0:00:02 > 0:00:03Welcome to Escape To The Country.
0:00:03 > 0:00:06Today we're in a town that's not only home to this gorgeous
0:00:06 > 0:00:10minster behind me but was once also home to one of Britain's most
0:00:10 > 0:00:13famous and controversial poets. But where are we?
0:00:13 > 0:00:16Well, join me in just a few moments and I'll tell you.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38Today's mission, to move from the busy big smoke into the calm
0:00:38 > 0:00:42of the country, leaves our buyer almost lost for words.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46I'm bowled over, I'm knocked for six, I can't speak.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49And before long emotions become overwhelming.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53You've just found such a wonderful house. I am going to cry.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55It's OK, it's OK.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59Well, today, we're in Nottinghamshire
0:00:59 > 0:01:03and we're starting in the pretty Georgian market town of Southwell.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07Now, not only is it famous for this lovely 12th-century minster behind me
0:01:07 > 0:01:11but it was also home to none other than Lord Byron, one of our
0:01:11 > 0:01:17most famous poets, a man described as mad, bad and dangerous to know.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19Now, he lived here during his teenage years
0:01:19 > 0:01:21but wrote of it afterwards,
0:01:21 > 0:01:25"I have never been so happy as I was in old Southwell."
0:01:25 > 0:01:29High praise indeed from one of the country's most famous poets.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32Lying in the East Midlands,
0:01:32 > 0:01:34Nottinghamshire borders four counties and is the gateway
0:01:34 > 0:01:37to Yorkshire in the north and Lincolnshire to the east.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43Despite being one of the most landlocked counties in England,
0:01:43 > 0:01:45the water isn't too far away,
0:01:45 > 0:01:47as the mighty River Trent runs from north to south
0:01:47 > 0:01:50and flows right through the city of Nottingham.
0:01:51 > 0:01:56The city centre boasts the UK's largest surviving town square
0:01:56 > 0:01:58as well as many Victorian buildings by the once local
0:01:58 > 0:02:02leading architect, Watson Fothergill.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05Quieter pockets can be found
0:02:05 > 0:02:07in pretty, peaceful villages such as Linby.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12One of the most famous residents, though, must be
0:02:12 > 0:02:14the infamous folk hero Robin Hood.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17And it's said that Hood lived in the depths of Sherwood Forest,
0:02:17 > 0:02:20which is now a 450-acre national reserve.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25And let's hope there's plenty on offer to tempt retiree Susan,
0:02:25 > 0:02:28who's drafted in our help this week.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31She lives in a small two-bedroom semidetached house right
0:02:31 > 0:02:33next to the Thames in London's Docklands.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37But since calling time on her career last year she's decided to
0:02:37 > 0:02:39turn her back on the city, too.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42I moved down to London nearly 40 years ago.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46Because I've always worked in London I've not been able to afford
0:02:46 > 0:02:48the sort of property I would really like to live in
0:02:48 > 0:02:51and now I'm looking forward to upsizing.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55Susan may want to increase her square footage but she definitely
0:02:55 > 0:02:58wants to cut back on the chaos that comes with city living.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02I'm getting a little bit tired of the hustle and bustle of London,
0:03:02 > 0:03:04waiting for tubes, waiting for buses,
0:03:04 > 0:03:05being squashed on tubes.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09I have friends and relations in Nottinghamshire
0:03:09 > 0:03:12and it's not far from Yorkshire, where I have very many friends
0:03:12 > 0:03:14because that's where I went to college.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18She may want a more leisurely lifestyle but she's not planning to slow down.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20I would like to live in a village that's got a thriving
0:03:20 > 0:03:24community where I could join in with lots of local events.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27If the village has a WI, I would like to join that
0:03:27 > 0:03:30and I would like to grow my own vegetables.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32Besides learning new skills,
0:03:32 > 0:03:36the key to this move is having more space to play host.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40I like entertaining and I'm looking forward to having a house
0:03:40 > 0:03:43that's bigger so that I can do more entertaining.
0:03:44 > 0:03:49With socialising high on the agenda, this gregarious city slicker isn't
0:03:49 > 0:03:53going it alone, and she's roped in her close friend Lesley for support.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56Lesley and I have known each other for 45 years,
0:03:56 > 0:03:58we've always been in each other's lives.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00She can see possibilities where I can't.
0:04:00 > 0:04:05I see my role as helping to keep Susan's feet on the ground,
0:04:05 > 0:04:06because I know what she'll do,
0:04:06 > 0:04:09she'll go to houses, fall in love with the house and not be
0:04:09 > 0:04:13terribly practical about what it's going to be like to live there.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15- That's true, isn't it? - That's very true.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18The core of the home is going to be my kitchen.
0:04:18 > 0:04:23Now, I would really like a big kitchen that's big enough for a table
0:04:23 > 0:04:28and a sofa. If I had a little window seat somewhere that would be terrific.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30But you can make a window... This is the thing,
0:04:30 > 0:04:34Susan will buy a house because it had a window seat in it, right?
0:04:34 > 0:04:37Whereas I would say to her, "No, buy this house
0:04:37 > 0:04:38"and put a window seat in it."
0:04:38 > 0:04:40She showed me one last night and said,
0:04:40 > 0:04:44"This is a lovely house, look, it's got a wishing well in the garden."
0:04:46 > 0:04:50And? What's the kitchen like?
0:04:50 > 0:04:52Let's hope we can make Susan's wishes come true,
0:04:52 > 0:04:54with or without a well.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56But not before we've discussed the finances for this
0:04:56 > 0:04:59London to Nottinghamshire relocation.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03The budget for this move is £330,000.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10Good public transport links are essential for sociable Susan,
0:05:10 > 0:05:13so we'll be searching for properties in and around
0:05:13 > 0:05:16half an hour from the market town of Newark-on-Trent, which has
0:05:16 > 0:05:19great train connections back to London and throughout the country.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25Time for me to meet up with our buyer and her friend Lesley, to get
0:05:25 > 0:05:29better acquainted and finalise the details of Susan's impending move.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34Well, Susan and Lesley, welcome to Escape To The Country.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36Let's face it, when we talk about moving from the city,
0:05:36 > 0:05:39- you are literally moving from the city of London...- I am indeed, yes.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41The good news is you've sold.
0:05:41 > 0:05:46- I have indeed.- And more excitingly for us, you're upsizing.- I am.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48And I know that incorporating space for family
0:05:48 > 0:05:52and friends to visit is important to you, not least of course somewhere for Lesley to visit you.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55Yes, I'm interested in the spare room, yes.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59Now, we've already got a rough idea of what you're looking for but just paint a picture of your wish list.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02Well, I haven't got a set idea about what I want
0:06:02 > 0:06:06but I'd like at least three bedrooms, obviously a big kitchen living space.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08And in terms of its age, are we looking for character?
0:06:08 > 0:06:10Are we looking for modern?
0:06:10 > 0:06:13- Character, definitely character, nothing too modern, please.- Yeah.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16Well, my role is to try and relieve you of £330,000 and to
0:06:16 > 0:06:20show you - I hope - three very interesting and viable properties.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22- So, let's get going. - Yep, absolutely.
0:06:25 > 0:06:30So for a maximum budget of £330,000, Susan is looking to upsize
0:06:30 > 0:06:33and is after a character property that has three bedrooms to
0:06:33 > 0:06:36accommodate visiting friends with a large country kitchen
0:06:36 > 0:06:39and living area in which to entertain them.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41Outside she'd like a manageable garden
0:06:41 > 0:06:45and the location should have an active and welcoming community.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52And we've got some great traditional properties lined up to tempt
0:06:52 > 0:06:55Susan away from the city, but I won't be revealing the prices
0:06:55 > 0:06:57until the end of each tour.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00Then, to top it off, there's the mystery house, which takes
0:07:00 > 0:07:03upsizing to a whole new dimension.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07And with Susan's home under offer, time is seriously of the essence.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09So let's get this search under way.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16Our first destination of this house hunt is about 15 miles
0:07:16 > 0:07:20south-west of Newark, in the small village of Epperstone.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22Surrounded by fields and woodland,
0:07:22 > 0:07:25Epperstone is situated within a conservation area.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28This small village has an attractive mix of architecture,
0:07:28 > 0:07:30and in an exclusive development within
0:07:30 > 0:07:35the grounds of an historic manor, we come to our first house.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38So, property number one, there we are. Come in and see.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42- It's beautiful.- What do you think? - Really lovely.
0:07:42 > 0:07:43The thing we liked about it, Susan,
0:07:43 > 0:07:47- was that given where you're coming from...- Yes.- ..where you've got neighbours
0:07:47 > 0:07:49and it's quite secure and it feels very at home,
0:07:49 > 0:07:53this offers you the same sort of feel but in a lovely village,
0:07:53 > 0:07:57Epperstone, which has got loads going on. WI, lots of groups.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00Come on, let's have a look inside and see what you think.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07Right, in you come.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11Let's start with the living room.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16- Whole thing is open-plan, as you can see.- Oh, it's lovely.- Very nice.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20- And it's exactly what I asked for, isn't it? Open-plan.- Yeah.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23How does it compare with where you are at the moment in Surrey Quays?
0:08:23 > 0:08:28- This is much bigger.- This is upsizing.- Oh, this is upsizing.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32And very cosy. I think you'd feel very at home and safe here.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35Yes, I'm putting myself in here already.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39- Well, we haven't seen the rest of it yet.- No.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42The kitchen is through here.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44There.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47- Oh, it's lovely.- Oh, it's your open-plan.- Yeah.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50- The whole thing.- It's the whole space in one.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52Oh, I love it.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55- No, it's lovely, I love it, I really do.- Yeah?
0:08:55 > 0:08:59- Is she telling the truth, Lesley? - She is.- I am.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02- You'll know because I might start crying in a minute.- Ohh, right.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04Then you'll really know.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08Well, before Susan starts to sob, we'll finish up the tour of
0:09:08 > 0:09:11the ground floor that has the added bonus of a large tiled cloakroom.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14Then, just off the kitchen, the staircase takes us
0:09:14 > 0:09:15up to the first floor.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19So what have we got up here, then?
0:09:19 > 0:09:21Family bathroom, very nice again.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25A good double in there, Sue, which I'm thinking, Lesley, would be you.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27Yes, that's my room, yeah.
0:09:27 > 0:09:32There's another single there and so this is your bit, Sue...
0:09:33 > 0:09:35..we're thinking.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39- Oh, wow.- I love that, the vaulted ceiling, that's so nice.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42- And the en-suite behind us.- Yes.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46I think all in all, this is a really interesting package for you.
0:09:46 > 0:09:47It certainly is, yes.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50But I think we should go out into the garden and get some fresh air.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53- Right.- And consider the sums. Go on, after you.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00That wraps up what I think has been a very positive reaction to
0:10:00 > 0:10:01house number one.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04All that remains is to check out the veg-growing
0:10:04 > 0:10:07potential in the south-facing garden and to work out the price.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12Right, come this way.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15We might as well sort of finish where we started.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18What you see is pretty much what you get but if your green fingers
0:10:18 > 0:10:20get any greener, the good news is
0:10:20 > 0:10:23they're about to open some allotments
0:10:23 > 0:10:26- within the development.- Oh, perfect.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28You also get a garage with it.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31So, let's have a think about the price, shall we?
0:10:31 > 0:10:34- Susan?- Yeah.- Make me an offer.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38329,950?
0:10:38 > 0:10:41OK, yeah, Lesley?
0:10:41 > 0:10:44I think it must be at the top end of the budget as well
0:10:44 > 0:10:46but I'm going to go for 325.
0:10:46 > 0:10:51- 325.- (5,000. 5,000 change.)
0:10:51 > 0:10:53- 5,000 change, wouldn't that be nice? - That would be nice.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56The good news is that is exactly what it is.
0:10:56 > 0:11:01- Ohhhh!- She won! She won.
0:11:03 > 0:11:04The first in our selection is
0:11:04 > 0:11:07a delightful character cottage that nails Susan's wish list
0:11:07 > 0:11:10and gives her £5,000 to play with.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13The property comes with an open-plan living,
0:11:13 > 0:11:16dining and kitchen area, three bedrooms including a master
0:11:16 > 0:11:20en suite and a low-maintenance cottage garden.
0:11:22 > 0:11:27This garden is such a sun trap, I could happily spend all day here
0:11:27 > 0:11:31but alas, we can't spend all day here, we've got to go, haven't we?
0:11:31 > 0:11:33- I think we've spoilt you a bit there.- You certainly have.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35Yes, follow that!
0:11:35 > 0:11:37Well, we've got something to keep up with, haven't we?
0:11:37 > 0:11:40But it's Escape To The Country, we never let you down.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00Despite the alluring natural beauty of rural Nottinghamshire,
0:12:00 > 0:12:04it was here in the market town of Southwell that the Victorians
0:12:04 > 0:12:06were drawn for more desperate measures.
0:12:06 > 0:12:11Built in 1824, the Grade II listed Southwell workhouse became
0:12:11 > 0:12:15the model for a new generation of 600 Victorian workhouses
0:12:15 > 0:12:17created across the country.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19Now in the hands of the National Trust,
0:12:19 > 0:12:23it's the most complete workhouse in existence. I went there to meet
0:12:23 > 0:12:27volunteer Samantha Ball, to find out more about last resort life here.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32This is a place that not many people would have really
0:12:32 > 0:12:34- wanted to come, of course.- No, no.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37What's the story behind it, when did it start and who was behind it?
0:12:37 > 0:12:40The workhouse was built by Reverend John T Becher, he was a local
0:12:40 > 0:12:42clergyman in Southwell.
0:12:42 > 0:12:47He wanted to improve or change the way that relief was
0:12:47 > 0:12:49given to the poor and needy in society.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53Because the workhouses were funded by the local town or parish,
0:12:53 > 0:12:54weren't they?
0:12:54 > 0:12:58They were, yes, and because of the success of this workhouse here,
0:12:58 > 0:13:02it changed the way the Government gave money for the poor
0:13:02 > 0:13:06and this workhouse actually became a prototype for the new Poor Law of 1834.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10At the time, the workhouse was the only
0:13:10 > 0:13:12form of relief on offer to the destitute,
0:13:12 > 0:13:16and those who had no choice other than to stay here were separated
0:13:16 > 0:13:19from their family and children in different parts of the building.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23However, this strict segregated regime was intended to deter
0:13:23 > 0:13:26those who weren't truly needy.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29This idea of segregation I suppose is probably more evident
0:13:29 > 0:13:30here than at the front, isn't it?
0:13:30 > 0:13:32Yes, it is, and it really does follow Becher's strong
0:13:32 > 0:13:34principles of segregation.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37It seems to me and I think probably to many people that the segregation
0:13:37 > 0:13:39really was the cruellest act of all.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42It certainly was for children. Mothers were allowed to stay with
0:13:42 > 0:13:44their babies until they were two years old,
0:13:44 > 0:13:47particularly if they were nursing, but from then they were separated
0:13:47 > 0:13:51and they could only see each other, families were only reunited
0:13:51 > 0:13:52if they all behaved themselves
0:13:52 > 0:13:56and followed the rules, they could meet on a Sunday afternoon.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59The workhouse provided food and shelter for those at the most
0:13:59 > 0:14:03dire periods of their lives and children were given an education.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06But in return at least ten hours a day of monotonous
0:14:06 > 0:14:10manual labour was required from the adults.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14Right, Samantha, what have we got here then? What are we looking at?
0:14:14 > 0:14:19We are looking at oakum, and oakum was tarred ropes from old ships.
0:14:19 > 0:14:25And what the paupers were asked to do was to unravel these ropes.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28The unravelled bits of the rope were then sold on,
0:14:28 > 0:14:32either back to the ship makers or to make paper.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34Effectively you were given money for old rope.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37I love it when one gets to the bottom of those sorts of sayings.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41Regardless of the tough and hostile conditions, workhouses
0:14:41 > 0:14:45like this at Southwell paved the way for future social reform.
0:14:45 > 0:14:46I'm delighted that it's still here
0:14:46 > 0:14:49but in many respects I'm also delighted that it's no longer
0:14:49 > 0:14:52a workhouse, because for anybody to have to come in here and live
0:14:52 > 0:14:55under those conditions, well, we don't know we're born, do we?
0:14:55 > 0:14:57We don't, indeed.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06We're venturing right over to the far eastern side of the county
0:15:06 > 0:15:07for our second property,
0:15:07 > 0:15:10to the village of Coddington, about three miles from Newark.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17And in an enviable setting at the heart of the village
0:15:17 > 0:15:19is our second property,
0:15:19 > 0:15:23a charming detached cottage believed to date back to 1840.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28- Look at this, eh?- Oh, wow.- Property number two.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30Ohhh, a whole wing for me.
0:15:30 > 0:15:31LAUGHTER
0:15:31 > 0:15:35Actually, you're quite right.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38Because that's why I wanted to start with this aspect of it because
0:15:38 > 0:15:44it displays this L shape and it is a wing for you, that is a guest wing.
0:15:44 > 0:15:49- That is amazing.- Yeah.- I'm bowled over, I'm knocked for six,
0:15:49 > 0:15:50I can't speak.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54- This is huge.- A beautiful house.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58- It's a much bigger proposition than number one.- I like.- Yeah.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00Well, let's see if we like your bit.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03We're going to start with the guest wing first. How about that? Yeah?
0:16:03 > 0:16:04Come on.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12Right, come on in.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15- Yes? All good?- Yep.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18Right, let's start in here with your bit, Lesley.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22This is currently set up as a sitting room.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27This would be something else, wouldn't it?
0:16:27 > 0:16:29Well, on the spec this is down as a bedroom
0:16:29 > 0:16:33- because it has an en-suite shower room through there.- Yeah, yeah.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35- It's got a lovely outlook. - It's pretty, isn't it?
0:16:35 > 0:16:38- It is pretty, really pretty.- So, how we doing?
0:16:38 > 0:16:41- Excellent, wonderful. - Speechless!
0:16:41 > 0:16:43I know, I can't speak, I can't speak.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46- You're going to make this very difficult for me.- Are we?
0:16:46 > 0:16:49Yeah, you are, because I can see that I'm going to fall
0:16:49 > 0:16:50in love with this one as well.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53Once again things appear to be hitting the right notes
0:16:53 > 0:16:56and we've only seen the annexe wing so far.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00This part of the property features two main rooms that can be
0:17:00 > 0:17:03used as extra bedrooms or living areas and they're
0:17:03 > 0:17:07attached to the main two-storey house via the farmhouse kitchen.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11- OK, Susan, come on in.- Oh, it's huge.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16- Yes.- It's fabulous.- Isn't it just?
0:17:16 > 0:17:19And you've given me a kitchen that's big enough to put a sofa in.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21Yeah, we brought that in especially.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25You've given me everything I asked for. Look, Lesley, and a proper sink.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28- You've got a Belfast sink or butler sink.- Wood surface!
0:17:28 > 0:17:32Now, is there a window seat hiding anywhere around here?
0:17:32 > 0:17:35We didn't have time to fit one of those.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38Now, it goes on, there's a study next door.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40Come through here. And your living room.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43The study is there, which is really nice actually.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45Oh, that is lovely, yes.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49And then in here we've got your living room, come on in.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53- And this is lovely too.- Yeah.- It's lovely.- It's cosy.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56So, it's another really good choice, yes, it is really cosy
0:17:56 > 0:17:59- but it's a fine room as well.- It's very elegant, isn't it?- Yes.
0:17:59 > 0:18:00The way it's dressed and presented.
0:18:00 > 0:18:05So, if the upstairs is as good as the downstairs, we're laughing, aren't we?
0:18:05 > 0:18:08- We are indeed. - Let's keep laughing, come on.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14Along with the bedroom potential we've already
0:18:14 > 0:18:17seen in the annexe wing, this house also has a further three
0:18:17 > 0:18:19bedrooms up on the first floor,
0:18:19 > 0:18:21so Lesley would be spoilt for choice,
0:18:21 > 0:18:24as she can take her pick from a bright double room with
0:18:24 > 0:18:29dual aspect windows or a cosy double guest bedroom with a built-in cupboard.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32But it's Susan who's buying, so let's see what she makes
0:18:32 > 0:18:36of the family bathroom that's right next to the master bedroom.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39There we are, there's the family bathroom.
0:18:39 > 0:18:40SHE GASPS
0:18:40 > 0:18:44- Come and have a look, Lesley, quick. - It's a bathroom.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47- I can dance in there.- Come on, come on.
0:18:47 > 0:18:48I'm choking up.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52Well, having shown you the rest of the upstairs,
0:18:52 > 0:18:55- it's all got a bit emotional, hasn't it?- It has, it has indeed.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57You were a bit excited by the bathroom
0:18:57 > 0:19:01and here we are in what would be, I think, your master bedroom.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03No, I'm having the double aspect one.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06You've just found such a wonderful house. I am going to cry.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09It's OK, it's OK, you don't have to...
0:19:12 > 0:19:14I pull such funny faces when I cry.
0:19:16 > 0:19:17Let's go downstairs,
0:19:17 > 0:19:20we'll gather our breath and we'll talk about the money.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25Before emotions get the better of Susan, we're going to head back
0:19:25 > 0:19:29down to the ground floor, as we've still got the garden to take in.
0:19:30 > 0:19:35Now, garden-wise, this is it, obviously.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37But of course you do get the view of the green
0:19:37 > 0:19:41and you also get the double garages, which are next door.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45The whole lot is overlooked by what could be your new, beautiful home.
0:19:45 > 0:19:50Let's ask Lesley to go first on your price guess.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54I think it might be a little over budget at 335.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58335, yeah, that would be nice. Susan?
0:19:58 > 0:20:00- I'm going even higher.- Yeah?
0:20:00 > 0:20:04- 340.- 340, yes.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08- Oh, it's not, it's 350, isn't it? - No, it's 330.
0:20:08 > 0:20:09SUSAN GASPS
0:20:09 > 0:20:14- You are joking, you are joking.- Bang on?- You're not lying to me?
0:20:14 > 0:20:17No, I'm not, I'm really not, no. Come on, take it all in.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21This could be yours for your budget of £330,000.
0:20:21 > 0:20:22Oh.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25I'm doing it again.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30Right on the money, the second property is
0:20:30 > 0:20:33an immaculately presented 19th-century Victorian cottage
0:20:33 > 0:20:35that's bursting with character.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38It comes with Susan's much coveted farmhouse kitchen
0:20:38 > 0:20:42and two separate reception rooms down on the ground floor.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45Upstairs there are three bedrooms, but the icing
0:20:45 > 0:20:47on the cake must be the attached,
0:20:47 > 0:20:49self-contained, one-bedroomed annexe.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54And I think that's a great way to end our first day, how about it?
0:20:54 > 0:20:58- Yes.- Yeah? Lots of stuff going round in your mind, isn't there?- Yes.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00But it is beginning to get dark,
0:21:00 > 0:21:04- so I suggest we go home and have something to eat.- Good idea.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08- And maybe a drink, how about that? - Yes.- A good idea.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21The final house on Susan's property quest is
0:21:21 > 0:21:26up in the north of the county, in the village of North Leverton.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29For 200 years a windmill has been the iconic landmark,
0:21:29 > 0:21:32and it's still milling flour and animal feed today.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35The buzzword to describe Susan's move is upsizing.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39So, after two cottages the mystery house offers up a serious
0:21:39 > 0:21:43amount of living space, over 2,500 square feet.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47- So, this is it.- Not the whole house, surely?
0:21:47 > 0:21:50The whole house, the whole mystery house, yeah. What do you think?
0:21:50 > 0:21:52- Really? The whole thing?- Yep.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56- It's the mystery house because it is the biggest house we've been able to offer you.- Yes.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00- Up to now everything we've shown you has had three bedrooms...- Yes.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02..this one has six.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06Come and have a look inside.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10With a history that dates way back to 1790, not only is this
0:22:10 > 0:22:15Georgian Grade II listed home massive but it also has project potential.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17Come on in, there we are, right.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21Well, let's start in here, which I'm going to call a drawing room
0:22:21 > 0:22:23actually, as opposed to a living room.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27- I think it's got that sort of feel to it.- It's lovely.- Isn't it?- It is.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29And it's not too big, either, is it?
0:22:29 > 0:22:31No, it's got a lovely Georgian feel to it.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35Let's go through to the dining room, which is across the hallway.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42How about you and all the girls having a good old gossip
0:22:42 > 0:22:44- and a natter and a bite to eat? - Yeah.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47Let's deal with the kitchen, come through here.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54Right, well, in terms of kitchen space this is what
0:22:54 > 0:22:58- is on offer, girls. Not as square as we've had.- No.- Certainly lots of space.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01- And a cooker, yay!- It does come with a cooker.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04- Can I go over and warm my hands?- By all means.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08Despite the heat from the range cooker,
0:23:08 > 0:23:11it's clear that Susan isn't warming to this property
0:23:11 > 0:23:14but we'll continue upwards and hopefully onwards.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17Upstairs, the family bathroom serves a total of three bedrooms
0:23:17 > 0:23:18within the main house,
0:23:18 > 0:23:22a single room with built-in storage, as well as a lovely
0:23:22 > 0:23:27and light dual-aspect double, and that just leaves the master bedroom.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31- And then finally, in this bit of the house is this one.- Ohhh.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33Another double aspect.
0:23:33 > 0:23:34It is another light room.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37- It's growing on you, that's good.- It certainly is.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40After the lukewarm response on the ground floor,
0:23:40 > 0:23:43Susan and Lesley are seeing the positives of the sleeping areas,
0:23:43 > 0:23:45so I'm keeping hopeful and showing them
0:23:45 > 0:23:48what's on offer in the additional wing.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52So, here we are, kind of two for the price of one, really.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56Now, there's a really nice little kitchen area there with a dining table in it
0:23:56 > 0:24:00and then this is the living room for this part of the house.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02In terms of being self-contained
0:24:02 > 0:24:05and you having your own kind of crash flat...
0:24:05 > 0:24:06With a three-bedroom house?
0:24:06 > 0:24:09Well, yeah, let's not forget we've got three really good double
0:24:09 > 0:24:10bedrooms above here
0:24:10 > 0:24:13and a proper family bathroom to go with it.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17Absolutely, it's a nice little space, this, as well.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20The annexe rooms add an extra boost to the property's appeal
0:24:20 > 0:24:23but will the same be said for the price?
0:24:23 > 0:24:25I love this bit of the show.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29- Ha, I don't.- The price guess, yes.
0:24:29 > 0:24:36- 310?- £310,000, that's pretty optimistic. Lesley?
0:24:36 > 0:24:38I think I was going to go lower than that,
0:24:38 > 0:24:42so I'll have to stick with my 305.
0:24:42 > 0:24:43Well, I'm afraid you're both wrong
0:24:43 > 0:24:46but the good news is you can afford this.
0:24:46 > 0:24:52- It is a remarkable, I think, £325,000.- I wasn't far off.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56Just under budget at £325,000, the mystery property is a listed
0:24:56 > 0:24:58Georgian home of two halves.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01The main house features two reception rooms,
0:25:01 > 0:25:04a large kitchen breakfast room and three bedrooms, but there
0:25:04 > 0:25:08are also a further three bedrooms in the attached two-storey annexe.
0:25:09 > 0:25:13Well, who'd have thought it? Our house tours are now all over.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15Three really interesting properties,
0:25:15 > 0:25:17not least of course the mystery house behind us.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19- What's going on in that mind of yours?- A lot.- A lot?- Hmm.
0:25:19 > 0:25:23Thought there might be. Let's get you somewhere for a nice cup of tea
0:25:23 > 0:25:25and a bite to eat and you two can mull it over.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27And then we'll find out what the future holds.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31- After you, Susan, go on.- Thank you. - It's your search.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41- So how are we feeling?- Confused.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43OK, well, let's just deal with the odd one out then,
0:25:43 > 0:25:45property number three, our mystery house,
0:25:45 > 0:25:48obviously the biggest of the lot, but I get the feeling, Lesley, that
0:25:48 > 0:25:53one has probably now been discounted for very practical reasons.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55Well, it has. It's perhaps a great opportunity
0:25:55 > 0:25:59- but I think not one that you're really looking for, is it?- No.
0:25:59 > 0:26:04That's OK but it does leave us with two very exciting properties.
0:26:04 > 0:26:10Property number one was gorgeous, could just move up and move in.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14Little garden, beautiful community, lovely village, it was lovely.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17Is there a but?
0:26:17 > 0:26:22There's a little but there. It had a lovely kitchen and lovely bathrooms
0:26:22 > 0:26:27but it didn't quite have what I had in my mind when I came up here.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30So what was in your mind?
0:26:30 > 0:26:33The kitchen in house number two.
0:26:33 > 0:26:38- Ha-ha, yes?- The kitchen in house number two filled that bill perfectly.
0:26:38 > 0:26:44- As did the bathroom.- As did the bathroom, the wonderful, wonderful bathroom.- Yeah.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46So, I don't see why this is such a dilemma.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48The reality of it is, if you get a kitchen
0:26:48 > 0:26:51- and a bathroom that size you also get a house that size.- Yeah.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54And in Susan's own words, you still have to live there
0:26:54 > 0:26:58- when everyone's gone home. - OK, let's cut to the chase, then.
0:26:58 > 0:27:03If I could give you the keys to any one of our three properties...
0:27:06 > 0:27:08..which one would you take?
0:27:09 > 0:27:10Number one.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15- Yes!- So, what happens next?- Another look.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17So, here's to you, it's been a real pleasure.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20Congratulations, let us know how you get on.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23- Yes.- Best of luck.- Thank you, thank you, Jules.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30Moving to a completely new area in a different environment and choosing
0:27:30 > 0:27:33the right home has no doubt been quite an overwhelming
0:27:33 > 0:27:35task for Susan to undertake on her own.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39But she's been helped fantastically by her old buddy, Lesley.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42And that just goes to prove that when it comes to successful
0:27:42 > 0:27:46house hunting, sometimes we all need a little help from our friends.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53Well, I'm delighted to report that after a second viewing,
0:27:53 > 0:27:56Susan made an offer on property one that was accepted and we wish
0:27:56 > 0:28:00her all the best for her retirement in the Nottinghamshire countryside.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02If you would like to escape to the country
0:28:02 > 0:28:05in England, Northern Ireland, Wales or Scotland,
0:28:05 > 0:28:11and need our help, you can apply online at: