Devon Escape to the Country

Despite the appalling weather, spring is in the air.

How do I know?

Because on farms all across the UK, lambs are arriving.

16.5 million of them, give or take.

So, where exactly was this little one born? Find out in just a moment.

'In today's show, I'll be helping a straight-talking couple

'with a flexible budget find their dream home in the country.

'There's certainly a rocky start.'

Well, I'm speechless!

-Speechless in a good or a bad way?

-Not very good.

'But as ever, we've got the mystery house up our sleeves.'

-It's the best you've shown us, definitely.

-Oh-ho-ho!

Today, I'm in Devon, where the lambing season has just begun.

When it finishes in a month or so,

this little girl will be one of over 650,000 newborn lambs

scattered across the county's countryside.

'Right in the centre of the south-west corner of England,

'Devon's landscape is rooted in its farming tradition,

'dating back to the Neolithic era.

'It has helped shape its two national parks.

'The heather moorlands of Exmoor spanning nearly 270 square miles

'and the wild expanses of Dartmoor's hills.

'The region offers a varied mix of properties,

'with thatched cottages a running theme throughout its villages.'

We've got 48 hours to show today's couple three super properties.

But first, let's go and meet them.

'Today's escapees are retired teachers Ed and Jane,

'who share their four-bedroomed detached house on the outskirts of Derby

'with their beloved prize-winning dogs.

'After 11 years together, they want to swap the city suburbs

'for a slice of village life in south-east Devon

'and are after a property which gives them more space outdoors.'

I really love my garden,

but unfortunately, the dogs are ruining the lawn.

And not only that, they're ruining my beautiful flowerbeds.

So, what we really need when we move is a garden for Jane

and a separate garden for the dogs to run in, but also,

we want to adopt two donkeys, so we need a paddock for them.

'Along with housing donkeys, they'd like an annexe

'which they plan to rent out as a holiday let.

'They also have a clear vision

'of what they want their property to deliver.'

My dream house would be somewhere with lots of character,

a period property, nice high ceilings,

lots of original features that haven't been ripped out.

With three or four bedrooms, a large kitchen

or the potential to extend the kitchen to make a large kitchen.

But not an oldie-worldie cottage.

We don't want the beams and the thatched roof.

'Ed and Jane have some challenging demands for our house search,

'but they are in a fortunate position.

'They're not only selling a nearby rental property that they own,

'they've also had offers made on their house.

'All this means they can be flexible about how much they have to spend.'

Our budget for this move is £450,000.

But if you could find us a property with an annexe to let out,

then we could go up to £600,000.

It's been said many times that buying and selling houses

is about as stressful as it gets.

Well, put yourself in Ed and Jane's shoes.

They're trying to sell not one, but two homes, and at the same time.

Now, they seem pretty relaxed and optimistic with their budget

of £450,000 - £600,000

for this move here to Devon.

They want to mimic the setup they currently have in Derby.

A home for them and the dogs, and, if we can find it,

an annexe or something similar for them to rent out.

But with this move, they want land. At least an acre.

Will we be able to find them everything they want

on the money they have to spend,

or will their stress levels and mine go through the proverbial roof?

Let's find out.

'Ed and Jane have asked us to focus their house search in south-east Devon,

'but they're also happy to nudge over the Somerset border,

'which still give them easy access to the coast.

'We've got some fantastic houses to show them,

'but, as ever, they'll have to guess the price of each property

'before I reveal it to them.

'And then, of course, there's our mystery house,

'designed to challenge what they think they want as their new home.'

-Well, Ed and Jane, welcome to Devon.

-Thank you.

-Good morning.

-Are you looking forward to the next two days?

-We certainly are.

-We love Devon, even on a day like today.

-The weather can only get better.

-Yes, I'm sure.

So we have a huge challenge on our hands,

but sounds like you could be quite flexible. Shall we get started?

-Yes. We're really looking forward to it.

-Let's go.

'With an initial budget of £450,000,

'Ed and Jane want a light, airy, detached house

'with lots of character features.

'Also on the wish list is a spacious kitchen

'and a minimum of three bedrooms.

'Outside, they need at least an acre of garden

'for the dogs to let off steam

'and space to house a couple of donkeys.

'They're also prepared to increase the budget to £600,000

'if there's an outbuilding with holiday-let potential.

'We're starting our property search with location top of the agenda

'and heading to the village of Dalwood.

'Set in the Blackdown Hills conservation area,

'we couldn't ask for more stunning countryside views.

'What's more, the village has a thriving community spirit

'centred on its church,

'local pub and post office with a shop that's run by volunteers.

'Our first property lies at the end of a no-through track

'and comes in the form of an extended thatched cottage.

'A common trademark of this county,

'it's designed to test Ed and Jane's style preference.'

So, Ed and Jane, this is our very first property.

What do you think?

-It's a country cottage.

-It is. It's a thatched country cottage.

It certainly has thatch.

The good news is the thatch is only three years old.

The house has been completely refurbished.

The property itself is actually was a two-up, two-down cottage

originally, a farmer's cottage. As you can see, it's been extended.

It's about 200 years old.

Do you like the look of it? It's attractive.

It's a very attractive cottage. Ideal country cottage if you want...

Well, I'm speechless!

-Speechless in a good or a bad way?

-Not very good.

What are your reservations when you first see it?

I like the colour of the door and the window frames.

It's time to see if I can convince you about this house.

You've gone very quiet. Come on, let's have a look.

'Ed and Jane may not be fans of thatch,

'but inside, it's been beautifully modernised.'

I want to lead you straight into the kitchen,

the heart of every country home.

-You love your present kitchen, don't you?

-I certainly do. I love it.

It's big, spacious and airy.

-This is a little different.

-It is. It's not quite as big as I would like.

So, having a look around, when you get used to a big kitchen,

it's difficult to adapt. Is this workable for you?

I think storage would be a big issue for me.

OK. Let's keep going. There's more to see. If you want to follow me.

So, through here, you've got your little sitting room.

-Again, it certainly has a cottage feel to it.

-It does.

A nice window seat there to sit and look at the view.

Again, it's been done throughout in a really, really good condition.

-But each time, it comes down to room size, doesn't it?

-It is.

-Well, let's keep going.

-Yes.

-OK.

'Leading off the hallway is a handy utility room and cloakroom.

'And tucked away off the sitting room is a small study which could make a good snug for the dogs.

'Next door, a staircase leads up to where they'd sleep.'

Here's your master bedroom.

That's unexpected.

Actually, below us is your bathroom. And it's a generous bathroom.

It's got a bath, a shower, it's also got its own sauna.

So, how is this? Cos this is a fair size.

It's a nice cottage bedroom.

Yes. It is.

Polite reservations, I'm feeling.

-You like the cottage.

-I love the cottage.

It's a pretty cottage, but it's down to storage again.

There are other bedrooms. Ed, if you wouldn't mind leading the way,

we're going to go back through the house and up the other staircase.

'The central stairs lead up to the two remaining bedrooms.

'One a light, bright, cosy double with a Jack-and-Jill shower room

'which leads through to the third bedroom.'

This cottage has three bedrooms

because we've come up the second set of stairs.

-This is a nice room.

-Yes.

-It is nice.

-And what's behind me?

-Yes, storage. Lovely.

-Your storage.

I'm going to take you outside now.

-So, Ed, if you want to lead the way.

-Right.

'Although they seem to have reservations

'about whether this Devon cottage is spacious enough internally,

'outside provides a very generous proposition.'

So perhaps with this move, the most important bit, the land.

Now, it's not all yours.

I'd like to say it is, but you do have two acres.

And plenty of areas for a vegetable patch, for the dogs.

Even for the donkeys.

I think the actual land...

It's got too much of a slope, I think.

-Certainly for the dogs.

-I don't think we've quite hit the mark,

but I'm still going to ask you what you think this cottage, with all this land, is actually worth.

Because it is Guess The Price time.

I'm probably undervaluing it, but I'd say £300,000.

OK. Ed?

I think that, for the right person who wanted something like this,

I think they'd probably pay about 400 for it.

The current asking price is £450,000.

But the owner would take offers in the region of.

Have another look around? I know what the answer is.

I'm not going to try and convince you.

Check out that little hobby house, as well.

-I'll catch up with you in a little while.

-OK.

-Thank you.

'Well, despite the glorious location and land,

'overall, they clearly haven't been persuaded by this style of property.

'Even though it falls within budget.

'For £450,000, it delivers many of the elements

'they want from their life in the country.

'As a listed historic cottage, it offers lots of character features.

'Three bedrooms and two acres of south-facing land

'with fabulous views over an area of outstanding natural beauty.'

Seeing this property has confirmed what I thought - that we really

wouldn't want to buy and live in a thatched stone cottage.

I want somewhere nearer civilisation.

In fact, I just couldn't spend the day talking to sheep,

so I do want more neighbours.

'Hopefully, this time, we can get nearer

'to the right combination of house and land

'as we continue our property search over the Somerset border,

'close to the village of Donyatt,

'a few minutes' drive from Ilminster.

'It's a peaceful place with a population of nearly 400,

'where many of the buildings feature the local stone,

'including the 15th century Grade II listed church.

'Just a mile down the road in the middle of open countryside

'is our next property.

'A brand-new stone barn conversion.

'It's a style of property which should offer the open living spaces they're after.'

Now, you two, we didn't get it quite right

with the very first property,

hopefully, we're going to do better with the second.

It's an 18th-century barn.

It used to store grain for the barley mill next door.

It's got a huge watermill. So, what are your first impressions?

Because I know this is important, Jane!

Um...it's interesting. It's not something I would've looked at.

Yes. I don't know. We'll have to get inside and see.

Shall we take a look inside? Let's see if I can convince you.

'The good news is that all the main renovation work

'has already been carried out.

'It would just need Ed and Jane to add their personal touches to the interior.'

So, this front door leads straight into the kitchen.

-It's a much better kitchen, isn't it?

-It certainly is.

It's interesting. The units look very similar to those in house one.

-It looks more practical for cooking and...

-Yeah.

-Right. Let's proceed.

-Right.

-Down the stairs.

So the barn has not one, but two reception rooms.

And this is the smaller of the two.

Yep. It's a nice space.

It's light and bright.

-I'm presuming you can see the stream down there.

-You can. You can.

Through here.

This is the second reception room,

which I think is enormous.

-There's a cosier feel to it, though.

-Yeah?

It's got a nice feature window over there, as well.

Well, let's keep going.

'Fantastic! The light and generous size of the reception areas

'seem to be hitting the mark.

'Let's hope they're as impressed by the bedrooms,

'which lie at the other end of the property.

'Three of the four being serviced by a bright, modern family bathroom.'

The barn has actually four bedrooms in total.

But there are three of them which are around this size,

-and it's just literally...

-Stud.

-Yeah, stud wall between.

What you could do, and the developer said he's happy to do it, is knock through.

The one next door to this, that could make a fantastic large bedroom

if you didn't need the four and wanted to make it three.

-We don't need four.

-No.

'Time to take a look at where they would sleep.'

-This would be, in theory, the master bedroom.

-Right.

So, it gives you lots of options.

You could either knock through or you could use this as it is.

It's got its own shower room there, a little en suite.

Jane, you've still been quite quiet here.

-Are you getting a good feel for this property?

-I much prefer this one.

Much more me and our furniture would fit in here far better than the cottage.

-Shall we go and see if there's any room for your donkeys?

-Yes.

-Yes.

'Outside, the lawned areas and borders give Jane

'the gardening project she wanted with a huge double garage

'offering ample space for storage, but that's just for starters.'

-So, through your five bar gate.

-Right.

Take a look at the land that comes with this barn.

-2.3 acres in total.

-Right.

-I'm thinking donkeys.

-Definitely.

Plenty of room for donkeys.

If you see the fence going down to the gate at the bottom,

then all the way around, plus the stream running through your property,

-that all comes with the barn.

-Right.

-What's your gut feel?

There are things that need doing to the house, a few tweaks here and there.

-I'm sure we can do that.

-Yes.

-Sounding good.

-Can you do it on the price they're asking?

-Now there's the thing.

That's the question! Who wants to go first?

It's my turn, I think, isn't it? I would say that's on for 500,000.

I was going to say 475.

The current asking price...

-..is £395,000.

-Really?

And it's really just gone on the market.

So any changes we wanted to make, we'd have the money to do it.

That's the best news, isn't it?

It gives you a lot left over to do what you need to do

to make it your own.

I think I should send you, not in that direction, but in that direction,

over the little bridge and have a look at some of those acres of land.

-See if we can find a donkey in the undergrowth!

-Off you go.

'Under budget at £395,000, our barn conversion not only leaves them

'a healthy £55,000 spare but also answers the many demands

'on their wish list including a large kitchen/diner,

'two bright spacious reception rooms,

'four bedrooms and 2.3 acres of grounds for the dogs and donkeys,

'all within reach of a village and Ilminster's amenities.

'The Devon coast is just half an hour's drive away.'

There's more than enough room for the donkeys here.

Plus the fact the donkeys have got fresh water.

-Which is perfect.

-You could have the shelter here at this end.

-It would be absolutely amazing.

-Yeah, it's lovely.

There's not much I don't like about the property.

The only problem would be the land is in a poor condition and would need a lot of work on it.

But because it's only 395, I would have the money available

to improve the land.

I can see myself living here.

It's perfect for the dogs, Ed and me, and if we happen to get any donkeys,

once Ed's sorted out the meadow, then it would be absolutely perfect.

As evening falls over the Devon countryside,

the first day of our property search draws to a close.

Out of the two properties we showed Ed and Jane yesterday

I think it's fair to say there was a clear winner.

But we've got another one up our sleeve.

It is of course the mystery house.

They're either going to love it or loathe it. Let's find out.

'Our mystery property takes us to the village of Plymtree in east Devon,

'a sure bet in terms of location with its beautiful church

'dating back to the 14th century, along with a pub

'and community shop, giving them a chance to meet the locals.

'Surrounded by idyllic countryside, our mystery farmhouse

'is a mile outside the village and is crying out for some attention.'

So, Ed and Jane, let me introduce you to your mystery house.

-Lots of potential. Yes, it's much nicer.

-A house and a barn.

-With lots of outbuildings.

-Yes.

-It's the best you've shown us, definitely.

-Oh, whoa-ho!

We're starting on a high.

It is a mystery house so it's got to be different, hasn't it?

-Shall we take a step inside?

-Yes.

Well, perhaps this gamble might pay off, as they don't seem too fazed

by the idea of a project at the moment.

But will inside fit their creative vision?

So...

Step inside.

-It's a pretty substantial room.

-It is.

There's something about it, the proportions.

-It's just a lovely-shaped room.

-It's very big, I like the size of it.

My only concern is the height of the ceiling.

Behind us, you've got a little snug in there with a wood burner.

-That's lovely.

-Could be a good office.

-Beautiful.

It could make a great office. I don't think you'll have any problem with space in this property.

There might be quite a few options. Let's keep on going through.

-So here is your sitting room.

-OK.

It's still a nice room, but I don't think it's as nice as that one.

-It's not as light and airy, is it?

-It seems to be darker.

You've got the most beautiful bay window here with the window seat.

That is beautiful.

But let me show you a part with a higher ceiling,

-a Victorian extension.

-We're looking forward to that.

'Well, Jane will need to see past the current decor.'

Through here is your kitchen.

-Right, OK. Yeah, nice size but...

-Ceiling's high.

-It certainly is.

-It needs ripping out and replacing.

-Yes, it does.

-The house needs love...

-A bit of TLC.

-Yeah.

Through that door there's a study, it's currently used as a study.

-I've got a choice now.

-You have.

Exactly, and I haven't even shown you what's outside.

-We're going to head upstairs now.

-OK.

The second set of staircases in this property.

'The ground floor has a host of other rooms tucked away

'including a downstairs bathroom, a utility room

'and a storeroom which the dogs could make their own.

'The dining room stairs lead up to the bedrooms

'and a separate family bathroom.'

-This farmhouse has six bedrooms.

-Wow.

You walk through one bedroom into this one, you've got another one set up like this

and you've got two bedrooms together linked.

-You've got a large double, and then you've got the master.

-Right.

You could rip it out, convert it,

make dressing rooms or an office, perhaps.

-At the moment I'm just thinking it's a lot to take on.

-It all adds up.

-Do you have enough money in the kitty?

-That's an interesting point.

'Doubts about the scale of the work needed on the house

'seem to be setting in.

'But our mystery property does give them great scope

'to develop holiday lets in the old dairy outbuilding

and the new dairy if they get the right planning consent.'

'Along with the lawned gardens,

'there's plenty of land for the donkeys to roam.'

In total you've got about 2.3 acres with this farmhouse.

-That includes the ground at the front?

-Yes.

-It's quite a substantial plot.

-That's perfect for donkeys.

Especially with the open barn just there.

But what's the asking price?

-I think it's got to be about 500,000.

-OK.

I think I'd go less, because of the work involved, so I'll go with 475.

OK.

The current asking price, well,

the owners are taking offers in excess of £450,000.

-That's a good price.

-It is.

-We think that is...

-That is a brilliant price.

-Do you want to have another wander around?

-Yes.

-We'll have a look at the new dairy.

-Please do.

I'll catch up with you later.

'It looks like this historic farmhouse may be a project too far for them

'but it's certainly a great development opportunity

'which could give them everything they've asked for.

'On the market for offers over £450,000,

'leaving £150,000 for renovation work,

'it gives them two light reception rooms with character features,

'a large kitchen, six bedrooms, an array of outbuildings

'with holiday let potential subject to planning consent,

'all set on over two acres of land. Perfect for donkeys.'

Overall, I think this is a wonderful mystery house

because different people would look on it in different ways.

Somebody wanting a fabulous house could turn it into a fabulous house.

The thing I like the most about this house is the location.

It's in a beautiful setting.

The size of the plot is perfect for our needs, for the dogs,

the donkeys and for Ed and me.

But unfortunately the house itself is far too big.

Well, that's it for Ed and Jane.

They've seen three very different properties.

But have any of them hit the mark? Let's go and ask them.

-Hello, you two.

-Hello.

-I hope you've enjoyed yourselves.

-We have.

-We've had a really good time, thank you.

-It's been lovely, it really has.

Let's start off with that first property we saw.

-Your first impressions were a little muted.

-To say the least, yes!

I think I was speechless at one point, wasn't I?

It really wasn't what we were looking for.

It was thatched, the rooms were very small and it was dark as well.

Plus the fact the land wasn't suitable for the dogs or the donkeys.

It's a sort of place we would choose for a holiday.

Now for our second home we crossed the border into Somerset,

-Would it be fair to say we got a little closer with that one?

-I think, definitely.

From the outside, it didn't look terribly impressive

but once you got inside, the space and the layout,

it was quite an interesting property.

The land was far more suitable for the dogs and the donkeys,

because it had running water, which would have been ideal for donkeys.

I think you could have developed a vegetable plot eventually

but it would have needed an awful lot of work.

Number three, the mystery house, very, very different in east Devon.

Location was perfect. Land, perfect.

But unfortunately the property itself was far too big a project for us two.

It would be a really good one for a developer.

It was a lovely house.

Really comfortable, the room sizes. You walked into them and felt comfortable.

But the work needed to develop the dairy into a holiday let,

it would be a mammoth building task.

You gave us quite a broad budget from 450-600 -

even going to the top of it, and that is a healthy budget,

we still struggled to find what you wanted.

Has that made you reconsider what your next move's going to be?

The style of property we're looking for,

you can't find in the countryside around here for our price.

I think we're going to have to go nearer a town.

-You'll let us know how you get on, won't you?

-We will.

We wish you all the luck and thank you very much.

-I've really enjoyed the last couple of days.

-Thank you very much.

-We have as well.

We tried our very hardest to find Ed and Jane

the house of their dreams, but their extensive wish list

proved too much on their budget in Devon.

I think they would be the first to agree.

What's clear is their enthusiasm for this area hasn't diminished.

We're going to wish them the very best of luck with their future

house-hunting in this glorious part of the country. See you next time.

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