Jules Hudson webchat 20 March 1:30-2:30pm

highfive

Hi Jules - what do you think about the 'green deal'?

It appears to be a loan you pay back through the 'savings' you make on energy bills, and when you go to sell on your house, you pass on the loan.

Is there a risk that someone won't want to buy your property with a loan? Or do the benefits of having an efficient house outweigh the risk?

The Green Deal is an interesting and I think in many cases, really useful initiative. Much of the nation's housing stock, both in towns and the countryside, was never designed to be as thermally efficient as a modern building. I know people who have embraced the Green Deal and who are improving the efficiency of their homes with it. If you have any doubts I would advise booking an appointment with a local Green Deal advisor who can talk you through the pros and the cons.

LyndaW

Hi jules, which areas would be your 'top tips' for good places to buy in? Particularly from a retirement point of view? Also, do you think that sometimes country life is over romanticised?

Country life can be romanticised, you're right, and there is a danger in selecting somewhere because you've been there once on holiday when in fact I think you've really got to fall in love with an area on its own merits before you start house hunting there. In terms of value for money, parts of Lincolnshire, the Welsh borders and Wales are hard to beat with landscapes to match.

gardener

Do you as a presenter get to choose the properties for the clients ?
Or is it left to the production team ?
When you were house hunting for yourself, how many properties did you view before buying?
P.S Is your house the Mystery House ?

I do occasionally have the chance to choose properties but the vast majority of the houses we feature are selected by a very dedicated and experienced production team. When we moved 3 years ago we viewed upwards of 20 properties before we found the right one - it would have made a perfect mystery house!

Purpledaffodil

Do you sometimes feel that there are people who are not really wanting to move, but simply want to be on TV ? It does seem that way sometimes on my side of the screen.

I'm often asked if people do ETTC just to be on TV. In my experience the answer is most definitely no. For many the experience of filming is, if anything, quite nerve-wracking, but in putting them at ease and trying to fulfil their brief as much as possible we are in many case able to help, which is one of the most rewarding parts of the process.

goldengirl

Hallo Jules
I'm particularly interested in World War I and the Australian involvement.
My grandfather was an Australian who fought at the Battle of Fromelles - and in spite of being wounded, he survived and convalesced in Weymouth where he met my grandma.
What aspect of military history do you find most interesting?
Will you be presenting any WWI programmes this year?

Hello goldengirl, I love all periods of military history and in particular WWII . I also collect a lot of WWII memorabilia. Sadly I will not be presenting any WWI programmes this year but hopefully I will be returning to some more military history soon.

Gally

I was going to ask the same question about how long it takes, and how many houses are actually viewed by participants in Escape to the Country; I always imagine that there are more houses viewed but only the best 'film opportunities' are actually shown? I wonder why there are never follow ups to any of the programmes as in, for instance, Location Location Location? I am very nosy inquisitive by nature and would really like to know the end story. I always enjoy the programmes introduced by you - you are soooo enthusiastic
Perhaps you could instigate a new programme on rescuing old furniture - that would be good

We are including more revisits in existing shows when it is possible to do them. As for your question on rescuing old furniture, watch this space!

rosesarered

We all like watching Escape to The Country, and you in your colourful gilets, so Jules, my questions to you are ; do you choose your clothes yourself or are you 'dressed' by the BBC? This is a bet between my DH and myself, so we need to know [there is £10 riding on it.]Also, originally, the show used to feature about 5 different houses, and now there are only three[other time taken up by showing country pursuits or local history] why is this?Last question,how long does it take in reality to film an entire episode?Thanks in advance, and keep up the good work, we enjoy goggling at houses we could never afford[although it would be nice if now and again there were a few featured that we could afford.]

Yes, I do choose my own clothes. You're quite right, we used to have 4 houses, but we also made a shortened repeat for the BBC which featured just 3. However, over the years we have found that 3 is the perfect number both for the shooting schedule and for the majority of our buyers. It takes a week to make one show - and we make 75 a year, so during production between March and October we are usually making more than one programme.