Dorset and Derbyshire I Escaped to the Country

Making the move from city to countryside is often

a momentous step.

Never in a million years I'd imagine I'd be seeing a house like this.

Never, ever.

But for many years, Escape To The Country

has been supporting countless people on the hunt for a new home.

What do we think of this?

Oh, my! Chocolate box.

We've travelled to the most picturesque pockets of Britain...

-Take a look at that killer view.

-That's amazing.

..to showcase thousands of exquisite country properties...

Ah! How pretty is that?

..that our buyers just couldn't resist.

Oh!

-Seriously, get your cheque book out now!

-Wow, really?

Join us as we catch up with those who bought their dream home...

-Well, that's beautiful.

-Are those tears?

-They are, yeah.

..to find out how the move changed their lives when they

escaped to the country.

When it comes to presenting potential homes,

no two reactions to our houses are ever the same.

But one thing's for sure, when a property stirs the soul,

there is nothing more satisfying.

Today, I'm back to catch up with past escapees who've certainly

worn their hearts on their sleeves.

I'll be finding out about how their move to the country has changed

their lives and whether that rose-tinted dream

has lived up to reality.

I'll be retracing my steps across two popular English counties,

Derbyshire in the East Midlands,

and Dorset in the South West.

Later on, I'll be catching up with retiree Pat from Windsor.

She now lives in a pretty Derbyshire village where she's enjoying

spending quality family time with her son and grandchildren.

But first, I'll be visiting Jim and Lisa who bought one of our

characterful heritage properties,

and whose vast country house has become a rural getaway

for visiting friends and relations.

Back in the autumn of 2014,

retired school manager, Lisa, and IT salesman, Jim,

were living in suburban Hampshire.

Lisa was recovering from cancer.

She'd received the all clear and her

illness had given her a fresh perspective.

It changed my outlook on life completely.

Life's for living, you just don't know what's round the corner.

You've got to take everything you can when it's given to you.

She's come out the other end, extremely healthy

and with a new vigour for life.

For their country escape, Jim

and Lisa chose an area they'd driven through many times over the years.

What we love about North Dorset is the greenery.

Just the wide open spaces and it's a bit more undulating than here.

There's a few more hills for wandering up-and-down with the dog.

I think it's going to take a lot of

the stress out of my life, definitely.

Something that we would've done eventually anyway,

we're just going to do sooner.

With Jim planning to commute to London a couple of days a week,

they were after a detached three-bedroom character property,

not too far from a station.

Their wish list included a large kitchen-diner and a

good sized garden for their dog, Shugs.

And their budget for this move was £450,000.

We started off by taking them to the village of Marnhull,

in the Blackmoor Vale, where we showed them

a pretty double-fronted cottage dating to the 1680s.

Oh, ah!

Oh, that's beautiful.

-Are those tears?

-They are, yeah.

Oh, my God, on the first house.

Oh, it's got loads of character.

-Absolutely plenty of that.

-It's just beautiful, isn't it?

-Yeah. It's chocolate box.

-That's the word.

With emotions already running high, we explored the interior,

which was teeming with period features.

Come in.

-Wow.

-Wow.

-Oh, this really does have character.

-It does.

Size-wise, how does this work for you?

-This is fine.

-This is fine, yeah.

-Yeah, I like this.

HE CHUCKLES

She's not always crying though, is she?

-I do cry a lot.

-Aww!

-You wouldn't believe it.

-Let's show you the kitchen.

-Brilliant.

It's a bit smaller than I'm used to, but it's beautiful.

We can make this work, easily.

-You really like this house, don't you?

-Yeah, we do.

Yeah, I do, I really like this house.

This charming character cottage had an upstairs family bathroom

and three bedrooms - two of those were bright doubles.

It feels a little bit small.

It's just an observation, it's not really a criticism at all.

I don't like the sink in the room.

I guess you can move the sink easy enough.

No, I'm still sold on it, though.

The garden to the front and back of the property had plenty of space for

their dog Shugs to stretch his legs.

They clearly loved the house and all that was left was to talk money.

I think it's going to be over our budget.

I think it's going to be on the market for £465,000.

-Jim?

-I don't think you'd be that cruel, so I'm going to say

it's inside the budget and I'm going to say £439,000.

It's actually on the market for £425,000.

-Wow.

-Oh!

-But does it change your opinion of the house in any way?

-I like it even more!

-THEY LAUGH

The first house had pulled on Lisa's heart strings right from the off,

but Jim was taking a more logical approach.

It's everything that I think we

imagined that we would want in a property.

I guess, I'm just trying to be a little bit more practical.

You know, just thinking things through and making sure that life

would work in a place like this.

For the second property, I took them over the border into Somerset,

to the village of Stowell,

to view a handsome house with an interesting past.

-Ah.

-Oh, wow!

It's lovely. Again, it's picture postcard.

-This used to be an old schoolhouse.

-Ah.

-Brilliant.

I like the outside of the house,

I'm just a bit concerned about the size of the garden.

Once inside the former Victorian schoolhouse, we headed straight to

the largest of the living spaces.

This is one of two reception rooms,

so this would be your main living room.

For me, I'm looking for that sort of quaint, oldie world-y character.

Yeah. The outside is saying one thing and the inside is saying

-something different.

-It just doesn't feel as homely as I was expecting.

Yeah.

So I think the kitchen does have more of a country feel to it

-than that living room.

-It's a nice kitchen.

This is a nice kitchen. It's nice and bright.

I guess, it doesn't hit me here.

It seemed like downstairs might have lacked the character they wanted,

but I was hopeful that the master suite - one of four

good-sized bedrooms - would turn things around.

With the exposed beam.

-It does make a difference.

-Yeah, it really does.

This feels like you're in a schoolhouse because of the beam.

Yeah. It definitely feels like an older property.

Yeah, I don't know.

-You're on the fence?

-Yeah, at the moment I'm on the fence.

-You need to have a proper explore, don't you?

-Yeah, I think so.

This cottage wasn't eliciting the same emotions from Lisa as our first

house and she already had doubts about the lack of space outside.

The garden for me is still an issue, I feel.

What about the price?

I think this is more expensive than house one.

So I'm going to go at the £440,000 mark, again.

-OK.

-I still think this is more than our budget.

-And I'm going to stick at £465,000.

-OK.

-OK.

-It's actually on the market for £385,000.

-Whoa!

Does that change your opinion of the house?

-No.

-No.

-Cos that's a lot of money.

-No, it doesn't.

-Really?

-It doesn't.

The second property was £65,000 under budget,

but for Jim and Lisa it seemed to lack the feeling they'd experienced

at our first house.

For me, it hasn't got the character that I'm looking for in a property.

This house, on paper, gives us more of what we've asked for,

and it lacks something as well.

When a property pulls on the old heart strings,

you know you're on to a winner and our first home certainly had that

effect on Lisa.

Although, Jim was trying to balance practicalities with his gut feeling.

And we still had the Mystery House to reveal.

Would we risk jeopardising that all-important feeling for our

final home by bringing compromise into the mix?

The final property was in the

ancient village of Corton Denham,

and was nestled in a farm setting

on the border between Dorset and Somerset.

-Come closer, come closer.

-Oh, the tears are coming!

-That is stunning.

-Oh.

The mystery is that it is attached.

I never noticed that!

THEY LAUGH

-It's the kind of terrace house I could live in.

-Yeah!

Although it was attached, they were delighted

with the character of our converted flour mill.

Oh, I'm going again.

Oh, God!

-Excuse me.

-I love the view.

-Oh, this is lovely.

-And the size is great.

-And the size is fantastic.

Through there is a separate dining room.

-Wow.

-That is good.

-It is.

It feels bigger on the inside than it looked from the outside.

-I don't know why.

-Yeah.

They were also bowled over by the huge open-plan sitting room

on the lower ground floor.

-Wow.

-Oh!

-I'm just...

-I'm just...

-Speechless!

-Yes, lost for words.

What would you do with a space like this?

I mean, a man cave would be great,

but I feel guilty about having a man cave this big.

-You could have it.

-This could be an office-cum...

-Why restrict it to men? Office?!

-..painting...

-I was thinking more entertaining, parties.

-That's true.

This is... This is straight on to the garden.

Exactly. Cocktail reception...

-Ah!

-..cinema room, games room.

Yeah.

Yeah, the potential at how we could live here.

Upstairs there were five bedrooms, spread over two floors,

including the potential master.

-Oh, wow.

-Oh, wow.

So, this is one of two master bedrooms you could chose from.

-So you've got an en-suite there.

-This is beautiful.

I just can't believe how big it is.

It's fantastic. It really is.

The Mystery House has blown me away.

I'm speechless. And it doesn't feel attached.

Outside, the dog-friendly garden got the thumbs up.

How's this for a garden, would Shugs like it?

-I think he'd love it.

-Absolutely, he'd love it.

And you've got a gazebo AND a hot tub at the end of the garden,

if that's your style.

-Wow.

