Wiltshire Escape to the Country

For today's Escape To The Country I'm going to tell you a little story.

Some 530 years ago, one generous woman quite literally paved

the way in building this historic and now locally much-loved footpath.

But who was she and where is it?

Join me in just a few moments and I'll tell you.

On today's show we are helping an expat couple return to the

UK to find a country home close to their family. What do you think?

-Is it you?

-It's... interesting.

A recurring theme begins to emerge.

-Interesting.

-Is this a good "interesting?"

-I'm not sure we've had a good "interesting" yet.

-It is.

Today we are in Wiltshire

and this wonderful arched footbridge is known as Maud Heath's Causeway.

Maud was a market trader back in the Middle Ages.

She lived in a village down there.

She would have to cross these fields, which at the time were

often boggy and flooded, on her way to market over there in Chippenham.

But Maud, she was a fairly generous sort.

When she died back in 1474, she left instructions not only

that this should be built and maintained,

but also the money with which to do it.

It was a fantastic act of, at the time, unprecedented local charity,

but it's still very much appreciated today,

especially when it's been raining.

Located in south-west England,

landlocked Wiltshire is surrounded by six counties, including

Gloucestershire to the north and Dorset to the south.

Its sweeping chalk downs are imprinted with an extraordinary archaeological

record of its earliest occupants, including the iconic Stonehenge.

The county's rich history is also expressed

in its many elegant towns, including Marlborough,

once an important staging post on the London to Bath road.

In 1653, a huge fire devastated the town

and much of it was rebuilt including the main street which today

is one of the widest high streets in the UK.

Just south of Marlborough is Savernake Forest,

almost 5,000 acres of ancient beech and oak woodland.

It's been passed down through an unbroken line of 31 generations,

making it the only privately owned forest in Britain.

It is, however, open to the public to enjoy.

With almost half of the county designated

an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, it's no surprise that

house-hunters are so drawn to this beautiful part of the country.

Just over £290,000 is the figure that will get

you your average detached property here.

That's a cool £35,000 above that infamous national figure

we talk about. But why the premium?

Well, houses in the Vale of Pewsey, and in pretty little villages like Urchfont, have

helped to boil the pot, thanks to their close proximity to Salisbury.

But rest assured, there's still lots out there.

Extend your search to Chippenham

and you will still find plenty that is pretty

at a far more affordable price.

So, time to meet today's buyers

and find out why they think Wiltshire is for them.

After a successful career as a food company director, Colin and wife

Helene moved to her native Spain to enjoy their retirement in the sun.

12 years on, they've sold their house in Malaga

and are checking into a Wiltshire hotel to start their search

for a new home closer to loved ones back on British soil.

When we moved to Malaga we had no grandchildren.

At the time we couldn't see any on the horizon, but it all happened

and now we have seven, four of those are in Wiltshire.

We do miss them all, very much so.

It will be just wonderful to be near our grandchildren.

Going to their school functions, concerts and having them

to stay over. It would be just heaven.

Helene and Colin have embraced their Spanish lifestyle to the full,

but after 12 years abroad there are some things they've missed.

We used to visit stately homes which we enjoyed visiting.

We like horse racing.

We go to as many horse race meetings, which we would like to return to,

which we haven't been doing in Spain.

And, of course,

enjoying the fellowship you get in English country pubs.

We can prop up a bar from time to time and enjoy the locals.

One way that Helene plans to embrace their new rural

lifestyle is through her passion for fitness.

When we move here, I'm hoping we will get bikes

and we can ride in the countryside. It would do him good.

I love exercise and he's a bit against exercise, but he needs it.

I'll join aerobics or maybe yoga,

whichever there is in the village, because I love it.

Through visits to their family in Wiltshire, Colin

and Helene have got to know and appreciate the county's charms.

Some of the villages are still unspoiled and quite quaint.

It's a real throwback in many ways to England as was,

and I'm quite happy about that.

So what have they got to spend on a new home in Wiltshire?

The budget for this move is around £480,000.

Colin and Helene's family lived to the south of the county in

Fox Holes, so to keep them within easy reach of their grandchildren,

we're focusing our search within an hour's drive of the village.

I'm meeting up with them to pick up some more details about their move.

Many people looking at your story will be thinking,

"Hang on a minute, surely they're going in the wrong direction."

