Big Budget Escape to the Country

They may be made of stone, wood, brick or concrete,

be built 300 years ago or just the other day,

a WAG's retreat or a retiree's paradise,

but one thing all of the houses on today's show have in common is their price tag.

Join me in a moment for a very gold-plated edition of Escape To The Country.

In today's show, we take a look back at a selection of our favourite big-budget properties,

where a Dorset dream home causes confusion...

-Very nice.

-It's a job to know which way to look first.

-That's always a good sign.

..a medieval mansion gets them weak at the knees...

-It's gorgeous.

-What about that for a nice little wet room?

I'll have to sit down. Excuse me.

..and the roles are reversed as I get a multi-million-pound property tour and have to guess the price.

I'm going to say way over my budget.

I think it's on the market for around about £7.5 million.

Yes, today's show is all about the rural dream on a big, big budget,

and that's over £1 million to you and me, but whether it's a farm set in Wales, a coastal view in Cornwall

or a Surrey mansion, there are plenty of million-pound-plus properties all over rural Britain,

but the question is,

does money really buy you happiness, or does a bigger budget simply breed bigger expectations?

We've trawled through the archives to find some of our biggest budgets from over the years

and we've selected a few nuggets of gold to delight you with.

So whether you're window shopping or looking to splash out soon,

sit back, relax and stay tuned for some truly magnificent country escapes.

There are an estimated 88,000 homes in England and Wales valued at, or above, the £1 million mark,

and an increasing amount of these can be found in countryside locations.

Despite recent fluctuations in the market,

properties prices have increased dramatically over the past ten years,

and million-pound hotspots have appeared in many rural locations.

Counties such as Surrey, Cheshire, Devon and Cornwall

are at the top of the list,

no doubt areas where hefty City bonuses have driven up prices.

But even with these overall increases, there is still an expectation that a rural property

peeping over the six-figure mark should provide an air of exclusivity, luxury and splendour.

So, to kick us off on our big-budget binge, we're heading back to Devon

to meet up with Aldo and Amanda. They had a fantastic budget of £1.2 million,

and for that, they were looking for a rural retreat near a village,

but they also wanted five bedrooms, a large kitchen,

holiday lets and enough land to raise a few animals,

and a top priority for 6ft 4in Aldo was the head height. So I took them to a beautiful Georgian farmhouse

in the village of Burrington, where I showed them a property which ticked quite a few of their boxes.

Lying 13 miles south of Barnstaple on the northern coast of Devon,

the village of Burrington has a small community

which focuses mainly around the church and post office,

so an ideal location for Aldo and Amanda, who had peace and quiet at the top of their property checklist.

This one is a Victorian/Georgian four-bedroom property.

It's got large rooms and plenty of them.

-Brilliant. It looks lovely.

-Yeah.

-Shall we have a look inside?

-Sounds good to me!

-It's a nice entrance.

-I can smell a fire!

-Yeah.

-The floor is nice, as well.

-It is.

-Really impressive, isn't it?

-Lovely wide space.

-Yeah.

-High ceilings.

-High ceilings.

-You've got two rooms off here.

-This is the dining room, but we're first going to go through to the drawing room. After you.

-Thank you.

-Oh, I love the fire!

-It's a beautiful room!

-You can just imagine yourself on a cold winter's evening,

-sat in front of that fire.

-Yeah. Very cosy. Lovely view!

-The view!

-Nice and light, isn't it?

They're really big windows, original sash windows. Great period features in here.

-That's beautiful.

-That's ticking the boxes!

-It certainly is.

'A very positive start, but let's see what they make of the dining room.'

-It's lovely, isn't it?

-Oh, wow!

-I can just imagine having Sunday lunches here.

-I love the flooring again.

-That's gorgeous.

-So you can picture the family here?

-Yes.

-14, 15...cousins, nieces and nephews!

-Easily fit it in here.

-All sat round the table.

-Yeah, definitely.

-OK.

There is a little door just round that corner,

-but we're going to come to that via another route.

-You're going to save that?

-We're going out this way.

OK. Lead the way.

'Yes, we'll get to the rest of the downstairs later, because I want to save the best for last.

'Upstairs, I have a cracking room for them that has everything that living in the country is about.'

-That's nice.

-Look at that view!

-Dual aspect!

-Exactly!

Would you like to see some more?

-Oh, yeah!

-More?

-Are you ready for it? OK, let's go.

'Down the landing are two more double bedrooms with period fireplaces,

'as well as two family bathrooms, both with separate showers

'and original Victorian enamelled baths, but I think the next bedroom is quite attractive!'

-And in we come.

-Oh, wow! Look at this!

-It goes all the way back.

-Good space for a double bed.

-Yeah, definitely.

-There's loads of room for a double bed.

-It's so light.

-Do you want to see some more?

-Oh, yes!

-Definitely.

-We'll go through the secret door!

-A secret door?

-Remember, when we were downstairs, and I said we'd come back to that door?

-Oh, yeah.

There are multiple ways up and down this house.

Oh, wow! Mandy will love that!

Oh, this is fantastic, isn't it?

-That's beautiful!

-What a fireplace!

This was originally the kitchen.

I assume there's a kitchen somewhere?

There is! Would you like to see it?

-I would!

-I've been saving this.

-Saving this one till last, were you?

-All right, let me show you through this way.

-OK.

-Come on through.

-Oh, this is incredible, isn't it?

-Oh, my God!

-Just what I've been looking for.

-Wow!

-And beautiful range, as well.

-This is exactly what you'd picture a farmhouse kitchen to look like.

-Yeah, it's gorgeous.

-You've outdone yourself here!

Oh, you flatter me! I think the view does everything for this room, doesn't it?

Oh, it does. And you can walk out, as well, can't you?

-Shall we?

-Yep.

-Let's go and indulge in the view.

-Oh, wow! This is definitely country living!

-This is fantastic!

And look at all of this! Ten acres!

-Your land goes down that way.

-So all the way down to the bottom?

-All the way down. Yes.

-Phew!

-To the line of trees down there.

So you've got all of this land, but there's a working business here, as well.

-Two holiday lets.

-Brilliant!

The small let accommodates four and the larger sleeps six, where you'll find this wood-burning stove.

-Oh, this is nice, isn't it?

-It's lovely.

-I love the fireplace.

-Beautiful features.

-It's gorgeous.

It's been finished to a high standard, with up-to-date kitchens and bathrooms.

There are two good-sized bedrooms and a third bunk room for the kids.

Outside, there's also a private cottage garden.

In the grounds, there's also a two-bedroom annexe

and a workshop, which could be converted into more holiday lets.

-It's time to guess the price. You've enjoyed looking around this property.

-It's beautiful.

-Lots of rooms.

-Definitely.

-It's got the working business, so much potential.

-I can see you wandering round, Aldo, mental calculations!

-Definitely!

-So, what do you think it's worth?

I think this is definitely gonna reach the upper budget,

-so I reckon about £1,175,000.

-OK. Amanda?

I'd go for 1.2.

-OK. Well, the upper reach of your budget is 1.2.

-Yes.

I think this has got pretty much everything you were looking for.

-It has, yep.

-£1.3 million.

-Oooh!

-Oh, that took a sharp intake of breath! There's potential.

-There's potential, isn't there?

-There's so much to think about.

-Do some calculations.

-Do you want another look round?

-Definitely.

-Off you go, then.

-Thanks.

-I'll find you later.

-OK, bye.

The property is fantastic. It's ticked all our boxes in terms of size,

the kitchen/breakfast room is fantastic, the view is to die for.

The business side, there's potential there.

I could see myself living here, quite easily. This has ticked virtually every single box.

To find out more about the ins and outs of buying a £1-million-plus country home,

I've come to the county that boasts some of the most expensive rural properties in the world,

and that's Surrey.

I'm going to find out how easy it is to sell these homes,

but more importantly, what kind of added extras do they need to offer?

Breaking from convention, I'm getting a tour around a multi-million pound state-of-the-art property

and will be put on the spot to guess the price.

'And giving me the lowdown is Martin Burrows, an estate agent

-'who matches millionaire moguls to magnificent mansions.'

-So what do you think?

-So, Martin, this is what you call a multi-million-pound house? It's huge!

-It certainly is.

It's 10,000 square feet of accommodation here.

Set into an acre of grounds, this mansion house has matching stable-block-styled garages

to hold your prancing Italian sports car or collection of classic motors,

complete with chauffeur's quarters above, but it's not just the size of the house that matters.

This area is set on the Wentworth Estate. It's a private estate.

-It's one of the most exclusive estates in the country.

-So, you also buy the lifestyle?

-Absolutely.

-I can't wait to look inside. I'm loving the outside.

-Let's have a look.

-After you.

-Thank you very much. Ooh, wow!

Now, this is a beautiful hallway!

-It's got that wow factor, hasn't it?

-It certainly has - and it's lovely and warm.

-Yes.

We've got under-floor heating throughout the house.

What things would someone who is buying a property like this expect as standard?

If you have a look over here, on a house of this size,

the practicality of leaving and making sure all the lights are off is difficult,

but here, it's very easy...

You just push one button... and there we go.

This house certainly is designed to impress, and there's plenty of room for all your visitors.

Upstairs, there are four guest bedrooms, all en suite, and separate accommodation for the staff.

But it's the master bedroom I've got my eye on.

-So, what do you think?

-I love it! This is now my favourite room.

I know I've said that about every room we've walked into, but this... I mean, it's amazing!

-But there's probably one more favourite room for you.

-Really?

-I think so.

-In here?

-A dressing room.

-Oh! I'm in heaven! Oh!

This dressing room is a girl's dream.

With bespoke built-in cabinets, it's the ideal place to house your autumn collection.

-This is what you'd expect, isn't it?

-There will be a heavy duty collection of clothes

coming with the buyer of this property.

On the other side of the bedroom is the perfect pamper room...

a designer en suite with yet another gadget.

I can see a head rest over there, and a remote control for...oh!

You have an LCD screen at the bottom of your bath

-to keep up with the news in the morning.

-Of course!

This really is luxury living, but the question is, what's it all going to cost? Any ideas?

-I think it's about time for you to guess the price.

-No! Oh, my gosh!

-I usually put people through this!

-Now it's your turn.

-I'm scared!

-Come on!

-I'm going to start totting it up. Location...

How many rooms did you say?

Well, I'm really struggling with this one and to add to my confusion, we still haven't seen the outside yet,

where you'll find an acre of gardens backing onto woodland,

and to top it all off, there's even a heated swimming pool. Gorgeous day!

-It is, so come on. You know you've got to.

-Oh!

-You've been avoiding it.

-OK, I have. I'm going to say way over my budget.

I think it's on the market for around about £7.5 million.

Luckily for you, you can buy this for £5.25 million.

-Oh! Brilliant!

-So come this way, I'll introduce you to our lawyers and we'll do the deal.

We'll sign the paperwork! Thank you so much. I've enjoyed it so much.

-You're very welcome.

-It's not just about how it looks, it's about the gadgets, too.

-Absolutely.

-And status.

-Of course.

-I'm moving up!

So, if there's something I've learnt about buying the perfect big bucks property

is that it's got to have more than the standard two up, two down.

It is all about the added features and extras,

and for our next couple, it certainly was all about the features.

Having been on the hunt for four years, Don and Leone had scoured the countryside

looking for their dream home, and with a budget of £1.5 million,

Alistair Appleton took up the mantel in Dorset.

Now, top of their list was a house with a river and a lake,

so when Alistair took them to a Georgian farmhouse set on its own lake in Gussage St Michael,

it set their pulses racing.

Situated 12 miles south of Shaftesbury

and eight miles north of Blandford Forum,

Gussage St Michael is a quiet village set within the Cranbourne Chase.

There are no shops as such in the village,

but there is a well-regarded pub which not only serves a good pint but acts as the local shop.

The property Alistair showed Don and Leone was surrounded by open farmland and fantastic views.

It's a lovely kind of mishmash of different periods. It's on five acres

and they've got lots of features which I think you're going to adore.

-Lovely.

-Shall we get inside?

-Great!

-Go for it!

-Lovely.

-Oh, what an interesting hallway.

-Very nice.

-It's a job to know which way to look first!

-I know.

-That's always a good sign.

-This is lovely.

-Look at that lovely lounge.

I think this is the most wonderful room in the whole house, actually.

There are other wonderful views, but it's such a wonderfully comfy room.

-Yes.

-Yeah, I do love the fireplace. I like that old mantelpiece.

'Excellent! This room seems to have hit the spot.'

-So now we're getting into the bit of the property that is constrained by history.

-Right.

This was probably a Victorian addition onto the Georgian cottage,

so there's a possibility of opening this space up,

-and then the kitchen here, which is not vast.

-I love the fireplace and the Aga,

because I love Agas, so that works for me very nicely.

At the end of the kitchen is a useful utility room and, next to that, a downstairs bathroom,

but heading back towards the other end of the house is the dining room.

-Oh, it's nice.

-This is nice.

I like this.

This has all been remodelled by the previous owner, who did a lot of work to the property.

-I like the open inglenook-type fireplace, and I love that arch, Alistair.

-Yeah?

-That's lovely.

Well, this is the dining room, but off the dining room,

continuing the black-and-white theme, we've got a little library, a very small library...

-Nice, though!

-Don, if you ever had your desk in here, with a view like that, would you ever do any work?

Yes. If I've got the computer screen up high, I could glance to the side, occasionally.

It really is a view to die for, and on top of this room,

there's a study next door, but it's time to show them upstairs.

Up here there are five bedrooms, four of which have a connecting bathroom.

I want to start in the closest one.

Ooh! They must have struggled to get this in here!

Wow!

-It only just fits!

-It is only just!

-I think they had to shave an inch or two off the posts!

-Yeah!

This house seems to have lifted their spirits.

There's an en suite to this room, but the labyrinth of rooms continues next door, and they get larger.

I wanted to show you... These are rooms joined together,

so you've got a nice guest room here that goes into a Jack and Jill bathroom, which I think is lovely.

This is lovely, isn't it, yeah? This is very nice.

And for me, this is the more natural master bedroom.

Oh, yes!

Beautiful views, nice and light.

Nice arch window, and we've got the bathroom that we can use next door.

-Yeah, and so that's your...

-Exactly.

-I think you'll like the features outside,

but I've been very wrong before, so I'm not holding my breath.

-Mmm!

-There's your fitness routine every morning.

Your future fitness. It's heated.

-This is nice.

-This is integrated. All the outbuildings

are integrated into the whole property, which is why I thought it was a great choice to show you.

Ooh, my word!

-This is...

-Absolutely amazing, yeah!

-I had no idea when I saw it from the outside!

-It's good, isn't it!

This is your own private home cinema.

No more messing around with plasma screens. You can have a whole wall of football!

-No, it's fantastic! We'd have to have parties every week!

-Yep!

I'm wondering where to put the bar, but I'm sure I can manage!

Yes, this will do very nicely for you, Don.

'I couldn't agree more, and it doesn't end there.'

-So you've got a big paddock that goes quite a long way down and an orchard that runs alongside it.

-Yep.

-Ah, little moorhen!

-The baby, yeah.

-Aw, so sweet!

Anyway, enough about chicks. What about cheque books?

-How much do you think you could...

-Cheque books!

-..stump up for this?

-OK, well, I would guess 1.5.

-So £1.5?

You see, I was going to go a little lower again, and I was going to go £1.3.

Gosh! It's actually £1.5m. Why would you say £1.3m?

I'm not as familiar with prices as Don.

-It's a pretty desirable property but, as you know, the market is very slow at the moment.

-It's nice.

-Have a look round and I'll meet you out the front.

-Thank you, Alistair.

-I like the way that everything is centred around the fireplace.

-Mmm.

I think there's a few niggles, but nothing that we couldn't turn round and make right.

It's a good use of space in this property.

I saw the potential for the band to be playing.

The stage, yep. It's a stunning space. Yeah, absolutely.

So, we're onto our final big-buck property and it really is something special.

With a whopping £1.2 million, Ken and Kay were property-hunting in Cornwall with Jules Hudson.

Top of Jules' list was holiday let, so they could earn some extra income, and a house with bags of character.

So, he took them to the village of Ludgvan, where he showed them a truly incredible period property

which would hopefully knock their socks off.

The village lies just two miles from the popular seaside resort of Penzance on the south coast.

The village has a pub, a church and a school to offer,

but eager Jules headed straight to the property, with Ken and Kay firmly in hand.

-OK, keep your eyes shut.

-OK.

-Stop!

And look up.

-Wow!

-Oh, God!

What do you think of that?

-It's huge!

-Beautiful!

Wow! That's lovely!

-My next offering for you...

-I'm speechless!

-Oh, dear!

This is lovely. Very good.

-Yeah?

-That's a quality period house.

-It is.

-And this as well? This bit?

-Yeah.

-Everything?

-Yeah.

-It's all part of it.

-Wow, wonderful!

-Wow!

Now this is a very special property. The original corner of the house dates from the 17th century,

whilst the main part is a Victorian addition.

-It's very grand, isn't it?

-You like?

I like the floor. It's lovely.

-Yeah, a lovely Victorian feature, and you get the great sense of the height.

-Yeah, nice high ceilings.

There are four main reception rooms in this house,

the first two of which are either side of the entrance hall, but wait till they see the kitchen.

Now then, Kay, come and have a little look.

-Oh, wow!

-Look at this!

Go and explore it!

-Go and have a look!

-Magnificent!

-Yeah. It's huge!

-Yeah?

-Just what we want.

-I like the Aga.

-This is beautiful.

-That's ideal, yeah.

You get a real sense, I think, of the age of this building. This is the old bit.

-It says 1685 on that beam.

-There you go.

-Wow!

Well, they might want to enjoy family meals at the kitchen table,

but moving on, it's clear that my buyers wouldn't be short of dining space in this house.

Oh, wow!

-It's a medieval banqueting table!

-Dear, oh, dear!

-How about it?

It's beautiful. And the good news is, that comes with the house.

-That's great.

-Because, let's face it, where else would you put it?

-It's made for this room, isn't it?

-Yes, exactly.

-My God!

You get a real sense in here again of the history of this house.

Lovely fireplace at the end, and these beautiful...

-Window seats.

-..recessed windows with their mullioned stone windows.

-Real sense of history.

-Absolutely magnificent.

Wait till you see how this place opens up.

-Wow!

-Wow, Jules!

It's crazy, isn't it? This place is just enormous.

-This is known as a parlour.

-Yeah.

-But do with it what you will.

-Yeah.

-Yep.

-A real snug.

It's got the wow factor. It really has!

I don't know about you, Ken, but I think a man needs a little den,

somewhere to get away from the family

-and have a drink.

-And have a pint!

-What do you think?

-He's quite good at it.

-Oh, my goodness!

What a great feature. The banquet hall with the snug, you know, the kitchen, this is magnificent!

Good! I like it when people say that.

'I have to say, this is all going rather well.

'Moving up the stairs from the parlour, let's see if this house can possibly get any better.'

-Good size.

-Oh, lovely, lovely!

-Yeah?

-Nice room, well done.

-En suite.

-Yeah, there's an en suite through there.

-This is mirrored over there with another bedroom.

-Yeah.

So this is a guest wing, if you like, where you've got two of the seven bedrooms in the house.

-This is really part of the income, I think.

-Yep, absolutely!

Very easy part of the income. Come and look at this en suite. The finish is just extraordinary.

-It's gorgeous.

-What about that for a nice little wet room?

I have to sit down. Excuse me!

Great! I love it when houses have that effect.

-This is exactly what we want.

-Yeah?

-Wonderful.

-And there's nothing you'll have to change.

-No, you can walk into this.

-It's high spec.

-That's the market that I want.

The rest of the bedrooms are accessed via the main stairs in the entrance hall.

In the first bedroom, you can enjoy views over the drive from the comfort of a four-poster bed,

and there are two further double bedrooms at the front of the house, one of which is en suite,

plus a good-sized family bathroom. Along the landing,

there's yet another bedroom and, finally, the master. Quite a lot to take in.

-So this is the last bedroom.

-Oh, wow! So this is the master bedroom, then?

-This is the master bedroom.

-Too big?

-This is beautiful.

Good size, lovely.

-Mm-hm.

-It's nice and bright.

-I like it.

-And have a little look in there.

Yeah, en suite.

-Wow, look at the size of that bath. It's huge!

-How about it?

-Beautiful. Absolutely luxurious.

'There is lots of scope here for accommodating bed and breakfast guests and, as we head outside,

'plenty to think about, business-wise.'

-There's a lot of potential, isn't there?

-Yes. Seven bedrooms is a lot for the main house,

so that in relation to an income, it allows us to really tap into the upper segment of the market

and I think that is the segment that we're looking for.

Well, I'm glad to hear that, and they haven't even seen the holiday accommodation yet. Check this out!

Just come in here.

Go on, go and tell me what you might do with this lot?

Wow!

-Dear, oh, dear. Oh, my goodness!

-It's all here, isn't it?

-What do you think?

-Oh, dear...

-How about this for a holiday let?

-This is beautiful.

-It's lovely.

-Double bedroom in there.

-Yeah.

-An en suite...

-En suite, of course.

-..to die for.

High end, this is high end. This is exactly what I'm looking for.

Guess what? There's another one exactly like this, but the mirror image, next door.

-Oh, that's ideal, isn't it?

-Two?

-Two.

-That's great, because it frees up the house a bit.

-It frees up the house an awful lot,

and these are going out for roughly £600 a week.

-Brilliant!

-Yeah, sure, right. I'd understand that.

And as we head further round to the back of the house, there's more to see.

Come and have a little look in here, because this, you're going to love.

-Oh, God!

-Oh, my gosh!

A swimming pool!

-Does it get any better?

-Oh, my goodness!

-I love swimming, I just love it!

-Oh, my goodness.

-Where does it stop?

-Just when you thought it couldn't get any better!

Listen, Jules, you're sneaky, you are!

-Amazing! Just amazing!

-I had to keep things close to my chest!

-It's amazing, goodness!

-How about that, then?

-What next?

-I know!

-What next?

Do you want a garden?

-Yeah.

-Come with me.

Behind the pool there's an enclosed kitchen garden and a pathway down to a pond.

And then we've got this stretch of garden.

Kay, my God! What a lovely play area for children, and things. It's nice and flat.

-That's just amazing!

-It's well laid.

-It's really amazing!

-Ah, Jules, you're unbelievable!

JULES CHUCKLES

In all, you've got one-and-a-half acres, including the house.

-Right.

-That's brilliant. It's manageable, isn't it?

-Yeah. It's a good size.

-I don't really think you're gonna need any more than that.

-Everything is here.

-You've found us somewhere very special. I think we'd be very happy.

-Will you be happy with the price?

-Let's have a little think.

-Oh, dear.

-You've got £1.2 million to spend.

How much would you pay for all that this place has to offer?

I can't believe this is going to be any less than £1.5 million.

I'm sort of...

I'd say...

I dunno, 1.3m maybe.

-1.3?

-1.3. You know what our budget is.

Our budget is really sort of circa £1 million. We could go to £1.2 if we beg, borrow and steal,

but I think that, you know, we're talking about robbing a bank at this stage.

OK. So you're saying 1.3?

-I'm saying 1.5.

-1.5?

Well...

the good news is that it's not 1.5.

The bad news is that it is offers in excess of 1.2.

-Right.

-So you may well have to go and beg, borrow and steal.

-OK.

-You've got a lot to think about.

-Make a couple of phone calls.

-We'll make some calls.

Probably make more than a couple, I suspect, but there's a lot here.

Go and explore, and just see what you would get for your money

and how you'd make this place your own family home.

-I really like this property. It's just...can we afford it? Can we get the extra money?

-Yeah, sure.

-The swimming pool!

-Aw, yeah!

The dining table.

The kitchen. The lovely little den, the first room we went into.

-It would be lovely. Could you see yourself here?

-Yeah.

Ken and Kay really loved that house,

but at the top end of their budget, I think they really did struggle with the price,

and after making lots of phone calls, they decided not to put an offer in on the property,

but they are still planning their escape to Cornwall.

Unfortunately, that's all we've got time to show you today.

I hope you've enjoyed looking round our big-budget rural idylls.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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