Isle of Wight Escape to the Country

This place has needles you can't thread,

Freshwater that you can't drink and Cowes that you can't milk.

Where am I? Find out in just a moment.

'In today's show, I'm on the hunt for the perfect property for a couple's unique holiday business.

'The layout of one house has them a bit confused.'

-It's upside down.

-Yes.

-That's kind of our character, being slightly quirky, anyway.

-Well, yours, speak for yourself.

'But the mystery property could be just the thing to raise their spirits.'

Wow!

I'll close my eyes and open them again.

I'm in the Isle of Wight, which has a Lake where you can stay dry

and a Ryde where you can walk.

Obviously, these phrases are a play on words

and as much as I'd love to claim these witticisms as my own,

they've actually adorned the front postcards,

extolling the beauty of the Isle of Wight for over a century.

'Separated from the Hampshire coast by the Solent straight,

'the Isle of Wight is 23 miles wide and 13 miles long

'and is home to around 138,000 year-round residents.

'It's most prestigious event, Cowes Week, is the longest running regular regatta in the world,

'dating back to 1826, with over 1,000 yachts competing each year.

'The island is renowned for its sandy beaches with resorts

'which have been holiday destinations since Victorian times.

'Queen Victoria herself was a regular visitor.

'So, if it's stunning scenery and easy access to the sea you're looking for,

'the Isle of Wight could be just the place.'

Despite the allure of the island, house prices on the Isle of Wight remain pretty much on par

with those of the mainland, with the average price of a detached property

coming in at around £255,000.

Now, properties with sea views, obviously, command a premium

and in places like Old Cowes, Bembridge and Yarmouth, prices are usually 10% higher

than those found on the rest of the island.

Now, towards the middle and upper end of the market,

and in particular where house prices are above £400,000,

they tend to stay on the market quite a bit longer,

so that should mean that today's buyers have a bit of room for negotiation.

Let's look at what's currently available.

'For £250,000, you could be living in a Grade 2 listed

'thatched stone cottage in Newbridge.

'With a modern kitchen and a cosy, yet characterful lounge,

'it offers amazing views of the countryside.

'This four-bedroom barn conversion in Luckham is on the market for just under £450,000.

'It offers spacious reception rooms with original features,

'a modern kitchen, a swimming pool and breathtaking views towards the sea.

'Or this modern three-bedroom thatched house in Limerstone could be yours

'for a purse-stretching £850,000.

'It comes with its own stables, a barn and 22 acres of land.

A fantastic selection of properties, but what exactly are today's buyers after?

Let's find out.

'Today's property hunters are Colin and Elaine who have run a computer consultancy company

'for the past 25 years.

'Now that their two older children have grown up, home life at their five-bedroomed house in Kent

'is centred on Thomas, their 13-year-old son.

'Thomas has autism and is the main catalyst for their move.'

We want to move to the country because Thomas needs a lot of space to run around in,

air to breathe, without being near too much noise. He likes the freedom

of being out running in the country with not having any distractive noises around him.

The rooms that we'd like to take with us are Thomas' wet room,

which is attached to his bedroom, and the sensory area of his bedroom.

This is what we've set up for his needs - touch screen television, lights in the floor. He's got a ball.

All these help him, as an autistic child, to focus on things to help him learn.

'It was Colin and Elaine's experience bringing up Thomas

'that gave them the idea to start a holiday business catering for families with autistic children.

'They've settled on the Isle of Wight, having found a good school for Thomas there.'

We're looking to move to the Isle of Wight because it's fairly small,

the school that Thomas would go to is in the centre,

so the whole island is an opportunity to us.

We've done a lot of research into this business, spoken to a number of people,

a lot of families who have autistic children and they want to come and stay as soon as it's up and running.

We've also done some research on the island as well from the holiday side of things, the council...

-We've spoken to the council, as well.

-We have and they all are very positive about the idea.

'It's a fantastic plan, but it could prove a challenge

'pinning down what sort of property would best suit their venture.'

Our requirements for us would be three bedrooms,

one for Thomas with an ensuite, one for ourselves

and one for any guests, or if our elder children want to come and visit.

Then from the business side, we need rooms to convert into self-contained units,

or space available on land that we can put self-contained units onto.

I think some of the features we're looking for are period features.

-We do like high ceilings and big windows.

-Yes.

We are definitely prepared to renovate. We know they will unlikely come with a wet room

because they're quite specialised.

-We've done this before.

-Yes, we're used to challenges, aren't we?

-Yes.

'With such varied requirements, it's a good thing their budget is so flexible.'

Our budget is fairly flexible from £500,000 to £800,000,

depending on the property and how well it's already set up to start the business running straight away.

'It won't be all work and no play when they move, as they're hoping

'to spend time messing about on the water.'

The plan is to spend a lot more time on the boat.

-Do some more scuba-diving, because I enjoy scuba-diving.

-Well, YOU do.

-I do.

-I'd rather stay on dry land, thank you!

-You stay on the boat.

'As the Isle of Wight only takes 45 minutes to drive across,

'and holiday attractions and beaches are easily accessible,

'one thing we're spoilt for choice on is location.

'We've found three fantastic properties to show our buyers,

'but I won't be letting on how much they're on the market for until they've guessed the price first.

'Then, of course, there's our mystery house. My chance to throw out their wish list

'and ask them to consider something different.'

-So, welcome both of you to Antigua.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

On a beautiful day, you wouldn't want to be anywhere else, would you?

-It's wonderful, isn't it?

-It's got everything that we could possibly ever want for a place to live.

You're in for a treat here, because, I know space is a big thing, isn't it?

Not only with the properties, but outside, out and about

and you get that on the Isle of Wight, it's not densely populated.

-For Thomas, it's a very simple lifestyle.

-Yes.

Because he doesn't need the gadgets and toys that children play with these days.

They like the open areas. He loves the beaches.

It sounds like the Isle of Wight will be a perfect location for a lad like Thomas.

Hopefully, we've got the right environment for maybe guests to come and stay there as well.

-Get it right for Thomas, then we can get it right for the business.

-Exactly.

-Yes.

Let's see how we get on at the first property and go from there. OK.

-Thank you.

-This way.

'With a flexible budget of between 500 and £800,000,

'Colin and Elaine want a property with three to four bedrooms to fit their family.

'They need a secure environment for Thomas,

'in which to recreate his sensory room with an adjoining wet room.

'And, they need plenty of additional room for their new holiday let business,

'allowing up to three families to stay at any one time.'

You've looked comprehensively

for locations for your business and, obviously, Thomas.

There's not a massive tranche of properties for sale.

A lot of people bought places to retire to and second homes here

and they've not been inclined to put them back on the market yet.

-So, there isn't a huge stock of properties out there.

-Yes.

We'll endeavour to show you the very best of what's here at the moment.

'We're starting our property search 1.5 miles outside the island's

'county town of Newport, where Colin and Elaine have already found a school for son Thomas.

'Located in the middle of the island, Newport was founded in 1180

'and has a population of around 24,000 people.

'Our first property is a unique new build,

'et in a stunning rural position on three acres of land

'and with panoramic views of the surrounding countryside.'

-First impressions, what's going through your mind?

-First thought, I have to say, is the road.

-Yes.

-Road.

-How much of a stumbling block is that, Elaine?

-It's workable.

-I'm not sure. Open-minded at this point.

-Thank goodness for that!

-What about the properties themselves? This is around six years old.

-It looks new.

-It was originally built on an old farm, this is the old dairy.

-Yes.

The only original part of the old house is the horseshoe you can see on the door.

-So it's a new house.

-A new house.

-But, hopefully, with maybe older-style proportions and dimensions inside.

-OK.

'Not the best of starts outside,

'but I'm hoping the quirky interior will capture their imagination.'

This house, internally, is quite different to what you might expect.

Four of the five bedrooms of this house are on the ground floor.

It's an upside-down house for a very good reason.

I think, upstairs I'm hopeful you'll rather quite like it.

I know you said you worried about new houses being maybe a bit boring.

I don't feel this is boring.

-You come inside, it's not just a new house.

-No, quite.

-It's quite quirky, it's upside down.

-Yes.

-That's kind of our character, being slightly quirky.

-Well, yours, speak for yourself!

That's not a problem. They've certainly made best use of what it's got, and that's the view.

Oh, absolutely!

You want something very different from a house, a home and business. Would you keep this arrangement

configured as it is at the moment, living/dining room?

-I'd need to see all of the house.

-Let's have a look at the kitchen and make that decision then.

Whilst I'm sure this is a lovely kitchen for a family at the moment, I know,

that you may well be doing some cooking for guests.

I had an idea that whilst there's a utility room just through there,

there's also a fifth bedroom, or snug, that's ensuite,

which, with all the plumbing that's there as well, you could

-incorporate into a bigger catering kitchen, or prep area.

-Yes.

-Should you want to go down that route.

-Yes.

-What do you think?

If the rooms are there, yes, conversion is possible.

I like, when I'm cooking, to check on Thomas what he's up to.

So if he's on the ground floor, I'm going to be running up and down the stairs.

"What's he up to?" And leaving things on the stove, so. Ideally...

It's the upside-down nature of this house that isn't working.

-We're not sure yet with the upside-down nature if it's going to fit.

-Yeah.

'Well, with a bit of thought and conversion, this kitchen could work better for them.

'I don't think they are convinced. Let's show them what's at the top of this very individual house.'

This room isn't the most practical, but I almost didn't care

because this is just for you two.

-Yes.

-This is your sanctuary.

-Yes. This is the getaway.

Or, this is an office for you to do work. I don't know, what do you think?

We've got an office at home, so that's quite nice.

Especially as we're running a business, we're going to need an office, aren't we?

Back downstairs, in this upside-down house, the four bedrooms are all generously sized

and two of them have ensuite bathrooms, so there's

plenty of extra space for the couple's two older children when they come to stay.

I want you to come in this room,

because I thought this would be an amazing room for Thomas.

-Lots of light.

-Yes.

-Ensuite and storage space.

At the back of the house, is this quiet enough?

-Yes.

-I think it is.

-I know that you said Thomas' senses are heightened sometimes.

-Yes.

-You're right, this is a good room for Thomas.

-Yes.

I can see this is working well in my head, which is good.

-Really? It's difficult because we started upside-down and it's putting the jigsaw puzzle together.

-Yes.

Outside there are spectacular views over the surrounding countryside

as well as three acres of land

and there are the two outbuildings which could play a vital part in their new holiday venture.

They did say they'd be happy to do some building work, so I'm hoping they can see the potential.

-Stud partition wall, two bedrooms.

-Yes.

-Go with me on this one, keep coming.

-Yes.

Small kitchen area with a loo and shower room

and then this, the living room.

-Yes.

-I could see, if I was coming here, as a holidaymaker,

and this was where I was living, I would feel like it was my home.

It's almost finished, as is the one next door.

There are two of these units, similar sized.

-One to two-bedroomed units. Perfect holiday lets.

-Ready to go?

-Yes.

There's one massive stumbling block. They don't have planning consent.

'Whilst there's no guarantee, Colin and Elaine could seek

'planning consent from the local council for their unique and well researched business venture.'

-With that potential of planning consent...

-Yep.

-Can you see why we've brought you here?

-Absolutely.

I'd certainly want to come here with Thomas.

'I'm pleased that they're seeing the possibilities in these two buildings for their new venture

'but how much do they think it's worth?'

So, seeing what you've seen so far, have a go at pricing this house.

How much do you think it's on the market for?

Bearing in mind I'm not any good at this, but if I was guessing a price...

-500,000?

-OK.

I'm going to go bit higher and say 525, then.

-Crikey, well, this is going to come as a shock.

-Right.

-This place is on the market for £675,000.

-Really?

-Way off!

-OK.

-OK.

I think this is a really good opportunity for you guys

to go back into the house, have a good look around

and discuss what you've seen so far today.

-I'll catch you in a moment.

-OK, thank you.

I've rarely got a valuation from someone who is

so much below what a property is on the market for.

I know we're looking for a lot today,

but the Isle of Wight isn't a particularly cheap part of the world -

a lot of the property prices are in line with much of the mainland UK.

It's just that we do want a lot for our money today.

We're going to struggle to provide both Colin and Elaine with what they're after

without giving them something that they need to put a lot of effort into, maybe some building work.

'More than they expected, but still well within their budget at £675,000,

'this property offers what they said they wanted from a rural home.

'It has five generous-sized bedrooms, three with ensuite bathrooms,

'all of the bedrooms are downstairs giving Thomas a secure environment,

'plus the two outbuildings which could, with the correct planning consent, be used as holiday lets

'for their new business.

'And, it's all set within three acres of grounds.'

-It has got beautiful views.

-Yes.

Shame about the road, shame about the road, though.

The space itself is great.

There's the two separate buildings, so families could come and have their own space.

Very surprised at both the layout and the way it'd been constructed, internally.

That was a benefit, but also a challenge because it was upside down.

Now we're having to think how we would live in an upside-down house.

I found a friend!

I'm not sure he comes with the house or not.

-Are you all done inside?

-Absolutely.

-Let's go.

'The Isle of Wight attracts over 2.5 million visitors a year

'and with one in every four jobs being linked to tourism, it seems

'a promising place for Colin and Elaine to set up a holiday business.

'Possibly, the best-known of the island's towns, Cowes,

'started out as a cluster of 16th-century fishermens' shacks at the mouth of the River Medina.

'It's now the island's principal port,

'as well as the world's premier yachting centre.

'Earlier in the week, Colin and Elaine, who are bringing their own boat with them when they move,

'met up with skipper Kevin Redbourne to discover

'how a boating life on the island can play a part in their new venture.'

Thanks for joining us. We're moving to the island because we want to set up a holiday place

for families to come on holiday, particularly with children with autism

because we have an autistic child ourselves.

We know how they really do like the peace and tranquillity when they go away.

What's your opinion on the island and is it suitable?

I think the island is totally appropriate for what you're looking for.

Peaceful, scenic locations dotted along the north coast.

Bembridge in the far east, Bembridge harbour is beautiful.

Cowes itself here, the Medina River is glorious.

Yarmouth to the east, and between here and Yarmouth,

there is Newtown Creek, which is an amazing estuary and nature reserve.

I think it's ideal for what you're looking for, to be honest with you.

'Cowes harbour will play a major role in the 2012 Olympics,

'with some of the larger yachting series' scheduled to begin here on the way to Weymouth

'which is the centre of the Olympic sailing event.'

This is the East Cowes Marina. East Cowes generally is developing.

There are massive plans from SEEDA, the development agency

to redevelop the eastern side of the harbour entrance.

'On the island's north coast,

'Newton Creek is a beautifully unspoiled natural harbour.

'Owned by the National Trust, the mudflats and wild marshes

'provide a safe haven for birds, as well as a peaceful mooring for boats.'

This is Newton Creek, guys, this is what we were talking about.

It's beautiful. How pretty it is on either side.

Amazing.

This is an overnight mooring for yachts and cruisers.

-They'll drop anchor and stay here.

-Yes.

This is what we were talking about when we were saying about taking the family out,

not part of business, but just something special for them.

-A real treat.

-It is.

-Do you think you can move here?

I think I could be persuaded.

'Well, after that voyage of discovery,

'let's hope the rest of our house search is plain sailing

'as we continue our quest south of Newport in the charming village of Godshill.

'With thatched cottages, medieval church and abundant tea rooms,

'Godshill is one of the island's most popular tourist destinations.

'Our second property is on the edge of the village, dating back to the Victorian era,

'it's comprised of converted farm buildings with a piggery and a hayloft.'

If you come right up where I'm going to stand here,

-this will give you the best view of everything that's on offer.

-OK.

-Yes.

-Very different, a lot of character.

-Oh...

I'm very intrigued, excited, erm, I want to get in there.

'Well, what a great start.

'I'm confident they'll love the inside just as much.'

-Now, then, quite quirky inside.

-Yes.

What do we think?

The kitchen is around here, better look at it.

Quirky, but lovely.

-It's got a lot of character, hasn't it?

-Yes, lovely to look at.

-Yes.

-Visually, lovely.

-Absolutely.

Practicality wise, beyond that door is a pantry.

If you're having different cooking areas, you might have to do something with this space.

Well, yes, all things are possible.

What a difference a house makes!

As long as it's in budget and we've got the available,

-you know, funds to do that.

-What did she have for lunch?

-Something very positive, this is great news.

-Yes.

'Elaine seems to be feeling optimistic about this property,

'so while she's all smiles, let's move on to the potential ground floor area for Thomas.'

As regards ground floor bedrooms are concerned, this isn't big enough for Thomas at the moment.

-No.

-I'm asking you to do some work here.

-Yeah.

You've got a shower room and a loo opposite

and then next door to them you've got a bathroom with a loo in it.

But, you need only one so I'm suggesting...

Let me run through what I'd like to do.

So, doorway here, so that's your ensuite there

and then you've got that entire bathroom which is the size again of that.

-This room becomes double the size.

-Oh, right.

-That's your first job.

That is a very good suggestion. That wouldn't worry me at all, doing that, would it you?

-As long as it was structurally sound.

-OK.

-What's your thoughts?

-Absolutely, that looks like it's more than feasible.

-Good. All right, upstairs.

'I'm glad to hear they're open to carrying out building work

'and they'll need to stay that way upstairs.'

This is where I'm asking you to make some quite tricky decisions.

First of all, as a master bedroom, do you like this?

-It's a lovely view, isn't it?

-Yes.

Now, you get two bedrooms on this floor

-and a loo.

-OK.

-But only a loo.

-And we've just knocked the bathroom down.

There was two bathrooms and we got rid of one, otherwise Thomas couldn't have the ground floor room.

That's it.

'To replace the downstairs bathroom they've two choices.

'They can either convert the second bedroom into a bathroom or, keep that as a guest room,

'and extend the dormer area where the WC is to fit in a shower.'

-Both options involve an element of compromise.

-Yes.

For us, the paramount needs of Thomas, if he's happy, we're happy.

If it suits him, it suits us.

'It's great that they're so positive about making those necessary changes upstairs

'but, back on the ground floor, there's an area that won't need any alteration.'

Now this reception area is split into two,

there's a dining area and the living room.

-Not huge, I know.

-No, very nice.

I like this, I love the brickwork.

I love the views. There's lots of light. It feels cosy.

-It's not too small for us. There are only three of us.

-Yeah.

So for the three of us, it's ideal. An ideal size.

'The home side of things seems to have really lifted Elaine's mood,

'let's see how the business side goes down.'

Now, I know you've been dying to look at this.

This is the business element.

You've got two apartments here or two self-contained holiday apartments. OK?

-Self-contained?

-Self-contained, that's the key thing.

The downstairs holiday let comprises a conservatory, a kitchen with dining and living space,

two double bedrooms and a family bathroom.

We're taking a look at the accommodation upstairs.

This pretty much mirrors downstairs minus the conservatory.

-Two double bedrooms with a bathroom and big kitchen/dining living room.

-Yes.

-Mm?

-Yeah.

-Yes.

-Yes.

This is already set up as the English Tourist Board recommends it.

It's four stars with the English Tourist Board.

Peak season, they get up to £625 a week.

Those are the sort of figures we were thinking about on a weekly rental.

Again, I could see, if I was on holiday,

-I would feel like I was in my own space, which is a good thing.

-Yes.

'Outside, tranquillity is the key word in this massive back garden.

'With views of the local church and surrounding countryside, it's the perfect, peaceful,

'and secure environment for children like Thomas to play in.'

-Do you like it?

-Oh, yes, definitely.

I mean, you could just sit here and relax. This is a lovely place.

-How do you value it, then?

-Badly! You know that's the case.

-I know!

THEY LAUGH

Oh, I've been thinking about this as we've been going around the house.

-This might take a while, might it?

-No, no. I'm thinking of 795.

-Right, OK.

-Towards the top end of our budget.

-It would be nice if I've overpriced that.

-I'll let you know in a moment.

-It's always nice to overprice.

-Well...

Yes, OK, I'm not thinking quite so high, I'll put 750 on it as a price.

Well...

It's on the market for £650,000.

SHE GASPS

-OK.

-Oh!

-You see, I said I was no good at this.

-In a good way, today.

-But in a good way.

-You haven't seen the ground floor self-catering holiday let.

-Have a look at that one. I'll catch you in a bit.

-OK.

'Well within their budget at £650,000,

'this property easily delivers on their demands.

'With three good-sized bedrooms and the main cottage,

'the potential to convert the bathroom into a bigger ensuite room for Thomas,

'two up-and-running holiday lets and an acre of lawns.'

Oh, wow. This is brilliant. Look at this.

Wow, this is perfect for guests, isn't it?

Open planned, the dining room there, lounge, kitchen... perfect.

Potentially in the future, as Thomas grows up and he's older,

he may need his own living accommodation.

That would be an ideal place for him to have the lower ground floor

which is connected to the main building so he has his own living space but he's also with us.

It really is looking good.

So plenty to have a look around. Did you manage to see it all?

Absolutely, yes.

Hopefully, I've given you something to sleep on, at least. Good.

It'll keep me awake.

SHE LAUGHS

'So as the day draws to a close over the Isle of Wight,

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

'After years of running their own business, Colin and Elaine have set themselves

'the challenge of starting a new one on the Isle of Wight,

'offering holidays to families with autistic children.

'Our two properties so far have had varying results

'but, coming up, it's all smiles at the mystery house.'

-This has got style, character.

-Yes.

'And I get a taste of the latest crop at the Isle of Wight's garlic farm.'

Well, a fairly topsy-turvy start to yesterday,

especially when we went to that upside-down house.

It was there that I really started to understand

just how specific some of Elaine and Colin's requirements were.

I would like to think that in the afternoon that house gave them

a lot of what they are after on their shopping list.

Today, I don't know if you can tell, it's a fairly blustery start to the day

and we're off to see the mystery house, which is here to challenge the expectations

of our house hunters and, hopefully, like the weather, it'll blow them away.

'Our mystery property is close to the town of Brading on the east side of the island.

'Said to have been founded by King Alfred in the 7th century, it's one of the oldest towns.

'One claim to fame is the boards used to display hymn numbers were invented here in the 18th century.

'Our mystery property is a stone-built former vicarage dating back to the 1800s

'but last extended in the 1950s.

'What makes this house our mystery property is that the holiday let space and family accommodation

are all contained under one roof, so Colin and Elaine will be living alongside their guests.

LAUGHTER

I can't tell what his contorted, facial expressions mean.

-What are you saying to me?

-What a great-looking house.

-Oh!

-Happy?

-Very.

LAUGHTER

-There you have style, character.

-Yes.

-It's quite some building.

-It is, isn't it?

I love the stonework.

-I love the entrance hall.

-Yes. So much to look at.

Look at those chimneys. They're huge.

-First impressions?

-It looks good.

-Good. Come on, let's get inside.

Now then, as far as grand entrance halls go,

I think this is pretty much OK, isn't it?

-It's about average(!)

-It's grand!

-No, it's average, isn't it?

-It's a lovely hallway.

-That's an understatement.

-If you react well to this entrance hall...

-Love the arches.

-I'm going to pull you out of here.

-OK.

-Love the beams...

-Or not.

-Yeah.

The entrance hall is great, I love it.

But I want you to concentrate on this first room

because I think it's going to blow your heads off, OK?

-I'll keep my head on.

-Righty-ho.

In we come.

-Oh, wow.

-Wow.

Close my eyes and open them again.

-Am I believing this? Am I seeing this?

-Very elegant.

The amount of light coming into this room is something to behold.

-And so open as well.

-Yeah.

-So open.

It's huge, absolutely huge this room.

-Thomas'd love this room.

-Would he?

-I think so.

-Because it's so light?

It's quiet, it's light, it's airy, it's interesting.

-It's restful. You get a feeling of rest.

-Wonderful.

-Spot-on.

-Spot-on.

The best use of this sprawling house would be for all

of the downstairs area to be used for family accommodation.

This office space could easily be used as a bedroom.

Colin and Elaine's main focus is for Thomas to have a secure

and quiet environment, so with that in mind,

let's see which area would work best for his needs.

-Right...

-Oh! Oh, this is a surprise.

-OK.

-What were you expecting?

-I wasn't expecting that.

-No. From the main hallway,

we've led off somewhere into a bit of an Aladdin's cave,

a little secret corner.

I'm going to bring you round this house in a slightly different way.

There's so much to get your head around, OK?

Now, you walk through that corridor there,

the bottom of that corridor is a bathroom.

I think it would perfectly suit whoever uses this room.

-Thomas.

-Mm.

-Ground floor, light.

-Yeah.

-Yes. It's a beautiful room.

Mm-hmm. I think we should go now into the business premises. OK?

-I might have confused you, but stay with me.

-OK.

-All right?

Upstairs, the top two floors have a series of light,

well-proportioned rooms forming three separate apartments, perfect for guests.

So, first floor, self-catering apartment.

-Big kitchen area, isn't it?

-It's massive, isn't it?

-Yeah. It is big.

And I'm loving the open-plan aspect, with the windows

and the source of light, and the tall ceilings.

It's continued as downstairs, pretty much.

-And still in the atmosphere of the building.

-Yes.

This apartment has two good-sized adjoining bedrooms

as well as a cosy sitting-room area which leads out onto a balcony.

Somewhere to sit and admire those great views.

Over in the opposite wing of the house,

there's a good-sized living area, a family bedroom and bathroom,

plus there's a spacious extra room currently set up as an art studio.

You've got access to that beautiful main staircase.

You've also got access to the rear of this apartment as well.

So you can really separate the families that are staying here.

'And up on the second floor, there's a kitchen/living area

'with a balcony and a triple room with en suite,

'providing accommodation for a third holidaying family.

'Outside, secure and mature gardens to the front and back

'provide an ideal space for children to play.'

Overall, whistle-stop tour, happy with what you've seen?

-More than happy.

-More than happy?

-You've done a fantastic job there.

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

Based on what we've seem, the number of rooms, the potential

for the business, the outside space,

all the period features as well, I think it's going to be

at the top end of our budget but I'm kind of going on the...

Oh... 690?

690? 690. OK.

-It's never a short answer, is it?

-Never! No, no.

-OK.

Fantastic property. It's got to be up there,

definitely around the 700 mark.

You're both there or thereabouts, really.

It's recently come on the market at offers above £685,000.

-OK?

-OK.

-You can see where their aspirations lie, then,

in and around maybe where you're going.

I'm sure you're dying to get back in and have a look at potentially your own kitchen

and all the other accommodation,

so why don't you do just that and I'll catch you later on.

-Lovely.

-Thank you very much.

At just over £685,000, and well within their budget,

this property could be just the job. It's got three bedrooms

for the family, plenty of space downstairs

to expand for Thomas's needs,

separate and flexible business accommodation on the upper floors

for holidaying guests and secluded grounds,

perfect for kids and their new venture.

Ooh!

-Wow.

-That's a big kitchen.

That'll do nicely, thank you.

Yet another door. Ooh!

-Another door, lots of doors.

-More rooms.

-More rooms. Stone, beautiful. It's going to be original.

-Yes.

-That is lovely.

-You need a map! It is a confusing house.

There's lots of rooms all over the place,

but once you start to divide it up into areas, for us

and from the business side, this really is, I mean,

it's a very clever building.

Wow. Lounge and diner's just amazing.

All the original features were there.

And it was so restful in that room. So quiet and tranquil.

You couldn't ask for anything better.

-Now that is one big smile on both of your faces.

-Absolutely.

-Show we find somewhere to have a bit of chat?

-Fantastic.

-Good man.

Whilst the largest industry in the Isle of Wight is tourism,

the island also has a strong agricultural heritage

including sheep and dairy farming and the growing of arable crops.

It's also home to the UK's largest garlic farm.

Traditionally, garlic is grown in hot Mediterranean countries,

but due to the long sunlight hours enjoyed on the island, it also thrives here.

Colin Boswell has run the farm for over 30 years

and now employs 40 people to work his 60 acres of garlic crop,

including varieties such as Solent White and elephant garlic.

-This is elephant garlic.

-Right.

-So it's a big, big...

-Right, OK.

Now, that's only half size.

That'll double in size in the next two weeks.

This is actually closer to a leek than it is to garlic.

Elephant garlic is a hardneck.

That means it produces a flowering spike.

But what we do, we snap that off and it is absolutely superb

just dipped in batter, deep-fried

and served with a sweet chilli sauce.

-Oh, wow.

-Incredible. In fact, you could try now.

Just nibble.

Very crunchy. It's like a tastier, more pungent spring onion, isn't it?

As well as selling to the mainland,

the garlic is also exported to Italy, Spain and even France.

On-site, there's a restaurant where you can eat your garlic baked, steamed, boiled or roasted.

Chef Charlie Bartlett gave me a test of what's on the menu.

You've just brought me some elephant garlic and I've got a couple in here.

I've got a nice, big, juicy one there.

These have been in for probably about an hour, an hour 15.

-The longer they cook, the better they are.

-I can see some

good, old-fashioned garlic bread.

We're going to show you a meze dish,

which includes the Solent White, the garlic bread, some salad

and some garlic dips. And I'm going to show you

how to make deep-fried scapes. Come round this side.

We've got the bottom end of the scape.

The top end is the most important bit for us, because they're really nice.

