- [Phil] This time, we're conjuring up the magic touch as we revisit two very demanding duos.

- Well, I suppose we'll start off with the ballroom.

We'll have to see the flower room.

- It's just a bit small.

- [Kirstie] But even Phil's magic tricks can't turn pookie into palacial.

- Here I am.

- There's nowhere I could do my makeup.

- [Phil] We might need a miracle to get them to compromise.

- I wouldn't go a step further.

- At the moment, we're kind of on the fence.

- Hopefully, with a bit of teamwork...

Location, tick; parking, tick.

- The right house will leave them spellbound.

You're rather pleased with yourself, aren't you?

(upbeat music) - This week, I'm catching up with two sets of house hunters who had very set ideas on what it was they wanted.

In fact, it'd be fair to say it was a classic case of the properties leading the search, both with interesting outcomes.

(upbeat music) This time, we're focusing on the home counties, which include the UK's top 10 highest value towns, making it one of the nation's most expensive areas.

- So it's gonna be lots of fun trying to find our high hunters their dream homes here.

- [Phil] Robin and Colin are looking for their first home together, so I'm searching for an architectural gem in Sussex.

- [Kirstie] My search is taking me to the county of Berkshire and the popular town of Reading.

(upbeat music) - [Phil] Sisters 22 year old market researcher Lucy and 24 year old retail account manager Gemma have been living at home since they finished uni, but now it's time for them to fly the nest.

- I think the thing we're probably most excited about getting our own place is doing it up, so it's our own and just be a bit more grown up.

- [Kirstie] The girls have been saving for two years, and along with money put aside by their family, they've got a deposit, but with it comes pressure.

- Because our mom and dad and obviously our grandparents have been putting money away since we were so young, now that we've come to buy, I think that you do feel a bit of responsibility to make sure you make the right decision.

- [Kirstie] Even though they've got a budget of up to 215,000 pounds from savings and a mortgage, their search hasn't progressed much further than the sofa.

- As of yet, we have not viewed any houses.

We haven't seen anything that we really, really thought, "Oh yeah."

- "That was perfect."

- But we've looked at so many online.

- [Kirstie] Not good enough, girls.

- [Phil] With just 21 months between them, the girls are close, but they have very different opinions on what kind of property they want.

- I was determined I wanted a new build.

I wanted a flat, and I want it to be all lovely.

Lucy's like, "No flats.

Not sure about any build," blah.

- I particularly didn't want a flat.

It just is not for me.

- [Kirstie] But this pair are short on one thing.

Just like Noah's ark, their new home must have two of everything.

Two equal bedrooms, two bathrooms, and two parking spaces.

- [Phil] So whether it's a flat or a house, it's double trouble for Kirstie.

- [Kirstie] The girls want to buy in Reading, but they will consider places further east that are convenient for Lucy's work in Brightwell.

With money from their parents and grandparents, the pressure's on to buy well.

And that means a dose of reality.

- [Phil] Rather them than me.

- My concerns are most traditional properties will have two bedrooms of different size and one bathroom.

- [Gemma] Yeah.

- If you're going for the new builds, which do have two bedrooms with the same size and often two bathrooms, you need parking spaces, and you get one per flat.

But of those three issues, so bathroom, car, bedroom, what would you say was the most important?

- If there was like a big master and a box room, that might be still a bit more tricky to deal with.

The concern with the car, I guess, is, for me, I hate parking so much.

- Oh, do you?

There are sacrifices and compromises with both of your needs.

You just have to absolutely be completely straight when you walk into the first property.

As the girls haven't seen any properties so far, they'll have to realize, just like mom, I know best.

With a maximum of 215,000 pounds, Gemma and Lucy are after two of everything.

Double bedrooms, bathrooms, and parking spaces.

- [Phil] But when it comes to property type, they want different things.

Gemma would like a modern flat, and Lucy would prefer a house.

So while Kirstie gets her hunt on in Berkshire, my task takes me a little further south to Sussex.

Rolling countryside, fresh sea air, Bohemian atmosphere, and an easy commute to the capital.

These counties have always lured Londoners looking for the sweet spot between town and country.

- [Kirstie] Hardly surprising that they're in the top 20 most expensive places to buy in the UK, the average house price in west Sussex being 260 grand.

That's a 100K above the national average.

- [Phil] Sussex is where Colin Amory, an architectural historian, and his partner, Robin Balance, a property renovation manager, want to finally settle down together after eight years of living in separate London flats.

- The first time we've actually had a chance to live together, it might have been absolute disaster, but then you don't know until you've tried.

- [Kirstie] As a couple, they're hugely knowledgeable about property, which should make Phil nervous.

- [Phil] I love a challenge.

- [Kirstie] Their plan is to renovate something from scratch themselves.

Not surprisingly, they have very specific views about how they want to spend their whopping half a million pounds.