Don't we all want to live in the sun in Spain?

We've had 12 years of sunshine, basking in Spain

and now is the lure of the English countryside once again.

And, of course, close to our family.

Just give us an idea of the sort of property you've got your minds

set on in terms of maybe style and what it needs to contain.

Ideally, we would like large rooms, light and airy,

with a large kitchen and utility room, big bedroom, ensuite bathroom.

And at least three bedrooms, and a double garage, hopefully,

-and a garden that I can...

-Not too big a garden.

Basically what you are after is everything you've

-got in Spain, you just want it here.

-Except for the pool.

-Except for the pool.

-If there is a pool, that is fine.

And not directly on a road.

-We'd like to be a little bit back off the road.

-And not too isolated.

I guess also you would probably go for something fairly modern,

-because that's what you've been used to in Spain.

-Inside, certainly.

We like all mod cons. A nice kitchen with all the mod cons.

Just remind us of how much money we've got to play

with to find this new dream home of yours.

We've sold our house in Spain and so we've set

a budget of £480,000, which could plus or minus a bit either way.

I think that sort of budget does put us within striking

distance of getting you something really nice.

It's a gorgeous part of the country.

It's got some fantastic housing stock here. A real slice

of quintessential England.

Who's going to make all the decisions, though?

-He's got the chequebook.

-The sun is shining. Let's go spend some money.

With £480,000, Colin

and Helene are looking for a home with spacious airy rooms,

including a large kitchen, utility room,

a minimum of three bedrooms and an en-suite.

Outside they'd like a medium-sized garden

and space to park two cars, with ideally a garage.

They'd also like to be within easy reach of some local amenities.

We've found a wonderful mix of homes to show our buyers,

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

The final property is the mystery house,

where the interior design could tip them one way or the other.

And what do you think will be the biggest change for you

as you make this huge transition?

-Driving on the other side of the road.

-Leaving friends behind.

When we moved to Spain, all our friends visited us,

and they said, "We'll come down and see you when you move to Wiltshire,"

so I should imagine we will have a very, very busy time.

Our house has been pretty much like a hotel for 12 years.

So that's what we're looking for now. A hotel in Wiltshire.

-Just so we know.

-Yeah.

-OK.

We are starting our search eight miles south of Fox Holes

in the hamlet of Norton Ferris, close to the Somerset border.

The nearest village, two and a half miles away, is Maiden Bradley.

Located within the West Wiltshire Downs

in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty,

the village takes its name from a leper hospital for maidens

that was founded here in the 12th century.

It has a community-run shop and a recently refurbished pub.

Our first property, just nearby, is a 17th-century cottage with

a gorgeous rural setting,

perfect for those bike rides Helene has got planned for them.

-This is property number one.

-That's pretty.

-That's pretty, yes.

-Is there a garage?

-There isn't a garage.

You have a little bit of off-road parking for at least two,

maybe three cars there.

As you can see through the gap there, the ground rises

up behind it, but it's been rearranged in a way that

-makes it a little bit upside down.

-Quirky.

-Absolutely, quirky.

Because your main kitchen-diner is upstairs

-and it leads out into the garden behind.

-Aha.

The garden is very manageable, very lovely, full of sun.

-Can we see inside?

-Come on then.

Originally, this property was a modest one-up, one-down cottage,

but extra rooms were added to the ground floor around 20 years ago.

OK. Come on in.

So, we've got two bedrooms down here.

There's a double there. Double there.

Nice big family bathroom that serves this floor with the roll-top bath,

and then through here this is the living room. Follow me.

-So, what do we think of this?

-Oh, lovely.

-Different.

-Very quaint.

I wondered if it had a slightly Spanishy feel to it with these

whitewashed beams. What do you think, though? Is it you?

It's...interesting. It's certainly worth considering.

-I'd like to see more.

-But that word, "interesting" -

I'm not sure that's telling me the whole story as to what's going on in your mind.

Well, it is interesting. It's not what I expected.

I want to take it in first.

I think the ceilings might be too low.

He's good at knocking his head on everything.

Yeah. I'm a bit challenged on that one.

In terms of ceiling height, we've got no problems upstairs.

Come and have a look at this.

So the ground floor of this slightly topsy-turvy house offers

the two bedrooms, bathroom and cosy sitting room we've just seen.

But the main living space can be found upstairs where there is

a kitchen and dining area as well as a master bedroom suite.

Now, this for me is where our... kind of upside-down house

-really does come to light. What do you think?

-Lovely, lovely.

The kitchen units I love. They are made of reclaimed elm.

Very individual.

How's our..."interesting" barometer faring at this stage?

-It gives you a lot of food for thought.

-Yeah?

A lot of food for thought. A lot of consideration.

We have to adjust our ambitions on what we're looking for.

I don't think you have to adjust your ambitions at all.

This is a very desirable property. The question is, is it for you?

It does have this fantastic sunroom which is just gorgeous.

-Have a look at that.

-This is pretty.

This structure is what, I think, defines the layout of this place

-because they're clearly making maximum use of the garden.

-Quite.

And this really is your living floor, I would say,

-albeit that the living room itself is down below us.

-Very nice.

So, as we saw in the way in, there are two double bedrooms

downstairs with that lovely bathroom, but the master is up here.

So this is your own kind of suite, really.

Storage there, really nice kind of wet room.

And then this is... your bit.

-You like?

-Yes.

-Yes.

-I'm trying to advance the "interesting".

Yeah. It is interesting again, yeah.

We've got a huge bit and a bigger dressing...

I'm just trying to visualise.

I'm just not feeling the kind of excitement

I would have expected this house to have generated.

-We're surprised, I think.

-Yeah.

It's a lot older and quainter and quirkier than we expected.

-Than we have ever had.

-Is it?

-Yes.

You're walking into a time warp, really, and it's different.

-We've got a lot of things which we have inherited.

-Stuff.

-Stuff, yes.

THEY LAUGH

-We can't just throw it out.

-Nor should you.

We've got to find a home for it.

But you could chuck out all the sombreros

-and stuffed donkeys you collected.

-We haven't got a single one.

This is, as I say, a toe in the water for us, to get an idea of what

you like and for you to get a sense of what the market here can offer you.

The key thing, I suppose, is the price.

Let's talk about that in the garden.

Come on, and it will give you a good idea of where we are going.

It seems our buyers aren't convinced this house offers them

the space they're after, but maybe the garden will offer a glimmer of hope.

-Oh.

-Nice, isn't it?

-Gorgeous. Look at the trees.

You've got lots to play with here. But not, you know, masses of work.

-COLIN LAUGHS

-There's the kind of rear-view,

-that lovely garden room that dominates it.

-Lovely.

The garden is what you see. Is that manageable enough for you?

I think it's big enough without being too big.

You've got this nice little terrace here and behind us

some very well-kept vegetable beds.

There's nothing in them at the moment but at least they're weed-free.

Let's have a think about the price then, shall we?

-I'd pitch it at just under 400,000.

-Would you now?

That's quite optimistic.

We're not familiar with the market, of course.

Perhaps we have something to learn on that front.

-HE LAUGHS

-OK. Helene?

Well, to me, only 375.

This is currently on the market at £465,000.

-Yeah. But this has been a very interesting first impression, I think.

-Wonderful.

I think it's food for thought. We'll have to think about it.

We've still got a bit of time.

Why not go and explore it at your leisure,

and I'll catch up with you a little bit later.

-Thank you.

-Off you go. After you, sir and madam.

Well, it's a long way from Spain

and this property may well be a long way from what Helene

and Colin were expecting, but it is an absolute classic.

I think it's gorgeous, but is it for them? Who knows?

Just under budget at £465,000,

this period cottage with its peaceful rural setting offers a

large kitchen, a dining room cum conservatory, three bedrooms

and a characterful downstairs sitting room.

There's no garage but there is parking for two cars.

Inside, I was a little surprised at the size of the rooms and certainly

the low ceiling, which I just managed to scrape under at full height.

Upstairs, again that was different. It was a nice big garden room.

That's a good size, a very bright, airy room.

But the lack of a garage

and perhaps a bit more parking space was a little concern.

I don't think we could consider this because it's too small for us.

Not enough storage space

and our furniture is too big for it. It's lovely.

It's lovely, but not for us.

Good. I think that has been, in many ways,

-more revealing than many first property tours.

-Yes.

