Kent Escape to the Country

Hello, welcome to a special edition of Escape To The Country.

We'll be helping two couples find rural homes

and we will be revealing the splendours of a certain county.

We'll also be sharing our advice,

hints and tips on what it takes to move here.

But first, we're heading south-east to the bottom of the garden.

Don't worry, it will all make sense, join us in a moment.

On today's show, we're helping a couple find a rural home where

they can raise their daughter and enjoy more quality family time.

-Wow!

-Along the way, there are some differences of opinion.

Hands up, who's in favour?

You're in favour, you're not so sure.

No. I need some more convincing.

We'll also be helping new parents find a family home

where they can experience country life for the first time.

Our properties certainly spark some great reactions!

Oh, my goodness!

Wow!

-Oh, my goodness.

-Wow. Oh, really?

-Really?!

Well, today, we're in Kent, otherwise known, Jonnie,

as the Garden of England.

And for centuries, it's been a gateway for both invaders and traders,

a story which I think is reflected in the architecture from Roman

styles to Canterbury Cathedral and those lovely weavers cottages.

Sure, but the warblings you have about history,

I know it's very close to your heart,

what always surprises me is the fact that just a short

hop from the capital and you're met with beautiful towns

and villages, surrounded by that wonderful Kent countryside.

And that, of course, is why it is perennially appealing.

One of the English Home Counties,

Kent is bordered by Greater London, East Sussex and Surrey.

Its 350 miles of remarkable coastline encompasses 11 blue

flag beaches, towering white chalk cliffs and appealing seaside towns.

The county's most visited and historically rich city is

Canterbury, centred on its magnificent Gothic cathedral,

which has been the centre of English Christianity since 597 AD.

Kent's reputation as the Garden of England endures,

with allotments and orchards found throughout.

The County's undeniable appeal has inspired countless

artists, including the famous landscape painter,

JMW Turner, who portrayed the area in more than 100 works

and described its skies as the loveliest in Europe.

And its appeal endures today,

as people continue to be drawn by the beauty of this unspoilt county.

Well, as we have hinted at,

you can't really talk about Kent without talking about London.

Its history and its economics are inextricably linked.

Well, for so many people working in the capital,

Kent becomes its playground, its back garden, doesn't it?

But then, that popularity, obviously,

has an adverse effect on property values.

Well, when you think about the price of your average detached,

currently in Kent, it's about £326,000.

I mean, these are eye watering numbers,

when you think about what you're getting.

But unfortunately, not for Londoners seeking that move out,

that money would still only get you a one bed flat in West London.

-Yeah.

-But my recommendation for buyers,

if they don't need to commute back into the capital, get away from the train stations,

you get so much more for your money then.

So, maybe, sort of Canterbury, Maidstone area.

Yes, and Canterbury is still a beautiful city,

but in fact, it was the open spaces and the larger houses that

Kent has to offer that was attracting my buyers to Kent.

Well, more from them a little bit later on, but first,

let's meet MY couple who also had a dream of living in Kent with

a pretty generous budget.

Andrew and Janine have been living in this four-bedroom

new-build in the town of Corsham, Wiltshire, for the last seven years.

They've always craved a more rural lifestyle, but the birth of their

daughter, Francesca, has given them the impetus

to finally make the move.

I think the time is right for us to move for Francesca now,

because she's just getting to the stage of walking and exploring

and actually understanding the world around her.

She gets very excited about being outside,

and being in a modern housing estate, as we are here,

there is very limited scope for us to do that with her.

As well as providing Francesca with a wholesome rural upbringing,

the move will enable Andrew to spend more quality time with her.

His job as a compliance consultant is based in London,

and his current commute from Corsham

takes him up to two and a half hours each way.

Francesca's getting to the point, shortly, where I run the risk

of not seeing her in the evenings.

And I really don't want to be a dad who sees my daughter

on a Saturday and a Sunday. So obviously moving to Kent,

being within an hour, an hour and a quarter,

of the city, would make family life so much easier.

Ever since they bought their current home, they've never felt

it's fully reflected their style or their needs.

And they sense that even more so, now they've become a family.

Ideally, in a property I'm looking for character.

Both of us have said we'd like something older, albeit

we recognise that that can come with a price tag and its own challenges.

But certainly something that reflects the historic nature of Kent,

and the sort of houses that are around there.

The last thing to establish is how much they've set

aside for their rural family home.

The budget for the move is between £500,000 and £600,000.

FRANCESCA COOS

Andrew and Janine are quite open to looking at any area

within Kent's borders, as long as it's no more than an hour

and a quarter's train journey from London for Andrew's commute.

So before we begin our countywide search,

I'm meeting up with them to learn more about their move.

Well, Janine and Andrew, welcome to Kent.

Why this county, then?

Well, it's, as you say, the Garden of England, beautiful greenery,

the schools are fantastic, and for us it's just the ideal location.

Now the kind of property you're after, give us a spec list, as it were.

Well, for me, it's important to have a nice kitchen.

The kitchen's always the heart of the home.

-Yep.

-Ideally, we'd like four bedrooms.

Or three and a study. I do get the chance to work from home,

albeit it's not as often as maybe I would like.

OK. Now the budget for this move of yours?

Well, £600,000 would be our absolute max. If you found us the perfect,

ideal home, that would be the upper limit.

But also, you know, if there's a house slightly less than that,

and it needs work doing on it, we sort of said, well, £500,000,

to give us that comfort zone, that if we needed to extend or build

a study area in the garden, we actually have the scope to do that.

I'm hoping the next few days will give you the chance

to get your feet under the table here in Kent,

and get a sense of what this county can offer you in particular, Andrew. We've got three, I think,

very interesting properties for you to look at,

including our mystery house. Who knows what that will be?

So I think, without further ado, let's go and find some properties.

-OK.

-Great!

With a maximum budget of £600,000, Andrew and Janine are looking for

a characterful period home within a commutable distance to London.

They'd like a large kitchen/diner,

three to four bedrooms and a study for Andrew.

They don't need a huge garden

but would like enough space to grow vegetables

and for Francesca to play in.

We've lined up three very different Kentish homes for them to view,

and I'll keep them guessing about the price until they've had a good look around.

The last will be our mystery house, a rare historic property, the likes

of which they've probably never seen

and might not have considered on paper.

Our search begins three miles south of Maidstone,

Kent's county town in the attractive village of Boughton Monchelsea.

Our first offering, a classic Kentish weatherboard property,

is in the heart of the village.

That's it, that's property number one.

Wow.

I didn't expect to see three storeys.

Interesting, isn't it? Yeah.

-Very pretty.

-Very pretty.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

The character just springs out as soon as you walked round the corner.

It's quite beguiling, actually, it's a bit of a TARDIS.

Something of a cliche, but this is probably appropriate for this one,

because there is a lot more to see once we get inside.

-Yeah?

-Excellent.

-Yeah.

The house was built around 1825.

Later, in the Victorian era, an extension was added to the rear,

which almost doubled its size.

Well, let's start in here.

-Wow.

-What do you think?

-I wasn't expecting that, it's the hidden bit there.

-Yes.

It really opens up, doesn't it?

It does create a different, an atmosphere of a different room, but

the two of them give the, I guess, sense of space, which is one of the

-things we miss at the moment...

-Yeah.

-..and we are looking for.

We have a very big sofa at home, and it's around the same size as that

sofa, so you can kind of sense where the furniture would actually fit.

Right, well, let's continue through here.

Now, Janine...

let's tackle the nice big kitchen/diner that you want.

-It is not one of those.

-No.

But would you be prepared to do a bit of knocking about?

Yeah, obviously, budget allowing, we already talked about that. But, yeah.

I looked at this and thought, "That wall needs to come down,"

-when I came in.

-I think it can go because what it would do is,

it would open it all up.

You get the idea. I mean, if that wall were to go,

-it would transform it...

-Absolutely.

-..into a fabulous,

huge kitchen/diner, within this very substantial,

and very nicely produced, conservatory.

I like the fact that we can start seeing how we can shape it to

make it our own. I like the fact that we can bring, you know,

the outside in, in terms of making this space a more usable space.

And I can see us having family here and cooking and doing all the things

that we've discussed that we really want to do from the move, so...

So far, so good. I just can't wait to see upstairs.

Well, let's do that. Come and follow me.

There's lots to see - two more floors.

I'm delighted that Janine is already visualising the family

enjoying this place.

Also, on the ground floor opposite the sitting room, there's a spacious

dining room with an elegant, original fireplace.

And below lies a cellar that's been converted

into an extra living space.

The first floor consists of a family bathroom and three bedrooms.

All of them are doubles, which have some lovely original features.

So, this is your bit.

Wow.

There's a huge bed in the way of everything.

Rather nice, actually, a kind of oak, four-poster.

It is smaller, but we know we're going to go smaller...

because the room we've got is unnaturally large,

at the moment in time.

This is a nice room, the fireplace is nice.

-It's still got that cosy feel.

-Yeah.

There is an en suite through there,

which is, you know, very handy

and usually much sought-after.

But we also have the top floor, which you spotted from the outside.

That has, really, two separate bedrooms in it at the moment.

So, technically, you could say this is a five bedroom house.

And it's got another bathroom too.

Let's have a look at the garden. then we'll finish up and maybe

you want to start thinking about how much this is going to cost you.

Outside, there's around a quarter of an acre of land where there's plenty of room Francesca to play in.

Some lovely mature trees here.

And I love that little house, over there. I think Francesca would have

a lot of fun in it, and you'd probably have a bit of fun

-kind of doing it up a bit, actually.

-Definitely.

-Would this be big enough for you?

-Yes.

-I think so, yes. I like the fact that it's mature

and it's almost got places for her to explore, but safe exploration.

But how much is it going to cost you?

-Mm.

-Hmm.

-Who's going to go for our first price guess of the week?

-£525,000.

-£525,000! Straight in!

-That was quick!

-No messing there, from Andrew. Great!

-I'm going to go...

-£545,000.

-£545,000. You're right to err...

higher, but I'm afraid it's on the market

for quite a bit more than that.

-This is on the market at £595,000.

-Really?

-Yeah, well...

-Gosh.

-..we are in...commuter belt.

Yep, true.

Just below their maximum budget at £595,000,

this elegant Georgian home has an impressive reception room,

a dining room and a kitchen which is next to a conservatory

that could be knocked through.

There are also five bedrooms and a converted cellar.

It comes with around a quarter of an acre of land,

and there are two nearby stations

for Andrew's commute.

Good. Well, we are a property down.

We are a third of the way through our house tours,

-but are we any closer to getting you a new home?

-Food for thought.

-Well, talking of food, let's have some lunch.

-Yep.

Sitting high above the River Medway is a fort that has played

a significant part in Kent's military

and maritime history for over 250 years.

Built in 1750, Fort Amherst is a formidable structure,

but its true calling as a military defence came some two centuries

later during the Second World War.

To find out more about its intriguing history,

I'm meeting one of the fort's trustees, Martin Rogers.

Martin, this is a fabulous and somewhat sprawling complex

but why is it so significant, why is it here?

Following the Dutch raid in 1667,

when the Dutch sailed up the Medway and attacked Chatham Dockyard,

plans were put in place so that this would never happen again.

A series of river and sea fortifications went in to

protect the entrance to the Thames and the Medway.

In that period the Empire was expanding dramatically

and the Navy was the seat of that power.

And Chatham was the premier shipbuilding dockyard.

But the fort itself was never actually called upon to

defend the dockyard. It was never attacked, was it?

No, it wasn't, not in that period.

There's clearly a lot to see above ground but looking at these

tunnels and doorways, I suspect there's even more to see...

-below ground.

-We've carried out a lot of conservation work below ground.

The fort was called into service not during the Napoleonic wars it

was built for, but during the Second World War

when it housed the Home Guard.

Since the 1970s, a team of volunteers and trustees have been

slowly restoring it, section by section,

recreating its vital wartime role.

-Gosh. Oh!

-Well, this is it. This is the heart of the civil defence.

Many people won't be familiar with the idea of a civil defence

network, but during the Second World War they played a vital role,

didn't they, in managing the civilian response,

in particular to things like air raids?

Yes, they did, because the dockyard was very heavily bombed,

and you can just see from the resources on these boards how

they responded to a particular day in August 1940.

The reports of the bombs...0900. Bomb damage. CAS, casualties?

Casualties. Onslow Road in Stroud. And incident number ten.

And here, the response to it from the National Fire Service,

Auxiliary Fire Service, ARP rescue, demolition.

Isn't it strange that Amherst starts its life in the 1750s

and doesn't really have a role? It's a grand statement but really

not much more than that,

and yet 200 years later in the 1940s it fulfils a very purposeful role.

Had the Germans breached our barriers,

this was the last line of defence

-before the dockyard.

-But the men that designed this fort would have had

no concept of aerial warfare, yet

-what they created was the perfect bunker.

-It certainly was. Yes.

The volunteers have come a long way in terms of getting

the fort's historical significance recognised

and it's hoped it may attain World Heritage status.

This would be a huge help in further restoring

and developing this fascinating military site.

We're heading up to the northern part of the county to Lynsted.

Close to the centre of the village, at the end of a private driveway,

is our second offering.

Now earlier...

in the car, you said you were quite interested in a barn conversion

and I teased you about the fact that we might have one and here it is.

-Wow.

-There you go.

-Some barn conversion.

-You've got this L-shaped courtyard, as you can see,

but the bit we're interested in is that chunk there.

-Wow.

-Interested?

Yes, please.

-Now there is an interesting debate between you about the merits of beams, isn't there?

-Yes.

Hands up, who's in favour?

You're in favour. You're not so sure?

No, I need some more convincing.

-We have no issues with head height in here.

-OK.

So, I'm not worried, actually. I'm really not worried about this one.

I think that the beams will be OK.

-Let's see if I'm right.

-We'll see.

The barn, which is thought to date back to the 1500s,

was converted in 1991.

And it offers more than 3,000 square feet of space.

But let's begin...

over here, because...

..I think this really gets us into the whole beam discussion.

-Straightaway, without any messing.

-Yes.

There's a smile here and there isn't here. You see, this is what worries me.

-We're struggling here, aren't we?

-And I like the structure, the height,

the architectural beauty of the beams.

Obviously, dining area, something of a sort of

living room area here too. This isn't the main living room.

-Oh, OK.

-Now with our first property we looked at knocking a wall down...

-Yep.

..and my suggestion is that you also do the same thing here,

and it's that wall that you would take away because the kitchen

-is behind that...

-OK.

-..and it would open all of this up then, to a kitchen-living-dining area.

You'll see what I mean. Have a look through here.

So, it is a lovely kitchen,

but it would be lovelier if this wall behind me were gone, I think.

-Yes, I agree.

-I can see that.

I think this is the only big compromise with this property,

because the rest of it goes on and on and on.

-You see, you're there on this one, aren't you?

-More or less, yes.

You'll have to help me. We're going to have to persuade Janine

-that this could be the one.

-But I've got to live with her after.

HE LAUGHS

-This is a nice space.

-Yes?

-And lots of light.

Natural light because there's lots of windows.

I think, because it's dark and whilst it's beautiful,

I'm used to barns that are slightly lighter in oak.

I'm used to oak-flooring rather than carpeting and I think it's

just trying to visualise how we would utilise this beautiful space.

Clearly, Janine still needs some convincing

but I'm hoping the rest of the house might just do that.

Also downstairs, next to the sitting room,

there's a study which would be handy for Andrew when he works from home.

Opposite that there's a downstairs bedroom

which could make a good playroom for Francesca.

Upstairs there's a family bathroom and three more bedrooms.

All are good size doubles, but it's the master bedroom which has

particularly generous proportions.

This is your bit.

Wow

Now, your wardrobe.

I'm thinking you might not need it because through that door is

an enormous walk-in wardrobe, his and hers either side.

And...master en suite through there

so everything, shower, bath, the lot.

-It looks great.

-It does.

-Yeah?

I love the window seat, absolutely love the window seat.

Let's have a look at the garden and see if that helps the process.

It seems Janine may be warming ever so slightly to this place

and I don't think she'll be disappointed by what's outside.

There's almost a third of an acre of land that includes a ready-made

veggie garden, perfect for her horticultural projects with

Francesca and a huge garage and a workshop and space for two cars.

Just to help me sell this property further to you, Janine,

the sun has blessed us with a bit more support.

Yes. It's working.

It's working. Let's see if the price works, shall we?

-Make me an offer.

-I think it's going to be slightly over budget.

-I'm going to go 625.

-625?

-I'm going to say 580.

-580.

You're both wrong.

-But the good news...this is 600.

-Really?

-Wow.

-Gosh, that surprises me.

-Yes? Certainly something for you, Andrew.

-For you, it's got to be a grower.

-Yes.

Right on budget at £600,000, this spacious barn conversion has

a large light-filled reception room and a dining room with adjoining

kitchen that could be knocked through.

It has a study and five bedrooms,

including that very spacious master, and outside there's a garage,

a veggie garden and plenty of space for Francesca to play in.

-After you, madam.

-Thank you.

-Through the beepy door.

HE CHUCKLES

-Well, not a bad day, all told.

-Good day.

-Property number one was nice for you.

-Yes.

-Property number two was nice for you.

-Indeed.

Can we get it right with the third one, the mystery house tomorrow?

-Can't wait.

-Let's see.

-Time for a pint. Come on.

So, a really positive start for you, there.

Well, two very different reactions to two very different

properties, so who knows, roll on the mystery house.

Well, before we do that, time to meet our second pair,

now I'll be helping an international couple who want

to try out our British countryside for the very first time.

