Surrey Escape to the Country

This Grade I listed building is believed to be Britain's oldest working post mill,

but whereabouts in the country is this wind-powered landmark?

Find out in just a couple of moments.

Today's house-hunting couple have a big budget but a tall order

to find a house that suits them and their son's family.

It's not my taste, but my daughter-in-law would love it.

I'm hoping we can deliver something truly impressive.

-I'm speechless.

-Well, again, this is good!

-Yes.

Today, I'm in Surrey in the village of Altwood,

and this is thought to be the oldest working post mill in the country,

so-called because the entire structure is balanced

on a central post carved out of oak,

which then allows one single operator to manoeuvre the entire

mill single-handedly according to the direction of the wind.

Now, legend has it,

when this was under construction way back in 1666,

the workers were able to climb right on top

and see the Fire of London raging away some 20 miles in the distance.

Although today this mill though no longer grinds grain,

she's still in pretty good working order.

And if you'd like a go at turning the mill yourself,

then the good news is you can, as it's for sale, along with this

three-bedroom converted stable block for a rather breezy £900,000.

Surrey is a home county in the south-east of England, bordered on

all sides by six counties, including Greater London and Hampshire.

Although within easy reach of the country's capital,

Surrey has a well-deserved reputation for leafy

tranquillity and spectacular scenery.

With 153 miles of paths criss-crossing glorious rolling

countryside, the Surrey Hills stretch across the North Downs

and are a designated area of outstanding natural beauty.

The River Tillingbourne runs along the south side

of the North Downs and passes

through a number of lovely villages including Shere,

whose authentic Tudor architecture and unspoiled streets

have attracted artists and filmmakers for decades.

Surrey is also home to some beautiful market towns,

such as Godalming.

In 1881, it was the first town in the world to have

public electricity and, in 2013,

it was voted as the best place to live for a good quality of life.

Let's not beat around the bush, Surrey is extremely expensive.

The average cost of a detached home here comes in at around £611,000 -

that's more than double the national average.

On top of that, it's also a home to the most expensive town outside of

London, Virginia Water, where prices regularly average £1.2 million.

It's incredible, isn't it?

So, let's hope today's buyers have deep pockets to match.

Let's meet them and find out.

Retired teachers Helen and Malcolm have been married for 46 years

and have a son and three grandchildren.

We met when I was at Goldsmith's College training to be a teacher.

Malcolm had a friend who was at Goldsmiths, who went out with

a friend of mine, and we all met up in the holiday.

The rest, as they say, is history.

They bought their current four-bed Edwardian house in Teddington, south-west London,

in 1979, but the area is almost unrecognisable

from when they first moved in.

Many, many more people. Many, many more houses.

When we first moved here, it was a lovely, quiet riverside village.

I feel closed in in this area.

I didn't when we were first here, but I do now.

There's a parking war on every street, which drives me nuts.

They bought their house 35 years ago for £46,000

but in just 20 years, house prices in Teddington have risen by over 350%.

I've had it valued at £1.8 million.

According to the estate agent, we live in a bubble,

somewhere where everybody wants to buy.

Helen and Malcolm won't be moving on their own.

Their son and daughter-in-law, Alistair and Jill, are also selling

up and they're going to pool their resources and combine budgets.

Ideally, they'd like a big house for Alistair's family

and a smaller self-contained annexe for them.

By moving in with our family, we would help them buy a bigger house.

We become close to the grandchildren and at the same time we downsize.

Hopefully the move will be good for family relations.

Living with the family, oh, my God!

THEY LAUGH

It would depend on the property.

If we're cheek by jowl, it probably won't work.

But, if we have enough space between us,

then I think it'll be brilliant.

They've chosen leafy Surrey because it's more peaceful, but also close

enough for their son's work and the grandchildren's school in Guildford.

Malcolm can't wait for the open space and countryside views.

I really am an outside person.

I enjoy sailing, riding my motorcycle

and you never see the sky in town,

and what I enjoy is more sky.

Helen hopes to spend more time painting.

She's also thrilled at the thought of living with her grandchildren.

My grandchildren mean everything to me.

-They are...

-Oh!

-..a chance to relive your life.

It's wonderful to watch them develop, help them out

when things don't go so well.

It's like having your own children,

but in the end they're not your complete responsibility.

-And you can give them back!

-Yes.

Malcolm, Helen and their son's family would ideally like to

be within a half an hour's drive from the county town

of Guildford, where their grandchildren go to school

and their son Alistair works.

