Location, Location, Location has seen its fair share of demanding house hunters over the years, with picky couples roping in property experts Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer to help them find their forever home.
From dealing with unrealistic expectations to putting up with incredibly fussy buyers, Kirstie and Phil have come up against all sorts of demands in the 42 series they’ve presented – with the show marking its milestone 25th anniversary today.
In 2021, Phil got frustrated with a married couple from Ireland who rejected all five properties that he put on the table for them – and even went against the show’s convention, by going off to view homes they’d found on their own.
‘You could show them Buckingham Palace and they still would have a problem,’ one viewer noted.
Another ‘miserable’ duo criticised all of Phil’s suggestions because they were ‘too small’ – even though their three children were sharing one bedroom in the home they were living in at the time.
Unrealistic budgets are a common feature on the show, with Kirstie and Phil tasked with bringing participants down to earth when they expect to be able to buy a mansion in London with £700,000.
Meanwhile, one set of first-time buyers, with no children, lost the five-bedroom property they wanted because they refused to offer the extra £5,000 the seller wanted for it – even though it was within their budget.
Other tricky demands have included wanting not to have any neighbours nearby without being too isolated and insisting on multiple bathrooms.
From dealing with unrealistic expectations to putting up with incredibly fussy couples, Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer seemingly enjoy a challenge every now and then
Suki and Kuli, West Yorkshire
Primary school teacher Suki and consultant Kuli appeared on the show last May hoping to bag themselves a larger family home.
The family-of-five were squashed into a three-bedroom house in West Yorkshire and because Kuli turned one of the bedrooms into an office space, their three daughters were forced to share just one room.
And they didn’t come across well on screen, as fans branded the pair ‘picky’ and ‘miserable’ during their property search – with even Phil sharing his frustrations about the couple.
They tasked the property expert with finding them their dream family home with an open-plan downstairs for hosting and four bedrooms within a £400,000 budget in Halifax and Huddersfield.
But despite Phil’s best efforts and viewing four homes, Suki and Kuli were not satisfied with the houses and ultimately declined to put in an offer on any of them – despite West Yorkshire having an average property price of £201,000.
For Suki and Kuli a £370,000 detached house in Bradley seemed to be the perfect fit at first glance, with four bedrooms, a kitchen/diner area and a child-friendly secluded garden.
But despite a spacious double master bedroom, the couple concluded that the other three rooms were ‘too small’.
Suki and Kuli appeared Location Location Location last May to find their new family home – but viewers called them ‘picky’ and ‘miserable’
Suki and Kuli liked the size of the bedrooms and the garden at property three – but said the new build ‘lacked character’
Feeding back to Phil, they added that it wasn’t their ‘top location’ and said the garden, though child-friendly, had a ‘bit of a slant’.
A second house in Elland also had bedrooms deemed ‘too small’, to which a frustrated Phil commented in his voiceover: ‘I didn’t realise I was looking for four double bedrooms’.
The £400,000 property had a double garage, modern kitchen, conservatory, four double bedrooms – one with an en-suite – and a large back garden.
But it still didn’t fit the bill with Kuli insisting: ‘One of the bedrooms is a bit on the small side’.
A third property in Fixby, Huddersfield was rejected for being a new-build as it ‘lacked character’ and the potential buyers just weren’t ‘getting that feeling’ – despite having the required four double bedrooms.
Finally, Phil showed them a big house by Wilden, which was close to where they currently live. He told them that it was ‘as close as I can get you’ and said there was nothing else on the market that would fit their requirements.
Suki and Kuli said they were ‘much happier’ with the property but after a second viewing they again refused to put in an offer due to being ‘unsure’.
Despite not finding their dream home, they told Phil the experience had taught them they would need to learn to ‘compromise’ in the future.
Viewers also criticised the couple for not smiling and looking ‘miserable’ throughout the show
The second property in Wellington ticked several boxes on their wish-list, with space for all the family, 12 acres of paddock, a tumble-down barn for the dog arena and space for holiday lets (pictured) but they still didn’t make an offer
Despite liking the master bedroom, the couple were still ‘unsure’ about this property and ultimately didn’t make an offer
Suki and Kuli said the kitchen/diner space wouldn’t be large enough for hosting their guests in property one
However, viewers were quick to point out the irony that they had refused houses much more spacious than their current living situation.
They said: ‘FFS the couple with the three kids are moving from a house where all three kids share a bedroom and complaining about the size of the bedrooms, the woman is p***ing me off.
‘There’s miserable, and then there is MISERABLE.’
‘An infuriating episode of #locationlocationlocation this week. Don’t think that one lady smiled at all. They didn’t seem to want to compromise on anything. What were they hoping for?’ another added.
One questioned whether they were looking for a mansion for their money, while a fellow critic declared: ‘Absolute timewaster family.’
‘Send this couple down south and let them see how lucky they are,’ another chimed in.
Georgie and Pete, Kent
Newly engaged professional dancer Georgie and insurance underwriter Pete went on Location, Location, Location in April 2021 in the hopes of finding their first property together.
They first moved into a one-room studio flat in Kent three days before then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the strict Covid-19 lockdown and had since been on the search for a larger space.
Georgie and Pete had a budget of £750,000 to spend and wanted somewhere in Bexley, south east London.
It wasn’t long until they set their heart on a five-bedroom house in the area, which had a guide price of £700,000 to £725,000.
They had the knowledge that a previous offer had been rejected at £700,00 but still decided to go in at £710,000 only to get turned down – before being told the seller would only accept £720,000.
In last night’s episode of Channel 4’s Location, Location, Location, Georgie and Pete (pictured) spent a staggering £720,000 on their first property together – but argued when it came to paying an additional £5,000 to secure the deal
Phil took the newly engaged couple to see the five-bed Victorian property located just off the pretty high street of Bexley village. Pictured, the exterior
The newly engaged couple fell in love with a five-bedroom property in their dream location of Bexley, which had a guide price of £700,000 – £725,000. Pictured, the living room
Georgie was delighted to see that many of the bedrooms boasted built-in storage (pictured) – something which the studio flat in Kent lacked
But Georgie and Pete ended up quibbling over £5,000 which led to them losing out on the house, with viewers branding it ‘karma’ for their penny-pinching behaviour.
Pete did not want to splurge the extra cash, despite it being £5,000 under their budget, and was insistent that he initially only wanted to go to £715,000.
This offer was rejected – leaving viewers questioning whether the young couple could afford such a high-end budget in the first place.
Watchers said: ‘Why the hell does a childless couple need a 5 bed house? I’ve got three kids and don’t need that many. Pretentious much?’
‘Seriously… who are these people that can just throw £750k down on a first property – I debate spending £2 on a sandwich in Lidl on a lunchtime,’ another added.
‘I do laugh at these couples ‘starting out’ in life and looking at getting on the property ladder with a three quarters of a million pound four bed house’;
‘Arguing over £5k? This couple cannot afford this house.’
The five-bed Victorian property was located just off the pretty high street of Bexley village and featured a large lounge with a charming fireplace, a good-sized kitchen-diner area and a generous garden.
While upstairs boasted, five good-sized bedrooms over two floors – including a master with an en-suite.
The couple put in a £715,000 offer and got rejected and once Georgie broke down in tears, the next morning, the couple increased their offer to the asking price and was finally accepted.
After their offer is rejected, Georgie (pictured) said to Pete: ‘I know five grand is five grand, but I don’t know if you just want to feel like you’ve won’
One of the neutral-themed bedrooms in the five-property house located in the hot spot area of Bexley (pictured)
The couple were pleased to discover the master bedroom even came complete with its own en suite (pictured)
But celebrations turned out to be premature, because after a higher offer from another bidder, the couple were back to square one.
However, two weeks later they had an offer accepted on another five-bed house in Bexley for £740,000 – meaning they had to spend an extra £20,000 compared to the first property.
‘It’s just around the corner from the one that we lost,’ said Georgie,’ to which Pete added: ‘You have to walk past it to walk to the train station! But we’ve actually got a better one.’
This once again rattled viewers, as one wrote: ‘Wouldn’t pay 5k despite it being under budget. Had to cough up 20k more to get something similar. Karma.’
‘Gazumped so paid an extra 20k when he was stubborn over 5k,’ said another.
‘A young couple wanting four bedrooms for their first home and complaining the rooms aren’t big enough in a perfectly ok house. Some of these people need to experience the real world,’ a third added.
Anne and Tom, Cheshire
Retirees Anne and Tom were living in a rental property in Cheshire while searching for their dream home in the area to be closer to their family.
But it was proving to be a challenge, as the couple admitted that they had viewed more than 40 properties and had no luck.
With a budget of £600,000 to play with, fans of the Channel 4 programme could not understand how they hadn’t found anywhere – until they revealed their extensive checklist.
Anne and Tom wanted four bedrooms, a large garden for their grandchildren to run around in and a space they could move into immediately.
They also confessed they were not keen to do any renovations so hoped the property would be in good condition, and have an active community close by.
Their lengthy list triggered the Location, Location, Location audience as they were baffled as to how they had not been able to find anywhere up north with their big budget.
Location, location, location viewers slammed retirees Tom and Anne who complained they were struggling to find their dream home in Cheshire with a £600,000 budget
Ultimately, the couple decided to pay £15,000 over their initial budget for a refurbished detached home in Titherington
The house, which had been newly refurbished, wowed both Anne and Tom after Kirstie showed them around
Both Anne and Tom said they immediately fell in love with the house after Kirstie showed them around
The four-bedroom property ticked multiple boxes for the couple, and they were blown away by the stunning refurbishments
They said: ‘Ah the poor souls struggling to find a place for two people for £600k. Up North.’
‘I’ve literally been watching for thirty seconds and I hate this couple already,’ another added.
‘600k budget. How hard can it be to find a f**** house with that kind of coin? You don’t need Phil and Kirsty. You need a kick up the hoop,’ one viewer declared.
It wasn’t long before they fell in love with a refurbished detached home in Titherington with a huge open plan kitchen and living space with a separate utility room as well as a big lounge with a wood burning fire.
It had four double bedrooms, two with en-suites overlooking the property’s enormous gardens.
However, the house, which was on the market for £580,000, had already wracked up multiple offers from other potential buyers – causing tension between the couple.
The second property Kirstie showed the couple was a large semi-detached home in Wimslow – but Tom immediately said it couldn’t compare to the first house
While Anne admitted the area was convenient, Tom said he couldn’t stop thinking about the first home they had already seen (pictured, the living space)
The third, and final property, was in Stockton Heath and featured four bedrooms and an enormous kitchen/diner room (pictured)
Despite the pristine interiors, the couple complained that the garden wasn’t large enough for their grandchildren to run around in
Anne said: ‘I think we would offer £605,000 but if it came to it, we could go to £610,000.’ But Kirstie told the couple there were already six offers on the property.
They decided to put in the offer at £615,000, with Tom and Anne dipping further into their savings to top up their budget.
After an overnight wait, the couple’s offer was accepted and they were left feeling overjoyed after their intense property hunt.
Carol and Alan, Somerset
Phil had his hands full in 2010 when a demanding family from Somerset gave him an impossible set of requirements to fulfil.
Carol and Alan were searching for their dream property with a healthy budget of £700,000 budget 15 years ago.
They demanded a space where they could run a dog training business and also live together, with a barn for dog agility classes, ten acres of paddocks, parking and good access for customers.
They also wanted outbuildings which could be converted into holiday rentals, a bolt hole and no neighbours close by – but also said they didn’t want to be too isolated.
When they began their search, Phil told them: ‘What I can say confidently is that the whole package that everyone wants, within the budget, does not exist, it’s not there.’
The family struggled to find the perfect home, announcing one house was ‘too close to the neighbour’, while another had rooms which were ‘too small’.
Location Location Location viewers slammed Carol, Alan and their daughter Lauren, from Somerset, for being too demanding
The third property they viewed was priced at £795,000 but had all the facilities they needed for the dog business, large barns and eight acres of flat paddocks
The family home had period features galore and a little annex for Lauren to live in, while the two holiday lets were four star rated (pictured, the dining room)
The property had forever home written all over it – with Carol calling it ‘fantastic’, while daughter Lauren also said she would be happy to move into the house (pictured, the farmhouse style kitchen)
Phil was blunt in telling the family that their dream property would be almost impossible to find within their price range, adding: ‘We’ve got a good budget but it doesn’t go far in this part of the world.’
Though they put in an offer for a property at the end of the show, it was £95,000 over their budget, and viewers were left frustrated by the brood, with one commenting: ‘I’ve had to switch it off because it’s sent my blood pressure into the stratosphere.’
The first property they visited sat at a comfortable £595,000 in Tiverton and came with 14 acres and plenty of outbuildings.
However, Alan immediately said the property made him ‘very nervous’ and pointed out the proximity of one neighbour, and the isolation of the area, as issues.
The second property in Wellington was closer to their wish list, with space for all the family, 12 acres of paddock, a tumble-down barn for the dog arena and space for holiday lets.
It was on the market at £645,000, leaving the couple with plenty of budget for a bolthole to add if they wanted. But Carol was critical, saying the rooms were ‘small’ and adding: ‘If it had a barn already up, it would be perfect.’
The family then decided on a house that had all the facilities they needed for the dog business, large barns and eight acres of flat paddocks.
When they began their search, Phil told them that he was ‘confident’ the ‘whole package’ didn’t exist for the family of three within their budget
The first property, a £595,000 farmhouse in Tiverton, came with 14 acres and plenty of outbuildings, but the family felt it was ‘too isolated’
The family were critical of the ‘small rooms’ in the property, and also suggested they needed their dream home to have a barn for their dog training business
Alan admitted one of the properties Phil showed him made him ‘very nervous’ and said he had concerns about the period features (pictured, the kitchen)
Despite being well within their budget, Carol was critical immediately of the second house they viewed and said the rooms were too ‘small’
The 400-year-old family home had period features galore and a little annex for daughter Lauren to live in, while the two holiday lets were four-star-rated and already flourishing – but it was way over budget at £795,000.
However, they made the decision to go for it and paid the asking price.
The Location, Location, Location team returned to visit the family in October 2020, a decade on since they first bought the property.
Lauren described the house as ‘a special bubble’, with her dog training business proving a huge success, meanwhile, Alan said: ‘We have gone from job to job to job without catching our breath really.’
Carol was focused on the property rental business, which had been flourishing over the years and said guests continued to return multiple times a year to stay at the stunning home, which was recently revalued at a whopping £1.6 million.
Val and Tony, Belfast
Val and Tony, from Belfast, left Phil frustrated on many occasions after adding very specific requirements for their search.
The duo, who have been married for 27 years, appeared on Location, Location, Location last October and eventually discarded all five properties they went to visit.
They wanted to be near a train station, have close proximity to the coast and have four spacious bedrooms – despite it being just the two of them.
They took issue with how ‘small’ the properties were and any ‘low ceilings’ – and while they wanted old-fashioned character, they wanted it to be in a modern condition to avoid any renovations.
Dubbed ‘Mr and Mrs Glum’ by fans of the programme, Val and Tony had a £475,000 budget to purchase their dream coastal home in Ireland.
They hoped to find a four-bedroom property with two reception rooms and two bathrooms, with Tony having enough space to work from home.
Location, Location, Location’s Tony and Val were slammed by viewers as ‘miserable’ last October
Phil showed them a very spacious £395,000 detached four-bedroom house in Carnalea – but they complained it was too small
The couple wanted four bedrooms in a detached house – but disliked all the properties they viewed
But after viewing the first property found by Phil, the couple were quick to make any complaints clear, with Tony comparing the property to their older house with ‘much higher ceilings’.
Phil explained the period homes they had been used to weren’t available in this part of the country for the budget they had.
Even after they found a property in Bangor ‘more similar to our old house’, Tony and Val said the windows were ‘too crooked’ and said it was ‘too much’.
One viewer wrote: ‘Dear lord, these guys have got to be some of the most miserable people I’ve seen on this show. You’re a saint Phil Spencer.’
‘You could show them Buckingham Palace and they still would have a problem,’ a viewer commented, while another added: ‘OMG Mr and Mrs Glum.’
Viewers noted that Tony and Val seemed very ‘glum’ throughout the show, despite Phil Spencer’s best efforts to find them a property
They also complained that the ceilings were ‘too low’ and that it was ‘too dark’ inside
The couple also disliked the property’s garden, as they said their garden back in Chingford was ‘far bigger’
‘Some folk should stay where they were, nothing would make them happy…’
In the end, the couple went against the show’s convention, and began to view properties they’d found on their own without Phil’s help – but even then weren’t satisfied.
Phil delivered them a hard truth, saying: ‘Those character properties within the areas you like are not in your budget.’
Eventually, Tony and Val were forced to downsize on their original hopes, putting in an offer for a £310,000 property in Ballyholme with three bedrooms.
Elliot and James, Bicester and London
Elliot and James, both appeared on the TV show when they were in their late twenties in 2021 and roped in the help of property guru Kirstie.
The pair lived separately from each other, with James located in Bicester, near Oxford, and Elliot in west London – however, they wanted to relocate to affluent areas of London such as Richmond and Putney.
But the couple’s budget of £750,000 in the pricey area didn’t go as far as they’d have liked – especially when it came to their long list of requirements.
Elliot, who works in educational technology, told Kirstie he didn’t want to get ‘mugged off’ when it came to getting value for his money in the capital city.
However, viewers were then left baffled when he considered a quote of £26,000 for a new kitchen and insisted on needing more than one bathroom.
Location, Location, Location viewers said that couple Elliot and James, who had a £725,000 budget, ‘need a good slap’ after they demanded an bathroom despite there only being two of them – before considering spending £26,000 on a new kitchen
The couple described one of the bedrooms in the cottage in Putney as a ‘perfectly fine size’ with ‘average storage’ before saying another was ‘really really small.’ Pictured, the exterior
Despite Elliot opening up to Kirstie saying he didn’t want to get ‘mugged off,’ he later told how he was considering a £26,000 kitchen valuation in a Windsor property
Elliot did not want to compromise on having one bathroom and said he needed two
Why are they unable to cope with just one bathroom for f***s sake? And also if you have a £700k+ budget and still can’t find something you like then you need a bl***y good slap,’ one viewer wrote.
‘Speaking about being quoted 26k for a kitchen like he’s asking for a coffee!!! AGAIN this is the guy who said he doesn’t want to be mugged off,’ another added.
James’ partner said: ‘I grew up in the South Wales valleys. The idea of spending £750,000 on a Victorian terrace house when I know they cost £150,000 to £200,000 back in Wales, there’s an element of me needing to feel like we haven’t been mugged off.’
Kirstie reassured that she was there to ‘make sure that doesn’t happen,’ before adding: ‘I don’t like having a reputation for being mean, particularly in this initial meeting, but to sit here and say, £750,000 is not enough, it’s just the reality of the situation.’
But the couple got lucky when Kirstie found them a property in the wildcard area of Windsor, which was on the market at the top end of their budget at £750,000.
With a nicely done ground floor with a through-lounge leading into the all-important open plan kitchen diner, it also boasted a decent size garden, plus a home office already in place.
The couple (pictured) decided to make an offer on the first Winsor property they fell in love with, and their offer of £745,000 – £5,000 under the asking price was accepted
The couple’s luck was in when it came to the next property in their wildcard area of Windsor, which was on the market for the top end of their budget at £750,000. Pictured, the exterior
The property also features a decent size garden, plus a home office (pictured) already in place – which delighted the couple
The Windsor property boasted a nicely done ground floor with a through-lounge (pictured) leading into the all important open plan kitchen diner
While there was only one bathroom rather than their ideal two, there was space to make amends in time. Pictured, the one bathroom
But while there was only one bathroom rather than their ideal two, there was space to make amends in time – and the pair were delighted with the property and keen to put in an offer straight away.
Elliot said: ‘I went to a kitchen showroom this morning and they quoted me £26,000 this morning…’
Gasping in shock, Kirstie covered her face with her hands and said: ‘Oh my god, that’s obscene!’
Elliot continued by saying it was ‘useful,’ but Kirstie quickly interrupted saying: ‘No, stop stop stop! You’ve winded me, Elliot.’ James more reasonably suggested spending £1,000 on painting the cupboards instead.
The couple decided to make an offer on the first Windsor property they fell in love with, and their offer of £745,000 – £5,000 under the asking price was accepted.
