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This intriguing property behind me has more than just its name | 0:00:02 | 0:00:05 | |
in common with this pack of cards. | 0:00:05 | 0:00:07 | |
So, find out what it is, and where I am, in just a moment. | 0:00:07 | 0:00:11 | |
In today's show, I'll be helping a house-buying couple fulfil | 0:00:40 | 0:00:44 | |
their big business vision. | 0:00:44 | 0:00:46 | |
-And their levels of enthusiasm just keep rising. -I like it! | 0:00:46 | 0:00:49 | |
-Look at that grin! -Yeah! -Cheshire cats are amongst us! | 0:00:49 | 0:00:53 | |
-Do I suit it? -You do, actually, yeah! | 0:00:53 | 0:00:56 | |
But then we really raise the bar. | 0:00:56 | 0:00:59 | |
You've got 77 acres. | 0:00:59 | 0:01:01 | |
Today, I'm in North Devon, in the village of Combe Martin. | 0:01:04 | 0:01:08 | |
Now legend has it that this property behind me was built to resemble | 0:01:08 | 0:01:11 | |
a house of cards after George Ley, | 0:01:11 | 0:01:13 | |
a local squire, won a whole pile of money in a card game back in 1690. | 0:01:13 | 0:01:18 | |
So happy was he with his winnings, he decided to build a palace | 0:01:18 | 0:01:21 | |
to Lady Luck and so, he built the property on four floors to represent | 0:01:21 | 0:01:26 | |
the number of suits in a pack, then on each floor he put 13 doors. | 0:01:26 | 0:01:30 | |
13 being equal to the number of cards in each suit. | 0:01:30 | 0:01:33 | |
And, if you look about the property, you'll also notice 52 windows. | 0:01:33 | 0:01:37 | |
52 cards in a pack. And if you get to the top of the property, | 0:01:37 | 0:01:40 | |
you'll also see a false window. | 0:01:40 | 0:01:42 | |
And what's that? Well, that's the joker. | 0:01:42 | 0:01:45 | |
Bordered by Cornwall to the west and Somerset and Dorset to the east, | 0:01:48 | 0:01:52 | |
Devon is blessed with both beautiful countryside and coastline, | 0:01:52 | 0:01:56 | |
and is peppered with villages and towns that hold on to their heritage. | 0:01:56 | 0:02:00 | |
Lying at the mouth of the River Torridge, | 0:02:00 | 0:02:02 | |
the small port town of Bideford is renowned | 0:02:02 | 0:02:05 | |
for its iconic Long Bridge, which dates back to the 15th century | 0:02:05 | 0:02:08 | |
and is made up of 24 arches. | 0:02:08 | 0:02:11 | |
This part of the North Devon coast is almost entirely protected | 0:02:11 | 0:02:15 | |
with either a national park status or as an area | 0:02:15 | 0:02:18 | |
of outstanding natural beauty. | 0:02:18 | 0:02:20 | |
This stunning county is also an outdoor playground, | 0:02:20 | 0:02:24 | |
not just for surfers, but also for cyclists, | 0:02:24 | 0:02:27 | |
who can enjoy the 144 miles of national cycle paths | 0:02:27 | 0:02:31 | |
that run between the coast of North and South Devon. | 0:02:31 | 0:02:35 | |
The average cost of a detached house in England and Wales | 0:02:38 | 0:02:41 | |
is currently running at around £255,000, but, if you move to Devon, | 0:02:41 | 0:02:46 | |
you can expect to add a massive £40,000 to that figure. Why? | 0:02:46 | 0:02:51 | |
Well, quite simply, the beautiful countryside and coastline of Devon | 0:02:51 | 0:02:55 | |
is much sought after by buyers, | 0:02:55 | 0:02:57 | |
who are willing to pay handsomely for their very own slice of it. | 0:02:57 | 0:03:00 | |
But you can ease the blow to your budget if you decide to look inland. | 0:03:00 | 0:03:04 | |
After all, it's those stunning sea views from the coastline | 0:03:04 | 0:03:07 | |
that really make prices rocket. | 0:03:07 | 0:03:09 | |
So, with that in mind, take a look at a selection of properties | 0:03:09 | 0:03:12 | |
that we found currently on the market here. | 0:03:12 | 0:03:15 | |
For £350,000, this three-bedroom Grade II listed thatched cottage | 0:03:15 | 0:03:20 | |
in Kennford couldn't be more chocolate box on its exterior. | 0:03:20 | 0:03:24 | |
And inside, exposed beams and an open fireplace add a cosy feel | 0:03:24 | 0:03:28 | |
to the main sitting room. | 0:03:28 | 0:03:30 | |
In the kitchen, the range adds true rustic charm. | 0:03:30 | 0:03:33 | |
Or, what about this three-bedroom thatched cottage in Dalwood, | 0:03:35 | 0:03:38 | |
priced at £525,000. | 0:03:38 | 0:03:41 | |
The traditional features of inglenook and beams | 0:03:41 | 0:03:44 | |
in the dining room are offset by the vaulted ceiling in the kitchen, | 0:03:44 | 0:03:47 | |
filling the space with natural light. | 0:03:47 | 0:03:50 | |
Outside, the beautifully landscaped gardens also house | 0:03:50 | 0:03:53 | |
a timber-built studio. | 0:03:53 | 0:03:55 | |
And if you've got deep pockets, then this five-bedroom | 0:03:56 | 0:03:58 | |
traditional longhouse in Crediton could be yours for £875,000. | 0:03:58 | 0:04:03 | |
Along with three reception rooms chock-full of character features, | 0:04:03 | 0:04:08 | |
the kitchen-diner serves up some real farmhouse style. | 0:04:08 | 0:04:11 | |
Outside, the house is offset by a swimming pool and, all in all, | 0:04:11 | 0:04:15 | |
it comes with around 25 acres of land. | 0:04:15 | 0:04:17 | |
Well, a great selection of properties there. | 0:04:18 | 0:04:21 | |
Time to meet today's buyers | 0:04:21 | 0:04:23 | |
and find out why they're looking to escape to the country. | 0:04:23 | 0:04:26 | |
Company director Alistair and his wife Debbie, | 0:04:26 | 0:04:29 | |
who's head of a music and media agency, | 0:04:29 | 0:04:31 | |
have been tied to a daily routine of commuting into London | 0:04:31 | 0:04:34 | |
from their three-bedroom cottage in Haslemere, Surrey. | 0:04:34 | 0:04:37 | |
But they've now decided to give it all up, and have hatched a plan | 0:04:37 | 0:04:40 | |
that will take them right into the heart of the countryside. | 0:04:40 | 0:04:44 | |
For me, it's a really good time to move because I want a change. | 0:04:44 | 0:04:49 | |
I'm really keen on setting up a business where we can do glamping, | 0:04:49 | 0:04:56 | |
or you know, yurts and camping and yurt weddings, | 0:04:56 | 0:05:00 | |
and just be part of the countryside, | 0:05:00 | 0:05:02 | |
and just do something completely different, | 0:05:02 | 0:05:04 | |
and get away from the hustle and bustle of London and London life. | 0:05:04 | 0:05:08 | |
Business aside, Alistair also has his reasons | 0:05:08 | 0:05:11 | |
for wanting to move to North Devon. | 0:05:11 | 0:05:14 | |
I'm particularly interested in surfing, | 0:05:14 | 0:05:16 | |
so I'd like to get the opportunity to pursue that further. | 0:05:16 | 0:05:19 | |
It's going to be a great environment, as well, | 0:05:19 | 0:05:21 | |
for my son to come and visit, | 0:05:21 | 0:05:23 | |
where we can just do great sort of father and son activities. | 0:05:23 | 0:05:27 | |
Accommodating Alistair's son and their Jack Russell, Cooper, are just two of the reasons | 0:05:27 | 0:05:32 | |
why this move definitely needs to provide something bigger and better. | 0:05:32 | 0:05:36 | |
In our new house, we need a minimum of four bedrooms, | 0:05:36 | 0:05:39 | |
one of them en suite. | 0:05:39 | 0:05:42 | |
We'd also like open fires in the living room. | 0:05:42 | 0:05:45 | |
We'd like a large kitchen-diner, if possible, | 0:05:45 | 0:05:48 | |
and an office is really important for Al, because Al's going to be | 0:05:48 | 0:05:53 | |
working from home a lot. | 0:05:53 | 0:05:55 | |
They also have plenty of plans for outside, | 0:05:55 | 0:05:58 | |
as Debbie wants to expand her vegetable patch | 0:05:58 | 0:06:01 | |
and possibly get stuck in to some bee-keeping. | 0:06:01 | 0:06:04 | |
What's more, they're looking for at least ten acres to set up their yurt campsite, | 0:06:04 | 0:06:08 | |
but the setting needs to be just right. | 0:06:08 | 0:06:11 | |
The land would have to be a mixture of pasture, sort of flatland, | 0:06:11 | 0:06:18 | |
with woodland, and create a natural landscape. | 0:06:18 | 0:06:22 | |
So the land is as important as the house, if not more, you could argue. | 0:06:22 | 0:06:28 | |
And while they're happy to plough their efforts into the business, projects for their home are a no-no. | 0:06:28 | 0:06:35 | |
We're not willing to renovate or modernise the house at all, | 0:06:35 | 0:06:39 | |
but if there's out-buildings with the land, then obviously, | 0:06:39 | 0:06:44 | |
we need to look at building toilets and shower blocks. | 0:06:44 | 0:06:49 | |
Also, if there was space to have horses, | 0:06:49 | 0:06:53 | |
we would quite like to be able to, you know, | 0:06:53 | 0:06:56 | |
convert some stables. | 0:06:56 | 0:07:01 | |
With plans to rent out their current property, combined with the sale | 0:07:01 | 0:07:04 | |
of Debbie's previous house, they have a sizeable pot for this move. | 0:07:04 | 0:07:08 | |
Our budget for this move is £1 million. | 0:07:08 | 0:07:11 | |
We'll be trying to focus Alistair and Debbie's house search | 0:07:17 | 0:07:21 | |
within ten miles of the coast that stretches between Ilfracombe | 0:07:21 | 0:07:24 | |
and Bude, just over the border with Cornwall. | 0:07:24 | 0:07:26 | |
We've cherry-picked three county homes that meet their brief, | 0:07:26 | 0:07:30 | |
and I'll be asking them to guess the price tag of each | 0:07:30 | 0:07:33 | |
before I reveal it. | 0:07:33 | 0:07:34 | |
The last one of these is our mystery house, | 0:07:34 | 0:07:36 | |
and I'll be serving up a property that will push the scale | 0:07:36 | 0:07:40 | |
of their business ideas to the limit. | 0:07:40 | 0:07:43 | |
I tell you what, looking around here, it's not hard to see | 0:07:43 | 0:07:47 | |
why anybody would choose to live in the beautiful Devon countryside. | 0:07:47 | 0:07:50 | |
But it's not just a new house you're looking for, | 0:07:50 | 0:07:53 | |
-you're looking for a completely new way of life, aren't you? -Yes. | 0:07:53 | 0:07:56 | |
-There's a business you're after as well. -We're looking for a complete lifestyle change. | 0:07:56 | 0:08:00 | |
So we want a house with land and we want to do sort of yurts | 0:08:00 | 0:08:05 | |
and glamping, basically. | 0:08:05 | 0:08:08 | |
Now, this is a term I'm hearing more and more. Glamping. | 0:08:08 | 0:08:11 | |
Now, I understand this is posh camping, is it? | 0:08:11 | 0:08:13 | |
-Posh camping. -Yeah, I think we would basically want to appeal to people | 0:08:13 | 0:08:16 | |
who probably wouldn't ordinarily get under canvas. | 0:08:16 | 0:08:19 | |
Being under the stars, but in a nice environment. | 0:08:19 | 0:08:22 | |
-So you'll get beds and comfy duvets... -Ooh, that sounds nice! | 0:08:22 | 0:08:25 | |
..and you will have a fire. | 0:08:25 | 0:08:27 | |
How much land are we talking about then? | 0:08:27 | 0:08:29 | |
Ten to 15 acres. | 0:08:29 | 0:08:31 | |
The reason we want so much is we want to do the yurts, so ideally, | 0:08:31 | 0:08:35 | |
if we had woodland, it would be great to put the yurts in there. | 0:08:35 | 0:08:38 | |
Right then, ultimately, what's the budget? | 0:08:38 | 0:08:41 | |
-We'd be happy with £1 million for our budget. -Right. | 0:08:41 | 0:08:46 | |
I think we could go up to 1.25 if it was the right property and land. | 0:08:46 | 0:08:51 | |
Look, it's going to be a work in progress as much as anything else. | 0:08:51 | 0:08:54 | |
-It's going to be really fun. -It is going to be fun. -Brilliant! -Excited? -Yes, definitely. | 0:08:54 | 0:08:59 | |
-You look very excited! -I am! -Let's go. -All right. | 0:08:59 | 0:09:02 | |
Alistair and Debbie's ideal budget is £1 million, | 0:09:04 | 0:09:07 | |
although they are prepared to go a little higher | 0:09:07 | 0:09:09 | |
for the perfect property. | 0:09:09 | 0:09:12 | |
They're looking for a country home which gives them a generous sitting room with character features, | 0:09:12 | 0:09:17 | |
along with a large kitchen-diner. | 0:09:17 | 0:09:19 | |
In total, they want four bedrooms, preferably with a master en suite. | 0:09:19 | 0:09:24 | |
And critically, they're after at least ten acres of land, | 0:09:24 | 0:09:27 | |
in an attractive setting for their luxury camping business. | 0:09:27 | 0:09:32 | |
Now, you're both fairly active people. | 0:09:38 | 0:09:40 | |
Debs, what do you want to get involved in | 0:09:40 | 0:09:42 | |
if you move down here to Devon? | 0:09:42 | 0:09:44 | |
I think I'm going to be too busy | 0:09:44 | 0:09:46 | |
blooming setting this yurt business up to be doing any activities! | 0:09:46 | 0:09:50 | |
It's a very good point actually, because starting a business, | 0:09:50 | 0:09:53 | |
as you both know, involves a lot of your time. Will you get to enjoy this beautiful countryside? | 0:09:53 | 0:09:58 | |
I'm looking forward to the walks on the beach with the dog, really, | 0:09:58 | 0:10:01 | |
and Al can do his thing in the water. | 0:10:01 | 0:10:04 | |
Mindful that location is the key to the success of the business, | 0:10:06 | 0:10:09 | |
we're kicking off our property search in the village of Tawstock, | 0:10:09 | 0:10:13 | |
which is also just 15 miles from Alistair's favourite surfing beach | 0:10:13 | 0:10:16 | |
of Woolacombe Bay. | 0:10:16 | 0:10:18 | |
Along with the scattering of traditional cottages that line | 0:10:18 | 0:10:21 | |
its country lanes, its church is the historic resting place | 0:10:21 | 0:10:25 | |
for the local landowning nobility. | 0:10:25 | 0:10:27 | |
Nearby, Lord Wrey built this imposing folly in the late 18th century, | 0:10:27 | 0:10:31 | |
which also shares its grand entrance with our first property, | 0:10:31 | 0:10:34 | |
a former hunting lodge. | 0:10:34 | 0:10:36 | |
OK, so first impressions, Debs. | 0:10:38 | 0:10:40 | |
I really like it! It looks a bit like a Swiss log cabin. | 0:10:40 | 0:10:45 | |
It has got that sort of ski resort feel about it. | 0:10:45 | 0:10:47 | |
-So you like it? -Yeah. -Yeah, it's interesting! | 0:10:47 | 0:10:50 | |
-I'm looking forward to getting in and having a mooch around. -Yeah. | 0:10:50 | 0:10:53 | |
-Well, let's start mooching then. -OK. -Follow me. | 0:10:53 | 0:10:56 | |
This huge property has an upside down layout, | 0:10:57 | 0:11:00 | |
so the main living areas are on the upper floor, | 0:11:00 | 0:11:03 | |
and take advantage of those gorgeous views. | 0:11:03 | 0:11:06 | |
'First stop, the kitchen.' | 0:11:06 | 0:11:08 | |
Right then, in you come. | 0:11:10 | 0:11:11 | |
