0:00:02 > 0:00:07I'm in 627 square miles of prime countryside
0:00:07 > 0:00:11that has just been designated the UK's newest national park.
0:00:11 > 0:00:16So where am I? Find out in a moment as we escape to the country.
0:00:27 > 0:00:34'Today, I'll help a couple head out of the capital and find their first family home in the country.
0:00:34 > 0:00:38'But will they be able to agree?' Chalk and cheese!
0:00:38 > 0:00:43- This is exactly how I want my kitchen to be. It's perfect(!) - Speak for yourself!
0:00:43 > 0:00:50- 'We'll see how far we can stretch them with our mystery house.' Are you brave?- I'll take anything on.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54I'm in Hampshire on the South Downs
0:00:54 > 0:00:58which, earlier this year, was awarded national park status,
0:00:58 > 0:01:0160 years after it was first proposed.
0:01:01 > 0:01:07Historically, national parks were created in wild, dramatic landscapes
0:01:07 > 0:01:12and areas of gentle, rolling, chalkland downs such as this were overlooked.
0:01:12 > 0:01:19However, over time, the consensus of what makes a national park has changed, and about time too
0:01:19 > 0:01:24because this area gets over 39 million visits a year.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28That's twice as many as the Lake District National Park.
0:01:28 > 0:01:34With around 120,000 residents, it's also the most populated national park,
0:01:34 > 0:01:40making Hampshire a sought-after location for London commuters looking for a bit of country life.
0:01:40 > 0:01:46The South Downs stretch for 106 miles across Hampshire and East and West Sussex
0:01:46 > 0:01:50and one of the main aims is to conserve its rich natural habitats
0:01:50 > 0:01:52while sustaining the farming landscape.
0:01:52 > 0:01:58Hampshire is surrounded by Dorset, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Surrey and West Sussex
0:01:58 > 0:02:03and besides parks, offers up a whole host of charming towns on the coast and inland.
0:02:03 > 0:02:08There are plenty of desirable properties from timber-framed thatched cottages
0:02:08 > 0:02:14to large, detached period houses, making it an enduring favourite with escapees.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21National park status can be a real boost to the local economy,
0:02:21 > 0:02:25attracting new visitors, business and investment.
0:02:25 > 0:02:31Funding is now available to local entrepreneurs wanting to make their businesses more sustainable
0:02:31 > 0:02:36and for those wanting to make the most out of the diversity of this area.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39House prices may benefit too.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43Properties in the neighbouring New Forest National Park
0:02:43 > 0:02:45can be between 15 and 20% higher
0:02:45 > 0:02:49than similar properties outside the park boundary,
0:02:49 > 0:02:55so with that in mind, take a look at some of these great properties currently on the market.
0:02:55 > 0:03:01For top-notch splendour, how about this six-bedroom, Grade II listed country house in Rogate
0:03:01 > 0:03:04for £1.25 million?
0:03:04 > 0:03:08Its reception rooms retain their Georgian elegance,
0:03:08 > 0:03:11but is sympathetically extended to give an open-plan kitchen.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15Outside, the gardens look over fields to the South Downs.
0:03:15 > 0:03:22Or for £585,000, there's this four-bedroom renovated period cottage in Soberton,
0:03:22 > 0:03:29which is quaint with two reception rooms retaining their original beams and brickwork fireplace.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33The kitchen-breakfast room has French windows leading outside.
0:03:33 > 0:03:38But you could snap up all that period charm for £385,000
0:03:38 > 0:03:41with this three-bedroom cottage in Manleys Hill.
0:03:41 > 0:03:47The rustic kitchen-dining room gives a perfect space for open-plan entertaining
0:03:47 > 0:03:52and the exposed beams are a running theme through the sitting room and bedrooms.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56Some tempting properties there that might fit your bill.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00Let's hope the ones we've got for this week's couple fit their bill.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04Today's escapees are Will, a sales director in the wine industry,
0:04:04 > 0:04:08and Georgie, a fashion buyer, who, along with their son Charlie,
0:04:08 > 0:04:12live in a three-bedroom, rented flat in Earlsfield, south-west London.
0:04:12 > 0:04:18Having sold their two-bedroom flat, they want to take advantage of the downturn in the market
0:04:18 > 0:04:20and buy as soon as possible.
0:04:20 > 0:04:25But they can't find the right property and time is ticking.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27We've seen 15 to 20 properties
0:04:27 > 0:04:33and we've got close on a couple of occasions to buying two now.
0:04:34 > 0:04:40But I feel that, uh...you know, it's just the criteria hasn't quite been met as yet.
0:04:40 > 0:04:45And maybe we're being too picky. It's difficult to know.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47They've lived in London for nine years,
0:04:47 > 0:04:51but Will and Georgie were raised in Hampshire and Scotland respectively.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55Now they want their son to grow up in the country.
0:04:55 > 0:05:01We hope that Charlie will have a similar upbringing to what Will and I experienced as children,
0:05:01 > 0:05:05very much outdoors, enjoying walking in the hillsides,
0:05:05 > 0:05:09a bit of sailing, ideally, dinghy sailing.
0:05:09 > 0:05:14And obviously taking after his father and playing cricket would be what we hope.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17They're looking for a village location,
0:05:17 > 0:05:23but Mum and Dad still need to travel into London for work at least three days a week.
0:05:23 > 0:05:29I'm currently enjoying a very short commute. It's only about 25 minutes door to door.
0:05:29 > 0:05:36When we move to the country, we'd like no more than an hour and 20 minutes' commute door to door.
0:05:36 > 0:05:41Will and Georgie have drawn up a pretty extensive wish list for their family home.
0:05:41 > 0:05:47Ideally, for the new house, we'd need a minimum of three bedrooms. Four would be great.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50A bit of character, so period style.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53Close proximity to a station.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57And schooling is important as well, so close to a good primary school.
0:05:57 > 0:06:03They're up for a bit of renovating, but there are some things they can't do without.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06The living room is doubling as a study as well,
0:06:06 > 0:06:11so it's not ideal when you're being terrorised by a two-year-old infant.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14We need a bit of seclusion, privacy.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17The kitchen I'm looking for will be larger than this.
0:06:17 > 0:06:22I'd love to have a sofa in the kitchen, so we can just relax
0:06:22 > 0:06:26and entertain our friends and family.
0:06:26 > 0:06:32For me, the must-haves would be a garden area. Anything up to half an acre would be fantastic.
0:06:32 > 0:06:38They don't have a property to sell, but how much have they set aside for their dream home in Hampshire?
0:06:38 > 0:06:42If we found a house that ticked all the boxes,
0:06:42 > 0:06:46we could probably stretch to £465,000.
0:06:46 > 0:06:53Buying a house is, as we all know, one of the biggest decisions anyone can make
0:06:53 > 0:06:57and few of us expect to find the perfect property straight away.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01However, Will and Georgie have already seen nearly 20 properties
0:07:01 > 0:07:05and, by their own admission, they are maybe setting the bar too high.
0:07:05 > 0:07:10Does the couple's perfect home exist on their budget here in the South Downs?
0:07:10 > 0:07:15Well, we're going to find out over the next two days.
0:07:15 > 0:07:20'Will and Georgie have decided to return to Will's childhood stomping ground with son Charlie.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24'They want to be close to the grandparents in Hampshire,
0:07:24 > 0:07:27'so we're basing our search in the South Downs region,
0:07:27 > 0:07:31'taking in commuter train stations like Basingstoke and Haslemere
0:07:31 > 0:07:35'from where they can get into London in 50 minutes.
0:07:35 > 0:07:40'In today's show, we've lined up three fantastic properties which I hope fit the bill,
0:07:40 > 0:07:45'but I won't be revealing the price of each until they've had a guess first.
0:07:45 > 0:07:52'As always, the last of the three is the mystery house to challenge what they thought they wanted.'
0:07:52 > 0:07:54Will and Georgie, good morning.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58- You've managed to escape the Big Smoke for now.- Yes.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02- But who's got Charlie?- Granny's looking after Charlie this week.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06- So you can relax, concentrate on the search.- Absolutely.- Good news.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10You guys have looked at quite a few properties, nearly 20.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14- What was wrong with them? - A number of things, really.
0:08:14 > 0:08:19Just not close enough to the station or they were too far out in the sticks,
0:08:19 > 0:08:25so there was no sense of community which is important for us. We haven't seen our ideal property yet.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28Do you think the perfect property is out there?
0:08:28 > 0:08:31We realise we're going to have to compromise somewhere,
0:08:31 > 0:08:35but the difficulty is knowing where the compromise is.
0:08:35 > 0:08:40Compromise - that's the magic word. Do you mind a little bit of a project?
0:08:40 > 0:08:42If need be, yes, indeed.
0:08:42 > 0:08:48So you're getting a little bit more flexible for me, which is good news with all that list.
0:08:48 > 0:08:53- We do have some great properties lined up, so shall we get started? - Brilliant.- Come on.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59For a maximum budget of £465,000, Will and Georgie have asked us
0:08:59 > 0:09:03to find them a three or four-bedroom period property.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07Georgie wants a big kitchen/diner with enough space for a sofa
0:09:07 > 0:09:09to laze away their Sunday mornings.
0:09:09 > 0:09:13A study for Will and a big garden for Charlie to run around in.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15They also need to be close to a train station
0:09:15 > 0:09:17for their commute to London,
0:09:17 > 0:09:20and to a primary school for their young son.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24Will, you're practically local to this area.
0:09:24 > 0:09:29Yeah, not far. Just ten minutes up the road, I was born and bred and went to school.
0:09:29 > 0:09:34Quite nostalgic coming back to this county and area.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38And also very good baby-sitting facilities on hand as well.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40Super Granny up the road, exactly!
0:09:43 > 0:09:46We kick off our property search in the rural hamlet of Empshott.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48Although there are few amenities here,
0:09:48 > 0:09:53just two miles down the road lies Selborne, a pretty village
0:09:53 > 0:09:57with two pubs, a local shop and post office, along with its own primary school.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01We may be within commuting distance to London, but you wouldn't think it
0:10:01 > 0:10:06from the array of beautiful thatched cottages and large rural properties in the area.
0:10:06 > 0:10:11On the outskirts of the village, set back from the road, is this cottage, dating back to the 1860s.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16So, guys, here is your first property.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19- Very pretty.- Very attractive. - Very nice indeed.
0:10:19 > 0:10:24I like the fusion of the brickwork using the local stone. It looks very striking.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27Now, the property is semi-detached.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29So do you mind a semi-detached property?
0:10:29 > 0:10:32No, like we said, we're going to have to compromise somewhere.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36- So, you know, I think we're... - That's a very good start, yes!
0:10:37 > 0:10:42It's quite quiet at the moment, but we are on quite a busy main road.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46Yes, I'm quite mindful of the fact it's busy and that does concern me.
0:10:46 > 0:10:51- We'll see.- We'll see. We'll see the inside of the house. That's my cue to take you in, isn't it? Come on.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56Well, maybe they'll forget about the road
0:10:56 > 0:10:58if the inside of the cottage impresses them.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03So come on straight through into the sitting room.
0:11:03 > 0:11:09- Nice?- Yes. The fireplace is lovely. - Yeah, very pretty. Presumably it's a working fireplace?
0:11:09 > 0:11:12It is, you can have a real fire in the winter. What about the size?
0:11:12 > 0:11:17- It feels slightly on the small size, I'd say.- Do you have a lot of stuff?
0:11:17 > 0:11:21Yeah, but I mean, the sofas and chairs would easily fit in here.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24- And as we walked in, there's a shower room behind us.- OK.
0:11:24 > 0:11:30- And to the left, off the hallway, the family bathroom, with a huge bath.- Right.
0:11:30 > 0:11:35- And is there a bathroom upstairs? - I knew that was coming, I could hear ticking.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37- No, that is the family bathroom.- OK.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39- Let's take you through to the kitchen.- OK.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43'And I'm sure they'll get a good feeling when they see it.'
0:11:46 > 0:11:49So it is practically brand new, it's only about four years old.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51- Really done well, I think. - Gosh, it's stunning.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55It's immaculate, isn't it? Very pristine. Quite sociable, though.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59You can have your breakfast in here with the whole family around the table.
0:11:59 > 0:12:04- And I can actually see myself cooking here.- Can you?- Yeah.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07- Has a very nice feel to it. - An unusual layout.
0:12:07 > 0:12:14Yes, I'm mindful of the fact I did want a very big kitchen where we could have a sofa and entertain.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17However, I can't help but like the feeling of this kitchen.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21I know you're a very social couple. You do have your breakfast bar here.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25- Yeah.- However, it does have a dining room just through here.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30- OK.- It's not massive.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34But it's big enough to take eight chairs there, around that table.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37It feels very separate to the kitchen.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40I don't think it flows terribly naturally from the kitchen into here.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44- I'm not sure I entirely agree. I quite like the room.- Do you?
0:12:44 > 0:12:48- Are you missing that sofa you wanted in the kitchen? - I think I'm missing the sofa!
0:12:50 > 0:12:53Yeah. I'm not feeling it at the moment, certainly.
0:12:53 > 0:12:54Be one big sofa at this rate.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58Behind us there's a utility room - enough space for your white goods,
0:12:58 > 0:13:01buggy, Wellington boots, perhaps even the toddler's bike.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04- Perfect. - Everyone needs a utility room.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07- Let's take you upstairs and see what you make of that.- OK.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11Well, the dining room seemed to divide them. Will's being quite pragmatic,
0:13:11 > 0:13:14while Georgie has a very fixed idea of what she wants.
0:13:14 > 0:13:19Will she be prepared to compromise upstairs once she's seen where they'll be sleeping?
0:13:19 > 0:13:24- So here's the master bedroom, your bedroom.- OK. Again, very pretty.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28In keeping with the rest of the house.
0:13:28 > 0:13:33But I think that it's quite small in terms of how we're going to fit our furniture in here.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36- Our bed is bigger than the one that's here.- Right.
0:13:36 > 0:13:37And we do have a wardrobe
0:13:37 > 0:13:40and a chest of drawers which would have to fit in here.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44And I think with the sloping eaves, we would struggle.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47There are lovely features in here, with that fireplace, which is what I like.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50- Yeah, it's lovely, isn't it? - Very pretty.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53'With three bedrooms in all upstairs, there's also a small single room,
0:13:53 > 0:13:57'but let's see what they think of their guest room.'
0:13:57 > 0:14:00- So this is the other double bedroom. - OK. Yep. Very nice.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04As a spare room, we don't really need an awful lot of space,
0:14:04 > 0:14:09as long as there's space for the bed and chest of drawers, which is what they have already.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11Other than that, I think it looks lovely.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14- My concern is we haven't seen a study.- Ah.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18- Well, this cottage does have options.- OK.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20- Shall we go outside and take a look?- Yeah.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23'Georgie really wants it all,
0:14:23 > 0:14:27'but I think this cottage can deliver because down at the end of the garden
0:14:27 > 0:14:30'there's this rather useful outbuilding.'
0:14:34 > 0:14:38- So I know accommodation was really important for you both.- Yes.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42- So this cottage has this additional outbuilding.- Amazing.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46- It's a bit of a curveball.- You've got a downstairs shower room there. - OK.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50- You've got all this space, which could be a study.- Yeah.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52- It could also be a bedroom. - Yeah, yeah.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55And not only that, above us, the same footprint,
0:14:55 > 0:15:00you've got that again upstairs, which could be a study or could be another bedroom.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02Amazing. Wow.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06So when your guests come to stay, they've got their own lodge.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09- Yeah. I really like that, actually. Nice, isn't it?- Very good.
0:15:09 > 0:15:14- That's given you something to think about, hasn't it? You're looking very surprised.- We are!
0:15:14 > 0:15:19- Let's go into the garden, because you've got to think how much all this is worth.- Yes.
0:15:19 > 0:15:25Charlie would have lots of space to run around in this lawned garden, which is safely enclosed.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27But now we've got to talk money.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31The big question is how much does it all cost? Who wants to go first?
0:15:32 > 0:15:35- Ladies first.- Erm... I think it's difficult.
0:15:35 > 0:15:41I think, with the added cottage, and the garden, 465?
0:15:41 > 0:15:45- So the top of your budget.- Yes. - OK. Will?
0:15:45 > 0:15:49I was thinking 425 until you threw in the curveball of the cottage.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51So...450?
0:15:51 > 0:15:56OK. The current asking price for this cottage...
0:15:56 > 0:15:59- is £395,000.- No way! That's amazing.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02Your face says it all, you're really surprised, aren't you?
0:16:02 > 0:16:05- I think that's amazing. Yeah. Wow.- Shocked.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08So why don't you go and have a wander,
0:16:08 > 0:16:12- have another look around and I'll catch up with you in a while. - OK.- OK, see you in a bit.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17Well, Georgie certainly had her reservations about the cottage,
0:16:17 > 0:16:20but Will seemed very taken with it.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24But at that price, they were both so surprised,
0:16:24 > 0:16:28and I think it really has put things in a spin in a very positive way.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30Under budget at £395,000,
0:16:30 > 0:16:33this cottage would be a great first home
0:16:33 > 0:16:35in this popular and pricey area.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38And Will's parents are just up the road.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42It has some great selling points, including two reception rooms,
0:16:42 > 0:16:46a very high-spec kithcen, three bedrooms -
0:16:46 > 0:16:49two with those lovely period fireplaces - a large garden
0:16:49 > 0:16:52with a fantastic outbuilding which could be a study
0:16:52 > 0:16:55and guest suite, and they could catch the train from Alton,
0:16:55 > 0:16:56just seven miles away,
0:16:56 > 0:16:58and be in London in under an hour and a quarter.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02I think, although it's a very beautiful property,
0:17:02 > 0:17:04I think that it's actually too small.
0:17:04 > 0:17:09- Enough space for your desk and everything?- Storage, filing, yeah, it's perfect.
0:17:09 > 0:17:14Georgie probably feels she couldn't live here. But I could if I made a few adjustments.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17I think we will differ on this one.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22- Have we seen enough?- Yes.- Indeed.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25OK, because there's plenty more to see. Let's go.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33Will and Georgie have chosen to escape to Hampshire
0:17:33 > 0:17:38because of the good connections to London and to be close to Will's parents.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42But they also want all the charms that come with living in this part of the country.
0:17:42 > 0:17:4612 miles east of Winchester lies the town of Bishop's Waltham.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49Today the village is teeming with specialist shops
0:17:49 > 0:17:52and traders selling local produce.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56But the legacy of the bishops lives on through the town's architecture.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59Local historian Peter Watkins is taking Will
0:17:59 > 0:18:02and Georgie to the bishops' palace to find out more.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06Here we are, this is the Palace of the Bishops of Winchester.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10One of them, in fact. He had a large number and he was an extraordinarily rich man
0:18:10 > 0:18:14throughout the whole of the Middle Ages and indeed afterwards, too.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18The palace was first of all built well before the Norman conquest.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22But it was rebuilt by Henry of Blois,
0:18:22 > 0:18:25a bishop from about the middle of the 12th century.
0:18:25 > 0:18:26At what stage did the palace fall to ruin?
0:18:26 > 0:18:33In 1644, it was attacked by the parliamentary army in the Civil War.
0:18:33 > 0:18:38And it was damaged so badly that in 1660, when the bishops
0:18:38 > 0:18:42of Winchester came back, they decided not to try to rebuild
0:18:42 > 0:18:45here at all, and they made their headquarters at Farnham
0:18:45 > 0:18:49and took stone from here to Farnham for rebuilding.
0:18:49 > 0:18:50At the same time,
0:18:50 > 0:18:54the bishops also founded St Peter's Church in the town.
0:18:54 > 0:18:55Despite the alterations that have been made over
0:18:55 > 0:19:00the past 800 years, it still holds on to some unique treasures.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04The most distinguished piece of architecture in the church is
0:19:04 > 0:19:06the pulpit, I suppose.
0:19:06 > 0:19:11It was given in 1626 by Bishop Lancelot Andrews,
0:19:11 > 0:19:15who was one of the translators of the King James Bible.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18And he gave the pulpit, which is an Italian one,
0:19:18 > 0:19:21and is one of the glories of the church.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23Well, they may be escaping the Big Smoke,
0:19:23 > 0:19:27but Will and Georgie will still have plenty of cultural hotspots
0:19:27 > 0:19:30to discover when they move to Hampshire.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35'We're going back to Will's roots for our next property, to Headley Down,
0:19:35 > 0:19:40'only a mile away from his parents, so baby-sitting couldn't be easier.
0:19:40 > 0:19:45'For facilities, Grayshott two miles away has all handy shops they would need.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47'There's a village primary school.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50'Good news for commuting too.
0:19:50 > 0:19:55'Haslemere train station is only six miles away with a 50-minute train journey into London.
0:19:55 > 0:20:01'Our property is located on a quiet country lane and is a 100-year-old cottage.'
0:20:01 > 0:20:06So what are your thoughts as we stand here in the pouring rain?
0:20:06 > 0:20:10I love the fact that it looks out on to the common. That is fantastic.
0:20:10 > 0:20:17I love the idea of just being able to walk out your door and go for a walk with dogs, children, what have you.
0:20:17 > 0:20:22- So that's a positive. - Shall we take a look inside?- Yeah. - Come on.- Thank you.
0:20:22 > 0:20:28'Even on a rainy day like this, the location certainly hasn't dampened their spirits.'
0:20:30 > 0:20:34Oh, that's better - warm and dry!
0:20:36 > 0:20:38Come on in, Will.
0:20:38 > 0:20:43So...what are your first impressions as you walk through the door?
0:20:43 > 0:20:49- What about the hallway? Welcoming? - It's a good size. - I was feeling the opposite.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52- LAUGHTER - Chalk and cheese, OK.
0:20:52 > 0:20:58So, down the hallway, you've got a study, the magic words, "a study", which is for you.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02- We've also got a utility room and a downstairs shower room.- OK.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05But I want to take you straight in here.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08This is the sitting room.
0:21:08 > 0:21:14- Nice size.- Yeah. - I like the fact that quite a lot of natural light comes in here.
0:21:14 > 0:21:19Fantastic open fire and lovely, lovely slate around it which looks great.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22- And some storage. - And also recesses either side.
0:21:22 > 0:21:28- That magic word.- So we can have storage for our CDs and books. I like it.- Good.
0:21:28 > 0:21:33- So this would work for you?- It would for me, yes.- Yeah, I think so.- Good.
0:21:33 > 0:21:39- Yeah.- Better than the hallway then. It's a positive. I'm going to keep positive. Let's keep going.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42'There's more space on offer in the second reception room.'
0:21:42 > 0:21:45Through here is the dining room.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49- Good size?- Yeah, definitely. - Feels a good size, yes.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51Nice view, good light.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55- Excellent. And behind you is a wood-burning stove.- Which I love.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59- Nice little feature. - That's great for heating the house.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02- And big enough for the family?- Yeah.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06Through there is... I can only say this is a very small kitchen.
0:22:06 > 0:22:11However, we do have some ideas on that, so, Will, if you lead the way, I'll explain.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16I think it's fair to say it's a bit bijou.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19"Nicki, where is my sofa going?"
0:22:19 > 0:22:22I think your sofa would take up the whole of the kitchen.
0:22:22 > 0:22:28- This is an extension, so not workable for the two of you with little Charlie.- No.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32However, you have mentioned you're quite happy to take on a project.
0:22:32 > 0:22:37If you look to the right, there's a patio, so you can extend the kitchen
0:22:37 > 0:22:41and have a large kitchen extension at the back of the house.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45- You've got plenty of land and you'd have a fantastic kitchen.- OK.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49- That's what I would consider doing. - Sounds like a good idea.
0:22:49 > 0:22:54There's a project for you and there'd be enough room at the back for the sofa.
0:22:54 > 0:23:01'Now we know where the sofa's going, let's head upstairs to check out the three bedrooms.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05'First up, we'll take a peek at where they would sleep.'
0:23:05 > 0:23:09- Come through to the master bedroom. - OK.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12- It's not a bad size. - That's good. Again good light.
0:23:12 > 0:23:18- Good storage. Fantastic cupboards along the whole side...- Great cupboards.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22- My wife needs storage for her clothes.- We definitely need storage.
0:23:22 > 0:23:28- Find me a woman that doesn't need storage!- This'll be all me. I don't know where you'll put your clothes!
0:23:28 > 0:23:34'There is another double room with yet another built-in wardrobe if Will needs it
0:23:34 > 0:23:38'and a single room with nice views out over the garden.
0:23:38 > 0:23:44'Next door, there's a bright family bathroom. Georgie and Will have very high expectations,
0:23:44 > 0:23:49'but with some refurb and extending, this could be the family home they're after.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52'Let's see if the garden and price can convince them.'
0:23:52 > 0:23:57Here we have a rather delightful garden, even in this damp weather.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00It's very nice. It's a great size.
0:24:00 > 0:24:05It's in segments, so you can have various themes as you go down the garden.
0:24:05 > 0:24:11It's over 100 foot long, you've got a greenhouse at the back, a garage and a shed.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14- Big enough for your vegetable plot? - Absolutely.- Good, good.
0:24:14 > 0:24:20You like the garden. I'm not too sure what you think about the house. I'm sure you'll tell me later.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23How much do you think it's worth?
0:24:23 > 0:24:26I reckon it needs quite a lot of work inside,
0:24:26 > 0:24:29so I'd hazard a guess at 425,000.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32That's so cheeky! That was going to be my number.
0:24:32 > 0:24:37- You snooze, you lose.- You can agree. - I think I'll go for 420.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39- 425, 420...- Yeah.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42One of you is on the nose.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45Will. £425,000.
0:24:45 > 0:24:51- Spooky!- Yeah.- Which means you would have £40,000 change.
0:24:51 > 0:24:56- Yeah.- To have your dream kitchen and the proper extension at the back of the house.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00- Are you happy with that?- Yeah. Good price.- Pleasantly surprised.
0:25:00 > 0:25:05Why don't you have another wander around the house? I'll catch up with you in a while.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08- OK.- See you later.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12Well, Will certainly knows this area, it's his old stomping ground,
0:25:12 > 0:25:15and very close to his heart by the sounds of it.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18I wasn't quite sure what they thought about the property,
0:25:18 > 0:25:22but at that price, with that money left over to make it right for them,
0:25:22 > 0:25:24it could be a goer.
0:25:24 > 0:25:30Under budget at £425,000, this is a great period property.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33And they've got £40,000 left,
0:25:33 > 0:25:36so they could make a good start on that extension.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38It offers two reception rooms,
0:25:38 > 0:25:39three bedrooms,
0:25:39 > 0:25:43a large zone garden - so lots of space for Charlie to run around in,
0:25:43 > 0:25:45and Will's vegetable garden.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48And it's just a stone's throw away from Ludshott Common
0:25:48 > 0:25:51and an easy commute to London.
0:25:51 > 0:25:52I do like it.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55We've got three good-sized bedrooms, but it feels quite compact.
0:25:55 > 0:25:59I agree. It all seems quite confined, but with the extra money,
0:25:59 > 0:26:01maybe the extension could be the answer.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05This property you can put your own stamp on. It's got high potential.
0:26:05 > 0:26:10I can really see us sitting here on a cold winter's night, with the fire lit.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13- It would be nice, actually. - We have some storage as well.- Yeah.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16It has the potential for us to put our mark on it
0:26:16 > 0:26:19and for it to become our family home for years to come.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27Unfortunately, guys, it is still pouring with rain.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31- So, come on. Let's go somewhere dry, shall we?- Yes.- Good idea.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39'When Will, Georgie and their two year-old son Charlie
0:26:39 > 0:26:41make the move to the South Downs,
0:26:41 > 0:26:44they want to take full advantage of the great outdoors.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46so I've brought the couple to Hyden Wood
0:26:46 > 0:26:49to meet Annette Stickler, a bushcraft instructor
0:26:49 > 0:26:52who has worked with the king of survival skills, Ray Mears.
0:26:52 > 0:26:58'She's got some fun tips to spark up any family camping trips they might make in the future.'
0:26:58 > 0:27:00We're here to learn a little bit about bushcraft.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02So what are we going to learn?
0:27:02 > 0:27:05First, I think we should do some fire-lighting,
0:27:05 > 0:27:07- but we need to do a bit of preparation.- Right.
0:27:07 > 0:27:12As you can see, I've collected some firewood, but we need some more.
0:27:12 > 0:27:17- What we need is sticks - pencil-thickness.- Yeah.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21And you'll see them hanging from the dead beech trees around here.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23- OK.- So that'd be great, if you could get some.
0:27:23 > 0:27:24- OK, off we go.- Great.
0:27:24 > 0:27:29'It's important only to light a fire where you have landowner permission
0:27:29 > 0:27:31'and where the terrain is suitable.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33'It must not be too near trees or their roots
0:27:33 > 0:27:35'which fire can travel along underground
0:27:35 > 0:27:39'and always have water to hand to extinguish it properly.'
0:27:39 > 0:27:43- Here we go.- Wa-hey! - Just down here?- I've got one.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47- Thanks, Nicki. Every one counts! - Good.
0:27:47 > 0:27:51'With the kindling sticks gathered in, it's time to strike a light
0:27:51 > 0:27:54'with Annette's trusty flint and curled steel
0:27:54 > 0:27:55'and create a spark
0:27:55 > 0:27:58'which will fall onto the black char cloth and ignite.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00'That's the theory anyway!'
0:28:00 > 0:28:04- Keep going.- Oh, nearly, then!- Yeah.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08It doesn't want to work for me.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11Go on, I'm going to let the expert do it.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14Let's have a look.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17I got a few sparks, but obviously not enough.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22- There we go. Can you see that? - Yeah.
0:28:22 > 0:28:27- If you get the bracken...- All of it? - Yeah. Make a bird's nest with it.
0:28:27 > 0:28:31- Like there's a baby bird in there. - Yeah.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33I'm going to place that in.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36You don't want to squash it,
0:28:36 > 0:28:38but you need the bracken in contact
0:28:38 > 0:28:40and you need to have it up above your head
0:28:40 > 0:28:42and blow from the bottom up.
0:28:42 > 0:28:44Go on.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55- There we are.- Goodness, that's impressive!- Yeah.
0:28:55 > 0:28:59'Next up, it's time to lay the sticks in a criss-cross formation
0:28:59 > 0:29:03'and then get lunch on the go.'
0:29:03 > 0:29:07OK, so now we've got a nice established fire going,
0:29:07 > 0:29:11we're going to go and collect some wild food to make a bannock,
0:29:11 > 0:29:15which is basically a wild bread, traditionally from Scotland.
0:29:15 > 0:29:17- There you go.- Home from home.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20'So time for the gang to go gathering nuts
0:29:20 > 0:29:23which is something kids would love to get stuck into.
0:29:23 > 0:29:28The woods are the perfect place for them to get to know about their natural world,
0:29:28 > 0:29:31from tree-spotting to animal-tracking.
0:29:31 > 0:29:33But it's a bit spooky being alone here,
0:29:33 > 0:29:34I hope they're back soon.
0:29:34 > 0:29:38- Hello!- You're back, I was getting a bit nervous here on my own.
0:29:38 > 0:29:40- You've got a lovely fire now. - Thank you.
0:29:40 > 0:29:42Fruitful labours?
