West Sussex Escape to the Country

This is the UK's newest national park.

Covering an area of over 600 square miles,

it's up there with the likes of the Lake District,

the Yorkshire Dales and Snowdonia as an area renowned for its diverse wildlife,

its cultural heritage and its stunning countryside.

Where am I? Find out in just a moment.

On today's show, I'll be helping a couple quit life in the suburbs and head out of town to the country.

We have to contend with some very particular tastes...

-It's got a conservatory.

-It has got a conservatory.

The windows!

'..which makes the reaction to our mystery house all the more surprising.'

-Right.

-Oh, wow!

-Gosh.

-It's fabulous, isn't it?

Today I'm in West Sussex and this is the South Downs National Park.

Stretching over three counties - Hampshire, West Sussex

and East Sussex - the park became fully operational in April 2011.

But it didn't happen overnight,

as it was first suggested back in the 1940s.

Today, nearly 108,000 people live within its boundaries,

making this the most populated national park in the country.

When you look around, it's quite easy to see why they all want to be here.

West Sussex's position amongst the south-east counties

offers a great blend of coastline and countryside,

half of which falls within the national park borders.

Besides its conservation areas, the county holds onto a wealth of architectural gems,

notching up 7,000 listed buildings in total.

While Chichester is defined by its Georgian town houses and Gothic cathedral,

Arundel Castle's Victorian Gothic superstructure

rears up imposingly from its Norman and Mediaeval foundations.

And there are distinctive styles to be found in the properties here

with the red clay hung walls,

a legacy of the house building boom in the 1920s and 1930s.

The average cost for a detached house in West Sussex at the moment

is £359,000.

That's an incredible £100,000 above the national average.

That rather high figure reflects some very attractive housing stock

and some wonderful landscape the county has.

Perhaps more than that, it also reflects the proximity

the county has to London and access to great transport links,

which in turn keep the prices high for those wishing to keep their city jobs

but also experience countryside living.

With that in mind, take a look at a selection of properties

that we found currently on the market here.

£279,000 will buy you a two-bedroomed property

in this converted building in Halton,

which has been renovated to offer a bright, open-plan interior.

For just shy of £600,000,

this extensive four-bedroom property in Fakenham

includes a modern kitchen and separate dining room,

with a fire place in the living room providing a real focal point.

Outside, in the garden, the heated swimming pool

takes centre stage.

Or if your budget was stretched to £775,000,

this spacious three-bedroomed barn in Brook Green makes great use of natural materials

to add high-spec character throughout its rooms.

Outside, the grounds amount to nearly an acre.

A great selection of properties.

What kind of home are today's buyers keen to get their hands on?

Time to find out.

Mark and Janet have lived in Stoke Poges near Slough for five years.

During that time they've completely refurbished their four-bedroomed property.

Now that Mark's work as a finance director means he'll need to commute to Surrey,

they've decided to find a new home across the border in West Sussex

that meets their varied lifestyle.

I'm just looking for a way to relax a bit more.

I'm starting a new job which will be quite high pressured.

I'm a keen cyclist. I'm quite looking forward to cycling around some country roads

rather than the busier roads around Slough.

I'm hoping to spend more time

working with animals in a charitable way.

It's something I wanted to do more locally here

but unfortunately there aren't that many charities

in the area that need volunteers.

They'd prefer an edge-of-village location with amenities within walking distance.

That sounds perfectly achievable, as does their property wish list.

At first glance.

We definitely need four bedrooms. We need a room for a study.

The fourth bedroom would have to be a study

because Mark works from home sometimes.

A dining room, kitchen/breakfast room...

A large, mature, south-facing garden. Plenty of land.

But they also have very specific things they're not keen on.

I don't like conservatories.

I don't like beams, diamond-shaped leaded windows I don't like.

On top of that, Mark has put in a request for a pond

that his koi carp can call home.

Their house searching efforts over the past year have come up short

and they're the first to admit the cause for that.

-We're quite fussy. We've got quite a long list of criteria.

-Wish list.

Yes, we are very particular. We're not prepared to take second best.

Janet's very black and white.

On Janet's planet, everything is either yes or no.

I think I tend to be a little bit more willing to compromise.

Fortunately, they're prepared to put in the work to create their perfect property.

Definitely willing to renovate or modernise.

No matter what house you buy, it will never be the house you want.

They're about to put their house on the market for £725,000

and they have a healthy budget for their move.

-If we could move straight in, no work, no stress then...

-We'd pay.

-£700,000 would be...

-Our maximum budget.

Mark and Janet have a maximum budget of £700,000

to find their perfect rural retreat.

That's a great budget, but in this part of the world,

it may not stretch as far as they wish.

My concern is, it took them two years to find their current house

and I've only got two days.

Plus, their list of don't-wants is almost as long as their lists of what they do want.

But, as ever, we'll aim to please.

As Mark needs to be a commutable distance

from his new job in Camberley across the border in Surrey,

we're focusing our property search in the northern part of West Sussex.

We've cherry picked three stunning properties to show them

and they'll have to guess the price of each before I reveal it to them.

And last but not least, there's our mystery house

which will throw all the criteria they've set down up in the air.

-Welcome, both of you, to West Sussex.

-Thank you.

How well do you both know this particular area around Arundel?

Not particularly well, but we have an appreciation of the area and it's absolutely beautiful.

The house you live in at the moment - took you a while to find that, didn't it?

-Two years.

-Yeah, very fussy.

I'll ask you to be open-minded,

but don't be afraid to speak up if you really, really don't like something.

-Because I need to learn from you.

-I won't!

-ALL LAUGH

-OK!

Let's find out from the first house what you don't like about it,

what you do like about it and we can go from there.

-All right?

-Wonderful.

-Good, come this way.

-OK.

Armed with their £700,000 budget,

Mark and Janet want a detached country home

with a large kitchen/breakfast room,

four bedrooms - one of which Mark could use as a study -

and a large, attractive garden.

If there is a ready-made pond, all the better.

They're happy to renovate and redecorate,

but location is important, as they want to be close to a village

with easy access to Camberley, so Mark can get to work within an hour.

Talk to me about your internet searches to date.

I mean, have you seen much...

Um...

..for your budget that fits the bill?

No, everything I like is probably 100, 200, £300,000

more than we have to spend.

That's a little bit of a worry,

because whilst you have an amazing budget, your desires

and tastes are for a much bigger budget, aren't they?

-Yes.

-So what's going to happen?

Are we suddenly going to find another £300,000

or are you going to pull your aspirations down a little bit?

We will have to pull our aspirations down. I don't think...

Correct answer, Janet.

ALL CHUCKLE

'I hope Janet holds that thought

'as we get our property search underway in Coolham,

'which is unachievable drive to work for Mark.

'Although it's a semi-rural hamlet,

'the amenities of Billingshurst Village lie just four miles away.

'On the outskirts of Coolham,

'and accessed via its own private driveway,

'is of first property, which I hope will give them

'the requisite land and style of house they're looking for.'

-Now, this house... you do have that road...

-It's quite busy.

It can be quite busy.

But I was hoping you'd think this house is set back far enough,

being situated just there.

-Yeah.

-OK.

-That's nice.

-Nice spot.

-What does that smile mean, Janet?

Cos I see a conservatory-looking thing at the back of the house, but it's quite tastefully done.

It's in keeping with the style of the house.

-More of a sun room.

-It does look...OK.

It's got wood, it's got bricks and inside, I think...

I hope you'll feel it's an extension of the house

rather than something that's just stuck on. Let's go inside.

'Built in the 1930s, and extended in 2008,

'this property provides them with an array of spacious rooms.

'On one side of the hall there is a ready-made study,

'along with a cloakroom and separate utility room.

'But we'll explore the main living areas.'

I'm hoping you like the dimensions. Come right in next to me. Lovely.

-Now...

-This is a nice space.

-It's big, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-It is, actually. Yeah, it's a nice space.

Odd for a dining room, though. Kind of feels more like a hallway.

-I think you're right. You've got a plethora of doors coming off this space.

-Yes, you have.

Let's look at the kitchen, because kitchens are often the most important part of the house.

-What do you think of what the lady's done here?

-I like it, actually.

It's not the kind of thing I'd go out and think, "Oooh,"

see it in a brochure and would take it,

but I like the colour of the units.

Not a kitchen you could live in, though - it's a functional kitchen.

You come in, do what you have to do and go out again, there's nowhere to sit.

-You would prefer more of a dining kitchen?

-Yeah.

-Yes.

