Baffled by property decision

[Arobase]

Escape to the Country has become my lockdown vice/escape route. This fairly recent programme frustrates me, mostly because I just can't understand the prospective buyer's decisions - www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000r0hb/escape-to-the-country-series-21-14-pembrokeshire

Summary: Prospective buyer (PB) wants to move to Pembrokeshire from Walton on Thames, budget £7-900K, priorities include a lot of land, remoteness, views. Also wants land to be self-sufficient, and outbuildings with development potential. Absolutely loves house no. 2 (so do I!) which is a 5 bedroom house in the National Park with gorgeous views, and 5 acres of land including woodland and a stream; also has a separate annexe she could make an income from, or use for things like therapies that she wants to look into. Guesses price for some reason at £480K, when told it is just under £800K dismisses it out of hand as too expensive. Suggests that she underestimated the price because she thought it was small!

PB is then shown house on a cliff. It's a fairly modern build, middle of nowhere, 62 acres which is predominantly clifftop views over the sea which are lovely. No prospect of the land being self-sufficient, no outbuildings. She doesn't like the house outside or inside, but decides to snap it up at £900K purely because of the views.

I mean, whut? I get it with the views, but paying £400K extra for them only to live in a house you don't even particularly like? And no money left over to improve it or start up your therapy or whatever business?

Ultimately she didn't get the clifftop property and is apparently still looking. Doesn't seem to contemplate going back to the other house.

I'm not criticising her, she's an experienced property developer who clearly knows what she's doing, but I just feel frustrated that she wasn't asked about and didn't explain her completely unrealistic valuation of house no. 2 and why she wouldn't even consider an offer on it - yet would pay so much more for something she didn't even like.

In an ideal world she'd be on MN and come and tell me; but, failing that, any ideas?

I wonder where it is. I'd like to see the RightMove entry for it. I wonder if she's found somewhere to move to now

TBF it was a really lovely view.

5 acres is a big (very big) garden but 62 acres is land.
Why couldn't she be self sufficient on 62 acres?

The impression I got from the programme is that it was originally more of a scoping exercise, she had never been to Pembrokeshire before. Although she liked no. 2 she saw it as a project and it was too expensive to make it worth her while as she did not realise the premium being in the national park commanded. Property 3 had the real wow factor plus I think she could see the business opportunities given by the unique setting and outbuildings e.g spiritual retreat.

The problem with downsizing is not the number of rooms but the size of them. You may only want two beds but would like them to have room for a built in wardrobes, double beds and side tables. You want a good sized sitting room, a dining kitchen and a garden you can work in. After all you will be home most of the time when you retire.

Not on Rightnove AFAICS but here it is:

www.onthemarket.com/details/9270388/?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=local

Offers over 950.

Wow. Does being in a National Park mean no one can develop it?

I wonder if there are steps down to the private beach

Yes - there are stricter rules about what you can and can't do, as there are in conservation areas.

Our house was on Escape to the Country years ago. The couple had viewed it already, but of course they didn't mention that on the programme. It must happen all the time as if you are looking in a particular area then of course you will have viewed those suitable properties that are on the open market. We were the mystery house. They made a low offer which we didn't accept. I still have the DVD somewhere.

Was that the one where the subject had never even been to Wales, never mind Pembrokeshire?

Reminds me of those threads where the OP wants to move from SE England to Scotland/Ireland/Up North because they can buy a house for a fraction of what their current one is worth but haven't a Scoobie about life in the area.

Watched one episode because it was in my area. Was shocked at the locations they picked because there were big disadvantages, one idyllic cottage was in an area of high employment, drugs, crime. Another one had big trucks rumbling through daily. The third was also in a deprived area, many shops in the nearest town shut or charity type establishments.

@Ellmau

Not on Rightnove AFAICS but here it is:

www.onthemarket.com/details/9270388/?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=local

Offers over 950.

It looks like i'll be swallowed by the sea in a few decades...

A few local houses have been on it at varying stages - one in our village. They made it look very swish - and there was no mention of the student let next door that looks like the Dingles yard from Emmerdale and why the owners were beyond desperate to sell

Another one in a neighbouring village was next to a chicken broiler house, again kept out of shot and not mentioned. The viewers had already seen it a year before according to the vendor, in fact had got out of their car on the drive, smelt the fans from the farm and didn't even go into the house

Ok I’m back with questions and Opinions. Please note that I am in Sweden and some channels here have bought a job lot of UK property programmes but I might not be completely up to date.

Why do these programmes always speak of properties and never just houses? If there is land attached fair enough but for some reason it annoys the hell out of me. This property that property property property property it. is. a. house. AIU?

Didn’t they used to show three houses and then a mystery house (oh yes, never a mystery property then it’s a house all of a sudden)? Now it’s two houses + mystery and it feels a bit mean. The rest of the time the presenter is throwing pots or brewing beer. Yet they keep saying “we have so much more to show you!” after the first place. But they only have one “proper” showing left and then it’s the one they know is a chancer? Those of you who have been on it, do they show more that isn’t on the telly?

I cringe when they look at houses and bitch about the decor!

Yy to previous comments about downsizing, moving to the country when you’re max 15 years from needing to be closer to amenities etc. What a lot of eejits come on that show. “We need more space for entertaining” who are you entertaining you are in the middle of nowhere? Are we in Downton Abbey, are you having stately weekend parties?

I think I have more but will stop now. Don’t want to sound madder than this to start with.

banivani I can help a bit with the mystery of the ‘mystery house’. When it started the searching couple would be shown the details of three houses - scene with them and presenter sitting at a table looking at hard copy (don’t think on laptop) details.
I seem to remember that they then could ‘stick it twist’ - they could swap their least favourite of the three for a ‘mystery house’.
They went off and looked at their first two (which they knew all about having looked at the details). They then went to the mystery house which really was a mystery and often a real ‘wild card’. They knew nothing about.

Their use of the phrase ‘mystery house’ hasn’t made any sense since the format changed - all houses are ‘mystery’ now. They haven’t seen any of the property details so it drives me mad when they still use that phrase for the third. Either that or I love it because it’s a totally irrational echo of the past.

Btw ‘property details’ is U.K. phrase for the listing or listing details I’d hate to introduce more confusions.

I remember on a previous thread someone said that the house hunters always say "We want the kitchen to be the heart of the home." So I laughed when I heard it the very next episode I watched.

Thank you Heron, I actually remember that vaguely through the mists of time. Back when it was this one blonde woman who did it, marching through houses saying “and hyah - another en-suite!”. The programmes I’ve seen recently all have the mystery house as something that’s not quite what they’ve asked for, for example if they hate barn conversions it’s a barn conversion. But otoh the other two houses never quite fit the brief either. “I know you said you wanted to get away from the noise of traffic” - standing in the front garden next to the busy road - “but really indoors with all the windows closed you can’t hear a thing”.

The heart of the home
Put my own stamp on it
Quirky
It does (or doesn’t) flow
Add value
Range of outbuildings
Open aspect

If we did a drinking game with these we’d be blind drunk after one episode !

I mean I didn’t remember it until you said! So thank you for reminding me, it does make more sense in that context for sure.

Catherine gee I think was it ?
Then I get confused about Andrew Appleton who used to be on a programme with the american woman - Anne Maurice.
I may have all three names wrong there.

I think that’s her alright! Don’t forget “good sized double bedroom”!

‘Hush’ and marching - surely Catherine Gee ! That description really made me laugh. And she had odd symmetrical chopping hand movements I remember - quite rigid. She was fascinating. Wonder what she’s up to.
Why do I have so much rubbish stuffed away in my head !

I know - ask me my bank account no and I couldn’t tell you but “and here another en-suite” is branded in my brain together with that smile!

Wont it all just fall into sea at some point?
My 17ds gets enraged by escape to the country. Retired couples moving from.a 3 bed semi looking at a kitchen bigger than our current floor plan and saying its tiny with six bedrooms. It's worth watching just to watch his reaction 😂