Background
San Diego residents Billie-Jean, a freelance abstract painter, and her husband, Jackson, a circus clown, have decided to pack things up and move to Barcelona. They have also decided to ignore the fact that they have two school-aged children who will have to leave all their friends, sports teams, and quality school system to follow their parents, who are pursuing their dream of opening a quaint restaurant that only sells artisanal vegan food.
Given their slightly unstable income, the couple's budget is $150,000, which is a shame because many 3- or 4-bedroom apartments in Barcelona can cost upwards of $500,000. That won't stop the duo from abandoning their lives in California, though. They're looking for a place that's close to the beach, has a pool, is furnished, has granite countertops, a wood fireplace, and plenty of room for entertaining (a little presumptuous—there's no guarantee that the two will make friends once they make the move). They know very little Spanish, but they're eager to learn after they've already found their home. They can't wait to fly out there and see what their real estate agent, Andrea, has in store for them.
House #1
This luxurious condo has tons of amenities: a community pool, gym, parking ($100/month), and a Starbucks located in the lobby. It costs $300,000, which is over budget, but it's move-in ready. It has a gas fireplace and is a 10-minute drive to the beach, so Billie-Jean and Jackson are a little skeptical about whether or not this is the place for them. The kids aren't happy with the place, but the couple pays no attention to what they think.
The kitchen is furnished with stainless steel appliances and marble countertops. The ugliest backsplash anyone has ever seen complements the tacky wallpaper in the master bedroom. Billie-Jean isn't worried, though, because she knows she can paint the walls; all six of her customers said they believe in her skills. The future restaurateurs make note of all the pros and cons of this place, and Andrea takes them to the next venue.
House #2
The second place is an actual house. It's only $200,000—still over budget, but much closer to the target price than the first condo. There's no pool, but there's a big backyard that could fit a pool if they decide to put one in. The basement is unfinished, and the kitchen hasn't been renovated since the house was built in 1987.
There is a wood fireplace, which thrills Jackson. There are no trees nearby, but he can always buy wood from the store that's only a 20-minute drive from the house. The spacious master bedroom and bathroom are everything the couple has ever wanted. There's almost no room for entertaining inside the house, but they're confident that they can host parties out back once they build a patio or deck to house people. This house would be a project, and it's already $50,000 over budget, but these two are ready to get to work!
House #3
The third place that Andrea shows them is a beautiful penthouse apartment right on the beach. It checks off every item on their list. It costs $500,000, but they wouldn't have to make any changes upon moving in. The kitchen is perfect for experimenting with different vegetables and crackers to satisfy the hunger of the local Spaniards who will frequent their new restaurant. Jackson is glad he won't have to do any construction, but Billie-Jean is a little worried about the price. Not that they seem to care, but they do have a couple kids to raise, after all. Jackson tries to convince her that they can cut costs elsewhere, and she seems to come around a little bit. A little bit of penny-pinching never killed anybody, she assures herself.
Decision Time
We now see the couple at a local bar. We catch them in the middle of what is clearly a scripted conversation. Giving us a recap of all the houses, they go over the upsides and downsides of each. Without actually revealing it, they claim they've reached their decision. Upon returning to meet with Andrea, they excitedly tell her that they've chosen House #2 (they try to tell her in unison, but Billie-Jean talks way ahead of her husband). Although they will be paying thousands of dollars in projects and renovations, all they see is the initial price tag, and it's an offer they can't refuse. They put in an offer for $190,000, and the seller accepts. What a steal!
Update
We see a shot of Jackson cooking in their newly renovated house six months after they moved in. He cooks cheap pasta and microwaves a bag of frozen vegetables, as they spent all their leftover money building a deck and renovating the kitchen. As soon as they make friends, however, the time and money they poured into their backyard and cooking space will surely be worth it. The kids are nowhere to be found, but the parents assure the camera crew that they're loving their new life. Russ plays video games all day, and Riley has already left the house twice this month, they say. The two are so glad they found the house of their dreams, and they couldn't be happier with their decision to relocate.
Once people catch wind of the new restaurant, they'll have the lifestyle they always dreamed of. Until then, they'll keep living frugally and work to master the native language. Billie-Jean already knows over 50 Spanish words! Thanks for watching HGTV, we'll see you next time when a pair of self-taught florists look to buy their first house together (spoiler alert: they're not going to buy the one everyone thinks they should).