-How about that?

Lisa and Jim loved the property,

but it remained to be seen if the price tag was on the money.

So how much would this house cost you?

I think it's going to be well out of our budget.

I think it's going to be on the market for £525,000.

I don't think it's that much, but I do think it's over our budget,

so I'm going to say £470,000.

OK.

It's actually on the market for £450,000.

-Wow.

-So I've used your entire budget, but I spoke to the owner

this morning and she's willing to take offers.

Oh. Really?

Yes, it is accessible to you.

If you really want this house, you can have this house.

Oh.

At the top of their budget, but with the owner open to offers,

the Mystery House had given them more than they'd asked for.

I never would have thought that something like this would be

within our reach.

The area's beautiful.

It just ticks all the boxes, both emotionally and practically.

We left Jim and Lisa spoilt for choice.

They had certainly both been charmed by property one,

the 17th century cottage.

The second, the old schoolhouse,

was under budget and offered them more living space.

Finally, that substantial mystery mill house had put

the cat amongst the pigeons,

but which one did they go for in the end?

Lisa and Jim didn't hang about,

they put in an offer on their favourite property the very same day

and it was accepted immediately.

It probably comes as no surprise

that they went with their heart and bought -

yep, you've guessed it - the Mystery House.

That was almost two-and-a-half years ago and I'm excited to be back to

find out how life in the country is treating them.

-Hello.

-Hello!

-Good to see you.

-Lovely to see you.

-How are you?

-You look so well.

-You look lovely.

-The country life is suiting you.

-It does.

-Shall we go through to the kitchen?

-Yeah.

Ah, it looks a lot lighter in here.

Yes. What we've done is

we've had the kitchen cupboards and doors painted to a lighter colour.

-This is a new addition.

-It is.

There was the pine table and chairs here before.

It came with the antique white legs,

which inspired me to then spruce it up,

bring some more light into it.

You've kept that country kitchen look,

-it's just a bit fresher now, isn't it?

-Yes, absolutely.

It's more in keeping with our kind of colour schemes.

I remember showing you around a huge party basement.

-Ah, yes.

-I want to see what you've done there!

OK, come and have a look.

Jim and Lisa wanted a house in which to entertain,

and the large open-plan living space downstairs helped seal the deal.

Originally painted a dark terracotta,

they've splashed out on lightening this room, too.

So a bit different from when you last saw it.

-But you kept the pool table.

-We did.

-We kept the pool table.

That was one of the things that sold the house as well, wasn't it,

the fact that it was going to be a party room?

And it looks like it is with the amount of champagne corks.

Yes, that's a theme of ours.

I like the bar.

That's my upcycling project.

How often do you use this room because we were talking about this

being the place where you relax maybe after dinner?

-Yeah.

-That's what we do every evening, we're here.

Your guests must love this space?

-Yeah.

-When the kids come.

We thought when we moved here we would have nice quiet weekends.

And I think we probably only had half a dozen,

maybe ten weekends where we haven't had people descend on us.

I'd say, if you want a quiet weekend in the country,

don't have a bar in your basement!

-THEY LAUGH

-There is that.

The huge sleeping quarters upstairs in our Mystery House

gave Lisa and Jim a choice of master bedrooms.

In the end, they opted for the blue carpeted one we looked at together.

Lisa has worked her magic here, too.

In choosing the colour scheme,

we decided we wanted to keep it in with the red roll top bath,

-remember in the en-suite?

-Yes, you couldn't replace that.

So we decided that we were going to

go the reds, the greys and the creams.

-You've done a really good job.

-Thank you.

-Ah, the view!

-Absolutely.

-Lovely views.

This is where I tend to come during the day.

I can see why you've put in a sofa

because you might as well have this as a suite with those views.

-Absolutely.

-And the size as well.

That's what sold it to us. It was just how much space there was,

compared to the others that we looked at.

When we got here, because we had come from obviously something much

smaller, we started just calling this the West Wing

and the guest room the East Wing, just as a tongue-in-cheek thing.

But it stuck.

And one day, a parcel turned up

and Lisa had been online and she had ordered signs for all the doors,

so now we've got the East Wing, the West Wing,

the Observatory, the Penthouse.

So everything has got a name now.

Lisa has also put her own stamp on the garden -

installing raised beds which produce a plentiful supply of veg each year.

The gazebo has been turned into a potting shed,

overlooking the outstanding rural views to rear of the property.

When you get in from work,

we will go and sit down at the bottom of the garden and watch

the sunset with a glass of wine and it's just lovely.

We pinch ourselves every day.

