Back to the country

Our DD and SiL would have been good candidates for the programme. They drove from London to Devon during lockdown One, viewed 3 houses I had selected for them in the countryside, sat on the beach eating fish and chips, put in an offer and drove straight back home. I was quite chuffed at my astute choices!
It's cheap TV and as we say, an Englishman's home is his castle, so the topic is a popular one.

I wish they would go back more often and show us how the buyers are managing a couple of years on - if they are still there in their totally unsuitable house of course! They have done it once or twice but only to happy bunnies.

I think I’ll stay where I am.

Like others I wonder what people in their late sixties think it will be like to live in a large house, isolated from pretty much everything, and miles away from their family. They seem to me to have delusions of grandeur. Don’t they consider that as they age they will need doctors, possibly a hospital, a local shop which is well stocked, buses when they eventually can’t drive, and a gardener and cleaner to look after their large properties. And as for looking after horses, pigs, chickens, goats, and other menageries of animals, all as they advance into their seventies and eighties, I’m left speechless by the insanity of it all.

I'm very happy where I am handbaghoarder they can keep their big houses and staff what say you.

Don't people realise the 'Country' is dirty, smelly, cold, wet, muddy, and downright dangerous? And that is for starters! How many of the 'incomers' stay long? Too far from Town, cinemas, very lonely etc.

And 2nd homers should be banned. They buy up the small houses the local young people need to buy.

There are a lot of houses on the market at the moment, and a lot being sold unseen, just a video-link , very stupid, and often poor Broadband. How many of these are being sold again because people wish to return to where they came from???

I live in the middle of a beautiful valley and often do not see anyone from day to day, apart from DH (45 Years) and sometimes the POSTMAN!! We love it!

I record Escape to the Country to watch when I can. Not sure if I love it or hate it but I’m very nosey! I cannot understand why they never take their shoes off!! They often view the garden first, often in the rain and then walk straight into the house!! Also every single couple hold hands. My DH pointed this out initially but he’s right ?

I know exactly what you mean Beswitched. I wouldn't touch an isolated house at any age.

We did live in a small village in a very suburban area of Berkshire. Even then although there was a small shop, post office and garage, but, next to no buses, country roads I didn't want the children walking or cycling late at night and 4 miles to school.

When DC reached secondary school age we moved back into town. I had enough of being a free taxi service.

Now we live in the old part of a large village; Coop selfservice, PO, lots of buses, village school, even a hairdresser

I receive considerable enjoyment from watching people of my age - soon to be 70- considering houses with three stories, narrow stairs, bathrooms up to extra steps and acres of garden, which they seem fondly to imagine they will have the strength and energy to keep looking absolutely perfect.

Usually these properties are in the back of beyond, nowhere near shops, doctors, bus routes or train stations.

I am afraid they are all in for a rude awakening fairly soon after they move in and realise that no-one has time to help with gardening, snow-clearing, cleaning gutters or taking them to the shops when the day comes when they either should not or cannot drive.

How can intelligent people and most of them seem intelligent be so stupid?

I have to admit I am bemused by retired couples in their late sixties who want a house down a lonely country lane, fifteen minutes drive from the nearest village, with a massive garden and no neighbours for miles. I mean, have they actually thought this through?

Does anyone remember the episode where the buyers were a rather wealthy but mousy looking little middle aged man and his very beautiful six foot tall blonde Russian wife. She had hair down to her waist, wore flared trousers and kept jumping up and down and clapping like a child at every million plus property they were shown. I can’t remember whether they bought anything but I was fascinated by her. She was like a perfect doll but seemed to be a lovely girl too.

When we were house hunting we actually viewed 2 of the properties shown on one episode. They certainly didn't show the faults like the rotten window frames, the general need for a very good clean, doors that wouldn't open fully, lack of heating, damp patches poor quality appliances etc. The houses looked marvellous on screen but they most definitely were not.

