Cornwall Escape to the Country

Today I'm in a county where there's no shortage of water

and this ancient river is the only one here

that flows from east to west.

So where am I? Find out in just a moment.

'With today's house hunters we have our work cut out

'navigating their long and complex wish list.'

Don't want to leave...

..yet?

-No, I think we've got to see the whole thing.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

Oh!

'But it turns out the key to their heart is having room...

'..for a herd of goats.'

You could have a few in there, couldn't you?

Herds and herds of them.

Today we're in Cornwall and this beautiful estuary behind me

is Helford River.

It stretches all the way from Falmouth Bay right

up to the old port of Gweek.

It has seven creeks in total, the best known, of course, being

Frenchman's Creek, made famous by Daphne du Maurier,

who used Cornwall as the majestic

and often mysterious backdrop to many of her novels.

I must say, as you travel around the stunning county,

it's not hard to see why.

The ancient Celtic Kingdom of Cornwall, or Kernow,

is the most south-westerly county in Britain

and has the longest coastline.

You're never more than 20 miles from the sea here and it's along the

coast that some of Cornwall's most breathtaking views can be found.

From the rugged cliffs at Tintagel

to the seaside charm of Bude, to lively Falmouth,

the third-deepest natural harbour in the world.

And the splendour of inland Cornwall shouldn't be overlooked,

nearly one third of the countryside is designated

an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The scenic Bodmin Moor is dominated by granite tors like Rough Tor,

a Neolithic site 1,300 feet above sea level.

It's also home to the Jamaica Inn,

another location immortalised by Daphne du Maurier.

Of course, tourism is the bedrock of the economy here

but traditional occupations like fishing and farming

still play a large part in county life

and it's this timeless air that lends Cornwall much of its appeal.

Cornwall is not just a popular holiday destination, it's also

extremely popular with those looking to escape urban life.

And with good reason,

the average price of a detached house here is around £265,000,

that's around £13,000 less than the national figure.

Plus, there's more good news,

prices here are still around 10% cheaper than they were

at their peak back in 2008.

But a word to the wise,

if you're looking for a house with views, especially of the sea,

well, you can expect to pay a hefty premium.

So, in which part of this beautiful county are today's buyers looking?

Let's meet them and find out.

Claire and Steve have been married for nine years

and, although they currently live in Bristol,

they are firm believers they were born to live in the country.

I came here to college in 1983 and I didn't really intend to stay

here for 30 years but, somehow, life just happens, doesn't it?

We just spend our weekends travelling

away from the city, really.

Yeah, we can't wait to get out of it, can we?

Moving further south-west to the North Cornwall coast

has been on the cards for many years.

We've always both wanted to move to the country.

I went to Cornwall when I was 17 with my best friend,

so it's always been a dream of mine to go back but life happened

and I got married and I had children

and so the opportunity to go back down that way

kind of stopped for me for quite a long time.

I think there's a certain feeling about Cornwall,

I don't know, you just feel something

extremely good is going on down there.

Claire and Steve have three grown-up children,

each from previous relationships,

but they're not leaving all their family behind when they move.

Coming on the move with us would be William, who is my middle son.

William is 20 and he has Down's syndrome

and quite severe learning difficulties.

I think he would have a better lifestyle living somewhere

-more rural.

-Yeah, that's right.

And also Steve's mum, who is 94 and still lives on her own...

I think the time now has come for her now...

-She feels she needs to live with us.

-Yep, yep.

She needs a lot more support.

I think it would be a great relief for her if she could.

Claire plans to continue working as a massage therapist

after their move.

Steve, meanwhile, used to teach woodwork but gave it up

to care for his mother, so he dreams of rekindling his passion.

Losing my woodwork shop was a bit like losing one of my arms,

so if I could get another woodwork shop together,

I would be absolutely delighted.

I've been promised a table for the last ten years

but he just doesn't have the facilities to make it at the moment,

so it would be lovely for us to have furniture in our house

that Steve has made.

This will be the first house they've bought together.

Will it be plain sailing as they try to bring together

their rural dreams?

I think Claire might have the final say...

-..possibly.

-No, I think we'll compromise, won't we?

-Yeah, absolutely.

-Yeah.

-And then we'll do what you want.

And then we'll do what I want.

Claire and Steve have found a college perfect for William

in Callington, so they'd like us

to focus our search based at no more than a 40-minute commute.

But I want to find out a little more

about their other priorities too.

Well, good morning, beautiful start, isn't it...?

-It certainly is.

-It's beautiful.

-..here in Kernow.

-Yeah.

How long have you both been dreaming of relocating?

-About ten years, I think.

-Yeah, yeah, about ten years.

-A long time, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-What's taken you so long?

Oh, lots of things, children, parents.

-They get in the way, don't they?

-Yeah.

-What's the priorities?

-Well, we need an income, so a holiday let...

-OK.

-..would be fantastic.

-A little cottage or could it be part of the house?

-Yes, I think so.

That would be fine.

What about your home?

Well, I think we need five bedrooms, really,

we've got six children between us.

-Yes.

-Even though they're not with us, they will all visit and...

Well, not just visiting children, you've got people moving

-down with you as well.

-Yeah.

-Talk me through that.

-We've got Steve's mum

-who's quite elderly, she's 94, so she'll need her own space...

-Right.

..and my son William, he's 20, he's got learning difficulties

and so he'll need his own space as well.

Now, whereabouts does this house need to be?

I like the North Cornwall coast, I love Tintagel, I love Boscastle

but anywhere across the

top of Cornwall would be nice, Launceston area.

How deep are your pockets?

-Let's talk budget.

-Yeah, well, top budget,

-we could go to about 550.

-OK, all right.

But, if there wasn't holiday lets,

we might think about buying a small property somewhere else to rent out.

Well, we've got three great properties lined-up.

There's going to be elements of compromise

and, of course, they'll be parts

of each house where you might have slightly differing opinions.

-So speak up, that's what I'm saying. Are you ready to go?

-Yeah.

-Yep.

Let's get on with it.

Although Steve and Claire's budget of £550,000 is a healthy

sum for this part of the world, they do have a lot of requirements.

They want five bedrooms,

some independent space for Steve's mother,

and the ability to turn part of the property into a holiday let.

Steve would also love to start a carpentry business from home

so needs space for a workshop, and they'd also like some land.

We'll be showing our buyers three properties,

tempting in very different ways.

Once they've looked around each one, I'll be asking them

to guess the price. Having had their eye on this area for so long,

that shouldn't be too challenging.

The last visit to the Mystery House is a bit of a risk,

really challenging them to question their priority list.

If you could get some land, come on, talk me through it,

would you do anything with it?

-I'd really like somewhere where you could grow vegetables...

-Yeah.

..have a few fruit trees, you know?

-And a few chickens.

-Goats to milk?

-Yeah.

-What are you doing with these goats.

-I just really like goats...

..I just like them.

Let's find you somewhere where you can have your goats.

Our house-hunt starts in the hamlet of Henwood,

a 15-minute drive south takes you to Liskeard

and a little further, in the opposite direction, is Launceston.

Henwood's tucked just inside Bodmin Moor in an

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Definitely no need to worry about traffic noise here

but do watch out for livestock on the roads.

The nearest shops and pubs can be found in Minions, which

claims the title of highest village in Cornwall.

Minions also falls in the Liskeard mining district,

now a World Heritage Site.

A five-minute drive takes us back to the hamlet of Henwood

and our first property.

Now, a bit of a windy start to our house tours themselves,

but let's stop here, just out of the wind a little bit,

and take in what's available.

-All this?

-Everything.

Essentially you've got four dwellings.

-I'm a bit stunned, actually.

-Yeah.

As you can imagine, you've got

-the holiday let potential here right away.

-Yeah.

Well, let's go and take a look at what might be,

-your own personal accommodation.

-OK.

-OK.

'In this complex of four properties, two have three bedrooms.

'The first one I'm showing them is where the current owners live.

'You're greeted by an entrance hall, off which is the kitchen.'

-I like the style, I like Shaker kitchens.

-Yes, it's beautiful.

You're used to a bigger kitchen...

-But I do like this kitchen, I think this is a nice kitchen.

-Yes, it is.

There's plenty of work space and...

This gives you distinct kitchen and then

-maybe living/dining next-door.

-OK.

Let's take a look at that.

Well, straight away, you can see that your dining

would be done in this room.

-This is very nice.

-Isn't it?

-Lovely view.

-It's a nice, big room.

-Yeah, this is big, isn't it?

-And you've got a beautiful view.

Yeah, it's lovely.

-Probably have a dining table there, I think.

-Yeah, you could put a nice

-dining table there, couldn't you?

-I think so.

-And that's south.

-OK.

-Oh, right, OK.

-So you get the sun coming in through those windows.

-Correct.

Let's go upstairs and have a look at the bedrooms. But, so far,

-do you like this, could you live in this?

-Yes.

-Yes, it's quite...

-It's lovely.

-..it's quite nice.

-It's, "Quite nice."

So what's stopping this being very nice, is it missing something?

-Erm, I don't know...

-Character.

We like a bit more character.

Possibly a little bit more character.

-Yeah.

-This is quite modern, isn't it?

It's got your standard magnolia walls, you know,

your flush lighting.

It's up to whoever comes in here to do something a bit special with it.

But there's other cottages here

-that you might like even more.

-OK.

So maybe this becomes a holiday let.

'This barn is the most recent conversion,

'carried out in 2010.

'So, despite modern features like eco-friendly underfloor heating,

'I don't think they're warming to it as much as I'd hoped.'

-Now, of the three bedrooms, this is the largest.

-OK.

It's quite bijou, isn't it?

Yes, it is but I think the trade-off with this entire property is

the fact that, OK, the rooms might be smaller,

but you get lots of them.

-Yeah, sure.

-Yeah.

-Now, the room at the far end

of this particular property is en suite

and then you've got the family bathroom here

and then in the middle you've got...

-Well, you could get a... It's a small single or an office.

-Right.

-So it's a two and a half to three bedroom cottage.

-Yeah.

-OK.

I've shown you this cottage, I personally prefer the other cottage.

-OK.

-So shall we have a look at that and then we can decide

which one you want to live in?

This really is a ready-made revenue stream they could walk right into.

The current owners make a turnover of £25,000 a year letting

-three of these cottages.

-Yeah, this is nice.

-Yes.

-You get a very different feel when you walk in here to the last one, don't you?

-Yeah.

-This feels more like a cottage, doesn't it?

-Yeah, this is really pretty, this room, yeah.

-Yeah.

Yeah, it's really nice, quite big.

Well, yeah, I mean...

The living room isn't as big but the kitchen room,

-I think you might prefer this.

-Yeah, that's nice.

-It's got a lot more character, hasn't it?

-Yeah.

So where do you want to live, here or over the road?

This one's looking a bit more promising, I think, for us.

Yeah, I think it would be this one.

'Similar to the previous cottage, there are two doubles

'and one single bedroom upstairs,

'although here there's just one bathroom and no en suite.

'The third property has two bedrooms and an open-plan kitchen/diner

'and the fourth also has a kitchen/diner with just one bedroom.

'Now, to the outside space, with the land divided up

'so each cottage has a private garden, it doesn't go far.'

-No land...

-BOTH: Right.

-..no goats...

Right.

-..but three extra cottages.

-Yeah.

What do you think? Be honest.

-Well, it's certainly a good business opportunity.

-Yeah.

-Yep.

I personally would go for less property and more land.

All right.

How much do you think these houses, this hamlet, is on the market for?

I think it's at the top of our budget,

I think it's...

-I think it's 550.

-OK.

Erm, I would... Let's say 500.

Well, not bad guesses,

someone has been doing their homework.

This place is on the market for offers around £550,000.

So do you think you'd have viewed this,

-if you'd just seen it on the internet?

-Probably not.

-No, it's a stunning place...

-It does have a lot of the things we want.

..I'd like to come here on holiday.

Well, this is all... You know, it fleshes out what's important to you.

I mean, if you go through your tick list, character properties,

plenty of room for your family, plenty of room for holiday makers

to come and spend money, it's got all that,

-it just doesn't have the land.

-Yeah.

-There ain't no room for goats.

-No.

Well, look, I want you to have a look around

all of this place on your own.

Have a look at all the cottages, maybe start thinking about how

you might configure it if you were to get your head around

the lack of land, OK?

-And I'll meet you whenever you're done.

-OK.

-All right?

-All right, then.

-Yep, OK.

-Thank you.

Well, this is a process of elimination, isn't it?

It's finding out what's important to them

and Claire and Steve do seem to have their hearts set on some land,

so maybe more outside space, less inside.

Bang on budget, what this property lacks in acres,

it makes up for in floor space.

Between the nine bedrooms in four buildings

there's plenty of room for Claire's son, Steve's mother,

plus lots of holiday let options.

It has got lots of business potential, but I think you

could only do the one thing with it, which is let to people.

Oh, this is really pretty, isn't it?

-Yeah, really nice.

-Yeah.

-It's beautiful.

This would be perfect, I think, if it had an acre

and maybe two of the holiday lets were actually just one dwelling.

I've got to say, I was wondering which house you were

going to come out of.

-You had the choice, didn't you? Have you seen enough?

-Yes.

-Yes, I think so.

-All right, food for thought?

-Yes, I think so.

OK, well, I think I can do better.

-Let's go.

-Thank you.

Cornwall's milder climate offers the county's farmers the longest

growing seasons in the UK.

It's also a centre for organic and sustainable farming

and in the village of Gweek, in South Cornwall, there's an example

in Holifield Farm, an ecological project which also provides

daycare for people with special needs.

With Claire's son William in mind,

our couple are meeting the founders Robert and Amy West.

Hi, Steve. Hi, Claire.

Welcome to Holifield Farm.

'They started the project 26 years ago.'

We built it all ourselves in the partnership with social services.

The daycare centre is the hub of the farm,

that is what we are all centred around.

The other elements that go on are really to complement it

-or financially support it.

-How much land to you have?

There's 32 acres here, all different varieties.

so we've got arable fields

and then we've got scrubland and woodland,

we've got some orchards and then the farmstead.

'The day care is attended by about 30 trainees with special needs

'and coordinated by ten members of staff.

'The farm isn't run for profit but as a training vehicle,

'with a small collection of animals.

'There are also supporting ventures,

'such as the recycling of reclaimed wood

'and the annual Holifair Music Festival.'

Some apples here, if you'd like to try and see

if they're interested at all.

Certainly this one's interested in saying, "Hello."

These apples are all part of the fun, they come from our

orchard and so that's an aspect of the farm that the trainees love,

they go and pick the apples, some will be for the animals or else

they will take it on to actually

making apple juice, as well, from the apple.

How old are the trainees, what age range have you got?

From 16 onwards, from school-leaving age up

until the grand age of 65 or even more.

If the person is still active and mobile then there's all good

reason why they should come to our day care service.

Do you think it's good for the trainees to be outside and

-working in the countryside?

-I could only say yes to that, naturally.

'Alongside horticulture, animal care and woodland management, the

'visitors to Holifield can also enjoy arts and crafts,

'music and yoga.

'Steve and Claire have a chance to chat with Anne-Marie,

'one of the art room regulars.'

How long have you been coming here, Anne-Marie?

I've been coming here 15 years now and I really enjoy it.

What do you enjoy doing the most?

I like doing my artwork the most

because I enjoy doing it because it gives me more confidence

and it helps me to build my drawing skills.

I can put my artwork into an exhibition and I can sell them.

-Wow.

-Yep.

If my son William was to come here, do you think he would fit in well?

He would because all of us here are friendly,

we'll look after him very well.

-Well, it's been lovely to meet you, Anne-Marie.

-And you.

-Thank you.

'Perhaps William will get to experience Holifield Farm

'but first we need to find our couple a new home.'

Our next offering is in the hamlet of Broad Langdon,

five miles from the Atlantic Coast and north-west of Launceston.

It's conveniently located near to one of Cornwall's major roads,

perfect for when the family is visiting.

The nearest village with a pub and shops is Wainhouse Corner,

but Bude is also just eight miles further up the coast,

where more amenities and cracking beaches can be found.

There are many attractive coastal spots nearby,

such as Trebarwith, where the sandy beach,

accessed down a pretty valley,

becomes completely covered at high tide.

From Trebarwith, it's a 25 minute drive back to the

hamlet of Broad Langdon.

So this is what we're going to be focusing on.

Hmmm.

This could be your new home.

-I like the look of that, it's lovely.

-Yeah.

-Fantastic.

-It's a lovely spot, isn't it?

Now, a local farmer reckons when the guys took this place over,

some 20-odd years ago...

-The farmer told them that they used to make cider here.

-Oh.

-Is it a barn conversion?

-It is a barn conversion, yes.

And you can see bits and bobs of it as you go through.

Now, what do you think about position?

It's lovely, really nice, yes.

It's in a really nice location, as well.

-Now, all this we will look at and discuss later on.

-OK.

Let's focus on a house for you, all right?

Come with me.

'Through the main front door and turning left,

'you pass through an impressive formal dining room

'which takes you through to this family kitchen.'

-Yeah, this is nice.

-Yeah, this is a nice big room.

-It's really nice.

Space for a table, which I like.

I like the deep walls.

-I mean, obviously, it's quite modern, really...

-Yeah.

-Yeah, but it's still got character.

-It's an old building that's been converted.

-I like all the beams...

-It does have character.

-..stable door and things...

-Yeah.

-..I like that kind of stuff.

Do you think, then, you'd have that big, formal dining room

next-door with that lovely fireplace

and just, you know, have a dining table in there all the time?

-Do you think you'd use it?

-You'd just have to see how it went, I think.

I would use that one in there as a room, a sitting room.

When you first walk into a house, sometimes you get a bit overpowered

but you're both, you know, you're like, "Oh, I like it, this is a bit more us."

Yeah, yeah. This is our kind of thing, really, isn't it?

-I think so.

-All right, well, look,

let me take you through the property to the other end and

reception rooms that you've got on offer there.

'Heading back to the other end of the house,

'you pass a utility room and home office before reaching a part of

'the house that I feel is well suited

'for one of their wish list demands.'

Oh!

-This is great.

-Yeah, this is rather nice, isn't it?

Yeah, this is a bonus.

Now, it's a lovely big room, they use it as their living room.

You walk through the dining room,

it's next to the kitchen, it makes perfect sense

but you're always going to be walking through that dining room.

Would you have it up here, would you keep things as they are?

-I don't know because, obviously, we'd have to figure in Steve's mum...

-Yeah.

..she would want her own space.

So I'm, sort of, more...

From what I've seen so far, I'm more inclined to think of the kitchen and

the room next to it as our space and this could possibly be her space.

I think you're right because through that door, you can see,

sitting room, it's got its own door there

and upstairs a double bedroom and a bathroom.

We want her to, you know, feel this is her house as much as ours.

-She'll get the best room in the house, rightly so.

-Yeah.

And you two can be slaving away, cooking for her, how's that?

Yeah, that's fine.

-So flexible, isn't it?

-Yeah.

A home for you, a home for your mum, Steve

-and still plenty of space for your son to come up.

-Mhmm.

-Yeah.

-Shall we go take a look at some bedrooms?

-Yes, please.

'Upstairs in the main part of the house, there are three doubles

'and one single bedroom, so plenty of room

'for William and any visitors.

'There's also a family bathroom and separate WC.'

Well, this is, most definitely, your master,

clearly the biggest of all the four bedrooms up here.

-Yeah, this is nice.

-It's a nice room.

-Yeah, lovely.

Now, a lot of barn conversions steal room from the roof void, I suppose.

-I think you get enough room up here, don't you?

-Yeah, this is fine.

Yeah, it's absolutely fine.

-It's not too shallow, is it?

-No.

-So could you live somewhere like this?

-Well, yeah, definitely.

-Yeah?

-I think so.

It's a nice, light, airy place, really, plenty of windows.

Now, we've talked about outside space land, but integral

to the move down here, of course, is your ability to earn here, isn't it?

-You've got to work as a carpenter.

-Yeah, that's right.

So we've found just the thing for you, mate.

'As well as what's waiting for them in the woodshed,

'there's also a separate house here with one double bedroom.

'It doesn't have a kitchen but it would be perfect for

'bed-and-breakfast accommodation.'

That big wooden shed, we were stood in front of, manifests

itself as a huge potential workshop.

-It's fantastic.

-I think you'll have enough space here, don't you?

I think it's fairly large.

-Yeah, well, large enough to park a tractor in.

-Yeah.

You've actually got a loo and running water, see the sink there,

-and there's loads of power everywhere.

-I think you've always

-wanted a workshop this big, anyway, haven't you?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, it's great.

It's perfect.

So you've seen the home, you know you've got this here,

-what's missing?

-A bit of land.

-A bit of land? Shall we have a look?

Yes, please.

-Do you like it?

-Yeah, fantastic.

-Very nice.

-This field is included...

-OK.

-..as is the one beyond, where all

the sheep are grazing.

-Right, OK.

-You want a couple of acres, you get five.

-Yeah, there's plenty of land there.

-Isn't there just?

-That's fantastic, OK.

-Someone here wants to have goats.

-Yes.

You could have a few in there, couldn't you?

Herds and herds of them.

Now, let's look at this package, shall we?

Room for all your family, workshop space, land.

-It's got it all, hasn't it?

-What do you think?

-I think this has got to be above our budget...

-I should think so.

..I think this is about 600.

-£600,000?

-Mhmm.

-Steve?

-Well, let's be optimistic and say 550.

Not a bad guess.

This place is on the market for offers around £539,950.

Really?

-You could buy this.

-Do you think they'd throw in the tractor?

I've met the owner, he's downsizing,

there ain't going to be no room for a tractor, good chance of it.

Now, there's so much for you to have a look at,

there's all the other bedrooms in the main house, the annexe,

the other building with potential for, maybe,

some B&B and I'll meet you whenever you're finished, OK?

-OK.

-OK.

-Enjoy.

-Thank you.

Two rather happy customers, I think,

and that's because it's not just about earning money from a bit

of letting accommodation, it's about them realising their

long-held dream of having

a place in the countryside with some outside space.

Yeah, went well.

Under budget by £10,000,

this property seems to have it all.

There are five bedrooms and two bathrooms in the main house,

plus a separate property with B&B potential.

The kitchen, dining room and living room are all spacious,

and there's more than enough land and workshop

to fulfil our couple's rural dreams.

I think this is a fantastic house, it's got everything we want, really.

-Probably would do for your mum...

-Yeah.

-..couldn't it? This could do for your mum.

-It certainly would.

-It's bright enough.

We came to you with a really big wish list

and this house really ticks an awful lot of those boxes.

Well, it's big enough for a holiday let, isn't it, I think?

I think this could finally be the one.

Come on, then, pop quiz, Mrs Green Fingers, what's this?

-Passion flower.

-Well done.

So she may well make use of all this five acres of land.

-She might.

-Now, is this place of interest?

-Yes, definitely.

-Yeah, very much so.

-Yeah, definitely.

-Good.

Well, we've ended today on a high, let's take you back,

-it's the Mystery House tomorrow.

-OK.

It's the second day of our property search with Claire and Steve from

Bristol who have £550,000 to spend on a home, a holiday let

and a slice of rural bliss in Cornwall.

'Coming up, the games are on at the Mystery House.'

If you are not within £5,000, well, you're buying me lunch.

'And I consider a career change after experiencing life

'on the Helford River.'

Right, you're in charge, skipper.

Well, I must say, I'm pretty happy with how yesterday went,

especially with property number two.

I think it gave Steve and Claire pretty much everything

they had on their fairly extensive wish list, including

the opportunity to run some sort of business from the house.

So for today, well, I want to focus on what's bringing them

both down here to Cornwall in the first place.

And, let's face it, it's their love of the county

and the whole Cornish way of life.

Now, the Mystery House's location

taps into that, it couldn't be further

away from the stresses of city living, and on top of that,

I think the approach should evoke memories of those halcyon days of

when they both used to holiday down here.

Let's see how we go.

For our Mystery House we're heading to Bodinnick, a waterside

village across the estuary from Fowey,

on the south coast of Cornwall.

Our buyers have a sliding budget,

depending on what the property offers.

This Mystery Property is at their lower end and, with it,

we're focussing simply on a fabulous family home in a great location,

freeing up budget to purchase a

separate holiday let, or workshop, or both.

Fowey is one of the most sought-after spots in Cornwall,

sitting scenically on the west side of the estuary.

The medieval town buzzes with shops, galleries and restaurants.

It's linked to Bodinnick by car ferry

and that's how we're getting to our Mystery House today.

So, this is a slightly different kind of commute for you,

-what do you think?

-Well...

-It's fantastic.

-..it's different.

-Isn't it lovely?

-William would really enjoy this.

-It's a lovely way to start the day, isn't it?

-It's fantastic.

With our Mystery Home, we've also

pushed our buyers out of their North Cornwall comfort zone.

So what do you think about this part of Cornwall

and potentially living in this little corner?

Oh, yeah, it's beautiful, really nice.

I've never been to Fowey before and, I must say, it's a beautiful place.

It really is.

-Now, outside you're clearly not jumping up and down.

-No, not really.

Now, this is a hamlet, essentially, all you see is this, like,

U-shape of houses and they're all built at around the same time,

in the early '70s.

-'70s, I thought so.

-Let's see if we can warm you up inside.

-OK.

-OK.

'The main entrance to this property is on the upper level

'with the bedrooms on the floor below.

'You enter through a side door into a hall and I'm taking them

'first to the kitchen.'

It's a, yeah, a nice, kind of, airy

-family home, isn't it?

-Are you being polite?

-No, it's a nice house, isn't it? It's a nice...

-Yeah.

-This house has been designed to be lived in.

-Yeah.

-Sure.

So there's lots of light, you've got

a lovely little breakfast room through here, twin aspect,

and, I think, you'd use this a lot.

We've shown you stuff at the top of your budget,

-this is the option where you buy somewhere else for a holiday let.

-Yeah, OK.

-This is just for you guys.

-That's interesting.

-OK.

So shall we see a bit more of the home itself

-and then we can have a bit more of a discussion?

-OK.

-Sound good?

-Yeah.

-Good.

'Next, I want to show them my favourite part of this home,

'it's large living room, flooded with light.'

Now, I was, certainly, rather impressed by the size

-of this living room.

-Mhmm.

-That's a good size room isn't it.

-It's a nice room, isn't it.

-You get a great view from here.

-Yeah, it's really nice.

-Unfortunately, you can't see the sea.

-No.

The sea, oh, you're so close to seeing it,

it's just over that rise, there.

This is a lovely room, don't get me wrong.

It's got lots of windows and a lovely view and it's a nice big room.

I think we have to discuss

and explore different possibilities because we need to look

at different, well, at different price brackets

-for your house, don't we?

-Yeah.

-Is that all right?

-Mhmm.

-Don't want to leave....

..yet?

-No, I think we've got to see the whole thing...

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-..before we can judge it.

-Good, I'm glad you said that, come with me.

Let's see where your mum might live.

Now, obviously at the moment, this is laid out as a dining room

but I thought your mum might want to stay on the same floor.

So this could be, maybe, a bedroom so she wouldn't have to go up

and down those stairs because this house used to be two flats,

-so you've actually got a shower room on this level as well.

-Right.

-So just an option there.

-Hmm.

-Would it be big enough for a bedroom for your mum?

-Oh, yeah, I think so.

-This is a good sized room, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Shall we go and take a look at the bedrooms?

-Mhmm.

Yep, let me go through the middle here, thank you very much.

'But, although a bedroom up here is a possibility for Mum,

'with three doubles

'and one single room downstairs, there are other options

'and we're headed first to the largest room.'

-It's not very big for a master bedroom.

-Hmmm.

No, but actually they've squeezed four bedrooms out of it.

I mean, it's... All the bedrooms are doubles, to be fair to them,

so this is as big a house in as nice a part of this part

of Cornwall that you can get,

for around that lower end of your budget.

I think now, just after three houses, you know

-exactly what you're looking for, don't you?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, it's been quite an eye-opener.

-Yeah, it's funny how it narrows

-things down, isn't it?

-Yeah, it does.

-Well, I've made...

I've given you too many hints now as to whereabouts this property may

-be situated in terms of price.

-OK.

If you are not within £5,000, well, you're buying me lunch.

Come on.

The outside space here is very private, it's currently grassed with

well-established planting but could be turned to a vegetable patch.

There's plenty of room for parking cars, or even a boat,

if they're looking to make the most of the location.

So it doesn't sound like this house is particularly for you,

even though it's....

It's a nice house, I think it's a lovely house, actually.

But, no, I don't think it would be suitable for us.

OK, well, it's always a gamble, the Mystery House,

but I think it's served it's purpose, actually.

I think it's, you know, helped redefine what you're looking for.

So how much do you think this Mystery House is on the market for?

-Claire?

-I think it's probably 425.

All right, then. Steve, what do you think?

-I think it's 430.

-I tell you what, I don't think I've ever done this show

when someone's got the price spot-on twice.

Well done, on the market at 425. You know your market down here.

I know it's not for you but I just want to make sure that you know

exactly what you're looking at, what you get for your money in this part of the world.

So have a quick look around, just take it all in and I'll meet you,

well, whenever you're ready, OK?

-OK.

-OK.

-See you in a mo.

Every viewing, in my opinion, serves a purpose.

This has been pretty useful, I think

it just helps confirm that they're doing the right thing, they need to

look in a part of Cornwall where they get much more for their money.

They want a big property, maybe we've already shown it to them.

At £125,000 below their top budget,

what you get here is location.

The property has four bedrooms,

a large garden and a garage.

As well as separate sitting, dining and breakfast rooms,

there's the option of creating space

for Steve's mother on the main level.

Fowey is absolutely lovely, I've never been there before

and, having had a look round it, it really is picture postcard Cornwall.

If I was 20 years older and I was looking for a nice house to

retire to, I'd look at somewhere like this.

I mean, it's a useful space, isn't it?

Oh, yeah, it's great for storage which, I think, is what

-the present owners have used it for.

-Yeah.

It's a nice house, it's a nice, big ,airy family house

but I don't think it's for me and Steve.

You could knock that wall through and have a great big...

Yeah, that would be good.

..kitchen/diner because it's got the dual aspect windows.

-It's a stud wall, isn't it, so you could.

-Yeah, yeah.

-Well, then, that's it, three houses done.

-Mhmm.

-Have you seen enough of Cornwall, do you think?

-Erm, no.

-You can never see enough of Cornwall.

-Never tire of Cornwall.

Well, that bodes well, doesn't it? Let's find you somewhere to have a

-bit of a chitchat and then we'll catch up later on.

-OK.

The South West Coastal Path is Britain's longest waymarked trail,

taking in 600 miles, it starts in Dorset

and winds around the entire Cornish coast.

The area near the Helford River in South Cornwall is one of the most

popular sections and it's also home to what's thought to be

Britain's oldest ferry crossing, documented in the Domesday Book.

Today, Ian Wells, the owner of Helford River Boats is at the helm.

-Ian, good morning.

-Morning.

-How are you doing?

-Good, thanks.

I must say, mornings like this morning, you must think you've

-got the best job in the world, haven't you?

-People say that regularly to me, yeah,

and I have to say, on days like this, it is lovely.

The boat trip helps walkers avoid a 20-mile detour around the estuary.

Ian also ferries locals who live

and work on different sides of the river.

-Do you do this in all weathers?

-Oh, yes, no fair-weather ferryman.

Don't suppose you've got the choice, have you,

-if there's customers there?

-No, absolutely.

I understand, Ian, you're an escapee yourself, aren't you?

I am, yes, we used to live in the Midlands.

We lived in Warwick and worked in Solihull

and we came down about nine years ago.

I was a director of a finance company in Solihull and just decided it was

way too far away from the sea, so we came down here,

my wife's parents are down here and, yeah, we came down

to see if we could make it work.

'The Helford Ferry route has been running continuously since the Middle Ages.'

-Morning, guys.

-Good morning.

-Morning.

-Come on board.

'And, whilst Ian and his water taxi haven't been around quite

'that long, I'm sure he could do with a hand today.'

I'm first mate today, so I'm pretending I'm knowing what

I'm doing, I don't know what I'm doing.

What brings you down to Cornwall, year in, year out, then?

-It's just the scenery and the walking.

-Yeah.

We like the people as well, it's always very friendly around here.

It's a different way of life here, isn't it?

It's a different way of life, it's quieter,

you're away from the maddening crowd, as they say.

Just be careful of your footing, it might be a little bit slippy.

'When passengers want to call the water taxi,

'there's a very high-tech signalling method.'

Let's hope he's watching.

-Morning, welcome aboard.

-Thank you.

-It's a nice bright morning.

-Isn't it gorgeous?

-Fantastic.

-I can see why you're out walking today.

-Yeah, yeah.

-It's amazing.

This isn't a free ride, you know that, don't you?

THEY TALK OVER EACH OTHER

-We've got to pay the ferryman, yeah.

-He's the guy with the money.

You've got to pay the boatman.

My worry is, now, lads, have you got your land legs or your sea legs?

Well, we don't know.

'In the past, the ferry was used to transport livestock to the

'markets in Falmouth.

'The cart and driver travelled onboard

'and the horse swam behind.

'With passengers disembarked, Ian's letting me take the helm.'

-Right, you're in charge, skipper.

-Should you always... If something's coming towards you,

you should always pass on one side, should you?

There is an etiquette but a lot of people that own boats don't

-actually know what it is but if you...

-Explain it to me.

-Yes, it's passing port to port.

-OK, left to left? Yes.

But, as you'll see...

-I mean, the ferry actually has right of way over everything.

-Does it?!

However, we're not a very big ferry so, sometimes,

-discretion is the better part of valour.

-Yield to the larger.

Indeed, indeed.

Do you want to just head a little bit over to the right, or starboard.

Starboard, aye-aye, skipper.

Now, Ian, I've seen you do this and you make it look very easy

but this is your livelihood, so I think I'm going to hand over

-to you now.

-Yeah, OK.

-This looks really tricky because you have to go

in fairly fast and then hard round to the starboard side, don't you?

Yeah, it all depends on the weight you have in the ferry, as well,

the wind, the tide and how much water we've got below us,

so there's lots of factors to take into account.

Whatever you do, don't feel pressure.

LAUGHTER

Look at that, look at that, expertly done, sir.

-Do I need to tie anything off?

-You can tie the front rope up for us.

-That's it, perfect.

-I think the setting makes it all, doesn't it?

-It is beautiful, it is lovely.

-I wish you all the very best of luck...

-Thank you.

-..it's a wonderful tradition, I hope it keeps on going for many years.

-Thank you.

-Take care.

-All right, cheers now.

'Ian's found his slice of paradise in Cornwall, I just

'hope our buyers can do the same.'

Well, by my reckoning, there's just one property that's in the running.

Time to find out what Claire and Steve want to do about it.

So three properties down, I'm pretty

sure the Mystery House isn't for you.

That leaves two to choose from, properties one and two.

Where are you at the moment?

Well, we like the second house we saw very much

and we would consider living there, it's a lovely house.

Yeah, it fitted us, I think, it ticked all the boxes.

Are you surprised you've found a house

that marries up to your wish list?

Yeah, I think I am.

-I was surprised at how much house number two had.

-Yeah.

I was... And the price of it,

I was really surprised because I was sure it was over budget.

Well, you did get an awful lot for your money there,

in a really nice part of the world.

So if you buy that house,

-what on earth are you going to do with all that land? Five acres.

-Hmm.

-Vegetables.

-Well, it's self-sufficiency, isn't it?

Wouldn't that be amazing? So what's the next step for you guys?

I think we need to look into that house a bit more,

we need to look at it again, look at the area,

look how it works for William and college and that kind of thing.

Are you excited now?

You sound like you're a lot closer to finding this dream house.

-Yeah, yeah.

-Yep, absolutely.

-Yeah, it's really...

It's just nice to see that houses like that are about.

-Well, whatever happens, do please let me know.

-Yes.

-Sure.

-Good luck.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

Bearing in mind that Claire and Steve were after a property with

so many facets, I think this was always going to be

an exercise in pragmatism, to some extent.

But I do hope they think long and hard about house number two

because, well, let's face it, it gives them

pretty much everything they said they're after, from the land,

the house itself, to the outbuildings,

all within budget, in a part of the world they both love.

So fingers crossed the second viewing does go very well

and, who knows, we may have found two new Cornish residents.

See you next time.

Claire and Steve have had an offer accepted on a home which is

just five miles from the second property we should them.

They're preparing for the move and William's even been to some

taster days at, what will soon be, his new college.

If you'd like to Escape to the Country in Northern Ireland,

Scotland, Wales or England and would like our help,

please apply online at...