saw emotions soar in the latest episode, with a buyer breaking down during a bittersweet move.
Ginny Buckley was on hand to assist Mark and Deborah in their quest to find a new home in Northamptonshire, where they planned to settle with their son and two cats on Wednesday’s episode (February 12).
The couple, armed with a healthy £600,000 budget, were looking for a three to four-bedroom house with a garden, dreaming of adding a dog to their family.
But the emotional weight of the move was palpable from the start, as they were leaving Mark’s lifelong family home.
Ginny empathised: “This must be quite a bittersweet move for you. You’re leaving your house that has been your proper family home for most of your life, how are you feeling?”
Escape to the Country star emotional after buyer breaks in tears in ‘bittersweet’ search (Image: BBC)
Mark admitted the move felt like a double-edged sword, filled with memories of his parents. He shared with Ginny: “But, I think what we’re really looking for is to sort of like rekindle that initial start I had with my family somewhere else.”
The property hunt began in the village of Gretton with a charming stone cottage that immediately captivated the couple, prompting them to exclaim it was ‘absolutely beautiful’.
The emotional journey peaked when Deborah was visibly moved in one of the bedrooms, leading Ginny to note: “You look a bit emotional.”, reports
In an emotional reveal, the prospective buyer confessed to feeling overwhelmed. She said: “It’s lovely. It’s quite an emotional move for us. Sorry.”
As tears were brushed aside, her partner Mark lightheartedly joked: “You’ve done it now, you’ve opened the floodgates!”
Deborah was highly emotional during the search (Image: BBC)
Alone, show host Ginny was also visibly moved, admitting to the audience: “Gosh, I don’t often well up on this programme, but I genuinely am.
“I think it’s because it’s obviously such an emotive move for them, and it’s so good to see both of them having a positive reaction to a house because, at one point, I was a bit worried when I first met them that they might not be able to agree and it looks like that are!”
During their tour, Mark and Deborah couldn’t hide their admiration for the property, heaping compliments as they went through the rooms.
Discovering that the house price sat comfortably under their budget at £575,000, they were overjoyed. At the programme’s conclusion, Ginny eagerly anticipated their decision, having shown them a variety of homes.
The couple were blown away with the first home Ginny showed them (Image: BBC)
Yet, Deborah admitted to Ginny that despite the options, her heart lingered on the first home, saying: “My heart probably is still with number one. But it wasn’t quite big enough. With enough space for what we wanted.
She couldn’t help but reminisce about the tranquil atmosphere and picturesque environment, adding: “But, the peace and quiet was amazing. The outlook, the garden, oh my goodness, the garden. It was just beautiful.”
As the show drew to a close, the presenter revealed that Mark and Deborah had arranged to see additional properties in the Northamptonshire regions that Ginny had introduced them to during their hunt.
Escape to the Country is available to watch on iPlayer.