(upbeat music) - [Phil] This week, we're back in Sheffield and Windsor, catching up on two property searches where the women were on top.

- I am really not here to bully you.

- You're giving in that easily?

(laughs) - [Phil] Sometimes they played nice.

- You're the one that understands.

I miss having you.

- [Phil] Sometimes they didn't.

- I don't mean to be nasty, Matt, but you tend to be frightened at making the wrong decision all the time.

- [Phil] And four years later, by the looks of it, nothing much has changed.

- Soon enough, it was important to get an oven and cooker.

- Before I finish one job, she's trying to get me to move on to the next one.

- Obviously, he's a man.

(upbeat music) (soft music) (birds singing) - [Phil] This week, we're catching up with two very different sets of house hunters, a globetrotting first-time buyer determined to find somewhere to lay his hat, and an outdoors-loving couple who are finding their own property trek too much to handle.

(upbeat music) Back in 2007, we met adrenaline junkies, Deborah and Justin Beely, who had more stuff than they could cope with, and Matt Rushworth, whose entire life could be squeezed into his well-traveled backpack.

Deborah and Justin were looking in the popular area Southwest of Shefield, with the Peak District right on their doorstep, whereas Matt was looking around the expensive town of Windsor, close to his family and friends.

(upbeat music) Normally, firefighter Justin and sales manager Deborah are not ones for sitting on their backsides.

If they're not hiking the rugged terrain, they're canoeing or climbing.

- [Kirstie] And that's the challenge.

Because of their hobbies, these self-confessed hoarders have a storage nightmare.

They desperately need to upsize.

- [Phil Voiceover] But after two years of searching, they may be difficult to please.

I'm up for a bit of high-octane whitewater house hunting.

- Not much room for kayaks in here, is there?

- [Phil Voiceover] So I'm heading around to meet them.

(dog barking) - I'm not gonna get eaten, am I?

- [Deborah] (laughs) No!

- Justin.

- Phil, it's very nice to meet you.

- Hi, Deborah.

- Oh, this is very nice.

Did you do most of the work yourselves?

- Yeah, we have.

It's been an ongoing project for about eight or nine years now.

Well, since we bought the house.

- So you're looking for a development project or are you looking for a long-term home?

- [Deborah] Long-term home, it's gonna be.

- [Justin] Yes.

- But we wanna do the work ourselves, and it's to keep him busy.

- [Kirstie] Justin and Deborah have a 250,000 pound budget for their forever home.

It must have at least three bedrooms, a big garden for their dog, and that all-essential storage space.

Ideally they want somewhere they can do work on.

(upbeat music) - [Phil] Our second house hunter is 35-year-old IT manager Matt Rushworth, who was spent years living out of a rucksack, literally.

Having traveled the globe, he's now decided it's time to finally settle down in Berkshire.

- Buying a place is definitely a commitment.

You can't just decide that you'll run away and not pay your mortgage for six months, because it doesn't work like that.

- [Kirstie Voiceover] Matt's been eyeing up property for a staggering three years, but so far hasn't committed to anything.

He's always looked to his sister Pip for advice, but now I'm taking over as head house hunting honcho.

My task is to get him out of his rented place in Slough and onto the property ladder.

- Matt, at the risk of sounding like an amateur shrink.

(Matt laughing) What is your motivation for this move?

- My wanderlust and need to travel has diminished so much that I'm actually looking for a little bit of stability.

It's becoming essential that I... - [Kirstie] Right.

- That I don't let more years slip by.

- There's an urgency now, which there wasn't previously.

- That's right.

- You're looking for a two-bed flat at the moment.

- That's right, yeah.

- Why two beds?

- I like the idea of having the fall back option of having a room that could possibly be let out.

- I think you really have to ask yourself at your stage in life, do you want to be sharing a bathroom?

I had a flatmate once who used my toothbrush to clean the spokes of his BMX.

- [Matt] That's not great, no.

- No.

- [Phil] Anyway, back to the job in hand.

With a strict budget of 180,000, Matt's looking for a one or ideally two-bed flat.

Knowing that his budget won't go far, he's willing to strap on a tool belt.

- But insists on being close to his family in Datchet, three miles east of Windsor.

So not at all sure what's going on in Matt's mind.

Seems to be hugely realistic, but he's sort of been searching on and off four years, which will mean, (Phil gasping) I know, exactly.

You're the one that understands.

I miss having you.

(upbeat music) - [Phil Voiceover] Ah, Kirstie.

There's no such thing as an easy search.

I'm helping Deborah and Justin, who have been looking for two years, and with this sheer number of properties out there, I've got my work cut out.

(upbeat music) The first property I've lined up should not disappoint.

- It's in the area of Beaches, just five miles southwest of the city, but it can't just be bad luck that stopped them from buying for two whole years, Phil.

There must be something else afoot, so I've invited myself along to get to the bottom of it.

So it's very nice to be here with you two, seeing your first house.

This 1930s three-bedroom semi has got a lot going for it.

At 210,000, it's 40 grand under budget.

- [Phil] And although it's not a major renovation project, there is still an opportunity to improve the layout, as well as put back some of the original features.

It's a good, safe option, and it does have plenty of space for their mountains of equipment.

- Straight in, guys.

Bit of a contrast to your hall.

- [Deborah] Some space in here, though, which is good, which we're looking for.