Literally do. It's just beautiful.

We love it here. Really love it here.

And how soon was it that you moved in?

How long was the process? The offer had been accepted on that day.

Four months?

Yeah, September we put the offer in and we moved in the January.

So you've been here more than two years, almost two and a half now.

-Yeah. Yeah, and it only feels like yesterday.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-But you knew it was the house for you.

-Absolutely.

I mean, it was just... Everything that we wanted and more.

I was really worried about it.

The logical bit of me was saying, "It's big, it's huge..."

-And you were Mr Logical, weren't you?

-I was, yeah.

Um, and I was a little bit frightened of it

because I didn't know whether we were going to end up in a money pit.

Because of the age of it and all these things.

But it's turned out to be a real gem.

Yes.

-We would never have found it.

-We wouldn't have even looked at it.

You wouldn't have looked at it.

No, because every criteria was detached, detached, detached.

How much did you end up paying for the house?

Because your budget was 450.

It was on the market for 450,

but we knew they would take an offer.

We paid 425 for it in the end.

-Um, but we did the deal in the pub.

-Mm.

Um, just shortly after we had sort of done our final chat on what

we were going to do next.

The owner was in the pub and we went and interrupted her lunch,

and she was quite happy for us to interrupt the lunch.

And we did a bit of haggling and shook hands there and then.

I loved it. Absolutely genuinely loved it.

And I knew Lisa loved it. And it was going to be a punt.

You know, we were taking a punt moving this far away from friends

and family and so it was all part of that gamble, I guess.

Yeah, the pub also sold it to us as well, though, didn't it?

From the point of view that you could see how friendly everybody was

and it was going to give me that

community life that I was looking for.

You really wanted that. You didn't want to be isolated.

No, not at all. So I belong to the gardening society,

we get involved in the village quiz.

And I have a coffee morning here once a month as well.

So it means that they can come out and especially for the older ones

as well, it's nice for them to get out and about.

I just love it, absolutely love it. They are wonderful.

As well as immersing herself in village life,

Lisa works part-time in the local pub,

where that deal was done on the house.

While she heads off to start her lunchtime shift, it's a chance

for Jim to introduce me to the new addition to the family - Bella -

an excitable companion for their other dog, Shugs.

-Hello, pooches. Come on then!

-They are dying to come out.

-Come on then.

-Oh, hello, Shugs.

-Who's this?

Come on, let's go and see Sonali. Come on then.

-Come on then.

-That's Bella.

-Come on then.

-Hi, Bella!

With Jim commuting to London three days a week, walking Bella

and Shugs in the hills overlooking the village of Corton Denham

is the perfect way to unwind.

It also serves as a daily reminder

of why they made the move in the first place.

Look at the view from here.

Makes me smile every time, even though I've done it 50, 100,

maybe more times, I still love it.

This is everything that I wanted. And I've got it.

It really sounds like the move has lived up to your expectations

because the motivation was, of course,

Lisa's recovery from breast cancer.

-It was...

-Changed your life's perspective, didn't it?

It did. It did. We were always talking about doing something

like this later on in life and it just brought it forward.

We just decided, you know, why not now?

It's four years since Lisa finished her chemotherapy.

That's a milestone.

December, we will mark five years since she was diagnosed.

And that's the point where if everything is OK,

-then she will get signed off as cancer-free.

-Cancer-free.

I know the move has been absolutely the right thing to do.

But has there been anything that has been tough?

Getting used to the commute.

At first, oh, it was a killer.

Well, six hours a day, I'm not surprised!

It was just so hard and I felt so tired.

I used be on the train and I used to look at my watch and say,

"OK, well, if we were in the old house, I'd be home by now."

And I still had another hour and a bit to go.

But now, this is normal and so,

-there is nothing to compare it to any more.

-Mm.

-This is life.

This is where I live now.

-And it's worth the commute.

-Absolutely. It's beautiful.

-And that's the pub where we are going to join Lisa.

-Ah.

Where do we walk? Just down there?

-We're going to go off down the hill...

-Right.

-..and the footpath comes out right opposite the pub.

-Let's do it.

HE CHUCKLES They know Lisa is in there.

They do! Come on.

-Hi, Lisa.

-Hi. How are you?

-I'm well, thank you.

-Did you have a nice walk?

-Had a lovely walk.

-Have you got time for a bit of a break?

-Yeah, I can take a break.

Here we go.

Any regrets about moving to the country?

That we didn't do it quicker.

None at all from me. Absolutely none at all.

How has life really changed?

More settled. Less stress.

