Sussex Escape to the Country


Sussex

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A thousand years ago, on these shores,

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an event took place that has been recounted by history teachers

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to their students for almost as long.

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I'll tell you what it is, and where I am, in just a moment.

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But here's a clue. It involves a king, a throne, and the tide.

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On today's show, I'm helping two urbanites

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flee the congested streets of London

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for the quiet calm of a coastal county.

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The countryside has a liberating effect on our buyers.

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-It would be like permanently being on holiday.

-That's the idea.

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And things aren't always what they seem.

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-Goodness me!

-You weren't expecting that, were you?

-No!

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Today, I'm in West Sussex, and this is Bosham.

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It was here that King Canute the Great sat on the beach

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and commanded the tide to stop rising.

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But it wasn't to demonstrate that he COULD do it,

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rather to demonstrate to his flattering courtiers

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that he could not.

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And it was said that after demonstrating his own humility

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that he never wore his crown again.

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It's a good story, huh?

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It comes from a good county.

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West Sussex is bordered by Surrey to the north,

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Hampshire to the West, and East Sussex.

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With its spectacular Downs, it's a county of great beauty.

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In the north, lies the Sussex Weald,

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once concealed by an impenetrable forest,

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but now peppered with affluent picture-postcard towns and villages.

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The gentle, rolling hills of the Sussex Downs

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is a tract of Outstanding Natural Beauty,

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where a grassy blanket covers chalk and flint,

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nature's building materials, used in much of the local architecture.

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Along its 40-mile coastline are arguably some of the best beaches

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in the whole of the British Isles,

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with quieter spots such as Climping,

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an expanse of pebble, shingle and sand,

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characterised by its wooden groynes.

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So, whether you're looking for tranquil, sleepy countryside,

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or the quiet seclusion of the coast,

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West Sussex is a county that has it all.

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Property shopping in West Sussex is an expensive business.

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In fact, it's the priciest of all the coastal counties

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in the south-east.

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The average price for a detached house here is £362,000,

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that's £100,000 over the national figure.

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And, there are at least three reasons for that.

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One is that it has excellent links up to London,

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not that everybody who lives here is a commuter,

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two, is that the South Downs National Park

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runs through the whole county,

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and three, that it is, in fact, the sunniest county in the UK.

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What more reasons could you want to move here?

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Let's meet our buyers and find out.

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Born and bred in London, Carl and Katie

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have spent the past 20 years in Harrow, Middlesex.

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Now, with their three children having left the family home,

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they feel it's time to relocate for a quieter life

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in the West Sussex countryside.

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We have been here in London all our lives, and the benefit

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of the transport particularly, and all the local amenities.

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But I'm really excited about being able to walk out of your front door

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and walk.

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And have space and air and room, and not to constantly hear sirens.

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It's been really nice being able to get into town,

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especially for all the children, being able to get about.

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But it's all getting a little bit congested, just through traffic.

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-It's just frenetic, isn't it?

-And shops and everything.

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I think we're both real urbanites, really, aren't we, at heart?

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That's a little bit scary for us, isn't it?

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But, they're not the only ones who are making the trip south.

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My mum and dad are hopefully going to move with us.

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My dad is at an age that it would be nice to move now,

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so we can enjoy the new location before he gets too much older.

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There's also a family reason behind their choice of location.

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Kate's brother lives down in Chichester.

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I don't want to be too far away from my dad, who still lives here.

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So, be able to get back to him to visit and look after him if needs be.

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And, ideally, they'd like to be within reasonable distance

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of the local Catholic church.

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We've always been involved in the church, so we hope

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that would be our way into a new community and a new lot of friends.

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A change of scenery will allow Carl more scope

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to hit the road on two wheels.

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But there's an artistic side to this biker.

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I have some hobbies, like stained-glass window making.

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I also do woodwork projects and general DIY.

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That would be something really nice in the property,

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if there was room for that.

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Katie is also looking for enough indoor space

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to satisfy her creative streak.

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I'm a bit of a 1950s housewife!

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I love baking.

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'I decorate wedding cakes, First Holy Communion cakes, that sort of thing,

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'for friends.'

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It would be fabulous to have a room for me

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where I could have all my knitting, and my sewing stuff.

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And she's keen to exercise her green fingers.

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'I love pottering about in the garden.

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'I think it's something to do with nurturing things,

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'when you haven't got your children to nurture.

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'It's just lovely to see things growing up there.'

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So, what are the financial details for the move?

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Our budget for the move about £750,000, in that region.

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Katie and Carl have asked us to focus our search in the south-west

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of the county, not too far from Katie's brother in Chichester,

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on the edge of the South Downs National Park.

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But before we begin our house hunt, I caught up with them in West Sussex

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to find out more about what they're looking for in their new home.

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-Morning, guys.

-Morning!

-Welcome to Sussex.

-Thank you.

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A lovely bright day. First time out of London for both of you, isn't it?

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-It is, yeah!

-Is that a bit nerve-racking?

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Yeah, definitely. Yeah.

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What are you looking for in terms of the location?

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Well, we would like to be near to at least a pub. So, not too rural.

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But getting away from the hustle and bustle of a big city, really.

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And inside the house, what are you looking for?

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We'd like three or four bedrooms for ourselves.

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-Just to turn around the seasons?

-Yes!

-One for each season?

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And then downstairs, accommodation or an annexe for Carl's mum and dad,

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-who are coming with us.

-Yes.

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They're coming from a big house to a little place with us,

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so they need to be comfortable and happy with that, really.

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And in terms of the accommodation, do you want that

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sort of ready and made, or are you willing to do a bit of DIY?

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I think we're looking to potentially refurbish

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maybe a kitchen or bathroom, knock a wall down and reconfigure,

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-but not really do major renovation work.

-Right.

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Anything else about the inside of the house

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-that you're secretly hankering?

-Yeah.

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I would like a kitchen-breakfast room,

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because we've always had one of them.

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Yeah, and that's worked very well at home.

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-And I'd like a bit of a garden.