- Of course, in your two-year search, you've probably seen every layout of this type of house, haven't you?

- Pretty much.

I mean, there's not a lot that you can do that we haven't seen.

- Justin, in one sentence, sum up for me why it's been a two-year search.

- Has to have that feeling when we walk through the door or walk out through the door.

- So what makes you feel that there's a property out there which is gonna be right?

- Because we've seen stuff that fits the bill.

- [Kirstie] Why?

- That we've lost out on.

- And we've lost out on.

- [Kirstie Voiceover] So these two are still smarting from having their fingers burnt in the past, but why?

- (sigh) But you know what, though, Deborah?

I mean, coming up here after what Justin said, it's not gonna happen, this house, is it?

- No, not at all.

Just no original features.

- [Kirstie] How can we help?

- We know there's, property's out there.

We know there's original features.

We know people haven't taken their features out.

- But you've seen those houses.

Why aren't you living in it?

- Because we couldn't afford it at the time, or we weren't prepared to get into a bidding war.

Or Justin wasn't prepared, probably, to get into a bidding war.

- Are you saying that Justin may sometimes think he knows best about the value of property?

- Yes.

- And the market is proving him wrong again and again.

- [Phil Voiceover] After two years of coming up empty handed, these two have got to stop seeing the problems and start seeing solutions, and stump up the cash, but old habits die hard.

- Well, straight away, my reaction is it's too small for the dog, but I notice the garage behind you.

- It has the garage.

If it wasn't for the garage, I don't think we would have chosen it to show you.

- Okay.

- Is that big enough?

- [Justin] Yeah, I mean, that's fantastic.

It gives me somewhere to store kit.

- It's only on at 210,000, so you've got plenty of room within your budget to get bigger and better.

- I think, I mean, certainly my initial reaction is I'd rather throw the 40 grand at a bigger house than deal with the small proportions of this property.

And I'm certain that Deborah's impression of it will be the same.

- They are beyond help, beyond help, Phil.

- They've looked for a long time.

They know the market, and we're up against that.

- Picky, picky, picky.

- They've got 250,000.

This is on at 210.

We can find them a bigger house.

- Picky, picky, picky.

It's like finding a house for Woody Woodpecker.

- [Phil Voiceover] I hope Kirstie isn't right this time, or I could have an impossible property mountain to climb.

(upbeat music) Down in Windsor, we're showing Matt his first property, it's in the village of Eton Wick, west of the town, and just over three miles from his family in Datchet.

(upbeat music) - It's not the prettiest building, but don't let that put you off.

We're right in the center of things, the post office there.

It's a great location.

- It is very handy.

(upbeat music) - [Phil] What it lacks in looks, it makes up for in potential.

This two-bed flat offers Matt all the space he needs, and with a bit of work, he could turn it into his perfect pad.

It's being marketed at offers just over his 180,000 pound budget, but I like to think we could bring it in on the money.

- Right, now Matt, this is just the most miserable day, but luckily, if a flat looks good in this weather, it will look good in any weather.

- It's a nice big kitchen.

- It is a nice big kitchen.

I'm glad you think that, 'cause that's exactly what I think.

This is the laundry room, and I think that's a bit of a luxury in a two-bed flat, so what I'd like to do is shove the bathroom down into that, because.

- Okay, yeah.

- With two beds, you could have two people sharing.

You need the potential for a big bathroom.

This needs renewing.

There's no doubt about this.

- [Matt] Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I think you're gonna need new.

- Yeah.

- New units.

- A new kitchen, and then have this as an eating area.

- That would be nice.

- So you seem to be really positive about the possibility of doing work?

It doesn't worry you?

- Well, I think when you take a room like this, if you've got an old unit like that, whilst it's functional, obviously you're gonna replace it.

I don't think anyone would choose to have that as a kitchen.

- [Phil] The good thing with this flat is it gives Matt the opportunity to rent the spare room out and still allows him to put his own stamp on somewhere.

- [Kirstie] This is your master bedroom.

- You can do a lot with the space.

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

- You could sink seven grand into this flat in terms of updates, if you were really, really careful, the new kitchen, the new bathroom, if you redecorated it yourself.

It's got laminate floors, but they're perfectly good laminate floors, and I wouldn't suggest spending money on altering them.

- [Matt] Yeah.

- If you did spend that money on it, I think it would be well worth it.

Matt is very positive, but I mustn't forget that he's seen lots of properties and he's really been interested in buying for the last three or four years.

So while I'm pleased about his positivity, there's a bit of me which is a bit skeptical.

(footsteps) - I like what I've been seeing.

- It's a very good place.

I mean, you could, if you met someone, had a kid in the next three years, you could live quite happily in this space without feeling that you had to move immediately.

- It's a place with a lot of potential.

- So you see it as... You see it as a yes or a maybe?

- I'm keen to see the other properties.

I don't want to type of... - No, no, no, no, but it doesn't.

This is what I always say.

The other properties, a decision you made now couldn't be changed.

- If I did buy this property, I don't think I would be disappointed.

- [Kirstie Voiceover] Well, hardly a resounding yes, but it's the right side of no.

- [Phil] Chin up, Kirstie.

Matt may be tricky to read, but I wouldn't rule it out just yet.

(upbeat music) (upbeat music) This week, we're back revisiting two different sets of house hunters with two very different sets of requirements.

In Sheffield, (Deborah laughing) outdoors-loving Deborah and Justin were proving to be a picky pair, whilst down in Windsor, first-time buyer Matt just wasn't being picky enough.

Kirstie's taking him off to our second property.

- It's in Datchet, a village close to Windsor.

The good thing is that his family live here, but he will have to put up with low-flying jumbos.

(plane whirring) So are you a plane spotter?

- No, I'm not really.

(laughs) - It would be useful if you were.

- [Matt] It would.

- I mean, it's about every 20 seconds, isn't it?

- It is amazingly regular, yeah.

- Yeah, but your mum and your sister live here in Datchet.

- They do, yeah.

- So you're used to it.

- [Matt] And my sister says that it happens so often that you don't even notice it.

- This is the house.

- Okay.

- It's a one-bed house, but you have got your own front door.

- Right, okay.

- So let's go and have a look.

- Let's have a look.

Great.

- [Phil] It's essentially a bachelor pad.

Functional space, but not much of it.

Unlike the property we've just seen, it's only got one bedroom, but he could move in straight away, and at just under 177,000, it's three grand under budget.

- Now the thing about this house, Matt, is pretty much what you see is what you get.

- Okay, yeah.

But it's actually quite a nice size kitchen, and I like the open plan feeling, and it's nicely finished.

Nice surfaces, but it's funny.

It just seems quite small.

I have actually come to properties near here in the last few years, and seen things a lot bigger.

- Interesting.

Let's have a look upstairs.

- Okay, great.

- [Kirstie] You're not gonna be looking at James Bond's bedroom, but it might make a difference.

- [Matt] Okay, great.

- [Phil] Matt has to move on.

Of course he's seen much bigger properties in the past, but prices have risen since he started looking, and what he can afford now is much smaller.

- Well, I like the bedroom, and I like the bathroom.

- Yeah?

- Bathroom's a reasonable size.

- This property is the easy option.

This is near to your family.

It's got its own front door.

It's well below budget.

It's a lot to think about.

- It is.

- Do you think that you know definitively whether you would consider this, or whether it's out of the running?

- I don't want to be definitive right at this point.

I want to be thinking about it.

- So we'll go on.

- Great.

- [Phil Voiceover] Much like his reaction to property one, it may not be a definite yes, Kirstie, but it's not exactly a no, either.

Back in Sheffield and after a far from flying start, I think I've nailed it.

I've found a corker of a house, just a few miles down the road in the suburb of Norton.

If it's a renovation project Justin and Deborah want, then this is a renovation project par excellence.

I just hope I haven't pushed it too far.

Well, guess what?

I've got another 1930s semi for you, and it's this one here.

You wanted a project.

- Yeah, it looks like the sort of thing that we prepared to take on.

- Yeah, those stained glass windows are fantastic.

- [Justin] Yeah.

- We better have a look around them.

- Yeah, definitely.

- Look at your big smile.

(Deborah giggling) They're right to smile.

This property's a belter.

It has three bedrooms and is bigger than the last place.

It's on the market for just under 180 grand, so well under budget.

It may look like a nightmare on Elm Street, but this place is a renovator's dream.

It's crammed with period features, and I reckon it could be just what Deborah and Justin are after.

(upbeat music) But we're not the only ones with our eyes on this prize.

With 10 interested parties, this is the very definition of a hot property.

Even if they like it, there's every chance that this sale could turn into a bidding frenzy, and having lost out in bidding wars in the past, will they step up to the challenge?

- Wow.

This is not... - So it hasn't been lived in for 10 years.

- [Justin] Let's take a look.

- Some of it's been done up, some of it hasn't.

This is the one that really hasn't been touched.

- [Deborah] Yeah.

- It's minor, the work that's required in here, looking at it.

I mean, it's just a matter of very minor work.

- [Phil] Separate living and dining.

- This hallway's really nice.

I like it.

It's wider than the last house.

Here you feel that you could walk in and you could greet people in there, rather than sort of having to usher people around, like we do in our house.

- It's exactly the size that we were looking for, really.

- [Phil Voiceover] While Deborah gets lost in the jungle that's the garden, I'm keen to see if this house delivers for Justin, as he's proving to be quite a tricky customer.

- So you can see he's kind of plaster boarded it.

Apparently the electrics are okay, but.

The bathroom's done.

- [Justin] I got no issues with this.

It's a good size.

It's got good potential.

- This has gotta be the main bedroom.

It's a great size.

- [Justin] Great size.

- Fantastic window.

Does it have the feeling, 'cause that's what we?

- Yes, I mean, it does so far.

I mean, I need to have a really good look around it.

- [Kirstie] Well, that's the spirit.

Now for Deborah.

- [Phil] Big enough?

- [Deborah] Yeah.

- [Phil] So big enough for boats, clothes, bikes?

- Everything, yeah.

- Serious?

- And even the driveway just to put the car on.

Perfect.

- Is this the type of house, type of opportunity that you'd encourage him to put his best foot forward?

- Yeah.

Oh God, yeah, definitely.

We've looked at houses, and we've lost houses like this, because they're just gems, but everyone wants them.

Well done.

(laughs) - Well, they certainly seem to love it, particularly Deborah.

I mean she's practically moving in here.

But with 10 other interested people, I think Deb's biggest job is actually gonna be convincing Justin to compete and pay the right price.

