Wasting money

Got lured into watching one of the gizillions of "homes" shows on Channel 4 last night by a glimpse of a communal garden (the obsession continues).

This is the show's premise: "now the property market has slumped, we need to forget about tarting up our houses to sell them and instead make them places we want to live in". Fair enough.
The rest of the show had rather less of a credit-crunch theme however.

The macho presenter ("yeah, I'm a designer,but you wouldn't catch ME in a floral shirt. Look at my big hammer") went round to a young couple's fantastic 4-bedroom Victorian mansion block flat in Maida Vale, complete with large lush communal garden. He pronounced that it needed a complete renovation, which he said would cost £200,000, but he could do it for £150,000. The couple both work in the City and only (only!) had a £100,000 budget, but said they had some contingency money.

"I'm gonna have to think of a way to get them part with that other £50 grand", the presenter confided to the camera, before the works had even begun.

He confronted the couple: "If you REALLY want that HIGH SPEC KITCHEN,it's going to cost you £150k."

"We've compromised enough" said the boyfriend. "I'm in".
Cue simpering and flicking of blonde hair from the girlfriend.

It was like watching City boys play poker. Urgh.

Anyway, they ended up with a flat that looked like a 4 star boutique hotel - all flat screen tellies and beige walls. But with black and white photos of the couple on the wall, just so they know it's their flat.

£150,000 would probably buy a 4 bedroom house in Macclesfield. Makes me want to puke.