TPR bought us a second home in Lanarkshire – without making a single viewing. The details in the printed sales brochure was enough to convince him that this was an excellent investment.

On arrival at the cottage for the first time, we discovered the reason that it had been on the market for so long: traffic thundering along the M74 just a couple of hundred yards from the overgrown garden.

Hiding my anger at my husband’s foolish purchase, I started to investigate the building itself. Behind the first door, I found a small room filled with colourful fairground equipment, including gleaming carousel horses. Beyond this was a huge well-equipped workshop with every tool you’d ever need for household DIY. This pleased me, but not enough to forgive my idiot spendthrift husband.

I left TPR in the garden while I took a wander round the village. It took ages for me to find my way back again because I got lost on the golf course.