Escape to the Country buyer 'blown away' by house but then stuns with U-turn
Escape to the Country house hunter Alex and her son William were eager to move closer to their family in Oxfordshire.
They sought help from the BBC show to find a home before William started his new secondary school. Alex's mum Lizzie was overjoyed with their decision to move. She told host Nicki Chapman: "I've been waiting for this time for a very very long time. I said to my husband, 'let's get out the champagne to celebrate', he had one glass and I had the rest and I had a hangover in the morning but it was worth it!"
With a budget of £460,000, Alex hoped to find a character property with at least two bedrooms, a garden, and a village location near a secondary school. However, given the high property prices in Oxfordshire, she might have to compromise on her wish-list. The first property was a lovely terrace in the small town of Deddington, near Banbury, in the north of the county.
House hunter Alex loved all three properties on the show, but still had doubts (BBC)Alex and her mum thought it was stunning, with Alex excited about the surprise kitchen diner extension at the back, saying it was gorgeous, light, airy and "had everything". Mum Lizzie agreed, saying: "I can see you in this darling!" The house was on sale for £450,000.
Next, they visited a delightful cottage in the village of Shutford, not far from Banbury. Both were instantly charmed by it, with Alex loving it despite needing some cosmetic updates. She found that exciting rather than daunting. The price of £435,000, significantly under budget, just cemented her connection to the cottage.
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Finally, the mystery house took them over the county border into Gloucestershire to the Cotswold village of Bibury. The spinner's cottage dating back to 1738 left Lizzie gobsmacked and gave Alex goosebumps. Alex was amazed by the stunning makeover of the house. She exclaimed, "I'm blown away, I'm absolutely blown away. What do you think mum, is this it?" Lizzie agreed it might be the one, saying, "You've got everything that you want here."
However, they were a bit let down by the small garden at the back. But the price tag of £450,000 kept the house in their thoughts, with Alex telling Nicki: "You've thrown another curve ball at me to think about." After looking at houses, the three ladies sat down to chat. Nicki asked Alex if she had found her dream home, and Alex's answer was unexpected. She said, "I'm not sure, I don't think so. I've certainly had my eyes opened and seen some fabulous properties but some of the compromises are just a little bit too much for William and I."
Even though Alex loved each house at first, none were quite right. But searching with Nicki made Alex fall for an area, which was a big win. Alex shared: "I've had the opportunity to explore areas that I didn't know previously, certainly if I was going to pick an area, Deddington has everything William and I are looking for, the community, it's a town but with a village feel and lots to do."
Nicki was thrilled that the show helped Alex narrow down her search area. She said: "Even though we didn't secure a house sale for Alex I'm going to chalk this one up as a win because Oxfordshire has really delivered and they will find the house of their dreams with a little bit more research, and when we showed them that beautiful town of Deddington it really did seem to hit the mark." After filming wrapped up, Alex found a two-bed, end of terrace character cottage close to the Cotswolds.
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