Somerset Escape to the Country

Today, I'm in a county of mist, myth and legend.

This forest has remained pretty much untouched

for thousands of years.

It's still home to Britain's largest land mammal.

Where am I? Join me in a minute to find out.

We're helping a couple swap the big smoke for a holiday home in the West Country.

But they have their eye on more than just a property.

We like their furniture, actually!

They have a tempting offer for me.

You can come and be our designer!

There's a master plan behind this!

But will they take the plunge on any of our offerings?

-What do you think?

-It's within the range, definitely!

Oh, you hold so much in!

Today I'm in Somerset, and these are the Quantock Hills,

an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty,

and, over the years, home to wild beasts like the brown bear and the wolf.

Now they're both extinct,

it's the red deer that's king of the hill.

I'm told there are still about 800 roaming through this land.

But if you're wandering through Somerset,

there's plenty more for you to see.

Sandwiched between Devon, Dorset and Wiltshire in the West Country,

Somerset is a perfect destination for those seeking some rural R&R.

With around 3,000 farms in the county,

you'll find more four-legged friends than you can count in your sleep!

And whilst not as overrun as next-door Devon,

it still has plenty of pull for holidaymakers and house-buyers alike.

Its natural assets include three Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty,

Exmoor National Park

and Britain's largest gorge at Cheddar.

If that's not enough for outdoor enthusiasts,

there's also around 50 miles of coastline to explore.

Venture north and you find the stylish city of Bath,

the only entire city in the UK to achieve World Heritage Status,

thanks to its incredibly rich architecture and town planning.

The county is also home to the mystical and musical Glastonbury.

It's peppered with a myriad of beautiful stone villages.

This keeps visitors coming back with an estimated

2.7 million overnight trips made each year.

Somerset has long been attractive to city dwellers from London and the Southeast

looking for a slice of the rural life.

With 25,000 of them moving here every year,

the main reasons for that move are improved quality of life,

short commuter distances

and the highest percentage of first-choice secondary schools in the area.

With so much demand, as you can imagine, the prices are high.

The average detached house comes in at six per cent more

than the national average.

But if you're clever, your money can go that bit further.

If you move to south Somerset, although not as commutable,

the prices are 19% cheaper than the north in areas like Bath.

Here's a selection of properties at all prices for you to look at.

If you're after country living but like your mod cons,

then this five-bed executive home, six miles from Bath, is for you.

Spacious, contemporary accommodation plus flamboyant features

will set you back a cool £1.25 million.

For something more cosy,

how about this three-bed 18th-century cottage outside Wells.

Inside it's packed with character features

and outside there's no shortage of space with a 0.25-acre paddock.

You could ride off with this one for £515,000.

And finally, head to the popular Exmoor village of Withypool

and you could snap up this pretty two-bed cottage for £325,000.

It has two reception rooms and you could stock up your country kitchen from your own veggie plot!

What a great selection of properties for all budgets.

Time now to find out why today's buyers

are ready to make their escape to the country.

Company secretary Jonathan and events organiser Lynne

have been together for three years.

They share a four-bed Edwardian house in Southfields, London, which Jonathan has owned for ten years.

However, the recent arrival of daughter Ellie-May

has made them rethink their future.

We'd like a change of scenery, change of lifestyle, a different pace

and surroundings.

They're not doing anything by half measures.

We're looking for a business as well as a home.

Holiday lets or B&Bs, or a combination of them.

That sounds suspiciously like a lot of property. What exactly do they have in mind?

From the business side of the property,

if it's holiday lets, we're looking at a minimum of five, maybe six, holiday cottages

to make it viable as a business. As a B&B,

it would need to be maybe ten-plus en-suite rooms

plus our own accommodation.

Or it could be a combination of holiday lets and B&B.

That's the guests taken care of. But what about the family home?

We'd need a minimum of two bedrooms. One for us and one for the baby.

And a kitchen, lounge, maybe a dining room or a study.

If it were bigger, that would be great.

Big ambitions all round, then.

But what does the dream property look like?

-In terms of style, we prefer period properties.

-But we are open to

whatever is there.

There's always the possibility of changing a place.

Having homed in on Somerset, Lynne and Jonathan have already viewed a few properties.

I'm guessing they'll have a good idea about location.

Ideally, we'd like to live in a rural location,

somewhere not too far from a decent-sized town

or a village.

It would be nice to be near the coast

but that's not vital.

Before they can open up for business,

they need to know exactly how much they'll have to invest in Somerset.

We've invited a local agent in to value their London home.

Fantastic detached house in a very sought-after area in Southfields.

Close to local amenities and transports.

Very much sought-after.

I'd value this property at £1.1 million.

With that in mind, what's the final spend for the big move?

In terms of budget, we're looking up to about £1.2 million.

Wow! I don't think we've ever been asked to search for such a mammoth property portfolio.

We need to find a house with half a dozen holiday lets

or a country pad that comes complete with ten en-suite B&B rooms. But there are two problems here.

First, the lack of properties on the market that are going to fit

that huge ask.

Secondly, this is Somerset.

And it's not cheap.

As location could mean make or break to the success of the business,

we start today's search on the Somerset/Devon border,

close to the ever-popular Exmoor National Park

in prime tourist territory.

We'll be viewing some fabulous homes with business potential,

But I'll be keeping tight-lipped on the price tags until the end of the tours.

The last of the three is the Mystery House, which could have them rethinking their plans.

-Hi, Lynne.

-Morning, Denise.

-Hello!

-A gorgeous morning. Loving it.

What a beautiful day for house-hunting in Somerset.

I love this county. What's the draw for you?

I think the lovely countryside, near the coast as well.

And not too far from London and family and friends and so on.

-So a great location for us.

-This move isn't just find me a new home.

It's find me a new life. You want a new business.

-Tell me about that.

-We'd like a property with holiday lets.

Maybe self-catering cottages,

potentially B&B as well, or instead of.

And a beautiful home for us as well.

And you're confident your budget can get you everything you want?

Hopefully! We'll see.

Wishful thinking! Where will you compromise?

You know what it's like, house-hunting. Especially with so many different options.

Will it be the house or the holiday lets? Where will the give be?

I think the house. I think we'd really like to have a business

that people would find attractive and come back again.

So potentially we'd compromise on the house.

Yes. The location is key. It's got to be attractive to draw people to it.

-And so...

-Attractive location, great holiday lets and a shed for you two!

No problem! We've got some great properties to show you. It's a beautiful day.

Let's get going!

1.2 million might be a super-sized budget,

but it's a super-sized property we're looking for.

A home and business combo.

For the family accommodation, Jonathan and Lynne would like two bedrooms

a big kitchen and a couple of reception rooms.

For the business, they're after five holiday lets to run

or a house with B&B potential.

The whole package needs to be set in plenty of land

in a rural location.

It's a big challenge, but we're not afraid of hard graft on this show!

I just wonder if they know what they're letting themselves in for.

How's it going to work with the business? You're still working in London, Jonathan?

Yes, I'm going to be commuting up on a weekly basis

and Lynne is going to run the show down here.

Obviously I'll be back at weekends to help out.

If we have a holiday-let business,

most of the work, the changeover days, would be at the weekend.

I think it will be hard work, but we're both used to hard work

and we'll really enjoy it.

Our first property is situated in a very rural setting

on the edge of Exmoor National Park.

The nearest village, Dulverton, is eight miles away.

This southern gateway to Exmoor nestles between the rivers Barle and Exe.

Traditional old-fashioned appeal in the shape of antique shops,

farm shops and a couple of good country pubs

make it a popular destination for holidaymakers.

Leaving the village behind, we're heading into the open countryside

for our first viewing, a Victorian farmhouse which has been restored by its current owners

and offers up a multitude of business opportunities.

Let's see if it will work for them.

-What a place to have a holiday let business.

-Beautiful.

You may have noticed

as we walked down, the stables over there.

Imagine riding out into Exmoor. And your guests could do that too.

But it's not just about the stables. This property comes with 19 acres.

-Wow!

-Great!

Two holiday lets...

and this is the house.

Yes, it looks really hopeful.

Hopeful. Excited? Let's have a look at the house.

Straight into the kitchen, the heart of the home.

It's lovely and warm, because of that beast over there!

-The biggest range I've ever seen!

-Fantastic.

-It's been really nicely done.

-Lovely.

-It's nice and open as well. Light.

-Yeah.

And it does extend up here, so you've got plenty of dining space.

-It has a nice feel to it. A homely feel.

-Yes.

This is just the beginning.

-There's so much more to this house before we get to the holiday lets. Come this way.

-Great.

The finishing on this property is just fantastic.

-Yes, yes. What a great room, isn't it?

-Lovely, yeah.

-We've got big furniture, haven't we?

-Traditional antique-type stuff.

It would blend in here quite nicely.

-We quite like their furniture, actually!

-Get that thrown in!

Do a deal!

It feels like a really comfortable room, actually.

Can't get too comfy! You've got work to do!

But when you want to relax you have here, or through here.

You have yet another reception room.

-Lovely fireplace again.

-It's an unusual layout,

-having two reception rooms.

-It is. Would you keep it that way?

-One for you, one for you!

-We could think about different uses. Maybe a library.

-Yeah.

-A playroom, maybe?

-A playroom.

Ellie-May would take over this room, wouldn't she!

'Of course, if they decide to combine a B&B with the holiday lets,

'then it could be a dining room or reception room for guests,

'because upstairs there are plenty of bedrooms. So a B&B is entirely viable.'

There are five bedrooms and one family bathroom up here.

Let's take a look at this room.

Another room that delivers.

-Lovely.

-Totally. It's so bright.

There'd be nothing to do in here, work-wise.

Do you think it's got the potential to be a B&B?

-It definitely has.

-We'd only need two bedrooms.

It's certainly large enough for it.

We'd have to check whether the location works for a B&B.

It's right for holiday cottages,

but you need to be confident that there's things in the area

that people need to stay nearby for.

-19 acres, you can create things for them!

-Yeah!

Off the hallway are two more spacious doubles.

And a slightly smaller one, used as a laundry room,

but which could be Ellie-May's bedroom.

There's also a very elegant family bathroom.

Well, master bedroom, which I think is about the same size as the guest rooms.

But this one comes with an en-suite shower room, behind that door,

and behind here is all your wardrobe space.

-OK.

-It's pretty deep.

-Lovely.

-It's not bad.

Yes.

The house is obviously working as a home and potentially a small B&B.

But let's get down to the real business.

Top priority is holiday lets. This property comes with two detached cottages.

Not the five they're after,

but they are sizeable.

One has two double bedrooms and a single

and an open-plan kitchen/diner-living room.

To give them an idea of what they'll be getting, we're looking at the two-bed cottage.

So this is the smaller of the two holiday lets.

-But it still looks pretty spacious.

-Yes, absolutely.

Yes, very cosy.

-It's a good-sized room.

-Open plan, two bedrooms,

-one twin, one double, and a nice-sized bathroom as well.

-Great.

Let's look at the bedrooms.

This is not bad at all, is it?

No. I'd be happy to stay here.

It is just what you're looking for,

but the issue with this property is that there are only two holiday lets.

Have you done the maths already? How much do you need to earn?

I think from places we've seen so far and the calculations we've done,

probably we would need about five or six holiday lets to make it viable.

OK. Well, with what they have here,

I'm told they currently make about 25,000 a year from the two.

That's only on about half occupancy.

If they really went for it, they'd expect about 35.

So we need to find you some options for the extra three or four holiday lets, don't we?

-Mm-hm.

-We do, yes.

-I have some ideas. Follow me.

Yes, out in the garden, we may have just the thing.

You've got the glorious pond over there. Really huge. Lots of little friends come to visit!

Don't be distracted, because this is what I wanted to show you.

Lots of potential here for those additional lets.

This stable area did have planning permission to become two holiday lets.

That's lapsed now, but I wanted to show it to you as an idea of what you could do here.

-Wow. It's quite incredible, isn't it?

-Up to now we have been looking at

up-and-running businesses.

But we haven't ruled this out

and this could lend itself to making some really nice cottages, I think.

Bit of work. And, of course,

that raises the question of how much it would cost to do that.

Let's go look at the garden and start thinking about the price

because it's time to guess the price.

Building work isn't something they've considered before,

but I'm glad they seem open to the idea.

Of course it all depends on the all-important price.

You've done some research, so I'm interested to see what you think.

How much do you think you'd have to pay for a property like this?

As a wild guess, there's a lot here anyway, but we need to reserve some of our budget

to convert the other cottages, so possibly over a million.

One million and 50,000. Something like that.

I'd say slightly more than that. I'd say about 1.2.

1.2. So right up there at the top of your budget.

Well, you're the winner of this one.

-Excellent.

-This property is on the market at £1 million exactly.

So actually under your budget.

Which does leave you quite a bit of room to manoeuvre

in terms of renovating the other stable block.

Lots to consider. Have a wander round the other holiday let

-and I'll see you a bit later on.

-OK.

-Thanks.

Well, this isn't a bad start at all.

Bang on £1 million, the farmhouse itself exceeds expectations.

There's space for B&B accommodation.

But the real going concern is the two holiday lets,

which already earn 25,000 a year.

Add to that the stable blocks ripe for conversion

and they could have two or three more.

If that wasn't already enough,

they also get 19 acres and an American-style stable.

All they need are the horses and they could be galloping away

with a really successful business.

There's a lot of potential in the outbuildings that could be converted

and the land is fantastic with the pond and ducks.

It's really idyllic.

We could see ourselves here as a family.

It's a lovely family home.

We need to do our sums and see whether it works as a business.

-This is a big room, isn't it?

-Yeah. Good size.

-Nice open plan.

I like the beams as well. Again, the fireplace.

They must be lost! Aha! There you are!

There was so much to see, even in there, wasn't there?

But our journey is only just beginning. There's lots more to do. Let's go.

Part of running any holiday business is knowing the local area

like the back of your hand. Earlier in the week,

Jonathan and Lynne headed off to one of Somerset's most intriguing and popular destinations -

Glastonbury - to meet up with Graham Coles...

BELL RINGS Oyez!

..a man who knows the importance of talking up a town. Say "Glastonbury"

and most of us conjure up images of a very muddy music festival.

But forget the main stage, this is a fascinating town, positively swathed in myth and legend,

starting with the remains of the Abbey.

So, what's the history of the Abbey?

The history of the Abbey goes back to Joseph of Arimathea, who was Jesus Christ's uncle

and is supposed to have bought Jesus Christ here as a boy child.

The legend goes that Joseph and his followers

built the first church in England on this site here,

and it was a wattle and daub church.

These ruins are of a 12th-century abbey, believed to have been

one of the wealthiest in Britain, second only to Westminster.

Destroyed during the dissolution of the monasteries in 1539,

it still has links to the most mystical monarch of all.

So, Graham, tell me about King Arthur and Glastonbury.

Well, it goes back to the monks in 1191 when they discovered his body

12 foot into the ground. In 1278, his remains were bought into

the church here, and witnessed by Edward I

and Queen Eleanor. For many years, pilgrims

used to come here to touch the shrine. which they do today.

Many people still believe in the history and legend of Arthur.

Somerset is known to be a very spiritual place,

and Glastonbury Tor stands as a proud reminder

of the mysteries that shroud this county.

This 500 ft conical hill is said to have been an Arthurian hillfort,

The home of the Celtic king of the fairies, and even the resting place of the Holy Grail.

Fact or fiction, you decide.

But it's definitely worth the 20-minute hike up the hill

to check out the Grade I-listed 15th-century St Michael's Church,

of which just the tower remains today. As for the views...

well, they speak for themselves.

For our second offering, we're hopping over the border into Devon

to the outskirts of Bampton, south of Exmoor National Park.

Once again, it's a tourist hotspot and it's pretty as a picture.

It's won Britain In Bloom no less than six times

and the whole town is a conservation area.

Amenities include a butcher, a baker, a greengrocer and the all-important pub.

Our property is just a few miles away.

For this property, we've come over the border into Devon.

But I think you know where you are already, sort of.

We have come across this property on the internet.

-In the past.

-It's one we wanted to look at, actually,

so it's great that we're here.

I can picture why it hit your list, because this is the house, this is your main living accommodation,

but it comes with five ready-to-go holiday lets.

It's right there with your criteria. It's bringing a huge smile out of you, Lynne.

-What's the big grin for?

-I'm really pleased it's one we identified and weren't able to see previously.

So it's really good to be here. If I remember, it's got some leisure facilities.

Yeah, just there. A swimming pool, sauna and gym over there.

-While we're standing here, what about the house?

-Really pretty.

-It's very picturesque.

-It's got a lot of history to it as well.

It dates back to about 1590, parts of it. It's Grade II listed.

There have been some extensions. There's plenty to see.

-Let's have a look.

-Thanks.

'The pool and spa add real market appeal to this business,

'whilst the house itself has oodles of period charm

'and versatile living spaces which Jonathan and Lynne could put their own stamp on.

'Fingers crossed it lives up to expectations.'

Come through to what I think is a pretty good-sized kitchen.

It's a nice big space. It's got everything you need, hasn't it? More, probably.

It's nice being open into the next room as well.

I always like that feel.

Let's walk down and take a closer look.

This is an extension, as I think you can tell.

It's been sympathetically done. What would you do with the space?

-Um...

-It looks like it could be a good playroom, actually.

What makes you think that? I think it's rather generous for a playroom, myself!

Can I come and live with you?

It's certainly a nice room to be in during the day

-with that great view.

-Let me show you more.

-You have a living room area here which is still pretty big, as well as the family room.

-Yes.

It's really warm and cosy.

Yes, it could be really cosy on a winter's evening. A nice fireplace.

With the beams. Yes, very nice.

Cosy it is. But there's plenty more of it.

Across the hallway is a separate dining room and a study.

That's the ground floor. Time to head upstairs.

Cottages can often feel smaller when you get upstairs, but here,

you have so much more room than you'd expect.

Three good-sized bedrooms this way

and a family bathroom.

-And this door separates off the master wing.

-Ooh, wow!

Let's look at one of the rooms.

-Welcome to the master suite.

-Wow.

-Yeah.

-Oh, yes.

-Again, lots of character, isn't there?

It's like a little adventure on this side.

Because this room leads through to a nursery.

So Ellie-May would be just next door. Let's have a look.

Would you keep it as a nursery?

We might. It's pretty sweet, the way it's done at the moment.

Or maybe a dressing room.

I'd be going with the dressing room.

Plenty of other rooms for the baby, suddenly!

Ellie will want more space as she grows up.

Mummy needs a place for clothes and shoes and handbags!

I think it could work in all seriousness

because just through here you also have your bathroom.

Making that all one big master suite would really work.

You could take out the wardrobes in there and have even more space.

While you're working so hard, running your business,

-you need a sanctuary.

-Yes.

-You can come and be our designer.

There you go! There's a master plan behind this.

'I would say that's a definitive thumbs-up to the house.'

Right. Now it's time to talk about the holiday lets.

This property comes with five, all ready to go. Two down there,

one just behind the house here, one to your right,

but the first one to look at is that one there.

'In total, the cottages sleep 22.

'They're in good decorative order. To see what they could be investing in,

'we're looking at the detached two-bed.'

This holiday let used to be the old grain store. It was converted in 1989, a good 20 years ago.

-It has a great feel to it.

-Yes. It feels like quality accommodation.

'It's worth bearing in mind that all the cottages have a four-star rating

'from a leading internet tourism site.'

-The character continues upstairs.

-Definitely. Fab room.

-It is nice.

-Great views.

Got the beams, see the stonework.

-Yes.

-There's another next door. After you.

-Lovely.

Oh, this is a lovely room.

-It's gorgeous, isn't it?

-Yes.

-Yeah.

-Again, full of character. Plenty of space.

-Very light.

-And a great example of what you'd get, if you go with this property.

-Totally.

So now you've got the flavour,

let's find somewhere idyllic for you to consider how much it'll all cost.

All this will, of course, be a huge investment.

But the holiday lets already bring in an average of around £60,000 a year, so are good to go.

Lynne and Jonathan have already seen this one on the internet

so I imagine they'll have a pretty good idea of its price.

I think that this property is very much about this view.

-Fantastic.

-Isn't it great?

-Yeah, stunning.

So how much do you think this property is worth?

-Starting with you, Lynne.

-I think it's just over a million, perhaps up to 1.1 million.

-Jonathan?

-Lynne's probably stolen my guess,

but I'll hazard one million and 75,000.

You're both very close. This was on the market originally at 1.25.

But it's just come down to 1.15.

-That's good.

-Good. Big smile.

What do you think, Jonathan?

Yep, it's within the range, definitely.

Oh, you hold so much in!

Fabulous location, five holiday lets all good to go

and a pretty good house. It's good.

So off you go and start considering how you'd spend that extra cash

and I'll wander round somewhere else.

-Thank you.

-See you later.

-Bye.

On the market for £1.15 million,

this looks like a very healthy option.

The farmhouse is positively huge

with three reception rooms and five bedrooms.

It comes with five ready-to-run holiday lets,

bringing in a substantial annual revenue.

The whole package is exactly what they asked for.

The swimming pool, gym and sauna are added pluses.

The 1.4 acres of land should be manageable enough.

I think we could have another contender.

-This is a lovely room.

-Yes, it is.

-Really warm.

-It is cosy.

You could separate that off there if you wanted to,

-to let out a one-bedroomed cottage with a bathroom.

-Yes.

-And let the rest of it separately.

-Or even B&B.

This is very near the dream.

It's exactly what we envisaged.

It is a business that's fully up and running and operational and doing quite well.

We could move in and run the business as it is, I think.

Well, you can't say fairer than that.

But that's it for our first day of house-hunting here in Somerset,

so it's back to base for Jonathan and Lynne to weigh up the pros and cons of each property.

So, how do you think today went?

I think we've seen two great properties, really.

The Livery was beautifully done, beautifully finished.

The two cottages were very nice.

And I think we could really put our mark on cottages we converted.

-Yes.

-And also increase the value of the property.

What did you think of the other one?

I was really excited by that property. We could move in there and that business would be

up and running and we'd be happy to run it as it is.

Beautiful swimming pool.

The location was fantastic, the views were really quite breathtaking.

Stunning views. And there are five very good cottages there.

-Two serious contenders.

-Yes. Definitely.

Jonathan and Lynne want to leave London behind to set up a home

and holiday business in Somerset.

So far, we've had a lot of fun.

But coming up - will they be tempted by a very serious offer?

Wow!

Wow indeed!

However, before any more properties, time for something different.

One misty morning during the week,

I rose at the crack of dawn and headed for the hills.

The Quantocks.

Renowned for their heath and woodland,

the hills are home to an abundance of flora and fauna, making it a must-visit for wildlife lovers.

Ranger of 21 years Tim Russell

kindly offered to be my guide.

-What will we be able to see here today?

-Hopefully, some wild red deer.

This is a very interesting time of year.

It's the time of the rut when the wild red deer are quite active,

particularly the males, who try and protect a group of female deer,

a harem of hinds, from their competitors, other males.

So it's an ideal time of year for that.

If we're lucky, we may hear the roaring sound they make, which is primeval, quite exciting.

And we may see them shooing other deer off and defending their area.

-It's getting pretty nippy. Shall we go?

-Let's go.

'The rutting season is relatively short.

'It starts in October and by November it's over.

'The herd here numbers around 800. During the rut, they congregate on high ground,

'so that's where we're heading.

'Owned by a combination of the National Trust, the council and private landowners,

'the public has the right to roam.

'But unless you're with a ranger,

'cars aren't permitted on the hilltops.'

I've heard during the rutting season these animals can get pretty angry.

I don't know about angry. They like to defend their ground. Basically,

their idea is to breed with the females and push anybody else out.

They get less cautious of people

and the surroundings because their minds are on one thing.

-Are we safe here?

-We're pretty safe.

You're with me!

We're safe here. We're a few hundred yards away from...

-DISTANT BELLOWING

-What was that? It was a grunting sound.

It's their way of establishing their spot, basically.

The bigger stags have a deeper sound, the Barry White sort of thing!

-They're the prime stags.

-They establish by their size and sounds...

-Yes.

-..Their dominance.

-Absolutely.

The bigger stags are generally older, too.

They have a larger set of antlers, which are more impressive weaponry as well.

-They're about a kilometre away, across two little valleys.

-How close

have you ever got to them?

Ooh, erm...

-Close enough!

-Close enough to be a little bit scared.

It's a balance cos you don't want to interfere with them.

You don't want to disturb them.

One of the messages we give as rangers is for people to respect wildlife and not disturb it.

Wow!

I can see the big antlers.

They're approaching each other.

Crikey, yeah. It's chasing one.

That's exactly what I wanted you to be able to see.

As wild animals they're totally unaffected by what we're doing.

They're defending their standing ground.

That's wild animals doing their thing in the wild.

-You can't get much better than that.

-You can't.

Yesterday was such a positive experience with you two,

I can tell you're really committed to this move.

How are you feeling now we're looking?

Well, I'm feeling really excited...

After yesterday, I think if we see anything we like as much today we'll be quite confused

by the end of it.

Let's hope the next property will give them more food for thought.

We're heading to the very rural hamlet of Puxton in north Somerset,

situated just 7.5 miles from the coast, and a few miles form Cheddar Gorge.

It's the ideal location to attract the tourist trade.

Puxton is home to an endless scene of fields, the River Oldbridge, and some practical jokers, I suspect.

For amenities, four miles away is the village of Winscombe,

which boasts the three Bs - a butcher, a baker and even a barber. The picture is completed

with two Ps - the all-important pub and post office.

But we're heading back to the River Oldbridge, which runs

right through the front garden of our next house.

-This is the house I want to show you.

-It's stunning.

It is very nice, isn't it?

Yes, it looks great.

-And it all sits on about 35 acres of land.

-Wow!

I think you're going to love what they've done inside.

Dating from the 18th century, this farmhouse is

positively huge. The current owners have thorough refurbished it

in recent years, and the finish is superb, with character features aplenty.

I love this door.

-It's a great, solid door, isn't it?

-Yes.

-Lovely.

-Into a cosy but quite big hallway. To the right, we have a dining room...

But I want to start this way...

..in the kitchen.

Wow.

-Wow.

-Fantastic.

-Lovely.

-It really is. It's been done so well.

-I love the floor.

You've got a range cooker there, this rose stonework...

In fact, it's sort of an L shape, so it wraps around there. A wide utility space.

It's fantastic. Brilliant.

It's great.

-You could be happy in this sort of kitchen.

-Totally!

-This is quite luxurious as well,

so that's good.

A great start.

-The kitchen sweeps straight into the living room.

-Wow.

Mm. Lovely room.

-Impressive, isn't it?

-It is, totally.

I like the stonework over there.

-It's been so well done, hasn't it?

-Yes.

To make it make a bit more sense, through that door is an annexe,

which does have some extra living accommodation.

If you were running it as a B&B, perhaps you could settle yourselves

in there and give this over to your guests. We'll have a look at that.

Upstairs, you've got six bedrooms to have a look at. Come on.

'I know holiday lets are their first choice, but with

'all the space here, running a B&B could be a viable business option.

'However, it will be a lot more work for Lynne, so the big question is could she make it work for her.'

Right, on the first floor...

-you've got four bedrooms, two are en suite, and there's a family bathroom.

-Wow.

Plenty of accommodation. Let's start by looking at the bathroom.

It's quite a bathroom.

It is, yes.

Ordinarily, bathrooms aren't my favourite rooms,

but this one's quite spacious. They've taken up a lot of

space with this roll-top bath. Thinking about this again

-as a business, do you think this works?

-It's a beautiful bathroom,

I think guests would really enjoy it.

Let's have a look at the bedroom next door. The good thing is

that if this was your property, you could adjust things and make this en suite as well.

-Yes.

-Something to think about.

Yes, I guess you could put a door to the bathroom through there...

to make this an en suite.

On the other side of the bathroom is the smallest of the bedrooms on this floor. Opposite

are two double en suites, but there's yet more space for guests

on the next floor.

Up another level, right up into the eaves.

You've got two big bedrooms up there

and one main bathroom.

Let's have a look in this one.

-Lots of space up here.

-Yes, I love the beams.

-Really nice and light as well.

-Huge room, identical on the other side. They've got one bathroom

up here at the moment.

Would it work? Would you keep it this way?

Or would you try and separate it into different rooms?

Um... I guess, ideally, if you could have a bathroom per room,

-but...

-There's certainly enough space for that, isn't there?

-I'd have thought so, yes.

I think they're really seeing the potential here,

but don't forget this could all just be for the guests,

because back downstairs is the self-contained annexe,

accessed via the living room or its own entrance.

So, through this little door is the annexe.

And this is where I was thinking you could live

if you wanted to run that part of the house as a B&B.

Two rooms down here, which could easily be bedrooms.

At the moment, one is the office. Upstairs is living accommodation.

-Wow. What a surprise.

-A big surprise!

It's not what you're expecting. It has a cosy feel as well.

Let's look upstairs.

It's not a small kitchen given that it's the annexe. What do you think?

A lot to take in here.

Perhaps a bit of updating in the kitchen.

Maybe if we were to be in this part of the house, we might want to upgrade it. A good space.

And there's even more through here.

And all of this.

Big lounge, isn't it?

If this were a holiday cottage... it'd be perfect, wouldn't it?

It could be a self-contained holiday cottage if we were to

take a couple of rooms in the main house.

Well, this all sounds very positive. But we're not finished with

the business potential of this property just yet.

-A huge interior and a mammoth exterior.

-There's so much space!

A lot more options for you. So, let's go through them.

Over here, there used to be a big barn structure. It was quite dilapidated,

so they've taken it down. But there was planning permission for eight holiday lets.

-Eight?

-Yes.

-It's lapsed but the footprint's still there.

-That's a massive opportunity.

-It's interesting.

It adds an extra dimension. Lots to weigh up

-and look into, really...

-Lots to think about.

While they're mulling that over, let me add something else the mix.

There's also a two-bedroomed holiday cabin, and very extensive equestrian facilities.

Incredible.

-I don't think you were expecting this, were you?

-Not at all.

Not at all.

There's so much scope in this place.

So much scope. They have space for nine horses - nine horse boxes in there.

There's a tack room, the menage out here...

All good to go. Have you ever considered running stables?

It's certainly something we'd look at and think about.

I think we'd like to find out more about it.

There's so much to think about here, so we'd better get down to business

and talk money.

Well, we've had the grand tour,

you've seen everything this property has to offer, and the big question is how much you think it'll cost.

Er, I'll have to take a wild guess on this one, because it's quite different from

properties we've been looking at. I would hazard a guess at a million.

Hmm, Lynne?

I'm going to think, wishful thinking, in terms of us building some cottages on the land

so I'll go slightly under at 950,000.

Hmm.

Quite a bit under the top of your budget. This is on the market at £1.2 million.