I'm meeting up with them on Surrey soil

to discuss the details of their big move.

-So, welcome both of you to the Surrey countryside.

-Thank you.

-You've got over that blue collar, the M25.

-Yes.

-Suddenly, the fields open up.

-Wonderful.

Is this what you're after? Why the countryside now in your life, Helen?

More space, more sky, fresh air, that's what we want.

Sounds ideal but it's not just for you, is it?

No. The grand plan, as it's now called, is to sell two houses -

ours and the house of our son and daughter-in-law.

-So, your house is in south-west London?

-Yes.

That market has been cooking, bubbling

-and overflowing for the past couple of years.

-Extraordinarily.

I imagine you've done pretty well out of that.

We didn't buy the house to make money.

We've lived in it for 35 years.

We bought it to live in and it's been a lovely home

for all that time.

The fact that we now need to downsize as well because of our age,

it's just a lucky time that it's worth so much money.

So, you're looking to downsize, yet you're looking to...

Shall I tell you what we're looking for?

Go ahead!

-We're looking for a one-to-two bedroom cottage...

-Right.

..with a four-to-five-bedroom house attached.

JONNIE LAUGHS

Slightly the other way around! OK!

-We need to find you a property that gives you your own space.

-Yes.

Sanctuary away from the grandchildren sometimes.

The thinking behind the grand plan is that they get instant babysitters

and we get instant day-care.

JONNIE LAUGHS

-One comes hopefully a long time before the other!

-Thank you for that.

So, let's talk through this tick list because it's going to be...

-It's going to have to be quite extensive, I imagine.

-Uh-huh.

Go for it. How many bedrooms?

Four bedrooms at least, but preferably five in the house.

-For the family?

-For the family and one or two for us.

-OK.

-They'll want a big family kitchen, right?

-Yes, yes.

-How about you guys? What do you want?

-A small kitchen would be fine.

-I like small kitchens.

-OK.

So, let's talk budget.

What's the final budget you have settled on?

-Well, the grand plan involves selling our house...

-Yeah.

-..for which we would hope to get 1.8 million.

-Yeah.

And selling theirs, for which we would hope to get 700,000.

So, put the two together, we're looking at £2.5 million.

Even I could work that out!

That is a substantial budget, of course,

-in a very expensive part of the world.

-Very.

But, I know the market fairly well round here.

-I know we can get a substantial house.

-Good.

It's going to be difficult because we are also shopping on behalf of people that aren't here,

so you've got to put their wants and desires into your heads as well.

-Yes.

-Yep. We can do that.

-All right.

-Yes.

-Let's get going. Just this way.

For an exceptional combined total budget that includes Malcolm and Helen's £1.8 million,

as well as their son's family budget of £700,000,

they're looking for a large, traditional property with

five bedrooms and a self-contained annexe for themselves.

They'd all like a good-sized garden.

We've lined up three stunning Surrey properties to tempt our buyers,

but I won't be revealing their respective prices

until the end of each tour.

Our final mystery house will leave them marvelling,

but will it work for the whole family?

Our first property lies deep in the Surrey countryside,

16 miles from Guildford

and just 2.5 miles south west of the nearest village of Betchworth.

A pretty village on the north bank of the River Mole, it has two pubs

and a local forge that can make this bespoke items for the home and garden.

And the beautiful Grade I listed St Michael's church

dates back to the 13th century.

It's a ten-minute-drive to our first house, an arresting

17th-century farmhouse with an Elizabethan barn conversion.

Now, if we pause here, we get a good look at our first house.

That's stunning. I think it's lovely.

-Is this part of the property?

-That's all in.

But that used to stand in Suffolk and it was dismantled,

brick by brick, timber by timber, and reassembled here.

-You've done well.

-Speechless!

Let's go inside.

First, I want to show Helen and Malcolm the main part of the house

that their son and his family could live in.

It's beautiful, with many of the original period features still

intact, including the exposed beams in this large living room.

I think you'll be quite impressed with this room.

HE GASPS

-Oh, my goodness! Isn't that wonderful?!

-Beautiful, yeah.

-I'm speechless.

-Again, this is good!

Alistair and Jill would both love it, I'm sure.

I know you want separate accommodation,

but you will you all hang out together, I take it?

-Will you, or...?

-Oh, yes.

-One of the things we do an awful lot of is babysitting...

-Right.

..so I expect to be in here quite a bit, babysitting.

To the rear there's also a cosy snug,

which leads to a conservatory with garden views.

I'm going to show them the kitchen and breakfast room.

