Big Budget Escape to the Country


Big Budget

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

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be built 300 years ago or just the other day,

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

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

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

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

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where a Dorset dream home causes confusion...

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-Very nice.

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

-That's always a good sign.

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

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-It's gorgeous.

-What about that for a nice little wet room?

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I'll have to sit down. Excuse me.

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

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I'm going to say way over my budget.

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

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

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

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

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but the question is,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Despite recent fluctuations in the market,

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properties prices have increased dramatically over the past ten years,

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

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Counties such as Surrey, Cheshire, Devon and Cornwall

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are at the top of the list,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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but they also wanted five bedrooms, a large kitchen,

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holiday lets and enough land to raise a few animals,

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

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

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

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the village of Burrington has a small community

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which focuses mainly around the church and post office,

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

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

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It's got large rooms and plenty of them.

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-Brilliant. It looks lovely.

-Yeah.

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-Shall we have a look inside?

-Sounds good to me!

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-It's a nice entrance.

-I can smell a fire!

-Yeah.

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-The floor is nice, as well.

-It is.

-Really impressive, isn't it?

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-Lovely wide space.

-Yeah.

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-High ceilings.

-High ceilings.

-You've got two rooms off here.

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

-Thank you.

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-Oh, I love the fire!

-It's a beautiful room!

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

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-sat in front of that fire.

-Yeah. Very cosy. Lovely view!

-The view!

-Nice and light, isn't it?

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

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-That's beautiful.

-That's ticking the boxes!

-It certainly is.

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

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-It's lovely, isn't it?

-Oh, wow!

-I can just imagine having Sunday lunches here.

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-I love the flooring again.

-That's gorgeous.

-So you can picture the family here?

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-Yes.

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

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-Easily fit it in here.

-All sat round the table.

-Yeah, definitely.

-OK.

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There is a little door just round that corner,

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

-You're going to save that?

-We're going out this way.

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OK. Lead the way.

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

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

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-That's nice.

-Look at that view!

-Dual aspect!

-Exactly!

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Would you like to see some more?

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-Oh, yeah!

-More?

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

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

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

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

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-And in we come.

-Oh, wow! Look at this!

-It goes all the way back.

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-Good space for a double bed.

-Yeah, definitely.

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

-It's so light.

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-Do you want to see some more?

-Oh, yes!

-Definitely.

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-We'll go through the secret door!

-A secret door?

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

-Oh, yeah.

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There are multiple ways up and down this house.

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Oh, wow! Mandy will love that!

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Oh, this is fantastic, isn't it?

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-That's beautiful!

-What a fireplace!

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This was originally the kitchen.

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I assume there's a kitchen somewhere?

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There is! Would you like to see it?

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-I would!

-I've been saving this.

-Saving this one till last, were you?

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

-OK.

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-Come on through.

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

-Oh, my God!

-Just what I've been looking for.

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-Wow!

-And beautiful range, as well.

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

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-Yeah, it's gorgeous.

-You've outdone yourself here!

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

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

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-Shall we?

-Yep.

-Let's go and indulge in the view.

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-Oh, wow! This is definitely country living!

-This is fantastic!

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And look at all of this! Ten acres!

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-Your land goes down that way.

-So all the way down to the bottom?

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-All the way down. Yes.

-Phew!

-To the line of trees down there.

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

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-Two holiday lets.

-Brilliant!

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

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

-It's lovely.

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-I love the fireplace.

-Beautiful features.

-It's gorgeous.

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

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

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Outside, there's also a private cottage garden.

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

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

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

-It's beautiful.

-Lots of rooms.

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-Definitely.

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

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

-Definitely!

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

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I think this is definitely gonna reach the upper budget,

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-so I reckon about £1,175,000.

-OK. Amanda?

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I'd go for 1.2.

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

-Yes.

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

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-It has, yep.

-£1.3 million.

-Oooh!

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

-There's potential, isn't there?

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-There's so much to think about.

-Do some calculations.

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-Do you want another look round?

