North Devon Escape to the Country

This intriguing property behind me has more than just its name

in common with this pack of cards.

So, find out what it is, and where I am, in just a moment.

In today's show, I'll be helping a house-buying couple fulfil

their big business vision.

-And their levels of enthusiasm just keep rising.

-I like it!

-Look at that grin!

-Yeah!

-Cheshire cats are amongst us!

-Do I suit it?

-You do, actually, yeah!

But then we really raise the bar.

You've got 77 acres.

Today, I'm in North Devon, in the village of Combe Martin.

Now legend has it that this property behind me was built to resemble

a house of cards after George Ley,

a local squire, won a whole pile of money in a card game back in 1690.

So happy was he with his winnings, he decided to build a palace

to Lady Luck and so, he built the property on four floors to represent

the number of suits in a pack, then on each floor he put 13 doors.

13 being equal to the number of cards in each suit.

And, if you look about the property, you'll also notice 52 windows.

52 cards in a pack. And if you get to the top of the property,

you'll also see a false window.

And what's that? Well, that's the joker.

Bordered by Cornwall to the west and Somerset and Dorset to the east,

Devon is blessed with both beautiful countryside and coastline,

and is peppered with villages and towns that hold on to their heritage.

Lying at the mouth of the River Torridge,

the small port town of Bideford is renowned

for its iconic Long Bridge, which dates back to the 15th century

and is made up of 24 arches.

This part of the North Devon coast is almost entirely protected

with either a national park status or as an area

of outstanding natural beauty.

This stunning county is also an outdoor playground,

not just for surfers, but also for cyclists,

who can enjoy the 144 miles of national cycle paths

that run between the coast of North and South Devon.

The average cost of a detached house in England and Wales

is currently running at around £255,000, but, if you move to Devon,

you can expect to add a massive £40,000 to that figure. Why?

Well, quite simply, the beautiful countryside and coastline of Devon

is much sought after by buyers,

who are willing to pay handsomely for their very own slice of it.

But you can ease the blow to your budget if you decide to look inland.

After all, it's those stunning sea views from the coastline

that really make prices rocket.

So, with that in mind, take a look at a selection of properties

that we found currently on the market here.

For £350,000, this three-bedroom Grade II listed thatched cottage

in Kennford couldn't be more chocolate box on its exterior.

And inside, exposed beams and an open fireplace add a cosy feel

to the main sitting room.

In the kitchen, the range adds true rustic charm.

Or, what about this three-bedroom thatched cottage in Dalwood,

priced at £525,000.

The traditional features of inglenook and beams

in the dining room are offset by the vaulted ceiling in the kitchen,

filling the space with natural light.

Outside, the beautifully landscaped gardens also house

a timber-built studio.

And if you've got deep pockets, then this five-bedroom

traditional longhouse in Crediton could be yours for £875,000.

Along with three reception rooms chock-full of character features,

the kitchen-diner serves up some real farmhouse style.

Outside, the house is offset by a swimming pool and, all in all,

it comes with around 25 acres of land.

Well, a great selection of properties there.

Time to meet today's buyers

and find out why they're looking to escape to the country.

Company director Alistair and his wife Debbie,

who's head of a music and media agency,

have been tied to a daily routine of commuting into London

from their three-bedroom cottage in Haslemere, Surrey.

But they've now decided to give it all up, and have hatched a plan

that will take them right into the heart of the countryside.

For me, it's a really good time to move because I want a change.

I'm really keen on setting up a business where we can do glamping,

or you know, yurts and camping and yurt weddings,

and just be part of the countryside,

and just do something completely different,

and get away from the hustle and bustle of London and London life.

Business aside, Alistair also has his reasons

for wanting to move to North Devon.

I'm particularly interested in surfing,

so I'd like to get the opportunity to pursue that further.

It's going to be a great environment, as well,

for my son to come and visit,

where we can just do great sort of father and son activities.

Accommodating Alistair's son and their Jack Russell, Cooper, are just two of the reasons

why this move definitely needs to provide something bigger and better.

In our new house, we need a minimum of four bedrooms,

one of them en suite.

We'd also like open fires in the living room.

We'd like a large kitchen-diner, if possible,

and an office is really important for Al, because Al's going to be

working from home a lot.

They also have plenty of plans for outside,

as Debbie wants to expand her vegetable patch

and possibly get stuck in to some bee-keeping.

What's more, they're looking for at least ten acres to set up their yurt campsite,

but the setting needs to be just right.

The land would have to be a mixture of pasture, sort of flatland,

with woodland, and create a natural landscape.

So the land is as important as the house, if not more, you could argue.

And while they're happy to plough their efforts into the business, projects for their home are a no-no.

We're not willing to renovate or modernise the house at all,

but if there's out-buildings with the land, then obviously,

we need to look at building toilets and shower blocks.

Also, if there was space to have horses,

we would quite like to be able to, you know,

convert some stables.

With plans to rent out their current property, combined with the sale

of Debbie's previous house, they have a sizeable pot for this move.

Our budget for this move is £1 million.

We'll be trying to focus Alistair and Debbie's house search

within ten miles of the coast that stretches between Ilfracombe

and Bude, just over the border with Cornwall.

We've cherry-picked three county homes that meet their brief,

and I'll be asking them to guess the price tag of each

before I reveal it.

The last one of these is our mystery house,

and I'll be serving up a property that will push the scale

of their business ideas to the limit.

I tell you what, looking around here, it's not hard to see

why anybody would choose to live in the beautiful Devon countryside.

But it's not just a new house you're looking for,

-you're looking for a completely new way of life, aren't you?

-Yes.

-There's a business you're after as well.

-We're looking for a complete lifestyle change.

So we want a house with land and we want to do sort of yurts

and glamping, basically.

Now, this is a term I'm hearing more and more. Glamping.

Now, I understand this is posh camping, is it?

-Posh camping.

-Yeah, I think we would basically want to appeal to people

who probably wouldn't ordinarily get under canvas.

Being under the stars, but in a nice environment.

-So you'll get beds and comfy duvets...

-Ooh, that sounds nice!

..and you will have a fire.

How much land are we talking about then?

Ten to 15 acres.

The reason we want so much is we want to do the yurts, so ideally,

if we had woodland, it would be great to put the yurts in there.

Right then, ultimately, what's the budget?

-We'd be happy with £1 million for our budget.

-Right.

I think we could go up to 1.25 if it was the right property and land.

Look, it's going to be a work in progress as much as anything else.

-It's going to be really fun.

-It is going to be fun.

-Brilliant!

-Excited?

-Yes, definitely.

-You look very excited!

-I am!

-Let's go.

-All right.

Alistair and Debbie's ideal budget is £1 million,

although they are prepared to go a little higher

for the perfect property.

They're looking for a country home which gives them a generous sitting room with character features,

along with a large kitchen-diner.

In total, they want four bedrooms, preferably with a master en suite.

And critically, they're after at least ten acres of land,

in an attractive setting for their luxury camping business.

Now, you're both fairly active people.

Debs, what do you want to get involved in

if you move down here to Devon?

I think I'm going to be too busy

blooming setting this yurt business up to be doing any activities!

It's a very good point actually, because starting a business,

as you both know, involves a lot of your time. Will you get to enjoy this beautiful countryside?

I'm looking forward to the walks on the beach with the dog, really,

and Al can do his thing in the water.

Mindful that location is the key to the success of the business,

we're kicking off our property search in the village of Tawstock,

which is also just 15 miles from Alistair's favourite surfing beach

of Woolacombe Bay.

Along with the scattering of traditional cottages that line

its country lanes, its church is the historic resting place

for the local landowning nobility.

Nearby, Lord Wrey built this imposing folly in the late 18th century,

which also shares its grand entrance with our first property,

a former hunting lodge.

OK, so first impressions, Debs.

I really like it! It looks a bit like a Swiss log cabin.

It has got that sort of ski resort feel about it.

-So you like it?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, it's interesting!

-I'm looking forward to getting in and having a mooch around.

-Yeah.

-Well, let's start mooching then.

-OK.

-Follow me.

This huge property has an upside down layout,

so the main living areas are on the upper floor,

and take advantage of those gorgeous views.

'First stop, the kitchen.'

Right then, in you come.

Come right in.

I like the fact that you can see up the drive,

so you can see who's coming.

I'm quite nosy, actually! So...

-Yeah, I don't think it's our taste, is it?

-I like the granite surfaces

and the nature of the property. I'd go for a contemporary white kitchen,

some white granite surfaces, maybe, and just really lighten it up.

Yeah.

The adjoining sun terrace also helps to bring the outside in.

'And the living areas just keep on flowing.'

So you've got a dining area here,

as if you needed one with that massive kitchen,

but you get an open-plan feel. Follow me through here.

-And then the living room.

-Yeah, that's got a nice feel to it.

-I like that.

-Yeah, it has.

-Thought it would be bigger, the lounge, though. Did you?

-The lounge is quite narrow.

-Yeah.

Well, off the sitting room,

'there are plenty of other options they can play around with.'

Now, this area really took me by surprise.

Ignore this as a work area at the moment, guys.

Ignore that as a gym and all this as office space,

and think of this as one massive reception.

-Come down here.

-Ah!

Yes.

-Yeah, it's a great space.

-It's huge! It is a great space.

-Yeah.

I'd be inclined to use that as maybe a dining room, and this,

-like you say...

-This is your living room.

-..a massive living area,

and if it was cold in the winter,

-you could have a little snug through there.

-Yes, double doors on there.

The interior may be more modern than they'd hoped for,

but this house certainly delivers on big adaptable areas,

and it's great they're working through how they would best put them to use.

Off the main entrance hall,

there's also an additional room which might make a useful study.

'The topsy-turvy layout means that the five bedrooms

'are all on the lower floor,'

and include two spacious doubles with a warm, light feel,

and two good-size single rooms,

all of which are served by a large family bathroom.

And right next door is a very generous master suite.

Ooh, it is big! Oh, it's lovely!

-Yeah.

-And look at the views.

-Yeah, it's really impressive.

-Yeah, this is like a...

Yeah, this is the best room in the house.

This is something I would definitely go for. As in...

-It's gorgeous!

-..it's something I would choose.

So put this in the right house, and this would be, like, ten out of ten.

Brilliant!

Well, we're on the right track,

and the master also has a luxurious en suite with a feature stone wall.

'Overall, this substantial home gives them acres of space

'to which they can add the character they feel is missing.'

Outside, the immediate gardens extend to one and a quarter acres,

and consist of lawns, along with a well-tended kitchen garden,

including a number of fruit trees.

The timber-built summer house and ornamental pond

are also eye-catching features of the grounds.

But it's time to get a feel for the lay of the land beyond.

So, all that way, all surrounding the house,

-gardens essentially, is included within the sale.

-Right.

The land is an option.

-Right.

-OK?

-OK.

-Now, that option is all of this woodland.

-But you mentioned you wanted woodland, hilly as well.

-Yeah.

It will need some managing, maybe some removal as well,

I should think, but all in all, there's up to 20 acres available.

How much do you think this one acre and house is on the market for?

-Hmm.

-OK. Do you want to go first?

-Oh, I'm really rubbish at this, Jonnie!

-All right.

I am really rubbish! You go first.

I think with the amount of land we're talking about

that it comes with, and the house, I would guess around 800,000.

OK.

-Oh, I think, possibly, a little lower.

-Right.

I'm going to go with 750,000.

Well, this house has been reduced to offers around £960,000.

-That's so wrong!

-960?

-Yeah.

-Right.

-It started out well over a million.

-I think, 1.15.

-Yeah.

-Oh!

-So why don't you go back into the house?

-All right, brilliant.

-Thank you.

-I'll catch you later on.

Coming in under-budget at £960,000, our first property may not have

fitted their vision of a traditional country home, but as a whole,

it does address the important elements of their wish list.

It gives them five reception rooms, a massive kitchen-diner,

and five bedrooms with a master en suite that they both loved.

Outside, along with around one and a quarter acres of garden,

they could also buy a further 20 acres of woodland,

providing a potential site for their luxury camping business,

with views of the stunning Taw Valley.

Oh, and I almost forgot!

Alistair is just half an hour's drive from the surf.

I think this house delivered in the sense that the lead-up

to the drive was very impressive.

So while it was a fantastic house,

great size rooms, it just lacks the character that I was looking for.

The land, for me, is really important to set up these yurts.

I'm not sure that the woodland here is right for what we want to do.

-All done inside?

-Yes, thank you.

-Yeah.

-Come on, then. Let's go.

Alistair and Debbie's move to the country is motivated by their dream

of running a luxury camp site where visitors can stay in yurts.

These semi-permanent dwellings have been used in central Asia

for over 3,000 years, and are still used by Mongolian nomads.

But, in the UK, they've become a popular alternative

to pitching a holiday tent.

To find out more about their unique design, earlier in the week,

we arranged for them to meet Rod Richardson and Keith Gray,

who've been making yurts here in Devon for five years,

and they've turned it into a successful business.

-Have you stayed in a yurt before?

-We have stayed in a couple of yurts, a couple of different yurt camps,

and that's what sort of sowed the seeds for us wanting to get into it.

-We like the cosy factor of stoking up the burner...

-Yeah.

It was kind of like comfortable camping, really,

and we thought we could sort of do something with that

and get away from the grime and city lifestyle

where we currently live.

Once over the threshold, it's easy to see how the ribs of the roof

connect the central wheel to the lattice-framed walls.

It's a beautiful piece of design but,

true to its nomadic roots, it also has to be practical to build.

Well, what we want is for the thing to be uniform,

and to go up the same every time.

For each rib to be, like you say, the same,

so it can all go together easily,

are they manufactured through machinery or is it...?

We use machines, but everything is hand-finished.

And it's steam-bent. Just about every component goes in the steamer,

so the ribs have a bent end, the trellis has a slight curve

and, of course, the wheel is made of two flat pieces of timber

that are steamed into curves.

Getting the geometry right is key to the yurt being rigid and robust,

and a cornerstone of its design is accurately burning the square holes

in the wheel, using a hot iron rod, called a dragon.

-Wey!

-Excellent!

-Don't get the burny bit on that bit!

-I think mine was the best, actually!

-Do you?

-Yeah, it's straight!

More shuffles!

Next, it's time for teamwork, as Alistair and Debbie get

some hands-on experience in assembling a whole yurt which,

for one this size, should take three people around 40 minutes.

The components are made from local wood, in this case, sustainably sourced ash and oak

which can cope with Devon's humidity.

Tuck it in. Quality knot, this is!

Me husband's knots are always the best knots!

Knowing that they're looking to create their glamorous

camping site, a 10-foot yurt,

sleeping two adults, will cost around £2,000,

whilst a 30-foot yurt fit for a wedding would set them back £15,500.

Now they've had a taste of what it will be like literally building

their business, we need to focus on finding them

a permanent place they can call home.

As we continue our house hunt, we're steering our buyers inland

and away from the surfing beaches towards the village

of Black Torrington,

which has a range of amenities including a handy post office

and local shop.

Set off a quiet country lane,

we're going on a charm offensive with our second property,

which comes in the form

of a traditional Grade II listed thatched farmhouse.

If you want character, this place could be your new home,

because there is so much character with this property.

But you get this wonderful-looking farmhouse, set in its own, well,

-courtyard now, but this would have been its farmyard.

-Yeah, lovely.

-Yeah, I like it. Yeah.

-Look at that grin!

-Yeah!

Cheshire cats are amongst us.

Adjacent to the farmhouse, the old stables have lapsed planning consent for a holiday let,

which could be a future project providing them with an income,

or Alistair could use it as an office space.

But let's see what they make of the main house which,

in its oldest part, dates back to 1475.

Let's start with what they use as the best room, if you like.

-I like it.

-Ooh, yeah!

-Yeah, it's nice. I like the beams.

There's lots of old and very sympathetic new. I mean, look at these flagstones.

These are obviously new, but they work well, don't they?

Using natural materials.

-I love the flagstones.

-Yeah.

I love the fireplace, I love the beams,

I love the modern with the old, with the spotlights.

-I love that.

-Yeah, I do. Yeah.

Across the other side, the raft of rooms build on the traditional feel.

This feels much more like a more casual, maybe a more everyday

-living room, doesn't it?

-Yeah!

Yeah, I really like this room. This room's got a more, kind of,

-historic character kind of feel to it for some reason.

-Yeah, cosy.

You see a lot more of the history. Look at those massive pieces of flint, and old timber.

That fireplace, there is oil-fired central heating

if you want it, but that can also power up to 17 radiators.

All the heating through the house.

You've got another reception room through there, or an office, which is nice.

-Oh, I love it! Can I look inside?

-Oh, wow, yeah!

-In a moment, but we've got so much to get around, unfortunately.

-Awwww!

-Aww, yeah!

-That's good.

-Yeah, yeah.

-Yeah, it's gorgeous!

Am I allowed to say I think you started with the worst room?

-Am I allowed to say that?

-Funnily enough, I chose that room,

-first of all, because it felt like the natural flow.

-I loved that room!

And then I really loved that room, and then I really, really

love this room!

This kitchen looks brilliant. Yeah.

I love the low ceilings, and all the beams and all of the windows.

-Let me just have a little sit.

-Go on, then.

You know, just like...

-Do I suit it?

-You do, actually, yeah!

Debbie clearly feels at home here

and it's great to see her in full flow.

On this floor, there's also a walk-in pantry

which gives a real sense of this being an authentic country kitchen,

along with a room for taking off their muddy boots.

With downstairs covered, we'll head to the first floor where,

'off the landing, the stylish modern fixtures in the family bathroom'

blend really well with the vaulted beam ceiling.

The timbers continue next door in one of the five bedrooms,

but the main event lies at the end of the hallway.

Now, then.

This isn't currently being used as the master bedroom,

but I thought this was so impressive.

-Yeah, it's lovely.

-Oh, yeah!

-It's gorgeous!

Yeah, I love it. It's brilliant.

-It's really nice. Yeah, I love it as well.

-Yeah. Love the...

-Love the high ceilings as well.

-Yeah, the beams.

-Yeah, it's great, isn't it?

-It's gorgeous!

-But it's great, isn't it?

-This is impressive, yeah. Really nice.

The other four double bedrooms are also bright and immaculate with those statement beams.

One of them adjoined a dedicated library,

with its own listed 15th century doorway.

The authenticity and huge footprint of our historic farmhouse

seems to have worked its magic.

But now, it's time to get to grips with the outside space.

Along with the development potential of the stone barn and storerooms,

the farm buildings also include a huge iron-roofed covered yard

and tractor shed, which gives an indication

of how much land there is.

Now, then.

Alistair, you did say you wanted, what was it?

I would have thought a minimum of 15-ish or 10 to 15.

Oh, it's a minimum of 15 acres of land now?

Well, I was initially thinking that.

-OK.

-Yeah, 10 to 15 acres is going to be perfect.

-10 to 15 acres, yeah.

-OK, you've got...

-That looks amazing, that.

You've got 77 acres.

Oh, my God!

And that's a mixture between woodland and pastureland.

-Right, brilliant.

-That's only the edge of what you have.

-You've got that, the ancient woodland...

-Wow, ancient woodland!

Imagine having yurts in ancient woodland there?

You've got pastureland at the back, which you can look out over.

Oh, I can imagine you galloping now, on your horse!

The galloping major! That's me!

With 77 acres comes the enormous task of looking after it all.

The current owners rent out the pastureland to a local sheep farmer

and that, along with EU subsidies, brings in £10,000 a year.

What's more, there's a manege,

giving them the chance to run a horse livery business.

-All of this...

-Yeah.

-Could be yours!

-But at a price.

-At a price.

I reckon it's at the top of our budget. 1.25.

I'm going to go for 1 million and 50,000.

Right, well, this has just come on the market, well, six weeks ago,

and everything is for sale for offers around £1.1 million.

Wow!

I'm much more than pleasantly surprised.

Well, look, it's not great weather,

-it looks like there's a lot more weather coming in.

-I don't care!

I'm going to run down to that woodland and have a mooch,

-if you don't mind!

-Go on! I've given you all the information I need to.

-Are you coming?

-It's brilliant, Jonnie.

-Go on, then.

-Done well.

-Yomp away!

-Will do!

-It's the last thing you're doing, so you've got plenty of time.

-OK.

Well, fantastic reactions.

Sometimes, when you take someone outside to the fields

and it's howling a bit of a wind and some rain,

they just want to get back inside,

but they're genuine about their business idea,

about their want to escape to the country here. And just look at them. She loves it!

She just can't wait to get hold of this idea

of living in the countryside. It's great to see.

Wey-hey-hey!

SHE LAUGHS

On the market for offers around £1.1 million, dare I say it,

this beautiful farmhouse seems to have won their hearts,

and who can blame them?

It offers them a great home,

featuring two large reception rooms with beams and a wood burner,

a rustic country kitchen beyond Debbie's wildest dreams,

and five bedrooms.

Outside, along with a range of buildings,

the jaw-dropping 77 acres of woodland, orchards,

and pastureland give them a whole new world for their yurt campsite.

This is the kind of country lifestyle I dreamed of.

The house is just amazing, it really sort of tops it up.

The kitchen's fabulous, the bedrooms.

It's all lovely, and yeah, I think I could be very happy here.

It's just fantastic. Yeah, I'm really, really blown away

with the place, and the longer I spend here,

even in this foul weather, the longer I'm kind of...

the more I'm falling in love with it.

You can't have looked around all that land in that time,

but have you seen a good snippet of it, at least?

-Yes.

-I'd say a very good snippet, yeah.

-Yeah?

-Yeah, it was great.

Good! Well, there's plenty to see.

Maybe if you're interested, another viewing,

-you'd have to start in the morning and finish in the evening.

-I think so! That's definitely in order.

-Good. Something to sleep on at least.

-Thank you.

-Let's go.

-Looks nice with the lights on, doesn't it?

-It does.

It's lovely, isn't it?

As evening falls over the Devon countryside,

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

Armed with a budget of £1 million, Alistair and Debbie want to swap

their hectic commuter life to London,

for the hills of North Devon,

where they plan to set up, as they call it, a "posh camping business".

Of the two houses we've seen so far,

Debbie clearly felt at home in our second property, but coming up,

our mystery house goes stratospheric with business ideas.

-I'm going to hold my thoughts until the end, I think.

-OK, Debs.

And I get put through my paces on Devon's beaches.

Looking back at yesterday, I think the first property was

a learning curve for all concerned,

but by the time it got to the second property in the afternoon,

I think we hit the nail right on the head.

We got great reactions from Alistair and especially Debs.

So, for today, if yesterday was about the house,

the mystery property is going to be all about the business.

Let's see how we get on.

Our mystery house takes them to the North Devon border,

close to the village of Bradworthy,

eight miles from the Cornish coastal town of Bude.

Besides its magnificently craggy cliffs,

the sandy beaches here are a well-known surfing territory,

so Alistair can take to the waves.

Our mystery property is a Victorian farmhouse

bursting with business opportunities and a renovation project,

all of which will require them to think big and creatively.

Now then, the mystery house offers you something a bit different.

Nice size.

-Yeah? Good.

-Yeah, I like it.

Now, inside, it's a different generation that owns it,

so you'll want to make some quite big changes to it.

Yeah. I mean, to be honest, we didn't really want to take on a project.

Right. I don't know what that laugh means!

You're probably laughing at me cos I'm in trouble now, but there is some business here. OK?

There is potential and some up and running income here for you.

-And it's the mystery house!

-Oh, yes, it is the mystery house.

-So, yeah.

-The Mystery Machine.

OK, let's go and see what the Mystery Machine has for us,

-shall we?

-Right.

They might change their mind about getting stuck into a project

when they see the potential of the generous space inside.

Right then.

This would have been that the best room in this Victorian farmhouse.

-Come right in. Have a good look at this.

-I quite like it, as a room.

-I like the flagstone floors.

-Yeah, it's a good-sized room.

Yeah, it is a good-sized room. I like the fireplace.

-I mean, the decor isn't our taste.

-No.

-I can totally see through that, though.

-I can as well.

If you look in that corner there, wonderful exposed stonework,

-and look at these flags, they are huge!

-I love the flags.

I think, as a start, all good, great proportions.

-Yeah, good start.

-Good.

-Have you ever cooked in a bread oven, a proper bread oven.

-No.

You'll have to learn, then. See that there?

You'd have a big old fire, there,

put the bread inside the oven, then seal up that hole,

and take it out, afterwards.

You would have to do that every day. Yeah?

The floor's amazing, isn't it?

Were you listening to me? Come on!

Let's grab Deborah's attention and see what she makes of the next room.

The kitchen.

Good sized kitchen.

Yeah, kitchen's all right. Yeah.

Obviously needs modernising, but that's to be expected.

But with this house, you've got a lot of reception areas.

You've got a good-sized kitchen here, as well,

-a huge dining room behind you.

-Oh, right!

Behind that, a utility and a downstairs loo,

but as we came in, you've also got two further reception rooms.

-Right.

-So, I don't know what you're going to do with all those.

-It's a big old house, this.

-I'm looking forward to seeing more.

I tell you what, because there's so much to see here,

you can come back here on your own and have a look.

Let's go outside, because I want to focus on what's there,

-then you can decide if you like the package.

-Sounds fantastic.

We'll go out this way.

As they'll discover later, upstairs, the six bedrooms

that fan off the central landing area are all a great size.

Firstly, there's a double with ensuite shower room

they'd probably take as theirs. And yet another spacious ensuite double

for guests. In addition,

three of the other rooms would all easily accommodate double beds,

even the one currently decked out with bunks.

And the sixth is a single, complete with a corner sink.

Across the landing, there's also a family bathroom,

but set aside from the main house, there's yet more

accommodation on offer, which comes with an income attached.

-So, the holiday let.

-BOTH: Oh!

Nice, I like it. The Calf Barn, eh?

-Yeah, nice!

-I like it.

I like...the ceilings, the vaulted ceilings.

-I think it's been done really well.

-Yeah, it has.

You've got two double bedrooms, en suites,

you've got a wonderful living area.

Now, in peak season, they'll get anything up to £700 a week for this.

That's good, isn't it?

But next door, you'll see, through the window,

there's that huge barn.

That's got planning consent for four more.

-I'm going to hold my thoughts until the end.

-OK, Debs.

-Let's go outside.

-Right.

Time to get their perspective on the business opportunities

attached to the land.

So far, we've seen an up-and-running self-catering holiday let...

..and a campsite.

-I could even see the yurts here, actually.

-Oh, right.

I like the tree-lined perimeter.

I could imagine, sort of, dotting the yurts

around the edges.

This area is already a draw for holidaymakers

who fish down at the Lower Tamar Lake

and sometimes stay in the holiday lets.

But our mystery proposition doesn't end there.

The range of modern outbuildings are currently home

to a licensed restaurant with a professionally decked out kitchen,

which they could sublet if they wanted to.

We'll wrap up our business-fuelled mystery house

by revealing how much land they'll get to play with.

At the moment,

this old Victorian farmhouse comes in around

-13 acres.

-OK.

-OK?

It's a completely different proposition, probably a lot more

business focused than you'd intended, but there's

not a dearth of opportunities here in Devon, for what you want.

-You're going to ask us how much it all costs now, aren't you?

-Yes.

This house, with the old farm buildings,

set in 13 acres.

You go first.

13 acres, I'd price at around £850,000.

OK. All right.

-Debs?

-I think I'd go higher. I think I'd go for...

..£950,000.

She's a quick learner. It's £950,000.

My goodness!

Yes!

I hate it when she gets that right!

It's a small victory.

I am not sure it's been a victory in what we've looked round.

It's got your minds racing. I'm going to bask here in the sunshine.

Why don't you go and look at some of the buildings?

Look around everything, there's so much to see.

-Then we'll find somewhere to sit down and have a chat.

-Thank you.

Catch you in a bit.

Under budget at 950,000, our mystery house

is the cheapest of our three properties,

which leaves the money left over to get the holiday lets

or yurt business off the ground.

Breaking down the mind-boggling list of components, it gives them

a huge six-bedroom period home,

an up and running two-bedroom holiday let

which in peak season brings in £700 a week,

the barn with planning consent for four further holiday lets,

a licensed campsite and restaurant,

and it's all wrapped up

in over 13 acres of grounds and pastureland

in a stunning countryside setting

well-positioned to pull in the tourist trade.

The mystery house, yeah, it was all very much

more of a business focus thing

than the kind of dream house that we were looking for.

Definitely some potential there. A little daunting, to be honest.

I thought the house was really pretty

and it did need updating.

The outhouses weren't really for me.

It just felt like too big a project with the house as well.

In the potential holiday let, are we?

-All done, are we?

-Yes, indeed.

Good. I think we should find somewhere to sit down

-and gather our thoughts.

-OK.

North Devon's Atlantic coastline is a major draw for many

of the 250,000 surfers that visit the south-west's beaches every year.

Saving lives in these wild seas is a major concern

for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution,

but there's another rescue arm to the charity's work.

Since 2001, its team of lifeguards

now look after around 100 beaches in the region.

They have to be extremely fit to do the job, and I am getting a taste of

their intensive training regime from Robbie Lamb,

who's a lifeguard supervisor.

And one of the monthly fitness tests involves

sprinting 200 metres in under 40 seconds.

-Let's get it on.

-Let's do it!

That's a long...are you sure that's 200 metres?

'Robbie's area manager Vaughan Lawson is at the finish line

'to start us off.'

Vaughan, are you sure that's 200 metres?

Ready, boys? Take your marks...

..go!

'The team has grown to around 100 lifeguards,

'all of whom have to maintain fitness levels across the season.'

Very good!

This is just one of the many tests the lifeguards undertake,

including having to complete a 400 metres swim

in under seven-and-a-half minutes.

But, of course, the training all helps their ability to save lives.

Last year, between April and mid-October, the lifeguards

responded to nearly 13,000 incidents on the south-west's beaches.

The paddle board is mainly used for rescues in shallower waters,

and after a quick demo from Robbie, I'm tasked with rescuing

fellow lifeguard Amy Caldwell.

When the sea is about waist height,

the idea is to jump on and paddle forwards while kneeling, which gives

better visibility over the surf.

When they get to the casualty, the board is turned over

which helps lift the victim on, and then it's a case

of paddling in while maintaining a firm hold on them.

Fortunately, just when it starts to look like

I'm in need of rescuing, I catch a lucky wave,

which brings us safely back to shore.

I was very grateful for that wave!

The commute in was easier than the commute out.

I'm going to have a sit-down!

While I take a break, time to catch up with the house hunters.

Hopefully they've come to a decision

and are in better shape than me!

So, let's look at the houses. First property,

it was certainly a learning curve for me.

What are your thoughts on it, now you've come away?

I just felt it was too modern for me.

And it didn't have the period features I was looking for.

And also, the land, the woodland that we could have bought,

it just wasn't right.

I don't think we could have made the house

the sort of house we wanted. It wasn't right.

We pretty much figured out, by the time we left there,

the first property wasn't for you guys.

So the pressure was on for the second house in the afternoon,

but you were instantly blown away, weren't you?

Yeah. House two was beautiful, inside and out.

We were very pleasantly surprised by the cottage, the interiors,

-the space.

-I actually found it a grower.

I was impressed from the start.

But, when we got through the doors, it just got better and better.

The space was brilliant, the way it had been finished

was, as we said before, a real labour of love.

We got to the outside, the 77 acres,

there's so much we could do with it from a business point of view,

so really happy with that one.

Let's look at today's escapades. The mystery house.

The mystery house was a real project, I felt.

I thought the house was pretty.

It needed modernising, but I wasn't fazed by that,

because I think we could have made it as beautiful as house two.

If the business had been ready to go, straight away,

maybe we'd have considered it.

I think it was all a bit...

Every element of it required attention,

and I think we could have made the house quite grand.

I still don't think it would have been the house like house two.

Clearly, the second house we looked at, is your favourite.

-What do you want to do about that?

-Property number two was our favourite

and so when we finish here today, we're going to go back

and take a second look, just so we can work out

how far it is from the beach,

and also to be able to have a look at the land.

Yes, discuss the opportunities with the current owner,

look at some figures and, yeah, watch this space.

Please let us know how you get on,

because it sounds like things could happen quickly...

-If everything goes to plan.

-Definitely.

-Good luck this afternoon.

-Thank you.

-Cheers.

It was always going to be a risk

showing Alistair and Debs that mystery property

when it was so skewed towards business.

I also think it was a gamble I was willing to take because of

the great reaction I got from them when they saw the second property,

both the house itself and that 77 acres of land.

What has surprised me, though,

is just how quickly they want to arrange the second viewing.

They're actually on their way to the house, right now, as I speak.

So, I'm sure, like me, you wish them both luck

and I look forward to finding out their plans

over the next couple of weeks.

'Although Alistair and Debbie loved our second property,

'they decided its inland position and 77 acres of land were

'a stretch too far, so their house hunt continues.

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

'Northern Ireland or England, and need our help,

'please apply online at...'

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