- Bed here.

The dressing table there.

It would be just perfect.

- You're smiling, and you are looking a bit puzzled and troubled.

- No, I'm not.

I am smiling.

It's got everything that we could want for.

- [Deborah] Right, it's good.

- [Justin] Yeah.

- [Deborah] Really good.

- [Justin] The level of work is not an issue for us.

- Well, I've got some more to show you.

- Okay.

- Let's have a look at those, and then see if this is still in the frame at the end.

- Okay.

- Yeah.

- You never know, I might have something else up my sleeve.

- (laughs) Okay.

- [Phil Voiceover] Back in Berkshire, we're going to make a last ditch attempt to get Matt's pulse racing with our final property.

- He said he didn't want to stay in Slough, but if one part of town could change his mind, it's Upton Park, a leafy residential area on the south side of the town.

Right, now here we are.

What we're looking at is this basement flat down there.

- Okay, yeah.

- So the whole of this area comes with the flat.

- [Matt] Right.

- I think it's quite a unique spot, given that it is based right in the center of Slough.

- I do like this location.

There's some beautiful gardens actually that go off here, and there's a few really stunning buildings, yeah.

- [Phil] It doesn't feel like we are where we.

- [Matt] I agree.

- The thing about this two-bed flat is that it has huge flexibility.

Yes, it needs updating, but the square footage is there to create a really comfortable living space.

What's more, it's a good price, just shy of 175,000.

- Right.

Wipe your feet on the mat, Matt.

- I shall.

(laughs) - So.

Very simple.

This is a two-bed flat.

- [Matt] Okay.

- [Kirstie] We think it should be a one bed flat.

- [Matt] Right.

- But I think that if you did it right, and if you were careful, you wouldn't damage its value by reducing one of the bedrooms, and you would end up with a super duper one-bed flat in a great location.

- [Phil] So, you got the kitchen in there.

- [Matt] Yeah.

- We think if you took this out and left the bottom, it would open the room up.

- [Matt] I can see that.

- You've kind of got two rooms.

- Seems a bit weird to have a glass window to look through to a kitchen.

- That is holding the value and the marketability of this flat back considerably.

- Right, okay, yeah.

- [Kirstie] In fact, there's a one-bed flat in this block without the strange kitchen layout currently on the market for five grand more than this one.

- So you've got the smaller of the two rooms there, and a pretty generous double here.

- Yeah, right.

- Now, I mean, you tell me what you think.

I like this because you've got flexibility.

You've got options.

If you want to have somebody living with you, and therefore paying the rent, you've got the benefit of the income.

You can do it, or you decide actually this will be a much better one-bedroom flat than a one-and-a-half-bedroom flat.

I won't have the income, but I'll have a big living room.

- Right, yeah.

No, I agree.

- Matt, you've seen three properties now.

Do you feel any closer to being confident to take a decision?

I mean, I know you've been looking for properties for a long time.

- I definitely want to buy a property.

I don't want to continue any longer.

- I mean, that's not in any question, because you've been, it's been in your mind for such a long time.

- Yeah, yeah.

- But wanting to do it and actually feeling able and confident to do it and to write that check are two different things.

- I do.

I think I'm ready.

- I'll leave you to it, Matt.

Help yourself.

Take your time.

- [Kirstie] You think he's gonna buy one?

- I do.

He's got that look about him.

- What makes you say that?

- He's just...

He's had enough.

That's the impression that I get from him.

He's had enough of looking and thinking about it and worrying about it.

He knows he's not gonna get a perfect flat.

He's maybe saying all the right things, but I think he's gonna buy something.

- Well, that really cheers me up, actually, 'cause I was beginning to feel that it was not gonna happen.

- [Phil] Seen enough?

- [Matt] Yeah, I'm interested.

- Is this somewhere that you can imagine yourself living?

Is this something that you would want to live, having done the work?

- It doesn't scream at me.

- No, it doesn't.

But you can see you can see what you could do with it.

- I can, I can.

- I know you are happy to do that to it.

- And yeah, and this is... - I'm sorry.

I am I leading you down a path that you're not comfortable going down?

- No, it's not that I'm not comfortable.

The truth is that I think of the properties, I'm probably tending towards Eton Wick one.

- That's my choice.

I think we should go back to see Eton Wick.

- [Matt] Yeah.

- [Phil] Might give you a different feel.

- Is there any flat that's in your mind that you've seen without us?

Is there anything which is lingering, which you want to put to bed?

- I did see a flat I liked very much in Iver Heath.

- Right, now do you wanna go and see Iver Heath or Eton Wick?

- Honestly, I'd like to see both.

- Okay, brilliant.

(upbeat music) Ah-ha!

I knew there was something niggling him.

All this time, he's been comparing our properties to another flat he saw weeks ago.

- [Phil] We're sending Matt to have a look at the flat in Iver Heath with his sister Pip, to either strike it out of the equation or bring it back into play.

Currently vacant, this two-bed flat has been recently refurbished and sits comfortably within Matt's budget at just under 176 grand.

- What were your reactions to it?

- I really like it.

I do actually really, really like this room.

I love having the windows going out.

Really lovely and bright, really good size.

- [Matt] The bath is tiny.

- Yeah, but it's fine, isn't it, mate?

I mean, let's face it.

