Jasmine Harman was the latest property expert trying to find buyers their perfect holiday homes. The A Place in the Sun presenter has been helping people find homes overseas for almost 20 years.
The couple wishing to find a new home on this afternoon’s episode of the Channel 4 show were Natasha and husband Tim. They jetted off to the Italian city of Lucca, with the aim of purchasing a dream property away from their Gloucestershire home.
After being married for five years and sharing three children together, they were eager to have a foreign property to enjoy. With similar interests including music, cycling, architecture and the Tuscan landscape, Jasmine Harman showed them around several properties.
The second property was located near the famous Lucca walls. After a brief talk with a local, Natasha and Tim were told that public transport was very good and no cars are necessary, which was one of their concerns.
They told Jasmine that “now is the perfect time for a holiday home” and to immerse themselves into the lifestyle of Italians. With a budget of £130,000 the second property was ideal on paper, very close to Lucca and priced at under £103,000.
After the first glance at the one bedroom apartment, Natasha became emotional and started crying. When asked what was going on by the Channel 4 host, the textile designer said that her mind was “blown” and it was due to the architecture.
Upon entering the top floor apartment, the potential buyer admitted she was trying to get her head around where to place things so she “gets a feel for a space” and for it to feel homely.
However, Natasha’s emotions didn’t last for long as they returned to Jasmine with bad news. Tim told her: “With deep regrets it is not a contender”, explaining that the small windows which can’t be changed, due to the building’s façade being listed.
Although Natasha told her husband and Jasmine that she “really wanted it to work”, the couple continued their house hunt. They had preferred the first property viewing which was 30 minutes away from Lucca, in Ponte a Moriano.
The first floor apartment had two bedrooms, a terrace, family bathroom and a utility room with open plans adding to the charm of the house. After the viewing Natasha and Tim both agreed the property was “in with a chance” of becoming their dream home, with Natasha being “pleasantly surprised”.
However, they made it clear they wanted to move away from a busy road, saying it’s “not ideal”. The location of the apartment was on a bustling road, to its rear was a lot of green. The house hunters were asked for a price in the region of over £123,000. According to Jasmine, this is around half price of those located in the walls of Lucca.
With a run of properties the couple weren’t too fond of, it was the fifth and final property that looked to be a winner. In Nozzano Castello, the three bedroom property was priced under £138,000. With a large terrace designed for el fresco cooking and spacious interior, the viewers left the property pleased.
Natasha said: “We both love it and on the same page, it has knocked the first one off radar”, deciding it was the only one they were thinking about. Tim event announced that Jasmine had “nailed it” in a positive update.