Leicestershire Escape to the Country

Today I'm with Maisie and Daisy and their calves

and they have a special job to do.

They're crucial to the making of a very famous and pungent local delicacy

that can only officially be made

from cow's milk from three counties,

one of which I'm in today.

Where am I? Intrigued?

Join me to find out as we Escape To The Country.

In today's show I'll be helping a couple say goodbye

to their old life and search for a new pad in the country.

Did you expect to see this at the top of the stairs?

-No!

-That's got a wow factor!

I'll be showing them a selection of fantastic houses and as ever,

it's all about location.

-There's a pub just around the corner.

-Now you're talking!

And of course there's the mystery house

but will any of the properties

entice the cash out of their pockets?

Today we're in Leicestershire, home to two distinct cheeses,

its namesake, Red Leicester,

and of course the glorious king of cheeses, Stilton.

Now it takes around 20 litres of milk to make a cheese of this size

but it's not just the local produce

that makes this county a mature choice.

It's the quiet villages, vibrant market towns

and genteel countryside that really make it the big cheese.

Land-locked and sandwiched between seven counties,

Leicestershire's proximity to the Black Country

has meant that its western and northern edges are dotted

with rather large industrial towns, but outside these settlements,

Leicestershire's countryside boasts some of Britain's best.

Rolling farmland to popular villages,

there's plenty of space for those seeking the rural escape.

The county capital and namesake of Leicester is a thriving

and multicultural city, which is also home

to Europe's largest covered market.

To the south is Market Harborough, a medieval town with a busy shopping promenade

harking back to the days when it was

an important cattle and sheep trading post.

With a lack of quarried stone in the area the housing stock

is predominantly made up of attractive red brick houses

and sand and ironstone cottages.

Leicestershire's great central location and accessibility

to large towns means that the average detached house

is just 3% below the national, at around £234,000.

But it's worth bearing in mind

the further southeast you travel, property prices become more expensive

because of some prestigious schools in the area.

So, if you're thinking of moving to Leicestershire,

have a look at what's on offer across the county to suit all budgets.

If you can splash out to the tune of £1.5 million,

then take a peek at this six-bedroom house in Thringstone.

The modern kitchen sits comfortably within

the walls of this old building and the fabulous conservatory

is the perfect place from which to survey the 13 acres of garden.

If your budget is more around the £550,00 mark, then this modern

five-bedroom thatched house in Great Easton is up for grabs.

The neutral decor will have wide appeal,

as will the large sociable kitchen.

Much thought has gone into the landscape garden

and needs very little maintenance.

A little less pricy at £359,000 is this five to six-bedroom

barn conversion in Bredon on the Hill.

If you're chasing exposed beams and spacious accommodation,

then this property could be up your street.

So, there's certainly some great deals out there

for the discerning buyer.

Talking of which, let's meet today's escapees.

Carol and Howard are retired hoteliers

who met and married in Wigston in Leicestershire.

For the last 40 years they've been like rolling stones,

with Howard's career taking them around the UK,

forcing them to move twelve times!

With recent retirement, they've decided to put down roots

and make a move from their temporary rented cottage

in Kirby Moorside, North Yorkshire.

We love the peace and quiet of the countryside.

We rent the property now and consequently we would like to

own our own house in the countryside,

with the tranquillity it has to offer.

Although they're living in rural North Yorkshire,

it's not where their hearts lie.

We'd like to move to the South Leicestershire area,

it's an area where we have lived in the past.

There's a lot of lovely little villages in the country area there

and we've got family there, Carol's still got some family.

There is the countryside around that area which we like particularly.

We've been looking about twelve to eighteen months.

We haven't found a dream house yet

because the ones we have seen have either had a railway or a road

or they've been on a flight path or anything like that!

Carol and Howard have enjoyed spacious accommodation

in many of the properties attached to the businesses,

so now that they're hunting for their own private house, what are they hoping for?

In my next house I would like a manageable size garden

that has enough room for a veg patch

and a flower patch for Carol and a view like this.

I used to enjoy knitting and needlework of all types

and I would like to have a room where I could sit on my own

and enjoy doing it again.

I would like an outside work shed where I can have my tools

so I can do all the DIY that Carol wants me to do.

And Howard has one final request.

One of my passions is to paint and now that I'm retired,

I'd like a house where I can have the space to do that.

Well, we shall do our very best,

but, in a nutshell what are they looking for?

A south-facing, open-views,

with a minimum of three bedrooms,

large reception room and a large kitchen.

We like big windows. Little cottage windows aren't our scene, really.

We like big windows and...

We need to be in the countryside, the best of both worlds,

in the countryside but nearer facilities than we are now

and Carol would like to be near a pub, too!

I've a funny feeling that Howard might like that, too,

and the new life they crave can't come soon enough!

My dream lifestyle

is socialising more, if I can,

with friends that we've never had time for before, being in business.

Sitting back and relaxing and doing nothing.

I've been practising, I'm getting quite good now!

So how much do they have to spend?

If we find a property that ticks all the boxes,

our maximum budget would be £350,000.

So, Carol and Howard

have a fairly modest budget for everything they're after.

The two of them want a minimum of three bedrooms,

a lounge and separate dining area, some reception rooms

to enjoy their hobbies and manageable garden

and some outside space for Howard,

all this on the edge of a village with a pub!

I love a challenge!

Carol and Howard want to be in close proximity

to their families in Leicester and Market Harborough

but are also keen to explore the east of the county towards Oakham,

so we've centred the search roughly around these three spots.

In today's show I'll be taking them on a tour of three

of the best houses we could find for their budget,

but as ever, I won't be revealing the price tag straightaway.

The last of the three will be the mystery house, which always has

the potential to shake things up.

Howard and Carol, welcome to Leicestershire.

Thank you.

-I believe this was your childhood stomping ground?

-It is!

So how long ago did you leave?

It would be about 35 years ago we left the area.

So it's time to come back?

I was very young then!

Very young? Of course, and she was even younger, weren't you, Carol?

-Absolutely!

-Of course!

Now we're surrounded by beautiful old cottages, very small windows,

not a lot of natural light,

but you want something slightly different, don't you?

Slightly. Slightly more modern, big windows, picture windows,

patio doors, things like that.

We can be flexible.

I like that, "flexible" is the word that I like!

I don't mind one or two feature things in the place.

Oh, that's good, so we're open-minded, we've got a budget of £350,000

that's in the bank, so that's a great position to be in,

so we've got lots of options, so are you ready?

We're ready to go!

We've got some very interesting properties for you today

and of course the mystery property, so shall we start and take a look?

-Yes!

-Why not! Lovely!

So Carol and Howard have a budget of £350,000.

Ideally they'd like a three bedroom detached house with plenty of space

and light, a good size reception room, a hobby room each, a garden

large enough for a vegetable patch and a village pub to round it off.

We're going to be hard-pushed to meet all their requirements,

so let's hope they really are flexible!

So it's been quite a few years since you two left Leicestershire, hasn't it?

-It has indeed.

-It has!

But we used to walk hand in hand through this area,

when we were courting.

Aah, so I've brought you back somewhere

-where you've got lovely memories?

-Yes!

It's a pleasure to be able to bring Carol and Howard

back to their roots. I just hope we can find them the perfect home!

The first property we are viewing is in Fleckney,

eight miles south-east of Leicester.

It was a farming community until the 19th century, but today

it's a popular commuter village.

There's a selection of amenities including a library

that Carol and Howard might like to make use of in their retirement

and where better to read those books than by the village pond!

And here's your first property.

This is a 19th century barn that's recently been converted.

Well, it's different!

-Yes! Big windows!

-Lots of windows!

That's the first thing that hits you, the windows.

And the best news is, there's a pub just around the corner!

Oh, now you're talking!

So shall we take a look inside?

-Love to!

-Yes.

-OK.

So here's the main entrance to the barn, but I'm actually going

to take us through this way first, so this is the sitting room,

lots of open space. You get lots of natural light.

The only thing is that immediately strikes me, it's a bit of a goldfish bowl

with people overlooking from there.

They are close, but you could plant hedges, bigger shrubs, small trees

to get a little bit more privacy.

It's south-westerly facing so you get a lot of light

and sun throughout the day, if the sun's shining that is!

But very open, very spacious,

just been finished by the developers and what do you think

about the ceilings, because they are very high?

High's a lot to heat in the winter, but then the hot air goes out

in the summer, so you've got the best of both worlds.

-Shall we take a look at the rest of the house?

-Yes, please.

High ceilings certainly do give the feeling of space,

but the rooms will require more energy to heat.

So there's the main entrance, the front door.

OK.

We've got a cloakroom there and then you walk straight into this dining area,

again real high ceilings.

That's large for a dining room, isn't it?

I can see we've got some views of the countryside.

That hit me first of all.

-I see. Looks good, doesn't it?

-Yep, I like that.

I think I would have liked bigger doors, patio doors.

Again to get more natural light in?

Yeah, get more light in, yes.

I instantly think of putting a conservatory out there,

because then we've got total views, I can have my art studio out there,

and the privacy.

I think we've got to save Carol's money up

and get a conservatory out there.

I'm liking this! Well, let's see if you like the kitchen.

Again, light and airy.

Nice units, wooden units, fitted kitchen, all mod cons.

I think it's been really nicely done,

and is it big enough for your needs, do you think?

It would be yes, yes, I would think so.

Apart from we were looking for a...

Well, I suppose you could have your dining room in there... breakfast.

That's a good point, yeah. You've got the dining room there.

The other thing you could do is you could put a

small table and chairs here, a bit like a breakfast bar, perhaps.

Yeah, yeah.

So we're liking the kitchen?

Indeed, yes, we are.

-OK, ready to see the rest of the house?

-Yes.

I like to think of this as the guest wing. Follow me!

So here's the first guest bedroom.

It's a large double and again, beautiful beams.

More beams, lovely beams, yeah.

Throughout the barn, very high ceilings, so it's a fair size,

but it makes it even bigger just having the ceilings so high.

It really bothers us, it's starting to bother us a bit now.

The high ceilings...

getting up there to decorate!

Well, that's a good point, because it is quite a way.

-You've also got to change those light bulbs occasionally.

-Yes, yes.

But a fair size for a guest bedroom I think you'd agree, wouldn't you?

-Yes.

-Yes.

There's no fitted wardrobes, though, which I was hoping for!

Now that's a good point.

You could put one here, but then again it does...

You lose the chair. I like the idea of the chair, you can't have both.

There are three further double bedrooms in this barn conversion.

Two of them are immediately next door --

they're not massive, but have views out to the courtyard.

The family bathroom is located in this wing of the house too,

but the room we have lined up for Carol and Howard

is at the other end of the house.

And this is the master bedroom.

Aah!

Keeping it as a surprise for us!

Yep, we left it till last. Now obviously it's off the

sitting room, which is unusual. How do you feel about that?

We've got our own independence, if you like, from the rest of the

guests. I like that very much indeed.

Well, have a little peek. There's the en-suite through there.

Nice shower.

That'll do, will that??

That's enough, is it?

Yes.

And how do you feel with having

your bedroom being on this side of the house?

Still the same thing about the goldfish bowl, but

it's lovely to have a door, at least we can go outside.

But still not a wardrobe!

It's not a huge room, is it?

No.

Well, I might be able to provide a solution to some of those problems.

Follow me.

'The land at the back lends itself to a few options.

'Firstly, Howard will be pleased to know planning permission

'has been granted for a garage, and for Carol, I have a suggestion.'

Now these are loose boxes and the developer has got permission

to use this as dwelling. He's going to put a roof on it

so should you want to do something quite clever, this side of the barn

is where your guest area is.

You could knock through, make that a big bedroom with an en-suite,

you could even get a dressing room, Carol, on the end!

That might be of interest?

It could, but it's all going to add to the cost, so it's all

going to be relevant as far as the cost is concerned,

particularly if you're talking about a garage.

It's very interesting.

At least Howard is open-minded.

Our final stop is the garden.

So you like this area, Howard?

I don't know -- perhaps it is a little bit bigger than we

had imagined, it's more than we would want, do you think?

Well, by the time we've got a garage going back,

you've got your vegetable patch, there's not going to be a lot left!

By the time you've got your conservatory on as well

that's going to go out that way!

So the garden for you?

A shade bigger than we would want, but we could manage it.

Let's go to the front of the house and start thinking what you

think a property like this might be worth?

OK.

So we've had a good look around the property -- buying it's now down

to money, so how much do you think a property like this is worth?

Who is going to go first, Carol?

I'll go first, then.

I'd say £50 under 300.

So just shy of £300,000?

Yes.

Howard, what about you?

I think it's going to be on the market for £320,000.

320... just under 300,000.

Well, I can tell you that Howard, you are closer, but I think you're

going to be quite shocked at the price,

because this is currently on the market for £345,000.

OK.

So, a little bit more than you expected.

Disappointed.

I'm going to ask you to have one more look round the property

and I'll catch up with you in a minute.

-OK.

-OK.

So this barn conversion is on the market for more than they

bargained for at £345,000.

It has a large lounge, separate dining room,

four bedrooms with master en-suite and a large garden providing plenty

of scope for development.

As a master bedroom, this would be even

better for a guest bedroom.

And then they've got their own space away from us.

First impressions were good, lovely large windows

throwing lots of light in.

The garden outside was fantastic, overlooking the countryside.

My first impressions were it wasn't very private frontage,

the lounge was a bit smaller than I expected,

but the rest of the rooms were quite good sizes,

although there's no fitted wardrobes in the bedrooms.

I can see past some things, but there's a lot of work to do on it

as far as putting it to the way we would like it.

OK guys, seen enough?

-Yes, we have.

-Yes, thank you.

Time to move on, we've more to see.

Follow me.

Howard and Carol relish the thought of getting

back to their Leicestershire roots so they're stepping out to explore

Market Harborough and there's a trip down memory lane for Howard.

Oh, look, Carol! 45 years ago, I was an apprentice in The Angel.

Wonderful!

The town displays a mix of architecture and one of the

landmarks is the 17th century timber-framed old grammar school.

Oh, look at the architecture on that!

Aah, it's wonderful, isn't it!

Just a short drive north-west of Market Harborough are Foxton Locks.

The two staircases of five locks each were completed in 1814

to enable canal boats to navigate the 70 foot climb uphill.

For Howard, though, it's time once again to reminisce.

When I was a teenager, I used to camp over there

and fish all night long in the water there.

And no trip to Leicestershire would be complete without tasting

the local cheese. The county is well-known for producing Stilton and

Red Leicester, both of which began production in the 18th century.

-So this is the Quenby Stilton...

-All right.

Which is our most local Stilton.

How long does it take to produce?

It's around twelve weeks the whole process and as you can see,

it's just perfect in terms of it looks like a Stilton, you know.

Some Stiltons have less veins in.

Well, if that's whetted Carol and Howard's appetite,

we'll have to find them a house so this shop would be on the doorstep!

As the last of the afternoon sun fades away,

it marks the end of our first day's property search.

Carol and Howard are searching for their first private home in 25 years.

Having lived in accommodation attached to business premises,

they're now looking for a three bedroom house with large rooms,

an en-suite and hobby rooms, all for £350,000.

So far, they've viewed one property which didn't have

the layout they were looking for but, coming up, we get it spot on

with a room for Howard!

-Now.

-Now you're talking!

Look at those smiles!

And there's a mystery house that, true to form,

offers a twist to the mix.

Now take a look at this!

That is different! Gee whiz!

It's a new day and having reflected on yesterday,

I'm a little concerned Howard and Carol have fairly high expectations

for what they're going to get on their modest budget but I'm

not waving the white flag just yet.

The next property I'm going to show them has lots of space and rooms but

it's low maintenance and very, very low upkeep

because I've realised that is quite a concern for them.

Carol and Howard, I can't believe this is going to be your

twelfth move!

Do you think that makes finding another property easier or harder?

It makes it a little bit harder, really!

Why is that? Is it because you're always comparing?

Yes!

It's given us the experience to know more of what we want

and what we don't want, really.

We've lived over our businesses, now we're looking for purely domestic

property so we can perhaps be a little bit more choosy

in what we want.

Our first house this morning is in Long Clawson.

At 22 miles north-east of Leicester, it's the furthest away from the city

of all our properties but the village certainly has much

to offer by way of amenities, most of which surround the village green.

The pub is no doubt the hub of the village, so Howard will be

in his element!

So here we have it.

This house was built in 1997,

so it's a new-build, so what do you think?

First impressions, good.

Yes, very good.

So so far, so good!

So far, yes!

Let's see if you like the inside.

So here's the hallway.

Oh, this is pleasant, isn't it?

Very nice, very welcoming I think.

Yes, not too big, not too...

And not too small?

Your windows, Carol!

And I like the doors!

Carol has always wanted doors like that with glass panels.

Have you? Well, we're doing quite well, yes, so far!

Well, shall I take you through to the reception room,

through your lovely doors.

So, here's the sitting room, dual aspect. Does it appeal?

Yes.

Could you imagine yourself sitting in here?

Is this as big as you would like, Carol?

I'd have liked a little big bigger lounge.

I mean, the room is fairly big.

How important is it for you to get your furniture that you've already

got into your new property, or are you willing to change?

Well, I've got three big chairs and then a three-seater settee.

Is that important to you?

We would have to lose one of them.

-Yes.

-Your chair!

Your chair! That's nice! He got that in very quickly, I noticed...

But flexible might work if you had perhaps a sofa there and over there.

Also I have to point out, look at that beautiful window seat!

You might not need your other chair, you've got the perfect one.

Put a cushion on there, you could look out...

'I think this is a reasonable size.

'I wonder if we'll ever find a lounge large enough for their furniture!

'Hopefully the kitchen will get the thumbs up.'

So this is where all the hard work happens, in the kitchen!

Yeah, it's a nice size!

It is. Got walnut tops, beautifully done.

The kitchen is actually only a year and a half old.

Again, it's very big.

Casual dining, so you've got a big table in this kitchen.

Just take a look through there.

That is your utility room. You've got your washing machine in

there, you've got a freezer in there, you've got a microwave,

and again more storage away from the kitchen.

Hmm, yes, very nice, yes!

So it's a good size.

A really sociable kitchen.

I can see you with your friends, having drinks here round the table

and then you could eat in here but the great thing about this house,

it has another dining area.

That's what we want!

And I know a private dining area is important, away from the kitchen.

It is. Is this going to be big enough, do you think?

Let me see.

You've got the cabinet here.

We're thinking furniture, aren't we?

-Yes.

-We're back to furniture?

Yeah.

For the amount of times we do seat ten people, it would be adequate.

Well, the other thing is hopefully

when you find your property you'll have a little bit

of change left over so you might have to buy different furniture.

I'm going to plant that seed, see where we go with that!

We've only just bought this one!

Have you!

We'll fit it in somehow!

Take a leg off it!

Now, here's a room I really want to show you.

Now you're talking!

Look at those smiles, look at those smiles!

Office desk, and all my rubbish can go in there!

Plenty of storage space, fabulous aspect.

This is your office?

-Yes, indeed.

-Fabulous!

Spot on!

Let's keep going.

'Upstairs there are four bedrooms

'and we're going to kick off with the largest.'

And this is the master bedroom.

Again, airy, dual-aspect so lots of light coming through, but a good size.

It will take a huge bed in here

and the other thing is, through that door is your en-suite.

Wonderful, that's nice!

That's a perfect size, isn't it, for an en-suite!

Good size for you?

It is, yep.

Do you like this room, can you imagine it as your master bedroom?

Yes, I think so, yes.

I reckon we're not doing badly with this house. Two of the other

bedrooms are just next door but they might want to do some redecoration.

The family bathroom is clean and modern

and then there is the final room.

None of your guests surely would be disappointed with this room!

Two windows!

Two windows and bright.

-Look at that!

-Yes!

That view just sums it up, doesn't it? Here we are in the country.

-It's a good room.

-It's a lovely room, isn't it?

Yes, this is a nice room.

It is a lovely room. Again, really sympathetically done.

I might be very tempted to move in here myself!

-So this one gets the thumbs-up?

-It does!

I'm liking this!

It's going well! I like this, keep exploring, plenty more to see.

'It's amazing what a difference a day can make. We're heading outside.

'The big question is, will they both be happy with the garden?'

So here we are at the back of the house.

The present owners have got obviously the greenhouse and

the shed, but the one thing I was thinking of was if you did want

your garden patch, your vegetable patch,

you could actually put it here, there's ample space.

I thought this would be quite a nice little area, have a few...

-A lovely greenhouse.

-Nice greenhouse, few carrots,

parsnips, but let me take you round to the side of the property --

obviously this is all your garden, so you've got your rose pagoda.

-We would love that!

-Yes.

Which will be coming through soon.

I've always wanted one of those??

Sunken patio here and the great thing about this garden

is you've got this open aspect and sunsets at the back of the fields

so you will get a lot of sun.

I could create a veg garden down here as well.

What do you think, Carol?

-Well...

-Vegetables down here?

Just the right size.

I don't mind a few vegetables in with the flowers,

but he's not having it all!

You could tuck it in the corner and then you wouldn't see it.

You get cattle grazing in this field occasionally.

This view is the view, isn't it?

-That's fantastic!

-It is, quite amazing!

-That's why we want to come to the country, something like that.

-Yes.

Sights like that? Well, let's go down to the patio

and start talking about money!

This property has much of what Carol and Howard are looking for.

I'm quietly confident it could be a contender for their new home.

So, this is it, money time.

What do you think a property like this is worth?

I think it's going to be above our budget. I'd say 420.

420? Howard?

I doing think it's going to be as much as that. £380,000.

£380,000?

Well, you have a budget of 350, and this house is currently on

the market for just shy of £340,000.

-That's surprising!

-It is!

-We are surprised, yes!

-Yes.

We're even more interested now!

Well, the good news is, you'd have just over £10,000

to play with. Do you want to go and have another look round?

I think we will, now we know the price!

With that price in mind? OK, go and have one final look.

This house is comfortably within budget at £339,950.

It has a kitchen-diner, a study that lit Howard's fire, four bedrooms

with master en-suite and a good size garden they can fight over!

Well, it's a very nice property.

Four bedrooms, the bedrooms are quite spacious, the lounge isn't

quite as spacious as I would like, but beautiful kitchen and the garden

is just about manageable for what we're looking for.

I really like where it is in a cul de sac, the location,

it looks over countryside.

There's a lot of this property I like.

What really does stand out to me is two things --

the kitchen, nice big kitchen with a good sized cooker, and of course the

office, good-size office. It has its

own privacy, beautiful views, they really do things to me.

Also, the garden. Carol and I, we've been debating, it's still up for

grabs who's having what, and I'm losing that one,

but it's manageable size, and I quite enjoy the thought of that.

Happy, guys?

-Yes!

-Yes!

-Excellent! Let's get on the road.

-OK.

-Thank you.

Now it's time for the mystery property and we're taking a big risk

with it. I'm going to be showing them something that will make them

think out of their comfort zone and perhaps a complete lifestyle change.

Now the property I'm going to show them, it isn't dissimilar to this,

but first I'm going to kick off by taking them to the pub

to get them in the spirit.

The mystery house is in Great Bowden, just

a mile north of Market Harborough.

It's an attractive setting with an interesting housing stock,

a village green and a few shops thrown into the mix.

The local watering holes will

no doubt get Howard's vote, so what better place to start!

It's thirsty work looking at all these properties, but Howard, I have

to say, you look very comfortable sitting there in this pub!

It's something I enjoy doing most of my life!

And would you like this sort of pub to be your local?

-Oh, indeed!

-Yes, really nice pub.

Yes, it's a smashing place.

Well, the good news is, this could be your local, because just around

the corner is the mystery property

I'm dying to show you, so shall we finish our drinks and have a look?

Indeed!

Carol and Howard could be in for a bit of a surprise,

but it is the mystery house, after all!

So to consider this property, you've got to think complete

lifestyle change. This is a converted church, it's 19th century,

which has been taken into three or four luxury apartments, so do you

mind that and are you prepared to look at it through new eyes?

Well, I have to say that part of our thinking in downsizing

for our old age would have been an apartment so we've still got that

as a possibility.

I assure you, it is an outstanding apartment! Are you ready to go in?

-Let's give it a go!

-Yes, OK.

'Although it's called an "apartment", this property is

in fact on two floors and unusually, the living area is upstairs.

Now take a look at this!

That is different! Gee whiz!

Do you expect to see this at the top of the stairs?

No.

But that's got a wow factor!

It really has, it takes your breath away!

Yep!

And of course, open plan living!

What do you think, Carol?

I'm not too keen on open plan living.

I don't mind open plan dining, but

lounge-wise, I like a lounge on its own!

I think this is fantastic, the actual layout, the quality...

Let's have a look at the kitchen.

Carol, you will appreciate this!

Ready? Push it in...

Look at that. Effortless!

So you've got tons of storage space in this kitchen.

Now, walk through.

Howard, just open that door for me.

-Big freezer.

-It is!

Splendid!

Isn't that fantastic! And if you like a big fridge...

Oh, you could get plenty of beer. And wine!

You've got some wine in there.

All ready for you, ready to go!

Wonderful!

Now I know entertaining is a big part of your lives, so how is this

for your dining area?

Lots of light and another feature, can you just see there's a little

-bit of light coming through.

-Yes.

Because the way it's been converted they've used those windows,

so it does give you a really airy feel.

Splendid!

-Perfect for a dinner party?

-It is.

Nice deep sink there for washing up and a halogen hob.

Now it is electric and I know you prefer gas, but just watch this.

It heats up so quickly, literally. Look at that, seconds.

Gee, I've never seen anything as fast as that!

And the heat, already. It certainly is an impressive kitchen with loads

of storage space but this, this is what makes this apartment.

It's fantastic. Framed by that wooden beam,

that window is tremendous and I think it's south-facing so you're going to

get all the sun highlighting that, that's fantastic!

Do you like the idea of something like that being in your apartment?

I do, in fact the whole feature of it, it's good to see that

some of the old architecture is kept

in villages like this instead of having the concrete front.

Little did I think when we used to own and live in a pub

that I would eventually end up in this church!

Yeah. This is a church you are allowed to drink in.

Let's keep exploring.

'It's certainly an impressive property with no space wasted.

'Up the spiral staircase is a mezzanine level overlooking the lounge.'

And up here is, well I'm going

to call it the reception room, the second reception room, but you could

use it for a variety of reasons. What would you use it for?

I'd have an orchestra in here/

The Minstrel gallery!

You've got the original beams, plenty of light,

but would this work for you two?

What I have thought is that coming here we would certainly

have to change our lifestyle and we'd have to think about the furniture.

We've not got... we've got too much furniture, I think,

so that's got to be a real thinking.

I don't think it would work for me.

In my opinion, it's more like a bachelor pad.

It can be arranged!

Well, on that note, I think we'd better go and look at the bedrooms.

Howard, we'll follow you.

'This property sitting at the heart of an idyllic village,

'has just been renovated to a high standard leaving no work to be done.

'Carol and Howard would have plenty of time to

'enjoy retirement and indulge in their hobbies from day one.'

So we're back on the ground floor

and this is the master bedroom,

so you've got this beautiful three windows, bags of space.

What do you think?

Yes, I like this room.

It's more light and airy and I like that.

It's brighter, it's airier, more light coming in.

There's an en-suite, and this is an en-suite. Take a look.

Oh, that's nice.

This is wonderful.

Big showerhead! His and hers' sinks!

-It's almost a wet room, isn't it?

-Yes.

This bathroom screams real luxury to me, real high-spec.

And the family bathroom in this property is no exception.

The second and final bedroom is just next door. There's a handy

dressing area and the room can easily take a double bed.

In addition, there's access to the outdoor space.

Here we have a small private courtyard, so perfect for

all your pots and planters, so would this work for you?

Well, it's south-facing and would certainly get the sun here

so it would be a nice little spot to sit out in the warm sunny days, yeah.

Also this property comes with a communal garage,

parking for one car, so you can park in front of

the property but you can also have off-street parking there as well.

Now, it is the most stunning apartment. I'm going to ask you

to just think about the price, 19th century conversion, huge rooms.

How much do you think this property is on the market for?

My guess is £280,000.

OK. What about you, Carol, bearing in mind everything you've seen?

Well, no garden.

290.

290? Well, actually I think this is going to surprise you,

because this property is on the market for £345,000.

Aah! I think I would like a little bit more for my money.

But why don't you go and have one last look at that beautiful

stained glass window and I'll catch up with you in a minute.

OK.

This immaculate apartment is £5,000 under budget at £345,000,

there's a bright open-plan kitchen-living area,

a useful mezzanine level, two bedrooms with luxury master en-suite

and an outdoor decked area.

The central village location is exactly what they wanted and

hopefully the property has got them thinking.

What I like about the place, it's very well-done,

very well-constructed, very well-designed.

It's got high lights again and high ceilings.

It would be a devil of a job getting you up a ladder for that one.

You wouldn't get me up there!

Very intriguing, I'm fascinated by it, the quality.

The only wow factor when we came upstairs and we saw

that beam in the windows, tremendous.

We did think about apartments and this is now, now we're in one, it's

making me rethink that we've got to go back to the idea of a three, four

bedroom house with the elbow room.

We haven't quite got the space here.

It wasn't what I was expecting and

I don't think I'd like to finish my days in a church just yet!

Well, that was the last

property and now you two have got a lot of thinking to do.

Yes!

Carol and Howard's property tour is now over.

They viewed a real mixture of housing styles and it's

time to consider the options.

The moment has come for Carol and Howard to make some decisions

but I'm not sure any of the properties have hit the spot.

One thing I do know is they won't be choosing the mystery property

but they are a flexible couple so I'm not counting my chickens yet!

We might be in for a surprise.

So, Carol and Howard, it's been an interesting journey

and we started off in Fleckney with that 19th century barn conversion.

Were you won over by it?

There was a lot going for it --

the long windows which we really want because that's good for light,

airy feeling.

The master bedroom,

if we were to have it, we would have that as the guest bedroom and

we would add and convert one of the far end bedrooms and probably enlarge

that, but that would then depend on how much we would get it for.

And then we went

to Long Clawson to the modern build, and what did you think of that one?

That wasn't far off.

The garden was just about the right size.

What did it for me was the office area and an absolutely superb view

out of there, so that house, from that point of view, did it well

for me. The only other thought I have is the wooden windows.

There was going to be a lot of effort

needing to paint all those as opposed to UPVC windows.

You're a very practical couple, actually,

always got that eye on that very practical side.

How far the pub is away!

Yes, well I didn't like to bring that up, but I do remember the pub

was mentioned in many a conversation

which obviously has to lead me to the mystery property because we

started off, just to try and soften you a little bit, in the pub which

could potentially be your local. That went down very well.

Yeah, and I think we have to say that in our retirement

as we get older, we have looked and considered taking on an apartment

and when we got there, it certainly had the wow factor, didn't it, Carol?

Yes.

I like the delay!

That was a good delay, that was perfect timing!

Gets me out of the hook!

I think we had the wow factor with that.

I think, Carol, you had your reservations?

Yes, I did, yes. It is a bachelor place or single person place.

-It wasn't right for you?

-No.

But out of everything we've seen, have you made any final decisions?

The one at Long Clawson got very close.

The new-build, yes.

But I think we've got to turn that down because it was just a bit too

far from a major town.

As far as I'm concerned, but I'm not sure about Carol,

the jury is still out with the barn conversion at Fleckney.

Now that's interesting!

What is it about that property you think has the potential

to suit your needs?

If we got it at the right price, it would leave us with sufficient funds

to put the extra bits in that would really

bring it, and tick all the boxes.

Well, thank you so much. We really have

enjoyed it and we hope you continue to enjoy your retirement and you do

make that move to Leicestershire. You will let us know, won't you?

-We will indeed!

-We will.

And can we say thank you very much, too.

It's been an experience which we would never have done without!

Thank you.

Unfortunately that's all we've got time for today, but join us

again when we help another couple

find their Escape To The Country.

If you'd like to Escape To The Country

and would like our help, please contact us through our website.

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