0:00:02 > 0:00:05They may be made of stone, wood, brick or concrete,
0:00:05 > 0:00:07be built 300 years ago or just the other day,
0:00:07 > 0:00:11a WAG's retreat or a retiree's paradise,
0:00:11 > 0:00:16but one thing all of the houses on today's show have in common is their price tag.
0:00:16 > 0:00:21Join me in a moment for a very gold-plated edition of Escape To The Country.
0:00:33 > 0:00:40In today's show, we take a look back at a selection of our favourite big-budget properties,
0:00:40 > 0:00:42where a Dorset dream home causes confusion...
0:00:42 > 0:00:46- Very nice.- It's a job to know which way to look first. - That's always a good sign.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49..a medieval mansion gets them weak at the knees...
0:00:49 > 0:00:52- It's gorgeous.- What about that for a nice little wet room?
0:00:52 > 0:00:54I'll have to sit down. Excuse me.
0:00:54 > 0:01:00..and the roles are reversed as I get a multi-million-pound property tour and have to guess the price.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03I'm going to say way over my budget.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07I think it's on the market for around about £7.5 million.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15Yes, today's show is all about the rural dream on a big, big budget,
0:01:15 > 0:01:20and that's over £1 million to you and me, but whether it's a farm set in Wales, a coastal view in Cornwall
0:01:20 > 0:01:26or a Surrey mansion, there are plenty of million-pound-plus properties all over rural Britain,
0:01:26 > 0:01:27but the question is,
0:01:27 > 0:01:33does money really buy you happiness, or does a bigger budget simply breed bigger expectations?
0:01:33 > 0:01:37We've trawled through the archives to find some of our biggest budgets from over the years
0:01:37 > 0:01:40and we've selected a few nuggets of gold to delight you with.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44So whether you're window shopping or looking to splash out soon,
0:01:44 > 0:01:49sit back, relax and stay tuned for some truly magnificent country escapes.
0:01:51 > 0:01:56There are an estimated 88,000 homes in England and Wales valued at, or above, the £1 million mark,
0:01:56 > 0:02:00and an increasing amount of these can be found in countryside locations.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03Despite recent fluctuations in the market,
0:02:03 > 0:02:07properties prices have increased dramatically over the past ten years,
0:02:07 > 0:02:10and million-pound hotspots have appeared in many rural locations.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13Counties such as Surrey, Cheshire, Devon and Cornwall
0:02:13 > 0:02:15are at the top of the list,
0:02:15 > 0:02:19no doubt areas where hefty City bonuses have driven up prices.
0:02:19 > 0:02:24But even with these overall increases, there is still an expectation that a rural property
0:02:24 > 0:02:31peeping over the six-figure mark should provide an air of exclusivity, luxury and splendour.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37So, to kick us off on our big-budget binge, we're heading back to Devon
0:02:37 > 0:02:43to meet up with Aldo and Amanda. They had a fantastic budget of £1.2 million,
0:02:43 > 0:02:46and for that, they were looking for a rural retreat near a village,
0:02:46 > 0:02:50but they also wanted five bedrooms, a large kitchen,
0:02:50 > 0:02:53holiday lets and enough land to raise a few animals,
0:02:53 > 0:03:00and a top priority for 6ft 4in Aldo was the head height. So I took them to a beautiful Georgian farmhouse
0:03:00 > 0:03:05in the village of Burrington, where I showed them a property which ticked quite a few of their boxes.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09Lying 13 miles south of Barnstaple on the northern coast of Devon,
0:03:09 > 0:03:13the village of Burrington has a small community
0:03:13 > 0:03:16which focuses mainly around the church and post office,
0:03:16 > 0:03:22so an ideal location for Aldo and Amanda, who had peace and quiet at the top of their property checklist.
0:03:22 > 0:03:28This one is a Victorian/Georgian four-bedroom property.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30It's got large rooms and plenty of them.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32- Brilliant. It looks lovely.- Yeah.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36- Shall we have a look inside? - Sounds good to me!
0:03:39 > 0:03:41- It's a nice entrance. - I can smell a fire!- Yeah.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45- The floor is nice, as well.- It is. - Really impressive, isn't it?
0:03:45 > 0:03:47- Lovely wide space.- Yeah.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50- High ceilings.- High ceilings. - You've got two rooms off here.
0:03:50 > 0:03:56- This is the dining room, but we're first going to go through to the drawing room. After you.- Thank you.
0:03:57 > 0:04:03- Oh, I love the fire!- It's a beautiful room!- You can just imagine yourself on a cold winter's evening,
0:04:03 > 0:04:08- sat in front of that fire.- Yeah. Very cosy. Lovely view!- The view! - Nice and light, isn't it?
0:04:08 > 0:04:12They're really big windows, original sash windows. Great period features in here.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16- That's beautiful.- That's ticking the boxes!- It certainly is.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20'A very positive start, but let's see what they make of the dining room.'
0:04:20 > 0:04:24- It's lovely, isn't it?- Oh, wow! - I can just imagine having Sunday lunches here.
0:04:24 > 0:04:29- I love the flooring again. - That's gorgeous.- So you can picture the family here?
0:04:29 > 0:04:32- Yes.- 14, 15...cousins, nieces and nephews!
0:04:32 > 0:04:36- Easily fit it in here.- All sat round the table.- Yeah, definitely.- OK.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39There is a little door just round that corner,
0:04:39 > 0:04:44- but we're going to come to that via another route.- You're going to save that?- We're going out this way.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46OK. Lead the way.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52'Yes, we'll get to the rest of the downstairs later, because I want to save the best for last.
0:04:52 > 0:04:59'Upstairs, I have a cracking room for them that has everything that living in the country is about.'
0:04:59 > 0:05:02- That's nice.- Look at that view! - Dual aspect!- Exactly!
0:05:02 > 0:05:03Would you like to see some more?
0:05:03 > 0:05:08- Oh, yeah!- More? - Are you ready for it? OK, let's go.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12'Down the landing are two more double bedrooms with period fireplaces,
0:05:12 > 0:05:15'as well as two family bathrooms, both with separate showers
0:05:15 > 0:05:21'and original Victorian enamelled baths, but I think the next bedroom is quite attractive!'
0:05:21 > 0:05:24- And in we come.- Oh, wow! Look at this!- It goes all the way back.
0:05:24 > 0:05:30- Good space for a double bed.- Yeah, definitely.- There's loads of room for a double bed.- It's so light.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33- Do you want to see some more? - Oh, yes!- Definitely.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37- We'll go through the secret door! - A secret door?
0:05:37 > 0:05:41- Remember, when we were downstairs, and I said we'd come back to that door?- Oh, yeah.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45There are multiple ways up and down this house.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47Oh, wow! Mandy will love that!
0:05:47 > 0:05:49Oh, this is fantastic, isn't it?
0:05:49 > 0:05:52- That's beautiful!- What a fireplace!
0:05:52 > 0:05:54This was originally the kitchen.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56I assume there's a kitchen somewhere?
0:05:56 > 0:05:59There is! Would you like to see it?
0:05:59 > 0:06:02- I would!- I've been saving this. - Saving this one till last, were you?
0:06:02 > 0:06:05- All right, let me show you through this way.- OK.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09- Come on through.- Oh, this is incredible, isn't it?- Oh, my God! - Just what I've been looking for.
0:06:09 > 0:06:16- Wow!- And beautiful range, as well. - This is exactly what you'd picture a farmhouse kitchen to look like.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18- Yeah, it's gorgeous. - You've outdone yourself here!
0:06:18 > 0:06:23Oh, you flatter me! I think the view does everything for this room, doesn't it?
0:06:23 > 0:06:25Oh, it does. And you can walk out, as well, can't you?
0:06:25 > 0:06:28- Shall we?- Yep.- Let's go and indulge in the view.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33- Oh, wow! This is definitely country living!- This is fantastic!
0:06:33 > 0:06:36And look at all of this! Ten acres!
0:06:36 > 0:06:39- Your land goes down that way. - So all the way down to the bottom?
0:06:39 > 0:06:43- All the way down. Yes.- Phew! - To the line of trees down there.
0:06:43 > 0:06:47So you've got all of this land, but there's a working business here, as well.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49- Two holiday lets.- Brilliant!
0:06:49 > 0:06:54The small let accommodates four and the larger sleeps six, where you'll find this wood-burning stove.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56- Oh, this is nice, isn't it? - It's lovely.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59- I love the fireplace. - Beautiful features.- It's gorgeous.
0:06:59 > 0:07:04It's been finished to a high standard, with up-to-date kitchens and bathrooms.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08There are two good-sized bedrooms and a third bunk room for the kids.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11Outside, there's also a private cottage garden.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14In the grounds, there's also a two-bedroom annexe
0:07:14 > 0:07:18and a workshop, which could be converted into more holiday lets.
0:07:18 > 0:07:25- It's time to guess the price. You've enjoyed looking around this property. - It's beautiful.- Lots of rooms.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28- Definitely.- It's got the working business, so much potential.
0:07:28 > 0:07:34- I can see you wandering round, Aldo, mental calculations!- Definitely! - So, what do you think it's worth?
0:07:34 > 0:07:39I think this is definitely gonna reach the upper budget,
0:07:39 > 0:07:45- so I reckon about £1,175,000. - OK. Amanda?
0:07:45 > 0:07:48I'd go for 1.2.
0:07:48 > 0:07:54- OK. Well, the upper reach of your budget is 1.2.- Yes.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57I think this has got pretty much everything you were looking for.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01- It has, yep. - £1.3 million.- Oooh!
0:08:01 > 0:08:06- Oh, that took a sharp intake of breath! There's potential. - There's potential, isn't there?
0:08:06 > 0:08:08- There's so much to think about. - Do some calculations.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11- Do you want another look round? - Definitely.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14- Off you go, then.- Thanks. - I'll find you later.- OK, bye.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21The property is fantastic. It's ticked all our boxes in terms of size,
0:08:21 > 0:08:25the kitchen/breakfast room is fantastic, the view is to die for.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28The business side, there's potential there.
0:08:28 > 0:08:33I could see myself living here, quite easily. This has ticked virtually every single box.
0:08:39 > 0:08:45To find out more about the ins and outs of buying a £1-million-plus country home,
0:08:45 > 0:08:50I've come to the county that boasts some of the most expensive rural properties in the world,
0:08:50 > 0:08:52and that's Surrey.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55I'm going to find out how easy it is to sell these homes,
0:08:55 > 0:08:59but more importantly, what kind of added extras do they need to offer?
0:09:00 > 0:09:06Breaking from convention, I'm getting a tour around a multi-million pound state-of-the-art property
0:09:06 > 0:09:08and will be put on the spot to guess the price.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14'And giving me the lowdown is Martin Burrows, an estate agent
0:09:14 > 0:09:18- 'who matches millionaire moguls to magnificent mansions.' - So what do you think?
0:09:18 > 0:09:23- So, Martin, this is what you call a multi-million-pound house? It's huge!- It certainly is.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26It's 10,000 square feet of accommodation here.
0:09:26 > 0:09:32Set into an acre of grounds, this mansion house has matching stable-block-styled garages
0:09:32 > 0:09:36to hold your prancing Italian sports car or collection of classic motors,
0:09:36 > 0:09:42complete with chauffeur's quarters above, but it's not just the size of the house that matters.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46This area is set on the Wentworth Estate. It's a private estate.
0:09:46 > 0:09:52- It's one of the most exclusive estates in the country.- So, you also buy the lifestyle?- Absolutely.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56- I can't wait to look inside. I'm loving the outside. - Let's have a look.
0:09:59 > 0:10:04- After you.- Thank you very much. Ooh, wow!
0:10:04 > 0:10:06Now, this is a beautiful hallway!
0:10:06 > 0:10:12- It's got that wow factor, hasn't it? - It certainly has - and it's lovely and warm.- Yes.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14We've got under-floor heating throughout the house.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18What things would someone who is buying a property like this expect as standard?
0:10:18 > 0:10:21If you have a look over here, on a house of this size,
0:10:21 > 0:10:25the practicality of leaving and making sure all the lights are off is difficult,
0:10:25 > 0:10:27but here, it's very easy...
0:10:27 > 0:10:31You just push one button... and there we go.
0:10:31 > 0:10:36This house certainly is designed to impress, and there's plenty of room for all your visitors.
0:10:38 > 0:10:45Upstairs, there are four guest bedrooms, all en suite, and separate accommodation for the staff.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48But it's the master bedroom I've got my eye on.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52- So, what do you think?- I love it! This is now my favourite room.
0:10:52 > 0:10:57I know I've said that about every room we've walked into, but this... I mean, it's amazing!
0:10:57 > 0:11:01- But there's probably one more favourite room for you.- Really? - I think so.- In here?
0:11:01 > 0:11:05- A dressing room.- Oh! I'm in heaven! Oh!
0:11:05 > 0:11:08This dressing room is a girl's dream.
0:11:08 > 0:11:13With bespoke built-in cabinets, it's the ideal place to house your autumn collection.
0:11:13 > 0:11:18- This is what you'd expect, isn't it? - There will be a heavy duty collection of clothes
0:11:18 > 0:11:21coming with the buyer of this property.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24On the other side of the bedroom is the perfect pamper room...
0:11:24 > 0:11:28a designer en suite with yet another gadget.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32I can see a head rest over there, and a remote control for...oh!
0:11:32 > 0:11:34You have an LCD screen at the bottom of your bath
0:11:34 > 0:11:38- to keep up with the news in the morning.- Of course!
0:11:38 > 0:11:45This really is luxury living, but the question is, what's it all going to cost? Any ideas?
0:11:45 > 0:11:48- I think it's about time for you to guess the price.- No! Oh, my gosh!
0:11:48 > 0:11:52- I usually put people through this! - Now it's your turn.- I'm scared!
0:11:52 > 0:11:55- Come on!- I'm going to start totting it up. Location...
0:11:55 > 0:11:57How many rooms did you say?
0:11:57 > 0:12:03Well, I'm really struggling with this one and to add to my confusion, we still haven't seen the outside yet,
0:12:03 > 0:12:07where you'll find an acre of gardens backing onto woodland,
0:12:07 > 0:12:10and to top it all off, there's even a heated swimming pool. Gorgeous day!
0:12:10 > 0:12:14- It is, so come on. You know you've got to.- Oh!
0:12:14 > 0:12:19- You've been avoiding it.- OK, I have. I'm going to say way over my budget.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22I think it's on the market for around about £7.5 million.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25Luckily for you, you can buy this for £5.25 million.
0:12:25 > 0:12:30- Oh! Brilliant!- So come this way, I'll introduce you to our lawyers and we'll do the deal.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34We'll sign the paperwork! Thank you so much. I've enjoyed it so much.
0:12:34 > 0:12:39- You're very welcome.- It's not just about how it looks, it's about the gadgets, too.- Absolutely.- And status.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41- Of course.- I'm moving up!
0:12:45 > 0:12:50So, if there's something I've learnt about buying the perfect big bucks property
0:12:50 > 0:12:54is that it's got to have more than the standard two up, two down.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57It is all about the added features and extras,
0:12:57 > 0:13:00and for our next couple, it certainly was all about the features.
0:13:00 > 0:13:05Having been on the hunt for four years, Don and Leone had scoured the countryside
0:13:05 > 0:13:09looking for their dream home, and with a budget of £1.5 million,
0:13:09 > 0:13:12Alistair Appleton took up the mantel in Dorset.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15Now, top of their list was a house with a river and a lake,
0:13:15 > 0:13:21so when Alistair took them to a Georgian farmhouse set on its own lake in Gussage St Michael,
0:13:21 > 0:13:23it set their pulses racing.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26Situated 12 miles south of Shaftesbury
0:13:26 > 0:13:28and eight miles north of Blandford Forum,
0:13:28 > 0:13:33Gussage St Michael is a quiet village set within the Cranbourne Chase.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35There are no shops as such in the village,
0:13:35 > 0:13:41but there is a well-regarded pub which not only serves a good pint but acts as the local shop.
0:13:42 > 0:13:48The property Alistair showed Don and Leone was surrounded by open farmland and fantastic views.
0:13:48 > 0:13:53It's a lovely kind of mishmash of different periods. It's on five acres
0:13:53 > 0:13:57and they've got lots of features which I think you're going to adore.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59- Lovely.- Shall we get inside? - Great!- Go for it!
0:14:02 > 0:14:05- Lovely. - Oh, what an interesting hallway.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09- Very nice.- It's a job to know which way to look first!- I know.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13- That's always a good sign.- This is lovely.- Look at that lovely lounge.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17I think this is the most wonderful room in the whole house, actually.
0:14:17 > 0:14:22There are other wonderful views, but it's such a wonderfully comfy room.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26- Yes.- Yeah, I do love the fireplace. I like that old mantelpiece.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29'Excellent! This room seems to have hit the spot.'
0:14:29 > 0:14:33- So now we're getting into the bit of the property that is constrained by history.- Right.
0:14:33 > 0:14:38This was probably a Victorian addition onto the Georgian cottage,
0:14:38 > 0:14:41so there's a possibility of opening this space up,
0:14:41 > 0:14:48- and then the kitchen here, which is not vast. - I love the fireplace and the Aga,
0:14:48 > 0:14:51because I love Agas, so that works for me very nicely.
0:14:51 > 0:14:57At the end of the kitchen is a useful utility room and, next to that, a downstairs bathroom,
0:14:57 > 0:15:01but heading back towards the other end of the house is the dining room.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03- Oh, it's nice.- This is nice.
0:15:03 > 0:15:04I like this.
0:15:04 > 0:15:09This has all been remodelled by the previous owner, who did a lot of work to the property.
0:15:09 > 0:15:15- I like the open inglenook-type fireplace, and I love that arch, Alistair.- Yeah?- That's lovely.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18Well, this is the dining room, but off the dining room,
0:15:18 > 0:15:23continuing the black-and-white theme, we've got a little library, a very small library...
0:15:23 > 0:15:29- Nice, though!- Don, if you ever had your desk in here, with a view like that, would you ever do any work?
0:15:29 > 0:15:33Yes. If I've got the computer screen up high, I could glance to the side, occasionally.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36It really is a view to die for, and on top of this room,
0:15:36 > 0:15:41there's a study next door, but it's time to show them upstairs.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44Up here there are five bedrooms, four of which have a connecting bathroom.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47I want to start in the closest one.
0:15:47 > 0:15:52Ooh! They must have struggled to get this in here!
0:15:52 > 0:15:53Wow!
0:15:53 > 0:15:56- It only just fits!- It is only just!
0:15:56 > 0:16:00- I think they had to shave an inch or two off the posts!- Yeah!
0:16:00 > 0:16:03This house seems to have lifted their spirits.
0:16:03 > 0:16:08There's an en suite to this room, but the labyrinth of rooms continues next door, and they get larger.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13I wanted to show you... These are rooms joined together,
0:16:13 > 0:16:19so you've got a nice guest room here that goes into a Jack and Jill bathroom, which I think is lovely.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22This is lovely, isn't it, yeah? This is very nice.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25And for me, this is the more natural master bedroom.
0:16:25 > 0:16:26Oh, yes!
0:16:26 > 0:16:29Beautiful views, nice and light.
0:16:29 > 0:16:34Nice arch window, and we've got the bathroom that we can use next door.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38- Yeah, and so that's your... - Exactly.- I think you'll like the features outside,
0:16:38 > 0:16:42but I've been very wrong before, so I'm not holding my breath.
0:16:45 > 0:16:51- Mmm!- There's your fitness routine every morning.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54Your future fitness. It's heated.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56- This is nice.- This is integrated. All the outbuildings
0:16:56 > 0:17:02are integrated into the whole property, which is why I thought it was a great choice to show you.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09Ooh, my word!
0:17:09 > 0:17:12- This is...- Absolutely amazing, yeah!
0:17:12 > 0:17:16- I had no idea when I saw it from the outside!- It's good, isn't it!
0:17:16 > 0:17:19This is your own private home cinema.
0:17:19 > 0:17:24No more messing around with plasma screens. You can have a whole wall of football!
0:17:24 > 0:17:27- No, it's fantastic! We'd have to have parties every week!- Yep!
0:17:27 > 0:17:30I'm wondering where to put the bar, but I'm sure I can manage!
0:17:30 > 0:17:33Yes, this will do very nicely for you, Don.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36'I couldn't agree more, and it doesn't end there.'
0:17:36 > 0:17:41- So you've got a big paddock that goes quite a long way down and an orchard that runs alongside it.- Yep.
0:17:41 > 0:17:46- Ah, little moorhen! - The baby, yeah.- Aw, so sweet!
0:17:46 > 0:17:50Anyway, enough about chicks. What about cheque books?
0:17:50 > 0:17:54- How much do you think you could... - Cheque books!- ..stump up for this?
0:17:54 > 0:17:57- OK, well, I would guess 1.5. - So £1.5?
0:17:57 > 0:18:03You see, I was going to go a little lower again, and I was going to go £1.3.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06Gosh! It's actually £1.5m. Why would you say £1.3m?
0:18:06 > 0:18:10I'm not as familiar with prices as Don.
0:18:10 > 0:18:15- It's a pretty desirable property but, as you know, the market is very slow at the moment.- It's nice.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19- Have a look round and I'll meet you out the front.- Thank you, Alistair.
0:18:22 > 0:18:26- I like the way that everything is centred around the fireplace.- Mmm.
0:18:26 > 0:18:32I think there's a few niggles, but nothing that we couldn't turn round and make right.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35It's a good use of space in this property.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37I saw the potential for the band to be playing.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41The stage, yep. It's a stunning space. Yeah, absolutely.
0:18:46 > 0:18:51So, we're onto our final big-buck property and it really is something special.
0:18:51 > 0:18:57With a whopping £1.2 million, Ken and Kay were property-hunting in Cornwall with Jules Hudson.
0:18:57 > 0:19:02Top of Jules' list was holiday let, so they could earn some extra income, and a house with bags of character.
0:19:02 > 0:19:09So, he took them to the village of Ludgvan, where he showed them a truly incredible period property
0:19:09 > 0:19:11which would hopefully knock their socks off.
0:19:11 > 0:19:17The village lies just two miles from the popular seaside resort of Penzance on the south coast.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21The village has a pub, a church and a school to offer,
0:19:21 > 0:19:26but eager Jules headed straight to the property, with Ken and Kay firmly in hand.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29- OK, keep your eyes shut.- OK. - Stop!
0:19:29 > 0:19:31And look up.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34- Wow!- Oh, God!
0:19:34 > 0:19:36What do you think of that?
0:19:36 > 0:19:38- It's huge!- Beautiful!
0:19:38 > 0:19:40Wow! That's lovely!
0:19:40 > 0:19:44- My next offering for you... - I'm speechless!- Oh, dear!
0:19:44 > 0:19:46This is lovely. Very good.
0:19:46 > 0:19:51- Yeah?- That's a quality period house. - It is.- And this as well? This bit? - Yeah.- Everything?
0:19:51 > 0:19:54- Yeah.- It's all part of it. - Wow, wonderful!- Wow!
0:19:54 > 0:19:59Now this is a very special property. The original corner of the house dates from the 17th century,
0:19:59 > 0:20:02whilst the main part is a Victorian addition.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08- It's very grand, isn't it? - You like?
0:20:08 > 0:20:10I like the floor. It's lovely.
0:20:10 > 0:20:16- Yeah, a lovely Victorian feature, and you get the great sense of the height.- Yeah, nice high ceilings.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19There are four main reception rooms in this house,
0:20:19 > 0:20:24the first two of which are either side of the entrance hall, but wait till they see the kitchen.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28Now then, Kay, come and have a little look.
0:20:28 > 0:20:29- Oh, wow!- Look at this!
0:20:29 > 0:20:31Go and explore it!
0:20:31 > 0:20:33- Go and have a look!- Magnificent!
0:20:33 > 0:20:36- Yeah. It's huge! - Yeah?- Just what we want.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40- I like the Aga.- This is beautiful. - That's ideal, yeah.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44You get a real sense, I think, of the age of this building. This is the old bit.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47- It says 1685 on that beam. - There you go.- Wow!
0:20:47 > 0:20:50Well, they might want to enjoy family meals at the kitchen table,
0:20:50 > 0:20:56but moving on, it's clear that my buyers wouldn't be short of dining space in this house.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00Oh, wow!
0:21:01 > 0:21:05- It's a medieval banqueting table! - Dear, oh, dear!- How about it?
0:21:05 > 0:21:08It's beautiful. And the good news is, that comes with the house.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12- That's great.- Because, let's face it, where else would you put it?
0:21:12 > 0:21:15- It's made for this room, isn't it? - Yes, exactly.- My God!
0:21:15 > 0:21:18You get a real sense in here again of the history of this house.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21Lovely fireplace at the end, and these beautiful...
