A Place In The Sun returned to screens on Wednesday (November 11) with Ben Hillman presenting, as Janine and Paul, a recently-retired couple from near York, searched for a dream home in the Dordogne with a maximum budget of £170,000. They wanted a detached "quirky" house with at least three bedrooms, plus land and room for a motorhome.
Fourth property sparks emotion
The hunt began poorly, with the couple unimpressed by the first three properties. The fourth, however, brought a surprise. Ben showed them a two-bedroom terraced stone house with a mezzanine room in the attic and a generous garden. Janine's initial reaction was: "It's different!".
Ben told them: "It's on the market for just under £149,500. This is the best property I've been able to find for your budget. There's a lot riding on this!" The couple then went inside to view the house that Ben "had high hopes for".
Couple rule out favourite
Janine described the living room as "impressive" and felt the house was "ticking their boxes". After looking around, she told Ben: "A little bit emotional!" as she pointed to her eyes while welling up. Ben replied: "Really?! Yay!" Janine explained she adored the property for its "oodles of character" and how it ticked every box on their wishlist, and the pair confirmed it was their standout favourite.
Yet when Ben caught up with them at the end of the search, they left him stunned. Paul said: "We've looked at five properties and only liked one. I think we need to carry on our search." A confused Ben asked why they were ruling out the one contender, calling it "a tear-jerker". Janine explained: "The garden at the back, where we would need to put the motorhome, we'd get it in, we'd have to flatten the garden. But then you've blocked the views from the kitchen and living room." She added: "We need to increase our budget so we can do that. At least we know what and where we are looking for."
A Place In The Sun airs Monday to Friday at 6pm on Channel 4.
