Kent Escape to the Country

I'm in a county where the fortunes of this remarkable piece of Victorian engineering

are definitely on the rise. Find out what it is and where I am in just a moment.

Today's mission is all about pets, parents and the perfect country pile.

And we'll be charting some property lows...

Might have to duck, not sure.

-No, we're OK.

-OK, fine.

..followed by some housing highs.

That is one tall ceiling and you would really need a long feather duster to get the cobwebs.

Today I'm in Kent, and this is the Leas Lift in Folkestone.

Built in 1885, this funicular railway was designed to take

passengers from the seafront up to the town above.

Back in 2010, after years of decline and then closure,

it fell into the hands of a community-based company

who worked hard to restore it to its former glory.

Now, 127 years after first opening, it's back on track

and now attracts around 100,000 passengers each year.

I'll be finding out more about this iconic mode of transport

later in the show, but let's first take a look at some unique aspects

of this county's heritage.

Covering over 1,400 square miles and occupying the south-eastern

tip of England, Kent shares its border with Greater London,

Surrey and East Sussex and has more than 350 miles of coastline.

Stretching along part of these shorts are the imposing

White Cliffs of Dover, that once even forced the mighty Julius Caesar

to rethink his plans to invade Britain,

seeking instead a less daunting route

across a more open and level shoreline near the town of Deal.

In the early 17th century, the discovery of an iron-rich spring

in the Kent Weald gave rise to the fashionable resort of Royal Tunbridge Wells.

Away from the towns, Kent's mild climate

and rich, fertile soil creates the ideal environment for farming

and, due to its abundance of hop plantations, vineyards and orchards,

the county is justly known as the Garden of England -

a title supposedly bestowed by Henry VIII

after he had relished a bowl of Kent-grown fruit.

Now for some figures to get your teeth into.

The average price of a detached house here in Kent

is just shy of £314,000.

That's around £62,000 above the national figure.

Kent is extremely popular with commuters who are prepared to

pay a premium for properties with a close proximity to the capital.

Hotspots here include Ashford, with its fast rail line into London,

and Sevenoaks, with its links to the M25 motorway.

So, if you want your budget to stretch further,

try the market towns of Lenham

and Bearsted just to the east of Maidstone.

But, no matter where you look in this wonderful county,

there's a fantastic range of architectural styles to choose from.

Kent's 500-year-old hop-growing legacy continues to this day

and the oast houses used to dry fresh hops are a familiar sight

throughout the local countryside.

A number of these old industrial Victorian buildings have now

been converted into exclusive homes.

However, their exclusivity can come at a high price,

with a five-bedroom property with at least an acre of land

often topping the million-pound mark.

The densely-forested Weald that once covered much of the county

has led to an abundance of characterful medieval timber-framed buildings.

Prices for a four-bedroom property immediately east of Canterbury

can typically start at £400,000.

Kent is also renowned for its weatherboarded-style homes.

Traditionally painted white, these were a popular style in the 18th

and 19th centuries across the county. For a two-bedroom property

in the medieval town of Cranbrook,

prices typically start around the £300,000 mark.

A great selection of properties there,

so we should find something suitable for today's buyer.

Let's meet her.

Julia, or Jas as she is known to her friends, lives on a small estate

in the Hampshire town of Fareham and shares her large

five-bedroom modern property with her three cats - Lily, Trevor and Basil.

She works as an air traffic controller

and has roped in her close friend and co-worker, Kerry,

to help in her quest to find a new country home.

I'm hoping that I can help Jas in her search for a new house

in the country by actually just being a sounding board, a support mechanism.

We don't socialise that much outside of work, but we have been known

to sneak off to London to the occasional cat show.

Yeah, and exchanging cat magazines in plain brown envelopes

-when we've finished with them.

-We do do that.

And, being an animal lover,

it seems Jas's three beloved cats are among some of her top priorities.

It's got to be quiet

and it's got to be away from any busy roads or railways.

-Nice and safe. Safe environment.

-Safe environment for pussycats.

Quiet is important to me, as well.

I don't really want the noise of traffic and noisy people.

I don't mind having neighbours, that's fine,

but I'd rather the garden wasn't overlooked too much.

-Walking distance to the local shops for the milk and paper.

-Oh, yes.

I walk loads, so I'm quite happy to be up to a couple of miles away,

for that sort of thing, as long as it's a nice walk along footpaths.

Not only does Jas want a better work/life balance,

she's also hoping this move will allow him more family time.

I want to go down to Canterbury to be nearer to Mum and Dad.

The opportunity has arisen at work to go part-time,

which means I can live in Canterbury, be nearer to them,

and then just commute back here to work some of the time.

One of Jas's other aims once she's in the countryside is to fulfil her passion for charity work.

I can imagine that when she moves to Kent, she'll find something.

She'll be volunteering or she'll be doing something,

because there's a lot of wildlife places around there

-and I think she's really going to enjoy it.

-Yeah.

Jas has spent a lot of time and care renovating her current property

and it's a challenge she's looking to tackle head-on in her new home.

My home is really important to me.

It is the centre of my universe, I think.

I really like doing homely things like baking and reading,

just knocking about the place and decorating.

It's definitely my big thing.

-Jas is always very good at making cakes for us on the night shifts.

-Yeah.

One last thing to pinpoint, and that's her finances.

The budget for my move is £320,000.

Fundamental to Jas's move is her desire to be closer to her parents,

who live in a small town just a couple of miles north-east of Canterbury.

So, our search will centre on the pretty villages surrounding the city,

all within a half-hour drive. Time for me to meet up with both Jas

and her good mate, Kerry, on the shingle beach of Sandwich Bay

to finalise all the details of this escape to the country.

-Well, ladies, a pretty impressive start to any property search, isn't it?

-Beautiful.

So, straight off the bat, what is the current state of play with the sale of your house, Jas?

I've accepted an offer on it and the buyers are in quite a hurry to get in.

Right, then, we'd better talk about what kind of home you want, then.

You're moving away from friends, colleagues,

-people can come and visit, hopefully.

-Yeah.

-How many spare bedrooms?

-Still, I could go down, minimum of two.

Is this place... If it's only a minimum of two bedrooms,

does it have to be a house? Can it...?

-A detached, semi, end of a terrace, that's fine.

-OK.

Kerry, you know Jas through work. Is she decisive?

She is decisive when she makes her mind up. She's a big considerer.

-This seems at the moment a fairly broad remit.

-Yes, yeah

As her friend, Kerry, any no-nos I should be looking out for?

Lots of noisy neighbours. Doesn't like noisy neighbours.

-Right, OK.

-Friendly neighbours who will come and feed the cats for her when she's away.

-That's good. Yeah, yeah.

-I'm so glad you're here.

-So am I.

I'm going to hopefully defer to you as her counsel.

But, I want you both to be brutally honest if you

don't like something, then we can hopefully learn from that, as well.

-Ready?

-Yes.

-Let's start the search.

-Hey!

On a budget of £320,000, Jas is looking for a modest Kentish home

with at least two large bedrooms to accommodate

visiting friends and a kitchen/diner as she obviously loves to bake.

Jas isn't adverse to a spot of decorating,

so is willing to consider a house with potential.

And though she hasn't specified a particular age nor style,

the property should ideally be walking distance to a village.

Critical to the move is the need for a quiet location,

away from busy roads to keep her three precious cats safe.

We've got some great properties to show Jas and her friend, Kerry.

But, of course, I won't to be revealing the prices until the end of each tour.

Our final choice, as ever, is the mystery house,

which will add an unexpected element of sharing to this house search.

So, without further ado, let's get started.

So, Jas, I've got to ask, where does your nickname, Jas, come from? You are Julia, aren't you?

-My name is Julia, but it's my initials, J-A-S.

-Oh, right.

Yeah, everybody who knows me well calls me that.

-OK, so I can continue to call you Jas?

-Oh, yes, please do.

If you call me Julia, I feel like I've been naughty and I'm in trouble.

-Well, let's see how we get on with the first property, shall we?

-Oh, yeah!

Unusually, we're viewing just one property today, which is

in Acol, around 10 miles north-east of Jas's parents near Canterbury.

Surrounded by fields, this village is the perfect destination for a bit of calm and quiet,

as Acol has one of the smallest communities in Kent, but has still

managed to retain its local pub, that dates back to the 15th century.

Our first house is located just a short walk from the village centre.

So, ladies, for property number one, I give you this house.

Very pretty. Love the wisteria.

It's almost worthy of a jigsaw puzzle, isn't it?

-Yes, it's a very attractive property.

-Yes.

These were farm workers' cottages, dating back to around the 1830s.

It's pretty. It's lovely and quiet.

So, housewise, is this the sort of house you could see your friend, Jas, living in?

-I think I could. Depending on what was on the inside.

-Yes.

Let's take a look.

With its wisteria and wooden picket gate,

this property has all the hallmarks of a classic English cottage.

So, let's see if it's a style that suits Jas.

Come right in to this room.

-I think it's a decent size.

-Yes.

What's this like for you?

It's lovely, because it's kind of a bit old,

but it's not all dark pub beams.

It's got the character, but...

It's cottagey but it's got a modern twist to it, hasn't it?

Yes, yeah, which is just the sort of thing I like.

-So, a good start all round?

-Yes, definitely.

-Good. OK.

Let's go into the kitchen next.

-Oh, yes.

-Yeah?

-It's beautifully done, isn't it? Yes.

It certainly matches, tastewise, the living room, doesn't it? I was hoping you'd like it.

-It definitely links in.

-Very pretty, very neutral colours.

-Yes. I love the range cooker.

Could do some serious cooking on that, I reckon.

-So, functionalitywise, it works for you.

-Yes.

-You got that.

Now, you've got to have somewhere to eat, obviously.

On a hot day like today, hopefully, you'd be outside,

but not a bad little area there, is it?

Yeah, that's lovely. Nice and sunny and bright.

Yes, plonk there and eat your meals, look out towards the garden.

So, knowing you've got that, would you leave the living room as it is?

Yes, I wouldn't bother with a table in the living room.

-You wouldn't have a need for that, would you?

-No, if I had visitors, four, easily.

We're entertaining now, aren't we? Maybe you could have a later dinner party than you'd normally expect,

because you have space upstairs for a couple of guests. Let me show you.

It's all going very well so far, as the size

and design down on the ground floor seemed to be hitting the mark.

Let's hope the positivity continues upstairs.

Now, this is one of three double bedrooms. Not huge, of course.

It's beautiful, again, beautifully presented, lovely decor.

Quite cosy, it has to be said. But I'm only sleeping here.

It feels a bit more cottagey up here.

The current owners have got this property set up similarly to maybe how you would.

You've got the master here, spare room the other side

and then the third bedroom is an empty room with

lots of storage in, which I think works pretty well.

And a decent-sized family bathroom.

-So, happy with what you've seen so far?

-It's very pretty, yes.

-Good, all right. Now, let me show you the garden.

-OK.

Overall, this property isn't lacking when it comes to accommodation,

despite its cottage status.

And with the internal tour complete, it's off outside.

Right then. How about this...?

Well, a compact garden?

I think, definitely small, but perfectly formed, isn't it?

Beautifully done. The sleepers are great.

The landscaping on the patio area up there. Lovely.

Now comes the tricky part. I want you to try and value this house.

I'm going to go for about 300...

-THUNDER RUMBLES ..before the thunder hits us.

-I know!

-I'll go slightly lower, 290.

-OK.

-Well, this is being offered for sale by tender.

-Oh, right, OK.

It's a fairly simple process whereby they have a closing date for offers

and we're looking at the guide price.

-The guide price for this house is offers around £300,000.

-Oh, hey.

-So you're spot-on.

-Points to me.

-Yes.

So, now it's opportunity for you to have a think about what

you've seen, have a look at those other two bedrooms and the bathroom

and then I'll meet you out the front whenever you're ready.

-OK, see you in a minute.

-See you in a minute.

-Thank you.

With a guide price of around £300,000,

our first selection is an immaculately presented

19th-century cottage that's bursting with character.

It comes with a country-style kitchen,

flowing into a dining conservatory, three bedrooms

and a low-maintenance landscaped cottage garden.

The whole lot is set back off the road in a rural, peaceful setting.

-This is a really nice room, isn't it?

-It's lovely.

-It's a classic cottage kitchen.

-They've done it beautifully.

I love the wooden worktops and these big shelves. They're just lovely.

-Plenty of storage.

-First impressions of the house, very positive.

It really is a lovely, pretty cottage.

The whole place has been beautifully done up just to my taste.

Where we start to stumble a little bit is the bedrooms -

even though they are lovely, they really are a little bit on the small side.

-Here they are. All done inside?

-Yes.

-Excellent. Well, short day today.

-Mm.

-Let's go back.

-OK.

When Jas moves back to Kent, not only is she hoping

to explore more of this beautiful county by foot,

she also wants to make volunteering a regular date in her diary.

So, during the week, we couldn't resist the opportunity to

send our househunters to Wildwood, a wildlife park and conservation charity

between Canterbury and the coastal town of Herne Bay.

The park is responsible for more than 300 animals,

including a variety of endangered and protected species.

Jas and Kerry met up with Trust co-founder Peter Smith

to find out more about the park's conservation and breeding programmes.

This is our beaver enclosure.

What we've done here is built the perfect little beaver habitat.

We got a lodge and a big pond.

This is all part of our big plan to get beaver back into Britain.

The beavers create wonderful wetland habitats.

The burrow into riverbanks, they hydrate the soil, you get rare plants.

You get dragonflies, kingfishers, otters, water voles,

a huge range of wildlife live where you've got beaver.

Beavers are the largest rodent native to Europe,

and were once a common feature in the British countryside,

but the UK's native beaver population was hunted to extinction

more than 400 years ago.

-Hey. Hey, fella.

-Hey.

Ohh. Now, this is our little baby beaver.

He is four weeks old now, but you can see he's full of life.

-Wow.

-Look at his little tail go. He's just starting to learn to swim.

-Slap, slap.

-You feel that fur there.

-That's gorgeous.

That's the most dense fur in the whole of the mammal kingdom.

-Awww.

-It keeps him warm through the winter, swimming.

Unfortunately, that's why they were hunted to extinction.

Yeah, for the fur. Oh, gorgeous things.

Another rodent in a successful breeding programme is the tiny dormouse,

which has been endangered by the loss of its natural habitat.

Hazel Ryan is a licensed handler who looks after

-the welfare of these fragile creatures.

-This is Hazel.

-Hi.

Hazel's our top dormouse handler.

Hazel will show you how we look after these animals

and a very special treat to actually see one being handled.

Yes, yes.

-Here we go.

-Aren't they adorable?

-Oh, my goodness.

This was rescued from the wild and unfortunately he only has half a tail now,

so he can't go back to the wild, but he's an important animal for breeding.

And then we monitor populations in woodlands around Kent...

-See how they're doing.

-..and often these are the people who then send us

injured ones they find to enter the breeding programme,

so volunteers are crucial to the whole process of dormouse conservation.

Dormice are mainly nocturnal, so they're gearing up as evening draws in

and the sun sets across the Kent countryside.

But for our two househunters, it's now time to wind down

and reflect on the property search so far.

With the help of her friend, Hampshire-based air traffic controller Jas

is reducing her work hours in order to ramp up her rural life

and be much closer to her parents in Kent.

So far, we've seen a picture-perfect period cottage,

but still to come, the character takes on a different dimension

in house number two.

And for the mystery property, well, they'll be struggling to contain themselves.

-I'm getting quite excited about this.

-I can tell you are.

Hold me back, hold me back!

Plus, I'll be hitching a lift down to a Kentish beach.

Well, pretty good reactions from yesterday's property.

Jas certainly seems open-minded but also fairly non-specific as to

exactly what she wants from her new house here.

Today I want to show her a property that bigger both inside

and out and then we're off to see the mystery property,

which, as you know, can offer our buyers something rather different.

This one certainly does.

Our second property lies in Woodnesborough and it's our furthest destination

from Jas's parents, just outside Canterbury.

But they can still be reached within half an hour.

Woodnesborough is just a couple of miles from the larger town of Sandwich,

where Jas can pick up essentials.

Sandwich was one of Kent's five principal medieval harbours, known as the Cinque Ports,

and we're stopping here to find out more about this historic town.

-Morning.

-Morning.

-How are we?

-All right, fine, thank you.

Now, whilst we're here, could we ask you a little bit about the area as well?

-Sure.

-How long have you been here?

-I've been here two years now.

-Right, OK.

-Came down because of the area, funny enough. It was really nice.

We've just had a little walk round the town, briefly, getting here, and it's lovely.

It just seems to be everything you need for day-to-day life.

Yes, it's a very quaint little village. Very quaint.

It's really nice and relaxing down here.

Sandwich, I think, is an up-and-coming place at the moment.

I think there's great opportunities around here.

-Do you sell sandwiches here?

-Yes, we do.

-Oh, good. At last.

-Might get something in for lunchtime.

-Not a bad idea. All right.

Let's take these coffees away. Thank you very much. Maybe you'll see Jas again.

-Yes, hopefully.

-I think I'm duty-bound to come here now.

-Thank you very much.

-And good luck with the business.

-Thank you very much.

-Cheerio.

-Cheers, thank you.

Our second property is situated just a few miles

away from Sandwich, so it's in a very convenient position

to take advantage of all the local amenities.

So a couple of miles outside of Sandwich

and we arrive at our second house.

Oh, yeah. Very pretty, isn't it? Yeah. Yeah, I love it.

A really nice, old-fashioned shape and a beautiful outlook onto these fields here.

-Perfect countryside.

-It is, and lovely and safe for the cats as well.

The property itself... History is a little vague.

Speaking to the owners, it's between 200 and 250 years old.

It was... You can see up to where the brickwork changes.

All the way from there, back to this gable end

and it was either two, maybe even three cottages.

Great reactions outside. Let's see what you think of the interior.

Definitely.

With an organic history that spans hundreds of years,

this semi-detached period property is chock full of vintage charm.

But, unlike the first house yesterday,

it will hopefully have the potential that Jas was after.

-So, a small sitting room.

-Yes, but a very nice one.

-Small but cosy.

-Yeah.

-Stylewise, it's... It feels older, doesn't it?

-Oh, definitely.

You got the beams, but the ceiling isn't too low. So, yes, it's OK.

It's just about big enough, certainly just for me.

-I'm not going to have loads and loads of visitors.

-No.

I personally think that this is literally a room

you just relax in when you're in the house on your own.

-The entertaining part is at the other end of the house.

-Comes later.

-Oh, good, right.

-It's certainly got a lot of character to it.

-Yes, it has.

-Good, yeah.

Right, well, again,

I think this is potentially the weakest area of the house with regards to size.

I think we get better as we go that way. Let me show you.

Right, then, this starts to feel a bit more country cottage through here.

Oh, yes. Nice. Yes.

Nice big dining room, good-size table

and I can see it's leading through into the kitchen.

-More of a socialising area. I love the floor.

-It's great, isn't it?

-The flagstone effect. Yes.

-Let's take a look at this kitchen.

-Not a huge kitchen, but just a kitchen.

-Yeah.

Got loads of cupboards.

I can see all the appliances are in here already.

-Does it work for you at the moment?

-I think so.

I might update it in a few years' time, perhaps.

-But it's perfectly liveable with.

-OK.

Downstairs, what you've seen so far, is it working?

I understand it's quite different to...

It's very different to what you've got now.

-But when you move to the country, it's a change of lifestyle.

-Yes.

I get the sense that the configuration isn't really

working for Jas, as she had set her heart on a kitchen/diner.

However, the kitchen sits at the back of the property,

just behind the internal garage.

Subject to the correct planning permission,

if she could bear to sacrifice it,

she could knock through to the current kitchen or dining room

to create a really impressive space.

Now we've taken in all the living space, it's time to continue upstairs.

-OK, might have to duck, not sure.

-No, we're OK.

-Oh, fine.

-Now, then, master bedroom. How are we doing for size?

-Very well.

This is fine. You'd get a king-size bed in here, I reckon. One bedside there.

-Nice double aspect. Lovely.

-Good. You've got three bedrooms here.

Three double bedrooms. The third one is fairly small, I suppose,

-but it's always going to be a spare.

-Yes.

-The bathroom has the bath and separate shower.

-That's just been done up.

-A big bathroom, then.

-That sounds promising. So,

-sizewise, upstairs, it almost...

I don't know why, but it almost seems bigger. I do know why.

-We go over the garage.

-You do, don't you?

Thinking about it from outside, yes. It's just that little bit longer.

-So, seem quite happy up here.

-Yes.

-Good.

I think you've got enough living space here

and you've even got a bigger garden outside.

Let me take you there but also start thinking about price. OK?

Well, all that remains is to see what's on offer outside

and I'm confident the garden here won't disappoint.

Right, then. A few little bits and bobs in this garden.

It's sort of comes round the corner, actually.

It's bigger than I thought, looking out from the house. It's lovely.

-It really is.

-Perfect size.

Just tucked away from view is a little summer house with power.

-It's really nice and relaxing. Do you like it?

-Yes, I do. Yes.

-It's really sweet.

-It's nice and secluded.

-Yes.

Obviously, there are neighbours, but they're not looking over into you and it feels nice and private.

I was hoping this was kind of what you asked for.

You said you wanted neighbours nearby, someone you could

give the key to, feed the cats if you go away, but the countryside around.

-Yeah. Yeah. It's definitely ticks that box.

-Good.

So, as it's ticking boxes, to use your parlance, not mine...

-who wants to have a go first at guessing the price?

-Go on, Kerry.

About 290, I think. It's under budget for you, I think.

290.

I'll say 305.

-This house is on the market for offers around £335,000.

-Really? Ow.

-Blimey. Miles out.

-Oh, dear.

OK, so, yes, right at the top of the budget, maybe a bit over.

-Something to think about, then.

-Hopefully so.

Go back into the house, have a look at the other bedrooms.

Have a look at the bath, I think you'll love that.

-We'll meet up outside in a moment.

-OK. Thanks.

Just edging over budget for offers in the region of £335,000,

the second property is a characterful period cottage.

It comes with two reception rooms, three bedrooms

and a pretty, enclosed garden.

The location is well suited to Jas being a couple of miles' walk away

from the fascinating town of sandwich.

And it suits her cats, too, as it's set down a quiet lane,

surrounded by fields.

This is a nice room. The kitchen is OK, but it could be so much better.

It's that bit behind us where the garage is.

I have no idea of the structural implications of that.

-You'd have to look into that.

-Get a builder in, obviously.

The location of this one is stunning. Lovely and quiet, safe for the cats.

Coming inside, into the cottage, it is a cottage, of course.

I'm used to a big modern house. It's definitely a possibility.

Ah.

-All done inside?

-Yes, thank you.

-Something to think about?

-Lots to think about, I think, for Jas.

-Good. OK. Onto the next one.

The final stop on this tour is back inland

and much closer to Jas's parents near Canterbury.

In fact, we are just 15 minutes' drive from them

in the historic village of Chartham.

Located on the banks of the River Stour,

Chartham wraps itself around a picturesque village green

and local conveniences include a shop with a post office

and a couple of pubs.

Right on the edge of the village is the mystery property -

an apartment that takes up one wing of this former Victorian building.

The mystery property, what do you think?

-It's a splendid-looking building.

-It is, isn't it? Yes.

Originally a Victorian building, it was converted just under ten years ago, we believe.

-OK, so it should be quite new and fresh inside.

-Yeah, it is.

How many apartments was it divided up into?

It's divided into just four apartments

and we're going to be looking around the ground floor

-to the right-hand side as we look at it there.

-OK.

-Ground floor. Good for your parents.

Good for parents, yes.

There is method in my madness. Sometimes. Let's look inside.

The mystery apartment is currently unoccupied

and is accessed through a rather grand communal entrance hall.

Let's see what Jas and Kerry think.

OK. Now...

You do look up some way, don't you?

That is one tall ceiling and you really need a long feather duster to get the cobwebs.

Yes.

Now, this hallway forms the spine of the apartment, if you like.

You've got a third bedroom or a study next door.

-As we're closer to the bedrooms, let's start with the master bedroom, shall we?

-OK.

OK. This is your master bedroom, as I said.

-Sizewise, what are we thinking?

-Good size.

That is a king-size bed, might even be bigger than that.

It's a whopping great bed. En suite here, very handy.

-Loads of wardrobe space there?

-Bags of wardrobe space.

You've got two bedrooms here.

The one next door is also en suite, with an en suite shower.

-Oh, yeah, right.

-You've also got a separate shower room and a loo.

There's more loos here than you can shake a stick at.

-I'm getting quite excited about this.

-I can tell you are.

-Let's just wait and see the rest of it.

-Hold me back, hold me back!

Well, you've got options here. I'm rather looking forward to showing you the next part of the apartment.

-Right.

-Because if you don't like it, well, I'm in the wrong job.

-OK.

-Now, this is your dining room...

-OK, right.

..which feeds very nicely into...

-Look at this.

-Lounge, I presume.

-Yes.

Wowzer.

Oh. Yeah, massive.

-Big enough for you, Jas?

-Yes.

-I should hope so!

My furniture is going to be rattling around like a pimple on a drum.

It's certainly, certainly big enough to be a living/dining room,

but as you've got a third bedroom or a study AND a dining room,

-you've got more than a few options.

-Multiple options, yes.

I like the fact that it's got windows on two sides, so it's nice and light.

-This is a better shape for you, as well.

-It's a bit squarer, isn't it?

-Yes, so, it's... Yeah. Yeah, very impressive.

-Good.

-You sound very impressed. Let's see what you think of the kitchen.

-Yes.

-I'll walk you through. Nice flow, isn't there?

-Yes.

-Kitchen/diner.

-Not huge.

But space for a perfectly reasonable table.

-Yes, you say not huge, this is the biggest one we've seen.

-Is it?

-Yeah.

-Funny, isn't it?

-It's just the contrast.

-Just because you've just come from an aircraft hangar.

-Compared to the lounge.

-Kitchen is functional, but rather dull.

It looks like a typical builder's kitchen that they've put in to be enough.

But it's perfectly adequate, I can live with it for a few years.

-Could you bake a cake in it?

-Er, yeah. I guess. Yeah.

All we need to know, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-OK, the plumbing and everything is here.

Yes, you've got all the basics, everything you need just for day-to-day living.

-But I would certainly change it.

-OK. All right.

There is some outside space out the back. Let me show you.

Apart from altering the kitchen to suit her personal style,

I think Jas is buying into the potential of this generous

mystery property and there is no shortage of room outside, too.

Right, these are communal gardens.

This is, unofficially, I suppose, more of a private area for you, although it's not officially yours.

I don't see why anybody else would use it.

-And then this is the communal element.

-Yes.

This is all looked after for you.

-There is a service charge, not a small one, of £1,800 per year.

-OK.

Included with that is, as you might expect, buildings insurance,

-all the maintenance - I think they are overdue a visit here.

-Yes.

-Plus there's a gymnasium here, as well.

-That's a bit tiring.

-Is it?

-Not your cup of tea?

-I did all that stuff in my youth.

The footprint is the entire ground floor of your flat. It's a huge gym.

-It's well worth a look.

-Yes.

So, seeing what you've seen, knowing what you've known inside the place,

how much do you think this apartment is on the market for?

-I'll say 285.

-OK.

-Ooh, that raised an eyebrow.

-How about you, Kerry?

-I think I'll stick with 290.

-You might as well.

It's got to be right at some point.

Well, a stopped watch is right twice a day. This apartment...

It's a much better guess. This place is on the market.

It's just been reduced to offers around £315,000.

-Mm.

-Mmm. Yeah, OK.

-Never let an asking price put you of being interested in a property.

-OK.

-All right.

Now, look, I think you should definitely go and have a look at the other bedrooms

-and I'll meet you out the front whenever you're ready.

-OK, then.

-All right? Catch you in a bit.

-Yes.

With a guide price of £315,000,

the mystery property is one of four elegant apartment conversions.

The rather spacious accommodation lends itself to three bedrooms,

two of which are en suite which is ideal for friends and family

when they stay.

There is also a kitchen/diner as well as two separate

reception rooms, that include a grand, double aspect sitting room.

The ground floor location also leads out into the peaceful,

managed gardens, that could be ideal for her three pet cats.

Well, here's the gym, and it's certainly well equipped,

loads of gear. I prefer to have a nice simple walk in the fresh air,

-rather than down here.

-Exercise naturally, I think.

The first impression coming into the apartment was a complete wow,

just because of the volume of the high ceilings and the nice big rooms.

I do have some concerns about living in an apartment

and the management process of the communal areas.

That strikes me as a little bit of hassle, which I'm not so keen on.

I don't think it's really the one for me this time.

Ah. How are the gym bunnies?

-Oh, we're completely pooped.

-Tired.

-Oh, yes. I ran ten K.

Yeah, I don't believe you for a moment.

Let's find somewhere to have a bit of a conflab

-and we'll catch up about all three properties.

-OK.

-OK.

Set in a prime location at the foot of the North Downs, in the 1840s,

the coastal town of Folkestone became a prosperous hotspot,

thanks to greater access offered by the arrival of the railway.

By the latter half of the century, the town had been developed

into a high-class Victorian tourism resort,

and strolling along the cliffs on the mile-long Leas promenade was a very fashionable pastime.

In 1885, a water-balance lift was built to transport visitors

and locals up and down the 100-foot stretch from the promenade to the seafront.

And over 100 years later, the original lift is still in full working order.

I caught up with local historian Eamonn Rooney to find out more.

What makes this lift here so special, Eamonn?

It's very special because around the country, there are lots of lifts.

A lot of them are powered by electricity.

But there are only three still using the water-balance system.

We are one of those three.

The lift operates using water and gravity

and is controlled from a cabin at the upper station.

Underneath each carriage is a tank which holds about 400 gallons.

When the top tank is filled to exceed the weight of the lower one,

it all starts to move.

Both carriages are attached to cables that pass around a pulley wheel and the speed of the ascent

is controlled by an operator using a brake.

-In essence, it's a simple matter of balance.

-It is.

I think it's ingenious in its simplicity

and somebody actually had to think of that in the first place.

-Can we take a closer look?

-By all means, be my guest.

-Wonderful.

By the early 1900, passengers had no less than four water-driven lifts

to choose from along this stretch of coast.

But this Grade II listed Leas lift is the only one that still survives.

-Now, then, this looks very Victorian.

-It is.

-What does this bit of machinery do?

-These are the water pumps.

-They're called reciprocating piston pumps.

-Right.

When the motor is released at the bottom,

we collect it in two big tanks underneath.

So this water is pumped right to the top to then fill the tanks.

-It fills from that. It uses that as the source.

-OK.

-Can we see it in operation?

-Yes, certainly.

-Great stuff.

Now I've seen how the mechanics work,

it's time to experience them in operation.

At the same time, I can soak up the glorious panorama overlooking the English Channel.

Now we're in... Is it called a car, a cabin?

A car, we call it the car.

-How many people would normally get in here?

-We work around about ten.

The lift actually closed for business in 2009,

but two years ago, a group of local residents, including Eamonn,

formed a not-for-profit company and brought the lift back into service.

Who runs it now?

There are three directors who formed the Folkestone Leas Lift CIC.

We employ drivers with previous experience of running the thing.

-We also have a team of volunteers.

-That's fantastic. You've got volunteers,

so the community have come together to help out here,

but also, you've re-employed drivers that,

I imagine, would be obsolete in employment.

-Where else but these skills be needed?

-No, it's brilliant.

How many people, do you think, in all of its years, have travelled this way?

-Would you believe a figure of about 40 to 50 million?

-40 to 50 million?

-It's a very handy way of getting about, isn't it?

-It sure is.

It's a convenient way down and an easy way up.

Well, thank you very much for the guided tour. Very interesting.

I'm going to use this transport to take the car back down, I think.

-Yep.

-Thanks very much, Eamonn. Good to meet you.

-And you, Jonnie.

A very novel and charming form of transport,

I'm sure you'll agree, and long may it prosper.

Time to catch up with today's buyer, to see if the county has charmed her with any of its properties.

So, how have you found looking for properties in this part of Kent?

It's been really interesting, just driving around the area from location to location.

Yeah? So, let's talk about property number one,

-the first place we looked at yesterday afternoon.

-Yes.

What do you think about the first property now?

I think it was a beautiful little jewelbox of a house.

Beautifully presented, lovely downstairs

and it was a lovely quiet location, great for the cats.

But upstairs, the bedrooms really were very small, especially the second one.

-It was very tight.

-Kerry, you had your brief to help Jas out.

-Could you see Jas living in that first house?

-Possibly not.

Upstairs was just too small for Jas's requirements,

for future proofing what she wants to do.

All right, fair enough. So, today we went to look at the second property.

I wanted to show you something bigger, inside and out.

-I think it was.

-Yes. Yeah. The location was spot-on, beautiful.

The garden was just right and the views out to the front.

But this time, it was the downstairs that wasn't quite right. Typical. I'm picky, aren't I?

I could make it work, maybe with some building work.

We might be able to use the garage and introduce that

space into the house, but that's quite big building work.

-Yeah.

-But is that one, I think, it's on the list.

-It's still a possible contender.

-OK. That's two properties down.

I was starting to wonder whether or not I should show you another period property.

The trouble is, in this part of the world, you want a village-y

or rural location for the sort of budget you've got and the size

-of house you're after, you probably are looking for an older house.

-Right, yes.

So, the mystery property, I thought, was playing into our hands somewhat.

-A conversion. An apartment. You had great reactions at the start.

-I did.

I walked in and thought, "Wahey, brilliant!"

The feeling of space and light, especially that living room,

that was amazing, and the great big windows.

I was really getting excited, but then we went into the kitchen

and I was like, "Ooh, er, that's not great," but I can do stuff with that.

That's where you cut in, isn't it, Kerry?

The kitchen is bigger than the kitchen you've got now, but it was the way it was fitted.

That's a real shame, but I could do stuff with that, if I've got the money.

-Does that mean that maybe the second property is the favourite?

-It is the favourite out of the three

and I will definitely keep it on the list and discuss it with Mum and Dad

-and see what they think and maybe go back for a second viewing as well.

-Really?

-Yes.

I think Jas has learnt an awful lot about what she thought she wanted and what she actually wants.

-I think you're right.

-It's been very valuable for you.

-Yes, I agree.

I'm very encouraged by the fact that the second property is of interest.

If nothing else, it serves as something to compare any other properties in that area against.

But do please let us know what your next step is, especially if you

go back to Sandwich and even more so if you go back to that house.

-Yes, of course I will.

-And Kerry, thank you for your help and assistance.

-Thanks.

-It's been interesting.

-Hasn't it just? Good luck.

-Thank you.

Well, for Jas, searching for properties in this part of Kent was a bit like going back to her roots.

I was particularly chuffed when I introduced her to new areas,

especially the area around Sandwich. She seemed quite taken with the place,

but just how taken with the house itself? Well, that remains to be seen.

I think it's a great idea for her to go back to the house and have a second viewing,

especially as she's got ideas of maybe converting into the garage.

No matter what she chooses to do, I'm sure, just like me, you wish her the best of luck.

See you next time.

If you would like to escape to the country in Scotland, Wales,

Northern Ireland or England

and need our help, please apply online at...

Subtitles by Zoe Short Red Bee Media Ltd