You were happy when I first met you, but you are beaming...

-Yeah.

-..on another level now.

I think we had a vision of...

Certainly, I had a vision of what it might be like

and this just surpasses it.

-A toast?

-A toast.

-A toast. What shall we toast?

-Country living.

-Country living.

Country living.

-ALL:

-Cheers.

When escaping to the country is no longer just a dream,

but becomes a reality for those who fall in love with a property we've

introduced them to, the sense of achievement is so rewarding.

And if they then go on to make that all-important offer,

we feel like matchmakers whose work is done.

Here's just one of those unforgettable matches

made in heaven.

It was in the spring of 2016 when I was in Devon,

property shopping with Sally and Colin from East Horsley in Surrey.

With aspirations to tap into the West Country tourist trade,

they had a very healthy budget of £950,000 to find a

character-filled house along with a business.

The very first option I presented had all the hallmarks of a winner,

with an up and running holiday let and a beautiful Grade II listed

16th century house.

The cobbled stone is such a feature here.

And then you've got quarry stone here in this beautiful kitchen.

-Yeah, perfect.

-Oh, that's what you wanted...

That is absolutely stunning.

-It's got a farmhouse feeling to it.

-It has. And I love that beams.

The beams, the ceiling, it's just perfect.

-Explore more of the downstairs?

-Yeah.

On the ground floor, the main rooms all had aspects to the rear.

Next to the kitchen, and accessed through the hallway

was a beautiful dining room.

And then we came to the sitting-room.

Wow! Lovely room.

It's a nice sized living room, isn't it?

The flow between these two rooms are fantastic.

There were four bedrooms upstairs,

all with feature windows overlooking the garden.

Outside, the neighbouring two-bedroom holiday let

had a more contemporary interior, all ready to welcome paying guests.

And the grounds on offer totalled more than four acres,

including paddocks, a workshop and a huge pond.

Who would like to guess how much this property is on the market for?

I would say it's got to be near the top of our budget,

so I'm going to say 900.

-OK. Colin?

-I will say a bit less than that.

About 875.

Well, you are both going to be very pleased with what I'm about to say.

It's actually currently on the market for £775,000.

-No way! That's amazing.

-That's very good.

-That's amazing!

So amazing, in fact, that Sally and Colin went on to put in an offer,

another inspirational house-hunting

journey in our countryside chronicles.

As with all property purchases,

people come to Escape To The Country with a wish list,

five or six must-haves.

They want at least three bedrooms, a big double garage, a kitchen-diner,

but you must never underestimate the power of that feeling when you walk

into a property with that all-important wow factor.

It's amazing how quickly that wish list can be pushed aside.

And that's exactly what happened with our next buyer.

In the summer of 2016, Pat was living in Windsor in Berkshire,

a town she had spent her whole life residing in.

Joining her on the house-hunt was friend and neighbour, Tula, who was

hoping to be the voice of reason.

Tula is a very, very friendly, genuine sort of person.

She is always there to listen when I'm upset...

Pat's friendship means a lot to me.

We have always been like sisters.

With her heart set on a rural lifestyle and

retirement on the horizon,

she wanted to be closer to her son and grandchildren.

I'm looking to move to the East Midlands area.

Within about 15 miles of my son Stephen, who's in Nottingham.

Possibly towards the Peak District area.

My greatest joy will be to be able to visit Stephen

and the grandchildren, Katie, Charlie.

Pat's husband was suffering from Alzheimer's and had recently

gone into care.

Arranging for him to be close by was also part of the move.

As was finding enough space for much-loved springer spaniel, Jack.

Jack is my friend, my mate.

He is an absolute character, he's a joy.

Very good dog, cheeky little fella.

With a budget of £300,000,

she was after a characterful home with a minimum of two bedrooms.

A large dog-friendly garden for Jack was a must.

And she wanted easy access to a village community.

We started our search in the Derbyshire hamlet of Woolley Moor,

where I showed Pat and Tula a terraced stone cottage built

in the mid-1800s.

Ah, that is lovely. That is really, really nice.

-You wanted a cottage, didn't you?

-I did, I did.

-Obviously, end of terrace...

-Fine.

-Are you fine about that?

-Absolutely.

-It's quite nice to have some neighbours, as well.

-Exactly.

-A nice streety feel.

The front garden looks like your front garden.

We will buy and go now, shall we?

See? This is why Tula is here.

-You are ready to sign on the dotted line.

-I am.

-You like the outside.

-I do.

-Let see if the inside fits then.

That's great.

Pat appeared already sold and there was plenty more to see.

