0:00:02 > 0:00:03Welcome to Escape To The Country.
0:00:03 > 0:00:06Now, today I'm in a Welsh country that gave birth to an English King,
0:00:06 > 0:00:07so where are we?
0:00:07 > 0:00:10Well, join me in just a few moments and I'll tell you.
0:00:29 > 0:00:33Our house-hunters today are a couple who know what they want...
0:00:33 > 0:00:35I just need to work out what it is.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38Right, let's have it, what's going through your mind, then, Sandy?
0:00:38 > 0:00:41Doesn't know what it wants to be.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44But I know exactly what to do when the going gets tough.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46So you're putting me in the dungeons now?
0:00:46 > 0:00:48Well, it was an old police station.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50You've been locked away in the cellar.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52Yes, you've been nicked. Down you go.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57Well, today we are in Monmouthshire and these are the rather splendid
0:00:57 > 0:01:01remains of Monmouth Castle. It was here in the late 14th century that
0:01:01 > 0:01:05King Henry V was born. Crowned as the second Lancastrian
0:01:05 > 0:01:10king in 1413, he then embarked on an ambitious military campaign against
0:01:10 > 0:01:13the French, culminating, of course, in his famous victory against them
0:01:13 > 0:01:19at Agincourt in 1415. Now, since his premature death, aged just 35, his
0:01:19 > 0:01:24life has been immortalised in print, not least by Shakespeare, and on the
0:01:24 > 0:01:28silver screen. But for me, it's the legacy of this Welsh-born warrior
0:01:28 > 0:01:31that's really one of the county's crowning glories.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37Located in the south east of Wales, Monmouthshire is on the border with
0:01:37 > 0:01:40England and Wales, with the English counties of Herefordshire and
0:01:40 > 0:01:44Gloucestershire to the east and the Welsh county of Powys to the west.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46To the east, is the Wye Valley,
0:01:46 > 0:01:49which was once a hub of industry with iron mines,
0:01:49 > 0:01:53furnaces and intense timber production linked by the river to
0:01:53 > 0:01:56the docks of Bristol and the world beyond.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59All that remains today are villages like Llandogo,
0:01:59 > 0:02:02clinging to the valley sides made up of small former
0:02:02 > 0:02:06workers' cottages built from the local lime and sandstone.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09To the north-west is the Brecon Beacons National Park, which was
0:02:09 > 0:02:13traditionally a more agricultural and panoramic landscape and where
0:02:13 > 0:02:16larger stone farmhouses can be found.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20There is no doubt that the Monmouthshire landscape provides a
0:02:20 > 0:02:23beautiful backdrop for those looking to exchange the hustle and bustle of
0:02:23 > 0:02:26city life for a slice of country living.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33Which, of course, is just why today's buyers want to move here.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38Today's house-hunters are ex-military personnel Sandy and
0:02:38 > 0:02:42Peter and their daughter Gwyneira, who currently live in Bristol.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45We first met at Farnborough, we were both serving at
0:02:45 > 0:02:48- what was then RAF Farnborough. - Farnborough.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50And we were staying in the officer's mess...
0:02:50 > 0:02:53And we met at a dinner.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57They were married in 2003 and two years ago had their daughter.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59Whilst Sandy works full-time as a GP,
0:02:59 > 0:03:02it's Peter who looks after their youngster.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06I'm a freelance lawyer, but also a house husband. And
0:03:06 > 0:03:09it's the house husband that's the most challenging, I've got to admit.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13And it's their daughter who's prompted the big move.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16We'd always intended to move.
0:03:16 > 0:03:17This was never...
0:03:17 > 0:03:21Bristol was never going to be our final place to stay.
0:03:21 > 0:03:26Gwyneira coming along two years ago made that a little more hasty.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29Their current home on the outskirts of Bristol just isn't what
0:03:29 > 0:03:31they want for Gwyn's upbringing.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35Whilst it's a four-bedroomed, home, we live in the middle
0:03:35 > 0:03:39of an estate here and, you know, you barely let her out into the
0:03:39 > 0:03:41back garden, let alone let her roam
0:03:41 > 0:03:43and climb trees and that sort of thing.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46Monmouth and Wye valley, it's a beautiful part of the country.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49Having had a childhood in Wales, Sandy wants Gwyn to enjoy
0:03:49 > 0:03:51some of that too.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53It was that sense of community spirit.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57And that's probably the reason I want to move back, is to have
0:03:57 > 0:04:00my daughter growing up where people do care what's happening next door.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03I'd like to have a garden that's big enough to do flowers,
0:04:03 > 0:04:05but also to grow vegetables again,
0:04:05 > 0:04:07but I'd need space for that for a vegetable patch.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11And Sandy's other hobby of craft will have a definite
0:04:11 > 0:04:13impact on their property choice.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16The room at the moment that we've got set aside for crafts is
0:04:16 > 0:04:19just simply the bedroom, and it's just...there's not enough space.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22When it comes to choosing their future home,
0:04:22 > 0:04:25it seems there's unlikely to be much disagreement.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27I think you're the one that ultimately
0:04:27 > 0:04:29drives all of the decisions.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31Yeah, Daddy's the boss until Mummy comes home.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33SHE LAUGHS
0:04:35 > 0:04:38We're concentrating our search for their new family
0:04:38 > 0:04:41home on the glorious landscape of the Brecon Beacons in the west
0:04:41 > 0:04:44and the Wye Valley in the east.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46But what other needs are there?
0:04:46 > 0:04:49I'm meeting Sandy and Peter to find out.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52Well, Sandy, Peter, welcome to Escape To The Country.
0:04:52 > 0:04:53- Thank you for having us. - Thank you.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56You finally decided to leave Bristol behind
0:04:56 > 0:04:58and head back to the hills, Sandy.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02Back to my... not quite roots but almost there.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05- So you're going to keep working for a little while longer...- Yes.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08..in Bristol, doing the commute. You're the stay-at-home dad.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11Yes, it's complete opposite to what you'd normally have, really.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14Give us the spec, as the house husband.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16I guess it's not too dissimilar from what we have,
0:05:16 > 0:05:18but I think you want a bigger kitchen.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21- Definitely.- We want, sort of, more space outside.
0:05:21 > 0:05:26- And we'd like four bedrooms, but one of those used as the craft room... - Craft room.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29So we'd like something that we could perhaps adapt or have
0:05:29 > 0:05:34some options to play with to turn that into a proper craft room.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36Let's just think about your budget.
0:05:36 > 0:05:41£500,000, half a million. A nice, healthy, round figure.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44I'm pretty optimistic about what that's going to achieve here.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48I mean, we've been looking for, well, a year and a half, nearly two years.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52- Well, that's in earnest, since Gwyn's been born.- Yeah.
0:05:52 > 0:05:53Before that, perhaps longer.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57And we're looking up in the hundreds that we've looked at.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59Wow. And we've just got three...
0:05:59 > 0:06:01I know.
0:06:01 > 0:06:02..with which to tempt you with.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04I'm pretty sure we can help you.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07We've got three to show you, including our mystery house.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09- Looking forward to that one.- Yes. - Good.- Very excited.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11Let's go, drink up.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14Good, half a million to spend.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16THEY LAUGH
0:06:17 > 0:06:21So for £500,000, our buyers are after a large kitchen space
0:06:21 > 0:06:25where the family can be together, a minimum of four
0:06:25 > 0:06:28bedrooms, a craft room for Sandy and a study for Peter.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31The house should be set in land big enough for a vegetable patch
0:06:31 > 0:06:36and views of the Monmouthshire countryside would be a bonus.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40Sandy and Peter may well have viewed several hundred properties
0:06:40 > 0:06:42but only online, so I can't wait to step them
0:06:42 > 0:06:45over the threshold of our three fantastic houses.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48I'll hold back on revealing the price until they've estimated
0:06:48 > 0:06:52it themselves. And our last property offering will be our mystery house,
0:06:52 > 0:06:56which this week could push our couple a step too far.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03For our first property, we're going close to the town of Abergavenny
0:07:03 > 0:07:07on the edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10It's a busy town which draws locals and tourists from around the region
0:07:10 > 0:07:13with several markets held every week.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16Eight miles out of town in a small hamlet of houses on the road
0:07:16 > 0:07:20to Monmouth is our first property up for inspection.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23Right, duck under this tree...
0:07:23 > 0:07:26and there, hidden behind it, is property number one!
0:07:26 > 0:07:28- Very pretty.- But the question I'm dying to know is,
0:07:28 > 0:07:31would you have come to look at this if you had seen it online?
0:07:31 > 0:07:34I'm not sure whether or not this initial shot would have
0:07:34 > 0:07:37- made me think, "Got to go in there and see it..."- That's it.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40Go in there. It's not that sort of you know, "Yes, that's it."
0:07:40 > 0:07:42Come and have a look.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45Having not physically viewed any properties, it will be
0:07:45 > 0:07:48interesting to see how Sandy and Peter fare with our first offering
0:07:48 > 0:07:50of a period house.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54Built in 1740, it has an extension which wraps around the back.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56And spread over three floors,
0:07:56 > 0:08:00it gives four bedrooms and some great downstairs living space.
0:08:00 > 0:08:01- What do you think?- Cosy.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05I think this is the room you would be spending most of your time in.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08I'm not sure you're running with it.
0:08:08 > 0:08:13- No, I'll reserve judgment till I've seen the whole property.- Peter?
0:08:13 > 0:08:17I'm struggling to see Gwyn playing in here for a large percentage of her
0:08:17 > 0:08:20time if this is one of the key rooms.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22Well, let's have a look at the kitchen
0:08:22 > 0:08:23and see what you think of this.
0:08:25 > 0:08:26There we go.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29- Initial thoughts were it's smaller than...- Smaller than...
0:08:29 > 0:08:31- ..what you were...- Yeah, this is smaller than I've got now.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34- ..initially thinking. - And I was hoping, slightly bigger.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36I love the style of this area.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40- Yes.- It's just, I think, how do you combine those two to make it
0:08:40 > 0:08:43- into something you'd...would want? - That was workable.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46- That would work. - Let's continue this way.- OK.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50Back through the large dining room is a connecting room,
0:08:50 > 0:08:52which could be a study or playroom.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55And this leads into the main living room.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57- Wow.- Yes?
0:08:57 > 0:09:01Yes, yeah, I absolutely love the fireplace. That's a gorgeous feature.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03Is it growing on you?
0:09:03 > 0:09:07I'm not sure. It hasn't bitten me yet and said, "Yeah, wow."
0:09:07 > 0:09:12It's got great character, but it hasn't yet said to me, "Yes."
0:09:12 > 0:09:14You haven't quite got the cheque book out yet.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16But there are possibilities with this.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18And upstairs, we have got you four bedrooms,
0:09:18 > 0:09:19and they're good-sized bedrooms.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21- I know that was important to you. - Yes, it was.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25Well, they're arranged over two more floors, so there's plenty to see.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31The final rooms on the ground floor are a conservatory, a utility
0:09:31 > 0:09:33room and a shower room.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36Up on the first floor, there's a bedroom which could make
0:09:36 > 0:09:38a lovely room for Gwyn,
0:09:38 > 0:09:42a storage room used as a walk-in wardrobe,
0:09:42 > 0:09:45a family bathroom and another characterful double.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49Now, this, I think, would make a great master bedroom for you two.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52- OK.- Yes...
0:09:52 > 0:09:53- Ooh.- It just...- Ooh, no.- No.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57- It doesn't quite grab me as a master bedroom... - It's a lovely guest room.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01- Lovely view out of the windows. - No storage.
0:10:01 > 0:10:02But, yeah, storage space.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06I mean, upstairs, you've got two further bedrooms, which lead
0:10:06 > 0:10:07onto one another.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10I was guessing they might be guest rooms,
0:10:10 > 0:10:14but maybe that becomes the master suite?
0:10:14 > 0:10:17So with a few modifications, there could be a layout
0:10:17 > 0:10:19here which is preferable to Sandy and Peter.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22And outside, there's more to see with a garden that I think could
0:10:22 > 0:10:26deliver on Sandy's green-fingered ambitions.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29- Right, the final bit.- OK.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32It is this terraced arrangement, as you can see.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36Probably, once upon a time, quite productive vegetable beds, actually.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38The other thing to point out is that underneath the house,
0:10:38 > 0:10:43there is an enormous cellar. It's a huge space.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46Maybe, with a bit of renovation, that could be your craft room.
0:10:48 > 0:10:49Ah, so you're putting me in the dungeons now?
0:10:49 > 0:10:51- Well, it was an old police station. - THEY LAUGH
0:10:51 > 0:10:53You'd be locked away in the cellar.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56Yes. You've been nicked, down you go.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59But as a property, as it stands, not a bad package,
0:10:59 > 0:11:02but I can see there are sorts of issues that we are struggling with.
0:11:02 > 0:11:07It's trying to balance period country living with
0:11:07 > 0:11:10practicalities of parenthood.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13Well, let's see if we help that balance with the price.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15So, Peter.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18- 470.- 465, 460.
0:11:18 > 0:11:24Well, here's the thing - this could be yours for £429,000,
0:11:24 > 0:11:27leaving you a comfortable amount of change
0:11:27 > 0:11:29with which to play with.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33For a substantial £71,000 under budget,
0:11:33 > 0:11:36this three-storey, 18th-century cottage offers
0:11:36 > 0:11:39the four bedrooms they want as well as three reception rooms
0:11:39 > 0:11:41and a modern country kitchen - although it
0:11:41 > 0:11:45is perhaps not as open and connected as Sandy and Peter would like.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48There's an option to convert the basement into a craft room
0:11:48 > 0:11:51and it's set in just under half an acre of lawned garden,
0:11:51 > 0:11:54but is it right for the family's lifestyle?
0:11:54 > 0:11:57Well, our period property has struggled with you, hasn't it?
0:11:57 > 0:11:59- It has, I'm afraid, yes. - It has, I'm afraid. Yep.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02Well, let's see if number two does any better.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05- OK.- Who knows?- Maybe that's the one. - Let's go!
0:12:15 > 0:12:18In the rural region of the Brecon Beacons is
0:12:18 > 0:12:22the village of Talybont where ten years ago a resourceful group of
0:12:22 > 0:12:26residents set up the first community hydro-electric scheme in Wales.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30It's now making them £25,000 a year
0:12:30 > 0:12:32selling energy back to the National Grid,
0:12:32 > 0:12:36which gets spent on carbon-reducing local projects.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39I'm meeting husband and wife Peter Williams and Alison Kidd, two of
0:12:39 > 0:12:43the volunteer directors of the not-for-profit community initiative,
0:12:43 > 0:12:46to find out more about some of their projects.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50Brilliant, I didn't even hear you coming. It's a bit spooky, isn't it?
0:12:50 > 0:12:53That's the thing with electric vehicles, they're silent.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55Electric vehicles have tended to be focused on the city,
0:12:55 > 0:12:57but actually they're incredibly useful around here.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01We've got ten of these in the network and we rent them out to visitors
0:13:01 > 0:13:04to try and encourage our visitors to actually be driving around,
0:13:04 > 0:13:06because it's very nice to drive around silently here
0:13:06 > 0:13:09because you hear the birds, you hear the rivers, you hear the waterfalls.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13So how did this whole idea come about, Peter?
0:13:13 > 0:13:14We use twice as much energy to move here
0:13:14 > 0:13:16as people in London do,
0:13:16 > 0:13:18so we're looking for ways to reduce the energy that we need.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20Can I get in there, is there enough room?
0:13:20 > 0:13:23Yes, you can drive it and I'll go in the back.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25OK, let's go!
0:13:25 > 0:13:29It's um, compact, isn't it?
0:13:29 > 0:13:30OK, so what do I do?
0:13:30 > 0:13:32So, turn the ignition all the way around,
0:13:32 > 0:13:35D for drive and R for reverse.
0:13:35 > 0:13:40My first spin in an electric car, and it's bizarrely quiet.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47The network is regularly used by the locals who, for short journeys,
0:13:47 > 0:13:50replace their gas-guzzlers with an electric vehicle.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53And how far can it go before it runs out of juice?
0:13:53 > 0:13:57This will do 50 miles on a warm day, a bit less
0:13:57 > 0:14:01during the winter, and a bit less if you drive fast or go up hills.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05We've got 40 charging points all over the Brecon Beacons and all
0:14:05 > 0:14:10they are are just cafes and pubs, and castles and other attractions.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14A decade ago, the forward-thinking locals got funding to put
0:14:14 > 0:14:17back into use a disused early-20th-century turbine
0:14:17 > 0:14:21and the power that it generates now gets sold back to the Grid.
0:14:21 > 0:14:22TURBINE HUMS
0:14:22 > 0:14:26- Gosh, it's noisy.- Yes.- It is noisy.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28- That's the water coming out the back of the turbine...- Right.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30..having coming down from the reservoir?
0:14:30 > 0:14:33Yep, that's 27 kilowatts, and that's what it looks like.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37And the source of all the power that funds the projects down below
0:14:37 > 0:14:40is the majestic reservoir at the top of the hill.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43It was built in the late '30s by Newport City Council
0:14:43 > 0:14:46to provide drinking water for the residents.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49And has this scheme inspired other projects?
0:14:49 > 0:14:52Well, certainly, there's a whole movement in this area
0:14:52 > 0:14:56and much wider now, for communities to start generating energy
0:14:56 > 0:15:00for themselves, renewably, but also generating income for that community.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03And that works particularly well in rural areas like ours.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05It's a great way to explore this part of the world,
0:15:05 > 0:15:08using the cars, but it's also great to think we're making the best
0:15:08 > 0:15:11use of the area's natural resources.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24For our second property, we're going closer to the Welsh-English
0:15:24 > 0:15:26border and the town of Monmouth.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29It's a busy town with plenty of good shops, pubs,
0:15:29 > 0:15:33restaurants, as well as historic buildings.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36High above Monmouth and the Wye Valley in a panoramic location
0:15:36 > 0:15:38is our next house.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40Look at that for a view.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42What are your thoughts?
0:15:42 > 0:15:43Nice.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46Yes, I mean it looks nice from the outside, definitely.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48I like the setting.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51This is a house that started out, probably as a two-up two-down,
0:15:51 > 0:15:53and then it's been hugely sort of expanded.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56- Let's get on with it before we get wet!- Yes!
0:15:58 > 0:16:02This property is a renovated stone cottage.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06Almost half of the house is a modern addition, so it gives Sandy
0:16:06 > 0:16:09and Peter a mixture of traditional rooms as well as more
0:16:09 > 0:16:12of the open and connected family spaces they are after.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15- You see, very different kind of feel, isn't it?- Yes.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17You've got this sort of dining area here.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19What do you think of this, Sandy?
0:16:20 > 0:16:24Right, let's have it, what's going through your mind then, Sandy?
0:16:24 > 0:16:29Doesn't know what it wants to be, it's very ill-defined.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31I'm not sure about the size either
0:16:31 > 0:16:33and how we would utilise it as a dining room.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36Come and have a look at the kitchen and see how it all works together.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41Very modern again. Different feel to number one.
0:16:41 > 0:16:47Again, perhaps not as large as I'd have liked but then maybe extend it
0:16:47 > 0:16:52into the space there which feels very much of a non-functioning space.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55It's certainly much more open-plan in this half of the house.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58The other half is much more traditional. Come on, then.
0:17:01 > 0:17:05So this is one of two reception rooms
0:17:05 > 0:17:08in the older part of the property.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10It's divided from its neighbour.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13There's another room exactly like this over there, by the staircase.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16- OK.- Obviously, the double doors there,
0:17:16 > 0:17:18which look out right across towards the Brecons.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21Now, in terms of space then, Peter?
0:17:21 > 0:17:23I've got the same feeling that you have
0:17:23 > 0:17:26maybe with the kitchen area in that this doesn't feel well defined.
0:17:26 > 0:17:30When we get outside to the garden, we'll take another look at this.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33There might be an opportunity to create more of a garden room.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36'Also on the ground floor are a downstairs cloakroom and a
0:17:36 > 0:17:41'utility room and garden room which wraps around the back of the house.
0:17:42 > 0:17:47'Upstairs, there are four bedrooms. One is small and used as a study.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51'There are two doubles, one en-suite,
0:17:51 > 0:17:54'and then served by a family bathroom,
0:17:54 > 0:17:58'there is the final double with views out of two aspects.'
0:17:58 > 0:18:01Now, we're suggesting that this would make a nice master,
0:18:01 > 0:18:03- knowing how you love a bit of storage.- Only a bit.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05- It has a walk-in...- OK.- ..wardrobe.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08All right, that's why we've decided that this is the master bedroom.
0:18:08 > 0:18:13OK. And a reasonable-sized bedroom.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16But again, I think we might be struggling a bit?
0:18:16 > 0:18:18- Yeah.- Yeah, I can't... Again, it doesn't grab me.
0:18:20 > 0:18:21'So it seems the current size
0:18:21 > 0:18:24'and layout of the house isn't ideal for them.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26'At the back, however, in the garden,
0:18:26 > 0:18:29'which includes lawned terraces, an ornamental pond
0:18:29 > 0:18:31'and a large vegetable growing area,
0:18:31 > 0:18:34'is where an opportunity to remodel is easiest to see.'
0:18:34 > 0:18:38You could actually do something quite exciting in extending,
0:18:38 > 0:18:42at single-storey level, that ground-floor plan
0:18:42 > 0:18:46to create a really nice kitchen/family room.
0:18:46 > 0:18:47I was going to suggest even further.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50I would have suggested that it comes out...both levels.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53- So all this ambition... - Yes, is going to cost!
0:18:53 > 0:18:58It's going to cost a bit, so let's see where property number two
0:18:58 > 0:19:00comes on the price scale.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02I'd say about 510.
0:19:02 > 0:19:07I'm not sure I'd go quite as high as that. I'd go 490.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10It's 475.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13- Oh, OK.- That surprises me. - And open to offers.
0:19:13 > 0:19:18So I think you would find yourselves with some change...
0:19:18 > 0:19:20Yeah, we'd need a lot of that.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22..that would already make some inroads
0:19:22 > 0:19:27into satisfying your creative ambitions in turning
0:19:27 > 0:19:30- this into something quite different but very you.- Yeah. Yep.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37At £25,000 under budget, this hugely extended cottage offers
0:19:37 > 0:19:41traditional sitting rooms as well as an open-plan family space
0:19:41 > 0:19:44which currently is not quite right for Sandy.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46There are the four bedrooms they've requested
0:19:46 > 0:19:48and plenty of garden for veg patch options.
0:19:48 > 0:19:52But it would need a few adjustments and a possible extension to
0:19:52 > 0:19:54really create the perfect kitchen and craft space.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58But is it something Sandy and Peter are up for?
0:19:58 > 0:20:00I think this is quite exciting,
0:20:00 > 0:20:01you could do all sorts of things
0:20:01 > 0:20:04if you re-engineered and redesigned it now.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06Slightly more than a DIY project.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10It is, but, you know, sometimes it's not about buying the perfect house,
0:20:10 > 0:20:12it's about making the perfect house.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15And you want somewhere that's going to last you a long time,
0:20:15 > 0:20:17so who knows? Shall we go?
0:20:17 > 0:20:19- Mm-hmm.- Yep.- Come on.
0:20:29 > 0:20:30Well, let's face it,
0:20:30 > 0:20:34no trip house-hunting to Wales would be the same without a day of rain,
0:20:34 > 0:20:37but what can we do on our final day with our final offering
0:20:37 > 0:20:40to try and resolve this enormous problem
0:20:40 > 0:20:42that Peter and Sandy are facing?
0:20:42 > 0:20:44You see, I think they got into a bit of a muddle.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48They're so desperate to make this move work, they've looked at so many
0:20:48 > 0:20:52properties online and on paper, but they've also dismissed most of them.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55They don't really know, I think, what it is they are looking for.
0:20:55 > 0:20:56So, for our mystery house,
0:20:56 > 0:20:59we're going to try something a little bit different.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02This is it. They have actually seen it on paper,
0:21:02 > 0:21:05but they have not, of course, been through the door.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09So let's let them into the secret of what it is they've been missing.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14For our mystery house, we're continuing to hug the border,
0:21:14 > 0:21:18with the village of Penallt, which is just one mile from England
0:21:18 > 0:21:21and is high on a hill above the town of Monmouth.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25It's set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
0:21:25 > 0:21:29and boasts an early-16th-century church and two pubs.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34Just a ten-minute drive down country lanes along the valley
0:21:34 > 0:21:35is our mystery house.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39Does it look familiar?
0:21:39 > 0:21:41- I don't think it does. - Not immediately.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45- Well, we happen to know this is one that you have looked at online.- Ah.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48You've looked at so many you can't remember what you've seen.
0:21:48 > 0:21:49- Yeah, exactly.- No, no!
0:21:49 > 0:21:52We'd thought it would be quite an interesting experiment to
0:21:52 > 0:21:54bring you to one that you have rejected
0:21:54 > 0:21:57and see what you really think of it in the flesh.
0:21:57 > 0:21:58So what do you think?
0:21:59 > 0:22:03- Not sure.- Nice-looking from the outside, so optimistic.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06Well, this is another one that you can really put your mark on.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09And we've got some quite interesting plans for you, on paper
0:22:09 > 0:22:11this time, as to what you can do with it
0:22:11 > 0:22:15- to turn it into a really cracking family home.- Right.
0:22:15 > 0:22:16Come on, then, let's get out of the rain.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18- That way. After you, Peter.- OK.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22This old lodge house has been extended over the years and is
0:22:22 > 0:22:26currently configured as a main house and a self-contained annexe.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30After looking at over 200 properties online, what I'm hoping this
0:22:30 > 0:22:33mystery house can offer is a vision of what to do with spaces
0:22:33 > 0:22:36that don't initially seem to fit the spec.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39OK, let's start in here.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42Now, then, Sandy, I'm going to take a flying guess
0:22:42 > 0:22:45- and say you think it's too small. - It's too small, yes.
0:22:45 > 0:22:50- But in the plans in this place, the kitchen would move.- OK.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52And this would probably be a rather nice study.
0:22:52 > 0:22:58That sounds better. I certainly echo Sandy with this is too small.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03I know the kitchen is an important space for Sandy, so I'm hoping
0:23:03 > 0:23:06the plans for internal remodelling might catch her imagination.
0:23:06 > 0:23:11So off the dining room, you've got the first re...
0:23:11 > 0:23:13I guess, major reception room, really.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16Which, again, makes the best use of these views.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20- What are your thoughts on this? - Nice, like the fireplace.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22Size, getting there.
0:23:22 > 0:23:23Getting there?
0:23:23 > 0:23:25Through this door is the annexe.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28You'll see where we're going with this one.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32Imagine this as an enormous family kitchen-diner.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34This is what we're talking about.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36Have a look at this, here's the spec.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39This is an image that the current owners have generated.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41That's what you'd be looking at.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43That white wall there is where the fireplace is
0:23:43 > 0:23:47and imagine it sweeping right the way through to give you the island,
0:23:47 > 0:23:49the kitchen and all the rest of it.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51- OK.- Oh...
0:23:53 > 0:23:54Face like thunder!
0:23:54 > 0:23:58THEY LAUGH
0:23:58 > 0:24:01That's a diplomatic, "Hmm, I'm not so sure." Yeah?
0:24:01 > 0:24:04- I'm not so sure.- Not so sure, OK.
0:24:04 > 0:24:09I'm not giving up on this one! I'm really not, come with me.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13So the plans already drawn up would turn the ground floor
0:24:13 > 0:24:15of the annexe, which includes the fourth bedroom,
0:24:15 > 0:24:18into a large L-shaped kitchen-diner which also makes the most
0:24:18 > 0:24:20of the views over the valley.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22The current kitchen and dining room
0:24:22 > 0:24:25could then become a study and a craft room.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28On the first floor, there is a family bathroom
0:24:28 > 0:24:31and a separate toilet which serve the three upstairs bedrooms,
0:24:31 > 0:24:34all of which are of a reasonable size.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38There we go, this is ultimately the biggest one.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41A little bit more storage. I know that's an issue.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43In terms of space, I think we'd need more space.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47And in terms of this as a master bedroom, it's not quite big enough.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50It is worth pointing out to you that above what could be your new
0:24:50 > 0:24:54kitchen, in the annexe end, is an enormous loft space,
0:24:54 > 0:24:58- and that could give you a really impressive master bedroom.- OK.
0:24:58 > 0:24:59- Yeah?- Something to think about.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02But, of course, the price is going to be important on this one.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05Let's talk numbers outside.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10The garden is the smallest of the three we've shown them.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12It's a parcel of lawn with a piece of woodland
0:25:12 > 0:25:15at the annexe end of the property.
0:25:15 > 0:25:20OK, so the garden, pretty much what you see is what you get.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23At the moment, it's not really joined to the house in any
0:25:23 > 0:25:26great way, but going back to that original plan,
0:25:26 > 0:25:28you'd have double doors coming out to here.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32So what do you think our mystery house is on the market for?
0:25:32 > 0:25:33I'd say about 425.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35Not far from what I'd say, about 420.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38Good news. It is 425.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41I think you could spec this up and have some fun doing it.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45But it's not about what I think, is it?!
0:25:45 > 0:25:48It's about what you think, and it's what you're thinking
0:25:48 > 0:25:52- that really worries me. - THEY LAUGH
0:25:52 > 0:25:54For well under their half-million pound budget,
0:25:54 > 0:25:58this house with an annexe currently offers a large amount of space.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02With the £75,000 remaining it could be remodelled into a bespoke
0:26:02 > 0:26:05family home giving Sandy and Peter the four bedrooms
0:26:05 > 0:26:08and spacious open-living spaces they really want,
0:26:08 > 0:26:11but it would mean taking on quite a lot of work.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13Come on, you two, out you come.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15It's not raining, that's the good news. There's your brolly.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17- Thank you.- Come on.
0:26:26 > 0:26:32OK. So we've looked at three houses. I don't know that we're any further
0:26:32 > 0:26:35forward in terms of identifying what it is your looking for.
0:26:35 > 0:26:40A lot of the properties we seem to have seen are disjointed.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44It felt to me quite a lot of the time that people had
0:26:44 > 0:26:47put a bed in there and made it a bedroom
0:26:47 > 0:26:50where naturally it didn't feel like a bedroom.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54I think another option that's growing in appeal at the moment is
0:26:54 > 0:26:58looking for a plot of land and self building.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02I think that's perhaps one of the only ways we are
0:27:02 > 0:27:06going to get the layout, design and space that we're after.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09We've given you some ideas as to what does work, we've given
0:27:09 > 0:27:13you some ideas to what maybe doesn't work and we've left you thinking
0:27:13 > 0:27:15that maybe you should start from scratch
0:27:15 > 0:27:18and build a house of your very own! Hopefully, it's helped
0:27:18 > 0:27:23because I think defining what you have been after has been
0:27:23 > 0:27:27your real struggle and I hope we've managed to get you that bit closer.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30- Best of luck.- Thank you.- Thank you very much.- Thank you for your help.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37Well, when it comes to property searches,
0:27:37 > 0:27:41they can take all kinds of twists and turns and in the process
0:27:41 > 0:27:44buyers can go through all manner of highs and lows.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48But for me, this week has been particularly perplexing.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51Whilst Peter and Sandy still seem very clear on where
0:27:51 > 0:27:54they want their new home to be, understanding what it will be,
0:27:54 > 0:27:57well, that, I think, is still an open-ended question.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00I'll see you next time.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04If you would like to escape to the country in Northern Ireland, England
0:28:04 > 0:28:10Wales or Scotland and need our help, you can apply online at....