The next morning, Liz woke before our alarm went off and quickly worked out that there was a powercut. Great, no shower and no coffee! A quick hair wash over the sink for Liz, and just as she was finishing off everything clicked back on. So we managed a few slices of toast and tea before heading off in our own car today, to the pin on the map that Owen had sent us.
On the way we drove past a beautiful ruined castle and were really enjoying the beautiful roads and scenery along the loch side. And, again, suddenly Liz spotted a house she recognised. The beautiful little cottage with 6 acres and loch side land which we didn't bid on because John thought we couldn't afford it, and he didn't love it enough, although Liz thought it enticing.
The production crew were already making tracks ahead of us as they were filming various shots to pad around the house viewings, before the next rendezvous. The scenery looked much more optimistic and on the drive over we passed a number of familiar places along Loch Awe, like Cruachan Dam visitor centre and St Conan's Kirk. It was nice to begin feeling at home in the area. We were getting cautiously excited.
We stopped at a community centre with a poly tunnel containing the community allotment beds, alongside the children's play park and a small bridge over the river. Liz was still eyeing up the small, white cottage in the distance hopefully. Owen filmed a few more scenes of us walking over the bridge and looking at the hilly view, and then the rest of the team arrived.
We were positioned with Sonali against the backdrop of the glen and hills for a chat again before being allowed to progress to the 'mystery house.' The tension was building, in Liz anyway, because Sonali now asked us how we were feeling about the first two houses, and what we were hoping to see today. She also asked how we were feeling about the area. We could be positive about the location as we were now only 15 miles north of Dunoon, where (if you read the early posts) we attended the annual Cowal Gathering Highland Games nine years ago. John also knew that we were only an hour from Glasgow airport, via the ferry from Dunoon, so he was also happy.
We tried to gently say that the previous day's houses had not stolen our hearts, and Liz said that she was hoping to see a 'project house' - something that needed a little bit of work, that she could put her love into and make her own - something with a heart and soul and it's own character. This was nerve-wracking just in case we turned up to an empty building plot (there were lots of those in this area) and then would have to try not to look devastated!
After this filming to lead into the mystery house, we were driven by Owen about 2 miles up a single track road on the west side of Glendaruel. Pretty simple naming terminology, the glen has a river running through it: the Ruel. Liz had seen a property nestled in the middle of the glen as we had driven down the main A road the other side of the glen and was curious already, but as we headed up the track we knew it wouldn't be that house. We promised to keep our eyes shut ahead of being lead up the driveway to meet Sonali.
First impressions: the house is on an elevated position at the edge of the glen (the flat bit of the valley), and at the back of the house is a hill rising up (400m) giving a beautiful and dramatic backdrop. The sun was shining on the hill and it truly was spectacular. The house is L shaped and the entrance is at the inner corner of the L at the back of the house away from the road, so the true potential was completely hidden from us. This being the 'mystery' of the mystery house.
In through the front door and into the kitchen, and WOW, with an uninterrupted view across the glen, no houses, no roads visible and a south facing view giving warmth and light. The main living room had the same view with a 3 pane sliding door opening out onto the vista, and even the main bedroom enjoyed that same wonderful outlook.
Apart from the views the house was pretty cool too. It was built in 1980 and had some great retro character that could be built upon, like the brutalist concrete fireplace, exposed wooden supporting beams, built in wardrobes with sliding doors and glass panels between the living room and hallway. The current owners were artists and you could really tell - the rooms oozed a great minimalist style.
The house was a really generous size, with three bedrooms, a large bathroom and very workable kitchen, plus a further room and double garage. It was more than enough room for us.
Out into the lovely garden, which was a good size and wrapped around the house on all sides, with a different view on each side, and a small pond with newts in and access directly to the fields through which you can walk to the top of the hill for a view of the sea and nearby islands.
OK, bad bits? It's not on broadband but the current owners have a 4G EE box that apparently works quite well. And like many Scottish properties, it's a 'non-standard construction' (brick and timber frame). It has a septic tank and private water supply from a nearby burn. But all of this is perfectly workable.
How does it come across on TV? Well you judge for yourselves but, for both of us, we were hooked for the same and different reasons. For John, it didn't immediately need any work doing to it, for Liz it had loads of potential to add character.
Location - well here's the rub. If you want an uninterrupted view of spectacular countryside 5 minutes from the local curry house, you're deluded or a multimillionaire (which if you hadn't worked it out already, we are not).
The location of this house is on the Cowal peninsula and Dunoon (a good sized town with everything you need) is only 15 miles away, and a 20 minute ferry to Gourock, 15 miles west of Glasgow. If that's not good enough, the A roads up the peninsula then down Loch Lomond from Tarbert are nice fast A roads, so ferry or no, it's not far off just 6 hours drive to return to Leamington.
After we'd seen the property and mooched around it on our own we settled down the $million question so to speak. 'So, Liz,' Sonali asked, 'what do YOU think this property is on the market for?' Offers over £350,000. And John followed with a more optimistic £340,000. It really was our view based on what we saw and what we had seen the day before, and over the last 6 months.
'And if that was the case,' Sonali teased 'would you be putting an offer in?' It was an emphatic yes from us both. 'So, this property is on the market for' wait for it..... 'offers over' string it out a second longer....... '£270,000.'
We can't really remember what we immediately said, the telly will use footage from a number of takes, but honestly both our jaws dropped. How could this be? Do we value and see something that others don't? Have we missed something? Or was it as Sonali said 'don't over think it?' What Liz does remember is that her eyes instantly welled up at the relief of realising it was easily within our budget. The camera kept rolling and we were sent off to explore further whilst Sonali summed up our reaction for the camera. John didn't realise this and once off camera, just exclaimed 'shit!' with the shock and excitement. They'll mute that out we're sure.
Finally they sat us down together to record our reactions to the house, and the realisation and relief that, not only was this TV rollercoaster nearly over, but also that we finally agreed on a house that we actually stood a realistic chance of owning, had suddenly created a giddy atmosphere between us and amongst the team. And so, whilst perching on a rickety garden bench at risk of collapsing beneath us (just for the added excitement), we tried to speak coherently in our heightened state of emotion. Liz blurted out the one sentence she had promised herself she wouldn't: 'I'm super excited', and then collapsed in slightly deranged laughter whilst John laughed in disbelief at the pathetically banal statement and the team dissolved into giggles behind the camera, watching us become totally unintelligible.
We wrapped it up and headed off for the 'decision chat'....
Commentaires