You shower most of the time.

There's a shower over the top of the bath.

Two bedrooms are a good size.

- It's got quite a nice feel to the place.

- [Kirstie] Pip's a woman after my own heart.

Her no-nonsense attitude is exactly what Matt needs.

(upbeat music) - [Phil] She may be a woman after your own heart, Kirstie, but can she convince Matt to finally hang up his backpack?

(upbeat music) (upbeat music) (energetic music) We're back in Windsor, where Matt was searching for a place to finally call home after years of trotting the globe, and with Deborah and Justin in Sheffield, who are in desperate need of a new house for themselves and their mountains of sports equipment.

The properties we've shown them so far have had mixed reviews, so could my next choice be the one?

I've pulled out all the stops and pushed their 250,000-pound budget, but I think I've found a winner.

- [Kirstie] It's in the area of Bradway, a suburb six miles away from the city center.

I think they'll love this 1950s house, because the rooms are bigger and better proportioned than the 1930s properties they've viewed so far.

- Now, this is something a bit different.

It's a later house.

I would have thought it's 1950s.

- It's been extended, obviously.

- Yeah.

- Which I think's a shame, from our point of view.

It would've been nice to see it as it would've been originally, but having said that... - Or having done the extension yourselves.

- Or leave it for a later date, you know?

I mean, it would have given us options to think about.

- If the extension wasn't there, I probably wouldn't have selected it, simply because that's where all the storage is.

- Right, okay.

- [Deborah] Right, okay.

- [Kirstie] You tell 'em, Phil.

Frankly, after two years of searching, they should grab this house with both hands.

- [Phil] It's on the market for 285,000, which is over budget, but I also think it's overpriced, and ironically, that creates its own opportunity.

This price will have put people off, and not everyone would have had the vision to see its potential or the confidence to negotiate aggressively.

- [Kirstie] While there's plenty of work to keep Justin happy, this place is all about space for living and storing.

(upbeat music) - Now, it needs modernizing.

- Yeah.

- It's, you know, basically done, but perfectly acceptable.

Try not to look at the carpet.

- No, it's a bit hard not to.

(laughs) It stands that quite a lot.

- It does stand out.

You've got three different types of swirly carpets.

Four bedrooms and one bathroom on this level.

- Right, okay.

- This being the fourth room.

That's back half of the extension.

If you wanted to improve the bathroom, which currently there's a bathroom there.

Knock straight through that and you've got a really spacious bathroom.

- Yep.

- Big bathroom, yeah.

- [Kirstie] After a shaky start, this house seems to have won them over, but will the storage downstairs seal it for Justin?

- And it's got by far the biggest storage that I've found.

I mean, this is a garage and a half.

- Yeah.

- It's massive.

- Yeah.

- It is, yeah.

- Brilliant storage space for a washing machine, et cetera, that's got.

- [Phil] To top it all, outside there's a large south-facing garden.

So does it hit the spot?

This perhaps wasn't what you set out to find, but I think ticks every box.

- It does.

- And more.

- And to be honest, we're surprised that you've managed to find this property.

- That property, yeah.

- [Phil] But the question remains, is the space worth the money?

- Whether we need all the space is debatable, but whether we want it, I think is a different thing altogether.

- We definitely want the space.

- Yeah.

- The space is fantastic.

- [Kirstie Voiceover] I saw that.

Justin cracked a smile.

And they thought you couldn't do it, Phil.

Well, you've proved them wrong.

(upbeat music) I'm meeting up with Matt, and because his sister Pip did so well in Iver Heath, I've asked her to come along to see what she thinks of my favorite property in Eton Wick, currently on at offers over 180,000 pounds.

How's it feel being back?

- [Matt] Yeah, it feels good.

- Pip, your first impressions?

You've only seen one room.

- This is a much bigger kitchen than the ones over in Iver Heath, and it's definitely got the potential for...

It's lovely to think that you can actually sit in here.

- Yeah.

So straight in.

- It's a decent size.

It's got everything that you need.

Obviously it needs a lot of updates.

- [Kirstie] It does, yeah.

- And I think a lot of the fixtures and fittings, not the best quality, so.

- [Kirstie] No.

- You're gonna need to start again from scratch.

- I have to admit, I can say this to Pip.

- Yeah.

- He wasn't passionate about any of the properties that we saw.

- He tends to be terribly reserved about everything, because he's always, I don't mean to be nasty about it, but you tend to be frightened of making the wrong decision all the time.

- I suppose it's built up, the fact that I'm becoming more and more concerned of making the right decision.

I could have made the wrong decisions a couple of times, and been better off than I am now.

- There comes a point where you have to actually sort of say, "Right, I've got to make a stand at some point, and I'm chucking money away."

- Pip has got a big influence on Matt.

Let me tell you, I can go on about this flat until I'm blue in the face, but if she doesn't take to it, he won't be buying it.

- [Phil Voiceover] Over in Sheffield, there's been a sleepless night.

They've decided to revisit the 1950s house with an asking price 35 grand over budget.

Kirstie's joined us to help Deborah and Justin, who have been house hunting for two years, clinch a deal.

- Well.

- Here we are.

- Good to be back.

- Yes, it is.

Yeah.

- Yeah.

- It'd be nice to get in and have a good look round again.

- I can't wait.

- And see how the second sort of look round strikes us.