-So, we've got quite a few things to consider.

-A lot to think about.

-Space, ages of property and prices.

-Of course, absolutely.

-Come on, then.

Wiltshire has a rich farming tradition that goes back

thousands of years.

However, as in many rural communities,

the convenience of supermarket shopping has meant people

have become disconnected from the food that is grown in their area.

But, there's an increasing number of ethically aware customers,

who are looking beyond supermarket shelves

and seeking out local produce from independent farm shops.

And it's a movement that doesn't look to be slowing down.

There are now more than 4,000 farm shops across the UK.

One of those, here in Wiltshire, is Plank's, which opened six years ago.

With Colin's career in the food manufacturing industry,

he and Helene have an interest in start-up food businesses,

so they're meeting Liz Nelson, one of the shop's owners.

It's estimated that a third of UK households now make

purchases from farm shops. Part of the appeal is knowing the money

they spend stays in the community and helps support local farmers.

The majority of our customers are local customers and they come

in two or three times a week and they really do use us like the local shop.

I don't think a lot of people realise what fabulous produce is

available on their doorstep.

What makes farm shop so different from supermarkets?

Hopefully, it's a really nice place to come shop

and nice atmosphere, but mainly the local produce.

Everything we get here that you can't get in the supermarket,

locally sourced, less food miles

and that's what customers are really looking for nowadays.

The farmers are getting a decent amount of money for the produce they are growing,

and things like the local meat. They know where it's come from.

It hasn't travelled halfway round the world.

Literally, it has come from the field to the abattoir and then delivered to us.

-And it's a nice shopping experience.

-Yes, I hope so.

To diversify and offer greater variety to their customers,

a growing number of farm shop owners, including Liz, are beginning

to make their own product ranges in on-site kitchens.

And today's chef Mel has found a couple of new recruits to

help her make one of the shop's specialities.

I'll be making some scotch eggs with you today.

Adhering to the farm shop philosophy,

ingredients for their products are sourced from as nearby as possible.

These eggs come from a free-range farm just down the road.

-Colin, if you you'd like to just roll it into some flour for me.

-OK.

Next, we're going to wrap it into the sausage meat.

Do you want to place that egg in there, Colin?

Nice coating on that.

Putting this into the egg wash, which is half milk, half egg,

just to help these breadcrumbs stick.

With more people developing a passion for locally produced

food, it looks like the farm shop will be a positive

presence in our rural communities for years to come.

-Mmm.

-Delicious.

With day one drawing to an end, there's plenty of time for Colin

and Helene to reflect

on our house hunt so far.

It's the second day of our property search,

and on a budget of £480,000, we're helping Colin and Helene

leave their retirement in Malaga for a rural home in Wiltshire.

We still have two properties to view,

including the mystery house which has an unexpected bonus.

-If you bought this house, you get that as well.

-Wow.

That's a double wow.

And I visit a couple we helped find a Wiltshire home a few years

back, to see how they've made it on their own.

Our second property takes us half an hour's drive

north of Fox Holes to the village of Neston. The nearest place to

pick up provisions is three miles away in Corsham.

In medieval times, the town prospered,

thanks to the booming Wiltshire wool trade, and later

the quarrying of local Bath stone further boosted its fortunes.

The honey-coloured hues of which can be seen in many of the town's

buildings.

Our second property, just down the road, was actually

built for a local quarryman and his family back in the 1870s.

-Lovely.

-That's different. That's lovely.

Very different proposition in terms of location.

Obviously, we've got neighbours and so on.

-I know you don't want to be isolated.

-Quite.

So it's kind of the other end of that scale, one would say.

-But easy access to the countryside.

-Feels quiet.

-It's a nice little spot.

-It's a good solid-looking house.

-It is.

But there are obvious compromises.

I guess the main one being there isn't a dedicated garage for you.

-That is...or parking spaces.

-Yes.

-But, who knows? Is it the one?

-We shall see.

-Come on, then.

This four-bedroom Bath stone house has been completely

renovated over the last few years by the current owners,

and I'm hoping it is to Colin and Helene's taste.

Well, let's start with this living room. This being the principal one.

-Right.

-This is cosy.

-Nice.

-Good size.

-Is this a bit more like it?

-Yes.

-Indeed.

-A bit more conventional. I love the detailing.

They've revealed these stone reveals around the windows.

-It's got a nice country feel as well.

-Well, it has.

And it's made the best of the material, the stone it's built from.

-Bath stone.

-Bath stone, exactly.

-The little details...

-Nice touches.

-..really make it.

So this sets the scene. Let's continue through here.

So, dining room here with another multi-fuel burner there.

-Now, I promised you a fitted kitchen. Here it is.

-Very nice.

-Yeah?

-This was a local guy who built it.

-Very nice.

An in-frame kitchen, as we like to say.

You've got the island, the marble and so on.

So there's a lot of money in this, actually.

Will it be big enough? Because I know size is the thing with you.

Well, we are both big.

I didn't mean it in that respect. I meant in terms of the space you're

-used to and are aspiring to.

-It would need adjusting.

-In what respect?

Getting used to smaller space.

-OK, but you wouldn't be adjusting the kitchen?

-No. It's liveable.

All right. Let's go upstairs because we have got you four bedrooms there.

Oh, good.

Also on the ground floor there's a utility room with a toilet,

and of the bedrooms upstairs, there's a single and two doubles,

one of which is currently being used as a study.

But we've earmarked the fourth and largest bedroom for our couple.

-So, finally this would be yours.

-Master.

-Very nice.

-Nice and bright.

And again the detailing just coming out there with the stone

and plaster mix. Fireplace and so on.

A lot of thought has gone into it. Any wardrobes?

There are no built-in wardrobes in here.

Storage would be a mixture of other bedrooms where there are wardrobes

-and so on.

-Is there just the one bathroom?

-There is. On this floor.

So it's not en suite. However, you have four bedrooms

and the one next door, which isn't massive, you could go through there

and put an en-suite onto here and you'd end up with a very,

very generous en suite. Plenty of room for a bath and shower.

-And dressing room.

-And a dressing room. You could do that.

Let's have a look at the back garden and talk about the price, Colin.

-How about that?

-OK.

It's pretty clear that the house doesn't provide the space

our buyers were hoping for, but outside there's plenty to offer,

including an immaculate vegetable garden,

fruit trees, ponds and even a shed where they could stash some of those

bits and bobs they're bringing over from Spain.

Right, let's take advantage of this lovely bit of seating

-and sunshine, shall we?

-Yes.

As you can see, you've got this quite heavily landscaped rear garden.

-It's beautiful.

-Lots of water features.

-This little rill runs under our feet, can you see it?

-Yes.

-Follows the curve of this extraordinary seating area.

-Very clever.

Let's have a think about the price, because I think

we're all learning a lot about prices and properties here.

-Helene, go on.

-I think 425.

-425.

I'd have to go along with 425, purely

because of the lack of garage and adequate parking space.

This is on at £475,000. OK. We aren't done just yet.

We've got a little bit of time for you to wander around

and make sure you've seen it all and taken it all in, at its merits.

Off you go.

-I'll catch up with you later.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

Below budget at £475,000,

this meticulously renovated stone property has a bespoke kitchen,

a generous reception room and a separate dining room.

Upstairs there are four bedrooms.

There's no en suite

but there is scope to create one by knocking through to the single room.

Outside there's a beautifully landscaped garden, complete

with water features and a veggie plot.

That's nice. A wet room.

Ah, yes. That's nice.

Good. When I first saw the house I was very impressed.

Very sound, solid, well built house. Extremely well maintained.

It is just the lack of the en-suite in the master bedroom which is

really something which is very important to us.

It is beautiful, perfect for someone else,

but I think not for our requirements.

We've got a lot of people to accommodate from time to time.

If it was just for Colin and I and no-one else to consider,

-it would be perfect.

-This is nice. Look at the fruit trees.

-Full of fruit.

-How we doing?

-There's more to it than meets the eye.

-Love the garden.

-It is immaculate and I love that view of the house.

-Yes.

Well, we've got one more to come. It's mystery house time next.

-Very exciting.

-Have we saved the best for last?

-Hope so.

-We hope so.

-Come on, then.

For our final property we're heading 16 miles south to

Market Lavington,

an attractive village at the foot of Salisbury Plain's northern slopes.

It's thought there's been continuous occupation here from as far

back as the Iron Age.

Today, it's a thriving hub with a post office,

pubs and plenty of independent shops.

Our buyers shouldn't feel isolated here

because our mystery house is right in the heart of the village.

So, what have we got for you with our mystery property?

This used to be an old builder's yard in the heart of Market Lavington.

-And which is it?

-It's that one. It's that corner.

It belies its real size, actually,

because, effectively, you get all of that red bit, and you've got no

-garage but you have got two dedicated parking spaces behind there.

-OK.

And a bit of surprise, which I'm going to keep till the end.

-OK. Another mystery.

-So, shall we?

-Yes, please.

And it really is a cracker.

I'll reveal all at the end of the tour,

but first let's look inside this semidetached courtyard development.

It's very different from what we've shown them

so far, but I'm hoping that might be a good thing.

Follow me. Here we go.

-There.

-Wow.

-Beautiful.

-That is a "wow".

JULES LAUGHS

-It's the first "wow" of the week.

-HELENE LAUGHS

-Well, it is a "wow".

-It is different.

That's a beautiful kitchen.

-This is more you, isn't it?

-Yes.

It's got it all and everything built in, very latest coffee makers,

-steamers, ovens, you name it.

-Which are all part of the fittings.

All part of it.

It also has a dining corner which is probably

best viewed from over here. By the wood burner. There we are.

There's the burner and that's the kind of dining corner, I suppose.

-You can configure this space how you like.

-Yes, indeed.

-Interesting, very interesting.

-Very modern.

Is this a good "interesting",

-because I'm not sure we've had a good "interesting" yet.

-Yes.

THEY LAUGH

-Has it got a utility room?

-It does. It's off of the downstairs loo.

-It's not massive but it does contain the washer and dryer.

-Good.

-Hopefully this is painting the right kind of picture.

-It is, indeed.

Right, let's continue through the hallway. Lots more to show you. Excellent.

Now, we haven't talked much about studies,

-but this has a dedicated one.

-Wow. Another "wow".

We're stacking them up, aren't we?

It's sort of compact as a ground plan, but because it's open plan...

-It feels more spacious.

-It does.

-This works, this is good.

-Upstairs, what have we got for you?

-Let's see.

-I think it gets better.

-Good.

-I'm going to stick my neck out.

Well, I'm delighted that Colin

and Helene seem taken with this contemporary open plan style.

Let's see if the upstairs continues to impress.

-Now, we have four bedrooms for you.

-Good.

There's a great big double in there with loads and loads of storage.

-That's your family bathroom.

-Very nice.

-Shower and bath.

-This is one of the bedrooms that's become a dressing room.

-Great.

I thought you'd like that.

And this is another guest room,

-and then lastly you can see why we've been very excited...

-Oh, wow.

-..to show you this bit.

-It's gorgeous.

-This is good.

-Yeah?

-Oh, very good.

And there's lots of built-in storage in the other bedrooms as well,

given that most of the time it is only you staying here.

So hopefully that'll accommodate all your stuff.

-Now, the en-suite was an issue in our last property.

-Very much so.

Look at this one.

Tell me what you think. It's not bad as they go.

Gosh. Wow. That really is a "wow".

-Must be another "wow". Fantastic.

-Yeah?

-So, we like this one, don't we?

-We do indeed.

There is a little garden to look at

and there's that surprise I promised you.

-It gets better and better this one.

-Come on, tempter.

JULES LAUGH

It's looking like we might just have found a house with

the kind of style and space that really appeals to our buyers.

The outside is a lot more compact than the other two properties

they've seen, but fingers crossed it won't take the shine off it.

Modest garden. Well, courtyard garden, I suppose.

But a bit of a suntrap, which is nice.

And that's your car parking area over there.

-Right across?

-Right across.

I did promise you a little bit of a surprise.

-Currently, as I understand it, you are carless in the UK.

-Oh, yes.

Well, if you bought this house, you get that car as well.

HELENE LAUGHS Wow.

-That's a double "wow".

-I don't believe you.

-That's all thrown in.

-Gorgeous.

I don't think I've ever had an Escape To The Country where a car,

let alone one like that, has been thrown in as a sweetener.

What's it going to be for our mystery house and our sports car?

-Colin?

-I would have said it's spot on budget, 480.

-Helene?

-I'd say just under five.

Just under five? So you've upped your game a bit, haven't you?

Well, here's the thing. He's right.

-£480,000 for our mystery house and the motor.

-That's superb.

-Really is wonderful.

-Good. Well, I am delighted.

This is quite a way to finish our house tours, isn't it? Right, off you go.

Have another look around and also check out the car.

-Don't start it up.

-Maybe it's your new car.

-Is it automatic?

I don't know, go and find out.

I sell houses, not cars. How would I know?

-HE LAUGHS

-Well, there we are. Our mystery house has done it once again.

This is a fantastic package with a real toy thrown in.

Bang on a budget at £480,000, our mystery house offers a contemporary

open plan living space that includes a sleek state-of-the-art kitchen.

There's also a utility room, a study and four double bedrooms.

And let's not forget that exceedingly spacious en suite.

Outside there's a courtyard garden and two private parking spaces,

complete with a bonus sports car.

And its heart of the village location means Helene will be close

-to those fitness classes she loves.

-I think it's so unique.

It's so solid, sound. A lovely, lovely house.

And the bedrooms, particularly the master bedroom,

with the en-suite, was just out of this world. As good as it gets.

The kitchen is very important to me. And it looks superb.

So, I would enjoy working in here.

Overall, I think this is just an absolute dream of a house.

It's amazing, isn't it, how quickly these house tours fly by?

But that's it. All three are done. That's the end of the mystery house.

-So, I think we might have a contender.

-I think we might well.

We might, if I were a betting man. Which occasionally I am.

Let's go away and have a good think about it

-and we'll see what happens next.

-Thank you very much, Jules.

Four years ago we met Chris and Helen who were living in Newbury.

They'd taken early retirement and, like Colin and Helene,

they planned to spend it in the sun.

But when their circumstances changed,

plans for a dream home in Madeira got shelved

and they chose to put down roots here in Wiltshire, instead.

We offered them three great properties

but our mystery house in Great Cheverell was a bit of a punt,

knowing they weren't wildly keen on bungalows.

I've always considered bungalows to be a total waste of space.

It's quite nice sometimes to have a separation between living

and bedrooms.

But by the end of their tour with Aled Jones,

the four-bedroom 19th-century bungalow had worked its charms.

-Have we won you over?

-Yes.

-I'm impressed.

So, four years on, I'm here in Great Cheverell to catch up with them.

-Well, hello. Nice to see you.

-Hello, Jules.

-Chris. Helen.

-Nice to meet you.

-Welcome to the mystery house.

Thank you very much indeed. It's rather nice, this.

A little treat for me to be shown around a property.

-We are very proud of it.

-So you should be.

It looks absolutely gorgeous. The garden is a picture.

It's changed a bit.

There wasn't much here when we got here, apart from weeds, obviously.

But there is one very obvious change to four years ago, Chris.

It's that Zimmer frame. What happened to you?

About two months ago I was descending a steep cliff path

and I didn't make it all the way down in the usual manner.

And I broke my ankle quite badly.

This country life is a dangerous business, isn't it?

When they moved, one goal was to immerse themselves in the local community, so

I'm wondering if that's something they've managed to achieve.

I'm on the committee of the garden club.

We help out in the local shop and newsagent whenever they need us.

I helped with the hog roast at the pub last week.

-I've been elected as a parish councillor.

-Have you?

That really is embracing the community.

-But is this a vision of a couple living the dream?

-Yes.

-Absolutely.

Obviously it's not Madeira. We didn't make it there

but there's a lot here we wouldn't have had over there.

The couple have made a few changes to the place since they bought it.

So, while Chris rests that ankle, Helen will show me around.

This is what we call the atrium.

-It was very low, very sloping, very asbestos.

-I love it.

-I absolutely love it.

-Thank you very much.

One of the rooms on their wish list was a book-lined den.

I can imagine sitting here, a couple of nice armchairs.

Loads of books around. Roaring log fire.

-THEY LAUGH

-Paradise on earth.

-Can you see it?

-I can see it.

Oh, this is cosy.

-Isn't it lovely to have such a snug den?

-Yes.

You've got to have your little cosy hole, I think. It's very important.

And this room, I suppose, hasn't really changed that much.

No, except for the bookcases. We've had a wood-burning stove put in.

When they first viewed this place,

the spacious kitchen was functional but in need of a freshen up.

-Oh, yes.

-HE LAUGHS

-You really have transformed it beautifully.

-Thank you.

Absolutely beautifully.

It's a lesson to anybody who's interested in taking on a project.

-It's worthwhile. It's all worth it.

-Yes.

When they called on our help four years ago, Chris was

determined to find a rather specific space for a rather unusual pastime.

Well, it turns out he found it by building it himself right

here in the garden.

-After you.

-Thank you very much.

-Well, here you go. Chris' sanctuary.

-Look at him. In his element.

-Welcome to the holy of holies.

-He's playing again.

I don't think I've ever seen a war gaming room.

This is absolutely wonderful and you've created this from scratch.

Effectively, yes.

World War II is my area of expertise but this is going back a few more years.

This is the English Civil War, mid-17th century.

Look at them.

-King Charles, Prince Rupert, things like that.

-Lovely.

The idea that you've been able to create all this space to

enjoy your hobbies in... You're retired. You're in the community.

You've got the house of your dreams.

-You've got as much time as you want to indulge your interests.

-Oh, yes.

-We are very lucky.

-You have to be born lucky and clearly we were.

It's pretty clear that moving to Wiltshire has been a really

positive experience for this pair and hopefully

we'll have the same effect on today's couple, Colin and Helene.

Well, over the centuries, the White Horse behind me

that overlooks the town of Westbury has doubtless heard many

a conversation, but now we can add one more to the list.

It is, of course, decision time for Helene and Colin.

So, have they managed to find their dream home? Something

tells me they have.

-It's been quite an eventful few days.

-It certainly has.

Certainly has.

Despite odds that I was beginning to worry were really stacked

against us, in terms of getting you something that was going to work.

Well, we started off with houses that were interesting, very nice.

Very nice for certain people with certain lifestyles,

but it just lacked one or two features that we really need.

A traditional sense of country life clearly wasn't

working for you in the way I perhaps had expected,

so for our final property, our mystery house,

-we went for something completely...

-Modern country life.

-..off the board.

Completely modern country life

and that gained an extraordinary response.

It was beautiful, wasn't it? Just beautiful.

It was absolutely perfect in many, many ways.

I liked the environment, I liked the location, I liked the security.

of the place. It was superb.

And, of course, it came with that extraordinary

-bonus of the sports car.

-Incredible bonus.

I don't know whether I'm ready to go back to being a boy racer

again at my time of life. But I would have to think about it.

-It's very, very exciting and very attractive.

-Very tempting.

Very tempting indeed.

Clearly our mystery house is the contender,

so my final question, really, is what happens next?

Can you take it forward?

Have you fallen in love with it enough to make it your new home?

-We're going to discuss it.

-We've got to talk a lot, obviously.

-In terms of this move, it is a massive relocation.

-Indeed.

At our time of life it's got to be our last, has it not?

We've got to get it right.

But, I suppose it's been quite revealing in terms

-of the kind of property market here and the price that things go for.

-Yes.

We've obviously been out of touch with prices in the UK

and certainly in the area.

We've got a fair idea now what the property market is here.

Well, it does put everything into context.

But I am delighted that the mystery house is of interest to you.

I'm crossing everything that these discussions

and deliberations that will go on for the next few days

are going to deliver the kind of answer you're hoping for.

-Who knows?

-Well, let us know how you get on.

-We will indeed.

And we look forward to hearing from you.

Let's face it, you wanted to be in Wiltshire.

When you look across that landscape on a day like this,

-why wouldn't you want to call this place home?

-True.

-Been a pleasure.

-Best of luck.

-Thank you very much.

Well, there's no getting away from the fact that this house

search has been a real test in almost every way that I can imagine.

We started off showing beautiful country properties,

as we always do here, but they weren't what our buyers wanted.

So what was going to do it?

Well, as it turned out, it was our mystery house.

Something completely modern, brand-new, light, airy,

crisp and clean. Not your normal country property at all.

In many ways, I suppose, it's very similar to a Spanish villa.

Funny that. I'll see you next time.

Colin and Helene loved the mystery house

but in the end they switched their focus to Suffolk, an area

they know and where they found they could get more for their money.

They've just had an offer accepted

on a house they're delighted with.