Essex Escape to the Country


Essex

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Transcript


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I do love a good castle and this is one of the best.

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It's the largest surviving Norman keep in England

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and it comes with some pretty impressive vital statistics.

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That tower is 110 ft high.

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And it's said that the walls are 12ft thick,

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which goes some way to explaining why it has been here for the last 900 years or so.

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So join me as we lay siege to yet more gorgeous,

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rural properties on today's Escape To The Country.

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Today we have two London-based sisters looking for a country property

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to suit their sense of individuality and style.

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This is me!

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Quite excitable.

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Aaaaahhhh!

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Mwah! Ohhh! Jules!

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And when they see the mystery house, there's a moment of enlightenment.

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# Hallelujah! #

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Today we're in Essex, inside the great keep at Hedingham Castle.

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Home to the de Vere family for the last 550 years,

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over the centuries, they have had some pretty impressive house guests,

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amongst them Henry VII, Henry VIII and Elizabeth I.

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All of whom, it's thought, dined here in the banqueting hall,

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underneath this enormous arch,

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thought to be one of the biggest Norman arches in England.

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All 28ft of it.

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Situated north east of London and due south of neighbouring Suffolk,

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Essex offers up the best of both town and country.

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With excellent transport links into the city,

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West Essex is a popular base for commuters to set up home,

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while the north of the county is full of picturesque villages with beautiful countryside,

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which inspired some of the country's most prolific landscape painters.

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Meanwhile, more than 300 miles of coastline makes the most

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of some of the highest summer temperatures in the UK.

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In the heart of the county,

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Colchester was the capital of Roman Britain

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and still boasts remnants of the occupation.

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Many buildings, such as the Norman-built Colchester Castle, appropriated Roman bricks

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as there's very little natural stone in the area.

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Essex's rich history explains its 14,000 listed buildings,

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characterised by the medieval timber-framed houses scattered throughout the county.

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So, if value for money is what you're after, Essex could be a pretty good bet.

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There is plenty on the market. What are today's buyers after?

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Well, let's go and meet them.

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This is Morva her younger sister Doreen, who,

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after raising a family in her three-bedroomed terrace in South London,

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wants to swap the city for the country and has enrolled her big sister to help.

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Although Morva won't be moving,

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she knows better than anybody what makes her sibling tick.

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Doreen is a self-confessed dreamer with one big personality,

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so this move isn't just about a better quality of life.

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This is about fulfilling a lifelong ambition - and she wants it all.

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Which is where her sister comes in, to keep things in perspective.

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We are really a team because, of course, my imagination is huge,

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but my pocket is small.

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Although Doreen loves her current home,

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this move is about changing location.

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The area has never been ideal. It's just very, very busy.

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If there is a diversion, it goes down this road.

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So, it's goodbye to city traffic, and hello to Essex countryside.

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But what style of property is she after?

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New builds - no, that's not me.

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But Edwardian, Victorian... Oh, my God, churches.

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With the old features still there, intact.

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The steeple again. That's what we've talked about before.

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The smell of old wood.

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Doreen, don't get carried away!

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Before we lose Doreen to her impressive imagination,

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let's find out about the details.

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Detached property that has three to four bedrooms.

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That Gone With The Wind hallway, where the stairs go up like that.

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You're not going to get that!

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Huge kitchen, enough to put a settee, fireplaces.

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Love fireplaces in the living area.

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En suite is good, two is a bonus.

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I love windows that are very church-like. I don't like square.

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I'm not a square person. Don't give me nothing square!

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No, don't give me square. It must have some form of curves on it.

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Grounds. Grounds.

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Good-sized grounds. A great plot. Enough plot that I can manage anyway.

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Anything under my budget so that I'm able to change things to how I want them would be the ace card.

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It sounds like Doreen is expecting a country manor to me.

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Thank goodness we have Morva to calm things down.

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Doreen will be selling her house to fund the move,

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so what is the budget?

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The maximum budget that I have to spend is ?400,000.

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Well, I think I'm in for a bit of a treat here.

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Doreen is clearly good fun and is after a nice property

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with a few quirks and as much character as she's got.

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Squares are out, curves are in and modern?

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Well, that's a dirty word as far as Doreen is concerned.

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But she's also clearly a bit of a dreamer.

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?400,000 for a mansion in Essex with a Gone With The Wind staircase,

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that is going to be tricky.

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But fortunately, she's brought her sister along to keep her feet firmly on the ground.

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That is going to be quite a task.

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Doreen wants a rural home

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that also has good commuting links into London,

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so we'll be focusing our search between Braintree and Colchester.

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We'll be showing them three properties

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without telling them the prices until the end of the tours.

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The third, of course, is the mystery house,

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which may challenge Doreen's idea of a character country home

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and push the boundaries of her colourful imagination.

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Well, guys, it's lovely to see you here in Essex.

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How does it feel to be finally starting your house hunt, Doreen? Very, very exciting, Jules.

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Just remind us of the budget.

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Well, the budget I have is ?400,000.

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And how do you feel about her moving out of London?

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All your family are there, your extended family.

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You've got a huge family. You're going to be out on a limb.

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No, no, no, because as I said, it's only an hour

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and that is no distance because we are enormously close, so an hour is nothing.

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We've got three properties to show you, including, of course, the mystery house.

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Let's go and see what we can find you. OK, please, let's go.

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Follow me, follow me.

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With a budget of ?400,000, Doreen is after a detached character property.

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She'd like a kitchen that could accommodate a sofa,

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a spacious living room, and at least three bedrooms.

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Ideally, she'd also like outbuildings, a garage and land.

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All quite an ask for the budget. So this is going to be a tough one.

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Our first property lies in Sible Hedingham, a mile away

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from the attractive medieval village of Castle Hedingham.

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Developed around the Norman motte-and-bailey castle,

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Castle Hedingham also boasts an impressive 12th century Gothic church.

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The area is home to a wide selection of timber-framed houses that date back to the 1400s.

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Just 15 minutes from Braintree with good rail links back to London,

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our first property is ideally situated for commuting

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and also has loads of period charm.

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Let's start with this one. What do you reckon?

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Oh! It's very different.

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A lot of the properties here are listed. This is one of them.

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It's listed? Yep. It used to be the old bakery, years and years ago.

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It has been extended in the '70s

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but it has also been recently renovated.

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That's good. So, you've got something with loads of character and history.

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Jules. I just so want to go inside. Please, let's just get inside!

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Stop talking, Jules. Come on!

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Well, no messing about, then. Let's see what this old bakery can cook up for Doreen and Morva.

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Now then. Come on in. What do you reckon? I think it's lovely!

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This is definitely me, I've got to say.

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I just think that it's a bit small.

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Mm. I've got four boys who are 6ft 3in.

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Do you know what I'm saying?

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I'm thinking they will be walking like...

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They made 'em smaller in medieval England.

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Not a bad first impression

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but Doreen has to realise that a period property on her budget

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isn't going to have the dimensions of a stately manor.

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So, leading on, we've got this. This is quite sweet. Dining area for you.

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Yes, it's actually sweet.

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You see, Morva's worrying me because I know exactly what you're doing.

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You're saying small, small, small. It's a very cosy dining room.

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Nice multi-fuel burner there. Really, really cosy.

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This would be more like a study. As a study, would it be better?

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Yes it would be, I think so. No, it's a hallway.

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Excellent. Let's carry on and have a look at the kitchen.

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This is the kitchen, as you can see.

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Oh, it's sweet. You see, I'm worried straight away. This is gorgeous.

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I do like the feel of the kitchen. I could work in here.

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But it's not big enough at all.

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Well, let's have a look upstairs through the dining room, well, hallway, shall we say?

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Nice chimney breast there. That's coming up from downstairs.

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It's got such a good feel.

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Nice, isn't it? I do. I really like the feel of up here.

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Now, you know, I'm changing again. I'm thinking this works.

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This is a nice room. I do like that.

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OK, so you're happy in here? I'm happy in here.

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Let's find you a master bedroom.

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This is your room.

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I love this. I do.

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This is just the type of bedroom I love. It is nice.

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The rusticness of it is so me.

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The other two further bedrooms are set in the eaves

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with one currently being used as a library, and there's also a family bathroom.

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Outside there's a charming 100-foot garden for Doreen to make her own.

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Out you come.

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What do you think of the garden?

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It's a workable garden, I'll give you that, yeah. I think so, too.

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Yeah? You've got the patio behind us.

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Then over there, quite a well-established vegetable patch and so forth.

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Let's have a think about the price, shall we? Yeah.

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The price I'm thinking of is 389,950.

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389,950, yeah, OK.

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I think ?350,000. ?350,000? Is that what you're trying to say?

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Actually, yeah, that's what I'm trying to say. ?350,000.

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Well, the good news is that you're both wrong.

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This could be yours for 335.

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Jules, that is actually very good.

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Ah now, look at you change your tune, Doreen!

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That's a decent price, isn't it? It's a very good price.

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It's a very good price.

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You have got my feel. That's definitely got me written on it.

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Under budget at ?335,000, this property has four bedrooms,

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a practical, modern kitchen

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and the living areas offer a host of period features.

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There's a good-sized garden to the rear

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but will the dimensions of the property

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satisfy Doreen's high expectations?

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Let's go and find you... something else. Yeah.

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Over the last century, Essex has lost 59 historic houses.

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Including Marks Hall, in Coggeshall, which was demolished in 1951,

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after falling into disrepair.

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This once magnificent mansion was part of an estate

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that covered more than 2,000 acres

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and although the house no longer stands, a charitable trust was established in 1971

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to breathe new life into the grounds.

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I went to meet head curator Jonathan Dukes

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to find out about the impressive arboretum that's been developed.

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How many acres does it cover? The area here we've got as a garden arboretum

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is about 200 acres.

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The estate is now home to a stunning collection of trees and plants

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from around the world, including many rare and endangered species.

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I have to say, it's absolutely lovely.

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In terms of the planting we've got here, is this typical?

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The way we decided to form our collection here was geographically.

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This is pretty much Asia. A lot of these are Chinese, Japanese species in here.

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So, plants like to grow with their friends, so we group them like that.

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I love that!

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So, after a stroll through Europe, past one of the last

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of 700-year-old oaks left in the park,

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it's time to experience something even older.

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This looks very prehistoric. What is this?

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This is the Wollemi pine.

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This was found, astonishingly,

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growing in Australia in the early '90s.

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So it was lost to us completely?

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This is what tree collections are all about.

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A rare plant in an endangered environment,

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propagated and moved all over the world, so it's safe in collections.

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It's a terrific testament to your 25 years here, Jonathan.

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You've rescued this estate from certain destruction.

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So, whilst the house may have disappeared from Marks Hall,

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thanks to Jonathan and the rest of the team here, they've gained an important arboretum

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and saved the estate from being swept away into the mists of time.

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It's time we returned to the house-hunt.

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Our second property lies near the village of Panfield.

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Mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086,

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the village is also home to a charming 15th century church.

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If Doreen wants to get to know the locals, there's an inviting pub

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and it's also just ten minutes from Braintree for those all-important rail links.

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Jules, where are you taking us?

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Well, it's not the normal approach to a property on Escape To The Country, is it?

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But it will all make sense in just a moment, look. Have a look at this.

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Now, what was that thing about chapels you said? I love chapels.

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There you go. Is that a chapel? It's a converted chapel.

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Late Victorian chapel. Described as an "Evangelical" chapel. Really?

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Just like me. Just like you!

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Jules, my heart is beating too fast. Yeah?

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Can we get inside, please? She wants to go in - we'd better do that!

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Well, it looks like this former Evangelical chapel is singing the right tune for Doreen so far.

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Right.

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Come on in here.

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Let's start with one of the two reception rooms you've got to play with.

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Oh, it's nice.

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I'm feeling a bit belly belly belly, because I'm liking it so much, I love it, yeah.

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It's just so me. Yeah, no, I love it. Is the floor...?

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That's all original. So light, yeah, I know, seriously, loving it.

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It does feel good, and I think this is Doreen. It's actually me as well.

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But you're not buying it! I know! Brilliant.

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Well, then, come and have a look at this kitchen. Yeah.

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I love this house. Come on in.

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Aaaargh!

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Come on in! Now then.

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It's nice. I love this house!

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Please, guys, I'm so grateful. I'm going to cry.

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Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry.

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Because I want you to take it all in.

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This was the old Sunday school bit of the chapel.

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It's got this old, you know, this feel about it, that is so me.

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It's so my family. It's got my cooker. I've got that cooker at home!

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In green. Really? It's a sign! It's a sign!

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So, the whole sofa thing? Yes. My spirit has moved in.

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I'm here already.

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Come with me. Come and have a look at the third room. Come on. In here.

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Right, now then, you've got this other second reception room.

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Oh, my God, do you know what I feel like? This is the honest truth.

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I feel like I've won the lottery. This is me! This! Is! Me!

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You may have to win the lottery to pay for it! Jules! Mwah!

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Oh, my God, Morva.

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There's always a first on this show, and that's a first!

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I love this house, just love it! It is nice. Oh, Jules.

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I am speechless, and that's very rare.

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She's not speechless at all - I can't shut you up!

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Hopefully, the bedrooms will continue to impress.

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Let's start in here.

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Come here, darling.

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Now, this is one of the three that's up here. Three bedrooms.

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Now, two of them are this size and there's a smaller box room next door. Right.

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OK, so this would be the guest room.

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This will be where I will be and I think it's a nice room.

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It's enough, yeah. I'm loving it. I'm loving it. Isn't that an advert?

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I am... Yeah!

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Well then, a thumbs-up from Morva and Doreen.

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Now for the master bedroom.

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And then this, Doreen, is for you, and to be honest with you, they're both very similar,

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although this one is next to the family bathroom, because there's no en suite. I see.

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It's workable.

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Well, it looks like we've got a deal, so will the garden seal it?

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Out you come. Look at this. Lovely, late evening sunshine.

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I'm home, I've said it. She's landed. I am home.

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Let's have a think about it. You've got ?400,000 to spend, Doreen.

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Yeah, but I think it's over budget.

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I think it's 400, 415. 415. Yeah?

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Morva? I think it might be just spot-on.

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Well, here's the thing.

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You're both sort of right and you both sort of wrong.

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It's offers in excess of ?400,000.

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But it's within your grasp.

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I'm happy.

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It's meant to be. It is meant to be. Enough said.

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For offers over ?400,000, it is potentially just over budget,

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but Doreen does seem completely taken with this place.

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There are three bedrooms, two reception rooms,

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and a garden with a lovely rural aspect.

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Not to mention that there's even room for that sofa in the kitchen.

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Quite a result.

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Come on, let's go.

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So, as the sun sinks over rural Essex,

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I'm pretty sure that both Doreen and Morva will be curious to see whether

0:19:120:19:16

the mystery house tomorrow can compete with our second property.

0:19:160:19:20

Well, it's our final day and it's mystery house time.

0:19:220:19:26

The mystery house, as often happens on this show,

0:19:260:19:28

has a lot to compete with after a successful day yesterday,

0:19:280:19:32

but can it be done, I wonder? I'm pretty sure it can, and who knows?

0:19:320:19:35

If I'm successful, I might get another kiss!

0:19:350:19:38

Just 20 minutes from rail links in Colchester,

0:19:400:19:43

our mystery house lies in the rural village of Layer Breton.

0:19:430:19:47

Surrounded by agricultural land,

0:19:470:19:48

the village itself offers a local pub, a convenience store

0:19:480:19:51

and a charming church with a timber tower.

0:19:510:19:55

Our final property is in a prime location overlooking open heathland.

0:19:550:20:00

OK. That is the mystery house.

0:20:000:20:06

Oh! Now then, Doreen, what do you reckon?

0:20:060:20:08

It is adorable. I'm loving it.

0:20:080:20:10

What we've got here is a Sunday school.

0:20:100:20:14

Ha-ha! Argh! # Hallelujah! #

0:20:140:20:19

Isn't it great?

0:20:190:20:21

I am so excited.

0:20:210:20:23

This is my dream. It is just... Morva, it's lovely!

0:20:230:20:26

It does look good from outside. Yeah? Yeah.

0:20:260:20:29

Let's have a look inside, follow me. I don't know if I can contain myself!

0:20:290:20:32

Now, to be honest, the Victorian facade is a little misleading

0:20:320:20:36

because, whilst Doreen does love period features,

0:20:360:20:39

our mystery house today has been gutted

0:20:390:20:41

and totally modernised inside, with not a beam in sight.

0:20:410:20:43

So, I can't wait to see what she makes of it.

0:20:430:20:47

Come on in, guys. There we are.

0:20:470:20:50

I think it's a lovely house. Isn't it? Yes. It's a lovely house.

0:20:500:20:54

Let's start in here with this reception room.

0:20:540:20:57

Yeah, it's lovely.

0:20:570:20:59

It's big enough.

0:20:590:21:00

I mean, this is workable. It's very clean, and, yeah, I am liking it.

0:21:000:21:04

OK.

0:21:040:21:06

On the other side of the hallway

0:21:060:21:07

there are two smaller reception rooms, both currently used

0:21:070:21:11

for office and study space. But let's cut to the chase

0:21:110:21:14

and get to Doreen's favourite part of the house.

0:21:140:21:17

Through here is the kitchen...

0:21:170:21:20

Doreen.

0:21:200:21:22

Oh, the kitchen's lovely.

0:21:230:21:26

I love the kitchen. This is a nice kitchen.

0:21:260:21:29

It's really, really welcoming. I am feeling it as well.

0:21:290:21:32

Are you? Yes.

0:21:320:21:34

Just off the kitchen is a utility room,

0:21:340:21:37

but there's also something here none of the other properties have.

0:21:370:21:41

OK, have a look in there. That's your dining room.

0:21:410:21:43

Oh, yeah, this is a lovely room.

0:21:450:21:47

Yeah? Yeah. Lovely room. I do like this room. That's true, it's a lovely colour.

0:21:470:21:51

It's very inviting, this room. I think it's lovely.

0:21:510:21:54

And if you like it down here,

0:21:540:21:55

I actually think it gets better upstairs.

0:21:550:21:58

Really? Which isn't the case with many houses.

0:21:580:22:01

Because up there, not only have we got four bedrooms,

0:22:010:22:03

we've also got you three bathrooms.

0:22:030:22:06

No! Yeah, come and have a look. Come and check this out.

0:22:060:22:09

This place really does get better and better.

0:22:110:22:14

If you ask me, it's a real competitor to the property yesterday that Doreen absolutely loved.

0:22:140:22:19

It's lovely. I love it. Love it, love it, love it.

0:22:190:22:22

The feeling here is, yeah. It's beautiful.

0:22:220:22:27

I am amazed that up here is like this. OK. So this could be you then?

0:22:270:22:32

Um, I haven't seen all the rooms yet!

0:22:320:22:35

Well, you can fight over the master bedroom because this is nice. Have a look at this.

0:22:350:22:40

Now then, Doreen, I think this is going to work...

0:22:400:22:43

Wow! Of course this is Doreen's room. ..in a way none of the others have, really.

0:22:430:22:48

I love this room.

0:22:480:22:50

I am seeing that dream, do you know what?

0:22:500:22:54

You see? You've got the views, you've got a really gorgeous en suite in there.

0:22:540:23:00

Well, go and get excited with what's through there. Off you go.

0:23:000:23:03

What's through there? Go and have a look.

0:23:030:23:06

Oh, my God! Ha-ha!

0:23:060:23:09

Oh, my God, a dressing room! I can't believe this!

0:23:120:23:15

I'm loving this! Come on, out you come. Oh, Jules, mwah!

0:23:150:23:21

I am in your bedroom after all, so it's all fair enough, isn't it?

0:23:230:23:27

The other two bedrooms are both a good size

0:23:270:23:29

and also benefit from skylights.

0:23:290:23:32

There's also a modern family bathroom and a shower room,

0:23:320:23:35

so the only thing left to view is the garden.

0:23:350:23:38

Right, guys, out you come.

0:23:380:23:40

Oh! Yeah. Now, it's very manageable, this.

0:23:420:23:46

But we have got the common opposite.

0:23:460:23:49

And that's the thing.

0:23:490:23:51

The location is perfect. This, to me, doesn't matter.

0:23:510:23:54

Because I've got - that! It just feels so right.

0:23:540:23:57

Well, let's see if the price is right.

0:23:570:23:59

Let's get Morva to guess our final price of the week.

0:23:590:24:04

450,000.

0:24:040:24:06

450,000, which would be way over the top,

0:24:060:24:10

and even if you could push it, to 425, but it's a lovely property.

0:24:100:24:14

That location there is what my dream is.

0:24:140:24:17

Because 425 is the figure that's attached to this house.

0:24:170:24:21

But... Yeah?

0:24:210:24:23

It's been reduced. This could be yours for ?390,000.

0:24:230:24:27

No! Jules!

0:24:270:24:30

Really? Yes, really. Oh, my God!

0:24:340:24:38

Yes, really. I love you!

0:24:380:24:40

It's been reduced? This has been quite a week, you know?

0:24:400:24:45

Yeah, ?390,000.

0:24:450:24:47

Fantastic. That's good.

0:24:470:24:49

Team hug. There we are. Brilliant.

0:24:490:24:51

So, for ?390,000, this Victorian detached house

0:24:520:24:57

offers plenty of character on the outside and, inside,

0:24:570:25:00

there's a large kitchen-diner and four good-sized bedrooms.

0:25:000:25:04

Although the garden is small,

0:25:040:25:05

the property's location opposite the heath has clearly impressed Doreen.

0:25:050:25:10

Well, guys, that was the mystery house. Beautiful house. Happy?

0:25:110:25:15

I am so happy. You love that one, don't you? I do, I do.

0:25:150:25:18

She's loved them all, in a way.

0:25:180:25:20

No, but I think that's the one she really... Look where we are.

0:25:200:25:24

What's not to love?

0:25:240:25:26

We're in the middle of nowhere! Come on.

0:25:260:25:29

It's now decision time for Morva.

0:25:340:25:36

And in particular, for Doreen. What does the future hold, I wonder?

0:25:360:25:40

Well, after the week we've had, it could be anything with these two.

0:25:400:25:44

It's been a huge amount of fun.

0:25:460:25:48

Let's remind ourselves of where we started.

0:25:480:25:52

That lovely, beamed 14th-century cottage in Sible Hedingham.

0:25:520:25:57

I wasn't over-loving the outside of the property, and then,

0:25:570:26:01

when I got inside, you had to keep ducking and that really wasn't practical.

0:26:010:26:07

That was the first thing that struck me, the beams were so low.

0:26:070:26:10

And the upstairs, oh, I loved the upstairs

0:26:100:26:14

but that wasn't practical for the same reason, but I loved it.

0:26:140:26:18

Well, it was with some nervousness that we then took you to our second property.

0:26:180:26:23

Oh, Jules. I just loved it. Straight away.

0:26:230:26:26

The kitchen is what I'm coming from, but just a little bit bigger.

0:26:260:26:30

And that dining room! Oh! It is just perfect.

0:26:300:26:35

But my dilemma came in when I went upstairs.

0:26:350:26:38

I didn't feel the same love upstairs.

0:26:380:26:41

Now then, the mystery house.

0:26:410:26:43

I always said, outside my house, I want to see the land.

0:26:430:26:47

I fell in love straight away because it felt so good.

0:26:470:26:50

When I went inside I felt like, hmm, yeah, it was all do-able and whatever.

0:26:500:26:56

But upstairs was awesome.

0:26:560:26:58

You couldn't even count the showers we had up there!

0:26:580:27:02

And then, to top it off, my own dressing room.

0:27:020:27:05

Your own dressing room. The price, ?390,000. And the price

0:27:050:27:09

was another thing, so the jigsaw puzzle just slotted in.

0:27:090:27:11

The price was a give-away price. It was meant to be. I'm very happy.

0:27:110:27:16

So, what happens next, then?

0:27:160:27:18

Well, now, obviously I've got to sell my house,

0:27:180:27:20

so it's a case of, whoever wants my house, come and buy it.

0:27:200:27:24

I don't think it will be hard to sell. No.

0:27:240:27:26

Thank you very much indeed. And best of luck selling yours,

0:27:260:27:30

and I hope to see you moving in there in the near future. You will.

0:27:300:27:33

Thank you so much, and thanks, everybody on the show. Pleasure. Thank you.

0:27:330:27:37

Well, there's no doubt about it.

0:27:410:27:43

Doreen's not the first person to come on this show

0:27:430:27:46

with an overly ambitious list of requirements,

0:27:460:27:49

but the good news is we've been able to simplify all that.

0:27:490:27:52

Armed with the good sense of her very sensible sister, Morva,

0:27:520:27:56

what we've got is something much more realistic.

0:27:560:27:59

Gone is the mansion, the stables, the sweeping Gone With The Wind staircase,

0:27:590:28:04

and in her words, "a nice house in a nice location".

0:28:040:28:07

And, as you can probably tell, we've had an awful lot of fun along the way.

0:28:070:28:11

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