Devon Escape to the Country

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

where we've lined up six properties to tempt two sets of house buyers

who want to move to the same county.

And as well as showcasing

some stunning property in beautiful countryside,

we've also got some bits of advice for those people

who might be planning their own escape.

And today's destination really is the cream of the Southwest.

Find out where in just a moment.

Today I'm helping a couple find a calmer way of life in the country.

But our search could leave them feeling hot under the collar.

Do you like saunas?

Cos you do have your own sauna here.

And I'll be finding a home

for a couple and their holiday house guests.

Fabulous. That's too nice for your guests, this one.

Well, this is the problem with this house!

Nicki, are you all set to go west?

-I always enjoy going west.

-Cos we're off to Devon,

not for the first time and surely not for the last.

No. When I think of Devon, I think of beaches,

childhood memories of holidays there,

it's got a very special place in my heart.

That's interesting, cos I always think of the interior -

those amazing landscapes of Dartmoor

-and those fantastic hikes through the granite rocks.

-Gorgeous.

Gorgeous! And here's a taste of what makes Devon so desirable.

The only county in the UK with two separate coastlines,

Devon is bordered by Cornwall in the west

and Somerset and Dorset in the east.

The north coast is home to some of the finest beaches in the country.

Its wild Atlantic Ocean is a surfer's paradise.

The south coast overlooking the English Channel is more serene.

The calmer waters make it an ideal spot for sailing.

The county is a holidaymaker's dream

and tourism generates over £2 billion a year,

but at its heart

it's still an agricultural community steeped in history.

The farming heritage also influences the landscape,

which is peppered with traditional longhouses.

They now create a stylish rural escape.

Alistair, Devon is undoubtedly one of the most popular counties

on Escape To The Country, isn't it?

They absolutely love it. Why do you think that is?

It's got the perfect mix of beautiful beaches and coastline,

and lovely landscape, but I think

it's something that you mentioned earlier on.

It's that resonance of childhood holidays.

We all hanker after those halcyon trips to the seaside.

You've taken me back. Such fond memories of having holidays there

but going there on holiday is one thing,

wanting to buy there, you're going to pay a premium, aren't you?

Oh, yeah, it's expensive.

The average price of a detached property is £291,000.

I mean, that's not cheap, is it?

£30,000 above the average.

But for me, I would look inland.

You can get much more for your money.

-Blackdown Hills - beautiful area.

-It is.

Worth it, worth investigating.

It's interesting that both our couples -

cos we're steering a pair of couples through this landscape -

are both interested in capitalising on

that big tourist attraction of Devon.

They certainly are. I'm feeling quite competitive.

-Ah, are we going to compete on this one?

-I think so.

-Yeah, team Chapman.

-OK, well, let's meet team Appleton.

Having lived in Orpington, southeast London for two decades,

it's not surprising to learn what's driving today's buyers,

Deborah and Clive, into the countryside.

The big roads. We live on a main road.

It's very noisy, so we'd really like to go and have a peaceful existence.

But that's not all that's prompting the move.

Deborah has plans for a new holiday let business.

I've always wanted to do a B&B for about the last five years, really,

and originally we thought we might go up to Scotland and do it,

but we've decided now that we won't do that.

It's a bit cold up there. So we've decided we would do it down in Devon.

Although their grown-up children have left the nest,

they'll still need somewhere for their pets.

We have two dogs, golden retrievers, Becs and Chablis.

We need to have some sort of outbuilding

so that I can breed Chablis.

With an offer already made on their current home,

Deborah and Clive have a good idea of what they've got to play with.

We're looking for a house, probably at around £800,000 to £850,000.

Clive and Deborah have asked us to concentrate our property search

in the east of the county around the market town of Honiton.

I've come to the hills just south of Honiton

to meet our buyers. Now, why Devon?

Is your mum round here?

My mother lives in Budleigh Salterton, so I'm really coming home,

cos this is where I was brought up, down in Devon.

In terms of the house, though, I'm quite interested in this

move of yours to sort of do B&B and do holiday lets.

Change of career for me.

And have you really thought through how it will be,

having strangers in your house every other week?

The sort of property we're looking for,

we don't want them literally on top of us.

We're rather hoping we'll be able to find something

that's got the area slightly separate, maybe.

We're looking for two, maybe three en-suite B&B rooms

and then some degree of outbuildings where we could develop that

into some form of self-catering let.

Are you sort of "roll up your sleeves

"and knock down some walls" sort of people?

-We have done in the past.

-We've done that

and we would do the same thing here if we had to, yes.

-You're willing to do a bit of work?

-Yes, absolutely.

-How does this area suit?

-Stunning. Absolutely stunning.

How about down there?

-Yes, that's stunning too.

-It is.

-That one there?

-How about that property?

-That looks gorgeous.

-Off we go, then. Follow me.

-Oh, wow! Is that one of them?

-Is that where we're going?

-Oh, right. OK.

Clive and Deborah have a budget of £850,000 to spend in East Devon.

They'd prefer an older property with five or six bedrooms,

three of those for their bed-and-breakfast business.

They'd also like some land attached, at least an acre,

with some outbuildings for self-catering accommodation,

either already converted or with

the potential to be transformed into holiday lets.

We've got three wonderful Devonian properties

to show Deborah and Clive,

and I'll be revealing the price of each at the end of the tour.

Our mystery house, the final offering,

should give our suburbanites something to put their stamp on.

Our first house is in the countryside just a few miles

south of Honiton itself.

A five-minute drive outside of the town,

and you're surrounded by rolling hills.

-Here we are.

-Wow!

-House number one.

-That looks nice.

-Wonderful.

-Very pretty.

We hadn't actually considered barn conversions.

That's something... So this will be a first for us.

This is obviously originally a very old agricultural building,

but it was completely revamped in 2003,

and what they did was they converted the main barn into their living

dwelling, and then they have this side building as a holiday let.

-Right.

-It looks very nice. It does look very nice indeed.

-Very nice.

-I'm looking forward to seeing it.

-Me too.

-Shall we have a peek inside?

-Please.

-Come with me.

Our barn conversion seems to have made a good first impression on our

buyers, and there's the bonus of the ready-made holiday let for Deborah.

-Come on in. Close the door behind you, Clive.

-Thank you.

We're going to head straight through to the kitchen.

-That's a kitchen!

-Come on in a bit.

-Lovely kitchen.

-It's huge.

-Spacious, bright and airy. Very nice.

Yes, if you did B&B, for instance, would your guests eat here?

Is there another dining room?

There is space back here. There's a snug here...

Yes, maybe you could turn that into a dining room.

-..which could also be the guest dining room.

-Yes.

-There are several options.

-Yes.

It's certainly a good-sized kitchen, without a doubt.

Something you wanted was a large,

-farmhouse-type kitchen.

-I do want a nice, big kitchen.

Let's look at more of your living space.

The house is arranged in a C-shape around a central courtyard,

and one wing is reserved for the self-contained holiday let.

The accommodation here includes a spacious kitchen-diner,

a gallery bedroom which sits in the eaves,

and a twin bedroom below that,

easily enough space for a family of four.

As we weave our way through the main house,

we pass a utility room and downstairs toilet.

-Come on in to this spectacular room.

-Wow!

This is certainly something, isn't it?

So, this is the centrepiece of the house, in many ways, I think.

You've got this lovely dining area here,

-and then it goes much further down here.

-Really nice.

Really gorgeous.

It's interesting because when they convert these buildings,

-getting skylights is quite a trick, from the planning office.

-Yes, yes.

So they managed to get these three.

-It just throws so much natural light into the building.

-Yeah.

What do you think of the...?

Obviously the fireplace is quite dominant. Is it to your taste?

-Oh, yeah, I like it.

-The fireplace is good, yes, it's nice.

-I like it.

Yes, you can certainly picture yourself sitting here

-around the fireplace.

-Yes, I can do.

-So, is it growing on you?

-I think it is, yes. It is.

Upstairs, there are four bedrooms.

Two of those are decent-sized singles,

although one is being used as a study,

and there's also a family bathroom.

But with Deborah's holiday guests in mind,

I want to show them how they might configure the two double bedrooms

to get the maximum income from the new business.

So, this is up in the rafters. This is the master suite.

-Right.

-So you have a walk-in wardrobe, a nice shower room.

-Quite sumptuous.

-Yes. Plenty of it.

Is this good in terms of your sleeping space?

Well, we have a very big bedroom at the moment, but we're not expecting

to find a bedroom as big as ours, but actually, this is OK.

-This is a good size.

-Definitely a good size.

But what I'd like to show you...

If we go down here, I can explain a bit more.

-And then there's this room, a double room.

-Right.

-And this has a little en-suite bathroom.

-Decent size.

-Works well.

-Yep.

But what we were thinking is, this has a separate staircase that

goes down to a quite big room at the bottom, so we were thinking

that one possibility is to have this as another separate holiday let.

-Ah, right, yes.

-It's possible, yes.

So, put in a little kitchen downstairs, sort of dining room.

-Have this as the single room upstairs.

-Yes.

So then you'll have a one-bedroom holiday let

-and a two-bedroom holiday let.

-And no B&Bs.

-And no B&Bs.

-Yes, that's...

-That's other option.

-Let's go out to the garden and talk about how much it all costs.

-Mm.

Most important part of it.

The property comes with two and a half acres of paddock,

as well as a private garden, which is mainly laid to lawn.

Is this sort of what you're looking for? How do you see the land lying?

I'd prefer to have a bit more than this, really.

-Yes, two acres is our bottom end of size.

-Yes, minimum.

What are you going to use this land for? Four acres is a lot of land.

I just want it there. I just want to be able to look at it.

Not necessarily use it for anything, I just want to know

that we've got some land that we can wander around with the dogs.

And not necessarily use it for anything, really.

-What do you think it's on the market for?

-About 795,000.

Yes, I would say just below £800,000.

This property is on the market for 750.

Oh, OK. That's a pleasant surprise, actually.

That actually is encouraging, because we know we can afford a bit

more than that, so that gives us a bit more to play with.

On the market for £750,000,

our first house comes in well under budget.

It's a barn conversion arranged around a courtyard.

It comes with an up-and-running holiday let,

and the option to create a second self-contained unit.

The accommodation in the main part of the house includes

a spacious living room and four bedrooms.

The outside space comprises a private garden

and two and a half acres of land.

-It's so beautiful, this garden. Hello, guys. Good timing.

-Hello.

So, we're going to finish up here

-and move on to house number two.

-Perfect.

-Follow me.

Devon and the other counties that make up the West Country form

the true historic home of Cheddar,

the UK's most popular variety of cheese.

Cheddar-making originated in the region in the 12th century.

Today, it's largely produced in bulk,

but there are still a few artisan cheesemakers

left in the West Country who are producing it by hand.

I'm meeting the only female cheesemaker of these

traditional Cheddars, Mary Quicke, whose family have been

farming here in Devon for over 400 years.

I can just hear the sound of munching. Munch, munch, munch.

And you do something fairly unusual with your cows.

What we have are, we have these crossbred cows, hybrid cows.

-Different breeds that are very hardy and fertile.

-OK.

And they really, really like grazing.

-So they're girls who like to graze?

-Girls who like to graze.

They produce a milk that has given us

a beautiful, buttery note to the cheese.

-They are milked how many times?

-Twice a day.

The milk is then sent over to the dairy.

The unique part of the traditional cheesemaking process

is known as cheddaring.

The slabs of curd are cut,

stacked and turned by hand to help drain the whey.

Mary's most famous Cheddar is her mature variety,

which is stored for up to 12 months before it's ready.

Naturally, I'm rather keen to try some.

So, shall we just go on the look first,

-then we'll do the taste later?

-Yeah.

So, these are getting older, are they?

Yes, this is mature, and then this is vintage.

The older the cheese, the greater the...

Not necessarily the strength of flavour, but the depth and intensity.

-And this final one?

-And this is our smoked cheese.

I have to eat some now, otherwise I'm going to go crazy.

-OK, let's start.

-This is the... What did you call it? Buttery?

-Buttery.

-I just think...

-AKA, mild.

Do you want to see what the cheesemakers do?

-Of course, yes, teach me all the tricks.

-We squidge.

-Really?!

So, particularly when cheese is young,

but it also warms it up, so it brings the flavour...

It's like it matures it a little.

So, if you're serving cheese, you should always let it breathe

and warm up to room temperature?

-Yeah.

-Like wine.

-Yeah, like wine, that's right. Then I smell.

-Now you can taste.

-Thanks.

-It's not like a normal cheese, it's really... Yes, creamy.

-Mm.

-It's going right to the back of my palate.

-Mm.

-It tastes sort of almost sweet.

-Slightly fruity.

-Slightly fruity.

Some of those really acidy ones I don't...

They don't really agree with me.

I'm looking for these flavours that really go right

through your palate, and you have this length, whereas if you've got

acidity, you just get this spike at the front, and then it's gone.

Let's try the oak-smoked one.

Mm!

It's a very different consistency. Oh!

That's quite zingy. That's quite... Feels quite...

Mary organises regular cheese- and wine-tasting events at her farm,

but Cheddar doesn't have to be paired just with wine.

The main thing is that tasting cheese should be enjoyable.

One of the most interesting pairings I had was with our mature Cheddar

-and a Darjeeling tea.

-Ah!

My grandmother used to have very strong Cheddar and fruitcake.

Ah, lovely!

-That was a great pairing, too.

-Yeah, absolutely.

I mean, you can have such fun with it.

Mary, do you know, you're an amazing ambassador for all things cheesy,

and I say that in the nicest way.

-Thank you so much.

-BOTH CHUCKLE

Now let's return to Deborah and Clive's house hunt.

For our second property, we are heading 12 miles north

to the village of Hemyock, which is part of the Blackdown Hills,

an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

And situated in the stunning Culm Valley is our second offering.

Here we go.

-That's pretty. Very pretty.

-That's wonderful, absolutely wonderful.

The whole setting is super. Absolutely super.

It belonged to the miller, who, when he got posh and rich,

moved away from the mill which was down...further away,

because it was too noisy, and built himself this Victorian, grand house

with the barn next to it, which was then extended.

-So the barn's a bit older.

-Mm-hm.

-And then you also have the granary cottage there...

-Yes.

..which is also yours.

-Obviously you are on the banks of the River Culm.

-Yep.

-Yes.

Beautiful bit of land.

All this land is yours, this whole riverside bank.

-I'm looking forward to going inside, I really am.

-Yeah, I am, too.

Well, let's have a look inside.

-Yes, please.

-Yes, looking forward to that.

-Yes.

The setting of our second house, with its river frontage,

has impressed our buyers,

and I'm pretty confident Clive and Deborah will like the inside.

It's hard not to.

Here we are.

-What a welcome! Isn't that lovely?

-Very cosy.

-Cosy.

-Beautifully appointed.

-Very nice.

-Yes, and view!

-Super view. Super, super view.

-Absolutely lovely view.

It's a lovely room, isn't it?

Absolutely lovely. Gorgeous. Gorgeous.

-It's cracking, yes. I don't really need to say much.

-No, you don't.

-This could be your room...

-Yes.

Or this could be a very nice

-sort of B&B lounge.

-Right, OK.

-Right.

But there are options with this vast property.

The downstairs accommodation also includes this dining room, a family

snug room with an open fireplace, a small study and a garden room.

And let's not forget the kitchen.

-Very pretty.

-Country kitchen.

-Yes, it's lovely.

-Is that an original beam?

-Yes, this was the oldest part of the house.

This would have been the sort of old dairy to the farmhouse.

If you're thinking about how

-you're going to entertain your B&B guests...

-Yes.

Sort of, where you would be...

Well, you'd feed them, I suppose, in the dining room, wouldn't you?

And we would have in here.

We would want to have a lounge area for us

that was separate, definitely.

-Which this would be.

-Which this certainly would be.

That sort of makes sense, but then you lose that lovely sitting room.

-Yes.

-Well, we'd have to choose.

-Let's look at the bedrooms first

and make our minds up after that,

-see if they're suitable.

-Let's do it.

The house comes with six bedrooms, five of them are on the first floor.

They're all a good size, and there are three bathrooms -

plenty of space and facilities for Deborah and Clive's guests.

We're bypassing the current master

so I can show them my favourite bedroom.

-What a lovely room!

-Lovely room, isn't it? Beautiful.

-What a lovely room. The ceiling...

-Fantastic, isn't it?

-Fabulous.

That's too nice for your guests, this one.

Well, this is the problem with this house.

There's lots of rooms where you think,

-"Too nice to give to a B&B guest."

-Yes, definitely.

-This one has got a balcony.

-Yes, with all the views.

Well, if that wasn't enough choice, there's some more.

Deborah and Clive would prefer to live separately from their B&B

guests, and I have something in mind which will offer them that privacy

up on the next floor.

-I didn't expect this! I really didn't expect this.

-No, nor did I.

-This is fab, is it?

-It's stunning, isn't it?

-This is a beautiful... ANOTHER beautiful room.

-So light!

So, there's a very good possibility that you could make

-this your master suite.

-I think I'd be tempted to do that.

Actually, that's a really good idea, I hadn't thought about that.

There are so many options in this building, this is one possibility,

that this floor is then your private floor,

-and the floor below are all B&Bs.

-Mm.

I think that's a good idea. A very good idea.

As well as the multitude of possibilities

for putting up guests in the main house,

the adjacent 18th-century granary cottage is already

a fully functional holiday let with two bedrooms.

Then there's the outside space -

the sprawling riverside grounds include a covered dining area,

a stables block and an impressive veggie patch.

In all, the land amounts to just over two acres.

So, look, you have this amazing

-little sort of bluebell wood.

-Yeah, lovely.

But very beautiful gardens. Is this what you're looking for?

-As near as, yes. It's...

-It's pretty close.

-Pretty close.

-How much do you think it costs?

-Oh, dear.

-I would say in the 800s.

I reckon about 835.

-Clive?

-Yes, as much as I like the property, I think

it's on the market for a little bit lower.

I think around 800,000.

Well, this property is on the market for...795.

-795.

-That's less than I thought. A lot less than I thought.

-795. Well, that's... OK.

-That's good. It's encouraging, isn't it?

On the market for £795,000, our second property

is under Clive and Deborah's budget.

The accommodation includes a spacious living room

and kitchen, and there are additional reception rooms.

It comes with six bedrooms, one of which is a large attic room.

The price includes a self-contained holiday let in the adjoining

granary cottage, and the property is set on the banks of a river

with over two acres of land.

Great. Well, if you just pull the door behind,

we are done for the day.

-Absolutely super.

-It was a good end, wasn't it?

-We've had a great day.

-Really enjoyed ourselves.

-Time for a rest.

-Yes.

-Absolutely.

Well, that was a very positive start.

Looks like you've got a winner already.

I know. It was a gorgeous property, although I think it really wasn't

100% what Clive and Debbie were looking for.

Well, let's see if we have any joy with our second couple,

who are hoping to make Devon their new home.

Keith and Barbara have spent their last 11 years in this

four-bedroom detached house on the edge of the town of Witney

in Oxfordshire. But they've had enough of urban life.

Witney was a small backwater when we first came to the area,

and it's grown through new estates and new shopping malls.

The children have flown the nest and Keith has recently retired

from his demanding post as a deputy headmaster.

They feel now is the time for their country escape,

and they've set their sights on the West Country

for the next chapter of their lives.

We're particularly interested in Devon.

Better South Devon than North Devon.

We like the coast, and with Devon, we're never

too far away from the coast.

The couple used to run a picture-framing business,

and Keith still loves woodworking,

so a workshop would be on his wish list.

As for Barbara, she's turning her attention to the outside.

I would like a large garden,

maybe so we could get a greenhouse in it, a shed,

maybe some chickens. I do love being outside.

-That's my escapism.

-So all that's left is to find out how much

Keith and Barbara are putting into their country escape.

The maximum budget would be £550,000.

Keith and Barbara are seeking a location within reach of the

South Devon coast, so we'll be searching the attractive villages

around the historic market town of Honiton.

I'm meeting them in Devon to find out more about their planned move.

-Keith and Barbara, lovely to meet you.

-And you.

-Hello.

Now tell me, after over 20 years living in Oxfordshire,

why've you decided you want to move to this part of the world?

What's so special about Devon for the two of you?

We've spent a lot of time over the last four or five years

looking at coasts, looking at countryside.

And all the times we've been down to Devon,

we've just fallen in love with it.

So you've recently retired. So what's first on the agenda, then?

Depends on the property that we find. That could be a project.

The project could be setting up my own business,

looking at manufacturing bespoke furniture. It's an open plan,

-really.

-Barbara, what about you?

-Obviously, with an annexe

that we could turn into a letting business, would be quite good.

And what type of property are you looking for? Ideally, it's

obviously going to have an annexe for you. You're going to want,

I'm presuming, lots of outbuildings.

Outbuildings... one workshop would be sufficient,

as long as it's big enough. I don't want something that's enormous.

The property itself, three bedrooms, possibly, maybe four.

We would like to avoid thatch.

We'd like to avoid listed buildings, if at all possible.

So they're my noes. What's it's definitely got to have?

-What's the dream property?

-Views from the back.

-A nice garden.

-How much garden am I going to find you?

-Acres, or just a big plot?

-No, no. A big plot would be nice.

Yes. So, before we start this tour in Devon, remind us of your budget.

If it's a house which is a bit of a project, which will need renovation,

about 500,000. However, if it's prim and proper, we could stretch to 550.

Right. Well, let's get going, because we have got three properties

-to show you.

-Sounds great.

-Shall we hit the road?

-Yes, please.

Thank you.

With a top budget of £550,000, Keith and Barbara are looking for

a peaceful country home with three to four bedrooms,

an annexe for some form of letting business,

a potential workshop for Keith's carpentry skills,

a good-sized plot to satisfy Barbara's gardening aspirations,

all with views of the Devon countryside.

We've got three very different properties lined up

for our buyers. At each one, I'll ask them to guess the price

before I reveal the true value.

The third offering will be a mystery house,

and while it may not fulfil all their wish list,

it could just turn out to be their dream home.

We're kicking off our tour in the lovely village of Chardstock,

where, set amongst stunning countryside down a quiet lane,

is house number one.

So, not only have I brought you to this fantastic view, but this...

-This is your first property.

-I'm liking it already.

-Yes, it looks nice.

-Yes?

-Looks nice, yes. Nice stone.

Actually, the barn itself dates back about 300 years.

The village goes back to the ninth century. It's not quite that old!

But it was only converted about 25 years ago.

-So not that long ago.

-Not that long ago at all.

So how would you feel waking up to that view every day?

-Oh, gorgeous.

-I'd put up with it(!)

-Yeah!

If I could organise sun 365 days of the year, it'd be perfect.

That'd be even better!

-Shall we head inside?

-I'd love to, yeah.

-Sounds a good idea, great.

I may not be able to control the weather, but those

all-important views have certainly created a good atmosphere,

and this impressive converted barn could have real potential.

So, come on through.

Going to start us off in the kitchen.

-It's a nice size.

-The heart of the home.

-Wow. Yes. Very nice.

-Yeah, very nice.

Plenty of room to move around in.

You could put chairs around there, maybe, to have breakfast.

That's a preparation area, which is good. Yeah.

Well, I've still got more to show you through here.

So, off the kitchen, we've got your first sort of sitting room.

-Right, OK.

-Very nice.

-Views out onto the garden.

-I'm loving the view.

-Absolutely stunning.

-Yeah, the views are good.

So, what's the feeling you're getting so far? I know we've only seen

a couple of rooms. How do you feel?

I like it. It seems a bit dark for me.

I don't know, but I still like the size of the rooms.

I like the aspect. The only thing the gives me a bit of

cause for concern is, the kitchen doesn't overlook the garden.

In previous houses, we've always overlooked the garden

-from the kitchen.

-The kitchen, as we've seen, is behind us

at the moment. You're right, it doesn't overlook the garden.

-But, there are options with this property.

-All right.

Let me lead the way through here.

So, Keith. If you want a kitchen

-that looks out over a spectacular garden...

-This is it.

So you could swap the dining room for next-door.

-They are similar sizes, aren't they?

-Definitely, yeah.

You said you like a bit of a project. Would you build your own kitchen?

I'd be more than happy to build my own kitchen.

It depends on what fits and where.

Keith and Barbara certainly seem to have some vision.

The rest of the ground floor also offers up lots of scope.

There is a good-sized bedroom with characterful stone walling,

and a large, self-contained annexe, currently used for letting.

It comprises a bathroom with enclosed shower, a double bedroom,

compact kitchenette, and a small conservatory.

Now, how big a part of the move is this letting side?

I don't think it's going to be a massive part.

It's a want.

And if it were possible to have one, we'd be delighted.

There's one last thing to mention. Do you like saunas?

Because you do have your own sauna here!

LAUGHTER

This house keeps giving and giving. We're going to head upstairs.

You'll be pleased to know, perhaps, it's not quite so large.

-BOTH:

-All right.

I'm sure Keith's ready to pour water on those hot coals,

but there's no time for relaxation as we head up to the master bedroom.

So, the downstairs of this property is pretty generous.

Not quite so large upstairs, but we've got another double bedroom,

double-sized bedroom on this floor, and a family bathroom,

plus you've probably noticed all that storage on the landing.

-Yeah.

-Yes. Right.

-Would this work for you, Barbara?

-Yeah, definitely.

On a scale of one to ten, how important is the garden to you?

Well, I love just being out in the garden. It's just escapism.

I don't know whether that's going to be the same in retirement,

but I'm sure it will be.

-Let's see if this is enough garden for you, young lady.

-Can't wait!

THEY LAUGH

I am quietly confident this plot is going to deliver,

with charming pockets of lawn, mature borders, breathtaking views,

and some potential for a workshop.

-This is my kind of garden.

-Yes?

-Yeah, I can feel my shears

-coming out already. Definitely.

-The perfectionist in you!

-And it's beautiful.

-It is. It's really lovely.

Now, this woodwork idea you've got. Enough space for you, do you think?

Well, it depends how big the workshop is, but, yes,

it can always be extended.

Let's talk money, then.

I think maybe near to the top of our budget. 520?

-OK.

-I would imagine it's a bit more than that.

I'd go to 545.

OK. The asking price is...

£550,000.

-Really?

-Right.

-So, right at the top of your budget.

-Right, OK.

We are in East Devon, relatively close to the sea.

We're only 20 minutes away.

So I think that is reflected in the price.

And you do get an awful lot of property with that,

plus a lot of land.

At £550,000, our first property

is right on Keith and Barbara's maximum budget.

It's an impressive detached barn conversion with four bedrooms

and three reception rooms. It also comes with a self-contained annexe

suitable for letting, a double garage,

and landscaped gardens of approximately one third of an acre.

Well, I could stay here all day, but here come Keith and Barbara.

-Have you seen enough?

-We have, thank you.

How've we done with our first property?

-Very nice. Very nice.

-Yes?

-Lots of potential.

-Good.

-Have you enjoyed it so far?

-We have, and I just love this garden.

You do, don't you? How can you not?

-I know!

-Right, got to hit the road.

Devon has a great holidaying tradition,

and part of that has to be the fun of the fair.

The hum of the generators, the thrill of the dodgems,

and even that first kiss.

Since 1986, the Fairground Heritage Centre at Lifton

has been looking to preserve these precious memories.

I've come to find out more about this great British tradition,

with the help of fairground historian Guy Belshaw.

-Hello, Guy.

-Nicki, welcome to the Fairground Heritage Centre.

Thank you very much. See, I was brought up near Margate in Kent,

with fairgrounds, fair rides.

This has taken me straight back to my childhood.

That's the idea. Nostalgia, it just, you know,

-takes you right back, doesn't it?

-It's beautiful!

How many rides do you have in total here?

Well, we've got seven working rides here and two more in restoration,

so lots more to do for the future.

The centre's oldest ride is the Rodeo Switchback.

This stunning machine was originally built in the 1880s

as a basic roundabout. It gradually evolved

with new carvings and carriages, entertaining the public until 1930,

and it still works today.

We're picking up a fair speed.

I mean, not compared to what we're used to today,

but they must have been stood in awe when it was going round.

I think so, with the sensation of the military band organ

in the middle, the lights, the motion, going up and down the hills

like a sort of roller coaster effect.

It would have been quite spectacular, I think.

-Yeah! This was entertainment, wasn't it?

-This was entertainment.

The fairgrounds became more popular in the late 19th century,

and were extremely advanced for their age.

Steam engines powered the rides when there were still very few cars

on the roads, and many people's first sighting of an electric light bulb

might have been upon one of these ground-breaking attractions.

They're now beautifully maintained.

I bet they don't all arrive like that.

No, sadly not, Nicky. We have to do a lot of work to get them

up to this standard, but we've got things being restored all the time.

We've got one restoration project on the go.

Perhaps you'd like to come and have a look at it.

Do you know what? I'd absolutely love to.

Many of the old paintings and signs are collectors' items,

and the rides are regarded as works of art.

Bringing them back to their former glory is a painstaking process.

Their latest project, the Galloping Horse Roundabout,

has been packed away since 1934.

I think of it as a merry-go-round. I can see the horse there.

-I mean, the colours are still pretty vibrant.

-They're quite muted

compared to how they would have been.

It would have been varnished as well.

-So would have been really bright.

-The detail is superb.

So I know the museum is run by volunteers.

How long will it take you to restore a ride like this

-back to its former glory?

-Got plenty of willing labour here,

but it's just the finance to get it done properly.

-What sort of figures are we talking?

-We're talking about £100,000.

We want to do it properly, but we're going to make a start now,

and in a few years' time, we hope to welcome visitors

with a Galloping Horse Roundabout.

Well, the merry-go-round is my favourite ride,

so I look forward to coming back in a few years' time

and seeing it running once again.

It's great to see these special items of British heritage

being maintained and preserved. I for one will definitely be back.

But for now, it's time to return to our property hunt.

For our second house, we're heading 20 miles west

to the village of Plymtree.

And I could be about to put the cat amongst the pigeons.

So, I've brought you to your second property.

Ah.

Ah. A-ha.

Big "ah"s.

-It's a thatched.

-It's a thatched.

-It is a thatched.

-Yes.

-But beautiful.

-It's also listed,

which I know were the two things that ideally, you didn't want to look at.

But sometimes in life, it's worth taking a risk,

because it is a traditional Devon longhouse.

There's so much going for this property,

we think it's worth a viewing.

-OK.

-All I ask is an open mind as we go through the gate.

-OK.

-Yeah?

I am taking a risk with the longhouse, but on paper,

it does offer a lot of what Keith and Barbara have asked for,

so let's hope the beautifully renovated interior

will help break the ice.

Let's start off with the kitchen.

Gosh. This is nice and big.

So, a good size. Next door, you've got a utility room.

-Downstairs cloakroom, boot room as well.

-Right.

It is beautifully done, but I've got a touch on it.

You're disappointed, aren't you? Not because of the kitchen.

No, because of the house.

-Because of the house.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-It is a thatched house.

-I think also, the listing, as well, to add to that.

-I do understand.

It is a marvellous property, so being honest,

-with that in mind, shall we continue the tour?

-I would like to.

And then you can see how it's been done, and also, it might give you

-some great ideas as well.

-OK.

-All right.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

What a shame Keith and Barbara just can't see past that thatched roof.

Perhaps some period features in the living room

can spark their imaginations. So, through here...

-..I think this is a wonderful sitting-room.

-Yes.

-Who likes inglenooks?

-Inglenooks are absolutely fantastic.

-Everybody!

-Yeah.

-Absolutely fantastic. What a fireplace.

-Good. OK.

Well, let's keep going, cos we're enjoying this part of the tour,

aren't we? I'm going to take us upstairs now.

The first floor offers up some impressive space

with a family bathroom, including a stylish enclosed roll-top bath,

four double bedrooms, two of which are flooded with southerly sunlight,

whilst the third is equipped with neat fitted wardrobes.

We're heading for the master suite.

So, being a longhouse, all the rooms fed into each other,

and they've been quite clever, the owners,

because they've made this like their wing.

You probably noticed there was a dressing room, a bathroom,

leads into this. So in a way, you've got one set of the family that side,

and they've kept this as their own domain.

-It's a nice size, actually, isn't it?

-I was going to say.

It surprises me just how big it is, yeah.

You know, you can see why, inside,

we got so excited about this property,

because it has so much going for it.

-Yeah.

-Anyway, well, let's head outside.

-Sounds good.

-OK.

Take a look at the garden, and there's one more thing

I'd like to show you.

The gardens feature a charming small orchard to the front of the cottage,

a secluded patio with mature shrubs,

and a generous lawn leading down to the property's trump card.

So...

The additional part of this house is over here.

-You've got this huge outbuilding.

-Wow.

-Wasn't expecting that!

-I know!

You thought it was going to be a workshop?

It could be a workshop, quite easily, or, the storage through there,

you could actually convert it into a holiday let.

-Yes, that's a shock.

-THEY LAUGH

So you've got this space, and then behind us,

you've got a mezzanine up there, like a hayloft, if you like.

But the current owners are using it as an art studio.

-Right.

-Oh, right. OK.

-Oh, wow.

-That's brilliant, isn't it?

-It is.

-Yeah.

-Fantastic building.

-OK, well, let's had back outside.

-OK.

-Take a look at the garden. After you.

-Thank you.

I think Keith was definitely

picturing his carpentry tools in there,

but there's no getting away from

their issues with this particular property.

So I want you to have a look from the back of the property,

cos the one thing I didn't mention in the beginning,

because you probably couldn't see it,

-is the actual house is attached.

-Yes.

So you do have next-door neighbours, as you can see.

So, having seen around, who wants to go first on the price?

-I'll go first?

-You go first.

-How much is it on the market for?

-535?

Well, that was very definite, wasn't it? 535, OK. Keith?

I think you would be pushing the top end of our budget.

I think...

550. 550.

OK. Well, you're both over the asking price.

-Right.

-It's on the market for 499,950.

-Wow. That's a surprise.

-Yeah, it is a surprise.

At £50,000 under Keith and Barbara's maximum budget,

our second property is an attached thatched longhouse,

offering stylish and spacious accommodation,

four good-sized bedrooms, including an impressive master suite,

a stunning kitchen/diner complete with range cooker,

that truly wonderful detached outbuilding,

which would have been perfect for Keith's carpentry skills,

all set in an attractive garden, including a small orchard.

So there you have it.

Two properties, very, very different indeed.

We tried so hard with this one, but you're not convinced, are you?

-No.

-Never mind. Very different reactions today, but that's it.

-So shall we hit the road?

-Sounds good.

-Well, Devon wasn't working its normal magic on your couple.

-No.

Two down, one more to go. I've got to be honest, it's proving

more of a challenge than I thought it was going to be.

Well sometimes, on the day, it's the houses.

Cos with our couple, Clive and Deborah,

we did skip across the border into Somerset

because we found the most amazing mystery house.

They have an £850,000 budget

and we desperately wanted them to spend it.

For our mystery house,

we are hopping over the border into Somerset

to the hamlet of Sellicks Green.

Although we've left Devon, I'm really hoping this property

will give Clive and Deborah something to think about.

This is the mystery house.

It looks like it's in good condition and it's been very well restored.

-Yes, and it's difficult to tell how old it is.

-It is, yes.

It almost looks new, but one assumes it's not.

-It's not new, it's from about the early 20th century, 1900s.

-Yes.

-It was a dairy farm.

-OK.

-So the mystery is that we're slightly over into Somerset...

-Yes.

And it's...

It's a sort of... kind of interesting proposition,

-because you could make it work as a B&B straightaway.

-Right.

But there's potential here for you to do something new.

Intriguing. OK.

-Shall we have a look inside?

-Yes, please.

-Yes, please.

-Very keen.

A former dairy farm,

our mystery house was completely renovated around ten years ago.

It gives Deborah B&B options, but it is smaller than our previous

properties, and there's no holiday let - at the moment, at least.

-Come through into the kitchen.

-Wow! What a lovely kitchen!

-Beautiful kitchen.

-Fantastic.

It's not at all what you expect, is it, from the outside?

No, not at all what you expect from the outside.

I mean, you'd just come straight in here,

there's nothing to do, is there? It's all beautifully done.

It's not listed and it has the potential for a lot of extensions,

because there's planning for an extension that covers this whole

area here, right across to the arch out there.

A two-storey extension.

You might not want to do that, but the point is that

the planning officers are clearly OK with putting something new on.

This house has fewer reception rooms than yesterday's second property,

but "potential" is the word I want our buyers to remember here.

The extension being just one possibility.

And this is the lovely sitting room.

-Yes, it's a nice room, isn't it? Nice, spacious room.

-Yeah.

It's a much simpler layout than yesterday,

which was obviously quite complicated,

with all the different rooms,

and this is a big sitting room,

and there is a little sort of dining room through those doors,

which could be yours, or something else, a study or something.

-OK.

-I like the windows. The windows are lovely.

-Lovely sash windows.

I mean, they are a real feature of the house, aren't they?

Although they're being very polite,

I sense our mystery proposition isn't hitting the mark yet.

I'm hoping the bedrooms upstairs will win them over.

They're arranged over two floors.

The first floor has four good-sized bedrooms. One of those is en suite.

But there's also a family bathroom.

The whole of this floor could be given over to bed-and-breakfast

accommodation, leaving the top floor bedroom for Clive and Deborah.

So, this is a great room.

-Lovely room.

-It is.

-Really bright.

-Yes, it's marvellous. Absolutely lovely.

-Airy.

It's a stunner, isn't it? Because you have your bed...

either end, I suppose. Bed here, and then bathroom.

You've got a walk-in wardrobe that side,

and this is a sort of little sitting, relaxing area.

Yes, beautifully done. Balcony. Gin and tonics in the evening.

Let's step out on the balcony and you can see the land.

-Come out here.

-Splendid views. Absolutely stunning.

-That's wonderful, isn't it? Absolutely.

-Absolutely gorgeous.

You can see for miles, can't you?

Well, what's really nice is that

-actually most of this is yours.

-OK. Wow.

-We're sitting on about five acres of land.

-Five acres?

-Five acres?

Let's go outside, and I can point out what you might be able to do

-in terms of B&B, and we can talk about the price.

-OK.

Our former dairy farm gives our buyers

more land than yesterday's offerings,

and the option of milking

the holiday let business for all it's worth,

possibly even building on the field, subject to planning permission.

-Now, clearly your house is in the corner of the plot.

-Yep.

But it is a big five-acre plot. But also, this rather charming outhouse

-of corrugated iron...sort of almost like beach house chic.

-Yes.

-Which you could turn into a holiday let.

-Yeah, absolutely.

So, how much do you think it's on the market for?

-I think you want me to guess first this time, don't you?

-I do.

And I'm actually going to go on the lower side

and I'm going to go to 725. 725,000.

-OK.

-I think a bit more than that because of the amount of land

and the fact that they've planning permission, so I think 775.

Ah, in this instance you're very close. It's on the market at 770.

-So...

-Oh, there we are, then. Yes. I would think that, because of

the amount of land that it's got, and the planning permission. It's always

-more when you've got planning permission involved.

-Yes.

At offers around £770,000,

our mystery house is £80,000 under Clive and Deborah's maximum

budget, leaving them room to expand the property.

It's a former dairy farm

which has been redesigned by its current owners.

The accommodation includes a spacious,

contemporary kitchen and sitting room.

There are five good-sized bedrooms, including a large master attic room,

and there's planning permission in place to build

a two-storey extension,

and there are outbuildings to convert

on the five acres of land

that comes with this property.

Now that Deborah and Clive have seen all of our houses,

I'm going to find out if any of them have taken their fancy.

Well, we've got the end of a lovely week in East Devon.

It's been... I really have enjoyed it.

Yes, it's been a really fun few days. It's been magnificent.

I suppose the burning question is, has it furthered your house search?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, it has. Yes, it has.

We have seen one house in particular

-out of the three that we really do like.

-Yes.

Well, I can guess it's house number two.

Yes, and we like it enough to, you know, go further

and perhaps phone them up and go and have another viewing.

Hopefully, if we like it the second time that we go back, hopefully,

we will like it enough perhaps even to put an offer in, and who knows?

Well, that's good. Cos I knew that you liked it,

but I had this sneaking feeling that somehow there wasn't...

it didn't quite click for you.

Well, I don't think we're ever going to find a property that is

literally 100% of absolutely everything we want.

But I think that's pretty close, that one, isn't it?

It's pretty much as close as we're going to get, I guess.

And is there something that you've been

sort of daydreaming about, thinking,

"Ooh, it would be really nice to wake up in that room,

"or to sit in this room, or to look down at..."?

Well, we've been talking about which room we would have as our bedroom.

There's the one at the very top of the property, which was, well,

-it was fantastic, wasn't it?

-Mm.

-With the views either side.

It was a lovely, huge, big, light, airy room.

And then the other one on the other side, with the balcony

-overlooking the view.

-So many choices.

It's been lovely showing you round,

and it's nice that you have this vision ahead of you,

and I really do hope that you take it forward with house number two.

-Thank you for a wonderful few days.

-Enjoyed it.

It's been magnificent. Been very nice.

-We've thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

-It's been a pleasure.

So, your cheating didn't quite work out?

-Cheating?!

-Yes, cheating.

Going across the border into Somerset to get a sale.

That's tactics.

-Oh...

-But my tactics didn't work out either

because they didn't fall in love with the mystery house

partly, I think, because they and I

were so in love with house number two.

Well, Barbara and Keith haven't fallen in love with

either of my properties so far,

which means there's a lot riding on the mystery house.

We're heading just under 30 miles southwest of Plymtree

to the rural hamlet of Higher Ashton.

And the mystery with this house is that

there are no existing holiday lets

and it's not made from your usual bricks and mortar.

Keith and Barbara,

it's time for your mystery house.

What do you think?

Well, it's amazing, isn't it? Just the views and the...

The house and the view - amazing.

Absolutely amazing.

You have your own pine-built house

surrounded by these beautiful woodlands.

And what's this behind us?

So you've got a workshop/office.

At the moment, the way they've divided it up

-is two offices. You have a garage as you come down the road.

-Right.

You've got a greenhouse, Barbara.

-Brilliant.

-And in total...

just under three acres.

-Wow.

-Rather than start the tour inside,

would you like to walk to walk slightly down the hill and look up

-and see it from a different aspect?

-Yeah.

-Sounds great.

-OK.

-Thank you.

Well, the timber construction of our mystery house was a bit of a gamble

but it hasn't rung any alarm bells with Keith and Barbara.

I think they're just blown away by the grounds.

So I wanted to bring you down here,

cos you really get to appreciate this property.

It's much bigger than I thought.

-From the roof, you can't tell that at all, can you?

-No, you can't.

And the way it's been designed, as you'd probably have guessed,

-the vantage point is out that way, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-With these views.

-With that scenery behind you.

-Exactly. Yeah.

Shall we have a look inside the property?

-Yeah, I can't wait.

-Come on.

'I actually think they love the individual look of our mystery house,

'it was built in 1992 based on a Scandinavian wood lodge design.

'We're making our way round to the back of the house,

'towards a fabulous kitchen.'

So you've got a utility/boot room,

which leads us into...

-our kitchen.

-Oh, my goodness!

-Wow!

-It's not your average, is it?

-No, no.

It's an incredible kitchen.

Originally we were looking for something

where we could perhaps put a new kitchen in.

This doesn't need touching.

-This is absolutely beautiful.

-It is lovely.

-Beautiful.

-Would you have considered looking at a house like this?

-No.

-No, never.

So sometimes, when we push the boundaries, it works.

-Oh, it does. It does.

-OK. Well, we haven't seen all of it yet.

-So, if you want to follow me?

-Will do.

So you've got your lovely little sunroom here.

It could be a dining room, if you wanted to.

-It does lead us to your sitting room.

-Oh, right.

Gosh.

-That's very nice.

-You have to really appreciate pine to live here...

-Yes, yes.

-..because it is your best friend.

It's wrapped around you.

But, for me, it feels like...

If I lived here,

-I'd feel like I was on holiday the whole time.

-Yeah.

-Well, we'd want to be. We're going to be.

-You can, can't you?

Your new lives.

-We can.

-That's brilliant.

The stunning sitting room is also the connection point

for the rest of this split-level property,

which features a family bathroom,

separate shower room and two good-sized bedrooms,

both of which are flooded with light

and have plenty of space for wardrobes and cabinets.

The main bathroom comes with an enclosed shower

and plenty of built-in storage.

We're heading for the master bedroom.

-So we have plenty of wardrobes there.

-Brilliant.

-Access outside.

-Outside.

-And again...

-Oh, fantastic.

-Views.

-..views.

-Yes.

Again it's very warm, the flow works.

-I like all the high ceilings as well.

-Yeah.

-Right.

-Let's head outside.

-OK.

I'm convinced this property

has brought out something Keith and Barbara

didn't even know they were looking for -

the feeling of a place that just makes it seem like home.

Now, we talked about potential sea views.

We don't have sea views

-but you do have your own heated swimming pool.

-Wow.

I love that.

I wasn't sure if you'd spied it as we walked in.

I realised that you hadn't -

you were so absorbed with the house and the view.

That was the final piece of the jigsaw.

-I love this.

-Absolutely. Absolutely fantastic.

-Let's cut to the chase.

-OK.

What value are you going to put on this property?

I think this would be on the market for around about 560 to 570,000.

-OK. Barbara?

-I'm going to go right on the budget at 550.

Any fingers crossed as you said that?

A bit.

-Your top budget was 550...

-550.

-Yeah.

-..for a property that, ideally,

didn't need anything doing to it cos that was stretching you.

The asking price for this wonderful mystery house...

-..£550,000.

-Yeah.

-Right on your budget.

-Wow.

-Gosh.

-Wow.

Um, I was expecting it to come in much higher than that.

At £550,000,

I think Keith and Barbara are relieved to see the mystery property

come in on budget.

It's an impressive, detached, timber house

with three double bedrooms,

a magnificent sitting room with wood burner,

a detached office building

which could be converted into a workshop for Keith,

a swimming pool

and all set in beautiful grounds

of just under three acres.

So, come then, you two, tell me,

is the mystery house worth moving to Devon for?

Oh, definitely.

-Yes?

-We love it, don't we?

-Without a doubt.

-Well, I am going to have to drag you away.

-OK.

It seems such a shame but at least we've all got smiling faces.

-We have today!

-Absolutely.

Well, Barbara and Keith, I think, if you don't mind,

-we're just going to brush over yesterday's houses...

-OK.

..and talk about the mystery because THAT'S the property

that I got a real reaction about.

When we first walked down the driveway, I thought,

"How nice, a log cabin."

And as things started opening up and we saw what it was offering,

wow, we really were bowled over by it.

And just the views, the garden,

there's just so much to do there,

which is exactly what we want. It's not too far away from Exmouth,

we love down there as well.

So it's just the right property for us, I think.

Did that house speak to you?

I think rather than speaking it shouted.

-It really did.

-Did it?

-Yes, it did.

You mentioned that you wouldn't have looked at

a house like that yourselves.

-No, not at all.

-No, not really. Not really.

I don't think we'd ever have imagined that we'd be happy

somewhere like that, but it was just that immediate five-minute feel.

So, the way you're talking,

it sounds to me like you've already moved in.

Yes, it does. It does.

We've got to go away and put some numbers together,

to see if it adds up.

Um, and we are seriously thinking of having a second viewing

-with a view to making an offer.

-Yeah, definitely.

If I was a betting person,

would I be putting my money on this, that you're going to buy the home?

-Yes.

-Yeah.

-Yay!

Well, thank YOU. It's such an exciting time for you both

and we're delighted that we've found you the perfect home.

-I'm sure that the numbers are going to add up.

-Right.

-I hope so.

-Get that offer in as soon as you can.

Thank you very much to you and the team.

-It's been a wonderful experience.

-Thank you.

It's been delightful. So pleased we've been able to help.

-Thank you.

-All the best.

-Thanks very much.

What an amazing mystery house!

It was such a find. And I've got to be honest,

I was really relieved. The day before had gone so badly,

I was worried to show them anything.

So between us we've quite a lot of experience

of selling B&Bs to people.

What would our top tips be?

I think the two main headlines -

it's an awful lot of hard work,

so bear that in mind,

and do your research.

Look at the competitors around you, look at the area.

try and get an accurate view of what your market is going to be.

On a more mundane level, there's lots of paperwork involved.

For example, there's insurance. It's not just building and content,

there's also personal liability, employee liability,

accident, personal accident insurance

and also things like cancellation insurance.

Oh, my goodness! That takes the gloss off it, doesn't it?

-Nuts and bolts, Nicki!

-Do you know what?

If I was going to buy a B&B, Alistair,

I would find an existing one

that has a good client base, regular people coming,

perhaps even commitment for the next three months of bookings.

Although we have found that those

sort of successful, up-and-running B&Bs,

attractive and popular, are exactly that - up-and-running -

and they're making their owners money,

-so they're difficult to find.

-They are.

-But still worth hunting out, if that's what you want to do.

-Indeed.

-Do your research.

-Yes, do your research.

And what a wonderful taste of Devon we've had.

-Join us again on Escape To The Country.

-See you.

Deborah and Clive are still looking for their perfect home.

And Keith and Barbara finally found a property in Sidmouth

and have already settled in.

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