0:29:42 > 0:29:44Yes, very good.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47'Annette's making her bannock with flour, milk powder,
0:29:47 > 0:29:49'baking powder, sugar and water,
0:29:49 > 0:29:51'with a scattering of beech nuts.
0:29:51 > 0:29:53'After mixing together all the ingredients,
0:29:53 > 0:29:57'the dough cooks on the skillet for seven minutes each side.
0:29:57 > 0:30:02'Once the bannock is cooked, it's time to taste it.'
0:30:02 > 0:30:06- Mmm! That is delicious! - That is good.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09- What does it taste of?- Sugar.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12- It tastes really sweet. - Like a doughnut.- Mmm.- Mmm.- Exactly.
0:30:12 > 0:30:16'Well, I'm sure Charlie would be very proud of his parents
0:30:16 > 0:30:21'if they could rustle up a meal like this from the forest floor.
0:30:21 > 0:30:25'As the first day of our house search draws to a close,
0:30:25 > 0:30:28'Will and Georgie reflect on the properties they've seen so far.'
0:30:28 > 0:30:32What are your thoughts on the house by the road?
0:30:32 > 0:30:35First thoughts when walking in - it was quite small, compact,
0:30:35 > 0:30:40- but immaculate and really pristine the way they've laid it out.- Yeah. They were very clever about that.
0:30:40 > 0:30:41Very good use of space.
0:30:41 > 0:30:46And then they chucked in that quite cheeky curveball of the house outside,
0:30:46 > 0:30:51which I wasn't really expecting. It's a real bonus, having that as an additional bedroom.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54- And also a study.- It makes a great office for you, doesn't it?
0:30:54 > 0:30:57Having that upstairs and being away from the rest of the house.
0:30:57 > 0:30:58Peace and quiet.
0:30:58 > 0:31:02Yeah. Slightly detached, which is nice. And a nice garden as well.
0:31:02 > 0:31:05- Yeah.- Flat, quite a big area. - Yeah. However...- The road...
0:31:05 > 0:31:08- It's just too noisy.- I think so.
0:31:08 > 0:31:14- What about the house overlooking the common?- My initial thoughts were it wasn't the most attractive of houses.
0:31:14 > 0:31:18However, I think when we got inside, I thought the sitting room was a good size.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21I like the fact that it had an open fire
0:31:21 > 0:31:26and I thought I could see ourselves sitting there in front of it on a dark winter's night.
0:31:26 > 0:31:29I like the fact that there's lots of opportunity to develop it -
0:31:29 > 0:31:31put the extension onto the kitchen,
0:31:31 > 0:31:34make it the kitchen that I've always wanted.
0:31:34 > 0:31:35You can see the promise.
0:31:35 > 0:31:38You've got the common, it's got a lot of potential, I think.
0:31:38 > 0:31:41- So are you looking forward to tomorrow?- Definitely.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44Today was exciting. It was great, wasn't it?
0:31:44 > 0:31:46So hopefully there'll be more of the same.
0:31:46 > 0:31:47- Fingers crossed.- Yeah.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54Will and Georgie want to quit the rat race of London
0:31:54 > 0:31:57and find a family home in rural Hampshire
0:31:57 > 0:32:00in which to raise their two year-old son Charlie.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03For £465,000, they're not just looking for
0:32:03 > 0:32:06a three-bedroom property with a large garden.
0:32:06 > 0:32:10They also need good train connections to London for work
0:32:10 > 0:32:12and to be near a primary school for their son.
0:32:12 > 0:32:14They've seen two properties so far,
0:32:14 > 0:32:18but coming up, Will gets down with contemporary living.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21It's quite cool down-lighting. It's a cool barn. Very funky.
0:32:21 > 0:32:24But our mystery house could shake things up.
0:32:24 > 0:32:29Despite having seen so many properties over the last few months,
0:32:29 > 0:32:33I think yesterday brought Will and Georgie back down to earth
0:32:33 > 0:32:34with a bit of a bump.
0:32:34 > 0:32:37Now, remember, this couple are cash buyers,
0:32:37 > 0:32:40so are in a position of strength in the current market.
0:32:40 > 0:32:44However, they do need to be realistic
0:32:44 > 0:32:47about what type of property they can afford with that cash.
0:32:47 > 0:32:51So, it's a new day, let's see what it brings.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57Our house hunt continues in the market town of Whitchurch
0:32:57 > 0:33:01from where they would have an hour and a quarter train journey into London.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04Set mostly within a conservation area,
0:33:04 > 0:33:08Whitchurch has its fair share of beautiful listed buildings
0:33:08 > 0:33:11and the last working silk mill of its kind in southern England
0:33:11 > 0:33:12sitting by the River Test.
0:33:12 > 0:33:15Along with the local pub,
0:33:15 > 0:33:18there is also that all-important primary school for Charlie.
0:33:18 > 0:33:24And just outside Whitchurch, is our next property, a rather unique conversion.
0:33:24 > 0:33:25So, it's a lovely new day.
0:33:25 > 0:33:29- It's a beautiful day. - And here is your property.
0:33:29 > 0:33:32Have you ever fancied living in a barn?
0:33:32 > 0:33:33I think it's a cool barn.
0:33:33 > 0:33:37Yeah, I like the slate, I like the brickwork.
0:33:37 > 0:33:41- And you've got the benefits of the stunning views.- It is beautiful. - Absolutely beautiful.
0:33:41 > 0:33:47- It's very rural here.- Yeah. - Keen to get inside? - Yeah, I'd love to have a look.- OK.
0:33:47 > 0:33:51'This former cow shed has been given a new lease of life
0:33:51 > 0:33:53that I'm sure our couple will be impressed by.'
0:33:56 > 0:34:01So how do you both fancy open-plan living?
0:34:01 > 0:34:05- Wow, it's stunning. It looks great.- Very cool.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08- I love the beams. - They've done it extremely well.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11- Has it surprised you from outside? - Very much so.
0:34:11 > 0:34:16You just don't expect to come into this beautiful, open living room
0:34:16 > 0:34:18with the lovely beams.
0:34:18 > 0:34:20It gives it such character. Really lovely.
0:34:20 > 0:34:25- Have you been in a barn conversion before?- No, I haven't. Never.
0:34:25 > 0:34:29- No.- So you're pleasantly surprised? - Very much so, yeah.
0:34:29 > 0:34:31It's crying out for a wood-burner there
0:34:31 > 0:34:35- which would be really easy to do. - Would it?- Yeah.- Lovely.
0:34:35 > 0:34:39You've got limestone flooring, underfloor heating.
0:34:39 > 0:34:41- Lovely.- That's very nice.- Yes.
0:34:41 > 0:34:46- You've got the ash staircase up to the mezzanine floor. - That's stunning.
0:34:46 > 0:34:48Let me show you the kitchen.
0:34:50 > 0:34:52You've got gorgeous quartz worktops,
0:34:52 > 0:34:56which you don't often see in a kitchen, which really works well.
0:34:56 > 0:34:57Although it's not massive,
0:34:57 > 0:35:01you've got all this storage, top of the range appliances.
0:35:01 > 0:35:05It's a good size. I like the way they've laid it out, as well.
0:35:05 > 0:35:07- It's very modern.- It is.
0:35:07 > 0:35:12It also benefits from a utility room which is just next door.
0:35:12 > 0:35:16Down the hallway, you've got two bedrooms on the ground floor and family bathroom.
0:35:16 > 0:35:18- Let me show you one of the bedrooms.- OK.
0:35:19 > 0:35:23This is the bigger of the two bedrooms.
0:35:23 > 0:35:27- It's a generous size.- Good size. - Yeah, it's a great size.
0:35:27 > 0:35:29Good spare room.
0:35:29 > 0:35:33Yeah, probably a spare room. There's plenty of space, storage.
0:35:33 > 0:35:35lots of cupboards.
0:35:35 > 0:35:39- Look at that for cupboards!- It looks good.- Quite cool down-lighting.
0:35:39 > 0:35:44'And there's light streaming into the single room next door.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47'Across the hallway, there's a brand-new fitted family bathroom.
0:35:47 > 0:35:54'Will and Georgie are shocked by the spectacular blend of old and new in this conversion.
0:35:54 > 0:35:56'I wonder what they'll think of the upstairs?'
0:35:59 > 0:36:01I really like this little galleried area,
0:36:01 > 0:36:04because this could be your office, your study.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07- Oh, yeah, I forgot about that! - He hadn't.
0:36:07 > 0:36:13- Certainly not.- I forgot that was quite important.- It's a good size, a little sort of nook and cranny.
0:36:13 > 0:36:17You could tuck a desk away there, yeah.
0:36:17 > 0:36:21I'm going to show you the master bedroom. You haven't seen that yet.
0:36:25 > 0:36:29- Wow! Good size. - Yeah.- Great features.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32Lovely as well. Just a few more beams as well.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35They've done it, again, extremely well.
0:36:35 > 0:36:39- I'm afraid I have a negative point, though.- Go on. Hit me with it.
0:36:39 > 0:36:41Because of the sloping ceilings,
0:36:41 > 0:36:44you wouldn't be able to get any furniture in here.
0:36:44 > 0:36:48You could get chairs and you could get a fabulous sofa there.
0:36:48 > 0:36:50But the good news is, just round the corner,
0:36:50 > 0:36:54you've got your dressing area, so your clothes can go there.
0:36:54 > 0:36:58It's really unusual, especially if you're used to living in a flat.
0:36:58 > 0:37:03- This is completely different. - It has a very nice, light, airy feeling to it.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06- That's great. - So you like the contemporary feel?
0:37:06 > 0:37:09Yeah, I like the mix of old and contemporary.
0:37:09 > 0:37:13I think you're going to love this next room.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22- Wow!- Wow!
0:37:22 > 0:37:24- It's pretty cool.- What a shower!
0:37:24 > 0:37:27- Here is your en-suite.- Very nice.
0:37:27 > 0:37:31- That wasn't on the wish list. - No, it definitely wasn't.
0:37:31 > 0:37:33But such a lovely thing to have though.
0:37:33 > 0:37:37- Very funky, isn't it? - A real added bonus.
0:37:37 > 0:37:38It's a great walk-in shower.
0:37:38 > 0:37:43That's a power shower, I presume. It looks pretty powerful.
0:37:43 > 0:37:45Again, you could have storage either side.
0:37:45 > 0:37:49- Shall we head outside? - Brilliant.- Yeah, definitely.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52'"Wow, funky, cool"?
0:37:52 > 0:37:56'Will seems to like it, but Georgie has got her practical head on.
0:37:56 > 0:38:00'Let's find out what she's thinking as we step outside.'
0:38:00 > 0:38:04Here you have the gardens and, luckily, south and west-facing,
0:38:04 > 0:38:08- so you'll get sunlight all afternoon, into the evening. - Which is lovely.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10So what do you think of the property?
0:38:10 > 0:38:13It's beautiful, absolutely stunning,
0:38:13 > 0:38:17but I'm struggling with the practical side of things.
0:38:17 > 0:38:18Where do I put my Hoover,
0:38:18 > 0:38:22where do we put our welly boots and our outdoor jackets?
0:38:22 > 0:38:26We're coming from a small flat in London which has very little space
0:38:26 > 0:38:32- and I'm just not sure we want to move to a place which lacks the space as well.- Storage?- Exactly.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35- What about you, Will?- I love it.
0:38:37 > 0:38:39Yeah, practicality, I mean...
0:38:39 > 0:38:44Gumboots, coats could all go in the garden shed, as far as I'm concerned.
0:38:44 > 0:38:48But I do appreciate where Georgie is coming from. It's very minimalist.
0:38:48 > 0:38:52And you don't want too much clutter on display
0:38:52 > 0:38:54and we do have a fair degree of clutter.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57But you've got to make allowances,
0:38:57 > 0:38:59you've got to compromise.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02So just build an extra-large garden shed, I'd say.
0:39:02 > 0:39:06- Open-plan living, eh?- I don't know. - How much is open-plan living going to cost?
0:39:06 > 0:39:11- 435,000.- OK. That was very definite.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14It was a stab in the dark.
0:39:14 > 0:39:17- Georgie?- Oh, no. Erm...
0:39:17 > 0:39:20440. I don't know.
0:39:20 > 0:39:22OK, it's a bit higher than that.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25- It is at the top of your budget.- OK.
0:39:25 > 0:39:29- It's £465,000.- OK, OK.- Oh!
0:39:29 > 0:39:32It's quite a lot, isn't it? For what you get.
0:39:32 > 0:39:35- A lot, but it's all done. - Yeah, true.
0:39:35 > 0:39:37- You walk straight into it.- Mm-hm.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40Everything is to the highest spec possible.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43It has been finished to a very high standard.
0:39:43 > 0:39:46- It is beautiful. - You can't dispute that.
0:39:46 > 0:39:50- Anyway, go and have a chat.- OK. - Have a wander round that barn
0:39:50 > 0:39:53- and I'll see you in a while. - OK.- See you later.
0:39:54 > 0:40:00At £465,000, this cow shed conversion is incredibly high-spec
0:40:00 > 0:40:03and a fabulous space for open-plan living.
0:40:03 > 0:40:07As Will said, they could move straight in.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10It would give them an enormous kitchen/living area with underfloor
0:40:10 > 0:40:13heating and limestone flooring,
0:40:13 > 0:40:16three bedrooms with a superb master en-suite,
0:40:16 > 0:40:20a large lawned garden and, despite its rural setting,
0:40:20 > 0:40:22London is just an hour and a quarter
0:40:22 > 0:40:24away from Whitchurch station.
0:40:24 > 0:40:29- What are you thinking?- I love it. I think it's really, really cool.
0:40:29 > 0:40:36- They've done it superbly well. - It's absolutely stunning. But where are we going to put all our clobber?
0:40:36 > 0:40:40We're getting carried away with how beautiful the property looks
0:40:40 > 0:40:44and we have to think about the more practical side of living.
0:40:44 > 0:40:48Something this amazing, you'd love to try and make a concession
0:40:48 > 0:40:51or some sort of compromise to try and accommodate everyone.
0:40:51 > 0:40:55- Could you see yourself living here? - I'm not sure.
0:40:55 > 0:40:57I could.
0:40:59 > 0:41:04- Happy?- Yes, yes. - Have you sorted out the storage issues?- We're working on it.
0:41:04 > 0:41:10- Working on it?- Yes.- That sounds positive. Come on, let's keep going.
0:41:13 > 0:41:17'Will and Georgie are, by their own admission, "outdoorsy" people,
0:41:17 > 0:41:23'so we thought they might like a chance to get to grips with the country pursuit of fly-fishing.
0:41:23 > 0:41:27'Who better to introduce them to it than Ed Stebbins
0:41:27 > 0:41:32'who's been fishing this stretch of the River Test since he moved here in the mid-'70s?'
0:41:32 > 0:41:35What's the history of the river?
0:41:35 > 0:41:41The river was actually a swamp in its beginning. It was never a river.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44What you see is essentially man-made.
0:41:44 > 0:41:49When the Romans conquered Britain, they took the chalk off the hillsides
0:41:49 > 0:41:54and laid it on top of the swamp to force the water into a channel.
0:41:54 > 0:42:00- And what other fish are we fishing for today?- The river is quite rich in grayling and pike.- Right.
0:42:00 > 0:42:03'While we're over-fishing our seas,
0:42:03 > 0:42:08'there are plenty of freshwater fish living in our local rivers that we don't know how to cook.
0:42:08 > 0:42:14'Besides brown trout, perch, eel, roach, dace and crayfish all thrive in the River Test.
0:42:14 > 0:42:20'Pike are normally thrown away, but local French chef Germain Maquis is a dab hand at turning these fish
0:42:20 > 0:42:22'into a culinary masterpiece.'
0:42:22 > 0:42:26- Hello. I'm Georgie. GERMAIN: Germain. Nice to meet you. - Pleasure.
0:42:26 > 0:42:28- Hello, Ed.- Hi, Germain.
0:42:28 > 0:42:32- So what two fish do we have here today?- A small one, a grayling.
0:42:32 > 0:42:39And you have here a pike from the River Test which I think Ed will cut it for me.
0:42:40 > 0:42:44And over there, we've got some freshwater crayfish
0:42:44 > 0:42:51from the river as well which we use to make sauces and all kinds of things.
0:42:51 > 0:42:56'It's best to use a specialist knife or get a fishmonger to remove all the bones.
0:42:56 > 0:43:00'After filleting the fish, it's time to make the dish.'
0:43:01 > 0:43:06Right, from the fillet we have this product now,
0:43:06 > 0:43:11which is the meat, which has been chopped very fine.
0:43:11 > 0:43:16And we make certain there is no bones.
0:43:16 > 0:43:20We fill a terrine with it.
0:43:20 > 0:43:23We cook it in the oven in a bain-marie.
0:43:23 > 0:43:29Now, this is the end product when we serve it after the terrine has been cooked.
0:43:29 > 0:43:34You've got the sauce made with the freshwater crayfish which is around it.
0:43:34 > 0:43:39Some of the tails we kept as a decoration and some heads as another decoration,
0:43:39 > 0:43:42some watercress from the river.
0:43:42 > 0:43:46And all this is a dish made with products from the River Test.
0:43:46 > 0:43:50Now, if you take a fork, please just taste it.
0:43:56 > 0:43:57Hmm!
0:43:57 > 0:44:05I believe that dish, served cold or warm, should become a speciality of the area.
0:44:05 > 0:44:10'Will and Georgie seemed hooked by this unexpected local delicacy.
0:44:10 > 0:44:15'Let's see if our house hunt can serve up a surprise for them to chew over.'
0:44:15 > 0:44:17It's time for the mystery house
0:44:17 > 0:44:22and I know that Will and Georgie are prepared to take on a bit of a project.
0:44:22 > 0:44:26Let's see how far we can stretch their imagination.
0:44:28 > 0:44:32We're on our way to the mystery house. Are you both excited?
0:44:32 > 0:44:35- Very much so. Yeah.- Yeah.
0:44:35 > 0:44:39What are you hoping to see, or perhaps I should ask what you don't want to see?
0:44:39 > 0:44:42Initially we said we were quite happy for a project
0:44:42 > 0:44:45so maybe it could be a completely dilapidated property
0:44:45 > 0:44:49that needs complete renovation or maybe it's going to be a plot of land
0:44:49 > 0:44:52with a barn that needs complete conversion -
0:44:52 > 0:44:55a real start from scratch project, I guess.
0:44:55 > 0:44:57Taking a wild stab in the dark.
0:44:57 > 0:45:01Not a bad guess. Let's see if you're right.
0:45:01 > 0:45:06'Our mystery property takes us just over the border into West Sussex
0:45:06 > 0:45:08'to Lurgashall in the northern part of the Sussex Downs.
0:45:08 > 0:45:16'Will could play cricket on the village green, surrounded by some charming period properties,
0:45:16 > 0:45:18'the local pub and a village shop.
0:45:18 > 0:45:23'Just a couple of miles down the road in Northchapel is a highly regarded primary school
0:45:23 > 0:45:29'and Haslemere train station is only two miles away for that quick commute into London.'
0:45:29 > 0:45:33So, Will and Georgie, here is your mystery property.
0:45:33 > 0:45:38- LAUGHTER - You're both laughing at me.- OK...
0:45:38 > 0:45:41- You did say you wanted a bit of a project.- Yeah.
0:45:41 > 0:45:44- This certainly is a project.- OK.
0:45:44 > 0:45:48This cottage does need complete modernisation and refurbishment,
0:45:48 > 0:45:51- but it is in a great location.- OK. Yeah.
0:45:51 > 0:45:54It's whether you fall in love with this.
0:45:54 > 0:45:58- What are you thinking?- Interesting. - What do you think, Will?
0:45:58 > 0:46:01I think there's projects and there's projects.
0:46:01 > 0:46:07- Are you a brave man? - I'm willing to take anything on, but you know, why not?
0:46:07 > 0:46:11- Shall we go in?- Yeah. - Let's start the tour.- OK.
0:46:11 > 0:46:16'The location is wonderful, so let's see if they are up for our mystery project.'
0:46:19 > 0:46:25Come on through. You might have to mind your head, Will. Not the highest of ceilings.
0:46:25 > 0:46:30- But here you have the sitting room. Imagine this as your sitting room. - I'm struggling.
0:46:32 > 0:46:37It probably wouldn't look quite like this, but you've got the original beams
0:46:37 > 0:46:43- and as you can see when you come inside, it needs complete refurbishment.- Yes.
0:46:43 > 0:46:48Someone who buys this house has got to absolutely love it. Could it be you two?
0:46:48 > 0:46:54I think I'd need some persuasion. I'm a half-full rather than a half-empty person, but...
0:46:54 > 0:46:58- It's a challenge. - Are you good at DIY?- Awful.
0:46:58 > 0:47:03OK. On that note, let me show you the kitchen. That will really excite you.
0:47:03 > 0:47:08'Well, I wonder if Georgie has any creative thoughts about this room?'
0:47:08 > 0:47:12This is exactly how I want my kitchen to be(!)
0:47:12 > 0:47:15- It's perfect(!)- Speak for yourself!
0:47:15 > 0:47:20Yes, it needs a little bit of work, I think it would be fair to say.
0:47:20 > 0:47:22Yeah, I wouldn't disagree there.
0:47:22 > 0:47:28It is a huge job. We've just gone past the sunroom. This property has the original outside toilet.
0:47:28 > 0:47:35- Good for ventilation.- Very good. But you would have to completely gut it and start again.
0:47:35 > 0:47:39- Have you ever taken on a project like that?- On a much smaller scale.
0:47:39 > 0:47:45Yeah, in London, our flat in London, but this is on the extreme end of that scale.
0:47:45 > 0:47:49- What was it like doing up your flat in London?- Hard work.
0:47:49 > 0:47:54- It tested our patience and relationship, I think. - Yes, it really did.
0:47:54 > 0:48:00To buy this cottage, everything needs so much work, it would have to be a labour of love.
0:48:00 > 0:48:06- But the property has potential. It's whether it's something that you guys really want to do.- Yeah.
0:48:06 > 0:48:13Not many answers there, so I think I know what's coming, but let me keep showing you around.
0:48:13 > 0:48:17'Our mystery house is going to push them to the limit.
0:48:17 > 0:48:20'Will they go there when they see the bedrooms?'
0:48:20 > 0:48:25The cottage has three bedrooms and a family bathroom,
0:48:25 > 0:48:28but this is the largest bedroom, so not huge.
0:48:28 > 0:48:32- Proper cottage sizes, I think. - Yeah.- Bijou.
0:48:32 > 0:48:38For somebody who has lots of time and energy, they could really make this into a fantastic place,
0:48:38 > 0:48:42but I'm not sure that you and I have that at this moment.
0:48:42 > 0:48:46It would be a monster project, which would be pretty exhausting.
0:48:46 > 0:48:51- A step too far perhaps with the little one and working? - Several steps too far.
0:48:51 > 0:48:55'They probably can't see it yet, but there is serious potential
0:48:55 > 0:48:59'which will become clear when we step outside.
0:48:59 > 0:49:04'One of the other rooms could be a good study and there's a double with lovely views.
0:49:04 > 0:49:08'Next door is the family bathroom which would also need an overhaul.
0:49:08 > 0:49:13'We'll head outside and examine that potential and the price.'
0:49:13 > 0:49:20So coming here to the back of the property, looking at the cottage, we know it needs a lot of work inside,
0:49:20 > 0:49:25but you could put a fantastic extension on the back over two levels.
0:49:25 > 0:49:29It lends itself and it makes the most of that amazing view.
0:49:29 > 0:49:33- The view really is sensational. - It's gorgeous.- Really amazing.
0:49:33 > 0:49:40Not only that, but all this land right to the back, over half an acre, is included with the cottage.
0:49:40 > 0:49:43- Wow, that's a lot!- It is, yeah.
0:49:43 > 0:49:45Are you warming to it slightly?
0:49:45 > 0:49:49I am, I am. I mean, the view is sensational. It is amazing.
0:49:49 > 0:49:53I suppose the downside of having half an acre on the Three Counties
0:49:53 > 0:49:58of Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire, it's got to be quite expensive.
0:49:58 > 0:50:01How much is it worth?
0:50:01 > 0:50:05I think it's worth 350.
0:50:05 > 0:50:07OK.
0:50:07 > 0:50:10I'd like to say £200,000,
0:50:10 > 0:50:13but it's on the Three Counties...
0:50:14 > 0:50:18I'd say it's slightly less. I'd say it's probably 320.
0:50:18 > 0:50:24OK, it's offers in excess of £395,000.
0:50:24 > 0:50:26WILL LAUGHS
0:50:26 > 0:50:30But if it was £200,000, would you buy it?
0:50:30 > 0:50:34I would do and then let the wrecking ball do its worst.
0:50:34 > 0:50:36That's honest!
0:50:36 > 0:50:38- Because of the location?- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:50:38 > 0:50:44- I think I know where you're going to go with this, but have another look around.- OK.- OK.
0:50:44 > 0:50:46- See you in a while.- Great.- Thanks.
0:50:47 > 0:50:54For £395,000, our mystery property offers up a great development project in a prime location,
0:50:54 > 0:50:57slap-bang on the Three Counties border.
0:51:14 > 0:51:19- Stunning, isn't it? Half an acre of land. Just think what we can do. - I know. Amazing.
0:51:19 > 0:51:25- Whoever builds the house here will be very lucky.- It would be amazing to take on this property.
0:51:25 > 0:51:30- I'm slightly warming to the idea of it.- But we'd be financially ruined.
0:51:30 > 0:51:32That's true, yeah.
0:51:32 > 0:51:36I'd love to say that this is the house for us.
0:51:36 > 0:51:42Once we heard the price, we realised there was far too much work to be done with the budget that we have
0:51:42 > 0:51:47and sadly, I think it's going to be a "no" on this one, which is such a shame.
0:51:51 > 0:51:56- Well, you two have got a lot to think about now, haven't you?- Yes.- Sure do.
0:51:56 > 0:52:02- Shall we find you somewhere quiet and you can sit down and gather your thoughts?- Yeah, sure.
0:52:08 > 0:52:14'Well, our house hunt is at an end and I think our properties have given them a lot to think about.'
0:52:19 > 0:52:25We've given Will and Georgie time to think about all the houses that they've seen
0:52:25 > 0:52:31and I hope the pieces of this particular property puzzle are falling into place for both of them.
0:52:31 > 0:52:34Let's hear what they've got to say.
0:52:37 > 0:52:42Will and Georgie, it's been a great two days. I've really enjoyed showing you around.
0:52:42 > 0:52:46- How has it been for you, Will, coming back home?- It was wonderful.
0:52:46 > 0:52:51A certain element of nostalgia. It's brought back some lovely memories.
0:52:51 > 0:52:55We started off with a house that actually had an additional cottage in the grounds,
0:52:55 > 0:52:59although I don't think you both spotted that one straightaway.
0:52:59 > 0:53:03- What did you think of that house? - I think our first impressions were very positive.
0:53:03 > 0:53:09They'd done it so beautifully. But then, when we started to think about where we'd put our furniture
0:53:09 > 0:53:12and how our bits and pieces would fit into that particular house,
0:53:12 > 0:53:15we felt that it was just going to be too small for us,
0:53:15 > 0:53:18even with the additional space of the cottage.
0:53:18 > 0:53:23The down side was always going to be the road, the danger element combined with the noise.
0:53:23 > 0:53:28We looked at a house overlooking a common, a very, very quiet road.
0:53:28 > 0:53:31- You knew that area very well. - It was spooky,
0:53:31 > 0:53:36having gone to school just literally two miles down the road.
0:53:36 > 0:53:41- Very strange, almost surreal. - What about the house for you both?
0:53:41 > 0:53:46On first impressions, I didn't think it was too bad, but when we went inside,
0:53:46 > 0:53:49it had a very family-orientated feel to it
0:53:49 > 0:53:52which I certainly liked.
0:53:52 > 0:53:57I couldn't get my sofa in the kitchen, but we could build an extension
0:53:57 > 0:54:01and with the price, an extension would be quite feasible.
0:54:01 > 0:54:06So I think there were some pluses to it. More pluses than there were negatives.
0:54:06 > 0:54:10So, a new day, and we looked at the barn conversion, 200 years old,
0:54:10 > 0:54:14but certainly very contemporary inside.
0:54:14 > 0:54:16I loved it. Absolutely loved it.
0:54:16 > 0:54:20Once you went in, the decor and the design was to such a high spec,
0:54:20 > 0:54:24it was...it was really cool, yeah.
0:54:24 > 0:54:28I totally agree with everything that Will says. It was an amazing house
0:54:28 > 0:54:31and I did love it too for all the same reasons.
0:54:31 > 0:54:35However, my head and my heart were saying totally different things.
0:54:35 > 0:54:40Where will I put the gumboots, the coats, the vacuum cleaner,
0:54:40 > 0:54:44all the boring, practical things that you have to think about?
0:54:44 > 0:54:46It was such a beautiful house.
0:54:46 > 0:54:52I wouldn't want any of our clobber lying around and making the house look untidy.
0:54:52 > 0:54:55So, lastly, we saw the mystery house.
0:54:55 > 0:55:01Very different from any of the other properties. What were your first thoughts when you saw it?
0:55:01 > 0:55:06It took us by surprise because we thought from the outside, "Yes, quite pretty,"
0:55:06 > 0:55:10went inside and thought, "This is a big project!"
0:55:10 > 0:55:15We didn't think we could take it on and then you showed us the garden
0:55:15 > 0:55:18and we thought, "Wow, this is amazing!"
0:55:18 > 0:55:22The view was sensational and suddenly we began to think, "Hmm, maybe.
0:55:22 > 0:55:26"Actually, this possibly could be us."
0:55:26 > 0:55:32But unfortunately, I think the price has probably made it too tricky
0:55:32 > 0:55:34for us to even think about.
0:55:34 > 0:55:37So what's the next step going to be?
0:55:37 > 0:55:41I think we need to go back and have a look at the properties.
0:55:41 > 0:55:47Will is very interested in the barn and I am too. I don't want to discount it completely.
0:55:47 > 0:55:54But equally, I think that I need to show Will the positives of the house on the common
0:55:54 > 0:55:59and really look at that and see if it's something we can make into our family home.
0:55:59 > 0:56:05- And have a second viewing when the sun is shining.- Exactly. - We did see it in the pouring rain.
0:56:05 > 0:56:09- That's going to be quite critical. - It does make a difference.
0:56:09 > 0:56:13- You will keep in touch?- Of course. - Let us know how you get on.
0:56:13 > 0:56:19- Thank you both. It has been such an enjoyable time.- Thank you. It's been great.- Thank you.
0:56:22 > 0:56:25Well, how about that?
0:56:25 > 0:56:32When we began this house hunt, I was concerned that Will and Georgie's expectations were just too high,
0:56:32 > 0:56:37given their long list of requirements and their budget here in the South Downs.
0:56:37 > 0:56:44However, over the last two days, this smashing couple have discovered the magic word - "compromise".
0:56:44 > 0:56:49And I really hope the house by the common or the barn is the home for them.
0:56:49 > 0:56:52See you next time.
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0:56:58 > 0:57:00please apply online at:
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