Suffolk Escape to the Country

Today, I'm at one of Britain's oldest lifeboat stations.

But where am I? Find out in just a few moments.

'On today's show, I'm property shopping with a couple

'who clearly have differences of opinion from the start.'

The sort of place I'm looking for. I've got to talk my wife into it.

'I also join in the charm offensive to convince the other half.'

-Beautifully presented, but...

-You've got a "but" as well. I'll keep going and power through the "buts".

'Even so, the fighting talk continues to the last.'

We'll have an arm-wrestle to see if we like it or not.

Today, I'm in Suffolk and these brave men and women

are the volunteers of the Lowestoft RNLI station.

This, the North Sea, is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world

and Lowestoft's finest have been watching over these seas since 1801.

Later on, I'll be taking the plunge and volunteering myself,

but in the meantime, why don't you soak up some of Suffolk's other highlights?

The East Anglian county of Suffolk is bordered by three other counties

with some 40 miles of Heritage Coast on its eastern fringes that look out over the North Sea.

Along this glorious stretch of water, the ever popular resort of Southwold is characterised

by a kaleidoscope of beach huts, elegant Georgian architecture

and taking centre stage, a historic lighthouse

that started service in 1890 and still stands in full working order.

Further south in the attractive seaside town of Aldeburgh,

fishermen land and sell their catch on the shingle beaches, as have many generations before them.

Aside from Suffolk's timeless coastline, it was the countryside

that inspired one of our greatest artists.

The pastoral landscape close to the Essex border

was lovingly immortalised in hundreds of paintings by John Constable.

And it's a refreshing experience to witness the serenity he captured first hand,

for it seems that little has changed here in the 200 years since his last brushstrokes.

The price of the average detached house here in Suffolk

is currently just under £243,000.

That's eight grand less than the national figure,

so there really is plenty of good value on offer here,

particularly if you're after an historic, listed home as there are 12,500 in this county.

Do be warned, if you head towards the coast to areas like Aldeburgh or Southwold, it is a bit more pricey.

An average detached house there is 40% higher than the national average,

but head inland and your money will go that bit further

if you go to a market town like Bungay or Beccles.

But wherever you're looking in this beautiful county, there are plenty of architectural styles on offer.

Throughout the county, numerous shades of custom Suffolk pink cottages

paint a pleasant property picture,

such as this sweet thatch in the pretty rural village of Milden

that comes with three bedrooms and a £350,000 price tag.

But if pink's not your thing, there are many black, weather-boarded barn conversions to choose from.

Traditionally painted with tar, they have a commanding presence in the agricultural landscape.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the textile industry was big business in Suffolk

and the medieval town of Lavenham has many timber-framed houses, once home to affluent wool merchants.

One such gem is this three-bedroom, Grade One listed property with an overhanging first storey.

This home also benefits from a two-bed, self-catering wing

and as a whole comes with a guide price of £950,000.

The rich mix of properties on offer should certainly be of interest to today's buyers, so let's meet them.

Keith and Sheila are Londoners at heart who moved out to Hertfordshire as their family grew.

Their story started in Stoke Newington where they chanced upon each other over 40 years ago.

We met through a mutual friend.

He went out with one of my girlfriends before me,

so I knew of him.

There you go, you see. She drove in the six-inch nails and I've been with her ever since.

Keith spent his working life as a chauffeur and Sheila was a school bursar, but now they're retired,

the time has come for a complete change of lifestyle.

Now's a good time to move because we are debt-free,

we have no mortgage.

We want to release some capital as a lot of people do of our age.

And we want to do other things with her lives.

And with the cash they free up, there's a pretty big purchase near the top of their shopping list.

When we move, it would be nice to get what I call a "day boat".

It would be nice to be able to go back to the water again and take the boat out when I wanted to,

so a little bit of room for a boat somewhere or other would be very, very handy.

When they're not on the water, there are many more activities to keep them busy on dry land.

The main pastime is golf. I try and play golf twice a week.

And I also belong to an art society.

We exhibit once a year and I'm usually lucky enough to sell a couple.

One of the bedrooms will be turned into a studio. I'll always continue that. I'll never, ever stop painting.

For 16 years, this five-bed, semi-detached house in Cheshunt has been home,

but now their two children are grown up and it's just the two of them, many rooms have become redundant.

We've got to downsize. It's just too big for us now.

We would prefer a bungalow, not too much ground with it,

but enough to walk round it, something like that.

I mean, I wouldn't mind a house,

but Keith would prefer a bungalow.

He's thinking more in the future

when we're old and grey and can't get up a flight of stairs.

I think, "If you don't use it, you lose it."

Despite their self-confessed character differences, they are united about their housing horrors.

We really don't want period houses. We don't want thatch and we don't want beams. We really, really don't.

This house is a lovely, light house and we want to continue that theme.

All we need to find out is what figure they've earmarked for their Suffolk move.

The budget for our move is £350,000.

'Ideally, Keith and Sheila want to be within an hour and a half's drive

'of their daughter and grandchildren back in Hertfordshire,

'so we'll focus our property hunt in the beautiful villages near Bury St Edmunds in the west of the county.

'It's on Suffolk soil where we're meeting up to get better acquainted.'

Sheila and Keith, thank you for bringing me to Suffolk.

-Gorgeous day. The sun's out, but it's a bit nippy.

-Yes, a bit windy.

It's still a beautiful county. What brings the two of you here?

It's more our type of place, if you like.

It's going to be quiet, it's going to be a bit of a challenge for us.

We've got friends up here as well, so we're going to enjoy it.

-Have you been looking for a long time?

-About a year.

We've not seen that many properties. We just mainly tend to look on the internet and at home.

-It's always different when you get out there and have a look at something.

-It is.

-Without a doubt.

-What are the three must-haves?

-Preferably, a bungalow in my view.

The wife doesn't mind a house. I don't mind a house if it's the right house.

It must have a bigger space like a double garage.

-Near a village.

-And I understand we need to be kind of close to water for you?

It doesn't have to be right on the water,

but I would like to go back to boating.

We used to have a boat a number of years ago

and never had time to use it enough, really,

and, obviously, now we've retired, we'll be able to do that as much as we want.

So how much have we got to spend to achieve all of this?

-£350,000.

-OK.

Suffolk is a great county, lots on offer and I think that's a very good budget,

although finding a bungalow/house is going to be my biggest challenge.

-LAUGHTER It could be.

-It could be a bit tricky. Shall we get started?

Yeah, why not?

'For a top budget of £350,000, our buyers are after a detached property

'with at least three bedrooms that allows for family to stay and somewhere for Sheila's art studio.

'Inside, they'd like light, spacious living areas

'and outside, along with a manageable garden, Keith needs a double garage

'that has enough scope to park a small pleasure boat,

'but it remains to be seen whether we favour a house or a bungalow.

'With that in mind, we have a fantastic range of properties which we hope will appeal to both buyers,

'but I won't be revealing the price of each until they've had a guess first.

'To top it all off, there's the mystery house which will hopefully bring harmony on every level.'

'The good news is that Keith and Sheila's Hertfordshire property is now under offer,

'so time is of the essence to find them their new home.

'We're getting our search under way in the village of Great Barton

'within 90 minutes' drive of their daughter's family and just a few miles away from Bury St Edmunds.

'Our buyers should have no fear of being too isolated as this market town is right on their doorstep

'and the shops and amenities within its historic civic buildings should please artistic Sheila.

'Back on the rural fringes of Great Barton is this brick and flint home we've chosen as our first house.'

Come on up. Have a look at this.

-You get a good view from here...

-Oh!

-..of our first property.

-It looks very pretty.

-"Pretty", I like that.

The front bit that you're looking at was only built in 1993,

-but the back dates back to the 19th century.

-Really?

It was the former gatehouse to a very big manor house.

Dinky, though. It looks like a Dinky toy.

I'll be very interested to see inside, actually.

-I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

-I can't wait.

'The good thing is that Keith seems to be keeping an open mind,

'even though our first offering is obviously on two levels.

'Let's see how things unfold inside.'

It's straight through into the kitchen/diner.

Very nice, yes.

-Yes, I like this.

-Yes, it's quite large, isn't it?

They've opened up this space. You've got the two parts, but it's a good indicator

of the old part of the property. You've got the 19th century over here, original flooring down there,

-then you've got the new.

-Yes, it blends very well.

-It's very similar to ours.

-Yeah.

-Yeah, very nice.

Tucked round the end there, you've got quite a good utility room.

-It's handy. It's always good to have that, so you can keep your laundry out that way.

-Yeah.

'So far our couple seem suitably impressed by the sympathetic blend of old and new.

'That feel continues across on the other side

'in reception areas that include a snug being used as a study and the main lounge.'

Right, so, this is the living room.

Yes, yes... Just a square.

I'm just so used to a huge lounge. It takes a little bit of getting used to.

I don't think it's the actual size of the room.

Because the ceilings are a little bit on the low side, it makes it seem smaller than it probably is.

-Hmm.

-You know?

-But it's very nice.

-We're back in the older part of the house.

-Yeah.

-More of a cottagey feeling.

-Yeah, and you're going to get the smaller windows in this style of house.

'Sadly, Sheila's interest seems to be waning after seeing those features and proportions.

'But there is plenty space upstairs where there are three double bedrooms and a family bathroom.

'One is kitted out for a boy and another as a guest room with dual aspect windows.

'That just leaves the largest bedroom.'

-Right, in we come to the master bedroom.

-Right.

-I can see you're already having to duck through that doorway.

-I did have to duck.

-One day, you're going to hit your head on that.

-It depends how many you've had the night before.

-Yes.

-This is a large bed, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-It is a large bed.

-So is there an en-suite?

-I thought you'd ask that! "Where are the wardrobes or is there an en-suite?"

-The en-suite is just through there. Have a look.

-OK.

The current owners have put that in as well and I think they've done a good job.

-That's lovely.

-It's very, very nice.

-It is a beautiful property.

-They've done a great job.

-They have.

-Let's have a look outside because we've only seen a part of that.

-We've got to find space for your boat.

-Yes, please.

-We nearly forgot about that. Come on.

'The majority of the garden spreads itself out to the front of the property and is mainly laid to lawn,

'but with self-sufficiency elements as there's a chicken coop and an established vegetable plot.'

I promised we'd talk about space for your boat. Round the side there, there is a garage.

It's single, but it's got a good bit of width either side.

Now it's time for you to tell me how much you think this is on the market for.

-Well...

-Do you want to go first?

I'd say around about our asking price, maybe a bit more. 360?

OK.

And I would say just under. 340?

-Oh! You've gone under.

-Yeah.

-You've both been doing the same property searching, so you've got the same idea.

-Yes.

-On this occasion, I have to say you were closer.

-Right.

-This is on the market at £365,000.

-Only 5,000 out.

-Yeah.

Off you go. Have a wander round. Check out that garage, see if you could fit your boat in.

-I'll come and find you a bit later.

-OK. Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

There we go, house number one.

Quite compact, a bit smaller than they imagined, but they are downsizing.

I was impressed with their guess on the price. They have done their research.

Just creeping above budget at £365,000,

our first property is an extended, detached former gatehouse,

part of which dates back to the early 19th century.

It has been beautifully refurbished throughout.

Outside, the grounds feature a manageable garden with a vegetable plot and a single garage.

I thought the property was absolutely beautiful. It looked really nice.

Inside the property, the ceilings were OK, but a lot of the door frames were very low

and I could honestly see myself unconsciously knocking myself unconscious.

It was a very attractive house in a nice position

and yes, the bedrooms are a very good size.

It really has everything you need.

I think we would have liked a little bit more room around the house.

-That was house number one.

-Lovely.

-I think it was a good start.

-But I suspect you want to see some more.

-Oh, we would.

-Come on, this way.

-OK.

A defining feature of Suffolk's coastline are its five estuaries,

amongst them the Rivers Ore and Alde become one stretch of water,

passing by the towns of Aldeburgh and Orford.

During the Middle Ages, Orford was a major port

and as such, in 1173, Henry II commissioned the building of a castle here,

so given that Sheila and Keith are keen to take to Suffolk's waters when they move,

they are meeting tour guide Christopher Bond

to get a bird's-eye view of Orford's unique maritime geography.

You've now entered the most complete 12th century keep in the country. It's the only one of its kind.

When they built the castle, they more or less built the town with it,

so the town is still laid out how it would have been in medieval times.

What can we see in either direction?

If we look slightly to your left now where the Ness is, there's Havergate Island which is RSPB.

-Right.

-It's a bird sanctuary over there.

If you come over a tiny bit more, then there's the lighthouse which, sadly, will fall into the sea soon.

The natural movement of the sea has shaped the waterways here and created Orford Ness,

the longest vegetated shingle spit in Europe

that was used for bomb practice by the army during the first half of the 20th century,

but is now inhabited by a wide variety of bird life,

so what better way to satisfy our buyers' nautical cravings

than with a boat trip alongside the ten-mile stretch of the Ness

to find out from skipper Peter West about the marine species that make their home here?

Welcome aboard Regardless, a one-hour river trip.

This river way is about 16 miles. It goes from Snape in the north down to Shingle Street in the south.

Nowadays, there's a grass bank that runs all the way around the island.

-Well, on the inside of that, those bomb craters are now fairly shallow, salt water lagoons.

-Right.

The RSPB open up the sluice gates every now and again just to control the salinity levels

to ensure that the vertebrae and the insects that the birds feed on thrive.

Peter, when we move up this way, I'm thinking about getting a little day boat,

16-foot with a little cabin on the front.

There are plenty of boats in the moorings here, but yeah, it's a very safe place to have a boat.

-Is it possible to do a bit of fishing?

-Yeah.

We get all the species in here, cod, whiting, the lot.

This area is one of the most uninhabited stretches of coastline on the east coast of England,

so if you want seclusion, Orford's your place, you know.

'While Keith and Sheila seem buoyed by this view of Suffolk's coastline,

'we must continue to steer them in the direction of their perfect Suffolk home.

'For our second property, we're stretching Keith and Sheila's preferred travel time a little bit.

'Our destination is the village of Rickinghall, two hours' drive from their daughter in Hertfordshire.

'Together with the neighbouring village of Botesdale,

'Rickinghall residents are served by an excellent range of amenities, including a post office,

'a supermarket and a few pubs, but it's a peaceful pocket of the county with many eye-catching buildings,

'one of which is our second property where we're coming down a level.'

-There's one thing that you asked for in particular, Keith.

-That's right.

-A bungalow!

-There you go.

-It wasn't at the top of your wish list!

-You're right, it's a bungalow.

-My first reaction is I like it.

-That's very definite.

Yeah, it looks pretty again.

-Let's have a look inside.

-OK.

'Keith is clearly keen, though Sheila appears to be reserving judgment for now.

'She needn't worry as behind its modest exterior,

'this single-storey home offers very generous accommodation.

'The sleeping quarters are grouped over to one side whilst the living areas are over on the other,

'and we're starting our tour in the main reception room at the back of the property.'

I want to show you this room.

Oh, this is very nice.

-This is a very different kind of "very nice", Sheila.

-Yeah.

-Yes.

-The vibes, the vibes.

-Oh!

-And all the light you were asking for.

-That's right.

-You couldn't get more than that, could you?

-I'm liking the smiles and the warmth in this house.

-I like it. Yeah, I really do.

It's the lightness and openness of it which goes down well.

-It feels very homely.

-Yeah.

-I feel quite confident about this place. Come and have a look at the kitchen.

-OK.

Tell me what you think of this.

-Lovely square kitchen.

-Yeah.

-Yes, nice size.

-It's big enough for a table.

-Exactly, for a table.

The layout is very nice, yeah.

Yeah, definitely.

It's the sort of place I'm looking for. I've got to talk my wife into this.

But I'm sure Sheila will... The more we go round, she'll like it.

-Yeah.

-It does have a really good flow and good energy to it.

-Yeah.

Through there is a great utility space. The larder is huge.

A lot of storage. And then it flows back through to the dining room,

-which was at the front.

-I saw that.

-So everything keeps moving.

-Oh, lovely.

'On this side of the bungalow, there's also the main family bathroom serving four bedrooms,

'the smallest of which is being used as a study.'

-We've got two bedrooms along that corridor.

-Right.

-And this is the master suite.

-Oh!

-Suite?

-Suite.

This is just the beginning of what would be your master bedroom.

-Through there is your en suite.

-Right.

-And through here is where your bedroom is. Come on through.

Yes, yes, I love the spaciousness of it. Yes, yes.

-It's very unusual.

-Yeah.

Basically, I like the layout

and so far what I've seen suits me down to the ground. Very nice.

It suits YOU down to the ground. How about your lovely wife?

We've got to have another arm wrestle to see if we like it or not.

-Is the idea of a bungalow growing on you?

-Yes, that doesn't worry me.

As long as it's a large one, and this is. That's not a problem at all.

It just takes me a bit longer, you know, to decide.

'I've got something in store for Sheila that should win her round to this bungalow

'and it's outside in the back garden.'

-Look, Sheila, your own studio.

-Absolutely.

Oh, that's very handy!

-Very handy.

-Could you work in a studio like this?

Oh, yes, I think I could.

It's ideal. You have so many bits and pieces when you paint.

-It's lovely to be able to put it in one place.

-Yeah. You can come to your space.

-Yes.

-It's a lovely aspect, isn't it?

-I don't know if you'll be allowed in.

-To pose, maybe.

-It's "me" space.

-The great thing about this garden is it offers lots of spaces. I'm sure there's one for you.

-Better be!

Let's head out and I'll tell you more about it.

Right, so a studio for you. You can see there's another outbuilding there.

That's currently like a dressing room studio at the moment.

It's even bigger. If you wanted more space, you could maybe use that.

It's a bit deceptive, this garden. You've got these mature trees, but it extends back to that fence.

Down there is a greenhouse and there is a garage.

-Are you sure?

-Just there!

To the side of the house is a garage, double doors.

-You've made a hit with house number two with me.

-Good.

-Will I make a hit with the price?

-Ooh, yeah. The price.

How much, Keith, do you think this is on the market for?

I would say...something...

About 3...365?

-OK.

-Like before.

-Yeah.

Let me see. I'm going to say...350.

350?

-Well, I'm afraid... Sheila wins again!

-Oh!

This time you're £50 out! It's on at £349,950.

-That's good.

-Do you want to have a wander round?

-Yes, I'd like to.

-Spend some time in there.

-Thank you.

-I'll see what you think later on.

Nipping in under their £350,000 budget, our second property is a superb spacious bungalow,

which certainly delivers on Keith's dream of single-storey living.

There are three light, airy reception rooms, a good-size kitchen/diner and four bedrooms,

including a generous master suite.

Then within the private gardens artistic Sheila can take her pick from not one, but two studios,

whilst Keith gets his garage. I'd say this place matches just about all their requirements

if Keith can convince Sheila.

It flowed beautifully. It had a lovely light feel.

The lounge was very impressive. Nice outlook onto the garden and the bedrooms off to one side,

which is what I prefer, to have that in separation.

It suits me down to the ground. Obviously our decision has got to be right,

so as far as I'm concerned, it's lovely. If she feels the same way,

then I can honestly see us going for it.

-Hello, there!

-Hello!

-It looks like it could be your home already.

-Well, you never know!

But we still have the mystery house. You've got a night to sleep on it.

-That's true, yes, but I'm quite taken with this one.

-It's you we've got to work on!

As the evening draws in across the Suffolk countryside,

the first day of our property search comes to a close.

With a budget of £350,000, Keith and Sheila from the town of Cheshunt in Hertfordshire

have spent a whole year looking for the perfect slice of Suffolk countryside.

So we found three more properties to help them settle into retired life,

one of which was a bungalow that was ideal for Keith.

But still to come, our mystery house provides stiff competition.

I knew it would be beautiful inside.

And I'll try to keep my head above water learning survival skills.

You've got to concentrate, haven't you?

After a tricky start yesterday, I really think we gathered momentum

when we showed Keith and Sheila the bungalow, which hit the mark with Keith. So for our mystery house

we're going to show them something which combines both of their wishes.

A bit of upstairs and downstairs, a very modern finish and with lots of character.

The question is can they handle it?

So how did you sleep last night? Were you tossing and turning?

Yes, definitely. I was.

I think the second property really kept revolving around in my brain for hours last night.

-I thought it might be the mystery house worrying you.

-We've seen a house and a bungalow.

-What else?

So what are we going to see? A Bedouin tent?

Or a...? I don't know.

A barn conversion? A chalet bungalow? I don't know. Purely a mystery.

-Anyway, we can't wait, so if you don't mind putting your toe down...

-Let's get on with it!

There's nothing like eager buyers and we're mystery house-bound to the small village of Norton.

But before we get there, we're stopping off a couple of miles away at the ancient estate of Wyken,

once a Roman settlement. Today it's a 1,200-acre farm with a vineyard, farmers' market,

shop and restaurant. Local resident Storm Scott has taken time out of her working day to tell us more.

-Nice to meet you. This is Sheila and Keith.

-Welcome to Wyken.

The idea of working with local producers and having a restaurant where everything's sourced locally,

-it's quite fashionable these days. How long's it bee happening here?

-This year is our 20th birthday.

It started with a small cafe and restaurant and it's slowly grown

into a very big restaurant which we have several awards for.

And the shop sells all sorts of things, from bread to cakes,

all the range of meats, game.

-We produce our own wines, which I think you'll enjoy.

-Oh, yes.

-Is it a place for locals?

-A lot use us as their local shop.

For all their cards and bits and pieces.

-You could even up selling your art here. Extend it even further.

-You never know.

Thank you very much for your time.

'Just a short drive away in the idyllic countryside of Norton

'is a barn conversion we've picked out as our mystery property.

'To many, this striking home epitomises Suffolk tradition and charm,

'but for our couple's more modern tastes, this period home could be a real hurdle to overcome.'

One thing you said was it might be a mix of the two things -

-a bit of downstairs, a little bit of upstairs.

-Yeah. OK...

-OK.

It has got some history to it. It dates back to about 1830.

It was a granary barn. Because of this, it is Grade 2 listed.

-OK.

-All right.

-That's another thing to make you go...

-Yeah!

-It's the mystery house.

-Something you would not have looked at.

-No.

-And I'm pretty sure you wouldn't have!

'Our mystery property is an unusual shape, wrapping itself around a shingle courtyard

'that provides off-street parking. It was transformed just seven years ago

'and, as we're about to find out, this is one high-quality conversion.

'So if any period property was ever going to win over Sheila and Keith,

'this would be the one.'

Come on in. You can feel the warmth already, can't you?

-Yeah, it's lovely.

-Underfloor heating.

-Oh, is it? Very nice.

And through here is the kitchen.

Oh, this is lovely. I knew it would be beautiful.

-It's immaculate.

-I know!

-It's gorgeous. I love these worktops.

-It's everyone's dream kitchen, something like this.

-It's lovely.

-You have the room and the doors out to the garden, which is ideal.

That's a gorgeous little space out there. They do barbecues.

-You've got a utility room back there with a door leading out.

-Beautifully presented.

-It's absolutely wonderful, but...

-You've got a "but" as well.

I'm going to keep going! I'm going to power through the buts and take you to the living room.

-Right. Can I wow you with this room?

-Wow.

-Lovely.

-It has got beams.

-Yes.

-This was the granary barn.

-If you have beams, you want it like this.

-Well, yes. Nice and high.

-That's nice.

-What's on your mind, Sheila?

-It's dark.

-I knew you'd say that!

Yeah.

-It's too dark for you?

-It's a lovely size.

-These two rooms are superb.

-And it gets better.

-It gets better?

-Yeah. There are three bedrooms. One of them, just for you, is on this floor.

-Is it really? Oh, wonderful.

-But you can still keep up the exercise going up and down stairs!

OK, that's fine.

'Up on the first floor, the two bedrooms include a large double with exposed timbers

'alongside a single room currently used as a study.

'And there's a family bathroom. But back down on the ground floor, with stylish en suite shower room,

'lies the master bedroom.'

-That's a nice big bedroom.

-It's huge.

-Yeah, ideal.

-Very nice.

-Built-in storage right the way across there.

-Right.

-What are you thinking?

-I think it's well over our budget!

-You've leapt ahead already!

-I'm sorry, but yeah. It's just so perfect, isn't it?

-It is. It's pristine.

-Beautifully done.

-Yeah.

-Yes, yes.

-You want to take all these ideas and keep them here.

-OK.

-Lovely.

So we're going to head out to the garden, right? And then we will guess the price.

And then you can tell me what you really think!

-Don't hold anything back!

-We wouldn't do that!

'Despite the charms of our mystery house, Sheila just won't budge on embracing character features.

'But they both appreciate the immaculate finish here. And the grounds were no afterthought.

'We're going to wrap things up outside in the second walled garden off the sitting room.'

Now how much do you think this barn conversion is on the market for?

I would say...340.

I think it's probably about 375.

Well, Sheila really has got a handle on the market around here!

Keith, you've got to go back to research!

This is on at £379,950.

-Oh, see? Only £5,000 out.

-Yeah.

-You're very, very good.

-Yeah.

-Yes, I thought so.

-But it's been a great property to show you.

-It has.

-Without a doubt. It's lovely, yeah.

-Do you want to spend a few more minutes with it?

-Why not?

-Of course. OK, you're on.

What can you say? It's not the house for them, but, my, it's beautiful.

At just shy of £380,000,

our mystery house does come in over budget, although if it had swept them away,

they could have seen what a respectful offer might lead to.

This 19th-century barn conversion features a stunning kitchen/diner,

a large sitting room with woodburning stove and three bedrooms, one on the ground floor.

Outside lends itself to two landscaped walled gardens and parking for several vehicles.

I've never really considered a barn conversion, but coming inside this is a superb conversion

-and it's been very, very well done.

-Although the inside of this house is immaculate,

it's very, very nice,

but outside I must have a workroom or utility room or a workshop

or something like that. And this house hasn't got that.

-Are you there?

-Yes.

-This property is so perfect. Even the flowers are immaculate.

-I know. It's like a show home.

-It really is.

-Couldn't be better inside.

-No, that's right.

-A lovely, lovely home.

-I know you're dying to share your thoughts, but I think you need thinking time.

At the heart of Suffolk's Sunrise Coast and securing the most easterly point in the country,

lies the port town of Lowestoft, home to one of the UK's oldest lifeboat stations,

founded back in 1801, before joining the Royal National Lifeboat Institution

that was established 23 years later.

'For over two centuries, the busy waters on this stretch have seen many eminent rescues,

'including crossing the Channel as part of the effort to evacuate more than 300,000 British soldiers

'from Dunkirk in 1940.

'Today it's a crew of volunteers that form the backbone of the service,

'dedicating their time to saving those in danger at sea. I've come to visit the station

'to meet Coxswain John Fox and join the rest of the crew for a routine training exercise.'

-Aha! You must be John.

-Hello, Denise.

-The man in charge.

'The first thing is to get kitted out in some waterproof safety gear.'

-We're nice and bright and visible.

-We are indeed.

-You're all ready to go.

-We're good to go.

-Let's get training.

-OK. Here we go.

'Around the UK, the RNLI charity has over 4,000 volunteer lifeboat crew members

'with a further 3,000 shore-based members supporting them.

'They need to be ready at a moment's notice, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

'The lifeboat we're launching today is The Spirit of Lowestoft. It's been in service since 1987

'and, under John's expert guidance, I'm taking the helm.'

It's quite sensitive, isn't it? Oh, I've gone too far!

A bit more, bit more.

Ah, look at that. I'm steering.

-Whoa! Got to concentrate, though, haven't you?

-Got to keep your eye on it.

-Got to keep your eye focussed.

'Today's exercise is an attempt to rescue a man overboard and it's crew volunteer Andy

'who is throwing himself into the icy cold waters' He's off!

Wow!

'That's my cue to put my navigational skills to the test and follow the direction of Colin,

'driving slowly around to pick up the victim on the port side.' Off we go. Oh - a bit fast.

'In 2011, an average of 22 people were rescued by the RNLI every day.'

When he's in line, straighten up and start to slow down.

'This may seem like plain sailing, but I can only imagine the adrenaline and real danger

'when out at sea during a storm in the pitch of night.' Oh, there he is!

There goes the rope.

Excellent!

Great. Great stuff. Hey! We got him back!

-He's all there.

-All in one piece.

Our first rescue.

-That was actually quite exhilarating.

-You did very well.

What was great was to see how a team works together as well.

There's definitely not one person. It's a whole crew.

'With all the crew back on deck, all in one piece, I leave it to John to steer us safely back to shore.'

It's nice to be back on dry land. Thank you very much, everyone.

Now it's time to find Sheila and Keith and see if they've made any decisions.

You've been searching for a year

and spent two days with us! I'm hoping we finally got you a step closer to moving to Suffolk.

Shall we go through them one by one? The first one was the house.

Inside was very nice.

A little bit low on some of the doorways, but other than that it was very nice.

-I was impressed with your guesses. You guessed the price fairly accurately.

-I've done my research!

You did very well. So we went from a house to something for you, Keith, the bungalow, the second property.

Aah! The moment I saw that,

the way it was spread out, it was my type of place. It appealed to me straight away.

-Sheila, you were taking a bit more time to think about it. How are you feeling now?

-It grew on me.

-So, yes, it's a definite possibility.

-And the layout for you.

One of your things with bungalows was everything downstairs and seeing bedrooms,

-but it had very distinct separation.

-It did.

-That great corridor.

-That's what I liked.

A bungalow, OK, it's not exactly what I'd like, but as long as it's spread out with plenty of space,

then, yes. It wasn't a problem for me.

I had a feeling you might say that. And also about our mystery house!

-Well...

-It's designed to show you something that you wouldn't have looked at.

It wasn't...it wasn't lived in.

And also the outside space, there was just nowhere I could put anything. It's a crying shame.

-Inside was beautiful.

-I'm not really one for beams, but I must say that was top drawer.

That was a lovely conversion. A beautiful picture book house.

-Just not enough space for all of his stuff!

-That's the problem.

-But your feelings for number two, how strong are they?

-Quite strong. I'm quite taken with that.

I honestly do feel we'll put in an offer for that and, hopefully, who knows?

I am SO pleased, I really, really am.

-It's been very entertaining.

-Thank you.

-It's been great.

-I really do hope you put an offer in and it's accepted.

-Thanks, Denise.

-Thank you very much indeed.

After a year's house searching, Keith and Sheila were really struggling to find the perfect home.

Sheila had a good handle on the Suffolk property market, but Keith understands what they want.

I think that bungalow delivers everything they want.

It just needs Keith to finally convince Sheila to make a decision and make the move.

See you next time.

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