Woman left in tears by new house on Honey I Bought The House HAS forgiven partner

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Paul and Sophie appeared on first episode of Honey I Bought The House
Watch show offers couples £15,000 towards a new house
Only one of them can choose the property
Sophie cried when she saw the home he chose for £170,000
She said she hated the three-bed semi-detached property
But three months after they moved in, she now loves it

Published: 02:01 EST, 21 October 2015 | Updated: 08:32 EST, 21 October 2015

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A couple who tested their relationship by appearing on a TV show where only one of them could choose their future home have admitted the emotional experience was worth it in the end.

Sophie Riding, 25, and Paul Hopkins, 29, from Preston, appeared on the first episode of Watch's 'Honey I Bought The House' on Monday - a Don't Tell The Bride-style show in which Paul had just three weeks to make the life-changing decision over which property they should buy without any input from his fiancee.

Viewers saw Sophie breakdown in tears after it was revealed Paul had paid £170,000 for a three-bed semi-detached home for them which she hated.

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Sophie is now delighted with the house Paul bought - the couple pictured on the day they got the keys

The exterior of the three-bed semi-detached home they now own

She said the Fifties-built property with a small kitchen was a 'lost cause' and made her 'feel sick', as she had her heart set on owning a modern, detached, open plan house.

She sobbed that if Paul had bought this property for them, it raised questions about their relationship as, 'if he has got this house then he doesn't know anything about me.'

But speaking to the MailOnline this week, four months after they moved into their new home, Sophie has admitted perhaps her fiance knows her better than she knows herself.

Since they filmed their unusual house hunt in April and moved into their new home in July, she admitted she adores it now they have settled in.

She explained: 'Paul said I would learn to love it and he was right, I do love it now. I know I came across as a bit of a princess on the show and I was very emotional. It's just that when I first saw it, it wasn't what I had pictured as our first house. It wasn't what I would have chosen.'

The hallway as it was when they first viewed the property, Sophie said she didn't get a good feeling about it when she walked in

The front room with a fireplace pictured how it looked before the couple moved in

Sophie, pictured when she viewed the house with her sister after Paul's offer on it had been accepted, said she hated the small kitchen

Paul said they intend to knock the wall down on the right to make the kitchen open plan into the dining room

Civil servant Sophie revealed that the 'decor put me off' but she has now realised that she was wrong to base her feel of the house on the aesthetics, as she feels much happier about it now they have redecorated and added their own furniture.

'We have decorated the two double bedrooms so far and I am really happy with them,' she admitted.

'It has made a difference putting our own mark on the house and it has made me realise I shouldn't have judged it on how it looked before. We still have a lot of work to do and we are saving up to re-do the downstairs rooms.'

Paul said he is relieved Sophie now loves the house as he was 'gutted' by her initial reaction.

But he said: 'I knew she would only hate it for a few weeks and once we moved in she would love it.'

One of Sophie's biggest issues with the house was the small kitchen with a separate dining room.

The dining room as it was when Paul bought the house. He was confident Sophie would learn to love it

Sophie was left in tears when she discovered the house Paul had bought for them

Paul explains to an upset Sophie how the house he bought can be transformed into one they both love

She had loved a detached house Paul had also viewed during his property search because it had a large, modern open plan kitchen.

But online business owner Paul had seen the potential to knock down a wall in the property he purchased so they could create the open plan kitchen-diner of Sophie's dreams.

He said they are currently saving up to afford the renovation work and estimate being able to start work in the New Year, following their November wedding.

Sophie now admits this is actually a much better option.

She said: 'Now I can choose exactly what kitchen design I want and we can make it our own.'

Based on the show's premise, the couple were given £15,000 towards their deposit if they went through with the purchase Paul made before Sophie had even viewed the house.

Paul said this money has made a huge difference to them, as they would never have been able to afford such a property without it as they also had their wedding to pay for this year.

Aside from the financial boost, he said the show also forced them into making a decision after spending months arguing over where they should live.

How the main bedroom, complete with fitted wardrobes, looked when Paul bought it

The couple have since redecorated, pictured, and Sophie said she is happier now they have made it their own

The main bedroom has been repainted and has new curtains while the fitted wardrobe remains

The couple, who have been together for five years, had spent the last two living in a flat with a friend of Paul's.

They were desperate for a place of their own where they could start a family, but Paul said their previous discussions about house hunting had always ended up in blazing rows thanks to their differing views.

He explained: 'We would sit down to talk about it and end up getting into a big argument and then one of us would storm off so then we wouldn't talk about it again for a while.

'The problem was Sophie wanted a mansion and something that we just couldn't afford. She had about 15 things she wanted and I had one - the location was all that mattered to me.'

Sophie had revealed on their show that her dream home would be a detached house, not on a main road, near to where her grandmother lives. Also on her wish list was a garden, a large open plan kitchen-diner, good-sized bedrooms and a property that didn't need much work.

As the couple are keen to start a family, she wanted them to have enough space to grow into it so they wouldn't have to move again if they had a baby.

The second double bedroom in the property - Sophie hated the decor

How the second bedroom looks now the couple have redecorated

Sophie in the single third bedroom when she first viewed the house and hated it

Now she admits Paul got this spot on with the three bedroom home he chose, as there is plenty of room to grow, with the option to extend in the future.

'This can definitely be our forever home,' Sophie said. 'I don't want to move again! I hate moving!'

Paul agreed saying: 'There is room to extend if we ever need to. I can see us living here for years to come.'

He admitted that had Sophie been asked to carry out the house hunt instead of him on the show, they probably wouldn't have found a home as she would 'have been looking at house we couldn't afford.'

She joked, 'it certainly would also have been less entertaining!'

Following the ups and downs of their house search, the couple said they have learnt a lot and have the following advice for any couple's embarking on a property search.

The couple pictured when Sophie found out which house Paul had brought without her knowledge

Sophie was initially gutted with Paul's decision but now admits he made the right choice

'You have to compromise, you are not likely to get everything you both want so come to an agreement on what you will both be happy with,' Paul said.

Sophie added: 'Make sure you view lots of properties too and don't make your mind up based on the pictures you see online as they can look different in person.'

During Paul's three-week house hunt in Preston, he viewed eight properties and narrowed down the decision to three.

He had viewed a detached three-bed for £179,950 that he suspected Sophie would love but ruled it out as he felt the bedroom sizes were too small. As it was at the top of their budget, he also felt they could get more for their money elsewhere.

As Paul's search continued, estate agents confirmed that he was unlikely to find a detached home with all of Sophie's requirements on their budget.

Sophie and Paul appeared on the first episode of Watch show 'Honey, I Bought The House'. He had to buy their dream home without any debate with his fiancee

This led him to view two semi-detached homes that had much larger room sizes, prompting him to overrule Sophie's preference for detached homes and focus his search on semis instead.

'They are mansions compared to the detached houses I have seen for a similar price,' he observed.

He loved the house he ended up purchasing as downstairs it had a spacious hallway, a characterful front room with a traditional fireplace and a separate dining room with double doors on to a good-sized garden. He admitted the kitchen size was small but was confident it could be renovated after they had saved up.

Upstairs, there was a light landing thanks to a large stain glass window at the top of the stairs. Off the landing was a family bathroom, two double sized bedrooms and one single bedroom.

Outside there was a driveway and a garage and a small front garden.

Paul felt it had everything they needed to start a happy life together as newly weds, but when Sophie first viewed the house - after Paul had his offer of £170,000 accepted - she had few positive comments to make.

Sophie has to trust Paul to buy a home she would be happy to live in even though they have struggled when house-hunting in the past due to their differing opinions

This detached property in Preston was Sophie's ideal home but at £179,950, it's near the top of their budget

As soon as she walked through the front door, she said: 'I'm not impressed, I am just not feeling it.'

She added as the tour continued: 'I hate the kitchen, it's not anything I wanted... The upstairs is better than the downstairs, the downstairs makes me feel sick.

'It's not what I like at all. It makes me feel angry because if he gets this he doesn't know me at all. The property is a lost cause, I hate it.'

Meanwhile, when she saw the detached new build, she said: 'I love it, it's perfect.'

She added: 'If he hasn't got it, I am going to kill him.'

The tears flowed when she was told they would not be buying that house and Paul had instead gone for the three-bed semi she detested.

Sophie cried when she first viewed the house Paul bought as it didn't meet any of her requirements

Sophie gets upset as she views a house she hates - and then finds out Paul purchased it for them

'Anyone would think I have taken you to a tin shack!' Paul said of her emotional reaction as she sobbed when they viewed the property together.

But now Sophie has changed her tune and while she was upset at the time, she said she couldn't be happier with their new home.

They have been able to have friends and family over for parties and she loves the location which is close to the homes of her sister and grandmother.

She added that as well as gaining a forever home, being on the show has also made her feel closer to her fiancé.

'I learnt he does know me better than I thought and I can trust him to make big decisions. It was a big challenge to find a home in three weeks and he did a brilliant job.'

She joked: 'I have also learnt he isn't as lazy as he makes out on a daily basis!'