Surrey Escape to the Country

Today I'm only a stone's throw from London,

in a county renowned for its world-class country homes and gardens.

And I'm lucky enough to be standing in one of the jewels in the crown.

What is it and where am I? Find out in just a moment.

In today's show I'll be trying to help a couple with big ambitions.

It's... It's... I feel slightly confined still.

I feel like a giant.

But our mystery house could be head and shoulders above the rest.

-Is this more...

-Yeah.

-..what you need?

-Definitely.

-Yes!

-It is bigger.

We finally scored on bigger.

Welcome to Surrey,

and the Royal Horticultural Society's flagship garden at Wisley.

With such an abundance of woodland, wildlife

and world-class attractions like this one,

in many ways Surrey really does typify

the very essence of the traditional English landscape.

And it's no wonder.

It's an ever-popular destination with city-dwellers

looking to start a new life in the country.

Covering an area of 642 square miles,

Surrey stretches from Hampshire in the west,

all the way to the border with Greater London in the north east.

The county's countryside is naturally beautiful.

And, due to a lack of intensive farming, extremely rich in wildlife.

Divided in two by the chalk ridge of the North Downs,

there's not only 140 square miles of woodland

but also hundreds of acres of heathland, too.

Enough to keep the most avid rambler on their toes.

Surrey has long been a favourite with the elite

and enjoys a reputation for being a sought-after retreat

amongst wealthy Londoners.

It's no wonder that such a desirable location

is also the most expensive county in which to buy a property

in the whole of the UK.

Today's buyers are ready to escape the commotion of the city,

so let's meet them and find out why they think Surrey

might be their ideal rural retreat.

Meet Brian, a film producer, and Melissa,

who runs her own interior-design business.

They've lived in their south-London home for the last ten years.

But they've had enough of life in the big smoke

and are ready to give it up for the lure of the countryside.

Their daughter, Amelie, will soon be old enough to go to school,

so they're keen to find the right educational establishment

which is also close to Melissa's family.

We're looking to move to Surrey

because it's that much closer to my mum in Somerset,

so it'll be easy for me to travel to visit her,

and also the schools are very good there for our daughter, Amelie.

So Surrey hits the spot,

but London will still feature in their lives

as Brian needs to commute to work.

I think we're looking for somewhere that's got local amenities.

It needs to be close to a train station for myself, ideally,

and for Melissa as and when she needs to go to town.

I'm definitely the dreamer of the family,

where I want to always have that little bit more.

But then Brian grounds me and puts realism in the picture.

With one realist in the mix,

we should be able to keep their feet on the ground in terms of the wish list.

I would never consider buying a house with a thatched roof...

..or a house with very small windows.

An old property

with lots of character but with a contemporary twist to it.

-Big family space.

-Big family space, lots of room, possibly a loft.

And a garage. So I can store my junk.

They also want at least three bedrooms,

and for the property to be detached

The buzzword for these guys has got to be space.

But whether it's achievable all depends on their finances.

The budget for the next property would be £400,000.

We're starting our house search in our buyers' preferred county.

But because it's SO pricey in Surrey

we'll also be border-hopping into neighbouring Kent and West Sussex.

All three counties have enough countryside

to please the most demanding escapees,

with gorgeous, gentle hills and sweeping woodland.

Our buyers are in for a treat

with the houses we've got lined up for them.

But as usual, I won't tell them what they're on the market for

until they've guessed the price themselves.

Then, of course, there's our mystery house,

which is my chance to show them something

that could turn their world upside-down.

-Hello, good morning.

-Pleased to meet you.

-Lovely to meet you.

-You, too.

Thank you for getting me across to Surrey.

I've got to say, it's beautiful here.

I've been sitting here relaxing, taking in the birdsong, looking at the wonderful view,

wondering why on earth you'd want to come from London to here!

-It is beautiful here, isn't it?

-And it's not that far, is it?

No, it's close enough to still have your contact with the city life.

£400,000 is a very healthy budget.

However, in Surrey that's a bit of a challenge,

so if you'll make any compromises, and I hope you're willing to,

where would you make those?

Well, we do need the three bedrooms.

I do need an area to work, a study to work.

How about location?

Location-wise, I think...

I'm used to travel... I can put up with average...an hour.

It does open up the choice and it means we've got a wider scope of areas to look at.

-Just have an open mind, have a look around.

-Absolutely.

-Are you willing to do that with me?

-Definitely.

-Great!

-Let's go and look at some houses, then.

-Excellent.

Brian and Melissa have a budget of £400,000

to finance their rural dream.

They want a detached property with at least three bedrooms,

a large kitchen and a good-size garden for their daughter, Amelie.

Location-wise, they need good local schools

and a train station close by

for Brian's daily commute to the capital.

And all in the most expensive county in the UK.

What's the saying? Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

To kick off, we're in Surrey, Brian and Melissa's chosen county.

The villages in this area are close to the M25

so have great transport links,

but they've also got some of the most beautiful countryside in England.

The popular village of Bletchingley has good amenities

and is under an hour from London. So a practical option for Brian.

It also has a respected school for young Amelie.

Our first property is a characterful detached family cottage

built in the 1920s.

On the way to the front door, the winding path leads visitors

through the well-established front garden.

So, here we are, the first house. Take it all in. What do you think?

I really like this front-garden area, it's really pretty.

I do like the first impression of the garden.

It's nice. I can see Amelie running around.

-Shall we have a look inside?

-Yes, please.

-Come on.

'The attractive exterior has got us off to a good start.

'I hope the inside will follow suit.'

This house, you come straight through into the living room.

-This is nice, I like the big, open fire.

-It's a working fireplace.

It takes up a big part of the room,

where it's one end of the room... dedicated to the fireplace.

It's nice, I love it.

-Hmm. Right, let's have a look at the next room.

-OK.

'Straight through the doorway is a homely dining room.'

So, what do you think of this space?

It's nice and light.

Cosy.

Yeah, I think cosy is the word, by which you mean small.

It's a little small, because we're used to having all open-plan,

This room does just back onto the kitchen there,

so a thought that I had is that you could take this wall away

and open it up, so you've got some open-plan space.

That's definitely a possibility.

Let's have a look at the kitchen so you can see what we're talking about.

So, now you're in the kitchen,

you can probably see why I suggested you might want to open it up.

I can see what you mean, it is quite small.

But I wonder if you did knock this wall down,

you'd lose a lot of storage space and where everything would move to.

It's not really that practical, to be honest.

It's not big enough, the whole thing.

'Also on this floor, next to the dining room, is a WC.

'We've had disappointing responses from Brian and Melissa so far,

'so let's hope we can change the mood upstairs.'

Gorgeous windows up here letting in lots of light. It's brighter.

-Not the hugest of rooms.

-I think our bed would take up the whole...

We do have an extra-large bed.

-It's huge.

-Would you give up the bed?

-No.

'I'm a little concerned.

'Let's see if the next room fares any better.'

This is the other double bedroom. I think it's around the same size.

-It feels a bit enclosed for me.

-Yeah.

It's just too small.

-I think we're too large for the house.

-Mm.

Yeah. I feel like a giant.

'Next door is the family bathroom.

'Across the hall is a third room, which could hold a single bed

'but is currently set up as an office,

'perfect for Melissa to work from home in.

'I'm hoping I can lift their spirits with a little surprise

'I have for them in the back garden.'

This is the garden space at the back.

-You've got a little courtyard.

-Very nice.

Before we talk about this, behind you, I've got a man cave for you.

Fantastic. Excellent.

Is that about the right size?

-It's perfect size...

-Yeah?

-..for my little shed.

So something that's actually the right size in this property!

The question is, of course, how much do you think you'd have to pay for this property?

Bearing in mind I know we're in Surrey,

I think this has to be on the budget if not slightly above,

so I'm going to say...

..400,000.

I'm going to say 370.

-OK. It's on the market at £410,000.

-OK.

-OK.

-So, a little bit above.

-Yep.

-That doesn't surprise me.

-No, not at all.

I think that's...what it's worth, really.

Well, the current asking price is just over budget

at £410,000.

And despite Brian and Melissa's reaction,

it provides a good-sized family home for their money

in highly sought-after Surrey.

The living room boasts an impressive original fireplace

and upstairs there are three bedrooms.

The back courtyard benefits from a sunny southwest aspect

and also houses a man space for Brian.

Location-wise, London is within an hour's commute

and there are good local schools nearby, too.

I think the first house is really pretty. The garden is ideal.

I really think the garden is beautiful.

I think that initially I was expecting to get more for our money.

I'd still like more space.

First impressions were nice. It's a nice feel to it.

But it's like reverse effect of the TARDIS -

you walk in and it gets smaller. Every room needs a lot of work, too,

just to...match our sort of taste, really.

How are you feeling having seen your first property?

I feel excited to see what else is in store because

there were parts of that property that I really liked, like the garden.

-But, obviously, the space was an issue.

-Yeah.

It's a shame, really, because the first impression was really nice.

As prices are high in Surrey, to make their money go further,

we're hopping over the border into Kent,

where things are a little more affordable.

Our second property is in the village of Groombridge.

Just under an hour from London, it has a good selection

of shops and is lined with period properties.

But it's not long before you feel

you're in the heart of the countryside.

Well, after this morning,

we wanted to show you something a bit more rural.

-I think we've done that.

-Yeah.

-You saw the open fields over there.

-Beautiful.

-I like it.

Now, obviously, this time we haven't brought you to a detached house,

because it is attached. How do you feel about that?

-That's not a problem at all.

-I'm absolutely fine with that.

-It looks nice from the outside.

-I like the look of it, definitely.

-Yeah.

You two have a track-record of liking the outside of properties,

and I know that what really counts is how much space you get inside.

-So let's have a look.

-OK.

'Brian and Melissa seem to be open-minded about this property,

'which is good news.

'Let's see if our first room puts a smile on their face.'

Knowing how important the kitchen is, what do you think of this one?

It's nice and light.

Views when you're washing up out onto that open field.

Beautiful. That is lovely.

This way, although it is still relatively narrow,

at least you do open up into the dining space.

-So, space-wise, this is better.

-Space-wise, yes.

-Yes.

It's...

..slight... I feel slightly confined still.

-I like it.

-SHE GASPS

-(They like it.)

-(We like it.)

'I wasn't expecting that.

'I just hope they like the next room, too.'

-Now, second very important room... your study.

-Ah, my office.

-That's nice, that's really nice. As an office, I like this.

-Great.

-So, more ticks.

-Definitely.

-Let's check out the living room.

-(Silence.)

-This is quite smaller than I was expecting.

I don't know, I'm not too sure. I think something had to give in that respect.

I don't think it's that small.

'Next door is a WC.

'And upstairs on the first floor there are two bedrooms -

'a compact single and a more spacious double.

'There's also a modern family bathroom.

'But now I'm hoping to reach new heights with our buyers.'

As well as having two bedrooms and a family bathroom on your middle floor,

up at the top...you've got this.

-This is nice.

-I like it.

-I like the shape of the roof.

I like being in the roof. I've always wanted a room at the top.

And storage-space-wise, you've got a couple of little cupboards here,

but behind here...

..wardrobe space, and then out here, a cupboard.

-Yup.

-The downsizing includes your wardrobe space, I'm afraid.

-Yes.

But what you do get out here is your own bathroom.

A shower room through there, it's a bit of an en-suite.

I like the idea of that. I do like the idea that.

Well, I like the fact that you both seem to like this house

and outside we've even found a man cave for you.

-That's a nice size.

-I like this.

-Look at the amount of space up in there.

-I know.

-That's great.

But I think this could be just mine only, and no-one else's.

When it comes to space,

who wouldn't be impressed by the length of the front garden?

As well as the views of the surrounding fields at the back of the property.

-This is beautiful.

-It's lovely.

It's gorgeous - silence, the fields, and right next to your house.

You've seen everything this house has to offer. Of course,

the all-important question is, how much do you think you'd have to pay?

-I want to say 395,000.

-OK.

I think maybe a little bit less, because we have come out to Kent.

I think probably 375.

-This is on the market at £395,000.

-OK.

Yes, we've come a little bit further out, but you get more for your money.

Yeah. This really is... This is what we wanted.

And that's the thought I want you to stick with. "This is what we wanted."

So go away, spend some time thinking about it.

Spread over three floors,

this barn conversion is just within budget

at £395,000.

The kitchen and dining room offers

open-plan style living

and the cosy sitting room has a feature fireplace.

Plus, there are three bedrooms.

This property isn't detached, but the semi-rural location

provides spectacular country views,

and wonderful walks right on the doorstep.

Plus, there are good schools for Amelie

and London is within an easy commute.

Overall, really like the place, love the surrounding area.

The property's nice, it's a lovely garden.

I couldn't really ask for much more, just a little more space.

We've realised what we need is a lot more than...

what we thought we needed,

so we probably are more fussy and particular.

We thought we'd be very easy-going and easy to please,

but I think this proves that it's a lot more difficult

finding the house that you actually really want.

As the evening draws to a close,

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

After yesterday, I'd say that Brian and Melissa have been

a little bit spoilt with the amount of space they have in their London home.

Yesterday was really a reality check as to how far their budget

will go in Surrey.

So, for our mystery house,

we're going to give them something a little bit different.

They will have to be more flexible with their wish-list,

but it does deliver more space.

And to do that, we've had to hop over the border again,

but this time into West Sussex.

Like Surrey,

West Sussex offers plenty of countryside,

but house prices here are considerably lower.

Our mystery property is in the village of Ashurst Wood.

Packed with pretty period properties,

it also provides a generous helping of neighbourhood amenities.

The train station is a ten-minute drive away,

from where you can reach London in an hour.

Plus, the local school is a convenient 150 yards

from the property.

Our mystery house has a very well-to-do neighbour, Ashurst Abbey.

Formerly a school, this impressive building

now houses luxury apartments.

Set back a little is the abbey's old stable block,

which has also been converted into five properties,

making Brian and Melissa's wish for a detached home a non-starter,

but it offers more in other ways.

The mystery house, here it is.

You get your very own clock tower.

Clock tower's beautiful, I really like that.

-I like it.

-Lovely? You like? Good.

It's a mystery not because all of this belongs to you,

-but because this bit would belong to you.

-OK.

So you'd be attached at either end.

It looks nice. I like the immediate feel of it.

I like the kind of courtyard. Obviously, it's shared.

But I like the look of that.

'They like the shared courtyard, which is good.

'But it's the inside that I think will be the real showstopper,

'providing them with the space they're after.'

-Oh, wow.

-Ah! "Wow".

-Mm-hm.

-Yeah, I like this.

Encouraging sounds coming from Melissa.

Look, you're getting settled already!

Prompting a taking-off of the coat from Brian!

Yeah. Oh, this is lovely, Really like it.

And it even delivers your fireplace.

It's boarded up now but you can open it up and have a working fire.

-So it's a working chimney behind?

-There you go.

-Oh, brilliant.

-I love the size.

-I love the size and I love the height.

-It echoes my voice.

-Oh, no!

Does it echo your living arrangements back in London?

-Is this more what you need?

-Definitely.

-Yes!

-It is bigger.

We finally scored on bigger.

'Fingers crossed this reaction continues, because we're moving on

'to the room that's been the major sticking-point so far.'

-Wow. Now, this is the kitchen I wanted.

-Yes!

-This is mine.

(Fine!)

I had a feeling this is more what you were looking for.

Without a doubt. It's got all the workspace,

it's also got the little bar area so people can sit there.

And lots of storage space.

This is great. And the light coming in from those windows is lovely.

How do you feel about having this as a sort of dining area here?

I think it's great. For breakfast area, I think it's fantastic,

-or a tea area. Erm...

-Friends and family, no.

-No! Not good enough!

-All together at once.

-Yeah.

-You'd need a bit more space for that.

-Yeah, a bit more space.

Good, because there's a dining room next door. Come on.

Is this enough space for you two?

That's a lovely size.

-That's a really nice size.

-Very nice.

-I like it.

-Oh, I can see you really, actually thinking about this one.

-Mm!

-I'm thinking further down the line.

Ah! Let's have a look upstairs.

'The open staircase creates even more light

'and offers a wonderful view of the living room, with that high ceiling.

'Let's hope what I show them next is roomy enough for them, too.'

-Now, this is the master bedroom.

-That's a nice size.

I think you should be able to fit your big bed in here.

They've got a bigger bed so that's good to see.

I'm judging how much you like it by how quiet you've gone, Brian.

-There you go.

-I'm NEVER quiet.

Yeah, you're right there, Denise, definitely.

Up here there's also another double room that's made up

as a children's bedroom.

And there's a family bathroom.

But this house keeps on giving.

Up another flight of stairs, there's even more on offer.

Now, this is really pretty. I really like this. I think it's lovely.

It's lovely and light. I love this wooden arch.

I like the features, this little original cupboard. It's very pretty.

Not only do you get all this space, though, you also get an en-suite.

-Oh, wow. That's a really nice size.

-It is.

-So, you two have lots to think about now.

-Yeah.

You're getting me quite excited, I've got to say,

cos I can feel how much you like this property.

So, come on, let's go downstairs. You can have a bit of a wander round

-and I'll wait for you outside.

-OK.

The communal courtyard is pretty,

but will the ample proportions inside

compensate for the lack of space and a rural aspect outside?

-See, it's a beautiful outside space.

-Yeah.

It's just whether we can live with the close proximity of having

what would be our garden is the access points for the neighbours.

Overall...the size just grabs me and, you know, squeezes me.

Heya. Come and take a seat.

You've had time to have a little bit of a wander round?

Thank you. Yes, we have. We've had a good look round.

And now you want to know how much you'd have to pay, right?

We do. That is the question that we really, actually want to know now.

-OK, so who wants to go first with a guess, then?

-Ladies?

I think it's a little over budget...

But not too much, because of the outside space. So I would say 410.

I'm going to go a little bit higher and say 430.

Well, the bad news is that this property was on the market

at £475,000.

-But that was in July last year.

-OK.

-Since then, recently,

they've dropped it down to offers of 400,000 and over...

-OK.

-..which brings it back into your realm.

-That's interesting to know.

-Mm.

-That's very interesting to know.

-Mm, indeed.

-Mm.

-I think we'll have to think about this one.

-Yeah.

So, let's just go away,

you two have some time on your own and then we'll have a chat about it,

-this whole journey. See where we get to.

-OK.

Right, let's go.

This character clock-house property comes in at the very top

of Brian and Melissa's budget, at exactly £400,000.

But for that, they get a splendid, spacious interior

with high ceilings and superb period features,

set over three floors.

The Continental-style courtyard is communal,

with two neighbours on either side.

On the upside, it's located in the grounds

of the impressive Ashurst Abbey.

But will the interior space and setting be enough?

I really love the house, I think it's beautiful.

I think the space is exactly what we want. My niggle is the outside space,

cos the courtyard is all you've got and it's communal.

And Brian doesn't have his man shed. He said that doesn't matter.

Does he really mean that?

I've got to say, because he does like to get away from me.

Absolutely amazed. It was really nice.

The house was a lot more than we expected.

Definitely a bit of the wow factor there, without a doubt.

Now it's time to me to find out if any of our properties

caught Brian and Melissa's eye.

Well, we've found a spot for you guys to sit down

and enjoy this gorgeous countryside.

It's been a bit of a journey. Let's just reminisce!

Take ourselves back.

We started right in the heart of Surrey,

and I always thought this would be a bit of a challenge for us.

-Your budget's great, but in Surrey it's tricky.

-Yeah.

So what where your first thoughts when we took you to that property?

I loved the garden - small, manageable but perfectly formed. It was absolutely lovely.

Yeah, the first impressions were brilliant. I really did like it.

The house looked big and it was a detached, as well.

That said, once we got inside, everything seemed to shrink.

So, we tried to get you a bit more space.

And to do that, we moved out across the border into Kent.

What did you think of that property? Beautiful views over those fields.

I loved those views. I really did love that. And it was a very, very pretty house.

First impressions, again - outside, fantastic. But once again, inside,

it just seemed a little bit small in that respect.

So, the mystery house, into West Sussex, completely off script,

it was attached, nothing that you were looking for.

However, it did have the space.

The space was amazing. Is amazing.

It's not often I don't have much to say.

But it's when I don't say anything, it means I'm just thinking and thinking and...

Mm, mm...

Really liked it. Much more than what we expected.

-But the mystery house was definitely the wow one for me.

-Without a doubt.

It was the first time I got a wow out of you, so I was really pleased.

So, that said, I think it's clear that was your favourite...

-Yes.

-..it's safe to say.

-Without a doubt.

-How much of a favourite?

How are you feeling about it? What will you do next?

Well, we're going to discuss it when we get home.

I think we need to do some talking about it cos we're both very keen on it.

We've got to think about what we can do with the outside area.

I'm hopeful that this is the one and that you're able to make

those little tweaks to get Amelie out to the school of choice

-and you can start your new life here.

-Thank you so much.

It's been brilliant.

I'm really pleased for Brian and Melissa.

I have to admit, I was a little bit worried at the beginning

that they were going to be too inflexible with their wish-list.

But with the mystery house

they seemed to be finally convinced to make that move.

I'll see you next time on Escape To The Country.

If you'd like to escape to the country in Northern Ireland,

Scotland, Wales or England and need our help,

please apply online at bbb.co.uk/beonashow

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd