we are.

41:33Unfortunately, the place didn't.

41:37So we won't move on their move to Edinburgh today.

41:40But it may be that's a plan that's starting to change.

41:43Where does that leave the fence?

41:45I think we have to go back home and figure out what we're going to do.

41:50We do.

41:50Really. And it might be that we have to buy a house in Aberdeen after all.

41:54But you wanted to live in Edinburgh.

41:56We do. We still do.

41:57If anything, it's made us realise this is what we'd love.

42:00But it's also made us realise that we can't afford to live in the areas

42:03that we really want to live in.

42:05But you can afford that lifestyle and that kind of area in Aberdeen.

42:09We can.

42:10You can.

42:10You can both stay in the same jobs and the kids can stay at the same school.

42:13We feel as if that's a decision we've made rather than being forced.

42:17And I feel as if it feels like an active choice now rather than a trap.

42:21I love that.

42:22Kirsten, we see our roles as house hunters,

42:25as helping people to be in a position to make a confident decision.

42:30But if we can inform you where you can go,

42:32yes, I'm doing this and no, I'm not doing that.

42:34Yeah.

42:35Yeah.

42:35That's a really good, that's a good result.

42:37And this process, without the help of you, would have taken us, you know, years.

42:41Another 12 years, probably.

42:42Another number of years.

42:43Listen, I'm going to go home thinking,

42:44I found the right house and you two have changed your mind.

42:49I can take that, I can take that.

42:51You certainly can, Phil, and by giving them clarity,

42:56they can now confidently embark on their new search in Aberdeen.

43:00Let's see what the coming weeks bring.

43:04With Mark and Claire, they're going all in for property one in Gullen.

43:09We're really, really, really hoping to secure house number one.

43:12In the Scottish system, with the other offer already in,

43:17they need to submit theirs formally through their solicitor.

43:20They're making their strongest possible move,

43:23with an offer of £800,000, more than 20% over the asking price.

43:30Whether we get it, let's wait and see.

43:32Now we just have to cross our fingers and hope your offer is accepted.

43:38Done as much as we can do.

43:39Yeah. Thank you.

43:40We are, and I'd like to say thank you to you and the whole team.

43:45It's been great.

43:47Cheers to chances.

43:50So, no answers just yet, Kirsty.

43:54I can only keep my fingers and toes crossed for them, Phil.

44:00Just five weeks on, with Natasha and Karl,

44:03and they've hit the Aberdeen house-hunting ground running.

44:06We found this attached granite house just around the corner from the school,

44:11south-facing garden.

44:13I've got a big garage space, never quite big enough,

44:15but I think we've got something that will work perfectly for us all.

44:18Phil helped us put an offer in, and he succeeded.

44:22So, yeah, we had the offer accepted.

44:23Well done, Phil.

44:24I'm thrilled we secured their five-bed Aberdeen pad for just £525,000,

44:31a price hard to match in Edinburgh.

44:33We'd have to be millionaires to get what we wanted in Edinburgh.

44:36The search with Phil gave us a clear idea of what we would and wouldn't compromise on.

44:40Showing us houses that were different made us realise how much we needed what we already had.

44:45Sometimes it's all about what's right for now.

44:50This is where we're going to see our kids grow up and bloom.

44:53We've got a part of the world that's going to be ours to do what we want with it.

44:56With a great view.

44:57With a great view, yeah.

44:58Yeah.

44:59So the future looks bright, and I wish them all the very best.

45:05For Mark and Claire, it was bad news on the house in Golan,

45:08even though they upped their closing date offer to £825,000.

45:14But we missed out.

45:16Huge disappointment, because the emotion was there.

45:19As Kirsty quite positively said, as she spoke to us,

45:23yeah, let's find something that's better.

45:25Well, at least it trained their search on their dream spot.

45:28Kirsty really helped me focus on what we need to do for the long term, and that is Golan.

45:35Now they've got some news.

45:37A property that we looked at before has come back on the market,

45:41and we have actually made another offer.

45:43And they got it for £550,000.

45:46£250,000 under their ideal top budget.

45:49That's plenty to turn this two-bed into their dream four-bed family home.

45:54It comes in under budget, which is great,

45:56but it gives us obviously room to move and create what we'd like.

45:59We look forward to welcoming Kirsty to the new property,

46:02and she can contribute her ideas to that one.

46:06I'm so happy for them.

46:08My tape measure is at the ready mark.

46:10If you'd like help finding your next home, then we want to hear from you.

46:20You can apply online at channel4.com.

46:23slash take part.

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