Wales Escape to the Country


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

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

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So where am I? Find out in a moment.

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

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

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-You like it?

-Stunning.

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

-A good early start, believe me.

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

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-It's the worry.

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

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

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an area famous for its slate.

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Below me is the old Meirionydd vein.

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When it was discovered in 1836, it transformed this region

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into an important natural resource in the Victorian industrial age.

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

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

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

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

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

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reaching over 1,100 feet at points.

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

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

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built using local limestone and slate, dot the hillside.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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-The wish list doesn't end there.

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

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

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-And...

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

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-and our sculpting. All of those things.

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

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

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

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-'to help make their dream come true.'

-The property we'd really like

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

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-but actually...

-And we're useless at DIY, frankly.

-Yes.

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

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

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

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

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'We've got some fantastic houses to show them, but as ever they'll have to guess the price of each property

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'before I reveal it to them.

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

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-Jamal and Diane, lovely to meet you both.

-Good to meet you, too.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-I'm loving the challenge!

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-Shall we hit the road?

-Yes.

-Great.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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'on the right foot.'

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

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-OK.

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

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

-Yeah.

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-Definite potential. The setting is just stunning.

-You like it?

-Stunning.

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-What a good early start!

-It's a good early start!

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-Believe me.

-Ready to step inside?

-Definitely.

-Yes. Looking forward to it.

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-Welcome to the farmstead.

-Wow. It's really amazing.

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Isn't that gorgeous?

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-Oooh!

-I like this.

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This is really, really interesting.

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-I can see Jamal is taking it all in!

-Yes, I'm...

-Absorbing.

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-Slowly absorbing.

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

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You really do have a proper country kitchen here.

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-Yeah, definitely.

-A real country kitchen.

-It is.

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-The windows...

-Look how small that one is.

-They're so pretty. So cute.

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'So far, so good,

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

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

-It is.

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

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-It's characterful.

-Very.

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

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

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

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

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Now...

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-Step inside the barn.

-Oh, wow!

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OK.

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This is really nice. Really nice.

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-Yes, this could be the big dining area.

-Absolutely.

-It depends on what else there is.

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If you've got guests.

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-You've got a double bedroom through there.

-Right.

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

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-It's a nice, big room.

-It's got a lot of space.

-And its own wood burner.

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-Yeah. Very interesting. And the mystery staircase.

-It takes you to one other bedroom.

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-Ah, I see.

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

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

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

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-It just keeps giving and giving.

-It does!

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

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

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

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Is this what you both had in mind?

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

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

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

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

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

-I'm going to say 450,000

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

-OK.

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-4...30.

-The current asking price is £435,000.

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

-Yeah.

-Go and have another wander.

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

-Brilliant. Thanks.

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

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

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The converted barn boasts a magnificent double height ceiling.

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

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

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There's also outbuildings and land.

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

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you've got fantastic scenery.

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

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

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

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just a short drive from Llanbedr.

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

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plus there's a church and local pub.

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There are plenty of opportunities lining the streets here.

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

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Time to see how our next offering goes down.

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

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

-It nestles.

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-Nestles is the word.

-Because at the very beginning,

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

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

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-This is a traditional Grade II Snowdonian house.

-Right.

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-Built in 1585.

-Wow.

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

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-Quite recently, then(!)

-Yes!

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

-Oh, gosh.

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

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-Looks good from the outside.

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

-Let's start the tour.

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-So quite a narrow corridor.

-Right.

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-But it does lead...

-Oh, lovely.

-..into this spectacular room.

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-You've got the exposed beams.

-Yep.

-Huge inglenook fireplace.

-Yes.

-If you look to the left,

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-that ornate bread oven.

-Wonderful.

-So for your needs, would this work?

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

-Yeah.

-It's what we need.

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It's very charming. Definitely.

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

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So up these steps...

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leads through

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-to a very spacious kitchen.

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

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-This is rather lovely.

-How does this work for you for entertaining space?

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-It works perfectly.

-Yeah, it does.

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

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

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-it's actually a study through there.

-OK.

-But we're going to continue up here.

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-So up this staircase is the master bedroom.

-Lovely.

-Wow.

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Yep, this is very nice. Very nice.

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

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

-Look at those wonderful views

-It's got fantastic views.

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-Yes.

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

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

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'Next door, there's another spacious double

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

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

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

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

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

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

-I'm through.

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-So what do you think?

-Wow, my own train set!

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

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-It certainly could.

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

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-Ah!

-We'll find something for Dee.

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

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

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'Round the back of the house are stables

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

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

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

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

-Yeah, you have.

-Yes.

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

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I think we're getting there,

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so I think it's going to be £449,999.

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

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Jamal is close once again.

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-Oh, dear(!)

-The asking price is £445,000.

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

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

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And this property has presence.

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

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

-Fantastic.

-Thank you.

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

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

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

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which is high on Jamal's wish list.

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

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We've had a good look at the property.

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

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

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

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There are a few little issues regarding space,

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

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

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

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Yesterday was certainly an interesting day -

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two properties and two very positive reactions,

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

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

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

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

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then the mystery property is my trump card,

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but as ever, things are never quite that straightforward.

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'Situated just inside the boundaries of the Snowdonia National Park

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

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

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'Secluded in the Cwm Pennant Valley,

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

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

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

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

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-Yes, you've got the river there.

-You're quite taken with this location?

-I love it.

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

-We can see the house from here.

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

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

-It would make a brilliant studio.

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I could see those as studios quite easily.

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

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

-Comes WITH it?

-Yeah.

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-Yes.

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

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-OK.

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

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

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-Yeah.

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

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

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

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-All 28 acres.

-Wow!

-Oh, my goodness! That is unbelievable.

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We'll have to buy a lot of sheep.

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

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-There's a lot to take in.

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

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

-Would I ever let you down?

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'We'll have to wait and see.

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

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'and recognise the immense potential this house has.'

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-Come into the mystery house.

-OK.

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

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

-Yes, definitely.

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'And this is just the start.

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'Either side of the hallway there are two reception rooms

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'and ahead lies the kitchen.'

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-So this is the oldest part of the house.

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

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-A bit of an overhaul.

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

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

-Sure, sure.

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

-Yeah.

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-That spectacular view.

-If you set the house straight,

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

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-Hmm.

-Jamal's very quiet.

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

-Pondering.

-Pondering.

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-I can practically hear the cogs going round.

-It's the worry, I think.

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

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

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

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-Having the second bathroom in here?

-Yeah, exactly, having a bathroom.

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You could walk from that main bedroom into here.

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

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

-Yeah, yeah.

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'They don't have to sacrifice this room

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

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

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'making four bedrooms in total.'

0:22:380:22:40

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

0:22:400:22:43

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

0:22:430:22:47

-How much do you think all this is worth?

-I think 420.

0:22:470:22:52

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

0:22:520:22:58

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

0:22:580:23:03

..is £395,000?

0:23:030:23:08

THEY CHUCKLE

0:23:080:23:10

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

-Mm-hm.

0:23:100:23:14

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

-Is there?

0:23:140:23:22

-You could buy the house...

-Yes.

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

-Yes.

0:23:220:23:26

-..plus the barn for a different price.

-Ah!

0:23:260:23:30

You'd still have the stream running through.

0:23:300:23:33

They are looking at £250,000 for that.

0:23:330:23:37

Oh, crikey! Are they?

0:23:370:23:40

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

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

0:23:400:23:45

-It's extraordinary news.

-Yes.

0:23:450:23:48

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

-Yes.

0:23:480:23:52

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

0:23:520:23:56

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

0:23:560:24:01

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

0:24:010:24:06

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

0:24:060:24:10

providing opportunity for an en-suite,

0:24:100:24:13

meeting that all-important two bathroom requirement.

0:24:130:24:17

Finally, there's a massive 28 acres

0:24:170:24:20

of awe-inspiring Welsh countryside,

0:24:200:24:22

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

0:24:220:24:28

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

0:24:280:24:34

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

0:24:340:24:38

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

0:24:380:24:41

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

0:24:410:24:45

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

0:24:450:24:50

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

0:24:500:24:54

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

0:24:540:24:59

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

0:24:590:25:06

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

0:25:060:25:12

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

0:25:120:25:17

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

0:25:170:25:21

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

0:25:210:25:25

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

0:25:300:25:34

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

0:25:340:25:37

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

0:25:390:25:43

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

0:25:430:25:49

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

0:25:490:25:55

-You were taken with it straight away.

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

0:25:550:25:58

just the way the buildings were sort of situated.

0:25:580:26:03

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

0:26:030:26:09

What a lovely conversion!

0:26:090:26:12

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

0:26:120:26:15

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

0:26:150:26:21

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

0:26:210:26:27

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

0:26:270:26:31

-It was a lovely house.

-It was very attractive.

0:26:310:26:33

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

0:26:330:26:38

which brings us on to our mystery house.

0:26:380:26:41

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

-Yes.

0:26:410:26:47

We managed to find you a property with 28 acres.

0:26:470:26:51

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

-Well, it did, I suppose.

0:26:510:26:54

It was quite overwhelming, but it's irresistible.

0:26:540:26:58

The bonus for us was the price you gave us,

0:26:580:27:02

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

0:27:020:27:07

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

0:27:070:27:10

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

0:27:100:27:17

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

-That's true.

0:27:170:27:21

-Here we are...

-Discussing it.

-..doing the sums.

0:27:210:27:24

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

0:27:240:27:28

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

0:27:280:27:33

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

0:27:330:27:37

I think it's only property three.

0:27:370:27:39

-Have you bought this house already?

-In my mind, I have.

0:27:390:27:44

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

0:27:440:27:49

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

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

0:27:490:27:54

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

0:27:570:28:01

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

0:28:010:28:07

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

0:28:070:28:11

I certainly hope so. See you next time.

0:28:110:28:17

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0:28:170:28:20

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0:28:200:28:23

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