Kent Escape to the Country

Welcome to a lofty start to today's Escape To The Country.

What do you get if you combine a writer, a politician

and the remains of an Elizabethan manor?

Well, quite simply, one of the best gardens in the world.

But where are we? Well, join me in just a few moments and I'll show you.

'On today's show, I'll be helping a Canadian couple

'find a new country home for their young family.

'And we've got some choice properties which make them beam with excitement.'

-Love it.

-Yeah?

-Love it.

-Big smiles.

-Yeah.

-Big smiles.

'We also find a place where visiting family could feel right at home.'

They'll think they're at some sort of resort!

'And in the mystery house, I'm feeling the pressure.'

-Come on, make our day!

-Yeah.

Well, today I'm in Kent amidst the glorious surroundings of Sissinghurst Castle.

In 1930, this became home to the writer Vita Sackville-West

and her husband and politician Harold Nicolson.

In the decades that followed, they set about creating

what is now one of the most internationally recognised gardens in Britain.

Later on in the programme, I'll be back here exploring its secrets

and understanding how the unique collaboration of two very distinct individuals

has created the garden that we see today.

'The county of Kent covers some 1,400 square miles

'and sits southeast of Greater London,

'bordering East Sussex, Surrey,

'and includes more than 350 miles of coastline.

'Celebrated as the garden of England,

'for centuries Kent's neatly manicured landscape of farmland,

'hop fields and orchards as well as mesmerising beaches

'has long provided a quick country escape for Londoners.

'And for those with longer-term ambitions,

'it's always been ideally placed as a location to set up home

'and soothe away the stresses of a hectic working day in the city.

'Some of the most iconic places to unwind

'can be found in the many unique oast houses that this region is home to.

'Once used to dry hops,

'many of these old industrial buildings have now been converted into fine residential properties

'that perfectly match the county's rural appeal,

'and their distinctive white cones are a real feature of the Kent skyline.'

Well, with glorious countryside and some excellent transport links into London,

it's no surprise, therefore, that Kent isn't exactly the cheapest county in the country to escape to.

The average family property here will set you back a cool £314,000,

that's £56,000 above the national average,

and that's fuelled by commuter hotspots around Sevenoaks, Royal Tunbridge Wells and Maidstone.

But there is some good news. Head further east to the coast

around Dover, Folkestone, Broadstairs or Margate

and you will get a little bit more for your money.

But wherever you decide to hunt for property down here, one thing you can be assured of,

some fantastic architecture is right on your doorstep.

'The small medieval town of Cranbrook

'is affectionately known as the capital of the Kentish Weald.

'Overlooked by the Union Windmill built back in 1814,

'the town features rows of white weatherboarded houses,

'historically a classic style that the region is known for.

'Prices for this type of home typically start around £600,000

'for a detached four-bedroom property with a substantial garden,

'while for a two-bedroom terraced version with the windmill as a backdrop,

'you could expect to pay upwards of £300,000.

'One of the county's most important building materials must be the Kentish ragstone,

'a bluish-grey limestone quarried close to the Kent Downs.

'This delightful two-bedroom Victorian cottage in Bonnington

'is built using ragstone under a Kent peg tile roof

'and is currently on the market for a fraction under £300,000.'

So as you can see, Kent's rich history has furnished it with some fabulous architectural styles.

A good enough reason, if it were needed, for today's buyers to want to move here.

'Today's mission is very much a family affair.

'Darcy and Nicole are at the helm and they live together with their two young sons, Spencer and Maxwell,

'and their dog, Charlie. But the UK hasn't always been the place they've called home.'

Darcy and I met in 1997

in Vancouver, British Columbia, and that's on the west coast of Canada.

And we moved to southeast London in 2008

where we've been living for the last four and a half years.

And now we're looking to move out to the country.

'Their current home is this semi-detached property

'in a busy Greater London suburb,

'but recently they've been feeling like they've outgrown it.'

We're looking to move now specifically

because we've just had a son, he's five months old,

we have another son that's six,

and we haven't exactly decided that that's the end of the family,

so there is still some negotiations as to whether we add to the brood.

We have four bedrooms currently but we would like that fifth bedroom

because we do have a lot of relatives and friends that come stay with us.

We don't really have the space to house them in right now.

So possibly an annexe would be nice.

'Nicole works for a Canadian finance company in the city but is currently on maternity leave,

'while Darcy is a stay-at-home dad.

'They've chosen the Kent countryside as their ideal place to set up home,

'but for self-confessed city-boy Darcy,

'well, he might need a bit more persuading.'

I grew up on a farm, so I'm quite used to living out in the country.

What I'm trying to convince Darcy is that we don't have to be able to walk to a coffee shop.

So I'm trying to convince him that he can drive to the coffee shop

-and we can go live in the country.

-We're getting there.

'One thing that's sure to make Darcy and Nicole feel more at home in the country

'is the chance to enjoy some of their favourite pastimes.'

I'm an amateur cook now. I've just started taking it up.

I'm not a professional by any means but I do love cooking now,

so I like doing that in my spare time.

I'm an amateur photographer, so I have a camera with a bunch of lenses

that I've recently picked up,

so on the weekends, we are quite often out on adventure days.

'And while our buyers have a shared love of adventure,

'it seems they're not always in tune when it comes to selecting their perfect property.'

I'm a little bit more level-headed in thinking, whereas Darcy's a real romantic.

One of the deal-breakers for me would be low ceilings,

cos I don't want to duck my head under any doorways

or ceilings in rooms, things like that.

'Their house has recently been valued,

'so now they've got a clear idea of what they can spend on their escape to the country.'

The budget for our property search will be £650,000.

'Darcy and Nicole have specified a location near to good local primary schools

'with close proximity to mainline train stations

'for Nicole's daily commute into central London.

'As a result, our house search will stretch throughout the quiet villages

'between Maidstone and Ashford,

'as they have direct services into London taking under an hour.

'So with the location and logistics sorted,

'it's time to rendezvous and find out a little more about their requirements.'

Darcy, Nicole, welcome to Kent.

All the way from Canada!

-But home now is the UK, work for you is in London.

-That's right.

-So this is it for the future.

-Yep.

-We hope so.

-You hope so.

-Yep.

So in terms of English country life, why have you settled on Kent?

My family originally grew up here, my dad's from London,

so we're slightly familiar with the area,

and for Darcy and I, we really enjoy travelling,

so quick access over to Europe

and the airports, because we have a lot of family that comes to visit us.

In terms of the requirements for this home,

there are a few important factors, aren't there, Darcy?

-There are. Ideally a five-bedroom property.

-Yep.

A nice open floor plan with the kitchen/living/dining area all in one, because we like to entertain.

-Young and funky?

-Nicole?

-Yeah.

-Oh, definitely. THEY LAUGH

OK. Now, the outside space... Often people come on this show demanding tens of acres.

-We're not after that, are we?

-No. One, two acres, tops.

But in terms of renovating something to really accommodate you in the way that you envisage,

-are you up for that?

-You bet.

-I think so.

-We're coming in with an open mind.

-Fantastic!

That's exactly what we want you to do.

It's the best place to start when looking for any kind of property, believe you me. Let's go! Follow me!

'Darcy and Nicole haven't given us an extensive wish-list

'but it is very specific.

'For a top budget of £650,000,

'they want a detached and spacious family home

'that offers open-plan living areas, at least five bedrooms

'and ideally it also needs a self-contained annexe

'to accommodate visiting family and friends.

'Outside, they're after a large garden in which their two boys

'and their dog can run around safely to their hearts' content.

'We've got three fantastic country home

'which will hopefully put a smile on our buyers' faces.

'And at each one, I'll be asking them to guess the price before I reveal it.

'The last option is, of course, the mystery house,

'and when they see it, I'm hoping they'll be beaming.

'We're kicking off our house search in the village of Westwell,

'which has a mainline train station nearby

'offering high-speed access to central London

'and a choice of well-regarded primary schools.

'Westwell itself is a sought-after rural location

'in a conservation area of the North Downs.

'It features a church believed to be 13th century in origin and a welcoming country pub.

'And on the edge of the village,

'boasting some of the most incredible views across the Kent countryside, is our first house.'

There we are.

-Property number one for you.

-Hm.

-It's gorgeous.

-Impressive.

It's about 1960s or so,

but they've sited it to really take advantage of the view that way,

which just envelopes the whole thing.

-That's stunning.

-Mm. Gorgeous.

-Yeah?

-I like.

-We're off to a good start.

-Happy? Awesome.

-Great start.

-Come on, then.

'This glorious setting is the best introduction we could have to a property,

'and there are very high expectations as we step inside.'

Let's start in here.

We've teased you with the view.

-Ohh. Beautiful.

-But as picture windows go,

I think that's the best I've ever seen, actually.

-Yeah. It's like a postcard.

-Gorgeous.

-Isn't it?

-It is.

-Your own widescreen view of the Kent countryside.

-Yeah.

-Love it.

-Yeah? We've also got you this little conservatory,

which goes out to the garden, as you can see.

-And a working fireplace, so you can cosy up in the winter.

-Oh, that's nice.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Like.

-You like?

-Yep.

-OK.

-Good start.

-Good start, right. Let's continue through here.

-So next door to the main living room is this dedicated snug.

-Mm-hm.

I'm thinking of you and Maxwell cosied up watching that.

I could do that. THEY LAUGH

We'd probably make this more of like an office, computer, photography, working room.

Ah, well, you don't have to, cos you've got a dedicated study next door.

-Oh!

-Which is the same size as this.

-All right!

That's why I think it's worth us stopping off in here,

because you don't have to double up and it does extend the living space considerably if you work it out.

-That's nice.

-But the kitchen I think is where this house really starts to come together.

-OK.

-Look at this.

Tell me what you think of this.

-Oh, hello!

-Excellent!

-Yeah!

-That's brought a smile, you see?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-It's a nice kitchen.

-Very nice.

-This is a relatively recent extension.

It's given us this lovely kitchen/diner

and a very nice master en suite upstairs, which we'll have a look at shortly.

But I think, in terms of young, funky, busy, family room,

-this works a treat.

-Yep.

-Utility room through here.

-OK.

-So all the other white goods, washing machine, et cetera, in there.

-Yep.

-They've put in a new decking area out there,

which again is making use of the view,

and a bit of al fresco and so on.

I mean, we don't, of course, have a separate dining room for you.

-No formal dining room.

-Does that matter?

Would that be big enough when everybody's here?

-Yeah.

-I think so.

-We could make it work.

'The ground floor also benefits from a cloakroom just off the reception hall.

'Upstairs there's a modern family bathroom and four large bedrooms.

One is a bright and neutral double, useful as a guest room,

and there are two other doubles perfect for their young children. That just leaves the master.'

But this is the one that we have in mind for you.

-Oh, that's nice with the balcony outside.

-Very nice. Very bright.

-Yeah.

-Also gives you your en suite.

-Yep.

-Very nice.

-And walk-in wardrobe over there.

-OK.

-Walk-in wardrobe.

-Yep.

But the balcony's quite a nice touch. Again, making use of the views.

-And it just gives you your little bit of space.

-Absolutely.

'There isn't a fifth bedroom here, which I know is something important to Darcy and Nicole,

'but this house stands in a large plot that could be further extended,

'with the right planning permissions, of course.

'But any building works would depend on the price being right.

'So let's get outside and figure it all out.'

In terms of garden size,

-this is the biggest bit, the kind of play area, I suppose.

-OK.

For the boys and Charlie the dog.

-But...

-This is nice. It's contained so you don't lose sight of kids and dogs.

-Very child-proof.

There is also that little gate, which goes up to a bit of woodland that you also own.

So, property number one.

Let's think about your budget of £650,000, Nicole.

Who's going to go first?

-Go on, Darcy, what do you think?

-I'm going to take a stab at it.

I'm going to say 615.

£615,000.

Nicole?

I'm going to go... 590.

-590!

-Ooh, optimistic.

Optimistic, yeah. Well, who knows?

It could be yours for 598.

-Oh!

-You see?

-We have kind of raced through it.

-OK.

Go and take your time now, explore it at your leisure,

-and see if you can't figure out how to work with the space that's on offer.

-OK. Excellent.

-I'll catch up with you later.

-Sounds good.

-Off you go. Brilliant.

Well, there we are, property number one. Great start. And I think great view.

'Comfortably under-budget at £598,000,

'our first home is a large, detached and extended country house

'with outstanding panoramic views.

'The property comes with three reception rooms,

'a spacious kitchen/diner,

'four double bedrooms and well-tended gardens

'in a plot that extends to about half an acre

'with its own private area of enclosed woodland.'

House number one for me was a good start.

It's an absolutely gorgeous property.

The sitting room had the window, the view, it's absolutely what we're looking for,

but I started to get a bit worried about the size of the rooms.

I think that we need something with a little bit more space.

I enjoyed the house. It gave me a good feeling when I first walked in the door.

The kitchen in particular I really enjoyed.

It was very well done. It's fairly open-plan, so you can do a lot of entertaining in there.

Of course, the view. You can't forget about the view. It's stunning here.

-After you, sir.

-Thank you very much.

-Madam.

-Thank you.

I'd make a really good butler. I spend my life opening and closing doors for people.

But it's always a pleasure. That was property number one.

-Happy so far?

-Yep. Off to a good start.

-Very good start.

All right, then. Two more to come. Let's go this way.

'Named Cantia by the Romans back in the first century AD,

'Kent's lush green landscape became known as the garden of England during the Tudor period.

'But the county's history has also been defined by the sea,

'with a number of significant ports that have protected the coast since medieval times.

'As Darcy and Nicole have expressed an interest in adventurous family days out,

'earlier in the week we sent them for a seafaring experience

'at the historic dockyard of Chatham.

'In a prime spot on the banks of the River Medway,

'this port has played a vital role in supporting the Royal Navy for over 400 years

'and is also home to one of only two working paddle steamers in the UK.

'Our buyers met up with Captain John Megoran

'who has been at the helm of this vintage vessel for more than 30 years.'

-Hi. Nice to meet you.

-Nice to meet you.

-Nice to meet you, as well.

Welcome to Kingswear Castle. She's a coal-fired paddle steamer, one of very few left in the world.

-Well, shall we go for a trip? Would you like to come on board?

-Absolutely.

-Love to.

-This way.

'The Kingswear Castle was actually built in Devon in 1924

'for service on the River Dart, but she now runs excursions here in Kent.

'Historically, this stretch of the Medway was used to ferry holidaymakers to seaside hotspots

'such as Southend, Clacton and Ramsgate.'

Here we are in the engine room. We have a nice steam engine on one side

and we have a lovely coal-fired boiler on the other.

-How is the coal fed into that?

-Coal is fed in by people who throw it in.

People like you, maybe.

There's a spade there and there's gloves there

-in this health and safety conscious world.

-Yes.

We've got a shovel over there and we've got a bunker full of two tons of coal.

So you get a nice shovel full of coal.

'This beautifully restored paddle steamer

'was withdrawn from service in 1965

'but was rescued and renovated by the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society,

'a charity founded in 1959

to help preserve these iconic pleasure boats.'

WHISTLE BLOWS

Steering a ship is just like steering a car.

The key thing is just lining the mast up with something in the distance.

-So there you are, have a go.

-Excellent.

-Off you go.

-So steady as she goes.

-THEY LAUGH

'Well, having charted new territory out on the water,

'let's get back on course and continue with our property hunt.

'Our next destination is the village of Shadoxhusrt,

'within easy reach of Ashford's high-speed rail connection into London

'and close to some good primary schools.

'A quiet country village on the Kent Weald,

'Shadoxhurst has a number of buildings of architectural interest,

'including a 13th century church.

'Now, our first property, grandiose though it may have been to many,

'seemed a bit too cosy for Darcy and Nicole.

'So our next job is to up the ante with an even bigger home for house number two.'

Now, property number two is a very different package to property number one, as you can see.

There you are. What do you think?

-It's beautiful.

-Impressive.

-There's a lot of it.

Just to put it in context, what we've got is a lovely Victorian farmhouse, as you can see.

That has five bedrooms in it.

It also has, tucked away in this new wing,

which comprises these three double garages, too,

a bona fide two-bedroom annexe.

The only thing I would say to you is that, beautiful as it is,

it is probably not young and funky.

OK? So what I want to see from you is what you would do with it

-if I were to give you the keys tomorrow.

-Hm.

But there is a lot to see.

-OK.

-Let's start with the annexe.

-Sounds good.

'As well as more square footage,

'this period farmhouse could offer our buyers the flexibility they're after.

'So let's see if it might work for them.'

So we'll start in here. This is the living room of the annexe.

As you can see, kitchen running off it.

One of the double bedrooms in there, they've got a twin set up at the moment,

but the other one is very similar, and the bathroom that goes with it.

So would the guests be happy?

As soon as they walk in, they'll think they're at some sort of resort.

-It's very nice.

-It's separate from the main building.

You're joined with that covered link, which is nice,

so whatever the weather is doing... Again, it's space and how you use it.

'One end of the annexe is attached to triple garages

'which have been converted into useful office space and a games room.

'The other side of the annexe is linked to the main house via a long hallway

'accessing a utility room and the kitchen/breakfast room,

'which is where we've stopped off next.'

Again, think about it in terms of space.

-Yeah, it's a good size.

-Very good size.

We'd just have to take it out and start over.

-The other thing is, this also has a separate dining room.

-OK.

-Which is through here.

So you could have quite a grand life if you really want to.

You'll see what I mean. Let's go and check out the living room.

-I mean, anywhere else, this would be quite a nice living room, but this is just the hallway.

-Wow.

And this is the living room.

-Ah!

-Wow!

-Yeah?

-This is...

-This is more like it.

-Yeah.

-This is more like it.

-Big.

The size is what really gets me. Nice and big.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-Double doors out there to the patio

-at the rear of the property itself.

-You could make it your own.

-Blank canvas, really.

Well, as I said to you on the outside, space is not an issue here.

There's also a snug down here. You've got the hallway itself.

-Bags of room.

-Big smiles.

-Big smiles!

-Yeah.

-They will continue upstairs, I'm sure.

-Excellent.

-Let's have a look at this.

'On the first floor, the space continues to impress,

'with a family bathroom that even has enough room for an armchair.

'And there are five bedrooms to choose from.

'The smallest is currently being used as an office, then there are two similar sized doubles,

'one of which has dual-aspect windows.

'The fourth is a very light, elegant double.

'And last but definitely not least is the main bedroom.'

So, is this a Canadian master?

-Ooh, yeah!

-Yeah. We could fit in here.

-Almost as big as the living room!

-Isn't it just?

-Well, it's above the living room, which probably gives it away, but it's a whopper.

-Yes.

-It has to be said.

-Very nice.

-The other thing to say about this room

is that you have got an en suite, which is just in here.

-Have a look at that.

-Good size.

As I said as we wandered into this property, there is nothing about this which is tiny.

And I think you'll agree, now we've seen most of it,

-it would accommodate you.

-It has the size, for sure, yep.

-Yeah?

-We could put our own mark on it.

-Yeah. Good.

'Well, room sizes seem to fit and they're not adverse to renovating,

'but their enthusiasm seems to have dipped a little.

'Outside, the majority of the garden is to the front of the property,

'bordered by shrubs and plants.

'So let's take in the grounds and see if the price will pique their interest once again.'

So, as promised, let's have this always slightly challenging conversation

about the money.

At the back of the property, we've not seen this bit yet, you can see just how big it is.

So, Darcy, £650,000 to play with.

Where are we with property number two?

I'm going to say around 645.

-I'm forever the optimist.

-SHE LAUGHS

-I'm going to go 615.

-Ohh! That's very optimistic!

I'm afraid your husband

-is nearly right this time.

-Yes! Thank you!

This could be yours for £650,000.

-OK.

-Oh.

-OK? So it's one-all.

-Yep.

-Yep.

-One-all on the price guesses.

But, of course, there is one little bit you haven't yet seen.

-That's the converted office space. Have a look at that.

-OK.

-And I'll catch up with you later.

-OK, sounds good.

-Somewhere in there.

Undoubtedly, we'll all get lost, cos it's enormous!

'Bang on budget at £650,000,

'the second house is practically a property of two halves.

'The main Victorian residence has three reception rooms,

'a large kitchen/diner and five spacious double bedrooms.

'But it's also linked to a self-contained two-bedroom annexe.

'So the whole package gives them lots of rooms,

'and more importantly, lots of options.'

House number two, er, well, size-wise is bang on.

Nice big rooms. And even the bonus of having the two-bedroom annexe

to the side there, which is a complete bonus.

House number two, for me, was surprising. I could see a blank canvas.

Pros, the big rooms, the space, the extra bedrooms.

Cons, I'm not a fan of the front garden.

It's not really a lawn that you could have the kids playing football in.

It's more of a gardener's lawn than what we're looking for.

Here you are! Hurrah! I thought you'd actually gotten lost in there.

I think this has been quite interesting.

-Yeah.

-Very.

-Surprisingly so.

-Good!

-It just keeps going.

-It does, doesn't it? It goes on and on and on.

-As, indeed...

-Do we.

-..do we. Come on.

'As the sun sets across the Kent meadows,

'the first day of our property search draws to a close.

'With a budget of £650,000

'Canadian-born Darcy and Nicole

'want to leave their southeast London suburban house

'to raise their two young sons in the Kent countryside.

'So far, we've taken them to two incredible family homes.

'But despite their gargantuan proportions, they didn't quite hit the mark.

'But could what's coming up in the mystery house completely turn the tide?'

-I thought I was supposed to be the emotional one.

-I know. And now I'm getting all...

'And I'll be experiencing a pocket of Kent that's blooming marvellous.'

Well, when we started our house search yesterday morning, I was feeling pretty optimistic,

but now, if I'm honest, I'm beginning to have my doubts.

I'm not entirely sure that either Nicole or Darcy

know exactly what it is they're looking for.

But two houses in, we've got one more to come, of course. It's mystery house time!

Hopefully that will do the trick.

So far, we've shown you a couple of properties

-which have been, relatively speaking, remote.

-Mm.

So we were wondering if a slice of village life might be appealing.

-What do you think about that?

-Yeah, it'd be good.

Maybe we could walk the kids to school

or be able to pop out and grab your groceries at the end of the day.

'Your wish is our command, as there's a primary school

'within walking distance from our mystery house, which is in the village of Marden.

'There's also a mainline train station for Nicole's commute into London.

'And in true country style,

'there's a traditional farm shop in the village, the perfect place to start.'

How about this, then? A shop full of local produce.

And this is Bev, who runs it.

-Tell us, Marden is a nice place to be, isn't it?

-It's a wonderful village to live in.

It's very vibrant. You're very close to so many things.

You're close to the beach, to France, and especially to London.

But there's a lot going on. There are lots of clubs, some pubs and restaurants.

You're just close to everything here.

-Who's a fan of strawberries?

-Absolutely.

Yes? Right, let's have a box of strawberries, Bev.

And as we're here, let's get a cake,

-because this may come in useful later on.

-Oh, yes.

When we have a little chat about the future.

There we are. Let's have a cake and some strawberries. Lovely!

-Let's hope we've found you some new customers!

-THEY LAUGH

'But before the dessert, let's serve up the main course - our mystery house.'

-What do you think of that one?

-Very cool.

-Yeah?

-Very interesting.

-Never been in an oast house before.

We couldn't really come to Kent without showing you one of these. Come on, then, follow me.

'Believed to date back to 1854,

'this fascinating oast house was converted into a fabulous family home around 1950.

'It isn't listed but it does contain many fine period features.

'And one thing's for sure - the bones of this old industrial building

'are exposed in all their glory.'

-Wow.

-You like?

-Very nice.

-Let's start in here.

-This is your formal dining room.

-Wow.

-Look at the smiles!

-Wow!

-The beams.

-The beams!

-Love the beams.

-I love it.

Arguably, this is the most characterful of the properties we've been able to show you

in terms of history and heritage, and I'm beginning to think we've missed a trick.

-Maybe we should've started with history.

-I know.

-Yeah.

-The whole young, funky thing threw me a little bit.

-Yeah.

-Yeah! OK, so this is working?

-It is working.

-Definitely.

-Yeah.

-Smiles all around.

You see? History's working. It often does.

Follow me back through here.

-There we are. More dining space.

-Wow.

-If it were needed.

-Nice.

-Very impressed.

-Yeah?

It's been done very well.

This is just the dining end. The rest of the kitchen itself is through here.

-There you are.

-Ah!

-Oh, wow!

-It's cute!

-Cute?

-Yeah.

-Very nice.

-Kind of feels like a real chef's kitchen with the wood blocks and the stove there.

-Yes, that's a pretty industrial look, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-It is, yeah.

But I like that. I think it's quite a bold bit of contemporary

-in this otherwise quite old building.

-OK.

-Yeah.

-It'll work.

-It'll work!

-I think this is...

-I can see myself spending a lot of time in here.

-Yeah. But you do need somewhere to relax.

-Yes.

-And that's through here.

-What about this, Nicole?

-Ooh! The beams again.

-Yeah!

-Very nice!

-That's beautiful.

-Feels like a family room.

-And through here, there is this enormous garden room.

-I didn't see that.

-Yeah. And there's a play area for the children,

family gatherings, doors out onto the garden, which we'll see later on.

It just really doubles, effectively, the living room space that the house offers...

-Yeah.

-..in a really clever way. So, good, I'm really pleased!

-Yeah!

-Yeah.

-I'm really pleased. So are you.

-Definitely.

-I thought I was supposed to be the emotional one.

-I know, and now I'm getting all...

-This is a good sign, I suspect.

-THEY LAUGH

'What a great reaction to our mystery house.

'And while more detail almost seems irrelevant,

'there is also a handy utility room downstairs next to a cloakroom.

'So, that's the ground floor covered.

'Upstairs, there are two more levels and four more bedrooms to explore.

'At the very top, in the oast roof space, is a twin bedroom,

'and then down a level, the first floor is served by both a large and stylish family bathroom

'and a shower room - ideal for visiting guests.

'This floor also has three bedrooms, including a huge double with handy built-in storage

'and a smaller bedroom, being used as a play room.

'But now, finally, the master.'

-This would be for you.

-Oh!

-Good size.

-The beams!

-Yeah, I know!

-Very nice.

-Yeah.

-This is perfect.

It has enough character that you can almost imagine anything, really,

but putting your own furniture in it, it would be...

A bit of a novelty to start, but I can definitely see how you would make it a home.

We always thought we wanted a finished, contemporary house that was done,

-and now we're...

-Open-plan... And now look!

-Now look what you've done to us.

-We're stepping back in time almost.

-It's a proper research trip, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Good!

'Well, what a turn up for the books.

'And outside has even more potential.'

-How about it?

-Yeah.

-It's huge!

-Isn't it enormous?

-Perfect.

Now, as we've just seen, the four bedrooms may be of some concern.

My thought, you've got this lovely garage here behind us,

plenty of space in it. Depending on how much you need a garage,

obviously, subject to the right conversation with the local planning authority,

but you might be able to accommodate a bit more bedroom space, as it were, in there

as a sort of guest house.

OK. Absolutely.

All right, then, let's draw this to a close.

-So, madam?

-I don't think I can be quite as optimistic in my guess this time.

-No, I don't think so.

-No. OK, I'm going to go £685,000.

685. Darcy?

I will also slightly go over-budget and I'll say 670.

-Come on, make our day!

-Yeah! THEY LAUGH

All right. I don't know if this is going to make your day or not.

Erm, this would be yours for

-£669,950.

-Oh, OK!

-It's an immaculate house. It's gorgeous.

-Yeah.

-Right, then. Off you go.

-All right.

-I'll catch up with you later.

Look at that! No stopping them! They're rushing back in there!

And I don't blame them. It's a wonderful property, this.

And take it from somebody who's grown up with a real love of history,

the past is often perfect.

'Priced just over their budget at just under £670,000,

'the mystery property is a mid-19th century converted oast house

'that achieves that fine balance of history and character with a contemporary twist.

'It has two reception rooms, both brimming with beams,

'a cool kitchen/breakfast room and four bedrooms.

'What's more, it's located in the heart of a village

'within walking distance of all the essential amenities.'

We thought we wanted a contemporary build, something that's finished,

but it turns out we love character and we love beams,

which is great. It's nice to have our minds changed like that, opened up to something new.

The real sort of older English country feel to the house

is something I didn't realise that I wanted before.

On the downside, I'm just not too sure it has the bedroom space we're looking for.

We really do need five bedrooms, and five big bedrooms at that.

I tell you, we could do so much with this back garden.

-We could put a hot tub up on that deck.

-A nice pool in the middle there.

Hot tubs, pools.

Well, on a day like this, guys, I can't blame you.

It's a really nice idea.

But you're going to have to leave it there for the moment. I'm going to drag you away.

-You've got a lot to think about.

-We do.

-Yeah, you do. Come on, let's go and get a cold drink somewhere.

'For me, a tour of Kent wouldn't be complete

'without a visit to the gardens at Sissinghurst Castle.

'They were created in the 1930s by the novelist and poet Vita Sackville-West

'and her politician husband Harold Nicolson.

'The garden was first opened to the public in 1938

'and I made my first trip here a decade ago.

'But I simply couldn't pass up the chance to explore it all over again with head gardener Lexi Datta.'

Lex, many people will have heard of Vita Sackville-West and her husband Harold Nicolson

thanks to their work in literature and politics.

But this garden here was a very private creation, wasn't it?

It was, yeah. They made it for themselves. It was very much their own home.

But when they came here, it looked nothing like this.

All these lovely old medieval and Tudor buildings were completely derelict.

Yeah, the whole place was derelict. It was in terrible condition

and Harold really was the man for the design and layout, which is incredibly clever,

-and she was the romantic who planted all the flowers.

-Where shall we start?

-Let's go into the rose garden.

-Right, then. After you.

'Despite its title, Sissinghurst Castle is actually a former Elizabethan manor house,

'believed to date back to the late 1400s,

'though only remnants of the original structure are still standing today.'

What's lovely though, Lex,

is the way that the remains of the old building just lift the garden, don't they?

Yeah, you look at these beautiful old walls

and the window, part of the original windows,

and the doorways, they add so much to it.

Well, this is just looking sensational, Lex.

-We've definitely come at the right time of year.

-Yeah.

What's growing on that lovely curved wall at the back there?

Oh, yeah, that is clematis Perle d'Azur.

There's about five or six plants in there and they're just coming into flower now.

Beautiful. But the wall itself, that was a Harold idea.

It was, yeah. He travelled a lot, both of them travelled a lot in Europe and in the Middle East.

-But there's definitely a classical undertone here.

-Yes.

-He was a classicist.

-In the detailing, in the form,

-in the perspective, in the proportions.

-Absolutely.

To me, that's what makes it really special.

'Spanning many centuries, monarchs and uses,

'the property and gardens passed into the hands of the National Trust in the 1960s.

'But they are undoubtedly best remembered as the family home of Vita and Harold.

'However, theirs was a somewhat unorthodox marriage, to say the least,

'and their bohemian lifestyle and private parties,

'to which these immaculate gardens were the backdrop, only adds to the mystique and romanticism here.'

One of the features of this garden that I've always admired and loved

is this idea that all the paths kind of lead you somewhere.

Yes, and there's usually an urn or a vista at the other end of it

to pique your interest, really.

-So here we are in the white garden.

-This is beautiful.

I think most people coming here are left with an indelible impression of this garden.

But what is it in your mind that really sets it above all others?

In my mind, the buildings and the history

and the age of the beautiful walls really adds a lot to Sissinghurst.

When you're here working, do you ever feel that you've got Vita and Harold looking over your shoulder?

I think about them sometimes, yeah, and I hope that she would be looking over my shoulder

-and I hope she'd be approving.

-I think she would be.

-She'd have to be!

-Yeah, thanks.

-THEY LAUGH

Well, from one stately pile to another. This is Finchcocks,

built in the early 18th century for a local lawyer.

I thought it was the perfect place for my final conversation with Nicole and Mr Darcy.

Well, how about this, chaps? We thought we'd set the scene

with a bit of Pride And Prejudice for you.

Well, I am Mr Darcy, after all, so it's a fine location.

A fine location. Sadly, not available for sale,

not even for £650,000.

But, of course, the burning question is have we managed to find you a property that would suit?

So just casting your minds back to property number one

with those, well, staggering views, really.

What are your thoughts now you've had time to really consider it?

Erm, beautiful house, very well done.

The views were stunning, to die for.

But I think we're looking for a little bit more house.

We want to be able to grow into the house, and I think that that one was a little bit capped on size for us.

-Hm.

-I think personally, for me, the location of it.

It felt a bit isolated for myself.

-I'd like to be closer to a village.

-OK.

Well, space was one of the burning issues throughout this house search.

Property number two had loads of it!

Seven bedrooms in all, including, of course, the two-bed annexe and kitchen area and all the rest of it.

-What are your thoughts on that one?

-Gorgeous house,

but that was at the top end of our budget and it really needed a lot of work.

Being the non-gardeners that we are,

I think we wouldn't do that garden justice.

-But as you say, it would require a makeover...

-Yes.

-..to make it yours, really.

-Yeah.

But at that stage, I was very much in the mode of you wanting something very, very contemporary

and quite modern-feeling. I loved the mystery house

but I was a bit nervous when we went there,

because I thought, "Is this going to be too old?"

But I was completely wrong, wasn't I?

I was surprised when we walked in. It turns out what we wanted

wasn't quite what we wanted, I don't think.

We loved the beams, we loved the character of it inside,

and although it was contemporary in some parts,

it just had the history and it really felt good.

I had a good feeling when I walked inside, which is what I wanted to have.

I definitely think we're going to go back and look at that mystery house again,

have a look at the outside space, see if we can convert that to extra living space,

have another walk-through, because I think you could tell from the smiles on our faces

-that there was a real romance when we walked through the door.

-You lit up like a pair of Christmas trees!

But that's very interesting because, as you say,

you've found what you kind of didn't want.

It changed our view

-so, you know, we really didn't think that's what we were looking for.

-As a mystery house should.

I'm really pleased. And much relieved, I have to say,

-cos I was beginning to wonder if we would eventually get there.

-Yeah.

Good. Well, go and have another look at it, let us know how you get on,

-and I really hope it works out for you.

-Thank you.

-Appreciate it.

-And in the meantime, remember this cake?

-Ah, yes!

-Let's get into this!

Well, I think you'll agree that this week has been pretty revealing for Darcy and for Nicole.

Not only have they figured out that they now want what they thought they didn't want,

they've also got a pretty good idea of what £650,000 will get them

here in the glorious Kent countryside.

Just to put that in context, when this little beauty was built back in 1725,

it cost just £5,000.

Makes you realise just how times have changed.

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