2 days ago
Location, Location, Location viewers horrified as wife breaks down in tears and admits she's 'compromising' over £1.25million London home her husband desperately wants - despite being next to a railway line
Location, Location, Location viewers have hit out at a man who 'ignored' his wife's concerns to 'get his way' - and ended up shelling out £1.25million for a house in London that backs straight onto a noisy train line.
Tax advisor Ben and accountant Maya, originally from West Country, roped in property expert Kirstie Allsopp to find their dream family property in a leafy area of south west London.
The couple - who have been together for five years and married for one - saved up and managed to borrow a hefty amount from the bank to get a budget of £1.25million.
They tasked Kirstie with finding a three-bedroom detached house with so-called 'kerb appeal' (that the house looks attractive from the outside) in either Richmond, Kingston or Barnes with a good garden, great transport links into central London and a room they could turn into a home office.
They spent six months searching for their forever home, with Maya saying Ben has been 'obsessive' with the property hunt, adding: 'He will know everything that's on the market he would've booked out our Saturday with viewings. He's on it all the time.'
Kirstie took them to see a four-bedroom Victorian detached house that was on the market for £1.2million - £50,000 under the couple's budget - located in Kingston that ticked many of their boxes.
But while Maya described it as a 'really good option', Ben was more keen on a pricier property in affluent Barnes that was on the market bang on their budget at £1.25million - despite it having one bedroom fewer, a visible railway line at the back of the garden and being under the flight path to Heathrow Airport.
Viewers of the Channel 4 show took to X to share their thoughts on the programme, with some calling Ben 'insufferable' and alleging that he ignored his wife to 'get his way', with Maya even tearing up at the final decision.
The couple - who want to start a family - put Barnes at the top of their list when looking for properties and both Kirstie and her co-host Phil Spencer took them to look around the three-bedroom property.
It had an open-plan living, dining and kitchen, two double bedrooms on the first floor along with a family bathroom and a further double bedroom with an ensuite on the second floor.
Maya appeared impressed upon her first viewing of the property - before Kirsty burst her bubble by informing her of the visible railway track at the end of the garden. However, Ben seemed unfazed by the feature.
Speaking to Kirstie about the property, Maya said: 'The train line is the compromise that I'm not sure about yet. I feel I'm going to need to see the rest of the house to see if it outweighs this.'
Later in the programme, the couple revealed they wanted to make an offer on the Barnes property - despite Maya's initial reservations.
Ben said: 'I think one of us is making a compromise,' to which a tearful Maya said: 'That's me. Which is okay.'
She added that she could see her partner 'lighting up' at the prospect of living in the Barnes property.
But their decision did not seem to go down well with viewers, as they commented that Maya compromised a lot to make her husband happy.
One wrote: 'Poor Maya has had to fall on her sword and go with Ben's house on a train line just because it's Barnes. She's upset but he's not bothered because he's getting his way. The other house was gorgeous!'
The Barnes house had three bedrooms (one is pictured here), although they weren't as big as the house in Kingston
Viewers of the Channel 4 show took to X to comment their thoughts on the programme, with some calling Ben 'insufferable' and alleging that he ignored his wife to 'get his way', with Maya even tearing up at the final decision
Another penned: 'I can't stop thinking about Maya having to live with all those noisy trains plus her insufferable partner.'
A third said: 'I can't believe that bloke made his missus buy the house with the train line at the bottom of the garden! Didn't even seem bothered that she was sat crying in the pub about it!'
A fourth commented: 'She seems to have very much compromised towards what he wants, how long before she gets fed up of the trains?'
They initially went in at £1.17million and when their offer was rejected by the seller, the persistent pair then upped it to £1.225million, which was then accepted and they moved in eight weeks later.
But while looking around the house in Barnes that Ben adored, Maya kept thinking about the first house they viewed in Kingston. She said to Kirstie: 'I can't really get it out of my head.'
The £1.22million Victorian house that Maya preferred had a front reception room with large bay windows, an open plan kitchen, living and dining room at the rear with doors leading out to a green garden.
On the first floor, there are two double bedrooms, one with an ensuite, and a third that is currently being used as an office. There is a converted attic room with a 'very generous' ensuite bathroom.
But despite the house in Kingston having more space than the Barnes property they went for, Ben said: 'I personally don't think we need quite as much space so I think this would be enough.'
The couple then viewed a third house that was on the market for £995,000 but Kirstie admitted that it was a project home that needed some work doing to it.
Ben said: 'For me, it's not good enough to -' before he was interrupted by Maya, who said: 'Under a million, we're definitely having a look.'
However, the couple admitted that it wasn't for them and they would prefer to have a house that was already done up to their standards.
When he found out they had secured the Barnes property with the railway track backing onto the garden, Ben said: 'It's just a lovely place. I think that house was the one, primarily because it was Barnes and also it had a wow factor. We could be really happy there.'
