Escape to the Country

[MatthewBramble]

This is utter bollocks isn't it. They never buy any of the houses shown, there's a boring bit in the middle about local "crafts" or what have you and the "mystery" house is always totally unsuitable in one way oe another.

Kirstie and Phil could have re-housed a small town in the time these idiots waste on bugger all.

It’s so staged and they always have bad teeth

I hate the bit where they do local crafts it's so pointless and they could show them an extra house, the bit that really annoys me is when they give a location of say Shropshire they always "hop over the border" into a different county, surely there's enough houses for sale where the buyers want to live.

It is total toss.

I don't think any of the people on it actually want to move at all. They just fancy being on the telly.

It annoys me that the women in the partnership are unable to walk around the houses without the guiding hand of their husbands on the small of their back.

Also the inevitable jokes about the woman having all the wardrobes space. And the man with their sheds.

And the ludicrous budgets!

I think they just want to show off how much money they have. I also think most of the people on Wanted Down Under just want a free holiday to Australia.

Or first buyer couple who they assure us “have worked really hard” for their £750k budget!

Me to Kernibhead the pushing the woman around the house in the small of the back like she can’t navigate her own way around gives me the rage and don’t get me started on the holding hands going from room to room, I watched one a couple of days ago and the man literally could not stop shoving, touching, wrapping his arm around his wife at every available opportunity, it creeped me out watching it, couples don’t do this on LLL.

I really hate the house hunting bit, some pair who get a nosebleed if they go further north than Watford looking to move to Northumberland or the Cairngorms.

Like the craft bit, but I'm sad like that.

I hate the way the properties have a lovely kitchen for the woman.

Years ago when it first started there were always 4 properties now it’s 3 with the basket weaving/morris dancing/cheese making in the middle, I think they do this because they can’t find enough houses to appear on the programme hence the border hopping, I think they pretty much show any house within a 100 mile radius that vaguely fits the brief that agrees to appear.

Nothing wrong with the craft bit Donkey IF it was a show about crafts. But it isn't. It's supposed to be about buying property.

I hate the bloody hand holding, these are mature couples not hormonal teenagers. They complain that the bedrooms/rooms are small, their enormous bed/dining table won't fit. For Gods sake buy another one, how much room do they want in a bedroom, or daren't we ask?

The commuting times are always way off what they ask for too. They may say max journey time an hour, so they get shown houses in villages where the train journey in to the city takes an hour. Never mind the 20 min drive to the station, fighting for parking each day, then the 20 min tube / bus / walking journey the other end. The hours commute quickly becomes 2..

I like crafts but watch ETTC for the houses, not donkey weaving, etc. The budgets are laughable. Years ago I think they admitted that it was 'aspirational' but now it's 'unobtainable' for Mr and Mrs Average.

And yes, if I want a house in Devon I don't want to hop over the border to a neighbouring county.

Well, I really enjoy the show. I have seen episodes where there were comments at the end that one of the houses were bought. I also saw a follow up show where they visited past couples in the homes they purchased after seeing it on the show. So you ABU

Yes Betty, I remember we used to see four houses. I usually skip the crafting bit, would much rather have the 4th house back!

I am always bemused when empty nesters nearing retirement are on, and complain that the (good-sized!) kitchen is too small, or there are only 3 bedrooms, or the master bedroom is too small. It's just you two! What do you need so much space for?

It always makes me laugh when they show where the couples live currently, they always show them walking along the hard shoulder of a motorway for extra dramatic effect.

There is so much recapping as well. After every ad break, there is tons of filler reintroducing the couple, the location, the houses already looked at - who really needs it? They could fit in a fifth house if they cut all that.

'We want a totally authentic period cottage'

'Oooh I don't like the beams. It's a bit small. The kitchen hasn't got an island and built in appliances. Its roof is thatched'

I like it but only discovered it recently

so is the sexist stereotyping a general feature? I think I've watched 3 and just thought it was a coincidence.....it's on quite a lot isn't it?

I like the craft bit, but my mum also said "too much detail and really boring".

It's highly annoying! But for me the worst property show was 'To buy or not to buy?'. What idiot let's a couple/family test drive their house? - Oooh we're inviting a couple of friends round for a bbq.... 😐

And why do all the "accountants from Surrey" suddenly think they can make a go of a glamping site with added llama farming?

My friend was on it a few years ago and bought 1 of the houses they were taken to.

LLL is for people who want to buy a house.

ETTC is for people who want to be on TV.

We watch it to see how obnoxious the house hunters are and heckle accordingly. Particular favourites are the ones who want 'characterful cottagey houses' but moan that the ceiling are too low and the beams too dark, and those that reject beautiful houses because a car can be heard in the absolute distance of the wind is in the wrong direction. Also people who say they want to be in the country but appear allergic to mud... those ones are great

Occasionally you get nice people of course, which is very disappointing.