Northamptonshire Escape to the Country

Today we are landlocked in England,

yet water played an important role in this county's history.

So, where am I? Find out in just a moment.

In today's show, I'll be helping a couple start a new life in the country

and it's all smiles

as a touch of deja vu sets us off on the right track.

-I think I've been here before.

-In this house?

-Yes.

But can our mystery house steal the show?

-So?

-Wow!

That is just beautiful.

Welcome to sunny Northamptonshire.

At the height of the Industrial Revolution,

this county was three days by canal boat from London,

today it's just 50 minutes by train.

So, understandably, it's becoming increasingly popular with city folk

who crave the benefits of countryside living.

Located in the Midlands,

Northamptonshire is known as the county of spires and squires

because of the large number of churches and country houses

that stretch across its landscape.

Its pasture lands and canals are dotted with patches of ancient woodland,

which once provided deer for the royal hunt.

Beautiful market towns are situated right across the county,

which also boasts 160 conservation areas.

So, it's clear why this region is especially appealing

to house hunters seeking a slice of rural life.

Today's buyers are looking for a slice of Northamptonshire country life.

Let's meet them and find out why this county is the perfect escape for them.

Busy professionals Paul, a product manager,

and Suzy, a business consultant,

are keen to leave behind their hectic lives

in search of a more peaceful existence in the country.

They currently live in Paul's modern home in Fleet, Hampshire,

which he has owned for 15 years, but with marriage on the cards,

Paul and Suzy are eager to start the next chapter of their lives

with the purchase of their very first home together.

We feel that having somewhere that is ours,

as opposed to mine or Suzy's, is the thing to do.

For Paul, a move to the country

means venturing into uncharted territory,

but Suzy is no stranger to rural living.

I love waking up and not hearing anything.

I love going to bed at night and hearing owls hoot

and looking at the stars, and I miss that.

Suzy's work means she will still need to commute to London,

but Paul has no such demands on his time as he is due to retire soon

and he's already got plenty of plans

to make use of his new-found freedom.

I think, for me, the interests will be to pick up golf again

because I've pretty much stopped playing golf at the moment,

my classic car, which I want to spend more time maintaining and driving,

and also, if we do get animals, then walking the dog etc

is going to be part of that relaxed retired lifestyle.

After a year researching different locations,

they've finally settled on an area with strong personal connections.

We want to move to Northamptonshire.

Now, there are many reasons for that,

one is that Suzy has lived there before, it's a lovely area.

She still needs to be able to commute into London for work,

plus her parents live in Birmingham.

While location is important, they also have very specific requirements for their new country lifestyle.

I use this massage couch for my Reiki healing

and it would be really lovely if I could have a house

where there's a room I could have a dedicated healing room.

We'd be looking for four bedrooms, probably...

two bathrooms, ideally, maybe one en suite, that would be perfect.

A good-size kitchen...log fires,

the whole character bit, garage for Marlene, that's the car...

And a good-sized garden, but land isn't crucial for us.

So I would never want to move to a very modern house,

it goes against everything that I like,

so, yes, that would be a big no-no for me.

OK, that all sounds pretty achievable,

but it's not all they're after.

Food does form quite a large part of our lives.

We love eating in nice restaurants

and we love cooking and we love entertaining.

Unfortunately, this kitchen is a little too small

and we find ourselves tripping over each other.

Cooking up a taste sensation is one thing,

but their budget will also have to be spot-on

if they're going to have the perfect ingredients for a new home.

Our current budget for the next property will be £400,000.

As Paul and Suzy want to be around an hour's journey

from London and Birmingham,

we're focusing their house search in the outlying villages in Northamptonshire

that still give them good transport links.

We've got some lovely properties to show our buyers,

but before I tell them how much they cost,

I'll be asking them to guess the price.

Then, of course, we have our mystery house,

which is designed to challenge their preconceptions

and is my chance to show them something a little off-piste.

-Paul and Suzy, welcome to Northamptonshire.

-Thank you.

Do you think you're quite united with what you're looking for?

-I think so, I think so, yes.

-I think so.

We're both quite clear about what we want.

Any room for compromise if need be?

I think that's probably more a question that Suzy needs to answer!

I'll be aiming that at you then, if I need to further down the line!

We've three fantastic properties to show you,

-so shall we get started?

-Lovely.

-Look forward to that.

Paul and Suzy have £400,000 to spend on their new home in Northamptonshire.

They want a property with plenty of country features,

a good-sized entertaining area,

possible space for Suzy to practise Reiki healing

and room for the third person in their relationship,

Marlene, Paul's treasured classic car.

Location is paramount, as Suzy needs an easy commute to London

and also to be close to her mum and dad in Birmingham.

Our first property is situated around seven miles from Northampton

in the scenic village of Flore.

Steeped in history, the church here dates back to the 13th century,

plus there are plenty of country walks that attract both locals and tourists alike.

Despite having two front doors,

this attractive property is not two cottages, but one,

and that's not the only thing that makes this house unique.

Come on through.

-And this is your first property.

-Oh, wow!

-Wow!

-Thatch, fantastic!

THEY LAUGH

Now, there is some history with this property.

It was built around the 1600s as a barn,

but it was converted in 1687

as the first Quaker meeting house in the area by Thomas Adams.

There's a bit more history that goes with that

because he was the grandfather of John Quincy Adams,

who was the second president of the United States.

But hopefully today it could possibly be your house.

-Shall we start and have a look?

-Oh, yes.

-Absolutely, look forward to it.

So, I want to bring you straight through into the sitting room.

Now, off the hallway you do have a family bathroom straight ahead of you,

but I wanted to show you this room first.

-Sweet. Log fire, tick the box.

-Yeah?

-That's great, yeah, lovely.

-There's PLENTY of exposed beams here!

-Yeah, absolutely, absolutely.

-OK, well, let's keep going.

-Super.

-Now, I know the kitchen is very important.

-Yes.

-So, I'm probably not showing you the largest kitchen in the world.

-No.

-Love the floor. Floor is lovely.

-Floor's nice.

-Yeah, it's great.

-And the...

-And the old sink, yeah.

-Yeah, we've got the butler sink in there.

Now, the house is unusual and it flows,

so let's head upstairs and we'll see what I mean.

-Right.

-OK.

'And the historic quirks of this house continue upstairs in the bedrooms.'

This cottage has three bedrooms.

Next door is a large single room.

Right.

Which could perhaps be the perfect healing room for the Reiki

and this is the master bedroom.

-Lots of character to it.

-Yeah.

-Lots of character.

It's very sweet. I love all these doors everywhere, it's just great!

It kind of gives you the impression, as you walk in, that it's quite small,

but actually, when you, kind of, take it all in, it's not that small.

-It doesn't have any corridors or hallways...

-OK.

..in that respect, but what you do have through this door

is a Jack and Jill shower room.

Let's go through and we can talk about it on the other side,

-it'll make more sense.

-OK.

'The master leads through to a cute little Jack and Jill shower room

'that also serves the bedroom on the other side.'

I like it.

I love this open stairwell down.

And that's the other set of stairs that leads back downstairs.

I've always wanted a house with two staircases! How sad is that?

'Suzy is clearly overjoyed by this property's unique character,

'which is the continuing theme back downstairs.'

-And last, but not least, the dining room.

-Oh, lovely.

It has one added little treasure that I want to point out.

-That cupboard at the top is the Bible box.

-Ah.

Although the house is listed, that has a listing in its own right.

-Oh, my goodness!

-And if you look down on the window seat,

-that is the original Bible.

-Wow.

-It's 300 years old.

-And that comes with the house and has to be looked after?

-It comes with the house.

-Yes, and every owner over the centuries has left it.

-Passed it on.

-Fantastic.

-Shall we head outside?

-Yes, certainly.

'Let's see if the compact, south-facing garden

'will be enough for their needs.'

So, you've probably noticed by now,

that that secluded garden is the total garden,

there's nothing, actually, at the back,

but you're not overlooked by any of your neighbours

-and this driveway here does belong to the house as well.

-Right.

-OK.

This little outbuilding, with the right planning permission,

I think that's worth considering making that into a garage.

-You've certainly got plenty of space here.

-OK.

Right, time now to guess the price.

How much do you think this thatched cottage is currently on the market for?

I think, given that there is no rear land to the property

and really all you get is this here,

I'm going to take a stab at around 385,000.

OK, so, Paul's 385. Suzy?

That's interesting, I'm going to go for 410.

Right.

The owners had an offer put in yesterday, which they've refused,

-because they do want the asking price...

-Right.

..which would leave you both £40,000, it's £360,000.

You're joking!

-Do you fancy going back in and having another look around?

-Yes.

-Yes, I think so.

-Off you go, take your time.

-Thanks very much.

This grade II listed thatched cottage

is on the market for £360,000

and includes three bedrooms,

one of which Suzy could claim as her healing room.

The sitting and dining room are full of the character features

they're looking for.

With a little renovation of the outbuildings

there's also potential to house Paul's beloved classic car,

but really it's the provenance that makes this property so special,

with a separately listed Bible box complete with Bible

being, for me, the icing on the cake.

The layout of the house doesn't bother me too much, to be honest.

I love the idea that there's two staircases,

quite like the idea of scurrying up one and coming down another.

For the first property, this is in the right direction

and certainly the price was quite a nice surprise.

So you've seen one property.

Has it consolidated in your minds what you're actually after?

Somewhere to just have a little bit more room when we do get the pets.

If there were room to keep a few chickens,

that wouldn't be a bad idea.

Oh! We're adding to the list, now!

There was me thinking I was safe!

'We're heading to the lively village of Byfield

'with a whole host of local activities

'taking place in and around the cricket and recreation grounds.

'There's also a popular sports club for avid tennis player Suzy.

'Our second property comes in the form of this detached stone cottage

'which, as they'll discover, gives them more scope outside.'

So here is your second property.

Very different from the first cottage that we saw.

-An attractive looking property?

-It is, it is.

First impressions, I know, are important for you both.

-Lovely backdrop with the church, there.

-The church, there.

And location wise, we really are on the edge of a village.

He's spotted... He's spotted them over there!

Let me take you inside first. Come on.

'The rooms on the ground floor are laid out in a horseshoe arrangement

'and in the middle is the heart of the home.'

So the entrance leads straight into the kitchen.

Yes. This is very weird.

-Why?

-I think I've been here before.

-In this house?

-Absolutely. Because I remember that.

-This huge trunk?

-Absolutely.

And I remember thinking, "How extraordinary, having a tree trunk in your kitchen."

So why would you have been in this house before?

I used to coach tennis in the village

and the chap that I was liaising with about that lived here.

That's a first. I don't think I've ever done that with anyone.

-Have you seen the rest of the house?

-No, I haven't.

I remember thinking, "I'd love to see the rest of the house."

This is very nice as a kitchen. It is.

And the fact that you've got a really nice, big table in here.

We probably wouldn't want a table this big so, you know, that would free up...

I don't know. Well, two things. The table acts as workspace,

but also it's just a nice feel to have six people sat in the kitchen.

Please bicker.

I'm liking this because it means you're taking it seriously.

We're going to continue through here. This is a very good sign.

So we've got a split-level sitting room, here.

-I like that.

-Nice.

-Yeah.

And I love the exposed stone, stonework.

Yeah, it's great. It doesn't feel cold, it actually feels quite cosy.

Through that door you've got a downstairs bedroom.

Which, that's how it is used at the moment

but it could be used as a study, whatever you choose.

'The other side of the kitchen leads through to a utility area,

'off which is the family bathroom.

'This extended downstairs wing also houses the dining room

'and the second of four possible bedrooms.

'The other two bedrooms are upstairs,

'which is where we're heading.'

Through here is the master bedroom.

Across the landing you've got another large double.

-OK.

-What do you think on this for size?

Yes, it's...

Well, it's quite compact in one way,

but there's quite a reasonable amount of room here, isn't there?

-Yes.

-And it has its own en suite.

-That's nice. That's good.

You don't have to go back downstairs in the middle of the night.

'There are only two bedrooms and one en suite upstairs.

'But outside there is still more to discover.

'At the bottom of the garden is a hidden treasure.'

This is what I wanted to show you.

Now, this is another extension,

separate from the house.

It could make the perfect Reiki room/healing room.

You've got this area here,

you've got another area next door the size of a large bedroom,

and at the end you've got a shower room.

So if you did want to have people come to see you,

and didn't want them trudging through the house...

This is completely self-contained.

You could run this as part of your business.

That's a surprise.

'So that's Suzy's Reiki healing area catered for.

'Hopefully what I show them next will be received equally well.'

So you've seen the property.

Now, it doesn't have the largest garden.

However, you've got the playing fields and cricket green, there,

and surrounded by countryside.

We've found a Reiki healing room for you.

Haven't managed to quite crack the garage for Paul.

I was wondering when we might come to that. OK.

However, every cloud has a silver lining.

You muttered about chickens.

This was added to the wish list at a later date. We do have chickens.

We could get rid of the chickens,

and with planning permission, you could actually have a garage.

So, how much do you think this house is currently on the market for?

-I went first last time.

-OK.

Are you feeling the pressure, as you know this area?

I am, I am, because I feel I ought to know. I'm going to go lower.

I'm going to say 390.

-OK.

-OK. Erm...

-Give me a figure.

-410.

410.

Current asking price is...

£425,000.

Right.

So it is at the top, top of your budget, a little bit over.

However, they are very keen to sell.

-Do you want to have another look around?

-Lovely.

-Go on, then.

-Thank you.

-Catch up with you later.

'At £425,000, this property is slightly over budget.

'The large kitchen provides the country style

'with the cooking and dining space our food lovers want.

'Plus, there's lots of quirky character to be found in the four bedrooms.

'There's potential for Suzy's Reiki healing room

'in the outbuildings

'and if Paul can bear to sacrifice the chicken coop,

'there's the opportunity to build a new garage

'for his classic car.'

The more you explore the property,

the more you realise that there are so many different options

and ways you can use it.

I've only just possibly scratched the surface

of what is possible here.

The healing anteroom, whatever, was a complete surprise.

As I say, I don't know what I thought it was,

but I wasn't expecting furnished, carpeted space.

So that has thrown in a really interesting angle on it

and it frees up some of the rooms here,

so there's all kinds of possibilities for this property

so it's actually very interesting.

'As the day draws to a close over Northamptonshire,

'our first two properties have certainly given our couple

'plenty to mull over.

Today is a new day and it's time for me to show them the mystery house.

Now, they've loved the period properties they've seen so far

so I think it's time to challenge them.

'We know a good thing when we see it

'so we've returned to the village of Byfield,

'with its village hall and local pub,

'clear signs of its thriving community spirit.

'Our mystery property formerly had a congregation of its own,

'but since being converted in 2002

'has been completely modernised with not a crooked beam in sight.'

Here is your mystery property.

-What do you both think?

-It's lovely. Yeah, yeah, I like it.

It's certainly different to anything we'd imagined.

Have you ever considered living in a chapel?

-Not really.

-We wouldn't rule it out.

No, no. We wouldn't rule it out at all.

This one was built in the 1800s.

I think the last service was held in 1999.

Two years later it was converted into a house.

'On each side of the entrance hall there are two rooms.

'Either one could make a perfect Reiki healing space for Suzy.

'But I'm heading straight for the star attraction.'

So here we are in the heart of the chapel. That is the original pulpit.

OK.

So they've kept it, which I think is an amazing feature.

I like the way they've done that mirror within that. That's clever.

-Really adds some character.

-Fantastic. Doesn't it?

Now, the ceiling is 13ft.

It was 26.

-So, first impressions as you step inside?

-Yeah! Like it. Different.

-Different, yes. It's light and airy and yet it still has character.

-Yeah.

OK. Good. Let's continue through.

-So.

-Wow!

That is just beautiful!

-Is this going to be big enough?

-Goodness! That is just a picture.

I think we could just about sneak in, yes.

-That is a kitchen!

-And it's such a social part of the house.

I love this. I'm living here.

And it's nicely segregated so you still have the kitchen area defined

and you have the dining area defined

and yet the two are actually communal.

Oh, I think that's fantastic.

I could move into this room just as it is.

Good. Well, on that note, we'll head upstairs.

'The first floor was added five years ago

'and provides them with four bright bedrooms,

'two are large enough to be doubles, and there's a comfortable single.

'The family bathroom with roll-top bath and stained glass window

'echo the period character of the downstairs.

'But it's time to explore where they would sleep.'

This would be your bedroom.

You've still got the exposed beams. But that, for me, is the feature.

-Yes.

-That's nice.

-That's lovely.

Do you want to poke your head, because there is an en suite?

See what you think in there.

-Oh, that's nice!

-Oh, yeah.

-Yeah. That's lovely.

-Yeah. Very functional, very nice.

Nice big shower.

So you've got two bathrooms upstairs, including your en suite.

Let's head back downstairs into the garden

and you can start mulling over what it's currently on the market for.

Come out into the sunshine.

Can't always say that, can we?

So what do you think of the outside space?

I like it, actually.

It's a little bit on the small side but I suspected it would be.

Again, I still don't see a garage.

No, there is no garage with this property.

However, a minute away is the local pub

and next door to the pub is a garage for rent.

So what do you think the current asking price is?

I'd say about 415,

given the facilities that you've got here

and the quality of the inside work.

-Suzy?

-I'm going to go a bit higher.

-I'm going to go 425.

-OK.

But I've been totally out the last couple, so...

Current asking price, and it has, it's fresh on the market,

-£380,000.

-No!

I think that's something we're going to have to give some really serious thought to.

-Yeah.

-OK. Do you fancy having another wander around?

-Yeah. I think so.

-Go and have a look round the chapel.

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

'The chapel isn't only fitting for newlyweds,

'I think it's a great price at £380,000.

'For this, you get an incredible living room

with original pulpit and stained-glass windows,

'four good-sized bedrooms

'and of course that fabulous kitchen and dining area.

'There's also space for Suzy's Reiki healing room

'and just a minute away there are garages to rent

'for Paul's much-loved classic car.'

I thought this was a really interesting property

and it's kind of stopped us in our tracks

and made us think laterally about whether or not a slightly different style of property would suit us.

I'm really surprised by my reaction

because I, and I suppose that is what the mystery house is all about,

which is great.

I'm actually starting to rethink.

Although I love quirky, I love slopey, I love natural features,

there could be a compromise in the middle

where we have the space but we also have the character

and something like this could well be it.

Paul and Suzy, we've had an interesting few days, haven't we?

We certainly have.

Shall we start with the first one? What did you think of that thatched cottage?

It seemed to have quite an impact on you both.

It took my breath away. Archetypal chocolate-box cottage.

-Beautiful.

-Yeah, it was very good.

Inside, the rooms were a little bit small

and there was a problem with the garage

but the house itself was absolutely delightful.

The second property we saw was another cottage, a period cottage.

-That was an interesting one for you too, wasn't it?

-No, it was.

That was quite a surprise, actually,

in terms of walking into the property and realising I'd been there before.

But yes, not realising that it had all those options in terms of space.

That brought a different dimension to the property.

And our third property was the mystery house,

or should I say the mystery chapel?

It's kind of brought us back a little bit

to maybe, you know,

just think harder about

what we really, really need out of the property.

The space in that house,

and the way it could be played with and reconfigured.

The kitchen was awesome.

Just loved it.

So, will the mystery chapel get a second viewing?

I think there's a very good chance that it might.

Suzy, I'm going to be very cheeky. Make sure you get a second viewing, won't you?

Yes, I think we should. I think we most definitely should.

Listen, both of you, thank you so much.

-It's been absolutely great.

-Superb.

For Paul and Suzy,

the firm favourite came out as the mystery house.

And I truly hope that with a second viewing,

this converted chapel

will be the perfect place to start their married life.

Until next time, bye-bye.

'If you'd like to escape to the country in Wales, Scotland,

'Northern Ireland or England

'and would like our help, you can apply online.'

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