Searching for a new home can often mean a tug of war between town and country. Over 80% of Brits want the peace and quiet of the country life, but need to be near to the city for work and play. Property expert Kirstie Allsopp shows that you can have both the rural idyll and the fun of the big city, if you know where to look.
Kirstie heads to Belfast to meet newlyweds Grace and Lindsay. After living together in London and tiring of the rat race, the couple have decided to head back to their native Northern Ireland to buy their very first home.
Kirstie heads to Gloucester to meet Kate, husband Chris, and their family - three kids, three dogs and Granny Joan. They want to find a character-filled forever home with bags of space, including an annexe, between the city of Gloucester and the surrounding Cotswolds countryside. But can Kirstie help them find the perfect middle ground without straying from their budget?
Kirstie meets Alice and Richard, who are looking for a new home between Liverpool and Manchester. But Alice can't drive, and Richard, an obsessive cyclist, doesn't want to. Can Kirstie serve up a perfect slice of Cheshire countryside?
Kirstie meets Nick and Nikki, a couple whose new, Best-of-Both-Worlds home can be no more than 30 minutes away from Bristol Southmead Hospital. Nick is a hospital anaesthetist, and when on call needs to get to work fast. Currently his commute can take up to three hours a day, which means he is missing quality time with the family. Can Kirstie find them the best of town and country in a city notorious for its terrible traffic jams?
Kirstie meets Gary and Julie, who have just sold their beloved family home in Sidcup in Kent. Problem is, they're still head over heels in love with it, and if they could pick it up and pop it somewhere more rural than suburban, they would. As Kirstie knows only too well, plonking your existing house into the perfect location isn't really an option. So, could this couple be one of her toughest challenges yet?
Kirstie meets first-time buyers Vanessa and Ollie, hard working professionals, who want to balance their busy working lives in London with a more tranquil home life outside the city. However, they don't want to let go of the buzz of city life entirely, so a vibrant area with a café culture is a must, as well as good transport links into London. They decide to look in Beckenham, Kent, where they'd also like a period property, with outdoor space, parking and plenty of storage, as well as the ability to extend if desired.
Kirstie Allsopp meets Ali and James, a couple with a two-county wide search and a long property wish list. They're looking for a home in the commuter heartlands of Hertfordshire and Buckingham. But with city boy James nervous about leaving London behind, and Ali struggling to see the potential in properties, can Kirstie find them their Best of Both Worlds?
