0:00:02 > 0:00:04Making the move from city to countryside
0:00:04 > 0:00:06is often a momentous step.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09Never in a million years I would imagine I would be seeing a house
0:00:09 > 0:00:11like this, never, ever.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14But, for many years, Escape To The Country
0:00:14 > 0:00:17has been helping countless people on the hunt for their new home.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20What do we think of this?
0:00:20 > 0:00:21Oh, my! Chocolate box!
0:00:21 > 0:00:26We've travelled to the most picturesque pockets of Britain...
0:00:26 > 0:00:29- Take a look at that killer view. - That's amazing.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32..to showcase thousands of exquisite country properties...
0:00:32 > 0:00:35Ah, how pretty is that?
0:00:35 > 0:00:37..that our buyers just couldn't resist.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40SHE SHRIEKS
0:00:40 > 0:00:42Seriously, get your cheque book out now!
0:00:42 > 0:00:46Join us as we catch up with those who bought their dream home...
0:00:46 > 0:00:48- No going back. - No going back?- No.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50No, I couldn't move back.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53..to find out how the move changed their lives
0:00:53 > 0:00:54when they escaped to the country.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14I'm starting off today in Suffolk,
0:01:14 > 0:01:17a county I've visited many times on Escape To The Country.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21Over the years, I've met horses, pigs, learned about oyster farming,
0:01:21 > 0:01:24and have seen heritage crafts in action.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28So, I appreciate it certainly paints an attractive portrait of country
0:01:28 > 0:01:32life. Which is why I'm delighted to be back here revisiting a couple of
0:01:32 > 0:01:35our house buyers who've found their perfect property,
0:01:35 > 0:01:37and have successfully managed to
0:01:37 > 0:01:40make that all-important leap to pastures new.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43Suffolk won't be my only port of call as, later,
0:01:43 > 0:01:47I'll be heading further down south to the county of Kent where I'll be
0:01:47 > 0:01:49catching up with house-buyers Francesco and Kristi,
0:01:49 > 0:01:52to hear how their life has changed
0:01:52 > 0:01:55since moving into a property we saw together.
0:01:55 > 0:01:56But first, here in Suffolk,
0:01:56 > 0:01:58I'm paying a visit to Paul and Elaine
0:01:58 > 0:02:00who moved from North London,
0:02:00 > 0:02:02and are now living their rural dream.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08It was back in September of 2012
0:02:08 > 0:02:11that retired fireman Paul and his wife Elaine,
0:02:11 > 0:02:13a former veterinary nurse,
0:02:13 > 0:02:16were looking for our help in escaping their London life,
0:02:16 > 0:02:19and were in pursuit of the space and peace of the countryside.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22I've just retired from the London Fire Brigade,
0:02:22 > 0:02:26so, I've no need to be living in London any more.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30And I'd like a quieter life, more open space.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32And, most importantly, we want to have country walks
0:02:32 > 0:02:34on our doorstep, because we've got to get a dog,
0:02:34 > 0:02:37- and we can get out there and enjoy it.- Yeah.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40Yeah. I've never had a dog, I want a dog!
0:02:40 > 0:02:43Paul planned to continue work as a plumber,
0:02:43 > 0:02:45and together they had settled on Suffolk for their new lives,
0:02:45 > 0:02:47thanks to its proximity to family,
0:02:47 > 0:02:50and good mix of market towns and rural life.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53They were both hoping the move would give them a chance to spend
0:02:53 > 0:02:56more time doing the things they loved.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58We are bee-keepers.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01We belong to an association in North London.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03This is another reason for why we want to move,
0:03:03 > 0:03:06because we haven't really got room in here to keep bees.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10Paul is very, very interested in the honey side of wanting to keep bees.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13You're interested in that. I'm much more interested in the fact of
0:03:13 > 0:03:16pollination, because I want to grow vegetables and plants.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19So, with their London flat already under offer,
0:03:19 > 0:03:24the finances were practically in place, and they were raring to go.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27Their wish list included a detached house with a large kitchen-diner,
0:03:27 > 0:03:30three bedrooms, and a workshop for Paul.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32The garden needed to have scope for
0:03:32 > 0:03:36a vegetable plot and enough space for chickens and beehives,
0:03:36 > 0:03:38all for a budget of £400,000.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41Our first stop was just a couple of miles
0:03:41 > 0:03:43from the village of Wickhambrook.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46I was keen to show Paul and Elaine a traditional cottage,
0:03:46 > 0:03:49parts of which dated back to the 17th century.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53It also had a delightful Norfolk-reed thatched roof.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56Now, you're escaping the madness that is London...
0:03:56 > 0:03:59- Mm-hm.- ..to potentially this.
0:03:59 > 0:04:00Is this what you had in mind?
0:04:00 > 0:04:03Tried not to picture anything, tried to keep an open mind,
0:04:03 > 0:04:06- but this is, this is fabulous. - Looking good.- Follow me.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08All right.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11We're off to a good start and I was hoping they'd be equally impressed
0:04:11 > 0:04:15by the space inside, thanks to some recent renovations.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17Since a kitchen-diner was top of Elaine's list,
0:04:17 > 0:04:20that's where we began. Big enough?
0:04:20 > 0:04:21- Absolutely.- Yeah, it's great.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24- Absolutely big enough.- Yeah, it's twice the size of our one at home.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27- Is it?- Yeah, yeah. - Could you live in this house so far?
0:04:27 > 0:04:29Yeah, it's got a lovely feel to it, this kitchen.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32This could be a short working day for me! Come on.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35As we moved into the 17th-century part of the property,
0:04:35 > 0:04:39the character features in the sitting-room had an impact.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41- Ooh. Look at that.- I like it.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44Fabulous, fabulous hearth!
0:04:44 > 0:04:48This is the old part, the 16th, 17th-century part of the house.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50- Mm.- Do you like this sort of feel?
0:04:50 > 0:04:52Yeah, it's cosy, isn't it?
0:04:52 > 0:04:54Yeah, it is nice, it's lovely.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58But that wasn't all this cottage had to offer as it also gave them an
0:04:58 > 0:05:01office and a separate dining room.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04Not to mention the conservatory next door.
0:05:04 > 0:05:09Upstairs, there were four bedrooms including two spacious doubles,
0:05:09 > 0:05:12and a single for when friends came to stay.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16But I wanted to show Paul and Elaine the room they might claim as theirs.
0:05:16 > 0:05:17- The master bedroom.- Mm-hm.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21- Master because you've got an en-suite as well.- It's lovely.
0:05:21 > 0:05:22- Good, isn't it?- That is good.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24It is, it's enormous inside.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28- I like it.- It's lovely, it's really nicely done.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31Outside extended to around a quarter of an acre, which I knew would be
0:05:31 > 0:05:34important if they stuck to their plans to keep bees and chickens.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37Plus, there was a double garage with two adjoining sheds
0:05:37 > 0:05:39that could be Paul's workshop.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42So, we just had one question left to answer.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44How much is this house on the market for?
0:05:44 > 0:05:48I'd say, hopefully, 390, but I think it's probably a bit more than that.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50I reckon 375.
0:05:50 > 0:05:55This house is on the market for offers around £415,000.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57That makes sense.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59- Yeah.- I'm not surprised, yeah.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02£15,000 over budget but, I knew
0:06:02 > 0:06:05there might be a deal to be done nearer to their ideal figure
0:06:05 > 0:06:09which made this a tantalising prospect to consider.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18Property number two lay a couple of miles outside the town of Sudbury,
0:06:18 > 0:06:21and was a detached offering whose character was definitely more
0:06:21 > 0:06:24contemporary. Here we go.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26Modern. Very modern.
0:06:26 > 0:06:27Most unexpected.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29It's quite big too, isn't it?
0:06:29 > 0:06:31Do you like it? Do you mind how it looks?
0:06:31 > 0:06:32Do you like the way it looks?
0:06:32 > 0:06:35- Yeah, it looks nice, doesn't it? - It's good. Yeah. Yeah.- Good.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38Keeping minds firmly open as we made our way inside,
0:06:38 > 0:06:42I was about to see how they'd react to a distinctly more contemporary
0:06:42 > 0:06:46interior. Let's start with the newest part of this building.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50Yeah. THEY LAUGH
0:06:50 > 0:06:52- Wow.- It is a bit of a wow room, isn't it?
0:06:52 > 0:06:55It is, it is, it's so bright, isn't it?
0:06:55 > 0:06:57It's massive. Absolutely massive.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02One side of this modern living space contained three bedrooms, which
0:07:02 > 0:07:05could be used for visiting friends and family.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08But I led the way to the kitchen on the opposite side of the house.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12So, staying with the modern theme, well, ultra-modern, actually,
0:07:12 > 0:07:15- this kitchen, isn't it?- It is incredibly modern, isn't it?
0:07:15 > 0:07:17- Yeah, it is.- Well, I do like it, I like it very much.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21But it does feel as if I'm on holiday abroad somewhere.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24- It's too square and modern for me, I feel.- Yeah.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29Well, Elaine may have been trying to see the positive but it was becoming
0:07:29 > 0:07:31clear how Paul felt about a modern style.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34We pressed on next door to the master bedroom.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37Now, then, no falling up the stairs to bed with this house.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41- No.- No. - Nice-sized room, very light,
0:07:41 > 0:07:43plenty of room to get around the bed both sides which is what you've
0:07:43 > 0:07:46- always wanted, we can't do that now. - That's true, yeah, yeah.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49Got a small en suite there.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52Can't see much character to it, if you know what I mean?
0:07:52 > 0:07:57- But, whatever rocks your boat. - It's only 30 years old, isn't it?
0:07:57 > 0:07:59- Yeah.- As we made our way outside,
0:07:59 > 0:08:02I was hoping the garden space would change their minds.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04Coming in at around a quarter of an acre,
0:08:04 > 0:08:07the established garden had plenty of room for beehives,
0:08:07 > 0:08:10and there was even a large double garage that could be a workshop for
0:08:10 > 0:08:14Paul. How much do you think this house is on the market for?
0:08:14 > 0:08:17- 402,000.- OK, 402,000.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20Elaine, how much?
0:08:20 > 0:08:22398.
0:08:22 > 0:08:28Well, this house is on the market for offers around £395,000.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32£5,000 under budget.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34It was starting to become clear
0:08:34 > 0:08:36where Paul and Elaine's preferences lay.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41Well, it seemed to me there was a clear favourite from the first two
0:08:41 > 0:08:43properties that I'd showed to Paul and Elaine,
0:08:43 > 0:08:45with character becoming ever more
0:08:45 > 0:08:48the priority as our journey progressed.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50But, as I know only too well,
0:08:50 > 0:08:54nothing is a done deal until we reveal the Mystery House.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59Our last port of call wasn't far from the market town of Hadleigh,
0:08:59 > 0:09:02just outside the pretty village of Shelley.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06And whilst my buyers had their hearts set on a detached property,
0:09:06 > 0:09:09for our Mystery House, I had a Victorian end-of-terrace cottage
0:09:09 > 0:09:13up my sleeve, which I hoped might just broaden their view.
0:09:13 > 0:09:14This...
0:09:15 > 0:09:18..is our final offering.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22It's really cute.
0:09:22 > 0:09:23Really, really nice-looking house.
0:09:23 > 0:09:28Good. Now, one thing you said you'd prefer it to be, Paul, is detached.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30- I do.- And it's not.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34- No.- But this, I think, you'll see, it still feels pretty private.
0:09:34 > 0:09:39- Yeah, it's lovely.- Originally built as three farm cottages in the 1890s,
0:09:39 > 0:09:42it was starting to feel like I was in the right ballpark
0:09:42 > 0:09:43when it came to character.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45And they also didn't seem too
0:09:45 > 0:09:47bothered by the semidetached compromise.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51- The first reception room.- Yeah.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53- It's lovely.- It's good.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56It's clean, it's all decorated nicely.
0:09:56 > 0:09:57You've got the ceiling height.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59- It's really nice.- Yeah. - It's great, isn't it?
0:09:59 > 0:10:01Let's go straight into the kitchen now,
0:10:01 > 0:10:05- because that is a fundamental part of your search, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08Pragmatic Paul had given it the thumbs-up so far,
0:10:08 > 0:10:12so I wanted to see if I could seal the deal in the kitchen.
0:10:12 > 0:10:13- Lovely. Really nice.- Yeah?
0:10:13 > 0:10:15- Very nice indeed. - It is lovely, yeah.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17- Excellent.- We got a "lovely," did you hear that?
0:10:17 > 0:10:21- Lovely? Did you say lovely? - Lovely. Good. Lovely.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24Next door to the kitchen was the sitting room which,
0:10:24 > 0:10:27despite modern decor, retained sympathetic character features.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30We then made our way upstairs to investigate the four bedrooms
0:10:30 > 0:10:32that came with the house.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35There was a generous double and two bright singles,
0:10:35 > 0:10:38one of which came with built-in storage.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40Then, there was the master.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42This is a stunning room.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46- It is stunning, yeah.- Really, really lovely, peaceful room.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48And look, you can walk around the bed both sides.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50Yeah, it means I haven't got to
0:10:50 > 0:10:51scramble over the bed in the morning.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53I'm liking what I see.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55- You are?- Yeah, yeah, definitely.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58Happily, our Mystery House seemed to be meeting the brief on character
0:10:58 > 0:11:02and space, so, it was time to make our way outside.
0:11:02 > 0:11:03The house sat in around a quarter
0:11:03 > 0:11:05of an acre of land, laid mostly to lawn,
0:11:05 > 0:11:09and gave scope for growing vegetables and beehives.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11Plus, there was also a large summerhouse
0:11:11 > 0:11:13that could easily become Paul's workshop.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16All that was left was to talk numbers.
0:11:16 > 0:11:17How much do you think the estate
0:11:17 > 0:11:19agents are marketing this place at, then?
0:11:19 > 0:11:22Um, I'm going to go for 375.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24OK. Paul?
0:11:24 > 0:11:27I would go for 385.
0:11:27 > 0:11:34Well, this house is on the market for offers around £399,500.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36But, I spoke to the estate agent,
0:11:36 > 0:11:40and he reckons they may well settle at somewhere around your guesses,
0:11:40 > 0:11:42maybe somewhere between the two of both of you.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45- That sounds promising.- Yeah. - Doesn't it?- Yeah.- It does.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48Squeezing in just under their £400,000 budget,
0:11:48 > 0:11:50and with an offer not out of the question,
0:11:50 > 0:11:52our Mystery House ultimately seemed
0:11:52 > 0:11:55to be a surprisingly strong contender.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58I left Elaine and Paul with some tough decisions to make.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02The first property I'd shown them had blown them away with character,
0:12:02 > 0:12:04but then the charm of that semidetached Mystery House
0:12:04 > 0:12:07seemed at the time to have captivated them.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10So, which house did they ultimately plump for?
0:12:16 > 0:12:20Despite being seriously tempted by the first property,
0:12:20 > 0:12:24I think the thatch was just a step too far for ex-fireman Paul.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27But one house that seemed to be firmly fixed in their minds
0:12:27 > 0:12:30by the end of the search was our Mystery property.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34And I'm chuffed to say I'm right back here to meet Elaine and Paul,
0:12:34 > 0:12:36to catch up with them and see how
0:12:36 > 0:12:39this house has opened up the doors to the country lifestyle
0:12:39 > 0:12:40they dreamt of.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45- Hello.- Hello, hello, hello. - The happy couple, how are you?
0:12:45 > 0:12:48- Very well.- Good to see you both. - Hello, Jonnie, how are you doing?
0:12:48 > 0:12:51All right, yeah. It's just like being in North London, isn't it?
0:12:51 > 0:12:53- Exactly the same. - No.- Not at all!
0:12:53 > 0:12:54Look at the state of your faces,
0:12:54 > 0:12:56you're so happy to be here, aren't you?
0:12:56 > 0:12:58- Yeah.- Settled in after a few years now?
0:12:58 > 0:12:59Yeah, yeah, five years.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02So, have you found where the kettle is?
0:13:02 > 0:13:04- Oh, yeah, come on, we'll put it on. - Come on. There we go.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08They always loved the style of the interior
0:13:08 > 0:13:09when I showed it to them so,
0:13:09 > 0:13:13aside from some decorating, it remains pretty unaltered.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16Come on in, come on in, Jonnie, welcome to our home.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18Here we are, then. The country kitchen.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21The country kitchen. So, you haven't done a great deal here.
0:13:21 > 0:13:22This is as it was.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26More or less. I mean, we put a table in, changed the cooker,
0:13:26 > 0:13:29a small lick of paint in strategic places.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31- But nothing major.- So, do you spend a lot of time in here?
0:13:31 > 0:13:34I mean, breakfast, I suppose you'd be here all the time.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37- Actually, we hardly eat a thing! - The Suffolk stone.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41- We don't each much! - You're a bit of a baker as well?
0:13:41 > 0:13:43I do do a bit of baking, yeah, we do. It is a lovely room.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45Yeah, we do spend a fair old bit of time in here.
0:13:45 > 0:13:50Good. The living room next door is largely as I remember it.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52Another room we haven't done a huge amount of decorating to.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54But wasn't that part of the attraction here?
0:13:54 > 0:13:56You didn't have to do loads of work,
0:13:56 > 0:13:59you just wanted to move in and enjoy your life straight away?
0:13:59 > 0:14:02- Pretty much.- And you do? - Yeah, we do, yeah.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06- Are you enjoying having a proper solid fuel fire?- Oh, yeah, yeah.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09- Are you chopping wood? - Oh, yes.- Of course you are.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11- Of course you are.- Yeah. Over here, we've got two multi stoves,
0:14:11 > 0:14:13they're brilliant, absolutely brilliant.
0:14:13 > 0:14:14Shall we have a sit down, a cup of
0:14:14 > 0:14:17tea, and talk about how everything's gone, shall we?
0:14:17 > 0:14:19- Lovely.- You don't get a stronger hint than that, do you?
0:14:19 > 0:14:21- All right, all right! - Get the kettle on, someone!
0:14:23 > 0:14:25Upstairs has also seen some superficial changes
0:14:25 > 0:14:29as they've always been very happy with their new home as is.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31A sentiment echoed by the new dogs
0:14:31 > 0:14:35that Paul always dreamt of owning once they made their move.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38Let's face it, for you two,
0:14:38 > 0:14:41you had a real escape to the country, didn't you?
0:14:41 > 0:14:44Living in London, to here.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48Was there a point when you put the offer in, and you thought, "Wow,
0:14:48 > 0:14:50- "this is happening?"- Oh, yeah.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52- Yeah.- Pure, complete panic.
0:14:52 > 0:14:53- Was there panic?- Yeah, for sure.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55I think there is with any time you buy a house,
0:14:55 > 0:14:57but there was that moment, definitely.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00Because you weren't buying a house, for want of a better cliche,
0:15:00 > 0:15:02you were buying into a new lifestyle?
0:15:02 > 0:15:06- Yes.- This was supposed to be opening doors into this new lifestyle,
0:15:06 > 0:15:07- wasn't it?- Yeah, yeah, totally.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10- Yeah.- It's a challenge. How did you find that?
0:15:10 > 0:15:12Moving in? You didn't have much stuff to move in,
0:15:12 > 0:15:14you were coming from a flat, weren't you?
0:15:14 > 0:15:17- It's true, actually. - It is true, yeah.
0:15:17 > 0:15:22The whole process was so smooth and so easy, it surprised us.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25The whole thing just went like a dream.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27And then, when we got here, all the neighbours came.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29A day or two of moving, everyone knocks on the door,
0:15:29 > 0:15:31says hello, welcome.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34It's like, we lived in London for 15 years and didn't meet our neighbours
0:15:34 > 0:15:35until a week before we moved.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37You hear that a lot about the countryside.
0:15:37 > 0:15:42You both had things you wanted to either do more of, or even to start.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46Paul? You were an apiarist, weren't you?
0:15:46 > 0:15:50- Yes.- You wanted to keep your bees. - I couldn't help that.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54Yeah, that's right. I wanted bees in my own garden.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56And I have, I've got three hives.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58Can you sum up how your life has changed for the better here?
0:15:58 > 0:16:02I mean, you can tell, you're both very content here.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05It's the way of life, isn't it? It's quieter, less stressful.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09- Fitter.- Yeah.- Oh, yeah? What, more active in general?
0:16:09 > 0:16:12Yeah, but especially having the dogs as well, you're out and about.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15You started walking, you'd never walk anywhere before.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17- No.- Quite happy.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20Yeah, out and about doing things outside.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23Elaine has been busy in the garden as well,
0:16:23 > 0:16:25and it now provides a steady stream
0:16:25 > 0:16:27of fruit and veg in the summer months,
0:16:27 > 0:16:31with anything left over pickled and preserved for later on.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33And she's even got those chickens she was after, as well.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37- Hello, ladies!- Here's my girls.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41- Come on in. Ten girls and one boy. - Which one is this? It's a silky.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44- It's a silky, yeah.- It's got a touch of the Tina Turner about him,
0:16:44 > 0:16:46- hasn't he?- He's lovely, he's a really good boy.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49So, how long have you had bees?