Just mind your step there, Helen, coming up.

-Your son and daughter-in-law like open-plan, don't they?

-Yes.

-This is it, isn't it?

-BOTH: Perfect.

-Perfect.

-Perfect.

In unison.

It has everything you want, lovely table down there to eat at.

Your grandchildren won't thank me for it, but that is...

Alistair and Jill maybe doing a bit of cooking here,

that's the homework table. There's no escaping, is there?

-Homework gets done on the family table.

-It does, yes, at the moment.

-It still does, yeah.

-That is somewhere where they could work.

All the fittings are presumably handmade.

-Handmade, this is a bespoke kitchen.

-Yeah.

-Yes.

So if all this has gone pretty well, let's start thinking about

-where you are going to live. Let's go to the other side.

-OK.

-Right.

Down the hallway is a dining room that leads to the annexe.

I think, with a few adjustments, it could be just what they are after.

Now, the far end of the house...

I just want you to take in what this room is, dimensions,

features but also think about that door, OK?

Follow me.

Because when you come through this one, you can see, now,

you've got your very own access, self-contained, all right?

A small room there and now...

Ignore the bed and think of this

as maybe a walk-through living area and a small kitchen.

Now, you said you didn't mind a small kitchen.

That would be big enough for me, yes.

It's not huge accommodation,

but now think about that dining room we've walked through,

if you blocked that door off, because you've got your own door there,

-I thought that could be your bedroom.

-Yep, that's perfect.

Upstairs, for Alistair and Jill, there are three good-sized doubles,

two slightly smaller ones and two family bathrooms.

There's also another potential option for accommodation

in this incredible period barn.

You've got storage or garaging on the ground floor,

which is great workshop space.

But, up here, this is something quite different.

Oh, gosh!

You might notice some stage lights.

-It's a theatre.

-Ah!

It is a theatre, with a minstrel gallery above.

Oh, my!

I've shown you an amazing annexe, but if you did have desires to have

something more grand,

wouldn't this be an amazing project to work on in the long-term?

-Well...

-Well, there you...

Put the bedroom there and the bathroom could be...

Hmmm, perfect.

Absolutely perfect.

It's a big project, of course it is, but maybe something long-term

-if you really did get bored.

-Yes.

Well, what we would do is have summer accommodation

-and winter accommodation.

-Oh, goodness me!

Now, you're talking!

Well, look, I wanted you to know that this is here.

Let's go outside and have a look at outside space.

'The grounds of this house seem endless, there's even a treehouse in

'one of the old oaks that I'm sure would delight their grandchildren.'

-Now, if you look behind, you can see a paddock.

-Yes.

-Oh, is that part of it?

-Yep.

-And there's another paddock just beyond...

-Goodness.

-..to the left. Do you see a gate there?

-Yep.

There's a little bit of woodland. Looking back at the house, it comes back up here,

indoor swimming pool, outdoor swimming pool.

-HE GASPS

-What?!

-All in all, around five acres.

-Gosh!

-Five acres!

-That'll do.

-All right, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-It is a lovely setting, isn't it?

-Wonderful.

-It's a wonderful place.

Beautiful house, beautiful setting.

Is the price beautiful?

I've no comparables, so it's a pure guess.

Give a stab in the dark, nobody's going to hold it against you.

-2.5.

-Two and a half million. OK.

2.75.

Well, then you'll both be pleased to hear that this

place is on the market for offers around £2,250,000.

-Gosh!

-Really?

-That is good news.

-A quarter of a million under budget.

-Under budget.

-That's good.

-That'll help.

Wouldn't it just?

Why don't you go and have a look around? Maybe the master bedroom

and all the bedrooms the family will use

and then just have a scoot around the outside...

Go wherever you want and I will meet you whenever you're finished,

-all right?

-OK.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you very much.

-See you later.

Enjoy it.

Don't get lost or fall in the pool.

Look, this is a massive house.

They've got a huge budget,

but this budget is to provide three generations of their family

and I think this house could do just that for them.

At £2.25 million,

this 17th century house is under

their combined budget by £250,000.

With...

But at 16 miles from Guildford,

it is a little further out than they'd

like to be for their commute.

I think it's a wonderful house, it's full of character and charm

and nothing that has been done to it has spoiled any of that.

Well, that's the family bathroom.

My goodness me! That's a wonderful room.

I love it and I think that my daughter-in-law

and my son would love it too.

The house is wonderful.

The peace and quiet outside is just perfect

and the gardens are sensational.

My main concern is its location and its distance from Guildford.

I'm told it's 35 minutes by sat nav.

Whether that will be acceptable to the family, I'm not sure.

-Have you seen enough?

-I think so, we've seen everywhere. It's lovely.

-There's a lot to see, isn't there?

-This is true.

-There is.

-Do you think it would suit the whole family?

-Yes.

-I think it would, yes.

-Great news.

OK, well, that's one down.

Maybe a tick next to the this one. Let's see if we can get two more.

Lead the way.

This rolling vineyard may look like it's in the South of France

but, in fact, it's deep in the Surrey countryside

and part of a growing trend for English wine.

In 100AD, the Romans planted vines in these very hills.

Nearly 2,000 years later,

winemaking is thriving again thanks to the White family,

who have turned this 265-acre estate

into northern Europe's largest vineyard.

We've sent Helen and Malcolm to meet Chris White for a tour

and to discover what makes English wine so special?

Well, welcome to England's largest vineyard.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

Why here in the middle of Surrey?

Well, Surrey is the home to a lot of the North Downs

and the North and South Downs of southern England, millions

of years ago, used to be joined to the Champagne region of France.

So we have exactly the same chalk soil,

so it's ideal for wine production.

Chris's vineyard has 18 varieties of grape that allows them

to make a wide range of wines,

but they mainly focus on white and sparkling.

The conditions we have here are perfect for aromatic fruity wines.

To produce the sweetest wines in the world

and full-bodied reds every year, the climate's just not ready for it,

so the majority of what we produce are the

still, white aromatic fruity wines.

-And you must be just coming up for harvest?

-We are.

-We are just about a week away now.

-Oh, gosh!

It's a nerve-racking time of year, but very, very exciting.

It should be a record year for us,

both in terms of quality and quantity.

The summer really has been just fantastic for us.

Choosing when to harvest is, perhaps, the biggest decision

a winemaker has to make and to help with this judgement

they hand sample some grapes.

We're looking for three things in the grapes. We're looking for

the sugar content, we're looking for the acidity

and we're looking for, obviously, the flavours and the juice.

We'll make a visual inspection to make sure we don't have any problems

with the grape bunches, there's no mildew setting in, or anything like that.

So, ideally, you want them all to look like this,

which is a slightly yellow in colour, slightly translucent.

Whereas, the one's down here are a slightly deeper green in colour,

which means they're not quite as ripe.

The level of alcohol in the finished wine is determined by how

sugary the grapes are.

Chris uses a refractometer to measure their content.

This is where we'll be testing for our sugar levels,

which is measured in Oechsle.

Ideally, we are looking for a 85 Oechsle level, which gives us

a natural alcohol content of about 11.5%.

-If you'd like to pick yourself...

-Pick me a grape.

All you have to do is pull the Perspex flip back...

..and then very slowly squeeze the juice. There we go.

And if you look through the lens at the bottom...

70 Oechsle.

As these grapes are 70 Oechsle, they'll need another three weeks to

reach 85 and they'll be tasted in the field as they develop.

-I could drink that.

-Very nice.

Once the grapes are gathered, they're gently crushed.

When the sugary juice is released, it reacts to the wild yeasts that

naturally occur on the grape skin and fermentation begins.

After about six months, the first white wines are

bottled at Chris's plant and then the tasting begins.

In this variety is the ones that you tasted a minute ago,

it's the malagousia.

-Gosh.

-Can you taste those flavours?

-Mmmm.

It's quite dry and sweet at the same time.

You're right, it's an off dry wine.

Again, very fruity, very aromatic.

Quintessentially, it's a very good example of what an English wine is all about.

What would you drink that with?

Well, you could have this as an aperitif or you could have this with

pasta or chicken, something like that.

-It's very fresh.

-Very fresh, very fruity.

-Tasty, yeah.

I love drinking this on a summer's day.

-Sitting out on the patio, drinking this, it's...

-What's not to like?

-..absolutely perfect for that.

Well, I hope we've opened your eyes to English wine in particular

-and you've enjoyed yourself.

-Absolutely.

-Well, good luck with the rest of your house-hunting in this area.

-Thank you very much.

-Cheers.

We've enjoyed it very much indeed.

-And good luck with the harvest.

-Thank you.

Back on our house search,

property number two is a 35-minute-drive

from our first offering.

Situated on the outskirts of Dunsfold Village,

it's three miles west of the larger village of Cranleigh.

Home to over 9,000 people, it has a wide range of shops,

a weekly market on Thursdays and a thriving arts centre,

which keen painter Helen might enjoy.

A seven-minute drive takes us to house number two,

a handsome Grade II-listed property.

Now, I know you like old properties,

so I thought we'd try Georgian, mostly.

That is an amazing house.

Now if you look at the gable ends of this property,

you can see these more Edwardian looking structures.

They are Edwardian extensions, and those blue bricks,

apparently, according to a learned local, is north chapel blue.

-Very elegant, very grand.

-Yeah, come with me.

We're beginning with this spacious kitchen in the main

part of the house, where Alistair's family would live.

You said your son and daughter-in-law like

-old outside, new inside and open-plan.

-They would adore that.

-They would love this kitchen, yes.

-Absolutely adore it.

It's not my taste, but my daughter-in-law would love it.

Off the kitchen is a small sitting room, two utility rooms

and access to a large cellar.

Across the hallway is this dining room fit for a banquet.

What do you make of this room then?

-Oh, my goodness.

-An amazing room.

-I think you could have a few guests around this table.

-This is true.

-You certainly could.

-I mean, look at this fireplace. Look at that.

I think the word that's going to come out over and over again is grand.

Now I know this is in the main family part of the building,

but, now and again, you'd borrow this room, wouldn't you? Come on.

-Yes.

-Yes.

I could sit there and she could sit there.

And you'd never need to talk again.

Follow me to the reception room.

Another reception room there, which is a play room. An office.

Well, look at this though.

-Oh, my goodness.

-Lovely Room.

And then you've got a snug here, in the winter,

-if you want something smaller.

-Gosh.

-Yes.

Now, we're putting ourselves in the headspace of Alistair and Jill.

-Yes.

-Their sort of design, their sort of feel?

-Oh, yes.

-Yes. It would be fine.

There's a separate entrance at the back for a section

of the house that could become a very nice self-contained

annexe for Malcolm and Helen.

Now, I just want to pause here to give you

a flavour of your accommodation.

Now, living room clearly needs a bit of work.

Small kitchen, almost the smaller the better, by the sounds of it.

Yes, that's fine. No problem.

But this could be a bit more traditional.

This could become a bit like a wing or a cottage, OK?

-So, ground floor accommodation here.

-Our own front door.

Your own front door, yeah.

But you can still be connected,

and your accommodation gets a lot plusher upstairs. Come with me.

I don't believe this.

So up on this first floor you've got a big double bedroom there,

with its own en suite and dressing room.

You'd think that's you sorted, but, no.

We're now going into the main part of the building of the main

home, but what you could do is this.

You could put a door here,

so you can access that part of the building,

then all this becomes yours,

which means that family bathroom is yours, with separate shower.

-But that's huge.

-Yeah, quite. And so is the master bedroom.

-Look.

-Yes, very nice.

If Helen and Malcolm turned this wing into their annexe,

it would leave Alistair's family six bedrooms, two bathrooms

and, on the second floor, a lovely beamed office.

The space in this house is matched by what's on offer outside.

-All this land.

-Wonderful. Somebody's put a lot of work in.

Outdoor heated swimming pool, tennis courts and paddocks.

All in all, at least eight acres.

-Eight acres?

-Eight acres.

-That's a lot of land.

-That's a lot.

There are also a number of outbuildings,

including an impressive barn that could be converted.

So, how much do you think this place is on the market for then, Malcolm?

Must be over budget.

I would say 2.65.

I would say top of our budget, 2.5 million.

Well, good news for you both then.

This place is on the market for offers around £1.95 million.

-Gosh.

-Wow.

That's a surprise.

Why don't you guys go back into the house

-and scoot around anywhere you want?

-We will do that.

-All right?

-Can you send out a search party for us?

-I'll give it half an hour.

Right.

Well, it is a big house.

I was worried they might think it was too big, but Malcolm, I think,

has fallen in love with this place. Helen, I'm not so sure.

Maybe it's a bit too contemporary in places. We'll see.

Just over £500,000 under

their total combined budget,

this property offers the potential

of a self-contained wing for

Malcolm and Helen, as well

as rooms with period features

and a contemporary style

for their son and his family.

Finally, there's the added bonus

of beautiful grounds

for the children to enjoy.

My goodness. This is a large room.

Well, there'd be plenty of space here for desks.

Don't forget, this is part of the grand plan.

The children are going to be angst-ridden teenagers

and they're going to get bigger and bigger and bigger.

I have to remind myself that I'm looking at it for my son

and his family to live in,

and from that point of view I have to think that it is ideal for them.

I think the annexe would be a good living space for us.

In fact, an overgenerous living space. Far more than I expected.

That's all we're going to see today, so I'll take you back.

A new day tomorrow. All right?

-Thanks very much indeed.

-Thank you.

It's the second day of our property search

and we're helping Malcolm and Helen swap the traffic-laden

streets of Teddington, south west London, for the serenity of Surrey.

They have a whopping budget of £1.8 million, which they're combining

with the son's family budget of £700,000.

-Coming up, we go grand with the Mystery House...

-That is amazing.

..and I get my Lycra ready.

I was hoping to meet you halfway up.

I'm already spent and we're at the bottom.

Well, I always thought it might be tricky looking for a huge

property when only one half of the decision makers are present.

And yet today I thought we had mixed successes, really.

Helen and Malcolm liked the properties, albeit,

having different favourites.

So today, as it's the Mystery House,

we're going to turn this search on its head.

We're going to focus even more on what Helen

and Malcolm are after in a home,

and, if that works, if they fall

in love with the Mystery House, well then it's up to them

to convince the rest of the family that this is the right property.

For our final property, the Mystery House,

we're heading north, to the village of Bramley, which is

just a 20-minute drive from the historic county town of Guildford.

Set in some of the most beautiful countryside in Surrey, it would

offer fantastic family walks at the weekend.

The high street has a variety of shops,

a library and a number of cafes and pubs.

Bramley church, dedicated to the Holy Trinity,

dates from the 12th century.

It's a short five-minute journey by car to the rolling fields

and farmland that surround our Mystery House,

or perhaps I should say houses.

Now this really is a Mystery House.

-It's very different.

-I'm intrigued.

I'm looking at that.

-I'm glad you are because that could be yours.

-Ah.

-That is for the family.

-Uh-huh.

But I don't want to focus on the family house this morning,

I want to talk about your accommodation.

That just looks sensational.

And you've even got options with this as well. Shall I show you?

-Yes, please.

-Absolutely, let's go.

The renovation and conversion of this Grade II listed period barn

has just been completed.

Now, then...

Oh, not at all what I expected from the outside. So it's modern?

-Slightly bigger kitchen, but not too big.

-No, not too big.

Know that this is here

because everything from now on gets a lot bigger.

I think this 33-foot long living space is absolutely stunning.

Oh, crikey.

My goodness me. That is amazing.

Up there, you've put got two small bedrooms and a bathroom.

This would be multipurpose.

Office there, maybe.

Sitting room over there.

There's room in the kitchen for a dining table.

I think it gives us a tremendous amount of space to live in,

much more than I expected, and much more than we've seen anywhere else.

-Yes, quite.

-Absolutely perfect.

To all intents and purposes, this is a brand-new house.

Underfloor heating, electric points everywhere, double-glazed.

You know, you're getting all the benefits of modern technology,

-yet you've got, hopefully, what you described as atmosphere.

-Yes.

Oh, it's got bags of that.

Now you've got your own separate accommodation,

you've got a separate home,

which is what you said you were dreaming of.

That's what I would like. That, to me, is the dream.

Now, I did say this Mystery House gave you a couple of options.

This is only one.

If you want something a little bit more conventional, follow me.

Ten years ago, the current owners converted the

stables into a self-contained two-bedroom annexe.

So there is another option in this building.

You've got a living room at the end, then you have a bathroom with

a bath, not just a shower, unlike the last place.

Double bedroom or living room, swap it if you like.

And then at the end, a decent-sized kitchen,

but hopefully not too big for you, Helen.

-Yep, It's lovely.

-Perfect, absolutely perfect.

So, of course, we've been loving walking around these two

buildings, but you haven't yet seen where the family are going to live.

-So let's go to the main building now.

-OK.

The original main farmhouse was built in the 19th century.

It is habitable, but could benefit from some redesigning

and an extension. The property is currently unfurnished.

Just mind your steps here, it's on a few different levels.

So you've got a living room through there at the moment,

and then this is the main family kitchen.

Uh-huh.

-Banquets.

-HELEN LAUGHS

Well, you put a table in front of it and there's your kitchen diner.

It's an odd design because that's the rest of the kitchen there.

Now, there is planning consent in place

to muck around with this and extend,

extend out that way.

Now that means, according to those plans, that this

-would become a bit of a walk-through dining area.

-Right.

-The living room is a lovely big dining kitchen.

-Right.

And then you've got a lovely big living room going across that

way and then bedrooms above.

Would Alistair and Jill, do you think,

be prepared to live as this is at the moment?

Yes, I think they would.

Upstairs, there are currently two large double bedrooms

and three singles.

There's also two family bathrooms.

But before they explore, I want to show them outside

and give them a chance to savour the views.

-It sits in about half an acre.

-And the fence is the boundary?

You've got it. What you see is what you get.

The views are phenomenal, they're just beautiful.

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

-Much less land, I'm going to be very cheeky and say two million.

-OK.

I'm going to say, because of the amount of work that needs

to be done in the main house,

and there is a lot of work to do to make it the sort of house

that Jill and Alistair would like,

despite that amazing barn,

I'm going to say 1,950,000.

Well, maybe you should have been cheekier.

This Mystery House is on the market for offers around £1,595,000.

-Goodness.

-Perfect.

Which gives you, or Alistair and Jill,

the change to spend on that house.

Well, I think what you need to do now is have a look around everything

that you haven't yet seen, which is probably mostly all in there,

-and then I'll meet you afterwards. OK?

-OK, thank you very much.

-Enjoy it.

-Thanks a lot.

At a handsome £905,000

under their total combined budget,

the Mystery House leaves

substantial funds for the work

and extension to the main house.

The separate barn conversion is

more than big enough

for Helen and Malcolm and the

stable annexe adds another option.

It's all set within half an acre,

with stunning views.

Bathroom, quite a reasonable size.

Family bathroom.

With the chance of an extension to the main house,

I think that could make it into a

sensational living space for the children to grow up in.

This house gives us

the most wonderful accommodation for us,

away from the main house.

It's beautiful, it's open.

We could live very comfortably here.

It is quite beautiful and I do just love it.

-So, all done?

-Yes, extraordinary.

Hopefully this mystery property has got you scratching your heads now.

-Unbelievable.

-It has.

-I mean, it's just too difficult.

Well, let's find you somewhere to have a

bit of a chinwag to help you make that decision, shall we?

-Sure.

-OK.

-It's this way.

Just 19 miles south-west of London on the Surrey North Downs

lies Box Hill, which offers one of the best views in the south-east.

For centuries, people have flocked here to escape urban life

and enjoy the stunning scenery.

Today, almost 1,000,000 people visit Box Hill each year and, for the

last 100 years, the area has been in the hands of the National Trust.

I've come to meet Lyn Richards, from the charity Friends Of Box Hill,

to learn about its history.

So, Lyn, what are we looking at here then?

On a clearer day, you would be able to see the South Downs.

You can see Dorking over there, Brockham.

You're looking out over the Weald, essentially.

But this stunning vista could have been very different if it wasn't for

the generosity, in 1914, of one man - Leopold Salomons -

a city financier and company director from London.

He basically saved Box Hill for the public.

It was going to be sold to a developer, and so there's the

prospect they could have had houses all over it,

and he didn't want that to happen.

He thought the people should be allowed to walk over it

and enjoy it in the way he had,

so he bought it for £15,000

and then he gave it to the National Trust.

It was 230 acres that he bought,

-it's now 1,400 acres.

-Is it?

-So the National Trust have taken the reins and ran with it?

-Yes.

Leopold Salomons wasn't the first to appreciate

the beauty of Box Hill.

As far as we know, the first record of it was Daniel Defoe in 1700,

so for 300-odd years there has been records of people enjoying Box Hill.

Now, I understand they built a train station later on,

which really opened it up to,

-not just the middle classes, but to everybody.

-Yes, they did.

Because people came out of London

and this was seen as an exotic place to come to,

so they came here to spend the whole day and they came by train

-and they came in their thousands.

-But what did they do?

Was it exercise, was it parading and showing off, was it Sunday best?

Well, they'd just discovered picnicking,

so they came here to picnic.

But what else did people get up to here?

Donkey rides. Donkey rides were really popular then.

On the Donkey Green, which is behind us,

there were a number of donkeys and, at that time,

a quarter of the income for running the National Trust estate here,

Box Hill, came from donkey rides.

-Did it really?

-Yes.

Now Box Hill is popular with cyclists

and the ascending zigzag roads

proved the perfect challenge for the 2012 London Olympic Road Race.

I've tried this route before, but I'm keen for new tips,

so I'm meeting up with Rick Gregory of the Redhill Cycling Club,

who's been riding this circuit for six years.

I was hoping to meet you halfway up.

-I'm already spent and we're at the bottom.

-This is halfway up.

And you come up here quite regularly, I understand?

Oh, once a month or so, yeah.

Now, for us cyclists, Box Hill is becoming steeped in legend now,

here in the UK, isn't it?

Oh, absolutely. A true iconic one.

It's a challenge that's doable for less than experienced people.

Is that what makes it so popular then?

-It's a challenge, but you can achieve it?

-That's right.

And when you get to the top, there's a great reward

because there is a cafe and a good view.

I'm keen to go with an expert who can show me the pace

-I should be going at and maybe give me some tips along the way.

-OK.

-All right? Shall we go?

-Yep.

Now, be kind, Rick.

The zigzag roads have been likened to Alpe d'Huez in the French Alps.

It climbs 120 metres over 1.6 miles

and the whole circuit is nearly ten miles long.

The male British Olympic Cycling Team climbed this

circuit nine times during just one race.

So have you got a favourite part of Box Hill?

In winter time, this is a good place

because you can see through the foliage better.

That's just one vista. When we get round this hairpin,

-there's another one.

-I do love these hairpin bends though,

just to make the climb a bit more interesting.

-There's a bit of technical awareness you need, isn't there?

-Absolutely.

The one thing you do notice coming through here is

the smell of alpine wood, if you like. It's beautiful, isn't it?

It is.

And as you go through the seasons,

this is the bit that changes a lot too.

Well, of course, get to the top, or nearly the top,

and you're rewarded by this amazing view.

One of the best views in the south.

It's got to be, isn't it? It's gorgeous.

That was nowhere near as painful as I seem to remember it. Very pleasant.

-It's all about the pace, isn't it?

-Yes, absolutely.

-Shall we carry on?

-Yes, why not?

-Let's go.

Let's hope Malcolm and Helen don't have an uphill challenge

deciding which house to buy.

Well, Malcolm and Helen certainly seemed smitten with Surrey,

but they also seem rather taken with all three houses we've shown them.

So let's meet up with them

and find out if they're any closer to making a decision.

So, have you managed to come to any kind of decision?

-Because you looked confused when I left you.

-Well, I'll start.

-Go on.

I thought we'd given you the impossible task

and what you've done is come up with three solutions, all of them viable.

-Now I've given you the impossible, to try and make a decision.

-Absolutely.

-Yes.

They're three different solutions, all of which work,

so I'm now at a loss to know which one to choose.

Let's try and unmuddy these waters.

What is your favourite house to live in yourselves, as a couple?

For me, my favourite property would be number three,

for our accommodation.

-The Mystery House.

-The Mystery House.

-Right, OK.

-Absolutely.

-And same for you?

-Absolutely.

What do you think the favourite house would be,

according to your son and daughter-in-law?

I think probably the second property.

-Oh, right, the big Georgian house?

-Yes.

If the work was done on the Mystery House, the main house,

they might like that as well,

especially if they have an input into how it is extended.

It sounds like it's between those two houses.

But I think the first property deserves consideration -

that's the house that I liked the best.

You like the look of it, but it's got to be a home that suits you all.

I think what Helen means is she liked the whole house,

that's her style.

But accommodation-wise,

that gave you the smallest accommodation for you guys...

-Absolutely.

-..and you're half of this.

-Yes.

Which is, as you say, maybe why it's out of contention.

OK, we've got the houses all sorted. What about the locations then?

Well, I think, again, the Mystery House comes out on top.

-We ain't going anywhere.

-No.

But he and the family have to get into Guildford

-and that seems perfect.

-It's only five miles away from Guildford.

Exactly so.

That would be more convenient than either of the other two properties, I think.

Well, you know what? At the start of the day,

I said I wanted to show you a house that focused on you.

It's up to you guys to then sell it to the rest of the family.

Oh, we'll certainly do that.

-You must let me know what you decide on doing.

-Of course, of course.

We will, we will.

-I'm looking forward to seeing how this all unmuddles.

-Yes.

-Good luck, you will need it.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you very much.

If you'd have told me just a couple of days ago that Malcolm and Helen

would be struggling to choose between three houses,

well, of course, I'd have taken it.

But they do still seem a little bit confused, and they needn't be.

They have their favourite property, and that's the Mystery House.

What they need to do now is get their son and daughter-in-law

down here to choose their favourite,

and if it isn't the mystery property,

which I think it should be,

well, that's when the fun starts, doesn't it? See you next time.

Malcolm and Helen convinced their son and daughter-in-law to

view the Mystery House, which is now under serious consideration.

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