Janine Gets Emotional Over French Home, Then Rejects It for One Key Reason

Janine was moved by a stone house in France during her appearance on A Place in the Sun, but the property that first seemed to fit her dream eventually failed to win her and her husband over. The couple, who are recently retired and live near York, were searching for a Dordogne retreat with presenter Ben Hillman. Janine and Paul set a maximum budget of £170,000 and wanted a detached, characterful home with at least three bedrooms, land and room for their motorhome. The first three properties did little to impress them. The fourth, a two-bedroom terraced stone house with an attic mezzanine and a sizeable garden, struck a different note. As they looked around, Janine praised the living room and said the home was “ticking their boxes.” She also became emotional, telling Ben she felt “a little bit emotional” as she pointed to her eyes. Janine said she liked the property’s character and felt it offered many of the things they had asked for. The couple named it their first contender. But when Ben returned at the end of the search to ask whether they planned to make an offer, Paul said they had viewed five properties and wanted to continue looking. Ben appeared puzzled, pointing out that the house had been their sole contender and had moved Janine to tears. Janine explained that the garden created a practical problem. To fit their motorhome, they would need to flatten part of it, she said, but doing so would block the views from the kitchen and living room. She added that they would need to raise their budget to make the arrangement work. Despite the emotional first impression, the couple decided not to pursue the home and planned to keep searching.