Come right in. | 0:11:11 | 0:11:13 | |
I like the fact that you can see up the drive, | 0:11:13 | 0:11:15 | |
so you can see who's coming. | 0:11:15 | 0:11:17 | |
I'm quite nosy, actually! So... | 0:11:17 | 0:11:20 | |
-Yeah, I don't think it's our taste, is it? -I like the granite surfaces | 0:11:20 | 0:11:25 | |
and the nature of the property. I'd go for a contemporary white kitchen, | 0:11:25 | 0:11:30 | |
some white granite surfaces, maybe, and just really lighten it up. | 0:11:30 | 0:11:34 | |
Yeah. | 0:11:34 | 0:11:35 | |
The adjoining sun terrace also helps to bring the outside in. | 0:11:35 | 0:11:39 | |
'And the living areas just keep on flowing.' | 0:11:39 | 0:11:43 | |
So you've got a dining area here, | 0:11:45 | 0:11:47 | |
as if you needed one with that massive kitchen, | 0:11:47 | 0:11:50 | |
but you get an open-plan feel. Follow me through here. | 0:11:50 | 0:11:54 | |
-And then the living room. -Yeah, that's got a nice feel to it. | 0:11:54 | 0:11:58 | |
-I like that. -Yeah, it has. | 0:11:58 | 0:12:00 | |
-Thought it would be bigger, the lounge, though. Did you? -The lounge is quite narrow. -Yeah. | 0:12:00 | 0:12:05 | |
Well, off the sitting room, | 0:12:05 | 0:12:07 | |
'there are plenty of other options they can play around with.' | 0:12:07 | 0:12:10 | |
Now, this area really took me by surprise. | 0:12:10 | 0:12:13 | |
Ignore this as a work area at the moment, guys. | 0:12:14 | 0:12:17 | |
Ignore that as a gym and all this as office space, | 0:12:17 | 0:12:21 | |
and think of this as one massive reception. | 0:12:21 | 0:12:23 | |
-Come down here. -Ah! | 0:12:23 | 0:12:25 | |
Yes. | 0:12:25 | 0:12:27 | |
-Yeah, it's a great space. -It's huge! It is a great space. -Yeah. | 0:12:27 | 0:12:31 | |
I'd be inclined to use that as maybe a dining room, and this, | 0:12:31 | 0:12:36 | |
-like you say... -This is your living room. -..a massive living area, | 0:12:36 | 0:12:39 | |
and if it was cold in the winter, | 0:12:39 | 0:12:41 | |
-you could have a little snug through there. -Yes, double doors on there. | 0:12:41 | 0:12:45 | |
The interior may be more modern than they'd hoped for, | 0:12:45 | 0:12:48 | |
but this house certainly delivers on big adaptable areas, | 0:12:48 | 0:12:51 | |
and it's great they're working through how they would best put them to use. | 0:12:51 | 0:12:55 | |
Off the main entrance hall, | 0:12:55 | 0:12:56 | |
there's also an additional room which might make a useful study. | 0:12:56 | 0:13:00 | |
'The topsy-turvy layout means that the five bedrooms | 0:13:00 | 0:13:03 | |
'are all on the lower floor,' | 0:13:03 | 0:13:04 | |
and include two spacious doubles with a warm, light feel, | 0:13:04 | 0:13:08 | |
and two good-size single rooms, | 0:13:08 | 0:13:11 | |
all of which are served by a large family bathroom. | 0:13:11 | 0:13:15 | |
And right next door is a very generous master suite. | 0:13:15 | 0:13:18 | |
Ooh, it is big! Oh, it's lovely! | 0:13:18 | 0:13:21 | |
-Yeah. -And look at the views. | 0:13:21 | 0:13:23 | |
-Yeah, it's really impressive. -Yeah, this is like a... | 0:13:23 | 0:13:26 | |
Yeah, this is the best room in the house. | 0:13:26 | 0:13:28 | |
This is something I would definitely go for. As in... | 0:13:28 | 0:13:31 | |
-It's gorgeous! -..it's something I would choose. | 0:13:31 | 0:13:33 | |
So put this in the right house, and this would be, like, ten out of ten. | 0:13:33 | 0:13:37 | |
Brilliant! | 0:13:37 | 0:13:38 | |
Well, we're on the right track, | 0:13:38 | 0:13:41 | |
and the master also has a luxurious en suite with a feature stone wall. | 0:13:41 | 0:13:46 | |
'Overall, this substantial home gives them acres of space | 0:13:46 | 0:13:49 | |
'to which they can add the character they feel is missing.' | 0:13:49 | 0:13:53 | |
Outside, the immediate gardens extend to one and a quarter acres, | 0:13:53 | 0:13:57 | |
and consist of lawns, along with a well-tended kitchen garden, | 0:13:57 | 0:14:00 | |
including a number of fruit trees. | 0:14:00 | 0:14:02 | |
The timber-built summer house and ornamental pond | 0:14:02 | 0:14:05 | |
are also eye-catching features of the grounds. | 0:14:05 | 0:14:08 | |
But it's time to get a feel for the lay of the land beyond. | 0:14:08 | 0:14:12 | |
So, all that way, all surrounding the house, | 0:14:12 | 0:14:15 | |
-gardens essentially, is included within the sale. -Right. | 0:14:15 | 0:14:20 | |
The land is an option. | 0:14:20 | 0:14:22 | |
-Right. -OK? -OK. -Now, that option is all of this woodland. | 0:14:22 | 0:14:27 | |
-But you mentioned you wanted woodland, hilly as well. -Yeah. | 0:14:27 | 0:14:30 | |
It will need some managing, maybe some removal as well, | 0:14:30 | 0:14:34 | |
I should think, but all in all, there's up to 20 acres available. | 0:14:34 | 0:14:38 | |
How much do you think this one acre and house is on the market for? | 0:14:38 | 0:14:43 | |
-Hmm. -OK. Do you want to go first? | 0:14:43 | 0:14:46 | |
-Oh, I'm really rubbish at this, Jonnie! -All right. | 0:14:46 | 0:14:49 | |
I am really rubbish! You go first. | 0:14:49 | 0:14:51 | |
I think with the amount of land we're talking about | 0:14:51 | 0:14:54 | |
that it comes with, and the house, I would guess around 800,000. | 0:14:54 | 0:15:01 | |
OK. | 0:15:01 | 0:15:02 | |
-Oh, I think, possibly, a little lower. -Right. | 0:15:02 | 0:15:05 | |
I'm going to go with 750,000. | 0:15:05 | 0:15:09 | |
Well, this house has been reduced to offers around £960,000. | 0:15:09 | 0:15:16 | |
-That's so wrong! -960? -Yeah. -Right. -It started out well over a million. | 0:15:16 | 0:15:20 | |
-I think, 1.15. -Yeah. -Oh! -So why don't you go back into the house? | 0:15:20 | 0:15:24 | |
-All right, brilliant. -Thank you. -I'll catch you later on. | 0:15:24 | 0:15:27 | |
Coming in under-budget at £960,000, our first property may not have | 0:15:28 | 0:15:33 | |
fitted their vision of a traditional country home, but as a whole, | 0:15:33 | 0:15:37 | |
it does address the important elements of their wish list. | 0:15:37 | 0:15:40 | |
It gives them five reception rooms, a massive kitchen-diner, | 0:15:40 | 0:15:44 | |
and five bedrooms with a master en suite that they both loved. | 0:15:44 | 0:15:48 | |
Outside, along with around one and a quarter acres of garden, | 0:15:48 | 0:15:51 | |
they could also buy a further 20 acres of woodland, | 0:15:51 | 0:15:54 | |
providing a potential site for their luxury camping business, | 0:15:54 | 0:15:57 | |
with views of the stunning Taw Valley. | 0:15:57 | 0:16:00 | |
Oh, and I almost forgot! | 0:16:00 | 0:16:02 | |
Alistair is just half an hour's drive from the surf. | 0:16:02 | 0:16:05 | |
I think this house delivered in the sense that the lead-up | 0:16:05 | 0:16:11 | |
to the drive was very impressive. | 0:16:11 | 0:16:13 | |
So while it was a fantastic house, | 0:16:13 | 0:16:16 | |
great size rooms, it just lacks the character that I was looking for. | 0:16:16 | 0:16:21 | |
The land, for me, is really important to set up these yurts. | 0:16:21 | 0:16:26 | |
I'm not sure that the woodland here is right for what we want to do. | 0:16:26 | 0:16:33 | |
-All done inside? -Yes, thank you. -Yeah. -Come on, then. Let's go. | 0:16:33 | 0:16:38 | |
Alistair and Debbie's move to the country is motivated by their dream | 0:16:49 | 0:16:54 | |
of running a luxury camp site where visitors can stay in yurts. | 0:16:54 | 0:16:58 | |
These semi-permanent dwellings have been used in central Asia | 0:16:58 | 0:17:01 | |
for over 3,000 years, and are still used by Mongolian nomads. | 0:17:01 | 0:17:05 | |
But, in the UK, they've become a popular alternative | 0:17:05 | 0:17:08 | |
to pitching a holiday tent. | 0:17:08 | 0:17:10 | |
To find out more about their unique design, earlier in the week, | 0:17:10 | 0:17:14 | |
we arranged for them to meet Rod Richardson and Keith Gray, | 0:17:14 | 0:17:17 | |
who've been making yurts here in Devon for five years, | 0:17:17 | 0:17:20 | |
and they've turned it into a successful business. | 0:17:20 | 0:17:23 | |
-Have you stayed in a yurt before? -We have stayed in a couple of yurts, a couple of different yurt camps, | 0:17:23 | 0:17:28 | |
and that's what sort of sowed the seeds for us wanting to get into it. | 0:17:28 | 0:17:32 | |
-We like the cosy factor of stoking up the burner... -Yeah. | 0:17:32 | 0:17:36 | |
It was kind of like comfortable camping, really, | 0:17:36 | 0:17:39 | |
and we thought we could sort of do something with that | 0:17:39 | 0:17:42 | |
and get away from the grime and city lifestyle | 0:17:42 | 0:17:46 | |
where we currently live. | 0:17:46 | 0:17:47 | |
Once over the threshold, it's easy to see how the ribs of the roof | 0:17:47 | 0:17:51 | |
connect the central wheel to the lattice-framed walls. | 0:17:51 | 0:17:55 | |
It's a beautiful piece of design but, | 0:17:55 | 0:17:58 | |
true to its nomadic roots, it also has to be practical to build. | 0:17:58 | 0:18:02 | |
Well, what we want is for the thing to be uniform, | 0:18:02 | 0:18:07 | |
and to go up the same every time. | 0:18:07 | 0:18:09 | |
For each rib to be, like you say, the same, | 0:18:09 | 0:18:12 | |
so it can all go together easily, | 0:18:12 | 0:18:13 | |
are they manufactured through machinery or is it...? | 0:18:13 | 0:18:16 | |
We use machines, but everything is hand-finished. | 0:18:16 | 0:18:19 | |
And it's steam-bent. Just about every component goes in the steamer, | 0:18:19 | 0:18:22 | |
so the ribs have a bent end, the trellis has a slight curve | 0:18:22 | 0:18:25 | |
and, of course, the wheel is made of two flat pieces of timber | 0:18:25 | 0:18:29 | |
that are steamed into curves. | 0:18:29 | 0:18:32 | |
Getting the geometry right is key to the yurt being rigid and robust, | 0:18:32 | 0:18:36 | |
and a cornerstone of its design is accurately burning the square holes | 0:18:36 | 0:18:40 | |
in the wheel, using a hot iron rod, called a dragon. | 0:18:40 | 0:18:44 | |
-Wey! -Excellent! -Don't get the burny bit on that bit! | 0:18:45 | 0:18:48 | |
-I think mine was the best, actually! -Do you? -Yeah, it's straight! | 0:18:48 | 0:18:51 | |
More shuffles! | 0:18:51 | 0:18:52 | |
Next, it's time for teamwork, as Alistair and Debbie get | 0:18:52 | 0:18:55 | |
some hands-on experience in assembling a whole yurt which, | 0:18:55 | 0:18:59 | |
for one this size, should take three people around 40 minutes. | 0:18:59 | 0:19:02 | |
The components are made from local wood, in this case, sustainably sourced ash and oak | 0:19:02 | 0:19:08 | |
which can cope with Devon's humidity. | 0:19:08 | 0:19:10 | |
Tuck it in. Quality knot, this is! | 0:19:10 | 0:19:14 | |
Me husband's knots are always the best knots! | 0:19:14 | 0:19:17 | |
Knowing that they're looking to create their glamorous | 0:19:18 | 0:19:21 | |
camping site, a 10-foot yurt, | 0:19:21 | 0:19:24 | |
sleeping two adults, will cost around £2,000, | 0:19:24 | 0:19:27 | |
whilst a 30-foot yurt fit for a wedding would set them back £15,500. | 0:19:27 | 0:19:33 | |
Now they've had a taste of what it will be like literally building | 0:19:33 | 0:19:36 | |
their business, we need to focus on finding them | 0:19:36 | 0:19:39 | |
a permanent place they can call home. | 0:19:39 | 0:19:42 | |
As we continue our house hunt, we're steering our buyers inland | 0:19:48 | 0:19:52 | |
and away from the surfing beaches towards the village | 0:19:52 | 0:19:54 | |
of Black Torrington, | 0:19:54 | 0:19:56 | |
which has a range of amenities including a handy post office | 0:19:56 | 0:19:59 | |
and local shop. | 0:19:59 | 0:20:01 | |
Set off a quiet country lane, | 0:20:01 | 0:20:03 | |
we're going on a charm offensive with our second property, | 0:20:03 | 0:20:06 | |
which comes in the form | 0:20:06 | 0:20:08 | |
of a traditional Grade II listed thatched farmhouse. | 0:20:08 | 0:20:10 | |
If you want character, this place could be your new home, | 0:20:10 | 0:20:14 | |
because there is so much character with this property. | 0:20:14 | 0:20:17 | |
But you get this wonderful-looking farmhouse, set in its own, well, | 0:20:17 | 0:20:22 | |
-courtyard now, but this would have been its farmyard. -Yeah, lovely. | 0:20:22 | 0:20:26 | |
-Yeah, I like it. Yeah. -Look at that grin! -Yeah! | 0:20:26 | 0:20:29 | |
Cheshire cats are amongst us. | 0:20:29 | 0:20:31 | |
Adjacent to the farmhouse, the old stables have lapsed planning consent for a holiday let, | 0:20:32 | 0:20:37 | |
which could be a future project providing them with an income, | 0:20:37 | 0:20:40 | |
or Alistair could use it as an office space. | 0:20:40 | 0:20:42 | |
But let's see what they make of the main house which, | 0:20:42 | 0:20:45 | |
in its oldest part, dates back to 1475. | 0:20:45 | 0:20:49 | |
Let's start with what they use as the best room, if you like. | 0:20:50 | 0:20:55 | |
-I like it. -Ooh, yeah! -Yeah, it's nice. I like the beams. | 0:20:55 | 0:20:59 | |
There's lots of old and very sympathetic new. I mean, look at these flagstones. | 0:20:59 | 0:21:04 | |
These are obviously new, but they work well, don't they? | 0:21:04 | 0:21:07 | |
Using natural materials. | 0:21:07 | 0:21:09 | |
-I love the flagstones. -Yeah. | 0:21:09 | 0:21:12 | |
I love the fireplace, I love the beams, | 0:21:12 | 0:21:14 | |
I love the modern with the old, with the spotlights. | 0:21:14 | 0:21:18 | |
-I love that. -Yeah, I do. Yeah. | 0:21:18 | 0:21:20 | |
Across the other side, the raft of rooms build on the traditional feel. | 0:21:20 | 0:21:25 | |
This feels much more like a more casual, maybe a more everyday | 0:21:25 | 0:21:29 | |
-living room, doesn't it? -Yeah! | 0:21:29 | 0:21:31 | |
Yeah, I really like this room. This room's got a more, kind of, | 0:21:31 | 0:21:34 | |
-historic character kind of feel to it for some reason. -Yeah, cosy. | 0:21:34 | 0:21:38 | |
You see a lot more of the history. Look at those massive pieces of flint, and old timber. | 0:21:38 | 0:21:42 | |
That fireplace, there is oil-fired central heating | 0:21:42 | 0:21:44 | |
if you want it, but that can also power up to 17 radiators. | 0:21:44 | 0:21:48 | |
All the heating through the house. | 0:21:48 | 0:21:50 | |
You've got another reception room through there, or an office, which is nice. | 0:21:50 | 0:21:54 | |
-Oh, I love it! Can I look inside? -Oh, wow, yeah! | 0:21:54 | 0:21:56 | |
-In a moment, but we've got so much to get around, unfortunately. -Awwww! | 0:21:56 | 0:22:00 | |
-Aww, yeah! -That's good. -Yeah, yeah. -Yeah, it's gorgeous! | 0:22:00 | 0:22:04 | |
Am I allowed to say I think you started with the worst room? | 0:22:04 | 0:22:07 | |
-Am I allowed to say that? -Funnily enough, I chose that room, | 0:22:07 | 0:22:10 | |
-first of all, because it felt like the natural flow. -I loved that room! | 0:22:10 | 0:22:14 | |
And then I really loved that room, and then I really, really | 0:22:14 | 0:22:17 | |
love this room! | 0:22:17 | 0:22:18 | |
This kitchen looks brilliant. Yeah. | 0:22:18 | 0:22:20 | |
I love the low ceilings, and all the beams and all of the windows. | 0:22:20 | 0:22:24 | |
-Let me just have a little sit. -Go on, then. | 0:22:24 | 0:22:26 | |
You know, just like... | 0:22:26 | 0:22:28 | |
-Do I suit it? -You do, actually, yeah! | 0:22:28 | 0:22:31 | |
Debbie clearly feels at home here | 0:22:31 | 0:22:33 | |
and it's great to see her in full flow. | 0:22:33 | 0:22:35 | |
On this floor, there's also a walk-in pantry | 0:22:35 | 0:22:38 | |
which gives a real sense of this being an authentic country kitchen, | 0:22:38 | 0:22:41 | |
along with a room for taking off their muddy boots. | 0:22:41 | 0:22:44 | |
With downstairs covered, we'll head to the first floor where, | 0:22:44 | 0:22:47 | |
'off the landing, the stylish modern fixtures in the family bathroom' | 0:22:47 | 0:22:52 | |
blend really well with the vaulted beam ceiling. | 0:22:52 | 0:22:55 | |
The timbers continue next door in one of the five bedrooms, | 0:22:55 | 0:22:58 | |
but the main event lies at the end of the hallway. | 0:22:58 | 0:23:02 | |
Now, then. | 0:23:02 | 0:23:03 | |
This isn't currently being used as the master bedroom, | 0:23:03 | 0:23:06 | |
but I thought this was so impressive. | 0:23:06 | 0:23:08 | |
-Yeah, it's lovely. -Oh, yeah! -It's gorgeous! | 0:23:08 | 0:23:11 | |
Yeah, I love it. It's brilliant. | 0:23:11 | 0:23:13 | |
-It's really nice. Yeah, I love it as well. -Yeah. Love the... | 0:23:13 | 0:23:16 | |
-Love the high ceilings as well. -Yeah, the beams. | 0:23:16 | 0:23:20 | |
-Yeah, it's great, isn't it? -It's gorgeous! | 0:23:20 | 0:23:22 | |
-But it's great, isn't it? -This is impressive, yeah. Really nice. | 0:23:22 | 0:23:26 | |
The other four double bedrooms are also bright and immaculate with those statement beams. | 0:23:26 | 0:23:31 | |
One of them adjoined a dedicated library, | 0:23:31 | 0:23:33 | |
with its own listed 15th century doorway. | 0:23:33 | 0:23:38 | |
The authenticity and huge footprint of our historic farmhouse | 0:23:38 | 0:23:41 | |
seems to have worked its magic. | 0:23:41 | 0:23:42 | |
But now, it's time to get to grips with the outside space. | 0:23:42 | 0:23:45 | |
Along with the development potential of the stone barn and storerooms, | 0:23:45 | 0:23:50 | |
the farm buildings also include a huge iron-roofed covered yard | 0:23:50 | 0:23:54 | |
and tractor shed, which gives an indication | 0:23:54 | 0:23:56 | |
of how much land there is. | 0:23:56 | 0:23:58 | |
Now, then. | 0:23:58 | 0:24:00 | |
Alistair, you did say you wanted, what was it? | 0:24:00 | 0:24:04 | |
I would have thought a minimum of 15-ish or 10 to 15. | 0:24:04 | 0:24:08 | |
Oh, it's a minimum of 15 acres of land now? | 0:24:08 | 0:24:10 | |
Well, I was initially thinking that. | 0:24:10 | 0:24:12 | |
-OK. -Yeah, 10 to 15 acres is going to be perfect. -10 to 15 acres, yeah. | 0:24:12 | 0:24:17 | |
-OK, you've got... -That looks amazing, that. | 0:24:17 | 0:24:19 | |
You've got 77 acres. | 0:24:19 | 0:24:21 | |
Oh, my God! | 0:24:22 | 0:24:24 | |
And that's a mixture between woodland and pastureland. | 0:24:24 | 0:24:27 | |
-Right, brilliant. -That's only the edge of what you have. | 0:24:27 | 0:24:30 | |
-You've got that, the ancient woodland... -Wow, ancient woodland! | 0:24:30 | 0:24:33 | |
Imagine having yurts in ancient woodland there? | 0:24:33 | 0:24:36 | |
You've got pastureland at the back, which you can look out over. | 0:24:36 | 0:24:39 | |
Oh, I can imagine you galloping now, on your horse! | 0:24:39 | 0:24:42 | |
The galloping major! That's me! | 0:24:42 | 0:24:44 | |
With 77 acres comes the enormous task of looking after it all. | 0:24:44 | 0:24:49 | |
The current owners rent out the pastureland to a local sheep farmer | 0:24:49 | 0:24:52 | |
and that, along with EU subsidies, brings in £10,000 a year. | 0:24:52 | 0:24:57 | |
What's more, there's a manege, | 0:24:57 | 0:24:59 | |
giving them the chance to run a horse livery business. | 0:24:59 | 0:25:02 | |
-All of this... -Yeah. -Could be yours! -But at a price. -At a price. | 0:25:02 | 0:25:07 | |
I reckon it's at the top of our budget. 1.25. | 0:25:07 | 0:25:12 | |
I'm going to go for 1 million and 50,000. | 0:25:12 | 0:25:15 | |
Right, well, this has just come on the market, well, six weeks ago, | 0:25:15 | 0:25:20 | |
and everything is for sale for offers around £1.1 million. | 0:25:20 | 0:25:24 | |
Wow! | 0:25:24 | 0:25:25 | |
I'm much more than pleasantly surprised. | 0:25:25 | 0:25:29 | |
Well, look, it's not great weather, | 0:25:29 | 0:25:31 | |
-it looks like there's a lot more weather coming in. -I don't care! | 0:25:31 | 0:25:34 | |
I'm going to run down to that woodland and have a mooch, | 0:25:34 | 0:25:37 | |
-if you don't mind! -Go on! I've given you all the information I need to. | 0:25:37 | 0:25:40 | |
-Are you coming? -It's brilliant, Jonnie. -Go on, then. -Done well. | 0:25:40 | 0:25:43 | |
-Yomp away! -Will do! | 0:25:43 | 0:25:45 | |
-It's the last thing you're doing, so you've got plenty of time. -OK. | 0:25:45 | 0:25:48 | |
Well, fantastic reactions. | 0:25:48 | 0:25:50 | |
Sometimes, when you take someone outside to the fields | 0:25:50 | 0:25:53 | |
and it's howling a bit of a wind and some rain, | 0:25:53 | 0:25:56 | |
they just want to get back inside, | 0:25:56 | 0:25:58 | |
but they're genuine about their business idea, | 0:25:58 | 0:26:00 | |
about their want to escape to the country here. And just look at them. She loves it! | 0:26:00 | 0:26:04 | |
She just can't wait to get hold of this idea | 0:26:04 | 0:26:06 | |
of living in the countryside. It's great to see. | 0:26:06 | 0:26:09 | |
Wey-hey-hey! | 0:26:09 | 0:26:12 | |
SHE LAUGHS | 0:26:12 | 0:26:14 | |
On the market for offers around £1.1 million, dare I say it, | 0:26:15 | 0:26:20 | |
this beautiful farmhouse seems to have won their hearts, | 0:26:20 | 0:26:23 | |
and who can blame them? | 0:26:23 | 0:26:24 | |
It offers them a great home, | 0:26:24 | 0:26:26 | |
featuring two large reception rooms with beams and a wood burner, | 0:26:26 | 0:26:30 | |
a rustic country kitchen beyond Debbie's wildest dreams, | 0:26:30 | 0:26:34 | |
and five bedrooms. | 0:26:34 | 0:26:36 | |
Outside, along with a range of buildings, | 0:26:36 | 0:26:38 | |
the jaw-dropping 77 acres of woodland, orchards, | 0:26:38 | 0:26:42 | |
and pastureland give them a whole new world for their yurt campsite. | 0:26:42 | 0:26:46 | |
This is the kind of country lifestyle I dreamed of. | 0:26:46 | 0:26:50 | |
The house is just amazing, it really sort of tops it up. | 0:26:50 | 0:26:54 | |
The kitchen's fabulous, the bedrooms. | 0:26:54 | 0:26:57 | |
It's all lovely, and yeah, I think I could be very happy here. | 0:26:57 | 0:27:02 | |
It's just fantastic. Yeah, I'm really, really blown away | 0:27:02 | 0:27:05 | |
with the place, and the longer I spend here, | 0:27:05 | 0:27:07 | |
even in this foul weather, the longer I'm kind of... | 0:27:07 | 0:27:10 | |
the more I'm falling in love with it. | 0:27:10 | 0:27:13 | |
You can't have looked around all that land in that time, | 0:27:14 | 0:27:17 | |
but have you seen a good snippet of it, at least? | 0:27:17 | 0:27:20 | |
-Yes. -I'd say a very good snippet, yeah. -Yeah? -Yeah, it was great. | 0:27:20 | 0:27:23 | |
Good! Well, there's plenty to see. | 0:27:23 | 0:27:25 | |
Maybe if you're interested, another viewing, | 0:27:25 | 0:27:28 | |
-you'd have to start in the morning and finish in the evening. -I think so! That's definitely in order. | 0:27:28 | 0:27:32 | |
-Good. Something to sleep on at least. -Thank you. -Let's go. | 0:27:32 | 0:27:36 | |
-Looks nice with the lights on, doesn't it? -It does. | 0:27:37 | 0:27:40 | |
It's lovely, isn't it? | 0:27:40 | 0:27:41 | |
As evening falls over the Devon countryside, | 0:27:51 | 0:27:54 | |
it marks the end of the first day of our property search. | 0:27:54 | 0:27:58 | |
Armed with a budget of £1 million, Alistair and Debbie want to swap | 0:28:03 | 0:28:08 | |
their hectic commuter life to London, | 0:28:08 | 0:28:10 | |
for the hills of North Devon, | 0:28:10 | 0:28:12 | |
where they plan to set up, as they call it, a "posh camping business". | 0:28:12 | 0:28:16 | |
Of the two houses we've seen so far, | 0:28:16 | 0:28:19 | |
Debbie clearly felt at home in our second property, but coming up, | 0:28:19 | 0:28:22 | |
our mystery house goes stratospheric with business ideas. | 0:28:22 | 0:28:26 | |
-I'm going to hold my thoughts until the end, I think. -OK, Debs. | 0:28:26 | 0:28:29 | |
And I get put through my paces on Devon's beaches. | 0:28:29 | 0:28:33 | |
Looking back at yesterday, I think the first property was | 0:28:36 | 0:28:39 | |
a learning curve for all concerned, | 0:28:39 | 0:28:41 | |
but by the time it got to the second property in the afternoon, | 0:28:41 | 0:28:44 | |
I think we hit the nail right on the head. | 0:28:44 | 0:28:46 | |
We got great reactions from Alistair and especially Debs. | 0:28:46 | 0:28:49 | |
So, for today, if yesterday was about the house, | 0:28:49 | 0:28:52 | |
the mystery property is going to be all about the business. | 0:28:52 | 0:28:55 | |
Let's see how we get on. | 0:28:55 | 0:28:57 | |
Our mystery house takes them to the North Devon border, | 0:29:01 | 0:29:04 | |
close to the village of Bradworthy, | 0:29:04 | 0:29:06 | |
eight miles from the Cornish coastal town of Bude. | 0:29:06 | 0:29:09 | |
Besides its magnificently craggy cliffs, | 0:29:09 | 0:29:12 | |
the sandy beaches here are a well-known surfing territory, | 0:29:12 | 0:29:15 | |
so Alistair can take to the waves. | 0:29:15 | 0:29:18 | |
Our mystery property is a Victorian farmhouse | 0:29:18 | 0:29:21 | |
bursting with business opportunities and a renovation project, | 0:29:21 | 0:29:25 | |
all of which will require them to think big and creatively. | 0:29:25 | 0:29:28 | |
Now then, the mystery house offers you something a bit different. | 0:29:31 | 0:29:35 | |
Nice size. | 0:29:35 | 0:29:37 | |
-Yeah? Good. -Yeah, I like it. | 0:29:37 | 0:29:39 | |
Now, inside, it's a different generation that owns it, | 0:29:39 | 0:29:42 | |
so you'll want to make some quite big changes to it. | 0:29:42 | 0:29:44 | |
Yeah. I mean, to be honest, we didn't really want to take on a project. | 0:29:44 | 0:29:49 | |
Right. I don't know what that laugh means! | 0:29:49 | 0:29:53 | |
You're probably laughing at me cos I'm in trouble now, but there is some business here. OK? | 0:29:53 | 0:29:57 | |
There is potential and some up and running income here for you. | 0:29:57 | 0:30:01 | |
-And it's the mystery house! -Oh, yes, it is the mystery house. | 0:30:01 | 0:30:04 | |
-So, yeah. -The Mystery Machine. | 0:30:04 | 0:30:06 | |
OK, let's go and see what the Mystery Machine has for us, | 0:30:06 | 0:30:09 | |
-shall we? -Right. | 0:30:09 | 0:30:10 | |
They might change their mind about getting stuck into a project | 0:30:12 | 0:30:15 | |
when they see the potential of the generous space inside. | 0:30:15 | 0:30:18 | |
Right then. | 0:30:18 | 0:30:20 | |
This would have been that the best room in this Victorian farmhouse. | 0:30:20 | 0:30:24 | |
-Come right in. Have a good look at this. -I quite like it, as a room. | 0:30:24 | 0:30:27 | |
-I like the flagstone floors. -Yeah, it's a good-sized room. | 0:30:27 | 0:30:31 | |
Yeah, it is a good-sized room. I like the fireplace. | 0:30:31 | 0:30:33 | |
-I mean, the decor isn't our taste. -No. | 0:30:33 | 0:30:37 | |
-I can totally see through that, though. -I can as well. | 0:30:37 | 0:30:39 | |
If you look in that corner there, wonderful exposed stonework, | 0:30:39 | 0:30:43 | |
-and look at these flags, they are huge! -I love the flags. | 0:30:43 | 0:30:46 | |
I think, as a start, all good, great proportions. | 0:30:46 | 0:30:50 | |
-Yeah, good start. -Good. | 0:30:50 | 0:30:52 | |
-Have you ever cooked in a bread oven, a proper bread oven. -No. | 0:30:52 | 0:30:55 | |
You'll have to learn, then. See that there? | 0:30:55 | 0:30:58 | |
You'd have a big old fire, there, | 0:30:58 | 0:31:00 | |
put the bread inside the oven, then seal up that hole, | 0:31:00 | 0:31:03 | |
and take it out, afterwards. | 0:31:03 | 0:31:05 | |
You would have to do that every day. Yeah? | 0:31:05 | 0:31:07 | |
The floor's amazing, isn't it? | 0:31:07 | 0:31:09 | |
Were you listening to me? Come on! | 0:31:11 | 0:31:12 | |
Let's grab Deborah's attention and see what she makes of the next room. | 0:31:14 | 0:31:17 | |
The kitchen. | 0:31:17 | 0:31:19 | |
Good sized kitchen. | 0:31:21 | 0:31:23 | |
Yeah, kitchen's all right. Yeah. | 0:31:23 | 0:31:25 | |
Obviously needs modernising, but that's to be expected. | 0:31:25 | 0:31:30 | |
But with this house, you've got a lot of reception areas. | 0:31:30 | 0:31:32 | |
You've got a good-sized kitchen here, as well, | 0:31:32 | 0:31:35 | |
-a huge dining room behind you. -Oh, right! | 0:31:35 | 0:31:38 | |
Behind that, a utility and a downstairs loo, | 0:31:38 | 0:31:41 | |
but as we came in, you've also got two further reception rooms. | 0:31:41 | 0:31:45 | |
-Right. -So, I don't know what you're going to do with all those. | 0:31:45 | 0:31:49 | |
-It's a big old house, this. -I'm looking forward to seeing more. | 0:31:49 | 0:31:53 | |
I tell you what, because there's so much to see here, | 0:31:53 | 0:31:56 | |
you can come back here on your own and have a look. | 0:31:56 | 0:32:00 | |
Let's go outside, because I want to focus on what's there, | 0:32:00 | 0:32:02 | |
-then you can decide if you like the package. -Sounds fantastic. | 0:32:02 | 0:32:06 | |
We'll go out this way. | 0:32:06 | 0:32:07 | |
As they'll discover later, upstairs, the six bedrooms | 0:32:12 | 0:32:15 | |
that fan off the central landing area are all a great size. | 0:32:15 | 0:32:19 | |
Firstly, there's a double with ensuite shower room | 0:32:19 | 0:32:21 | |
they'd probably take as theirs. And yet another spacious ensuite double | 0:32:21 | 0:32:25 | |
for guests. In addition, | 0:32:25 | 0:32:28 | |
three of the other rooms would all easily accommodate double beds, | 0:32:28 | 0:32:31 | |
even the one currently decked out with bunks. | 0:32:31 | 0:32:34 | |
And the sixth is a single, complete with a corner sink. | 0:32:34 | 0:32:38 | |
Across the landing, there's also a family bathroom, | 0:32:38 | 0:32:41 | |
but set aside from the main house, there's yet more | 0:32:41 | 0:32:44 | |
accommodation on offer, which comes with an income attached. | 0:32:44 | 0:32:47 | |
-So, the holiday let. -BOTH: Oh! | 0:32:50 | 0:32:53 | |
Nice, I like it. The Calf Barn, eh? | 0:32:53 | 0:32:56 | |
-Yeah, nice! -I like it. | 0:32:56 | 0:32:59 | |
I like...the ceilings, the vaulted ceilings. | 0:32:59 | 0:33:04 | |
-I think it's been done really well. -Yeah, it has. | 0:33:04 | 0:33:07 | |
You've got two double bedrooms, en suites, | 0:33:07 | 0:33:10 | |
you've got a wonderful living area. | 0:33:10 | 0:33:13 | |
Now, in peak season, they'll get anything up to £700 a week for this. | 0:33:13 | 0:33:17 | |
That's good, isn't it? | 0:33:17 | 0:33:19 | |
But next door, you'll see, through the window, | 0:33:19 | 0:33:23 | |
there's that huge barn. | 0:33:23 | 0:33:24 | |
That's got planning consent for four more. | 0:33:24 | 0:33:28 | |
-I'm going to hold my thoughts until the end. -OK, Debs. | 0:33:28 | 0:33:32 | |
-Let's go outside. -Right. | 0:33:32 | 0:33:35 | |
Time to get their perspective on the business opportunities | 0:33:37 | 0:33:40 | |
attached to the land. | 0:33:40 | 0:33:42 | |
So far, we've seen an up-and-running self-catering holiday let... | 0:33:42 | 0:33:46 | |
..and a campsite. | 0:33:48 | 0:33:51 | |
-I could even see the yurts here, actually. -Oh, right. | 0:33:51 | 0:33:54 | |
I like the tree-lined perimeter. | 0:33:54 | 0:33:58 | |
I could imagine, sort of, dotting the yurts | 0:33:58 | 0:34:01 | |
around the edges. | 0:34:01 | 0:34:04 | |
This area is already a draw for holidaymakers | 0:34:04 | 0:34:06 | |
who fish down at the Lower Tamar Lake | 0:34:06 | 0:34:09 | |
and sometimes stay in the holiday lets. | 0:34:09 | 0:34:12 | |
But our mystery proposition doesn't end there. | 0:34:12 | 0:34:15 | |
The range of modern outbuildings are currently home | 0:34:15 | 0:34:17 | |
to a licensed restaurant with a professionally decked out kitchen, | 0:34:17 | 0:34:21 | |
which they could sublet if they wanted to. | 0:34:21 | 0:34:23 | |
We'll wrap up our business-fuelled mystery house | 0:34:23 | 0:34:25 | |
by revealing how much land they'll get to play with. | 0:34:25 | 0:34:29 | |
At the moment, | 0:34:29 | 0:34:30 | |
this old Victorian farmhouse comes in around | 0:34:30 | 0:34:34 | |
-13 acres. -OK. -OK? | 0:34:34 | 0:34:36 | |
It's a completely different proposition, probably a lot more | 0:34:36 | 0:34:40 | |
business focused than you'd intended, but there's | 0:34:40 | 0:34:44 | |
not a dearth of opportunities here in Devon, for what you want. | 0:34:44 | 0:34:48 | |
-You're going to ask us how much it all costs now, aren't you? -Yes. | 0:34:48 | 0:34:52 | |
This house, with the old farm buildings, | 0:34:52 | 0:34:56 | |
set in 13 acres. | 0:34:56 | 0:34:58 | |
You go first. | 0:34:59 | 0:35:01 | |
13 acres, I'd price at around £850,000. | 0:35:01 | 0:35:06 | |
OK. All right. | 0:35:06 | 0:35:07 | |
-Debs? -I think I'd go higher. I think I'd go for... | 0:35:07 | 0:35:11 | |
..£950,000. | 0:35:14 | 0:35:17 | |
She's a quick learner. It's £950,000. | 0:35:17 | 0:35:20 | |
My goodness! | 0:35:20 | 0:35:22 | |
Yes! | 0:35:22 | 0:35:24 | |
I hate it when she gets that right! | 0:35:24 | 0:35:26 | |
It's a small victory. | 0:35:26 | 0:35:28 | |
I am not sure it's been a victory in what we've looked round. | 0:35:28 | 0:35:31 | |
It's got your minds racing. I'm going to bask here in the sunshine. | 0:35:31 | 0:35:34 | |
Why don't you go and look at some of the buildings? | 0:35:34 | 0:35:37 | |
Look around everything, there's so much to see. | 0:35:37 | 0:35:40 | |
-Then we'll find somewhere to sit down and have a chat. -Thank you. | 0:35:40 | 0:35:43 | |
Catch you in a bit. | 0:35:43 | 0:35:45 | |
Under budget at 950,000, our mystery house | 0:35:46 | 0:35:50 | |
is the cheapest of our three properties, | 0:35:50 | 0:35:52 | |
which leaves the money left over to get the holiday lets | 0:35:52 | 0:35:55 | |
or yurt business off the ground. | 0:35:55 | 0:35:57 | |
Breaking down the mind-boggling list of components, it gives them | 0:35:57 | 0:36:01 | |
a huge six-bedroom period home, | 0:36:01 | 0:36:03 | |
an up and running two-bedroom holiday let | 0:36:03 | 0:36:06 | |
which in peak season brings in £700 a week, | 0:36:06 | 0:36:09 | |
the barn with planning consent for four further holiday lets, | 0:36:09 | 0:36:13 | |
a licensed campsite and restaurant, | 0:36:13 | 0:36:16 | |
and it's all wrapped up | 0:36:16 | 0:36:18 | |
in over 13 acres of grounds and pastureland | 0:36:18 | 0:36:20 | |
in a stunning countryside setting | 0:36:20 | 0:36:22 | |
well-positioned to pull in the tourist trade. | 0:36:22 | 0:36:25 | |
The mystery house, yeah, it was all very much | 0:36:25 | 0:36:28 | |
more of a business focus thing | 0:36:28 | 0:36:30 | |
than the kind of dream house that we were looking for. | 0:36:30 | 0:36:33 | |
Definitely some potential there. A little daunting, to be honest. | 0:36:33 | 0:36:37 | |
I thought the house was really pretty | 0:36:37 | 0:36:40 | |
and it did need updating. | 0:36:40 | 0:36:43 | |
The outhouses weren't really for me. | 0:36:43 | 0:36:46 | |
It just felt like too big a project with the house as well. | 0:36:46 | 0:36:49 | |
In the potential holiday let, are we? | 0:36:51 | 0:36:54 | |
-All done, are we? -Yes, indeed. | 0:36:54 | 0:36:56 | |
Good. I think we should find somewhere to sit down | 0:36:56 | 0:36:59 | |
-and gather our thoughts. -OK. | 0:36:59 | 0:37:00 | |
North Devon's Atlantic coastline is a major draw for many | 0:37:11 | 0:37:15 | |
of the 250,000 surfers that visit the south-west's beaches every year. | 0:37:15 | 0:37:20 | |
Saving lives in these wild seas is a major concern | 0:37:21 | 0:37:24 | |
for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, | 0:37:24 | 0:37:27 | |
but there's another rescue arm to the charity's work. | 0:37:27 | 0:37:30 | |
Since 2001, its team of lifeguards | 0:37:30 | 0:37:34 | |
now look after around 100 beaches in the region. | 0:37:34 | 0:37:37 | |
They have to be extremely fit to do the job, and I am getting a taste of | 0:37:37 | 0:37:41 | |
their intensive training regime from Robbie Lamb, | 0:37:41 | 0:37:44 | |
who's a lifeguard supervisor. | 0:37:44 | 0:37:46 | |
And one of the monthly fitness tests involves | 0:37:46 | 0:37:49 | |
sprinting 200 metres in under 40 seconds. | 0:37:49 | 0:37:52 | |
-Let's get it on. -Let's do it! | 0:37:52 | 0:37:54 | |
That's a long...are you sure that's 200 metres? | 0:37:57 | 0:37:59 | |
'Robbie's area manager Vaughan Lawson is at the finish line | 0:37:59 | 0:38:02 | |
'to start us off.' | 0:38:02 | 0:38:05 | |
Vaughan, are you sure that's 200 metres? | 0:38:05 | 0:38:10 | |
Ready, boys? Take your marks... | 0:38:10 | 0:38:14 | |
..go! | 0:38:14 | 0:38:15 | |
'The team has grown to around 100 lifeguards, | 0:38:17 | 0:38:19 | |
'all of whom have to maintain fitness levels across the season.' | 0:38:19 | 0:38:22 | |
Very good! | 0:38:25 | 0:38:28 | |
This is just one of the many tests the lifeguards undertake, | 0:38:28 | 0:38:32 | |
including having to complete a 400 metres swim | 0:38:32 | 0:38:35 | |
in under seven-and-a-half minutes. | 0:38:35 | 0:38:37 | |
But, of course, the training all helps their ability to save lives. | 0:38:37 | 0:38:40 | |
Last year, between April and mid-October, the lifeguards | 0:38:40 | 0:38:44 | |
responded to nearly 13,000 incidents on the south-west's beaches. | 0:38:44 | 0:38:48 | |
The paddle board is mainly used for rescues in shallower waters, | 0:38:48 | 0:38:52 | |
and after a quick demo from Robbie, I'm tasked with rescuing | 0:38:52 | 0:38:55 | |
fellow lifeguard Amy Caldwell. | 0:38:55 | 0:38:58 | |
When the sea is about waist height, | 0:38:58 | 0:39:01 | |
the idea is to jump on and paddle forwards while kneeling, which gives | 0:39:01 | 0:39:05 | |
better visibility over the surf. | 0:39:05 | 0:39:07 | |
When they get to the casualty, the board is turned over | 0:39:07 | 0:39:10 | |
which helps lift the victim on, and then it's a case | 0:39:10 | 0:39:13 | |
of paddling in while maintaining a firm hold on them. | 0:39:13 | 0:39:17 | |
Fortunately, just when it starts to look like | 0:39:17 | 0:39:19 | |
I'm in need of rescuing, I catch a lucky wave, | 0:39:19 | 0:39:22 | |
which brings us safely back to shore. | 0:39:22 | 0:39:25 | |
I was very grateful for that wave! | 0:39:25 | 0:39:27 | |
The commute in was easier than the commute out. | 0:39:27 | 0:39:29 | |
I'm going to have a sit-down! | 0:39:29 | 0:39:32 | |
While I take a break, time to catch up with the house hunters. | 0:39:32 | 0:39:35 | |
Hopefully they've come to a decision | 0:39:35 | 0:39:37 | |
and are in better shape than me! | 0:39:37 | 0:39:39 | |
So, let's look at the houses. First property, | 0:39:46 | 0:39:48 | |
it was certainly a learning curve for me. | 0:39:48 | 0:39:51 | |
What are your thoughts on it, now you've come away? | 0:39:51 | 0:39:54 | |
I just felt it was too modern for me. | 0:39:54 | 0:39:57 | |
And it didn't have the period features I was looking for. | 0:39:57 | 0:40:01 | |
And also, the land, the woodland that we could have bought, | 0:40:01 | 0:40:06 | |
it just wasn't right. | 0:40:06 | 0:40:08 | |
I don't think we could have made the house | 0:40:08 | 0:40:11 | |
the sort of house we wanted. It wasn't right. | 0:40:11 | 0:40:14 | |
We pretty much figured out, by the time we left there, | 0:40:14 | 0:40:16 | |
the first property wasn't for you guys. | 0:40:16 | 0:40:19 | |
So the pressure was on for the second house in the afternoon, | 0:40:19 | 0:40:22 | |
but you were instantly blown away, weren't you? | 0:40:22 | 0:40:25 | |
Yeah. House two was beautiful, inside and out. | 0:40:25 | 0:40:30 | |
We were very pleasantly surprised by the cottage, the interiors, | 0:40:30 | 0:40:35 | |
-the space. -I actually found it a grower. | 0:40:35 | 0:40:38 | |
I was impressed from the start. | 0:40:38 | 0:40:41 | |
But, when we got through the doors, it just got better and better. | 0:40:41 | 0:40:45 | |
The space was brilliant, the way it had been finished | 0:40:45 | 0:40:47 | |
was, as we said before, a real labour of love. | 0:40:47 | 0:40:51 | |
We got to the outside, the 77 acres, | 0:40:51 | 0:40:54 | |
there's so much we could do with it from a business point of view, | 0:40:54 | 0:40:58 | |
so really happy with that one. | 0:40:58 | 0:41:00 | |
Let's look at today's escapades. The mystery house. | 0:41:00 | 0:41:03 | |
The mystery house was a real project, I felt. | 0:41:03 | 0:41:08 | |
I thought the house was pretty. | 0:41:08 | 0:41:11 | |
It needed modernising, but I wasn't fazed by that, | 0:41:11 | 0:41:14 | |
because I think we could have made it as beautiful as house two. | 0:41:14 | 0:41:18 | |
If the business had been ready to go, straight away, | 0:41:18 | 0:41:23 | |
maybe we'd have considered it. | 0:41:23 | 0:41:25 | |
I think it was all a bit... | 0:41:25 | 0:41:28 | |
Every element of it required attention, | 0:41:28 | 0:41:30 | |
and I think we could have made the house quite grand. | 0:41:30 | 0:41:35 | |
I still don't think it would have been the house like house two. | 0:41:35 | 0:41:39 | |
Clearly, the second house we looked at, is your favourite. | 0:41:39 | 0:41:43 | |
-What do you want to do about that? -Property number two was our favourite | 0:41:43 | 0:41:47 | |
and so when we finish here today, we're going to go back | 0:41:47 | 0:41:51 | |
and take a second look, just so we can work out | 0:41:51 | 0:41:55 | |
how far it is from the beach, | 0:41:55 | 0:41:58 | |
and also to be able to have a look at the land. | 0:41:58 | 0:42:02 | |
Yes, discuss the opportunities with the current owner, | 0:42:02 | 0:42:06 | |
look at some figures and, yeah, watch this space. | 0:42:06 | 0:42:10 | |
Please let us know how you get on, | 0:42:10 | 0:42:13 | |
because it sounds like things could happen quickly... | 0:42:13 | 0:42:16 | |
-If everything goes to plan. -Definitely. | 0:42:16 | 0:42:19 | |
-Good luck this afternoon. -Thank you. -Cheers. | 0:42:19 | 0:42:21 | |
It was always going to be a risk | 0:42:27 | 0:42:29 | |
showing Alistair and Debs that mystery property | 0:42:29 | 0:42:31 | |
when it was so skewed towards business. | 0:42:31 | 0:42:34 | |
I also think it was a gamble I was willing to take because of | 0:42:34 | 0:42:37 | |
the great reaction I got from them when they saw the second property, | 0:42:37 | 0:42:40 | |
both the house itself and that 77 acres of land. | 0:42:40 | 0:42:44 | |
What has surprised me, though, | 0:42:44 | 0:42:47 | |
is just how quickly they want to arrange the second viewing. | 0:42:47 | 0:42:50 | |
They're actually on their way to the house, right now, as I speak. | 0:42:50 | 0:42:54 | |
So, I'm sure, like me, you wish them both luck | 0:42:54 | 0:42:57 | |
and I look forward to finding out their plans | 0:42:57 | 0:43:00 | |
over the next couple of weeks. | 0:43:00 | 0:43:02 | |
'Although Alistair and Debbie loved our second property, | 0:43:02 | 0:43:05 | |
'they decided its inland position and 77 acres of land were | 0:43:05 | 0:43:09 | |
'a stretch too far, so their house hunt continues. | 0:43:09 | 0:43:13 | |
'If you'd like to escape to the country in Scotland, Wales, | 0:43:13 | 0:43:16 | |
'Northern Ireland or England, and need our help, | 0:43:16 | 0:43:18 | |
'please apply online at...' | 0:43:18 | 0:43:24 | |
Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd | 0:43:43 | 0:43:45 |