-Yeah, what about the garden?

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What would you like in terms of garden?

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-You're coming to the countryside, the sky's the limit.

-Yeah!

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I don't think we're looking for hectares,

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but it would be nice to have, sort of, a 100-foot garden.

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So, how much money have we got to play with?

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£750,000 to £800,000 at a stretch.

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We've got both my parents and our property

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to take into consideration, so hopefully that will work out.

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Well, we've got three lovely properties lined up.

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Different places, offering very different things. So, come with me.

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For a maximum budget of £800,000,

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Katie and Carl are looking for three to four bedrooms,

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an annexe or extra downstairs space for Carl's parents,

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a large kitchen breakfast room, a good-sized garden,

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extra living space for Katie's craft room,

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all within reasonable distance

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from Katie's family in Chichester.

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We've found three first-rate properties to tempt them with,

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and at each one I'll be testing their evaluation skills

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as we guess the price.

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The third is the mystery house, which could have them

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seeking divine intervention.

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What about the coast? Obviously, you've got lovely seaside here.

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-Are you keen to be near the sea?

-Oh, that would be lovely.

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But it wasn't something on our wish list,

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purely because we didn't think we could afford to be near the sea.

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You can never be stressed when you're by the sea. It's lovely.

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We begin our house hunt the quiet hamlet of Lagness,

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around 10 minutes from Katie's family in Chichester.

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A few miles down the road

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is the traditional seaside town of Bognor Regis.

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Up until the 18th century, Bognor was a fishing village,

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before its gradual transformation to a tourist destination,

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one of the first English resorts developed specifically for bathing.

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'House number one is a barn conversion

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'in the village of Lagness,

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'surrounded by farmland in a semi-rural location.'

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-Come on in.

-Oooh!

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-Oh, it's lovely.

-Oh, wow.

-It's enormous!

-A swimming pool as well.

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-Oh, it's so pretty!

-See, you don't get that in Harrow, do you?

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-A swimming pool.

-No!

-And then this...

-How pretty is that?

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-I do like the look of that.

-..is the annexe for your ma and pa.

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Yeah.

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What are your first impressions, then?

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-Oh, great. Let's go in!

-Yeah?

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I really like the ambience of the garden,

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and that extra little property looks lovely from the outside.

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What do you think about the location?

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-Do you know where we are?

-No.

-We're about two miles from the beach.

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-Wow!

-And three miles from Chichester. So, very close to your brother.

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-Yeah, great.

-We could cycle to the beach.

-Yeah.

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But you won't ever need to go to the beach

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because you have your own pool.

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A swimming pool! SHE LAUGHS

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But I'd like to show you this first, cos I really don't quite know

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whether this is going to be big enough,

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or the right size, for your ma and pa.

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-Let's have a look.

-Lovely.

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The annexe was originally an old stable block

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converted into separate accommodation,

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and I'm hoping it's big enough for Carl's parents.

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So, step inside.

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Yeah, nice.

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Originally, I think it was laid out

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so this was the sitting-room area.

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And you've got a bathroom and a kitchen through the arch.

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And then this would have been the sleeping alcove.

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I think that would work better, yes. This is a lovely, big area.

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Yeah, a nice big living room, then.

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-And then you've got a lot of storage space.

-Oh, in the loft.

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Tell me about your mum and dad. What are they looking for?

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What do they want to have in their space?

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I think something like this would be ideal. My dad's 92,

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and my mum's 14 years younger. They're both fairly active.

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But stairs now are becoming more of a challenge.

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-So, the idea would be...

-They'd be with us a lot of the time.

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So, it doesn't have to be their entire...

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And when they're fed up with us they come back here again!

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-And when they're ready fed up, they can hide in the attic.

-Yes.

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-"We're not here!"

-"Go away!"

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Well, OK, so I should show you the place where you're going to live.

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Yeah, let's.

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'Off to the main property now.'

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'Originally a barn, it was converted in 2000

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'and it's packed with country charm.

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'So far we're getting the thumbs up, with Carl's parents catered for,

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'but now for our couple themselves.'

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Come on through into the kitchen.

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-Here we can see some of the original beams.

-Oh, wow! Oh, they're lovely.

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-Yes, it's a nice kitchen, isn't it?

-Yes, good. Nice kitchen.

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-Kitchen-diner.

-A nice island. Quite a hankering for an island.

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And you've got this minstrels' gallery there.

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I'll explain that later on.

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How do you feel about eating in here?

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Because this would be the designated dining room, I think.

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I think there's plenty of room.

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And most of the time at home we tend to eat in the kitchen-breakfast.

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-It's got good points here?

-I think so, I like the feel of the kitchen.

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-So far, everything's been really nice.

-Yeah.

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Well, this is the kitchen area.

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Let's move through into the sitting area.

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-And then, this is your...

-Oh, yeah, really nice.

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Wood-burning stove, I like that.

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-That's a fireplace and a half, isn't it?

-A real fire.

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-Little French windows onto the garden. More garden.

-More garden.

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-This is also a lovely, natural eating space.

-Yeah, definitely.

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With the vine over the top, it's almost like an outdoor living space

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as well, isn't it?

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It's as if they planned it!

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What's nice is that you've got this space up here,

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which you could also, if you are feeling very grand,

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have this as a formal dining room up high.

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-I think that might be my sewing room, Alistair.

-Nice, yes.

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That's what goes into the minstrels' gallery

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-looking over the kitchen.

-Uh-huh.

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Does this feel like a house that you could move out of London to?

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Yeah, at the moment everything feels really good.

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The location, the garden, the accommodation.

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It really looks good.

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And it feels very different from a house in the town.

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Let's look at the master bedroom.

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'The property also has a utility room just off the kitchen,

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'and an upstairs study area.

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'There are four double bedrooms in all,

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'accessed via the spacious main entrance hall,

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'with bedrooms two, three and four served by the family bathroom.

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'First, the master.'

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So, there are three bedrooms on this corridor but this fourth one,

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-this would be your master.

-It's fantastic.

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You've got doors to the pool there.

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You HAVE got doors to the pool there. And you've got an en suite.

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-You can explore the bit later on.

-En suite, eh?

-Oh, yes.

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And again, you've got this double aspect.

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You've got gardens each side.

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Really bright. And the beams again, going through.

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It would be like permanently being on holiday, wouldn't it?

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That's the idea, you see.

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That's what it's like moving to the countryside. Holiday all the time!

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And you can have your morning breakfast there on the terrace.

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Let's step out this way, and past the pool,

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let's talk about the garden.

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'The mainly lawned garden lies either side of the property,

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'including a raised deck area covered by vines,

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'and a garage with a workshop, ideal for Carl.'

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Ooh, look, stepping out to the pool.

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-Oh, that would be lovely on a sunny morning.

-A sun trap.

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It IS a sun trap as well, yeah. So, you've got a single-level dwelling.

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-Was that what you were thinking about?

-It really works well.

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I think it is very practical, the accessibility, to be honest.

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And for Mum and Dad, you know?

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For coming over from the annexe to visit us,

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that wouldn't be any problem for them whatsoever.

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-OK, so the final part of the puzzle is the price.

-Yes.

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How much do you think this little parcel of West Sussex costs?

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I'm really, really hoping you wouldn't be mean

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-to us...

-I've been known to be mean in the past.

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So, I'm going to go £795,000.

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And I am going to be very optimistic

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and probably hoping more than anything else, £780,000.

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£780,000.

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Well, in this instance, you should listen to your wife,

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because she's exactly right. It's on the market for £795,000.

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-Right, yeah, listen to me.

-Doesn't surprise me.

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So, £795,000 gets you all this.

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There's quite a few rooms that we haven't actually had a chance

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to look at inside,

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-so why don't you go back in and I will catch up with you later.

-OK.

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House number one comes in just under their top budget at £795,000,

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and it gives them four bedrooms,

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a separate annexe ideal for Carl's parents,

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a large kitchen-diner,

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a mezzanine area for Katie's craft room,

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ample gardens, including a swimming pool,

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all close to Katie's brother in Chichester,

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and the splendid West Sussex coast.

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I think my parents would really like the property.

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As soon as you walk in through the gate you see the little annexe

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and it just looks like a little self-contained house.

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The only thing that we might change quite quickly

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would be to change the shower room in the annexe,

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so that there was a walk-in shower rather than a bath.

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I really could see us here.

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And all the family, and the kids, and friends coming over, too.

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-It would be absolutely lovely.

-We'd be so close to the sea.

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We've always thought about that, but to actually be able to do it...

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I think this house is a real contender.

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-I had to pull you out of that house!

-That was fantastic.

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-Got the thumbs up, didn't it?

-Yeah, really good.

0:16:560:16:59

But it is only house number one.

0:16:590:17:01

The West Sussex countryside is ideal vine-growing territory,

0:17:070:17:11

thanks to a semi-continental climate and the geology of the landscape.

0:17:110:17:15

Dry, cooler nights

0:17:150:17:17

and a fertile soil make this area suitable for wine production.

0:17:170:17:22

It's no surprise, then, that the county's vineyards

0:17:220:17:25

cover over 500 acres,

0:17:250:17:26

making it the largest wine-growing area in the UK.

0:17:260:17:31

With Katie keen to flex her green fingers,

0:17:310:17:33

we sent them to the Bolney Estate

0:17:330:17:36

to meet wine sales manager Stuart Barford

0:17:360:17:39

to discover more about viticulture in West Sussex.

0:17:390:17:43

How long have you been here in West Sussex, and what you produce here?

0:17:430:17:46

Bolney Wine Estates was established in 1972.

0:17:460:17:50

We started with three acres, and now we're up to 39 acres.

0:17:500:17:54

We go against the grain of most English vineyards.

0:17:540:17:58

In fact, we produce more red wine. We've got some Rondo,

0:17:580:18:02

which is an early ripening grape variety, which goes into our red.

0:18:020:18:06

We've also got Dornfelder as well.

0:18:060:18:07

These grape varieties were grown

0:18:070:18:10

because they ripen very well

0:18:100:18:13

in the West Sussex microclimate we have here.

0:18:130:18:15

The climate here causes the ripened grapes

0:18:150:18:18

to retain high levels of natural acidity,

0:18:180:18:21

vital for fine wine flavour.

0:18:210:18:24

The soil, comprising of sandstone, clay and chalk, drains well,

0:18:240:18:28

which is key for successful vine growing.

0:18:280:18:30

And the topography is similar to the Champagne region of France.

0:18:300:18:33

Vine canopies need constant care and attention,

0:18:330:18:37

and our couple are meeting vineyard manager Sue Osgood

0:18:370:18:39

to help out with a very important task.

0:18:390:18:42

So, at the moment we're tucking our shoots in,

0:18:420:18:44

so we keep them nice and neat and tidy inside the metal wires.

0:18:440:18:48

If so, we can obviously drive the tractors up and down the road,

0:18:480:18:52

and obviously come harvest time we want the grapes nicely exposed

0:18:520:18:55

so we can find them.

0:18:550:18:56

So, if you'd like to take hold of some vines and tuck them in for us.

0:18:560:19:01

-How long do they take to flower?

-On a usual year, about two weeks.

0:19:030:19:08

Then straight after flowering they'll go into fruit set,

0:19:080:19:11

which is what they are now.

0:19:110:19:12

-So you can see the little grapes developing.

-Oh, yeah!

0:19:120:19:15

And then they'll continue into bunches of grapes.

0:19:150:19:18

Do all the grapes ripen at the same time?

0:19:180:19:20

Not quite all at the same time.

0:19:200:19:22

We are looking here at the Pinot Noir,

0:19:220:19:24

which have just gone through fruit set.

0:19:240:19:26

If you look behind us over here, onto this side,

0:19:260:19:29

this is the Rondo grape, and these have moved slightly further on

0:19:290:19:32

than fruit set, so they're now developing into pea-sized grapes.

0:19:320:19:36

-Oh, yeah!

-How many bottles do you get out of a vine?

0:19:360:19:38

Between one and three, depending on the variety

0:19:380:19:41

and depending on the year.

0:19:410:19:42

With the help of a grant from the Department for Environment,

0:19:420:19:46

Food and Rural Affairs, Bolney Estate invested

0:19:460:19:48

in a state-of-the-art winery,

0:19:480:19:50

enabling them to produce wine for smaller neighbouring vineyards

0:19:500:19:53

as well as their own.

0:19:530:19:55

Time, perhaps, for Carl and Katie

0:19:550:19:57

to sample the delights of the West Sussex countryside.

0:19:570:20:01

What's unique about Sussex wines

0:20:010:20:04

are that we kind of make them so they're more fruit-driven.

0:20:040:20:07

If we take the still red, the Lychgate red,

0:20:070:20:11

it's made out of Rondo and Dornfelder grapes.

0:20:110:20:14

You should get strawberry

0:20:140:20:15

and kind of redcurrant and blackberry out of it.

0:20:150:20:18

Now that our buyers have tasted the home-grown produce

0:20:210:20:24

of this beautiful county,

0:20:240:20:26

it's time to return to the task of finding them a home.

0:20:260:20:29

For our second house,

0:20:340:20:35

we're travelling northeast into the South Downs National Park

0:20:350:20:38

to the hamlet of Watersfield, about 30 minutes from Chichester.

0:20:380:20:43

A short distance down the road is the village of Bury,

0:20:430:20:45

which sits beside the meandering River Arun.

0:20:450:20:49

The village has an abundance of thatched and barn properties

0:20:490:20:52

dotted amongst its leafy lanes, many of which are listed buildings.

0:20:520:20:56

A Post Office and a shop, along with farm shops,

0:20:560:21:00

provide a variety of locally produced food and drink.

0:21:000:21:04

House number two, an ironstone-built property,

0:21:040:21:07

can be found at the end of a quiet lane in Watersfield.

0:21:070:21:10

-Swing the corner...

-This is nice.

-Wow.

-House number two.

-It's lovely.

0:21:120:21:17

-It's like a little country cottage.

-It's gorgeous.

0:21:170:21:20

-So, this one has floors.

-Floors, yes, indeed! Yeah.

0:21:200:21:24

-And a big garage, look.

-A big garage. Something there for you, Carl.

0:21:240:21:28

-And your motorbikes.

-Yep.

-And if you look to the left, through the hedge.

0:21:280:21:31

Another little house for Mum and Dad!

0:21:310:21:34

-A separate annexe for your mum and dad.

-Yeah.

0:21:340:21:36

-Is this more what you were thinking?

-I think this is what I envisaged.

0:21:360:21:41

So, yeah. Just a normal, detached house.

0:21:410:21:45

Well, in good country style, we're not going to go into the front door.

0:21:450:21:48

We're going to go round the side.

0:21:480:21:51

'Built in the 1950s, the property has undergone radical modernisation,

0:21:510:21:55

'mixing contemporary interior design with a traditional exterior.'

0:21:550:22:00

-Come on in, through the boot room.

-That's a lovely big boot room.

0:22:000:22:05

-Straight into this.

-Oh, gosh! Fantastic space.

-Nice kitchen.

-Wow!

0:22:050:22:10

-Goodness me.

-You weren't expecting that, were you?

-No, no.

0:22:100:22:14

You could have everybody in the kitchen while you were cooking here!

0:22:140:22:18

It's slightly unusual because you've got the old kitchen, the prep room.

0:22:180:22:22

That's got all your white goods, washing machine, fridge.

0:22:220:22:24

And then this is the more kitchen,

0:22:240:22:26

in the sense of this is the space where you'd eat and have breakfast.

0:22:260:22:30

So, if you come through in here, you can see

0:22:300:22:32

-the layout of this spectacular add-on they've got.

-It a sun trap.

0:22:320:22:36

It IS a sun trap.

0:22:360:22:38

It's quite hot now, but the great thing about it is

0:22:380:22:41

that you can open up every single one of these...

0:22:410:22:44

-And be outside.

-And be outside.

0:22:440:22:46

-Folding... I don't even know what you call them.

-Yes. Concertina doors.

0:22:460:22:50

-That really lets the outside in.

-That's quite something!

0:22:500:22:54

So, this, really, would be your main walkway, because you can see

0:22:540:22:57

there's a sitting room there, and at the end there's a study as well.

0:22:570:23:03

So, you can access all of the rooms from the back

0:23:030:23:05

and the front, as it were.

0:23:050:23:07

-Is it's nice though? Do you like it?

-I do like it, yes.

0:23:070:23:11

It's very different.

0:23:110:23:12

Yes, getting my head around what you've got here,

0:23:120:23:15

-and how you could use it.

-It is different from the last property.

0:23:150:23:18

-Let's look upstairs, and you can see the upstairs layout.

-Yes.

0:23:180:23:20

'The downstairs definitely has that wow factor in terms of space.

0:23:200:23:24

'But they seem a little over-awed by just how much there is.

0:23:240:23:28

'Upstairs there are three double bedrooms in all.

0:23:290:23:32

'Bedrooms two and three are served by the family bathroom,

0:23:320:23:35

'with a square plunge bath.

0:23:350:23:37

'And, before that, the master.'

0:23:380:23:40

-Oh, look at the stained glass.

-Look at the stained glass, yes!

0:23:420:23:46

This is a nice sized room.

0:23:460:23:48

-Up the stairs it's more like a typical 1950s look.

-Yes.

0:23:480:23:52

-A lot of storage in this property.

-Good.

-All your storage here.

0:23:520:23:55

And this one has a very nice, modern en suite, wet room.

0:23:550:23:59

-Right.

-And a bath tub.

0:23:590:24:01

-That's something, yeah.

-How are you feeling about this house?

0:24:010:24:04

I feel that last time you were...

0:24:040:24:06

I'm a little ambivalent towards this house

0:24:060:24:08

because I'm confused by the additional outside

0:24:080:24:12

and front part of the house, and then the back view just shocked me.

0:24:120:24:18

But it's quite a quirky house.

0:24:180:24:20

And I guess the clincher would be what the annexe is like,

0:24:200:24:22

-for Mum and Dad, really.

-Well, let's go and look.

-OK.

0:24:220:24:25

Excuse me, I'll lead the way.

0:24:250:24:28

With Carl and Katie somewhat dazed and confused,

0:24:280:24:31

I think the annexe is going to have to be a knockout

0:24:310:24:35

to put this house into any sort of contention.

0:24:350:24:38

Come on in.

0:24:380:24:39

What we have here is a much more substantial annexe,

0:24:390:24:42

in the sense it's got three separate rooms.

0:24:420:24:46

A bedroom up this way.

0:24:460:24:47

And separate mains, separate electricity.

0:24:470:24:50

So it's all completely separate.

0:24:500:24:52

It's really all finished beautifully, isn't it?

0:24:520:24:54

-How does this compare to the last one?

-Different, isn't it?

0:24:540:24:57

Because this is a larger space, isn't it?

0:24:570:25:00

And it's much brighter, and more open, isn't it?

0:25:000:25:03

-Obviously it's got less stuff in it.

-A totally different feel.

0:25:030:25:07

There is more room here. It's a bigger area, isn't it?

0:25:070:25:10

-It doesn't have a kitchen.

-OK.

-That's the difference.

0:25:100:25:15

And you would have to get planning to put the kitchen on.

0:25:150:25:18

We're not sure how much of a problem would be.

0:25:180:25:20

-I'm sure they'd always be eating with us.

-Right.

0:25:200:25:23

But first you need to know how much it costs.

0:25:230:25:25

So, let's go out into the garden and talk about money.

0:25:250:25:27

'The gardens are mainly laid to lawn,

0:25:300:25:32

'with a paved terrace area

0:25:320:25:33

'leading on from the sitting room,

0:25:330:25:35

'looking out over splendid rural views.'

0:25:350:25:38

-And the missing piece of the puzzle is the price.

-Yes, the price.

0:25:390:25:43

-What do you think this is on the market for?

-You go first, this time.

0:25:430:25:46

Well, one less bedroom... Still really nice location.

0:25:460:25:50

So, I'm thinking maybe £775,000?

0:25:500:25:54

-Oh, and I was sort of going there as well, at £780,000.

-£780,000?

-Yes.

0:25:550:25:59

Well, it might be the deciding factor.

0:25:590:26:01

-This is actually on the market for £835,000.

-OK.

0:26:010:26:06

Hmm, I still think the issue for me is the mix of the modern

0:26:060:26:10

-and the traditional.

-Well, go and have an explore,

0:26:100:26:12

because we didn't look at the rooms upstairs,

0:26:120:26:15

and you can have another look around in the annexe.

0:26:150:26:17

-And I will see you at the front.

-Thank you very much.

0:26:170:26:20

Priced at £835, our second house has come in over budget.

0:26:200:26:25

It offers three bedrooms, a huge kitchen-breakfast room,

0:26:250:26:30

a living room with folding doors and windows on all three sides,

0:26:300:26:34

a two-bedroom annexe, a good-sized garden,

0:26:340:26:37

all around half an hour

0:26:370:26:39

from family in Chichester.

0:26:390:26:41

I don't think I'm quite so enthusiastic or emotional

0:26:410:26:44

about this house as the first house.

0:26:440:26:48

And although all the elements of this house are just great,

0:26:480:26:50

somehow, for me, it doesn't quite fit together properly.

0:26:500:26:54

Overall I like the property,

0:26:540:26:56

but I found this area a little overwhelming in its modernity.

0:26:560:27:01

I find the mix of traditional and modern

0:27:010:27:04

a little bit too much of a clash from me.

0:27:040:27:06

-Here you are, guys. Taking in the view.

-Yes.

0:27:080:27:12

I couldn't imagine ever living in a house with a view like that.

0:27:120:27:15

I think moving to the countryside is going to open

0:27:150:27:17

all sorts of imaginary doors.

0:27:170:27:20

-Well, that is all the houses done for today.

-Right.

0:27:200:27:22

-Time to digest and have a little rest.

-Indeed.

-Let's go.

0:27:220:27:25

It's the second day of our property search in West Sussex,

0:27:380:27:42

with Carl and Katie from North London,

0:27:420:27:44

who have £800,000 to spend on a new country home.

0:27:440:27:48

Coming up, the mystery house blows their mind.

0:27:480:27:53

This is beyond my wildest imaginings!

0:27:530:27:56

And I'm caught napping on the job.

0:27:560:27:58

Oh!

0:28:000:28:01

Day two here in West Sussex,

0:28:030:28:05

and Carl and Katie's house search continues at pace.

0:28:050:28:07

I think there was a clear winner yesterday,

0:28:070:28:10

but we have a mystery house today.

0:28:100:28:11

And I'd like to be able to say why we are showing the mystery house,

0:28:110:28:14

but actually, it's quite mysterious. It's just a great house.

0:28:140:28:20

And you've got to remember that they're churchgoers.

0:28:200:28:22

Oops, did I give it away?

0:28:220:28:24

For today's mystery house,

0:28:240:28:26

we're heading further east to the village of Warninglid,

0:28:260:28:29

putting them about an hour away from Chichester.

0:28:290:28:31

Before I reveal the property, I'm taking Carl and Katie

0:28:320:28:36

for a stroll around the village to get a feel for the surroundings.

0:28:360:28:39

-So, this is the mystery village.

-It's really pretty.

0:28:400:28:44

A little preview of your surroundings

0:28:440:28:46

before I show you the house. It goes back to Saxon times.

0:28:460:28:49

An interesting name, Warninglid. There was a lot of building in the 1950s.

0:28:490:28:52

A lot of these houses are very nice 1950s houses.

0:28:520:28:55

But copying the same sort of mathematical tiles

0:28:550:28:57

-hanging from the front of the old buildings.

-Yes.

0:28:570:29:00

It's won Best Kept Village three times in the last quarter century.

0:29:000:29:04

Impressive.

0:29:040:29:05

So, this is what you could be buying into if you like this house.

0:29:050:29:10

'In the heart of the village is our mystery house,

0:29:100:29:13

'a converted property that was once the hub of the community.'

0:29:130:29:17

Here we go. It's the mystery house!

0:29:170:29:21

-Oh, my gosh.

-Oh, wow!

0:29:210:29:22

-What do you think this used to be?

-A church!

-A church.

-That's amazing.

0:29:220:29:28

-I said I liked going to church, didn't I?

-You did.

0:29:280:29:31

You don't even need to get out of bed, you're in church.

0:29:310:29:33

-Is that all one property?

-It's all one property, yes.

-Good heavens!

0:29:330:29:37

So, from 1935 to about 2000,

0:29:370:29:39

this was the Anglican Church of Warninglid.

0:29:390:29:44

This, on the other side, is a new addition,

0:29:440:29:47

so it was converted by an architect in around 2000.

0:29:470:29:50

-And they put on that extra building.

-Oh, beautifully done, isn't it?

0:29:500:29:54

-And look at the stained glass, Carl.

-Yeah.

0:29:540:29:57

-What are your thoughts and feelings?

-Amazing!

-Amazing.

0:29:570:30:02

-Let's look inside.

-Let's.

0:30:020:30:04

'Built in 1932, the church has undergone

0:30:040:30:07

'a substantial refurbishment,

0:30:070:30:09

'and bearing in mind their reaction to the mix of styles

0:30:090:30:12

'in our second property,

0:30:120:30:13

'I'm hoping this sympathetic modernisation

0:30:130:30:16

'will elicit a more favourable response.'

0:30:160:30:19

Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh!

0:30:190:30:24

It's enormous! It's echoey, listen to it!

0:30:260:30:29

-It is echoey.

-What a living space!

0:30:290:30:31

This is beyond my wildest imaginings!

0:30:320:30:36

So, let's walk down to the... Well, I suppose down the aisle...

0:30:370:30:41

to the kitchen.

0:30:410:30:42

This would have been where the altar was, the east end of the church.

0:30:420:30:46

You've got the more elaborate stained glass above the cooker.

0:30:460:30:49

Beautiful colours.

0:30:490:30:51

-Good heavens, indeed!

-It's quite a signature kitchen as well, isn't it?

0:30:510:30:55

-Yeah.

-That dark units and the contrast with the white surface.

0:30:550:31:00

-And really modern-looking.

-Is that pleasing?

0:31:000:31:02

I think that looks really nice, yeah.

0:31:020:31:05

So, this is clearly the sort of like pazzang space,

0:31:050:31:08

that's full of the sound of the angels.

0:31:080:31:10

Through the archway is the more modest living space.

0:31:100:31:14

I wonder what your mum and dad would think about living in a church!

0:31:140:31:17

SHE LAUGHS

0:31:170:31:19

'We're certainly getting more than our fair share of wows

0:31:190:31:23

'with this property, but as we head to the new extension,

0:31:230:31:25

'it's time to address the question of space for Carl's parents.'

0:31:250:31:29

The second half of the house is a bit more modest,

0:31:290:31:32

although anything would be modest after that first room.

0:31:320:31:34

-Has it got the same windows?

-Yeah.

-It's very tastefully done, yeah.

0:31:340:31:38

So the challenge of this property, and I will be frank,

0:31:380:31:41

-is that it doesn't have a ready-made annexe.

-Right.

0:31:410:31:44

However, it does have on this floor a massive, beautiful family bathroom

0:31:440:31:50

with a massive shower, which is suitable for wheelchairs.

0:31:500:31:52

-Right, brilliant.

-And this room.

0:31:520:31:55

-And then also on this floor, another double and a single room.

-Oh, OK.

0:31:550:31:59

So, that is basically a living accommodation and a bedroom.

0:31:590:32:04

Let's look upstairs, at your bedroom.

0:32:040:32:08

'There is enough space for their parents,

0:32:080:32:10

'but it remains to be seen whether the property offers enough

0:32:100:32:12

'separate space for Carl and Katie themselves.'

0:32:120:32:16

-So, a very nice modern bathroom.

-Yeah.

-Fantastic.

0:32:160:32:19

Yeah, the quality is amazing.

0:32:190:32:23

-And then this would probably be your room.

-Definitely.

0:32:230:32:26

-Because it's got... Ta-da! Huge storage.

-My goodness!

0:32:260:32:31

-You'd certainly fit all your dresses in there.

-Yeah. Just, maybe!

0:32:310:32:34

-There is space over there for more storage.

-Yeah, dressing table.

0:32:340:32:38

Nice high room.

0:32:380:32:40

And even though it's a sloping ceiling, you wouldn't bang your head!

0:32:400:32:44

So, the challenge of this property is

0:32:440:32:46

that you only have four bedrooms in total to play with.

0:32:460:32:49

-And one of those is quite small.

-Yeah, OK.

0:32:490:32:51

It's just so unlike anywhere we've ever seen.

0:32:510:32:55

It's really got the wow factor, both from outside and from inside.

0:32:550:33:00

-That is why it's the mystery house.

-Absolutely.

0:33:000:33:02

There is a little bit of space outside,

0:33:020:33:05

so let's look at the back garden.

0:33:050:33:07

'Bearing in mind the Katie wanted somewhere to potter,

0:33:090:33:12

'the garden is relatively modest.

0:33:120:33:14

'At the front is a paved terrace, edged by box hedging,

0:33:140:33:17

'with a small lawn to the side,

0:33:170:33:18

'and the rear is mainly gravelled with a patio seating area.

0:33:180:33:23

'And there's also a garage for Carl to tinker in.'

0:33:230:33:26

Is it working for you?

0:33:260:33:28

It's beyond amazing, isn't it? But we're quite messy.

0:33:280:33:32

We've got quite a lot of things, and that house needs to be open

0:33:320:33:37

and clean, doesn't it?

0:33:370:33:39

So, I'm still trying to get my head around whether WE could live there.

0:33:390:33:44

There isn't an extra room that we could use for your sewing,

0:33:440:33:48

-or as a study to put things away.

-Yeah.

0:33:480:33:50

So, I'm struggling to see how that all really fits.

0:33:500:33:52

And how much do you think it is on the market for?

0:33:520:33:55

It's just incredible. The wow factor...

0:33:550:33:59

The outside, the inside,

0:34:010:34:02

I would have thought it would be way beyond the budget.

0:34:020:34:05

So would I, yes!

0:34:050:34:07

Given that it has to be somewhere near budget,

0:34:070:34:09

I would have said £850,000.

0:34:090:34:11

And I would have said near enough that as well, maybe £845,000,

0:34:110:34:15

something like that.

0:34:150:34:16

Well, you must really like it,

0:34:160:34:18

because actually it's on the market for 750,000.

0:34:180:34:21

Oh! Is it? I think they need to put their prices up.

0:34:210:34:25

-Well, why don't you go back inside to the church.

-Oh, yes.

-Have a pray.

0:34:250:34:29

-Indeed, ask the Lord to help!

-And I'll meet you in the porch.

0:34:290:34:34

Thank you.

0:34:340:34:36

Now, that's interesting, isn't it?

0:34:360:34:38

When someone guesses £100,000 over a property,

0:34:380:34:41

that says something about what they think about it.

0:34:410:34:44

It seems our mystery house has foxed them.

0:34:460:34:50

On the market for £750,000, it offers them bags of character,

0:34:500:34:54

with four bedrooms, a massive kitchen and living space,

0:34:540:34:58

a huge downstairs bathroom, ideal for Carl's parents,

0:34:580:35:01

a garage with workshop potential,

0:35:010:35:04

all set in a beautiful village location.

0:35:040:35:07

If it was just the two of us, I think that we could live here.

0:35:070:35:12

Because we would use perhaps one of the bedrooms as a study,

0:35:120:35:16

or a sewing room.

0:35:160:35:18

And then the rest of it could be clutter-free and minimalist,

0:35:180:35:20

how it is meant to be. I think that would work.

0:35:200:35:23

But it's not just the two of us, it's for four adults

0:35:230:35:26

and then, the kids when they come back.

0:35:260:35:29

So, yeah, I'm not sure it...

0:35:290:35:31

Although I really wish it would, I'm not sure that it does work for us.

0:35:310:35:36

-You all done?

-Yeah, thank you.

0:35:360:35:38

-I'm afraid that's the last house I have to show you.

-Oh!

-No more.

0:35:380:35:42

Well, they've all been amazing, the three you have shown us.

0:35:420:35:45

Ended on a real high.

0:35:450:35:46

Good. Well, let's go and find somewhere to gather our thoughts.

0:35:460:35:49

Thank you.

0:35:490:35:52

Many English counties can be identified not only by their

0:35:580:36:01

landscape, but by their buildings

0:36:010:36:03

and the materials used to construct them.

0:36:030:36:06

With an abundance of flint found in West Sussex,

0:36:060:36:09

it's become a defining feature of the county's architecture.

0:36:090:36:12

One such building made from this durable quartz is West Dean House

0:36:120:36:17

in the village of West Dean.

0:36:170:36:18

Originally built in 1804, for the politician James Peachey,

0:36:180:36:23

this Georgian Gothic manor house

0:36:230:36:24

eventually became the West Dean College in 1971,

0:36:240:36:27

a centre teaching traditional craft skills.

0:36:270:36:32

I've come to meet college tutor and flint mason Gerry Williams

0:36:320:36:35

to find out more about this hardy crystalline.

0:36:350:36:39

-Morning, Gerry. Nice to meet you.

-Welcome to West Dean.

0:36:390:36:43

What an amazing building.

0:36:430:36:45

-Now, you are a flint fanatic. Can I call you that?

-A fanatic, yes.

0:36:450:36:48

Absolutely. I'll go along with that.

0:36:480:36:51

I can see that this is a very unusually white

0:36:510:36:53

and very orderly flint. What information does that give you?

0:36:530:36:56

Basically, when this was built, they left they left the cortex,

0:36:560:36:59

-which is the outside flint, still on.

-Cortex?

0:36:590:37:02

Cortex, which is like a rind of a cheese.

0:37:020:37:05

What about West Sussex?

0:37:050:37:06

What's typical about this building?

0:37:060:37:08

Is there anything you'd spot as being typically West Sussex?

0:37:080:37:11

Well, only the fact that there's galleting here.

0:37:110:37:14

There's a lot of areas where there is galleting.

0:37:140:37:16

-Even in East Sussex, no galleting.

-What's galleting?

0:37:160:37:19

Galleting is the small slivers of flint

0:37:190:37:22

that are knocked off a big flint,

0:37:220:37:24

so you get all these little bits

0:37:240:37:26

that you can stick in round the joints.

0:37:260:37:29

It is purely to show a sign of wealth,

0:37:290:37:32

because it costs a lot of money to sit there galleting.

0:37:320:37:35

-So, this is a wealthy man's house.

-Absolutely, yes.

0:37:350:37:38

Found mainly in areas of chalk and limestone,

0:37:400:37:43

nobody really knows how flint is formed.

0:37:430:37:46

It is extremely tough, almost as hard as diamonds,

0:37:460:37:49

and it takes years to learn how to read the flint

0:37:490:37:52

so you can map it into the exact shape you want.

0:37:520:37:55

Time for my lesson, I think.

0:37:550:37:57

-Here we have the flint bench.

-Ah, look. All the raw material.

0:37:590:38:05

How do you work it? Because it's extremely hard. It's tough material.

0:38:050:38:09

It's tough material, but it's not specifically hard.

0:38:090:38:12

You have to look at it and assume where you're going to work it,

0:38:120:38:16

and then tap it.

0:38:160:38:18

-And then you're listening and looking at the same time.

-Listening?

0:38:180:38:22

You listen to hear how it rings. And then, off you go.

0:38:220:38:26

-You'll find out in a minute.

-Can we have a go?

-Yes.

0:38:260:38:29

I think you'd better put your gloves on.

0:38:290:38:33

-They're quite sharp.

-Very sharp.

0:38:330:38:34

-They used to make knives out of them.

-Knock a bit off.

0:38:340:38:38

-LOUD TAPPING

-You can hear it's ringing quite well.

0:38:380:38:43

Are there any tips?

0:38:430:38:44

Am I listening for anything in particular?

0:38:440:38:47

What we want you to do, just try and think,

0:38:470:38:49

you're going to try and knock that lump off.

0:38:490:38:51

What you want to be looking at is that nodule there.

0:38:510:38:54

Just give it a sharp crack.

0:38:560:38:59

That's it.

0:38:590:39:01

Yeah, it's gone.

0:39:010:39:04

-LOUD TAP AND CRASH

-Oh, my God!

0:39:040:39:06

Absolutely bigger than I expected!

0:39:060:39:11

It's got a mind of its own.

0:39:110:39:13

You have to work it.

0:39:130:39:14

-So, you can see here, this is the cortex?

-That's right.

0:39:140:39:18

This is the black, black flint. Wow, it's really amazing.

0:39:180:39:23

I'm getting the hang of it.

0:39:230:39:25

This is amazing. This has been so instructive.

0:39:250:39:28

-I have learnt knapping, gallets...

-Gallets.

0:39:280:39:33

-It's been a real joy. Thank you so much.

-Good. Good to meet you.

0:39:330:39:36

'I have a long way to go before I build my own flint house, I think,

0:39:360:39:39

'but, thankfully, Gerry is here to pass on these traditional skills,

0:39:390:39:43

'to conserve wonderful flint structures for years to come.'

0:39:430:39:47

For now, time to catch up with our couple

0:39:470:39:49

and return to their house hunt.

0:39:490:39:51

On reflection, I think

0:39:520:39:54

maybe the ecclesiastical portions of that mystery house

0:39:540:39:57

may have put the fear of God into Carl and Katie, quite literally.

0:39:570:40:00

But it's definitely between that one and house number one, with the pool.

0:40:000:40:05

So, which one is going to lure them from London? Let's find out.

0:40:050:40:08

I would bet this cream tea here that the two houses you like

0:40:110:40:16

-the most are the first and the last.

-Yeah.

-You're not wrong.

0:40:160:40:20

Yes! The cream tea is mine, excellent!

0:40:200:40:23

Have you had any thoughts about the first and the last house

0:40:230:40:26

since we've got back?

0:40:260:40:28

I think we could really see ourselves living in the first house,

0:40:280:40:31

as opposed to the third house, which was beyond fabulous

0:40:310:40:36

but probably not really practical for us all to live in.

0:40:360:40:41

Of course, your parents have been key players in this,

0:40:410:40:44

even though they haven't been with us. Has that been...

0:40:440:40:47

Sometimes I think you're looking for the house for your parents,

0:40:470:40:50

rather than yourselves.

0:40:500:40:51

Have you allowed yourself a bit of, "This house would nice for me?"

0:40:510:40:55

I think it's very much for both.

0:40:550:40:57

So, that's why the separate annexe

0:40:570:41:00

and all the accommodation in the first house really did fit

0:41:000:41:03

the bill, whereas the second house became a bit of a compromise,

0:41:030:41:06

and equally for the third, there was a bit of a compromise.

0:41:060:41:10

Not really having enough space for all of us.

0:41:100:41:13

Have you been telling them what you've seen?

0:41:130:41:15

Yes, I've been ringing them and trying to describe the properties.

0:41:150:41:18

So, we'll have to fill in him little bit more when we get back.

0:41:180:41:21

And hopefully get them down to see one of them.

0:41:210:41:25

So, the next step is what?

0:41:250:41:27

Well, certainly, initially to go back

0:41:270:41:29

and look at the surrounding area from the first property.

0:41:290:41:32

The first property is very close to your brother.

0:41:320:41:34

Yes, which would be so good.

0:41:340:41:36

To be able to see them on a more regular basis

0:41:360:41:39

and have my niece and nephew, over and play in the pool.

0:41:390:41:42

-With that pool you'd be seeing a lot of them.

-Yeah!

0:41:420:41:46

I hope it all goes well.

0:41:460:41:47

There's a few obstacles you need to get through,

0:41:470:41:50

but your excitement will carry you through, no doubt.

0:41:500:41:52

-We're really looking forward to moving.

-We're looking forward to it, yeah.

0:41:520:41:57

I feel good about the work we did with Katie and Carl this week,

0:41:590:42:03

because we overcame their anxiety, which is understandable,

0:42:030:42:05

having lived in London their whole life,

0:42:050:42:07

about moving into the countryside.

0:42:070:42:09

But that's a good thing,

0:42:090:42:10

because then, they will have all this on their doorstep.

0:42:100:42:14

And I think with their energy, excitement and ebullience,

0:42:140:42:17

they'll clear all the obstacles and make the move.

0:42:170:42:20

I hope that you, with all your enthusiasm,

0:42:200:42:22

join us next time for more Escape To The Country.

0:42:220:42:26

Well, the first property was ideal,

0:42:280:42:30

but having been back to look around the area,

0:42:300:42:32

Carl and Katie decided that although they love the house,

0:42:320:42:34

the location isn't quite right for them and Carl's parents.

0:42:340:42:38

So, they're continuing their search around Chichester

0:42:380:42:41

for their dream home in the country.

0:42:410:42:43

If you want to escape to the country

0:42:450:42:47

in Wales, Northern Ireland, England, Scotland

0:42:470:42:50

or even further afield to the Continent,

0:42:500:42:52

and need our help,

0:42:520:42:54

please apply online at:

0:42:540:43:00

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