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WINDSOR, ENGLAND – JUNE 8: Alan Titchmarsh attends the Royal Windsor Flower Show at Windsor Great Park on June 8, 2024 in Windsor, England. (Photo by Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images) (Image: UK Press via Getty Images)
Alan Titchmarsh and his wife Alison have been forced to slash the asking price of their Hampshire farmhouse by £450,000 after failing to find a buyer, according to reports. The 17th-century, five-bedroom Georgian property in Holybourne was initially put on the market last September for just under £4 million.
Alan Titchmarsh and his wife, Alison, have significantly reduced the asking price of their charming Hampshire farmhouse by £450,000 after struggling to secure a buyer, according to recent reports. This 17th-century, five-bedroom Georgian home, situated in Holybourne, was initially listed last September with an asking price just shy of £4 million.
The couple, who have cherished their Grade II-listed residence since 2002, decided to sell to be nearer to Titchmarsh’s daughters and grandchildren in Surrey. Despite the property’s high-profile listing, as highlighted by Richard Eden of the Daily Mail, it has yet to attract a buyer at its initial price point, leading to the substantial reduction.
The 76-year-old television host and gardening guru has candidly expressed the emotional difficulties of parting with the farmhouse that he and Alison have lovingly restored over the past two decades. Titchmarsh has referred to leaving the home and its expansive four-acre grounds as “a wrench” but maintains a positive perspective on the change.
In an article for BBC Gardeners’ World, he explained the decision by saying, “So why go? Well… it’s time. Time for a new challenge. Time to downsize – a little – as those of us of relatively senior years are regularly told would be wise to do.”
Over the decades, the farmhouse became the backdrop for family gatherings, gardening projects, and countless moments watching their grandchildren run across the meadows. For someone whose professional life has revolved around gardens and domestic spaces, leaving was never going to be straightforward.
The couple has invested considerable effort into transforming the property into a quintessential English retreat.
He explained that practical considerations — including the challenges of maintaining a period property and its extensive grounds — eventually influenced their decision. “When you are knocking on a bit (which I refuse to believe, despite what the numbers tell me) age puts one’s muse on the future – a future which I hope will be long and fulfilling,” he said.
Alan Titchmarsh with his wife Alison (Image: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)
“Looking after four acres and a Grade II-listed house has been — and still is — a treat beyond measure, but the day will come when it starts to be overwhelming and I’d rather move on to fresh pastures before that becomes the case.”
Their daughters played a key role in helping the couple find a new home, which Titchmarsh described as “long, low, modern – a complete contrast to a Georgian farmhouse.”
Despite anticipating a fresh chapter, the move carried emotional weight. “After making the decision, I hummed and haa-ed about the wisdom of it all. But once sound reasoning convinced me this was not giving in and winding down, but simply taking on a new challenge — a challenge that was do-able in the long term — the apprehension was replaced by excitement,” he revealed.
Reflecting on his time in Holybourne, Titchmarsh spoke warmly of the memories the property has provided. “I will look back on the years spent here as some of the best of my life; seeing grandchildren come into the world and grow up running through our meadow. It has enriched our lives beyond measure and I will never forget it.”
Reach PLC has reached out to Alan Titchmarsh’s representatives for further comment.