To be a bit fuming at Escape To The Country

[jamoncrumpets]

Yes, yes, I know I am watching tv in the day and should be out working or volunteering or something, but both kids are ill so we're all having a down day today.

Anyway, I'm fuming because the couple (male, female) are viewing houses and every single time they walk into a kitchen the presenter says 'Well, will this do for you Sharon?' and then when they get to the outside space, garage etc, he turns to the man and says 'What do you think then, Nigel?'

The woman has already said that she isn't much of a cook. He's not letting her off the hook, he is absolutely DESPERATE to sell her a big old kitchen so she fit more neatly into her gender role.

I've never seen this show before, is it always like this? AIBU to want to take the presenter to a female boxing club and have him pummelled for a few bouts?

[ForalltheSaints]

I just thought such shows were property porn that is out of date (filmed a few years ago) and helps up prices. Now I feel even more justified in not watching them.

[Nannewnannew]

I do like watching ETTC but have to agree that it is becoming more annoying, mainly because the presenters persist in showing properties that are way over budget and also the participants who want to live a more ‘relaxed’ or ‘ fulfilling’ life but still work in London and so still have a 1.5-2 hour commute to and from work. That wouldn’t be most people’s idea of relaxing!

[HeronLanyon]

Is this the show where the mystery house used to be a lucky dip of three? Viewers saw details/photos of all 3 but escapees had to kind of blind guess? So it was actually a mystery ? Have I gone mad?

Seem to remember the change And wondering why they retained the word ‘mystery’ - should now be something like ‘Spanner in the works property’ or ‘now for the ludicrous proerty’ Or often ‘now for the property ive always known would be your favourite and simply shown you first but sorry this is a tv show, property’

[HeronLanyon]

Actually seem to remember they had badly photocopied photo only of the three? Remember some shuffling going on before they chose which to look at. Either that or my coffee had something odd in it this morning !

[LarkDescending]

History of the format here:

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escape_to_the_Country

I must say I don’t remember the first version where they picked their choices from a laptop viewing and then had the option of the presenter’s mystery house, but art least it makes sense of the “mystery” concept!

[HeronLanyon]

Thanks lark should have looked for self Apols. Glad I’ve not totally gone of my trolley.

[MrsMoastyToasty]

It makes me laugh when the prospective buyer says "I don't think that my table (or insert piece of furniture of choice) will fit in here".
FGS sell the table and buy one that will do then.

[dustarr73]

Or the people who are downsizing,but moan the table or their huge bed wont fit.YOU ARE DOWNSIZING The clue is in the name

[Ellenborough]

I will be 60 next year. DH will be 65. We will be selling our dream and moving to the centre of a market town. We will be going to a smaller house with a tiny garden.

TooOld I know exactly what you mean. I've lived a similar lifestyle to what you have now, minus the livestock and although I loved it at the time, it's not something I'd want to take on again after retirement. I often shout at the TV watching these programmes, 'You don't want all that hassle at your age, you just think you do!'

The reality of being rural and having land to maintain and an old, creaky house to heat is nothing like the romantic perception of it.

We are living in a busy suburb again now, but starting to think about what's next for us in retirement. I love the countryside but there is no way I'd want to be isolated and reliant on a car or bus in the winter when I'm in my 70's. we are looking at market towns, lively well connected coastal towns and very small cities now.

[CaptainMyCaptain]

I'm 64 and, although I'm future and active now, next time I move I'll be considering my future needs in old age. I won't be buying a smallholding out of sight and ear shot of roads or other houses.

[CaptainMyCaptain]

fit not future obviously!

[EastMidsGPs]

ETTC is my guilty pleasure.
I am always amazed when a couple want at least 4 bedrooms, a study, a large kitchen the size of a small country and enough land to keep Alpacas!
The woman will then say 'i love cooking, i want a large kitchen so that I can socialise and chat with friends and family whilst I cook'.
Trust me, my DM now lives with us, she sits and watches my every move in the kitchen, gravitating there as soon as I do. It is bloody annoying😠 and not enjoyable.

Also, they say they want to move somewhere quiet by the coast, complaining that where they currently live has become 'so busy and noisy'. Do they not know how busy coastal places get???

And from experience, good luck with becoming involved in small village community life. You need to prove a blood line going back to the Dark Ages to be allowed to do anything

[greenpop21]

If you keep chickens you can't go anywhere without having someone feed them for you and put them away at night=be warned!

[Alsohuman]

There are chicken hotels now. 😁

[greenpop21]

Oh well I guess it was only a matter of time!

[MadameFireweed]

The couples they have on all these 'moving home' programmes tend to walk around hand-in-hand. Do you think the programme producers ask them to do this? It is quite uncommon these days (apart from in the first heady throes of lurve). I think it makes them look a bit daft.

[TigerTooth]

I know it missis the point entirely but...
Yesterday 16:28 jamoncrumpets

I want a woman cave. It's the same as a man cave but everything is covered in glitter.

Me too!

[browneyes77]

I love ETTC. Mainly because I just like looking at houses and being nosey (and also because I’d LOVE to move to the countryside).

I do get irritated at some of the couples that go on however when they’re being super pinickety.

Or the ones who get shown a house with everything they’ve asked for but then say “the house was amazing, had everything we wanted, but I’d have preferred a bigger garden, so we’ll rule that one out” - Love you said you weren’t bothered about the garden size at the start of this

And I rarely ever see any couples on there with a lower budget. They’re all £400k-£800k+ budgets. So basically you’re telling me if I don’t have £500k I can’t escape to the country. Ok. Gotcha.

[KC225]

Hahaha - I have only watch this since I moved to Sweden and Antiques Roadshow. Never knew either exiaited when I lived there

[TowandaForever]

@katseyes7

I watched that too!!! I thought I'd remember the village name and look online for the cafe but I forgot it!

[evaperonspoodle]

I get a bit puckered up when there is a really young couple with a huge budget - I always wonder how they can afford it and what they do for a living

I got the rage last night with the Ugly House to Lovely House. Young couple, SAHM with 2 pre schoolers. The presenter/builder/architect/engineer were all moaning and huffing and puffing about their tight budget; £260k I had to turn it off in the end. The house was already adequate size wise and the architect wanted to make it three times bigger.

[abbey44]

I love ETTC, so when I was asked if I wanted my house on it, I couldn't bite their hand off quickly enough - it looked lovely on camera too. Unfortunately, the couple who were brought round refused to get out of the car, as they said they'd already viewed it and didn't want to see it again. I was SO gutted (so were the production crew, who suddenly had to find a whole new house to film with no notice). Watched the episode when it aired and I think I dodged a bullet though - right at the very end (after being hypercritical of all the houses they were shown) their answer to Jonnie Irwin was "oh, we might think about putting our own house on the market soon"...

And yes, they wanted a big kitchen and space for rescue donkeys.

[katseyes7]

TowandaForever l've managed to find it!
www.nymr.co.uk/grosmont-tea-room

[Timeforachange68]

Not quite Escape to the Ghetto but something a little different

www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/takepart/escape_perfect_town

As for ETTC my dad always comments how it won’t be so idyllic when 1 partner dies (always the pessimist but he’s a widower so some experience!)

[GabsAlot]

no i havent particularly noticed that op-i saw one where the man loved to cook so they were asking him about the kitchen

i do hate when they say this rooms too big or this ones to small and i dont like the decor-fucking change it then