So, I don't know whether you would use this entrance all the time.

Love it. I love the stone floor.

Fireplace. Plenty of room. Perfect. Cosy!

-It is.

-What a good first choice.

-Well, let's go and see the rest of it.

-Yeah.

The kitchen was on the cosy side,

but a new extension which was currently used as a dining room

had the potential to be a larger kitchen-diner.

It could be more than a dining room, do you not think?

-You could make it a kitchen-diner, dining table...

-Yeah, absolutely.

-We can do that. The stained glass is a bit of a feature.

-Exactly.

I do think there is a lot of potential, isn't there?

-Yeah.

-Really, really nice.

-Potential.

-You like it?

I like it. I like it, it's cosy.

Upstairs, there were three bedrooms arranged over two floors,

including a room in the loft and one I had earmarked for Pat.

I think this would make a really lovely master

because of the amazing views.

Ah, wow! Look at that. The view is amazing.

Gosh, that is amazing. That's fantastic.

-Lay in bed, tea in the morning.

-Mm-hm.

The garden had plenty of nooks and crannies for Jack the spaniel

to play around in, as well as the visiting grandchildren.

It was clear we had got off to a good start,

would the price be the icing on the cake?

It's now on the market for 249,950.

-No!

-So just under £250,000.

-That's fantastic.

-That is good.

-I can see me living here.

£50,000 below budget, the end of terrace cottage

located in a rural setting would be hard to beat.

-You've moved in, haven't you, already?

-I have! I have. It's lovely.

-It's very nice.

Our next offering was in the village of Crich,

where I showed Pat and Tula another pretty cottage built in 1912,

and despite the weather, spirits were high.

As they say, if you like a house in the rain...

-Exactly.

-So...

-Looks very good.

-Here it is.

And look, Pat, here is

what you wanted. It's already there!

It's there. Yeah.

A new summerhouse, whatever.

As happy as you were before seeing the first house?

Not sure yet. I'll see inside.

But, yeah, no... It's a good feeling.

Although Pat was reserving judgment for now,

I was hopeful that the beautifully finished interior would impress.

Very nice.

-It is, isn't it?

-Very nice. I like it.

I love the open stove in the fireplace.

Oh, yeah. Absolutely gorgeous, love it.

I'm glad you love this room,

-because it's certainly not the best room downstairs.

-Really?

-Follow me.

-Oh, this is stunning.

-What are you going to say?

Oh...!

Sorry.

-Tears...!

-Stunning.

It looks amazing.

So tasteful. Look at that fireplace, look at the fire!

-Ooh...

-Yeah.

-Well, you're warming up, aren't you?!

-Oh...!

I'm moving in.

Upstairs, there were three bedrooms,

all served by a well-fitted family bathroom.

Two of the bedrooms overlooked the front,

with Pat's potential master at the rear.

Very tasteful, isn't it?

Yes. So how are you feeling about the house?

I really, really like it.

Really like it.

It is impeccably done.

-It really is.

-The finish is amazing.

-Wow...

-I would move in tomorrow.

-Would you?

-Yes, I would.

Outside, the garden to the front was fully enclosed, but the patio garden

at the back was smaller than Pat had asked for.

Oh. It's cute, isn't it?

Are you OK

about only this much garden?

You said that was the one thing you wouldn't compromise on.

-Yes...

-It's funny how you...sort of change!

-Oh, you've changed, have you?

-Er, no...

-I've got a nice front garden...

-Yes.

-..which is nice and easy to look after,

there's room for Jack to run around. I think I could live with it.

That's great news, because otherwise the house is ideal.

But how much will it cost you?

I would say 300,000.

-You're going on budget?

-Yes.

I think you might have gone slightly over. I'll go 310.

It's actually currently on the market for...

..just under 270,000.

-Wow!

-It's within your budget.

Gosh!

We'll have money for holidays!

£30,000 under budget,

the house, garden and village setting

had gone down a treat.

Very, very pleased. Very pleased.

Excellent place.

Excellent place. Excellent end to the day.

I couldn't have asked for a better start to our property journey

with Pat and her friend Tula.

Two houses that Pat loved, both under her budget of £300,000.

But, not one to rest on my laurels,

I still had one more fantastic property to show.

And with the Mystery House, I wanted Pat to focus on what she wanted

but also what she didn't want.

Our final offering was in the small settlement of Pleasley Vale

on the Nottinghamshire border,

and our Mystery House was part of a former mill building.

Wow!

God...

-It's beautiful.

-Despite the rain?

-I absolutely love it.

