Wales Escape to the Country

Buried deep beneath my feet is a material that's become popular with house owners the world over.

It was discovered here nearly two centuries ago and is still being mined today with high demand.

So where am I? Find out in a moment.

'In today's show, I help a retired couple escape to North Wales.

'I'm brimming with confidence about our first two properties.'

-You like it?

-Stunning.

-A good start! I haven't even got to it yet!

-A good early start, believe me.

'But will our mystery house push our buyers over the edge?'

-It's the worry.

-I'm getting into the project but I don't think I'm being pulled in very hard.

I'm in the county of Gwynedd in North Wales,

an area famous for its slate.

Below me is the old Meirionydd vein.

When it was discovered in 1836, it transformed this region

into an important natural resource in the Victorian industrial age.

At its peak, North Wales produced four-fifths of all slate quarried in Britain.

But there's no doubt that today, this part of the country has a lot more to offer than its geology.

With the Snowdonia National Park to the east and the Lleyn Peninsula to the west,

Gwynedd is home to some of the most stunning landscapes in Britain.

The coastline offers up mud flats, secluded coves and rocky cliffs

reaching over 1,100 feet at points.

Head inland and this scenery gives way to the rugged peaks and valleys of its mountain ranges,

separating it from the rest of the UK. Traditional cottages and smallholdings,

built using local limestone and slate, dot the hillside.

With so much on offer, it's clear why this area is such an attractive proposition.

Meet our buyers, Jamal and Dee. For the last 15 years,

they've called this chalet bungalow in North London home. Keen artists and travellers,

both took early retirement from their careers in accountancy and psychology.

They're ready to leave the bright lights of London behind them in favour of more sedate surroundings.

We'd like to move to North Wales, preferably around Snowdonia National Park area

or the Lleyn Peninsula, an area we know quite well.

After researching the move on the internet, their yearning to escape is stronger than ever.

But it's not just countryside that they're after.

I like old, ancient properties with interesting features, nooks and crannies,

old floors, panels. That kind of thing is what I like.

-The wish list doesn't end there.

-I'd like to have at least three bedrooms.

We need two bathrooms... a big reception room, preferably, because we love entertaining.

-And...

-Must have outbuildings so we can have our studios for our darkrooms and paint mixing

-and our sculpting. All of those things.

-'Two bathrooms and two studios is a tall order,

'plus Dee loves horse-riding, so ideally they'd like a stable or paddock as well.

'All of that won't be easy to find, so I'm wondering if they're against getting their hands dirty

-'to help make their dream come true.'

-The property we'd really like

should be one that doesn't need a lot of work. We've taken early retirement not to become builders

-but actually...

-And we're useless at DIY, frankly.

-Yes.

'OK, then. That means the financing for the move is all-important.'

Our budget for this move will be £450,000.

'We're focusing today's house search in the county of Gwynedd,

'home to the picturesque Lleyn Peninsula and the wilderness of the Snowdonia National Park.

'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.

'Then, of course, there's our mystery house, which will provide our buyers with new possibilities.'

-Jamal and Diane, lovely to meet you both.

-Good to meet you, too.

Now you've both decided you want to make Wales your home.

Wales is known for its beauty, but why this part so much?

It's just so beautiful. They've got fantastic wild coastlines

and mountains and although you get to see that around the world, it just draws me back all the time.

So this is your escape. Are you united in your vision of what you're looking for in a house?

I think for our dream home, we'll know exactly what it is as soon as we see it. We have no idea

-what it is going to be. But as soon as we see it, we'll know it.

-I'm loving the challenge!

-Shall we hit the road?

-Yes.

-Great.

'To finance their new home, Jamal and Dee have a healthy budget of £450,000.

'They're quite open-minded, but do know they want a property with plenty of character,

'two bathrooms, two art studios and room for a pony.

'We're taking Jamal and Dee directly to their dream destination.

'The Lleyn Peninsula has it all - dramatic coastlines, tons of local farmland

'and views of the Snowdonia mountain range. It's hard to find a more striking landscape.

'Our first property is just under two miles away from the village of Llithfaen.

'With a tight-knit community, it has a small shop for essentials and at its heart a local pub.

'I hope this white-stone farmhouse with a barn and extra outbuildings sets us off

'on the right foot.'

And this is the set-up. We've got a barn here.

-OK.

-Behind us, we've got the pigsties and storage space,

-which we thought could make fantastic studio space for not one, but two.

-Yeah.

-Definite potential. The setting is just stunning.

-You like it?

-Stunning.

-What a good early start!

-It's a good early start!

-Believe me.

-Ready to step inside?

-Definitely.

-Yes. Looking forward to it.

-Welcome to the farmstead.

-Wow. It's really amazing.

Isn't that gorgeous?

-Oooh!

-I like this.

This is really, really interesting.

-I can see Jamal is taking it all in!

-Yes, I'm...

-Absorbing.

-Slowly absorbing.

-Keep absorbing. We'll take you to the kitchen now.

You really do have a proper country kitchen here.

-Yeah, definitely.

-A real country kitchen.

-It is.

-The windows...

-Look how small that one is.

-They're so pretty. So cute.

'So far, so good,

'but there's still plenty more to see.' Step through here...

-into, I think, a very cute sitting room.

-It is.

You've got a wood fire burner there, very nice character windows. It's got a nice feel to it.

-It's characterful.

-Very.

'On this level of the house there's also a family bathroom and a double bedroom.

'The stepladder in the library area leads to another good-size room, currently used for guests.

'By the main entrance, a second set of stairs takes you to the master bedroom with walk-in wardrobe.

'Back outside, I've got another surprise in store.'

Now...

-Step inside the barn.

-Oh, wow!

OK.

This is really nice. Really nice.

-Yes, this could be the big dining area.

-Absolutely.

-It depends on what else there is.

If you've got guests.

-You've got a double bedroom through there.

-Right.

And on the other side of the kitchen, in this direction, well, let me show you.

-It's a nice, big room.

-It's got a lot of space.

-And its own wood burner.

-Yeah. Very interesting. And the mystery staircase.

-It takes you to one other bedroom.

-Ah, I see.

-It's a twin at the moment, but could easily take a double bed.

Through there is another bedroom, so you've got three in total, two here and one at the very end.

And that's a surprise. The property just goes on.

-It just keeps giving and giving.

-It does!

'Jamal and Dee's responses are all very positive.

'Surrounding the house is 1.5 acres of land, which includes a paddock,

'perfect for Dee's aspirations to own a horse. Topping it all off, these glorious views.'

Is this what you both had in mind?

-Yes, it's glorious. The setting is really nice.

-It really is, actually, more than I was imagining.

Now you've showed us the extra accommodation, it's just fallen into place, really.

It's the big question mark now. Guess the price.

-How much is this property currently on the market for?

-I'm going to say 450,000

-because I can't imagine it being really any less than that.

-OK.

-4...30.

-The current asking price is £435,000.

-£15,000 is quite a few pennies in your pocket.

-Yeah.

-Go and have another wander.

-Take your time. I'll catch up with you later.

-Brilliant. Thanks.

On the market for £435,000, this 16th-century property certainly has much to offer.

The homestead is bursting at the seams with character features Jamal and Dee both love.

The converted barn boasts a magnificent double height ceiling.

There's plenty of room for guests, with six bedrooms in all.

And there's the two required bathrooms, which should keep Jamal happy.

There's also outbuildings and land.

Potentially, this property could be my dream home. It's in a lovely rural setting,

you've got fantastic scenery.

It's got a lovely feel to it. I could probably be quite happy here.

Generally, the feel of the property has been very encouraging. I'm looking forward to the second!

Our property search has brought us a little further south from the Lleyn Peninsula,

just a short drive from Llanbedr.

It boasts a friendly family butcher and other independently-run shops,

plus there's a church and local pub.

There are plenty of opportunities lining the streets here.

With property number one, it was love at first sight for Dee. Jamal played it closer to his chest.

Time to see how our next offering goes down.

Before I explain our second property, what do you think?

-I love the setting and the fact that it's sitting in a little hollow.

-It nestles.

-Nestles is the word.

-Because at the very beginning,

you both said to me that you knew straight away if you'd like a house.

There's always a little trepidation as we walk to a property.

-This is a traditional Grade II Snowdonian house.

-Right.

-Built in 1585.

-Wow.

-But it was extended around 1650 by Colonel John Jones.

-Quite recently, then(!)

-Yes!

-Now he went on to marry Catherine, who was Oliver Cromwell's sister.

-Oh, gosh.

So this property has a pedigree. It was built really as a gentleman's house.

-Looks good from the outside.

-We have to see if we deserve to live in it!

-Let's start the tour.

-So quite a narrow corridor.

-Right.

-But it does lead...

-Oh, lovely.

-..into this spectacular room.

-You've got the exposed beams.

-Yep.

-Huge inglenook fireplace.

-Yes.

-If you look to the left,

-that ornate bread oven.

-Wonderful.

-So for your needs, would this work?

-Yes. For a living area it's enough for us.

-Yeah.

-It's what we need.

It's very charming. Definitely.

'Let's hope they're equally charmed by the other rooms I show them.'

So up these steps...

leads through

-to a very spacious kitchen.

-Right. Well, I wasn't expecting this.

-This is rather lovely.

-How does this work for you for entertaining space?

-It works perfectly.

-Yeah, it does.

It's beautifully put together. It's a really good space.

So up these stairs - fabulous slate flagstones, centuries old -

-it's actually a study through there.

-OK.

-But we're going to continue up here.

-So up this staircase is the master bedroom.

-Lovely.

-Wow.

Yep, this is very nice. Very nice.

I always like it when you walk into a room and you go, "Wow!"

-It's got a good space, it's very light.

-Look at those wonderful views

-It's got fantastic views.

-Yes.

-It's beginning to feel like a gentleman's home and I'm beginning to feel I deserve living here.

'As befitting any gentleman, this room also has an en-suite bathroom.

'Next door, there's another spacious double

'and a short hop across the hall finds a third and fourth bedroom with more of those fabulous beams,

'but if that's not enough to win their hearts,

'I've got something special that might just steal the show.'

There is one further room I want to show you two because this could be the most fantastic studio.

Now, it's not very lady-like. The things I do to sell a house!

-Jamal, you might get a good view from where you are, but Diane, follow me through.

-I'm through.

-So what do you think?

-Wow, my own train set!

It would be a travesty to take this out. However, if you did, this could make the most amazing space.

-It certainly could.

-This'll do me as a studio. What about Dee?

-Ah!

-We'll find something for Dee.

'So Jamal's pinched the attic for his art studio,

'but this outbuilding could be a great space for Dee.

'Round the back of the house are stables

'and next door there's a paddock which the current owners rent from a local farmer,

'perfect for Dee's dream of owning a horse.

'Plus, there's a well-tended garden.'

-So, hopefully, we've covered everything for you with that wish list.

-Yeah, you have.

-Yes.

Now the question is - how much is it all worth?

I think we're getting there,

so I think it's going to be £449,999.

I'm going to go a little bit higher than our budget. I'll say 460,000.

Jamal is close once again.

-Oh, dear(!)

-The asking price is £445,000.

I would say for this property it's a very good price.

A very good price. It's a beautiful location.

And this property has presence.

Have another look around on your own. There's plenty to explore.

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

-Fantastic.

-Thank you.

At £445,000, this property is towards the top end of Jamal and Dee's budget.

The reception hall and drawing room both have open beam ceilings, as do the four bedrooms.

The master bedroom has an en-suite, giving us the two bathrooms,

which is high on Jamal's wish list.

There's also potential for art studios and the opportunity to rent the paddock next door.

We've had a good look at the property.

There were lots of surprises in the property, as well as in the grounds.

So all in all, I really do like this property.

It's a property I could grow into. It's a very charming property.

There are a few little issues regarding space,

but generally, um...I think it is a lovely, lovely house.

'As the sun begins to cast its shadow on the Lleyn Peninsula,

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

Yesterday was certainly an interesting day -

two properties and two very positive reactions,

but I don't think we found something to suit them both.

Now, Diane, she lost her heart to the first house. With Jamal, it was the second.

So will our mystery house today be the house that they both fall in love with?

Now, if it's a slice of the Welsh countryside they're after,

then the mystery property is my trump card,

but as ever, things are never quite that straightforward.

'Situated just inside the boundaries of the Snowdonia National Park

'is the popular town of Tremadog with a thriving community full of history and heritage.

'However, it's also the surrounding countryside that makes our next property extra-special.

'Secluded in the Cwm Pennant Valley,

'the dramatic views should get Jamal and Dee's paintbrushes twitching.'

Well, normally, we would start off with a house tour,

but how often do you stand in the middle of the Snowdonia National Park with this view?

It is amazing. You could sit here for ever and just look.

-Yes, you've got the river there.

-You're quite taken with this location?

-I love it.

-We haven't seen the inside of the house yet, but...

-We can see the house from here.

To the left of it you'll notice the barn.

-It would make the most fantastic artist's studio.

-It would make a brilliant studio.

I could see those as studios quite easily.

'Before we look at the house, I want to show them the glorious back garden.'

-Would you like to know how much land comes with this property?

-Comes WITH it?

-Yeah.

-Yes.

-OK. So you've got Gyfyng Rock that we saw when we first arrived.

-OK.

-The whole of the rock to the other side...

Keep following it down, so it goes back down into the valley.

-Yeah.

-There's about three acres of woodland down the bottom.

That's all yours, so we're still going.

Keep travelling around, follow the stream and then all the way back.

-All 28 acres.

-Wow!

-Oh, my goodness! That is unbelievable.

We'll have to buy a lot of sheep.

Jamal, I haven't shown you the house yet, but what do you think so far?

-There's a lot to take in.

-I think you're going to let me down somewhere.

-That's why you've kept the house till the end.

-Would I ever let you down?

'We'll have to wait and see.

'I just hope this anti-DIY couple can see past all the renovating

'and recognise the immense potential this house has.'

-Come into the mystery house.

-OK.

This is a house with fantastic potential, but it's also a project with a capital P.

-Yes, and a capital W for "work".

-Yes, definitely.

'And this is just the start.

'Either side of the hallway there are two reception rooms

'and ahead lies the kitchen.'

-So this is the oldest part of the house.

-OK, there is a little bit of potential here.

-A bit of an overhaul.

-A bit of an overhaul and quite a lot of work.

-Next door, there's the bathroom. It gives you an idea of what would need to be done.

-Sure, sure.

-However, just standing here, you know what's through that door.

-Yeah.

-That spectacular view.

-If you set the house straight,

you wouldn't want to live anywhere else, basically. It's got fantastic potential.

-Hmm.

-Jamal's very quiet.

-He's always very quiet. It's all this...

-Pondering.

-Pondering.

-I can practically hear the cogs going round.

-It's the worry, I think.

Yes, I'm getting into the project, but I don't think I'm being pulled in very hard right now.

'But as soon as I'm out of earshot, Dee and Jamal start hatching plans.'

You see, I was thinking that this could be something like...

-Having the second bathroom in here?

-Yeah, exactly, having a bathroom.

You could walk from that main bedroom into here.

Again you're talking a lot of money, aren't you?

-And you're giving up a very nice room for a bathroom.

-Yeah, yeah.

'They don't have to sacrifice this room

'because down the hall there's a toilet that could be transformed into an en-suite for Jamal,

'plus there are three more light and airy double bedrooms for when guests come to stay,

'making four bedrooms in total.'

Ah, happy, smiling faces! Is this a good sign?

You've seen everything there is to see, so I think time for "guess the price".

-How much do you think all this is worth?

-I think 420.

I think it's more, but I'll say 400,000 because I'm almost hoping it's going to be something like that.

Would you be happy if I told you the asking price...

..is £395,000?

THEY CHUCKLE

-That's something to think about very seriously indeed.

-Mm-hm.

-Before I leave you with that thought, there's a second option with this property.

-Is there?

-You could buy the house...

-Yes.

-..two and a half acres of land...

-Yes.

-..plus the barn for a different price.

-Ah!

You'd still have the stream running through.

They are looking at £250,000 for that.

Oh, crikey! Are they?

-Well, I mean, you know, that's...

-Is that good news? That's all I need to know now.

-It's extraordinary news.

-Yes.

-It's made your mystery house into our mystery house.

-Yes.

Let's go somewhere quiet where you can gather your thoughts. It's a lot to go through.

At £395,000, the mystery house fits easily in budget.

The main house needs work, but there are some lovely original features.

Upstairs, there's room for guests with four bedrooms, plus a toilet,

providing opportunity for an en-suite,

meeting that all-important two bathroom requirement.

Finally, there's a massive 28 acres

of awe-inspiring Welsh countryside,

but if all that land has them running for the hills, there is a second option.

£250,000 will buy the house, barn and a more manageable 2.5 acres.

It needs a lot of work, a lot of work,

but every time I look out of one of the windows,

I see the view and I see the river and I can hear the river sometimes

and I think, "No, there must be a reason why they've brought us here.

"There must be something that makes this within our reach."

So I haven't completely lost faith, although I'm not going to tell Nicki that.

This is an amazing location, but when we walked into the house, I was initially really disappointed

because we've never done a project before and I wouldn't know where to start, frankly,

but now knowing the price, we are in such a dilemma

because it's a fantastic price and we know that we could do the renovation work.

It's just a question of putting our heads together and doing it.

'I can't wait to find out what they really thought

'about the three properties I've shown them on this journey.'

Well, Jamal and Diane, what have you thought of the last couple of days?

Just fantastic. You've given us more than we actually were expecting, to be honest.

So the first property that we saw was the cottage with the converted barn right next door.

-You were taken with it straight away.

-I was. It had a lovely feel to it,

just the way the buildings were sort of situated.

I think when you first took us into the stone cottage, it was really interesting and very pretty.

What a lovely conversion!

The second property we showed you was very different from the first.

We started off with the cottage, then we moved slightly up-scale to the gentleman's house.

On the whole, the garden, the stream, the hollow in which that property was situated,

I fell in love with, I really liked that place.

-It was a lovely house.

-It was very attractive.

Grade II listed and in the centre of the Snowdonia National Park,

which brings us on to our mystery house.

-You did want a little bit of land, you said, when we started this house hunt.

-Yes.

We managed to find you a property with 28 acres.

-But it didn't seem to faze you too much.

-Well, it did, I suppose.

It was quite overwhelming, but it's irresistible.

The bonus for us was the price you gave us,

and the lower price option is a very good option because if the sums add up,

then there is a possibility that we may go for it. I don't know.

You see, we had promised ourselves when we started on this tour that you've kindly led us on

-that we would never get involved with a building project.

-That's true.

-Here we are...

-Discussing it.

-..doing the sums.

So what is the next step going to be for the two of you?

I think there's sort of a tension between properties one and three.

That's something we...certainly I would like to take forward.

I think it's only property three.

-Have you bought this house already?

-In my mind, I have.

Whatever happens, because I know you'll be moving very soon, please keep in touch.

-I'm glad we've helped get you closer to your dream.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

We've certainly given Jamal and Diane plenty to mull over.

And I've got a feeling it won't be too long before Diane comes round to Jamal's way of thinking

and the mystery house is turned into the perfect artists' retreat.

I certainly hope so. See you next time.

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