0:00:02 > 0:00:06I'm following in the footsteps of Queen Elizabeth I and 2,000 of her courtiers
0:00:06 > 0:00:10whose lavish stately visit to one of this county's finest Elizabethan homes
0:00:10 > 0:00:13is said to have close to bankrupt its owner, so where am I?
0:00:13 > 0:00:18Why don't you join me in a moment on Escape To The Country to find out?
0:00:31 > 0:00:37In today's show, I'll be helping a couple head out of town and put down some roots in the country.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41We'll be throwing some light on their house-hunt quandary.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43- Very nice. I like that. - It's very different.
0:00:43 > 0:00:48And our mystery house is somewhere they would have never expected.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55Today I'm in Suffolk and this is Melford Hall.
0:00:55 > 0:01:00With its dramatic skyline of tall chimney stacks and octagonal turrets,
0:01:00 > 0:01:05it's one of the finest and greatest examples of Elizabethan architecture in the east of England.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08Now its original owner, Sir William Cordell,
0:01:08 > 0:01:13was a new man of his age and he was one of the most hospitable country gentleman in the county.
0:01:13 > 0:01:18Although he was a Catholic, he did manage to find grace and favour with Queen Elizabeth I
0:01:18 > 0:01:25when he threw a lavish reception for her and 2,000 courtiers on her first visit to this delightful county.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28And there's still plenty to entice new visitors to this county today.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32Suffolk is one of six counties that make up East Anglia
0:01:32 > 0:01:34and covers 1,500 square miles,
0:01:34 > 0:01:38but with a sparse population of under 700,000.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41The gloriously remote Suffolk coast and heaths
0:01:41 > 0:01:44avoids the hordes of tourists, but as a protected site,
0:01:44 > 0:01:49provides a rich wetland habitat for wildlife to thrive.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52Farming continues to shape the Suffolk landscape
0:01:52 > 0:01:58giving way to those vast expansive skies, which so inspired our great 18th and 19th century painters
0:01:58 > 0:02:01Thomas Gainsborough and John Constable,
0:02:01 > 0:02:03both of whom were born here.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07Suffolk's unspoiled countryside is dotted with mediaeval market towns
0:02:07 > 0:02:12which prospered from its wool trade and have given way to some enticing historic properties,
0:02:12 > 0:02:16including the Suffolk pink houses, characteristic of the county.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18With a truly timeless feel,
0:02:18 > 0:02:22Suffolk is a perfect place in which to seek out a peaceful lifestyle.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29Constable, Gainsborough, Bob Hoskins, Ralph Fiennes
0:02:29 > 0:02:32and the Formula One magnate, Bernie Ecclestone
0:02:32 > 0:02:37are just some of the famous names who've come from or lived in Suffolk over the years,
0:02:37 > 0:02:41and more recently the Suffolk Tourist Board had a very nice surprise
0:02:41 > 0:02:45when they learned that multimillionaire entrepreneur, Duncan Bannatyne,
0:02:45 > 0:02:50who used to live near Ipswich, has decided to dedicate himself to boosting the local economy.
0:02:50 > 0:02:51And with friends like that,
0:02:51 > 0:02:54I'd say that Suffolk is on to a very good thing.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57There's certainly plenty here to offer potential buyers,
0:02:57 > 0:03:01even if you don't have a millionaire's spending power.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05For £365,000 this three-bedroom cottage
0:03:05 > 0:03:08near Boxford has been stylishly renovated
0:03:08 > 0:03:12to offer a cool simple interior using natural slate throughout,
0:03:12 > 0:03:16and the garden has uninterrupted views over the Box Valley.
0:03:18 > 0:03:23£585,000 will get you this three-bedroom contemporary barn in Crowfield.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27There's a touch of luxury in the large bespoke kitchen and living room,
0:03:27 > 0:03:30and there's top class accommodation for the horses
0:03:30 > 0:03:34with a stable block and three and a half acres of land.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37But for top-dollar country splendour,
0:03:37 > 0:03:39there's this five-bedroom former rectory
0:03:39 > 0:03:44in Fornham St Martin at £795,000.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47The reception rooms retain grand Georgian proportions
0:03:47 > 0:03:50and a stylish kitchen/breakfast room leads out
0:03:50 > 0:03:54through French doors to the mature three-quarters of an acre garden.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58Well, let's hope today's buyers find the inspiration they need
0:03:58 > 0:04:01to make their escape to the country. Let's meet them.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05Robin, an insurance underwriter, and Frances have lived
0:04:05 > 0:04:10in their three-bedroom detached family home in Southend, Essex, for 25 years.
0:04:10 > 0:04:15But now their two grown-up children have left home, they're ready for a fresh start in rural Suffolk.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18The sort of lifestyle that we're dreaming of is...
0:04:18 > 0:04:23Is going back in time where, you know, your neighbours knew you
0:04:23 > 0:04:28and you knew them and it's just that community spirit that I feel that we've lost.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31So we're looking for a village location
0:04:31 > 0:04:34that's quiet and neighbourly and...
0:04:34 > 0:04:36A nice rural environment, really.
0:04:36 > 0:04:42Having overcome a serious illness, Robin is embracing this chance of a lifestyle change.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45In 1996, I was first diagnosed with leukaemia.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48Following five years of intensive treatment and chemo
0:04:48 > 0:04:53and then a transplant, I've now had eight years of being in remission.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56I've re-evaluated our lives and the challenges it's brought us.
0:04:56 > 0:05:02We now know the time's right to move on and to seek out now a better life with retirement looming.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04And live life to the full.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08Yeah. The one thing we've learned, you have to live every day.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11What features do they need in their dream home?
0:05:11 > 0:05:14Ideally the detached type properties, minimum three bed.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18Something which is open, spacious, with daylight to it.
0:05:18 > 0:05:24I would say one of the absolute must haves is a kitchen/diner because it's a room that we use all the time.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27And ideally for you, south-west backing?
0:05:27 > 0:05:28Definitely. That's important.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30And a garden, because she loves her garden.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32And a good-sized garden.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36And there are some important extras on their wish list.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40I'd love to move to the countryside so that I could paint
0:05:40 > 0:05:42and I'd love to have a room of my own, a studio
0:05:42 > 0:05:48would be brilliant, but I don't know that we could afford that, but that's one of my loves.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51One of our favourite rooms has always been the conservatory
0:05:51 > 0:05:54with the added daylight it brings into the house,
0:05:54 > 0:05:57it's something we would like - if possible - on moving.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01They look forward to walks in Constable country and plan to get a dog,
0:06:01 > 0:06:04but they still need links into London.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07I currently work in the insurance market in London,
0:06:07 > 0:06:10so I commute pretty much every day for the best part of an hour each way,
0:06:10 > 0:06:16so I'd like to obviously be within reasonable distance of London for the point of view of commuting
0:06:16 > 0:06:20and both our children are now in London, so likewise.
0:06:20 > 0:06:25And two years of house searching has brought them no closer to finding their perfect home.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28We haven't found our dream house yet because we...
0:06:28 > 0:06:30Probably our expectations are quite high
0:06:30 > 0:06:35and we want it to be for our retirement and somewhere very special.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37I think that's pretty much it, really.
0:06:37 > 0:06:42In terms of retirement, for me it's pretty much our last hopeful move, so it's about getting it right.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46They need to know how much they can spend on their move,
0:06:46 > 0:06:49so we've asked a local estate agent to value their home.
0:06:49 > 0:06:56This is a beautifully presented three-bedroom detached house in a much sought after location,
0:06:56 > 0:06:58and based on local market comparable evidence,
0:06:58 > 0:07:02I would suggest an initial marketing price of £330,000.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08I think we're both of the opinion that it seemed a sensible price.
0:07:08 > 0:07:09Reasonable, yes.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12The budget for the property we're looking for,
0:07:12 > 0:07:16assuming it ticks all the boxes, is up to £450,000.
0:07:19 > 0:07:23After two and a half decades living in the same place,
0:07:23 > 0:07:26Frances and Robin are ready for a real lifestyle change
0:07:26 > 0:07:29and they want this to be their last move so we have to get it right.
0:07:29 > 0:07:35Now, key to their requirements is a light and airy house, it's got to have a minimum of three bedrooms,
0:07:35 > 0:07:39a good-sized kitchen and lounge and a south-west-facing garden,
0:07:39 > 0:07:43and they want all of that for £450,000.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46Now, I think that is doable, but we'd better get going.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49Our house search will be based around
0:07:49 > 0:07:50Suffolk's county town of Ipswich,
0:07:50 > 0:07:54which gives Robin an hour and a quarter's train commute to London.
0:07:54 > 0:07:59In today's show, we'll be romping around three fabulous rural retreats here in Suffolk,
0:07:59 > 0:08:02but before revealing the price of each, they'll be having a guess.
0:08:02 > 0:08:07The last of the three is our mystery house, which pops up in a very surprising location.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09- Hello.- Hiya.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12- Hi, Robin. Hi, Frances. - Hello.- Nice to meet you.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15Well, thank you for bringing me to a very windy and blustery Suffolk.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18Not the best day, but it's not raining and, look,
0:08:18 > 0:08:21we're looking for properties and it's a big move for you.
0:08:21 > 0:08:2325 years in the same house!
0:08:23 > 0:08:26It takes some thinking about. We've outgrown the house, haven't we?
0:08:26 > 0:08:29- We have.- Much as we've loved it, you get to that point.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32- You are ready for a big lifestyle change.- We are.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35What is it about your current accommodation and area
0:08:35 > 0:08:38that you want to get away from? What are you escaping from?
0:08:38 > 0:08:42The rat race that's developed into the area we're in. It's just overgrown, really.
0:08:42 > 0:08:47It's too busy, really, and we want a little more quietness and peace and tranquillity.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51- You feel as if you're living in a town at the moment. - Yes.- That's right.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54- That's what you want to escape. - Yes.- Absolutely.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56You've been looking for a while, haven't you?
0:08:56 > 0:08:59- Too long, really. - Probably 12 to 18 months now.
0:08:59 > 0:09:04Not always in the one area, we've been looking around generally at various parts of the country,
0:09:04 > 0:09:08South, South East and the South East Anglia coast.
0:09:08 > 0:09:13But, yes, it's something we haven't actually come to a conclusion where best to settle, really.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16Suffolk's a great county and there's a lot here
0:09:16 > 0:09:18and your budget - how much have we got to play with?
0:09:18 > 0:09:20- 450.- 450.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23- That was the figure.- A bit of room for manoeuvre?- A bit of room.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26- For a dream house, we can compromise.- We'll just work longer!
0:09:26 > 0:09:29- Work longer to enjoy the dream property.- That's right.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32A fair deal! We have fantastic houses to show you
0:09:32 > 0:09:35and the mystery house, so I think we should get a move on.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37- Lovely.- Let's get going. - Let's do that.
0:09:37 > 0:09:43So, for £450,000 they want their dream home in Suffolk to include...
0:09:56 > 0:09:58We'd better take to the road.
0:09:58 > 0:10:04- Overall, how are you feeling about this journey? It's a big move.- Yeah.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07- Are you excited? Are you daunted? - We are excited.- Very much so.
0:10:07 > 0:10:12- A little bit daunted by it, but we're excited and...- Very optimistic.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14- We're ready.- And your expectations?
0:10:14 > 0:10:19Expectations? Maybe a bit high, I don't know, but we're trying to moderate them.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21You've got to be realistic, though.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24- I like to have a healthy dose of realism, but...- That's right.
0:10:24 > 0:10:29- ..we also want to find a dream home, so let's see what we can do. - Lovely.- Lovely prospect.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34Our first property takes us to the village of Battisford
0:10:34 > 0:10:36just over 11 miles from Ipswich,
0:10:36 > 0:10:39so still within commuting distance to London for Robin,
0:10:39 > 0:10:41but with the peace he's looking for
0:10:41 > 0:10:43as the village is surrounded by farmland.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46For amenities, Needham Market, four miles away, is a lovely town
0:10:46 > 0:10:52with a range of shops and a nature reserve for those walks they're after.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55I think they'll feel at home with the style of our first house.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57It's a new build.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59Strangely enough, we do like new builds.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02- Yes.- We keep thinking different, but we do like it.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05It's quite substantial, but it's in a lovely location.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09It's surrounded by properties, so you can get to know your neighbours.
0:11:09 > 0:11:14- That's something you wanted. - It gives you immediate community, doesn't it?- It does.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17Let's have a look inside and see what you get with this property.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19- Lovely.- Thank you.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22The new-build proposition has piqued their interest,
0:11:22 > 0:11:25so here's hoping the inside will hook them.
0:11:28 > 0:11:29Step on in.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33You can immediately come into this wonderful hallway
0:11:33 > 0:11:34from which all doors lead.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36- Very nice.- Nice and open, isn't it?
0:11:36 > 0:11:40- And look up!- Yes, I like that. - It's got all the light you want, hasn't it?
0:11:40 > 0:11:42It has, it has, yes. Very nice.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44- We do have a little study through here.- Right.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48We've also got a downstairs cloakroom, but I want to take you to the kitchen.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50- Brilliant.- OK.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54In you come.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58- Take a look at this.- Oh, dear, dear. - Yes, that's nice. Nice and light.
0:11:58 > 0:12:03Now that's what I call a nice spacious kitchen, with plenty of light, isn't it? Lovely views.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06- Great views out into your garden. - Yeah, I know.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08Yes, I like that feature.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10That's nice to look out on to.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13And if you do get that doggie, he can come straight in and out there.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15- Yes, true.- A dog, yeah, true.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17- No work for you here, Robin.- No.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20I'm sure I'll find him something!
0:12:20 > 0:12:24That's why I always come back to the new - it does eliminate the need for DIY, doesn't it?
0:12:24 > 0:12:29- It also gives you the opportunity to put your mark on the property. - Yeah, true.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32It's fresh and new, which you'll see even more when we see the other rooms.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34- Lovely.- Let's have a look.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38And across the entrance hall there's a great option for family meals.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41- So with this property you get a separate dining room.- Yeah.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44- Very nice.- Not short on size, is it?
0:12:44 > 0:12:46Again, it's spacious, isn't it?
0:12:46 > 0:12:50- That's nice.- Something we haven't got at the moment.- Right. - Not a separate.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54- We've got a lounge/diner. - But it's nice to have that type of detached, isn't it?
0:12:54 > 0:12:56So again, a real big tick.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58It's a big tick. Nothing for you to do here.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02- Let's look at the living room while we're on a roll.- That's good.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08- And this is a very large living room, I think.- Oh!
0:13:08 > 0:13:10- It is, it's nice.- Yes. Very pleasant.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13- That is a working wood-burning stove.- Yes, I like that.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15- Nice and cosy.- Mm-hm.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17I like the fact that it's at the back of the house.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21- It's that bit warmer.- You have your privacy.- Total privacy and peace.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24I like that idea, the garden behind.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26Yes, it's nice.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29- This could work for you? - This could work, yes.- Very much.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31I like this. It's hard to fault.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33- It's a hit downstairs. - Very much.- Definitely.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36- Right, let's head upstairs and have a look at the bedrooms.- OK.
0:13:36 > 0:13:42The space and features of the downstairs of this new build seem to have won them over.
0:13:42 > 0:13:46So now we can take a look at this galleried landing up here.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51- You can really appreciate it.- Yeah.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53- It's a lovely feature. - Very nice, yes.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56It's pretty much a mirror of what you've got downstairs
0:13:56 > 0:14:00because all doors lead off the landing.
0:14:00 > 0:14:06On this side are two of this property's four bedrooms, a nice bright single and a double room.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09Between them is a modern family bathroom with bath and overhead shower
0:14:09 > 0:14:13and the third bedroom has some great extras in store.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16Through here, this is not the master bedroom, as you can see.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18It belongs to a young lady at the moment.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21But this space is full of surprises.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25I can already see you tucking your head through there because it goes on.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28- There's an en suite there.- Very nice.- And a changing area.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30- It's quite versatile. - Very versatile.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34- It could be where you did your art. - That's what I was thinking.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38- They've got a bathroom there, lots of space.- It would be nice. - Lots of opportunity.- Yeah.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40It's not being used as the master bedroom,
0:14:40 > 0:14:42just let me show you that.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46So, over this way you have your master.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49They've got built-in his and hers wardrobes,
0:14:49 > 0:14:53space for a lovely big double bed and an en suite behind you.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56Stand up shower, plenty of room in there.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58- Yeah, again.- You can't fault it.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00Very spacious again. Lovely perspective.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03A nice lot of light. I could sit here and paint.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06- You'll be painting in every room! - Given the choice, yes.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10- Talk about a blank canvas - this is literally what this will be for you. - Yes.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12- No, I like this, it's nice. - Brilliant.
0:15:12 > 0:15:16Well, I'm feeling very warm about your feelings towards this property.
0:15:16 > 0:15:21I want to turn up the heat a bit more, let's get outside, see how you feel about the outside space
0:15:21 > 0:15:25and then we've got to work out how much it will cost you to buy it.
0:15:25 > 0:15:26- OK. Right.- Let's go.
0:15:27 > 0:15:32This house certainly has oodles of space to satisfy our couple.
0:15:32 > 0:15:36It's time to head back downstairs now and outside to the back of the house.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43So back here we have the garden space
0:15:43 > 0:15:47and as with the interior of the house, it's pretty much a blank canvas, isn't it?
0:15:47 > 0:15:51- Isn't it?- It is. - Very clean lines, just laid to lawn.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54- You could do what you want with it.- Exactly.- Pretty much.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57It goes a long way across, doesn't it? It's wide.
0:15:57 > 0:16:02- It wraps around the other side of the property, as well. - I like that idea. That's nice.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04- It's a good size. - It is. It is a good size.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07Just beyond the back fence is a quiet footpath,
0:16:07 > 0:16:11which will be a great access point for walking the dog Frances hopes to gets.
0:16:11 > 0:16:16This property seems to hit the mark on so many fronts, but at what cost?
0:16:16 > 0:16:18A lot of property. How much would you pay for it?
0:16:18 > 0:16:21I'm going to start with you, Robin.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24Difficult. There's a lot of house there. I'd have said...
0:16:24 > 0:16:26around the 450 mark.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28Frances, how much do you think it's worth?
0:16:28 > 0:16:33I think probably.... The first figure that came to mind was 465,
0:16:33 > 0:16:38but...maybe 455?
0:16:38 > 0:16:44- This property has just come on the market two weeks ago at £440,000. - Very good.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47- Now that is....an attractive price. - That's pleasing.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49"That's pleasing." You're so reserved!
0:16:49 > 0:16:51- Are you jumping for joy inside? - Ah, she is.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54- Leaping. - I'm surprised, surprised as well.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56- It's a good price.- It is. - For that size of property.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00Go and have a ramble around and I will catch up with you later.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02- Thank you.- Thank you.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04Well, that's a good result, isn't it?
0:17:04 > 0:17:09That house gives them all the room that they could want and more and it comes in under budget.
0:17:09 > 0:17:14And as a blank canvas, well, it's everything that Frances needs to put her mark on it.
0:17:14 > 0:17:19At £440,000 this extensive new build offers them...
0:17:26 > 0:17:31..and garden space for a dog and to keep Frances' green fingers busy.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33What do you think of this area?
0:17:33 > 0:17:35- What would you do with that? - Chickens?
0:17:35 > 0:17:37This house, I like very much.
0:17:37 > 0:17:43It's modern, it's clean, it's spacious and it's most...
0:17:43 > 0:17:45Nearly all the requirements we wanted.
0:17:45 > 0:17:50This property definitely suits me, yes. I love this area. Look at it!
0:17:50 > 0:17:52It just is so interesting. It's a...
0:17:52 > 0:17:55- A room within itself. - You could do a lot with this.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59This type of house lends itself really to what we're looking for.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03If anything, it's got even more size and space than probably I would have been asking for.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07I don't think we're ever going to get them out - they really liked it!
0:18:07 > 0:18:12- Can we help you?- You'd like me to come in, but no, I am dragging out because we are not finished yet.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14- Right.- Right, let's get a move on.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23As I'm showing our couple some prime Suffolk properties,
0:18:23 > 0:18:27it's also a great chance for me to get under the skin of one of the county's great historic homes.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30From the outside, Melford Hall
0:18:30 > 0:18:33is a stately Tudor mansion, yet its interior tells
0:18:33 > 0:18:36the full tale of this property through the ages.
0:18:36 > 0:18:42To hear more about its story, I'm meeting one of the guides, Luke Potter.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44Tell me the story of where we are now.
0:18:44 > 0:18:49We're in the Great Hall, which actually would have always been the centre of the property
0:18:49 > 0:18:52right back to the days when the abbots from Bury St Edmunds lived here,
0:18:52 > 0:18:55but it has changed hugely over the years.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59The panelling here is actually put in... It was put in in the 1850s
0:18:59 > 0:19:03and it was an attempt to make it feel more Elizabethan because elsewhere in the house
0:19:03 > 0:19:05lots of changes have taken place.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07A lot of work was done in the early 19th century.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10The wing behind me was burned down in the Second World War
0:19:10 > 0:19:15and so was completely rebuilt in the late 1940s to 1950s with a very bright white feel
0:19:15 > 0:19:20which gives it a distinctive charm, I think, here at Melford, because it's always been this family home
0:19:20 > 0:19:23and had the input of all the people who have lived here.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26Well, home now and a big party place back in its day.
0:19:26 > 0:19:31I mean, I understand Sir William Cordell was almost bankrupt by Queen Elizabeth I's visit.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34- What was that like? - Yes, he would have had to spend a lot of money.
0:19:34 > 0:19:39Elizabeth came here in 1578 and she was met on the county border by about 2,000 people
0:19:39 > 0:19:43who escorted her here, but even then she wasn't impressed and had to send one of her courtiers back down to
0:19:43 > 0:19:48London to get some more gold and silver to try and impress the French ambassador who was coming over.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51I understand we've got a little bit of a memento from when
0:19:51 > 0:19:53Queen Elizabeth I was here that's been erected upstairs?
0:19:53 > 0:19:57If you'd like to head up the stairs, we'll take a look at it.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00Since the late 18th century, this has been the home of the Hyde Parker family,
0:20:00 > 0:20:07whose commemoration to their famous royal visitor is in keeping with the family's own history.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09A-ha, so this is it.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13This is the stained glass window of Queen Elizabeth and it probably only dates
0:20:13 > 0:20:18to about 1800 and would have been put in by the Hyde Parker family shortly after they came here.
0:20:18 > 0:20:24And they had lots of naval connections and so it's interesting that the image used is of the dress
0:20:24 > 0:20:30worn when she celebrated the defeat of the Armada back in 1588, so it's tying into that naval heritage.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33It's certainly very flattering and it shows off her jewels very well!
0:20:33 > 0:20:36Yes, her courtiers wouldn't have to run to London!
0:20:36 > 0:20:40More recently, Beatrix Potter made frequent family visits here, being
0:20:40 > 0:20:44the cousin to the grandmother of Sir Richard, the present 12th baronet.
0:20:44 > 0:20:49Her paintings give a personal glimpse into life here, but she didn't come alone.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52The interesting thing about this room is the little turret
0:20:52 > 0:20:57because she always travelled with a little menagerie of animals and so there'd be cages with
0:20:57 > 0:21:02perhaps a porcupine or a rabbit and she used to sketch them, so when she stayed, that was their bedroom.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04The story is that it was just amazement.
0:21:04 > 0:21:09You imagine as a youngster with this woman coming to stay with cages of animals.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11I mean, they just waited to see what would come next.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14And not many people would have known her connections to Suffolk.
0:21:14 > 0:21:15You always think of her in the Lake District.
0:21:15 > 0:21:20Well, that's where she lived and she was very much involved with the conservation of the Lake District
0:21:20 > 0:21:25as a place of natural beauty, but the family connection here is a bit of an unknown story.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27And a wonderful story, too.
0:21:27 > 0:21:34Well, this is a real architectural gem of a building, woven into Suffolk's own history.
0:21:36 > 0:21:42As the sun sets over the Suffolk countryside, day one of our property search comes to an end.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51Robin and Frances want to leave Southend in Essex, where they've lived for 25 years,
0:21:51 > 0:21:55and settle down to a quiet life in Suffolk.
0:21:55 > 0:22:01Armed with a £450,000 budget, they'd like a three-bedroom home with a large kitchen/diner,
0:22:01 > 0:22:05a study and painting studio all within commuting distance to London.
0:22:05 > 0:22:11So far they've seen one property, but coming up - it's out with the new and in with the old.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15This is completely different and it's something I think I need in my life now.
0:22:15 > 0:22:21And there's our mystery house, but can they see the wood for the trees?
0:22:21 > 0:22:26The sun's come out today and I'm certainly hoping for brighter prospects with our property search.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30Over the years, Robin and Frances have tended to go for more modern properties because
0:22:30 > 0:22:34they liked that sense of space, but now they're making a radical move
0:22:34 > 0:22:37in their lifestyle and they are moving to the countryside after all,
0:22:37 > 0:22:43so what I want to show them today is a more traditional property and let's see if that takes their fancy.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49We're heading to Capel St Mary next,
0:22:49 > 0:22:51only eight miles from Ipswich
0:22:51 > 0:22:54for Robin's hour-and-a-quarter train commute to London.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58As well as plenty of Suffolk pink properties, the village gives our couple
0:22:58 > 0:23:01a handful of local shops on their doorstep.
0:23:01 > 0:23:07Our next house would also set them at the heart of village life and comes with its own splash of pink.
0:23:07 > 0:23:12This is the property, a bit more of a traditional English country cottage.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15- It's nice.- Impressive. - I like it.- It's a Suffolk pink.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17- Yes.- Yes.- Unusual, isn't it?
0:23:17 > 0:23:19First impressions, very nice.
0:23:19 > 0:23:24The property itself used to be one cottage and that's the original part, the Suffolk pink,
0:23:24 > 0:23:27and it's been extended over the years so you've got more space than you would have had.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29- OK.- It's definitely got character.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31- Sounds like it.- And it's in a great village.- Sounds like it.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34- Let's have a look inside. - Yeah, looking forward to it.
0:23:34 > 0:23:40Well, they seem revved up to see the inside of this property, so let's dive in and take a look.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46Right, in we come through the timber-framed door.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48You've got a small hallway, but here you really start to see
0:23:48 > 0:23:53the character of the property, that exposed brickwork here, lovely archway door.
0:23:53 > 0:23:59- Yeah.- Very nice. I like that. - Very different.- Different? - Very different to what I expected.
0:23:59 > 0:24:00Something completely different.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02Let me give you the lay of the land.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05Just to your left there you've got a small downstairs cloakroom.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08This way in the old part of the cottage you've got the kitchen,
0:24:08 > 0:24:12which we'll come back to, but we're going to start through the archway.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15- OK, after me.- We'll follow you.
0:24:15 > 0:24:19Now through here, again, although this is the extension, I mean you've still got
0:24:19 > 0:24:26exposed timbers, exposed brickwork, a lovely dining area, doors leading to the outside, but come up here.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32And from back here you can see the lovely quirks of this property.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35You've got the great brickwork fireplace there.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38Double French doors leading out into the garden
0:24:38 > 0:24:41and then you've got this L-shaped turning into the dining area.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45- I like the L shape, yes. - Do you like that?- I do, definitely. - We've always liked the L shape.
0:24:45 > 0:24:50They are used to new builds, but they seem quite taken with the idea of a character property.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53Let's hope the kitchen fires up Frances.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56And so, more features in the kitchen.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58- You've got this lovely brickwork here.- Oh, yeah.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02You've got the exposed beams and we are in the original cottage.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04- Oh, OK.- So some more of those features.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08- The current owner has added in the extra worktops and created the space.- It's lovely.
0:25:08 > 0:25:14It's a nice kitchen, but personally I'd like something bigger.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16Well, it does go down this way.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18- As I see.- So there's room for a sofa.- That's lovely area.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20- A dining table. - Yeah. I didn't look right!
0:25:20 > 0:25:23- Back there there's the little office.- A nice idea actually, the two features.
0:25:23 > 0:25:24- Yes, I... Yes. - The kitchen with that.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28- It just takes a little bit of time to adapt. It's nice, isn't it?- Very nice.
0:25:28 > 0:25:33Well, I'm glad you're liking it and I think you're going to like what's through here even more.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36Come this way.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38So, it actually is a very big space.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42- It's spacious. Very spacious. - I like this room particularly, yes.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44- Ah, conservatory.- Yes.- Yes, that's one of my favourite rooms.
0:25:44 > 0:25:49I've got a lot of bougainvilleas and I need somewhere to put them.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52- Shall we have a look at the conservatory? Come on.- Please.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56So, have a look at what could be your space, just for you.
0:25:56 > 0:26:01- Yes.- I was thinking this would be wonderful for your artwork. - Yeah.- Lots of light.- Absolutely.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03Features for you to paint.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07Yes, yes. Or even outside, it's a lovely little area there, too.
0:26:07 > 0:26:08It all lends itself, doesn't it?
0:26:08 > 0:26:12So we've found a place for you to settle and I can see you're having a good look
0:26:12 > 0:26:16at the garden, but first, of all I want to show you upstairs.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19Ordinarily I think you lose space when you go upstairs in a cottage,
0:26:19 > 0:26:26- but here you do get four bedrooms and a family bathroom. - You've done it again!- Good.
0:26:26 > 0:26:32This is a spacious character cottage and Frances seems seduced by its charm.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34Fingers crossed that the four bedrooms upstairs
0:26:34 > 0:26:38could also work their magic, starting with their room.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43So this is the master bedroom.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45- Ah.- Ah! I like the window, yes.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49- I think it's got a holy feel. - That's it.- Especially with the light streaming through there.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52- Yes.- You've got that theme throughout, haven't you?
0:26:52 > 0:26:54- You have. That chapel feeling. - Yes, that's what I like.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56There's some built-in storage. His and hers.
0:26:56 > 0:27:01- Although hers and hers! - He can have some area.- I think you've got it right already.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04- There's some cupboards over there. - Oh, right. That's Robin's!
0:27:04 > 0:27:07- And the recesses there. - Lots of daylight.- And an en suite.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11- Very nice.- Which again you wouldn't see, would you, when you walked in?
0:27:11 > 0:27:13I'm just amazed, really.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15- Amazed!- Yes.- Taking it all in.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19- Yes, it takes time, actually, to take it all in.- It's so different.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23The other bedrooms include a lovely light double and a single,
0:27:23 > 0:27:25so ample room for when their children stay over.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29There's also an L-shaped family bathroom with bath and shower.
0:27:29 > 0:27:34At the end of the landing is the fourth bedroom, which we'll take a peek at.
0:27:34 > 0:27:38- This is another example of a good-sized double bedroom.- Yes.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40Oh, yeah. Again, spacious, isn't it?
0:27:40 > 0:27:42- It is, I mean, you've got built-in wardrobes in here.- Exactly.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45- Which are quite deep, and lots of light.- Lots of light.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48- Yes.- Actually, looking at the skylight and looking at the sky today,
0:27:48 > 0:27:50I was thinking it might be another place you can sit and paint.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53Yes, it's certainly light enough.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55- Yes.- There's enough options. I like it.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59- Good. Let's go out to the garden, have a look and then you can tell me what you think.- Right.
0:27:59 > 0:28:05And Frances should be pleased with the garden, which is south-westerly facing and amounts to
0:28:05 > 0:28:11one-fifth of an acre, with space for evening drinks on the patio.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14Now with all that to consider, let's see if our couple are on the money.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16Right, from back here...
0:28:16 > 0:28:19you can get a good look at the house,
0:28:19 > 0:28:23your garden and the question of course is how much do you think
0:28:23 > 0:28:27you'd have to pay for a wonderful cottage like this in Suffolk?
0:28:27 > 0:28:29I'm going to start with you, Frances.
0:28:29 > 0:28:34I think it probably is around the 445 area.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38I still feel there's quite a bit of work to be done.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41I don't know that we could afford that with the work that we would like to do to it.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43I would have thought it was worth probably more.
0:28:43 > 0:28:45I would have personally said around 465.
0:28:45 > 0:28:47- 465.- That budget.
0:28:47 > 0:28:53Well, how about this? This property came on the market four weeks ago at £410,000.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56- Oh, dear!- That's good. That's very good, isn't it?
0:28:56 > 0:29:02Now, that is a big surprise, big surprise, looking at all it's giving as a property.
0:29:02 > 0:29:04And leaving you money left over.
0:29:04 > 0:29:06Definitely. No, that's...
0:29:06 > 0:29:10- You're reeling from that, aren't you? I can see. So... - It seems more appealing.
0:29:10 > 0:29:12Head back in, you start measuring up for the changes you want to make,
0:29:12 > 0:29:15you get your calculator out and I will see you a little bit later on.
0:29:15 > 0:29:17Thank you.
0:29:17 > 0:29:22Fantastic! This is the thing I love about this show. That's a house they would never have looked at,
0:29:22 > 0:29:26but it comes in under budget and it gives them everything they look for.
0:29:26 > 0:29:30Traditional, yes, but something I think that could be for them.
0:29:30 > 0:29:37Under budget at £410,000, this charming property leaves a £40, 000 pot to make it perfect for them,
0:29:37 > 0:29:40and includes:
0:29:51 > 0:29:54- You'd be able to sit here all afternoon, wouldn't you?- Definitely.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57And of course, the great feature of the house is you're not overlooked.
0:29:57 > 0:29:59- No.- Nowhere. - Privacy. And I like the front.
0:29:59 > 0:30:03I suppose the actual ultimate question is do you see yourself living here or not?
0:30:03 > 0:30:07I think for all the change, which would be for me quite considerable,
0:30:07 > 0:30:08I think personally I could.
0:30:08 > 0:30:13I thought this house was so intriguing and I really like it,
0:30:13 > 0:30:17but I mean I've always been used to modern properties, but this is
0:30:17 > 0:30:21something completely different and it's something that I think I need in my life now.
0:30:21 > 0:30:23Robin, Frances? Are you still in there?
0:30:23 > 0:30:25- We are.- Yeah, yeah. - I thought you were settling in.
0:30:25 > 0:30:29- We are.- Well, don't just yet because the journey isn't over.
0:30:29 > 0:30:31We've got a little bit more to do.
0:30:35 > 0:30:42Robin and Frances haven't moved for 25 years and although they say they want something completely different,
0:30:42 > 0:30:45I'm not convinced they're ready for such a radical move.
0:30:45 > 0:30:50So, for the mystery house we're going for big, modern and central.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55Our mystery house takes us intriguingly
0:30:55 > 0:30:58to the outskirts of Ipswich,
0:30:58 > 0:31:01whose street architecture is a real journey through time
0:31:01 > 0:31:05with beautifully preserved mediaeval streets, ornate Victorian civic buildings
0:31:05 > 0:31:10dominating its market square, and the newly developed waterfront sitting by the River Orwell.
0:31:10 > 0:31:14We're heading just south of the town through private gates
0:31:14 > 0:31:17to where our mystery house, set in woodland, awaits.
0:31:17 > 0:31:24So, this could be your countryside palace in the middle of the town.
0:31:24 > 0:31:29It's the mystery property and we know you said you wanted to get away from it all
0:31:29 > 0:31:32and find a quiet place to settle down, something very different,
0:31:32 > 0:31:35- but you've also always lived in modern buildings.- Yes.
0:31:35 > 0:31:39- And you have a fairly long commute to do.- That is true.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42You want security and to be in the heart of a community.
0:31:42 > 0:31:46Ta da! Ipswich!
0:31:46 > 0:31:49- The train station is over there, within walking distance.- Yeah.
0:31:49 > 0:31:54This is a gated community, only five other properties, very close knit,
0:31:54 > 0:31:58and the building is fairly new, but with some character.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01- It's quite a size, too. - It's countryside in Ipswich.- Yes.
0:32:01 > 0:32:02That is different.
0:32:02 > 0:32:05It's completely different to what I was looking for, but
0:32:05 > 0:32:07- give it a whirl!- Give it a whirl.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10Open minded. That's what a mystery house is all about.
0:32:10 > 0:32:11- You're not sure what's coming. - You're not.
0:32:11 > 0:32:16It's completely different to what you were looking for, but who knows once we get inside?
0:32:16 > 0:32:18Let's go and have a look.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21Robin has definitely grasped what the mystery house is all about
0:32:21 > 0:32:25and actually the woodland with the train station nearby
0:32:25 > 0:32:27could give them the best of both worlds.
0:32:29 > 0:32:31Here we go.
0:32:31 > 0:32:33So, come on in.
0:32:33 > 0:32:38It is a modern house with a nice hallway, lots of doors leading off.
0:32:38 > 0:32:41You've got lovely symmetry and some quite big rooms and high ceilings.
0:32:41 > 0:32:45- Interesting.- A hallway is always a nice thing to come into like this.
0:32:45 > 0:32:46It's spacious.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49OK, well, let's start with this room over here and see what we think.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52Nice big lounge.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55Yes. I like the bay particularly.
0:32:55 > 0:32:59- Yeah, bay windows.- And the windows. And size is...
0:32:59 > 0:33:00Yes, it's more than adequate.
0:33:00 > 0:33:04More than reasonable. I like the modern look about it, again.
0:33:04 > 0:33:06- It does, yes.- That I do like.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09Good. Right, so things are picking up.
0:33:09 > 0:33:13Let's have a look over the other side and look at the other rooms.
0:33:13 > 0:33:16At the front of the house on the other side is a large study
0:33:16 > 0:33:20with a lovely feature bay window which will be ideal for Robin.
0:33:20 > 0:33:27Next door there's a handy cloakroom, but I'm hoping Frances will be hooked by what's coming next.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30Come through to the kitchen.
0:33:31 > 0:33:33It's modern.
0:33:33 > 0:33:35Yes. Very nice, actually.
0:33:35 > 0:33:38- It's quite nice looking out on to the garden.- Yeah, yeah.
0:33:38 > 0:33:42- It's a good size. - It's too dark for me.- I had a feeling you were going to say that.
0:33:42 > 0:33:44- Not a lot of daylight. - Not enough light.
0:33:44 > 0:33:49- Nowhere near enough. - Taking away the issue of light, what do you think about the space?
0:33:49 > 0:33:50- Yeah, it's a nice size.- Very nice.
0:33:50 > 0:33:55They've got a little table, you could put something bigger, or a round table.
0:33:55 > 0:33:57Or you could come this way.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01- There's more.- And do this.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04Oh, that's better. Much better.
0:34:04 > 0:34:06Yes, I prefer that.
0:34:06 > 0:34:08It opens it up, doesn't it?
0:34:08 > 0:34:10- It does. It lets in more light. - Very much.
0:34:10 > 0:34:15The only thing is it doesn't feel to me like a kitchen, you know?
0:34:15 > 0:34:20- That's a dining area, isn't it? - I know, but it doesn't feel like the same room for me.
0:34:20 > 0:34:23You could move things around and try and make it your own
0:34:23 > 0:34:26because you've got the capability here to do that.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29- That's right.- Absolutely. - Oh, it's certainly vast enough.
0:34:29 > 0:34:31I'm not sure where I'd start, that's the problem!
0:34:31 > 0:34:35It's the challenge! While you think about that, let's head upstairs.
0:34:35 > 0:34:38'Robin's going with the flow with our mystery house,
0:34:38 > 0:34:42'but Frances seems uneasy at being taken out of her comfort zone.
0:34:42 > 0:34:44'We'll head upstairs and see if she warms to it.'
0:34:44 > 0:34:50With this house you get four bedrooms, all a good size, and a good sized family bathroom.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53So, we've got one fairly big double here,
0:34:53 > 0:34:55another one there, and this is the bathroom,
0:34:55 > 0:34:57but I thought we could start over here.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06- I know what you're going to say, it's pink!- It's pink, yes.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09It is clearly a little girl's room.
0:35:09 > 0:35:13- Absolutely.- But, that aside, I mean, what do you think of it as a room?
0:35:13 > 0:35:16It feels like you're in a turret, with the shape.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19It's having the bay windows again, isn't it? Which is a nice finish.
0:35:19 > 0:35:25It actually is a space with blank walls, you get quite a bit of light, you're elevated.
0:35:25 > 0:35:29That's what I like. As you say, as a fourth bedroom it's spacious.
0:35:29 > 0:35:32- It doesn't have to be a bedroom. - Yeah.- Exactly right.
0:35:32 > 0:35:34- I think it could be a lovely workspace.- Very much.
0:35:34 > 0:35:38It's a flexible room, you can do as you wish, including taking away the pink.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41- Yes.- Although I think you secretly like it.- You do?
0:35:41 > 0:35:44Let's have a look at the master. Come on.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50How about this for a master suite?
0:35:51 > 0:35:55- It's big.- As actual rooms go, main bedrooms, this is huge.
0:35:55 > 0:35:59I agree, it's huge. Got a big bed here, lots of storage either side,
0:35:59 > 0:36:02plenty of wardrobe space, maybe even a little bit for you!
0:36:02 > 0:36:06- Yeah, I might find some.- You might find some space for your shirts.
0:36:06 > 0:36:08In a room like this there's a fighting chance!
0:36:08 > 0:36:12- And the wonderful bay windows. - The bay is lovely.- Yeah, that opens up all the rooms.
0:36:12 > 0:36:16- And over here we've got a very impressive en suite.- As well.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21- So, you get a big en suite with this bedroom, as well.- Yes.
0:36:21 > 0:36:24- Oh, yeah. - And the bath and a stand up shower!
0:36:24 > 0:36:27Jeez, a bath as well? Yes. It's even bigger, isn't it, en suite.
0:36:27 > 0:36:30You wouldn't normally expect a bath and a shower.
0:36:30 > 0:36:34And all this extra space, lovely window looking out on to the garden.
0:36:34 > 0:36:39- Yes.- And that is where I think we should head now because there is a bit of a surprise with this house.
0:36:39 > 0:36:41- Sounds good.- Follow me.
0:36:41 > 0:36:46'Our mystery house has a fabulously spacious interior
0:36:46 > 0:36:48'which Frances and Robin could adapt very easily,
0:36:48 > 0:36:51'but I don't think Frances can quite visualise it.
0:36:51 > 0:36:55'Perhaps she'll get excited when she sees the garden.'
0:36:58 > 0:37:02Now, back here is the garden space
0:37:02 > 0:37:05and one of the things you have definitely asked for is land.
0:37:05 > 0:37:10This garden doesn't just extend to this area, it goes way back there
0:37:10 > 0:37:14- and you get just under an acre of land.- Good grief, really?
0:37:14 > 0:37:18'This mystery house really gives a feeling of being in the country,
0:37:18 > 0:37:22'especially with that tiered wooded garden, yet all the attractions
0:37:22 > 0:37:26'of Ipswich are just a walk away, but can they guess the price?'
0:37:26 > 0:37:28- We'll start with you, Robin. - Start with me.
0:37:28 > 0:37:32I think I'd put it top side of the budget. For me, 470.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34It's a nice property.
0:37:34 > 0:37:38I would say 469,95.
0:37:38 > 0:37:39That's very precise.
0:37:39 > 0:37:41I don't know why, but that's the figure I think.
0:37:41 > 0:37:47You are absolutely right. This is on at £470,000. You were £5 out.
0:37:47 > 0:37:48That's pretty good going.
0:37:48 > 0:37:52- Not bad.- All of £5! Not bad, was it? - Almost spot on.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55It's over budget, but it brings you very close,
0:37:55 > 0:37:59a hop and a skip away from the train station, so it cuts your commute,
0:37:59 > 0:38:02you're close to the shops, yet you get all of this land.
0:38:02 > 0:38:08Our mystery house is over budget at £470,000, but it's huge,
0:38:08 > 0:38:12there's no work to do and it has some great selling points.
0:38:12 > 0:38:16With three versatile reception rooms, a spacious dining kitchen,
0:38:16 > 0:38:19four double bedrooms with a large master en suite,
0:38:19 > 0:38:22nearly an acre of land and it's just a walk
0:38:22 > 0:38:25to the train station for Robin's commute to London.
0:38:25 > 0:38:28I must confess, I didn't expect to find this up here.
0:38:28 > 0:38:30- Just not at all. - Not quite the land I expected.
0:38:30 > 0:38:35The house itself is very spacious, it's very well decorated.
0:38:35 > 0:38:37It's very nice, and probably 20 or 25 years ago
0:38:37 > 0:38:41it would have suited us down to the ground, but not now.
0:38:41 > 0:38:43Look, there's the train! You can even see it from here.
0:38:43 > 0:38:47- Ideal.- And this is your front... Ideal? Not for me, it's not.
0:38:47 > 0:38:50- I'd be down there on the train in five minutes.- You'd still miss it!
0:38:50 > 0:38:54Having seen this property within the type of environment it's in
0:38:54 > 0:38:58close to a town, I suppose it just crystallises what we
0:38:58 > 0:39:01really are looking for, and that's pretty much more the rural...
0:39:01 > 0:39:04country type of environment for us, really.
0:39:04 > 0:39:07I wonder if it's grown on them any?
0:39:07 > 0:39:09Hello? Are you still here?
0:39:09 > 0:39:12- Yes.- Come on, you've seen all of the houses that we have to show you now.
0:39:12 > 0:39:17- It's been a journey, but I'll find you somewhere to sit down and mull it all over.- OK.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28We've shown Robin and Frances a real assortment of Suffolk properties,
0:39:28 > 0:39:31so now they need to think through their options.
0:39:36 > 0:39:42Well, Frances and Robin certainly had a very strong reaction to our modern urban village mystery house,
0:39:42 > 0:39:48but has it pushed them closer to a more traditional house or are they still in love with the new build?
0:39:48 > 0:39:49Let's find out.
0:39:51 > 0:39:5525 years in the same house, children have all grown up,
0:39:55 > 0:39:58and now it's time to really concentrate on your own lives.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01Both the homes that you've lived in over the years have been new builds,
0:40:01 > 0:40:04so we took you to a new build. What did you think of that?
0:40:04 > 0:40:07I fell in love with it from walking through the door.
0:40:07 > 0:40:09- You just got that feeling? - Yeah.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12- It was spacious, light, which is what you wanted.- Absolutely.
0:40:12 > 0:40:17- It had all the light in the world. - And a nice sized plot that went right round the house.
0:40:17 > 0:40:19- Yeah, all the way round. - Even room for chickens.
0:40:19 > 0:40:23And then we saw something very traditional, the Suffolk pink.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26This was very different to anything you've lived in before.
0:40:26 > 0:40:30- How did you feel about it?- First impressions I wasn't sure at all,
0:40:30 > 0:40:34and as we walked into the property I was just intrigued all the time.
0:40:34 > 0:40:37You wanted to keep walking into different rooms because
0:40:37 > 0:40:43it was so different and so promising, and I really, really liked it.
0:40:43 > 0:40:45- Immense amount of character. - Oh, tremendous.
0:40:45 > 0:40:49The nooks and crannies. It had that type of vestry look about it when you walked in.
0:40:49 > 0:40:53Finally, we took you to our mystery house, as ever designed
0:40:53 > 0:40:56to throw a curve ball into the situation, shake you up a bit.
0:40:56 > 0:40:58- It did that.- I think it did that.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01It did. It certainly did that. The property was lovely,
0:41:01 > 0:41:03but it was really for somebody...
0:41:03 > 0:41:07A family, a young family and it wasn't for us.
0:41:07 > 0:41:11- Just for us it's probably the wrong stage in our life.- Definitely.
0:41:11 > 0:41:12Had we been 20 years back.
0:41:12 > 0:41:19Because the extra land that you had was fantastic for children, but not for us, really.
0:41:19 > 0:41:23Well, I've got to ask, of all the range of properties that we showed you
0:41:23 > 0:41:27with those great prices, is there anything that's close to the mark?
0:41:27 > 0:41:29- Two of them definitely. - In this case, two.
0:41:29 > 0:41:33- That's a result!- The dilemma is I think we've got one of each!
0:41:33 > 0:41:34Well, put us out of our misery.
0:41:34 > 0:41:36I think we know, but tell me which two.
0:41:36 > 0:41:40In my case it's probably the new build without question,
0:41:40 > 0:41:43and Frances' case the Suffolk pink cottage.
0:41:43 > 0:41:45So we've got a slight dilemma there.
0:41:45 > 0:41:49We've both got a preference, but we both like each property.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52- We're pretty much in accord, aren't we, with our views?- I think so.
0:41:52 > 0:41:56And it's just a question of going back tomorrow
0:41:56 > 0:42:00- and having a good look at both and reassessing everything.- I think so.
0:42:00 > 0:42:02Well, all things being equal,
0:42:02 > 0:42:05if you find out the journey from the new build's not too bad
0:42:05 > 0:42:08and there's not too much work to do at the Suffolk pink,
0:42:08 > 0:42:10which one would you go for?
0:42:10 > 0:42:13We liked the village, didn't we, particularly?
0:42:13 > 0:42:17- Particularly the village. - Which village?- Capel St Mary.- Right.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19Therefore the pink cottage.
0:42:19 > 0:42:22- That would be a radical change for the two of you. - It would be such a change.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25Is that what you've been looking for on this journey?
0:42:25 > 0:42:27Yes, definitely.
0:42:27 > 0:42:32You don't actually realise just how much of a change you need until you see the...
0:42:32 > 0:42:35- You set yourself off on that journey, as you put it.- Yeah.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37- Let us know how you get on. - Yes, thank you.
0:42:37 > 0:42:39I hope it's not long before you escape to the country!
0:42:39 > 0:42:42- I hope so, too.- Thanks ever so much. Much appreciated.
0:42:42 > 0:42:44It's been a fabulous experience.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47- Yeah. Very much enjoyed it. - We've enjoyed it very much.- Great.
0:42:50 > 0:42:55Frances and Robin have reached that moment in life where they really want to shake things up,
0:42:55 > 0:42:58but that does mean that they need to get out of the comfort zone
0:42:58 > 0:43:01and I think Robin is still very tied to a new build,
0:43:01 > 0:43:06but Frances is ready to take the leap and move to a more traditional home.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09Who's going to win? Well, my money is on Frances.
0:43:09 > 0:43:12I'll see you next time on Escape To The Country.
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