Liz : By the end of June I was so frustrated at the lack of quality properties that I decided that maybe the experts could help us. I asked John what he thought about being on TV and he said 'Go for it'. It felt like a good idea at the time! So I fired off an application to the two most famous property hunt programs ever produced: Escape to the Country and Location, Location, Location in the hope of meeting Kirsty and Phil or Alistair.
It was really easy - fill in a few questions, attach some photos of us and our house, explain why we want to move, where to and why, and leave our contact details...and then hope for a phone call.
The next morning I sceptically told Nicki and Neil at work about my applications, but no more than 10 minutes later my mobile rang. My heart was in my mouth as I answered, partly because I feel bad about personal calls at work, but partly because there are not many people who would call me during the working day. Could it be...?
It was! A lovely lady called Hannah said she was calling from the Escape to the Country research team, and did I have time to answer a few questions? Yes, of course! She asked me the same questions again as were on the application form, but with some expansion on the details, and then talked me through the stages of the application process, through to filming.
First, of course, was the online application form, followed by this research phone call. Then, she was going to email us with some instructions on how to create a series of four casting videos, which we were to film on our phones, which would get us used to being on camera, and could be used in the intro to us on the program, should we be successful.
I also needed to email her a list of the properties that we had looked at, both that we liked, and didn't like, to give them an idea of what to look for. After that they would do a feasibility study to make sure they could actually find the sort of houses that would fit our criteria.
I told her we weren't picky, and I don't know if that will make it harder for them. I said the location was Scotland, anywhere south of the Caledonian Canal, and the house could be anything from a development project to a traditional cottage, to a modern house with huge windows. Surely there will be something in that lot!
Then she asked when we might be looking to film, there were currently slots available for mid-July. That was only 3 weeks away! I panicked a bit: we are not in a hurry, I explained, and that we might find it easier in August/September due to holidays (both ours and our colleagues) that meant we were not that available, but that usually we were flexible as both of our employers were pretty easy going.
I was a bit sixes and sevens as I burst into the back office and blurted out that that was ESCAPE TO THE COUNTRY! And we might be on TV ... and soon! Oh, the excitement. Do I get a stylist on the show? I should go on some kind of extreme diet, dye my hair, buy a new dress. Arrrgghh!!
Over the next few days we filmed our 4 videos, trying to plug my employer, and the MS Society whom we volunteer for, and appear fun, and get loads of information over in just 60 seconds per video. I eagerly submitted them to Hannah's email, and diligently checked she had received them. We started watching the back catalogue of episodes so we knew the deal. And then we waited....
And then, another very special house came up, and another, and a few more, until we had planned our own Escape to the Country road trip round Scotland to view no less than seven amazing, or potentially amazing, houses.
John: whatever input we get in this process, it's input and these folks know what they're doing and, well, there's no obligation to follow through - just make good (daytime) TV! And, just maybe, they will come up trumps...
See the videos we submitted on our 'About' page.
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