-I loved the drive in...

-Don't like the rain!

No. Well, shall we get out of the rain and head in?

Yes, please.

Laid out over three levels, we started in the main reception room.

We're giving you the rural setting of house number one,

but with the polished interiors of house number two.

-You've done that.

-To make you really think,

"What's going to be right for me?"

-Mm-hm.

-"And what do I really want?"

-Mm.

You know what you are really doing, you are trying to confuse us.

-I'm causing trouble, am I?

-Mm.

You've absolutely cracked it, it's just stunning.

And who doesn't love a fireplace?

Love the fireplace. Never had one, always wanted one.

-There you go, this is an actual log burner.

-Yeah. Yeah.

It's beautiful.

-Well, let's see where you'd entertain the family.

-Really? OK.

It's an amazing kitchen!

Oh, it's a definite.

Look at that light through here.

They've done an amazing job, haven't they?

I think this is almost better than yesterday's one.

Yet again, the Mystery House seemed to be working its magic.

Upstairs, there were three bedrooms over two floors.

The master overlooked the front of the property.

It's perfect. It's a good family house, visitors' house.

How did you feel about the staircase, which was fairly steep?

-Too steep.

-That is a slight worry, as...getting older as well.

Is it a deal-breaker?

It's something I'd have to seriously think about.

Outside, the home came with a private front garden,

as well as generous communal grounds,

with the option of renting allotment space.

Sheltering from the rain, we discussed the financials.

It's actually currently on the market for...

..offers in excess of 270,000.

-Oh, no!

-Yes.

So it's still 30,000 under your budget.

-Yes. Yes.

-Good.

-Oh, dear.

-Yes.

-You've got a bit to discuss.

-Yeah. A lot to think about.

-Yes.

Pat and Tula were captivated

by the Mystery House,

leaving Pat with a big decision to make.

All three have been

fantastic finds.

It's going to be hard.

Pat was clearly charmed by our first property,

but her reactions to the second house were even more positive.

And then of course, there was the Mystery House,

which left Pat truly spoilt for choice.

So which one did she pick?

It's rare on this show to have a buyer love all three of our houses

equally, as Pat did when we toured the East Midlands last summer.

And that made the decision of which one to buy even harder.

After weighing up all three, Pat decided to go for our second property,

the end of terrace cottage,

and I'm back here in the village of Crich,

to find out how she's settled in.

And six months on from moving in,

it seems Pat has already put her own stamp

on the outside of the property,

with a view to making larger changes in the near future.

-Oh, hi, Sonali.

-Hello, Pat.

-Hi, Jack!

-So lovely to see you.

-Really nice to see you.

-On a sunny day as well.

-I know. We saw the house

-on a really rainy day.

-We did.

What's happened to the cabin?

Yeah, that's gone. We tried to use it for the children's playroom,

and they preferred upstairs and their own room.

So we decided we're going to build, like, an orangery or a conservatory,

with a downstairs toilet.

-Got lots of plans, haven't you?

-Lots of plans.

-I want to see what you've done in there as well.

-Come in.

-You look well.

-I AM well!

Yeah.

Pat moved to Derbyshire to be closer to her son and grandchildren.

The plan was for her husband, who was suffering from Alzheimer's,

to move into a care home nearby.

-You will remember this room, won't you?

-Oh, yes!

-You kept the wallpaper.

-I love the wallpaper.

And you bought some of their furniture.

I bought quite a lot of their furniture actually.

-Did your husband end up moving with you?

-Came up, yeah.

-Unfortunately it was about three weeks before I moved...

-Oh.

-..and then he passed away.

-Yeah.

-So...

But...

We sort of expected it, but... you know, it was tough.

-Yes, of course.

-Especially moving as well, but...

So that's Maurice's bookcase. Remembrance of Maurice.

And Jack seems to be loving it here.

Jack loves it. Lots of amazing walks,

-makes himself at home as you can see.

-Yes.

-That's his little spot.

And erm...

we walk twice a day, probably an hour, two hours...

-Wow.

-..through loads of woods and canals and rivers,

so it's perfect. Perfect.

With Pat prioritising the family,

she hasn't had time to ring any major changes inside.

Although her master bedroom has been given a makeover.

I'm interested to see the kitchen,

where Pat's reaction was so overwhelming

during our original tour.

Would you like tea or coffee?

-Ooh, I never say no to a strong cup of tea.

-Strong cup of tea.

It looks... It looks pretty much the same in here, doesn't it?

It is, really.

-I've just replaced the cooker with a dishwasher.