- What we'd like to do is to turn a cocoon into a butterfly.

- [Colin] Perhaps a historic building, but something that has a real hand of a designer in it.

- I think we're going to be very hard to please and exceptionally picky.

- [Phil] Fantastic.

To make things even trickier, they're not just thinking about themselves.

The property also has to be right for their beloved Welsh terrier Bruno.

- Well, I suppose you could say there are three of us in this marriage.

- [Kirstie] Bruno doesn't like busy towns, and I'm guessing he wouldn't want to live next door to cats either.

- Hopefully he'll be very much an integral part of this search.

- Normally, we can whittle down where we look for a property to a few areas, but this isn't about location.

It's all about architecture, architecture, architecture, so we'll be looking right across east and west Sussex.

At over 1400 square miles, it's one of the biggest search areas we've ever had.

So I'm a little daunted working for an architectural historian and a project manager.

Given what you two do for a living, I can only assume you've got some fairly grand ideas about the environment you want to live in.

- Well, I wouldn't say they're seriously grand.

I think we've got an idea of what we want.

- Well, I suppose what I really like, you know, is the 18th century.

But on the other hand, if we came across a nice gloomy Gothic folly in somebody's park, that would be just as good.

- How many rooms do you need?

- Oh, well, I suppose we'll start off with the ballroom.

Obviously, the flower room.

- I shouldn't have asked.

- No, we're realistic about it.

You know, if it's got three bedrooms, great.

If it's got the ability to add another bathroom, brilliant.

- It's all pretty straightforward, really, isn't it?

- I'm glad you think so.

In fact, this type of search is a first for us.

So where to begin?

They've got 400 grand to buy the property, and they've put aside a hundred thousand for renovations.

- [Kirstie] They want somewhere of historical interest and architectural merit.

- [Phil] It could be the shell of a building or an existing house, preferably in its original state.

- [Kirstie] As far as size goes, they're not looking for a mansion, but my guess is they won't go for anything pokey either.

- [Phil] It needs a secure garden for Bruno, and they'll only consider a country location or, to push, the edge of a small town.

Now, I know this part of the world well, and even though half a million pounds is a huge amount of money, I still think, for what they want to achieve, they're going to be really stretched.

(upbeat music) In Reading, Gemma and Lucy are posing a different challenge for Kirstie.

- [Kirstie] Lucy's looking for a house, whereas Gemma favors a flat.

I don't fancy my chances.

- [Phil] If it was easy, we'd be out of a job.

Fast train links to London, plus, the shops, restaurants, and bars mean it's not hard to see why Reading's such a popular place to live.

- [Kirstie] Despite the fast moving market here, we found a brand new flat in the heart of town, which I'm sure will please Gemma.

But with Lucy set on a house, it's time to see which sister is top dog.

- It's really lovely.

- It's sort of a bit more homey feeling 'cause it's got that kind of look.

It's not like some big block of flats.

It's got that kind of modern, you know?

Yeah.

- Fantastic, oh, we're doing well here.

Okay.

This perfectly positioned two bedroom property has the two bathrooms they want and a bright, modern living space.

It's on the market for 220,000 pounds, which is five grand over their budget, but I've been told we can get this within their price range.

Now, obviously, this has got the show furniture in.

- [Gemma] I do like it.

- [Kirstie] It is lovely.

- The kitchen's really nice.

I like how it's big and it's all open to the living room.

- Because obviously, it's all in one room, it is kind of bigger 'cause you're not getting the walls taking up the space.

Which I think is kind of nice.

- What would you say so far out of 10?

- About sort of seven because it's so sort of pretty, and it sort of seems practical as well.

It's all laid out really nicely.

- I would actually say seven as well 'cause I do really, really like it 'cause it's so cute.

- [Gemma] And it's convenient for work.

- [Lucy] The location is amazing.

- [Phil] Lucy seems to be coming round to the idea of a flat.

- But there is always a compromise, and this flat has just one parking space.

I'm really hoping it won't be a deal breaker.

Put the parking to one side in your mind and go and look and see if you like the rest of the flat.

The girls want equal sized bedrooms, not always easy, but I've done pretty well with this one, and there's just centimeters in it.

Hopefully, this will soften the blow of the solo parking space.

- This is very decent size, I think.

I think you could definitely fit some of our belongings in here.

- [Kirstie] Lucy's not so sure.

- There's nowhere I could do my makeup.

- [Phil] And if they want town center living, one of the girls may need to ditch their car in favor of the bus.

- I'm kind of 50/50 on the car thing 'cause Gemma could actually get to work easily by bus.

But at the same time, I can see their dilemma.

- It's really cute, and the storage is good.

But it's just a bit...

It's a bit small.

(lo-fi music) - Right, what are your thoughts now?

- I'd be happy to compromise on other things if I knew that the parking was not a compromise.

- We know what we've gotta focus on.

So that's more space and parking for two that I need to find.

- [Phil] Looks like we both got our work cut out, Kirstie, with our particularly picky pairs.

For Robin and Colin, I'm scouring Sussex to try and find something with character, preferably with renovation potential.

- [Kirstie] In an attempt to find an architectural gem within their budget, we've contacted 128 estate agents, 14 borough councils, 11 country estates, and 12 auction houses, resulting in some impressive finds.

- [Phil] The property I want to show them first is in the market town of Lewes nestled in the South Downs National Park and less than 10 miles from Brighton.

Colin and Robin have admitted they're going to be fussy, and there's pet dog Bruno to please as well.

Plus, this place is at the top of their budget.

All in all, I'm feeling a bit apprehensive.

First impressions of being here and the street.

What's going through your minds?

- Traffic.

- Traffic.

- [Colin] It's a bit urban, I think.

(light jazz) - [Phil] Clearly, these two speak their minds, but I just hope they appreciate what they could do here, particularly given it's still got some original 18th century features.

- [Kirstie] It's arranged over four floors.

The kitchen has room for expansion.

There are two bedrooms on the first floor and a further two on the second.

It even has a cellar thrown in for good measure.

- At 399,950, they'd be spending nearly every penny of their property budget.

But remember, they also have an additional 100,000 set aside for renovations.

Good project for you.

Hasn't been touched in quite a while.

It is lived in.

- [Robin] Only just.

- [Colin] Needs everything done to it.

- [Robin] And that's the garden?

Or is it a courtyard?

- [Phil] It's a courtyard.

- Afraid to say it's a no for me at the moment.

I dunno how you feel, Colin.

- [Phil] There's plenty of work to do.

- [Robin] There's plenty of work.

I just don't think that... - [Colin] I think if I lived here, I'd spend quite lot of time in Spain.

(laughter) - And the prize for the greatest number of objections in the shortest period of time goes to Colin and Robin.

I feel like reminding them that they do have an additional hundred thousand pounds to bring this property back to its former glory.

- It hasn't got the proportions we are looking for.

It's too cottage-y, I think.

That staircase is so narrow.

You couldn't walk up and down with a suitcase, could you?

- Should we move on?

- I think we should move on.

- Understood.

Point taken.

- [Robin] Colin, head.

- This place is nowhere near grand enough for them.

I think I can say with some certainty we're not going to have an easy journey.

They've got very high expectations.

They know exactly what they want.

Just finding it's the problem.

And that's down to me.

Yippee.

(upbeat music) (upbeat music) We're revisiting two sets of house hunters who had very different, but very specific ideas, about what it was they wanted.

Partners Robin and Colin are looking for an architectural gem of a home that they can restore back to its original glory and finally move into together.

The first property I showed them in Lewes went down like a lead chandelier, but I refuse to be intimidated.

- [Kirstie] Yes, Phil, remember you are the property guru.

Over in Berkshire, sisters Gemma and Lucy are after two of everything.

I think my next property answers all their needs, and I've invited Pip along to help them see it that way.

- [Phil] Wokingham is 15 minutes east of the girls' number one spot, Reading.

But it's closer to Lucy's work and offers them all they want.

- [Kirstie] This is a property I'm confident Lucy will like, as she wants a house.

A semi-detached house.

- [Gemma] It does look really nice, doesn't it?

- [Lucy] Yeah.

- [Gemma] It's big.

- [Phil] How do you feel about Wokingham?

- It's so convenient for work, and you've got the benefit of being in a little town, so you've got all your amenities there whilst being not far from Reading at all.

- And better parking.

- Yeah, definitely, it's all up the streets.

It's really good.

- So location, tick; parking, tick.

House, let's see.

- Two for two so far.

Thank you.

- [Kirstie] I've got a good feeling about this one.

- [Phil] I can see why.

They're getting over double the floor space of the flat with two beds, kitchen diner, separate sitting room, and conservatory, plus a lovely garden.

- [Kirstie] And it's on the market at just under 210,000 pounds, five grand under budget.

- [Phil] Nobody likes a show off.

- So ladies, in you come.

Hall, staircase.

Lovely kitchen.

- [Lucy] Oh yeah, it's such a nice size.

- [Kirstie] Such a nice size.

- Wow, this is really nice.

- I love it a lot.

It's big, but it's cozy, and it's like homely.

It's quite modern.

- That's a very good.

- It's a good start, isn't it?

I'm a bit jealous.

Always nice to get a good reaction.

With top marks for parking location and living space, I'm sure the two similar sized bedrooms can only add to their enthusiasm.

Have a look in that one.

That's actually the second bedroom.

- Oh wow.

This is pretty good space for the second bedroom.

- Saying all the right things.

- [Kirstie] There's less than two square meters between the two room sizes.

- [Lucy] Oh wow.

- So they're pretty equal sizes.

- [Kirstie] So there should be no arguing over who gets the best one.

- Do you think the two of you will find it easy to make a decision together?

- I think so because we can just be really honest without having to worry about hurting the other one's feelings.

- Well, you've both been very positive with this.

- The bedroom parity may have pleased Lucy, but as Gemma originally wanted a flat.

I wonder if she's as sold on the house as her sister.

You seemed to be wildly enthusiastic about this house when you came in.

- I feel that we've just come in, and instantly when I'm looking around, I just think this is ticking so many of the boxes that we had.

I'd be surprised if we went to the next one, and I felt better about it than this.

- Wow.

I dunno what to say.

That is fantastic.

Go, go, go, go see bedrooms and the rest of it and send that Phil Spencer down here.

- I will.

- I must admit, things are looking good.

I imagine Kirstie will be doing her little jig already.

You're rather pleased with yourself, aren't you?

- I beat them to a pulp when I met them.

I reduced their expectations to a speck of dirt.

- [Phil] And then show them this.

- And then show them this.

- It is absolutely perfect.

Good for you if you pull this one off as well.

- Yeah, I will, don't worry.

- Oh yeah, this one's really good size as well, isn't it?

Is this the big one or the smaller one?

- This is the smaller one, but it's just a really good size.

You see, you could get easily a double bed in here.

Hello hello hello.

- All smiles.

- I think it is the sort of place you could actually move into.

There's a few minor bits that you'd wanna change, but you wouldn't need to do it before you even move here.

- And the fact that we're so close to the center here as well.

- Yeah, the location is great.

- So you could stroll.

- Happy days, as Phil often says.

- Yes, happy days.

- [Kirstie] Jackpot.

I didn't even have to cash in the Spencer charm.

- You might be in clover, Kirstie, but it's gonna take more than just my charm if I'm to please my bear.

Back with Robin and Colin and their slightly more complicated requirements.

I haven't had a great start, so I'm hoping with our second property, the only way is up.

We're in the picturesque but expensive village of Cuckfield.

Only 15 miles north of Brighton on the edge of the beautiful South Downs.

Right, let's see if we can do a little better here.

Second one I've got for you.

Again, Georgian property.

It is listed, but on a high street village location.

Hopefully, it'll strike a slightly better impression.

- Yes, it has slightly more elegant proportions, and well, I think this is going to -- - It's more architectural this time, isn't it?

The other one was very much cottage, really.

- [Phil] Excellent, that'll do me.

This bay-fronted Georgian townhouse has been run as a dentist surgery for the last four years.

- [Kirstie] As it stands.

There's the remnants of a large reception area.

First floor, kitchen and three double bedrooms along with two basement rooms and a decent sized garden.

- [Phil] It's being marketed as a commercial premises, so they would need to get planning permission to change the use to residential.

It's priced at 365,000 pounds, which would leave them a whopping 135,000 to do it up.

This was the dentist reception room.

As you can see, there's no remaining fine features.

It would all need to be put back.

- But we wouldn't have to become dentists, would we?

- [Phil] No, you wouldn't.

- That's relief.

'Cause everybody hates dentists.

Even dentists hate dentists.

- At the moment, there's a little loo in there and a sort of kitchenette potentially en suite to this, which would be the master bedroom.

- [Robin] Lovely light coming in too.

- It must be very exciting, yet at the same time quite daunting, given that you've got your separate flats in London and you kind of almost commute between each other's lives.

This will be really a... - I think, after eight years, this is going from that sort of slight separation to actually I think throwing ourselves together, and we've been waiting for it to happen, and it just hasn't happened yet.

- But it'll only happen if they make it happen, and that means being realistic about what they can buy on their budget.

Are we on the right lines with this so far?

I mean, you haven't seen the whole thing yet, but... - I think so.

I mean, it has a really nice...

Even in its current state, it has a very nice atmosphere.

- [Kirstie] And when it comes to looking for a renovation project, that's the most elusive factor.

- Colin, you up here?

Somewhere.

- Here I am.

- Why are you hiding?

Well, at least you fit in.

- It's a perfect fit, isn't it?

- Well, at least you fit in from a height perspective.

It's got a nice feeling about this room.

- [Colin] It's a good house.

- [Phil] Who's harder to please, you or Robin?

- I think I'm pretty hard to please.

- Would you be a difficult client here?

- Extremely.

- [Kirstie] Generally speaking, if you're looking for unusual architecture, then commercial buildings are always worth checking out.

- Oh, lovely view.

- [Kirstie] More often than not, there'll be a duration of six months where attempts will be made to sell it as an ongoing business.

- It's lovely 'cause it's actually got a very good roof height.