0:16:49 > 0:16:52We've had chickens pretty much as soon as we moved in.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54- Have you kept chickens before? - No, never.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57So, did you have to read up about it?
0:16:57 > 0:16:59Of course, got books, got loads of books.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02But good for you, though. Lots of people, they always say,
0:17:02 > 0:17:04"Oh, yeah, I want to move to the countryside,
0:17:04 > 0:17:05"I want to keep my own chickens."
0:17:05 > 0:17:08Do they actually do it? Some of them do, some of them don't.
0:17:08 > 0:17:09You've done it and you've done it well.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12- Thank you.- You've not just got the hens, though, look at the garden,
0:17:12 > 0:17:15you're producing all sorts. Loads of veggies I can see.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19- Yes, yeah. Do you want to check the eggs?- Yes, good, good, good.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22- How many are in lay at the moment? - About four or five of them.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26- Morning, my love.- Come on. - Out you come. There we go.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29Four beauties!
0:17:29 > 0:17:30It's like magic, isn't it?
0:17:30 > 0:17:33Oh, I remember growing up with chickens,
0:17:33 > 0:17:35and every time you open up the hatch,
0:17:35 > 0:17:36it's like Christmas every day.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39- How many have I got today? - I know, it's exciting.
0:17:39 > 0:17:40And, of course, being a baker,
0:17:40 > 0:17:43I mean, this forces your hand a bit, doesn't it?
0:17:43 > 0:17:45Well, it forces your hand, but also,
0:17:45 > 0:17:47with the honey and the eggs, you do become fairly popular.
0:17:47 > 0:17:48I bet you do, yeah.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52Both Paul and Elaine have achieved their goals,
0:17:52 > 0:17:56and their new life is all about enjoying country living.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59And, along with their new four-legged companions,
0:17:59 > 0:18:03they've started taking part in weekly dog agility classes,
0:18:03 > 0:18:05something I can't wait to see for myself.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09Let's have a look at this, Paul. PAUL LAUGHS
0:18:09 > 0:18:11Let's see how well you've trained your dog.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13Come. Sit.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17Stay. Stay.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19Come, come, Bella, come.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23Weave, weave, weave, weave, weave.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27- There we go.- Ah, bravo! - Sit.- That's amazing.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30- Give him a treat.- There you go. - Well done.
0:18:30 > 0:18:31Good girl. What I like about this,
0:18:31 > 0:18:35this is something, by the looks of it, that brings you both together?
0:18:35 > 0:18:37- Yeah.- This isn't just about dog agility,
0:18:37 > 0:18:41this is about behavioural tactics with the dog.
0:18:41 > 0:18:42- Absolutely.- And the bond as well,
0:18:42 > 0:18:44it's increasing your bond with your dog,
0:18:44 > 0:18:46and just doing something together.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49But also I can see this is a club.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52- Yeah.- And with a club come members, become a social group...
0:18:52 > 0:18:56- That's right.- Who gets more out of this, the dogs or you two?
0:18:56 > 0:18:58- A bit of both, really. - Both, yeah, it's both.
0:18:58 > 0:18:59- How often do you come here? - Oh, at least...
0:18:59 > 0:19:02- Weekly.- At least once a week, yeah. - Amazing.- It's very good.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05Yet another thing you're getting to do out here in Suffolk, isn't it?
0:19:05 > 0:19:07- Yeah.- You've got a busy life, haven't you?
0:19:07 > 0:19:10I couldn't fit work in, nightmare!
0:19:10 > 0:19:11- No regrets?- None.- None.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15You both look like you've got a fantastic life here,
0:19:15 > 0:19:18I'm really happy for you. Someone's got some jumps to go over before
0:19:18 > 0:19:20dinner time. It's been cracking to see you.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22I'll come by next time and check up on that honey.
0:19:22 > 0:19:27How great to see our escapees so successfully turning their country
0:19:27 > 0:19:29dream into a rewarding reality.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36Over the years, across the length and breadth of the UK,
0:19:36 > 0:19:38our house buyers have been armed
0:19:38 > 0:19:40with various budgets and different wish lists,
0:19:40 > 0:19:44but they're all driven to improve their quality of life from a move
0:19:44 > 0:19:45to the country.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49Back in September of 2014, Kate, who worked in publishing,
0:19:49 > 0:19:51and husband Ross, an ex-banker,
0:19:51 > 0:19:55were looking to leave behind their hectic lives in London's Crouch End.
0:19:55 > 0:19:56But they wanted to keep busy,
0:19:56 > 0:19:59so had dreams of running either holiday lets
0:19:59 > 0:20:03or a glamping business in the beautiful Somerset countryside.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06With a budget of £650,000,
0:20:06 > 0:20:08they were both taken with our Mystery House
0:20:08 > 0:20:09in the village of Butleigh.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15I wanted to show you the house at the best possible angle.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18- Look at that. - That is lovely.- Very pretty.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21It's nice and symmetrical, pretty stone.
0:20:21 > 0:20:22This is your garden.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25- That's it.- Not massive.- No.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27It's not the land you wanted.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30- No. The house is more important. - So you like the look of it?
0:20:30 > 0:20:33- Yes.- Yes. Definitely.
0:20:33 > 0:20:34- Shall we go inside?- Yes.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36So Kate and Ross seemed to be liking
0:20:36 > 0:20:38what they have seen so far and this house
0:20:38 > 0:20:40still had plenty more to reveal.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44Let's start off with the main living room.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46- Yeah, I like it. - Oh, that's very nice.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48It's nice, nice windows.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50- Nice floor.- Excellent start.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52Also downstairs was a good size
0:20:52 > 0:20:54kitchen-diner which offered the chance to
0:20:54 > 0:20:56put their own stamp on the property
0:20:56 > 0:20:59and bring it more in line with their own decorative taste.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02Upstairs gave them four bedrooms.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05A little bit of TLC might have been needed to make them work
0:21:05 > 0:21:06with the rest of the house,
0:21:06 > 0:21:09but it was nothing Ross and Kate couldn't handle.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13And I still had one final feature I couldn't wait to show off
0:21:13 > 0:21:14just across the courtyard.
0:21:14 > 0:21:21Now you might get jealous of your clients when you see this room.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23Wow. It's amazing.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25That's a lovely little room. That's one fireplace, isn't it?
0:21:25 > 0:21:28It's amazing. Does it actually work?
0:21:28 > 0:21:29Yeah, all working.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31So this is a whole separate house?
0:21:31 > 0:21:34Holiday let, yeah. I've got to show you this bedroom.
0:21:34 > 0:21:35- Come with me.- OK.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38This up and running holiday let already had guests booked in.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42The building itself dated back some 500 years.
0:21:42 > 0:21:47Now, I absolutely love this room.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49- Look at this!- My God.- It's amazing.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53- It is.- A really sort of good, romantic holiday cottage.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56But that wasn't all I had up my sleeve,
0:21:56 > 0:22:00as the Mystery House also came with two further self-contained annexes
0:22:00 > 0:22:02in the form of a Grade II listed one-bedroom
0:22:02 > 0:22:04Victorian rental cottage...
