Cornwall Escape to the Country

Meet my new friend Nelson, a one-eyed grey seal

or rather, a life-sized statue of him.

Where are we? Who is he? Why is he here?

I'll tell you in just a moment.

On today's show, I'm in search of the cute country cottage

our buyer has been dreaming of for over 30 years.

Early on, we get off to a great start.

-What would your daughter say if she saw this?

-She'd say, "Mum, buy it."

But then our mystery house causes a bit of consternation.

It's nice but it needs an awful lot doing to it.

Today I'm in south Cornwall,

home to 40% of Britain's grey seal population.

For 25 years, the real Nelson was a frequent visitor to these waters

but it was here in Looe that he eventually called home,

which is hardly surprising when you realise

there's a fish market on the other side of the harbour.

Sadly, Nelson died in 2003

but he was so loved by locals and tourists alike

that the town now has a permanent memorial of him here

on Pennyland Rocks.

As Britain's most south-westerly county,

Cornwall is surrounded on three sides by ocean.

Its length from the tip of Land's End

to the eastern boundary with Devon is 70 miles,

while at its narrowest part, it's just seven miles wide.

The long and rugged coastline has always been important

to the people who live here. In days gone by, ships were wrecked

so often that the term 'wrecking' was born.

This meant taking valuables from a stricken vessel and for many,

it came to be quite a lucrative activity.

Cornwall is also renowned for the mining of tin and copper

which was an important industry in the region from the Middle Ages

to its peak in the 19th century.

Currently however, derelict mine workings survive in only nine areas of the county.

The ones that do remain are protected as World Heritage Sites.

Whether you're after a slice of history,

glorious coastal walks or simply want a bask on the beach,

Cornwall has plenty to offer for house buyers looking to Escape To The Country.

Today, the average price of a detached property here in Cornwall

is just under £270,000.

That's around 5% above the national average.

Those figures, although officially correct, don't really paint

a realistic picture of the housing market here.

You see, if you took two practically identical houses -

let's say for argument's sake, detached. four bedrooms, set in three quarters of an acre -

and put one of those houses by the coast with spectacular sea views

and the other inland surrounded by wonderful countryside,

you might have two very similar properties

but you'd have two very different price tags.

In fact, a leading estate agent here in Cornwall

said the inland property would cost around £600,000.

However, and here's the big difference,

the property by the coast would sell for around two million.

Bear that in mind as we take a look

at what's currently on the market in the county.

For £360,000, you could be living in this three-bedroom former barn in Pillaton.

It has a topsy-turvy layout with two bedrooms on the ground floor

and only one upstairs.

Also on this floor, you'll find a bright modern kitchen

and a sitting room that features an authentic log burner.

This five-bedroom Victorian stone barn conversion in Sheviock

is priced at £600,000.

Originally two agricultural barns joined together 15 years ago,

it's been beautifully modernised while retaining

the original exposed beams inside.

It also comes with a variety of outbuildings, including stables

and three acres of paddocks.

And if your budget can stretch to £950,000,

you could opt for this -

a five bedroom former pump house in Treesmill

which is surrounded by a garden and overlooks its own lake.

The master bedroom has a stunning en-suite

and the double-height kitchen/diner was converted from the old engine room.

Some wonderful properties there to suit all budgets in all locations.

We've got three more smashing houses lined up for today's buyer.

Let's meet Jenny and her best friend Jean.

House hunter Jenny lives in the busy commuter town of Orpington in Kent

and is about to retire from her job

working with adults with learning difficulties.

Accompanying her on her property search

is close friend of almost 30 years, Jean,

with whom she's been sharing her fantasies of country living ever since they met.

I've wanted to move to the country since my daughter was four.

I fell in love with Cornwall the first time I went there.

It's been a long, long journey and I can do it.

-It's just been your dream.

-It's been my dream for a long time.

I've heard it for the last 28 years anyway. It's been her dream.

-It's about time.

-It is.

Living on her own since her daughter's flown the nest,

she'd like to move to a village near Looe in Cornwall

where she's looking forward to a more laid-back lifestyle.

I would love to be able to teach cookery on a one-to-one basis.

In a little cottage somewhere with lovely views

and go to local markets and buy fresh food

and get involved with conservation, read more, walk more.

Just do more rather than work and feel tired and worn out all the time.

Just live life a bit more.

So she'll be needing a big kitchen for those cookery lessons

but Jenny's list of other demands is rather modest.

For the next property, I'd like at least two bedrooms.

I'd like to be in a nice village and I'd like a small garden.

I'd prefer something old

but I've seen modern houses with really beautiful views.

Really, I guess I'm open to anything.

That's what we like, a flexible buyer.

There is one thing she can't cope with.

I'm not a DIY person.

I'd rather somebody else did it for me.

A man that does, maybe.

I'm not really... I don't mind a bit of painting

but I can't do wallpapering or repairs or anything.

Well, we've had our cards marked.

Just one more thing to check and that's the money.

The budget for my next property would be £230,000.

Jenny has set her heart on living in a village

close to the small coastal town of Looe.

We'll be taking her and Jean around three wonderful properties

and as ever, I'll be asking them

to guess the price of each home before I reveal it.

Our last offering is of course our mystery house.

With today's choice,

we are making Jenny face up to one of her pet hates.

Hello, ladies. Welcome to Cornwall.

Jenny, it's been a bit of a dream of yours to move here.

Did you ever think, "I'm actually never going to do it," or did you know in your heart?

I knew in my heart I'd get there but I didn't know when.

This is the time.

It is and you've brought Jean to give you some moral support

making sure we find you the perfect property, all going well.

Are there any elements of your old life you're going to miss in Kent?

Just my daughter, really. That's it. And my friends.

But you're both going to come and stay, aren't you?

I know trying to be close to a community's important, isn't it?

It is. Because I'm getting older,

-I need a doctor, a post office, neighbours.

-Yeah.

And you want to make new friends when you're down here.

We're going to be bringing Jean down regularly from Kent

but obviously you want new friends here too.

I do, and I'll join lots of things and be involved with conservation and things.

Well, we've got a fantastic day to start our search.

We've got three smashing properties to show you, so shall we get going?

For her maximum budget of £230,000, Jenny's short but sweet wish-list

includes a minimum of two bedrooms so Jean or her daughter can stay.

A large kitchen/diner for those cooking lessons

and a small garden where she can grow her own veg.

Jean, how good a cook is Jenny?

I think she's excellent. It's lovely.

You think this idea of doing some one-on-one cookery courses is going to work?

Yeah, Jenny would be really good at that.

I might be your first client because I can't cook at all, Jenny.

-You'd be very welcome.

-You could open your business with me.

-That'd set me off.

-If you can get me to cook properly,

my husband would love you forever.

We've travelled eight miles east of Looe

to the popular village of St Germans.

Taking its name from its Norman Priory Church,

the village has all the necessary amenities such as a pub

and community shop which also acts as a Post Office.

The Port Eliot estate next to the church

hosts regular social events such as cookery days, ideal for Jenny.

Once two large cottages dating back around 200 years,

this property has been converted into four smaller ones

and the first house on our list is the end terrace cottage.

So, ladies, here is our first property.

-It looks lovely.

-It does, it does.

This has got the original stone walls and slate roof.

-I love the door.

-I love the door, it's lovely, isn't it?

Your dream of a country cottage in Cornwall - is this close so far?

-It is.

-It looks really nice.

-It looks lovely from outside.

Shall we step in? Come on, ladies.

So, the exterior is living up to Jenny's expectations

and I think the cosy interior of this cottage

could be just what she's looking for.

Right, come on through. Jean, I'll let you get the door. Step inside.

-Your cottage.

-It looks very nice.

-Very nice.

-It is, it's a lovely room.

-Love the fireplace.

Noticed that straight away, didn't you?

It's lovely and it's nice with a bit of a porch actually.

Handy for coats and boots for all this walking that you're going to do when you move down here.

-Yeah, that's true. I think everything would fit.

-It would.

It's also a different mindset, isn't it,

because although you've been in your house a long time,

you moved into it brand new.

-This cottage was built in the early 1800s.

-It's more me, actually.

It is, definitely.

-This is Jenny's dream cottage.

-It is, really.

It seems Jenny and Jean both love this home

but part of Jenny's dream was giving cookery lessons

so let's move on to the all-important kitchen.

-How's this for size for you?

-It's a good size.

-I think it is.

-You've got a nice range there.

The range actually provides the hot water and the heating for the cottage.

-That's good, isn't it?

-Jean, do you like it?

I do, I think it's lovely and you'd easily get your table there, Jenny.

I think so.

You'd have it folded down but if anyone comes, just open it up.

-I'm liking this, girls.

-You'd do that, of course.

I think I'll leave them to it.

They're already working out where the furniture's going to go.

With Jenny all but moved in, we're making our way upstairs

and first stop is the room she could be calling her own.

The cottage has two bedrooms. This is the master.

-It's very nice, it's a good size.

-I love the window seat.

-Love the floor, nice floor.

-It's gorgeous.

-Original planks by the looks of it. It's very me.

-Is it?

-It is.

-You could see her living here quite comfortably, could you?

-I could.

It's very me.

Jenny's sorted but what about Jean when she stays?

Well, the second bedroom is right next door

and is almost as large and bright as the master.

They can both share the small but perfectly formed bathroom.

Another thing on Jenny's wish list

was a small and manageable garden with views

so we're on the way to see what this property has to offer.

Outside, you've got this courtyard with a pretty little patio.

There's a raised platform there that catches the sun in the afternoon.

-It's very nice.

-It is.

I've got lots of pots in my garden so I could put lots of pots around.

-Very pretty.

-It is, isn't it? Low maintenance, isn't it?

It is low maintenance.

Don't fancy a little bit more of a challenge?

Well, you know, I could always get somebody to do it

if I had a bit more of a challenge.

Shall I show you? Your face, Jean! I love your face, come with me.

Yes, there's more to the grounds here than meets the eye.

A set of steps leads us up to the garden

which is mainly laid to lawn and has views over the village and woodland.

Welcome to your secret garden.

It's lovely. What a surprise.

You wouldn't expect it to be up here and I was a little bit worried

when you loved the patio so much and you wanted low maintenance.

There's a little bit more up here but, Jean,

I think this would be perfect for Jenny, don't you?

-I think so. It's just right.

-That's quite nice.

It's less than mine, maintenance-wise,

I would have thought.

From this elevated position, not only do get the sunshine

but you also get that view as well.

It's a lovely view, it's beautiful.

So, who wants to go first with guessing the price?

Shall I go first? £220,000.

-OK.

-I would say 210.

-Right.

Its £236,950.

-OK.

-£7,000 over your budget. I think we're close to the coast

and that's probably reflected in that price.

-Has that surprised you?

-It has, yeah, because it's two-bedroomed.

Why don't you have another look around the cottage

-and I'll catch up with you in a little while.

-OK.

With a budget of £230,000,

this house is nearly 7,000 over

but it could be worth making an offer as properties in this area

have been selling for around 6% lower than the asking price.

All in all, this home has delivered everything on Jenny's list.

It's a lovely period cottage with a kitchen/diner

big enough for those cookery lessons. It has two bedrooms

and outside there's a manageable garden with great views.

Kitchen's a nice size, Jean.

Nice and square but it would need a refurb, really, wouldn't it?

-I think so.

-I'd keep the range. I think that's really nice.

Once you've done the kitchen, would it be ideal for teaching cookery?

It would because I'd have some sort of surface over there

for demonstrating and people doing their own thing.

-It's good.

-It would work.

It's really nice - stone cottage, lovely valley, lots of trees, all the things I love.

I feel that this is really near to what I'd like to buy.

Just needs to be a little bit lower in price for me.

But it's lovely. I like it very much.

This house fits the bill perfectly for Jenny. She's always wanted a stone cottage in a village,

and the view is lovely.

A lovely rural view. It's really nice. Yeah, it's a good start.

Right, girls, seen enough? Happy?

Yes, it's lovely. I think we're almost there.

-Great start. What do you think?

-It's brilliant, yeah.

-Can you imagine her living there?

-I can. It's really nice. Pretty.

-Good. We've got more to show you as well. Come on, then.

-Good.

Back in the 15th century, Looe was one of Cornwall's largest

and most important ports,

as well as the centre for fishing and boat-building.

The Looe Estuary divides the town in two, and in 1411,

the first estuary bridge in Cornwall was built here to link east and west Looe.

Today, while remaining a fishing community,

Looe's main industry is tourism and, of course,

no visit to Cornwall would be complete without sampling

at least one of the county's world famous pasties.

So, we sent Jean and Jenny, herself an accomplished cook,

not only to try one, but to learn how they're made.

We arranged for them to meet Lucy Taylor from a local shop,

where they've made traditional Cornish pasties for 22 years.

Good morning, ladies.

-Good morning.

-Smells lovely!

-Thank you.

-Looks lovely.

-Thank you.

-Really nicely displayed.

-Today, I think we're going to show you

-how to make a real, traditional Cornish pasty.

-Oh, brilliant.

-Look forward to showing you.

So, do you want to follow me through and I'll show you how it's done?

-OK.

-Will do.

The first evidence of the pasty as a Cornish food was found

in an agricultural survey of Cornwall from 1808.

By the end of the century,

pasties had already become the staple diet of tin miners

and farm workers due to their unique shape,

forming a complete meal that could be carried easily and eaten without cutlery.

The traditional pasty is made using a cut of beef called skirt,

which is taken from the animal's belly area, and prized for its flavour.

So we've got some pastry here. This is a shortcrust pastry.

It's not a heavy pastry.

-It's rested overnight, so it works really well.

-Yeah.

They we are. I'll just flour your surface for you.

-For you, Jenny.

-Thank you.

So, first of all, we've got potato and swede here

that's mixed with some seasoning - salt and ground black pepper.

So a handful of potato and swede first.

Plenty of meat. You want a nice line of it through the middle,

-so that when you're eating it, you get a...

-Just through the middle.

..a nice mouthful.

Then, some diced onion, and then some more potato

-and swede on the top. This is seasoned as well.

-Right.

There's really a lot of filling, isn't there?

-Yeah, there's a nice lot of meat in there.

-There's loads.

Once the pasty is filled, it's time to seal and crimp it.

You pull the pastry together, and then it's a bit like pleating.

You're pulling one piece of pastry over your thumb and moving it along,

like a pinching motion.

Following a nine-year campaign by the Cornish Pasty Association,

the name "Cornish pasty" was recently awarded protected geographical indication,

or PGI status, by the European Commission.

According to this status, a Cornish pasty should be shaped like a D

and crimped on one side, not on the top.

It also states that pasties must be prepared in Cornwall,

just like Jenny and Jean's.

-Very good for a first attempt.

-Oh, look at that!

-Well done.

-Haven't made one since I was at school!

-Oh, really?

With a glazing of egg added to give it that golden colour,

our authentic Cornish pasties are cooked for around 55 minutes.

And Sarah, the owner of the shop, has offered to give her verdict

on Jenny and Jean's first attempt at the local speciality.

-I think they've passed the test, do you?

-SARAH:

-I think they have!

So now Jenny's proven her skills in the art of baking,

it's time to turn up the heat on our house search,

as we hit the road to find her dream cottage.

We've travelled around 20 miles northeast of Looe to the village of Stoke Climsland,

a community in the Tamar Valley with a 15th century church,

a local shop which doubles as a post office,

and a sports and social club,

which hosts some very interesting nights' entertainment.

Our second house is a Grade II listed cottage,

once the property of the Duchy of Cornwall,

and dating back to the 1800s.

So we've travelled a little bit further inland,

-and here is your second property.

-Looks lovely.

-It's cute.

-It is, yeah.

-Looks very nice.

-Looks big and solid and cottagey.

-Yeah.

-Good!

-Very cute.

-So, keen to get inside?

-We are.

-Yeah.

-Come on, then.

-Good.

It might look like a typical cottage from the outside,

but once we get inside, Jenny and Jean will soon discover

there's something extraordianry about this property.

Come on in, girls. Look at this beautiful old floor.

-It's lovely, isn't it?

-Well done, Jean, get that door.

Come on through.

'And right about now, they probably expect to see a sitting room.'

Now, this cottage is unusual because it's an upside down house.

It's inverted, so the living room accomodation is upstairs,

and the two double bedrooms are downstairs.

-That's quite unusual.

-Yeah, it is, actually.

You probably noticed, there's not an awful lot of storage in this room.

But cleverly, under the bed, there's plenty.

It's a built-in bed, isn't it, so you wouldn't be able to get your own bed in here, would you?

-You've got a double bedroom right at the front of the cottage.

-Oh!

-That's quite unusual. Doesn't matter, does it?

-It is, actually.

So you don't mind the idea of perhaps sleeping downstairs?

No, it's not a problem.

And literally, the downstairs shower room is just down the hallway,

-but, I want to take you two straight upstairs.

-OK.

'So now we're heading up to the living area which has a kitchen

'that I think will be the perfect place to give cookery lessons.'

Oh, wow!

-This is lovely.

-This is the reason...

-Isn't this lovely?

-This is really lovely.

-Come through.

-It's really nice!

-It is.

So this is the reason the bedrooms are downstairs.

-Oh, look at the view. Look!

-Beautiful.

Oh, that's lovely!

Being at the kitchen now, and your work surface there.

-That is very nice.

-Yeah, wouldn't that be great?

I can just see you, Jenny, doing your demonstrating now. Cooking.

I can see me there as well!

-Look at the wood, it's lovely!

-It's wonderful.

And I love the thick walls, the brickwork...the beams.

-Does it feel homely?

-It's lovely.

-It's a good size. It's really nice.

You can imagine yourself here, you know,

with all the food and friends and fire alight.

-Lovely.

-So what would your daughter say if she saw this?

-She'd say, "Mum, buy it!"

-Ooh!

-That's pretty definite!

-Yeah, it's lovely. It's me.

-Is it?

The other one was me, but this is more me.

This upside down property has edged ahead,

but it's got another surprise for Jean and Jenny up another flight of stairs.

-Well, that's unexpected.

-It's unbelievable, isn't it?

It's lovely. Another floor!

-And look, you can see your front room down there.

-Yeah.

It's roomy as well.

So, my question to you two is, what would you do with this floor?

Um...

I'd probably have this as a bedroom.

I think, like, when you're doing the cookery school, they could sleep up here.

-Yeah.

-And have a bed up here, for them.

-Yeah, it would be a bedroom.

When you think of a traditional Cornish cottage...

it's not like this, is it?

From the outside, it just doesn't look it.

I mean, it's lovely and old-fashioned, but modern as well.

-Surpassed your expectations?

-It has surpassed my expectations.

Lovely.

Well, that's a great result,

'as Jenny seems to be really excited by this cottage.

'So can the garden match up?'

While it's not the largest, it's got plenty of room for growing veg, and should be easy to manage.

Here, you've got a lovely, enclosed, south-facing garden.

-Love it. Like the rose beds.

-I think it's lovely.

So, all very positive, you're both making the right noises for me. Guess what's coming next?

How much is this wonderful cottage on the market for?

I think it's probably over-budget.

-I don't know...

-Don't look at me like that!

-240.

-240, OK. And your budget is?

-230.

-OK, Jean.

I think it's 230,000.

If I said it was under-budget by £20,000...

-BOTH:

-No!

-That's good, isn't it?

-That's great!

-Would you be delighted?

-Yeah.

-I'd be delighted for Jenny, I would.

-That'd be great.

-Well, it has JUST come down in price to £210,000.

-That is fantastic.

-That's very tempting.

Let me see your face, cos you're looking at the house!

-Is that delight? Are you thinking things through?

-Yeah, it's lovely.

-Are we really close?

-Yeah, yeah.

-As close, probably, as you'll ever get.

-How fantastic!

-It's lovely.

Hands up who wants to go and have another look around that cottage? Go on, then, girls, off you go.

Have fun! Take as long as you like.

Under-budget at £210,000,

this unusual cottage delivers handsomely on all Jenny's demands.

It has...

-So, what do you think, is this it?

-I do. I do think it's it.

-It's lovely.

-Yeah, it is. It's very me.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-I was getting emotional for you.

-I know, I saw you, you were crying.

I think this cottage, for Jenny, is near-on perfect.

It's very spacious, the kitchen,

and it's just ideal for what she has in mind - for teaching cookery.

Wow! As I walked through the door, I just thought, "Wow!"

Going into the bedrooms, I just thought they were lovely.

And then when we went upstairs, it was overwhelming, really.

It's everything I probably ever dreamed I'd get.

And I can see family and friends really enjoying visiting me here.

Not wanting to sound smug, but I think we've done pretty well today.

-Right, ladies! My girls, have you seen enough?

-We have.

-Yes, it's lovely.

-Yeah?

You said that in unison, so that is a thumbs up, yeah.

Got to drag you away now. Come on.

As evening falls over Cornwall, it's the end of day one

of our search for the cottage of Jenny's dreams.

Jenny from Orpington in Kent is about to retire,

and with friend Jean for moral support,

she's hoping the fantasy of country living she's held for 30 years

can come true in Cornwall.

'We've seen two properties so far that have both come very close to perfection.

'But, coming up, is our mystery house a project too far for Jenny?'

-I mean, if you had enough money, this could be beautiful.

-It could.

And I get on-board the new wave of surfing.

For Jenny, with her best friend Jean along for moral support,

this move to the south of Cornwall represents a lifelong dream.

Mindful of her budget, yesterday, we showed them two period cottages.

The first was quite near to the coast,

and, although well-received, was slightly over her budget.

The second one, this time more inland, well...

They both seemed to love it.

So today, it's now time for our mystery house,

and to be honest, I'm not quite sure how it's going to go down.

We've travelled further along the Cornish coast,

15 miles west of Looe, to the village of St Blazey.

With a population of 6,000,

its high street has all the amenities Jenny will need.

Our mystery house is the closest to the coast of the three properties we've seen.

Dating back to 1840,

it has real potential to be the cottage of her dreams.

As a self-confessed DIY novice,

she may need some professional help to make this her perfect home.

So, ladies, this is...the mystery house.

-It's lovely.

-Looks good. Very nice.

-It does.

-Very tranquil.

So why is it our mystery house?

-No idea at all.

-No.

-The P word?

-Bit of a project, perhaps?

-Oh, right!

-Project.

-Yeah.

-Oh, look at the reactions. None!

-THEY LAUGH

-So...

-Project and price.

-Project AND price. I like that!

So I think we need open minds.

-Shall we start the tour?

-Yes.

-Come on.

'The P word probably wasn't what Jenny wanted to hear, but I hope

'she gives this cottage a chance when we step through the door.

'After all, first impressions were very favourable.'

So welcome to your mystery cottage.

I said a little bit of a project.

Probably, you can glean that as we walk straight into the kitchen.

The positives are the woodburner. I like the chimney breast.

-You've got the size here. You could have the kitchen of your dreams.

-Very good size, yeah.

-I mean, if you had enough money, this could be beautiful.

-It could!

Has Jenny got the enthusiasm and the character to take on a project?

-I don't know. You can...

-Breathe in and breathe out, basically.

What does that mean, "Breathe in and breathe out?"

-That's as much as she can manage!

-THEY LAUGH

So, it doesn't sound like Jenny's up for breathing new life into

this property just yet, but I'm not giving up.

Maybe this next room can help convince her to give it a try.

So here's your sitting room.

-It's a two-up, two-down, in a way, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Yes, isn't it?

-But not bad sizes.

-Yeah, and I like the fireplace.

-That's lovely, isn't it?

-Very pretty.

-Yes.

-Now, having lived in a modern house for, what, 30 years?

-Yes, from new.

How does it feel, you know,

that adjustment moving into something that's this old?

It would be great if, you know, you had the money to do it up, I think.

I mean, there's nothing wrong with it. It's a typical little cottage.

You know, the windows on each side, the door in the middle.

It's nice, but it does need an awful lot doing to it.

Jean could bring her tool kit with her when she comes down to stay.

-Yeah, she could, but I don't suppose she'd do much with it.

-Probably not.

Well, the answer could be to get

someone in to help with the renovations.

That is if the price is right

and Jenny falls in love with the rest of this cottage.

Off the landing there's two good sized double bedrooms,

so there's a room for Jean to stay.

A bright family bathroom, all with those fantastic sash windows.

The bedroom we're looking at is the master.

-Views overlooking the garden.

-That's very pretty.

-It is lovely, yeah.

-Nice size room.

-It is a nice size room.

-Nice fireplace.

-Yeah.

-The cottage does have potential, doesn't it?

Oh, definitely. I mean, for somebody that's good at

DIY or a builder, it's a little gem.

So, have you ever had to do up a house from scratch, either of you?

No, I haven't.

I had to have a house done up after a fire and it was horrendous.

So something like this is a big project again.

-Is it bringing back memories?

-Yes, horrible memories.

-OK.

Well, on that note, we're going to head outside.

So, with memories like that, it's going to be hard to shift

Jenny's mindset into welcoming this renovation project.

'But I'm not giving up hope

'because she hasn't seen the lovely garden yet.

'It comes with a secluded patio, lush expanse of lawn

'and a variety of shrubs and fruit trees.'

So this period cottage actually has, I think, quite a large garden.

Yeah, it's lovely. I like it. You know, nice mature trees. The garden's lovely.

If I had loads of money, I might think about the house.

Which leads me on to money, doesn't it?

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

I think £175,000.

OK. Jenny?

Look at you, studying that cottage.

-I think about £180,000.

-It's a little bit more than that.

-It's actually on the market for £195,000.

-Wow!

-So that would leave you some in the budget.

-Yeah.

-To do it up.

-Yeah.

-£35,000. As you say, if that's just too much of a project for you.

-Yeah.

It's a project too far.

Why don't you have another look around anyway

because you can always get ideas from properties.

-We all agree it is a cute little period cottage, isn't it?

-It is.

-It's just too much of a project for you.

-Yes, it is.

Which is fair enough, but thank you for looking at our mystery house.

-Off you go, girls.

-OK.

Well, under budget at £195,000, this property certainly has

the potential to be Jenny's dream cottage.

It has space downstairs to create her perfect kitchen,

two good sized bedrooms and a low maintenance garden.

When I first saw the mystery house I thought it was very pretty,

very cottagey,

but I sort of thought it probably needed quite a bit doing to it.

I think, even with a budget of £35,000,

it would probably take more than that.

It would take a long time to do, more's to the point.

I don't want a great big project now, not at this time of life.

I do think Jenny's going to have to make some compromises.

I can't see her in this house at all. No.

The garden, but not the house.

Come on, girls.

Has the mystery house made you change your mind?

-No, I'm afraid not.

-No?

-Not for me.

-I don't think so.

-But enjoyed one final look around it?

-Yeah, it's been good.

-Yeah, it was good.

That's it now. We've shown you all three properties.

Let's go somewhere quiet, you two can have a chat, and let me

know what conclusions you've come to.

The stirring seas around Cornwall

provide some of the best surfing conditions in Europe.

It's little wonder that in the early 1960s,

Cornwall was the first part of mainland Britain to embrace

the surfing culture, while Newquay, on the north coast,

is known as the surf capital

to the UK's 250,000 surfers, the south coast beaches at Praa Sands

and Porthleven are also extremely popular.

But, there's a new type of surfing currently making waves.

Stand up paddle boarding

is one of the fastest growing watersports in the world.

I've come to the beach in Looe to find out more about it

from Martin Connolly, a top-rated British surfer with 12 years

experience as a coach and lifeguard on Australian and local beaches.

-Martin, hello. Good to meet you.

-Hi there, good to see you.

Now, I hope I'm in good hands today.

-Yeah, you are definitely in safe hands.

-Good. I have tried surfing.

-Yeah.

-I wasn't very good. I couldn't actually get onto the board.

-So, hopefully, this will be a little easier.

-Yeah.

These boards are nice and buoyant

and we've got some really nice conditions out there.

So that'll definitely make it favourable.

You don't have to be super fit to do it, you just have to be able to swim, right?

Yeah, you need to be able to swim.

It helps to have good balance and upper body strength.

You kind of have a good workout.

You can make it as much of a workout as you want.

Good tuition, good teacher. What's the first thing I need to learn?

Right, we're just going to go through a couple of techniques.

-Now, look at my feet. Not a parallel, just a slight angle. OK?

-Yes.

That's really good. You'll probably find it easier to have your strongest hand

in the middle, like that, and your weaker hand is going to go on the T-bar, sort of there.

Just have a feel for that. Now, the wider the grip,

the more power you're going to get out of the paddle.

So bend your knees slightly and just pull with your middle hand

and push over the top with your top hand.

The more water you can move, the faster you're going to go

and the easier it is to balance. That's perfect. OK.

Now, to swap sides, you have to actually swap your grip like this.

Just get a feel for that. Again, the paddle's going to be along the rail.

As you go in to paddle, just bend your knees a little bit

so you can get more power.

So as you go down, bend your knees and then come back up.

-Perfect, perfect.

-Keep your knees, sort of, flexible.

You're in the perfect stance there.

If you can do that in the water, you'll be absolutely sweet, OK?

If I can do this on the water without going in, I'll be delighted.

Easier to learn than surfing,

stand up paddle board lessons can be taken by individuals of any age,

from 10 to 70, as long as they're confident swimmers.

The main attraction of the sport is that it can be done when

the surf is down and apparently, women can often be more skilled

at it than men, due to their lower centre of gravity.

Well, we'll see!

WAVES CRASH

The origins of stand-up paddle boarding can be traced back

to 1950s Hawaii,

with a group of watermen who worked the beaches of Waikiki,

offering surfing lessons and canoe rides.

Known as the Waikiki Beach Boys, they would stand on long boards,

taking pictures of the tourists learning to surf.

For this reason, stand-up paddle boarding is sometimes

known as beach boy surfing.

The British Stand-up Paddle Association

is the national body for the sport.

They advise that you should take a lesson to learn the basics,

keep your board tethered to your ankle by its leash

so you don't lose it, and use a lifeguarded beach.

Although there are a few regular competitions,

stand-up paddle boarding is more of a leisure pastime

and a great way to explore the water.

Well, that was great fun, but yes,

it was as cold as it looked.

Now our house hunt here in the south of Cornwall is over.

We've shown Jenny and Jean three fabulous period cottages,

but have any of them won them over?

Shall we go and ask them?

Well, ladies, that is it. The house hunt is over.

Three decades you have waited to move to Cornwall.

-Have we put you off?

-No, not at all.

-Good!

So, let's start off with that very first property we showed you,

the cottage in St Germans, not that far from the coast actually.

It was just up the estuary.

I loved it. I thought it was in a beautiful location.

You looked out and all you saw were trees.

The cottage itself was lovely, really liked it,

nice sized rooms.

-It was just a bit too expensive for me.

-OK.

Moving on... for our second property, we took you inland.

We're going to start with you, Jean. It's quite deceiving,

-wasn't it, from the outside?

-It was excellent.

You just thought it was a little two-up two-down,

but it was just amazing.

And what about you, Jenny, with that second one?

Well, I absolutely loved it.

I loved the inside of it, I loved the garden.

The kitchen was to die for, but unfortunately,

-I didn't like the village.

-Did you not?

What was it about the village that you weren't taken with?

-It wasn't very big.

-Right.

Because it's going to be my forever home,

I'd like a bit more life, really.

That was the most fantastic property.

It was everything I want.

Finally, we tried something a bit different with our mystery.

I wasn't sure how it was going to go.

That was very different, again a lovely house,

nice location. But just too much to do.

There was no way on earth

that I could get that done and even if I had the money,

it would be a bit of the budget

and I think it probably needs far, far more spending on it.

But what it did demonstrate is that you can still live in this

beautiful part of the world and buy a property for under £200,000,

which I thought was very interesting.

There are still bargains out there to be had.

So I think, in a way, I know what your next move is going to be,

but I want you to tell me.

Well, I shall come down and rent and then search.

Well, whatever happens, you're moving here very soon,

-so your dream has come true.

-Yeah, it has, yeah.

-All the best.

-Thank You.

-Thanks for your help.

We got close.

We got this close to finding Jenny

the perfect Cornish cottage.

Whatever happens,

we wish her all the best with her move here to Cornwall.

Until next time, bye-bye.

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