- [Kirstie] If that fails, then usually you stand a greater chance of getting the planning department to change the use to residential.

- How are you getting on?

- Well, you know, there are interesting problems to solve.

- It'd be lovely to give this... To return this to a family home.

- Yeah.

- [Phil] This place could be spectacular, and I have to say I'm quite relieved to have found somewhere they like.

But as far as the planning goes, there's obviously no guarantees.

At least it seems like we're heading in the right direction.

- For Gemma and Lucy, It's going to be hard to beat the last property.

But my next one is back in their number one area of Reading, just over a mile from the center and all that has to offer.

It's also 17 grand cheaper than the Wokingham house.

How would this location work for you two?

- I think this location would be really good.

- Good location, okey doke.

Well, do you like the look of the building?

- Yeah, it's quite sweet, isn't it?

- [Kirstie] This first floor flat is immaculately decorated.

The bedrooms are as equal as we can get them, and it has the homely feel that they're after.

- [Phil] There's the option of a parking space with the flat plus visitor and on street parking.

But again, there's just one bathroom.

As it's on for 22 grand under budget, I hope they can forgive that to be in their preferred area.

- What I like about this flat is that it's got a lot of charm.

I mean, this is a much bigger floor space than the first flat.

- It all looks nice.

It's got the nice floors and everything.

It is difficult to take yesterday's house totally out of your head.

- But there is ample parking.

It's very central.

- [Both] Yeah.

- It's well within budget, and it has good reception space.

- [Both] Yeah.

- The location is really good.

- When you think about that, how close we'd be to town is amazing.

- This place is the compromise between the modern flat Gemma wanted and the homely house Lucy was looking for.

It offers them an ideal location, two fairly equal bedrooms, option to part two cars, and leaves them money to play with.

- I didn't actually notice that.

That's quite a big wardrobe there as well.

- Hidden wardrobe for you.

- That's actually really good.

You could definitely fit everything in here.

- It's a lovely flat, this.

It's exactly what I was hoping I'd get for the girls.

- [Phil] This property would not only provide the girls with a home close to their friends, family, and Reading's busy center, but as buy to let investments are in demand here, it could also offer security for the future with its letting potential.

- So you've seen it all now.

What are your feelings?

- It kind of does tick a lot of the boxes that we want.

The location is really, really good.

- It's space versus location.

I mean, this is a great flat in a more central area, but Wokingham was a house that's big enough that you could both live there with partners.

- [Both] Yeah.

- Yeah, that's really true.

- Now you need to go away, talk to your mom and dad, and work out what works best for you for now and for the future.

- [Phil] So Gemma and Lucy's search is going from strength to strength.

As for Colin and Robin, we've made some progress, but I sense there's still a slight atmosphere of "could do better" when it comes to architectural style.

So I don't mind saying that I can hardly contain my excitement about the next property we're going to show them, and I think it could be exactly what they're looking for.

This stunning grade two listed church sits on the edge of the sought after village of Hurstpierpoint, 8 miles north of Brighton.

- [Kirstie] Properties like this rarely come on the market.

But because there's another church in the village, the local diocese recommended this one for sale.

The profits would then go towards maintaining existing church buildings and for good causes in the community.

- [Phil] Unusually, there is no guide price.

However, we've been advised by the diocese that Robin and Colin's total budget of 500,000 pounds should be sufficient.

- It has planning permission to be converted into a two bed dwelling.

- We only came across it simply because we were approaching all organizations on your behalf, and one of the groups was the Church of England.

- It's quite an interesting building, but I just do not want to live in a church, full stop.

- Okay.

Not much we can... - [Kirstie] Not much we can do about that.

- Sorry to be difficult, but I wouldn't go a step further.

- Understood.

Particular reasons you might not want -- - It's just that one principle objection I have, which is I don't think church buildings should be deconsecrated and turned into secular homes.

- I'm so disappointed.

Not least because this is the first really grand property I've found that they can actually afford.

Huge proportions and stunning architectural features.

It is, well, just heavenly.

I guess, I feel that I should have thought that that could happen, rather than just approach Church of England and just presume everything would be okay.

- Yeah, but you know, these things happen.

Don't beat yourself up much.

- Well... - Just a little bit.

Confession over with, time to move on.

- [Phil] We've certainly got a task of biblical proportions on our hands.

Hopefully, divine inspiration is just around the corner.

(upbeat music) (upbeat music) This week, we're back with two very different twosomes, and their very particular searches for the ideal home.

- Oh, lovely view.

- Thankfully, sisters Gemma and Lucy have finally compromised on their desire for a bathroom each.

- [Kirstie] They now just have a space versus location dilemma.

- [Phil] The second flat in Reading has everything they need in their favorite area, but the house in Wokingham gives them around one and a half times more room.

- [Kirstie] As the girls parents have played a big part in funding their deposit, it's only right they should help them make their decision.

- It's just like the second one on the right.

- [Steve] Looks like it's got new windows in it as well.

- This is kind of key.

- Yes, parking space.

- [Phil] It's always worth getting a second opinion.

And as dad Steve is a quantity surveyor, he's the perfect person to check the girls are making the right decision.

- This is the master; this is the main.

- [Steve] There's quite a lot of storage space in here.

- [Kirstie] Mom and dad know all too well that, when it comes to siblings, everything needs to be equal, including bedroom sizes.

- [Steve] So this is -- - [Lucy] The smaller room.

(inaudible) - You get a double bed in there with that one.

- [Kirstie] Looks like it's got parental approval.

Now it's up to the girls to decide if they're happy to take the next step.

- I think we've actually got, like, quite a hard decision to make.

- You certainly have.

- Yeah.

- Not a dilemma Colin and Robin are facing.

Three properties down, and I've yet to find their gem.

Fingers crossed for property four.

We're in the village of Steyning, home to 125 listed buildings.

It's 14 miles north of Brighton and walking distance to the South Downs.

It's also, on the face of it, a conventional Victorian semi.

Not the architectural period they asked for, but in my opinion, a property with great potential to become somewhere they could finally set up home together.

Nice, big project.

You don't look enamored.

- Looks okay.

- Looks okay.

- [Phil] Let's go inside.

Oh no, here we go again.

This house offers great scope for renovation.

It's got three bedrooms, two of which are a good size, and two decent reception rooms.

- [Kirstie] The kitchen is currently a bit cramped, but there's room to extend behind the house, and I'm sure Colin and Robin could come up with a super clever plan to produce something spectacular.

It's on the market at 325,000 pounds, which is 75 grand below their budget for buying a property.

And they still have the hundred thousand pounds for renovation if they need it.

- Come on in.

Now, the lady who owns it has lived here for 72 years.

- Oh, that's nice.

- Robin, I'm assuming you've done lots of this type of a project for your clients.

- Yes, this is... Oh, there'll be a couple of little bits and bobs, but this is quite an easy one, actually.

- Colin, you haven't looked around much of it yet, but architecture?

- It's almost better at the moment outside than in, isn't it?

The architecture seems to disappeared inside.

- I am nervous.

I confess that I am worried about this.

This is late Victorian.

They wanted ideally Georgian or early Victorian.

It's not exactly architecturally stimulating, but I think it would make a lovely home.

Whether they accept that or not is a different matter, and to date, of the four properties I've shown them, haven't exactly all gone down brilliantly.

- This is another one of these...

Wonderful period Georgian fireplace.

- Our favorite, favorite fireplace.

No, it's a lovely room.

Yeah, it sort of gives me quite a nice feeling.

I can see the potential, most importantly.

- [Colin] I think that's true.

- [Kirstie] Is this the sound of Colin and Robin finally matching their aspirations to their budget?

- Well, it's nice to see you've found a job.

- I've found some use.

- Fantastic.

- I'm good at one thing.

- It's a good period model.

- How'd you get on?

- Great, yeah.

- I think it grows on you, this house.

And it has quite a lot of potential.

It's got good feeling to it, I think.

It's a very nice, quiet spot, but you know, you'd have to do some interesting changes, I think.

It would make it a really rather good house.

- [Phil] All of a sudden, I feel like I'm back on track.

Yesterday, we had a nod in the right direction after our appointment at the dentist's.

And now this surprise choice is also in the running.

But they're an unpredictable pair, so I'm gonna let them sleep on it.

(bright music) Thankfully, things are a little more straightforward with Gemma and Lucy.

After a lot of deliberation, the girls have decided to go for the house in Wokingham.

Sadly, Kirstie's had to rush off to a family emergency, leaving me in charge.

- I've got every faith in you.

- When I left you yesterday, that viewing was a very, very happy experience.

- I think it's gonna be difficult for us to go out there and not feel that everything suffers by comparison.

And it seems a bit stupid to kind of pass up on that opportunity.

- I think that house is an excellent house, and they've had quite a lot of people look at it and no offers, so I think it's worth just chancing a low offer and just gauging their reaction.

- I think if we kind of went for about 200 with maybe a little bit of a buffer to wiggle up if we need to.

- So you're happy at 200?

- [Both] Yes.

- Tom, hello, Tom.

Hi, it's Phil Spencer.

The girls do very much like the house, and they've come up with a figure of 200,000.

Good luck.

Thank you, Tom.

Cheers, bye.

Well, he didn't seem that disappointed.

He's pleased to get an offer, basically.

He's got something to work with now.

Let's see if he can do his job.

- Yeah.

- Great.

- I know, oh my god.

- [Kirstie] So far so good.

Everything crossed.

- [Phil] What do you think he'll do?

- I don't know.

- Say yes.

He's gonna definitely say yes.

- The power of positive thinking.

(phone ringing) - Hi there, what news?

(tense music) Okay.

Yeah, I understand.

So we'll wait to hear.

Good luck, thank you.

Cheers, bye.

The vendors are talking to one another, and they'd like this evening tonight to kind of review their position.

So I'll ring you soon as I hear.

- Yeah.

- Great.

- [Gemma] Thank you very much.

- Let's hope it all comes together.

(bright music) - [Kirstie] Unfortunately for Gemma and Lucy, they were out bid on the Wokingham house after another buyer offered the full asking price.

- [Phil] But the girls didn't let that hold them back.

And with both sisters finally in agreement that a house, rather than a flat, was their best bet, 11 months on they're the proud owners of their first home in Reading.

It was a stroke of luck which led them to it.

- After we were outbid on the property that Kirstie and Phil showed us, we decided to continue our search.

And one day, we just got a call completely outta the blue, and it was one of my friends, and she was saying that one of her neighbors had to sell their house quickly, and did we want to pop by and have a look before they put it on the market?

- We went round on the Sunday evening, and when we saw it, we just thought, "This is exactly what we've been looking for the whole time.

It's perfect."

Went and had a quick chat and then just decided it was the one we wanted and just put an offer in there and then.

- [Phil] The two bedroom semi-detached house gets two big ticks for having a parking space each for the girls, similar size bedrooms, and there's even a front garden.

- We did get a really good deal because it was before he put it on the market and wanted to get a good sale.

We got it for 193.

- Yeah, yeah, so we didn't pay estate agent's fees either.

So we got a couple of thousand or something off the price.

- [Phil] Well, everyone loves a bargain, but is independent living everything they thought it would be?

- We do love it.

The area's just so convenient.

We can walk to the gym from here and get a bus into town or just driving.

It's not very far.

So it's nice that we have a conservatory, so there's a bit more space.

So we quite often have people over, and it is just nice to have our own space to have people to come around and just relax.

Just feels really homely here now.

We have changed a few things just to make it our own.

We've done our bedrooms, and we've also done some changes to the lounge just to make it a bit more girly.

We were lucky that it was just in such a good condition to move into.

- [Phil] So they've got a good relationship with the house, but what about with each other?

- We get asked how we're getting on living together a lot, and people at work always sort of say it like, "Oh."

And to be honest with you, we haven't had that many problems.

I think that, since we moved out, Lucy is worried about my messy behavior, but because it is someone else's space, I think that you do respect that, and, you know, you're not gonna leave everything just lying around.

And we both try to sort of share the cleaning and the tidying really.

So we've not got into any arguments about anything like that.

- [Phil] Well, if mediation's required, the good thing is mom and dad are very close by.

And Kirstie and I would like to think our mediation skills proved useful in bringing the sisters onto the same page.

- Having been through the process with Kirstie and Phil, I think we are feeling really positive they helped us a lot.

They showed us what we needed, what we didn't need.

And we've come out with, you know, a house that we're really, really happy with.

So couldn't have gone better, really.

- [Phil] After following our guidance, I'm really happy Gemma and Lucy got everything they wanted on their wishlist.

And we know from Robin and Colin, just how hard that can be.

In their search for an architectural gem, we looked at a few diamonds in the rough.

- It's quite interesting, but I just do not want to live in a church, full stop.

- But was there anywhere that could be polished to perfection?

(upbeat music) (upbeat music) (bright music) It's a new day, and Robin and Colin have come to a surprising conclusion.

I thought they would embrace the challenge of the dentist surgery in Cuckfield.

But they think the best option for them is my wild card, the Victorian semi in Steyning.

However, as we know, the casting vote must always go to Bruno.

I know in the past you've been to houses where he's taken an immediate dislike.

- Yes.

- And that's what put you off.

Not just houses, whole towns.

- One of the issues with the house is the parking.

It doesn't have parking permission out there.

It does have right of access across the gravel.

You could create parking space here in the front garden.

- Straight away, that means that's devalued the property for me on a development point of view.

- Did he just say development?

That's a new one on me.

This is where I see it, the opportunity is.

It's obviously subject to planning.

- [Colin] You're limited by those windows.

- You get a second story on it.

- [Robin] No, certainly not.

- But it would be a big improvement to the sort of functionality at the back of the house.

What do you think, Colin?

- Well, you'd have to be able to do something here, wouldn't you?

It doesn't work as it is.

You can hardly stand up in there.

- I dunno how this is going.

I dunno whether they're thinking of it as a home or a project or development.

Can't read them at all today.

Of course, they can spend their money however they like, but my frustration is that if I'd known they were looking for a development property, then I would've shown them places that maximized the profit margin as opposed to somewhere they could live together.

I have to admit, I have no idea what they want to do now because clearly the house we've just seen is not destined to be the family home they were looking for.

Is it something that the two of you have actually seriously considered buying it, doing the project, making some money, selling it again, and then using that pot of money to fund and buy the architecturally interesting house that you are after?

- This was our thought last night before we actually found out about the parking problem, that it would be a very nice project in order to help us get onto the next stage of the plan to buy our architectural gem.

- It would only be worth doing up to sell if you could get it very cheaply.

- Yes.

I don't think you're gonna get it cheaply.

I just don't.

The vendors believe it's worth 325, and they're not really prepared to budge.

And so it was that a house together eluded Colin and Robin yet again.

With their wishlist, it was always going to be a tall order in such a desirable part of the country.

(bright music) Now, though, I find myself in that very area of desirability, Sussex.

Three miles west of Steyning on the western estate, within which sits our particular pair's new home.

It's been two years now since I was searching for Colin and Robin's architectural gem.

It was a very difficult search.

Two people who knew precisely what they wanted and, of course, precisely what they didn't want.

So I'm pretty sure there's gonna be an interesting story to hear.

One an architectural historian, the other an architectural designer.

I always knew theirs would be a difficult brief.

They wanted something peaceful with great views.

Top marks there.

And their hearts were set on a late Georgian or early Victorian folly.

So it looks like dreams can come true.

Robin and Colin.

Good morning to you.

Very, very nice to see you.

- Nice to see you.

- Thanks for coming to the folly.

- The folly indeed, perfect.

Known as the roundhouse, it dates back to the late 18th century, and it's precisely what Colin would call architecturally interesting.

I'd say more like fascinating.

There are three bedrooms, a stunning reception room, and a very welcoming, cozy kitchen dining area.

The only thing missing here are the title deeds.

Robin and Colin are tenants.

So the roundhouse is part of the wider estate?

So it was never going to be for sale.

- [Robin] No, no.

- But it came up for rental, and you were in the right place at the right time?

- I think that's why we had to move quite swiftly because they don't come up very often.

And when we asked you to find some folly in Sussex, you know, we realized how difficult it was.

It's a pure chance and luck, actually, that we knew somebody who knew somebody who knew where this place was.

- Within, I think a day, wasn't it?

- Yes.

it was one day.

- A day, I'd come down to see it.

And just the house gave me this really warm, welcoming hug, like I know the place.

- And does Bruno like the new abode?

- [Robin] Well, yes, I mean, we've hardly seen him because he's either outside in the garden or he's probably fast asleep on his chair upstairs.

- Well, I'd love to have a look around.

Can I please explore?

- Follow me.

- [Phil] They only moved in a few months ago, so there's still plenty to do to personalize the space.

But boy, what a space.

- So this is the big room.

- Wow.

Wow.

- Well, this is really why we came here.

You know, that's the great view of the big house.

And this was built probably around 1790, and it was a hunting lodge, I think.

And in the 1920s, the two bedrooms are added, one at each side.

Each one with an en suite.

- And a really interesting shape to it.

- Well, it's the roundhouse, isn't it?

It's very irregular though.

Quite hard to furnish.

- Well, you two were never gonna go for something that was normal.

I'm not I'm not being rude, but you know what I mean?

- Straightforward.

- [Phil] You couldn't get anything less straightforward than the roundhouse.

And as Colin says, the building's irregularity means they're having to tackle the decor slowly.

- Pictures to hang, curtains to hang.

Actually, funny enough, I'm revisiting my skills as a curtain maker.

God help me.

It's actually telling us, it's dictating what works and what doesn't work.

Just saying, "No, just gently do it.

You've got all the time in the world to get it right."

- They have both kept hold of their flats in London, but have no plans to move back to them and can stay here as long as they wish.

Kirstie and I always knew, for you guys, it was about the property.

That was the real end all.

The fact that this is a rental is, I guess, fairly immaterial.

It has to be one of our most unusual compromises on a house search.

So important was the feel, history, and character of their first home together.

But in the end, they chose to rent rather than own.

It's gorgeous; this is absolutely gorgeous.

I can quite see why you were taken with it.

As it was going to be their first time living together and mean a move out of London, this search had a great deal riding on it, so I'm delighted the couple ended up near Steyning.

When I originally took them here, I was confident the mix of quirky and quaint would appeal, and it looks like they feel right at home.

And the icing on the location cake: the estate's very own winery is on their doorstep.

So Steyning proved to be the winner.

- Definitely, Phil.

And thank you for all the hard work.

- [All] Cheers.

(bright string music) - But no matter how much they really kept Kirstie and I on our toes during the search, it is great to be able to see Colin and Robin happy and settled in a location that they absolutely adore, made all the better via glass of pink bubbles.

(bright string music) (upbeat music)