- You see how... Did you spot the body language there?

It'll be nice to come around and have another look.

I can't wait.

Everybody, let me in!

(Deborah gigglnig) - [Phil Voiceover] Deborah seems bouncing and fit to burst, but can I get her little bounce out of Justin?

Now, I maintain the storage is quite sufficient in here, isn't it?

- It is good, yeah.

This has got considerably more storage than we currently have.

- But is it enough?

- Yes, because no matter what, there's a huge garden there that I could put a shed in to enable more storage.

- [Phil] Yeah.

While we check out locations for Justin's shed, I think his wife's already booked the removal van.

- It's a big guest room.

And then... - Well, that's... - This is ours!

- This is supposed to be a forever family home, isn't it?

- Yeah, yeah.

- So that's the whole point.

You've got... - It's really nice.

- You've got time to fill the rooms.

- Yeah, definitely.

I just, and so I think just think there's so much scope we can do with this house as well.

- It's a very idyllic picture of neighborly life, but how are you gonna secure it?

- Hopefully that's gonna be down to you.

(laughs) - I've done your job for you.

- What do you mean?

The deal was in the bag.

- It was not in the bag.

Justin feels this house is overpriced, but it's okay.

I've talked to Deborah, and she's gonna find a way of persuading him to come up with the goods.

- I just think this house is just so much better than the other ones we've seen.

I just, the feeling in here I get is a family home, and I just really love it.

So I think we should go for it.

- [Justin] Okay.

- You're giving in that easily?

(laughs) (upbeat music) - [Phil] Back down in Windsor, Matt's got two strong options.

All he needs to do now is put his finger out and choose one of them.

- Will it be my favorite in Eton Wick, or the one that he found weeks ago in Iver Heath?

Right, Matt, do you know now, this minute, which one you would want to buy?

- I haven't made a confirmed decision.

- That's what I thought, 'cause I brought with me my secret weapon.

Now, this is quickfire.

Each of these categories is something key to each property.

You've gotta give them points out of 10.

I'm not gonna let you look, okay?

Light.

How light is Iver Heath?

- [Matt] Nine.

- Bathroom.

- [Matt] Five.

- [Kirstie] Kitchen?

- [Matt] Seven.

Nine.

Seven.

Eight.

Five.

- [Kirstie] Okay, right.

Eaton Wick, lifestyle.

- [Matt] A seven.

A four.

It's a six, but it could be a nine.

- 76 out of a possible 100 points for Iver Heath.

67 for Eton Wick.

- Right, yeah.

- That is your answer.

Look what's on the other side of this piece of paper.

- The different telephone numbers in order to ring up these people and make an offer.

- Yeah.

- Well, I think I'm gonna make up my mind now.

I think I'm gonna go, I'm gonna go for Iver Heath.

(Kirstie cheering and applauding) - [Kirstie Voiceover] Thank God for that.

Now I'm really nervous, because I've got to make sure he gets it.

The property Matt wants in Iver Heath is on at 174,950 pounds.

Even though his budget is 180 grand, I still think I can save him a bit more money with the right offer.

- 174 is what you are happy to offer.

I don't think I have rushed into making this call so fast, ever.

I am doing it right now before you get a single second to change your mind.

- (laughs) Okay.

- Chris, it's Kirstie.

Right, we have had a major, major, major heart to heart.

Anyway, the upshot of all of this is Matt has decided that the flat that he found, that he saw before Phil and I came on board is the right one for him, and he is very happy to come in at 174.

(Chris speaking on phone) Right.

(Chris speaking on phone) Right.

That's great news.

Thank you very much.

Okay, bye, Chris.

Unbeknownst to us, the agent was asked by the vendor to accept the first offer that came in of 174 grand.

Result.

- Okay.

Well, thank you so much, Kirstie.

You've been delightful throughout this process, and I really do appreciate the... - Not at all.

Well, it's yours.

- [Kirstie Voiceover] What a transformation.

In just a matter of days, we've managed to turn Matt from a decision-phobe into a lean, mean, house-buying machine.

- Here's to Matt's decisions.

(glasses clinking) - Cool.

- [Phil] That's a great result.

Now it's my turn to get Deborah and Justin that fantastic fifties house.

After two years of looking, there's no pressure at all.

- We're prepared to go about 275 more.

- Yeah.

- No more than 275.

- No, we don't wanna go higher.

I think if we can go up to that.

- Yeah, if we can get it less than 270, we're doing well.

- Yeah.

- Yes.

- But let's have a go, 260.

- Yeah.

- Okay.

- Hi, Tracy.

Finances are in place, and they could proceed at a figure of 260,000.

Super.

Bye.

They have turned down 260 in the past, and there is a higher offer on the table.

- Yeah, I just don't want to lose it.

We've been in this position before.

- I hope they'll come back with the counter offer.

- Okay.

- [Phil Voiceover] With the offer in, all that's left to do is cross our fingers and hope history isn't about to repeat itself.

(suspenseful music) (upbeat music) - [Phil Voiceover] It's crunch time for Deborah and Justin.

I've made an offer, 260,000, for the 1950s house they've set their hearts on.

After two hours of waiting and two years of looking, have I managed to succeed where all else has failed?

Hi, Tracy.

(Tracy speaking on phone) No problem.

Yeah.

(suspenseful music) Would they take it off the market at that price?

