0:00:02 > 0:00:04When is a harbour not a harbour?
0:00:04 > 0:00:06That's not actually a joke or a puzzle,
0:00:06 > 0:00:08but I will reveal the answer in just a moment.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28Today's buyers, Rachel and Carl, want to swap their urban life
0:00:28 > 0:00:30in London for a coastal escape.
0:00:30 > 0:00:35We introduce them to the neighbours and confound their expectations.
0:00:35 > 0:00:36There's a lot to take in.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39I wasn't quite expecting everything like this.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42- Brain is whirring.- Wow. - Wow.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45Today I'm in Cornwall, and this is Pentewan Harbour
0:00:45 > 0:00:48which, until relatively recently, was indeed a harbour.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51In fact, for centuries it was a busy fishing port.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55And in Victorian times, it shipped a third of the country's china clay.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59But problems with silting and the rise of rival ports,
0:00:59 > 0:01:02like Charlestown and Par, led to this harbour's downfall.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04The last ship sailed in 1940
0:01:04 > 0:01:08and the mouth of the harbour is now completely silted up.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10The water-filled basin remains,
0:01:10 > 0:01:14but as you can see, Pentewan Harbour is really just a village pond.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20Cornwall, a peninsular in south west England, is surrounded by sea
0:01:20 > 0:01:23but for the border it shares with its only neighbour, Devon.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28It's defined by over 400 miles of spectacular coastline.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32The dramatic granite cliffs, perfect bathing beaches and pretty
0:01:32 > 0:01:36harbour towns have all made Cornwall the UK's holiday hotspot.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42Tourism is now the county's main income, contributing over 1.1
0:01:42 > 0:01:46billion much needed pounds to the local economy.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49On the north coast, one of the popular destinations is the
0:01:49 > 0:01:51town of St Ives.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54And it's no surprise, with its picture-perfect winding streets,
0:01:54 > 0:01:59family-friendly sandy beaches and the beautifully designed Tate art
0:01:59 > 0:02:02gallery, you'd want to spend more than a weekend to take it all in.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07The south side of the coast doesn't disappoint either.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10Villages such as Pentewan offer staggeringly beautiful beaches,
0:02:10 > 0:02:13ideal for swimming and sunbathing.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17And harbour walls at villages like Mevagissey, lend themselves
0:02:17 > 0:02:19perfectly for a spot of crabbing.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21Or just for sitting on to enjoy the view that's remained
0:02:21 > 0:02:24unchanged for decades.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30Alongside that cornucopia of Cornish bounty there is more good news.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33Properties here are not too expensive.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36Of course if you want to live with a sea view in a period
0:02:36 > 0:02:39property on the coast, then you will have to dig deep.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42But if you're planning to move to this county, consider this -
0:02:42 > 0:02:47an average detached house here costs £266,000.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50Which is £10,000 less than the rest of the country.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52And what about our discerning buyers this week?
0:02:52 > 0:02:56What are they after? Well, let's meet them and find out.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59Rachel and Carl have been married for 16 years.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02And it was house buying that first brought them together.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05We met because Rachel did my mortgage.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07I guess she liked what she saw on the bank statements.
0:03:07 > 0:03:08That is true.
0:03:08 > 0:03:13I take getting to know my customer very seriously.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17Rachel is a financial adviser, while Carl is an IT consultant.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21And their current ground floor flat in Beckenham, southeast London,
0:03:21 > 0:03:24has suited their busy London lifestyle.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26We currently live in Beckenham, which is southeast London.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29- We've lived in this exact flat for ten years.- Yeah.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32Almost ten years to the day.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36We bought this area because of its good commute into London.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40The area has worked well for them, but Rachel has had multiple
0:03:40 > 0:03:44sclerosis for 20 years and is now finding it harder to move about.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48They've decided to escape the city and move somewhere rural,
0:03:48 > 0:03:51that they hope will make both of their lives a little easier.
0:03:51 > 0:03:52My health used to be quite good.
0:03:52 > 0:03:57We've done lots of awesome things whilst it was good.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01But now it's moved into sort of more of a progressive phase.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03So I'm not able to do as much as I could before
0:04:03 > 0:04:05and get tired very easily.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08Can't really move about as much.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11So we're just looking at what our next challenge is,
0:04:11 > 0:04:13and find lots of things that we can do
0:04:13 > 0:04:18- rather than be reminded of the things that we can't any more.- Exactly.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21After visiting close friends in St Austell, they've decided that
0:04:21 > 0:04:24Cornwall could be just what they're looking for.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27We want to move to Cornwall because every time we go there it's
0:04:27 > 0:04:30the kind of place you just fall in love with over and over again.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33I've got this big dream of living by the seaside and him
0:04:33 > 0:04:35letting me do that, which is great.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39But their move means they need to find more than just a house.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41They also need to start a new business.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43I can't do my job in Cornwall.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45Rachel doesn't want to do her job.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48So we want a property that offers business potential.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52So either a B&B, holiday lets, maybe a campsite.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54It's a step into the unknown for both of them
0:04:54 > 0:04:56but one they're relishing.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00You can go anywhere you like for a wonderful cream tea which
0:05:00 > 0:05:03we're known to enjoy one or two.
0:05:03 > 0:05:08And it's just a really relaxed pace of life that I like.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10It just looks beautiful.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14You live every day, like, on a postcard which is lovely.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21For our search we're concentrating on central Cornwall.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24Ideally they'd like to be near their friends in St Austell.
0:05:24 > 0:05:25And somewhere rural yet close
0:05:25 > 0:05:28to holiday-makers for their new business.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32I'm going to meet them to dig into the details of their proposed move.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34- Welcome to Cornwall. - Thank you.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36And what a lovely part of the world. And it's interesting
0:05:36 > 0:05:40cos you've moved from a very busy bit of London to quite a remote corner of the country.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44Are you ready for that remoteness? You don't want to be in a town or a...?
0:05:44 > 0:05:46Not a town. We're happy with a village,
0:05:46 > 0:05:48so if there are some kind of amenities there.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51A pub, or post office, or a corner shop that would be fine.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53But not a large town because of Rachel's mobility.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56We want a place which is less crowded.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59In terms of the MS and how that's going to affect the house, I suppose
0:05:59 > 0:06:02ideally you're looking for somewhere that's on one level, are you?
0:06:02 > 0:06:05In an ideal world, yes, that would be our preferred option.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09Because that just makes it so much easier for me to get around.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13We have sort of said, look, we would consider somewhere that has one flight of stairs
0:06:13 > 0:06:15because we can put a stairlift in.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19Less rooms but bigger rooms is our ideal.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23We're not the sort of people where, like, a really quirky,
0:06:23 > 0:06:27rickety cottage, that doesn't really work for us at all.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31What about the actual business side? What are you actually going to do?
0:06:31 > 0:06:34Excellent question. We don't have an answer.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37We're not sure, we just know that we need to earn some money
0:06:37 > 0:06:40because we're packing our jobs in in London.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43So we're looking at different options. Either B&B, holiday lets.
0:06:43 > 0:06:47I'm quite keen on something where we can add value to the property.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50So it would be nice to have a business where we can have an income.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53But I'd quite like to add some capital value as well by maybe
0:06:53 > 0:06:55building some store houses.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58Or maybe putting a new kitchen in, if we need to do a new kitchen.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00Or a downstairs bathroom for Rachel, which would be much easier.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02So you're happy to do those things?
0:07:02 > 0:07:04- Yeah.- Absolutely.- Yeah,
0:07:04 > 0:07:06Well, I'm happy to get somebody in to do those things!
0:07:06 > 0:07:09And we know it's unlikely we'll find everything.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11But if it's got the bare bones that we can work from
0:07:11 > 0:07:14and make it what we want, then, you know, that's fine, yeah.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17- And the budget is 500. - Yes, that's right.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19But how much is the war chest?
0:07:19 > 0:07:23We've probably got about up to 150,000 to play with
0:07:23 > 0:07:26for renovations, extra developments.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29And you're also in this amazingly good position.
0:07:29 > 0:07:30You've sold your flat in London.
0:07:30 > 0:07:35You're cash rich, you're every property vendor's dream.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37- Let's hope so. - Let's hope so.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40Flexible. Well, we've got three lovely properties to show you.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42I hope one of them fits the bill.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45- Let's hope so.- Excellent. - Thank you.- Thank you.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48With a healthy budget of 500,000 and £150,000
0:07:48 > 0:07:52extra for work, Carl and Rachel are ideally looking for a single
0:07:52 > 0:07:57storey house but would consider adapting with stairlifts.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00They'd like spacious rooms and at least two bedrooms.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02They're also looking for outbuildings or land to
0:08:02 > 0:08:04convert for their holiday business.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06And location is key.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10They want to be near a potential tourist market, and less than
0:08:10 > 0:08:12an hour from St Austell.
0:08:12 > 0:08:17We found a trio of houses all set within rolling Cornish countryside.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21But we're going to keep the prices a surprise until the end of each tour.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24Our final destination is the Mystery House.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26And it will be a very big surprise.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32For our first property, we're heading to south east Cornwall,
0:08:32 > 0:08:34to the village of St Ive.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38It's just a seven minute drive from the popular market town of Liskeard.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42Liskeard is an ancient town that dates back to Norman times.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46And its buildings are testament to its rich past.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50On the parade is Stuart House, where Charles I lodged in 1644,
0:08:50 > 0:08:53when his forces were chasing the Parliamentarians.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57It's now used as a community building for arts and heritage.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00The Victorian guildhall, built in 1859,
0:09:00 > 0:09:03also remains with its original clock tower.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07Market days are still held every Monday and Thursday.
0:09:07 > 0:09:12And there's an annual fair every July that was first held in 1266.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17Our first house is a five minute drive from Liskeard, and lies
0:09:17 > 0:09:19on the edge of the village of St Ive.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22OK, so this is house number one.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24It's amazing.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28- It's big. It is big, yeah. - Yeah, it's certainly big.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31But you can see you've got some outbuildings out there
0:09:31 > 0:09:33which are ripe for development further down the line.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37But this is an interesting property because it's already got an annexe.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39This door here, this is a completely separate annexe...
0:09:39 > 0:09:41- Oh, OK.- ..which they already rent out.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44And then you've got the actual house here which is where they live.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47I think it's going to make more sense when you look inside,
0:09:47 > 0:09:49cos then you get an idea of what you can do.
0:09:49 > 0:09:50- OK.- OK.- Thanks.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56This remodelled 18th century property is nearly 3,000
0:09:56 > 0:09:58square feet in size.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01We're starting our tour in the kitchen, in the main part of
0:10:01 > 0:10:04the house, where Rachel and Carl could live.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08Step in. It's quite a long kitchen.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11It's not really a galley kitchen, cos it's sort of a bit wide.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14No, it's nice. I mean a kitchen doesn't really need much.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17The floor is lovely. Maybe just change the worktop.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20- Yeah, solid wood floor. - Just to freshen it up.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23But other than that it's a very nice space.
0:10:23 > 0:10:24It's functional, day one.
0:10:24 > 0:10:28- Yeah, yeah it's completely usable. - You wouldn't have to change anything.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32It could be second year or third year but you wouldn't need to.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34No, it's very nice.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38- There's a sort of breakfast area really, dining area.- OK.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41And you've got this sort of lean-to here which, I suppose you
0:10:41 > 0:10:44could think about pushing the kitchen back out to the garden.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48Those are the downstairs loos, sort of wedged in at the end there.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50Yeah, it's always useful.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53The front of the house is certainly the sunnier part in the morning.
0:10:53 > 0:10:54So come through into the sitting room.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57- OK, thank you. - This is a lovely big space.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59You might want to think through the decor.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01It's got a lot of furniture in.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04But if you think what a sort of floor space you've got here,
0:11:04 > 0:11:06it's got a lot of potential.
0:11:06 > 0:11:11No, it has. It's a big room. Lovely fireplaces.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14I do like those. I think it really works.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18Yeah, this has been all revealed as probably the oldest part of the house.
0:11:18 > 0:11:23And you expect a Cornish cottage or house to be quite cramped
0:11:23 > 0:11:25and lower ceiling, but this is really high ceiling as well.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27- Yeah. - It feels really spacious.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30Obviously the stairs are going to be a disaster for you.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33Yeah, that's... my eye is drawn to that.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36The stairs are... not great.
0:11:36 > 0:11:41But you know, we'd have to have a think about the stairs,
0:11:41 > 0:11:45what we would do to make those work better for us.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47Upstairs is three bedrooms, all en suite.
0:11:47 > 0:11:52- Right. - Two good size ones, one smaller.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54- And you could feasibly have those as B&B rooms.- OK.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57- So you don't actually use the upstairs at all.- Yeah, OK.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00Convert all this into your living space.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03The thought... it's kind of just... brain is whirring with
0:12:03 > 0:12:05lots of ideas and thoughts about what you could do.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07Cos there's so much space and, you know,
0:12:07 > 0:12:09lots of options which is good.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12So that's your head part, I want to try and get your heart,
0:12:12 > 0:12:14- cos this room I love.- OK.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18There is a second large living room that could easily be converted
0:12:18 > 0:12:21into a downstairs bedroom.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24- You can see your neighbours. - Wow, what a view.- Lovely.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27- It's a fabulous view, isn't it? - That's incredible.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31I'm hoping this room's going to kind of just hypnotise you into buying the whole property.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34It is beautiful. And lovely wood burner.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37- I wasn't quite expecting a room like this...- I know.
0:12:37 > 0:12:38..from the outside.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41- So you're looking over to Dartmoor. You can just about see it on the horizon.- OK.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44- Oh, I see, yeah.- Yeah.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46I suppose the difficult thing... This is going to be the case
0:12:46 > 0:12:51for all of our properties is, like, how are you going to make this work for you in terms of a business.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54I feel with the annexe and with the outbuildings,
0:12:54 > 0:12:58that could possibly give us enough income without losing the upstairs.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00So we could keep the upstairs to ourselves.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02I know the business side is important
0:13:02 > 0:13:06so next I'm going to show them the two-bed annexe, which could be
0:13:06 > 0:13:09a ready made solution for their holiday plans.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12Well, it's essentially got a completely self-contained unit here.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15- Yeah. - Come into the kitchen.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17Here's a sort of twin room with an en-suite.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20Upstairs it sort of spreads out over the width of the house.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24- So you've got a double bedroom and a bathroom.- Oh, OK.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27And then a really lovely sort of day room for the guests
0:13:27 > 0:13:30which has the same view as that lovely room we were just in.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33- Oh, nice.- Oh, nice.- And what's nice about this is it's up and running.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36- It's perfect as a holiday let. - It's good.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39There's also a lovely garden with a greenhouse.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42And excitingly, there are further options for holiday lettings
0:13:42 > 0:13:44with three outbuildings.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47So here you get a good overview of the outbuildings -
0:13:47 > 0:13:49particularly you've got three properties here.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52This one at the end is almost ready - it's all kind of lined and sealed.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55This one would require a little bit more work.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58And this garage has quite a big floor space.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01So you'd have three lets there, the let next to the house,
0:14:01 > 0:14:03- and the house would be the private residence.- Yeah.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06That's perfect. And lots of car parking space as well.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08- Yeah, I mean, yeah. - That's really ideal, isn't it?
0:14:08 > 0:14:12You wouldn't have to do all three all at once but there's potential
0:14:12 > 0:14:16- Yeah.- Definitely.- So, how much do you think it's on the market for?
0:14:16 > 0:14:19- Do you want to go first?- OK. I'm not very good at this,
0:14:19 > 0:14:22because I don't really know the market here.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25But I think probably about 465.
0:14:25 > 0:14:30465. I'm going to go 445.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33Well, it's actually a little bit more, it's on at 475.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36OK. That seems reasonable.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38So why don't you walk around inside to maybe have an idea
0:14:38 > 0:14:40about how you're going to configure it.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43You might not want to venture up those stairs if you don't care to.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46But just to get a ball park idea of what you might do with it.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50- And I'll see you probably back here. - OK, thanks, Alistair.- Thanks.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54It's a challenging one cos how are you going to configure things?
0:14:54 > 0:14:56But I think there's so much potential,
0:14:56 > 0:14:59particularly with these outbuildings. Long term it could be a real winner.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03It's whether financially it all stacks up.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08Under their maximum budget by £25,000,
0:15:08 > 0:15:11this detached property with the self contained annexe
0:15:11 > 0:15:13and outbuildings, offers a lot for their money.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17It has large light rooms and it's under an hour's drive
0:15:17 > 0:15:19from their favoured area of St Austell.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23Overall, really interesting property.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25The holiday lets definitely interesting.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28The one that's up and running is great, because that gives us
0:15:28 > 0:15:31an income straight away, which is exactly what we wanted,
0:15:31 > 0:15:34and really doesn't need any work doing to it.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37And the potential for the other buildings to be converted
0:15:37 > 0:15:42into holiday lets, is also very interesting and very exciting for us.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45As a business it works. For us, as a couple,
0:15:45 > 0:15:47it probably doesn't work so much.
0:15:47 > 0:15:52I'm very sort of concerned about how much adaptation we'd need to do.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55- OK, did you have a good look round? - Yes.- We did, we did.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59- Lots of thoughts? - Lots and lots of thoughts, yeah.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01Well, bracket those for the moment cos we've got another property
0:16:01 > 0:16:04- to look at.- Excellent. - Thanks.- Thanks.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14Cornwall's dramatic coastline and stunning beaches have long attracted
0:16:14 > 0:16:18artists, writers and thinkers from all over the UK.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21Rachel and Carl are keen photographers, and their escape
0:16:21 > 0:16:25to Cornwall is fuelled by a desire to live amongst the rural beauty
0:16:25 > 0:16:27captured in some of their photos.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31We've brought them to Penzance to meet ceramic tile artist
0:16:31 > 0:16:33Brenda Bates, who, along with her husband
0:16:33 > 0:16:37swapped city life seven years ago to run their tile business.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40- Welcome to my studio. - Thank you.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43I'd like to show you a little bit of the process of how we actually
0:16:43 > 0:16:45make the tiles, and decorate them.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49Every year they make over 100,000 tiles by hand and sell them online
0:16:49 > 0:16:54and in their cafe. Each tile is made using Cornish clay.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56What's so special about this Cornish clay?
0:16:56 > 0:16:59Cornish clay, it's very, very pure and very fine.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02And it's the China clay that gives it the whiteness to the actual clay.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05But if you feel it, it's very, very smooth.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07Yeah, you can really feel the smoothness of it.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10Is that the same as they make sort of tea and coffee cups out of?
0:17:10 > 0:17:14- Yes, it is. Yeah, yeah. - Have you always used this clay?
0:17:14 > 0:17:16We've always used that clay, right from the beginning,
0:17:16 > 0:17:18when we first started making tiles.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21It gives a very nice surface as well to decorate on to.
0:17:21 > 0:17:26The basic clay tiles are fired in the kiln, pressed and then glazed.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29This gives them a lovely, smooth surface,
0:17:29 > 0:17:31suitable for Barbara's decoration.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34She's particularly fond of using old postcard designs
0:17:34 > 0:17:37that depict popular Cornish villages.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40- It's St Ives, Carbis Bay, I've been there.- That's right, yeah.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44- Oh, yeah, that's lovely.- And we've got the Lizard, the Lizard Point.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48Basically, what we do with these is, we take the original postcard
0:17:48 > 0:17:52- and then have them made into a digital ceramic print.- OK.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56Which then enables us to actually transfer that image on to a tile.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59The first stage is to create the transfers. And to do this,
0:17:59 > 0:18:03the printed out design is cut to match the size of the tile,
0:18:03 > 0:18:05and then submerged in water.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07- Perhaps you'd like to do that, Carl? - OK.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10And how many would you make in a day?
0:18:10 > 0:18:14Depends which ones they are.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17- I mean, you could probably make up to a thousand tiles a day.- Really?
0:18:17 > 0:18:19Yes, if you're really moving with it.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21It depends what you're doing, really.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24After a few minutes the water separates the picture
0:18:24 > 0:18:28from the backing paper. Next, they have to be lifted out carefully
0:18:28 > 0:18:30and placed directly onto the tile.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33- Would you like to have a...?- I'll have a go.- See if you can have a go.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36- So, you just basically grab the edge of it...- Show my artistic skills.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39- Which are usually very little. - That's it.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41There you go.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45Centralise it, yeah.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48They do tear quite easily, so you've got to be reasonably gentle.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50That's perfect.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53They use a tool called a squeegee, to smooth out all the water
0:18:53 > 0:18:54from underneath the picture.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56Then just sort of hold it and that's it.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59Press it in one direction, that's it.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02There you go. Brilliant.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07And then just wipe off the excess water.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09I'm concentrating so hard.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14Next, the tiles are placed above a heater
0:19:14 > 0:19:18to remove any remaining moisture, before being placed into the kiln,
0:19:18 > 0:19:21where they are glazed to perfection.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24- It's lovely.- Which you can then tile on a wall.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27Or, you know, use it as a display, decorative thing.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29Yeah, it's beautiful.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31So, there you are, you've made your first tile.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33Oh, brilliant. Thank you, Brenda.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36That's really interesting. Thank you ever so much, Brenda.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39- You're very welcome. Thanks.- Yeah, that's really, really interesting.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42We've given Rachel and Carl a glimpse of what it might be like
0:19:42 > 0:19:44to run a new venture in Cornwall.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46So let's see if we can now find them a house
0:19:46 > 0:19:48that's as pretty as a postcard.
0:19:51 > 0:19:56House number two is 25 miles west of house one, in the Roche Valley,
0:19:56 > 0:20:00and five miles from the nearest village of Lanivet.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02Geographically the centre of Cornwall,
0:20:02 > 0:20:07Lanivet is just two and a half miles from Bodmin, the former county town.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10It has local amenities and a village inn.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14Its Grade I parish church dates back to the 15th century,
0:20:14 > 0:20:17and it regularly holds festivals and events.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20An eight minute drive from Lanivet takes us to our second house,
0:20:20 > 0:20:23set deep in the countryside of Roche.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29- So, what are you thinking as we walk in?- There's a lot to take in.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32There's a building there, there's a building there,
0:20:32 > 0:20:35there's buildings there. There's fields. What...?
0:20:35 > 0:20:37- Which one belongs to who? - Yeah, which one's the property?
0:20:37 > 0:20:40Well, how would you feel if I said it all belongs to you?
0:20:40 > 0:20:42Or could all belong to you if you bought it.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45- The whole thing is the property. - Wow.- Wow.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50'It is a lot to take in. The main farmhouse is Grade II listed,
0:20:50 > 0:20:52'and could be a new adaptation.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54'So I want to start this tour with the annexe
0:20:54 > 0:20:57'because, although it's not huge, it is all on one level.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01'And I wonder if it would make a good base, at least to start with.'
0:21:01 > 0:21:04This is the sitting room and kitchenette.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07The guy who owns it works with wood, so a lot of the beams
0:21:07 > 0:21:10and the sort of, like, ornamental beams above the windows,
0:21:10 > 0:21:12- the lintels, are made by him. - OK.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15- Well, it's very nice, very good quality.- Yes.- It's beautiful.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18But it is a kitchen in your sitting room.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22We're used to London flats where the kitchen
0:21:22 > 0:21:24- is often in the sitting room.- Yeah.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27So, I mean, ours isn't quite like that, but a lot of flats are.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30- So it's not something we are completely against.- No.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33Through here there's a very nice...
0:21:33 > 0:21:35Well, bedroom, nice for a couple.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38With a little en suite and doors out onto the sort of patio,
0:21:38 > 0:21:41- looking on the field. - Oh, a lovely area, it's lovely.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44It's perfect for a couple on holiday. It's just ideal.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46Would it be suitable for you to live in?
0:21:46 > 0:21:50It could for very short term, whilst we're doing up the other property.
0:21:50 > 0:21:51But the risk of living in this,
0:21:51 > 0:21:54while we're doing up the other property is we have no income.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57And, actually, we'd probably lose any kind of goodwill
0:21:57 > 0:22:00that other people have had, if they want to come back.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03I think we'd probably be more inclined to leave this,
0:22:03 > 0:22:06- you know, generating income. - Yes.- And find somewhere
0:22:06 > 0:22:10for ourselves to stay till the other house was ready.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13- Well, then, we should go and look at the house.- OK.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18'The main farmhouse dates back to the 17th century,
0:22:18 > 0:22:22'with a later addition from the 1970s at the back.'
0:22:22 > 0:22:25This is, what they call in the books,
0:22:25 > 0:22:26a traditional country kitchen.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29- Yeah, gosh it is. - It is very traditional.- Yeah.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31I must admit it's not the kind of kitchen I would be looking for.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35- It's not to my taste.- Well, what are you looking for, then?
0:22:35 > 0:22:37I guess something a little bit more modern.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41And because this is all brickwork, you would actually have to
0:22:41 > 0:22:46knock out everything to put the kind of kitchen I would want, back in.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49I'm not sure the work that I'd want to do would either be allowed,
0:22:49 > 0:22:53or would actually change this to the kind of style I would like.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56- Well, let's continue into the sitting room.- OK.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59'I wonder if this farmhouse style living room, although impressive,
0:22:59 > 0:23:01'might also not be to their taste?'
0:23:01 > 0:23:03Is this the only room down here?
0:23:03 > 0:23:07- This is the sum total of the ground floor, yes.- OK.- OK.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09So no downstairs bathroom.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11- No, that's... - No that's a...
0:23:11 > 0:23:14Pretty much the deal breaker I think, for me.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16It's absolutely beautiful,
0:23:16 > 0:23:21but I think we have to use our heads rather than our hearts.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24I think the thing is, though, cos in your price range we tend to be
0:23:24 > 0:23:27looking at historic cottages that have outbuildings,
0:23:27 > 0:23:30that have been converted into holiday lets.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33- And Cornish cottages tend to be like this.- Yes.- Yeah, yeah.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35And that might be where we need to,
0:23:35 > 0:23:38- maybe, change our requirements somehow.- Yeah.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40- I'm not sure how, but somehow. - Yeah.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42- Well don't give up yet. - No, no, no.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46'Upstairs there are three good sized bedrooms, all doubles,
0:23:46 > 0:23:48'and a family bathroom.
0:23:48 > 0:23:53'But sadly I think this cottage style is too impractical for them.'
0:23:53 > 0:23:56I think it's absolutely charming, and I'd love to come on holiday here.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59- But...- Just not live here. - ..it doesn't work for me.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01I think it'd be a great pub, though.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03THEY LAUGH
0:24:03 > 0:24:07'I wonder if the potential space outside could change their minds.
0:24:07 > 0:24:12'There's an impressive 1.7 acres of gardens, fields,
0:24:12 > 0:24:14'and even three stable blocks.'
0:24:14 > 0:24:16You can see the historic part of the house here.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18Obviously all the land at the back.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20What do you think it's on the market for?
0:24:20 > 0:24:22- You go first. - I'll go first this time.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25Difficult one cos there's a lot of land and a lot of buildings.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28I'm going to go pretty close to the budget and say 495.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30Oh. What about you, Rachel?
0:24:30 > 0:24:34I don't know, I was going to say probably something around that figure
0:24:34 > 0:24:39as well. So I'm going to say perhaps it's just over.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41It's about 515?
0:24:41 > 0:24:44Well, interestingly, this is actually less.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47It's on the market for £427,500.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49- Wow, OK. - OK.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51I mean, I can understand that it would be...
0:24:51 > 0:24:53It needs a lot of money and work spent on it.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56But I thought with the land,
0:24:56 > 0:24:59- cos I've been in London, you expect land to be quite expensive.- Yeah.
0:24:59 > 0:25:00See, city mice never understand.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02- I haven't got a clue! - No, we don't, no.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05They're really kind of like, "Oh, land!" Confusing, isn't it?
0:25:05 > 0:25:08- Yes, interesting. - That makes it more interesting.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10- No, I think it's good value. - Yeah, it's good value.
0:25:10 > 0:25:15And a great project. But just unfortunately it doesn't quite...
0:25:15 > 0:25:18- Our head has to rule our heart this time.- Unfortunately.- Yeah.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22More than £72,000 under budget,
0:25:22 > 0:25:25this three bedroom farmhouse property with holiday annexe
0:25:25 > 0:25:29and 1.7 acres of land offers a lot of potential.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32And it's just 20 minutes drive from St Austell.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35First impressions are really, really good of the land
0:25:35 > 0:25:36and the holiday potential.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40Unfortunately for me, the house just didn't live up to everything else.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42The house doesn't really work for me.
0:25:42 > 0:25:46Again, the stairs are a challenge, those kind of open stairs.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49And here it would be more difficult to make the change,
0:25:49 > 0:25:53even though it's beautiful, I don't think it's for us.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57Oh, you're feeding these extraordinary blue eyed ponies.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00- Yeah, yeah. - OK, well, it's time to go.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02We've done our house searching for today. Time for a rest.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05- Great. Thank you.- OK, excellent. - Bye, horsey.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17'It's the second day of our property hunt,
0:26:17 > 0:26:20'and with a good budget of £500,000,
0:26:20 > 0:26:24'we're helping Rachel and Carl to leave their busy lives in London
0:26:24 > 0:26:28'behind and start a new home and business in carefree Cornwall.
0:26:28 > 0:26:32'Still to come, our mystery house comes as a big surprise.'
0:26:32 > 0:26:35- OK, wow.- Wasn't expecting that to the other building.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37'And I'll be getting a taste of the sea.'
0:26:37 > 0:26:39Yeah, it's quite delicate, isn't it?
0:26:40 > 0:26:43Day two of our property search here in lovely Cornwall.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46This is a complicated one. We knew it was going to be, because not only
0:26:46 > 0:26:49are we looking for a new home, a new business, a new income stream,
0:26:49 > 0:26:53but also we've got to take on board Rachel's mobility issues.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56And yesterday it was quite striking. Although they're very flexible,
0:26:56 > 0:27:00the first two houses really seemed to firm up what was non-negotiable.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02And I heard a couple of times them saying,
0:27:02 > 0:27:06"Oh, it would be quite nice if we could just build our own place."
0:27:06 > 0:27:09And so the mystery house definitely gives them that option,
0:27:09 > 0:27:12amongst many others, but it's big.
0:27:12 > 0:27:13It's very big.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18The mystery house is a 30-minute drive east of our second house,
0:27:18 > 0:27:21and is found in the village of Morval, less than five miles
0:27:21 > 0:27:25from the sea, and the pretty harbour town of Looe.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30Positioned on both sides of the River Looe,
0:27:30 > 0:27:35West Looe is joined to the east by a seven arch bridge built in 1853.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38Looe has been a tourist resort for more than 200 years,
0:27:38 > 0:27:42with holiday-makers drawn to the busy harbour in the east,
0:27:42 > 0:27:45where they even have the chance to taste the catch of the day.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49A four mile drive from the coast of Looe brings us outside
0:27:49 > 0:27:52the village of Morval, to our final mystery stop.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57The mystery is, what are you going to do with all of this?
0:27:57 > 0:28:00- Because there's a lot to this property.- Wow.- OK.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02Some of it which you can't actually see from here.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05Essentially, all of this is ripe for development.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08- Oh, you get all this. - OK, so this is all included?
0:28:08 > 0:28:10- Yes.- OK.- Wow.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13So, basically it's a little cluster of properties.
0:28:13 > 0:28:17This one is yours, and this belongs to you.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19- So this part isn't a working farm any more?- No.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22Because as we came up we could just see through some little gates.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25And there's... That expanse behind is part of this?
0:28:25 > 0:28:28- That expanse is part of it, yes. - And that's a big expanse as well.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31- Wow. OK.- Yeah, yeah.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34- Awesome.- So, you'll have to bear with me, cos it's quite complicated.- OK.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37- There's lots of bits and pieces.- OK. - But what we liked about this
0:28:37 > 0:28:39is that essentially there is a part that you could move in,
0:28:39 > 0:28:41- on a flat level.- Yay!
0:28:41 > 0:28:45With bathrooms and bedrooms, and a kitchen, all on one level.
0:28:45 > 0:28:46- I like it already. - Yeah.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49- So, shall we go and look at that bit first?- Yes, brilliant.
0:28:49 > 0:28:51Thank you, Alistair.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54The main house in this farm complex is a Grade II-listed
0:28:54 > 0:28:5819th century barn, which has been beautifully converted.
0:28:58 > 0:29:02On the ground floor to the left are the utility rooms.
0:29:02 > 0:29:05To the centre the living areas, and to the right a family bathroom
0:29:05 > 0:29:09and two bedrooms, where we're beginning our tour.
0:29:09 > 0:29:13Two bedrooms here, very beautifully, very recently as well, finished.
0:29:13 > 0:29:17Taking in a lot of the original beams of the agricultural buildings.
0:29:17 > 0:29:19- Yeah, it's lovely, it's so light. - Yeah.
0:29:19 > 0:29:22- Very lovely and light in here. - So that's the south facing side.
0:29:22 > 0:29:24So that's where you get all the daylight.
0:29:24 > 0:29:29And really nice patio doors out onto the terrace, that's lovely.
0:29:29 > 0:29:32So, basically, you've got a whole suite of living quarters here.
0:29:32 > 0:29:36You've got, bathroom, two bedrooms. Next door you've got the kitchen.
0:29:37 > 0:29:40- Oh, wow.- It's a bit bigger than the last one, huh?- Yes.
0:29:40 > 0:29:44- It certainly is.- It's exactly what I had in mind for a country kitchen.
0:29:44 > 0:29:50It's lovely. Really nice, square, easy to get around.
0:29:50 > 0:29:53And it's proper granite surfaces, if you're interested in baking.
0:29:53 > 0:29:57Yeah, I love bread making and that's perfect, a really nice, cold top.
0:29:57 > 0:30:00- Dishwasher.- Yeah, dishwasher space. - I don't have to wash up any more!
0:30:00 > 0:30:03No, you don't wash up anyway!
0:30:03 > 0:30:06Lots of space. Very, very nicely laid out.
0:30:06 > 0:30:10I guess my only initial concern is the floor is a little bit uneven.
0:30:10 > 0:30:13- So I think we'd have to take that up.- That's easily doable, though.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16Absolutely, yeah, but that's the only thing in here that I would...
0:30:16 > 0:30:18- Everything else is beautiful. - It's absolutely lovely.
0:30:18 > 0:30:22- It's really nice.- Very, very nice. Just what we had in mind.- Good, good.
0:30:22 > 0:30:24It's all good so far.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27'Next to the kitchen is a spacious reception room,
0:30:27 > 0:30:31'and then right at the end is another bathroom and a boot room.
0:30:31 > 0:30:33'It seems they like the downstairs,
0:30:33 > 0:30:35'but now I want to show them what's above.
0:30:35 > 0:30:40'And the upstairs sitting room is an impressive 33 feet long.'
0:30:40 > 0:30:42- A vast room, isn't it? - Yeah.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45- It's really lovely. It's so sunny. - Very good light. Light.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48Yeah, and that second property yesterday was so dark and closed in,
0:30:48 > 0:30:50- but this is just the complete opposite.- Yeah.
0:30:50 > 0:30:52- There's so much light and space. - It's nice.
0:30:52 > 0:30:54It's got a kind of the light that the first property had,
0:30:54 > 0:30:59and the views. But just in a much... Even more beautiful setting, really.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02Yeah, cos you've got the wonderful views sort of down in...
0:31:02 > 0:31:06We're very close to Looe, which is a great, sort of, magnet for tourists.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08Yeah, there's lots of holiday-makers go there, which is great
0:31:08 > 0:31:11- for business.- Through there is a guest room with an en-suite.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14And this is their master bedroom. A much bigger room with that,
0:31:14 > 0:31:19- another en suite.- Wow. Lots of bathrooms and lots of space.
0:31:19 > 0:31:22So there is the possibility that you use this temporarily to live in,
0:31:22 > 0:31:26- while you develop this area over here.- Yeah, behind.
0:31:26 > 0:31:29Because that is a big - it's about 240 square metres...
0:31:29 > 0:31:32- Gosh.- ..worth of living space. - Square metres, OK.
0:31:32 > 0:31:37- That's a...- Two and a half times the size of our flat in London.
0:31:37 > 0:31:41Yeah, instead of getting rid of our furniture we'd need a lot more.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44So, there you could make an absolutely perfect designed
0:31:44 > 0:31:48- to use everything you need. - Yeah.- Or...
0:31:48 > 0:31:50you could use another source of income.
0:31:50 > 0:31:54- Oh, OK. - Interesting.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58'The mystery isn't over yet.
0:31:58 > 0:32:00'As well as the stables that they glimpsed on the way in,
0:32:00 > 0:32:02'there's also this.'
0:32:02 > 0:32:05- I love the building. - Neighbours?
0:32:05 > 0:32:09- No, this is not neighbours, this is you.- Oh, OK.- Oh, wow.
0:32:09 > 0:32:14- This is a readymade, newly finished, holiday let.- Wow.- OK, wow.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17- I wasn't expecting that after the other building.- No.
0:32:17 > 0:32:19'The current owners have just finished converting this
0:32:19 > 0:32:24'smaller barn into a holiday cottage with two en suite bedrooms,
0:32:24 > 0:32:26'a kitchen/diner and a downstairs shower room.
0:32:26 > 0:32:30'And, as if this wasn't enough, there's also the former dairy
0:32:30 > 0:32:34'and stables, which potentially could be turned into
0:32:34 > 0:32:38'three self-catering holiday units.'
0:32:38 > 0:32:41- So there's lots of options. - Yeah, loads.
0:32:41 > 0:32:43I'm going to let you explore that at your own leisure.
0:32:43 > 0:32:46But let's just pop round the corner here to talk about land and price.
0:32:46 > 0:32:47- OK.- Oh, OK, gosh.
0:32:51 > 0:32:55- So, it's about two and a half, bit over that, acres.- Gosh.- OK.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58- So it's the biggest plot that we've shown you.- Yeah.- Yeah, definitely.
0:32:58 > 0:33:00How much do you think it's on the market for?
0:33:00 > 0:33:03Well, I'm hoping somewhere along the line you took account
0:33:03 > 0:33:09of what our budget is. So, I'm going to be optimistic and say
0:33:09 > 0:33:12- 499,950 - Uh-huh.
0:33:12 > 0:33:17- OK, I'm going to say a nice round 500,000.- Right.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20Well, in this instance, Carl wins,
0:33:20 > 0:33:22because it is exactly £500,000.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24- Oh, wow. - Yeah.
0:33:24 > 0:33:26- I think we both win there. - I think we both do win.
0:33:26 > 0:33:28That's a lot of property for 500,000.
0:33:28 > 0:33:32- It's a lot of property for that money.- It's a lot of property,
0:33:32 > 0:33:36but is it the property that you could imagine making work for you?
0:33:36 > 0:33:38- I think we could. - Don't tell me.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41- Sh.- OK, no, we couldn't.
0:33:41 > 0:33:43Go stroll and explore, because there's a lot to take in.
0:33:43 > 0:33:45I haven't really whisked you round.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48Put your thinking caps on. See if you can make sense of it all.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51And I'll see you over by the other bit of land.
0:33:51 > 0:33:55- OK, thank you. - Cool, thanks.
0:33:58 > 0:34:03Remarkably, at £500,000, this entire farm complex
0:34:03 > 0:34:06is affordable for Rachel and Carl.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09It has four bedrooms, a large kitchen and sitting room,
0:34:09 > 0:34:11a newly renovated holiday annexe,
0:34:11 > 0:34:13land for a campsite,
0:34:13 > 0:34:16and is less than an hour from St Austell.
0:34:16 > 0:34:20This is definitely a very strong possibility for us.
0:34:20 > 0:34:23It's got everything we're asking for.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26But actually we were hoping to get just one of the options
0:34:26 > 0:34:29with the mystery house. So maybe just a field, or maybe just a barn.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32Or maybe just an annexe for a holiday let.
0:34:32 > 0:34:36But the mystery house has actually given us more than that.
0:34:36 > 0:34:37So we like everything about it.
0:34:37 > 0:34:41And we're just a little bit overwhelmed, I think, at the moment.
0:34:41 > 0:34:45Best of all, it's also somewhere that's really accessible for me.
0:34:45 > 0:34:49And we could make it even more so and design our own house
0:34:49 > 0:34:54in the future to have the perfect property. It's really exciting.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56- Hello. - Hi.- Hi.
0:34:56 > 0:34:59Have you managed to get your head round the complex offering here?
0:34:59 > 0:35:01We're trying to. But I think it'll take a little bit more time
0:35:01 > 0:35:04- to do that. - Yeah.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07Good. Well, you've seen all the houses so let's find a space
0:35:07 > 0:35:09- where you can gather your thoughts. - OK, thank you.- Cheers.
0:35:14 > 0:35:18Fishing has always played its role in Cornwall's history and culture.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21Nowadays fish are kept their freshest from the moment
0:35:21 > 0:35:25they're caught, with many boats having on-board refrigeration.
0:35:25 > 0:35:29But for centuries the only way of preserving a catch was in salt,
0:35:29 > 0:35:32which was produced across the county.
0:35:32 > 0:35:36However, in late Victorian times, huge rock salt reserves
0:35:36 > 0:35:39were discovered in places like Winsford in Cheshire.
0:35:39 > 0:35:41Easier and much cheaper to harvest,
0:35:41 > 0:35:45it all but halted the production of salt in Cornwall.
0:35:45 > 0:35:47However, in the last decade,
0:35:47 > 0:35:49Cornish sea salt has had a resurgence,
0:35:49 > 0:35:52and I've come to the Lizard Peninsular
0:35:52 > 0:35:55to meet Philip Tanswell, a Cornish sea salt manufacturer.
0:35:55 > 0:35:58Philip, this is not a bad place to work.
0:35:58 > 0:36:00No, no, it's a very good place to work, fantastic.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03- Is it a good place to run a salt works?- Fantastic place.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06We have lovely grade A sea water out here which is fantastic
0:36:06 > 0:36:08for making sea salt.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11We're in an area which is sort of famous for its history
0:36:11 > 0:36:14of salt manufacturing. We have Iron Age salt works round the corner.
0:36:14 > 0:36:16The prefect location for salt manufacturing.
0:36:16 > 0:36:20- So, historically, how would they have done it?- They would have fires
0:36:20 > 0:36:23and they would get clay pots, heat the water off,
0:36:23 > 0:36:25and they'd have salt left over.
0:36:25 > 0:36:27Or they would trap water at the end of the estuary,
0:36:27 > 0:36:30hope for a good season, lots of wind and sunshine, and eventually
0:36:30 > 0:36:33the water would be evaporated and they'd be left with salt at the end.
0:36:33 > 0:36:35And then you came along and revived it.
0:36:35 > 0:36:38We waited, you know, 100 years or so and then decided that it was
0:36:38 > 0:36:41long enough now to try it again. Yeah, we looked around and realised
0:36:41 > 0:36:45that we could create, from the fantastic clean sea we had,
0:36:45 > 0:36:48- we could create some wonderful products.- Can we have a look around?
0:36:48 > 0:36:53'Philip and his team take the fresh sea water and carefully filter it
0:36:53 > 0:36:55'to get rid of the silt and sand.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58'Next, they concentrate it into a saturated brine,
0:36:58 > 0:37:01'which is poured into these enormous salt pans,
0:37:01 > 0:37:04'and heated by overhead lamps.'
0:37:04 > 0:37:05Warm, it's really warm.
0:37:05 > 0:37:07It is, lovely and warm in here.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10The salt really likes it hot, humans like it less hot.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13So, these are the things that dry out the salt?
0:37:13 > 0:37:16Yeah, so, effectively, what we're doing in here is we're replicating
0:37:16 > 0:37:19sunlight over the top of the tanks. Cos the crystals,
0:37:19 > 0:37:21we're after the ones which are forming on the surface of the tank,
0:37:21 > 0:37:25and you can see, hopefully, these little specks which are little
0:37:25 > 0:37:28sodium chloride crystals forming as little squares.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31And as they grow, they grow into little pyramids.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34And they stay on the surface to the point where they're too heavy,
0:37:34 > 0:37:36and they drop down to the bottom.
0:37:36 > 0:37:40- If you want to grab that shovel over there.- Ah...
0:37:40 > 0:37:43What we can do is, we can pull along the side of the tank.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46- You can probably pull it into that corner.- Are you letting me do it?
0:37:46 > 0:37:47That's fine.
0:37:50 > 0:37:56You can just lift into that gathering mass in the corner now.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59- Here? - Yeah, just shovel it off.
0:38:00 > 0:38:03Gosh, there's a lot. So how long has this been stewing?
0:38:03 > 0:38:06This particular one has probably been in there now
0:38:06 > 0:38:10- for probably two to three hours. - Two to three hours?
0:38:10 > 0:38:14Two to three hours. And there's texture.
0:38:14 > 0:38:16You get crystals in these tanks which form on the surface
0:38:16 > 0:38:20and at the bottom. Because some will also form when it cools.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23And of course the bottom of the tanks are cooler than the tops.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26Gosh, there's a good harvest already.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29Yeah, so what we're looking at here is the salt which is draining.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32And the salt which we took out
0:38:32 > 0:38:35is still quite moist in its texture.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38So if you take the product and looked at it, it's still...
0:38:38 > 0:38:40Now, the top of the tanks are drying out,
0:38:40 > 0:38:43but the salt crystals are great to see, because you can see
0:38:43 > 0:38:47these fantastic little pyramids, which are formed in the tanks.
0:38:47 > 0:38:52'The salt is then taken to another processing plant for air drying.
0:38:52 > 0:38:56'And after a final screening, it's packaged up and ready to go.'
0:38:56 > 0:38:59So, the finished product is this one, which is...
0:38:59 > 0:39:01- Well it's much drier, isn't it? - Yeah, yeah.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04- Can I taste it?- Yes, no, go for it, go for it.
0:39:04 > 0:39:05Oh, I'll pull your...
0:39:05 > 0:39:09We'll reattach you back on that side.
0:39:09 > 0:39:13Yeah, it's quite delicate, isn't it?
0:39:13 > 0:39:15It doesn't knock you out like normal salt, chemical salt.
0:39:15 > 0:39:20- It comes in waves.- Very good(!) You've been practising that one.
0:39:20 > 0:39:22But you have the magnesium salts in there as well,
0:39:22 > 0:39:23which are quite sweet.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26And that difference between the bitter and sweetness gives you
0:39:26 > 0:39:29that lovely balanced profile, which is why, you know, chefs talk about
0:39:29 > 0:39:31using sea salt on their food.
0:39:31 > 0:39:33It's because it brings it out in such a good way.
0:39:33 > 0:39:37Well, it's wonderfully Cornish and that's what we celebrate today.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40Thank you very much for showing us around. Good luck with the future.
0:39:40 > 0:39:41- Thank you.- I hope it booms. - Thank you, lovely.
0:39:49 > 0:39:52It seems like the mystery house may have overloaded the circuit boards,
0:39:52 > 0:39:53because there are so many options.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56But now that Carl and Rachel have had a moment to digest,
0:39:56 > 0:39:59let's find out what they're thinking.
0:40:00 > 0:40:06- Ah, a lovely spot you've found, very nice.- Yeah, it's lovely.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09I'm guessing that house number three, the mystery house,
0:40:09 > 0:40:10is the contender. Is that right?
0:40:10 > 0:40:14- Definitely, yeah.- That knocked the other two off their perch.- Easily.
0:40:14 > 0:40:18- Yeah.- I'm not sure property two had a perch to be honest.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21OK. Fair enough. So I suppose I'm interested in what happens next.
0:40:21 > 0:40:25Because, you know, you've got to... When are you leaving your flat?
0:40:25 > 0:40:29Probably about four weeks' time
0:40:29 > 0:40:33is that we complete. So, yeah, it's soon.
0:40:33 > 0:40:36So, was the mystery house enough of a contender that you're going to
0:40:36 > 0:40:38kind of push ahead in some way with it?
0:40:38 > 0:40:41I think we're going to make more enquiries, yeah, definitely.
0:40:41 > 0:40:45We certainly need to look at the financial side of doing up
0:40:45 > 0:40:47the barn, how much that will cost.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50We need to see the plans in more detail to find out exactly
0:40:50 > 0:40:54what's on the plans. And think about what to do with the land around it.
0:40:54 > 0:40:56Cos obviously there's lots of different options there as well.
0:40:56 > 0:40:59- So we just need to look at all those different options.- Yeah.
0:40:59 > 0:41:01Look at the costings for those, and then...
0:41:01 > 0:41:03Yeah, it's definitely a contender.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06I think there's going to be lots of checking things on the internet,
0:41:06 > 0:41:09and lots of questions to the estate agents.
0:41:09 > 0:41:13And looking at what holiday lets in that area go for,
0:41:13 > 0:41:17so that we can be sure that we've got all our facts right.
0:41:17 > 0:41:21It's definitely exactly what we were hoping for from this process.
0:41:21 > 0:41:23- So...- Exactly?- It is.
0:41:23 > 0:41:28- I think... Yeah, I would say almost exactly.- Yeah, so well done.
0:41:28 > 0:41:29THEY LAUGH
0:41:29 > 0:41:32It's been interesting over the course of the week to see...
0:41:32 > 0:41:35Cos when we started you were quite open about what you wanted.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38And it seems that some things have come into focus. Is that true?
0:41:38 > 0:41:40One of the things that has really crystallised for me
0:41:40 > 0:41:44is just how important it is that we get our living accommodation right.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47I suppose another good positive is that we can do it.
0:41:47 > 0:41:50We definitely are on the right track, and that the budget
0:41:50 > 0:41:52isn't completely unrealistic,
0:41:52 > 0:41:55and Cornwall is definitely the place for us.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58I hope everything goes well. It's been interesting showing you round.
0:41:58 > 0:42:00You are very heartfelt, very enthusiastic. I can tell that
0:42:00 > 0:42:03you both work in finance. There's a sort of steely side
0:42:03 > 0:42:05of number crunching going on as well.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08So, I wish you well. I hope it all happens and it happens soon.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11- Thank you.- Thank you very much.- It's been lots of fun. Thank you.- It has.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20What a brilliant house-hunt. I think it was quite a challenging one
0:42:20 > 0:42:23to get everything that Carl and Rachel wanted.
0:42:23 > 0:42:25But I certainly think the mystery house provides them
0:42:25 > 0:42:29lots of possibilities for a home and an income stream.
0:42:29 > 0:42:32And if you've been inspired by the British countryside,
0:42:32 > 0:42:35then make sure you tune in next time for more Escape To The Country.
0:42:37 > 0:42:41Carl and Rachel returned for a second viewing of the mystery house,
0:42:41 > 0:42:43but planning permission concerns
0:42:43 > 0:42:45prevented them from taking it further.
0:42:45 > 0:42:49Their search continues and we wish them all the very best.
0:42:49 > 0:42:51If you'd like to escape to the country in England, Wales,
0:42:51 > 0:42:54Scotland or Northern Ireland, and would like our help,
0:42:54 > 0:42:57please apply online at...