Hampshire Escape to the Country

I'm stood above a station that sits on top of the Alps.

But I'm not in France or even Switzerland. So where am I?

Find out in just a moment.

Today, we're helping a family of born and bred Londoners

become village people.

-Really pretty.

-Quaint.

-It's pretty in almost a fairytale way.

But catering to multiple generations means getting creative.

-We haven't found anywhere for Cheryl yet.

-Oh, yeah.

Well, I'm going to show you something for Cheryl.

-There's a garage outside. No, don't laugh.

-Sorry!

Today, I'm in Hampshire and this is the Medstead and Four Marks station

on historic Mid-Hants Railway.

The highest station in the south east of England,

this section of the line was known as the Alps

due to the steep gradient to the line running up to the station.

With inclines as steep as one in 60,

huge engines like this were needed to transport not only passengers

but also the local crop of watercress up to London.

In fact, soon after it opened in 1865,

the while route was affectionately known as the Watercress Line.

Later on in the show, I'll be finding out more about this historic

railway but also, hopefully, try my hand at driving one

of these impressive locomotives.

With the English Channel lying to the south,

Hampshire shares land borders with five other counties,

including Wiltshire to the west and Surrey to the east.

It's a county filled with vistas of pastoral beauty

where hedge-lined hills sit atop chalk bedrock

laid down over 60 million years ago in the Cretaceous period.

Charles Kingsley is said to have been inspired to write his novel,

The Water Babies, while staying near the trout filled River Itchen

in a 19th-century coaching inn

located in the pretty village of Itchen Abbas.

The first Doomsday Book entry for Hampshire is found at the

market town of Odiham, which now sits alongside the Basingstoke Canal.

The varied historic buildings here include

the remains of a castle, once the home of King John,

which he reportedly departed on June 10th 1215

in order to seal Magna Carta at Runnymede.

So, whether you're seeking rural idylls,

an artistic muse or a rich and fascinating history,

Hampshire is a great choice for a country escape.

Now, there is one caveat when it comes to setting up home

in this beautiful Hampshire countryside and that's the price.

The average cost of a detached house in this county

comes in at nearly £400,000.

That's an incredible 40% above the national figure.

And that price increases further towards the Surrey border,

especially around towns like Fleet,

which has excellent rail links back into the capital.

So, if you want your money to stretch further,

then you're better off heading west around towns like Andover

or towards the Wiltshire border.

So, what's attracting today's buyers to this county?

Let's meet them and find out.

Today's house hunters, mother and son, Nicola, a head teacher,

and Michael, a digital publisher, live in flats just a few doors apart

in Parson's Green, south west London.

They want to join forces in order to flee the city for the space

a country escape would afford.

-In Parson's Green, it's like, a standard house...

-Yes, a three bed.

..that you buy for a million quid. It's crazy. It's absolutely crazy.

So, if you want to make the money work at its best,

then you need to move out of London.

You need to move out to the country.

We're thinking, if we combine the money we had and we moved out a bit,

we could get somewhere where we could all live, essentially.

One of the other reasons is, obviously,

we want to move for space, because, wherever you go in London,

you're never going to have a huge amount of space.

They certainly need space, because Michael's wife, Holly,

and his mother-in-law, Cheryl,

will also form part of the new blended household.

I really like the idea of the multi-generational living.

The notion that you are close to the people that really matter

in terms of family, so that you can see them frequently.

That appeals to me a lot.

You very often need family.

Plus there are several canine members of the family to consider.

My little guy, Einstein, has this fear of other dogs,

so it makes walking them very difficult.

Just to be able to let him run in a reasonable-sized garden

would be lovely.

She loves forests.

Around here, most of the time, it's the parks.

There's something really nice about watching dogs run. That's really weird!

-But there is something really nice about watching a dog run.

-It's the sense of freedom, isn't it?

The hope is that life away from the bright lights

and bustle of the big smoke will give them all a fresh outlook.

To be able to look at the stars without all the overspill

of city lights, I would actually invest in a proper telescope. Yes.

I actually quite like the sound of the country.

-I like the sound of nature. I quite enjoy that.

-Actually, that's true.

I find that quite relaxing.

At night, you don't have the traffic noise,

but you have animal noises and bird noises.

And there is one particular county they have in mind for the move.

We're looking to move into Hampshire.

Michael went to school there, so I was travelling up and down

in it for years. It's kind of got everything.

It's got history, it's got the open spaces,

it's got its really quaint villages.

It's pretty too, actually, Hampshire's very pretty.

Most important of all, they hope that joining forces will mean

they're all on hand for one another.

Mum's getting older and Holly's mum is also getting older.

-You are! It's true.

-I know.

I'm extremely lucky to have a son that I'm really good friends with,

and we get on and we enjoy a lot of the same things.

He is actually the most amazing son to have in the world.

-I'm inordinately proud of him and love him to pieces.

-I do too.

Michael and Nicola are open to living anywhere in the county

of Hampshire that's within easy reach to London rail links.

But there are a lot of people to consider in this property search,

so I'm meeting up with mother and son in the county to get

a better grip on everything they want from their move.

We've got quite a different kind of house search, haven't we?

I'm looking for multi-generations.

Absolutely.

So tell me about it, Nicola.

Michael and Holly would have the main house, because, obviously,

they're going to have a family...

-No pressure.

-Absolutely! No pressure there.

-And then Cheryl would have a one-bedroom...

-Right.

..and I would have, ideally, a two bedroom.

-So this house, well, it's a bit like the Waltons, isn't it?

-No, no, no.

-We want our own front doors.

-Separate front doors.

-You want your own front doors?

-Definitely.

By the sounds of it, we're looking for three separate properties

-on one plot of land.

-That would work, yes.

-I hope you all get on. Tell me you get on.

-Yes, we do.

-We all get on.

-And all our dogs get on.

-Hold on, you've got dogs as well?

-Yes.

Oh, yeah.

There's people watching this around Hampshire thinking,

"God, I hope that's not next to me."

THEY LAUGH

OK, so, the house is big and it's versatile,

maybe to split up into separate dwellings with annexes.

What about outside space?

-Be nice to have some outside space.

-Yeah.

I mean, at the moment, with our dog, we've got a flat

and there's no outside space at all, which means,

at one or two in the morning, it's always me going out for the walk.

It would be quite nice to open a door.

Whereabouts in Hampshire are you particularly keen on looking?

For Holly particularly, it needs to be close to a train station,

so we can get into London within an hour.

-Right, cos that's where a lot of her work is and stuff.

-Exactly.

So, I think that's the primary thing for me.

OK, you want an awful lot. How much are you looking to spend?

-It would be a maximum of £1.2 million.

-OK.

We've got three cracking properties lined up. Let's get going.

By pooling their resources, Nicola and Michael have £1.2 million

to effectively purchase three homes in one.

They'd like a one to two bedroom apartment for Nicola.

A main house with at least three bedrooms

for Michael and his wife, Holly.

And another one bedroom annexe for Holly's mum, Cheryl.

Plus they want a garden for the dogs and to be near rail links.

We've lined up three very different options to tempt them with.

And at each one, I'll be asking them

to guess the price before I reveal it.

The final property is the Mystery House which, this time,

could really take our buyers out of their comfort zone.

You get on really well with your mum, sat here next to me.

Well done, Nicola.

You're moving your mother-in-law in with you.

Yeah. I actually get on really well with her as well.

-And then, you obviously get on very well with Holly.

-Yes.

-So, it's all happy families, isn't it?

-Yeah.

I think it's also nice as well,

-because both our mums are on their own.

-Yes.

So, actually, it's quite nice to have, you know,

other people around and company and things.

Never have I witnessed such a thinly-veiled attempt

to get some ready made baby-sitters.

THEY ALL LAUGH

The first property has London rail links three miles away

in the village of Grately and four miles away in the town of Andover.

It's located in the village of Thruxton.

The village has two pubs, including a former coaching inn.

One particularly quirky feature in the village is a classic

red phone box that's now being used as a book exchange.

The proposition I want to show Michael and Nicola

is located right in the middle of the village.

This is house number one. What do we think?

It's lovely. Really nice.

-I like the double fronted.

-Yeah.

-Bays, they're really nice.

-It's attractive.

-Very attractive, yeah.

-It's very well proportioned.

-Now that, just remember that.

-Right.

Inside is one of the most impressive rooms

you're likely to see in your budget.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-OK.

-Let's go inside.

-OK.

-Great.

'The barn-like addition was completed by the current owners in 2012,

'but the original house was built in 1870.

'We're entering through what could be Nicola's front door

'into the section I think is best suited to become her accommodation.'

-This is your living room.

-Wow.

-Amazing. And a real fire.

-Yeah.

-It's lovely, isn't it? Really good.

-It's fabulous.

I could move in tomorrow.

There are a few reception rooms this end of the property

that I think could be merged together, if you like,

to give you a nice little ground floor flat.

'By turning, what is now, a family sitting room into Nicola's bedroom,

'rearranging the study as a kitchen

'and expanding the downstairs loo into the hall to make a bathroom,

'Nicola could have all the accommodation she requires.

'Closing off the door to the garden

'and blocking off and turning the stairs would allow Nicola

'private access to her share of the ground floor.

'This would leave the remainder of the house for Michael

'and his wife, Holly.'

You'd have a completely self-contained one-bedroom flat

and that garden there could be your very own garden.

-Not bad, is it?

-That's not bad. That's not bad.

-Let's look into the living area here.

-OK.

-For you, Michael.

Now, as regards kitchen diners,

I think this should be adequate for anyone.

-Wow.

-Phwoo.

Wow! That is amazing!

-Look at this glass.

-Yeah.

It's phenomenal.

-But what a space.

-It's amazing.

-What a space.

-It's absolutely amazing.

Do you remember from the garden, I said, look at that black barn?

-Yes, I remember that.

-Look at it.

-This is it.

-This is it.

It's the materials they've used that gives it that feel,

the atmosphere, the range.

The rooms off here, you're going to love this, you've got a dog room...

-A dog room?

-Yes.

-Are you serious?

It's got a little sink in there.

Then you've got a utility there and then, obviously,

your main entrance to this, you and your wife, Holly,

-would be there through the boot room.

-OK.

Again, putting a bit of pressure on you,

if you were to hear the pitter-patter of tiny feet,

-this is where you'd like to see them running round.

-Oh, yeah.

They've got all the space. It's fabulous.

All right, now let's take a look upstairs at the bedrooms on offer.

OK.

'On the first floor, Michael and Holly would have a smart family bathroom.

'It serves two double bedrooms to the front of the house,

'both with built-in wardrobes and also a good-sized single

'to the rear with doors to a balcony overlooking the garden.

'Lastly up here, again with views of the back, we find the master suite.'

I do like the six wardrobes. That would be good for Holly.

-Lots of stuff to store?

-A lot of stuff.

Lots of clothes, lots of clothes.

This is an amazing en suite, actually.

Could you see yourselves en masse living in this house?

-Yeah.

-Yes, actually, I could. I really could.

-Except we haven't found anywhere for Cheryl yet.

-Oh, yeah.

Well, I'm going to show you somewhere for Cheryl.

There's a garage outside... NICOLA LAUGHS

-No, don't laugh.

-Sorry!

Shall we go out and have a look and then discuss the land

-and start thinking about guessing the price?

-Yeah.

'With a third of an acre plot, including a gravel driveway,

'the rear garden is mostly laid to lawn with low-maintenance borders.

'The real bonus here is the outbuilding.

'On the ground floor, there are garages and a workshop.

'But upstairs, there's a ready-made studio apartment complete

'with kitchen facilities and a shower room,

'which could make an ideal annexe.'

That could be a fantastic dwelling.

If you did something with the ground floor of it,

-you may have second thoughts about being in the main house.

-Absolutely.

Of course, all this does cost money.

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

-Gosh.

-It's got to be near the top of our budget I'd say.

I'd say 1.15 or 1.2 million.

I'd say...

..1.75.

Maybe 1.1.

-1.1 million?

-Yeah.

Well, this house is on the market...

..for offers around £975,000.

Right, we'll make an offer.

-That's it, sold!

-Wow.

-That's perfect.

So, why don't you go and refresh your memory?

-Discuss who gets what.

-OK.

-See you in a moment.

-Thank you very much.

A great start.

I think it's not just the house's flexibility that's made it go

down so well, it's the fact that the conversion, the remodelling

of this house has been done to the best possible standard.

And if they don't buy it...I might.

£225,000 under budget, this detached Victorian property has enough room

in the four-bedroom house for Michael and wife, Holly.

As well as enough reception space

to create a one-bedroom flat for Nicola.

There's a versatile outbuilding that could provide

detached accommodation for Holly's mum.

Plus, the garden is ideal for the dogs,

and London rail links are also nearby.

Much better than I was expecting. It's absolutely beautiful.

I like the fact that it's easy to split up.

Actually, it's really easy to split up.

And we've got all this space that's at the moment empty downstairs.

Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

So, actually, I could put the kitchen downstairs.

That wouldn't be an issue.

-I can't imagine they can top this.

-I think it's definitely a possible.

I'm just amazed that the guys found this. It's brilliant.

-Liked it?

-Loved it.

-Loved it.

-Good.

-So, let's go to the next one, shall we?

-Perfect.

-Have we got to?

We have to, yes. Won't take long. I'm not going to do

-all that research and show you one house, am I? Come on.

-OK.

Although Hampshire's links to the capital make it a popular location

for commuters, 85% of the county is classed as rural.

So, to give Londoners and keen animal lovers, Michael and Nicola,

a taste of traditional country life,

we're sending them to meet fifth-generation tenant farmer,

Robert Sampson, whose farm is one of the few in the country

still using working horses come rain or shine.

-You've got Shire horses here?

-These are not Shires, they're Percherons.

They're actually British Percherons.

What's the difference between them and Shires?

The Shires have got the hair around the feet.

You march them through six inches of mud and you can imagine

-what they look like.

-Not so great.

It was always a major problem in the stables, was actually controlling

the disease called grease, which came about through

using them in muddy conditions.

Originally bred as war horses,

the breed's efficient use of feed to output soon made Percherons

popular work horses for both transport and agriculture.

Robert breeds as well as trains both horse and human in equine farm work.

Bring them over. So, walk him over here.

Today, Linus and Axel are joining him to show Michael

and Nicola how to take the reigns.

That's it.

-Bring his head round. Lovely job.

-That's a good boy.

-That's it.

Right. OK, then, off we go. Axel.

Percherons are well muscled and well known for their intelligence

and cooperation.

Robert favours them over mechanised options for most of his farm work.

The jobs may take a little longer, but as all the horse feed is grown

on his 223 acres, there's a good saving on fuel costs.

Whoa! Whoa!

One more step.

Good boy.

Right, Axel. Linus.

Good boy.

Come on, hands forward. There you are.

Keep enough control so you can feel them, they can feel you.

Today, the horses are pulling an attachment that is hauled

across the ground to promote grass growth.

It's called harrowing and, in this weather, I think Nicola

and Michael can see why.

So, in this kind of weather, how long...?

Would you be out for the whole day?

There are times when you've just got to get on with it.

I mean, in the winter when we're feeding stock,

that's got to be done seven days a week, whatever it's doing.

Yeah.

With the harrowing completed, they're pleased the next horse-drawn

activity they're learning about involves going under cover.

-Can you drive it on the road?

-You can drive these on the road.

-Oh, you can?

-Oh, yeah.

-Has it got a licence plate on the back?

-No, nothing whatsoever. You don't need anything.

-You don't need it?

Come on, Linus, no hedge trimming.

Come on, Linus, get your head out of there! Come on. Naughty boy.

So, if you just wanted to keep one Percheron horse,

how much acreage would you need?

You're looking at, sort of, three to four acres.

So, we want a property with three to four acres!

-I can supply you with a horse.

-Brilliant!

Please, no more requirements for this already-demanding house hunt.

House number two is in the east of the county

close to the Surrey border and just a ten-minute drive from Liphook train station

in the village of Headley.

As well as frequent rail links to London, Liphook provides

a broad selection of shops and services.

Four miles away back in Headley,

the centre of the village features a 19th-century pub

and a church with details dating back to the 13th century.

The rock band, Led Zeppelin,

recorded the track Stairway To Heaven in a studio nearby.

And the next house we've lined up for our buyers can be found

on the outskirts of the village.

-First impressions?

-Pretty.

-Yeah.

-Really pretty.

-Quaint.

It's pretty in almost a fairytale way.

It looks smaller than the last one from the front.

This option gives you three distinct living areas.

You don't have to use your imagination as much with this house.

-This place, I think, you'll get to enjoy straight away.

-OK.

-Oh, right.

-Shall we?

-Yes, let's.

-Absolutely.

'This was originally a small cottage built around a century ago,

'but has been greatly extended over the years.

'The main house here would be son Michael and his wife Holly's domain.

'A spacious entrance hall leads us

'straight in to an enormous reception room.'

Our first room. You probably weren't expecting something

-quite this contemporary, were you?

-No, not from the outside.

-It's a lovely room in the day, isn't it?

-What a view.

-Actually, what an outlook rather than a view.

-Yeah.

-It's a pond?

Yes, it is a pond.

Those bi-fold doors, folded all the way back with the sun streaming in.

Beautiful. It's very nicely proportioned as well.

-Yeah, I think so.

-It feels kind of right.

-Feels warm.

-There's a certain atmosphere in this house...

-Yes.

..and that continues through here. Follow me.

'Also on this floor is a study.

'A WC.

'A separate utility space.

'And a dining room.'

Now, the kitchen is not massively important to anyone in your family,

-but it'll do for you?

-Yeah, absolutely.

It's fine. It's fine. I love the oil-fired range. It's amazing.

-If you like that...

-If you like that!

-Come and look at this.

-Right.

Now then, look at that.

-Wow.

-Yeah.

That really is the gingerbread house. It's amazing.

-But it's something else, isn't it?

-It really is something else.

Michael, you've got two reception rooms to choose from now.

Look at you, lord of the manor.

-This is very much a living...

-Yeah. A snug, if you like.

-It is a snug.

Yes, it is very much like that, yes.

But, yet again, French windows opening out.

The southerly aspect. You like?

-Very much. Very much.

-Let's keep looking through. Come on.

'A seal of approval for the ground floor of the main house.

'Upstairs, a family bathroom serves two of the three bedrooms.

'First - a double room with built-in wardrobes.

'Then, across the landing, a single bedroom.

'That leaves the lion's share of this floor for the master suite

'with its own dressing room and a bathroom.'

Now, bizarrely, you walk through the bathroom to get to the bedroom,

-which is just above the new extension.

-It's a really nice room.

-This is nice as well.

-It is a really nice room.

-This whole house is just for you.

-Yeah.

-So...

-Amazing.

-What are your thoughts, mate? Could you live here?

Yeah, absolutely could. It's lovely.

What do you think your wife would think about this house?

I actually think she'd really like it.

-I think she'd like the fact it's a bit quirky, a bit warmer.

-Yeah.

-A bit friendlier.

-Slightly higgledy-piggledy, sort of nookery.

-Yeah.

-At the moment, you're walking around this building...

-Thinking, yes, that's great.

-But what about me?

-What about Cheryl? Yes.

-You and Cheryl...

What about the rest of us?

You and Cheryl could possibly get your own accommodation separate.

-Shall we have a look?

-Yeah.

-Let's, yes.

'Set in just under an acre of land,

'this property is more a self-contained hamlet than a house.

'A private pool sits in front of a three-roomed pool house,

'converted to look like a cricket pavilion with enough space

'and flexibility to provide mother-in-law Cheryl

'with a bedroom, a shower room and a living space.'

'And finally, across the gravel drive, is another annexe

'that could be ideal for Nicola.'

Now then, Nicola...

Wow.

Yeah, good.

-I love that. Straight out onto the garden.

-Perfect, isn't it?

But also, you'll love upstairs.

The bedroom upstairs has a balcony completely south facing as well.

-Wow.

-It's pretty special.

-Yeah. That is, that is.

You've got a ground floor bathroom or shower room

just through that doorway there. No kitchen as yet.

-I won't need a kitchen!

-There's a lovely pub just down the road.

That's fine, job done.

There's space to extend to if you wanted to put the kitchen in there.

But also you've got a garage that way...

-So you can go both ways.

-Is this enough space for you, then?

There's enough space for me, yes.

-It's probably bigger than my entire flat at the moment.

-Perfect.

-Look at this setting.

-Look at it.

-It's incredible.

-Oh, it is.

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

-Don't know. I'll go for the round million.

-OK.

I was going to go for something similar. Maybe £1.05 million.

OK. Well, it's... You're closer.

The asking price for this house is £1.1 million.

OK.

The sun's come out. It's a beautiful afternoon and I think you should

look around all of these houses with a view to who gets what.

-Enjoy it, OK.

-Thank you.

-Where are you going to start?

-Here.

-Go on, then.

-Thanks.

-See you in a bit.

-Thank you.

Despite being £100,000 below budget, this detached cottage offers

a three-bedroom home for Michael and Holly,

a one-bedroom poolside pavilion and a one-bedroomed annexe.

The dogs would have almost an acre of land to play in.

Plus, there's a private pool and nearby rail links to London.

-I like the high ceilings.

-It's quite big.

-It is big.

It's really big. I like it.

It's amazing.

I mean, it's in all this ground.

It's three separate accommodations.

It's... I'm gobsmacked, to be honest, there was anything

out there that actually ticked all those boxes.

And a swimming pool! What can I say?

It's got everything.

I love the fact that it's three totally separate properties,

basically, on one plot of land.

It's like driving into a little village, like a mini village.

You all come in and you park

and then you walk your separate directions to your own properties.

I think that separation will make a big difference over the years.

And also means, if anyone is having arguments, then, er,

nobody can hear it.

-Now, have you seen enough?

-Yeah.

-Are you sure?

I'm happy staying here for as long as you like.

THEY LAUGH

-It's glorious, isn't it?

-It's glorious.

-Absolutely amazing.

-Yes, it's fabulous. Fabulous.

-Well, something to discuss over dinner.

And all this hanging around the swimming pool,

we'll have a cocktail first, eh?

-That sounds like a really good idea.

-Nice.

Nother and son, Nicola and Michael from Parson's Green,

south west London, have £1.2 million to find a Hampshire property

for themselves and Michael's wife, and mother-in-law.

We've shown them two great options to give them

the three separate dwellings they're after.

Plus there's still the Mystery House which could leave them

spoilt for choice.

-I can see myself here, definitely.

-Yeah.

You're not going to be living in this big part of the house.

-That's true.

-Yeah. SHE LAUGHS

And I'm letting off steam in the beautiful Hampshire countryside.

WHISTLE BLOWS

Ha-ha! Love it!

Like a pro. Like a pro.

When you consider what Michael and Nicola are actually after,

they're really looking for something that doesn't really

come on the property market very often.

In many ways, they're actually after a Mystery House.

I think, with two really strong contenders in the bag already,

we can afford to show them something a bit different.

Today, we're going to turn the search on its head

and show them something far more conventional.

Let's see how we go.

For the Mystery House, we're heading over the border

into the eastern fringes of Wiltshire,

four miles west of the Berkshire town and train station of Hungerford

to the village of Shalbourne.

Facilities in Shalbourne include a 17th-century pub and restaurant

and a post office and stores where the village's 600-odd residents

can enjoy a freshly ground coffee.

Just a short walk away, at the end of a quiet lane,

we find today's Mystery House.

-You're probably expecting something crazy like a windmill.

-Yes.

We've gone fairly conventional. So here we are.

I like the fact that it's modern. It's got these clean lines.

-It's really appealing.

-It looks nice.

It does look nice, I agree, absolutely. It does.

-Like what you see?

-So far.

-Like what I see.

-Absolutely.

-Let's go inside.

'Since this is Wiltshire, they're getting more build for their buck.

'This is the biggest principle residence I've shown them so far.

'Built in the 1970s with 21st-century extensions,

'we're entering through the front porch into an L-shaped hall.

'And we're headed for, what I think, would be Michael

'and wife Holly's main living space.'

I was hoping you'd rather like it,

cos I know you like open-plan spaces.

-Wow! Yes.

-Really nice.

-It is really nice.

You don't even realise you're in the kitchen.

I know you're not big cooks at the moment.

I mean, things obviously change.

-Not for me.

-But... SHE LAUGHS

..how much do you think you'd stay or use a room like this,

because, yes, it's a kitchen, but it feels much more

-than a kitchen, doesn't it?

-I think you'd use it a lot.

-Yeah.

-I think it'd be your primary room during the day.

-It becomes like the centre, doesn't it? The hub.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Would Holly like this?

-I think she'd love it.

-Good. All right.

Let's keep looking around.

'On this level, Michael and his wife, Holly,

'would also get a downstairs toilet,

'two studies, or office areas...

'..two utility rooms

'and a dog or a boot room.'

This larger wing of the ground floor could then be

blocked off from the current sitting room and garages,

which I think could be turned into self-contained

living accommodation for either Nicola, or Holly's mum, Cheryl.

Shut the door away from them.

-LAUGHTER This is yours, OK?

-OK.

Now, if you pushed through that wall there, knocked through that wall,

you've got the adjoining double garage with power, and everything.

-Uh-huh?

-That's the remainder of your apartment.

-Right.

-So, you like what you hear so far?

-I do.

-Yeah.

-Good. All right.

-Let's keep looking through.

-OK.

'Stairs from the hall lead up to what could be Michael and his wife

'Holly's five-bedroomed accommodation.'

Two bedrooms to the front, both with views over the countryside.

A bedroom to the rear with its own washbasin and the smallest

of the bedrooms here, right at the back of the house.

There are also two family bathrooms, one with a shower.

Four bedrooms, plus this master bedroom.

That is a fantastic ensuite. Have a quick peek, actually.

-It's worth a quick look.

-OK.

-Separate bath and shower.

-Amazing.

-Wow.

-Amazing.

Look at that for a walk-in wardrobe.

Wow! That's incredible.

-Isn't it? Amazing. SHE LAUGHS:

-And the view!

Fantastic views over that beautiful sort of common land, if you like.

-And a balcony, as well.

-Is this a door, here?

-Out to a balcony.

So far so good, then. Loads of space.

The idea of living with this amount of space is really nice.

-I can see myself here, definitely.

-You're not going to be living

-in this big part of the house.

-Well, that's true.

-Yeah.

SHE LAUGHS

-We could do a swapsies every so often.

-No.

Well, there is some other accommodation

-that I think you could really taper to what you're after.

-OK.

-Let's go and take a look at that.

-OK.

-Great.

'Outside, there's around two thirds of an acre of garden,

'mainly laid to lawn, including some sheds and a greenhouse.

'But situated across a gravel drive from the main house,

'it's the annexe, currently divided into three rooms,

'plus a toilet, that I think could offer

'the third self-contained one-bedroom home here.'

-Wow

-It's nice.

-It's very nice. Again, it's nicely proportioned.

I've scratched my head on this one to how best configure it.

But you've got the space to do it.

-You've got the shell here. It's up to you how you configure it.

-Yes.

-I think it looks nice. I think it could work well.

-Yeah, me too.

'With an overview of all that's on offer here,

'it's time to think about price.'

Well, after this fairly successful tour,

how much do you think this house is on the market for, then?

-I'm going to pitch it somewhere near the first one, £975,000.

-OK.

I'm going to take a leap of faith and pitch at £900,000.

-This place is on the market for offers around £1.1 million.

-OK.

-That's more than I would've thought.

-Go back in the house.

This is your opportunity to really compare it to the other properties

-you've seen. Catch you when you're done.

-Thank you.

Again, £100,000 below budget,

this modern detached house is the largest so far,

giving Michael and wife Holly a five-bedroomed home.

Spacious garages are ripe for conversion

into an apartment adjoining the main house,

whilst an annexe provides potential for accommodation number three,

plus the large, fenced garden is low-maintenance and dog-friendly.

There's quite a lot of work to do, I think,

to get the three different living spaces.

I like the fact that it's modern. I like the clean lines.

I like the space. There's a huge amount of space here.

Probably not my favourite, but very nice, nonetheless.

Well, thankfully, it's a bit of a journey to where we're going

to sit down and have a bit of a conflab.

-OK.

-Oh, good. We've time to think!

-Chat amongst yourselves. Come on.

Hampshire's fertile soil and climate

make it the perfect place for crop-growing.

But it was only in Victorian times, with the arrival of the railways,

that farmers found a quick and easy way to get fresh produce

to the lucrative markets of London.

One such train route, opened in 1865, took so many

tonnes of Hampshire-grown watercress to Covent Garden,

it became known as the Watercress Line.

Closed to regular travel in the 1970s,

the 10-mile stretch was bought

and renovated by the Mid-Hants Railway Preservation Society.

I'm catching up with member Derek Simmons, at Ropley station,

who knows all about the historic significance of trains in Hampshire.

So, 1865, the landscape of this area changed,

with these trains coming in and out.

It was more than the landscape. The way of life changed.

-Yeah.

-People would've lived their lives

and died within the sound of the local church bell.

-That would've been their world.

-Yeah.

The railways opened everything up.

'Commercial steam trains last ran on this line in 1967.

'Giving them a new lease of life has proved to be a demanding business.

'The engine boilers alone had to be stripped

'and rebuilt every ten years.

'But 21st-century boilersmiths are very hard to come by.'

One of the challenges we have is that the skills we used

back in the '50s and '60s, by British Railways,

don't exist any more. Some of our guys have got those skills,

but they're older guys, 50, 60, 70, some of them.

So, that's why we're looking at our apprenticeship scheme.

You have to get this information passed on before it's too late.

That's what it's about. The scheme's called Mind The Gap

and that's what we're trying to do - mind the skills gap.

Well, I've heard a couple of peeps of a whistle, so I'm off to try

-and catch a train. I'll catch you later.

-Nice to meet you.

It's no surprise these engines need regular overhauling.

They're seriously hard workers.

Today, driver Richard Bentley is taking this 140-tonne

locomotive on three return trips,

each including the very steep climb to Medstead, nicknamed the Alps.

-Over seven days...

-It's a decent working day, isn't it?

-There's not much of a retirement for it.

-No, I know. Poor old bird.

So, how many people are involved

in getting this locomotive on the rails each day?

Every day, there'll be a crew of three.

There'll be a driver, a fireman and a cleaner.

You learn, as a cleaner, how the engine works.

You then start learning the fireman's job,

how to make steam from burning coal,

-and then you gradually start learning the driver's job.

-Right.

So, by the time you're sat in this seat,

you can do all the jobs together. I'm not paid for what I do.

-I'm paid for what I know.

-THEY LAUGH

'Well, sadly, I don't have time here to complete

'a four-year apprenticeship, but as we head uphill towards the Alps

'at Medstead, I get a taster of life as Richard's fireman.'

We're going to need a bit more steam in a minute, Jonnie.

-Can you get some coal on the fire for us?

-Yeah, yeah.

-So, where do you throw it? Right in?

-That's it, yeah, in the middle.

And a little bit either side of it, if you can, left and right.

-You are adding fuel to the fire...

-Absolutely.

-..for more effort.

Keep boiling the water to make the steam that we're using.

-I chose the wrong line to help out on!

-I think you did.

Why did I have to choose the Alps? RICHARD LAUGHS

When we get to Medstead at the top, we then go over the top

then we drop down 300 feet the other way,

so we've got to make sure we've got a full head of steam,

and a full boiler for the water.

Cos, as we go over the top, that water level's going to drop away.

It's very good to hear where some of these phrases

come from, isn't it? Getting up a full head of steam, for example.

Absolutely. Yeah. Absolutely.

-Right. We'd better start getting some more of that in there.

-Right!

You get some in.

Come on, then, Jonnie. Put your back into it.

We're coming up to crossing now,

-so give us a good, long blow on the whistle.

-Oh, yes.

Push it down, good and hard.

TRAIN WHISTLES

Ha-ha-ha! Love it!

Like a pro. Like a pro.

'And I'm on a fast track from whistle-blower to driver,

'as Richard lets me bring us to a halt.'

-Right. Aah! There's loads of things.

-That's it. We go for

the vacuum brake, the brake that puts the brakes on the whole train.

Then we bring it down to about 14 on the gauge.

We can quell this huge beast by this most delicate touch.

BRAKES HISS

Slowly...

and...

stop.

-How's that?

-Beautiful. Never even broke the egg.

-Ha-ha!

'My spell in this driving seat may have reached the end of the line,

'as it's time to find out if any of today's properties

'are on the right track.'

Well, it's not often we're in a position

where we've got three really strong contenders.

Trouble is, the last time I saw Nicola and Michael,

they looked genuinely confused. So, after a bit of thinking time,

hopefully, they're a bit closer to making a decision.

Well, normally at this stage, I've got a good idea

of what your favourite might be.

But I haven't. So, you tell me. What's going through your mind?

I think, for me, I like all of them.

-What about you? Where are you?

-I'm pretty similar.

I think what the difficult part of this process has been is

the fact that you are buying three homes,

and you have to look at the entire package, and it's difficult,

because you'll get blown away by a feature,

by a finish, by a swimming pool.

You have to look at you and your wife, Holly,

your requirements, and your mother-in-law's requirements.

-Three houses. How does this work for you?

-Yeah.

How do you make this decision?

The more I think about house two, the space.

-You have that distance between the properties.

-Mm-hm.

It's on the edge of a village.

-Yeah.

-You could walk to the pub, walk to the shop.

It's on the best train line as well.

-Best train line, yes.

-The fastest train line.

Well, it sounds like house two is slightly ahead.

-I think more than slightly ahead.

-Yeah.

If you all came down, the four of you, your mother-in-law,

your wife, yourself included, as well, you're one unit, you should

all look at a property at the same time, and air everything,

-all your hopes and all your fears...

-Yeah.

-..at the same time,

-and then it'll help you make the decision.

-That's true, actually.

When do you think you might be coming back down here for

-the second viewings?

-Maybe next week?

-Yeah, I would think so.

-Good.

Hopefully soon enough to get in there before anybody else does.

-Whatever you decide, please let us know, won't you?

-Yes, we will.

-Definitely.

-Thank you so much.

-Pleasure.

With a fairly unique property criteria, it's great to see

that Michael and Nicola's expectations have been exceeded,

and that they're coming around to the benefits of house number two.

Let's face it, it's only them that have seen it.

There are four adults in this decision-making process,

and they all need to get together and look at it at the same time.

But that's what this second viewing is all about, isn't it?

I'm looking forward to hearing how they get on and, hopefully,

they can all get on the same page and move to this beautiful county.

See you next time.

'Michael and Nicola returned to view house two

'with Holly and Cheryl, who also loved the property,

'but they're still deciding whether to put in an offer.'

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