So, I mean, we would, we would need complete exclusivity.

Tracy, you've got yourself a deal.

Thank you very much.

268, exclusive.

Bye bye.

- Oh my God!

(laughs) That's fantastic.

- [Phli] And at 17 grand under the asking price, it really is a fantastic result.

(upbeat music) - Deborah and Justin weren't the only ones with a reason to celebrate.

Down in Windsor, Matt had spent years traveling the globe and was finally settling down.

After our rather practical way of choosing a new home, we managed to secure him a great two-bed flat in Iver Heath.

Just weeks after we'd left him, he was finally swapping backpacks for flatpacks, and once he'd started making big life decisions, there was no stopping him.

- In a three-and-a-half-year period, I've gone from being footloose and fancy free to becoming a mortgage owner with a partner, to get married relatively quickly.

- [Phil] And new wife Sarah isn't the only lady in his life.

- Amelia's nine months old, but we're utterly bashed (Amelia babbling) and think that she's the most wonderful and amazing baby in the world.

When you wake up in the morning, and you're sort of, oh, sort of feeling a bit bleary, and you look into her cotton beaming smile, and, and yeah, you melt.

- [Phil] When Matt bought the flat, it had recently been renovated and needed very little work done to it, and I'm delighted to see how easily it's adapted to become such a great family home.

- When I moved in, we did cook on a camping gas stove for a while, but soon enough, it was important to get an oven and cooker.

- And having shared it with Sarah, it's our home, and then we we've learned to have very much more the benefits of it.

- [Phil] But have there been any other changes for the man who used to live out of a rucksack?

- We're both natural hoarders, but I'm becoming less of a hoarder, and now I just wanna throw everything out, and I have to gently convince you that it's a good idea, that we don't need certain things.

- Yeah, she tells me quietly several times before whatever it is that she turned her mind to disappears.

- [Phil] Although he now has a family of his own to look after, for Matt, there was another influential woman in his life who played a vital role helping him choose the flat, and I don't mean Kirstie.

- [Matt Voiceover] My sister Pip is a mother of three, a tower of strength, has immediate answers, calms us down.

We are extremely lucky, and Amelia is extremely lucky.

- The most important time of your life to have your family around, isn't it?

When you have a baby and you need their support, and we're happy to be located here, close to both our families.

- Look at you!

- [Phil] Having spent so long making a decision to buy a property, for Matt, it was a relief to finally have a place called home, but before he'd moved in, storm clouds were brewing.

- Within a week of me buying the property, there was, it was all over the news.

The first downturn of the property market in 15 years.

It became immediately apparent already within a week, my property probably wouldn't sell for the same amount that I bought it for.

It doesn't make you feel great, but at the same time, you know, property is a long-term investment.

What I have learned is that if I hadn't got a mortgage and a property at that point in time, I might not have been able to get one.

(cheerful music) - The flat's now worth between 170 and 175,000, not a million miles away from the 176 grand he paid for it.

But as Matt says, this is a home, not an investment.

It's great to see them all so happy, and that this bachelor pad is now a wonderful family home.

- Having been single with no attachment, I now have a mortgage, wife, family, and I have to say, actually, we say it to each other a lot.

I am amazingly happy.

I can't believe how happy I am.

I'm a very lucky man.

Yeah.

(laughs) - [Phil] It's times like these that make it all worthwhile.

(upbeat music) As for Deborah and Justin, they wasted no time in ripping out that retro interior, and managed to fill a whopping 14 skits.

I hope they're not expecting me to help out with the plastering.

- I've come back to Sheffield to catch up with Deborah and Justin, find out how they've been getting on, and of course, also to see where they ended up storing all those kayaks.

(knocking) Anybody home?

- Hello, Mister.

- Hi!

- Hello!

- Nice to see you.

- Very nice to see you.

Who's this?

- This is Tobias.

- Hi, Tobias.

I'm Phil.

Can I come in?

- Say yeah.

Yeah, say come into our house.

Come on, Phil, see what we've done.

(gentle music) - When they bought the house, it was a time capsule.

The mismatched carpets and wallpaper have been replaced by slick lines and a fresh, contemporary feel.

But it's not just a house that's changed.

Along the way, the family's doubled in size.

Now they've got two children, Tobias, two, and seven-month-old Duncan.

A massive extension.

Wow!

- Yeah, this is our new addition.

- [Justin] Big space, massive space for us.

Made a big difference.

(birds singing) - [Phil] Right from the start, Deborah was looking for a project to keep Justin busy, but she didn't exactly take a back seat when it came to the renovations.

'Cause you were quite handy aren't you?

- Yeah, pulling the ceilings down in the bathroom.

- Did you enjoy it?

- Yeah, fantastic.

- [Phil] I think that's incredibly satisfying.

- [Justin] At the time, it's, you know, you're having to keep motivated to keep going, but it's... - [Deborah] It's very hard work.

- [Justin] In the long run.

- [Deborah] But now, we're having to, yeah.

- I tell you what strikes me about you guys.

I mean, so many people who want to take on a project, it's like, yeah, we wanna do work, and add value.

Actually, when you show them that, they don't, but you guys said what you wanted and you stuck to it, and you've so delivered it.

- The biggest problem I have with Deb is that before I finish one job, she's trying to get me to move on to the next one.

- Trying to keep the momentum, yeah.

- Obviously, he's a man.

- Yeah, us folks are the same.

If you keep us going in the right direction, it's fine.

If you let us stop, we'll wander off.

- Exactly.

Wander off to go and do his outdoor pursuits or anything, and we needed to get the house done, and so, hey.

- I know how Justin feels.

Kirstie likes to keep me on straight and narrow, too.

You bought house for yourself and your stuff.

- [Justin] Yeah.

- And now it's become a family home with two kids.

- [Justin] Yeah.

- Any room left for your stuff?

- Yeah, yeah.

- Yeah.

- [Phil Voiceover] The house has adapted nicely, and is now full of prams and high chairs as well as boats and claiming harnesses, but with so much going on, I'm interested to know if Justin's outdoor pursuits have taken a backseat.

- It's fascinating that you chose a house.

Storage was a really central feature of it.

- The old house, we could get it in the house, but it was in filling up the rooms.

- [Phil] Yes.

- Here we've got the ability to put it away, out of the way, and when we want it, we can go and get it, and that's made a big difference.

- Of course, now with two kids, that's all taken up, and we've got less adventure kit and more of... - [Justin] Yeah, there is.

I mean, you're always gonna fill, I mean, that's the thing, that's the lesson you learn, isn't it?

- [Phil] Do you still get time to climb and?

- [Justin] Yeah, I do, nut not as much as you used to.

- [Phil] Yeah.

- With kids, you have to make sacrifices, and anybody that thinks you don't wakes up very quickly when they first a child arrives, basically.

- Well, life moves on, doesn't it?

Life evolves.

- Yeah, absolutely.

In time, you know, it'll come back to us.

I'll just be a bit older and fatter when get there.

- I know the feeling.

The rock climbing isn't so much of a priority now they've got fresh challenges.

Having two boys myself, I know how all-consuming parenthood can be, and keeping the kids entertained is part and parcel, especially with an active two-year-old.

- [Deborah] You'll have to go down.

(laughs) - [Phil] I'll just climb in here.

(Deborah laughing) - There we go.

Now I did it.

- [Deborah] I think Phil's a little bit too big.

- I wonder how Deborah's found not only being a new mum, but also a project manager at the same time.

Tobias is a happy little man, isn't he?

He's into everything.

- He absolutely loves this garden.

It's just fantastic for him.

I mean, that was the main reason we wanted, we brought the house in the first place, that you showed us the big garden, and it obviously it's changed dramatically since we... - [Phil] Yes, it has.

- Had it and bought the house, but we've made it into a bit of a football pitch, really, rather than a house.

- You've got three boys in the family.

- [Deborah] Yeah, exactly.

- [Phil] Probably a good idea.

But you done amazing things with the house.

You really have, and through such a busy time of your lives as well, with two small children.

- Yeah, yeah.

- Was it paintbrush and?

- Pretty much so, yeah.

Yeah, we kind of finished part of the house, and then I was pregnant, so I was still painting and decorating.

Had Tobias, so I had a bit of a break then, when I had Tobias, and then obviously restarted again, redid the garden and got pregnant again, and then had Duncan, so and then started again with the extension.

- [Phil] And then started the extension.

It's just been one thing after another.

Is that it?

- [Deborah] Yeah, pretty much so.

- I bet you're lying.

I bet I'll come back in a couple years' time, there'll be another couple of members of the football team.

- No, no more children.

- And an extra bedroom up top.

- No, no more children.

We might have a summer house at the end of the garden, which will be our probably next project over the next few months.

- Gotta keep him busy, haven't you?

- Yeah, definitely.

You won't know what to do with this time otherwise, will he?

- [Phil Voiceover] Not only have Deborah and Justin done what they've set out to do, they've also managed to raise two young boys as well.

And after all their hard work, I think the first round's on me.

- Good, cheers.

- Cheers!

- Cheers!

Really, really nice to come and see you all and to meet the boys and see your lovely house.

It's transformed.

- Yeah.

- You've done so, so well.

- Well, we're pleased with it.

It's pretty much finished, which is where we are, so we're happy.

- You must have spent a fair bit doing all the work that you've done.

- I suppose, I think probably now we, we are up close to 50.

- [Deborah] Yeah, I would say 50 thou, including, yeah.

- That includes everything.

We bought it at basically at the peak of the market.

If somebody looked at it, we were out of pocket, but the reality, is we never had any intention of selling, so it was irrelevant.

- It's our family home.

That's all that matters.

- I genuinely think that it's such a refreshing attitude, that the value of a house is only of relevance when it comes to sell.

- [Deborah] Exactly.

- And otherwise it's your home.

- Yeah.

- It's everything.

It's your shelter.

It's your sanctuary.

- We're there now, and can have a bit of relaxing time and enjoying, really.

- [Phil] I've loved coming back, meeting the boys, seeing the house.

Congratulations.

- Thank you.

Thank you for coming back and seeing us.

- Cheers, Phil.

- [Phil] It's a great result, really is.

- Thanks very much for what you did.

- I've always thought that good properties are flexible ones, homes that can be adapted to suit the changing needs of the people who live in them over the course of time.

So it is fantastic to be able to come back and see Matt and Deborah and Justin.

They're both living entirely different lives from what they were four years ago, but both those properties still suit them extremely well.

(upbeat music)