A Place in the Sun

[bloodyhairy]

I have a love/hate relationship with this show. Mostly I love it, and the escapism it represents. It also makes me question my own future, and whether I could see myself retiring abroad (currently single!). Most of the presenters are very good and amiable, although do try a little hard to 'push the product', often when the person viewing has no interest at all!
What gets on my nerves, is the buyers' obsession with space. Why would you need a huge kitchen, or 4 bedrooms, when it's just going to be you and your other half knocking about there?
And what do you expect for 50 grand?!
And then when they view, it's like they've lost all sense of their own identity; they're literally looking at it through their own children and grandchildren's eyes. One woman rejected a property because it had a shower, and no bath for her grandchild Just how often do you think they're going to be visiting, for this to emerge as a major and insurmountable issue?!
And other went round mentally kidproofing the place, even though there were no grandchildren on the horizon yet Get a life!!!
Don't get me started on those who treat the whole thing as a jolly, with no intention to buy. You can see the presenters visibly sag, when they say 'what we're going to do, is go home and weigh up the finances, then return to the area in a few weeks.'
Worse still, are those who put in eyewateringly low offers, even though the place (invariably in Spain) has already seen its price slashed, and is already way under budget. Where is the integrity???
What are your thoughts on this programme?

[MoonJelly]

I get unreasonably irritated by all the men who feel they need to guide their wives out of the room by sticking a hand on their back. I'm sure the wives could find the way to the door all by themselves.

[CloudPop]

@MoonJelly

I get unreasonably irritated by all the men who feel they need to guide their wives out of the room by sticking a hand on their back. I'm sure the wives could find the way to the door all by themselves.

Oh yes - this is so annoying

[Wrigleys123]

I love this show, really like Jasmine, there was a show about her helping her Mum who is a serious hoarder and how Jasmine was trying to help her. She came across really lovely on that.

Don't think I've ever seen someone make an offer though! If it were me I'd probably go for the first place they showed me, wouldn't make for very good viewing

[Mycircusmymonkey]

I love watching this but do sometime think they take the piss with the properties they show.
I watched on where the guy was very specific about needing to run his auto motor business from the property and cars were often delivered on flat bed trucks. Every property the showed them was at the top of a hill with a cliff edge dirt track as the only road access. Just why?
Also hate it when they pad it out with “I’ve brought you to meet ex pat Jenny. Jenny can you tell Carol and Bob about where to catch the bus to the local town”

[Mycircusmymonkey]

Or I’ve brought you to this footpath can you see yourself walking along a footpath like this?

[swimlyn]

I get unreasonably irritated by all the men who feel they need to guide their wives out of the room by sticking a hand on their back. I'm sure the wives could find the way to the door all by themselves.

To be successful, I think you need to challenge the patriarchy in ways other than this desperate dig at men.

God forbid a man should touch his wife! Loving couples do sometimes touch y’know.

So sad…

[thenightsky]

I'm just watching this now and spotted this thread. Great timing. I'm playing APINS bingo now.

[thenightsky]

'ticking most of the boxes'

[bloodyhairy]

Does anyone else feel slightly disturbed by the vagueness of where they've to meet the presenter afterwards?!
Maybe it's an ASD thing, but I would need clarification on exactly where 'meet you outside' means

[Mycircusmymonkey]

Never understood why they always have one house that they always look at without the presenter?
Also if the cameraman has to move around all the rooms do they have to wait for him to set up each time before they can look in each room or do they look and then have to pretend they are seeing it for the first time?

[thenightsky]

Its got me on Rightmove looked for places in Spain now. I'm well tempted. Do you reckon telly will pay for me and DH to fly out there for a week viewing places?

[Mycircusmymonkey]

Probably but I remember reading each viewing takes around at least 2 and a half hours so not sure how much fun it would really be!

[MoonJelly]

To be successful, I think you need to challenge the patriarchy in ways other than this desperate dig at men.

God forbid a man should touch his wife! Loving couples do sometimes touch y’know.

I have absolutely no problem with people touching. I do have a problem with men putting a proprietorial hand on the small of their partners' backs and guiding them around as if they don't know the way to the door.

If it were an expression of love, how come women don't feel the need to do it?

[bloodyhairy]

Probably but I remember reading each viewing takes around at least 2 and a half hours so not sure how much fun it would really be!

Yikes, 2 and a half hours for each?! And we know they do all the viewings in one day, cos they don't change clothes

[mintyroller]

@Mycircusmymonkey

Or I’ve brought you to this footpath can you see yourself walking along a footpath like this?

[ZaraCarmichaelshighheels]

@MoonJelly

To be successful, I think you need to challenge the patriarchy in ways other than this desperate dig at men.

God forbid a man should touch his wife! Loving couples do sometimes touch y’know.

I have absolutely no problem with people touching. I do have a problem with men putting a proprietorial hand on the small of their partners' backs and guiding them around as if they don't know the way to the door.

If it were an expression of love, how come women don't feel the need to do it?

All the men do it in Escape to the Country, it’s ridiculous, I think I have yet to see an episode where the man does not permanently have his hand in the small of the woman’s back guiding her from room to room.

[Topseyt]

We watched one yesterday afternoon looking at properties in Portugal on the Silver Coast(?) near to Lisbon area.

The couple had stated that they wanted to be near to shops and other amenities. They were taken to a property that seemed to be on it's own in the middle of nowhere. When they pointed this out the presenter insisted that it WAS just two minutes walk from a shop, the camera panned round and focused on a large Lidl! Nothing else.

I don't think that was what they had meant. I should think that like most people, they wanted to be within easy walking distance of the quaint shops and bars of a town or village centre. They confirmed that too.

[Justcallmemamma]

I wish they would do a follow-up show so we can see how people who bought got on. Especially if they bought a 'doer upper'.
I wonder if any mumnetters have been on APITS? My favourites are Jasmine and Ben.

[MoonJelly]

They do follow-ups from ETTC, and to their credit they do them even when the people concerned rejected all the options the programme-makers found and bought something else.

[LadyEloise]

I'd love a series of "follow ups" of APITS too @JustcallMemamma.

I like Laura and Ben as presenters.

A major columnist in an Irish paper who is also a presenter of a prime time radio programme on Saturday and Sunday mornings on the Irish equivalent of the BBC wrote an amusing and insightful article stating APITS was one of his secret tv pleasures.

[swimlyn]

I have absolutely no problem with people touching. I do have a problem with men putting a proprietorial hand on the small of their partners' backs and guiding them around as if they don't know the way to the door.

All the men do it in Escape to the Country, it’s ridiculous, I think I have yet to see an episode where the man does not permanently have his hand in the small of the woman’s back guiding her from room to room.

Misandry MN at its best. So sad.

[bloodyhairy]

Watched a really good one yesterday, actually. Was set on the Greek island of Skopelos ('Mama Mia').
Makes a change from Spain!
Couple viewed a property on their own. When they came out, Ben exclaimed 'I've just had two espressos and I'm buzzing!'
Love him.

[bloodyhairy]

The back on the hand thing, meh. I'm not crazy about it either, and would probably bat the man's hand away! However I'm willing to concede that it's a generation thing, with no ill will (one would hope!). Most of the couples on the show are older, and nearing retirement.
Just playing devil's advocate, so we can let it drop!

[SeeSawSeen]

Buyers: We want to be right in the middle of the action!
Laura: Cool, here's a place right in the middle of the action!
Buyers: Eeeeeww, road noise. Jeez, Laura, do your job right!

[LadyEloise]

Tonight's was good. The lady got exactly what she wanted at a great reduction.