-Definitely.

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-Off you go, then.

-Thanks.

-I'll find you later.

-OK, bye.

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

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

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The business side, there's potential there.

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

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

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

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and that's Surrey.

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

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

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

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

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

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-'who matches millionaire moguls to magnificent mansions.'

-So what do you think?

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

-It certainly is.

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

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

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

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

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

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

-So, you also buy the lifestyle?

-Absolutely.

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

-Let's have a look.

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-After you.

-Thank you very much. Ooh, wow!

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Now, this is a beautiful hallway!

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

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

-Yes.

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

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

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

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

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but here, it's very easy...

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

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

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

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

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-So, what do you think?

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

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

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

-Really?

-I think so.

-In here?

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-A dressing room.

-Oh! I'm in heaven! Oh!

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This dressing room is a girl's dream.

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

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

-There will be a heavy duty collection of clothes

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coming with the buyer of this property.

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

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a designer en suite with yet another gadget.

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

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You have an LCD screen at the bottom of your bath

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-to keep up with the news in the morning.

-Of course!

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

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

-No! Oh, my gosh!

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-I usually put people through this!

-Now it's your turn.

-I'm scared!

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-Come on!

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

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How many rooms did you say?

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

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

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

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

-Oh!

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-You've been avoiding it.

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

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

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

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-Oh! Brilliant!

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

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

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-You're very welcome.

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

-Absolutely.

-And status.

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-Of course.

-I'm moving up!

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

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

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It is all about the added features and extras,

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

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

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

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Alistair Appleton took up the mantel in Dorset.

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

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

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it set their pulses racing.

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Situated 12 miles south of Shaftesbury

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and eight miles north of Blandford Forum,

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

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There are no shops as such in the village,

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

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

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

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

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-Lovely.

-Shall we get inside?

-Great!

-Go for it!

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-Lovely.

-Oh, what an interesting hallway.

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-Very nice.

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

-I know.

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-That's always a good sign.

-This is lovely.

-Look at that lovely lounge.

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

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

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-Yes.

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

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

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

-Right.

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This was probably a Victorian addition onto the Georgian cottage,

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

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

-I love the fireplace and the Aga,

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

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

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

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-Oh, it's nice.

-This is nice.

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I like this.

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

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

-Yeah?

-That's lovely.

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

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

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-Nice, though!

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

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

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

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

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

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I want to start in the closest one.

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

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Wow!

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-It only just fits!

-It is only just!

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

-Yeah!

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This house seems to have lifted their spirits.

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

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

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

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

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

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Oh, yes!

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Beautiful views, nice and light.

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

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

-Exactly.

-I think you'll like the features outside,

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

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-Mmm!

-There's your fitness routine every morning.

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Your future fitness. It's heated.

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-This is nice.

-This is integrated. All the outbuildings

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

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Ooh, my word!

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-This is...

-Absolutely amazing, yeah!

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

-It's good, isn't it!

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This is your own private home cinema.

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

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

-Yep!

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

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

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

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

-Yep.

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-Ah, little moorhen!

-The baby, yeah.

-Aw, so sweet!

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Anyway, enough about chicks. What about cheque books?

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-How much do you think you could...

-Cheque books!

-..stump up for this?

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-OK, well, I would guess 1.5.

-So £1.5?

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

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

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I'm not as familiar with prices as Don.

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

-It's nice.

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

-Thank you, Alistair.

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

-Mmm.

0:18:220:18:26

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

0:18:260:18:32

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

0:18:320:18:35

I saw the potential for the band to be playing.

0:18:350:18:37

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

0:18:370:18:41

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

0:18:460:18:51

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

0:18:510:18:57

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

0:18:570:19:02

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

0:19:020:19:09

which would hopefully knock their socks off.

0:19:090:19:11

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

0:19:110:19:17

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

0:19:170:19:21

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

0:19:210:19:26

-OK, keep your eyes shut.

-OK.

-Stop!

0:19:260:19:29

And look up.

0:19:290:19:31

-Wow!

-Oh, God!

0:19:310:19:34

What do you think of that?

0:19:340:19:36

-It's huge!

-Beautiful!

0:19:360:19:38

Wow! That's lovely!

0:19:380:19:40

-My next offering for you...

-I'm speechless!

-Oh, dear!

0:19:400:19:44

This is lovely. Very good.

0:19:440:19:46

-Yeah?

-That's a quality period house.

-It is.

-And this as well? This bit?

-Yeah.

-Everything?

0:19:460:19:51

-Yeah.

-It's all part of it.

-Wow, wonderful!

-Wow!

0:19:510:19:54

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

0:19:540:19:59

whilst the main part is a Victorian addition.

0:19:590:20:02

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

-You like?

0:20:050:20:08

I like the floor. It's lovely.

0:20:080:20:10

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

-Yeah, nice high ceilings.

0:20:100:20:16

There are four main reception rooms in this house,

0:20:160:20:19

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

0:20:190:20:24

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

0:20:240:20:28

-Oh, wow!

-Look at this!

0:20:280:20:29

Go and explore it!

0:20:290:20:31

-Go and have a look!

-Magnificent!

0:20:310:20:33

-Yeah. It's huge!

-Yeah?

-Just what we want.

0:20:330:20:36

-I like the Aga.

-This is beautiful.

-That's ideal, yeah.

0:20:360:20:40

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

0:20:400:20:44

-It says 1685 on that beam.

-There you go.

-Wow!

0:20:440:20:47

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

0:20:470:20:50

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

0:20:500:20:56

Oh, wow!

0:20:570:21:00

-It's a medieval banqueting table!

-Dear, oh, dear!

-How about it?

0:21:010:21:05

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

0:21:050:21:08

-That's great.

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

0:21:080:21:12

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

-Yes, exactly.

-My God!

0:21:120:21:15

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

0:21:150:21:18

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

0:21:180:21:21

-Window seats.

-..recessed windows with their mullioned stone windows.

0:21:210:21:25

-Real sense of history.

-Absolutely magnificent.

0:21:250:21:28

Wait till you see how this place opens up.

0:21:280:21:30

-Wow!

-Wow, Jules!

0:21:330:21:35

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

0:21:350:21:39

-This is known as a parlour.

-Yeah.

0:21:390:21:42

-But do with it what you will.

-Yeah.

-Yep.

-A real snug.

0:21:420:21:46

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

0:21:460:21:48

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

0:21:490:21:53

somewhere to get away from the family

0:21:530:21:56

-and have a drink.

-And have a pint!

-What do you think?

-He's quite good at it.

-Oh, my goodness!

0:21:560:22:00

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

0:22:020:22:08

Good! I like it when people say that.

0:22:080:22:10

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

0:22:100:22:13

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

0:22:130:22:19

-Good size.

-Oh, lovely, lovely!

0:22:220:22:24

-Yeah?

-Nice room, well done.

-En suite.

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

0:22:240:22:28

-This is mirrored over there with another bedroom.

-Yeah.

0:22:280:22:32

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

0:22:320:22:37

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

-Yep, absolutely!

0:22:370:22:41

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

0:22:410:22:47

-It's gorgeous.

-What about that for a nice little wet room?

0:22:470:22:50

I have to sit down. Excuse me!

0:22:500:22:52

Great! I love it when houses have that effect.

0:22:540:22:57

-This is exactly what we want.

-Yeah?

-Wonderful.

0:22:570:23:00

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

-No, you can walk into this.

0:23:000:23:04

-It's high spec.

-That's the market that I want.

0:23:040:23:07

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

0:23:070:23:11

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

0:23:110:23:16

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

0:23:160:23:21

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

0:23:210:23:25

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

0:23:250:23:31

-So this is the last bedroom.

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

0:23:310:23:37

-This is the master bedroom.

-Too big?

-This is beautiful.

0:23:370:23:40

Good size, lovely.

0:23:400:23:42

-Mm-hm.