-These are lovely.

-Having a nice time?

-Mmm, loving it.

-JONNIE:

-Canadian-born Kristi and her Italian husband, Francesco,

currently live in a two-bedroomed flat in London's Muswell Hill.

They had always fancied moving to the countryside but it was

the birth of their daughter, Cora, that gave them

the final impetus to leave city life behind.

We do have a 21-month-old daughter

and we just want to give her the best experience that she can have.

She can have lots of outdoor space, a bigger home for her to play in.

When I was a kid I grew up in the country.

For me, it is like my heritage and background.

I would like to have the same kind of opportunity for my daughter.

Having moved to the UK fairly recently,

they are not hugely familiar with the country which is

one of the reasons why they have called for our help.

They have, however, visited Kent

and part of its appeal are its handy transport links

for Francesco's job in business development.

We've chosen Kent because of its proximity to London

so Francesco will occasionally need to commute in.

I think it's probably one of the most beautiful counties here in UK.

It is important to find the right property

because we don't want to move in another couple of years.

So what do they have to spend on a home for keeps in Kent?

Our budget for the move is around £650,000.

Because Francesco and Kristi aren't fully acquainted with Kent,

they're open to looking at properties from anywhere within its borders.

Before we kick off our countywide search,

I'm meeting up with them to learn more about their move.

-Good morning, how are you?

-Morning, very good.

I've got a list of properties here...

-Great!

-..that you've looked at on the internet and in person.

My only thought here is that you've looked at a lot of the stock.

There isn't a great deal on the market and there hasn't been a whole

tranche of stuff come on the market since you've looked.

-You will need to remain fairly open-minded.

-Yeah, we are.

We are definitely open-minded.

Let's focus on the property itself.

Now what does it look like inside?

-Do you want lots of little rooms, or is it modern?

-BOTH: No.

THEY LAUGH

-No...

-We really like open-plan.

Yeah, open space.

We like character but with modern furniture inside.

We like beams and we really like big fireplaces.

-Yeah.

-And, erm...

It sounds like you want a property that's been refurbed

and changed by someone.

-Yes.

-What about doing those works yourself? How much work...

We thought about this.

-The issue is we're not very...

-We're not handy.

We're not handy at all.

But we know people who could possibly help us with this.

-OK, how many bedrooms?

-We think four is the minimum.

Only because there is the possibility that Francesco

can do some work from home, so really, it could be three bedrooms and that one for him.

OK, all right. How much outside space are you after?

Well, we would like to have a garden that is manageable

but also, you know, we plan to have a dog

We're thinking max an acre. Max.

-Max.

-That's not a garden, you need a tractor for that!

And cows!

All for how much?

The max budget we have at the moment is £650,000.

-Let's get going, shall we? Just this way.

-Let's go.

With a budget of £650,000 Francesco and Kristi are looking

for a period home with a contemporary open-plan interior

and they're looking for four bedrooms,

one of which will be used as an office for Francesco.

Outside they'd like a minimum of half an acre

and they're hoping to be within easy reach of transport links

for Francesco and a good school for Cora.

We've found a great selection of Kentish homes

to show Francesco and Kristi

but I'll keep them guessing about the price

until we've had a good look around.

We'll finish off with the mystery house where the layout

could leave them hot or cold.

Our search begins in the village of Hunton,

five miles south of Maidstone, Kent's county town.

Just down the road, set on a quiet country lane, is our first house.

-So, property number one is a barn conversion.

-Beautiful.

-It's beautiful.

-This is a good reaction.

-Yeah.

It's a very good reaction.

We were hoping for a barn conversion

and that window in the front is awesome

-Just to let you know what we're getting... This is shared access.

-OK.

The barn itself starts at the end of this return.

-That is what we're looking at.

-OK.

You've got all the land from that first hedge in.

-OK.

-Yes.

-Like it?

-Yes.

-It's got something.

-Let's go.

I'm very happy with their initial reactions.

The barn has been converted in the last ten years and its huge

floor-to-ceiling windows were originally the wagon doorways.

So this is the formal entrance, if you like.

I love it. I love it.

-It's beautiful.

-It's beautiful. It's very warm and inviting.

That window, I love the woodwork.

It is a good contrast between modernity and character.

Yeah, the floors are beautiful.

Whilst we've walked in this way, I think,

just like with a lot of country properties,

-you come in via the back door.

-Yeah.

-Let's go to the kitchen where that is.

-OK, perfect, thank you.

-So...

-I like the kitchen.

Yeah, it's a good size for us.

Yeah, no, this is great. I love the window by the sink.

The working area is pretty big.

There's lots of counter space for you.

I think, on an everyday basis,

because you park your car around the side of the house,

you unload the children and what have you and through this door here.

Also, which is really handy, you've got a utility

-and a downstairs loo as well.

-OK.

-So, so far so good.

-Yeah.

-Living room next, just through here.

-Yes.

-Mind your head there. So, living room.

-I like it.

-Yeah, it's a good size, I think, yeah.

-Yeah.

-You've had great reactions.

-Yeah.

You said you wanted open-plan, it's... I would say, semi-open.

Semi-open, yeah, but it's fine.

This would be a good definition of open for us.

The only thing that I see that is missing is a fireplace.

-It's probably lacking a central feature, isn't it?

-Yes.

-For focus.

-A little bit dark, maybe.

-Yeah, some more windows.

Some more windows,

but the good thing is it opens into the garden, so we could

have the baby, you know, playing outside without being worried.

-Yeah, I feel she's safe out there.

-She is safe there, yeah.

-Let's go up the stairs and take a look at the bedroom stock.

-OK.

Well, the living room hasn't completely wowed them,

so let's hope the rest of the place makes up for it.

So, up the stairs, mind your head on that, Francesco.

-This is the master bedroom.

-Oh, I like it too.

-It's a good size.

It is definitely a good size, this bed is bigger than ours, so...

Yeah, it's better, it's bigger.

Through that door there, that's the en suite, and it's got a lovely spa bath.

Sitting in the bath, you can look out over the land beyond

-which is pretty special.

-Nice!

Now, I do need to tell you that this house is three bedrooms.

The owner... When they bought it, it was two bedrooms.

They split that one bedroom at the far end into two.

There is a shower room

and a loo just the other side of that doorway that those would use.

I personally think, in the long run, you might look at encroaching

-onto that sort of galleried landing area...

-Mm.

-Yeah.

Take 50% of that up and make it a proper family bathroom,

-cos you've already got the plumbing there anyway.

-OK.

That's a job for the future to make it more of a family home.

-Probably makes more sense, yeah.

-OK.

All right, so it's three beds, something to think about.

You know, you're looking for your fourth, aren't you?

So we might have to think about where you might have a home office.

Let's go outside and have a look at the gardens

cos that was important to you.

I know you've got this idea of cows and sheep grazing.

-Some space. Ducks.

-Oh, you want ducks now as well? Oh, good.

They don't seem too fazed by the number of bedrooms.

Outside there's definitely no compromise on space, where there's

almost an acre of land for Cora and their future dog to play in.

So, outside space. We've got this garden here...

-Yeah.

-And the other side of that post and rail...

-OK.

-That's yours as well. So, enough outside space?

Definitely, this is a good size, manageable garden.

More than probably what we said this morning.

Yeah, good, I'm glad you said that.

You know you said you wanted maybe a fourth bedroom

for some home office working? We've got this double garage...

-Yes.

-Mm.

-Maybe you put it there.

So, knowing all of this,

how much do you think this property is on the market for?

-I'm going to take a guess at £625,000?

-OK.

I think probably slightly higher than that.

-I will go for 645.

-OK.

-Well, Kristi, you're good.

-Am I?

-£625,000.

-Wow!

Below budget at £625,000, this stylish barn conversion features

a dining room that flows through to a good sized reception room.

Upstairs there are just three bedrooms, but there is that

garage which could be converted into an office for Francesco.

The house is set in almost an acre of land,

and has open countryside views.

-So, happy with everything? Seen enough?

-Yes, thank you.

-Thanks, we've seen it all.

-OK, onto the next house then?

-Great.

For hundreds of years,

Dover's iconic white cliffs served as the front line of defence

against attack from Continental Europe

just 21 miles away across the Dover Strait.

At the turn of the last century, a gun battery was built on land

and cliff overlooking the eastern arm of Dover Harbour

to protect the port and the country,

with its powerful guns seeing action during both world wars.

Today, this historic military site is home to

the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre

which uses the excellent vantage point here to survey

the Dover Straight and coastline below.

The centre's operations manager is Kaimes Beasley

and I'm here to meet him.

There were four 9.2 inch guns situated on this site.

We're stood on one of the emplacements

where one of the guns was...

-Just here?

-Indeed, with a concrete apron in front of us.

-What was the range?

-Oh, gosh. Easily across the Channel.

The artillery and war ships may be gone,

but the Dover Straight still sees a lot of action.

It's one of the busiest international seaways in

the world used by more than 400 commercial vessels each day.

Every year over a billion tons of cargo passes through here

and part of the centre's job is to monitor it all.

Just looking out there now, it's dotted.

It looks like a giant-sized game of Battleship.

It must be terribly complicated to keep your eye on

what's going on there.

That's part of the function we're performing here.

We're making sure that vessels are observing what they're suppose to be doing.

The centre, opened here in 1979, is part of Her Majesty's Coastguard

and is one of 16 centres dotted around the UK shores.

Its staff provide a 24-hour service to mariners and coast users.

By employing a combination of radar surveillance systems,

satellite date and nautical charts,

the team work to prevent loss of life on the coast or at sea.

When you see this chart in front of you,

there's only a small bit of water.

-Are you controlling these ships, telling them where to go?

-No.

We are monitoring the vessel traffic to ensure that they comply with

the international regulations for preventing collisions at sea.

It's the rules of the road. It's the rules that the mariners will be

applying as they are navigating in their ships.

So, you've got a rogue ship somewhere here

and you've got all this traffic going to and fro.

Yes, that's correct.

We need to make sure all the other vessels that may possibly interact

with that vessel are aware to expect something out of the ordinary.

As well as monitoring the huge flow of traffic that passes through the Strait,

the centre responds to more than 1,500 distress calls a year.

Kaimes, thanks to you,

and everybody here at Her Majesty's Coastguard for letting us in.

I have seen a large pair of binoculars over there which

I wouldn't mind having a quick look through, would that be all right?

-By all means.

-Thanks again.

-Thank you.

It's certainly been inspiring to witness the vital work this

dedicated team does to protect the vessels and people around this

world famous coastline and incredibly busy stretch of water.

Our search continues an hour's drive east, to the pretty village

of St Nicholas-at-Wade, less than three miles from the Thanet Coast.

Our second offering is right in the heart of the village.

-Now then, I know you like barn conversions.

-Yes, we do.

-Yes.

And this is a beautiful one.

-The garden seems to be a little bit small.

-That...

is the only issue you're going to find with this house.

I've only shown you one property, so I don't know everything

about you, but I think you're going to love this house, I really do.

At the moment...a balancing act - the garden brings us down here.

Prepare to be catapulted like a trebuchet once you get inside.

-Great!

-OK, let's go.

The property, which was converted around five years ago,

was originally a threshing barn and dates back to the 16th century.

So...

-Open-plan. It's very much open-plan.

-Yeah, beautiful.

-Yeah, really beautiful.

-Yeah, I really like it.

This is probably what we wanted in terms of open space.

-It's like a loft, right?

-Yeah.

-Look at the kitchen, though.

-Let's take a closer look.

-Yes.

-It's a good size, isn't it?

-Yeah, it's a great size.

-Great size.

-Yeah, beautiful.

-I like the island in the middle as well.

-There's lots of storage there.

This is a chef's kitchen, isn't it?

All your other white goods are all hidden

-because you've got a utility there.

-Oh, OK.

-OK.

And just next door you've also got a downstairs loo and

-a lovely walk-in shower as well.

-Oh, wow.

So, this is where I want you to tell me

how you're going to start configuring this house, because

they've laid this out as a dining area, initially, there.

But the current owner said, "Well, they've got a living room there,

"another dining room next door, and in the next bay

"they've got like a home office."

And that's before we've even got to the living room!

-So...

-Yeah, probably we would change the layout. We don't need so many...

-I don't think I would dine there. No.

-No.

Well, let's keep looking at the house

and we'll discuss the more macro rationale later on, shall we?

-Living room, the far end.

-Perfect.

-Great.

This is the dedicated living room.

The double doors open - it still feels open-plan,

but you can shut them and have a bit more privacy in here.

I like it.

I think it's probably bigger than what

we thought at the beginning, right?

-Yeah.

-Even from outside it doesn't look like so big.

At the end we've got one set of stairs going up.

You've got a double bedroom, which could also be an office,

if you didn't have enough space down here, which is also en suite.

It's a great place for guests to stay.

-We'll go up the main stairs to the main bedrooms, OK?

-OK.

-OK.

Also on the ground floor, there is a separate room that could be

used as Francesco's office or perhaps a play room for Cora.

There's over 4,000 square feet of internal space, featuring

an impressive vaulted ceiling that makes use of many of the original

timbers and has reinforced glass balustrades to maximise the light.

Upstairs there is a large and stylish family bathroom

and five double bedrooms,

including the one accessed by the spiral staircase we saw earlier.

We are going to take a look at the impressive master suite.

-So...loads of space up here, as you can see.

-Yeah, it's very light.

-Enough space for a sofa!

-Wow.

-Check out this master suite.

-Wow!

-This is fantastic. Wow!

-Wow!

-Yeah!

-This is the size of our apartment right now.

Wow.

-It's enormous!

-Wow!

-It's beautiful. Yeah, it's fantastic.

-You've got an en suite, of course.

-That's beautiful.

More than what we expected.

-We need to understand how to manage all of this property.

-Mm-hm.

-If we can afford it.

-Yeah, if it's in the budget..

That is a question you have to ask yourselves.

-So, let's go back outside and do just that right now.

-OK.

OK, perfect.

I did feel pretty confident they'd love the inside of this place.

It's just the question of whether the outside offers them enough room.

There is plenty of parking space, though,

and a decent-sized garage that can be accessed from the kitchen.

-So, back from where we started, let's revisit this garden.

-OK.

You've got that little bit round the gable end, if you like.

-What do you think?

-You know what? It's growing on me.

It's not so bad after all.

I think we can compromise.

-After viewing that house, yeah, garden, not so much.

-Funny, isn't it?

So, how much do you think this property is on the market for?

I think it's well beyond the budget,

and I'm thinking it's...£735,000?

-OK.

-Yes, I think it's over budget at probably...

-maybe less than Kristi said. 710?

-Right.

Well...this house is on the market for offers of around £625,000.

-Oh, my God!

-Wow! Oh, really?

-Really?

-Yup.

-You're not joking?

-Nope.

-Wow!

-And it hasn't been grabbed yet?

-Not yet.

It had a sale and fell through at the last minute,

-but it's for sale, it's here to be bought.

-Oh, my gosh.

This attractive barn conversion is below budget at £625,000

and its open-plan ground floor

offers plenty of flexible living space.

Upstairs there are five bedrooms including a spacious master suite.

Outside there is an enclosed garden.

And just a two-minute walk away is a highly sought after primary school.

So, lot of it, isn't there?

It's a huge house, it's a beautiful house.

-Is it too big?

-No, it is not.

-No.

-I think it's just the right size.

-I knew that.

You don't know this area particularly well,

so I suggest on the way back we go around some of the villages

-just to get to know the area.

-Yes, definitely.

-Thank you.

So, fair to say they liked it.

Yes, I think you could say that, I mean, to be honest,

I had half a mind to take them straight

to the estate agents, so they could put an offer in, but of course,

we still had the mystery house to show them,

and as you're about to see later, I had something brewing for that.

Can't wait to see, but, meanwhile, Andrew

and Janine in Kent with £600,000 to spend,

now, their story was developing into one of two very distinct halves.

She loved number one, the white, weatherboard,

classic bit of Kent architecture.

He loved our barn conversion, but, it's all about agreement, isn't it?

So, true to form, our mystery house was a little bit different

and I would say, somewhat...

-Quirky?

-Yes, quirky.

-JULES:

-Our final stop on our house search takes us

11 miles south to Charing in the district of Ashford.

And not far from the village centre, our final offering.

That is our mystery house.

Now, you don't get all of it, I'm afraid.

You get that timber-framed chunk right there in front of us.

-So, what do we think of it?

-I like it.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

Not what I was expecting at all...

but so far I think it's really interesting.

You seem more engaged with this one than our property two, which he

-really likes.

-Yes.

For me, on the outside I prefer the look of this.

The real selling point with this one is Charing. 40 minutes!

-40 minutes into London.

-Fab.

-It's the closest commute we could find you.

-Yeah, great.

-I want to get inside and have a look.

-Come and have a look.

Our Grade II mystery property was once part of a larger

15th century hall house, and is thought to have been once a rectory.

But it's what's hidden behind that makes this a mystery.

There isn't a conventional garden as such,

but a large freshwater lake that used to serve a nearby water mill.

JANINE LAUGHS

-Oh, wow!

-Come in.

Oh, wow!

Knowing you have this thing about beams, we thought this would work.

-What a beautiful room.

-It's stunning, absolutely stunning.

-It's very different, isn't it?

-Oh, yeah.

It's the best room I've seen in the three houses you've shown me.

-Really?!

-Really.

-Why, though?

The almost square shape of this room, with the ceiling height,

with these fantastic beams and a fireplace, just...

and they've still got an oak floor.

Lots going on in here but it all works.

-Would you feel cosy in here, then?

-Absolutely.

-Good.

Well, let's go through to the next bit which hopefully will

please you as much.

-What do we think of the dining room?

-Gosh, what a lovely space.

-Really light. And the beams are OK.

-The beams are OK? And very high.

Yeah. But it's a beautiful room.

The light streaming in here. What a lovely room.

Now, we don't really have a kitchen/diner as such

so you'd have to think about how this would work

with the kitchen that's through there.

-But the kitchen isn't small. Have a look at it.

-OK.

Do you see what I mean? It's not tiny but...

A surprise actually,

-because I'd only thought of half the size of it.

-Yeah.

-It's actually quite a nice kitchen space.

-You're not so sure.

No. I think from the proportions of the other two rooms,

I expected this to be bigger.

It's a workable space but not quite what I had in mind.

Let's see what you think of upstairs

because there is plenty of space up there.

On the next floor, there's a generous landing currently

being used as a study.

There's also a luxurious family bathroom and three bedrooms.

Two are good-sized doubles and one's a single

and they all have beautiful leaded windows.

On the very top floor, taking up the entire roof space, is

an impressive bedroom suite.

Now this is what I think is your master bedroom.

We're right at the top floor. It's got a lovely shape to it, actually.

Very generous en suite through there and a dressing room beyond.

-Very nice.

-So you get your own floor.

-Excellent.

-Unusual. Didn't expect to have this space.

-It's a lovely space.

-Yeah.

-Quirky, I think is probably right.

-Yes.

-Yes.

-Would you agree?

-Yes.

-Definitely.

-But it may be you.

-Certainly challenging my thinking.

-Interesting.

-Absolutely.

The garden area is certainly going to challenge your thinking

because this is very different to almost any other property

I've ever shown on this programme. You'll see what I mean.

Come and have a look at this lot.

The outside space is mainly comprised of a cleverly

designed decked area that wraps around the end of the lake.

It includes some attractive planting,

a vegetable garden with raised beds,

a storage shed, a summerhouse and its own private mooring.

-But look at this.

-Wow!

-It's a garden like no other, really.

-What an interesting space.

-Er, yes.

You kind of get the terminus end of this moat and you get this,

well, decking complex, shall we say?

So, it's a very different kind of set-up.

Completely out of anything I'd have ever thought of

but actually totally charming.

I suspect your instincts wouldn't have brought you here, ordinarily.

-No. Certainly challenged us.

-Really challenged us.

Well, is the price going to be a challenge, I wonder?

Go on, then, Sir, take it away.

-610.

-610?

I think, because of location, where we are, slightly higher than that,

-so I'm going to go 615?

-615?

-It is £575,000...

-Really?

-..for our mystery house.

-Cheapest of the three.

-It is indeed.

-That's a real surprise.

-It is.

A real surprise.

It's the cheapest of the three, it's the quirkiest of the three.

And in terms of location, for you, I think it's the best of the three.

Absolutely. It's an hour.

Total calculation, if I get my timings right,

an hour door-to-door to work. You can't put a price on that.

Below budget at £575,000, this rare 15th century home has

a sitting room packed with wonderful period features,

an impressive high ceilinged dining room and four bedrooms,

including a top floor master suite.

Outside, there's a extraordinary lakeside garden

and it's all within

easy commuting distance of London.

How are we doing?

-Just admiring the view.

-Anybody been for a paddle yet?

-Got your feet wet?

-Yeah...no.

I think this is a really interesting contender.

I think it means we've given you three very viable options

but I suspect there is a debate as to which are the favoured.

-Indeed.

-As there would be with you two.

Right then, let's go think about it. Come on.

Well.

-Hello. How are you two?

-Yes.

I gather that the planets may have lined up in your universe

and there may be some form of agreement on one of our properties?

Is this true?

The mystery house, for both of us, really took our breath away.

It wasn't what we expected at all.

A few challenges in terms of how we'd use the space.

The garden area for Francesca, how's she going to play?

How would we rejig the decked area to make it work for us as a family?

But I think, actually, that for us for now is the house we will go for.

-Really? So we have agreement on the mystery house?

-Yeah.

As we walked around the mystery house...independently there was

a meeting of minds which said, "This house really does it for everybody."

And its location, I suppose, was the thing that really twisted your arms?

Charing and its commutability and the facilities in the community

it provides for you on your doorstep makes it very, very amenable.

Definitely. I think the whole reason for this move

is because of Andrew and Francesca

and the time they have is going back to actually, "Why are we moving?"

As much as some of the houses are pretty,

picture perfect houses, actually

we need to get down to the reason for the move with Francesca -

that driver has to be the commute, which is why the mystery house.

-So, what happens next?

-I think for us we don't know the area that well.

It's not an area we had looked at on our search,

so I think it's a case of going back round,

taking Francesca back, just so she can have

a little run around the house, to see practically what it's

like with a little baby in the house and then we'll go from there.

Brilliant, guys. Well, very best of luck. It has been a really fun week.

You're going to go back for a second look

but if it doesn't work, there's always the barn conversion.

Indeed. And plenty to think on, so, thanks, guys. It's been really good.

-It has challenged and made us think absolutely what we want.

-Brilliant.

Our pleasure.

You pulled it together with the mystery house, what a place.

I must say, I've always had aspirations of owning my own moat.

It was quite a water feature, it has to be said,

but I'm just delighted that we managed to find them

-a property that at long last, they could agree on.

-All sorted?

I'd like to think so. No pressure, mate.

Don't worry about that. Let's not forget,

our couple, Kristi and Francesco,

they had a really healthy budget of £650,000. But then, they wanted a lot for that money.

But never one to shirk a challenge,

here's what we had lined up.

The final stop on our search is 45 miles west to the village of Higham

which borders the Hoo Peninsula.

The Mystery House is just moments from the centre of the village.

Our couple did say they were partial to conversions,

so we've found them another, this time a converted oast house.

So, the Mystery House, do you like it?

Yeah, I really like it. I love the brick, I love the windows.

-It's very spacious outside, very green.

-The garden is wonderful.

Let's see what you think of it, shall we?

-Great.

-Thank you.

This home dates back to the early 1900s

and up until 12 years ago it was still a fully functioning oast house.

Let's start off with Francesco's room.

FRANCESCO LAUGHS Yeah, the kitchen.

-Very nice kitchen.

-I like it.

-Very big.

There's a utility room just through there,

so a lot of the white goods out of the way.

-But it's a decent-sized dining kitchen.

-Yes, it is.

If we compare this with the second property yesterday afternoon,

I was going "wows" everywhere.

I think the only issue with this kitchen is that it does seem

a little bit of isolation, right?

-From the rest of the house?

-Yes.

-Absolutely.

The reason we've chosen this is it looks a bit different,

but it isn't that open-plan that you said you wanted.

But whilst we also thought that you might be challenged at that end,

the rooms were of a decent size anyway.

-So, it's something to get your head around.

-Yeah.

-Let's go and have a look around the reception rooms.

-Perfect.

Not an overwhelming response to the inside of the property so far.

Let's see what they make of the rest.

As well as the kitchen, the ground floor includes a family room

that is being used as a home cinema.

There's also a cloakroom and making use of the rather wide hall,

the current owners have created a compact office space.

The end of the hall leads into two large reception rooms,

one is a dining room and the other is a living room.

It's a good size. It's got lots of light.

We are now in the oast house, those tall structures.

It's not the open space we were thinking of,

but there are some compromise.

Every house you look at, it might not be for you,

but it will help you make your mind up about a couple of things that you see.

-It is true.

-Let's go upstairs and have a look at some of the bedrooms.

OK.

It's clear that the lay out of the properties they saw yesterday

is much more to their style.

Upstairs there are two bathrooms, one with a shower

and one with a bath.

There are also five bedrooms, two of those are singles

and two good size doubles.

The fifth bedroom is a master suite.

Aw, it's very pretty.

I really love the flooring. Wow.

This is a beautiful room.

It's a huge room.

It's a big house.

You've got this big double room,

then you've got a dressing area going into an en suite bath.

-You've got a walk-in wardrobe behind this mirror as well.

-Wow.

-I think it's better upstairs than downstairs.

-Loads of space here.

This is your suite if you like, but you're moving here with Cora,

so let's have a look at her bedroom. I've decorated it for her.

Come up these steps, we're going to the top of those oast houses.

-You see the shape now, can't you?

-Yeah, I like this shape.

I love the ceiling height

and this is a really sweet little room for a girl.

It's a bigger house than we thought.

-Let's go outside and have a look at that land.

-OK.

This house might not have open-plan appeal, but it does have space.

Outside, there's almost an acre of land that includes a

double garage with extra parking

and a summer house that could be used as an office for Francesco.

Plus, there's even a playground for Cora.

You get a good parcel of land with this house, don't you?

Yeah, it's a great size.

And you're very own walnut tree, apparently.

-OK.

-Yeah.

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

I think it's pretty much right on budget. I'm going to say £649,995.

OK.

I think I'm going a little bit higher than that.

Probably 660.

Well, in a way you're both right.

You're probably nearest because the asking price is offers above £650,000.

So, you're both in the ball park.

On budget at £650,000,

this recently converted oast house has plenty of space.

There are three reception rooms, two bathrooms

and five bedrooms including a master suite.

It's set in almost an acre of land

that comes with a converted summer house

and the location has excellent transport links to London.

-So, all done?

-All done.

I can tell you that walnut tree will be bearing fruit well

this Christmas - there's loads of them there.

Whether or not you'll be picking them, we'll find out.

Let's go for a chat.

-No coffee for me, then?

-No coffee for you today.

Let's see if I deserved this coffee, then.

I'm asking almost knowingly, but what is your favourite house?

-It's number two.

-Definitely.

-Can you put it down to one thing?

-We saw it and immediately went, "wow".

-You did, didn't you?

-Yeah.

You just enter it and it's so grand and it's so spacious

and it's below budget.

Yeah, that's just the asking price.

For me it's the dream home.

-Dream home.

-The inside for sure.

Well, that's the thing, the garden.

You know what? Not so bad in the end. When you have that house, yeah.

Limited garden space is fine.

We can compromise with it.

It is our dream house and then we can make it work outside.

So, I think we can work with it.

So, if you can make it work, what's your next step?

Well, today we're going to see a little bit

more of the areas around the house.

-This afternoon?

-Yes, right away.

-Drive by the area, see a couple of the villages.

-Great idea.

We need to sell our house and then if everything goes well,

we move forward with an offer.

We're prepared to make that offer on it.

So, fingers crossed your house in London sells and then let us know...

..when you move in. I'm going to go with when.

-Yeah, we will.

-Good luck.

-Thank you so much.

-Thanks a lot.

That was a pretty remarkable mystery house,

but it was always going to struggle against the barn conversion.

I was worried, actually, when Kristi and Francesco gave me

their wish list, if you like, bearing in mind,

they were looking in Kent, I wasn't sure we would find everything.

But after being so impressed by the barn conversion, the size and the style,

I think they are more than happy to bend on the size of the garden.

But to me, one of the key things there is attitude.

Having the right attitude, knowing how to look at a property,

I think, is just as important if not more so,

than knowing what it is you're looking for.

We talk about it all the time, don't we?

It's compromise, whether, like your couple, Janine and Andrew,

compromised between themselves or maybe like Francesco

and Kristi, compromise on exactly what they're looking for.

Let's face it, when you're buying this new family home

in the countryside, house-hunting is never really plane sailing, is it?

It's a massive undertaking,

but the only way through it that I can see is that you have to take

each property on its own merits and you WILL find what you're looking for.

-Maybe we did.

-Fingers crossed. Well, that's it for today,

-but do join us again on Escape To The Country.

-Bye-bye.

Kristi and Francesca did put an offer in on house number two

which was accepted and they hope to move in the next month.

And Andrew and Janine are still trying to sell their current home.

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