A Place in the Sun fans were quick to hit social media with their reactions after a couple stuck firmly to a “lowball” offer, ultimately losing out on a Cyprus property featured on the Channel 4 programme. Presenter Jean Johansson was on a mission to assist Maxine and John from Durham in their quest for an idyllic home within a £150,000 budget – a full £50,000 less than the typical cost of their desired property type.
The pair were on the hunt for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom holiday haven close to the beach and local facilities, hinting they had some leeway financially, willing to go up to £180,000 for the “perfect” place.
By the episode’s conclusion, they made a bid on a townhouse priced at £157,000, directing Jean to start the negotiations at £140,000. This move didn’t sit well with viewers, especially when the couple upped their bid by just £4,000 following the rejection of their first offer. One viewer vented on Twitter: “17k lowball is taking the p*** #aplaceinthesun.”
As the offer increased, another commented: “Still 13k under offer – can’t have wanted it that much with a 150k budget. Knew they weren’t buying. #aplaceinthesun,” reports the Express.
“Owner actually said F*** RIGHT OFF #aplaceinthesun,” chimed in another fan. A third shared a GIF of the animated character Muttley laughing hysterically, implying the seller’s likely reaction.
Another tweet featured a GIF of a man emphatically pressing a “Decline” button, captioned: “Footage of the vendor. #aplaceinthesun.” While a fifth viewer simply posted a “No” GIF and tweeted: “£144k? #aplaceinthesun.”
The couple have a long-standing love affair with the island; it was their first holiday destination together when they started dating and was also the backdrop for their wedding, so it holds significant sentimental value for them. Initially offering £140,000, John believed they made a fair pitch saying: “We’ve decided to go in what we feel is a fair offer of around about 10% under the asking price.”
The seller’s counteroffer came in at £155,900 with Jean asserting that the seller deemed it “worth asking price”.
But John and Maxine wouldn’t budge past their ceiling of £144,000. “Our top end would be the £144,000 and possibly leave that on the table…although we love it, we don’t want to be paying more than what we feel it’s worth to us to be honest,” they declared.
Presenting the offer to the seller’s agent Jean added: “Please emphasise one more time to the seller that they are cash buyers, because if it’s not accepted, they’re happy to leave it on the table. It’s their final offer.”
Jean conveyed optimism to the couple: “This [offer] is on the table. If this property doesn’t move in a month the seller’s position changes…so definitely keep an eye on this,” she advised.
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