-SONALI GASPS

I'm remembering the tears.

I don't. No, I don't.

-We haven't changed a lot because there's no need.

-No.

-It was near enough perfect when you walked in.

-Yeah, yeah.

The kitchen has already hosted a family Christmas,

with ten people sat around the table.

Another piece of furniture bought from the previous owner.

And that was the motivation for the move, wasn't it?

That this would be the heart of your family household...

-Yes.

-..you were moving closer to your grandchildren.

-Yes.

-You wanted to spend more time with them.

-Yeah.

-And has that happened?

-Oh, yeah, definitely. Definitely.

We spend a lot of time together. We walk a lot together.

They come for their weekends here.

-As their holiday weekends.

-Mm.

So, it's, you know, it's real countryside.

How's Tula? She knew this was the house for you.

Tula's great. She did.

She did. Yeah, she's great.

-I go and see her every month.

-Do you?

-Yeah, we sit there like a couple of old biddies. Yeah.

-SONALI LAUGHS

It's unusual that people like

all three of the houses that I show them,

but, actually, you did.

How did this become your kitchen?

A-ha. Well, first house...

was a nice little cottage, wasn't it?

-It was really nice. A lot to do.

-Mm.

-Not big enough.

-This house was an instant family feel to it.

-Mm.

You'd given me a budget of £300,000,

and this was on for just under £270,000.

-Did you pay that much for it?

-I did.

-Mm.

-I did.

Plus about six for furniture.

-Yes.

-Yes.

So, yeah, I think it's a fair price.

You put the offer in on this place

-while we were viewing houses...

-I did.

..so how soon was it until you moved in?

-It was October.

-Yeah. So that's...

Which was fine because it gave me time to sort Maurice out,

and find him a nice home.

And you did end up finding somewhere close by?

Found a really nice home.

-Yeah. Brought him up and they were really good to him.

-Mm.

-Yeah.

Well, it's a shame - he hadn't got to see how beautiful it is up here.

Although Pat might have retired, she's keeping herself busy.

She regularly volunteers in the gift shop at Cromford Canal,

a waterway built at the end of the 18th century, and now run

as a charitable trust.

Actually, I'll take one of these for the children as well.

-Oh, excellent.

-So, and keep the change.

-Oh, thank you.

The tow path is also a great place to walk her companion,

springer spaniel Jack.

Pat also picks up her grandchildren from school

a couple of times a week.

And I'm joining them on a trip to the Tramway Museum in Crich,

a collection of working vintage carriages dating to the 1900s.

It's a place that ten-year-old Katie and 12-year-old Charlie often visit

with their grandmother.

BELL CHIMES

And while they take in the views upfront,

it gives me the opportunity to catch up with Pat's son Stephen.

Thank you very much.

So, what's it like having Mum so close?

It's great. As before, with travelling down south,

-we only really got a day and a half together over the weekend.

-Mm.

So, now, I get to pop over for a cup of tea,

and Mum can pick the kids up from school

and we can have a chat and that sort of stuff.

So, we get a lot more time together. It's brilliant.

-Yes, I hear she's a great baby-sitter.

-She is.

She is very, very good!

-Very willing!

-Very handy.

There are so many people that think,

"It would be great to move to the country,

"get away from the busyness of where we currently live."

But they never quite make the jump.

-No.

-Would you encourage people to do it?

I would.

Do their homework a bit. Make sure they've got things to do.

Otherwise, they may well not settle.

But, yeah, I would encourage them to do it. It's beautiful. Fresh air.

Loads of stars at night, no pollution.

What more do you want?

As a family, you've learnt, in many ways, the hard way

-how time is so precious.

-Yes, definitely.

-Very.

-Life is too short.

You've got to make the most of it while you can.

-I'd encourage anyone to retire now.

-Yeah.

And I was the worst one for working, wasn't I?

-Yes.

-Six days a week.

-Three jobs, here and there.

-Well, it's certainly suiting you.

-Yeah.

It's really nice to see you surrounded by the family, as well.

Yeah. Oh, absolutely.

There they are, look.

It's been an emotional time for Pat,

but the family has helped her through,

and she can now look forward to spending

more quality time with Stephen and the kids

in the beautiful surroundings of the Derbyshire countryside.

Lisa, Jim and Pat all trusted their instinct when choosing

which one of our houses to buy.

They've all shown that love at first sight can be just as powerful

with property as it is in many relationships.

Sometimes, you just know that that house is the one,

and it's been great to see how, by following their heart,

they've all settled into happy new lives here in the country.

See you next time.

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