0:22:05 > 0:22:07As well as a former shop that had
0:22:07 > 0:22:11been converted into a one-bed studio apartment.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13With so much an offer, I was starting to wonder
0:22:13 > 0:22:17if Ross and Kate would even come close to getting the price.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22How much do you think the Mystery House is on the market for?
0:22:22 > 0:22:24I would say 675.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28- OK, Kate?- I think it's more, I think there's so much potential here.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30I think it's more like...
0:22:30 > 0:22:32685.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36Well, I'll tell you you're both rubbish at this game.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39- But in the best possible way.- Good.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42This place is on the market for offers around £545,000.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44- No.- Yeah.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47I can't believe that. I'm...gobsmacked.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51And our Mystery House made such a strong impression on Kate and Ross
0:22:51 > 0:22:55that they did in fact follow it up and put in that all-important offer.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58Another high point of our property hunting pursuits.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04For all the reasons that people have for making a big move to the
0:23:04 > 0:23:08countryside whether it's starting a new chapter as retirement beckons or
0:23:08 > 0:23:11maybe raising a family in the great outdoors
0:23:11 > 0:23:13focus is always on quality of life
0:23:13 > 0:23:16and that's exactly what our next house-buyers
0:23:16 > 0:23:18Francesco and Kristi were after.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21They were looking to leave behind the hustle and bustle of
0:23:21 > 0:23:25London and make a beeline for rural Kent.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29It was back in October of 2013 that Canadian-born Kristi and her
0:23:29 > 0:23:32Italian husband Francesco were looking to start a new life
0:23:32 > 0:23:35in the country with their young daughter Cora.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39We do have a 21-month-old daughter and we want to give her the best
0:23:39 > 0:23:42experience that she can have, she can have lots of outdoor space,
0:23:42 > 0:23:44a bigger home for her to play in.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47When I was a kid, I grew up in the country,
0:23:47 > 0:23:50so for me it's like my heritage and background and I
0:23:50 > 0:23:56would like to have the same kind of opportunity for my daughter.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59They had visited Kent before and part of the appeal of the county
0:23:59 > 0:24:02was its excellent transport links for Francesco's work
0:24:02 > 0:24:05and good schools for daughter Cora.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08They were both also looking forward to spending more time with her and
0:24:08 > 0:24:12having some garden space of their own for her to play in.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15Having moved three times already since living in the UK, they had
0:24:15 > 0:24:18everything crossed that we'd be able to find them the perfect home.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22We're hoping that this move to the country is our last move
0:24:22 > 0:24:26and we finally settle in and we establish our lives there.
0:24:26 > 0:24:31We want to be permanently placed and...fingers crossed.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34When it came to specifics about this perfect house,
0:24:34 > 0:24:36they were after a contemporary modern home
0:24:36 > 0:24:38with plenty of character.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41They wanted four bedrooms including an office space
0:24:41 > 0:24:43for Francesco and they requested a large garden
0:24:43 > 0:24:46for daughter Cora to play in along with being
0:24:46 > 0:24:49close to schools and excellent transport links.
0:24:49 > 0:24:54With a £650,000 budget, I knew I'd have my work cut out with this one.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58The first house I took them to was a magnificent barn conversion
0:24:58 > 0:25:02in the village of Hunton, set down a quiet country lane.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05- Beautiful.- It's beautiful. - Really.- This is good reactions.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08- Yeah.- It's a very good reaction. - Yeah.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10We were hoping for a barn conversion
0:25:10 > 0:25:13- and that window in the front is awesome.- Like it?
0:25:13 > 0:25:16- Yes.- Let's go inside. - OK.- Let's go.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18I was very happy with those reactions.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20The barn had been converted in
0:25:20 > 0:25:22the last ten years with huge floor to ceiling windows
0:25:22 > 0:25:26creating an impressive light entrance.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28So this is the formal entrance, if you like.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30- I love it.- Wow.
0:25:30 > 0:25:31It's beautiful.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33It's very warm and inviting.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37There's a good contrast between modernity and character.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40- Yeah, the floors look beautiful. - Great, wow.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43Well, a great start it seemed, and the good feelings continued as we
0:25:43 > 0:25:45made our way to the kitchen.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48- I like the kitchen. - That's a good size for us.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50There's lots of counter space for you.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52Lots of counter space for YOU?
0:25:52 > 0:25:56- Cos Francesco's the...chef. - Not a chef, but...- And the baker.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59You don't want to keep an Italian man out of the kitchen, do you?
0:25:59 > 0:26:03- No.- So far so good. Next up - the living room.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06- I like it.- Good size, I think.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08- Yeah.- Yeah.- You've had great reactions.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10- Yes.- You said you wanted open-plan.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13- It's... I would say semi open-plan. - Semi-open, yeah, but it's fine.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17This would be a good definition of open for us.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19- Yes.- A little bit dark.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21- Yeah.- Maybe.- Small windows. - Small windows.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25Upstairs there were three bedrooms including a generous master with
0:26:25 > 0:26:27vaulted ceiling and ensuite.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30We then ventured outside to explore the garden
0:26:30 > 0:26:33and with almost an acre of land to play with,
0:26:33 > 0:26:37I was sure Cora would have been pleased with what we found.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39All that remained was to guess the price.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42How much do you think this property's on the market for?
0:26:42 > 0:26:46I'm going to take a guess at £625,000.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50- OK.- I will go for 645.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53- OK. Well, Kristi, you're good.- Am I?
0:26:53 > 0:26:56- £625,000.- Wow!
0:26:58 > 0:27:01£25,000 under budget, our first house certainly seemed
0:27:01 > 0:27:04to have impressed Kristi and Francesco
0:27:04 > 0:27:05with its outside space,
0:27:05 > 0:27:08not to mention its unique character and style.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10So with that in mind,
0:27:10 > 0:27:13I wanted to see if I could do even better with our second property
0:27:13 > 0:27:16which was found in the heart of the pretty little village
0:27:16 > 0:27:18of St Nicholas at Wade.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20Now then, I know you like barn conversions.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23- Yes, we do.- Yes. - And this is a beautiful one.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27The garden is just a little bit small.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31That is the only issue you're going to find with this house.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33The property had been converted about five years before
0:27:33 > 0:27:38and was originally a threshing barn that dated back to the 16th century.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42So...
0:27:42 > 0:27:45- Open-plan. - It's very much open-plan.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47- Yeah, beautiful.- Yeah, really beautiful.- I really like it.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50This is probably what we wanted in terms of open place.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53- It's like a loft, right? - It's like a loft, yeah.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55Look at the kitchen, though.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57Let's take a closer look. It's a good size, isn't it?
0:27:57 > 0:28:00- Yeah, it's a great size. - Yes, a great size.- Yes, beautiful.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03You can see they've laid this out as a dining area initially there.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05Yeah. I probably would change the layout.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07But let's keep looking at the house
0:28:07 > 0:28:10and we'll discuss the more macro rationale later on, shall we?
0:28:10 > 0:28:12- Yes.- Kristi and Francesco
0:28:12 > 0:28:15were impressed by the way the long, open space
0:28:15 > 0:28:19had been divided into zones for living, dining,
0:28:19 > 0:28:21and working from home.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23But there was one more room right at the end of the house
0:28:23 > 0:28:25that was our next stop.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27So this is the dedicated living room,
0:28:27 > 0:28:30with the double doors open, it still feels open-plan, but...
0:28:30 > 0:28:33- Oh, yeah.- ..but you can shut them and have a bit more privacy in here.
0:28:33 > 0:28:35I like it.
0:28:35 > 0:28:39I think it's probably bigger than we thought at the beginning.
0:28:39 > 0:28:42- Yeah.- Even from outside, it doesn't look like so big.
0:28:42 > 0:28:44Also on the ground floor there was another separate room
0:28:44 > 0:28:48that could easily become an office or even a playroom.
0:28:48 > 0:28:52Upstairs really raised the roof with a total of five bedrooms including a
0:28:52 > 0:28:55master suite that blew them away.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57This is the size of our apartment right now.
0:28:57 > 0:29:03- Wow.- It's enormous.- Wow. - It's beautiful.
0:29:03 > 0:29:07But before long it was time to turn our thoughts to the price.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10Let's revisit this garden.
0:29:10 > 0:29:12After viewing that house...
0:29:12 > 0:29:15Yeah, garden not so much.
0:29:15 > 0:29:20Funny, isn't it? So how much do you think this property's on the market
0:29:20 > 0:29:26- for?- I think it's well beyond the budget and I'm thinking its...
0:29:26 > 0:29:29..£735,000.
0:29:29 > 0:29:35Yeah, I think it's above our budget, probably 710.
0:29:35 > 0:29:41Right, Well, this house is on the market for offers around £625,000.
0:29:41 > 0:29:43- Oh!- Oh, my goodness.- Wow!
0:29:43 > 0:29:46- Oh, really?- Really?
0:29:46 > 0:29:48- You're not joking.- Nope.
0:29:49 > 0:29:54Also coming in at £624,000, it felt like Kristi and Francesco
0:29:54 > 0:29:56had really connected with this one.
0:29:58 > 0:30:00Two properties down and it was clear
0:30:00 > 0:30:03that both had something to offer Francesco and Kristi.
0:30:03 > 0:30:05Although I was thinking it was maybe a battle
0:30:05 > 0:30:08between their favourite house and their favourite garden.
0:30:08 > 0:30:10So time to see if our Mystery offering
0:30:10 > 0:30:14could bring an element of fresh thinking to their search.
0:30:14 > 0:30:17Our final stop was on the village of Higham,
0:30:17 > 0:30:21and I had something special up my sleeve in a form of a converted
0:30:21 > 0:30:24oast house dating back to the early 1900s.
0:30:24 > 0:30:26- Do you like it?- Yes.- Very much.
0:30:26 > 0:30:30- I really like it, I love the brick, I love the windows. Yeah.- Good.
0:30:30 > 0:30:32It looks very nice from the outside.
0:30:32 > 0:30:34It's very spacious outside, yeah, very green.
0:30:34 > 0:30:35- Yeah, the garden is wonderful.- OK.
0:30:35 > 0:30:39- Let's see what you think of it shall we?- Great, thanks.- Thank you.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41Our Mystery House was a fairly recent conversion
0:30:41 > 0:30:44having still been a fully functioning oast house
0:30:44 > 0:30:46just 12 years before our visit.
0:30:46 > 0:30:50- Our tour started in the kitchen. - Very nice kitchen.- I like it.
0:30:50 > 0:30:52- Yeah.- Very big.
0:30:52 > 0:30:54- The reason we've chosen this as the Mystery House...- Yes.
0:30:54 > 0:30:58It looks a bit different. But it is not that open-plan...
0:30:58 > 0:30:59- Yeah.- ..that you said you wanted.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02But we also said that whilst you might be challenged to that end,
0:31:02 > 0:31:05the rooms are of a decent size anyway, so it's something to
0:31:05 > 0:31:07- get your head around, isn't it? - Yeah.- Definitely.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10- OK.- I haven't got an overwhelming response from Kristi and Francesco
0:31:10 > 0:31:15so far but there was plenty more to explore with three further reception
0:31:15 > 0:31:19rooms, including a dining room, and a good-sized living room.
0:31:20 > 0:31:22Upstairs we found five bedrooms,
0:31:22 > 0:31:25including two singles and two good-sized doubles
0:31:25 > 0:31:29with the final one of course being the master suite.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32Oh, it's very pretty.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35- Oh, that's nice.- I really love the flooring, wow.
0:31:35 > 0:31:37This is a beautiful room.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39- It's bigger than we thought. - It's a huge room.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41I think it's probably better upstairs than downstairs,
0:31:41 > 0:31:44- to be honest, our first impression. - You're moving here with Cora,
0:31:44 > 0:31:46so let's go and have a look at her bedroom, shall we?
0:31:46 > 0:31:48- Yes, thanks.- I've decorated it for her.
0:31:49 > 0:31:50So, coming up these steps,
0:31:50 > 0:31:53we're going into the top of those oast houses.
0:31:53 > 0:31:55- Yeah.- You can see the shape, now, can't you?
0:31:55 > 0:31:56Yeah, I like the shape.
0:31:56 > 0:32:00This is a bigger house than we thought, actually, from outside.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03This house might not have had the open plan feel that Kristi
0:32:03 > 0:32:08and Francesco were after, but it certainly did have plenty of space.
0:32:08 > 0:32:12Outside, there was almost an acre of land and that even included a summer
0:32:12 > 0:32:16house that could make an excellent office for Francesco.
0:32:16 > 0:32:20All that was left was to start thinking about price.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23How much do you think this house is on the market for?
0:32:23 > 0:32:28I think it's £649,995.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31I think I'm going to go a little bit higher than that.
0:32:31 > 0:32:33- OK.- Probably 660.
0:32:33 > 0:32:35The asking price is offers above £650,000.
0:32:35 > 0:32:39- OK.- Yeah.- So you're both in the ballpark.- Right.
0:32:39 > 0:32:44Right at the top of their budget, at offers over £650,000,
0:32:44 > 0:32:46the unique character and gorgeous gardens
0:32:46 > 0:32:49of our somewhat unexpected Mystery House
0:32:49 > 0:32:52seemed to have given Kristi and Francesco a lot to consider.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57So would the expansive gardens of house one
0:32:57 > 0:33:00or of our Mystery House win through over property two,
0:33:00 > 0:33:04which provided the perfect home albeit with a smaller garden?
0:33:04 > 0:33:06Time to find out.
0:33:08 > 0:33:12Well, seemingly Francesco and Kristi ripped up their wish list and threw
0:33:12 > 0:33:14it out of the window.
0:33:14 > 0:33:16They were adamant they wanted a large garden
0:33:16 > 0:33:18with views of the countryside.
0:33:18 > 0:33:20But as soon as they set foot in house number two,
0:33:20 > 0:33:22they fell in love with it
0:33:22 > 0:33:26and decided a smaller garden, well, it was a compromise worth making.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29They moved into this place, what, just over three years ago
0:33:29 > 0:33:31and I can't wait to see how they've put their own stamp
0:33:31 > 0:33:34on what was already a fantastic property.