-It's nice and bright.

0:23:420:23:44

-I like it.

-And have a little look in there.

0:23:440:23:47

Yeah, en suite.

0:23:470:23:49

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

-How about it?

-Beautiful. Absolutely luxurious.

0:23:520:23:58

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

0:23:580:24:03

'plenty to think about, business-wise.'

0:24:030:24:06

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

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

0:24:060:24:10

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

0:24:100:24:16

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

0:24:160:24:19

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

0:24:190:24:25

Just come in here.

0:24:250:24:28

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

0:24:280:24:31

Wow!

0:24:310:24:33

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

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

0:24:330:24:37

-What do you think?

-Oh, dear...

-How about this for a holiday let?

0:24:370:24:40

-This is beautiful.

-It's lovely.

-Double bedroom in there.

-Yeah.

-An en suite...

0:24:400:24:44

-En suite, of course.

-..to die for.

0:24:440:24:47

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

0:24:470:24:50

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

0:24:500:24:55

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

-Two?

-Two.

0:24:550:24:58

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

-It frees up the house an awful lot,

0:24:580:25:02

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

0:25:020:25:05

-Brilliant!

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

0:25:050:25:08

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

0:25:080:25:12

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

0:25:120:25:17

-Oh, God!

-Oh, my gosh!

0:25:190:25:22

A swimming pool!

0:25:220:25:24

-Does it get any better?

-Oh, my goodness!

0:25:240:25:27

-I love swimming, I just love it!

-Oh, my goodness.

0:25:270:25:29

-Where does it stop?

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

0:25:290:25:33

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

0:25:330:25:35

-Amazing! Just amazing!

-I had to keep things close to my chest!

0:25:350:25:40

-It's amazing, goodness!

-How about that, then?

-What next?

-I know!

-What next?

0:25:400:25:44

Do you want a garden?

0:25:440:25:46

-Yeah.

-Come with me.

0:25:460:25:48

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

0:25:480:25:53

And then we've got this stretch of garden.

0:25:530:25:56

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

0:25:560:26:01

-That's just amazing!

-It's well laid.

-It's really amazing!

-Ah, Jules, you're unbelievable!

0:26:010:26:09

JULES CHUCKLES

0:26:090:26:11

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

0:26:110:26:15

-Right.

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

-Yeah. It's a good size.

0:26:150:26:19

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

-Everything is here.

0:26:190:26:23

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

-Will you be happy with the price?

0:26:230:26:28

-Let's have a little think.

-Oh, dear.

-You've got £1.2 million to spend.

0:26:280:26:33

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

0:26:330:26:37

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

0:26:370:26:40

I'm sort of...

0:26:400:26:42

I'd say...

0:26:420:26:44

I dunno, 1.3m maybe.

0:26:440:26:47

-1.3?

-1.3. You know what our budget is.

0:26:470:26:50

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

0:26:500:26:55

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

0:26:550:26:59

OK. So you're saying 1.3?

0:26:590:27:01

-I'm saying 1.5.

-1.5?

0:27:010:27:04

Well...

0:27:040:27:06

the good news is that it's not 1.5.

0:27:060:27:10

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

0:27:100:27:16

-Right.

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

-OK.

0:27:160:27:20

-You've got a lot to think about.

-Make a couple of phone calls.

-We'll make some calls.

0:27:200:27:24

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

0:27:240:27:28

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

0:27:280:27:32

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

0:27:320:27:35

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

-Yeah, sure.

0:27:410:27:47

-The swimming pool!

-Aw, yeah!

0:27:480:27:50

The dining table.

0:27:500:27:51

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

0:27:510:27:55

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

-Yeah.

0:27:550:27:59

Ken and Kay really loved that house,

0:28:030:28:06

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

0:28:060:28:10

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

0:28:100:28:15

but they are still planning their escape to Cornwall.

0:28:150:28:18

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

0:28:180:28:21

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

0:28:210:28:25

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

0:28:440:28:47

E-mail [email protected]

0:28:470:28:51

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