Back to the country

I think I’ll stay where I am.

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.

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.

In many area's country/seaside properties are going like hot cakes mainly I think to a lot of townie types thinking that as they have worked from home during lockdown, a move to the country or seaside would be a good idea. I bet in a year or two quite a few of those will realise it has not quite met their expectations of the rural idle.

These are just people with too much money who want to appear on tv They rarely have any intention of buying anything.

sodapop people can be annoying. We are in Birmingham and have been in our house for 40 years. We like it here (obviously). A friend who used to live here but has now moved to the coast, recently said to me I worry about you living there. Cheeky madam.

I don't know why that's in bold type!

Actually we have a house with big rooms and I find cleaning it easier than cleaning a small house, more wide open spaces and all the furniture is on legs so that I can clean under it without having to move it.

We already live in the country, so I only watch if they are looking in the South or South West on the coast.

I do like to watch if they're house hunting near here

Beswitched

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?

Beswitched it is a constant source of bewilderment and amusement!

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.

grandtante ??
Don't forget the hens and alpacas

I’m left speechless by the insanity of it all.
And maddyone ?

I agree most people on theprograme are downsizing or the traffic is so horrendous since they moved in years ago.They want a house for entertaining friends who sometimes would have to travel around the world to reach them,Most houses are a bit small.All want to grow their own veg or have chiuckens horse dogs etc.I think they are all pleased to have a free weeks holiday to be honest

I admit we were influenced by A place in the Sun when we bought our first house in France - it was so cheap!
A beautiful setting but eventually realised our mistake in buying a house on a steep slope.
Husband had chosen a place with a big field and small lake because he thought he might get a pony, did the fencing, but was advised of problems of keeping a horse. We ended up looking after sheep and cows for various neighbours.
Finally sold it and bought a house on less land, nice and flat.
Also very cheap approx 120G. Very happy there for 17 years.
We didn't want to leave, but things were changing.

I'm looking to 'downsize' right now and these TV programmes are just ridiculous from my point of view because my 3-bed mid-terrace in Birmingham is worth about £120k, so there aren't many places I'll be able to afford but I'm under no illusions of massive kitchens or acres of land, a nice little 2-bed bungalow is what I want, as long as its got a bit of garden for the dog to play in and for me to sit outside on sunny summer evenings, I'll be perfectly happy.

Beats me how they all have so much money to spend.

Do people really go around looking at houses and saying "oh yes, this room will look lovely with the Christmas tree up and everyone over for dinner" or "I can just imagine myself sat in that garden with a glass of wine".

That's 5 days of the year sorted then

I like these programmes as I love houses and it's interesting to see inside them. However, it has changed and not for the better over the years. Now we only see three houses instead of the previous four and the budget is astronomical. When they say that the budget is, for the sake of argument, £800k plus I always remark "Oh, Mr and Mrs Average, then."
The BBC will argue that it is 'aspirational' but it isn't - more like impossible. These programme makers live in another world, don't they?

What makes me laugh about Escape to the Country, is when they ask for a couples budget, they perhaps say £500,000, and then they show them properties priced at £530,000. Where on earth do they think people are suddenly going to find an extra £30,000?

Also, I watched the one where absolutely EVERYTHING that the woman saw she said 'Wow! It drove me so crazy that I turned the sound out and watched the subtitles instead!

I'm not sure it is an impossible dream.
If you sell a mediocre semi in London or the home counties for £800k you are exactly Mr & Mrs Average and this is the type of prospective purchaser the countryside attracts.
Especially recently there will have been thousands wanting to do this very thing. The current problem is the lack of properties on the market and offers hugely in excess of the asking price.

i like it when they take the people to do local activities like basket weaving, sailing or glass painting
it shows what the area has to offer.

Don't know why we refer to these people as friends Kate1949

We have seen many people buy second homes with large parcels of land here in France Fennel then they either spend all their holidays grass cutting etc or have to spend quite a lot of money employing a gardener.

Sodapop - we came across a few people with that problem.
Ours was our main home and even though we were there all the time we were kept constantly busy.
Another plus of living there was that the cost of living was a lot less than here in UK.
Unless you belonged to the socialising class. which we didn't We just loved the peace and beauty of living in the country

I'm sure my DH only bought our house in the country with land because the owners were selling their John Deere ride on with it. It was a case of boys and their toys!

Oldhag I think it is based on most prices being negotiable - downwards - and they usually are. And yes, people quite often do find the extra £30,000, and more, if they really want a house.

Ellianne

I'm sure my DH only bought our house in the country with land because the owners were selling their John Deere ride on with it. It was a case of boys and their toys!

If only our lawns were flat I'm sure DH would love one as well!

Callistemon I've seen people mow their inclines or gardens on a slope by attaching a rope to the mower and sending it up and down. Your DH might might enjoy that!