-OK, well, let's keep looking round.

-Great.

'Hopefully, the living room will measure up.'

Now, then, big living room.

Gosh, that's huge, isn't it?

-I didn't expect this at all, actually.

-Wow.

-Fireplace.

-Yeah. Wood fire, wood-burning stove.

-A real one.

-Yeah.

-I like this.

-Lots of beams.

Tall, though, you could paint them. They're not encroaching.

-I'd have to paint them.

-Look through there.

I know, I've just seen the dining room, the dining table.

-That's the conservatory.

-It doesn't look like a conservatory, does it?

-Exactly.

-It looks like it's part of the house.

And that's because the glass roof has had a cover put over it.

It's like a ceiling.

Yeah, and they've got a brick bottom and it's wooden-framed.

So actually it feels more like an extension room.

'Looks like we've changed Janet's preconceptions about conservatories.

'But let's see what they make of their potential sleeping arrangements.'

Now, ground floor bedrooms aren't everybody's cup of tea.

-Come right in.

-Right.

Oh!

Are they your cup of tea?

Not something I'd normally go for, to be honest.

I tell you what, if this isn't something you'd go for,

-let's look at this as a guest bedroom.

-Yeah.

-Yes.

And I think it's a wonderful guest bedroom - it's a double,

walk-in wardrobe for your storage, but you've got an en-suite,

so it doesn't encroach on any part of your personal living space.

'Their visitors would certainly be queuing up to use this state-of-the-art ensuite,

'complete with slick shower cubicle and bath.

'With three bedrooms in total,

'we'll head upstairs to check out the others,

'one of which is a good-sized double with a bright, modern family bathroom next door.

'But let's see what they make of the third room.'

I was looking forward to bringing you up here because I expected

it might not be ideal for you to sleep on the ground floor.

I thought these rooms were a decent size and nicely lit.

They are decent-sized bedrooms.

-They're pretty good.

-Where would you put the wardrobes, though?

-Ah.

-Storage.

-We do have lots of wardrobes.

-You have lots of wardrobes.

This is a conversation I've heard many times before.

Let's go out to the garden.

-OK.

-Start thinking about price.

-OK.

'Although they have reservations about upstairs, overall,

'this house delivers the contemporary clean lines

'and generous living spaces they asked for.

'And outside certainly builds on that.

'At over three-quarters-of-an-acre,

'the garden includes a heated swimming pool for them and the pond Mark wanted for the koi carp.

'What's more, the setting is great.'

-Look at those views through there.

-They're stunning.

-Beautiful views.

-Beautifully framed, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-It's gorgeous.

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

-650.

-OK.

I think 675.

The price of this house is offers around 689,950.

-Wow. OK.

-Gosh. OK.

You weren't a million miles away

but you are far south enough for it to be maybe a bit of an alarm call?

BOTH: Yeah.

Yeah, that's a surprise.

-So maybe have a chat around the house about what you will compromise on.

-OK, then.

-Catch you in a bit.

-OK.

'Seeing this house has been a valuable lesson for Mark and Janet

'so they can start working out which items on their property wish list they want to prioritise.

'That said, on paper, this house answers their brief on many levels.

'Under budget at just shy of £690,000,

'it provides them with three spacious, adaptable living areas,

'a large, contemporary kitchen,

'three bedrooms, one with a great en-suite,

'and along with three-quarters-of-an-acre of garden,

'it's located on the edge of a village

'and falls within commuting distance of Mark's work.'

Walking up to the house, I thought, "Wow it's actually amazing."

The garden looked stunning.

The house wasn't anything I would normally look at.

The bedrooms were too small, there's only two bedrooms upstairs

and the house has only got single-glazing and it is on quite a busy road.

When I first walked up through the driveway,

it had potential and seemed like a nice property.

And I spied a swimming pool through the hedge

which was beyond all my expectations. But I think,

overall, the balance isn't quite right.

Not enough bedroom space upstairs

and probably not enough living room space downstairs.

And certainly not a liveable kitchen which is something we are very used to.

-All done?

-Yes, all done.

Hopefully, that's given us something to think about

at least for the other two houses as well?

-Yes, a good benchmark. Let's move on.

-Good. Good news.

Sandwiched between the South Downs and the English Channel,

the West Sussex coastline stretches for some 40 miles.

Six miles south of Chichester, Pagham Harbour may be the smallest in the Solent

but this wetlands site has an international reputation.

Its 1,500 acres of salt marsh and shingle beach

support a wide range of wildlife,

including wading birds and wild fowl.

Also close to Chichester is the Brent Lodge bird and wildlife hospital.

And since Janet is keen to volunteer for an animal charity once she moves to the country,

earlier in the week, we arranged for them to meet its founder, Dennis Fenter.

-Hello.

-Hello, I'm Janet.

-Welcome to Brent Lodge. Hello, Janet.

-I'm Mark.

-Hello, Mark.

-Nice to meet you.

-Come and sit down.

-Thank you.

How long ago did you found the hospital?

1971, so it is 40 years ago this month.

How many animals do you treat now?

Around 3,000, I suppose.

If I'd realised when I started just what it was going to grow into,

I'd probably have run a thousand miles!

It's very intensive work for the 20 volunteers who help at the hospital,

as the baby birds need feeding every 20 minutes throughout the day.

The number of patients is steadily increasing,

as Mark and Janet discover from Emma Pink, who's worked at the hospital for 12 years.

How many animals a week do you get in here?

This time of year? 20 to 30 a day.

In the winter, it's down to around five or six a day. Really, it's a seasonal thing.

-Is it because it's the bird season?

-Yeah, it's baby season, so more people are out walking dogs

and come across things

and there's babies falling out of nests, cats taking birds out of nests, all sorts of things.

-I see we've got an audience of four owls.

-Yeah.

-What are they? How did they come here?

They're tawny owls.

-When would you look to release them into the wild?

-They'll be with us a while.

We'll get them to a soft release area where they're left in an aviary for a couple of weeks.

They're fed and then the aviary roof is opened

and they get out and come back and forth for food as and when they want to.

It gives them that opportunity if they can't hunt straight away,

cos they won't be natural hunters cos they haven't got a mum to teach them.

Mark and Janet are keen to develop interests that will involve them in community life.

With that in mind, we arranged a game of lawn bowls at the Arundel Bowling Club,

where Jim has offered to give them some tips on how to get started.

The idea is the wood bends towards the jack.

-Right.

-Right.

And that's the bias, the small dot. So you just bend down,

put two feet on the mat, one foot forward and go like that.

-It comes in then.

-That's good.

-That's rather a good one.

-You've done this before!

-Yes, occasionally.

Go on, you have a go. Come on.

So two feet on the mat...

A little bit of weight.

That's it.

He's taking it back for me.

That's it.

Oh.

Yes.

Look at this! Look, look, look.

That's your hand, isn't it? Well bowled.

-APPLAUSE

-Look at that!

Honestly, we've never played this before!

It looks like Janet's talent might win her a signing

to the local ladies team.

But whether she'll be bowled over by the rest of our properties remains to be seen.

Our house search continues in the small village of Dial Post,

giving Mark an hour's drive to work

but also greater access to the local community,

much of which is centred on its village green and hall.

As it borders the Knepp Castle Estate, there is also an abundance of wildlife

and walking opportunities right on their doorstep. As is the local pub,

which is just a stone's throw from our second property.

We've got a very different proposition for you now,

and you'll see what I mean as soon as you come round this corner.

-Oh, gosh!

-Wow.

-Crikey.

-That's a bit bigger than the other one. It's a lot taller.

That's some house, isn't it?

It's a very grand looking house, isn't it?

-It is, lovely wisteria. I love wisteria.

-Do you?

-I do.

The house itself, whilst it was built in 1905,

it lends itself very much to a 1920s-style house,

certainly with the proportions inside.

But funnily enough, it was built on the site of a 16th-century property

and they've used some of the materials in building this now.

So what do you think of the look of this house?

-I like it a lot, actually.

-Do you?

-Yeah.

-I do.

Good news.

'This impressive house is set over three levels

'and certainly gives them more space than they asked for.'

OK. In we come. You might have to give that door a bit of a slam.

-Oh.

-Oh, wow.

-This is nice.

-Yeah.

-Beams.

-Beams aren't necessarily your favourite things?

-They're not.

-You're not going bang your head on them, at least.

-BOTH: No.

-I like the floor.

-That floor seems very nice, look at the size of these floorboards.

-That's the original.

-This is lovely. I love this.

-I like that a lot.

-Yeah, very nice.

-Excellent. All good stuff.

-Big, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Bigger than the last one.

-Yes, and there's a real flow to it.

'Leading off the main reception room is a large conservatory

'which Janet can pass judgement on later.

'But across the hall is a second reception room with a cosier feel.'

For me, it's a snug, and these warm colours

make it feel like a room you'd come into in the winter.

What I like about this is the lovely open-plan feel as you walk in,

but you get a separate reception room, especially in the winter.

Yeah, a bit of privacy.

'So it's thumbs up for the reception rooms.

'Let's hope we can build on that

'with the all-important room at the end of the hallway.'

So have we improved on the first house with this kitchen?

-Yes.

-It's great.

-Yes, it's a lot better than the last one.

-Relief sweeps over me.

-See, I'm already leaning against the breakfast bar.

-This is good!

I like the granite worktops.

I like pale wood kitchens.

I can see a door, which is nice, cos it's the first one I've seen so far.

That goes down to the utility and a downstairs loo

and, obviously, the back door.

I like the lighting in here.

A lot of times people put a fantastic kitchen in and skimp on the lighting.

It's been done really, really well.

Let's see what do you think of the bedrooms. There's loads of them.

'The fact that the seven bedrooms are laid out over two floors

'is a real plus for Janet.'

Oh, yes. I've always wanted to live in a house with two flights of stairs.

-Nice wide landing, a sofa. Fantastic.

-Good-sized family house, isn't it?

It's nice and light here as well, isn't it? Very nice.

Now, then, I know storage space was an issue in the first house.

-Yes, it was.

-Better?

Yes, it's got the wardrobes and another wardrobe over there.

Now, I think this is used as the master as it's twin aspect,

but, actually, the bedroom the other side of the landing is much bigger.

-OK.

-Much bigger.

There's four bedrooms on this floor with a bathroom.

On the top floor, there's a further three bedrooms with a bathroom.

-Seven?

-Seven-bedroomed house.

-This is turning into a luxury home, isn't it?

-It is, actually.

'The other two potential double bedrooms down the other end of the landing are light and spacious.

'Sandwiched between them is a modern family bathroom.

'Upstairs on the second floor,

'the remaining three bedrooms are all large enough to be doubles

'and are served by a small shower room.

'This property so far certainly puts to bed any concerns

'Mark and Janet had about space and storage, and it's immaculate.

'So unless they want to put in the odd en-suite,

'there's nothing really for them to do.

'Outside, the house sits in the middle of a half-acre plot,

'and has a large fully-networked office which Mark could make use of.

'There's also enough space for them to keep chickens too,

'but if they want to plough their energies into a project,

'there are more opportunities for more land.'

Quite a bit to discuss in the garden because there may be some options.

At the moment, there's some light industrial buildings there

and they spread right down beyond this office.

That is now owned by a trust.

They're keen on this land being used but it can only be used

according to the trust, in a way that benefits the local village.

They have said in the past that they would be open to offers

to the person who owns this house to lease some of that land.

-OK.

-If you were able to lease the land beyond it, even just lease it

and let it out as pasture land to a local farmer,

it would safeguard the views of your property and make this property

much more attractive, not only to yourselves but any future buyers.

-Yeah.

-OK.

-It's an idea.

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

Um...

-..650, 660? Yeah?

-OK.

I'm going to go slightly higher than that and I'm going to go...

-Even though I'm not overly keen, I'll say 710.

-Slightly higher.

Not overly keen? Right, OK. Interesting.

-It's on the market for 650.

-Is it?

-Yeah.

Have a think about it.

-I'm going to make friends with the chickens.

-OK.

-Look for some eggs.

Under budget at £650,000,

this immense property has been renovated to an impeccable standard

and offers them two large reception rooms,

a high-spec kitchen, which Janet liked,

seven bedrooms, one of which they could make into an en-suite,

and around half an acre of land.

What's more, it falls within Mark's search area,

so he can still commute to Camberley.

It's got a massive conservatory but I'd quite happily lose it,

demolish it and make the garden more usable.

Definitely, yes. I couldn't cope with that.

It's not for us at all,

but I do like this space because, as you stand there,

you can see through to the kitchen.

A great sight line through here.

This property's intriguing. There's a balance here.

From the front it's great. Real presence. Big property.

Three storeys. Old timbers.

Ground floor, great reception areas, fantastic kitchen.

Upstairs - more bedrooms than we'd ever know what to do with.

I think there are real question marks over the development potential

of the industrial area at the side and that could be a real sticking point.

-I'm hopeful this house has got us a bit closer?

-Yeah, I think so.

-It's something to sleep on.

-Good. That's good.

As evening falls over the South Downs,

the first day of our house search draws to a close.

'Mark and Janet are poised to sever their suburban ties to Stoke Poges near Slough

'and make a break for rural freedom in West Sussex.

'In their own words, they are fussy house-hunters,

'and in spite of a healthy £700,000 budget,

'I'm not convinced our two houses so far have matched up to their exacting standards.

'But coming up, will our mystery property give them a new perspective?'

Oh, wow.

'And I experience the breathtaking scenery of the South Downs

'at bracing speed.'

Today is a new day

and it's an absolutely glorious day here in West Sussex.

We're off to see the mystery house now.

As ever, it's here to challenge the expectations of our buyers.

And this one's no different.

What do you think we might be showing you for the mystery house?

Bearing in mind we had three of the things

I didn't ask for yesterday, I'm just hoping it's going to be...

have a large garden, have some good views, not on a main road

and not have a conservatory of some sort.

-I think I can put ticks against some of those things you just mentioned.

-Oh, thank you!

Our mystery property lies close

to the quiet village of West Chiltington,

which, while close to the South Downs,

still allows Mark to commute to work in around an hour,

and gives them the local amenities they were after.

Much of its historic architecture survives,

including the 12th-century Norman church

and a scattering of traditional properties.

Our mystery house is set in superb gardens,

but will challenge them to take on some renovation.

What's more, Janet will have to get over some of her pet hates.

-So, mystery house time.

-Wow.

Yes, this is nice, isn't it?

It's a house. Although it's got a conservatory.

-It has got a conservatory.

-And the windows!

What about the whole package, because that's what we're looking at here, isn't it?

I think it's fantastic. It's gorgeous. It's so established.

-The gardens are stunning.

-Good, OK. This is positive.

-Inside?

Let's go, yeah.

'Well, their initial reactions seem encouraging,

'and what a blessing Janet didn't run a mile when she saw the conservatory.

'Built in the late 1930s, this is a house with character.

'But whether the layout and room sizes inside will be a hit

'remains to be seen.'

OK, reception hall. Dining hall, almost.

Yes, well, I wouldn't put my dining table in the hall, that's for sure.

-It's too cramped in here.

-I think so.

-It's nice but...

I don't think you need to have your dining table here.

-You've got other options. Just through here, in fact.

-OK.

'Through here is the dining room, but we'll head to the kitchen next.'

-What do you make of the kitchen?

-Wow, country kitchen.

It's a bit more contemporary with the granite worktops and the breakfast bar.

-You can adopt a pose.

-Yes, the teapot.

It certainly brings it into this century.

There are plans for this house to have a big, two-storey extension

going out on the gable end.

Either two more reception rooms with a bedroom above...

I think you'd probably slightly change that

and have one big reception room going out that way.

But I think that's more of a long-term goal.

'So there's a project in the making

'if they want to enlarge the living areas.

'Let's see what they think of the existing sitting-room, which lies back through the hallway.'

-The living room. Not huge.

-No.

-But nothing in this house is.

-No, it isn't.

-Cosy.

-But it's not tiny.

You've got that return going down there.

Of course, the conservatory is potential added room.

-But you won't like that.

-It would have to come down.

-Yeah, I think...

I'd change the fire, I'd put an open fire, a proper fire, in there.

Maybe hopefully you're liking this tour around the house.

We're pointing out parts of your I-don't want list.

But you're saying, "OK, I can live with that, I could get rid of that."

You're starting to make that compromise.

The compromise often comes in the right place.

-I like the little windows either side of the fire as well. Did you notice those?

-Yeah.

OK. Do you like the diamond leading in the windows?

-I wasn't going to talk about that. I like the windows, I said.

-OK!

'OK, maybe I'm pushing it just a little.

'So let's head upstairs and check out the three bedrooms.

'There's a single, which Mark might make into his office,

'and two rooms large enough to be doubles -

'one which offers a real room with a view.'

-Right.

-Oh, wow.

-Gosh.

-It's fabulous, isn't it?

It's so quiet. You could be anywhere, couldn't you?

All you see is rooftops, you don't see many windows.

-I think it's a really private, secluded spot.

-It's very private.

-So...

-I'm liking it.

-You are, aren't you?

-I am, actually.

Excellent news.

'The balcony view seems to have won Janet's heart.

'And there's no denying that from the outside this is one handsome mystery property

'set in a beautiful half-acre plot.

'I wonder if they are prepared to take on the extending and renovation work we've talked about.

'And that brings us to the question of money.'

-We've had a pretty good tour, I think.

-Mmm-hmm.

Time to now have a go at guessing the price.

I would say... 690.

-690,000.

-OK. Janet?

-I'd go lower than that.

I'd say 660.

-The house is on the market for offers around £685,000.

-OK.

I think there's a deal to be done. Go back into the house.

Maybe start pricing up in your mind how much jobs would be

that you would like to do to this.

Because maybe a bid price for this house would need to reflect some works.

-I'll catch you later on.

-OK.

-Thanks.

-Thank you.

I think the guys walking around the house now is vital.

They've got to get in their mind what work they'd like to do to the house

and how much they're prepared to spend on it.

I think only then will they be able to decide

whether or not this place is for them.

I hope it is.

So our mystery property has done what it should

and put these two in a real quandary.

It is under budget at £685,000.

And, as it stands, gives them three reception rooms,

including a conservatory one of Janet's pet dislikes -

a large, light country kitchen and three bedrooms.

It's surrounded by half an acre of lovely wraparound gardens.

But is the setting and location an attractive enough proposition

for them to overcome the size of the property?

The mystery house today has been a total surprise.

Walking up the driveway, absolutely stunning.

Gardens are beautiful, perfect location,

it's very, very quiet and it's absolutely gorgeous around here.

I think it's an absolutely stunning home. It's in a fantastic setting.

It's a beautiful house, it's got some character.

I must say, it's very pleasant sitting out here in the sun.

-It's gorgeous, isn't it?

-Yeah, a few rays. Nice outlook.

Well, let's try and find you somewhere equally pleasant

-to go through things in your mind.

-OK.

-Great.

The South Downs National Park encompasses some wonderfully ancient

and varied landscapes, stretching from Winchester in Hampshire

towards the coastal cliffs near Eastbourne.

After 60 years of campaigning, this swathe of English countryside

is now protected by its National Park status.

'To learn more about the significance of this area,

'I'm meeting Phil Belden from the South Downs National Park Authority.'

Phil, thanks very much for seeing me.

-Looks like we picked the right day for it.

-Fantastic weather.

So what makes this part of the world and these collection of hills so special?

Birdlife is very rich, and, as you're going along the Downs,

you're just listening to this wonderful cacophony of birdsong.

Lots of people come down to the Downs because of the orchids.

The orchids on the chalk are absolutely legendary, really.

Associated with the chalk, you get these lovely blue butterflies.

People have been bemoaning the fact butterflies are getting rarer -

we've got some really good hotspots around for butterflies. So that's really good.

It's the green lungs for the whole of the south-east of England,

it's the place to come when you want to relieve your stress,

and we've got 10 million people living within an hour's travel of it all,

and this is their local wilderness.

The best way to take in its natural splendour

is via the South Downs Way, a 100-mile route that traverses the park

and is shared by walkers, horse riders and cyclists.

'I'm keen to experience it on two wheels

'and mountain biking guide Sean is an expert on the local terrain.'

I'm very much looking forward to this today.

I don't know the South Downs as a mountain biking Mecca.

-You're a guide around here, how good is it?

-It's excellent.

-It's got a great variety.

-Yeah?

So you've got some great open trails so you can cover some ground,

get some great views, make some distance.

It's also got some nice little secret spots of exciting technical downhill

to give you the spice and the adrenaline you want from mountain biking.

That's where you come in, isn't it? You need to know the area and be specialised in finding the tracks.

Yes, and also helping people ride them safely.

'The South Downs offers opportunities for cyclists of every ability,

'with gentle, undulating bridleways for beginners

'through to challenging trails where you need more advanced bike handling skills.'

-Right, got a bit of a puff on, that's good.

-Good. You've earned your reward now.

-Now we've got a nice little bit of single track we're going to ride.

-Excellent.

-OK.

I'll just give you a couple of pointers,

-just to make you more effective on the bike.

-Uh-huh.

Stand-up out of the saddle, that way you can move your body around more and let the bike respond.

-Yeah.

-Feather the brakes - they're pretty powerful, these brakes.

-Tapping.

-Exactly.

-Right, OK.

-Gently squeeze.

Most importantly of all, look ahead.

-Look where you want to go.

-OK. How far ahead should I be looking?

Well, I would try and get yourself to the trail about 30 feet or so ahead.

-All right. Lead the way, then, boss.

-Great.

'Although mountain biking is hugely enjoyable,

'for these trails it's vital to have a handle on the right skills,

'such as body positioning, choosing the right line

'and mastering effective braking at speed.'

I see what you mean about looking ahead. I'm trying my best to,

but the shift of your weight makes such a difference,

-especially when you go through that bit there, doesn't it?

-Yeah, absolutely.

-The faster you go, the more complicated it gets.

-Yeah.

-It's getting all that information to your brain as quick as possible.

-Yes.

-That is... It's stunning.

I can feel the adrenaline pouring through my veins at the moment.

'There's no doubt this is an exhilarating way to explore

'one of England's finest natural green spaces,

'whose heritage is now preserved for future generations to enjoy.'

So, after a couple of days of house-hunting round this rather pleasant part of the country,

I'd like to think we've ended on a high.

That mystery property, of course, it came with its compromises,

but it certainly got Mark and Janet thinking.

Time now, though, to find out whether it's done enough to be a genuine contender.

So cast your minds back to yesterday morning to our first property.

-Yeah, good house.

-I loved walking up the drive, that was nice.

Lovely gardens, quite nice. Busy-ish road.

Once you got in, the house was actually well set back from the road

so you didn't quite hear it so much.

Upstairs, it was just far too small. Two bedrooms upstairs

and a downstairs bedroom just doesn't work for us.

Moving on to the afternoon, we went to the second house.

As soon as you came round that hedge,

-you were met by this huge building, weren't you?

-Three storeys, lovely.

-That seemed to impress both of you initially.

-It did. Definitely.

A lot of presence to it, great character.

There was a flow to it, almost open-plan in some parts.

It was a bit too open-plan for me. As I walked through, I thought, "Wow, this is really nice."

Then we actually stood there, there wasn't a hallway

so you'd walk straight off the street into the house.

It was a nice house.

The double conservatory did put me off.

Upstairs, although the accommodation was good,

it was probably too many rooms, certainly for the two of us, even with guests

-and even with kids staying, it's still an awful lot of house upstairs.

-A lot of space.

Let's talk about the mystery house. We had good reactions right from the off.

Very good reactions, yes. Through the gates and it was gorgeous.

I was a little nervous, because you go around the corner,

you instantly are met with a conservatory.

And some leaded light windows. Diamond leaded lights. But...

As I said, you can change the windows.

It's got to be the location, and that was absolutely stunning.

The house can be changed, you can't change the grounds that it's standing in.

It was in lovely grounds.

Beautiful character house, but with nice little contemporary twists.

-Great kitchen.

-How much do you like the mystery property?

Enough to say that Mark actually said

-he would probably consider putting an offer in.

-Yeah.

-Oh, well, great. Look, I'm relieved. And happy.

-Good.

I wish you all the very best in the next stage, really,

in the meetings you have with the owner, get through those plans and then put together a bid.

-Good luck.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

Right from the very outset of this property hunt,

it was always going to be an element of what Janet and Mark wanted

and twinning that against perhaps what they didn't want.

It seems a little bit unfair that even with a healthy budget of £700,000,

when you're looking to move to an area that is fairly expensive and in such demand,

when you consider its proximity to the capital,

there's always going to be elements of compromise.

While I like to think that we might have done it with the mystery property,

even that house had its compromises.

But it just goes to show if you find the right house,

somebody looking to buy their perfect home is prepared to maybe forgive its foibles.

So we wish them the very best of luck

and hopefully they will be moving to this glorious part of the country sometime soon.

See you next time.

Mark and Janet did make an offer on the mystery house,

but unfortunately, it was turned down.

But they are still eagerly searching West Sussex for their new home.

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