-Do you want to chop some for me?

-Why not?

-OK.

'A garlic scape is the curly stem from which the seed head

'of the garlic bulb is formed.

'When young, it's tender and delicious,

'especially when deep-fried in tempura batter, a signature dish of the Farm restaurant.

'The batter is made with self-raising flour,

'cornflour and sparkling water.

'After whisking, the scapes are dipped in batter

'and then placed in hot oil for a minute or two until golden.'

As it hits the hot oil, you'll find that it will cook and rise

-and it makes it quite light.

-So quickly as well.

-'Then, they're ready to plate up.'

-Grab some scapes.

-Yep.

And then we pile them on one side,

-just stack them all up there, please, Jonnie.

-OK.

I suppose everything is made on the island?

Pretty much. The bread, the garlic, the cloves.

All our hummus is home-made here using Isle of Wight products.

-So the carbon footprint is pretty low.

-Absolutely.

Then we put the elephant garlic with the bread.

-Well, Colin's back from the field. Shall we see how these taste?

-Sure.

Looking forward to this.

Now, then, this looks like one amazing spread, doesn't it?

So, shall we dig in?

OK.

-Start with the scape.

-OK.

Just dip it into the sweet chilli sauce.

I think you'll be surprised at how they taste.

That is quite something.

And the batter. I must say,

this feels all a bit too tasty to be good for you!

'But good for you it certainly is.'

Garlic is well known for lowering blood pressure

and strengthening the immune system,

making it truly worthy of the term "superfood".

Garlic all the way.

'We're hoping that Colin and Elaine have an equally healthy chance

'of success in their move here, because now it's time to find out

'what they really thought of our three properties.'

So, the Isle of Wight. It's a fantastic place to visit.

-But then it comes down to the properties.

-Yep.

-So, property number one didn't start great.

-Yeah.

My heart sank as I first saw the property,

because of the road, because of the safety element of it.

But you couldn't beat those lovely views, stunning.

It was a new-build.

It lacked the character we were looking for. While for some people,

that's ideal, for us it wasn't the case.

It was upside down

and quirky, which again,

some people will like. But we just couldn't see how, for us,

-that would fit.

-In the afternoon, we went to a converted piggery.

You really warmed to its, I suppose, quirkiness

-as much as anything else, didn't you?

-Yes.

-Quirky works for us.

Anybody who knows us will say that's true.

I've come to understand that that works for both of you.

-But the business was there already.

-It was.

The only problem with the house

was the configuration of the bathroom and bedroom for Thomas

and how we'd do that. Some changes to be made.

-But we were prepared to do that.

-It was interesting enough to work with.

Now, the mystery house is often full of surprises. Your reaction

said it all. You were almost skipping through the front door.

I was absolutely mesmerised by it.

There was the amazing reception room.

You reacted great to that. But we got into Thomas's room,

-and that was more than adequate, wasn't it?

-Definitely.

It's all in close proximity, but in the same sense,

it was also disconnected enough that as he gets older,

it can feel like his place.

Then we started concentrating on the business element.

How much work do you think is needed

to make that work for you in your business?

-There's actually very little.

-Out of all the properties we've seen,

-which is your favourite?

-Got to be the third.

-Mystery property?

-Definitely.

-Yes, same here.

What do you want to do about this mystery house?

The next step for us is to go away, do the figures, do the finance,

make sure everything ties up. We've already talked about bringing Thomas

back to see the house. So hopefully, very soon we'll have that business up and running.

I hope the viewing goes well. I hope Thomas loves it as much as you do.

Let us know how you get on.

I'm sure I will.

-Thank you very much for a thoroughly wonderful time.

-Good.

I've enjoyed myself as well.

Whilst these past couple of days have been rather challenging,

I've found them really interesting,

looking at properties through Elaine and Colin's eyes.

And in choosing the mystery house,

I don't think they're making many compromises.

So let's just hope this is the start of a new beginning

for their family, especially Thomas,

but also the start of a successful business, whereby their clients

can come here and enjoy the fantastic getaway

of the Isle of Wight. See you next time.

'With their business plan finalised,

'Colin and Elaine have been back

'to see our mystery house with their son, Thomas.

'They're planning to make an offer on it

'once they've secured a buyer for their current home.

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

'Northern Ireland or England and would like our help,

'please apply online at:'

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