0:33:40 > 0:33:41- Hello, how are you?- Hi, Jonnie. How are you?
0:33:41 > 0:33:44- Lovely to see you again. - Nice to see you.
0:33:44 > 0:33:47- Hi, Jonnie, good to see you again. - Lovely to see you both.
0:33:47 > 0:33:49Beautiful day, beautiful weather down here.
0:33:49 > 0:33:51- It's gorgeous.- Have you done much to it?
0:33:51 > 0:33:53Yeah. We've done a tiny bit of colour and...
0:33:53 > 0:33:57- Well, show me, lead the way. - Come on in. Thank you very much
0:33:57 > 0:34:01Kristi and Francesco loved the layout of this place right from the
0:34:01 > 0:34:03start. So I'm not surprised that the
0:34:03 > 0:34:06biggest changes they've made have been stylistic.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11You know, I forgot just how cool this house is.
0:34:11 > 0:34:13- Yeah.- It's absolutely amazing.
0:34:13 > 0:34:15Yeah, it's massive, yeah, we love living here.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18- Do you?- Yes.- Yeah. - Yes, we love it.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21It's really peaceful, it's so much space.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23- There's no going back. - Really? No going back?
0:34:23 > 0:34:27- No, no.- No, I couldn't move back, couldn't move back to the city
0:34:27 > 0:34:31after living here. And now we've got Cora, she's five,
0:34:31 > 0:34:33it just makes sense to live down here.
0:34:33 > 0:34:37I think it's a combination between the space, quality of life...
0:34:38 > 0:34:40- Yes.- ..different pace.
0:34:40 > 0:34:42I think we've got to what we were looking for.
0:34:42 > 0:34:44- Sounds like it.- Thanks to you guys.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47Well, let's...let's talk about where we are at the moment.
0:34:47 > 0:34:51I think I'm standing where a wall used to be.
0:34:51 > 0:34:53Yeah, that's right. We took down a wall.
0:34:53 > 0:34:56- So basically in line here. - Yeah, cutting off that bit.
0:34:56 > 0:34:59- That's right.- We wanted to create a much bigger open space.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02I was going to say, if you'd had told me at the time, "Yeah,
0:35:02 > 0:35:04"we're going to make this even more open-plan,"
0:35:04 > 0:35:06- I'd have thought you're nuts. - Thought it's not possible!
0:35:06 > 0:35:10- But it...it works, doesn't it? - It really works.- I love it.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13- What about the kitchen? Any changes? - Yes, a lot.- Big changes.
0:35:13 > 0:35:19We took out all the cabinetry, we reshaped the kitchen island.
0:35:19 > 0:35:23We put in tiles and the big piece is also just over there,
0:35:23 > 0:35:25we've added all that cabinetry on that side.
0:35:25 > 0:35:27Ah, of course, for the cook. Do you use all five rings?
0:35:27 > 0:35:30- Yes, we do, we do. - There's a pizza oven in there too.
0:35:30 > 0:35:34- Is there? Of course there is! - We can make six pizzas in there.
0:35:34 > 0:35:38The spacious, open-plan character of this house has only been enhanced by
0:35:38 > 0:35:40Kristi and Francesco's efforts
0:35:40 > 0:35:44with tasteful splashes of colour now found throughout.
0:35:45 > 0:35:49They've kept the separate spaces for working and living downstairs,
0:35:49 > 0:35:53and Francesco has even found a home for his books.
0:35:53 > 0:35:55But there's one other room that has caught my eye.
0:35:57 > 0:36:00Well, someone's made this place their own, haven't they?
0:36:00 > 0:36:03- Yeah.- I see nothing to do with adults in this room.
0:36:03 > 0:36:05- No, it's all Cora's.- All Cora.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08Sometimes she says, "Don't come in, I'm working."
0:36:08 > 0:36:10OK, fine, see you at dinner, brilliant.
0:36:10 > 0:36:13And how do you find...? Because this is on one of the thoroughfares...
0:36:13 > 0:36:17- Not a thoroughfare, but you're on the road there.- Yes.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20- Not bothering you at all? - No.- I came in round the back as
0:36:20 > 0:36:22we did when we first arrived here, it's...
0:36:22 > 0:36:24- No, no, not at all. - It's pretty quiet.- Pretty quiet.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27Yeah, we're across the street from the school and it's got its two busy
0:36:27 > 0:36:29points in the day, but other than
0:36:29 > 0:36:31that, I mean, it's so peaceful in here.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35This house always embodied the kind of lifestyle Francesco
0:36:35 > 0:36:37and Kristi dreamt of living.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40But the one thing that wasn't quite ideal was the outdoor space.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43The big compromise here was the garden, wasn't it?
0:36:43 > 0:36:45The size. You've taken a couple of trees down,
0:36:45 > 0:36:47you've got a bit more space here.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50Yeah, it looks much bigger than initially appeared.
0:36:50 > 0:36:51Than when we first saw it.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54So, yeah, we did a good clear out of it.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57But you were adamant, both of you, that you wanted a big garden...
0:36:57 > 0:36:59- We did.- ..with countryside views.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02Yeah, we wanted acres, Jonnie, at first.
0:37:02 > 0:37:06Then we realised how much, how much time this takes.
0:37:06 > 0:37:07But we loved probably the idea,
0:37:07 > 0:37:10but we're not experienced country people.
0:37:10 > 0:37:14And then we realised how much work you need to put into
0:37:14 > 0:37:16just to maintain this garden.
0:37:16 > 0:37:19I can see you've...made a very low-maintenance
0:37:19 > 0:37:21attempt at gardening here.
0:37:21 > 0:37:23Yes, it's got to be easy. Yeah.
0:37:23 > 0:37:26That grass doesn't look like it's going to do much growing.
0:37:26 > 0:37:28It's a great idea, when did you get that done?
0:37:28 > 0:37:31It was maybe a year and a half ago.
0:37:31 > 0:37:33- We were sick and tired of... - So you did mow the lawn initially?
0:37:33 > 0:37:35Initially. Then I destroyed...
0:37:35 > 0:37:37Well, you know what, he tried it once.
0:37:37 > 0:37:39And then the cord broke.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43So we gave up and we said let's install a fake lawn.
0:37:43 > 0:37:45The fake grass. It looks great.
0:37:45 > 0:37:47It's interesting that a lot of people consider
0:37:47 > 0:37:50that they'll move to the countryside when they get older.
0:37:50 > 0:37:52- Why wait that long?- Yeah, exactly.
0:37:52 > 0:37:57- Why wait?- Yeah, do it, do it now, do it whenever you feel ready to do it.
0:37:57 > 0:37:58I'm going home and I'm selling up.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02So how's Cora enjoying her life out here?
0:38:02 > 0:38:04She's making lots of great friends.
0:38:04 > 0:38:06I mean, it's just great here, there's so much space for her.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08It's also, we feel it's a lot safer.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11There's the beaches here, there's so many beaches, blue flag beaches.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14She must be finishing school pretty soon, isn't she?
