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Welcome to a special edition of Escape To The Country, where Jonnie | 0:00:28 | 0:00:30 | |
and I are hunting for properties for two couples in one county. | 0:00:30 | 0:00:33 | |
We've lined up six viewings that will highlight the very best | 0:00:33 | 0:00:36 | |
that the county has to offer, but will also hopefully tempt | 0:00:36 | 0:00:39 | |
our buyers to part with their hard-earned cash. | 0:00:39 | 0:00:41 | |
And our destination today is full of "eastern" promise. | 0:00:41 | 0:00:44 | |
Can you guess where it is? | 0:00:44 | 0:00:46 | |
'On today's show I help a jet-set couple | 0:01:04 | 0:01:06 | |
'put down roots in the country.' | 0:01:06 | 0:01:08 | |
It's just like something out of a magazine. It's beautiful. | 0:01:08 | 0:01:12 | |
'And I'll be helping a retired couple | 0:01:12 | 0:01:14 | |
'who want to experience a new life in the countryside. | 0:01:14 | 0:01:18 | |
'And we'll be giving them houses that really touch their hearts.' | 0:01:18 | 0:01:20 | |
-That stirs me, that does. -Love it. Absolutely love it. | 0:01:20 | 0:01:26 | |
Today we are setting our sights on | 0:01:28 | 0:01:30 | |
the delightful county of Suffolk in East Anglia, | 0:01:30 | 0:01:33 | |
home to some stunning medieval properties | 0:01:33 | 0:01:35 | |
and plenty of architectural gems to please the eye. | 0:01:35 | 0:01:38 | |
And as you travel around, you see these incredible churches, | 0:01:38 | 0:01:41 | |
particularly inland, built on the wealth of the wool trade. | 0:01:41 | 0:01:44 | |
But they are not the only highlights of this timeless county. | 0:01:44 | 0:01:47 | |
Tucked into the far eastern corner of the country | 0:01:49 | 0:01:52 | |
and bordered by the three counties of Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex, | 0:01:52 | 0:01:55 | |
Suffolk is also fringed by over 40 miles of heritage coastline | 0:01:55 | 0:01:59 | |
looking out across the North Sea. | 0:01:59 | 0:02:02 | |
During the Middle Ages the county enriched its fortunes | 0:02:02 | 0:02:05 | |
on the back of a thriving wool and textile industry. | 0:02:05 | 0:02:09 | |
Evidence of that prosperity lives on today through the immaculate | 0:02:09 | 0:02:12 | |
Tudor and medieval architecture of its wool towns. | 0:02:12 | 0:02:16 | |
The low-lying terrain is home to huge far-reaching vistas. | 0:02:16 | 0:02:19 | |
And with parts of the county less than 100ft above sea level, | 0:02:19 | 0:02:23 | |
Suffolk's coastline constantly fights from falling victim to the sea. | 0:02:23 | 0:02:27 | |
Forming the border between Suffolk and Essex is the Stour Valley, | 0:02:27 | 0:02:31 | |
birthplace of famed British artist John Constable. | 0:02:31 | 0:02:35 | |
In his paintings, he loved to depict this special pastoral landscape, | 0:02:35 | 0:02:39 | |
whose appeal continues to enchant many to this day. | 0:02:39 | 0:02:42 | |
Of course we are very busy looking at lots of rural counties | 0:02:46 | 0:02:49 | |
but I think Suffolk has a special place, | 0:02:49 | 0:02:51 | |
because in lots of people's imagination | 0:02:51 | 0:02:53 | |
they think of it as being perhaps more remote than it actually is. | 0:02:53 | 0:02:56 | |
Yes, but you can still get into London within 90 minutes. | 0:02:56 | 0:03:00 | |
But that's sometimes just a bit too far away for some commuters, | 0:03:00 | 0:03:04 | |
which plays into the hands of the property market - | 0:03:04 | 0:03:07 | |
it keeps prices down. | 0:03:07 | 0:03:08 | |
The average price of a detached house there is 5% cheaper | 0:03:08 | 0:03:11 | |
than the national figure, which in real money is a 12 grand saving. | 0:03:11 | 0:03:14 | |
Yet, it's funny. Historically you've got places like Southwold | 0:03:14 | 0:03:17 | |
and Aldeburgh which are quite difficult to get to, quite remote, | 0:03:17 | 0:03:20 | |
and they are really expensive. | 0:03:20 | 0:03:21 | |
Yes, but pretty as well. | 0:03:21 | 0:03:23 | |
We centred a search around Lavenham | 0:03:23 | 0:03:25 | |
and it was a wool town stuck in a time warp. | 0:03:25 | 0:03:28 | |
The most beautiful medieval property. | 0:03:28 | 0:03:30 | |
What people have to bear in mind, it's also popular with tourists, | 0:03:30 | 0:03:33 | |
so get ready for people taking photos through your windows. | 0:03:33 | 0:03:36 | |
-A bit like living in a museum perhaps? -Yes, it can be. | 0:03:36 | 0:03:38 | |
And if you've got a young family | 0:03:38 | 0:03:40 | |
and you're having to commute back into London, | 0:03:40 | 0:03:42 | |
you're probably safer looking at | 0:03:42 | 0:03:43 | |
-those towns like Stowmarket. -Yes, but also Sudbury. | 0:03:43 | 0:03:46 | |
It's still a pretty town, | 0:03:46 | 0:03:47 | |
but a good direct train link into London as well. | 0:03:47 | 0:03:50 | |
Luckily my couple were not looking to work, | 0:03:50 | 0:03:53 | |
they were doing exactly the opposite. | 0:03:53 | 0:03:54 | |
They were retiring into the countryside. | 0:03:54 | 0:03:56 | |
But before we do that, let's meet my couple | 0:03:56 | 0:03:58 | |
and find out why they want to move to this remarkably beautiful county. | 0:03:58 | 0:04:02 | |
For nearly 40 years, the large coastal town of South Shields | 0:04:05 | 0:04:08 | |
has been home to retired deputy head Marion and her husband David, | 0:04:08 | 0:04:12 | |
who spent a long and adventurous career as a master mariner. | 0:04:12 | 0:04:16 | |
But now their grown-up sons have left home, they too have decided | 0:04:16 | 0:04:19 | |
it's anchors aweigh from urban life in Tyne and Wear. | 0:04:19 | 0:04:23 | |
What I dream of is to live in the country, | 0:04:23 | 0:04:26 | |
where the next neighbours are quite a distance away from me | 0:04:26 | 0:04:30 | |
and the only sounds we hear are natural sounds. | 0:04:30 | 0:04:34 | |
One only has to have a look at a map to see why I've chosen Suffolk, | 0:04:34 | 0:04:38 | |
or why WE'VE chosen Suffolk. | 0:04:38 | 0:04:40 | |
Because if you look at a map, | 0:04:40 | 0:04:41 | |
you'll see there's so few main roads passing through there. | 0:04:41 | 0:04:44 | |
It's so very rural. | 0:04:44 | 0:04:46 | |
And that sort of environment really appeals to us. | 0:04:46 | 0:04:50 | |
After four decades in their current house, | 0:04:50 | 0:04:52 | |
are there any must-haves for their new home in the country? | 0:04:52 | 0:04:56 | |
Marion definitely wants a utility room, | 0:04:56 | 0:04:59 | |
which is one thing we are lacking in this present house. | 0:04:59 | 0:05:03 | |
I'm quite a keen gardener and I would like quite a large garden. | 0:05:03 | 0:05:11 | |
And all that's left is to find out their finances. | 0:05:11 | 0:05:15 | |
The budget for our move is between £400,000 and £500,000, | 0:05:15 | 0:05:21 | |
David and Marion are hoping this move will help them | 0:05:24 | 0:05:27 | |
to stay better connected to their son in London, | 0:05:27 | 0:05:30 | |
so we'll concentrate our house search closest to the capital | 0:05:30 | 0:05:33 | |
in the beautiful villages surrounding Bury St Edmunds | 0:05:33 | 0:05:36 | |
in the western portion of the county. | 0:05:36 | 0:05:38 | |
We are all meeting up in Suffolk to finalise the specifics of this move. | 0:05:38 | 0:05:42 | |
Welcome, both of you, to Suffolk. | 0:05:45 | 0:05:48 | |
Tell me, why the big move down here from the Northeast? | 0:05:48 | 0:05:50 | |
Well, it's very rural and we've been brought up | 0:05:50 | 0:05:54 | |
and lived most of our lives in a suburban conurbation and we thought | 0:05:54 | 0:05:59 | |
it's time for a change and this is a beautiful part of the world. | 0:05:59 | 0:06:04 | |
I'm a bit of a local historian. | 0:06:04 | 0:06:06 | |
I've written several books about Tyneside and whatever, | 0:06:06 | 0:06:10 | |
and have more or less exhausted | 0:06:10 | 0:06:12 | |
the subject matter from my point of view, | 0:06:12 | 0:06:14 | |
so maybe when I move here it will give me a new impetus in that way, | 0:06:14 | 0:06:19 | |
discovering what Suffolk is all about. | 0:06:19 | 0:06:22 | |
-There is plenty to find out about. -Absolutely. Yes. | 0:06:22 | 0:06:25 | |
Does your love of history transfer into maybe your desires | 0:06:25 | 0:06:29 | |
for a new house here? Does it need to be an old house? | 0:06:29 | 0:06:32 | |
-We really would like a traditional house. -It's got to be detached. | 0:06:32 | 0:06:36 | |
-I would like to have land all around the house. -OK. | 0:06:36 | 0:06:41 | |
-We didn't really want a thatch. -Why is that? | 0:06:41 | 0:06:44 | |
Well, we just think it's like having another child. | 0:06:44 | 0:06:47 | |
That's what we've heard... | 0:06:47 | 0:06:48 | |
-THEY LAUGH -..you know? | 0:06:48 | 0:06:50 | |
Do you have any differences of opinions as regards to location? | 0:06:50 | 0:06:53 | |
-Can I show you something in the middle of nowhere? -No. -No. | 0:06:53 | 0:06:56 | |
No. We don't want to be in the middle of nowhere. | 0:06:56 | 0:06:59 | |
-My idea is the outskirts of a village. -Right. | 0:06:59 | 0:07:01 | |
The village must have a pub, by the way. | 0:07:01 | 0:07:03 | |
It's not a village otherwise, is it? Not in my opinion. | 0:07:03 | 0:07:06 | |
Let's start with property number one. Then we'll go from there. All right. | 0:07:06 | 0:07:09 | |
-That's great. -This way. -Right. | 0:07:09 | 0:07:12 | |
For a maximum budget of £500,000 our buyers are looking | 0:07:14 | 0:07:18 | |
for a detached character property that can accommodate | 0:07:18 | 0:07:21 | |
visiting family as well as their varied hobbies. | 0:07:21 | 0:07:23 | |
Marion particularly desires a utility room. | 0:07:23 | 0:07:27 | |
And for David it's a large study. | 0:07:27 | 0:07:29 | |
But they both want a big wraparound garden in a location | 0:07:29 | 0:07:33 | |
on the edge of a village, | 0:07:33 | 0:07:34 | |
but within easy reach of a local pub. | 0:07:34 | 0:07:36 | |
And we have a superb variety of Suffolk homes to serve up, | 0:07:37 | 0:07:41 | |
but I'll be keeping the price a guessing game | 0:07:41 | 0:07:43 | |
until we've had a good look around first. | 0:07:43 | 0:07:45 | |
Then to finish up our property tour, we've got one foot on the pulse | 0:07:45 | 0:07:49 | |
and the other in the past with our mystery house. | 0:07:49 | 0:07:52 | |
We are starting our search in Hundon, southwest of Bury St Edmunds. | 0:07:59 | 0:08:03 | |
And on the outskirts of the village we find property number one. | 0:08:03 | 0:08:06 | |
-It's very nice. -Very different. -To anything we imagined, yes. | 0:08:10 | 0:08:16 | |
-Is it? -Very, very different to anything we imagined. | 0:08:16 | 0:08:18 | |
I think we were thinking in terms of stone, brick. | 0:08:18 | 0:08:22 | |
-That's called clapboard, is it, I believe? -Is it? | 0:08:22 | 0:08:25 | |
-Clapboard, weatherboarding. -Yes. | 0:08:25 | 0:08:27 | |
And this is lovely, this garden here and it's private. | 0:08:27 | 0:08:31 | |
-You said you wanted a mature garden. -Yes... | 0:08:31 | 0:08:34 | |
-I think that's it, isn't it? -..which is important, yes. | 0:08:34 | 0:08:37 | |
So, all in all, first impressions? | 0:08:37 | 0:08:40 | |
-Yes, it's possible, possible. -Good. | 0:08:40 | 0:08:42 | |
-But we haven't seen the inside yet. -You want to look inside, do you(?) | 0:08:42 | 0:08:45 | |
-I think so, yes(!) -That's awkward! OK, let's give it a go. | 0:08:45 | 0:08:49 | |
With a pedigree spanning two centuries this old barn | 0:08:50 | 0:08:53 | |
was converted into a family home about 25 years ago. | 0:08:53 | 0:08:56 | |
So I'm hoping it will give Marion and David | 0:08:56 | 0:08:59 | |
the very best of vintage and modern. | 0:08:59 | 0:09:01 | |
Mind your step on the way down. | 0:09:03 | 0:09:05 | |
-So? -Love it. Absolutely love it. Fabulous. Absolutely love it. | 0:09:06 | 0:09:12 | |
-Very light, isn't it? -I think we could spend a lot of time in here. | 0:09:12 | 0:09:16 | |
I love this eating area here, and sitting area. Absolutely lovely. | 0:09:16 | 0:09:22 | |
-We do have a separate living room. -Yes. | 0:09:22 | 0:09:24 | |
-Let's go and have a look at that. Come on. -Right. -Mind your step. | 0:09:24 | 0:09:28 | |
-I'm predicting that you'll like this room as well. -Certainly. | 0:09:32 | 0:09:35 | |
It flows, it's the same style throughout. | 0:09:35 | 0:09:39 | |
-It's square. -It's square. | 0:09:39 | 0:09:41 | |
-Now that was one of the things we hadn't said to you. -Oh. | 0:09:41 | 0:09:44 | |
That was another demand, | 0:09:44 | 0:09:46 | |
that we really wanted a square sitting area, and this is it. | 0:09:46 | 0:09:50 | |
That window looks out onto the garden, is that correct? | 0:09:50 | 0:09:54 | |
-Next-door neighbour's garden. -Next door. -Right. OK. | 0:09:54 | 0:09:57 | |
That's a bit of a negative, I'm afraid, especially | 0:09:57 | 0:10:00 | |
from the next-door neighbour's point of view, too. | 0:10:00 | 0:10:03 | |
Yeah. That's fair enough. | 0:10:03 | 0:10:05 | |
These are the compromises that we're going to have to field, | 0:10:05 | 0:10:08 | |
then decide whether or not you can overcome them or not. | 0:10:08 | 0:10:11 | |
-Think about it. -Yes. -Yes. | 0:10:11 | 0:10:12 | |
'It was all going so well, | 0:10:14 | 0:10:16 | |
'but we've hit a potential hurdle with the living room outlook. | 0:10:16 | 0:10:19 | |
'So let's go onwards, and definitely upwards, to the first floor,' | 0:10:19 | 0:10:23 | |
where a mezzanine landing leads to four bedrooms served by | 0:10:23 | 0:10:26 | |
two family bathrooms - ideal for when family or friends come to stay. | 0:10:26 | 0:10:31 | |
Two of the bedrooms are good-sized doubles with exposed timbers, | 0:10:31 | 0:10:34 | |
and the smallest one is being used as a study, | 0:10:34 | 0:10:36 | |
but we're going to check out the master bedroom. | 0:10:36 | 0:10:39 | |
Right. It's a good-sized room. | 0:10:40 | 0:10:44 | |
So you've got four bedrooms, which means we've got hobby rooms, | 0:10:44 | 0:10:49 | |
-we've got offices. -Mm-hm. -You've got options. -Right. Yes. | 0:10:49 | 0:10:54 | |
I like the size of this room actually. | 0:10:54 | 0:10:56 | |
It is definitely, very definitely a double bedroom. | 0:10:56 | 0:11:00 | |
Let's go outside now, have another look at the garden, | 0:11:00 | 0:11:03 | |
but also start to think about | 0:11:03 | 0:11:04 | |
-how much this house might be on the market for. -Right. -All right? | 0:11:04 | 0:11:08 | |
Outside there's a matching black weatherboarded | 0:11:12 | 0:11:15 | |
double carport adjoining a workshop, | 0:11:15 | 0:11:17 | |
and the garden has been beautifully maintained, | 0:11:17 | 0:11:19 | |
which lies to the front of the property, | 0:11:19 | 0:11:22 | |
with the added benefit of facing south. | 0:11:22 | 0:11:24 | |
Well, you had a first glimpse of the garden when we arrived, didn't you? | 0:11:24 | 0:11:27 | |
-Yes. -Yes, we did. | 0:11:27 | 0:11:29 | |
Now you know that this is... This is all that you get. | 0:11:29 | 0:11:32 | |
All in all, apparently the plot size is about a quarter of an acre. | 0:11:32 | 0:11:35 | |
I like this garden very much. | 0:11:35 | 0:11:36 | |
-Well... You've seen it isn't wrapped around with its own land. -Yes. | 0:11:36 | 0:11:40 | |
But you've seen that it's in a lovely little village with a pub | 0:11:40 | 0:11:43 | |
-just down the road. -Mm-hm. -Yeah. | 0:11:43 | 0:11:45 | |
How much do you think this place is on the market for? | 0:11:45 | 0:11:48 | |
-I'm guessing about £450,000. -OK. | 0:11:48 | 0:11:52 | |
Well, I think I might go a little bit lower than that. | 0:11:52 | 0:11:57 | |
How about £440,000? | 0:11:57 | 0:11:59 | |
Well, this place has just recently come on the market. | 0:11:59 | 0:12:03 | |
-Offers around £499,950. -Uh-huh. | 0:12:03 | 0:12:06 | |
-So that's top end of our budget. -It is a very nice house. | 0:12:06 | 0:12:10 | |
We really did like the house. | 0:12:10 | 0:12:12 | |
Just £50 under the top budget at £499,950, | 0:12:13 | 0:12:18 | |
our first home is a detached barn conversion | 0:12:18 | 0:12:22 | |
with spacious accommodation that lends itself | 0:12:22 | 0:12:24 | |
to a kitchen-breakfast room, | 0:12:24 | 0:12:26 | |
a large square drawing room, four bedrooms and a mature private garden. | 0:12:26 | 0:12:30 | |
-Now then, enjoy that? -Very much. Yes. -Very interesting. -OK. | 0:12:30 | 0:12:36 | |
-That's one down. -Right. -Let's go and have a look at another one. -OK. | 0:12:36 | 0:12:40 | |
Suffolk's relatively level terrain and easterly coastal location | 0:12:46 | 0:12:51 | |
has ensured a long and distinguished role in Britain's aviation history. | 0:12:51 | 0:12:55 | |
And in a rural spot to the south of the county, | 0:12:55 | 0:12:58 | |
a small team of expert aeronautical enthusiasts are keeping | 0:12:58 | 0:13:01 | |
an important part of that legacy alive. | 0:13:01 | 0:13:04 | |
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seater fighter aircraft | 0:13:04 | 0:13:07 | |
that played a vital role in the 1940 Battle of Britain, | 0:13:07 | 0:13:10 | |
and I've come to meet Tony Ditheridge, | 0:13:10 | 0:13:12 | |
who's spent the last 20 years | 0:13:12 | 0:13:14 | |
restoring these iconic aircraft to their former glory. | 0:13:14 | 0:13:18 | |
-Tony, good morning. -Hi. | 0:13:19 | 0:13:21 | |
Here we are in the middle of... Well, beautiful Suffolk. | 0:13:21 | 0:13:25 | |
And we're looking at aviation history right here. | 0:13:25 | 0:13:29 | |
My grandfather was in the RAF. | 0:13:29 | 0:13:30 | |
He always used to say that they were | 0:13:30 | 0:13:32 | |
the most important plane in the Battle of Britain. | 0:13:32 | 0:13:34 | |
Why so? | 0:13:34 | 0:13:36 | |
Well, the reason being that the Spitfire, obviously, | 0:13:36 | 0:13:38 | |
was the slightly superior aeroplane. | 0:13:38 | 0:13:40 | |
But at the particular time in the Battle of Britain | 0:13:40 | 0:13:44 | |
when it was required, | 0:13:44 | 0:13:45 | |
the Hurricane shot down 65, 66% of all of the enemy aircraft. | 0:13:45 | 0:13:50 | |
So, how many Hurricanes were used, were flown throughout the war? | 0:13:50 | 0:13:54 | |
There was about 13,000 Hurricanes made. | 0:13:54 | 0:13:57 | |
So, there must be quite a few still around, right? | 0:13:57 | 0:13:59 | |
There are three Hurricanes in this hangar. | 0:13:59 | 0:14:02 | |
-When they're finished, there will be 14 flying. -Goodness me. | 0:14:02 | 0:14:05 | |
Why so few then? | 0:14:05 | 0:14:07 | |
They're quite complex aeroplanes. | 0:14:07 | 0:14:08 | |
There's approximately twice as much work | 0:14:08 | 0:14:10 | |
in doing a Hurricane as there is a Spitfire. | 0:14:10 | 0:14:12 | |
Designed by Sir Sydney Camm using a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, | 0:14:12 | 0:14:17 | |
the Hawker Hurricane was introduced in 1937 | 0:14:17 | 0:14:20 | |
and became the first RAF fighter monoplane | 0:14:20 | 0:14:22 | |
capable of exceeding 300mph in level flight. | 0:14:22 | 0:14:27 | |
Tony's team use a reverse engineering approach to restoring the aircraft. | 0:14:27 | 0:14:32 | |
An assortment of parts from a variety of Hurricanes are collected | 0:14:32 | 0:14:35 | |
in various states of repair, | 0:14:35 | 0:14:36 | |
'and they work backwards to figure out | 0:14:36 | 0:14:38 | |
'how they were constructed before building them again. | 0:14:38 | 0:14:41 | |
'It's a real labour of love, | 0:14:41 | 0:14:42 | |
'with each one taking a couple of years to complete. | 0:14:42 | 0:14:45 | |
'I feel extremely privileged to sit in the same seat | 0:14:45 | 0:14:48 | |
'from where our forefathers bravely battled for our freedom.' | 0:14:48 | 0:14:51 | |
-If you would like to pull that all the way back... -Right. | 0:14:53 | 0:14:57 | |
And the pilot would be doing this | 0:14:57 | 0:14:59 | |
-to make the aircraft climb? -Yes, he would. | 0:14:59 | 0:15:01 | |
So if you want to bank to the left, you would do that. If you | 0:15:01 | 0:15:04 | |
want to bank to the left and climb, you would do that. | 0:15:04 | 0:15:07 | |
So now you'd be going... | 0:15:07 | 0:15:08 | |
It's very intuitive, this way of flying, isn't it? | 0:15:08 | 0:15:10 | |
Mm, yeah. | 0:15:10 | 0:15:12 | |
Well, Tony, it's been absolutely fascinating to not only meet you | 0:15:12 | 0:15:15 | |
and talk through these planes, | 0:15:15 | 0:15:17 | |
but also to get a real sense and feel of these beautiful aircraft. | 0:15:17 | 0:15:21 | |
-Thank you very, very much. -You're more than welcome. | 0:15:21 | 0:15:24 | |
That's certainly one of my boyhood dreams come true, | 0:15:24 | 0:15:27 | |
but now I'd better leave this flight of fancy behind | 0:15:27 | 0:15:30 | |
and return to Marion and David's search for a new home. | 0:15:30 | 0:15:33 | |
For our next stop, we're heading further north into the county, | 0:15:36 | 0:15:39 | |
where we're destined for the village of Redgrave. | 0:15:39 | 0:15:42 | |
We've chosen our delightful-looking second property | 0:15:42 | 0:15:45 | |
for its generous proportions, both inside and out. | 0:15:45 | 0:15:48 | |
But we're taking a bit of a gamble with the roof. | 0:15:48 | 0:15:51 | |
-This is what we're going to have a look round. -Right. -Right. | 0:15:52 | 0:15:57 | |
-A thatch, eh? We knew you would show us a thatch. -Did you? -Yes. | 0:15:57 | 0:16:01 | |
I'm not being mean to you. | 0:16:01 | 0:16:03 | |
I know you said you might have a question mark | 0:16:03 | 0:16:06 | |
-over looking at a thatch. A lot of it is fear of the unknown. -It is. | 0:16:06 | 0:16:09 | |
-It looks a beautiful house, actually. -Very nice. | 0:16:09 | 0:16:12 | |
It's quite substantial. | 0:16:12 | 0:16:14 | |
-I like the colour of it. -So, shall we go inside? | 0:16:14 | 0:16:17 | |
Yes, please. Let's go. | 0:16:17 | 0:16:18 | |
This second option presents | 0:16:20 | 0:16:22 | |
a Grade II listed, part-thatched Suffolk pink property. | 0:16:22 | 0:16:25 | |
Originally believed to have started life as a 16th-century cottage, | 0:16:25 | 0:16:28 | |
it has been considerably extended over the years | 0:16:28 | 0:16:31 | |
and now covers some 3,000 square feet. | 0:16:31 | 0:16:34 | |
We are starting in the modern wing, through a substantial hallway | 0:16:34 | 0:16:38 | |
and into an impressive kitchen/dining and family room. | 0:16:38 | 0:16:41 | |
-Now then. -This is big. This is big. Yes. | 0:16:42 | 0:16:46 | |
-Wow. -It's very different, yes. -Do you not think it's... | 0:16:46 | 0:16:49 | |
It's not really the sort of space and light you would | 0:16:49 | 0:16:52 | |
expect from looking at a thatched cottage from the outside, is it? | 0:16:52 | 0:16:55 | |
No, it isn't. You're right. | 0:16:55 | 0:16:57 | |
It's got a lot more light coming in here than | 0:16:57 | 0:17:00 | |
I would ever have expected, looking at the exterior. | 0:17:00 | 0:17:03 | |
Yes. Well, look, this is 1986. Let's go back a couple of centuries. | 0:17:03 | 0:17:07 | |
Just off the kitchen, there is a pantry | 0:17:09 | 0:17:11 | |
and separate utility room with a downstairs loo. | 0:17:11 | 0:17:14 | |
Then the reception areas all lie in the original part of the property. | 0:17:14 | 0:17:18 | |
-Now. -Right. | 0:17:22 | 0:17:25 | |
Well, now, this is very much to my taste, this huge fireplace. | 0:17:25 | 0:17:29 | |
-That stirs me, that does. -Does it? -Yes, it does. It does indeed. | 0:17:29 | 0:17:34 | |
It's got light both sides as well. | 0:17:34 | 0:17:36 | |
Well, the one right at the end is even brighter, | 0:17:36 | 0:17:39 | |
so this could be your... | 0:17:39 | 0:17:41 | |
I don't know. You could have one as a snug or one maybe as a hobby room. | 0:17:41 | 0:17:45 | |
You've got options here. Of course you have. | 0:17:45 | 0:17:47 | |
-You might have noticed a couple of sets of stairs here. -Right. Yes. | 0:17:47 | 0:17:52 | |
-We did. -Now those stairs go up to the first floor, obviously, | 0:17:52 | 0:17:55 | |
and there you have two bedrooms and a bathroom. | 0:17:55 | 0:18:00 | |
You, however, get the master suite this way. | 0:18:00 | 0:18:03 | |
Let's go and take a look, shall we? | 0:18:03 | 0:18:05 | |
At the top of these stairs, above the hallway, | 0:18:05 | 0:18:07 | |
there's the fourth bedroom, that's being used as a study. | 0:18:07 | 0:18:10 | |
And then above the kitchen, there's the master suite. | 0:18:10 | 0:18:13 | |
Now, we're back in the 1980s part of the house... | 0:18:13 | 0:18:17 | |
Yes. Dear me. It's so big! | 0:18:17 | 0:18:20 | |
What a wonderful view out of the bedroom window, isn't it? | 0:18:20 | 0:18:23 | |
-That's magnificent. -Very big room. | 0:18:23 | 0:18:25 | |
And it's really nice size, isn't it? | 0:18:25 | 0:18:28 | |
You've got a couple of almost walk-in wardrobes. | 0:18:28 | 0:18:31 | |
You've got your very own beautifully fitted bathroom | 0:18:31 | 0:18:34 | |
and another room which could be a bedroom, but the owners | 0:18:34 | 0:18:36 | |
are currently using it as a walk-in wardrobe/dressing room. | 0:18:36 | 0:18:40 | |
You've got a lovely little balcony out there. | 0:18:40 | 0:18:44 | |
That's a real added bonus, that. | 0:18:44 | 0:18:46 | |
I could see me sitting out on the balcony in the evening air. | 0:18:46 | 0:18:49 | |
-Well, up to now we're blown away with this property. -Are you? -Yes. | 0:18:49 | 0:18:55 | |
-It's so big as well. -It's so big. -It's just goes on and on and on. | 0:18:55 | 0:19:00 | |
Well, I have got two more cards up my sleeve with this house. | 0:19:00 | 0:19:03 | |
-Have you? -I think you're going to love both of them. | 0:19:03 | 0:19:06 | |
-Right. -Let's go and have a look. | 0:19:06 | 0:19:08 | |
There's no doubt this space here is winning over our couple | 0:19:09 | 0:19:13 | |
but that's not the lot for this property, | 0:19:13 | 0:19:15 | |
as we're about to discover outside | 0:19:15 | 0:19:17 | |
in the back garden behind the double garage. | 0:19:17 | 0:19:20 | |
-So... -Wow. | 0:19:22 | 0:19:24 | |
THEY LAUGH | 0:19:24 | 0:19:26 | |
And this comes with the house, too? This studio? | 0:19:26 | 0:19:29 | |
Yep. | 0:19:29 | 0:19:30 | |
Well, now, this would be a great asset to either of us, wouldn't it? | 0:19:30 | 0:19:34 | |
Now, look, there's plenty of space inside the house for libraries, | 0:19:34 | 0:19:38 | |
for hobby rooms. We've seen a lot of property. | 0:19:38 | 0:19:41 | |
There's more for you to see later. | 0:19:41 | 0:19:43 | |
Marion, I'm dying to show you | 0:19:43 | 0:19:44 | |
-the garden so come with me now. -Right, OK. | 0:19:44 | 0:19:46 | |
I'm dying to see it. | 0:19:46 | 0:19:48 | |
So you've got the main garden just at the back of the house | 0:19:52 | 0:19:55 | |
-and then it is split into three rooms, if you like. -I can see. | 0:19:55 | 0:19:58 | |
What a good idea. | 0:19:58 | 0:20:00 | |
-So this is the soft fruit for the jam making... -Yes. | 0:20:00 | 0:20:04 | |
-..the vegetable plot... -Mm-hm. -..the ornamental fountain. -Uh-huh. | 0:20:04 | 0:20:09 | |
And through here, a very special sculpture | 0:20:09 | 0:20:13 | |
and a summer seat through there. I've noticed. | 0:20:13 | 0:20:16 | |
Are you selling this to me or to you? | 0:20:16 | 0:20:18 | |
I'm falling in love with this place, the way you describe it. | 0:20:18 | 0:20:21 | |
You see, the biggest worry is can this possibly be within our budget? | 0:20:21 | 0:20:24 | |
Well, let's find out. You've got to try and price this now. | 0:20:24 | 0:20:28 | |
-I think it must be beyond our budget. £550,000? -All right. David. | 0:20:28 | 0:20:35 | |
I would guess £520,000 - £515,000. That's my estimate. | 0:20:35 | 0:20:41 | |
Well, this house has been on the market | 0:20:41 | 0:20:44 | |
for approaching four weeks now. | 0:20:44 | 0:20:46 | |
-It's up for sale for offers around £495,000. -Right. | 0:20:46 | 0:20:51 | |
So it's exactly on our budget. | 0:20:51 | 0:20:53 | |
Right, well, I'll have to give a lot of thought to that. | 0:20:54 | 0:20:58 | |
Because for me, this works. | 0:20:58 | 0:21:02 | |
-Now then, all done inside? -Yes. -Yes. Thank you very much. -Did you enjoy? | 0:21:34 | 0:21:37 | |
-Yes, we did. -Oh, it's wonderful. Wonderful, yes. | 0:21:37 | 0:21:40 | |
It's a great house. It is. | 0:21:40 | 0:21:42 | |
-Well, that's all we are going to do today so let's go back. -OK. | 0:21:42 | 0:21:45 | |
So it looked like your risky thatch paid off. | 0:21:52 | 0:21:55 | |
Well, it was a bit of a gamble | 0:21:55 | 0:21:56 | |
-and I've still got the mystery house up my sleeve. -Indeed. | 0:21:56 | 0:21:59 | |
Well, let's meet my couple, who I'm also taking to Suffolk | 0:21:59 | 0:22:02 | |
and actually, I am also centring my search around Bury St Edmunds. | 0:22:02 | 0:22:05 | |
-Really? Not copied me at all? -Great minds, Jonnie, great minds. | 0:22:05 | 0:22:08 | |
I'll go with that. | 0:22:08 | 0:22:10 | |
Now they've stopped jetting around the world, | 0:22:10 | 0:22:12 | |
music teacher Jenny and her husband Mike find themselves | 0:22:12 | 0:22:16 | |
permanently living in Theydon Bois, Essex. | 0:22:16 | 0:22:20 | |
Conveniently close to London airports, their house has served as | 0:22:20 | 0:22:23 | |
a great base during Mike's 30-year career | 0:22:23 | 0:22:26 | |
in international health development. | 0:22:26 | 0:22:28 | |
But it's not somewhere they want to be tied to now. | 0:22:28 | 0:22:31 | |
We want to move now because I've had a very long career as a teacher | 0:22:31 | 0:22:35 | |
and we've worked abroad and had a wonderful life | 0:22:35 | 0:22:39 | |
but now we're retired, | 0:22:39 | 0:22:41 | |
we feel that we would like to get more into the countryside | 0:22:41 | 0:22:44 | |
where we can pursue our interests of cycling and bird watching. | 0:22:44 | 0:22:49 | |
And they want to reduce the size of their current family home, | 0:22:49 | 0:22:52 | |
which is a substantial 1950s' property. | 0:22:52 | 0:22:55 | |
We're not getting any younger. | 0:22:55 | 0:22:57 | |
We feel that this house is just uneconomical to run for us. | 0:22:57 | 0:23:01 | |
It's much too large. | 0:23:01 | 0:23:03 | |
We have five bedrooms and we don't need them any more | 0:23:03 | 0:23:07 | |
because all our family have flown the nest. | 0:23:07 | 0:23:10 | |
The plan may be to downsize their home, but they are taking | 0:23:10 | 0:23:13 | |
with them a super-sized, 7m-long motorhome. | 0:23:13 | 0:23:17 | |
The house would be our home and our base, | 0:23:17 | 0:23:19 | |
but it has got to have space to accommodate the vehicle | 0:23:19 | 0:23:23 | |
in a way that doesn't offend the neighbours. | 0:23:23 | 0:23:26 | |
We like our motorhome and we've had it for the last five years | 0:23:26 | 0:23:30 | |
and we've travelled all over Europe. | 0:23:30 | 0:23:32 | |
This is because we lived in Africa for so many years | 0:23:32 | 0:23:35 | |
and we hardly visited Europe. | 0:23:35 | 0:23:38 | |
With their children settled and the chapter closed | 0:23:38 | 0:23:40 | |
on their rather nomadic international lives, | 0:23:40 | 0:23:43 | |
the new plan takes on a more rural focus | 0:23:43 | 0:23:45 | |
in the East Anglian countryside. | 0:23:45 | 0:23:48 | |
I think the countryside there is beautiful. | 0:23:48 | 0:23:50 | |
We would like to have views. | 0:23:50 | 0:23:53 | |
That's our major, major concern that we don't have here. | 0:23:53 | 0:23:57 | |
We would like to be able to look out of our windows and see countryside | 0:23:57 | 0:24:01 | |
and possibly have a dawn chorus to wake us up in the mornings. | 0:24:01 | 0:24:06 | |
Binoculars at the ready, but when it comes to birds, | 0:24:06 | 0:24:09 | |
both Jenny and Mike have their ears pinned back and their eyes peeled. | 0:24:09 | 0:24:13 | |
Birds just fascinate me. One - they're beautiful. | 0:24:13 | 0:24:16 | |
Two - they're incredible creatures. | 0:24:16 | 0:24:20 | |
A thing that you can put in your hand | 0:24:20 | 0:24:22 | |
and that you wouldn't feel the weight of | 0:24:22 | 0:24:24 | |
can navigate from Cape Town to a barn in Epping. | 0:24:24 | 0:24:27 | |
I'm looking forward to having more opportunities | 0:24:27 | 0:24:30 | |
and more close opportunities to indulge in this activity. | 0:24:30 | 0:24:35 | |
But before we can take flight with the property search, | 0:24:35 | 0:24:38 | |
we need to find out about the finances for the move. | 0:24:38 | 0:24:41 | |
Our budget for this move is £400,000. | 0:24:41 | 0:24:45 | |
Our buyers are keen to keep connected to | 0:24:48 | 0:24:50 | |
their children and grandchildren, | 0:24:50 | 0:24:52 | |
so we are concentrating our property search | 0:24:52 | 0:24:54 | |
on the attractive countryside surrounding Bury St Edmunds, | 0:24:54 | 0:24:57 | |
which has good road links out of the county. | 0:24:57 | 0:25:00 | |
Time for us all to step into Suffolk | 0:25:00 | 0:25:02 | |
to find out more about this planned move. | 0:25:02 | 0:25:05 | |
Welcome to Suffolk. | 0:25:05 | 0:25:07 | |
It is a slightly overcast day | 0:25:07 | 0:25:09 | |
but that's not going to hinder us, is it? | 0:25:09 | 0:25:10 | |
-Of course not. -Not at all. -Now, why Suffolk? | 0:25:10 | 0:25:13 | |
Because you've travelled all round the world - Africa, Caribbean. | 0:25:13 | 0:25:16 | |
What drew you to Suffolk? | 0:25:16 | 0:25:18 | |
I think it is near enough for our family to be able to visit us | 0:25:18 | 0:25:22 | |
and we like the idea of being in the countryside. | 0:25:22 | 0:25:28 | |
It is much more of a county for beautiful, agricultural | 0:25:28 | 0:25:32 | |
and natural scenery, | 0:25:32 | 0:25:34 | |
so we would prefer that to where we're living at the moment. | 0:25:34 | 0:25:37 | |
Tell me a little bit more about the actual specifications of the house. | 0:25:37 | 0:25:40 | |
What does the house need to be like? | 0:25:40 | 0:25:42 | |
For me, I want to have it nice and light and airy, | 0:25:42 | 0:25:47 | |
possibly two bedrooms, three bedrooms, no more. | 0:25:47 | 0:25:52 | |
I think we would like to still have a study and in the study, | 0:25:52 | 0:25:56 | |
I'll have my electric piano and I think we... | 0:25:56 | 0:26:00 | |
I would like to keep that as my music room as well, | 0:26:00 | 0:26:03 | |
so a room big enough for that would be fine. | 0:26:03 | 0:26:06 | |
I don't have a problem with quirkiness. | 0:26:06 | 0:26:08 | |
I quite like houses with a bit of quirkiness about them. | 0:26:08 | 0:26:11 | |
Something that is a bit different and unusual. | 0:26:11 | 0:26:14 | |
We would like a fairly moderate-sized garden, | 0:26:14 | 0:26:17 | |
not too big we don't want. | 0:26:17 | 0:26:19 | |
We're not very keen gardeners and not very good gardeners either. | 0:26:19 | 0:26:22 | |
We've got some lovely houses lined up. | 0:26:22 | 0:26:24 | |
I think they're really interesting. Tell me again your budget. | 0:26:24 | 0:26:28 | |
£400,000. | 0:26:28 | 0:26:30 | |
And is that sort of absolute top limit | 0:26:30 | 0:26:33 | |
or does it have any flexibility? | 0:26:33 | 0:26:35 | |
I think it could have flexibility. | 0:26:35 | 0:26:37 | |
-I think there could be some wriggle room, yes. -Yeah. | 0:26:37 | 0:26:39 | |
Well, no time like the present. | 0:26:39 | 0:26:40 | |
Let's go and look at some of these wonderful houses we've lined up. | 0:26:40 | 0:26:43 | |
-Follow me. -Thank you. -Come with me. | 0:26:43 | 0:26:45 | |
With a budget of £400,000 or thereabouts, | 0:26:46 | 0:26:49 | |
Mike and Jenny plan to downsize | 0:26:49 | 0:26:51 | |
and are seeking a quirky, characterful property | 0:26:51 | 0:26:54 | |
with two to three bedrooms, a study-cum-music room | 0:26:54 | 0:26:58 | |
and a low-maintenance garden. | 0:26:58 | 0:27:01 | |
A key requirement on their wish list | 0:27:01 | 0:27:03 | |
is space to park their 7m motorhome. | 0:27:03 | 0:27:05 | |
We found some lovely Suffolk homes that will take our buyers | 0:27:05 | 0:27:09 | |
on a tour through a variety of property styles and ages, | 0:27:09 | 0:27:13 | |
but I won't be revealing the prices straightaway. | 0:27:13 | 0:27:16 | |
And finally, we present our mystery house, | 0:27:16 | 0:27:18 | |
which comes with a cashback guarantee. | 0:27:18 | 0:27:21 | |
So without further ado, we're hitting the road. | 0:27:22 | 0:27:25 | |
We're kicking off proceedings | 0:27:30 | 0:27:31 | |
in the village of Stansfield, | 0:27:31 | 0:27:33 | |
12 miles from Bury St Edmunds. | 0:27:33 | 0:27:35 | |
And in this village lies a charming, newly-thatched cottage, | 0:27:35 | 0:27:38 | |
which we have chosen as our first home. | 0:27:38 | 0:27:42 | |
I'm excited to show you this one. This is house number one. | 0:27:42 | 0:27:46 | |
-Wow, this is amazing. -Good gracious. | 0:27:46 | 0:27:49 | |
-It's impressive, isn't it? -Isn't it incredible? | 0:27:49 | 0:27:52 | |
-It is picture postcard, isn't it? -It is certainly striking. | 0:27:52 | 0:27:56 | |
It is a 17th-century property, | 0:27:56 | 0:27:57 | |
but at the back there's a modern extension | 0:27:57 | 0:27:59 | |
which we can explore later on. | 0:27:59 | 0:28:00 | |
Wow. And the double garage. | 0:28:00 | 0:28:02 | |
The current owner is a musician, | 0:28:02 | 0:28:04 | |
so it is actually a totally rigged-out music studio. | 0:28:04 | 0:28:08 | |
-SHE CHUCKLES -So, it is your music room. -Designer. | 0:28:08 | 0:28:10 | |
Let's take a look inside. | 0:28:10 | 0:28:12 | |
The gravel driveway that fronts the property | 0:28:13 | 0:28:16 | |
has plenty of room to park a motorhome. | 0:28:16 | 0:28:18 | |
We are starting the tour in the extension of the main house. | 0:28:18 | 0:28:22 | |
Come on in. Straight into the kitchen here. | 0:28:24 | 0:28:28 | |
And this is the new extension, so this was put on in 2008, | 0:28:28 | 0:28:32 | |
completely new-build at the back of the cottage. | 0:28:32 | 0:28:35 | |
As you can see, very contemporary. | 0:28:35 | 0:28:36 | |
Oh, it is just like something out of a magazine. It's beautiful. | 0:28:36 | 0:28:41 | |
I think it is a really nice space, nice liveable space. | 0:28:41 | 0:28:44 | |
-So, a good vibe so far? -Very good vibe. | 0:28:44 | 0:28:46 | |
-Yeah. Can you imagine having breakfast here? -Oh! | 0:28:46 | 0:28:49 | |
-Yes, certainly can. -Absolutely. | 0:28:49 | 0:28:52 | |
It'll certainly be big enough | 0:28:52 | 0:28:54 | |
for when we're looking after the grandchildren. | 0:28:54 | 0:28:56 | |
-Exactly. -Perfect. | 0:28:56 | 0:28:57 | |
The next part of the house is much older, | 0:28:57 | 0:28:59 | |
so it's a bit fairy tale for the grandchildren. | 0:28:59 | 0:29:02 | |
With no main hallway to speak of, | 0:29:02 | 0:29:04 | |
the property flows from one room to another | 0:29:04 | 0:29:07 | |
and we're making our way past a shower room and utility | 0:29:07 | 0:29:10 | |
to the main sitting room, which is a step back in time. | 0:29:10 | 0:29:14 | |
So, you come through a little corridor into this, | 0:29:14 | 0:29:16 | |
like through a time machine, time tunnel. | 0:29:16 | 0:29:19 | |
SHE CHUCKLES | 0:29:19 | 0:29:20 | |
To this bit of 17th-century cottagery. | 0:29:20 | 0:29:24 | |
My word. | 0:29:24 | 0:29:26 | |
-Aha. This is just... -Just graze your... You're on tip-toes there. | 0:29:26 | 0:29:29 | |
No, I'm not, no. | 0:29:29 | 0:29:31 | |
Is that a wood-burning stove? | 0:29:31 | 0:29:33 | |
This is a wood-burning stove in a proper inglenook | 0:29:33 | 0:29:35 | |
with a bread oven in the corner. | 0:29:35 | 0:29:37 | |
-So you really do have the... -That works? | 0:29:37 | 0:29:39 | |
I don't know if it works | 0:29:39 | 0:29:40 | |
but certainly that's what it was used for originally. | 0:29:40 | 0:29:42 | |
You've got Suffolk clay tiles throughout this part of the house | 0:29:42 | 0:29:46 | |
and these are the original beams. | 0:29:46 | 0:29:48 | |
What are your thoughts about this sort of period property? | 0:29:48 | 0:29:51 | |
I can see Mike bumping his head a bit. | 0:29:51 | 0:29:54 | |
I can see crash helmet wearing becoming a... | 0:29:54 | 0:29:57 | |
-But I do think it is very, very beautiful. -Yes, I do too. | 0:29:57 | 0:30:02 | |
Yeah, it's lovely. | 0:30:02 | 0:30:04 | |
I think it really is the kind of room, once you've been... | 0:30:04 | 0:30:07 | |
-You're going to remember this. -Yeah. | 0:30:07 | 0:30:09 | |
A large, formal dining room lies behind the fireplace, | 0:30:11 | 0:30:14 | |
which in turn leads to a good-sized study. | 0:30:14 | 0:30:16 | |
Then upstairs, the main family bathroom | 0:30:18 | 0:30:20 | |
sits alongside two double bedrooms in the older part of the property, | 0:30:20 | 0:30:24 | |
which all feature exposed timbers. | 0:30:24 | 0:30:27 | |
The largest bedroom is the master, | 0:30:27 | 0:30:29 | |
which is in the extended part above the kitchen, | 0:30:29 | 0:30:31 | |
with access via a spiral staircase. | 0:30:31 | 0:30:34 | |
So after all those low beams, | 0:30:37 | 0:30:39 | |
you come into this room with a big high ceiling. | 0:30:39 | 0:30:41 | |
Wow! This is a very light room, isn't it? | 0:30:41 | 0:30:44 | |
You were talking about waking up to the sound of birds, | 0:30:44 | 0:30:47 | |
but here you could wake up and actually see the birds. | 0:30:47 | 0:30:50 | |
And the sun shining in. | 0:30:50 | 0:30:51 | |
It worries me getting a tray of tea up to this room. | 0:30:51 | 0:30:54 | |
-Not getting any younger. -I'm certainly not getting any younger. | 0:30:54 | 0:30:57 | |
At the moment, I'm pretty nimble | 0:30:57 | 0:30:59 | |
and could cope with everything this house could throw at me, | 0:30:59 | 0:31:02 | |
but I'm thinking ten years on. | 0:31:02 | 0:31:04 | |
So it's throwing up | 0:31:04 | 0:31:05 | |
-lots of thoughts, which is good. -SHE LAUGHS | 0:31:05 | 0:31:07 | |
Let's step outside because I know that the views and the outside space | 0:31:07 | 0:31:10 | |
is important, and then we can also talk about the price. | 0:31:10 | 0:31:13 | |
-Ah. Aha. -Follow me. | 0:31:13 | 0:31:15 | |
Both Jenny and Mike are clearly enjoying | 0:31:17 | 0:31:19 | |
the historic character of this property, | 0:31:19 | 0:31:22 | |
but they raise a good point about the navigation. | 0:31:22 | 0:31:24 | |
So perhaps a simpler layout might be more practical. | 0:31:24 | 0:31:28 | |
However, the south-facing gardens are a more straightforward option, | 0:31:28 | 0:31:31 | |
with a paved terrace, level lawns, as well as a summer house, | 0:31:31 | 0:31:35 | |
which could be ideal for bird watching out over open farmland. | 0:31:35 | 0:31:40 | |
Look at these beautiful fields. Very well-manicured farmer's fields. | 0:31:40 | 0:31:44 | |
Well done. This is beautiful. | 0:31:44 | 0:31:48 | |
-This is the garden you don't need to maintain. -Yes. -Yes. | 0:31:48 | 0:31:51 | |
-Someone else does it for you. -SHE CHUCKLES | 0:31:51 | 0:31:52 | |
This is the garden that you do. Is this about the right size? | 0:31:52 | 0:31:55 | |
I think this is well within our competence. | 0:31:55 | 0:31:57 | |
Yes, we can cope with this. Mostly grass. Wonderful. | 0:31:57 | 0:32:01 | |
This gives you everything that you want | 0:32:01 | 0:32:04 | |
in terms of views and birds and a quirky property. | 0:32:04 | 0:32:07 | |
-Very quirky. -So, how much do you think it is on the market for? | 0:32:07 | 0:32:11 | |
I don't know. About £395,000 possibly? | 0:32:11 | 0:32:15 | |
I think maybe a bit lower. Maybe £375,000. | 0:32:15 | 0:32:17 | |
ALISTAIR INTAKES BREATH SHARPLY | 0:32:17 | 0:32:19 | |
Split the difference and you'll be spot-on, | 0:32:19 | 0:32:21 | |
because it is on the market for £385,000. | 0:32:21 | 0:32:23 | |
So the two of you sort of hovered around the price. | 0:32:23 | 0:32:25 | |
-Not too bad. -Very good. | 0:32:25 | 0:32:27 | |
Kicking off with a property under budget | 0:32:28 | 0:32:30 | |
with a guide price of £385,000, | 0:32:30 | 0:32:33 | |
the first house is a characterful thatched cottage | 0:32:33 | 0:32:36 | |
featuring a kitchen/breakfast room, three receptions and three bedrooms. | 0:32:36 | 0:32:41 | |
What's more, it already has a detached music room | 0:32:41 | 0:32:45 | |
and space to park their motorhome. | 0:32:45 | 0:32:48 | |
It is a beautiful spot. | 0:32:48 | 0:32:49 | |
All I can hear is skylarks in that field opposite. | 0:32:49 | 0:32:51 | |
-Hello. -Hello. -Are you all done with your exploration? | 0:32:51 | 0:32:54 | |
-Yes, thank you very much. -Yes. -Very good. | 0:32:54 | 0:32:56 | |
Well, that is house one finished. Time for house two. Follow me. | 0:32:56 | 0:33:00 | |
-Excellent. -OK. | 0:33:00 | 0:33:01 | |
With its vast areas of low-lying arable land, | 0:33:07 | 0:33:09 | |
farming is a major part of rural life in Suffolk. | 0:33:09 | 0:33:13 | |
A county speciality is the growing of root vegetables, | 0:33:13 | 0:33:16 | |
thanks to the light, sandy soil | 0:33:16 | 0:33:18 | |
which is perfect for producing smooth, straight tap roots. | 0:33:18 | 0:33:22 | |
I'm visiting the Elveden Estate, | 0:33:22 | 0:33:24 | |
which has a long history of large-scale root vegetable farming. | 0:33:24 | 0:33:27 | |
However, in recent years they have been cultivating | 0:33:27 | 0:33:30 | |
a more localised artisan approach with their Kitchen Garden project | 0:33:30 | 0:33:34 | |
that focuses on more unusual heirloom varieties. | 0:33:34 | 0:33:37 | |
Farm manager Andrew Francis is going to tell me more. | 0:33:37 | 0:33:40 | |
What's the idea behind the Kitchen Garden? | 0:33:40 | 0:33:42 | |
We have a passion here for local, seasonal food, | 0:33:42 | 0:33:45 | |
so we looked at how we could bring | 0:33:45 | 0:33:47 | |
different colours of vegetables and salads, | 0:33:47 | 0:33:49 | |
different shapes of vegetables and salads. | 0:33:49 | 0:33:52 | |
What sort of thing are we growing here? Is this fancy carrots, or...? | 0:33:52 | 0:33:55 | |
Yeah, we'll have different coloured carrots in here. | 0:33:55 | 0:33:57 | |
So we have purple, | 0:33:57 | 0:34:00 | |
a Purple Haze one as well as a deep purple, different shapes. | 0:34:00 | 0:34:03 | |
It's like a rock'n'roll pantheon of carrots - Purple Haze, Deep Purple. | 0:34:03 | 0:34:08 | |
-Yeah. -Can we pull any? Any of them ready to pull? | 0:34:08 | 0:34:11 | |
Yeah, we can go into that section over there and pull some out. | 0:34:11 | 0:34:14 | |
OK. | 0:34:14 | 0:34:16 | |
Just pull them down... Hand down as close as you can to the soil. | 0:34:17 | 0:34:21 | |
-Whoa! Look at the colour. Yeah. -So these are the Purple Haze carrots. | 0:34:21 | 0:34:26 | |
The colour gradually bleeds away as you go down the root. | 0:34:26 | 0:34:29 | |
And perfectly straight! | 0:34:29 | 0:34:31 | |
Purple may seem an unusual colour for a carrot, | 0:34:32 | 0:34:34 | |
but for centuries it was the norm. | 0:34:34 | 0:34:37 | |
The orange carrot, as we know it today, | 0:34:37 | 0:34:40 | |
only appeared in the 17th century, | 0:34:40 | 0:34:42 | |
when Dutch growers cultivated it as a tribute to William of Orange, | 0:34:42 | 0:34:47 | |
who led the struggle for Dutch independence. | 0:34:47 | 0:34:49 | |
I'm off to meet chef Peter McBurnie, | 0:34:49 | 0:34:52 | |
who's going to show me what can be done with these heritage vegetables. | 0:34:52 | 0:34:56 | |
-Hey, Peter. -Hi. -Very nice to meet you. -Nice to meet you. | 0:34:56 | 0:34:58 | |
Ah, I see. You have some of those. | 0:34:58 | 0:35:00 | |
Andrew was plucking some out of the ground. | 0:35:00 | 0:35:02 | |
Some of Andrew's vegetables. | 0:35:02 | 0:35:03 | |
There's a fantastic array of vegetables, really. | 0:35:03 | 0:35:05 | |
Everything from the three-coloured carrots to the different beetroots. | 0:35:05 | 0:35:09 | |
I mean, amazing what you can do with them for the colours. | 0:35:09 | 0:35:12 | |
-That's beetroot, is it? -Yeah, globe beetroot. | 0:35:12 | 0:35:14 | |
Coloured like a carrot. | 0:35:14 | 0:35:16 | |
-Wow! -It's like a kid in a playground when you've got produce like this. | 0:35:16 | 0:35:20 | |
So basically, you've got this lovely set-up where you have all these | 0:35:20 | 0:35:24 | |
extraordinary heritage vegetables growing in a field next door. | 0:35:24 | 0:35:27 | |
What is it, less than half a mile travelling? | 0:35:27 | 0:35:29 | |
Exactly, so there's no carbon footprint. | 0:35:29 | 0:35:31 | |
It's all local, all comes straight to us. | 0:35:31 | 0:35:34 | |
I think one of the reasons we're so popular | 0:35:34 | 0:35:35 | |
is because people know that a lot of the food has come locally. | 0:35:35 | 0:35:38 | |
And what do you do with it? I know you're famous for making chutneys. | 0:35:38 | 0:35:41 | |
One of the ones that we do do is a thing called "Elvedenilli" | 0:35:41 | 0:35:44 | |
using our main crop vegetables, | 0:35:44 | 0:35:46 | |
which are parsnips, carrots and onions are our main crops. | 0:35:46 | 0:35:49 | |
-Elvedenilli, that's a take on piccalilli, is it? -Exactly. | 0:35:49 | 0:35:52 | |
Have you got some I can taste? | 0:35:52 | 0:35:54 | |
It just happens that I've got a nice little platter. | 0:35:54 | 0:35:56 | |
We actually call this the "mmm" chutney | 0:35:56 | 0:35:58 | |
because people taste it and just go, "Mmm". | 0:35:58 | 0:36:00 | |
It's a beautiful colour as well. | 0:36:00 | 0:36:02 | |
-Mmm. -Mmm. -BOTH LAUGH | 0:36:03 | 0:36:06 | |
It's great that you're kind of championing this fresh use of food. | 0:36:06 | 0:36:10 | |
Tempted as I am to stay and sample | 0:36:10 | 0:36:11 | |
more of these tasty local heritage vegetables, | 0:36:11 | 0:36:14 | |
it is time to get back to our buyers and continue their house hunt. | 0:36:14 | 0:36:18 | |
For our next property, we're travelling northeast, | 0:36:22 | 0:36:24 | |
making for the village of Finningham. | 0:36:24 | 0:36:28 | |
And just a two-minute walk from the centre is our second house. | 0:36:28 | 0:36:31 | |
A very different offering for house number two, | 0:36:31 | 0:36:34 | |
but I'm quite excited to show you. | 0:36:34 | 0:36:35 | |
This is a barn conversion. | 0:36:35 | 0:36:37 | |
Ah! Nice big drive too. | 0:36:37 | 0:36:40 | |
-Big drive, plenty of space for the... -Motorhome. -..motorhome. | 0:36:40 | 0:36:44 | |
It doesn't look like a lot of barn conversions I've seen. | 0:36:44 | 0:36:48 | |
Well, actually this was the barn | 0:36:48 | 0:36:49 | |
and it was extended to have a cattle shed at the back, | 0:36:49 | 0:36:52 | |
which was actually then extended again. | 0:36:52 | 0:36:54 | |
You can see the sort of history of the structure of the barn | 0:36:54 | 0:36:57 | |
from the inside, so shall we go inside? | 0:36:57 | 0:36:59 | |
Oh, yes. Lovely. | 0:36:59 | 0:37:01 | |
Converted in 1999, at first glance this sprawling barn conversion | 0:37:01 | 0:37:06 | |
may not seem like a downsize. | 0:37:06 | 0:37:09 | |
But this property will give Jenny and Mike options, | 0:37:09 | 0:37:12 | |
which I'll reveal later on. | 0:37:12 | 0:37:14 | |
So into the kitchen at the back of the house. | 0:37:18 | 0:37:20 | |
Oh. This is very different. | 0:37:20 | 0:37:23 | |
-Yeah. -Isn't it? Very spacious. | 0:37:23 | 0:37:25 | |
-Very high. -Yes. | 0:37:25 | 0:37:27 | |
You're not going to bang your head on these beams. | 0:37:27 | 0:37:30 | |
JENNY AND MIKE LAUGH | 0:37:30 | 0:37:31 | |
This is not traditional but it is unusual. | 0:37:31 | 0:37:36 | |
-There is still a quaintness about it. -Yes. | 0:37:36 | 0:37:39 | |
That's the kitchen. | 0:37:39 | 0:37:40 | |
But next door is the main sitting room | 0:37:40 | 0:37:42 | |
and there you can see the bones of the house very clearly. | 0:37:42 | 0:37:45 | |
Right. | 0:37:45 | 0:37:47 | |
Step inside here. | 0:37:53 | 0:37:55 | |
-Oh, wow! -And take a spin upstairs. | 0:37:56 | 0:37:59 | |
Oh, my word! This is amazing. | 0:38:00 | 0:38:04 | |
-It's a big space, isn't it? -I like this. Good for singing. | 0:38:04 | 0:38:08 | |
Yes? Want to give it a spin? | 0:38:08 | 0:38:10 | |
SHE TAKES A DEEP BREATH | 0:38:10 | 0:38:12 | |
-No. -Aw, I was getting excited there. | 0:38:12 | 0:38:15 | |
Mike, what do you think? | 0:38:15 | 0:38:16 | |
Well, I just think it's a lovely room. And very different. | 0:38:16 | 0:38:20 | |
Quirky? | 0:38:20 | 0:38:22 | |
A bit of the quirkiness again, yes. You know I'm up for that. | 0:38:22 | 0:38:26 | |
-Less of the concussion. -Less need for a crash helmet. | 0:38:26 | 0:38:31 | |
The upstairs is like a mezzanine. | 0:38:31 | 0:38:33 | |
It is a floor with three bedrooms | 0:38:33 | 0:38:35 | |
and a family bathroom and not much else. | 0:38:35 | 0:38:38 | |
Mm-hm. | 0:38:38 | 0:38:39 | |
Downstairs, as we're about to see, | 0:38:39 | 0:38:41 | |
there is all your living quarters that you need. | 0:38:41 | 0:38:43 | |
-So you could effectively just live downstairs. -I see. | 0:38:43 | 0:38:46 | |
So no stairs up and down, which is something you were considering. | 0:38:46 | 0:38:49 | |
Put the relatives upstairs. | 0:38:49 | 0:38:51 | |
And then upstairs you could just leave as a sort of guest suite | 0:38:51 | 0:38:53 | |
which you use when you need it. | 0:38:53 | 0:38:55 | |
Wonderful. | 0:38:55 | 0:38:57 | |
Well, I think the layout of the house will make more sense | 0:38:57 | 0:39:00 | |
-when you've seen the master bedroom, so let's have a peek. -Thank you. | 0:39:00 | 0:39:04 | |
Back of the main hallway, there's also a downstairs shower room, | 0:39:04 | 0:39:07 | |
as well as two more reception rooms. | 0:39:07 | 0:39:10 | |
So with either the dining room or the study, | 0:39:10 | 0:39:12 | |
there are possibilities for Jenny's music room. | 0:39:12 | 0:39:16 | |
And up a small flight of steps, we come to the last room downstairs. | 0:39:16 | 0:39:20 | |
This is the master bedroom because it is on the ground floor, | 0:39:20 | 0:39:24 | |
so it's all on one level. | 0:39:24 | 0:39:26 | |
You've got an en-suite bathroom through there | 0:39:26 | 0:39:29 | |
and loads of hanging space. | 0:39:29 | 0:39:31 | |
Wonderful. Actually, this is a very nice room, isn't it? | 0:39:31 | 0:39:35 | |
The stairs in the last property would never be, you know, | 0:39:35 | 0:39:38 | |
-an easy thing to surmount. -No. | 0:39:38 | 0:39:40 | |
So, I was wondering whether the idea of living all on one floor | 0:39:40 | 0:39:44 | |
would be appealing to you? | 0:39:44 | 0:39:45 | |
It does make sense. It does make sense to us. | 0:39:45 | 0:39:48 | |
But with all those bedrooms upstairs and three bathrooms, | 0:39:48 | 0:39:53 | |
-it is difficult to imagine this is downsizing for us. -Hmm. | 0:39:53 | 0:39:58 | |
Well, I take that point, but let's have a look in the garden | 0:39:58 | 0:40:01 | |
and see whether that piece of the puzzle adds up | 0:40:01 | 0:40:04 | |
and then we can make some decisions. | 0:40:04 | 0:40:06 | |
Fine, thank you. | 0:40:06 | 0:40:07 | |
Despite the choices here, | 0:40:08 | 0:40:10 | |
I fear they may not be fully on board | 0:40:10 | 0:40:12 | |
with the space this barn provides. | 0:40:12 | 0:40:14 | |
But outside, the low-maintenance garden | 0:40:14 | 0:40:17 | |
would suit the not-so-green fingered | 0:40:17 | 0:40:19 | |
and is framed by a lovely vine-covered walkway | 0:40:19 | 0:40:21 | |
backing onto the river. | 0:40:21 | 0:40:23 | |
At the bottom of the garden... | 0:40:25 | 0:40:28 | |
-is a river. -Wow. | 0:40:28 | 0:40:30 | |
Not any old river either. | 0:40:30 | 0:40:32 | |
The River Dove, which flows into a town called Eye. | 0:40:32 | 0:40:35 | |
And then this lovely sort of wooden pergola walkway | 0:40:35 | 0:40:37 | |
with wisteria this end, grapevine at that end, | 0:40:37 | 0:40:40 | |
clematis over the front and roses. | 0:40:40 | 0:40:42 | |
Yes. Beautiful. That is lovely. | 0:40:42 | 0:40:46 | |
But a very manageable garden. | 0:40:46 | 0:40:47 | |
-Absolutely, yeah. -The right size for us. | 0:40:47 | 0:40:49 | |
-This is the right size? -Yes, definitely. | 0:40:49 | 0:40:51 | |
Very easy. Bit of lawn to mow, few beds to water. | 0:40:51 | 0:40:55 | |
-Places to sit out. -Yeah. | 0:40:55 | 0:40:56 | |
Looking at the garden itself, if this is about the right size, | 0:40:56 | 0:40:59 | |
the house you are thinking might be a bit big. | 0:40:59 | 0:41:02 | |
You haven't explored all of it. | 0:41:02 | 0:41:03 | |
But before I let you inside to have a look around, | 0:41:03 | 0:41:06 | |
how much do you think this big Suffolk barn conversion costs? | 0:41:06 | 0:41:09 | |
Well, I think it is a very large property, | 0:41:11 | 0:41:14 | |
so I think it will be over £400,000 I would think, possibly £440,000. | 0:41:14 | 0:41:19 | |
I would agree with over £400,000 but not quite so much. | 0:41:19 | 0:41:23 | |
-I would go for £420,000. -£420,000. | 0:41:23 | 0:41:26 | |
So this is on the market for £400,000. | 0:41:26 | 0:41:29 | |
-Ah. -It's been on the market for a while so they might accept an offer. | 0:41:29 | 0:41:33 | |
Right on budget with a guide price of £400,000, | 0:41:36 | 0:41:39 | |
this fascinating converted barn is a generous offering | 0:41:39 | 0:41:42 | |
chock-full of character. | 0:41:42 | 0:41:44 | |
The versatile accommodation lends itself to two separate living zones, | 0:41:44 | 0:41:47 | |
but as a whole offers three reception areas, | 0:41:47 | 0:41:50 | |
an impressive kitchen/breakfast room, four bedrooms | 0:41:50 | 0:41:54 | |
and comes with the all-important | 0:41:54 | 0:41:56 | |
off-road parking for the motorhome. | 0:41:56 | 0:41:58 | |
-All done? -All done. | 0:42:01 | 0:42:03 | |
-Not left anything behind? -Nope. -Nope. | 0:42:03 | 0:42:06 | |
So let's have a little rest. | 0:42:06 | 0:42:08 | |
So at this stage in the proceedings, I am slightly worried that | 0:42:12 | 0:42:15 | |
I have overestimated how much space they want. | 0:42:15 | 0:42:17 | |
-It's normally the other way around, isn't it? -I know. | 0:42:17 | 0:42:19 | |
So if we return to David and Marion from South Shields, | 0:42:19 | 0:42:22 | |
they had a budget of £450,000 and so far, | 0:42:22 | 0:42:25 | |
they had shown that they were genuinely open-minded. | 0:42:25 | 0:42:28 | |
So I am hoping that the mystery house, | 0:42:28 | 0:42:30 | |
or should we call it the history house, | 0:42:30 | 0:42:32 | |
will appeal to David in particular. | 0:42:32 | 0:42:34 | |
We're travelling back down south to Clare, | 0:42:34 | 0:42:36 | |
about 14 miles from Bury St Edmunds. | 0:42:36 | 0:42:39 | |
Our mystery house | 0:42:39 | 0:42:41 | |
can be found right in the heart of this historic town, and I'm hoping | 0:42:41 | 0:42:44 | |
that its rich heritage will prove to be a real winner. | 0:42:44 | 0:42:47 | |
Now then... | 0:42:50 | 0:42:51 | |
I think the best view is right from this spot here, | 0:42:51 | 0:42:54 | |
so if you come back... | 0:42:54 | 0:42:55 | |
Take a look at the mystery house from here. | 0:42:57 | 0:43:00 | |
SHE LAUGHS | 0:43:00 | 0:43:01 | |
That's a really ancient timbered house, isn't it? | 0:43:01 | 0:43:04 | |
Dates back, apparently, to around 1450, maybe even earlier. | 0:43:04 | 0:43:09 | |
I can believe it, yes. | 0:43:09 | 0:43:11 | |
-So, let's see how we get on inside, shall we? -Right. | 0:43:11 | 0:43:14 | |
Set over three floors, the walls of this Grade II listed property | 0:43:16 | 0:43:19 | |
conceal over five centuries of stories, | 0:43:19 | 0:43:22 | |
and the earliest accounts of the house suggest it was once | 0:43:22 | 0:43:25 | |
used as a brewery. | 0:43:25 | 0:43:27 | |
But now it's an enchanting family home with a few characterful quirks, | 0:43:27 | 0:43:31 | |
and set off by a roomy entrance hall. | 0:43:31 | 0:43:33 | |
So a nice little vestibule area, if you like, | 0:43:37 | 0:43:40 | |
and then into this amazing room. | 0:43:40 | 0:43:42 | |
Amazing is the word. It is really lovely. | 0:43:42 | 0:43:45 | |
-I really like this, yes. -Nice square room. | 0:43:45 | 0:43:48 | |
Plenty of space here. | 0:43:50 | 0:43:52 | |
-Lovely fireplace. -That's a real open fire as well, isn't it? | 0:43:52 | 0:43:56 | |
-Working as well. -It's lovely. | 0:43:56 | 0:43:59 | |
Yes, I'm impressed. | 0:43:59 | 0:44:00 | |
I thought you'd like this. I mean, what's not to...? | 0:44:00 | 0:44:03 | |
What's not to like about this? | 0:44:03 | 0:44:05 | |
-Knowing us as you do now. -Quite. | 0:44:05 | 0:44:07 | |
But... | 0:44:07 | 0:44:08 | |
with this come maybe potential compromises in other areas. | 0:44:08 | 0:44:11 | |
You're about to see the smallest kitchen out of the three properties, | 0:44:11 | 0:44:14 | |
-so mind this step here. -Right. | 0:44:14 | 0:44:16 | |
Yes. | 0:44:18 | 0:44:20 | |
Small kitchen. | 0:44:20 | 0:44:22 | |
Very small kitchen. | 0:44:22 | 0:44:23 | |
Mm-hm. But I like it. | 0:44:23 | 0:44:26 | |
I like the kitchen. I like the units, I like the tiles... | 0:44:26 | 0:44:31 | |
I like the feel of it. | 0:44:31 | 0:44:33 | |
-David? -It's a...very nice compact kitchen. | 0:44:33 | 0:44:37 | |
Let's keep looking round the rest of the house. | 0:44:37 | 0:44:39 | |
-Upwards to the master bedroom. -Right. | 0:44:39 | 0:44:42 | |
Up on the first floor, there's a bathroom as well as a compact | 0:44:44 | 0:44:47 | |
second bedroom that could be ideal as a hobby room or study, | 0:44:47 | 0:44:50 | |
right opposite the largest bedroom. | 0:44:50 | 0:44:52 | |
-Now then, this is your master bedroom. -Oh, right. | 0:44:53 | 0:44:58 | |
This is a fine room, isn't it? | 0:44:58 | 0:45:01 | |
Very much in keeping with downstairs. | 0:45:01 | 0:45:04 | |
There's some intriguing little features here of... | 0:45:04 | 0:45:09 | |
Where that might have been a door. | 0:45:09 | 0:45:11 | |
-It might have been a window, in fact. -A window. Oh, right. -Hmm. | 0:45:11 | 0:45:14 | |
You could imagine this house | 0:45:14 | 0:45:17 | |
being a very important part of the town actually. | 0:45:17 | 0:45:21 | |
Yeah. Well, let's look at it. | 0:45:21 | 0:45:23 | |
Over the years, it's been maltings, it's been... | 0:45:23 | 0:45:26 | |
Parish council used to meet here. | 0:45:26 | 0:45:28 | |
It's been a library. It's had a big role in the local area, hasn't it? | 0:45:28 | 0:45:35 | |
This is... This is a really good-sized bedroom. | 0:45:35 | 0:45:39 | |
-Good. -And very atmospheric and... | 0:45:39 | 0:45:43 | |
I think I could sleep well here. | 0:45:43 | 0:45:46 | |
There is a third bedroom in the eaves that they could use as a hobby room. | 0:45:46 | 0:45:50 | |
Though as it has its own en suite, it would be perfect for guests. | 0:45:50 | 0:45:54 | |
The mystery house is the surviving wing of a former larger property | 0:45:54 | 0:45:57 | |
and it attached across the back, | 0:45:57 | 0:46:00 | |
so the grounds all lie to the front and are enclosed by hedges | 0:46:00 | 0:46:03 | |
that gives the garden a very private feel | 0:46:03 | 0:46:06 | |
despite the property's central location. | 0:46:06 | 0:46:09 | |
So...the front garden is the only garden with the mystery house. | 0:46:09 | 0:46:14 | |
Right. Rather small, isn't it? And... | 0:46:14 | 0:46:17 | |
I'm afraid it hasn't got a great deal of character, | 0:46:17 | 0:46:20 | |
but I suppose that's up to you to introduce some. | 0:46:20 | 0:46:23 | |
I mean, what I would do... | 0:46:23 | 0:46:24 | |
I'm not one for cutting trees down, but that tree would go, | 0:46:24 | 0:46:29 | |
and I think it could be enhanced. | 0:46:29 | 0:46:31 | |
So, how much do you think the mystery house is on the market for? | 0:46:31 | 0:46:35 | |
£475,000. | 0:46:35 | 0:46:37 | |
OK. David? | 0:46:37 | 0:46:39 | |
I think it might be 520, something of that nature. | 0:46:39 | 0:46:43 | |
You might be surprised to hear that this house | 0:46:43 | 0:46:45 | |
-is on the market for offers in the region of £395,000. -Hmm. | 0:46:45 | 0:46:49 | |
That is surprising. | 0:46:49 | 0:46:51 | |
For offers in the region of £395,000, | 0:46:55 | 0:46:59 | |
the mystery house is a real vintage gem that date back to 1450 | 0:46:59 | 0:47:03 | |
and is awash with period features. | 0:47:03 | 0:47:06 | |
Laid out over three floors, it has a large drawing room, three bedrooms | 0:47:06 | 0:47:10 | |
and a private enclosed garden in the heart of a very desirable town. | 0:47:10 | 0:47:14 | |
-Now then, that was fun, wasn't it? -Yes. | 0:47:18 | 0:47:21 | |
Well, that's the end of the property search for you guys, | 0:47:21 | 0:47:23 | |
so why don't you go off somewhere and have a bit of a think, | 0:47:23 | 0:47:26 | |
-and I'll catch up with you later on? All right? -OK. -Good luck. -Bye-bye. | 0:47:26 | 0:47:30 | |
So I've got a fair idea what your favourite property might be... | 0:47:35 | 0:47:40 | |
..but I can never be 100% sure. | 0:47:41 | 0:47:43 | |
So...what is the favourite? | 0:47:43 | 0:47:46 | |
Well, our favourite property definitely was property number two. | 0:47:46 | 0:47:51 | |
How close a second, I take it, was property number one? | 0:47:51 | 0:47:55 | |
Well, that would have been the second choice, but pretty far behind | 0:47:55 | 0:48:00 | |
because there wasn't enough of a garden there at all. | 0:48:00 | 0:48:03 | |
Why was property number two your favourite? | 0:48:03 | 0:48:06 | |
The garden was absolutely perfect. | 0:48:06 | 0:48:08 | |
It had a wonderful studio there, | 0:48:08 | 0:48:12 | |
which could be used by either of us for our hobbies. | 0:48:12 | 0:48:15 | |
The house was very historical. | 0:48:15 | 0:48:18 | |
And, at the same time, quite modern. | 0:48:20 | 0:48:22 | |
It sounds like it's... It's quite an interesting option to you. | 0:48:22 | 0:48:25 | |
What's the next step? | 0:48:25 | 0:48:27 | |
Well, the next step is that we'll probably have another look at it.. | 0:48:27 | 0:48:31 | |
and then we'll go away and give it very serious consideration. | 0:48:31 | 0:48:34 | |
And then who knows? | 0:48:34 | 0:48:36 | |
You may well be living in Suffolk in a partly thatched house. | 0:48:36 | 0:48:41 | |
-How does that sound? -It sounds great. -Marvellous. | 0:48:41 | 0:48:44 | |
Thank you very much, Jonnie. | 0:48:44 | 0:48:46 | |
So the mystery with the history didn't work out. | 0:48:48 | 0:48:51 | |
I'm afraid not. But property two is still in the running. | 0:48:51 | 0:48:54 | |
Very good. So coming back to Mike and Jenny, | 0:48:54 | 0:48:56 | |
they've got £400,000 in Suffolk and I think we have been showing them | 0:48:56 | 0:48:59 | |
houses that are too big, being in mind they want to downsize. | 0:48:59 | 0:49:02 | |
It's not always about size, is it? | 0:49:02 | 0:49:04 | |
Now, but the mystery house is not a small house either. | 0:49:04 | 0:49:07 | |
-But it is a green house. -You mean...? -It's not a greenhouse. | 0:49:07 | 0:49:11 | |
-It's a GREEN house. -All, right. I know what you mean. I think. | 0:49:11 | 0:49:15 | |
Our mystery property takes us to the village of Elmsett. | 0:49:15 | 0:49:19 | |
And our colourful final offering | 0:49:19 | 0:49:21 | |
is a modern and mysterious one-of-a-kind build | 0:49:21 | 0:49:24 | |
that lies right in the heart of the village. | 0:49:24 | 0:49:26 | |
-This is the mystery house. -Wow. | 0:49:28 | 0:49:32 | |
-It is a beautiful construction, isn't it? -Do you like it? | 0:49:32 | 0:49:35 | |
Yes. It is new, isn't it? | 0:49:35 | 0:49:37 | |
-It is 15 years old. -And it's lovely. | 0:49:37 | 0:49:41 | |
-It looks fairly sort of low-key from the outside. -Yes? | 0:49:41 | 0:49:44 | |
Nothing shouts out, because the mystery about this house | 0:49:44 | 0:49:48 | |
will be revealed when we go round the back. | 0:49:48 | 0:49:50 | |
-OK. -So I'm not going to say anything more | 0:49:51 | 0:49:53 | |
but I'm going to ask you to come with me. | 0:49:53 | 0:49:55 | |
Come round the back. | 0:49:59 | 0:50:01 | |
I'm going to do a brief detour into the garden. Lovely garden. | 0:50:01 | 0:50:04 | |
-Wow. -Beautiful planting. Lovely garden. | 0:50:04 | 0:50:07 | |
Come onto this little terrace here. | 0:50:07 | 0:50:09 | |
-Ha! -And take a look. What's on top of the house? | 0:50:10 | 0:50:14 | |
Oh, my word. | 0:50:14 | 0:50:16 | |
This house is a green house. | 0:50:17 | 0:50:20 | |
One of the things you were worried about about your big house | 0:50:20 | 0:50:23 | |
and the big house that we saw yesterday it is the running costs. | 0:50:23 | 0:50:26 | |
-Absolutely. -Mm-hm. | 0:50:26 | 0:50:27 | |
This house makes you money. | 0:50:27 | 0:50:30 | |
Last year, the owners spent £800 on their electricity bills | 0:50:30 | 0:50:35 | |
but they made £1,800 selling back electricity to the grid. | 0:50:35 | 0:50:39 | |
Aha. SHE CHUCKLES | 0:50:39 | 0:50:42 | |
So they made almost £1,000. | 0:50:42 | 0:50:44 | |
And then if you take out the water bills. | 0:50:44 | 0:50:46 | |
Now, they only get the water in | 0:50:46 | 0:50:48 | |
because they have a reed drainage system in the garden, | 0:50:48 | 0:50:50 | |
so they don't pay for any water flowing out. | 0:50:50 | 0:50:54 | |
That is truly a big surprise, those numbers. | 0:50:54 | 0:50:58 | |
No question. | 0:50:59 | 0:51:00 | |
-Let's take a tour of the house. -Right. | 0:51:00 | 0:51:02 | |
Dating back to 1998, the aim of the architect who designed this property | 0:51:02 | 0:51:07 | |
was to save energy and, as a consequence, save money too. | 0:51:07 | 0:51:11 | |
Inside, the unconventional layout | 0:51:11 | 0:51:13 | |
should appeal to Mike's wish for quirky | 0:51:13 | 0:51:16 | |
and wraps itself around a generous hallway. | 0:51:16 | 0:51:19 | |
Come into the main room. | 0:51:20 | 0:51:23 | |
-Oh, wow. -Talk about light. | 0:51:23 | 0:51:26 | |
So you can see now some of the features of the house. | 0:51:26 | 0:51:30 | |
From the inside you can see how thick the walls are. | 0:51:30 | 0:51:34 | |
-Ah, yes. -Amazing concrete build. | 0:51:34 | 0:51:38 | |
So the walls are all concrete, | 0:51:38 | 0:51:40 | |
the floor is almost 0.5m of concrete with insulation. | 0:51:40 | 0:51:44 | |
So what happens is that the sun comes from these giant windows, | 0:51:45 | 0:51:49 | |
heats up the concrete and then the concrete, | 0:51:49 | 0:51:51 | |
the heat in the concrete is retained pretty much all through the day | 0:51:51 | 0:51:55 | |
and through the night. | 0:51:55 | 0:51:56 | |
You've also got triple glazing. | 0:51:56 | 0:51:58 | |
The secret of the house really is that no heat leaves. | 0:51:58 | 0:52:02 | |
-It's clever, huh? -Very clever. | 0:52:02 | 0:52:04 | |
I mean, it is a bit of a shock and you're right to call it a mystery | 0:52:04 | 0:52:08 | |
because compared to the other houses we've seen, this is... | 0:52:08 | 0:52:14 | |
..you know, very, very, very different. | 0:52:15 | 0:52:17 | |
So this is the heart of the home. | 0:52:17 | 0:52:19 | |
It is also the heating generator because of these big windows. | 0:52:19 | 0:52:22 | |
But obviously, there are other rooms, including the kitchen. | 0:52:22 | 0:52:25 | |
Ah-ha-ha, the kitchen. | 0:52:25 | 0:52:27 | |
-Come in here. -Oh, wow! | 0:52:32 | 0:52:35 | |
I'm loving all these "wows". That's great. | 0:52:35 | 0:52:38 | |
-This is the sort of size kitchen that I love! -Really? | 0:52:38 | 0:52:43 | |
Oh, it's beautiful. | 0:52:43 | 0:52:45 | |
OK, so this is downstairs. It's pretty much a simple layout. | 0:52:45 | 0:52:48 | |
You've got an amazing washroom with all the white goods. | 0:52:48 | 0:52:52 | |
Let's look upstairs because that is interesting too. | 0:52:52 | 0:52:55 | |
The combination of light and space in this unique home | 0:52:55 | 0:52:58 | |
appears to be winning over both our buyers. | 0:52:58 | 0:53:01 | |
And the brilliance continues upstairs, | 0:53:01 | 0:53:04 | |
where a four-piece family bathroom serves four bedrooms. | 0:53:04 | 0:53:07 | |
Two are spacious double rooms, | 0:53:07 | 0:53:09 | |
and a single is being used as a study. | 0:53:09 | 0:53:13 | |
That just leaves the one earmarked for Jenny and Mike, | 0:53:13 | 0:53:16 | |
which also benefits from both the views and daylight | 0:53:16 | 0:53:19 | |
coming in from the huge, double-height glazing | 0:53:19 | 0:53:22 | |
in the sitting room. | 0:53:22 | 0:53:23 | |
This is an interesting room. | 0:53:24 | 0:53:26 | |
-Yes. -Wow. | 0:53:26 | 0:53:28 | |
It is the mezzanine above the living space. | 0:53:28 | 0:53:30 | |
It is very, very good for a bedroom. It's got plenty of space. | 0:53:30 | 0:53:35 | |
Have you ever seen a bedroom like this before? | 0:53:35 | 0:53:39 | |
Nope. But I could definitely do something with it, I feel. | 0:53:39 | 0:53:43 | |
I'm confident about that. | 0:53:43 | 0:53:44 | |
Or the alternative is that you use this as the study | 0:53:44 | 0:53:46 | |
and don't have it as a bedroom. | 0:53:46 | 0:53:48 | |
-Oh, that's a possibility. That would be lovely. -Yeah. | 0:53:48 | 0:53:50 | |
-Good idea. -And music room. | 0:53:50 | 0:53:51 | |
-It's true. This would be a lovely music room. -Yes, it would too. | 0:53:51 | 0:53:54 | |
-Echoing round the house. -Yes. | 0:53:54 | 0:53:57 | |
I'll let you explore the other rooms upstairs, | 0:53:57 | 0:53:59 | |
but I want to show you the rest of the garden. | 0:53:59 | 0:54:02 | |
-Oh, right. -Come with me. | 0:54:02 | 0:54:04 | |
That concludes the internal tour | 0:54:04 | 0:54:05 | |
of our super-efficient mystery house, | 0:54:05 | 0:54:08 | |
so we're heading back down to the kitchen/diner, | 0:54:08 | 0:54:10 | |
past a sunny paved patio and into the south-facing rear garden. | 0:54:10 | 0:54:15 | |
So, as you can see, it is a garden of paths. | 0:54:15 | 0:54:18 | |
There's decking pathway throughout, | 0:54:18 | 0:54:20 | |
the raised decking so you don't get your feet dirty, | 0:54:20 | 0:54:23 | |
in the midst of all these bushes and shrubs and trees, | 0:54:23 | 0:54:26 | |
which, of course, are bird paradise. | 0:54:26 | 0:54:28 | |
I can imagine. | 0:54:28 | 0:54:30 | |
It's the sort of garden I've never even thought about | 0:54:30 | 0:54:33 | |
that I might have. | 0:54:33 | 0:54:35 | |
It is very, very unusual. | 0:54:35 | 0:54:38 | |
So, how much do you think this house is on the market for? | 0:54:38 | 0:54:41 | |
I'd go for £440,000. | 0:54:41 | 0:54:43 | |
And I think about the same - £440,000. | 0:54:44 | 0:54:48 | |
-You're both wrong. -Oh. | 0:54:48 | 0:54:50 | |
This house is on the market for £425,000. | 0:54:50 | 0:54:53 | |
Wow. | 0:54:53 | 0:54:55 | |
And with the bit of give-and-take that the market allows, | 0:54:55 | 0:54:58 | |
you might even get it in your budget. | 0:54:58 | 0:55:00 | |
-Wow. -So... | 0:55:00 | 0:55:03 | |
-Well, that is a real surprise. -Strike me down. | 0:55:03 | 0:55:07 | |
And indeed, a mystery. | 0:55:07 | 0:55:08 | |
Ah, that's why it's called the mystery house, Mike. | 0:55:08 | 0:55:11 | |
I suspected as much. | 0:55:11 | 0:55:12 | |
Surprisingly closer to budget than expected, | 0:55:12 | 0:55:16 | |
on the market for £425,000, | 0:55:16 | 0:55:19 | |
the mystery property is a modern, one-off, detached eco house | 0:55:19 | 0:55:22 | |
with a range of energy-efficient features | 0:55:22 | 0:55:25 | |
that make it cost-effective to run. | 0:55:25 | 0:55:27 | |
The accommodation features a double-height sitting room, | 0:55:27 | 0:55:29 | |
kitchen/diner and four bedrooms with | 0:55:29 | 0:55:32 | |
an enchanting landscaped garden. | 0:55:32 | 0:55:35 | |
Ooh, did you notice how snugly fitted that door is? | 0:55:37 | 0:55:40 | |
-Absolutely. -No draughts. | 0:55:40 | 0:55:43 | |
-Oh, and no letter box. -No. | 0:55:43 | 0:55:44 | |
Indeed, the letter box is in the garage | 0:55:44 | 0:55:46 | |
for exactly the same reason - no draughts. | 0:55:46 | 0:55:49 | |
Good house, huh? Follow me. | 0:55:50 | 0:55:52 | |
OK, I don't have to be a mind-reader to know that | 0:55:59 | 0:56:01 | |
you didn't really like the second house yesterday. | 0:56:01 | 0:56:04 | |
So I am still not sure in my mind which of the houses you prefer. | 0:56:04 | 0:56:09 | |
The mystery house on the one hand or that lovely romantic first house? | 0:56:09 | 0:56:13 | |
I think the romantic first house | 0:56:14 | 0:56:16 | |
was just something anybody would dream of | 0:56:16 | 0:56:20 | |
and the views were what we really, really like. | 0:56:20 | 0:56:25 | |
It did have a little problem with the height of the ceiling. | 0:56:25 | 0:56:28 | |
Yes, Mike, your poor head. | 0:56:28 | 0:56:30 | |
Have you got bruises? | 0:56:30 | 0:56:31 | |
Yeah, I had a little bit of difficulty | 0:56:31 | 0:56:33 | |
-combing my scalp this morning. -ALL CHUCKLE | 0:56:33 | 0:56:36 | |
The mystery house was probably sensible. | 0:56:36 | 0:56:39 | |
And perhaps right in the sense that, you know, | 0:56:39 | 0:56:43 | |
we would be doing the kind of things that people should be trying to do, | 0:56:43 | 0:56:47 | |
which is live a more green life. | 0:56:47 | 0:56:50 | |
Sensible, however, does come with the sort of... | 0:56:50 | 0:56:52 | |
-HE TUTS -.."Well, it's sensible." | 0:56:52 | 0:56:54 | |
Does your heart really kind of warm to the mystery house? | 0:56:54 | 0:56:59 | |
I thought that it was so well built but it didn't have the view. | 0:56:59 | 0:57:04 | |
OK, so what happens next? | 0:57:04 | 0:57:06 | |
I mean, are you thinking of revisiting any of the properties? | 0:57:06 | 0:57:10 | |
I think we should investigate that mystery house more | 0:57:10 | 0:57:13 | |
to see how economical it really is. | 0:57:13 | 0:57:17 | |
So, yes, we would probably go back | 0:57:17 | 0:57:18 | |
and discover a bit more about that area, | 0:57:18 | 0:57:21 | |
which we know absolutely nothing about. | 0:57:21 | 0:57:23 | |
Well, I really hope that you do proceed on one of our houses. | 0:57:23 | 0:57:27 | |
That would be wonderful. But that you get to Suffolk very soon | 0:57:27 | 0:57:30 | |
cos it's been a great pleasure showing you around. | 0:57:30 | 0:57:32 | |
-Thank you. -Thank you very much. | 0:57:32 | 0:57:34 | |
So, apart from probably quite a lot of cleaning windows with that | 0:57:36 | 0:57:40 | |
mystery house, it actually earns you money? What's not to love? | 0:57:40 | 0:57:44 | |
Well, it is interesting, | 0:57:44 | 0:57:45 | |
the whole thing about love and houses, isn't it, | 0:57:45 | 0:57:47 | |
because I think Mike said it? | 0:57:47 | 0:57:49 | |
He said that would be the sensible choice because on paper | 0:57:49 | 0:57:52 | |
it all makes perfect sense but I don't think his heart was taken. | 0:57:52 | 0:57:55 | |
And you know what, when people go down the sensible road, | 0:57:55 | 0:57:57 | |
they are often haunted by the one that got away. | 0:57:57 | 0:58:00 | |
The house that really captured the heart and imagination so, I suppose | 0:58:00 | 0:58:04 | |
really, it comes down to balancing the head versus heart, doesn't it? | 0:58:04 | 0:58:07 | |
But Suffolk is a good place to do that because it's good value, | 0:58:07 | 0:58:10 | |
which pleases the head, | 0:58:10 | 0:58:11 | |
and there is such an amazing array of architectural styles, | 0:58:11 | 0:58:14 | |
that beautiful rural countryside, | 0:58:14 | 0:58:15 | |
big houses, small houses, old houses. | 0:58:15 | 0:58:17 | |
There's got to be something for your heart there. | 0:58:17 | 0:58:19 | |
You can see why people want to want to go and live there. | 0:58:19 | 0:58:22 | |
So that brings us to a close. | 0:58:22 | 0:58:23 | |
And hopefully you'll join us next time on Escape To The Country. | 0:58:23 | 0:58:26 | |
Marion and David continued looking for their dream home, | 0:58:28 | 0:58:31 | |
which they eventually found very near to our second property | 0:58:31 | 0:58:35 | |
and they've already settled in. | 0:58:35 | 0:58:37 | |
And Jenny and Mike are now looking for a house not far from Essex | 0:58:37 | 0:58:41 | |
to be close to their family. | 0:58:41 | 0:58:43 | |
If you would like to escape to the country | 0:58:43 | 0:58:45 | |
in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England | 0:58:45 | 0:58:47 | |
or even further afield to the continent and need our help, | 0:58:47 | 0:58:51 | |
please apply online: | 0:58:51 | 0:58:53 |