Lincolnshire Escape to the Country

Not every day you do this. This is the giant oak of Bowthorpe, thought to be one of the largest

oak trees in Europe. But which county is it in? I'll let you know in a few seconds.

On today's show, I'll be helping a couple of first-time buyers

leave their city life far behind them

and find their forever home in the countryside.

A family is on the cards, but they're still young at heart.

Hiding places. That's what I like about old houses.

You like playing hide and seek? I'm finding out more about you than I really needed to!

And there's our mystery house. But will it fulfil all their dreams?

-You've thrown a spanner in the works now.

-What do you mean by that?

Welcome to Lincolnshire, home to this giant oak,

which has been standing here for more than 1,000 years.

It measures a whopping 13m in circumference. That's a big oak!

There are quite a few stories as to what it's been used for.

One previous owner used to shelter his calves underneath it,

so a unique residence.

But there's plenty that's unique about this beautiful county.

Situated on the east coast and spanning over 2,500 square miles,

Lincolnshire is England's fourth largest county.

In the centre of the county are the gently undulating Lincolnshire wolds,

which served as inspiration for one of its most famous sons,

the poet Alfred Lord Tennyson.

To the south east of the county are the low lying Fens,

which were reclaimed from the sea in the 18th and 19th century.

This land provides some of the richest soils in the country for arable farming.

Indeed, farming is the county's main source of revenue

and Lincolnshire produces more than a quarter of the nation's vegetables.

It's time to find out what today's house hunters are looking for in their new property.

South African Ryan and Derbyshire lass Stephanie

tied the knot 18 months ago.

They've been renting this four-bedroom terrace house in east London for around six years,

but now they're keen to head to the country.

We want to start a family and we don't particularly want to bring kids up in London.

Steph and I are both very outdoorsy people.

With the impending plans for a family,

being settled in the right location is all important to them.

Steph and I have decided to look in Lincolnshire

because we believe you get a lot more for your money there.

Although they are first time buyers,

Ryan and Stephanie have a clear vision of what they want their new home to deliver.

A large, old building with lots of character,

and maybe a little bit of land.

Definitely four to five bedrooms.

Wooden floors, exposed beams, even an outhouse like a barn that needs to be fixed up.

Something that would give me a bit more outdoor...

Space for all your tools and stuff.

But the wish list doesn't end there.

We want it to be relatively close to a village.

We don't want to be driving miles to get to the closest shop.

This is a big move for both of them

but, luckily, Stephanie knows her own mind and, it seems, Ryan's too!

You want a very open plan downstairs living area,

whereas I would like to have somewhere where you can close kids

and other people away and have a bit of privacy.

Part of that privacy will hopefully be found in a room

where Stephanie can focus on her passion for dressmaking.

Though I'm not sure Ryan's convinced she deserves it.

-Who do you think has the final say?

-Of course, I do.

I don't think that's true.

No matter who gets the final say,

one thing they are both agreed on are the finances.

The budget for this move is £250,000

but obviously we're looking for a property

where we might want to do some work on it so £250,000 is the maximum,

including all work that we will be doing.

For Ryan and Stephanie, we'll be focusing our search

around the market town of Spalding,

which is within striking distance of Peterborough,

which is where Ryan's new job will be based.

We've cherry-picked three fantastic houses to whet our buyers' appetite.

But I won't tell them what they're on the market for until they've guessed the price themselves.

And for our mystery house, we've lined up a property

that will offer our buyers the ultimate in secluded country living.

-Welcome to Lincolnshire. How are you?

-Fine, thanks.

-Looking forward to it?

-Yes.

-Very much so.

How serious are you about making the move to Lincolnshire?

Now that my job is definite, we're definitely going ahead with the move.

-So there's big pressure really to find somewhere.

-Yes. I would say so.

Yes. So find somewhere, Jones! So what are you looking for?

At least four bedrooms, decent size garden, fireplace.

A relatively old building. We don't want a brand-new house.

Something with a garage or a barn we can turn into a workshop or a studio for Steph.

-Yeah.

-Anything else?

-Erm, I think...

-I was joking!

-That's about it.

-Phew! That's quite an extensive list.

I have heard there's a bit of disagreement

as far as open plan living and separate living goes.

Yeah. Ryan would really like a whole open plan downstairs area,

but I'm not so keen, especially if we have kids.

It might be nice to have somewhere to close them in.

What about budget?

£250,000 is the top whack,

but if we need to do any work on it or anything,

all the work needs to be included in that.

OK. I hope we can find you the right property. Shall we get going?

-Let's do that.

-Come on, then.

Ryan and Stephanie's maximum budget is £250,000.

For that, this couple have got a big wish list.

They're after a character property with an open fireplace.

A minimum of four bedrooms and a sizeable garden.

But they also want a large garage or barn

where they can store Ryan's bikes and tools

and create a studio space for Stephanie's dressmaking.

Our first property is situated close to the village

of Gedney Dyke in the south east of the county,

which is 23 miles north of Peterborough,

which is where Ryan will be working.

Gedney Dyke is a charming mix of 18th and 19th century buildings.

It's got all the amenities they'll need, with a village shop and post office.

and there are plenty of community activities run from the village hall.

Our first property is a detached cottage which has been updated

and extended in recent years.

It sits on a large plot and offers very spacious accommodation.

-You're probably wondering why I've brought you here.

-Yeah.

This could be your first-time buy together. What do you think?

I think it's really nice. It's got the double garage we're looking for.

-The garden looks nice.

-You're saying all the right things.

-Shall we go inside? Let's hope that smile on your face stays.

-OK.

Well, what a great reaction.

I hope the interior keeps those smiles coming.

-Let me bring you through to the kitchen.

-Wow.

-That's really nice, I like the floor.

-Ceramic tiles throughout.

Nice, decent-sized.

Is this big enough for you?

Yes, I think so. The only slight issue might be counter space.

It doesn't look like it has a huge amount of counter space.

We'll have more of a look, I'm sure we will.

-So far, so good.

-I like it.

-Excellent. Good, good, good.

Let's go through to the living room. Follow me.

You've got the tiles continuing into the living room.

I like this. It's very light. I like the doors into the garden.

-It's quite cosy though, isn't it?

-It is. Very light.

-I don't like dark, dingy rooms.

-This is not a dark, dingy room.

-Not at all.

-Excellent, OK. Let's go upstairs.

-Perfect.

I'll squeeze through you. Thank you.

Downstairs, there's also a cloakroom and a handy utility room,

along with a double garage that can be accessed from the house.

Let's see what they make of the rooms on the first floor.

Let me bring you into this bedroom. What do you think?

It's a bit small, to be honest.

There isn't much room when you've got a double bed.

-Is this the main bedroom in the house?

-No.

-I'm keeping it up my sleeve.

-In that case, that's a fair-sized room.

You say it may be a bit on the small side, you say it's OK.

It's an average-sized room, I think.

-You know that other bedroom I had up my sleeve?

-Yes.

Let's go and have a look at it.

'That's not quite the response I was looking for.

'Let's see if the next room will bring them round.'

This I would imagine would be your room.

Oh, wow. I like this. Much bigger size.

They've got a huge wardrobe in here as well

which I don't know if you have wardrobes that size.

What you haven't noticed yet is it's also en suite.

-Great.

-A good sized en suite.

-That's a big plus.

-It's a good room, isn't it?

-It is.

-Again, very bright.

-Lots of windows.

Once again, the red brick and nice high ceilings.

I'm really glad you like the red brick.

-I think we'd have been pretty doomed if you didn't.

-I do like it.

It's not overpowering because it's only one wall in each room.

What do you think?

-I like it.

-Impressed.

-Very impressed.

-Very impressed!

-Yeah.

-Shall we go outside?

-Let's do that.

-Why not?

Also on this level is a family bathroom,

a fair-sized single bedroom

and a fourth bedroom that's currently being used as storage.

Outside, there's a huge garden extending to the front

and rear of this property.

What do you think? The whole plot of land is half an acre.

The house is basically in the middle of that plot.

So, you've seen everything and you're both smiling, which is good. Let's talk money, shall we?

-What do you think this house is on the market for?

-I reckon 235,000.

£235,000. How about you, Ryan?

-I'll go for 230.

-£230,000.

I can tell you that the house is currently on the market

for £259,950.

Before you say anything, the current owner is willing to listen

to offers around the £250,000 mark.

-OK.

-So it's at the top end of our budget.

So, for a shade under £260,000,

this detached cottage has plenty of space.

It has a sizable kitchen and dining room,

four bedrooms and a double garage, perfect for Ryan's man space.

It would also work as a studio for Stephanie.

There's also a large garden to the front and back

with views over the open fields.

-Seen enough?

-Yes, we have.

Come on, let's get into the car.

Lincolnshire is a county with very fertile land,

and there are a number of local producers

who are championing real food, a return to making it in the traditional way.

I've come to meet Dave Dobson, who runs the Barefoot Bakery in Spalding,

which supplies low-cost organic bread

using only locally-sourced ingredients.

Today, Dave is going to pass on some of his baking secrets.

-This is a batch that I did 12 hours ago.

-Right. Wow!

-It's really like a marshmallow.

-Goodness. Oh, wow.

So, that tiny amount of yeast, because it's been given the time, has done all that work.

'Now the dough has risen, it's ready to be prepped for the oven.

So you're just going to go...

-So we're cutting from there?

-Yeah.

-HE GASPS

-Oh!

-Was that right?

-Yes, but no fear.

-So, push in and pull back?

-Push in and pull back.

-OK. Hooray!

-I've done something right.

-Perfect.

Fantastic. How exciting.

'Now, they do say that a watched loaf never bakes.

'Actually, I've just made that up.

-'Still, I can't take my eyes off this one.'

-We're going to...

Well, you can, actually. Just push it in, and your loaf will land on.

Push it right to the back, strong.

And then just pull back, and it will come with it. Absolutely perfect.

It's hot! Funny, that. What an idiot.

Shall I put it down here?

That's fine.

Dave cuts down on food miles by delivering his bread to schools

and other places where his customers will already be gathering.

Right, let's deliver some bread.

You've got a very special one.

-I'm very sorry, but I made this one. So don't choke on it.

-You did not!

Well, it's good to see one lot of satisfied customers

stocking up on this local bread.

But, for now, we're returning back to our house hunt.

Our second property is close to the village of Holbeach Bank,

which is set in the middle of an agricultural landscape.

Conveniently for Ryan and Stephanie, there's a large primary school here.

The property I'm showing them is a detached farmhouse

which has been extended to provide generous living accommodation.

-Just checking for that smile.

-Yeah, still there.

-Hey-hey!

The current owners of this property call this spot their little oasis.

-It's surrounded by farmland.

-I can see why.

-It's nice, isn't it?

What we've got here, this part of the house is 200 years old.

It was renovated in the 19th century

and the current owners did some work in 2004.

It looks like a lovely place.

Lots to explore, not just in the house but in the garden as well.

He even said if you want to buy the house

and you want the Mini with it, he'll do you a deal on it.

-Oh, really!

-Your face - wa-hey!

-I love Minis.

-Do you? It might be a deal cruncher.

-Shall we go in?

-Yeah, let's go.

Let's hope she loves the interior of this house as much as the car.

Come on through to the kitchen.

-She's surveying.

-Yeah, I am. More counter space than the last place.

But not quite as much... rest of the area.

This is the kitchen, so not a kitchen diner.

-A very modern kitchen.

-Yeah.

-It's different.

It's nice, it's bigger than the other place, like you said, the kitchen counter space.

-I like the sink as well.

-It's got the sink you wanted.

Through here you've got - it may seem strange -

the family bathroom. A really good, big family bathroom

and a utility room as well.

-Great.

-All in one. I'll let you explore that later

-but I think we should go through to the dining room.

-OK.

Got some storage space here, for your Hoover.

I don't know if you do Hoover. This is the dining room.

-It's a nice spacious room. You've got exposed beams.

-The original beams.

-That's lovely.

You're both smiling, saying kind of the right things

but you're not both going wow!

-We liked the cottage. The other house was a bit modern.

-Too modern.

Perfect and straight. But this, you've got curves and bends

and not everything's level which is what we are looking for.

Little cupboards hidden everywhere, little hiding places.

-That's what I like about old houses.

-You like playing hide-and-seek.

I'm finding more about you than I really needed to!

Come on, let's carry on.

Let's have a look.

-If it's a cosy living room you're after...

-Yeah, it's nice.

-It's a lovely size room.

-You say it with surprise in your voice.

No, because the other rooms have been quite a bit smaller.

I was expecting this to be a similar size

but it's much bigger than I'd anticipated.

-Do you like it?

-Yeah, I do like it. Very much.

-Good. You too?

-So far, so good.

-Is it big enough for you?

-I think so, yeah.

OK, there's loads more to see so we should

-venture upstairs and let's see if you're still smiling then.

-OK.

-Come on.

Downstairs seems to be getting a lot of positives.

Let's see if we can build on that momentum upstairs.

This is currently the master bedroom. Very bright.

-Yeah, big as well.

-It is a big room. Nice high ceilings as well.

I'm impressed.

-Are you?

-Yeah.

-Can you imagine you here?

-I could, yeah.

Definitely.

It hasn't got any of that modern factor in it

which we weren't looking for.

-That's good.

-It ticks that box as well.

-Good.

-Exciting.

-Come on, then.

'Now, there's a lot to discover in this house. It's full of surprises.'

We're above the garage. As you can see,

there is a really good-sized bathroom.

-Yeah.

-And I want to show you a really magnificent bedroom, as well.

-I've got an idea for this.

-OK.

You see, if you didn't fancy the other bedroom,

which didn't have the en suite at the moment, you could have this

as your master kind of part of the house, couldn't you?

-I like the door window.

-It's beautiful, isn't it?

-Overlooking the garden. It couldn't be more natural.

-This could be a main bedroom.

-It's got a lot of potential, in a good way.

-Oh, excellent.

-I really like it.

I'm really glad you like inside.

Of course, there's the garden, as well, which is important.

-So shall we take a look?

-Of course.

'I tell you, I really like it when people can see potential.

'There are two single bedrooms upstairs, which would make

'perfect children's rooms in the future.

'Ryan and Stephanie also wanted lots of outdoor space.

'I hope they'll be impressed with the quarter of an acre

'of pretty garden that comes with the property.'

You've got strawberries, but imagine the fruit and vegetable patch you could have with all that.

OK, all this comes at a price.

You went first last time, so I think you should go this time.

-What do you reckon?

-230 again.

-So, same price as the last property.

-How about you, what do you reckon?

-I reckon 245,000.

Oh, OK. Close. You're good.

-£246,500.

-That's not bad.

-I'm delighted you like this.

I think you're right in the fact that it has got potential, and also a lovely feel.

It's got a lot of character, as well.

So, for just under £247,000,

this detached farm offers extensive accommodation.

There's a large kitchen and dining room.

There are four good-sized bedrooms along with a garage and workshop.

What's more, there's a large, rambling garden.

Let's take stock, and then we'll start again tomorrow. How's that?

-Sounds good.

-I'll even drive you back.

-Thanks.

-I'm all heart!

As the day draws to an exciting close over the Lincolnshire landscape,

our buyers could be one step closer to finding their first ever home.

So, here we go again.

It's a brand-new day, and our search continues

to find Ryan and Stephy their dream property here in Lincolnshire.

I wonder if a good night's sleep has dampened Stephy's enthusiasm for the second property.

You know, the one with the Mini? She absolutely loved it.

Ryan wasn't as convinced. Has his head now ruled her heart?

It's time to bring on the mystery property.

And for a sizeist girl that thinks that big is beautiful,

we're showing them massive, but with a twist.

For the mystery house, we're taking Ryan and Stephanie

further north to the village of Thornton-Le-Fen,

which is nine miles from the town of Boston.

One of the town's most famous landmarks is the magnificent medieval church of St Botolph's,

which is one of the highest church towers in Britain.

The town is also home to the Maud Foster mill, one of the UK's tallest working windmills.

I'm showing them a detached cottage which has a very unusual entrance.

It's got the four bedrooms our buyers want, but it's currently two separate cottages,

and needs some work to turn it into a family dwelling.

-So, this is your very own bridge.

-Can you get a car over it?

-You can. Plenty strong.

-So, what do you think?

-Fantastic bridge.

-I like it.

-Yes, you've really thrown a spanner in the works now.

What do you mean by that?

Well, from what I can see from here, it's sort of what we're looking for.

-Shall we go inside?

-Yeah, let's.

-Come on.

'I'm taking them straight into the kitchen,

'which I think Ryan and Stephanie could put their own stamp on.'

You've got the original tiled flooring there.

-And you may have spied the utility room with...?

-A pantry.

-Yeah, a walk-in pantry.

-I'm impressed. I like it.

-You wanted one of those.

-I like the sink.

-And the range?

And the range, yes.

-It's not a giant kitchen.

-It's got a lot of potential.

-Which is what we were looking for.

-Yeah.

You're thinking work surfaces, aren't you?

Yeah, but I'm thinking there's a lot that still could be done to it.

You've got a living room behind you, which I won't take you to now.

We'll go upstairs, I think. OK?

'With spirits high, we're going up to the first floor,

'as there's a surprise about the downstairs layout

'I want to keep up my sleeve.'

Lots of wood. Wooden staircase, you've also got this sort of wooden stud wall.

-I don't know what you would do with this room.

-I like it.

It is obviously smaller than the second house we saw yesterday,

-but it's still...

-What you've got here is two bedrooms, similar size.

The other one is probably a little bit brighter, actually,

because it overlooks your garden. You've also got a good-sized family bathroom,

and a fireplace you could reinstate.

-You'd have to get it checked, of course.

-It's an average-sized room.

-I love all the wooden floors.

-Yeah.

-There's a lot you could do with this place.

-Your mind's racing.

-It is.

-It's good. I like it.

-OK, shall we go downstairs

-and I'll show you the living room?

-Yes.

-You're saying all the right things.

-Good.

'So, they are making all the right noises thus far.

'There's more of this property to show them.'

Again, you've got the tiled flooring in the living room as well.

-Wow!

-Come closer. What do you think?

-I like the fire.

-Yes, a multi-fuel burner.

-Got the fireplace.

It's a bit small, but I like it.

It must be quite cosy in the winter with a fire going.

This property comes with a sunroom, as well. Shall we wander into it?

-Yeah.

-Let's have a look.

-Nice and bright out here.

-Yeah, it is.

And that's your garden, an acre.

-There is one thing I haven't told you.

-What?

Well, actually, the house you've just seen is replicated exactly there.

And it's all your house.

So actually, if you divide this down the middle, you are getting two for one.

So you could be sitting there in your house,

and you could be sitting here in your house.

That's actually perfect! You can do what you want in your side

of the house, and I'll do what I want my side.

Let's go and have a little peek. Come on.

So, you see? Exactly the same.

You have got the dining room/living room,

so you could knock it through and have one big living room.

-With one giant fireplace in the middle.

-Now you're talking!

-Possible.

Voice of reason behind us!

-And the kitchen.

-Identical kitchen again.

-I'm impressed.

-Let's pop out to the garden.

-Perfect.

Upstairs has two further bedrooms and a good-sized family bathroom.

Outside, there's an extensive paddock with its own woodshed, workshop and stables.

-I'm very excited about this property.

-You are?

-I am, yes.

-Yeah, me too. I like it.

-It ticks almost every box.

-We've just got to get to the price now.

-So, what do you reckon?

-What do you think it's on the market for?

-I'd say about 245.

Go on, you go, Ryan. What do you think?

I'm going to go with what I have been saying all along, and say 230.

It's currently on the market for £250,000.

And that's exactly what the current owner wants for it. At the moment, non-negotiable.

It's leaving us with a lot to think about.

For £250,000, this detached farmhouse has not one, but two kitchens.

There's a cosy sitting room and spacious dining room,

both of which open onto a sun lounge.

It also has four bedrooms, and it's situated within

an acre of garden that includes a workshop and two stables.

-We'll catch up with each other later?

-Perfect. Sounds good.

I think it's fair to say that Ryan and Stephy have found

positives in all the properties that we've shown them.

They've tried hard to imagine what it would be like to live in all three houses.

The question is, do they like any of them enough to make imagination turn into reality?

Let's find out.

Well, we've done quite a bit of travelling in the last few days.

-We have.

-We've seen a lot. Let's start with the first property.

You seemed positive when we walked up to it. You liked it.

I did, but now thinking back on it, I think it was just too modern.

I think we'd have got bored in that house.

Your face was a picture when you saw the second property.

-You loved it.

-Yeah, I did.

-That was a really nice, quaint little house.

-You needed some convincing.

It was sort of the top of the budget, almost,

and there was things we would like to do to it

like remove one of the staircases and expand the kitchen a bit.

-The third one really has thrown a spanner in the works.

-Yes, it has.

It had a lot of potential, a lot of things that could be done to it.

So, yes, in its own way, wonderful.

So, what are you going to do?

I think within the next month or two, we'll be back.

We'll contact estate agents and definitely revisit both properties.

-I think sooner than that!

-Within the next month.

-Friday?

-OK.

-You're keen! She'll be moving in on Monday.

-You don't want to go home!

-I don't.

-She might have found a new home.

-That's true.

-It's been great meeting you.

-Yeah, you too.

-Really good fun.

And that's it from Lincolnshire,

where two of our properties have really hit the mark.

You know, with Stephy's passion and energy and Ryan's methodical mind and positivity,

I'm sure it won't be long until they find their ideal home in this beautiful county.

Until next time, goodbye.

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