0:38:14 > 0:38:15- Yes, she is.- Shall we go and pick her up
0:38:15 > 0:38:18- and maybe take her to the beach? - Yes.- Yes.
0:38:18 > 0:38:21The whole family seem very happy in their new home
0:38:21 > 0:38:24and with the beach close by, who wouldn't be?
0:38:27 > 0:38:30Right then, where are we going to build a sand castle?
0:38:30 > 0:38:33- Mm.- This looks like a good spot, nice and dry.- Yeah.
0:38:33 > 0:38:35So how often do you come down here then?
0:38:35 > 0:38:37I think we come pretty often.
0:38:37 > 0:38:41- Yeah. All year round. - Exactly, year-round.
0:38:41 > 0:38:44- Even in the winter as well? - Yeah.- Yeah.
0:38:44 > 0:38:46Because you can still bring the bike down,
0:38:46 > 0:38:48there's lots of trails around here.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51- Have you made sand castles here before?- Yes.
0:38:51 > 0:38:52Are you good at it? You look like
0:38:52 > 0:38:56- you know what you're doing with a spade.- Yeah.
0:38:56 > 0:38:58This is not just about coming down for exercise.
0:38:58 > 0:39:02- Well, you do triathlons.- Yes. - Do you swim here?- Yeah, I do, I do.
0:39:02 > 0:39:05- In this sea?- In this sea, yeah.
0:39:05 > 0:39:07- Cold sea.- Cold sea, but...
0:39:07 > 0:39:09With a wet suit you can manage, yeah.
0:39:09 > 0:39:11I thought you'd lost your marbles then.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14- OK.- Soon we have the dog. - Yeah, we're getting a puppy.
0:39:14 > 0:39:17- Are you?- So he'll be coming around here.- You're getting a puppy, Cora.
0:39:17 > 0:39:20- Yes.- Yeah!- She's excited. - What's his name?- What is his name?
0:39:20 > 0:39:24- Rudy.- Rudy.- Rudy. Good name.
0:39:24 > 0:39:26- Yeah.- Giving it a pat?
0:39:26 > 0:39:30But it's not just about coming down here and exercising...
0:39:30 > 0:39:34- Daddy, let me pat. - Come on, let the boss pat.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36- Oh, sorry.- Go on, Cora, good patting.
0:39:36 > 0:39:38But this is about family time, isn't it?
0:39:38 > 0:39:42- Yeah.- Yes. I think it is everything you probably don't get in London.
0:39:42 > 0:39:44Yeah. But then you look at it.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46Here we go. Ohh!
0:39:46 > 0:39:49- Big tip.- Quickly.- Oh...
0:39:49 > 0:39:53- Oh!- Go on, then.- Lift up.- Lift up.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56- Yeah.- Give it a magic tap.- Tap.
0:39:56 > 0:39:59OK, let's have a look at her.
0:40:01 > 0:40:03- ALL:- Oh!
0:40:05 > 0:40:07I think that's mine and Francesco's
0:40:07 > 0:40:09cue to try and drum up some ice cream.
0:40:09 > 0:40:11You've got to be pretty satisfied
0:40:11 > 0:40:13with where you and your family are right now?
0:40:13 > 0:40:16Yeah, definitely. It's been a calculated move.
0:40:16 > 0:40:22So we wanted to move to the country so for us it was, yeah,
0:40:22 > 0:40:23not a big decision, but it was
0:40:23 > 0:40:27something that was aiming for quite a long time
0:40:27 > 0:40:29and luckily we found the right place.
0:40:29 > 0:40:31Now you're here by the sea,
0:40:31 > 0:40:35you can see that all your ducks are in a row here, now, aren't they?
0:40:35 > 0:40:37Yes. We took it with the right spirit.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40- Yeah.- I don't want to say that it's easy peasy, but...
0:40:40 > 0:40:45- No.- ..if you are flexible enough and if you have the right spirit,
0:40:45 > 0:40:49you can find the point of balance between a working life,
0:40:49 > 0:40:53quality of life and at the end of the day life's so short so...
0:40:53 > 0:40:56And it is, but also you can see just how much Cora loves it around here.
0:40:56 > 0:40:57- Definitely.- It's pretty special, isn't it?
0:40:57 > 0:41:01- I think it's a dream for her. - I mean she's your dream kid.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03- Yes.- Until we don't come back with ice creams.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06- Yes.- I know that much about kids.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14Ice cream disaster everyone.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17It's windy and it's melting. Quick!
0:41:17 > 0:41:20Oh, that's nearly falling off. Daddy didn't want one.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23- You don't want that?- It's OK. - I'm going to have this one.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26- Go on, have it quick! - Take it, take it, take it!
0:41:26 > 0:41:29So, apart from the land of melting ice creams,
0:41:29 > 0:41:31I mean, it shows how warm it is here.
0:41:31 > 0:41:33- Yeah.- You happy with it all?
0:41:33 > 0:41:34Yeah, very happy with everything.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37- Any regrets?- I don't think so. - Hm-mm.
0:41:37 > 0:41:39Nothing you'd do differently?
0:41:39 > 0:41:41Maybe we'd postponed it too much.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44Oh, you know what, Jonnie, I think next time a bigger house.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47- Get off!- Yeah, a bigger house.
0:41:47 > 0:41:48- Really?- Double the size!
0:41:48 > 0:41:51You'll start looking for houses with
0:41:51 > 0:41:53big gardens and countryside views, will you?
0:41:53 > 0:41:54Look, you both, all three of you
0:41:54 > 0:41:56look like you're having a great life down here.
0:41:56 > 0:42:01I'm happy for you. I'm going to go home, find a dry cleaners...
0:42:01 > 0:42:05And never buy ice creams in this part of the world again!
0:42:05 > 0:42:08- Nice to meet you, Cora. Enjoy your ice cream.- Say, bye-bye.
0:42:08 > 0:42:10- Bye-bye.- See you both. I would shake your hands,
0:42:10 > 0:42:14- but I'm covered in ice cream. - Bye.- Cheers. Bye.
0:42:19 > 0:42:21One of the things Francesco and Kristi
0:42:21 > 0:42:22were really keen on was getting
0:42:22 > 0:42:24this all important work-life balance,
0:42:24 > 0:42:26especially with a young family.
0:42:26 > 0:42:28And I think moving down here to the Kent coast,
0:42:28 > 0:42:30they've achieved just that and as you can see
0:42:30 > 0:42:34their daughter Cora, well, she's in her element, here, isn't she?
0:42:34 > 0:42:37Thinking back to Paul and Elaine just up the road in Suffolk, well,
0:42:37 > 0:42:39they're living the good life, aren't they?
0:42:39 > 0:42:43They've really embraced countryside living.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46So I hope you've enjoyed revisiting some of our successful buys,
0:42:46 > 0:42:47just as much as I have.
0:42:47 > 0:42:50And I look forward to helping more couples escape
0:42:50 > 0:42:51to the country in the future.
0:42:51 > 0:42:54See you next time.
0:42:54 > 0:42:58If you also dream of escaping to the country in England, Wales,
0:42:58 > 0:42:59Scotland or Northern Ireland
0:42:59 > 0:43:02and would like our help, why not apply online at: