Somerset Escape to the Country

This Elizabethan masterpiece was almost knocked down 80 years ago

and put up for sale as scrap.

Where am I? Find out in just a moment.

Today, we've got our work cut out for us,

as we help a couple up sticks from Australia and touch down in the West Country.

And we have a lot to squeeze in.

Four armchairs, three or four coffee tables.

-How much coffee do you drink?

-They're more like side tables.

But thankfully, our country homes rise to the occasion.

-Wow!

-Wow.

-Well, I'm going to say wow now.

So will this house hunt end happily ever after?

-It's ideal.

-That's what I want to hear.

-David, what's going through your mind?

-Don't worry about him.

This is Montacute House in Somerset.

Despite being nearly torn down in 1931,

it's now one of the best-preserved Elizabethan houses in England.

It was built at the end of the 16th century for Sir Edward Phelips,

a prominent lawyer who, in the trial of Guy Fawkes,

opened the case for the prosecution.

Now, I'm hoping to escape being hung, drawn and quartered here

but I do hope that this particular house hunt

does go off with a bang.

Somerset is definitely a rural cracker.

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

it's classic English countryside at its best.

A picture of apple orchards and endless fields,

it's an agricultural region, with some 3,000 farms

busily producing fresh food for the kitchen table

with two of its most famous products being scrumpy cider and Cheddar cheese.

If that's not enough to tickle your taste buds,

how about this for a roll call?

It boasts 20 historic market towns,

countless chocolate box villages

and a couple of the UK's most beautiful cities -

architecturally stunning Bath in north Somerset,

a World Heritage Site, no less,

and in the middle of the county, is the small but perfectly formed Wells.

With a wealth of character houses county-wide,

it's easy to see why so many people want to escape here.

Every year, around 20,000 people choose to relocate to Somerset,

the majority of which are from the southeast.

Many of these people are entrepreneurs looking to establish new businesses here

or existing companies relocating.

Somerset has the highest proportion of business start-ups

out of any rural county in the UK.

So bear that in mind

as we take a look at a selection of homes on the market at the moment.

This grade II listed 19th century mansion in Minehead

was built for a Scots businessman who relocated here.

Scottish baronial in style,

it's been renovated by the current vendors

and has four sumptuous reception rooms and six bedrooms.

Set in one and a half acres and overlooking the coast,

you could be king of this castle for £1.5 million.

If you like to mix traditional with modern,

this three-bedroom cottage could be for you.

Recently extended, cosy character rooms sit well

with expansive contemporary living spaces.

Set in three quarters of an acre,

you could be lounging around on the outskirts of Yeovil

for £625,000.

For real traditionalists,

how about this grade II listed 17th century thatched

near the Quantock Hills?

It's cosy-cottage living at its best,

with two reception rooms, a country kitchen

and three bedrooms.

This will set you back £365,000.

So there you are.

A selection of properties on the market here in Somerset.

And if that's whet your appetite for more,

wait till you see what we've got lined up for today's buyers.

Time to find out who they are.

Ex-pats David and Karen have lived in Western Australia

for 42 and 22 years respectively.

But when David retired recently and Karen was offered a plum job at a Bristol hospital,

they couldn't resist the call of Blighty's beautiful countryside.

Since arriving here a few months ago,

they've been renting an apartment in Bristol.

However, the Perth home they sold was a lot bigger.

We lived in the Hills area, we were on the escarpment.

Four bedrooms, lounge, library,

plus externally, we had a beautiful pool area,

ideal for casual entertaining and we had views.

To die for, absolutely to die for.

That's a lot to live up to,

so what are they expecting from a home here?

Open-plan living because that's what we've enjoyed.

Because I have an interest in carpentry,

I need to have some form of workshop,

so I definitely need a garage.

-I've got 49...

-Boxes of tools!

-..boxes of tools to come.

And tools aren't the only things heading their way.

In 6 to 8 weeks, a massive 40-foot container is arriving

with all of their worldly goods,

which sounds to me like a lot of belongings.

We have chaise longues,

a monks' dining room suite,

which is a very long dining room suite.

We have two chesterfield loungers.

We've got Italian glass coffee tables.

Big furniture will obviously mean big rooms

but what about the fine details?

We definitely want three bedrooms

because David would like to convert one into a study if that's possible.

We really want something that does have that character

and that flavour.

That barn conversion is a...

I think it's top of our list, in actual fact, without a doubt.

And how important is outside space?

We'd like to have something that's detached, that is rural,

and we'd like to have something with maybe a quarter or half an acre.

It's a sizeable wish list, so do they have the money to match?

They've sold up in Oz and are cash buyers

but how much do they want to spend?

£400,000.

But we could be persuaded to go up to five for the right property.

So how does property in Australia compare with property here in Somerset?

Well, the average price of a detached house in Perth is £308,000.

In Somerset, that price goes down to £273,000,

so in theory, prices compare quite favourably.

In practice, though, I think it might be slightly different.

Australia is a huge place and properties over there are a whole lot bigger.

As Karen will be working in Bristol,

she wants to be within a 40-minute commute,

so we're focusing the search in the north of the county,

in the countryside around the A37.

We've lined up some stunning Somerset homes to view

but I won't reveal their price tags until the end of the tours

and finally, there's a mystery house.

So will it be the dream country pile or a pile of rubble?

-Good morning.

-Good morning, Jonnie.

-Welcome to Somerset.

-Are you missing Australia?

-Yes, of course.

-Are you?

-Yes.

-There are things that we miss

but there's some exciting things occurring in the future here.

So you're committed purchasers with a very limited timescale.

-Yes, we are.

-The pressure is on today, then.

-If we find a house today, you'll put an offer in?

-We definitely are.

Yes. Without a doubt.

-How much money have we got to spend?

-Well, there's the logical area,

-which is 400.

-OK.

And then, of course, there's another opinion.

-Karen?

-£500,000.

Well, that's £100,000 difference. Are we going to be falling out?

No, I just want bang for my bucks, that's all.

The difference here, the UK property market has taken quite a dip

but that doesn't mean there's lots of bargains around for you guys.

There's not a dense population of £500,000 houses.

Also, people haven't put their properties onto the market in such numbers.

There's less to buy, therefore the demand has stayed fairly high,

so if we find the right house,

you won't be able to negotiate a rock bottom price.

Let's go to the first house and we'll go from there.

-That would be great.

-Great.

-Thank you.

-Sounds good. Thank you.

So for a top budget of £500,000,

Karen and David have their heart set on a detached barn conversion

or a very spacious character property.

They'd like large open spaces for all their furniture,

a minimum of three bedrooms

and whilst Karen is after a large kitchen will all the mod cons,

for David, it's the outside space that matters,

a quarter of an acre plus, and most important of all,

a garage for all of his power tools.

It's a wish list to keep us on our toes.

We're kicking off today's property search in Dean,

24 miles south of Bristol.

It's a very rural setting

but just a few miles away is the village of Stoke St Michael,

with a post office and shop and traditional 17th century pub.

However, there's no time for sampling local delights now,

as we need to check out our first house.

So, then, could this be your house in Somerset?

Possibly, yes. It looks very interesting from outside.

It's certainly what we'd associate with Somerset, for sure.

-Well, hopefully, this is one of the reasons you chose Somerset - traditional buildings.

-Absolutely.

-The views.

-Look at the hills.

-They're beautiful. Absolutely fantastic.

Let's look inside.

'This obviously isn't the big old barn conversion Karen and David seem to like

'but it's no eensy-weensy cottage, either.

'Built in 1850, it was renovated and extended in 2008

'and offers a good mix of character and mod cons

'with pretty spacious accommodation.

'But will it be enough for all their furniture?'

So through the hall, come right into the living room, here.

Now, then. What are you thinking?

Very quaint.

-Yeah?

-Very quaint.

-Get a couple of big sofas in here, couldn't you?

-I don't think so.

Not the size that ours are, no.

Two of them, then four armchairs,

three or four coffee tables.

How much coffee do you drink?

-Three or four...?

-They're more like side tables.

-We're not trying to move your entire container of furniture into one room, are we?

-No.

-As a living room, could this work for you?

-It's got potential.

-Yeah, nice feel about it.

-Nice feel. OK.

-It's quite impressive to start with.

-There's more accommodation to come.

-OK.

Now, the kitchen is a much more contemporary affair.

This is amazing.

Absolutely incredible.

Wow!

-It's lovely.

-It's brilliant.

-Fantastic.

-Very impressive. Open plan. And you wouldn't get that impression from that room.

-You wouldn't.

That's why I think this house gives you the best of both worlds, so far.

You've got this open plan feel but you also wanted this character,

something you couldn't get in Australia,

-and that's the mid-19th century living space.

-Yes.

-Sure.

Surprise, surprise.

-Impressive.

-Really nice.

OK, well, let's keep on the impressive tip,

because there's more accommodation through this way.

-Now, then.

-Good grief.

Wow.

-That's surprising.

-It is just lovely, isn't it?

-You wouldn't expect that, would you?

-Very nice. It's spacious.

It's got what we're looking for in terms of it's light, it's open plan.

And the size, it's very generous for a dining area, isn't it?

Through that door, you've got a utility

-with a downstairs loo and shower room.

-Oh!

So you've got a lot of accommodation down here.

-Time to go upstairs. OK?

-Excellent.

-Thank you.

'Perhaps these two need to consider ditching a chaise longue or two

'if they're going to fit in to a new home here

'but all in all, we're off to a good start

'and upstairs shouldn't disappoint, with five bedrooms in all.

'There are two double guest bedrooms and two single rooms,

'so plenty of options for office space,

'and there's a good-sized family bathroom.'

-So the master room.

-Oh, my goodness, it's beautiful.

-Absolutely beautiful.

-It's impressive.

This part of the property was the most recent addition

but because it's a new part of the building...

-You remember I told you there was a downstairs shower room?

-Yes.

That means there's plumbing this end of the building, so they've put this in.

I think this en suite is a pretty good size. Have a look.

It is for English standards. It's fantastic. Very good.

And it's got a shower cubicle, which is good.

-Sounds like we're ending on a high. Let's go outside.

-Definitely.

-Good.

The entire property sits on just under a quarter of an acre plot.

The garden does surround the house, though, so will that be enough?

So the garden here and then the house way back there.

You can see the different ages of the house now more prominently.

Yes. It has a lot of character.

Now, what you haven't seen is to the other side of the house, there's a small side garden

and, lo and behold, at last...

-A garage.

-The garage.

LAUGHTER

All right, we need to start talking about price.

How much do you think this home is on the market for,

in sterling, not Australian dollars?

I would think we'd have a price somewhere around 425, perhaps.

I would say 475.

-475. Well...

-Phoo!

You're either very lucky or very good, David.

It's on the market for, spot on, £425,000.

-Oh! That's brilliant, isn't it?

-Lottery.

-You're amazing.

Yes, we'll get a ticket.

It's a great opportunity for you guys to have a look around,

see where all this furniture is going to go, where it can squeeze into

-and we'll have a chat later on.

-OK.

-Sounds great. Thank you.

On the market for £425,000,

there's a lot more to this 19th century cottage than meets the eye.

It has the traditional, cosy character living room

but it has been extended to include a huge kitchen diner,

five bedrooms

and it has a pretty garden

with the all-important tool shed for David.

I don't want to tempt fate but I think our first property has gone down well

with our folk from down under.

When I first saw the property, I thought it looked quaint but small.

And then when I came inside and had a good look, it amazed me

because it lends itself to being open plan.

The lounge itself is a little bit on the small side

but the rest of the house is perfect.

There are areas of the house which are superb, absolutely superb,

but there are some modifications that are required here to meet our criteria.

At the end of the day, our choice of home

no doubt will mean that we have to compromise

in terms of our furniture.

As a first property, it's fantastic

and it's excellent value for money.

-How did you get on? Good look around?

-Yes, fantastic.

A good morning's work. We've got another one to see. Let's go.

Sounds great.

Somerset's landscape has been shaped by farming

since the first Anglo-Saxon settlers reared sheep, wove wool

and made cheese.

So it shouldn't come as any surprise

that this most rural of counties is home to 20 historic market towns,

medieval trading places that grew up to support the surrounding farming communities

that are so popular with buyers today.

Historically, one of the most important was Somerton,

after which Somerset takes its name.

It was awarded its market charter in 1255 by Edward I

and was briefly Somerset's county town.

Long-time strangers to England, David and Karen,

were eager to explore

and earlier in the week, met up with local historian Nancy Longmaid for a guided tour.

This is our market cross or butter cross,

built in 1673 by Sir Edward Hext.

It's right in the centre of the town.

It was designed so that butter and cheese could be sold

without melting in the sun

and fruit and vegetables could be sold

without the sellers sitting in the rain.

-Oh, amazing.

-It's really a market hall with open sides.

I notice there's a high shine to the actual steps.

What creates that?

-I think they've been sat on regularly.

-Oh!

So it's really polished up by 300 years of bottoms.

LAUGHTER

Somerton's glory days had come and gone by the 17th century

and today, although it's still well-stocked with amenities,

it's more a village than a busy metropolis.

However, a plethora of fine historic buildings belie its previous wealth,

including the grade I listed medieval church,

Somerton's oldest building, which presides over the town.

This is the church of St Michael and All Angels.

The building was started in about 1300

and completed in about 1500,

when this magnificent roof was added.

As you can see, it's very elaborate and very beautiful.

In the triangular spaces between the beams,

you'll see there are large carved pairs of dragons

and it's thought that they are copied from Chinese silk fabrics.

There was a silk industry in Somerset

and it's thought that the skill and the knowledge

came direct from China, along the great trade routes.

It's believed that this roof was brought from Muchelney Abbey

and that it was carved by the monks in about 1500.

-I'm told that there are 640 panels...

-Good grief.

-..in the roof.

-That's amazing.

And the carvings at the points where the beams cross

are all different.

It takes a great deal of time to study them

and it's actually best done lying on one of the pews.

Well, no time for resting on our laurels, or backs,

as it's on with the property search.

For our second offering of the day, we're off to Holcombe,

which, at 19 miles, is slightly closer to Bristol

for Karen's daily commute.

It's a pretty village with some good period housing stock.

The population of around 1,000 people congregates at two churches,

two pubs and there's a post office,

so it shouldn't be too difficult for Karen and David to integrate into the community.

Karen and David, what do we think of this one?

Very interesting. I like the elevation to start with.

I knew you would because of the windows, yes.

Dormer windows, garage.

-Straightaway, we're pleasing David.

-Yes.

The original part was built in the 1950s.

It was built as a dormer bungalow but as you can see, they've extended it.

Very interesting.

'I think this property could have the wow factor they're looking for

'but it's a slightly unconventional layout,

'so they will need to bear with me.'

Now, then, this, believe it or not, is one of the reception rooms.

-Right.

-It looks like a bedroom.

A-ha! Ignore the furniture and start to see maybe your furniture in here.

I'll give you a quick clue.

There's three reception rooms of this shape and size.

-OK.

-Oh, right, OK.

The windows are great. The outlook's good.

David's gone quiet. That worries me.

Yeah, because mentally, I'm positioning furniture straightaway.

Hold that thought. You've seen this.

Let's go to one of the other reception rooms.

Now, then, this is the second of the three reception rooms.

Right.

-It's...

-Mmm.

-..tight.

-Yeah.

-Tight?

-Yeah.

'There's no denying these rooms aren't massive

'but with the third one across the hallway, there are plenty of them.

'However, this is by no means the main event.'

Now in my opinion,

the house is starting to take on a whole new personality and feel

from this room onwards.

I agree. It's great. It's got good working space.

-David?

-I have to say that, size wise, fine,

but the wow factor that I'm looking for isn't really here yet.

OK. That wow factor, as you call it, could well be through here.

All right.

Wow! It's fantastic. Absolutely fantastic.

It's open, it's spacious. I like the staircase.

I like the light

and if anything, that table would be wider than ours.

You mean there's a piece of furniture in Somerset

that is bigger than what you have?

-It's not as long but that one's wider.

-That's wider, definitely.

Well, I'm going to say the word wow, now.

Knowing what you know now, this is a big room,

I know you want a really big living space...

Perhaps, I don't know what you think,

could one of those reception rooms become a dining room

and this becomes a huge living room?

Yeah, that's a possibility.

There's a myriad of different things that can be done

when you've got this number of rooms.

Great possibilities.

And you can spill out onto the sun deck, there.

Now, before we go elsewhere, through that door there,

you've got a utility and a shower room and a loo.

Plus, you've got internal access to the double garage for you, David.

-That's perfect.

-That's better still. Very good.

-Perfect.

-Good. Let's look upstairs.

'Well, I knew we'd get there eventually.

'Hopefully, upstairs will make an equally good impression.

'There are four bedrooms.

'A bright double is ideal for guests.

'There's a further double, one single and the family bathroom,

'so again, plenty of options.'

-The master.

-This is lovely, isn't it? Absolutely lovely.

-Very effective.

-Yes. Now we're talking.

-Now we're talking.

-Now we're talking.

You'd need a wardrobe of some description.

Don't worry about that. It's all catered.

You've got a really generous walk-in wardrobe here,

plus you've got an en suite here.

I think it's quite nice.

The decor's nice and the window, the views, they're lovely.

-They're the Mendips that you can see in the distance.

-Is that right?

'Well, I think we've stepped up to the mark inside.

'Let's see how we do outside.

'It's a good-sized plot but there's going to be a new addition at the end of the garden

'that might be a deal-breaker.'

Now, here we are out in the garden.

Our boundary are these small, young fir trees and this laurel hedge.

-Yes.

-Right.

-OK?

It goes right round there and to the front.

Behind us is the owner's new accommodation that they're building.

It's lower than this house, so you're not going to be overlooked.

-So predominantly, most of the views will be maintained.

-Right.

-OK?

You've seen the house. Who wants to go first about guessing the price?

I would say... Four...

30?

David?

-450.

-450.

Pretty good guess.

This house is on the market for offers around £465,000.

Mm.

You've indicated that the current owners

-are in the process of building this home below.

-Yeah.

They're going to be, I would say,

anything up to four, five months away

from having something to move into.

That's not really going to suit our criteria.

That could be a problem for us.

I've told them that you could, possibly, if you liked the property,

move in within six weeks - could they move out?

They said they'd move out this weekend if you liked it.

-They're keen!

-They would move into rented accommodation.

Go inside the house,

think about whether or not this could be suitable for you.

-That's a fair comment.

-I'll catch you in a bit.

-Thank you.

This is a lot of property for offers around £465,000.

It has three reception rooms, a huge open plan kitchen diner

that they could use as a living area,

four bedrooms, David's double garage, fantastic views

and a good-sized garden.

Speed is of the essence with this relocation

and the owners of this house are happy to move quickly,

before setting up home at the bottom of the garden, that is.

I liked the elevation immediately

and, of course, seeing the additional parking space,

plus the garage - great start.

To me, this particular area is quite stunning.

I find it very attractive. It's got a nice feel about it.

Yeah, I'd second that.

My heart tells me to not be impulsive,

to think about it, to be analytical

and to come back again and a chat with my husband.

So, then, that is two potential homes you've just looked around.

-A lot to take in, isn't there?

-It is.

-OK, let's call it a day, shall we? After you.

-Thank you.

With the sun setting over the Somerset countryside,

that's it for our first day of house hunting.

Coming up, we have one last chance to find the dream home.

However, it's the mystery house, which is always a gamble.

I've not been entirely honest with you both.

That wouldn't be a first.

Yeah, that might be true.

But could it pay off if the price is right?

Sold! Sold. Where do we sign?

Karen and David want to move to rural Somerset

and find an idyllic country cottage

that also has to have large, light open plan living areas.

Now, for me, both the properties I showed them

gave them just that

but I don't think they've fallen in love with either of them.

So it could all come down to the final property,

which, of course, is the mystery house.

Let's see how we get on.

So you know what's coming up. It's the mystery house.

Yes.

Any ideas what this house might be for you?

-We're a little...

-Apprehensive!

..apprehensive about what you might be presenting us with.

We presume you've taken our budget into consideration,

trying to halve it for us,

and give us twice as much in terms of value.

I don't know what he had for breakfast there, Karen,

but it's not looking good.

Half the budget, twice the space - it sounds more like a miracle house

but you never know.

We're heading to Wells, which at 21 miles south of Bristol,

is within Karen's 40-minute commute time,

give or take a couple of minutes.

And cities don't come much prettier or more compact.

In fact, Wells is England's smallest city

but its impressive medieval cathedral isn't lacking in stature.

There's certainly no shortage of interesting architecture.

Vicar's Close is believed to be the oldest purely residential street

still intact in Europe.

Bringing the city bang up to date, though,

is the busy high street,

which runs the full gamut of amenities,

including some very fine watering holes.

However, the mystery house is a five-minute drive out of the city,

on a very exclusive private development

set in 200 acres of prime countryside.

The mystery? Well, it's not actually built yet.

Let's see how this goes down!

So the mystery property.

What do you think of this as an environment, first of all?

-I want to be here.

-Do you?

-Yes.

-Good.

-I do.

-It's ideal.

-That's what I want to hear.

David, what's going through your mind?

Don't worry about him.

I like this.

It's got the rural aspect.

Love it. The views are brilliant.

-Spectacular, I will say.

-Good.

Now, the developers are building a spa here.

You're going to have a swimming pool, a gymnasium,

a library stroke reading room, outside sun terrace -

it's going to be fantastic.

But also, you're going to have a few neighbours.

This entire development will have 15 homes on it.

Just 15. So you're going to have a little community

-but with all the facilities of a city on your doorstep.

-Sounds great.

-What do you think?

-It's like a health farm.

This could be a new healthy lifestyle.

-Do you want to look further in?

-Yes, please.

-Come on.

So far, so good

but let's go and see how the plans stack up

for the proposed property.

-This...

-Very impressive.

-..comes out of that, half of that building.

Absolutely fantastic.

-When?

-As soon as someone gives them the go-ahead.

-A-ha.

The compromise with this property here

-is the fact that you can't have it in six weeks.

-Right.

You'll struggle to have it in six months.

It's more likely this will be finished for you in eight months.

That is the compromise.

-So look at that.

-Yes, will do.

Facing out that way, so you're not looking at any neighbours.

This beautiful glass gable will look out onto those open fields.

Fantastic.

And to give you an idea of what the finish will be like inside...

-we're going to look at this. It's the show home.

-Uh-huh.

So far, is this the sort of product

that you could see yourself buying into?

Oh, most definitely. Most definitely.

Well, Karen's sold but David's the practical one.

Obviously, developments like this come at a cost

and there's a service charge and ground rent of £2,800 per year.

It's leasehold, which runs for 999 years,

and David will be glad to hear each house will have its own garage.

So...

what do we think of this finish?

It's got that modern feel about it,

yet outside, it's got the character of a very nice barn.

-It's perfect.

-Very impressive.

-This is good news, isn't it?

Let's get into the kitchen because that's when you see how well it's been done.

So we're still open plan...

-but you do have your own specific kitchen area here.

-Perfect.

The new build over there is bigger, by some, perhaps, 50% bigger.

But also, what I've learnt about you two

is I don't think there's a man on this planet

that has built what you're after here in Somerset.

This gives you the opportunity to do just that -

to build your own house or get someone to build it for you

but to your own specifications, to your own layout.

-It's got dream property written all over it.

-It has.

-I guess...

-It's got our name written on it, actually.

-Ha!

-This one's away.

-It's got Karen's on, anyway.

-True.

The decor and finish is already a hit with these two

and the fact they'd have design input on the semi-detached barn

is obviously doing the trick for Karen.

The plans consist of a large open plan kitchen

with a living room diner on the ground floor.

The first floor will have two bedrooms and a family bathroom

and the top floor will consist of a huge master en suite.

So that's the interior sorted.

Now let's turn our attention to the outside space.

Now, I am a little concerned

that we're not giving you the right amount of outside space.

Well, I've held something back. I've not been entirely honest with you.

That wouldn't be a first.

Yeah, that might be true.

There is also 200 acres

of agricultural farmland and woodland at your disposal.

Included within this farmland is also a fishing lake

-that you also get to use.

-Right.

-It sounds too good to be true, doesn't it?

-All I need is a bike.

A bike! And you also need quite a bit of cash

but how much?

I'd put it around 475.

Mm. 520?

-520? You think I've gone over budget?

-Possibly, possibly.

-It's a mystery home, so possibly.

-You're quite right.

Well, that one that hasn't yet been built

-is bigger than the one we've looked around.

-Sure.

That will be made available for offers around £450,000 but...

Sold! Sold!

Sold! Where do we sign?

-Really?

-Mm. The mystery house has made it for me.

-I'll catch up with you in a bit.

-Thank you very much.

Phew!

I was worried they would be upset

that they couldn't move in straightaway

but they've got an option here, it's ready made,

but they've got an amazing opportunity to get something

and design it themselves.

I think even David was smiling then.

So £450,000 is what it would cost David and Karen

to buy this semi-detached barn.

The catch? They'll have to wait eight months for it to be built.

But once finished, it will have a big open-plan living area,

including a modern kitchen and three bedrooms.

Set in a 200-acre development,

they'll also have the use of the communal grounds,

sauna and gym,

all of which incur an annual service charge

of £2,800.

If I was a betting man,

I'd think the mystery house could be a winner.

I think that the development across the road

is going to be perfect.

We can plan the floor plan ourselves.

The total concept is absolutely out of this world.

It's going to be our dream home.

I must say that I've been so impressed by this property

and I'm thrilled, really thrilled.

-What do you think? That's a magnificent view.

-It's lovely.

What we're going to have to be sure of...

-You planning the new house?

-Yes! How did you guess?

-How did you know that?

-It's very exciting, isn't it?

-It is.

Well, look, there's so much to think about, let's find somewhere nice and quiet for a discussion?

-Sounds great.

-Come on.

-Let's go.

Now, Australia may take first place in the sunshine stakes

but when it comes to period housing, Blighty wins hands down.

I'm taking the opportunity to further explore one of Somerset's finest,

grade I listed Montacute House,

a perfectly preserved example of Elizabethan architecture.

Curator Grahame Meaden has kindly offered to show me around.

-What a beautiful building.

-I know, it's fantastic

and I have the pleasure of working here.

That's quite some privilege.

The house was actually finished in 1601

and it was built by a wealthy lawyer, Edward Phelips.

The house's status and his status went together.

Montacute house was saying, "Look at me, look how well I'm doing."

Modesty probably wasn't one of his traits.

No. The Elizabethans, as a generation,

were very much into "splash your cash", show it off.

If you build it, build it tall and show off with glass.

Glass is the thing that really makes the building.

'Compared to our obsession with glass today,

'this may now look small fry

'but back in the 1500s, mullioned windows were at the cutting edge

'of architectural innovation.

'Built from local Ham Hill stone,

'this three-storey mansion took 13 years to build.

'It's a pastiche of the traditional gothic style

'that was so popular in medieval England

'and new Renaissance ideas

'that were arriving from the Continent at the time.'

This is a very impressive room, isn't it? Is this the library?

Library now but originally, it was the great chamber,

the most important room in the house.

It was the room that the most expense was spent on.

If you look at the fireplace, for instance,

that's Portland stone.

The rest of the house is local Ham stone

but this was brought from the coast of Dorset.

Wow. It must have taken days.

It's very impressive. You can see the lack of modesty again.

It's very much a showing off room, isn't it?

People came here and felt small, felt insecure.

If he was doing business, he wanted to impress his guests.

This fantastic armorial glass around the top of the windows

is almost saying, "Look at these people I know."

'And those crests were of the most influential families in the country,

'including Elizabeth I - sure to seal any business deal.'

This is, as anybody can see, such a hugely impressive building.

I'd imagine staff and butlers waiting for you, dressed smartly,

as you pulled up in your carriage.

-How many members of staff would they have had?

-It is difficult to say

but a lot less than it was in later periods.

When you went into the Victorian period

and you have a butler and maids and servants,

it was far more rustic in the Elizabethan times.

-You may have had your servant sleeping at the foot of your bed.

-Really?

And that's where he'd stay.

This is a very wide, solid staircase, Grahame.

Yes. It's quite interesting.

One of the stories of the property is that the Phelips children

actually led their ponies up here, up to the Long Gallery.

-It would certainly take it. Let's see where they took them.

-Come on.

Come in.

-Lovely door, this is.

-Yeah. Best English oak.

Wow. This is obviously the Long Gallery.

I can see why they've called it that.

-How long is it? It's huge.

-172 feet from end to end.

It would be great for cricket practice.

I understand these were used for, what would you say? Light exercise.

Yeah. Terrible weather, what are you going to do?

You wanted to have a nice walk. Why not walk in your own house?

What I've been impressed with is the fantastic condition it's all in

for such an old building.

Has it always been that way?

The house actually fell on hard times in the 1920s

and the family actually put the house up for sale

but it was actually offered for scrap value.

-So who came to the rescue?

-It was actually Ernest Cook, Thomas Cook's grandson,

who purchased the house for the Protection Society of Historic Buildings

and he gave it to the National Trust in 1932.

It needed a lot of work doing to it and has done ever since.

-Out of interest, how much did he buy it for?

-£7,000.

Seven grand for this?

I suppose it was quite a lot of money back then

but it would be worth going back in time for.

'A truly impressive home

'but it's now time to find out if we've unearthed something just as special

'for today's hopeful buyers.

'Coming home from Oz is a huge move,

'so finding the dream house is top priority for David and Karen.

'Although there does seem to be a clear winner,

'I think they've liked elements of all of our properties,

'so a chance to go over details might clear up any questions.'

Three properties, two days of house hunting

but only one can be a favourite.

Now, all three houses involve quite a compromise.

Let's find out from David and Karen which one will be their favourite.

Well, then, we've had lots to think about, haven't we?

We certainly have.

Let's start at the top.

I thought property one would suit you down to the ground.

That first property was lovely but not suitable for our needs.

It was too small in terms of the living space.

I liked the kitchen and dining but other than that,

I didn't see David and I actually living there.

So property one doesn't sound like it's going anywhere for us.

Property two had that amazing extension with that huge living space

with the ceiling and the beautiful gallery.

There's no doubt about that house.

It really had a lot of features that we were looking for.

But again, there was a lot of capital needed

to change the three reception rooms to meet our criteria.

After property two, I was thinking that I should've been looking for a warehouse.

The pressure was on with the mystery house

and then we went to the mystery house this morning and what do we think?

I couldn't believe what we saw. It was just magic.

-Your face lit up when you saw that, didn't it?

-Absolutely. Fell in love with it immediately.

We're going to go back and talk to these people some more.

Wow. That's quite something, really,

because, let's face it,

if you're interested in the property that hasn't yet been built,

-you can't move into it straightaway, so...

-Acknowledged.

-We've got all this furniture going into storage.

-That will be the case.

We've got to be practical

and if we want something that's going to be suitable for our needs,

then we're going to have to put our furniture in storage.

Well, I wish you the very best of luck.

-Please let us know how you get on.

-We will.

-Thank you.

-Thank you for your help.

David and Karen have moved from the other side of the world to set up home in Somerset.

I thought we'd struggle to find anything suitable

but it just goes to show - with a bit of lateral thinking

and a bit of compromise,

we may well have just found their dream home,

if not for now, for some time in the future.

We'll see you next time.

'Well, I'm sad to report

'that on further inspection of the mystery house,

'they decided not to go with a leasehold property.

'So near and yet so far!

'Fingers crossed they'll find their dream soon.

'If you'd like to escape to the country

'in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland or England and need our help,

'please apply online at:'

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