You have no idea of the embarrassment sodapop. ?. Guess we’ll just have to stay put and lump it . Like you I had a “friend” who told me how she envied my small house as it must be so much easier to keep clean and tidy. And I had no idea the problems she had with staff!! LMAO. We were in 4 bed semi at the time. Maybe we have a mutual acquaintance. Mine got her comeuppance eventually...

It must be real trial living in a house like that handbaghoarder

We had a 'friend' who said when she visited, "I wish we had a little house like this instead of our big one" grrrrr

Great thread LOL. We live in a decent house in a country village. But I watch these programmes and think well nobody would ever want to buy it. No humongous kitchen with space age island and appliances. Separate living areas rather than open plan. No ensuite. Obviously small bedrooms compared to properties shown. UPVC windows. Smallish garden. Not a fruit tree, cabbage patch or alpaca in sight Dont know how we can bring ourselves to live in it, never mind entertain others.......... Love Jules though. And Alastair who was/ is a real looker (personally I dont like the beard ). And it cheers up a miserable winter afternoon

I once lived in an old farmhouse in Dorset. It was on the market with a local estate agent. He rang me to say the TV program Escape to the Country wanted to film my house and put it on the program. Being a messy person I charged around tidying up and a few hours later the team arrived with a couple of large vans and cars. They carried the equipment into the house and I waited outside in a convenient spot. After about 20 minutes they came out and went off. I phoned the estate agents later and was told when the program would be aired. I duly looked at the TV program and my house was not featured. It was a bit disappointing but apparently they look at several before choosing the ones they want on the program. My house was eventually sold.

Watched yesterday, couple had 4 bed semi in Harpenden and wanted to downsize. The houses the looked at were massive, I just kept thinking of all the cleaning needed. Also the gardens had to be about half an acre. If that is retiring and downsizing I've got it all wrong.

I do enjoy the programme, although I agree with most of the comments.
Most of the prospective buyers have ideas of grandeur and no clue about looking after livestock or land.
I do like Jules ( fancy a pint) Hudson though. Always so cheerful.

Four in a Bed much better

Why do older people suddenly get the urge to have a couple of horses, or a few pigs and chickens. Don’t they realise the work and commitment these carry with them?

We were watching it yesterday and I said the DH ‘why do these people do so much entertaining and who are they going to entertain if they move miles from where they live? Why don’t we have that many friends?’.

Oxfordshire, especially south Oxfordshire got 'done over' during Cameron's leadership. A major report was commissioned on housing and how it should be distributed around the country.

Cameron didn't like the answer for Oxfordshire (and only Oxfordshire) so commissioned new consultants to look at Oxfordshire again. The consultants got the message and doubled the housing allocation.

In my LA after you have excluded the Oxford Green Belt, AONB and the flood plain, it doesn't leave much else so all the villages, not in those categories, like mine are being overwhelmed, in fact although our village isn't on the flood plain, it is on the edge of it and all the new housing is actually on the flood plain.

We are protected by being in a listed building in a conservation area that is almost entirely listed buildings, but other parts of the village are less fortunate.

Monica Almost two thousand houses added to my village with more in the pipeline! All in the last four years.
Also, as you say, every other village nearby too.It’s the biggest building boom since the 60’s.

I think many hope it will be a Midsomer Murders type or a Miss Marple St Mary Mead village, minus the murders of course.

We already live in the country, so I only watch if they are looking in the South or South West on the coast.
We are in a small village with one pub and that’s it, the school bus collects the children who go to the next village as our school closed, the rest of the children are in private schools.
We have one footpath, no street lighting and a playing field up a track, polo ponies in a field.
Sounds idyllic if you can drive, many of the older residents have had to give up their cars and are now stuck if they need to get into Oxford to get to the hospital, or to their Doctors and we have a growing ageing population
Because we are ‘open countryside’ we won’t have the huge amount of building that is going on locally, but we do get their traffic racing through the narrow lanes.
Tractors spreading mud all over the roads, pigs up the top of the lane and the smells wafting down……….
But in normal times, given it’s small size there is plenty going on, community classes in the tiny Village Hall, summer fetes and Aunt Sally in the Pub. Maybe that’s what people are after.