0:21:21 > 0:21:25- Window seats.- ..recessed windows with their mullioned stone windows.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28- Real sense of history. - Absolutely magnificent.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30Wait till you see how this place opens up.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35- Wow!- Wow, Jules!
0:21:35 > 0:21:39It's crazy, isn't it? This place is just enormous.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42- This is known as a parlour.- Yeah.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46- But do with it what you will. - Yeah.- Yep.- A real snug.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48It's got the wow factor. It really has!
0:21:49 > 0:21:53I don't know about you, Ken, but I think a man needs a little den,
0:21:53 > 0:21:56somewhere to get away from the family
0:21:56 > 0:22:00- and have a drink.- And have a pint! - What do you think?- He's quite good at it.- Oh, my goodness!
0:22:02 > 0:22:08What a great feature. The banquet hall with the snug, you know, the kitchen, this is magnificent!
0:22:08 > 0:22:10Good! I like it when people say that.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13'I have to say, this is all going rather well.
0:22:13 > 0:22:19'Moving up the stairs from the parlour, let's see if this house can possibly get any better.'
0:22:22 > 0:22:24- Good size.- Oh, lovely, lovely!
0:22:24 > 0:22:28- Yeah?- Nice room, well done. - En suite.- Yeah, there's an en suite through there.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32- This is mirrored over there with another bedroom.- Yeah.
0:22:32 > 0:22:37So this is a guest wing, if you like, where you've got two of the seven bedrooms in the house.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41- This is really part of the income, I think.- Yep, absolutely!
0:22:41 > 0:22:47Very easy part of the income. Come and look at this en suite. The finish is just extraordinary.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50- It's gorgeous.- What about that for a nice little wet room?
0:22:50 > 0:22:52I have to sit down. Excuse me!
0:22:54 > 0:22:57Great! I love it when houses have that effect.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00- This is exactly what we want. - Yeah?- Wonderful.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04- And there's nothing you'll have to change.- No, you can walk into this.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07- It's high spec. - That's the market that I want.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11The rest of the bedrooms are accessed via the main stairs in the entrance hall.
0:23:11 > 0:23:16In the first bedroom, you can enjoy views over the drive from the comfort of a four-poster bed,
0:23:16 > 0:23:21and there are two further double bedrooms at the front of the house, one of which is en suite,
0:23:21 > 0:23:25plus a good-sized family bathroom. Along the landing,
0:23:25 > 0:23:31there's yet another bedroom and, finally, the master. Quite a lot to take in.
0:23:31 > 0:23:37- So this is the last bedroom. - Oh, wow! So this is the master bedroom, then?
0:23:37 > 0:23:40- This is the master bedroom. - Too big?- This is beautiful.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42Good size, lovely.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44- Mm-hm.- It's nice and bright.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47- I like it. - And have a little look in there.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49Yeah, en suite.
0:23:52 > 0:23:58- Wow, look at the size of that bath. It's huge!- How about it? - Beautiful. Absolutely luxurious.
0:23:58 > 0:24:03'There is lots of scope here for accommodating bed and breakfast guests and, as we head outside,
0:24:03 > 0:24:06'plenty to think about, business-wise.'
0:24:06 > 0:24:10- There's a lot of potential, isn't there?- Yes. Seven bedrooms is a lot for the main house,
0:24:10 > 0:24:16so that in relation to an income, it allows us to really tap into the upper segment of the market
0:24:16 > 0:24:19and I think that is the segment that we're looking for.
0:24:19 > 0:24:25Well, I'm glad to hear that, and they haven't even seen the holiday accommodation yet. Check this out!
0:24:25 > 0:24:28Just come in here.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31Go on, go and tell me what you might do with this lot?
0:24:31 > 0:24:33Wow!
0:24:33 > 0:24:37- Dear, oh, dear. Oh, my goodness! - It's all here, isn't it?
0:24:37 > 0:24:40- What do you think?- Oh, dear... - How about this for a holiday let?
0:24:40 > 0:24:44- This is beautiful.- It's lovely. - Double bedroom in there.- Yeah. - An en suite...
0:24:44 > 0:24:47- En suite, of course.- ..to die for.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50High end, this is high end. This is exactly what I'm looking for.
0:24:50 > 0:24:55Guess what? There's another one exactly like this, but the mirror image, next door.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58- Oh, that's ideal, isn't it? - Two?- Two.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02- That's great, because it frees up the house a bit. - It frees up the house an awful lot,
0:25:02 > 0:25:05and these are going out for roughly £600 a week.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08- Brilliant!- Yeah, sure, right. I'd understand that.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12And as we head further round to the back of the house, there's more to see.
0:25:12 > 0:25:17Come and have a little look in here, because this, you're going to love.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22- Oh, God!- Oh, my gosh!
0:25:22 > 0:25:24A swimming pool!
0:25:24 > 0:25:27- Does it get any better? - Oh, my goodness!
0:25:27 > 0:25:29- I love swimming, I just love it! - Oh, my goodness.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33- Where does it stop?- Just when you thought it couldn't get any better!
0:25:33 > 0:25:35Listen, Jules, you're sneaky, you are!
0:25:35 > 0:25:40- Amazing! Just amazing!- I had to keep things close to my chest!
0:25:40 > 0:25:44- It's amazing, goodness! - How about that, then?- What next? - I know!- What next?
0:25:44 > 0:25:46Do you want a garden?
0:25:46 > 0:25:48- Yeah.- Come with me.
0:25:48 > 0:25:53Behind the pool there's an enclosed kitchen garden and a pathway down to a pond.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56And then we've got this stretch of garden.
0:25:56 > 0:26:01Kay, my God! What a lovely play area for children, and things. It's nice and flat.
0:26:01 > 0:26:09- That's just amazing!- It's well laid.- It's really amazing! - Ah, Jules, you're unbelievable!
0:26:09 > 0:26:11JULES CHUCKLES
0:26:11 > 0:26:15In all, you've got one-and-a-half acres, including the house.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19- Right.- That's brilliant. It's manageable, isn't it? - Yeah. It's a good size.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23- I don't really think you're gonna need any more than that. - Everything is here.
0:26:23 > 0:26:28- You've found us somewhere very special. I think we'd be very happy. - Will you be happy with the price?
0:26:28 > 0:26:33- Let's have a little think.- Oh, dear. - You've got £1.2 million to spend.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37How much would you pay for all that this place has to offer?
0:26:37 > 0:26:40I can't believe this is going to be any less than £1.5 million.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42I'm sort of...
0:26:42 > 0:26:44I'd say...
0:26:44 > 0:26:47I dunno, 1.3m maybe.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50- 1.3?- 1.3. You know what our budget is.
0:26:50 > 0:26:55Our budget is really sort of circa £1 million. We could go to £1.2 if we beg, borrow and steal,
0:26:55 > 0:26:59but I think that, you know, we're talking about robbing a bank at this stage.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01OK. So you're saying 1.3?
0:27:01 > 0:27:04- I'm saying 1.5.- 1.5?
0:27:04 > 0:27:06Well...
0:27:06 > 0:27:10the good news is that it's not 1.5.
0:27:10 > 0:27:16The bad news is that it is offers in excess of 1.2.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20- Right.- So you may well have to go and beg, borrow and steal.- OK.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24- You've got a lot to think about. - Make a couple of phone calls. - We'll make some calls.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28Probably make more than a couple, I suspect, but there's a lot here.
0:27:28 > 0:27:32Go and explore, and just see what you would get for your money
0:27:32 > 0:27:35and how you'd make this place your own family home.
0:27:41 > 0:27:47- I really like this property. It's just...can we afford it? Can we get the extra money?- Yeah, sure.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50- The swimming pool!- Aw, yeah!
0:27:50 > 0:27:51The dining table.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55The kitchen. The lovely little den, the first room we went into.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59- It would be lovely. Could you see yourself here?- Yeah.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06Ken and Kay really loved that house,
0:28:06 > 0:28:10but at the top end of their budget, I think they really did struggle with the price,
0:28:10 > 0:28:15and after making lots of phone calls, they decided not to put an offer in on the property,
0:28:15 > 0:28:18but they are still planning their escape to Cornwall.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21Unfortunately, that's all we've got time to show you today.
0:28:21 > 0:28:25I hope you've enjoyed looking round our big-budget rural idylls.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:47 > 0:28:51E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk