Snowdonia Escape to the Country

Welcome to what promises to be a very exotic edition

of Escape To The Country

because today you find me surrounded by a Himalayan garden.

But I haven't travelled to the foothills

of those famous mountains in order to find it.

They, of course, are thousands of miles away.

So, where have I come to experience this slice of Asian paradise?

Well, join me in just a few moments and I'll tell you.

On today's show,

the road to finding the perfect home for our house hunters

is a bumpy one.

We're not growing, are we?

It's not sticking. Desperately trying.

Desperately trying.

But I do love a challenge,

especially if I have some aces to play.

-I can see myself living here, Mark.

-That's what I was waiting to hear.

So that's just the kitchen and we're moving in.

Well, today we are in Conwy in North Wales,

and this is the Himalayan garden

at the heart of the world-famous Bodnant Gardens.

Now, although the gardens here were laid out back in the 1880s,

this is the first time that this particular part of the garden

has been open to the public.

As you can see, it's packed with some beautiful

and actually quite rare plant species,

many of them brought here by intrepid 19th century plant hunters

who went out scouring the world

feeding the Victorian obsession for exotic gardening.

Now, later on in the show, I'll be back here

exploring all that Bodnant has to offer.

But take it from me, this really is a jewel in the crown of North Wales.

Today's house hunt takes place in the counties of Conwy and Gwynedd

up in the north of Wales.

They are home to the Snowdonia National Park,

the third largest national park in the UK.

Established in 1951, it covers a massive 800 square miles.

It's dominated by the highest peak in England and Wales, Mount Snowdon.

At 1,085 meters high, it's a popular climb,

but for those wanting the view without the trek,

there's been a train running to and from the summit since 1896.

Outside of the park, this region also has a coastal history.

The harbour town of Porthmadog was once a busy port

used to ferry Welsh slate from the nearby mining town

of Blaenau Ffestiniog all over the globe.

When the industry declined, the famous railway line

which brought the slate to the coast was saved

and the steam train restored and is now a huge tourist attraction.

It really is a spectacular region to visit.

And for those lucky enough, one to live in, too.

Now, when it comes to property prices here in North Wales,

there is some good news

because despite beautiful backdrops like that,

things are remarkably affordable.

In the case of your average detached,

well, here you could pay over £85,000 less

than them and the national figure.

And that's despite hotspots,

particularly within the borders of the Snowdonia National Park itself.

There, you could a bit of a premium.

Step outside the park,

and your money will certainly go that little bit further.

Now, as a landscape, for me, this has always sold itself.

But let's now meet today's buyers

and find out why they think this part of the world

could be their new home.

Our house hunters today are Mark, a retired car designer,

and his wife, Buddug,

an NHS manager who currently live in the town of Southend, Essex.

They got together ten years ago.

We met in Italy on a skiing holiday

and then we both got onto separate coaches and went our own ways.

Then, we bumped into each other in a bar a couple of nights later.

It's fate. Destined to meet.

We got married in Snowdonia National Park

and we had our wedding breakfast on the Blaenau Ffestiniog railway.

I managed to hire a carriage and they decorated it.

It was a good start to our marriage, wasn't it?

The strong ties to Wales originally came from Buddug.

I was born in Wales.

I lived there until I was, gosh, going on 21.

I think about Snowdonia... It's memories from home.

I've gone back with Mark and his family

and it's just such a wonderful place to be

and such a wonderful countryside.

How could anybody not want to live there?

And it's a far cry from their current home in Southend.

Well, I mean, Southend, we have lived here for nearly ten years.

For us, while we are working,

the southeast is a particularly good place for employment.

We find now because we're getting older

and we're slowing down, we want a slower pace of life,

and if we can start a small business ourselves and work together,

we think that's what that will give us.

And the small business they'd like to take on together

would be in hospitality.

We'd like to get a place with maybe a couple of cottages on

so we could do holiday lets,

or if we saw a particularly nice house in a particularly nice area

with the other criteria, maybe even bed and breakfast.

They've spending their last nine years getting their current home

the way they want it,

but are very flexible about the style of any new property.

We just want some space inside but we don't need a big house.

I think my benchmark, I've always said,

as long as I can't poke the fire by sitting in the settee

and there's enough space for that, that'll be fine.

And Mark has some conditions, too,

which come from his passion for motors.

I have a classic car collection from sort of 1976 up to 2000,

and a number of motorcycles.

I tend to buy cars that the engines are broken

and then I bring them back to life.

Buddug's concern is the house and really my main concern is the garage.

And there are other activities they'd like to continue as a couple.

We love dancing.

Started a number of years ago and haven't been able to stop.

We were going to learn to jive

and then from jiving we sort of got caught

in to doing a number of other dances.

Recently taken up Argentine tango which is great fun.

So definitely when we move to Wales we want to continue that.

With their house under offer, the move will bring to fruition

a long-held dream to be living in the Welsh countryside.

We've talked about it for a long time from when we holidayed years ago

and we've stayed in some lovely houses

and we've always said it would be smashing to have a house like this.

Hopefully that's what we'll end up with now.

Something where you wake up and you look out of each window

and there's a view.

That's what we really want, isn't it?

Mark and Buddug are looking to move to their cherished North Wales

and in particular, the Snowdonia National Park,

which provides some of the finest scenery in the UK.

But first, I need to find out a little more.

Well, Mark, Buddug, welcome back to Snowdonia.

-Yes, thank you.

-Look at it.

There it is shrouded in clouds with a little bit of sunshine.

Geez, stunning scenery.

Every road you drive around you're hit with just a spectacular view.

-But this is kind of coming home for you, isn't it?

-It is coming home.

It's where we holidayed for years and it's home for me, Wales.

-Big smile, isn't it?

-I know.

We talked about it for so long

and now I feel like we are actually taking the steps.

Fantastic. Can't wait.

And the house that you have in mind,

is it your classic stone-built North Walian cottage?

I'm not so fussed about what it looks like on the outside.

I don't think...

In fact, you could give me a tent popped over nice grounds like this

and I wouldn't care about the house to be honest.

You want to be careful what you wish for. That's quite interesting.

First of all, yes,

thinking typically stone-built Welsh cottage that maybe needs some work.

We're quite keen to put up our own stamp on wherever we live, really.

I'm not one for sitting still, so a project wouldn't frighten us.

It doesn't have to be old, it doesn't have to be new,

-but it does have to have somewhere for six cars...

-Four motorbikes.

-Four motorbikes.

-Oh, and possibly in income.

Now, let's talk about the income because this is where the budget

gets a little bit challenged, doesn't it?

You've got ideally £400,000,

but you would be prepared to go to maybe £450,000.

-Sure.

-You're thinking holiday lets.

Thinking holiday lets or potentially bed and breakfast.

We wouldn't mind a small bed and breakfast.

Something that I could give up work and we could be together

and have our own little business working from home.

We don't need a big house, do we?

But we've gotten used to having space so we do want space.

I like the idea of the big kitchen/family room.

That's the hub of the house where we were before so that's what we want.

-A nice big kitchen.

-And how many bedrooms?

-Three, four?

-Three?

-Let's see what we can find you.

We've got three properties lined up,

one of which is our mystery house, which is really interesting...

-I think.

-Great.

-Can't wait.

-Let's get to property one. Come on.

-Fantastic.

So for a maximum budget of £450,000,

our buyers are looking for a traditional Welsh property

with three to four bedrooms, a large farmhouse kitchen for Buddug,

and space to build a garage for Mark's motor collection.

They're seeking some kind of holiday business potential

and are happy to take on some remodelling work.

We've uncovered three excellent options

which are all set in stunning scenery.

With each property, I won't be revealing how much

they're on the market for until after our house tour.

Our final offering, of course, is the mystery house,

which gives our house hunters

something they won't have been expecting.

Now, have you ever run a B&B or holiday let business before?

No, but we're not frightened of hard work.

We know it's going to be hard work

and we've been working for ourselves so we like the idea of that.

And I say it's my 'hiraeth', you know, you just can't...

'Hiraeth' is a really good word.

I was talking about this the other day to somebody.

This sense of homecoming.

It's a really romantic yearning for Wales and the mountains.

Yeah, it's really interesting, the 'hiraeth'.

So you've got plenty of 'hiraeth'?

-I'm full of 'hiraeth'.

-Homecoming.

To kick off our Welsh house hunt,

we're starting within the eastern boundaries

of the Snowdonia National Park and the town of Bala.

It's a small, historic market town with shops, restaurants,

and amenities for residents and visitors alike.

In season, the area attracts tourists who use Bala

and the surrounding villages as a base to explore

the scenic Welsh countryside.

Four miles from Bala itself

and in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

is our first property.

Right, then, this is our number one.

-We've gone for the traditional, classic Welsh stone.

-Yeah.

And these are some stones. Look at them. Absolutely enormous.

And of course, it has that outbuilding,

which I think, comfortably, is at least two holiday lets.

-It needs a bit of work.

-Needs a bit of work, yeah, yeah.

-But we have thought about that, OK?

-I like the look of the house.

I really like the look of it. The scenery is fantastic.

I love where it is.

I'm just conscious - I think I can hear the road.

I don't want to be negative but I think I can hear the road.

There's a little hum in the distance,

but then that's where the business comes from, I suppose.

No, that's right. And I'm forgetting that.

We don't want to be somewhere that's so isolated

that people can't get to.

So yeah, yeah... I'll go with that. Let's look.

-Shall we?

-Let's look.

-Come on, then.

So the road in the distance has raised a concern

but this traditional 300-year-old Welsh stone cottage

set in six acres of countryside is a classic Snowdonian retreat,

and is currently used as a holiday property.

But will the inside entice them any more?

Follow me in, Buddug.

Let's start with the living room.

Nice feature beams. Lovely.

-Ooh, a bit quieter than I was expecting from you all.

-Yeah.

I like the stone.

I think would come from sort of quite a large house

so the initial reaction, you know, is the reason why I'm slightly subdued.

One of my criteria was that I didn't want to be able to sit on my settee

and poke the fire.

It's nice, it's cosy, and it's warm, but it seems small.

-Let it grow.

-Yes.

-Yes, yes.

-Let it grow. Come into the kitchen.

Having said they don't want a big house,

it does seem like size is important.

Luckily, this house can deliver

on Buddug's desire for a good farmhouse kitchen.

-Oh, I like that.

-OK.

-Yeah?

-That's a family sized kitchen.

The kitchen, you know, you could happily start again with this,

you know? And update it.

But as a space, the kitchen, I don't dislike it at all.

And the floor.

-I mean, that's a Welsh floor, isn't it?

-Yeah.

I can see another room in there.

Yeah, there is a little sort of utility area through there

and there's also another room downstairs

which they've got currently as a room with bunk beds in.

-Mm-hm.

-Let's go up.

This downstairs fourth bedroom could be turned

into a further living space as there are three bedrooms upstairs.

One currently is used as a twin, another a reasonable double,

and finally, the principal bedroom.

This is the one that we are saying is the master,

just cos it is the biggest.

Surprisingly big, actually, given the vaulted ceiling.

I think after downstairs it's bigger than what I imagined.

-But, yeah, it's OK.

-Family bathroom across the landing.

We're not growing, are we? It's not sticking.

Desperately trying, desperately trying.

When you said three bedrooms upstairs I imagined,

"Oh, gosh, they're going to be really, really small."

But they're not. It's spacious and they like the sp... I'm not sure.

Perhaps I need to just walk around a bit more.

Come on, let's go have a look at the outside

to see what you make of that.

The cottagey dimensions don't seem to be appealing to Mark and Buddug,

but I'm not giving up yet.

There is a large outbuilding to explore which could throw up

some interesting options.

So let's get our creative...hats on.

Look at this.

-Now, as you can see, it does need a little bit of...sorting out.

-TLC.

I mean, I look at this and think, you know, the walls are all good.

Yeah, it's a usable space for sure.

It's certainly big enough for two very comfortable lets.

Or maybe let the cottage and have this as your living accommodation.

What is the view through there? I can't see anything.

Well, it's pretty overgrown at the moment,

but two of your six acres, more or less, are in that direction.

So you could give yourselves your own view.

I'm liking the idea of living in here.

Nice open kitchen/dining room. Nice views.

Little wood burner on the side.

Yeah, just wondering how long it's going to take and when can we start.

Well, let's think about the money first.

Come on, let's find somewhere for a chat.

As there is planning permission to convert this barn

into a two to three bedroom dwelling,

Mark and Buddug are finally seeing this as a good prospect,

but it does all depend on the price.

-So, you wanted a view?

-We wanted a view. We got a view, didn't we?

I think it's got more potential than when I first...

when we first rolled up earlier on.

I would want to develop the barn to live in

and maybe rent the cottage out.

There's plenty of space for cars.

-Well, all of that's going to depend on the price.

-Sure.

So, make me an offer, Buddug. Property number one.

-OK, it's a lot of land...

-Mm-hm.

And potentially you've got two buildings

but you can't count that as the building yet, so...

I don't even think £300,000. £280,000? £290,000? I don't know.

I wouldn't want to pay over £300,000 for it, so around... Sub £300,000.

£295,000, something like that.

That's what I would be looking to pay for it, too,

-cos it's on the market at £295,000.

-No way!

So there's £150,000, potentially left over.

-And of course it's open to offers.

-Sure.

So, it's well under budget.

-I might be liking it more and more.

-Money talks, doesn't it?

The sun is shining.

I'm going to give you a little bit of time to wander around

-at your leisure. Go on, then. Off you go.

-Excellent.

I'll catch up with you a little bit later on.

With £150,000 worth of change from their maximum budget,

this traditional Welsh stone cottage could offer them two options.

The first, a four bedroom home

with a barn to be converted into holiday lets,

or a barn to be developed into a home for Mark and Buddug

with a ready-made holiday cottage alongside.

And there is space to build a garage for Mark's cars.

I like the outside look of the house.

Traditionally what you'd imagine for a Welsh property,

a Welsh country cottage.

The space inside the house I like.

I think it's nice as a holiday home

but I think to live in permanently,

I think it's just a little bit too small.

I mean, it is traditional, oldy-worldy type cottage.

My initial thoughts were that's what we probably wanted.

I'm not 100% sure on that now.

Looking round and looking at the land,

the potential of the barn

and the possibility of letting out the cottage

becomes a better proposition.

-All done?

-All done.

-Very good.

Well, an uphill climb with this one in many respects, but, £295,000.

And open for offers.

-It's worth thinking about.

-Yeah, potential.

-Come on.

As our buyers are keen dancers and want to continue their hobby

when they moved to Wales, we've arranged for them

to experience more North Walian culture

by learning a traditional dance.

We're sending them to the now disused slate quarry of Dinorwig,

in the shadow of Elidir Mountain.

All will be revealed by folk dancer, Idwal Williams.

'Croeso', welcome to the National Welsh Slate Museum in Llanberis.

Now the reason I'm here is because one of the things

that the slate quarry workers would do over time

is they would clog.

What's the history behind Welsh clogging?

Well, the workers here, some were local,

but some came from Anglesey and they'd have to stay in the barracks.

They would entertain themselves.

Part of the entertainment would be singing,

part would be reciting, telling stories, but they also clogged.

Not every night, of course,

because it was hard work up in these quarries.

Was it for everyone the clog dancing or just the quarry folk?

No, it was for everybody. The local farm workers would do it as well.

It would be used for competitions in the local fairs.

-Are you ready to go in and see what we've got?

-Yes, come on, let's.

The miners would have worn wooden shoes

with a horseshoe nailed into the bottom to add grip

and were known to dance on the slate in these clogs.

Clog dancing is now a firmly established Welsh tradition

at the world-famous Eisteddfod cultural festival.

Idwall and his wife, Bethan, have been folk dancing for 40 years

and will be taking Mark and Buddug through the paces.

We'll start with the basic strut.

The clogs are used musically.

Striking the heel and toe to the floor adds percussion to the dance.

That's the simple part. We're going to go...

Oh, are we?

That's what I would call a shuffle that comes after the basic heel-toe.

-Shall we just do a scissors?

-Yes, let's.

So we need to start with our feet...

And then we're going to cross.

And apart. And cross behind.

And apart.

So, shall be the sequence together? All of it with the music.

That would be quite nice.

So we'll put the scissors in at the end and do it altogether.

MUSIC PLAYS

Shuffle.

Skips back.

Scissors.

-Oh, well done!

-We got a nice click there, didn't we?

Bethan, you're frock's fantastic. Is that traditional?

Yes, it is traditional.

And the harp and the fiddle,

-are they traditional instruments, as well?

-They are.

They're what you would have used in Wales for the last 300-400 years.

Guys, how about you show us how it's really done?

Well, we've got a little sequence that we put together

so we're going to try it off for you.

Gosh, well done, guys.

Well, having taken their first steps in Welsh clogging,

it's time to point those feet back to the house hunt,

as we've got plenty more to see.

For our next property, we're heading to the western edge

of the Snowdonia National Park to the pretty village of Beddgelert.

Set in a beautiful valley with the River Colwyn running through,

in holiday season it's a tourist hotspot.

There are classic stone buildings, a picturesque bridge,

and dramatic mountain scenery as a backdrop.

Ten minutes from Beddgelert in a secluded valley

running along the Dolfriog Woods

is the appealing location of our second property.

Well, chaps, property number two.

I'm very excited about this one

because as you can probably see, this is a different proposition

entirely to property number one.

I'm excited.

And we've not seen the property.

There was a slight road issue with property number one.

-How quiet is this?

-Yes.

-Nice.

-Yeah, this is...

-You can hear the river.

-This is more like it.

-You've got 14 acres here.

-Gasp!

-Yeah!

14 acres, a series of outbuildings.

I think this could be a real solution.

-There you are. I've stuck my neck out.

-Yes.

But I'm really excited about this one. Come on.

The setting here is one of this property's major draws

and would be tempting to holiday-makers.

At the heart of it is this single storey converted barn.

There. Now, I suppose technically this is the back of it

but I think it's really gives you a sense of what's on offer.

This kind of U-shape.

Basically kitchen/diner there.

-Living rooms and so forth, and then into master suite at that end.

-OK.

-What do you think, Buddug?

-I don't know.

It looks narrow but I need to get inside.

I went to get inside and have a look. I love the spaces.

It's fantastic. I need to see more. I want to see more.

-This is more exciting, Mark, isn't it?

-Yeah, this is exciting.

There is potential here. Straightaway, you can see it.

-Right, let's see what you think of the inside. Come on.

-Cool.

Well, a better start this time,

but Buddug is still worried about internal space

in this three bedroom property.

I think her fears will vanish once we get inside.

-So what about this, then?

-Oh.

-That's more like it.

-Yeah, I like it.

-Yeah?

Yeah, that's a sizable room, isn't it? That's a more usable kitchen.

That's why I like kitchens.

Somewhere to sit when you're cooking, lovely.

It's just a totally different scenario from the cottage.

It is, indeed. Look at your face. This is brilliant.

-I can see myself living here, Mark.

-That's what I was waiting to hear.

-So that's just the kitchen and we're moving in.

-You're moving in already?

Well, let's see if we can keep it going. Have a look at this.

This is the living room. I think you might like this, too, actually.

Yeah, you come in and it feels...it feels like home. It feels nice.

-It feels open.

-Wheels are turning, aren't they?

-Yeah, they are.

-Absolutely.

-In a good way?

-Yeah.

For sure.

There is a family bathroom and currently three bedrooms,

but a slightly unconventional layout makes it right for remodelling.

There's one stand-alone double room

and the other two bedrooms are adjoined.

Now, technically this is bedroom two of three,

but they use it as a sort of annexe to the master bedroom

which is through there, giving you something of a sort of...

your own little sitting room, or dressing room, or whatever.

-Is it better and bigger than you thought?

-Yes.

I did worry outside, "Oh, gosh, it's another small place again."

And be don't need a big house

but I just don't want to feel like I'm in a small place.

Yes, so I like the space.

There you go.

My initial thought is this could come out.

-Yeah.

-And make a, you know, a really nice en suite.

Hm, I wonder. Lots of thoughts. This is good.

-There's lots more constructive thinking going on.

-Yeah, absolutely.

But, it's outside, isn't it?

It's the holiday lets we really need to explore.

You see, you forgot all about it!

-You got sucked into just buying a home.

-Yeah, one of us has.

THEY LAUGH

So the inside of this house delivers everything Buddug can ask for,

and I'm hoping outside will be just as positive for Mark.

So, 14 acres you know about, and of course these outbuildings.

Now, I think these are quite interesting.

This one here has had a bit of work done on it.

The roof's very sound, the floor's been done.

Obviously needs to be finished to a domestic spec.

I would say probably a one-bedroom let.

-Yes.

-That one is currently a stable block.

It's a bit bigger and I think that would probably do on its own,

but the nice thing is you've got these two very independent buildings

which have their own space.

And, they're separate from you in the main house back down the drive.

They both really milk that view.

I don't think I'm quite taking it all in just how much land there is.

-There's a lot of land.

-What's it worth, then?

-Oh, gosh.

-Gosh.

I'm saying top budget. Is it £400,000? Is it that much?

Is it £400,000, Mark?

I'd like to think, thinking of our budget, around about £350,000.

It's only been on the market four weeks, but it's on the market for...

-..£430,000.

-Yeah.

-All right?

I wish it were £350,000, mate,

but I think, bearing in mind we are right in the heart of the park.

-Yeah.

-I'm not surprised you've said that but in my head, obviously,

I got our budget and to manufacture two holiday lets

out of the property that we've got is going to be a big chunk.

-But it's worth thinking about.

-Oh, yeah.

-It's open to offers.

But in the meantime, go and explore these outbuildings

and see what might be needed.

See if you can make it work.

Off you go. I'll catch you later.

Dipping £30,000 into their contingency fund,

this converted barn gives Mark and Buddug

the big sociable kitchen they're after,

good outbuildings to make

some spectacular independent holiday lets from,

and plenty of room for a garage as it's all set in 14 acres

of magnificent Welsh scenery.

Oh, nice slate floor. It looks like it's watertight as well.

Could you not just put like a mezzanine in with just the bed, no?

Studio apartment maybe with the stunning views outside.

First thoughts...

To be honest, I wasn't sure,

but once we got inside, I really liked it.

I like the kitchen - the size of it, the feel of space,

the light through the windows.

And I think the business potential here

is more than we thought of

and I think we'd really need to look at that

and how we're going to manage that.

It's a big project. There is a huge amount of land out there.

Outbuildings, which need a lot of money spending on them.

But, a great place and I think a lot of talking tonight

with Buddug and myself.

Where have they got to?

There are certainly plenty of places to get lost around here. Hello?

-Hello!

-Where are you?

-We're here.

-Ah, out you come.

-What do you think of this one, then?

-It's a big plot of land.

-It's a very exciting prospect.

-Lot to see.

-Good day.

-Lots to think about.

-I think our day is finished on a high.

-On a high, definitely.

Let's go celebrate. Come on.

It's the second day of our house hunt with Mark and Buddug

who are swapping a hectic life in Southend, Essex,

for a house and holiday rental business

in Snowdonia, in North Wales,

with a budget of £450,000.

Coming up, the house hunt continues to be a challenge.

You are a conundrum to me.

-That's what he's said before.

-Get used to it.

And I visit one of the region's hidden treasures.

Well, of course it is now our final day of house hunting

and we have one more property to see.

But today is going to be something of a first for Escape To The Country

because when you think about the breadth and depth

of the housing market,

it shouldn't be surprising that there may just be an occasion

when having shown a property to one set of buyers,

we might also think that it's relevant to another set.

And that is what is about to happen

because although our hidden mystery house is just that,

a mystery to Mark and Buddug, it's not to me,

cos I've been there before.

For our final property, I'm taking Mark and Buddug

outside of the national park to the village of Carno.

Officially in Mid Wales, it's just 20 minutes from the park boundary,

but a world away in terms of affordability.

There's a local church here, a pub,

and it's still set in the kind of rural Welsh landscape they're after.

A five minute drive from the village and set down a small country road

is our mystery house which I have high hopes for.

-Well, here we are at last. Our mystery house.

-Mystery house.

-Yeah, initial, I like the look of it.

-Good.

As you approach it out like the look of it. It's symmetrical.

THEY LAUGH

It's a really pretty cottage, this. Very, very cosy.

But the reason we're here, well, there are many factors at play.

We've come out of the park to get you that bit more for your money.

Here, they have two holiday lets that are ready to go.

It's a turnkey business, this.

What's more, this isn't the first time we've shown this property

on Escape To The Country.

-Ah.

-Because we were here about three years ago and we'd sold it.

But, unfortunately, the deal fell through

so I'm going to turn the tour on its head slightly.

We'll come back to the cottage in a minutes.

Let's deal with the lets and the business end

and see if that whets your appetite for what might be the future.

A converted barn screened from the main house by a hedgerow

offers two generously-sized holiday lets.

Now these are huge. Both of these lets have two double bedrooms each.

One there, one there, all right? And then this is rather nice.

The kind of living room and diner as it were.

Quite a nicely appointed kitchen through there.

What would you think if you came on holiday to this?

I think if you were here on holiday for a week it's very nice, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-It's nice and clean, open, I like the wooden floor.

-This is just one?

-This is just one, yeah.

The next one is upstairs.

Needing no major work,

I think these are definitely peaking Mark and Buddug's interest.

-Oh, wow.

-So this one is, again, and exact duplicate of what's below.

Then in here, once again, you're living/diner.

It's very nice, isn't it? It's spacious.

-So you are smiling quite nicely at the moment.

-You're winning.

I'm starting to like it and I didn't want to like it.

I'm out of North Wales. I'm out of my comfort zone.

I like it.

-And we haven't seen the cottage yet.

-My plan is working. Come on.

There's a third unfinished space to this barn which currently houses

a workshop and office, but the main property is a handsome

three-bedroom traditional stone farmhouse.

Now this has a very different kind of feel, I think,

to the holiday lets.

-That's nice.

-Yeah.

-It's welcoming, isn't it?

-Yeah. Yeah, it's nice. It's nice.

I'm struggling because it's not where I wanted to be.

It's out of North Wales at the moment. That's all it is.

There's also a large connecting room

which is currently used as a dining space.

Then leading off the dining room is the kitchen.

Now I know what you're going to say...

It's not the big farmhouse kitchen

-that I know you've been talking about.

-Yeah.

-This isn't small.

-No. No, it's not small.

It's kind of a big galley kitchen, I suppose.

I like it better than the other one as well. Than house number two.

-I do. I like the kitchen better than house number two.

-Do you?

-Yes.

-Wow.

-This is...

-You are a conundrum to me.

-That's what they've said before.

-Get used to it!

Yeah, well, I am getting used to it. Let's have a look upstairs.

Off the kitchen, there's a utility room and a WC,

which completes the rooms on the ground floor.

Upstairs, there's a particularly large family bathroom,

two good-sized doubles,

and then the master bedroom.

Now this, we're saying, is the master.

It's by far the biggest.

It's got lots of storage.

Yeah, I like it. It's stretched. A bit of cupboard space, yeah.

-It's a big room.

-Yes, it's a big room.

There's plenty of room on either side of the bed.

There's plenty of length.

Our bed's bigger than that, but it still big enough, is it?

Now, I remember at property one,

the price when it was revealed

-did make quite a difference to your thinking.

-Yeah.

-Let's go outside and talk numbers.

-OK.

-Yeah? Go on, after you.

The garden is a relatively modest half an acre

but the plot is surrounded by glorious countryside.

Let's think about the price then, Buddug.

Now I'm worried now cos I wasn't sure I'd like it at first.

Now I think I might like it and I'm afraid I might not like the price.

So, you've got £450,000 for the right thing.

What's our mystery house worth, then?

I think because it's got the up and running business already,

I think we're looking near the top of our budget.

I think looking at about £430,000.

-£430,000, yeah?

-I'm of the same opinion.

It's an up and running business. I think it's over £400,000 for sure.

If it was around the £400,000 mark, would it be interesting?

Yeah, absolutely.

I would say it would be very interesting

if it was on the market for £369,999.

-That's £80,000 under budget.

-Yeah, yeah, yeah.

-And it's ready to go.

That's a new car, Jules.

That's not a new car, Mark.

That gives you the money to get a website up and running

and get that third holiday let up and running.

Well, go and have a look around.

Think about what that offer might be,

and just imagine what you might do with the spare cash

to get this into the kind of business

you want it to be in a hurry.

-That's not a new car. Come on.

-Off you go. It's not a new car.

That's an argument that's going to go on, and on, and on.

Now, very unusually, as I said when we arrived,

we have seen this property before on Escape To The Country.

We very nearly sold it then. Can we sell it again, I wonder? We might.

For well under their top budget of £450,000,

this is a fantastic prospect.

On offer is a generous three-bedroom main house,

two large and ready-to-go holiday lets,

views to fantastic rural scenery,

and just about enough land to house Mark's vehicles.

But, can they get their heads around being located

that little bit further south?

-Oh, wow. This is good.

-OK, some space, isn't there?

-It's a fair size.

-What would you do, kitchen?

-Get all the stuff out.

-Kitchen/diner, kitchen/lounge.

-Yeah.

I think it's OK. I think it's good. I'm excited.

My initial thoughts to this mystery house

were that I didn't want to get out of the car.

I felt we had driven too far away from where I felt I wanted to be,

which is North Wales.

Possibly I've been proven wrong

because the holiday lets are just fantastic.

I think it's really turned my opinion is the fact... Is a budget.

It's at our lower end of budget

and the fact that Buddug and I can be here together a lot quicker.

Well, it's certainly on the possibility list.

I think of the three properties we've seen,

this is the one that would want to look at again.

Buddug, Mark, look at you two. Happier house hunters, I think.

-Happy, I know.

-Very happy. Very excited.

Well, look, two properties, really, here.

And what a price.

Yeah, there's a lot of room for thought

and a lot of room for what you could do here for that.

-Well, let's go and think about it.

-Let's.

-Come on.

Set in the hilly and wooded countryside

of the Conwy Valley lies one of the UK's most treasured gardens.

The Bodnant Garden was created in 1874

when industrialist Henry Pochin, who found fame and fortune in soap,

bought the estate and began with Victorian zeal

to plant a garden filled with new and fascinating species.

140 years on and I'm meeting garden supervisor, Bill Worrell,

to examine this horticultural gem.

-What a beautiful garden!

-Yes.

I mean, this is such a good setting, isn't it?

Well, you're seeing it on an absolutely fantastic day.

-Tell us the story.

-Well, the family moved here in 1874.

They started developing the garden, really, from there.

The terraces here were built between 1904 and 1914.

So, they really set about capturing that view

of the Carneddau, didn't they?

Yes, this is the absolute archetypal burrowed landscapes.

You've got the wonderful landscape in the garden,

but then it burrows from the fantastic mountains just over there.

Now you've got this rather exotic Himalayan garden, I understand.

Absolutely. It was put together in the 1880s,

so the first time in 130 years, people can actually see it.

It's full of wonderful Rhododendrons, magnolias, azaleas.

We're just really excited people can now see it.

The rugged environment of Snowdonia proved to be well suited

to many Asian plants,

particularly Himalayan examples like Rhododendrons.

Well, Bill, this is an absolute picture. What is it?

This is a Rhododendrons called Pink Diamond.

It's got wonderful, big, pale pink blooms which are absolutely huge.

Then of course it has a lovely scent as well.

-I've never seen one like this before.

-Yeah, it's great.

Oh, that's gorgeous. It's a really soft but rich smell, isn't it?

Fantastic.

It has a certain exoticism

and a certain sense of the tropical down here, bizarrely.

You've got this wonderful mature canopy with the mature trees

like your oaks, and your ash, and your sycamore..

Then, of course, you've got exotics like your American Skunk-cabbage

underneath which is the rather aromatic, shall we say,

large-leaf plant over there.

I was going to say, is that what I can smell?

-There is the most astonishing smell here today.

-Absolutely.

That's beloved of bears.

They get up in the spring and that's their favourite snack

when they wake up after hibernation.

Many of the rare species at Bodnant were gathered on daring expeditions

down Chinese gorges

and up to the Himalayan mountain tops in the early 1900s

by famous plant hunters, George Forrest and Frank Kingdon-Ward.

Now is there any of the planting here that original from those days,

from seeds that were brought back by those expeditions?

We think that this wonderful large Rhododendron,

which is huge for a Rhododendron, was grown from seeds

from one of those expeditions from either Forrest or Kingdon-Ward.

-Isn't that incredible?

-Yeah, wonderful thing.

And now for the first time this year it's open to the general public.

-You must be very excited.

-Yeah, we're delighted.

We think the paths were laid down in the 1880s, of course,

the public haven't really been able to see it until now, so it's great.

Now the work of opening up the remaining 80 acres of Bodnant

-is ongoing.

-It is, indeed.

We've got another ten acres down the bottom of the garden.

-The far end. I'd love to show you that.

-Let's go.

A team of gardeners and dedicated volunteers are working hard

to get this next area ready for the first visitors.

Well, Bill, you really have kept the best for last.

I just love a water feature and this is beautiful.

We're standing next to the skating pond.

Which, of course, people skated on in days gone by.

Hard to imagine on a day like today.

It did really freeze very hard three years ago, 2010, that winter.

And what do you think old Henry Pochin would've made of the garden

now 140 years on from when he first laid it out?

I think he wouldn't recognise it but I think he'd absolutely love it.

And I would have to agree.

Hopefully, treasures like this will be on the doorstep

for our house hunters very soon.

Well, we have certainly covered some miles this week here in Wales

trying to find Buddug and Mark their home for the future.

I'm crossing everything that we might just have done it.

So, you two, we've given you some time to think about everything

we've had the chance to show you.

We came in here looking for a home and a business.

Have we managed to get there with our properties?

-Well, think we have, haven't we?

-Yeah.

-Unbelievably, I think you have.

Oh, ye of little faith.

It was an interesting route that we took,

both in terms of geography and emotion, I think.

So, then, let's cut to the quick.

When we arrived at our mystery house,

you did seem quite reticent if I'm honest,

despite the veneer of optimism that you brought to the day.

But at some point your mood completely changed. When was that?

Well, I didn't like it initially because of where it was.

We were driving to Mid Wales

and that wasn't where I wanted to be.

That said, I think seeing the holiday accommodation all set up,

ready to go, that house swayed me because that's what we want.

We want a business that we can work on together

and that gives us that there ready, now. Ready to go.

You've obviously had time to let it sink in and consider the options.

I've seen change in many respects

from where you thought you wanted to be,

but it still offers you some really interesting possibilities.

Yeah, absolutely.

I have realised that we were probably stretching our budget

to get... Have an up-and-running business,

but we're not out in Mongolia.

We're a few miles out of the national park.

The mystery property has jumped right into our box.

So what happens next, then?

We are going to go away.

We're going to have a serious think,

but my gut reaction is that this is the property

that we would probably make an offer on.

-Well, best of luck to you two.

-Thank you.

-Pleasure.

Now, of course, we started up north in the mountains of Snowdonia

and we've ended up here in the heart of Mid Wales. But I think that's OK.

Throughout our search, Buddug in particular has talked about

that lovely Welsh word, 'hiraeth' - homecoming, a longing for Wales.

Well, now with any luck, we found her a home in which she can remain.

I'll see you next time.

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