East Anglia Escape to the Country

Today, I'm in a region characterised by big skies and plenty of these.

Where am I? Find out in just a moment.

In today's show, I'll be helping a couple

who want to break free from their daily commute

and focus on family life in the country

and our house hunt doesn't get off to a good start...

It looks like a shed!

-Really?

-Yeah.

-I think it's intriguing.

But then they really warm to our mystery property.

-Big smile.

-Big smile?

-Yeah.

Today, I'm in East Anglia on the Norfolk-Suffolk border.

As far back as the 11th century, mills just like this one

have harnessed the power of the strong winds coming off the North Sea

to grind up to 1,000 bushels, or in today's money,

27 metric tons of grain, each week.

In their heyday, over 1,100 of these wonderful structures

would litter the landscape here in Norfolk and Suffolk.

Unfortunately, due to the onslaught of the Industrial Revolution,

they became redundant.

But you'll be pleased to hear

this isn't the end of the story of wind power here in East Anglia

because at the moment, the world's largest offshore wind farm

is currently under construction around 12 miles or so out to sea.

Greater Gabbard will have 140 turbines -

enough to supply the power for up to 500,000 homes.

So it's great to hear that the same winds

that inspired these beautiful mills hundreds of years ago

will be once again used

to help support the economic future of this region.

Looking out over the North Sea,

East Anglia is dominated by the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk.

The region is famous

for its large set of interconnected inland waterways

known as the Broads,

which provide a picturesque backdrop to this landscape.

The Broads are home to the only wetland national park in the UK

and support an extensive range of resident wildlife

that make it one of the world's unique habitats.

Moving coastwards, holidaymakers flock to the region's vast beaches

with Georgian seaside towns such as Southwold

holding on to their nostalgic charm.

And on the Norfolk-Suffolk border you'll find Thetford Forest,

which, at over 70,000 acres,

is the largest lowland pine woodland in Britain.

This mix of rural isolation and undeveloped coastline

make the area an appealing choice

for those seeking a countryside home.

Time now to meet today's buyers

and find out where they're looking to Escape To The Country.

Stuart, an IT manager, and Mandy, a forensic photographer,

currently live in their four-bedroom home

in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, with their young son Sam.

Since his birth, they've sought a change in their work-life balance,

with Mandy having a much more flexible approach to her career

and Stuart working around three days a week from home,

meaning they're no longer tied into a daily train commute into London.

It's this greater freedom

and Mandy's Norfolk roots which have been the driving force

behind their desire to head to the East Anglian countryside.

We've always been very career focused, been based close to London.

Things have changed with having our son,

and we want to have more of a family lifestyle

and experience a bit more of a community spirit in the country.

However, Stuart will still need good train links into the capital two days a week,

so they've earmarked the town of Diss near the Norfolk-Suffolk border as their preferred location.

That said, being close to village life is equally important to Mandy.

I like the idea of being part of something,

having the small shops down the road that you can pick up

your local groceries and just having people you can get to know, really.

For the next house, they've drawn up an extensive wish list

which not only allows for their passion for photography and cars,

but also delivers the key ingredients for a home

which could last them for many years to come.

It needs to be in a decent school catchment area.

We'd like a reasonable amount of outside space -

something approximately around half an acre.

Three, probably four bedrooms would be ideal.

A garage would be useful.

-A study area for you for working from home.

-Absolutely, a study area.

Well, that's the elements of the house ironed out,

but of course, what's all-important is their finances.

Our budget for the move is £450,000.

If we found a property which we fell in love with

then we would go up to a maximum of £500,000.

Since the arrival of their son Samuel,

clearly Mandy and Stuart's focus has changed.

Their priorities are now on family

and having their loved ones close around them.

What I need to do is show them something

that gives them this rural feel

that also has access to the train station in Diss.

But, looking into the near future,

their son Samuel will start school soon,

so a good catchment area, I think, is a must.

For Stuart and Mandy's house hunt,

we'll be focusing on village locations around Diss

to keep Stuart's commute time to a minimum.

We've selected three beautiful country properties to show them

but they won't find out the price of each until I reveal it.

Last up will be our mystery house,

which gives generously on one hand while taking away on the other.

So, let's talk about properties.

What initially attracted you to the idea

of completely relocating to the Norfolk-Suffolk borders, then?

I'm originally from Norfolk, born and bred here,

lived here for 21 years and my family still live here.

We thought, "Come back to the family now we've got a toddler,

"spend time with family."

And I think the fact that I can also work from home more recently

means it lends itself better to an occasional commute into London.

How much are you looking to spend on this Escape To The Country?

We're realistically looking at a budget

between 450 or an absolute maximum of 500.

So, where are you in the house sale at the moment?

-Sold or subject to contract or...?

-The house is pretty much sold.

We've got a complete chain beneath us

and we've had that for some time now.

OK, well, we've got three properties to see in the next couple of days

-and a lot of countryside to cover. Let's get on the way.

-OK.

We're kicking off our house hunt just nine miles from Diss

in the village of Old Buckenham.

The village green and duck pond are natural focal points

for its 1,000 strong community.

Along with two pubs,

the church's 13th-century octagonal tower is a rare local landmark.

Looking out over the green,

our first property lies at the end of a sweeping driveway.

-Come on in.

-Thank you.

The house itself is around 300 years old.

Built originally as a farmhouse, that was the barn next door,

which has since been converted.

I like it. It looks interesting. It's not one of those ones I would dismiss straightaway.

It looks interesting - I want to go inside and have a look.

All right, because you want something fairly big, don't you?

Yeah. THEY LAUGH

Follow me inside.

'Despite its simple exterior

'they should find that the interior delivers plenty of character.'

OK, then, let's go straight into the kitchen.

-I like the kitchen.

-You like the kitchen?

-Yeah.

-Excellent!

It's the kind of style I go for, it's a "country kitchen" kind of feel.

It's not too twee, kind of thing, it's got that modern feel to it.

It looks a really nice kitchen. It's obviously been done in recent years.

'The kitchen also has the added bonus of a utility room.

'Let's see if they like the style of the other living areas.'

-OK, so living room.

-OK.

Or should I say, one of the living rooms.

-Ah, OK.

-Which might make you feel different about what you see.

I mean, it's smaller than what we've got at the moment but obviously,

it's got more features. It's got a lovely fireplace.

We've got just a modern kind of thing, but that's lovely.

The door here leads through to a second sitting room

which also has an open-brick fireplace

and would make a great snug.

At the other end of the house,

one of the four bedrooms is on the ground floor

and is currently used as the master

as it comes with a stylish en suite complete with a walk-in shower.

However, if they want to sleep upstairs,

one of the other three bedrooms

gives them a good option for their room.

So, we have three bedrooms on this floor but actually,

whilst this is their son's bedroom, this is the master, I think.

Yeah, OK.

-It's a good size. It's big.

-It is a decent size.

-Yeah.

-And through that door, take a look if you like. It's en suite.

-Oh, wow.

-That's nice.

-OK. That's a good size, yeah. It's big, isn't it?

The thing about this house is there's no separate master bathroom.

-Right, OK.

-So that's something to bear in mind.

-OK.

-OK, so that's the only bathroom upstairs?

-Yeah.

-OK.

Of the other two bedrooms, one is currently used as a twin,

so there's ample space for a double bed

and the smallest is a ready-made home office for Stuart.

But let's explore the lay of the land outside.

This is around 1.5 acres,

so 50% more than you said you wanted.

That's a surprise, actually. I wasn't expecting it to be quite that much.

I thought it ended around here.

I thought it was just as far as you could see.

On top of all that land,

there's the parking space they requested and a large double garage.

Overall, it's a very generous package.

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

Just for the house, I'd have said it's 450,

-but with that land, I'm pushing it. I think about 490.

-OK.

I guess I'll dip just below Mandy, say 470, 480?

It's actually on the market for £475,000.

Oh, OK!

I can tell you've clearly been in the marketplace looking for

properties, so you've got a good handle on it. Good guesses.

Priced at £475,000,

our first property is under their maximum budget

and a great opening gambit. Providing them with...

Good job we didn't get you to walk the perimeter, you'd be here all day.

-I know!

-Happy with what you've seen?

-It's great, yeah.

-Good, let's go.

TRADITIONAL FOLK MUSIC

At the turn of the 20th century, the sounds of local folk music

would have emanated from numerous pubs in this part of East Anglia.

Many of these songs would have been lost for ever

were it not for the work of the East Anglian Traditional Music Trust.

I've come to a local pub to meet John and Katie Howieson,

who are helping to safeguard Suffolk's rural musical heritage.

Why is it so important, first of all?

Well, the whole of East Anglia had a really rich tradition

of music and singing.

Do you still get people dancing to it now?

Oh, certainly we do.

A lot of the tunes we play are for social dancing,

what we'd call barn dancing or ceilidh dancing,

but also what you'll see in the pubs these days is step dancing.

That's one of the things that really have played a big part in keeping it going.

What used to go on was something called "sing, say or pay".

-Right.

-And basically everyone is sitting around the pub

and everyone has to do something,

so sing a song, play a tune, get up and step,

dance the dancing doll.

And if you don't, you have to buy a round of drinks.

This could be an expensive evening for me.

Well, funnily enough, not many people buy the drinks.

'Fortunately, the local saying "sing, say or pay"

'also includes dancing a jig doll,

'so for the moment I get off lightly.'

He's a better dancer than I am, that's just for the best, I think.

'Well, there's no getting out of it,

'so with tap shoes on, it's time to put my best foot forward.

'Step dancing is largely self-taught in these informal surroundings

'and is usually performed to a hornpipe tune.

'Well, I can't say I've become Suffolk's answer to Michael Flatley

'but I can certainly say I gave it my best shot...

'well into the night.'

SHE WHOOPS

It's back to the hotel to see if I can unearth their perfect property.

Our house hunt continues a few miles

from the village of Long Stratton

which stretches their ideal search area

as it's 14 miles from Diss.

However, the location does put them close to the necessary shops

and amenities.

Sitting on a quiet lane in the nearby village of Tharston,

we're going all-out for character in our second property,

but whether it's to the liking of our house buyers remains to be seen.

So...

Quite different to all the other houses in the village,

-a very recently converted barn.

-OK.

It looks like a shared!

-Really?

-Yeah.

Now, that does surprise me.

-I thought you'd love it. Oh.

-OK.

-Oh, oh, oh! Hm.

-I think it's intriguing.

It's certainly different.

-Will you please reserve judgment until you seen inside?

-I will, yes.

Inside, it will be make or break because...

I'll either walk in and love it or...yeah.

Let's hope you walk in and love it! Come on.

Mandy may think it looks modest from the outside, but as she'll

discover, the Grade II Listed status of this barn means that the

original timbers are an integral part of its interior,

which they'll either love or loathe.

-In you come.

-OK.

-Oop! It looks different.

-Yeah!

-Yep.

It's very different on the inside, yep. To what I expected.

-Nice shed, isn't it?

-It is good, yeah! It's nice.

Very open plan. It's great.

I was the one who said I'm not massively keen on beams,

-but in here, it looks good.

-Works, doesn't it?

Tucked away off the entrance hall is a luxurious bathroom with

freestanding rolltop bath.

But we'll move through to take a closer look at the kitchen.

So you've got defined areas here, haven't you? What do you think?

It's good.

I mean, the kitchen is something I'd go for -

the country style kitchen with wooden work surfaces and everything.

It's nice that you can actually socialise with people if you're

cooking because they can just prop up and have a glass of wine.

I want to show you the bedrooms now.

Just like the first house, you've got one on the ground floor,

in fact, you've got two on the ground floor. Follow me.

Stuart will be pleased as he gets his home office,

but not at the expense of the number of bedrooms.

There are four in total,

two of which are down here in the ground floor.

You've got one room just next... Well...

Again, this is the master bedroom as they're using it at the moment

-because it's ensuite and has these big built-in wardrobes.

-Yes.

It's big.

-It's nice.

-Yeah. It's a big room.

It's up to you guys

whether or not you want to live on the ground floor...

Obviously just with having one small child at the moment

and possibly another one on the way, it's just a case of running up

-and downstairs in the middle of the night and doing night feeds...

-Yes.

That kind of thing.

That's why in theory we were thinking of having our room on the same level.

OK, well let's head upstairs and see

if the two bedrooms which mirror each other in style make them smile.

I'm starting to learn, when you smile, it's not always good news!

It's because I don't know what to say. Um... I don't know.

-What do you think?

-I think it's a nice, practical room.

I think maybe the sloping roofs make it feel smaller.

Not everybody's cup of tea, of course. What do you think, Stuart?

Um... I prefer a big, square room if I'm being honest.

These two bedrooms both have access to an upstairs family bathroom.

Although they have reservations,

our listed barn conversion gives them a generous family home

and is a property style that is traditional to Norfolk.

Outside, Stuart gets a double garage for his cars and what's more,

the third of an acre garden gives their son Sam loads of lawn

to run around on.

So a mixture of emotions with this one.

How most you think this barn conversion is on the market for?

Probably looking something around 430.

I'd probably go slightly higher, 445,

just because of the quality of the finish inside. It's done well.

Very good guess from you, Stuart.

-It's on the market offers around £425,000.

-OK.

-That's... Yeah.

-It's a good price.

Considerably under budget at £425,000,

this barn conversion provides them

with a fantastic flow of living areas and a great open-plan kitchen.

Along with four good-sized bedrooms,

Stuart gets a separate office

and it's all wrapped up

on a third-of-an-acre plot.

Although it's nudging out of

their ideal search area,

there are still good road links

to Diss from where Stuart can

catch the train to London.

-Fairly eventful day, wasn't it? Seen enough now?

-I think so, yes.

-Good - let's go.

-OK.

As evening falls, our housebuyers have a chance to reflect

on what they've seen as the first day of our search draws to a close.

On reflection, I think both of the houses that I showed our housebuyers

yesterday give them attributes of what they've got on their hit list.

Stuart is after a fair amount of outside space and I think the

first property gave him more land than he'd ever dreamed of.

And, whilst initially sceptical outside the second property,

I think Mandy really got on board once she'd seen the internal

configuration inside.

Now, ultimately, neither of the properties gave them

one thing which is now clearly really important

and that's to have all the bedrooms on one level.

For the mystery property, which were off to see this morning,

it has to deliver in that point.

But I'm here to give them something also that they haven't

thought about - something really different.

Today's mystery property certainly gives them just that.

Our mystery house takes us to the

village of Banham

which is just 7 miles from Diss.

Along with having a number of small shops on their doorstep,

its Grade I Listed church has that distinctive flint facade

typically found on buildings in this region.

Our mystery proposition, while giving Stuart a shorter

commuting time to London, also gives them the smallest garden by far.

However, as they'll see later, it comes with surprise

accommodation which could really make all the difference.

Right, in you come. Some chickens in there.

-So...

-Ahhh. Yes.

-It's nice.

-Looks good.

-This used to be a cider barn.

-OK. Yep.

-It looks very nice.

-Looks good. Very nice.

-OK.

-Let's go in, though...

-and there's reason for this, through those middle doors there.

-OK.

Dating back to the 1880s, here's hoping that the layout and style

of this barn conversion gets better responses than our last property.

Right then.

-We like it.

-Yeah.

-I like this.

-Very nice.

-Gorgeous, isn't it?

It is beautiful.

We've got everything a lot of people expect

from a countryside property.

Including that feature fireplace.

-Like what you see?

-I do.

-Yes, real attention to detail.

You've also got a second reception or office space for one of you two

-just here.

-OK.

-OK, I can see why, yes!

-I can see this working as an office.

I'm sure you can!

No, this is lovely. It's too nice for an office, though.

Too nice for Stuart!

And hopefully the kitchen will get another smile out of Mandy.

-What do you think of this?

-It's beautiful, yes.

-If I could pick a kitchen, this would be it.

-Really?

-It would be.

It's your style, isn't it? You like this modern farmhouse look.

-I love the wood blocks and everything. Can I move in now?

-Really?!

The other side of the kitchen leads to our mystery ingredient

which comes in the form of an annexe,

providing great accommodation for visiting relatives.

The sitting room has a stylish feature fireplace

and wood burner and next door, the modern galley kitchen comes

with useful storage cupboards on both sides.

On the first floor, this one of two guestrooms not only has

a shower, but also has access to its own ensuite bathroom just above it.

But we'll take a look at the main bedroom which is situated

next to a relaxing seating area

and takes the glorious timber-beamed feel to a whole new level.

-So, a small living area here...

-OK.

-Straight into...

-the master bedroom.

-OK.

Oh!

Come right here, because you can see that's no normal minstrel

-gallery, that is an ensuite. A mezzanine ensuite.

-Really? Oh!

That's interesting!

So you've got a loo behind that doorway there...

The bath is upstairs.

-Loads of storage behind you, built-in.

-OK.

-And a pretty good-sized bedroom, I'd have thought.

-This is lovely.

-This is beautiful.

-Do you like it, Stuart?

-Yes, very grand. Very nice.

-It is.

-And you have two other double bedrooms on this floor.

-So at last, all three bedrooms on one floor.

-Yay!

-And...

-One of the other double bedrooms is obviously an ensuite as well.

-OK.

-Good?

-Yes, looking good.

-Good.

Outside may only give them a courtyard-size garden,

but they do also get a large garage and a store room,

which could easily become Stuart's office.

With all elements of our mystery house covered,

it's now time for some straight talking.

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

Because of how it's finished inside, it's absolutely beautiful,

I think it's going to be top end, 500,000 or more, I think.

-OK. £500,000. Stuart?

-Um...

I think I'm going to go for a more specific 530.

This property is on the market for £490,000.

OK... Interesting.

-Yeah. That's a good price.

-It's a lot of property for that, as well.

At £490,000, our mystery house is priced under their maximum budget

and would give them a family home full of character and space.

It has two reception areas

along with a kitchen which had Mandy beaming.

Upstairs, the three bedrooms include a master ensuite

and in addition to an office for Stuart,

there's the one-bedroom annexe

making it a rather fantastic package.

-All done inside?

-No!

You'll never be short of somewhere to have a wash, will you,

-in that house!

-Not at all!

-Let's find somewhere we can have a sit down and chat.

-OK.

Will our housebuyers Stuart and Mandy be dancing with joy

about any of the properties that we've shown them?

Time to find out.

So, let's start at the beginning.

Property number one, yesterday morning.

OK, really liked the property.

The land obviously was a big pro for this property.

Accommodation was slightly on the smaller side,

but it had possibilities we could've worked around different areas,

maybe changed a few things.

But, yeah, it was an interesting one to look at.

Well, the second property...

-Not sure you got kerb-appeal from the second house, did you?

-No.

It wasn't my cup of tea, to be honest.

Didn't appeal to me.

Did you ever get over that first impression?

-Because inside you did seem to be quite carried away.

-Yeah,

the inside was finished beautifully.

What did you think, Stuart? It had a decent garden.

The garden all being at the front

with the house being in the corner of the plot

was probably not my ideal configuration.

I think what we needed to get our heads around was,

could we live in that open-plan type?

-Yeah, very different, wasn't it?

-Yeah, absolutely.

-Yes.

Now, the mystery house...

Got some great reactions

as soon as you walked through the doors there.

-Yeah, it was beautiful, yeah. It ticked all the boxes.

-We do love the house

and I don't think there's any doubt in our minds around the house at all.

But the land itself, I guess the questions we need to ask are,

"Is it right for the family?"

Well, look, I think we're halfway there.

We've found the right area for you, that's fantastic,

and it sounds like there's a least a possibility that the mystery house is within the running.

-Yeah, definitely.

-Yes.

-Great. Well, good luck.

-Thank you.

Maybe go back there another time and then make your ultimate decision.

-Thank you.

-It's been great, thank you very much.

-Pleasure, it's been fun, hasn't it?

-Yep.

-It has.

So the mystery property's done it again, which is just as well,

cos I don't think either of the other two properties were even in the running.

Now, I also don't think Mandy or Stuart would've even considered visiting the mystery house

if they had seen it first on paper.

But once they saw inside, well, their reactions said it all -

they absolutely loved it.

Now, ultimately, they need to ask themselves the question,

is that property right for them in the long term with a couple of children running about the place?

They're going to be in a much better position to answer that question

once they've had a second viewing

and then maybe come away from the place

so their heart isn't ruling their head.

On the other hand, they also don't have a great amount of time -

they've already got buyers knocking on their door.

But at the end of the day, whatever decision they come to,

they know they've found an area they both love and want to relocate to

and I'm sure, just like me, you wish them both the very best of luck.

See you next time.

Stuart and Mandy did consider the mystery house but eventually decided the garden was too small.

They've since made an offer on another house with a bigger garden in Diss.

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