-It was on at 1.5...

-Yep.

-It's not a great surprise, to be honest.

-No, but you guessed it much lower!

You guessed 950!

I'd like to be able to have the extra money to build some cottages.

Is it still in the running?

Um...

-Possibly.

-Maybe. We'll have to think long and hard about this one.

Yeah...

-Do a bit of research.

-Start researching now. Off you go! Make some notes!

I'll see you later on.

Talk about optimistic guesswork. I know at 1.2 million this is bang on budget,

but it's a massive amount of property, not to mention land, 35 acres!

The house has two reception rooms, a stunning farmhouse kitchen

and six bedrooms, which could all be used for the B&B,

as the self-contained annexe could be the owners' accommodation.

And there's a two-bed holiday cabin and excellent equestrian facilities.

And it's just 7.5 miles from the coast,

which makes it even more attractive.

If I were a B&B guest, I'd be really happy to stay in this room.

-Yes. It's good quality, isn't it?

-An en suite, beautiful views,

-the river, the sheep. It's just so picturesque, isn't it?

-Yes, it is.

It's a beautiful farmhouse, stunning. You could walk in and live here.

I'd be really happy here.

There's a variety of things we could do with it.

I think we're out for a challenge and B&Bs and holiday lets

is what we're looking for, so... it could potentially work.

-Time for us to move on because we haven't finished.

-Great.

Jonathan and Lynne are very ambitious.

Not only are they moving county, they want a business with five or six holiday lets

while bringing up a little daughter and Jonathan working in London.

Whilst I applaud such lofty ambitions, it's mystery-house time.

We're showing them something which will let them dip their toe in the water

before they take the full plunge.

We're off to the mystery house.

What are you expecting?

Um, I've no ideas, really.

No preconceptions.

Maybe something a bit different from our original brief.

Maybe a hotel.

Or maybe a property that needs development.

Maybe some other business opportunity, like a fishing lake.

You've seen this show before!

They're on completely the wrong tracks!

For once, the mystery house isn't pushing boundaries, it's scaling them down.

To see what they make of that, we're off to the tiny hamlet of Stawell.

Bar properties, there's little here,

so it's still very much a rural getaway.

For guests and themselves, there are a couple of pubs down the road in Ashcott,

which is ideally situated equidistant between the coast and Glastonbury.

The mystery house is all about the unexpected,

showing you something you'd probably never have looked at.

For you, we've been looking at big projects, maybe five or six holiday lets.

But such ambitious projects, I'm a little worried.

I'm showing you something where you can test the waters first. And this is the property.

-Looks very interesting.

-It does, yes.

-Interesting indeed.

This used to be the home of the Bishop of Bath and Wells.

There is holiday-let potential, in these two properties.

-All part of it.

-I'm keen to see inside.

-You're intrigued.

There's plenty of intrigue there. A great house to explore. Let's look.

'That's a good start, because our mystery house doesn't just have one challenging element,

'it has quite a few. In parts, it's 600 years old.

'It's architecturally quirky, it's not detached, it's in a village,

'and it's not the big business they're after.

'But it could make very sound financial sense.

'So let's see if our gamble pays off.'

Come on in.

Wow. It's impressive, isn't it?

-It is for a hallway!

-Yes!

It becomes a room, doesn't it?

-It's such a big entrance way to the property.

-Really big.

Full of character.

Let's keep exploring.

-Another huge room.

-It's huge, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-It's an interesting shape as well.

-It's not quite square.

It's got some curved, or slanted, edges.

It's such a grand room. If you did use it as a B&B,

-a cracking room to serve breakfast in.

-Yes!

But where will you cook them? This way.

The kitchen is another great size and great-shaped room.

But I'm guessing you might want to update it.

-Yes.

-I think so, probably, yes.

It's not like you couldn't move in and live here happily,

but I think it's something you'd turn your hand to before too long.

It would be nice to expand it out into that room through there.

This leads nicely on into the living room.

OK.

-This is a nice room.

-Yes.

It's quite breathtaking, this room, when you walk in.

-Is that the fireplace?

-Yeah.

-It's huge.

-Such a feature, isn't it?

And all the doorways, the arches, it feels really warm and cosy as well, doesn't it?

-It's almost a little room in itself, the fireplace!

-It is.

Tucked behind, through the doorway, is quite a big office.

That has French doors out into the garden

as these doors here go into the conservatory.

-Lovely.

-I like the layout of it. And the feel of it is really warm. Yeah.

Great.

'I can see Jonathan and Lynne feel very comfortable in this house.

'If it was just a home we needed, it could be a done deal.

'But will they be happy with our scaled-down business offerings?'

Now, this is my favourite part of this house.

-I love this galleried...

-Library.

-..library area, exactly.

Lovely.

-It's really stunning.

-The light from the window there, as well.

-I thought we'd start with the master suite.

-OK.

This room really is a master suite!

Yes, certainly is!

-Wow!

-I love the wood panelling.

-It's really different. Quite a unique room.

-Lovely.

-A lovely room to wake up in.

-Yes.

-It extends beyond this.

Beyond that panelling is a huge bathroom

that wraps round into a dressing room and back through that door there.

This amount of space again.

'At the opposite end of the galleried landing are two double bedrooms.

'One for Ellie-May, one for guests. And a family bathroom.

'But there's more room for paying visitors outside

'with two two-bedroomed self-contained holiday lets.'

This is a two-bedroomed let.

Through here is the kitchen.

-This has been done recently, hasn't it?

-It has.

-You wouldn't need to do any work here.

-No.

-It's quite a big space for a holiday let.

-Yes.

As is the living room.

-Another good space.

-Yes. Wonderful stonework.

-A good size, as well.

And a blank canvas. Nothing in here, ready for you to dress it.

-Great.

-Let's have a look upstairs.

This is one of the two rooms up here.

Great space.

-Stonework, beams, quirky angles.

-Yes, great features.

Yep, it feels nice. It feels good.

I think it would probably sell well as a holiday let, being in the village as well.

-It would be popular.

-Even as a long-term let, possibly.

-Good idea.

'If they decide to take on more,

'the stone garage - the old blacksmith's shop - could also be converted into a holiday let.

'I know it's scaling down, but with Jonathan still working in London,

'maybe a slightly less ambitious plan is the way to go.

'And they won't have to give up on the outside space.

'The whole plot sits in nearly an acre.'

Up here, you have the most beautiful, magnificent garden.

Wow! Absolutely love it.

-I love this trellised pathway.

-It's a really mature garden, isn't it?

-Yes.

-You could take it on for yourselves.

You have all this space and it wraps around the corner with fruit trees.

All of this, the property behind us. Potential for holiday lets.

But it is the mystery house. The question is,

how much do you think all of this is worth?

I'd say a maximum of 900,000.

-Jonathan?

-It's a difficult one to guess.

But I'll hazard 950.

Well, you could get your hands on this beautiful quirky property

for £625,000.

-Wow!

-Wow, indeed!

That's a really good price.

Yeah. That surprises me, actually. It's a really nice home

-with two viable holiday cottages.

-How do you feel about it?

I totally agree with you.

With you working in London,

it would be a gentle way for me to get into the swing of things.

-Start slowly and build up.

-Yes.

-Just an option.

Why don't you have a wander round and have a think. See you later.

Well, that caught them off guard.

At £625,000, this Grade II listed historic home

is nearly half their budget

and offers a credible, but more manageable business starter.

They clearly love the house itself.

With all that money left in the pot,

converting the garage shouldn't pose any problems at all.

If we started smaller,

I think it would be a good thing for Ellie-May.

We've got a young baby to think about as well as running a business,

as well as Jonathan working in London.

So it would be more manageable.

It's a different angle that we hadn't really considered before.

Doing things on a smaller scale

and leaving us with spare funds to do something further.

-Hey, there.

-Hi.

Right, that is it. You've seen everything.

Lots of options. Looking at me expectantly - there is no more!

Time to sit and think it all over.

Setting up a home and business will be a huge move for Jonathan and Lynne.

So making the right decision is all-important.

They've liked aspects of all of our properties.

Will any of them be the real deal?

It's time to find out.

We're on the cusp of an exciting new journey for the two of you.

You're looking to start a whole new life for Ellie-May in Somerset.

It's been an exciting journey. We've seen lots of properties

and it's time to go through them and work out if any are for you.

We started with The Livery.

That offered you the option of some stables and wonderful accommodation.

-Tell me what you felt about that.

-Of all the properties we've seen,

it blew us away, really.

There'd be work to do there

in terms of building some new cottages.

The house was lovely

and we liked the setting and the aspect.

Really bright and light.

We went to see the Devon property with lots of holiday lets.

-How did you feel about that?

-The cottages were gorgeous.

The best we've seen in terms of good quality accommodation.

Really good facilities as well. Swimming pool, play area and so on.

Well, holiday lets and cottages aren't the only option open to you.

We went to see the potential B&B.

-What were your first impressions?

-I don't think the house

was exactly what we were looking for in terms of our own home

as well as a B&B. I think if we were looking at a B&B

we'd need more rooms than that to create a viable business.

I think it was well done. But having thought about it,

probably not something that we're going to pursue

or research further.

Finally, to really test you, we took you to the mystery house,

a property worth half your budget

which still gave the option for holiday lets, but starting at a gentler pace!

It was an interesting choice.

We loved the house. We thought it had so much character,

and we could certainly make an amazing home there.

I think having seen the Devon holiday cottages,

two cottages wouldn't be enough for us

to make a viable business.

I agree. I think a lovely home,

but I don't think it's what we're looking for ultimately.

So recap for me. Which properties are you most interested in?

We really like The Livery and the Devon holiday cottages.

-So we're going to go and see them tomorrow.

-Fantastic!

What I really want to know is which house you're most emotionally drawn to.

My gut feeling, I felt quite passionate about The Livery.

Although that's perhaps not the obvious choice

as it would involve some work

and involve learning how to run a livery.

We're not horsey people.

But neither have you run a B&B or a holiday-lets business before,

so why let that get in the way!

Whatever you do, I do wish you the best of luck.

I hope it's not long before you can start this new chapter in your life

-and make a new start with Ellie-May.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

When we started this journey, I thought that fulfilling Lynne and Jonathan's requirements

was going to be an uphill struggle.

But what a result! We have found them not one, but two possible dream homes

so it shouldn't be long before they move here and start a brand new life

for themselves and Ellie-May.

I'll see you next time on Escape to the Country.

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