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'Making the move from city to countryside | 0:00:02 | 0:00:04 | |
'is often a momentous step.' | 0:00:04 | 0:00:06 | |
Never in a million years I would imagine I would be seeing a house | 0:00:06 | 0:00:09 | |
like this. Never, ever. | 0:00:09 | 0:00:11 | |
'But for many years, Escape to the Country has been supporting | 0:00:11 | 0:00:14 | |
'countless people on the hunt for their new rural home.' | 0:00:14 | 0:00:18 | |
-What do we think of this? -Oh, my! | 0:00:18 | 0:00:20 | |
Chocolate box. | 0:00:20 | 0:00:22 | |
'We've travelled to the most picturesque pockets of Britain...' | 0:00:22 | 0:00:25 | |
-Take a look at that killer view. -That's amazing. | 0:00:25 | 0:00:28 | |
'..and showcased thousands of exquisite country properties...' | 0:00:28 | 0:00:33 | |
Oh! How pretty is that? | 0:00:33 | 0:00:35 | |
'..our buyers just couldn't resist.' | 0:00:35 | 0:00:38 | |
Joe! | 0:00:38 | 0:00:39 | |
-Seriously, get your chequebook out now. -Really? | 0:00:39 | 0:00:42 | |
'Join us as we catch up with those who bought their dream home...' | 0:00:42 | 0:00:46 | |
Such a huge living space. | 0:00:46 | 0:00:49 | |
'..to find out how the move changed their lives | 0:00:49 | 0:00:52 | |
'when they... escaped to the country.' | 0:00:52 | 0:00:54 | |
Today, I'm in the east of England, and these are Grantchester Meadows, | 0:01:12 | 0:01:16 | |
which is just a short punt away from the university city | 0:01:16 | 0:01:19 | |
of Cambridge, and it was here in the early 20th century that | 0:01:19 | 0:01:23 | |
the poet Rupert Brooke lived, and he invited his friends Virginia Woolf, | 0:01:23 | 0:01:27 | |
EM Forster, Bertrand Russell and the like to come picnic | 0:01:27 | 0:01:31 | |
and talk about all things literary. | 0:01:31 | 0:01:33 | |
Now, I love a good story, | 0:01:33 | 0:01:35 | |
particularly one with a happy ending, | 0:01:35 | 0:01:37 | |
and that is why I'm here today - to catch up with house buyers | 0:01:37 | 0:01:41 | |
who escaped to the country and find out what happened next. | 0:01:41 | 0:01:44 | |
So, are you sitting comfortably? | 0:01:44 | 0:01:46 | |
Then I shall begin. | 0:01:46 | 0:01:48 | |
I'll be covering the counties of Cambridgeshire | 0:01:50 | 0:01:52 | |
and later, its northern neighbour Lincolnshire. | 0:01:52 | 0:01:54 | |
I'll be checking in on Rebecca, Will and their daughter Esme, | 0:01:54 | 0:01:58 | |
who we helped find a family home back on Will's home turf | 0:01:58 | 0:02:00 | |
in Lincolnshire, close to the family farm. | 0:02:00 | 0:02:04 | |
First though, I'll be catching up with former globetrotters | 0:02:04 | 0:02:07 | |
Jacqueline and Alistair, | 0:02:07 | 0:02:09 | |
who I helped make the leap from city life to a Cambridgeshire village. | 0:02:09 | 0:02:14 | |
Let's turn our attention to the matter at hand. | 0:02:16 | 0:02:18 | |
Let's reacquaint ourselves with Jacqueline and Alistair - | 0:02:18 | 0:02:21 | |
good name - | 0:02:21 | 0:02:23 | |
who I met here in Cambridgeshire back in 2014. | 0:02:23 | 0:02:27 | |
The London-based teachers had recently returned from the trip | 0:02:27 | 0:02:30 | |
of a lifetime - | 0:02:30 | 0:02:32 | |
a year navigating the world without using a single flight. | 0:02:32 | 0:02:35 | |
But with their sabbatical over, | 0:02:35 | 0:02:37 | |
this adventurous duo were keen to put down routes, close to Cambridge. | 0:02:37 | 0:02:41 | |
We were really looking for a county that would allow us to still work, | 0:02:41 | 0:02:45 | |
and Cambridgeshire is perfect because of is Cambridge, | 0:02:45 | 0:02:48 | |
the university, as well as all of the schools, | 0:02:48 | 0:02:50 | |
will give us the same sort of variety, | 0:02:50 | 0:02:53 | |
we hope, as we have at the moment in London. | 0:02:53 | 0:02:56 | |
I think the move will be a dramatic change for our lives. | 0:02:56 | 0:02:58 | |
It will change where we work, | 0:02:58 | 0:03:00 | |
where we live and very much the sorts of things we do | 0:03:00 | 0:03:02 | |
on a daily basis will change as well. | 0:03:02 | 0:03:06 | |
Their property search was focused on villages within | 0:03:06 | 0:03:08 | |
half an hour's drive of Cambridge. | 0:03:08 | 0:03:10 | |
They were after a period home with a fireplace, | 0:03:10 | 0:03:13 | |
two to three bedrooms and a manageable garden. | 0:03:13 | 0:03:16 | |
To find all this close to a sought-after city, | 0:03:16 | 0:03:19 | |
they had a maximum budget of £325,000. | 0:03:19 | 0:03:23 | |
We started our house-hunting journey in the small village | 0:03:27 | 0:03:30 | |
of Weston Colville, where I showed them a classic Victorian cottage. | 0:03:30 | 0:03:36 | |
Come in, through your own white picket fence. | 0:03:36 | 0:03:38 | |
-Thank you! -Wonderful, lovely. | 0:03:38 | 0:03:40 | |
I love it. It's double-fronted, a lovely little garden at the front. | 0:03:40 | 0:03:43 | |
-The door with the knocker. -Yeah, that's fantastic. | 0:03:43 | 0:03:46 | |
-It looks absolutely lovely, doesn't it? -It's a terraced building. | 0:03:46 | 0:03:49 | |
-These were farmers' cottages back in the 1860s. -Yes. | 0:03:49 | 0:03:51 | |
-A lovely period property. -Yes. I love the detail above the windows | 0:03:51 | 0:03:55 | |
-on the ground floor. -Let's look inside. | 0:03:55 | 0:03:57 | |
Come on into the warm. | 0:04:00 | 0:04:02 | |
-Wow. Gosh! -See if you can take it all in. | 0:04:02 | 0:04:04 | |
It's a lot to take in straight off the road. | 0:04:04 | 0:04:06 | |
It's wonderfully cottage-y. | 0:04:06 | 0:04:07 | |
-It's lovely, isn't it? -Yeah. -I love the beams. | 0:04:07 | 0:04:09 | |
-Yeah. -And the fireplace. -Mm. | 0:04:09 | 0:04:12 | |
-Is that open? -Yes, it works. | 0:04:12 | 0:04:13 | |
-OK. -It's an open, working fireplace. | 0:04:13 | 0:04:15 | |
This would be a lovely living space, I think. | 0:04:15 | 0:04:17 | |
-Yes, it certainly would. -Yeah. -Mm. | 0:04:17 | 0:04:19 | |
-Definitely. -If this is indeed the only living space. | 0:04:19 | 0:04:22 | |
-Oh! -Ooh! -Come on then! | 0:04:22 | 0:04:25 | |
You can't just say that and do nothing! | 0:04:25 | 0:04:28 | |
Well, it is the only living space. | 0:04:28 | 0:04:30 | |
-Shall we explore a bit further? -Yes, please. -Absolutely. | 0:04:30 | 0:04:34 | |
-Ta-da! -Oh, my goodness. -Oh, my word. | 0:04:38 | 0:04:40 | |
That's a huge living space! | 0:04:40 | 0:04:44 | |
-That's absolutely incredible. -This is extraordinary! | 0:04:44 | 0:04:46 | |
-Wow. And there's a range. -Oh, yeah. -And another living room. | 0:04:46 | 0:04:49 | |
-A second living room. -Isn't it great? | 0:04:49 | 0:04:51 | |
Is this somebody else's place? | 0:04:51 | 0:04:53 | |
This is way bigger than I expected. | 0:04:53 | 0:04:55 | |
Extraordinary. It's got a lovely feel to it, hasn't it? | 0:04:55 | 0:04:58 | |
Yeah. | 0:04:58 | 0:05:00 | |
'This was a deceptively spacious ground floor, and although upstairs | 0:05:00 | 0:05:03 | |
'was smaller, it still gave them three bedrooms.' | 0:05:03 | 0:05:06 | |
There were two to the front of the property and a cosy master | 0:05:06 | 0:05:09 | |
with en suite bathroom. | 0:05:09 | 0:05:11 | |
I'm really thinking about this place and would I live here. | 0:05:11 | 0:05:14 | |
-It's really making an impression. Yeah. -That's what we like. | 0:05:14 | 0:05:16 | |
Well, there's one more thing to see and that's the garden. | 0:05:16 | 0:05:20 | |
-Right. -OK. -Let's go and see that. | 0:05:20 | 0:05:22 | |
The layout and space outdoors didn't disappoint either. | 0:05:25 | 0:05:30 | |
-Oh, it's gorgeous! -It's quite a long garden. | 0:05:30 | 0:05:32 | |
-It is. -Wow! -Great, vegetable patch. | 0:05:32 | 0:05:34 | |
-Yes, I can see it all. -Yes. | 0:05:34 | 0:05:38 | |
But let's turn back to the house and talk about the price, | 0:05:38 | 0:05:40 | |
-the all-important price! -Oh, yes. | 0:05:40 | 0:05:43 | |
-Crunch time. -Crunch time. | 0:05:43 | 0:05:45 | |
So, how much do you think this is on for? | 0:05:45 | 0:05:48 | |
-OK. So... -You go first. | 0:05:48 | 0:05:50 | |
I'm going to be an optimist and say £310,000. | 0:05:50 | 0:05:56 | |
I actually think it might be slightly more than that, | 0:05:56 | 0:05:58 | |
-so I'm going to go for £315,000. -Right. | 0:05:58 | 0:06:00 | |
-315? -Mm. -Oh, fingers crossed. -Fingers crossed. | 0:06:00 | 0:06:02 | |
This is good news for you, | 0:06:02 | 0:06:04 | |
cos this is on the market for...£300,000. | 0:06:04 | 0:06:07 | |
-Excellent. Great. -Oh, fantastic. -OK. -That's really good to know. | 0:06:07 | 0:06:12 | |
Coming in £25,000 under budget and catering for all their needs, | 0:06:12 | 0:06:16 | |
it was clear this first property was the one to beat. | 0:06:16 | 0:06:20 | |
I think the highlight is just the amount of living space. | 0:06:20 | 0:06:23 | |
There's an embarrassment of living space in this cottage. | 0:06:23 | 0:06:26 | |
We couldn't believe it when we came through from the living room | 0:06:26 | 0:06:29 | |
at the room to the living space behind at how much there is. | 0:06:29 | 0:06:34 | |
-OK, guys. You all done? -OK, yeah. Absolutely. -Yeah. -Wunderbar! | 0:06:34 | 0:06:38 | |
So, pull the door behind. | 0:06:38 | 0:06:39 | |
-OK. -Because we have got another house to visit. | 0:06:39 | 0:06:42 | |
-Great! -Wonderful. | 0:06:42 | 0:06:44 | |
Next, our property search took us westwards, | 0:06:48 | 0:06:50 | |
to the small village of Waresley. A half-hour commute from Cambridge, | 0:06:50 | 0:06:53 | |
where we found a house right next door to the local watering hole. | 0:06:53 | 0:06:58 | |
-Look at that. -So, what do you think about the location next to the pub? | 0:06:58 | 0:07:01 | |
-That really is a stagger away. -Five-star. -It's fantastic, isn't it? | 0:07:01 | 0:07:05 | |
-It's better than we could have hoped for, I think. -Yeah. | 0:07:05 | 0:07:08 | |
Well, this is a thatched property. | 0:07:08 | 0:07:10 | |
It's a big thatched property | 0:07:10 | 0:07:13 | |
and it is actually a semidetached property. | 0:07:13 | 0:07:15 | |
-Right. -OK. Right. | 0:07:15 | 0:07:18 | |
The 200-year-old farm worker's cottage had a modern L-shaped | 0:07:18 | 0:07:21 | |
kitchen-dining room, but the rest of it was packed with period features. | 0:07:21 | 0:07:26 | |
So, step back 200 years. | 0:07:26 | 0:07:28 | |
-Wow. -Gosh. This is very different from the kitchen, isn't it? | 0:07:28 | 0:07:31 | |
-Isn't it! Yeah. -Lovely proportions in this room, aren't there? | 0:07:31 | 0:07:34 | |
-Yes. -So, is this a bit more in terms of the scale | 0:07:34 | 0:07:37 | |
-that you're looking for? -Yeah. -What I felt about the other place was | 0:07:37 | 0:07:40 | |
that the space downstairs was overwhelming, in a way. | 0:07:40 | 0:07:44 | |
It was more than we could possibly have hoped for, which was great, | 0:07:44 | 0:07:47 | |
but we would also be happy with less, I think. | 0:07:47 | 0:07:50 | |
Is that fair to say? | 0:07:50 | 0:07:51 | |
-I think so, yeah. -It is cottage-y, it ticks that box, definitely. -Yeah. | 0:07:51 | 0:07:55 | |
And then, round the corner you've got, sort of, | 0:07:55 | 0:07:57 | |
a big study area and the staircase. | 0:07:57 | 0:07:59 | |
-Fantastic study area, isn't it? -It is! | 0:07:59 | 0:08:01 | |
Even though it's a much smaller property, you seem to be more sort | 0:08:01 | 0:08:04 | |
-of taken by the periodness of it. -Yeah. | 0:08:04 | 0:08:06 | |
A friend of mine commented the other day, | 0:08:06 | 0:08:09 | |
said Jacqueline, "What you're basically looking | 0:08:09 | 0:08:11 | |
"for is your nan's house." And although it's a different age, | 0:08:11 | 0:08:13 | |
there are lots of things like curved wood and not rendered walls | 0:08:13 | 0:08:18 | |
and things that remind me of my nan's house in here. | 0:08:18 | 0:08:22 | |
When it came to bedrooms, there were two upstairs to choose from. | 0:08:22 | 0:08:25 | |
One presented as a twin... and a cosy double. | 0:08:25 | 0:08:29 | |
But with Jacqueline's nostalgia making her fall in love with | 0:08:29 | 0:08:32 | |
the property more than Alistair, | 0:08:32 | 0:08:33 | |
I was hoping the garden might swing it for him. | 0:08:33 | 0:08:37 | |
-So, the outside layout is quite unusual in this property. -Yeah. | 0:08:37 | 0:08:40 | |
You've got the tail end of this outside building | 0:08:40 | 0:08:42 | |
and then you have this, which is one of your gardens. | 0:08:42 | 0:08:45 | |
-One. -Gardens. | 0:08:45 | 0:08:47 | |
-OK. -Gardens! -We like a house with gardens. | 0:08:47 | 0:08:49 | |
-We do. -So, if you take a long walk through these woodlands, | 0:08:49 | 0:08:52 | |
you get to your own quarter acre. It's actually an allotment space. | 0:08:52 | 0:08:57 | |
-Yeah, a veggie plot. -Fantastic! Yes. | 0:08:57 | 0:09:00 | |
What do you think the price of this puzzling property is? | 0:09:00 | 0:09:04 | |
I reckon this is probably on the market for 285,000. | 0:09:04 | 0:09:09 | |
I hope it's under budget as well. | 0:09:09 | 0:09:12 | |
£280,000. | 0:09:12 | 0:09:14 | |
Well, you're in the right ball park, but perhaps a little optimistic. | 0:09:14 | 0:09:17 | |
It's actually on the market for five English pounds short of £290,000. | 0:09:17 | 0:09:23 | |
-OK. -Oh, OK. -Interesting. | 0:09:23 | 0:09:25 | |
-Interesting. -Lots of food for thought. -Yeah, absolutely! Yes. -Mm. | 0:09:25 | 0:09:30 | |
So, the second option was another lovely period cottage. | 0:09:30 | 0:09:33 | |
Again, under budget, with more land than our first. | 0:09:33 | 0:09:36 | |
It conjured up powerful family memories for Jacqueline. | 0:09:36 | 0:09:40 | |
It's a warm, quirky old house, | 0:09:40 | 0:09:42 | |
that somehow reminds me of my nan's house and that is a big plus for me. | 0:09:42 | 0:09:49 | |
See, this house all done. | 0:09:49 | 0:09:51 | |
-In fact, all our house tours for the day done. -Right. | 0:09:51 | 0:09:53 | |
-Now it's time to mull it all over. -Yes, | 0:09:53 | 0:09:55 | |
-I think we need lots of time for that. -Yeah, absolutely. | 0:09:55 | 0:09:57 | |
Come with me. | 0:09:57 | 0:09:58 | |
You know, I do appreciate that I have a great job strolling | 0:10:04 | 0:10:07 | |
along riversides, introducing lovely people to beautiful properties, | 0:10:07 | 0:10:10 | |
but I think the high point of it all is when I witness someone | 0:10:10 | 0:10:13 | |
walk into a house and have that light bulb moment, | 0:10:13 | 0:10:16 | |
where they think, "Yes, this could be the one." | 0:10:16 | 0:10:19 | |
And I think that happened with Jacqueline and Alistair | 0:10:19 | 0:10:21 | |
when they saw house number one, but the show wasn't over. | 0:10:21 | 0:10:25 | |
We still had one property up our sleeve, so cue the mystery house. | 0:10:25 | 0:10:29 | |
That mystery offering was 25 miles north of Cambridge | 0:10:32 | 0:10:35 | |
in the Hamlet of Alconbury Weston. | 0:10:35 | 0:10:37 | |
By taking them further away from the city, | 0:10:37 | 0:10:39 | |
the plan was to offer them more house for their money, | 0:10:39 | 0:10:43 | |
but character can come with challenges. | 0:10:43 | 0:10:47 | |
Coming into the mystery house. | 0:10:47 | 0:10:50 | |
It's about a 36-minute drive into Cambridge city centre. | 0:10:50 | 0:10:55 | |
-Right, OK. -But, look what you get! | 0:10:55 | 0:10:58 | |
-This is a detached property. -Looks extensive. | 0:10:58 | 0:11:01 | |
-It's big, it's old, it's quirky. -How old is it in fact? | 0:11:01 | 0:11:04 | |
-Goes back to the 1600s. -OK. -Although this extension is only 15-years-old. | 0:11:04 | 0:11:07 | |
I like all the other cottages around and about. | 0:11:07 | 0:11:09 | |
-And the ford's quite charming, isn't it? -It is. | 0:11:09 | 0:11:11 | |
It was interesting yesterday that it became apparent that actually | 0:11:11 | 0:11:14 | |
space, usually everyone wants space, space, space. | 0:11:14 | 0:11:17 | |
Actually you're not interested in space, more cosy. | 0:11:17 | 0:11:19 | |
For me, cosy rooms are lovely, | 0:11:19 | 0:11:21 | |
but there needs to be just enough space, because I'm quite tall. | 0:11:21 | 0:11:24 | |
So, having to stoop for low ceilings and that sort of thing | 0:11:24 | 0:11:27 | |
is an issue for me. I don't want to do too much of that. | 0:11:27 | 0:11:31 | |
-Right. -It will be interesting to see what this property offers. | 0:11:31 | 0:11:34 | |
It will. | 0:11:34 | 0:11:35 | |
THEY LAUGH | 0:11:35 | 0:11:37 | |
Inside, the house was unfurnished. | 0:11:37 | 0:11:39 | |
I'm having to say mind your head. | 0:11:39 | 0:11:41 | |
I really don't want to say that, but... | 0:11:41 | 0:11:43 | |
-Right. -It is quite low beamed downstairs. | 0:11:43 | 0:11:46 | |
-Wow. -Gosh, it is. -Look at that! | 0:11:46 | 0:11:47 | |
They are lovely beams, but on the low side, definitely. | 0:11:47 | 0:11:51 | |
-It's incredible. -It's a fantastic fireplace, though, isn't it? | 0:11:51 | 0:11:54 | |
One of the best I've ever seen. It's gorgeous. | 0:11:54 | 0:11:57 | |
-Well, it is very period. -Indeed. -Yes, thank you. | 0:11:57 | 0:11:59 | |
-It's not period everywhere. So, let's continue. -OK. | 0:11:59 | 0:12:03 | |
-Finally, you can stand up straight. -Yay! | 0:12:03 | 0:12:06 | |
-This is a good size, isn't it? -It's a lovely size kitchen. -Great. | 0:12:06 | 0:12:10 | |
We could quite easily put a table in here or an island or something, | 0:12:10 | 0:12:12 | |
-like this. -Without feeling you're inching around. | 0:12:12 | 0:12:15 | |
You'd have loads of space. Yes, I'd love a kitchen like this. | 0:12:15 | 0:12:17 | |
As you came in through that hall way, it would be an awesome, | 0:12:17 | 0:12:20 | |
-ideal dining space. -Yes. -Yeah. | 0:12:20 | 0:12:22 | |
There were three further areas on the ground floor, | 0:12:22 | 0:12:25 | |
including a lovely garden room in the modern extension - | 0:12:25 | 0:12:28 | |
leaving Alistair and Jacqueline spoilt for choice | 0:12:28 | 0:12:30 | |
when it came to space. | 0:12:30 | 0:12:33 | |
Upstairs, the footprint was smaller, with just two bedrooms, | 0:12:33 | 0:12:36 | |
including the obvious choose for their master. | 0:12:36 | 0:12:40 | |
-Wow. -The little window! -What a room. Yeah. | 0:12:40 | 0:12:42 | |
-It's adorable, isn't it? -It is. -Charming. | 0:12:42 | 0:12:45 | |
-And what does it overlook? -It overlooks the river. | 0:12:45 | 0:12:48 | |
-Fantastic. -The ford as well. | 0:12:48 | 0:12:50 | |
I'd be tempted to put the bed this side, so you could just lie in bed | 0:12:50 | 0:12:53 | |
-and watch the ford. -I love the brick work of the fireplace, | 0:12:53 | 0:12:56 | |
-the chimney breast. -What's great, of course, is the chimney breast would | 0:12:56 | 0:12:59 | |
-heat up. -Yes. -So, this would then act as a giant radiator. | 0:12:59 | 0:13:02 | |
-Keep us warm. -Yeah. -Absolutely. -It's really good. | 0:13:02 | 0:13:05 | |
The period charm and practical features here were starting to | 0:13:05 | 0:13:08 | |
generate some warm reactions. | 0:13:08 | 0:13:11 | |
The outside space was smaller than our second house, | 0:13:11 | 0:13:14 | |
with garden areas to the front and side, complete with a hot tub. | 0:13:14 | 0:13:19 | |
I wouldn't say no to a hot tub. | 0:13:19 | 0:13:22 | |
You could have a lot of fun in there, couldn't you! | 0:13:22 | 0:13:24 | |
What is it on the market for, do you think? | 0:13:24 | 0:13:26 | |
I'm going to go quite low. | 0:13:26 | 0:13:28 | |
I'm going to say £275,000. | 0:13:28 | 0:13:31 | |
I think probably a bit more than that, maybe, because it's quite big, | 0:13:31 | 0:13:33 | |
-so maybe £285,000. -Yeah. | 0:13:33 | 0:13:35 | |
This is actually on the market for £325,000. | 0:13:35 | 0:13:38 | |
-Oh, really? -We were way off! | 0:13:38 | 0:13:41 | |
Despite being off the mark on price, | 0:13:41 | 0:13:43 | |
there were elements of the mystery house they loved. | 0:13:43 | 0:13:47 | |
No question, this inglenook fireplace is absolutely stunning. | 0:13:47 | 0:13:51 | |
So, which one did they choose? | 0:13:51 | 0:13:53 | |
Was it the first character cottage? | 0:13:53 | 0:13:55 | |
Or did the warm nostalgia of the second win through? | 0:13:55 | 0:13:59 | |
And let's remember, it's not uncommon for the mystery house | 0:13:59 | 0:14:02 | |
to prompt a complete U-turn. | 0:14:02 | 0:14:05 | |
So, in the end, | 0:14:07 | 0:14:09 | |
house number one knocked the other two properties out of the water, | 0:14:09 | 0:14:12 | |
because it was this white cottage that stole | 0:14:12 | 0:14:14 | |
Alistair and Jacqueline's hearts. | 0:14:14 | 0:14:17 | |
You see, a story with a happy ending. | 0:14:17 | 0:14:20 | |
-Hey, Alistair! -Great to see you. -So nice to see you. -Come in. | 0:14:22 | 0:14:25 | |
Two-and-a-half years on, and our couple have taken to country life | 0:14:29 | 0:14:32 | |
in the pretty village of Weston Coleville, | 0:14:32 | 0:14:35 | |
commuting to their teaching jobs in Cambridge. | 0:14:35 | 0:14:38 | |
It's so nice seeing you here. | 0:14:38 | 0:14:40 | |
-Just walking through, it just brings back so many memories. -Mm. | 0:14:40 | 0:14:43 | |
-How's it been? -It's just been absolutely fantastic. | 0:14:43 | 0:14:45 | |
Haven't looked back, quite honestly. | 0:14:45 | 0:14:47 | |
Tell me about the house, because it doesn't feel like you've done a lot, | 0:14:47 | 0:14:50 | |
certainly not structurally. Have you changed much? | 0:14:50 | 0:14:52 | |
-No, not at all. -No. -What did we do? | 0:14:52 | 0:14:54 | |
-We decorated the bedroom that we're in. -Bits of decoration. | 0:14:54 | 0:14:57 | |
But in terms of the structure of the house, nothing at all. | 0:14:57 | 0:15:00 | |
-It didn't really need it. -No. | 0:15:00 | 0:15:02 | |
So, what's it like? What is the kind of difference | 0:15:02 | 0:15:05 | |
between the Isle of Dogs and this beautiful Cambridgeshire village? | 0:15:05 | 0:15:08 | |
I think the first thing that's so different is that | 0:15:08 | 0:15:10 | |
we know all our neighbours. Our neighbours are our friends now. | 0:15:10 | 0:15:14 | |
And we've made lots of friends in the village, | 0:15:14 | 0:15:17 | |
so we have a real local community of friends and neighbours | 0:15:17 | 0:15:20 | |
that we get on well with, that we spend time with and so on. | 0:15:20 | 0:15:23 | |
The afternoon we were moving the lady next door said, | 0:15:23 | 0:15:26 | |
"I'll just introduce myself, if there's anything you need at all." | 0:15:26 | 0:15:30 | |
And then two days later, the people from the other side came. | 0:15:30 | 0:15:33 | |
Invited us for drinks and that sort of set the tone, really. | 0:15:33 | 0:15:36 | |
Everyone's been wonderful. And it has a really warm feeling | 0:15:36 | 0:15:39 | |
living in Weston Coleville. | 0:15:39 | 0:15:42 | |
When Alistair and Jacqueline first saw the cottage, | 0:15:42 | 0:15:44 | |
they were surprised by the extensive living areas. | 0:15:44 | 0:15:47 | |
It's a far cry from their London flat. | 0:15:47 | 0:15:50 | |
The lovely thing about this cottage is it effectively has | 0:15:50 | 0:15:53 | |
two wonderful living rooms. The room | 0:15:53 | 0:15:55 | |
we're in now tends to be our day time room. | 0:15:55 | 0:15:57 | |
It's lovely and light and sunny. | 0:15:57 | 0:15:59 | |
So, we spend all our days here when we're here | 0:15:59 | 0:16:01 | |
and then in the evening, we decant to the front room, | 0:16:01 | 0:16:04 | |
which is much cosier and in the winter, we get the fire going. | 0:16:04 | 0:16:06 | |
So, we have this kind of sense of progression through to the evening. | 0:16:06 | 0:16:10 | |
I notice that you have replaced the faux books with some real books. | 0:16:10 | 0:16:15 | |
-Yes! -How long did that take? | 0:16:15 | 0:16:16 | |
Well, actually, building the bookcases took quite a while, | 0:16:16 | 0:16:19 | |
but actually filling the shelves, not very long at all. | 0:16:19 | 0:16:22 | |
No, it's lovely to have them and just pluck one off the shelf | 0:16:22 | 0:16:24 | |
-when you want to. -And this is a nice quote, | 0:16:24 | 0:16:27 | |
"This cottage, it wraps itself around you." | 0:16:27 | 0:16:29 | |
My dad sat where's Alistair's sitting one day, | 0:16:29 | 0:16:31 | |
with his cup of tea in front of him and said just that that. | 0:16:31 | 0:16:34 | |
I just thought it was so warm and lovely. | 0:16:34 | 0:16:36 | |
He's not given to these sort of poetic utterances. | 0:16:36 | 0:16:38 | |
But, I think this place, he just likes coming here | 0:16:38 | 0:16:40 | |
and that's how he feels, so that went up on the wall. | 0:16:40 | 0:16:45 | |
As well as adding some home comforts, | 0:16:45 | 0:16:47 | |
they've also been making progress in the garden | 0:16:47 | 0:16:50 | |
and it seems Alistair has a natural talent. | 0:16:50 | 0:16:53 | |
I've got the veg going quite well. | 0:16:53 | 0:16:56 | |
I've got some runner beans out, which need picking right now. | 0:16:56 | 0:16:58 | |
I've got some ripe tomatoes out there. | 0:16:58 | 0:17:00 | |
-We've had potatoes, curly kale. -You missed out a bit. -Cabbage. | 0:17:00 | 0:17:04 | |
That you won first prize for your runner beans this summer. | 0:17:04 | 0:17:06 | |
-I did. -Alistair! Modesty does not become you! | 0:17:06 | 0:17:09 | |
This is true. Yes. | 0:17:09 | 0:17:10 | |
He's also a dab hand at making his own beer, | 0:17:10 | 0:17:14 | |
whereas Jacqueline enjoys producing her own jam - | 0:17:14 | 0:17:16 | |
using locally grown fruit. | 0:17:16 | 0:17:19 | |
Her fruit picking location is a closely guarded secret, | 0:17:19 | 0:17:22 | |
but she's allowing me to tag along. | 0:17:22 | 0:17:25 | |
-This is a good patch. -It's brilliant. | 0:17:25 | 0:17:27 | |
Look at them all up here, like black gold! | 0:17:27 | 0:17:30 | |
For a couple who had circumnavigated the globe without using a plane, | 0:17:30 | 0:17:34 | |
their lifestyle now moves clearly at a slower pace. | 0:17:34 | 0:17:36 | |
Because you're very well travelled. | 0:17:36 | 0:17:38 | |
You've been around the world for a year. | 0:17:38 | 0:17:40 | |
You've been in the centre of London | 0:17:40 | 0:17:41 | |
and then you're coming to the sleepy... | 0:17:41 | 0:17:43 | |
You know what, now we're in our cottage, we don't want to go away. | 0:17:43 | 0:17:46 | |
We go and stay in a B&B and think, | 0:17:46 | 0:17:47 | |
"Oh, we're looking forward to going home already." | 0:17:47 | 0:17:50 | |
Oh! And do you find yourself becoming more, you know, | 0:17:50 | 0:17:53 | |
you're looking longingly at horses | 0:17:53 | 0:17:56 | |
and thinking about country pursuits? | 0:17:56 | 0:17:58 | |
Or are you still quite metropolitan in your outlook? | 0:17:58 | 0:18:02 | |
Not metropolitan. I mean, we love walking. | 0:18:02 | 0:18:03 | |
We love seeing the change of the seasons. | 0:18:03 | 0:18:06 | |
I don't think we're going to take up horse riding or anything. | 0:18:06 | 0:18:09 | |
We definitely like being out and about | 0:18:09 | 0:18:11 | |
and seeing the changes and this kind of thing. | 0:18:11 | 0:18:14 | |
We pick sloes and blackberries and apples. | 0:18:14 | 0:18:16 | |
We know where the apples are that we can pick. | 0:18:16 | 0:18:19 | |
So, it's much, much nicer than going to the supermarket now. | 0:18:19 | 0:18:24 | |
Jacqueline and Alistair have made a success of their move by | 0:18:24 | 0:18:28 | |
throwing themselves into village life. | 0:18:28 | 0:18:31 | |
In Weston Coleville's reading room, | 0:18:31 | 0:18:33 | |
they help organise an evening weekly pub quiz. | 0:18:33 | 0:18:35 | |
They are teachers after all. | 0:18:35 | 0:18:37 | |
I've been invited to take part. | 0:18:37 | 0:18:41 | |
It's a chance for me to catch up with some of their neighbours | 0:18:41 | 0:18:43 | |
and assess the competition. | 0:18:43 | 0:18:46 | |
How do you rate your chances in the pub quiz? | 0:18:46 | 0:18:49 | |
Erm... | 0:18:49 | 0:18:51 | |
we're reigning champions. | 0:18:51 | 0:18:52 | |
Are you?! | 0:18:52 | 0:18:54 | |
-But we're missing a major team player. -Oh. | 0:18:54 | 0:18:58 | |
Jacqueline and Alistair, how are they doing at integrating | 0:18:58 | 0:19:00 | |
-in the village? -They've been like a breath of fresh air, I think. | 0:19:00 | 0:19:05 | |
Well, best of luck with the... Especially you two. | 0:19:05 | 0:19:08 | |
-Thank you very much. -Reigning champions. | 0:19:08 | 0:19:10 | |
We're going to get knocked off our perch. I can feel it! | 0:19:10 | 0:19:13 | |
-Not going to happen. -I'm going to get my team-mates. -OK. | 0:19:13 | 0:19:17 | |
Helping me is one of my local friends, Carrie. | 0:19:17 | 0:19:20 | |
-Hey, teamie. -Hey. | 0:19:20 | 0:19:23 | |
Time to see if that university degree | 0:19:23 | 0:19:24 | |
was worth three years of my life. | 0:19:24 | 0:19:27 | |
Are we ready? More than half of the United States entire coastline | 0:19:27 | 0:19:33 | |
is situated in which state? | 0:19:33 | 0:19:36 | |
Hm! | 0:19:37 | 0:19:39 | |
I wish I paid more attention in geography lessons. | 0:19:39 | 0:19:42 | |
I might have to rely on Carrie for this one. | 0:19:42 | 0:19:44 | |
It goes like this and I thought goes all the way down like that. | 0:19:44 | 0:19:47 | |
-So, that's probably... Yes. Right. -Well, I'm always wrong. | 0:19:47 | 0:19:51 | |
OK! Maybe not. | 0:19:51 | 0:19:53 | |
I'm doing very well with the crisps! | 0:19:53 | 0:19:55 | |
-Good! -Perhaps the next question will be more favourable. | 0:19:55 | 0:19:58 | |
So, question number two, what is the nickname of West Bromwich Albion FC? | 0:19:58 | 0:20:04 | |
Ah! Football, not my specialist subject. | 0:20:04 | 0:20:08 | |
The answer is the Baggies, apparently! | 0:20:08 | 0:20:11 | |
But it's clear to see that whether it's setting quiz questions for | 0:20:11 | 0:20:14 | |
the locals or making home produce, they haven't looked back. | 0:20:14 | 0:20:18 | |
By immersing themselves in the community, Alistair and Jacqueline | 0:20:18 | 0:20:21 | |
have established a fulfilling new life in the country. | 0:20:21 | 0:20:25 | |
Are there any, sort of, downsides? It seems like you are very happy. | 0:20:25 | 0:20:28 | |
But are there any things that you miss about London, or...? | 0:20:28 | 0:20:32 | |
I think, frankly, the only thing I miss is friends that we have there | 0:20:32 | 0:20:35 | |
and perhaps not seeing them as frequently | 0:20:35 | 0:20:37 | |
as we would have done beforehand. | 0:20:37 | 0:20:39 | |
But they love coming up here, don't they? | 0:20:39 | 0:20:41 | |
They love coming up here, and we pop down there to see them ourselves. | 0:20:41 | 0:20:44 | |
And often when we do, it's great to see the friends, | 0:20:44 | 0:20:47 | |
but London itself, no, I don't miss it at all. | 0:20:47 | 0:20:50 | |
Right across the British countryside we've seen house buyers, | 0:20:56 | 0:20:59 | |
all with very different lifestyle ambitions, | 0:20:59 | 0:21:01 | |
fall in love with the properties we've shown them. | 0:21:01 | 0:21:05 | |
It's always fantastic to hear when they make that all-important offer | 0:21:05 | 0:21:09 | |
which goes on to be accepted. | 0:21:09 | 0:21:12 | |
Coming up, a couple of highlights from | 0:21:12 | 0:21:14 | |
our house-hunting success stories in this eastern part of the country. | 0:21:14 | 0:21:18 | |
Back in 2015, | 0:21:19 | 0:21:21 | |
newlyweds Louisa and Zubin wanted to trade in their London flat | 0:21:21 | 0:21:25 | |
and carve out a new life for themselves in Cambridgeshire. | 0:21:25 | 0:21:29 | |
With an £800,000 budget, they were after a characterful and quirky | 0:21:29 | 0:21:32 | |
four-bedroom home, and Jules Hudson showed them | 0:21:32 | 0:21:36 | |
a brand-new barn conversion that caught their eye. | 0:21:36 | 0:21:40 | |
I think we're both intrigued, aren't we? | 0:21:40 | 0:21:42 | |
Both intrigued, we love conversions. | 0:21:42 | 0:21:44 | |
It sounds like it might be right for us. | 0:21:44 | 0:21:46 | |
Part of a development of eight converted barns | 0:21:46 | 0:21:49 | |
dating to the early 1700s, | 0:21:49 | 0:21:51 | |
the renovations had only been completed three months before. | 0:21:51 | 0:21:55 | |
-Wow! -This is very impressive. It's fantastic. -This is me. | 0:21:55 | 0:21:58 | |
It's you. It's very you. | 0:21:58 | 0:21:59 | |
This is brilliant. This is stylish, sophisticated, just like me! | 0:21:59 | 0:22:03 | |
If you say so yourself! | 0:22:03 | 0:22:06 | |
There was a sleek new kitchen-diner, with all the mod cons. | 0:22:06 | 0:22:10 | |
It's even got a wine fridge. | 0:22:10 | 0:22:12 | |
They knew I was coming. | 0:22:12 | 0:22:14 | |
And a massive family space for entertaining. | 0:22:14 | 0:22:16 | |
What a fantastic size! It's brilliant. You've done well. | 0:22:16 | 0:22:19 | |
Hurrah! | 0:22:19 | 0:22:21 | |
It offered them four large bedrooms, | 0:22:21 | 0:22:23 | |
including a ground-floor master suite, | 0:22:23 | 0:22:25 | |
with wooden flooring and high ceilings. | 0:22:25 | 0:22:28 | |
Outside, there was a newly turfed lawn and a separate paddock. | 0:22:28 | 0:22:32 | |
With all this space, | 0:22:32 | 0:22:34 | |
would it still leave them change from their £800,000 budget? | 0:22:34 | 0:22:37 | |
It was £725,000. | 0:22:37 | 0:22:40 | |
-Wow! -Wow! | 0:22:40 | 0:22:43 | |
That's great. | 0:22:43 | 0:22:46 | |
Louisa and Zubin loved the character | 0:22:46 | 0:22:48 | |
and huge proportions of the barn conversion. | 0:22:48 | 0:22:51 | |
I love this house. | 0:22:51 | 0:22:53 | |
It's got everything that we've been looking for. | 0:22:53 | 0:22:56 | |
The good news is, they loved it so much they put in an offer. | 0:22:56 | 0:23:00 | |
Our next highlight was in the spring of 2013 when Nicki Chapman struck | 0:23:05 | 0:23:09 | |
property gold with civil partners | 0:23:09 | 0:23:12 | |
Barry and Bart from south-west London. | 0:23:12 | 0:23:14 | |
They knew that life fulfilment ultimately lay | 0:23:14 | 0:23:17 | |
in the West Sussex countryside - for one key reason. | 0:23:17 | 0:23:22 | |
I am an extreme dog lover and I really want to have another dog | 0:23:22 | 0:23:27 | |
and we cannot have a dog in this apartment. | 0:23:27 | 0:23:30 | |
And so, yeah, we're both very keen to have that. | 0:23:30 | 0:23:33 | |
For their budget of £900,000, | 0:23:33 | 0:23:36 | |
they were hoping Nicki would show them an impressive property | 0:23:36 | 0:23:39 | |
for them and a future four-legged friend. | 0:23:39 | 0:23:43 | |
-How we doing so far? -Fantastic! -This is scoring pretty high. | 0:23:43 | 0:23:46 | |
Fantastic, yeah. | 0:23:46 | 0:23:47 | |
House itself, built in 2000. | 0:23:47 | 0:23:50 | |
Wow, you wouldn't think that. | 0:23:50 | 0:23:52 | |
-No. -Stunning. Now let's see the kitchen-diner. -Itching to get in? | 0:23:52 | 0:23:55 | |
-Yes. -The kitchen-diner. Right, we'll start off there then. | 0:23:55 | 0:23:58 | |
Follow me, boys! | 0:23:58 | 0:24:00 | |
So, Barry, I said we'd start with the kitchen-diner | 0:24:02 | 0:24:05 | |
-knowing how important this room is. -Nice! | 0:24:05 | 0:24:08 | |
That's much more like it, isn't it? | 0:24:08 | 0:24:10 | |
-Character. -I can see there's place for the doggies. -Yes. | 0:24:10 | 0:24:13 | |
This is sort of place we would have been looking for. | 0:24:13 | 0:24:17 | |
-Is it? -Yeah, this is very close to the bull's-eye. | 0:24:17 | 0:24:19 | |
That's what we try and achieve. | 0:24:19 | 0:24:21 | |
-Yes. -Yeah, quite amazed. | 0:24:21 | 0:24:25 | |
This oak-framed house also delivered a wonderful dining area, | 0:24:25 | 0:24:29 | |
charming sitting room and a conservatory. | 0:24:29 | 0:24:32 | |
The study also offered a secret sleeping option. | 0:24:32 | 0:24:36 | |
How about if I took a step backwards and opened that door? | 0:24:36 | 0:24:39 | |
-Oh, for goodness' sake! -Ah! | 0:24:39 | 0:24:40 | |
-Ta-da! -Magic! For goodness' sake! | 0:24:40 | 0:24:43 | |
Upstairs, the exposed roof timbers were a theme | 0:24:45 | 0:24:48 | |
across all three bedrooms, | 0:24:48 | 0:24:50 | |
along with a welcome ensuite in the master. | 0:24:50 | 0:24:53 | |
It was all wrapped up in a beautiful garden. | 0:24:53 | 0:24:57 | |
So, would Bart think this textbook country home | 0:24:57 | 0:25:00 | |
was under their £900,000 threshold? | 0:25:00 | 0:25:03 | |
I'm going to go for £880,000. | 0:25:03 | 0:25:07 | |
-OK. -I was going to say something like that. | 0:25:07 | 0:25:12 | |
Round about the £900,000 region, I would have thought. | 0:25:12 | 0:25:15 | |
I'm being optimistic here, I think. | 0:25:15 | 0:25:17 | |
-Are you hoping? -Yeah. | 0:25:17 | 0:25:19 | |
£895,000. | 0:25:21 | 0:25:23 | |
-Almost spot on! -Yes! | 0:25:23 | 0:25:26 | |
And spot on it certainly was, | 0:25:26 | 0:25:29 | |
because Barry and Bart put in an offer and it was accepted. | 0:25:29 | 0:25:33 | |
Another perfect property match. | 0:25:33 | 0:25:36 | |
We've crossed the border from Cambridgeshire to Lincolnshire | 0:25:39 | 0:25:42 | |
and I'd like to take a moment to talk about | 0:25:42 | 0:25:44 | |
the public service remit of Escape to the Country. | 0:25:44 | 0:25:47 | |
It's been pointed out that moving house | 0:25:47 | 0:25:49 | |
is one of the most stressful things that we do, | 0:25:49 | 0:25:53 | |
and I like to think that we reduce that stress | 0:25:53 | 0:25:56 | |
by carefully curating a selection of houses | 0:25:56 | 0:25:59 | |
right at the start of the search process. | 0:25:59 | 0:26:02 | |
And that is exactly what the lovely Nicki Chapman did | 0:26:02 | 0:26:06 | |
with a great young couple who were moving back from Australia | 0:26:06 | 0:26:09 | |
and wanting to put down routes in this beautiful, | 0:26:09 | 0:26:12 | |
dark Lincolnshire soil. | 0:26:12 | 0:26:14 | |
It was in the spring of 2015 when former civil engineer Will | 0:26:16 | 0:26:19 | |
and full-time mum Rebecca wanted us to help them find a place for | 0:26:19 | 0:26:23 | |
their family where Will grew up. | 0:26:23 | 0:26:27 | |
Their two-year-old daughter, Esme, was born in Perth, in Australia, | 0:26:27 | 0:26:30 | |
and they were keen to raise her in the English countryside. | 0:26:30 | 0:26:33 | |
I think, for Esme, it will be really important | 0:26:33 | 0:26:36 | |
that she has the upbringing similar to what we had. | 0:26:36 | 0:26:39 | |
She loves nature. She loves animals. She loves getting dirty. | 0:26:39 | 0:26:42 | |
She's a real outdoor girl. | 0:26:42 | 0:26:44 | |
Yeah. People tend to go back to their roots and that's something | 0:26:44 | 0:26:46 | |
I definitely want for us and want for our family. | 0:26:46 | 0:26:50 | |
As Will was joining the family farm business, | 0:26:50 | 0:26:53 | |
they wanted a character property in a rural location, | 0:26:53 | 0:26:56 | |
with spacious interiors and four bedrooms. | 0:26:56 | 0:26:58 | |
Outside, they were after a large garden for Esme to play in. | 0:26:58 | 0:27:04 | |
To achieve this, they had a top budget of £425,000. | 0:27:04 | 0:27:08 | |
In terms of location, | 0:27:11 | 0:27:14 | |
they asked to be fairly close to Will's work near Wragby. | 0:27:14 | 0:27:17 | |
Our first stop was in the village of Upton, | 0:27:17 | 0:27:19 | |
where Nicki showed them a handsome Victorian property | 0:27:19 | 0:27:22 | |
with period features. | 0:27:22 | 0:27:23 | |
I like the front of the property. | 0:27:23 | 0:27:25 | |
It's got nice symmetry and the front door. | 0:27:25 | 0:27:29 | |
Yeah, it's got presence. | 0:27:29 | 0:27:30 | |
I think it looks like a really substantial house, | 0:27:30 | 0:27:32 | |
nice big windows, so it should be light inside. | 0:27:32 | 0:27:34 | |
Quite an established garden with some big trees, | 0:27:34 | 0:27:37 | |
so quite a bit for me to do, I think. | 0:27:37 | 0:27:38 | |
-Going to keep you busy, aren't we? -Yeah. | 0:27:38 | 0:27:40 | |
Right, well, I think it's time we explored our first house. | 0:27:40 | 0:27:42 | |
Let's go! | 0:27:42 | 0:27:44 | |
High ceilings. Nice size. | 0:27:48 | 0:27:50 | |
Yeah, nice old features. | 0:27:50 | 0:27:52 | |
Definitely an impressive fireplace, I have to say. | 0:27:52 | 0:27:54 | |
I didn't think we could probably get this in the countryside. | 0:27:54 | 0:27:56 | |
It's got that proportion that you more associate with a big townhouse. | 0:27:56 | 0:28:00 | |
That's right. It's not farmhous-y, is it? | 0:28:00 | 0:28:03 | |
It's definitely got the townhouse appeal. | 0:28:03 | 0:28:04 | |
This spacious property had another reception room | 0:28:04 | 0:28:07 | |
and a large country kitchen. | 0:28:07 | 0:28:09 | |
Really stunning kitchen, actually. Lovely and light. | 0:28:09 | 0:28:12 | |
-And if this wasn't big enough... -Oh. | 0:28:12 | 0:28:14 | |
..across the hallway, you have a scullery/kitchen/utility room. | 0:28:14 | 0:28:20 | |
Wow! Never thought in a million years we'd have anything like that, | 0:28:20 | 0:28:23 | |
so that's wonderful. | 0:28:23 | 0:28:25 | |
-So, you're liking what you see? -Yes, I can see dogs. | 0:28:25 | 0:28:28 | |
I can see mess, muck, children, chaos, noise, | 0:28:28 | 0:28:32 | |
but that's what we want. | 0:28:32 | 0:28:34 | |
Upstairs were four double bedrooms, including a master suite, | 0:28:34 | 0:28:37 | |
all with high ceilings. | 0:28:37 | 0:28:39 | |
-Do you think it's got character, Will? -Yeah, definitely. | 0:28:39 | 0:28:42 | |
-In bags. In bags. -Lots of nice quirky features. | 0:28:42 | 0:28:45 | |
Yes, we could work with this, definitely. | 0:28:45 | 0:28:48 | |
The house seemed to win them over, | 0:28:48 | 0:28:51 | |
so there was just the garden to explore - | 0:28:51 | 0:28:53 | |
with toddler-friendly decking overlooking a large lawn. | 0:28:53 | 0:28:56 | |
I can see Esme running around, she's got loads of space here. | 0:28:56 | 0:28:59 | |
That wouldn't be a problem. | 0:28:59 | 0:29:00 | |
It's nice and protected from the road as well. | 0:29:00 | 0:29:02 | |
-It's quite separate. -Yeah. | 0:29:02 | 0:29:03 | |
Well, let's go back to the actual house itself, | 0:29:03 | 0:29:06 | |
cos we've got to put a price on it. | 0:29:06 | 0:29:07 | |
-OK. -How much do you think this house is on the market for? | 0:29:07 | 0:29:13 | |
I think £395,000. | 0:29:13 | 0:29:15 | |
I think I'm going to go... I'll go £400,000. | 0:29:15 | 0:29:18 | |
The asking price is £330,000. | 0:29:18 | 0:29:22 | |
OK! We're off the mark. | 0:29:22 | 0:29:25 | |
Well under their £425,000 budget, | 0:29:25 | 0:29:28 | |
both Will and Rebecca seemed surprised by what their money | 0:29:28 | 0:29:31 | |
could get them in Lincolnshire. | 0:29:31 | 0:29:33 | |
The next day, Nicki took them to our second property | 0:29:35 | 0:29:38 | |
in the hamlet of Atterby, | 0:29:38 | 0:29:40 | |
a half hour's drive from Will's family farm. | 0:29:40 | 0:29:43 | |
She had a barn conversion up her sleeve, | 0:29:43 | 0:29:45 | |
but Rebecca needed convincing. | 0:29:45 | 0:29:48 | |
-Wow! -Looks stunning. | 0:29:48 | 0:29:50 | |
-Really characterful. -Will's always wanted a barn conversion. | 0:29:50 | 0:29:52 | |
-Yeah. -I'm hesitant. | 0:29:52 | 0:29:54 | |
-What are your concerns about a barn? -I just assume they're modern inside. | 0:29:54 | 0:29:58 | |
So, if it's not too contemporary, that's fine. | 0:29:58 | 0:30:01 | |
-I think we should get in, don't you? Come on. -Let's do it. | 0:30:01 | 0:30:04 | |
So, come straight in. It's nice and dry in here. | 0:30:06 | 0:30:10 | |
-Impressive high ceilings. -Yeah, nice. | 0:30:10 | 0:30:12 | |
Now, it is done in a contemporary more modern style. | 0:30:12 | 0:30:16 | |
Yes. Can't really see in here where we would put our stamp on, | 0:30:16 | 0:30:20 | |
to be honest. | 0:30:20 | 0:30:22 | |
Let's see what you make of the rest of the property. | 0:30:22 | 0:30:26 | |
So, this is one of the sitting rooms, | 0:30:26 | 0:30:29 | |
-currently used as a rather lovely music room. -Ah! | 0:30:29 | 0:30:32 | |
And this leads us to the second sitting room. | 0:30:32 | 0:30:35 | |
-This is nice. I'm surprised. -Bright. | 0:30:35 | 0:30:39 | |
-Really bright. -Well, it's open. | 0:30:39 | 0:30:41 | |
This is warmer. It definitely has that warmer homely feel. | 0:30:41 | 0:30:44 | |
I can see closing that door to all Esme's clutter | 0:30:44 | 0:30:47 | |
and this being our space, and Esme has her own playroom. | 0:30:47 | 0:30:50 | |
I can really see that. | 0:30:50 | 0:30:52 | |
Rebecca was warming to the barn conversion, | 0:30:52 | 0:30:54 | |
which also gave them three double bedrooms - | 0:30:54 | 0:30:57 | |
with two upstairs in the eves | 0:30:57 | 0:30:58 | |
and one just the other side of the sitting room. | 0:30:58 | 0:31:01 | |
That's a good-size dressing room. | 0:31:01 | 0:31:03 | |
Became really used to those in Australia, | 0:31:03 | 0:31:05 | |
-lots of the houses have the walk-in robes. -Which is so nice. | 0:31:05 | 0:31:08 | |
-Very practical. And a good-size ensuite. -Yeah. | 0:31:08 | 0:31:12 | |
And it doesn't bother me it's on the same level, | 0:31:12 | 0:31:14 | |
because we're sort of used to that from Australia as well. | 0:31:14 | 0:31:17 | |
Nicki then surprised them with the bonus of a self-contained annexe. | 0:31:17 | 0:31:22 | |
Rebecca had a great idea. | 0:31:22 | 0:31:24 | |
It's a big annexe, actually. | 0:31:24 | 0:31:26 | |
So, would this work for your friends and families if they came to stay? | 0:31:26 | 0:31:29 | |
Funnily enough, I think my mother would put her stamp on this. | 0:31:29 | 0:31:33 | |
-Really? -Yes. She's often joked about a granny flat, | 0:31:33 | 0:31:35 | |
-so she'd be more than happy with this. -Ooh! | 0:31:35 | 0:31:38 | |
Finally, they checked out the playground potential | 0:31:38 | 0:31:41 | |
in the generous garden, which even looked good in the rain. | 0:31:41 | 0:31:45 | |
I have to say, Esme would love that. | 0:31:45 | 0:31:47 | |
And I can see that this garden is just practical, | 0:31:47 | 0:31:49 | |
and I could see putting up a little Wendy house | 0:31:49 | 0:31:52 | |
and bits and pieces to play for. So, really, in practical terms, | 0:31:52 | 0:31:54 | |
this works. | 0:31:54 | 0:31:55 | |
Can we put a figure on it? | 0:31:55 | 0:31:57 | |
I think I'd say £360,000. | 0:31:57 | 0:31:59 | |
Well, I was going to say a bit lower than that. I will say £345,000. | 0:32:01 | 0:32:05 | |
Well, you are both under the asking price. | 0:32:05 | 0:32:08 | |
-Will by not too much. -OK. | 0:32:08 | 0:32:10 | |
-It is on the market for £365,000. -OK. | 0:32:10 | 0:32:14 | |
Despite being under their £425,000 budget, | 0:32:14 | 0:32:17 | |
it didn't seem to hit the mark. | 0:32:17 | 0:32:20 | |
I feel like it would be a fantastic holiday home, | 0:32:20 | 0:32:24 | |
but not a home for my family. | 0:32:24 | 0:32:26 | |
Rebecca and Will were after even more space. | 0:32:26 | 0:32:29 | |
Barn conversions do generally appeal to me. | 0:32:29 | 0:32:32 | |
I like the big open-plan spaces they tend to give inside. | 0:32:32 | 0:32:35 | |
This house has got that in the two living rooms | 0:32:35 | 0:32:37 | |
that are connected together, | 0:32:37 | 0:32:39 | |
but the rest of the house doesn't really give | 0:32:39 | 0:32:41 | |
any of that big, grand open-plan. | 0:32:41 | 0:32:43 | |
Like a masterclass in how to show houses to their best potential, | 0:32:46 | 0:32:49 | |
but Nicki's work was not done. | 0:32:49 | 0:32:51 | |
No. Could she crown it all with the mystery house? | 0:32:51 | 0:32:57 | |
The final property took us to the hamlet of Goltho, | 0:32:57 | 0:33:00 | |
a five-minute drive from Will's family farm. | 0:33:00 | 0:33:03 | |
We threw down the gauntlet with this 19th-century property, | 0:33:03 | 0:33:07 | |
which had a modern wing to the side. | 0:33:07 | 0:33:10 | |
Wow! OK! | 0:33:10 | 0:33:12 | |
-Wow. -It's impressive. | 0:33:12 | 0:33:14 | |
-Yeah, very big. -I think what strikes me the most is how peaceful it is. | 0:33:14 | 0:33:19 | |
Lovely and quiet. | 0:33:19 | 0:33:20 | |
Yeah, it's very kind of grand looking over the pine trees there. | 0:33:20 | 0:33:24 | |
Yeah. | 0:33:24 | 0:33:25 | |
Vacated by the owners, it would require Rebecca and Will | 0:33:25 | 0:33:28 | |
to use their imagination to make it work for them. | 0:33:28 | 0:33:31 | |
-So, please, enter. -OK. | 0:33:31 | 0:33:34 | |
Wow! | 0:33:36 | 0:33:37 | |
So, as you walk in, you've got this huge area, which could be used | 0:33:37 | 0:33:41 | |
as a sitting room of sorts, and then you've got this room as well. | 0:33:41 | 0:33:46 | |
Tell me, was this what you were expecting? | 0:33:46 | 0:33:48 | |
No, very different on the inside to the outside. | 0:33:48 | 0:33:51 | |
-Very clean. -It's open. | 0:33:51 | 0:33:54 | |
So, the grandeur of it, yeah, it's impressive, I think. | 0:33:54 | 0:33:57 | |
I'm already sort of imagining what new furniture | 0:33:57 | 0:33:59 | |
I could buy for this room. | 0:33:59 | 0:34:02 | |
I could see us putting our own stamp on a property like this. | 0:34:02 | 0:34:06 | |
Now, how is this for a kitchen-diner? | 0:34:11 | 0:34:14 | |
Wow! | 0:34:14 | 0:34:15 | |
Now, is this big enough? | 0:34:15 | 0:34:17 | |
-Erm, yeah. -This is so Australian. | 0:34:17 | 0:34:21 | |
So open-plan and so just ready for you to move in to. | 0:34:21 | 0:34:26 | |
-The layout of this is you've got utility. -Yeah. | 0:34:26 | 0:34:29 | |
You've got a downstairs cloakroom there, | 0:34:29 | 0:34:31 | |
but you've also got another reception room/bedroom, | 0:34:31 | 0:34:37 | |
which is what they had earmarked it for with the dressing room, | 0:34:37 | 0:34:40 | |
because you've got a family bathroom, literally, | 0:34:40 | 0:34:42 | |
that we've just walked past. | 0:34:42 | 0:34:44 | |
I wasn't expecting this. | 0:34:44 | 0:34:46 | |
So, the old and the new is beginning to work. | 0:34:46 | 0:34:49 | |
In this case, yes. | 0:34:49 | 0:34:52 | |
As it should, our mystery property was confounding their expectations | 0:34:52 | 0:34:56 | |
with its impressive open-plan living spaces. | 0:34:56 | 0:35:00 | |
Upstairs revealed three double bedrooms in the older part, | 0:35:00 | 0:35:04 | |
including the master suite. | 0:35:04 | 0:35:08 | |
They're all of quite a modest size. | 0:35:08 | 0:35:10 | |
-They are. -OK. | 0:35:10 | 0:35:11 | |
But what you do have is a really large ensuite, | 0:35:11 | 0:35:15 | |
with a stud wall. So if you wanted to, | 0:35:15 | 0:35:17 | |
you could take at least two or three more foot going into there. | 0:35:17 | 0:35:20 | |
If the family bathroom's right next door, | 0:35:20 | 0:35:22 | |
we don't need a massive ensuite. | 0:35:22 | 0:35:23 | |
I think if that makes this space bigger, | 0:35:23 | 0:35:25 | |
than that would work far better. | 0:35:25 | 0:35:27 | |
Don't really need that many bathrooms. | 0:35:27 | 0:35:30 | |
With the mystery house reeling them in, | 0:35:30 | 0:35:32 | |
it was time to venture outside and speculate | 0:35:32 | 0:35:34 | |
on the potential price tag. | 0:35:34 | 0:35:37 | |
Now, I think this is an exceptional space. | 0:35:39 | 0:35:42 | |
-Blank canvass. -Definitely. | 0:35:42 | 0:35:43 | |
I mean, you've much space and potential to... Yeah. | 0:35:43 | 0:35:46 | |
It's just stunning. It's really special. | 0:35:46 | 0:35:49 | |
OK. | 0:35:49 | 0:35:51 | |
How much do we think this property is on the market for? | 0:35:51 | 0:35:56 | |
£410,000. | 0:35:56 | 0:35:58 | |
OK. I think it's top of the budget, so I'm just going to say £425,000. | 0:35:58 | 0:36:02 | |
Because that is the very top of your budget, isn't it? | 0:36:02 | 0:36:04 | |
It is the top of our budget. | 0:36:04 | 0:36:06 | |
OK, asking price, £399,995. | 0:36:06 | 0:36:12 | |
So, £5 off the £400,000 mark. | 0:36:12 | 0:36:16 | |
-Yes. It's definitely worth considering. -Yeah, I think so. | 0:36:16 | 0:36:21 | |
£25,000 under their budget, the mystery house seemed enticing | 0:36:21 | 0:36:24 | |
at the time. | 0:36:24 | 0:36:26 | |
The building's not something I would usually go for. | 0:36:26 | 0:36:29 | |
Yes, it is contemporary, but I think it's got enough of old meets new | 0:36:29 | 0:36:33 | |
for me to feel comfortable here. | 0:36:33 | 0:36:37 | |
Have we ended on a high, I wonder? | 0:36:37 | 0:36:40 | |
-Yes. -Yeah? | 0:36:40 | 0:36:41 | |
-You liked it? -Yes. Yeah. Really impressive. | 0:36:41 | 0:36:45 | |
So, which property did Will and Rebecca go for? | 0:36:47 | 0:36:51 | |
Did the traditional character of house one win through? | 0:36:51 | 0:36:54 | |
Or did they bring the renovated barn conversion back into the frame with | 0:36:54 | 0:36:57 | |
that bonus annexe? | 0:36:57 | 0:37:01 | |
Finally, there was our sprawling mystery property, | 0:37:01 | 0:37:03 | |
which needed them to put their mark on it. | 0:37:03 | 0:37:06 | |
But would their initial enthusiasm translate into a purchase? | 0:37:06 | 0:37:10 | |
As you've probably guessed, they totally fell in love | 0:37:12 | 0:37:15 | |
with the mystery house and bought it. | 0:37:15 | 0:37:17 | |
So, I have returned to see what they did. | 0:37:17 | 0:37:19 | |
Because back then, it was literally just a house. | 0:37:19 | 0:37:21 | |
No furniture, bare walls. | 0:37:21 | 0:37:23 | |
I want to see what Rebecca and Will have done | 0:37:23 | 0:37:25 | |
to turn it into their home. | 0:37:25 | 0:37:29 | |
After putting in their offer in June of 2015, | 0:37:29 | 0:37:31 | |
it took six months to complete. | 0:37:31 | 0:37:34 | |
Now, the family have settled into their new Lincolnshire home | 0:37:34 | 0:37:36 | |
and one of them's pleased to see me. | 0:37:36 | 0:37:40 | |
-Hey! -Hi. -Hello. You must be Esme. | 0:37:40 | 0:37:42 | |
This is Esme. Nice to see you. | 0:37:42 | 0:37:44 | |
-Oh, a bit shy? -Not really. | 0:37:44 | 0:37:46 | |
-Going to say boo? Come on then, let's go inside. -Ah! | 0:37:46 | 0:37:52 | |
Without doubt, the highlight of the house tour | 0:37:52 | 0:37:54 | |
was the empty open-plan living space, | 0:37:54 | 0:37:58 | |
but, even with their furniture in, it's still huge. | 0:37:58 | 0:38:01 | |
I remember watching with Nicki and thinking, "That's a massive room!" | 0:38:03 | 0:38:06 | |
It still looks enormous, even with all your furniture in it. | 0:38:06 | 0:38:09 | |
Well, I think when we saw the programme, | 0:38:09 | 0:38:10 | |
it looked particularly large. | 0:38:10 | 0:38:12 | |
But I think definitely now you've got some furniture in. | 0:38:12 | 0:38:15 | |
But it still has... Everybody comes in and says | 0:38:15 | 0:38:17 | |
what a cosy room it still is. | 0:38:17 | 0:38:19 | |
What's nice is actually, because I can see this fantastic view | 0:38:19 | 0:38:22 | |
into the garden, which wasn't so clear on the telly. | 0:38:22 | 0:38:25 | |
Yeah, no, it's nice. On a sunny day like today, it's nice. | 0:38:25 | 0:38:28 | |
It's fantastic to look over there. | 0:38:28 | 0:38:30 | |
We do use those doors in the summer for Esme's parties and things. | 0:38:30 | 0:38:33 | |
Open them up, bouncy castle, that was really good. | 0:38:33 | 0:38:36 | |
I remember when you walked in here you were, "It's amazing." | 0:38:36 | 0:38:39 | |
And, Will, you were probably trying to be a bit of a voice of reason. | 0:38:39 | 0:38:42 | |
Yeah, I was trying to reign Rebecca back a little bit, I think. | 0:38:42 | 0:38:46 | |
Was that just out of habit, or you genuinely had concerns? | 0:38:46 | 0:38:50 | |
Probably. | 0:38:50 | 0:38:51 | |
No, I just think it was quite a surprise to find the house, really. | 0:38:51 | 0:38:54 | |
To find something so good on the show. | 0:38:54 | 0:38:57 | |
I wasn't really expecting it. | 0:38:57 | 0:38:58 | |
Even I could tell we were going to live here, I think. | 0:38:58 | 0:39:01 | |
I was just trying to be a little bit more level-headed. | 0:39:01 | 0:39:03 | |
I know Esme was a big motive for the move. | 0:39:03 | 0:39:06 | |
How has she settled into Lincolnshire? | 0:39:06 | 0:39:07 | |
Really well. We think she's so comfortable here. | 0:39:07 | 0:39:10 | |
She loves the outdoors. She's so comfortable in the house. | 0:39:10 | 0:39:14 | |
It just feels like home to her already. | 0:39:14 | 0:39:17 | |
And Esme has been the way into community life. | 0:39:17 | 0:39:20 | |
While Will's has been busy at work on the family farm, | 0:39:20 | 0:39:23 | |
Rebecca has met other parents through Esme's school. | 0:39:23 | 0:39:27 | |
You seem like you've settled in really well. | 0:39:27 | 0:39:29 | |
-Have there been any downsides? Any regrets? -No. | 0:39:29 | 0:39:31 | |
I don't think so, so far. | 0:39:31 | 0:39:33 | |
-No. -Touch wood. -No, I think it's, we are quite decisive, aren't we? | 0:39:33 | 0:39:38 | |
And we know when it's the right thing for us. | 0:39:38 | 0:39:41 | |
I think when you're doing with the right intentions. | 0:39:41 | 0:39:43 | |
We just want a nice place for our family to grow up. | 0:39:43 | 0:39:46 | |
So... | 0:39:46 | 0:39:47 | |
It's the reality of being able to do things. | 0:39:47 | 0:39:50 | |
When we saw the house and you first move in, | 0:39:50 | 0:39:51 | |
you want to do everything at once. | 0:39:51 | 0:39:53 | |
There's a reality in financially as well. You've got to stage things. | 0:39:53 | 0:39:57 | |
Yes. So, that's what we're doing. | 0:39:57 | 0:40:00 | |
A long-term project. | 0:40:00 | 0:40:01 | |
One of the couple's long-term projects | 0:40:01 | 0:40:03 | |
is to extend their property to create larger bedrooms | 0:40:03 | 0:40:05 | |
in the older part of the house. | 0:40:05 | 0:40:07 | |
Particularly now that Rebecca is expecting baby number two | 0:40:07 | 0:40:11 | |
to arrive in a couple of months. | 0:40:11 | 0:40:13 | |
So, talk me through, what are the plans? | 0:40:13 | 0:40:15 | |
Well, there are a couple of things we'd like to do - | 0:40:15 | 0:40:17 | |
a double garage, I think, is a must really for the house. | 0:40:17 | 0:40:20 | |
Connecting to a utility room and through into the house. | 0:40:20 | 0:40:22 | |
-It will be even bigger. -I think so. | 0:40:22 | 0:40:24 | |
I mean, the downstairs is obviously the biggest part of the house, | 0:40:24 | 0:40:27 | |
but it doesn't have a pantry. | 0:40:27 | 0:40:29 | |
I wouldn't mind a separate laundry room and we can go that way, | 0:40:29 | 0:40:32 | |
cos that space isn't really being used for anything at the moment. | 0:40:32 | 0:40:35 | |
And what were the plans for the bedroom? | 0:40:35 | 0:40:37 | |
I mean, ideally we've got a large hallway entrance at the moment, | 0:40:37 | 0:40:40 | |
but it's only single storey so, the idea was to make that double storey. | 0:40:40 | 0:40:44 | |
So, will you keep the pink? | 0:40:44 | 0:40:48 | |
-Red? -Careful! | 0:40:48 | 0:40:50 | |
It's red. Originally, I think it was one of those things when you first | 0:40:50 | 0:40:54 | |
buy a house, got to change that immediately. | 0:40:54 | 0:40:57 | |
And of course, there are a million other more important things to do. | 0:40:57 | 0:41:00 | |
So, we've sort of got used to it and we forget about it until people come | 0:41:00 | 0:41:03 | |
and mention it and call it pink. | 0:41:03 | 0:41:05 | |
Call it Lincolnshire pink. | 0:41:05 | 0:41:07 | |
Lincolnshire pink. So, I think it kind of makes it stand out. | 0:41:07 | 0:41:12 | |
Whatever the colour, | 0:41:12 | 0:41:13 | |
Will and Rebecca have done a great job turning an empty property | 0:41:13 | 0:41:16 | |
into a stunning family home. | 0:41:16 | 0:41:18 | |
And with Will's farm a short drive away, | 0:41:18 | 0:41:21 | |
he's been able to spend more time at home when he's not fixing tractors. | 0:41:21 | 0:41:25 | |
So, Will, this is it? This is what you came back for? | 0:41:25 | 0:41:27 | |
Yeah, this is it. I left the glamour of Perth | 0:41:27 | 0:41:29 | |
-for the mud of Lincolnshire. -You don't make tractors, | 0:41:29 | 0:41:31 | |
it's the replacement bits, isn't it? | 0:41:31 | 0:41:34 | |
Yeah. It's the spare parts for machines like this | 0:41:34 | 0:41:36 | |
that we kind of sell all round the country to various farmers. | 0:41:36 | 0:41:39 | |
-So, is this literally your workplace? -Yes, it is. | 0:41:39 | 0:41:41 | |
Very glamorous. I left my nice shiny office in Perth on the 20th floor | 0:41:41 | 0:41:44 | |
-to come back to a farm shed. -How has that been? | 0:41:44 | 0:41:48 | |
Obviously, I'm familiar with farming. | 0:41:48 | 0:41:49 | |
Grew up farming and using the machines, so that's helped, | 0:41:49 | 0:41:53 | |
but it's been about 15 years I've been doing civil engineering. | 0:41:53 | 0:41:56 | |
So, it's been a learning curve, but a good one. | 0:41:56 | 0:41:59 | |
Are you going to take over the business lock, stock and barrel? | 0:41:59 | 0:42:02 | |
Yes, that's the idea. | 0:42:02 | 0:42:03 | |
My dad's getting older now, so the idea is he's handing it over to me. | 0:42:03 | 0:42:07 | |
So I'll be in charge, taking it forward. | 0:42:07 | 0:42:09 | |
But I've got a lot of other things as well, with the house, | 0:42:09 | 0:42:12 | |
the outside and the new baby on the way. | 0:42:12 | 0:42:14 | |
-I'll be a busy man. -A very busy man. Well done! It's a great move. | 0:42:14 | 0:42:18 | |
-Thank you. -Really nice to come and visit you. | 0:42:18 | 0:42:20 | |
You're welcome. Any time. | 0:42:20 | 0:42:22 | |
Isn't it a treat to follow up on our house buyers on | 0:42:27 | 0:42:29 | |
Escape to the Country and see how they've settled | 0:42:29 | 0:42:32 | |
into their new country lives? | 0:42:32 | 0:42:34 | |
The way Jacqueline and Alistair used the cultural networks | 0:42:34 | 0:42:37 | |
in Weston Coleville to integrate, | 0:42:37 | 0:42:39 | |
and although they've been here a much shorter time, | 0:42:39 | 0:42:42 | |
the way that Rebecca and Will used his job | 0:42:42 | 0:42:45 | |
and Esme's schooling to find their feet. | 0:42:45 | 0:42:47 | |
Of course, most remarkable how they turned those properties | 0:42:47 | 0:42:50 | |
into real homes. | 0:42:50 | 0:42:52 | |
I hope you've enjoyed it as much as me, | 0:42:52 | 0:42:55 | |
and you'll join us next time for more. | 0:42:55 | 0:42:57 | |
If you dream of escaping to the country in England, Scotland, | 0:42:58 | 0:43:01 | |
Wales or Northern Ireland, and would also like our help, | 0:43:01 | 0:43:04 | |
why not apply online at... | 0:43:04 | 0:43:06 |