Episode 11 Escape to the Country

This majestic-looking castle was built, during the Hundred Years' War

against the French, of gorgeous local stone.

Its main purpose - not only a defence point and a family home,

but also to act as the ultimate display in wealth and power

for anyone who saw it.

It could be an early example of keeping up with the Joneses.

But where am I? We'll find out in just a moment.

Today, our house-hunting pair are looking for a new rural family home,

and they've got some pretty big expectations.

So, if you were thinking football pitches, cricket pitches...

-You've got all of this.

-Yeah.

They've also got some rather high hopes for their new pad.

I think the head height is an issue again, isn't it? Absolutely.

Today, I'm in East Sussex and this is Bodiam Castle.

It was built in 1385 by Sir Edward Dalyngrigge,

a tremendously successful knight for Richard II.

He wanted to show everyone in this county

just how powerful he had become.

And what a wonderful place for us to start our adventure

in this beautiful part of the county.

The diverse county of East Sussex

sits in the southeast corner of England,

bordered by West Sussex, Surrey and Kent.

Its beautiful coastline stretches along the English Channel,

where sandy beach is flanked by grassy banks

offer endless views across the open sea.

One of East Sussex's undeniable attractions is the South Downs -

England's newest national park.

The county shares this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

with neighbouring West Sussex and Hampshire.

It covers about 260 square miles across the three counties.

It's beautiful landscape is ideal for exploring the lush countryside,

even better in the company of four-legged friends.

There's no doubt that East Sussex is an attractive destination

for home-buyers seeking to escape city life.

So let's meet today's buyers and find out

where they want to call home and how much they're willing to pay for it.

Finance engineer Wayne and his teacher wife, Izzy,

live with their two young sons in a 1930s semi in Purley, Surrey,

on the outskirts of the capital.

18 years ago, it was this active couple's love of sport

that brought them together.

We met playing hockey. We both joined the same hockey club.

You had been there for quite a few years

and I had moved into the area and joined

and saw this gorgeous bloke playing hockey and I thought, "That'll do. He'll do."

Nine years later, they were married,

and soon after, they had Jake, age eight, and Oliver, six.

The two energetic boys share their parents' passions.

I think our sport activities have definitely been passed on to our boys

who just love anything to do with running around,

whether it's hockey, cricket, football, rugby...

And it's not just the four of them upping sticks

and heading for pastures new.

The fifth member of the family is a little black lab called Maisie.

She's about three and half years old.

Keeps to herself at home, but she loves getting out.

So, after 14 years in one home,

this active family have decided to cross borders

and head to East Sussex.

For me, I love the countryside because just the space,

the peace and quiet, the ability to just walk with the dog.

The new house is going to be an important move

because we feel it's going to be our final move.

And with their house sold, there's no time to look back.

I think we are very excited about the move

and about what the future holds for us.

I think it's going to be quite exciting

to find out what's going to happen.

Wayne and Izzy are looking forward to a quieter life in East Sussex,

close to the coast and not too far from the city.

And they're open to considering anywhere in the diverse county,

but with Izzy's job in South Croydon,

she wants to be no more than an hour's commute from work.

But before we start on the journey to their new life,

I've come to meet them in East Sussex

to find out little more about their plans.

So, Wayne and Izzy, it's great to meet you.

Now, you're not moving that far.

I mean, moving is always a huge undertaking,

but physically we're doing what?

50 miles from Surrey to here in East Sussex. So why East Sussex?

Wayne's a very country person and he's persuaded me over the years

that that's what I want.

I like that.

-There's an art to that, Wayne.

-It's a very defined skill.

Wayne, are we talking rural, proper rural?

Or are we talking,

"I like the idea of having a few trees at the end of the road?"

A bit of in-between if I'm being honest

because we still quite like our creature comforts

which come to living close to town.

So, let's talk about this all-important family home

for the four of you plus dog, mustn't forget the dog.

You know, what's important with this next move?

I think the first thing is we're after a nice big garden.

So something that the boys can just go and disappear in.

The current garden is on a slant so when the boys play any type of sport,

the ball always rolls down to the bottom of the garden. They get very cross.

-What about the property itself?

-I think we are after something with maybe four bedrooms as a minimum.

Ideally, we'd like something like a period farmhouse,

but having said that, we are quite open to suggestions.

If there was going to be a compromise, which way would it go?

-House or garden?

-For me...

-I would compromise on the house.

-I totally agree, actually.

I think it is the house isn't as important as the garden.

Are you two always in agreement

or are there going to be differing opinions

as we drive around the county?

I know that you don't like kind of low ceilings

and too much period because I think it's...

-Well, you just keep banging your head, where I'm like, "Oh, this is lovely."

-Right.

So, that's where we'll differ.

You do have a healthy budget, don't you?

We've got about £750,000 as our maximum budget,

but we'd consider anything below it, obviously.

Looking forward to this. We got some splendid properties to show you.

We have picked the most beautiful day as well

to start this tour, haven't we? Come on, let's go.

Wayne and Izzy have a very healthy budget,

but in this county, it won't go too far.

Their number-one priority is giving their young sons

a fabulous outdoor space, not on a slope,

to run around and enjoy their many hobbies.

Inside, they'd like four bedrooms and a large kitchen

that lends itself to being the heart of the home.

They'd love a period property,

but one where 6'3" Wayne can stand upright.

We've chosen three very different properties

to really get them thinking.

As they visit each one, they'll have no idea of its price tag.

They'll discover that once they've completed the tour.

The final stop will be the mystery house,

which will take them right out of their comfort zone

but offer them something unique in return.

We're beginning our house hunt to the west of the county,

in the hamlet of Fletching Common,

just five miles from the town of Uckfield

and just over half a mile from the village of Newick.

Newick has an attractive village green at its heart,

overlooked by houses boasting handsome architecture

from various periods and three welcoming pubs.

so, our very first property.

-It's very pretty.

-Very pretty.

-That is fabulous.

-Beautiful.

I normally try to keep the garden a secret and then reveal it later,

but with this property you can see it in all its glory.

It's there, isn't it? As soon as you walk in.

Let's talk about the house itself.

Originally, it was two cottages,

but over the years, it has been extended.

-So how keen are we to start?

-Very.

-Yes?

-I want to get in.

-Yes, excited to get in and have a look.

-Come on.

Right...

So, I brought you in the front door, but of course,

no-one in the country ever uses their front door,

but it's such a pretty entrance.

And it leads into a real large living/dining area.

-I'm not quite sure what to make of it, really.

-No, I'm not.

Whether it's a hallway

or whether it's an entrance room or a living space.

It would make a fantastic play room.

It would, actually. The kids would love that.

The ceilings might be a little bit of a challenge,

but we'll see as we go around.

They're not too bad, though. I'd expect them to be a touch lower.

-This is OK.

-This is OK.

-Yeah.

An old feature door leads through to the sitting room.

-That's lovely, isn't it?

-It's impressive.

Instantly, I've got the whole height thing going on.

-Yeah.

-And we're looking for the cottage house,

so you know, that's almost to be expected.

A little more ducking and diving for Wayne

and another door from the sitting room

takes us to the kitchen at the back of the house.

As kitchens go in cottages,

I think this is a generous size.

It's like we've modernised as we walk through the rooms.

Next door, you've got a utility room

with access to another private garden.

So just to sum up the downstairs then...

Come on, give me an overall reaction. An overall feeling.

I'm feeling it's a little bit too cramped for a family of four,

for a growing family of four because the children,

if they're going to be anything like Wayne's height,

will be that size.

Upstairs offers a little more headroom,

and we're going straight to the master bedroom at the front.

-Feels a little bit small.

-But it's quite bright, actually.

-It is bright.

Again, two windows, so that's good.

You've got a very small, bijou en-suite, but it is an en-suite.

You've got four bedrooms on this floor with a large family bathroom.

And because of the quirkiness of the cottage,

there's actually an additional space above us,

-which would make a fantastic playroom/storage area.

-Oh, fabulous.

But you have the potential of actually having five bedrooms

-in this property.

-It's a bonus.

-Great, OK.

Well, let's head back downstairs. That all-important garden.

If the inside feels a little on the snug side for Wayne and Izzy,

the outside definitely won't.

There's almost an acre of land and it's as flat as a pancake.

So if you are thinking football pitches,

cricket pitches for these lovely boys of yours,

-you've got all of this.

-Yeah.

You've got an orchard there with some outhouses.

You've got a conservatory.

It's superb. It's absolutely lovely.

It probably comes down to the price, doesn't it?

Can you take a guess at what it's on the market for?

Around £725,000.

I'm going to go for £700,000.

That's interesting. The asking price is £750,000.

-Oh.

-OK.

So it is at the top of your budget, but...

We've got the land to play with.

-Absolutely.

-You told me that the land was more important than the house.

-Am I going to better this?

-The garden's actually spot on.

Am I going to better this?

Bang on budget, this character cottage

has the room Wayne and Izzy want

for their growing boys to play and explore.

Although, if they're going to match their dad in the height stakes,

the low ceilings could be a problem.

But with an extra bedroom-cum-playroom in the eaves

and a fabulous garden, it does have an awful lot going for it.

It's just a 55-minute drive to Izzy's work,

under the hour she's willing to travel.

-Have you seen enough, you two?

-We've seen plenty.

-And there aren't any bruises? We're intact?

-No, the head's OK.

Didn't take out any of those beams on the way?

-Not quite.

-Hopefully, it has got you thinking,

but this is only our first property.

I've got a lot more to show you. Come on.

With a coastal border, East Sussex prides itself

on some wonderful seaside towns and villages.

The medieval town of Rye may be inland, but historically,

it was surrounded by sea and played an important role

defending England's south coast, with warships sitting in its waters.

Today, it harbours fishing boats, and one of its most celebrated

catches is the world-class Rye scallop.

I've come to meet Russell Drew, a local fisherman,

to learn more about this nutritious seafood.

-Russell, good to meet you.

-Hi, Nicki. Welcome to Rye.

Thank you very much.

Why has Rye now got this wonderful reputation for scallops?

Cos they're about the freshest scallops you're ever going to see.

It's deep water,

and where they live in this,

they seem to like it quite well.

-So are they easy to open?

-Yeah.

-Quite easy. Just cut hard down the flat shell...

-Yeah.

-..and try not to leave too much meat on the shell.

-Look at that.

-Pull the frill off that side there.

-Yeah.

Cut down hard behind that, and it should just pop out like that.

Look at that. That is a beauty.

-So if I'm going to taste a scallop...

-Mm-hm.

..what shall I ask for? Any particular dish?

Um, I just like it plain as anything.

Russell, my tummy is rumbling just at the thought.

-Thank you very much.

-No problem.

In Rye, these juicy molluscs are celebrated during Scallop Week,

in February every year.

Chef Jonathan Breeds

loves making the most of local fare,

and is rustling up some scallop dishes

with a difference for me to sample today.

The scallops are cleaned,

and then oil with a little salt is heated on the stove.

Once the pan is hot, the scallops are fried for 30 seconds

on each side, before being laid on baby spinach leaves.

Jonathan's cooking three dishes for me to try -

plain, a version with sauteed chorizo and roast sweet potato

and lastly, scallops coupled with cracked black pepper

and tangy orange segments.

There we go. And that's all three.

Now this is what I've been waiting for.

-I think, Jonathan, I'm in for a treat, aren't I?

-I hope so.

Oh, my goodness.

Divine. What makes them so delicious?

I think it's partly the texture, it's quite a meaty dish,

and the flavour is very delicate,

and it works very well with other flavours.

So cooked in its simplest form, still delicious,

not overpowering at all.

Yes, that's right.

So our second offering here - may I?

Yes. Oh, please do.

Mmm. Oh.

I really enjoyed it in its simple form,

but now it's taken on new life...

-Yeah.

-..with that sweet potato,

-especially as the sweet potato has been quite well cooked.

-Yeah.

It brings out something else in the scallop.

It does really complement the scallop.

The scallop takes on the flavour.

Let's go on to the third.

These scallops are putting East Sussex on the map, aren't they?

It's been said that the Rye Bay scallop

is possibly the best scallop in the world.

I'm sure it is. Tastes like it.

Mmm.

-Delicious. Thank you very much indeed.

-Thank you. Cheers.

-HE LAUGHS

-I'm just going to keep eating.

For our next property, we're heading to the centre of East Sussex

to the village of Mayfield, eight miles south of Tunbridge Wells.

Beautiful Tudor buildings standing proud in the village

were mainly funded by the profits from the 16th and 17th century

Sussex iron industry.

Just half a mile down a country lane takes us to our second property.

This extended and refurbished five-bedroom house is sure to give

Wayne and Izzy a few surprises,

as well as offering them some familiar features.

And here it is.

That's nice, actually.

-It's semidetached, I see.

-It is semidetached. Well observed.

Dates back 1930s.

-So, are we liking what we're seeing? Are we surprised?

-Yes, we are.

I think surprised that you're showing us a semi,

but surprised also that it's actually nice.

This house, in its beautiful countryside location,

is around 40-minutes' drive from the coast

and an hour and 20 from London, meaning prices are at a premium.

So to get the most space for their money,

Wayne and Izzy do need to consider a semi,

and I don't think this one, in its private setting, will disappoint.

So, through the hallway, you've got a utility room

and then...you've got this splendid room.

-This is great.

-This is a lovely kitchen.

-This is lovely.

-Oh, look at your face.

-I really like it, yeah! Really like it.

Open plan, huge dining area.

This kind of, I think, suits our needs more.

This probably does suit our lifestyle more a lot more

than what a quaint, little cottage would do.

I mean, this is probably what we're looking for.

Across the hallway to the other side of the house is a large sitting room

with the same footprint as the kitchen.

-Yeah, it's a nice size, actually.

-I like this as well.

How do you both feel about open plan?

It's completely different to what we've got at home,

so this is very new to us, and we can see why it's been done.

If this wasn't enough, you also have a fabulous conservatory...

I'm looking for separate reception area for the boys

to kind of play and get on with and be by themselves.

I can't quite see it other than separating off the two rooms,

back into two, basically.

-Let's see what else this house has got to offer.

-Yeah.

Upstairs is a large double bedroom with an en-suite,

a further two doubles, one with its own dressing room,

a family bathroom,

and at the front of the house overlooking the lawn

is the master bedroom where we're heading.

-It's a good-sized room, isn't it?

-It's a nice size, actually.

Yeah, nice, light, airy. Yeah, I like it.

We have four bedrooms.

One of those bedrooms is actually an en-suite.

-Oh, so this is the master?

-This is the master.

They've chosen to be at the front of the house,

but one of the children actually has the en-suite.

Hm, that might not happen with us.

Wayne and Izzy might have different ideas from the current owners,

but I think they'll agree that what I'm about to show them

is an unexpected bonus -

a hidden gem accessed through one of the back bedrooms.

So, we do have four bedrooms downstairs.

-But up here, we have this space.

-Wow.

-And no moaning about the beam.

I'm allowed one beam in this house and that is going to be it.

This is fabulous.

It's a five bedroom,

-Or a fabulous playroom.

-That's what I'm thinking.

So, you know that slight quandary with the downstairs space...?

-It's gone.

-We've relieved that problem.

-Completely.

Outside space is the next thing, and also, can you afford it?

-We'll see.

-We'll see.

I think I've won Wayne and Izzy back with this fabulous attic space.

The land wraps around the house and in the back garden,

a large decked area overlooks a landscaped lawn and a play area.

In addition to a garage, there's a garden shed

and a fully furbished garden office.

In actual fact, it is quite a large plot.

That gate and the land behind it is owned by a family

a couple of doors away.

At the moment, all the children play out the back.

-Oh, really?

-How lovely. That's definitely worth knowing,

because when we walked out and saw the garden we thought,

"Hang on, probably a little bit small for what we wanted."

-But that definitely changes the situation.

-Yeah, it does.

How much do you think this is worth?

I'm going to go at £700,000.

-OK.

-I'll go roundabout £735,000.

-It's on the market for £745,000.

-OK.

Tell me, what's going through your minds, this silence there?

-I think it's because it's £745,000 for a semi.

-Hm.

I think that's the bit that's got me.

Just £5,000 under budget, our second property is a 1930s semi,

offering Wayne and Izzy almost everything they're looking for.

With four bedrooms and an attic room,

there's space for their sons

to have a bedroom each

and a fabulous playroom.

Izzy's drive to work would be an hour and five minutes,

so just over the hour's commute

she's looking for.

But the three-quarters of an acre

of land for the boys

is sure to make up for an extra

five minutes in the car.

Right, you two, have you seen enough?

-Have you explored everywhere?

-We've looked in every room, Nicki.

We've had a good look around.

-It's been done up very well.

-It is a beautiful property.

You've got the night off, you can really think about it,

because I'm going to show you another house tomorrow,

-which is very different.

-Excellent.

Yesterday, very early on, we learnt that Wayne and Izzy

were happy to sacrifice the house for the actual size of the garden

to help satisfy the needs of those very active, sporty little boys

that they have.

But after showing them a couple of properties,

I think their priorities are 50-50.

Big house and big garden.

So with our mystery property today, it's all about the house.

Now, it might not be semidetached this time,

but on first impressions, it may be a little confusing.

For our final property,

we're hopping over the border into West Sussex

and heading toward the commuter town of Haywards Heath,

just 36 miles south of London and 12 miles north of Brighton.

The area offers residents all the advantages of a busy town

with beautiful countryside at arm's reach.

Set on the outskirts of town with a wonderful aspect

overlooking open countryside, we find our third and final property.

And it's going to require Wayne and Izzy

to be a little flexible with their thinking.

Now it's time for something completely different.

Very different.

-Our mystery house doesn't look like a conventional home, does it?

-No.

It's a bungalow. We've never considered a bungalow before.

Never looked at them,

-but let's go in with an open mind and see what happens.

-I like that!

I'm going to slightly reframe it.

I'm going to call it a single-storey home.

-It's a bungalow, Nicki.

-OK. We're going to step through the bungalow.

Come on.

This thoroughly modern home has a very deceiving exterior

which gives nothing away.

But step inside and you can't fail to be impressed

by the state-of-the-art design.

It could even leave you lost for words.

Now, let's take you straight through to the living area.

That is really not what I expected to see when I walked into the house.

-This has taken me really by surprise.

-Izzy?

-Um...

-No?

-No.

Come on, be honest with me.

It's lovely, but really not me.

Sometimes when you see something that you're not used to, it jars

cos it's just so out of your comfort zone.

Try and put that to one side and see it just through fresh eyes.

OK, I'll give it a go.

I think Wayne and Izzy are a little in shock, as this house

is so different from what they were expecting,

but I'm confident the more they see, the more they'll like.

A stylish dining room leads from the sitting room to the kitchen.

It's very modern.

-I like it, actually.

-I'm still not sure what to think.

I'm going to persevere

because I do think this house has got lots going for it.

This brick and glass house is laid out in an S-shape.

The sitting room and kitchen are at the core of the home,

and along the bottom of the S is a wing with the sleeping quarters.

There are three double bedrooms -

two are en-suite - and there's also a family bathroom.

This is the master,

which has its own dressing room just behind you

and doors to that countryside.

The thing I possibly don't like...

I'm not sure if I can sleep downstairs on the ground floor.

I think we're more conventional than we thought.

Oh, well, that's not a bad thing, though.

I like you to be stretched

and I do think the mystery is doing that with you.

Because just take a look at this.

And here is...

-Oh, my goodness.

-Oh, my word.

..your bathroom/wet room.

-I'm shocked.

-I am actually... That is...

-Where did this come from?

-Isn't it beautiful?

-It is fantastic!

Moving back through to the top of the S-shape

of this extraordinary house, next to the sitting room,

is another wing.

Final thing to show you. Wonderful study area.

You've got a utility room on that side and then... Now, look at this.

Is this a surprise?

It... You know what, I don't quite know where we are in the house.

It's great. Good space.

This is so much bigger than what it looks from outside.

-Really is.

-Yes.

So this mystery house has a little bit more going for it

than we first gave it credit, hasn't it?

-It's a lot bigger.

-Yes.

So let's go outside,

just talk a little bit about the land,

and also, I am going to ask you to put a figure on this property

for the final time.

-Come on.

-All right.

Every room in this open-plan house has views to the gardens,

and, like the interior,

it also has some surprises in store for Wayne and Izzy.

Just look at that property.

It probably makes more sense now because the front

gave so little away.

But now you can actually see how large it is.

I can't offer you a football pitch,

but what I can offer you is

lovely woodland that's yours.

But more importantly, behind us,

we have open fields and countryside.

The view is absolutely stunning.

So let's see if we can guess the price of this beautiful,

contemporary mystery house.

I'll go for about 750,000.

Yeah, I don't think as much.

I'm going to go for £725,000.

That's really interesting because,

Wayne, you're on the money.

Asking price of £750,000.

-Interesting.

-Hmm.

Our mystery house has asked Wayne and Izzy to cross borders

and think outside the box.

And what it lacks in the

country cottage stakes,

it certainly makes up for

in cutting-edge design.

Bang on budget, it doesn't leave

any money in the bank,

but they wouldn't have to do

anything to it.

This home would allow Izzy

to enjoy country life

with just an hour's drive to work.

Right, any final thoughts on my mystery house?

The house has got some great points, but I just don't think it's quite us.

No? OK. Well, that's it. You've seen everything.

Let's go and have a chat.

Izzy and Wayne, how have you found the last few days?

There's so much more to think about.

I think we probably took it for granted at the beginning

when we've been previously looking.

Because we've managed to show you

three properties that were so different.

So, in your opinion, which was the strongest house for you.

For me, there wasn't a strongest house.

It was a combination, to be honest.

I loved the second house.

It was our style, our decor.

But I'd have liked to have put it on the land of the first house,

which was fabulous.

So it's quite interesting. I thought you might go for a second viewing

on our second property.

For me, it was just the lack of space.

I know that it had a large plot,

but I felt the house was in the middle of the plot

and I'd have preferred most of the land to be at the back of the plot

to allow a bit more privacy.

And now you can look back and reflect on what we've shown you,

how far your money's going to go, have you...

Do you think you've learnt anything?

I assumed that the further south you move from London,

that the cheaper the property would become.

And it's clear that there are pockets of East Sussex

that are very expensive because of their desirability,

-and they pay a premium price for that.

-Yes.

And I think we have to consider that

-more now when we're looking in certain areas.

-Absolutely.

I think we can probably spread out the area we're looking in,

probably spread it out a little bit more.

I think we want to be patient,

we want to make sure we get the most for our money.

I think we're in a good position to be.

Well, listen, thank you. All the best with the move.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

Now, I do understand what Wayne and Izzy said

when they wanted the mix of the garden in the first property

with the space of that second house.

But for me, that's not what compromise is all about.

And if they don't make a small compromise today,

it might be a very expensive compromise tomorrow

unless they get their skates on.

Now I'm not sure what their next step will be,

but whatever it is, I wish them all the very best.

I'll see you again. Bye-bye.

If you would like to escape to the country

in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, England or perhaps even

further afield, to the Continent, and would like our help,

please apply online at...