Shropshire Escape to the Country

Well, today, we're in border country, a landscape littered with castles and battlefields.

A place, as you might expect, full of history.

But which county are we in?

On today's show, I'll be helping a couple exchange their house in the suburbs

for a swathe of space in the countryside.

-There's tons of scope, yeah, I agree.

-Yeah.

They have an expanding family and a rather woolly yearning on their wish list.

-Do they come with the sheep?

-The view does.

But can the mystery house live up to their expectations?

-Look at that!

-What do you reckon?

-Oh, it's gorgeous.

Welcome to Shropshire.

Now, these impressive ruins behind me are all that survive

of the great tower at Bridgnorth Castle.

And they're in this state thanks to Oliver Cromwell.

He and his Roundheads destroyed them during the English Civil War of the 17th century.

And that lean, well, that is another wonder,

because how it stands up, I have no idea. It's a full 15 degrees,

four times greater than the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy.

But the good news is that the rest of Shropshire's historic properties

are in a far better state of repair.

Situated right on the border between England and Wales,

Shropshire is a large, sparsely-populated county

which is home to towns such as Shrewsbury and Oswestry.

There are only 91 people per square kilometre here,

compared with the national average closer to 400.

Along with Herefordshire and Worcestershire,

Shropshire makes up the Marches - a trio of border counties

created by William the Conqueror in the 11th century.

It's an area where Middle England merges with Wales -

a charming strip of country rippling with heather-strewn hills and beautiful moorland.

Covering 1,200 square miles, most of Shropshire's land is dedicated to farming.

In the north, it's mainly arable, while in the south of the county,

farmland is used for the grazing of livestock.

Shropshire has no cities, but does have 22 towns within its borders.

The county is also recognised for its walking trails,

most famously situated across Wenlock Edge

and the heathland region of Long Mynd.

Well, if you fancy space, then Shropshire clearly could be for you.

But it does mean that there aren't as many houses to choose from

as perhaps there are in other counties.

But the local council are keen to reverse that trend.

They've got some quite ambitious plans to build many, many more new homes,

which would, of course, give all of us a lot more choice.

Here's a peek at what's on the market right now.

Just shy of £300,000

will get you this traditional three-bedroom stone-built barn

in the conservation area of Pant Glas in North Wales.

It's full of character, with exposed oak-beam ceilings,

and it has a charming cottage garden with a patio.

Or if you'd like something a little more unique, for just under £500,000,

you could buy this four-bedroom converted barn in Eaton Constantine.

It has a stunning drawing room with exposed roof trusses,

an unusual galleried landing, and panoramic views.

Or maybe this striking four-bedroom brick barn conversion

just over the border in Cheshire would appeal?

It'll set you back a wallet-stretching £650,000.

It's recently been renovated, featuring exposed beams

and a galleried landing over the modern kitchen.

So, as you can see, when it comes to property,

there are some real gems tucked away here in the Shropshire countryside,

which, of course, is exactly why today's buyers want to move here.

Meet newlyweds Peter and Christine who tied the knot a year ago.

They want to escape from Christine's house in Huddersfield where they live

and find a family home in Shropshire.

Moving with them is Christine's 11-year-old daughter Nadine,

and there's another child on the way.

So the key thing they're after is space, both inside and out.

I grew up in an old, remote,

un-overlooked character property,

and we are in a three-bed mid-terrace estate out here.

It just doesn't fulfil my ideal of where I really want to spend the rest of my life.

Peter isn't the only one who hankers after a more rural setting.

Christine was brought up in the country too.

Back in Kenya, cos that's where my original parents are from,

we were a bit rural

and we had cows and sheep, and I love sheep.

So land for sheep is high on the agenda,

but there are also plenty of other reasons for moving.

We're considering the Shropshire area because we want to add to our family.

There are some support structures there,

my mum and dad are based fairly locally.

I need to travel a lot for work as well

so I need access to airports.

The A49 does offer access to both Manchester and Liverpool.

Family life is incredibly important

but so too is the right education for their daughter.

Our top priority at the moment would be a good school for Nadine.

A school with a decent reputation within a five or possibly a ten-mile radius.

-Snap!

-Snap!

-Snap!

And they've got a clear idea of what they want from their new home.

What we would like in our new property would be a character period property

with plenty of garden space, four bedrooms, ideally an office.

Large kitchen with a separate dining area.

Ideally, we would prefer a remote area,

a bit out away from the village.

We'd like a property we could move into straightaway

with a minimum amount of work.

But I think we don't mind a challenge on a project

if we can manage it within the budget.

So a project could be an option. But it all depends on the money.

Neither of the properties we own are on the market at the moment.

I've spoken to the bank and we can afford a property up to £400,000

without selling those houses.

Now, of course, finding Peter and Christine their new home

where they can enjoy a good dose of country living is what it's all about.

When you think about the fact this is the first time they've ever bought together,

well, that only really adds to the pressure.

Now, their £400,000 should go some way to getting them

the four bedrooms and two bathrooms that they're after,

although, to be honest, I'm not entirely sure we're going to find enough space

for Christine to keep some of those sheep, although you never know.

Peter and Christine want to find a slice of rural paradise in Shropshire.

They want a house which is set outside a village

but they still need access to good local schools

so we'll be focusing our search

around the towns of Shrewsbury and Oswestry.

We've cherry-picked three fantastic houses

to whet our buyers' appetites, but as usual I won't tell them

what they're on the market for until they've guessed the price.

And, of course, there's the mystery house which I'm hoping will encourage them

to embrace a range of different possibilities.

Christine, Peter, here we are in Shropshire. Nice to be back, mate?

Absolutely. It's a very, very pleasant feeling.

How about for you? You grew up in Kenya.

I know, it's a bit of a change for me.

-I'm really looking forward to it.

-It is still rural but the plains aren't kind of awash with zebra

and all the rest of it. But you are into sheep?

-I am, actually. I really love sheep.

-I knew that would come up!

I'd like to keep some, actually, if you don't mind.

But there is one other addition to this story which we must mention.

-A little bird has told me that your family is now growing.

-It is.

-Congratulations.

-Thank you very much.

-Now, when are we expecting the next one?

-Sometime in November.

-So about six months or so?

-Yes, six months from now.

-So the pressure is on, really?

-Yes.

-Yes.

We have got just a few days to find you a home

that you need to be comfortably established in

within six months. But we are looking for four bedrooms.

-We are.

-Because we've got Nadine as well, haven't we, who is ten now?

-She is ten.

OK, so, you know,

I think your budget is relatively realistic for what we are after.

In terms of style, give me a few clues as to the sort of things that have really caught your eye.

I am very much in favour of an older property, a character property.

-A Georgian property, ideally, or Victorian, potentially.

-Yes.

-An old farmhouse would be brilliant.

-Yes.

-That kind of thing.

I am a country boy at heart.

You ticking all the right boxes there, that's what everybody wants!

-Big kitchen, blah, blah, blah.

-Yes, of course.

-All that stuff.

We've got three properties for you to have a look at,

including, of course, the mystery house. Let's get going.

-Follow me.

-Fantastic.

-Absolutely.

So with a budget of £400,000 Peter and Christine want...

Ideally they'd like some land and they'd prefer it

if their new home wasn't overlooked.

Oh, and there was one other thing -

if possible, Christine would like to keep sheep.

Our first house is situated two miles from St Martins

in the North West Shropshire and close to the border with Wales.

'Much of St Martins' history was built around mining and agriculture,

'and for centuries a lively community lived

'and worked around the area's coal pits and farms.

'With the rural setting our buyers are after,

'they'll need access to local amenities,

'and luckily St Martins today offers a post office, a supermarket

'and both primary and secondary schools

'so Nadine will be catered for too.

'The property we're looking at is in a rural area.'

This is property number one.

-What do you think?

-Lovely.

-Barn conversion, I guess.

-Barn conversion.

Just over 100 years old, built about 1897.

But then in 2007 the current owners bought it

and have absolutely transformed it.

He's a carpenter, so you get the idea the level of finish in here is absolutely sorted.

Is this the sort of thing that you'd have had in mind?

-Yeah.

-Idyllic location, certainly.

I'm interested to see the level of finish that you've talked about.

Come on, let's have a look inside.

'Well, good first impressions.

'This property has many of the features our buyers want,

'so I'm confident that the interior will get a positive reaction too.'

-Right. Come on in.

-Wow.

-Yeah?

-Just the smell alone is amazing.

-What do you think?

-Gorgeous.

-Lovely.

Like I said outside,

the hand of an experienced carpenter has been all over this,

and you can just see that with all these lovely joints and beams.

Fantastic.

The flooring, I should point out, goes right the way through.

Under-floor heating throughout, so no radiators in the way.

The kitchen that you've got at home, you'd like a bigger one.

-Oh, definitely.

-Much bigger.

-Come and look at this one.

Come on in.

-Ha-ha!

-Good lord.

-Hey?

-That's all right, isn't it?

-Nice, isn't it?

-Fantastic.

-As islands go, that's pretty generous.

Certainly is.

-I like the fridge as well.

-Yeah.

-Me too.

Wine cooler, the whole thing.

And all this lovely integrated stuff, it's all high-end.

I like it, I really like it, compared to what we've got at the moment.

But in terms of bringing up a brand new baby along with Nadine

and the pair of you, this would just be so simple.

The living room is also a great space.

Plenty of room for the four of you to mess around in there

and have your family up when they come to babysit.

Lovely.

'The babysitting duties are all sorted,

'which is good news for when they become parents again.

'And, given that the key thing our buyers are after is space,

'I'm thinking we could be on to a winner with this place,

'as the lounge has lots of room to relax in.'

-Yeah?

-Superb. It's amazing.

-It's a whopper.

-It's lovely, isn't it?

-A really lovely space.

Again, under-floor heating right through this,

so that's nice and cosy for baby running around.

The other thing to point out,

we are in this sort of hamlet, as it were, for properties.

-They're your neighbours through the window there.

-Yeah.

That's the only real kind of compromise

-I can see in terms of proximity to neighbours.

-It is a compromise.

Cos we were looking for something not being overlooked.

At the moment your garden is particularly overlooked, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Most definitely.

This garden isn't, and to be perfectly honest,

if you frosted those windows...

-You wouldn't know they were there.

-You really wouldn't.

But I think you get the idea that this is a property

that certainly gives you the space, and a very flexible space...

-There's tons of scope.

-Yeah. OK? Let's go upstairs.

Come on, follow me.

'There's plenty for them to work with in this house

'if they can overcome the fact that they'll have neighbours.

'I'm hoping they'll see the potential on the first floor too.'

So you've got four bedrooms to play with.

I think this is a very generous guestroom, really.

-It is.

-It's quite a good size. A lot of light again. There you are.

-It's gorgeous.

-Yeah.

-It certainly fits the bill.

-What have we got in here?

-Oh, this is nice. This is a pukka wet room.

-No way!

-Yeah.

It gets more Scandinavian as we go around.

In any other property, this would be a very good master bedroom,

but this one is even better. Come have a look.

'The two additional bedrooms on this floor

'are both finished to the same high standard as the rest of the house,

'but it's the master bedroom that I really like.'

Now...

start in here. There you are.

Very slick-looking shower room/en suite and then this is your master.

-Wow.

-Mmm. This is good.

-That is just amazing.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-I like the round window. Have a look at that.

-That's nice, and look...

-Sheep.

-No!

-Yes. There you are.

Fantastic.

Can we sleep with them as well?

So you don't need to buy your own sheep, just borrow the neighbours'.

-Does it come with the sheep?

-The view does. That's for free!

Come on, let's go outside.

'Outside, of course, they can get an even better look at the view,

'and luckily this property has a superb outlook over the neighbouring countryside.'

Here were are.

These lovely doors that will open right up to reveal the patio.

This is it. This is what's on offer. It's this much -

all the grass that's bounded by this post and rail fence.

-So it's not acres...

-BOTH: No.

-..and, in fairness, it's not enough for sheep.

-No.

Christine, how much do you think this is worth?

£400,000 or so is your budget.

Erm... I would say a bit over.

-405.

-405.

-£405,000, says your wife, Peter.

-Mm-hmm.

I'm going to come in a little bit lower than that at 395.

395. You're both wrong.

-OK?

-Really?

-You're both too high.

-This could be yours for £385,000.

-No way.

-Ticks a lot of boxes, I have to say.

-It does.

Put a smile on your face, anyway.

That's the main thing.

Go and have a wander round and just see how you might want to tweak it.

-OK.

-Off you go. Go on.

-In fact, better still, do make a cup of tea.

-Yeah. Sugar?

-Yeah, and milk.

-OK.

-Brilliant.

Ooh, very nice to have such helpful and willing contributors.

I do like a cup of tea after a house tour,

and this one, I think, has gone particularly well.

It is our first property, of course, but it does represent,

I think, terrific value for money for Peter and Christine.

And as a first property, this is a really good option.

And you don't have to have sheep on your own doorstep,

you can borrow theirs.

Priced at £385,000,

this fantastic conversion is in a great rural setting.

With four bedrooms, it's finished to a really high standard

and it has fabulous views over fields full of sheep.

The only issue might be that on the one side it's not only sheep

that overlook the property,

there are neighbours too.

But will this be a deal-breaker?

The only downside to it, it's the next-door neighbour.

But, like Pete said, we might just give that compromise a bit.

We do have an issue with being overlooked here.

We wanted to be slightly more isolated.

But, apart from that, there are schools, there are shops.

We've got everything within shooting distance of here. I'm very impressed.

I think Nadine would love this view.

I think she'll like this room because it's got that round window.

That's fantastic, that.

Come on. We're all done.

That was our first one.

-Not a bad start.

-Fantastic start.

-No, pretty good start.

-Yeah, I think this has grown on you, hasn't it?

-Well, yeah.

Ah-ha, I wonder what's been said? Come on.

With their sights set on a remote rural location,

our buyers will still be looking for a town that can provide them with all the services they need.

Shropshire doesn't have any cities, but what it lacks in urban bustle,

it makes up for with its history.

The county town of Shrewsbury lies nine miles east of the Welsh border

and has been a fixture on the map of the British Isles since Saxon times.

Two miles from Shrewsbury is a hawking centre,

where there's the opportunity to fly hawks while taking in

a scenic mile-long stroll in an ancient 200-acre forest.

As Peter and Christine will be looking for fun things to do as a family when they move,

earlier in the week, we arranged for them to meet Mark Southall

and get up close and personal with these amazing birds.

I'm going to fly one of the birds for you now. I'm going to fly a bird called Khan for you.

Khan's a four-year-old male hawk.

This is Khan.

Right, we'll go and give him a fly.

Known as the sport of kings, falcons and hawks have been used throughout the ages,

both as a means of feeding the family, as well as a leisure pursuit for the wealthy.

These birds see Mark as a food source,

which is why they don't just fly away.

-There he goes.

-There he goes again.

What prompts him to come back to you?

We tempt them down with food.

If I give you a little bit of meat on your glove there, Christine...

Hold your arm out like that.

-Super, here he comes. You don't even need to whistle him.

-That's brilliant.

-Do you want to have a go, Pete?

-I don't know.

He's on his way, Pete. You've got to be quick.

There you go.

You've got to be on your metal, haven't you?

Yeah, you've got to be fast with these birds.

Khan is a Harris hawk, a bird native to the southern states of America and Mexico.

They're one of the most popular birds used in falconry in this country,

as they have good temperament and are easy to train.

And their hunting skills aren't just confined to when they're in flight.

So these guys are quite comfortable on the floor.

They will actually hunt from the floor.

This is Khan's speciality. I call it the vulture walk.

Quite comical, do you think?

THEY LAUGH

Whereas you might think the beak

is the most dangerous part of the hawk, it's actually their feet.

They're capable of producing over 400 pounds of pressure.

No wonder they're such successful hunters.

-Come on, then.

-MARK WHISTLES

Come on.

-Good boy.

-That's wicked.

And with so much to offer in Shropshire,

let's hope our buyers won't take flight any time soon.

Now, for our second property,

we're heading towards the village of Pontesbury,

set in unspoiled South Shropshire countryside,

about eight miles from Shrewsbury.

Pontesbury is one of the largest villages in Shropshire

and has a lively rural community boasting a wide range of local amenities,

including schools, a church and a selection of shops.

The house we're going to see is in a spectacular rural position,

close to the villages of Habberley and Pulverbatch,

and it's thought to date back to the 17th century.

-So what have we got for our second property?

-Wow.

-This is your immediate kind of garden area, if you will.

-Fantastic.

Which you can either use for livestock, sheep maybe,

if you really, really, really think you want one.

But, in the middle of it,

tucked away behind that great big bush, is that, our second property.

-What do you think?

-Beautiful.

-It's gorgeous.

-Yeah?

It reminds me of my mum and dad's house.

-Oh, so we're in familiar territory, which is great.

-Very much so.

-I love it.

-Good, let's see if you love the inside.

Come on, follow me.

'Great reaction! Fingers crossed they'll love the inside too.'

OK, the suspense is over, come on in.

-Gorgeous.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-A fantastic country kitchen, what can I say?

-I love the beam.

-It's gorgeous.

-And the big old unit here as well.

Yes, the range there behind me.

You've also got a dual fuel, huge stainless steel cooker over there.

Good Lord, it's superb.

It's got a nice square shape, which is what you're looking for in a classic farmhouse.

-It's very high as well, isn't it?

-Absolutely, yeah.

Because you don't expect that in these older properties.

-Could you be happy in here, Chris?

-Yeah, absolutely.

-It's gorgeous.

-I could.

-I could.

-I love it already here.

-Shall we move in tomorrow?

-OK.

Get your cheque book out.

Getting excited already.

'Well it sounds like they're moving in

'and this house has many other surprises still to come.'

So out of the kitchen, come with me in here.

Ah...

-Ah, smashing.

-Yeah?

-Nice.

-Lovely.

-I like this.

-You really get a feel for the history here.

Don't you? You really do. This room is crammed full of it.

There is the back end of what is a huge inglenook,

which we'll see next door.

And I mean huge. Just you wait.

A little bread oven in there. All kinds of stories in these beams, and so forth.

-Can you see that line in the carpet there?

-Oh, yeah.

-That is access to your cellar.

-Get away!

-Really?

It's as big as this room.

-It's full height.

-Wow!

-And it's cobbled-lined.

-Beautiful.

-Wine cellar?

-Wine cellar all over.

-Yeah!

ALL LAUGH

And you just wonder what happened in this room over the centuries.

It doesn't bear thinking about, does it, really?

Come next door, I did promise you an inglenook. Look at this one.

Here it is. It's a whopper.

-Oh, wow.

-That's brilliant.

-Isn't it?

-That's huge.

-That is fantastic.

-Now the curious thing is, this isn't listed.

-Is it not?

-So we can change it a bit?

You could, potentially, make a few alterations.

-It does allow you a certain amount of freedom.

-Gorgeous.

-Gorgeous.

I don't want to go back to the hotel now.

ALL LAUGH

-That's not bad.

-I can put my feet up.

-This is very cosy.

-What about Nadine, what's she going to think?

-She's going to love this.

There's quite a lot of space out there.

-Yeah.

-And inside here as well.

'And, of course, space is exactly what this family are looking for.

'There's loads of room on the first floor

'and upstairs there are some more quirky features.'

Now, this is a funny old thing. Come and have a look.

Can you see those three little steps there?

-BOTH: Oh, yeah.

-Going up to a door?

-Uh-huh.

-That's into the attic.

-Get away.

-Yeah.

-How about that?

-That's cool.

17th-century attic space.

Then in here is what I would suggest would be your master bedroom.

-That's a nice size.

-Yeah?

-Yeah. No en suite, I guess.

No en suite, and none of them are.

Obviously, there's the family bathroom across the hallway there.

You could, I would suggest, if you needed to, put one in that corner,

bearing in mind the kitchen is underneath us here,

-so you could tap into all the drains.

-The drains and everything would be there.

-Yeah.

-I think the Nadine would love the little hidey-holes as well.

-Yes, she would.

Oh, come on, as a kiddie growing up in a place like this, fantastic, you know.

Just look out for the ghosts.

'There are three other bedrooms up here which ghosts could hide in too.

'But given that they're all a decent size, our buyers might want to use them

'as guest or study space instead.

'Outside, the house has a long stone driveway, lawned gardens, a workshop

'and a small paddock, which Christine could use for keeping her sheep.'

I think we'll finish off here in the sunshine,

just having a quick look at the back of the property, as you can see.

-You do get quite a lot here, don't you?

-You get an awful lot.

-You do.

Which brings us to the money. Peter?

-Go on, you go first this time.

-I'm going to go first this time.

Erm... Top of the budget, I suspect,

but I'm going slightly lower than I did last time at 390.

-Because of the location.

-390. OK, interesting. Yeah?

-Erm...

I'm going a bit lower this time.

-I'll go 375.

-375.

Once again, you're both earth shatteringly wrong!

ALL LAUGH

You're not far off, in fairness to you.

This is on the market at £395,000.

-Right.

-OK?

-It's pretty much bang on the budget, then.

It's pretty much bang on the budget. I mean, obviously, it's open to some discussion, I suspect.

This is a property, though, I think, that you can really spend some time developing...

-Mm-hm.

-..and growing into.

-It's got some soul.

-Oh, absolutely!

-It's got some character, definitely.

-Yeah, go and find some more soul.

I'll catch up with you later.

Brilliant, off you go.

There we are. Houses do have their own feel, and, you know,

as Peter said, this one has some soul.

I think it's got a lot more than that too. It's got bags of history,

bags of presence and bags of potential.

Just under budget at £395,000,

this superb period property offers countless original features.

It's got four bedrooms, a traditional farmhouse kitchen,

and, of course, a truly spectacular outlook

which is not overlooked by neighbouring houses.

I stare out over an estate in Huddersfield, don't I?

That would be unbelievable.

The views - oh, they're views to die for.

It's really, really beautiful.

It's a family home. You can really, really feel that.

You get a real sense of soul about the place.

Well, guys, that's it, house number two done and dusted.

-But lots of ideas there for you, I think, to take away.

-Lots.

As the day closes over the Shropshire landscape,

our buyers have time to consider the properties they've already seen

and to anticipate what surprises are in store with our mystery house.

Peter and Christine want to leave the suburbs of Huddersfield

and find themselves a characterful first home together

amongst the sparsely populated fields of Shropshire.

For their £400,000 budget, we've shown them two properties they've really liked.

-Oh, wow!

-That's brilliant.

But will our mystery house top the lot?

God, you make this difficult, you really do.

Meanwhile, I'll be taking a step back in time with one of Britain's oldest clockmakers.

This was a complete rebuild job.

I mean, these look like the day they were made, guys.

Well, as you can see, we've got a glorious start to our final day of house hunting here in Shropshire

with Peter and with Christine.

Of our two properties yesterday, I thought the first one really appealed to her.

It was very modern, very finished and very slick,

but I thought the second one really appealed to Peter.

It was full of rural charm in a very isolated position.

Now, of course, it's time to show them our final property.

It's mystery house time, which I'm pretty sure

will just as easily give them plenty to think about.

Well, guys, we've got one more house to come - it's mystery house time.

-Are we all excited?

-Yes, very.

-Very? Excellent.

-Very excited.

I thought yesterday went quite well.

I think it revealed, you know, one or two concerns

that you both have as individuals and as a couple.

Yes, you're right. Property number one is job done, really.

You know, move straight in there,

-the family can arrive when it arrives, no real hassle.

-Yeah.

Whereas property number two, I think we'd have to grow into that.

There's a little bit more work, potentially, there.

Well, let's hope the mystery house can deliver.

We continue our property search towards Cockshutt.

Formerly a thriving farming community,

it's now a quiet village surrounded by open countryside.

The village serves up an array of welcome amenities, including a pub

and a local shop, which will come in useful, as our mystery house,

although only a short drive away, is remote and set in the grounds

of Petton Hall, a 19th-century estate that's been given

a new lease of life.

Although our buyers don't want to be overlooked,

I'm hoping its setting will win them over.

OK, this is it. The waiting's over.

There you go.

Our mystery house.

-The mystery house.

-Lovely.

-It's different, isn't it?

It's very different, this.

Again, it's another one where you don't need to pick up a paint brush.

-Fantastic.

-That looks gorgeous.

-So we're no longer in the middle of nowhere.

-Oh.

-Happy?

-Yes.

-I certainly can't wait to see inside.

-Come on. Follow me.

'I am confident the inside will meet their expectations,

'as it's dramatic from the moment you step in through the door.'

-Come and check this out.

-Blimey!

JULES LAUGHS

-I love this.

-Yeah? Come on in.

-Wow! Look at that.

-What do you reckon?

-It's gorgeous.

-This is lovely.

-Yeah?

-Very impressive.

I've fallen in love with it already.

-It's not what you were expecting, is it?

-No.

-It certainly isn't, no.

-I don't think there's much about this property that anybody would expect, actually.

-OK.

But the finish, as you can tell, is fantastic.

Engineered oak flooring, underfloor heating, and I love this detailing.

You know, the stainless on the banister and so forth.

Double doors out there to a little courtyard area.

I was expecting it to be a lot smaller, to be honest.

-It's got a really, really big feel.

-It certainly does down here.

Come and have a look at this as well. This is lovely.

-It all nicely flows together, as you can tell.

-It does, doesn't it?

-Very stylish.

-What's not to like?

-Beautiful. I love the lighting too.

It's quite light and airy. I really like this.

There's a lovely garden room through here too, with one quirky feature.

To be honest, we haven't really yet shown you a garden room

in any of our properties, but I think this one is a beauty.

-Above us... Can you see these solid panels?

-Yeah.

Above those is a very useful array of solar panels

that contribute very handsomely to your hot water bill.

So it's a very efficient thing to run, this.

That's good for me because I like the place warm.

-OK?

-Yes.

-Kitchen. Follow me.

-Lead on.

Back through the dining room and hallway -

there's the glass panel we saw earlier - and this is your kitchen.

-Oh.

-Good Lord!

-Yeah. I like this.

-Pretty groovy, eh?

Yeah?

-Fantastic!

-I can see myself cooking here.

-Me too.

-It's lovely.

-A good size.

-It's only about three years old, this.

-Good.

-Beautifully fitted.

-It is.

It combines a lot of the features of the first property we saw yesterday

and the second property we saw yesterday...

-Yes.

-..in a communal environment.

-Yes. Exactly. I'm glad you like it.

-I really like it.

-You make this difficult, you really do!

ALL LAUGH

Let's have a look upstairs because this is where it gets quite interesting. Have a look at this.

'Well, I'm really pleased with the response I've got for this house so far

'because upstairs does present a challenge or two.

'It has four bedrooms, but limited headroom.'

-This is the master.

-Wow!

This is where the big question mark arises

over this particular property.

How do you make the best use of what's on offer up here?

Whilst the finishes are fantastic, the space is...

Limited. That's true.

The other guest room is this big, pretty much.

Obviously, the other two children's bedrooms are a little more limited.

They're quite small.

I noticed when I came in that the roof on this side of the building

-is a little lower than the properties over there.

-Yes.

Is there any way you could extend it a little further upwards?

It's an interesting idea. It wouldn't be a cheap job,

but, yes, you could, in theory, lift this about three or four feet

up from that line there because it's not listed.

It's technically quite a job,

but certainly one that would transform the building.

-Yes.

-It may create something of an investment for the future.

There are numerous bathrooms, as we've seen.

-Obviously, you don't get an en suite in here.

-They're beautifully finished.

-One thing we're not short on space on is in the garden.

-Right.

-Yes.

Come and have a look at what's on offer out there

because perhaps you'll spend more time out there than up here.

'Outside, there's a pretty cobbled courtyard

'and landscaped front garden, in addition to an acre of land

'which Christine could use for keeping her all-important sheep.'

I think this is very different. I can't describe it.

-I can't put it in a box.

-You're right.

-It's just very different.

-You can't put your finger on it.

-No.

-But you like it, that's the main thing.

-Yes, I do.

-We do.

We'll let you explore the house in a bit more detail

but before we get to that,

it's time for our final price guess of the week.

Chris, because I think you've really come to life on this one, I am going to ask you to go first.

It's our final one. What do you think it's on the market for?

I will go for...

over the budget. 425.

-425. OK.

-Blast it!

-You can agree. It's OK.

-Can we?

-Yes.

Well, will you?

There's a first time for everything! I was going to say 425.

I definitely think it's above budget. It's a wonderful property.

Lovely finish. 420 is going to be my guess.

It was on the market for 425, but it's been reduced...

..to £369,950.

You're joking?

So we've saved you £55,000 from your top guess.

-Unbelievable.

-It's putting a smile on my face already.

-And mine as well,

-I must say.

-Excellent. Well, go back in.

Do spend some time upstairs and think how you might reconfigure that.

-And I'll drag you away later on. Off you go.

-Thanks very much.

-See you later.

Pleasure. Brilliant.

Well, I have to say, I did have my concerns about this property,

but they love its quirkiness.

It's certainly all of that

and it does represent fantastic value for money.

Do you know what? I think this could be the one for them.

As we say when selling houses, it just takes one person

to come through the door and fall in love with it.

At just under £370,000,

our mystery house has a glorious garden room with solar panels,

four bedrooms and an acre of land,

which would be suitable for livestock.

It's part of a bigger development

which is something our buyers weren't prepared for,

and also there are issues around the space on the first floor.

But will these be a sticking point?

I could see myself living here,

which is unusual to say because I was the one who said,

"I don't want neighbours next door to me."

But this would work.

The work that would be required upstairs is significant.

But if you consider where we were pitching the property in our estimate

and the price they're actually asking,

I reckon with the £30,000 or so we would have to invest,

I think there's still some scope there for improvement.

-Hey, you two. Did you figure it out?

-Yes, we did.

-Sort of.

-Good.

Well, we've got lots more to figure out

because we're going to take you away where you can think about

all the properties we've shown you and then I'm going to grill you.

-Wonderful.

-Come on. Follow me.

Not far from this week's mystery house is the home of JB Joyce,

the oldest tower clock making company in Britain.

They've been building a range of clocks in Shropshire for more than 300 years.

I'm here to meet Keith Cotton to find out more about this timeless company.

-Look at that! Keith, how are you?

-I'm fine, thank you.

Nice to see you. Apologies, I am late.

And to come to a clock manufacturer and not be on time is unforgivable, so I do apologise.

It's not a problem. We've got plenty of time here!

We should be able to get you back on track.

-The time gags are going to keep coming.

-Probably. We're used to them.

JB Joyce was established in Cockshutt in 1690

before moving to Whitchurch in the north of Shropshire in the 1700s.

They still produce iconic clock towers which have kept Britain

and the rest of the world on time for over three centuries.

When I came in, I was astounded to see that extraordinary-looking mechanism.

Can we have a closer look at that? Talk me through how it works.

We certainly can.

The company services 5,000 clocks every year throughout the UK.

They can take a clock that's over 200 years old

and rebuild it with a modern automatic winding system,

removing the need to wind it once a week the old-fashioned way.

This clock, from a private house in Southern Ireland, is 150 years old,

and has been completely rebuilt at a cost of £50,000.

-This is absolutely fabulous. Hi, guys, how are you doing?

-Hi, Jules,

-I'm Rod.

-Nice to see you.

-I'm Brian.

What are we looking at here? Because this looks wonderful.

It's what we call a chair frame clock and it came to us in a really bad condition.

This was a complete rebuild job, one of the biggest we've done for many years.

Everything was seized up so we had to strip it right the way down and rebuild it.

All the wheels and generally most of it is as it was original.

But these look like the day they were made, guys.

It's just good craftsmanship.

In those days, they made things to last,

and it certainly shows with a clock of this age.

Just outside Whitchurch is a village called Tilstock,

whose church clock was originally made by JB Joyce in 1849.

It's still exactly as it was 150-odd years ago

and it's usually wound weekly by a dedicated local,

but today I'm going to have a go.

So how complicated an affair is it to wind it up?

It's fairly straightforward.

-You just need to take this handle up with you.

-So I am going on my own?

-You're going to do this on your own. I trust you to do it.

-Great.

Me and the handle.

Over the years, this clock has required very few repairs

and has needed little else doing to it,

save for being stripped and cleaned every now and then.

There's not a lot of room in the tower which is why I'm flying solo,

so I hope I get it right.

Right.

It's tiny in here.

Look at that. There it is.

This is a chair clock just like the one we saw in the workshop being restored but this one...

-BELL CHIMES

-There's the bell.

..but this one hasn't ever needed that level of restoration.

It's been working ever since it was put in here in 1850.

And if you look at the teeth and all the gearing and all the wear and tear on that,

in a way, it's recorded what's happened since it was put in here.

Now, then, let's wind it up and keep it running.

There we are. There's the yellow mark.

-CRANKING

-There we are.

Oooh, crikey!

Listen to that.

There. Wonderful. Job done.

'So after enjoying playing with old clocks,

'it's time for me to find out what Peter and Christine think

'of the properties we've shown them in Shropshire.'

Let's just remind ourselves of where we started.

Our first property, a barn conversion. So, your thoughts on it, then?

It's a no-brainer, of course, with a small family.

You just move straight in, absolutely no problem.

They would be very little work to do, just some minor corrective surgery,

nothing spectacular.

For me personally, it was maybe a little bit too clinical.

A little bit too sterile, perhaps.

The only downside to it is because we were overlooked by the neighbours.

-It was just too near.

-All right.

Then we took you to a very different kind of set-up -

a second property that you felt reminded you of your parents' house.

It put a smile on my face as soon as I walked in through the door. It was beautiful.

From Christine's point of view, maybe, take the first property

and relocate it to that beautiful setting.

-So what you're into is the perfect finish, really?

-Yes.

I just want something that's almost nearly ready.

But then we took you to our mystery property,

which was a different proposition once again.

-A proper curveball, really.

-Well, come on, then. Let's hear what the thoughts have been.

The fact that it's got good green credentials, for instance, that would be important to me.

-The solar panel heating and so forth, the wood burner, all that kind of helps.

-Absolutely.

Obviously, the rooms are really tiny upstairs.

Obviously, if it's going to be a long-term home,

Nadine will grow and I don't think she'll like a single bedroom.

Would you be prepared to take on the mystery house

if you were thinking over the next five or ten years you would alter it accordingly?

I think there's a possibility for a second viewing, yes.

-I think so.

-Good. I'm delighted.

-Keep making those notes...

-We will.

-..and let us know how you get on.

-Looking forward to coming back.

-Yes. With a bigger notebook!

-Yes.

-Most definitely. And a bigger wallet!

-Well, there you go.

-Best of luck.

-OK, thanks.

-Thank you.

Well, I've just left Peter and Christine

enjoying the rest of those cream cakes.

As well they might,

because in many respects, this is the quiet before their storm.

Over the next six months, not only are they trying to move,

but they're going to have a brand-new baby.

Whichever house they eventually end up in, the good news is

that he or she is going to be born in Shropshire.

And you can't blame them for wanting to do that.

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