0:00:02 > 0:00:04I'm in an area home to the some of the richest farmland in the country,
0:00:04 > 0:00:07spanning four counties. But which county am I in?
0:00:07 > 0:00:09Find out in just a moment.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29Today's house-hunters are engaged
0:00:29 > 0:00:33and hoping to start off married life in a new country home.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35But when it comes to buying property,
0:00:35 > 0:00:37they don't always see eye to eye.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40- Yeah, I like it. - Don't sound so disappointed.
0:00:40 > 0:00:41I'm probably sounding disappointed
0:00:41 > 0:00:44because I think he's going to burst my bubble.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46I would probably rip it all out and make the bedroom bigger.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50Right, ignore him, he's being an absolute fool.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54Today, I'm in the county of Lincolnshire
0:00:54 > 0:00:57and the level low-lying terrain of the Fens,
0:00:57 > 0:00:59much of which lie below sea level.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01Originally inhospitable wetlands,
0:01:01 > 0:01:04they were drained in the 17th century in order to provide
0:01:04 > 0:01:08rich, fertile land, ideally suited for mass cultivation.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11In particular, providing around 25%
0:01:11 > 0:01:13of our nation's vegetable production.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16But as you're about to see, there's a lot more to this pleasant
0:01:16 > 0:01:19county than just healthy eating.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23Lincolnshire is England's second-largest county
0:01:23 > 0:01:26and its neighbours include Nottinghamshire to the west,
0:01:26 > 0:01:28and Norfolk and Cambridgeshire to the south.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31It's a county of varied vistas.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34Along with the flat, fertile Fens in the south,
0:01:34 > 0:01:37the undulating chalky hills of the Wolds in the north rise up
0:01:37 > 0:01:40to form the highest stretch of land in eastern England.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44The dramatic terrain has inspired a host of literary giants
0:01:44 > 0:01:47such as the Victorian poet Alfred Lord Tennyson
0:01:47 > 0:01:50and novelist AS Byatt.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53Dotted around the county are a pick of pretty conservation villages
0:01:53 > 0:01:55such as Folkingham,
0:01:55 > 0:01:57with its splendid array of Georgian architecture
0:01:57 > 0:02:00and listed cottages surrounding the village green.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04At the other end of the property scale, Burghley House,
0:02:04 > 0:02:05near Stamford,
0:02:05 > 0:02:08is one of the grandest Elizabethan buildings in the country.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10The county's capital is Lincoln,
0:02:10 > 0:02:15with its brooding Gothic cathedral dominating the city's skyline.
0:02:15 > 0:02:19For 300 years after it was built, it was reputedly the tallest building
0:02:19 > 0:02:24in the world, until the year 1549, when the central spire blew down.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27Despite this, the cathedral's west front is considered
0:02:27 > 0:02:31some of the finest Norman architecture in Europe.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34With such a diverse countryside to choose from,
0:02:34 > 0:02:36from flat Fens to hilly Wolds,
0:02:36 > 0:02:38it's easy to see why the Lincolnshire landscape
0:02:38 > 0:02:41is loved by so many.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45Right now, the average price of a detached house here in Lincolnshire
0:02:45 > 0:02:48is just around £175,000.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52That's over £100,000 below the national average.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55Now, as you might expect, across the county, prices do vary,
0:02:55 > 0:02:59particularly towards the southern border, where prices will soar
0:02:59 > 0:03:02way in excess of the national average, mainly due to great schools
0:03:02 > 0:03:05and good links back into London.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07So where are today's buyers looking to set their sights?
0:03:07 > 0:03:09Well, let's meet them and find out.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13For the last eight years, Terry and Theresa have lived together
0:03:13 > 0:03:17in this distinctive bungalow in the town of Stevenage in Hertfordshire.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19But with their wedding planned for next year,
0:03:19 > 0:03:22now's the time for fresh beginnings.
0:03:22 > 0:03:27We currently live in a four-bedroomed Canadian-style ranch house.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29It does hold a lot of memories for us.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32And this is the first property we bought together, as well.
0:03:32 > 0:03:33Love the house.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36- Just not the area.- Mm.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38Although they'll be sad to leave the house,
0:03:38 > 0:03:42the move's a chance to escape some rather noisy neighbours.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46We've got a fire station, a police station
0:03:46 > 0:03:49and the hospital around the corner. We hear a lot of sirens.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53It'd just be nice to go and sit out in the garden
0:03:53 > 0:03:56and just hear the birds.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58The couple, who met working for the local council,
0:03:58 > 0:04:01have three daughters between them from previous relationships.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04Two are grown up and have flown the nest, with only
0:04:04 > 0:04:07Theresa's youngest daughter, nine-year-old Lucy,
0:04:07 > 0:04:08joining them on the move.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11Currently, Lucy spends most nights sleeping at Theresa's parents'
0:04:11 > 0:04:15as both Terry and Theresa leave for work at the crack of dawn.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17During the week she stays with my mum.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21- I think we only get about an hour-and-a-half a day with her.- Mm.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23And then she's back at my mum's to go to bed,
0:04:23 > 0:04:25ready for school the next morning.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29When we make the move, if I can sort of get some casual work
0:04:29 > 0:04:32and work around her, so she can stay at home with us all the time.
0:04:32 > 0:04:37Yeah, I think our work life has overtaken our family life
0:04:37 > 0:04:42and I think it'll make a big difference to change that balance.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45'With family still in London and friends in Hertfordshire,
0:04:45 > 0:04:49'Terry and Theresa don't want to move too far away.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52'Lincolnshire fits the bill and it's an area they know well.'
0:04:52 > 0:04:55When I think of the Lincolnshire countryside, the first things
0:04:55 > 0:04:59that come to my mind are the windmills,
0:04:59 > 0:05:02- and just...vegetables. - THEY CHUCKLE
0:05:02 > 0:05:05A lot of people have said to us when we've said about Lincolnshire,
0:05:05 > 0:05:08- "It's all flat." - Doesn't really bother us.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11That's one of the things - that you can see for miles.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14I don't think they realise there's a hell of a lot of Lincolnshire
0:05:14 > 0:05:15that's not flat.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19In terms of rural pursuits, it's a case of opposites attract.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22- Our interests are very different. - Mm.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24- I don't think we've got any interests the same.- No.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26THEY CHUCKLE
0:05:26 > 0:05:29No, you're quite a home person, aren't you?
0:05:29 > 0:05:31And I do like to get out and do stuff.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35And you're quite a sporty person, and I'm not.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39I also have an interest in metal detecting.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42Haven't found any gold yet, but fingers crossed.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45When we move I'm...
0:05:45 > 0:05:47definitely, I think, going to get myself a bike,
0:05:47 > 0:05:50go out and do quite a bit of cycling.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52- We also quite like the idea of a bit of shooting.- Yes.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56Yeah, we'd like to join a shooting club.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58Target shooting, something like that.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02- Cos it might be something we'll actually have in common.- Yeah.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04With a wedding to plan, quitting their council jobs
0:06:04 > 0:06:08and a new school for Lucy, there's no doubt it's a big move.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10But it's also a chance to redress
0:06:10 > 0:06:12that all-important work-life balance.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15It will be life-changing for us cos it'll give us
0:06:15 > 0:06:19that time that we need together, a time for relaxing,
0:06:19 > 0:06:22and just the environment to be more
0:06:22 > 0:06:25conducive to family life, really.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31Terry and Theresa don't want to be more than two hours' drive away
0:06:31 > 0:06:33from their family and friends in Stevenage,
0:06:33 > 0:06:35who they'll be popping back to see.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38So we'll be concentrating our search in the south of the county.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41I'm meeting up with our couple in Lincolnshire to find out
0:06:41 > 0:06:43what sort of property they're looking for.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47Good morning. Welcome to Lincolnshire.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49- Hello.- Morning. - Excited to be here?
0:06:49 > 0:06:52- I am, yes.- YOU are!
0:06:52 > 0:06:56- I'm a little bit scared.- Are you? - Yeah.- I think that's understandable.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00It's a big move for anybody when they're coming to the countryside.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04- But coming up to Lincolnshire... very rural, isn't it?- Yeah.- Very.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06- Is that why you're moving here? - It is for me.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10I want to be out in the open, get a bit more air.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12Come on, Theresa, you've got to be excited about this.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15I am. I am excited, but it's also a little bit daunting.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17Been in a town all my life.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21All my family and friends are back home.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23Mm-mm.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25It's not too far to get home to them.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28- Townies never move back.- That's right, yeah.- You're going to love it.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32We're getting married in... I've forgotten when it was now.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36You started a sentence you couldn't finish there, mate! Oh!
0:07:36 > 0:07:40- I'll ask - when is it again? - October next year.- No, March.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42THEY LAUGH
0:07:42 > 0:07:45Something's happening in October! Is it my birthday?
0:07:45 > 0:07:47- There's a big event happening next year.- Yeah.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51Right, I'm starting to pick up that you don't necessarily
0:07:51 > 0:07:53run at the same speed.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56- You've got different opinions, have you?- Yeah.- Very much so.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59But you both want to move to the countryside,
0:07:59 > 0:08:02- that's one thing that's binding you together.- Mm-hm.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05- So how big is this house, then? - At least four bedrooms.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08- Right, OK.- Three of which need to be doubles.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12- So you want space for people to come and stay?- Yeah.- Now, downstairs...
0:08:12 > 0:08:14I'd like two reception rooms
0:08:14 > 0:08:17so we can get away from each other when we need to.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20- How important is the kitchen to you guys?- BOTH:- Mm..
0:08:20 > 0:08:24- It needs to be a fair size, not massive.- OK.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28- Not big entertainers, then?- We're not really into kitchen-diners.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30We'd rather have a separate dining room.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33A lot of these houses have been knocked through, so we'll have to see
0:08:33 > 0:08:36what you think about how they've been arranged and configured.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40- You can always build the wall back up.- Yeah.- Are you quite handy?- Yes.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42- Yeah.- Very.- Oh, good.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45Of course, it's not just about the house, it's about the outside space.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47What are we looking at?
0:08:47 > 0:08:50I want to be able to, when I look out the back door,
0:08:50 > 0:08:52that what I can see is mine.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55How much of "mine", how much Terry Land do we want?
0:08:55 > 0:08:56I'd like...
0:08:56 > 0:08:58HE LAUGHS
0:08:58 > 0:09:02- ..minimum of an acre, I suppose. - Oh, right, you do want land.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06Before that, it was a minimum of three.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08Let's go with an acre, shall we?
0:09:08 > 0:09:10What are you going to do with all this land, Terry?
0:09:10 > 0:09:13Not just look at it, surely?
0:09:13 > 0:09:16No, we want to grow vegetables. We want gardening...
0:09:16 > 0:09:20I want to do a bit of gardening. A bit more than we are at the moment.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22And you want some chickens.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26- Yeah, I'd like a pig as well. - OK.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30You told me you were a townie five minutes ago - now you want pigs,
0:09:30 > 0:09:34- chickens...- Well, that's part of the draw, I think.- Yeah.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37You go to the country, you need to do these sort of things.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39Absolutely, I totally agree with you.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42Do you want to have people nearby or throw yourselves in at the deep end
0:09:42 > 0:09:45- and be completely rural? - That's where we differ again.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47I imagine I'm going to hear different answers for that.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51- Let's start with you, Theresa. - I don't want to be really built up.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53I don't want somebody right on top of us
0:09:53 > 0:09:56but I'm quite happy to have a neighbour.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59Are you going to say even more rural, then?
0:09:59 > 0:10:03Probably more rural than that. I don't mind how antisocial I am.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05- HE LAUGHS - That's the problem -
0:10:05 > 0:10:08he's antisocial, I'm very sociable.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11Am I going to find you a house that both of you can agree on?
0:10:11 > 0:10:14That's my big issue. You're pulling in different directions, aren't you?
0:10:14 > 0:10:17Yeah. We are completely different.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20We've got different views but the aim at the end is the same.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22How long have you been looking for property?
0:10:22 > 0:10:25Because with these differing opinions, it sounds like you
0:10:25 > 0:10:28- might have been looking for a while. - We've been looking for about...
0:10:28 > 0:10:31- March.- Yeah. Six months.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34So how many houses have you looked at?
0:10:34 > 0:10:37- Er...- At least 40-something.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40- What chance have I got...? - I've seen loads that I'd move into.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44- I've seen loads I really liked. - So he's the one to please, is he?
0:10:44 > 0:10:46Terry, do you agree on that?
0:10:46 > 0:10:49No, I am probably more a stumbling block than Theresa is.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52How much are you looking to spend on this house?
0:10:52 > 0:10:55We've got a budget of 375,000.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58Let's have discussions about what's working, what isn't.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01- We'll flush it out, all right? - Yeah.- Maybe we'll get there.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03I'm kind of looking forward to it cos it sounds like
0:11:03 > 0:11:06- a massive challenge.- Mm. - Come on, let's go.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12For a maximum spend of £375,000,
0:11:12 > 0:11:16Terry and Theresa want different things from their perfect home.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18But they do agree that they'll need four bedrooms,
0:11:18 > 0:11:20three of which should be doubles.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23They'd like two reception rooms, one for each of them,
0:11:23 > 0:11:25and a separate dining room.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29Outside, Terry would like some land - around one acre.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32Finding the right location could be tricky as Terry wants rural
0:11:32 > 0:11:35but they need to be close to schools for Lucy.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38We've lined up a lovely selection of Lincolnshire properties
0:11:38 > 0:11:41for Terry and Theresa to look around,
0:11:41 > 0:11:45but I won't reveal the price of each home until the end of the tour.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48I fear it could be a tall order achieving everything they want
0:11:48 > 0:11:49under one roof,
0:11:49 > 0:11:53and our mystery property could split the camp even further.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00Because you've got different opinions...you say yourself
0:12:00 > 0:12:03you don't have a great deal in common, that must come out
0:12:03 > 0:12:06- when you look at houses. - Mm. Yeah, definitely.
0:12:06 > 0:12:11- Yeah, I think... We're looking for the same thing...- Are you?- Yeah.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14- Yeah, a house. - THEY LAUGH
0:12:17 > 0:12:20We're on our way to the village of Denton in the southwest
0:12:20 > 0:12:23of the county, three miles from Grantham, which has good road
0:12:23 > 0:12:25and rail connections to the capital.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28Situated in the vales of Lincolnshire, the village
0:12:28 > 0:12:31is surrounded by rolling countryside of hills and valleys.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35It's home to an outstanding Ofsted-rated primary school,
0:12:35 > 0:12:37with secondary schools in Grantham.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41Nearby Belvoir Castle, just over the border in Leicestershire,
0:12:41 > 0:12:43famously dominates the local landscape.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46But the property I'm taking our buyers to is located in the heart
0:12:46 > 0:12:48of the village of Denton.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51This is our first offering.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54- Lovely.- OK.- Nice.- Pretty.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58- Very nice-looking house. I like the front garden.- Yeah.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01And tapping into your... maybe slight fears,
0:13:01 > 0:13:04you've got chimney pots around you, you've got a village.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06- You've got people to meet.- Yes.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10- But, again, for you, it's a really quiet village. Look.- Yeah, it is.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14- Really quiet. Do you like what you see?- We do.- It's lovely, yeah.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17Are you aware that you're both agreeing on something here?
0:13:17 > 0:13:20- Yeah.- That won't last!
0:13:20 > 0:13:23- Come with me. - We better get inside first.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25Dating back to the 18th century, our first house,
0:13:25 > 0:13:29built of local limestone, started life as two cottages
0:13:29 > 0:13:31but today forms one detached property,
0:13:31 > 0:13:35with plenty of original features. There's a modern extension
0:13:35 > 0:13:37to the side which is where we're starting off.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40OK, so...
0:13:40 > 0:13:42tell me what you think of this, guys.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44- Big.- Really nice. - Yeah, I like that.
0:13:44 > 0:13:45- This isn't old.- No.- No.
0:13:45 > 0:13:49This was the garage and it was converted around ten years ago.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52Gives you a proper entrance hall there, that we just came into,
0:13:52 > 0:13:54and a utility at the back.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58I think it's turned this little cottage into, I think,
0:13:58 > 0:14:00- a small family home. - Yeah, like the look of that.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03Big enough? What would you do with it? Would you have it as it is?
0:14:03 > 0:14:06- Yeah, I'd leave it as it is.- Keep it as one room.- It's a nice size.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10You both seem to be, dare I say it, agreeing?
0:14:10 > 0:14:14- Yeah.- For the moment. - We do occasionally.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16All right, OK. Let's keep looking around.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19Let me walk you through the ground floor here.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22The rest of the ground-floor rooms
0:14:22 > 0:14:25are in the older, 18th-century part of the house.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27So, the far end of the house, we've got
0:14:27 > 0:14:30a separate dining room, which I know you're both after.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32And then this is your dedicated living room.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34Nice fireplace surround.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36- You like a stone fireplace, don't you?- That's lovely.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38That's nice. Beams.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40They're nice and high, so that's good.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43It's a nice room, but it's a little bit small.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45It's smaller than we're used to.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48The thing about this house, it's a lovely cottage.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51And the great thing they did was to go into the garage,
0:14:51 > 0:14:54to get that nice dining kitchen, the breakfast kitchen,
0:14:54 > 0:14:57but essentially, the dimensions, the proportions of the rooms,
0:14:57 > 0:15:00are a little bit more cottage-esque, if you like.
0:15:00 > 0:15:05But at least you get separate kitchen, separate dining room, separate living room.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08Yeah. It's a nice, warm room.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11But you feel a bit cosy. There's another reception room next door.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14It's actually bigger than this.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16But I thought this had all the features to talk about,
0:15:16 > 0:15:19and I wanted you to see the dining room straight away.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22For us three, this is fine. It's like, when we've got people down,
0:15:22 > 0:15:25if there's a bigger one next door, that could make a difference.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29Let's have a wander through and I'll take you up towards the bedrooms.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32Terry and Theresa wanted four bedrooms.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35The second reception room could make an extra bedroom
0:15:35 > 0:15:38when guests come to stay, as upstairs there are only three.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41These include a double guestroom and a smaller single,
0:15:41 > 0:15:44ideal for nine-year-old Lucy.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47There's also a contemporary, fully tiled bathroom.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52This is the master of the three bedrooms you get up here.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56Now, what you don't see in any of the other rooms, you don't
0:15:56 > 0:15:58see any built-in storage, really.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01But I think there's certainly room to put built-in storage here,
0:16:01 > 0:16:04and in the far double bedroom as well. But what do you think?
0:16:04 > 0:16:08You tell me. Is it big enough? Would you like to wake up in this room?
0:16:08 > 0:16:10Mmm, see? You've got a lot... Here's the thing.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13The bedrooms aren't necessarily the most inspirational rooms
0:16:13 > 0:16:15in the house because, essentially,
0:16:15 > 0:16:18you're hopefully sleeping in them, most of the time.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21But every room in the house has to make you feel that you want
0:16:21 > 0:16:24to live there, and I've noticed, here in this room,
0:16:24 > 0:16:26you've gone down when we walked in.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28It doesn't make me want to live in this room.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30In fact, I probably don't like it.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32Well, now we're getting somewhere!
0:16:32 > 0:16:34Now we're getting somewhere.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37Look, it's an opinion. Just bear what you thought here in mind.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40Let's go outside into the garden, OK? We'll just squeeze through here.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45As well as the pretty garden to the front
0:16:45 > 0:16:47that's already caught Terry's eye,
0:16:47 > 0:16:50there's a south-facing garden to the rear,
0:16:50 > 0:16:53featuring a raised lawn, large pond and a summerhouse.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57Last thing on your tick list is outside space.
0:16:57 > 0:16:58This is your outside space.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01- There's no more?- I'm afraid not, no.
0:17:01 > 0:17:02Nah.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06- Small.- Small.- Too small? - Yeah.- All right.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09What do you think of the house itself?
0:17:09 > 0:17:12Well, the house as a cottage has got everything you'd want.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15Perhaps not everything that WE want, because I think it's a bit too small.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18- Do you?- It is too small.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20Before we draw a line under this house,
0:17:20 > 0:17:23let's see how good you are at guessing the price,
0:17:23 > 0:17:25because you've looked at a lot of properties, haven't you?
0:17:25 > 0:17:27I think...
0:17:28 > 0:17:32- ..350.- I was going to go lower.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35I was going to go 310, 315.
0:17:35 > 0:17:41This place is on the market for offers around £374,950.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44- Well... - THEY LAUGH
0:17:44 > 0:17:47Now, I think that reflects why we actually chose it for you
0:17:47 > 0:17:50in the first place - because it was close to Grantham
0:17:50 > 0:17:52for the good schools, for the good train links
0:17:52 > 0:17:54back into places like London.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57In fact, the further south in this county you go,
0:17:57 > 0:17:58the higher the prices go.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01I think you should go back inside this house,
0:18:01 > 0:18:04and just get a feel for it. Look at the rooms you've not yet seen.
0:18:04 > 0:18:05There's not too many more of them.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07And then we'll go off to the next place. All right?
0:18:07 > 0:18:09- See you in a moment.- OK.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15Fractionally under budget, this property is an attractive, detached
0:18:15 > 0:18:20stone cottage, packed with character and dotted with reclaimed features.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23The house gives Terry and Theresa the two reception rooms they wanted
0:18:23 > 0:18:26and a separate dining room, along with three bedrooms.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29There's a well-regarded primary school for daughter Lucy
0:18:29 > 0:18:31in a popular village
0:18:31 > 0:18:34and there are nearby road and rail links to London.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36It's got a fair amount of what we'd look for in a house,
0:18:36 > 0:18:39but I think on a larger scale.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41The location, for me, is great.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45I think I've come to terms with the fact that we're going to have
0:18:45 > 0:18:48to go further north to get, really, what we're after.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51Unfortunately, I forgot about the house when I got in the garden.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55It's far too small for me. The house itself was OK,
0:18:55 > 0:19:00had some nice character features in there, but it just was too small.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02So, it didn't take you a long time to
0:19:02 > 0:19:04look around the rest of that house.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07- I take it you'd like to see something bigger next?- Yes, please.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09- I think so, yeah. - Let's do that. Come on.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20Scattered amongst the low-lying Lincolnshire Fens
0:19:20 > 0:19:22are a number of pretty heritage towns.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25Many of them feature busy marketplaces and are home to
0:19:25 > 0:19:30a number of family-run businesses dating back centuries.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34One of the oldest in the town of Spalding is the local gunsmith's.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37The family began trading in the area in 1750
0:19:37 > 0:19:41and since 1880, they've been at their current premises, specialising
0:19:41 > 0:19:45in the repair and restoration of shotguns for sport and competition.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47Since Terry and Theresa have expressed
0:19:47 > 0:19:49an interest in taking up target shooting,
0:19:49 > 0:19:52we've arranged for them to meet fifth-generation family gunsmith
0:19:52 > 0:19:56Bill Elderkin to find out about heritage gun-making.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00As you can see, we're a shop that's been here quite a lot of years.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02And you're interested in shooting?
0:20:02 > 0:20:04Yes, we're interested in taking up shooting.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07We're looking for a hobby that we can do together.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10- We've got nothing in common at the moment.- It's always been popular.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13Probably, again, it's got a little bit more popular recently,
0:20:13 > 0:20:18with the Olympics, obviously. We did very well there.
0:20:18 > 0:20:19It's quite a biggish profile
0:20:19 > 0:20:22because quite a lot of celebrities shoot as well.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24Do you shoot yourself?
0:20:24 > 0:20:27Yes, I don't do any competition shooting any more.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30I did when I was younger, and did quite a lot of it.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33And I just managed to sneak in the England team
0:20:33 > 0:20:35when I was 21, I think it was.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39Then, like what young boys do with silly cars,
0:20:39 > 0:20:42I had a car crash that put me into this,
0:20:42 > 0:20:45which made the clay shooting a little bit more tricky.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47Is there a lot of shooting clubs around here?
0:20:47 > 0:20:51Around here, you've got, with the clay pigeon shooting,
0:20:51 > 0:20:55competition shooting, there's four or five within half an hour.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58We're looking into doing some target shooting, more than anything.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02With target shooting, you're shooting where it is,
0:21:02 > 0:21:07and with shotgun shooting, you're shooting where it's going to.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10So they're the two differences.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13The early history of target shooting as a sport is primarily
0:21:13 > 0:21:16that of using rifles rather than shotguns,
0:21:16 > 0:21:21with the first recorded competition held in Bavaria in 1477.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23And shooting has been an Olympic sport
0:21:23 > 0:21:26since the modern games began in 1896.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31In the on-site workshop, each shotgun can be custom-fit
0:21:31 > 0:21:35and designed to suit the build and style of the client.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37The entire process is carried out by hand,
0:21:37 > 0:21:39using time-honoured tools and techniques.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41And gunsmith Graham Emms
0:21:41 > 0:21:43is demonstrating a few of the processes
0:21:43 > 0:21:46involved in customising a stock, the wooden part of the gun
0:21:46 > 0:21:50which is pressed against the shoulder when firing.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54Basically, you start with a piece of wood. Turkish walnut.
0:21:54 > 0:21:59Bill downstairs will measure you up and take all of your measurements,
0:21:59 > 0:22:02because everybody's arms are a slightly different length.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05That will come up to me in the workshop, and then, what we do,
0:22:05 > 0:22:09once we've got your measurements, we roughly cut it with a band saw.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13Everything we do in the workshop is handmade.
0:22:13 > 0:22:18The stocks, it's all chisel and rasp and files.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22And then, when you get down to the final finish,
0:22:22 > 0:22:25this is one that's almost done.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27It's been sealed.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30And it'll be flattened off, and once it's flattened off,
0:22:30 > 0:22:33nice and smooth like that, it'll be French-polished.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35To make the stock from scratch can take
0:22:35 > 0:22:37anywhere from two to three weeks,
0:22:37 > 0:22:40but a lot of that time is spent bringing out
0:22:40 > 0:22:42the beauty of the wood, using traditional methods.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44Bit of cotton wool.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49This is your shellac-based polish, French polish.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53Put it into your cloth. Make a button.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55Some people call it "button polishing".
0:22:56 > 0:22:59A little bit of oil, just to give it a bit of lubrication.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06And then small, circular motion around the stock.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08Don't press too hard.
0:23:08 > 0:23:09Just nice and gentle.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11Just work it all over the stock
0:23:11 > 0:23:14until you start getting the real, nice shine.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17- If you'd just like to take over and have a little go?- Thank you.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21Hopefully, Terry and Theresa have enjoyed
0:23:21 > 0:23:23setting their sights on a shared interest.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26But first, we need to find them a house.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28So here's hoping we're on target with our next property!
0:23:33 > 0:23:36For our next offering, we're heading to the hamlet of Birthorpe,
0:23:36 > 0:23:39on the edge of the Lincolnshire Fens.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42The village of Billingborough is the closest settlement
0:23:42 > 0:23:43for a primary school and amenities.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46There are two well-regarded pubs as well as a shop.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49The older part of the village is a conservation area,
0:23:49 > 0:23:51with a mix of architectural styles,
0:23:51 > 0:23:52from Georgian town houses
0:23:52 > 0:23:55to Edwardian and Victorian workers' cottages.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58Our next house is found in a peaceful,
0:23:58 > 0:24:00rural location a mile from the village
0:24:00 > 0:24:04and surrounded by the flat, fertile land the Fens are famous for.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09- So, Terry, feeling rural enough? - Yes.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12He's happy, isn't he? That is a happy man.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16Now, let's see if the property makes you happy. What do you think?
0:24:16 > 0:24:19- Looks lovely. - It's nice and long.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21It is nice and long, yes.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23Didn't ask for that, but, yes.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26Now, this used to be farm workers' cottages.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29- Now it's all of them into one big family home.- It's lovely.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32- Do you like it?- Yeah. - Now, how about the position?
0:24:32 > 0:24:35Because I think this is where you have a difference of opinions,
0:24:35 > 0:24:38- isn't it? Is this rural enough for you?- Yes, this is fine for me, yeah.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41- Now, is this too rural for you? - I don't know yet.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44Depends what else is around nearby, I think.
0:24:44 > 0:24:45You can't quite see it,
0:24:45 > 0:24:48but just a mile in that direction is Billingborough.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51Beautiful tall church with wonderful spire.
0:24:51 > 0:24:56- Just a mile down the road.- About a mile? Quite comfortable with it.- OK.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58Your face says otherwise!
0:24:58 > 0:25:00Just thinking, just thinking!
0:25:00 > 0:25:03- What's going through your mind? Just tell me.- Just taking it all in.
0:25:03 > 0:25:04Good. Let's go inside.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08So, I think we've found a happy medium in terms of location
0:25:08 > 0:25:12and I'm hopeful the three cottages will cultivate a positive response
0:25:12 > 0:25:16as they have been completely renovated in the last few years,
0:25:16 > 0:25:19from a new roof, using reclaimed tiles, replacement windows,
0:25:19 > 0:25:22rewiring and new flooring inside.
0:25:22 > 0:25:23In we come.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26What do you think of the kitchen?
0:25:26 > 0:25:28Looks nice and big and open.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31I like it. It's a good size. Oh, it's definitely big enough.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34There's nothing that I wouldn't be able to do myself, anyway,
0:25:34 > 0:25:36so that's fine.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38- It's great, isn't it? - I like the floor, as well.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41- Yeah, that's really nice. - So, big is better.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43- You like this kitchen, you like the size.- We like this.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46Reception rooms - you've got a couple to choose from as well,
0:25:46 > 0:25:48which is good news. Let me show you.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55So I'm hoping this is going to be big enough for you.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58- Yeah, this is a nice-sized room, this one.- Works for me.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01- Yeah, I like that fireplace.- Good.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03That red brick. That's nice.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06Next door, another reception room,
0:26:06 > 0:26:08currently used as a dining room,
0:26:08 > 0:26:11and then, as you know, it used to be a couple of cottages,
0:26:11 > 0:26:16and you've got that old back door, with, well, the old entrance hall.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19That one, it could almost be a little study.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21Mmm, yeah, it's a good idea.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23What's going through your mind, then? Size-wise.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26I know it's important. This obviously used to be two rooms.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28Now you've got it as one big room.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31No, this is fine for us. Yeah.
0:26:31 > 0:26:32This is a nice-sized room.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35Could this be a house for you? From the first two rooms?
0:26:35 > 0:26:37- Yeah, from the first two rooms, definitely.- Yeah.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40- So, four bedrooms you were after?- Mm-hm.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42Let's go and have a look at them.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48Terry and Theresa clearly like the house,
0:26:48 > 0:26:50but I'm not sure whether they love it.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53Perhaps the upstairs will generate a more emphatic response.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56It has the four good-sized bedrooms they wanted,
0:26:56 > 0:26:58three of which look out over the back,
0:26:58 > 0:27:01and the largest has an en-suite shower room.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03There's also a stylish family bathroom
0:27:03 > 0:27:05with natural stone floor tiling.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08And finally, the double aspect master suite.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12How about this for a master?
0:27:12 > 0:27:17- Yeah, I like this.- Lovely.- Do you? Why do you like it so much?
0:27:17 > 0:27:21- Well, it's big.- Yeah. - I love the fireplace.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24Gives it a lot of character.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26You've got a walk-in wardrobe there.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29But I think the piece de resistance is the en suite.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32Go and take a quick peek. I think you'll really like it. After you.
0:27:38 > 0:27:43- Wide bath.- Jacuzzi bath.- That's nice.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47To be perfectly honest, en suite bathroom things don't appeal to me.
0:27:47 > 0:27:51I would probably rip it all out and make the bedroom bigger.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54Right, ignore him, he's being an absolute fool!
0:27:54 > 0:27:56THERESA GIGGLES
0:27:56 > 0:28:00If he touches this bathroom, I'll come in and evict him myself!
0:28:00 > 0:28:01This is what I have to put up with.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04- This is why you haven't found a house!- I know, I know.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06So, I'll ask you. Do you like this...
0:28:06 > 0:28:08He can sleep in the other room!
0:28:08 > 0:28:10- I think he will be, the way he's going.- I will be, yeah.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13- Do you like this en suite? - I love it.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16All of the rooms you've seen so far, together, you've liked.
0:28:16 > 0:28:21I mean, clearly, you know, you would prefer not to have an en suite.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24- But apart from that, so far, so good.- Yeah.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27The other big factor you're after, really,
0:28:27 > 0:28:28is the outside space, isn't it?
0:28:28 > 0:28:30- Let's go and have a look.- Good.
0:28:32 > 0:28:36Hopefully I've put paid to Terry's DIY visions inside,
0:28:36 > 0:28:40as there's plenty for him to get stuck into outside.
0:28:40 > 0:28:44The rear garden is mainly lawn, bordered in part by a high hedge
0:28:44 > 0:28:48and with southerly views across surrounding fields.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51Because the garden was originally divided into separate sections
0:28:51 > 0:28:54for each cottage, there's some opening up to do.
0:28:54 > 0:28:56Removing internal hedgerows and walls would create
0:28:56 > 0:29:00a large open-plan plot of around a third of an acre.
0:29:00 > 0:29:04I think once that wall's down and that's opened up there...
0:29:04 > 0:29:06It's fine for me. Plenty for me.
0:29:06 > 0:29:09- Good. All right. Enough for you, mate?- Yeah.
0:29:09 > 0:29:13- So...- Really?- Yeah. Once it's opened up, I think it'd be a bit more.
0:29:13 > 0:29:16- It'd feel a lot bigger. It really, really would.- Yeah.
0:29:16 > 0:29:19- How much do you think it's on the market for?- Hmm...
0:29:19 > 0:29:21You go first this time.
0:29:21 > 0:29:23I think it's probably at the top end of the budget,
0:29:23 > 0:29:26so I'm going to say 375.
0:29:26 > 0:29:27I think it's a bit less.
0:29:27 > 0:29:31- I think it's 365. - Well, not far out, either of you.
0:29:31 > 0:29:33It is, at the moment, slightly above budget,
0:29:33 > 0:29:38- at offers around £385,000.- OK. - Is it a contender?
0:29:38 > 0:29:39Definitely.
0:29:39 > 0:29:41Yeah.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44Do you both realise you've agreed on something(?)
0:29:44 > 0:29:47- The whole lot. - This is good, right?
0:29:47 > 0:29:49- Yeah.- This is really promising. - Mm-hm.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52Go back in the house, maybe have another walk around the gardens.
0:29:52 > 0:29:55- I'll catch you when you're finished. - Lovely.- See you later.- Bye.
0:29:55 > 0:29:59Well, for a couple that claim to not have much in common,
0:29:59 > 0:30:02one thing they do have in common is this house.
0:30:04 > 0:30:06Although over budget by £10,000,
0:30:06 > 0:30:08the owner is prepared to consider an offer.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11Knocked through from three cottages to form one house,
0:30:11 > 0:30:15the property has been completely remodelled by the current owner.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18It has the separate dining room Terry and Theresa wanted,
0:30:18 > 0:30:21along with a large kitchen and lounge,
0:30:21 > 0:30:23and has four good-sized bedrooms.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26Outside, there's plenty of land for Terry to enjoy,
0:30:26 > 0:30:29and the whole plot is set in a peaceful, rural location.
0:30:29 > 0:30:31Yeah. I like this house.
0:30:31 > 0:30:33The inside's really nice
0:30:33 > 0:30:35and homely looking.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38There's a few cosmetic changes that we'd probably make.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41The outside garden is, at the moment,
0:30:41 > 0:30:44segregated into three pieces.
0:30:44 > 0:30:46I'd like to open that out a bit,
0:30:46 > 0:30:49and I think it'll give us what we're looking for.
0:30:49 > 0:30:53It's got pretty much everything that we'd really want or need.
0:30:53 > 0:30:55On the whole, it's a great house.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58It's strange that we're both agreeing on this house,
0:30:58 > 0:31:02but I think that's because someone else has looked at it for us,
0:31:02 > 0:31:04and brought it to our attention.
0:31:04 > 0:31:06I think that's where the difference is.
0:31:06 > 0:31:10Now, then, have you found anything you can disagree on?
0:31:12 > 0:31:15- No.- I don't think so.- Good. Hold that thought! Hold it there.
0:31:15 > 0:31:18- You agree, you like this house? - Yes.- Yeah.- Good. Let's go.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21After you. I'll just shut up behind you.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34It's the second day of our property search in Lincolnshire
0:31:34 > 0:31:36with council workers Terry and Theresa
0:31:36 > 0:31:38from Stevenage in Hertfordshire.
0:31:38 > 0:31:42With a budget of £375,000, we're trying to find them
0:31:42 > 0:31:45a property to suit both of their needs.
0:31:45 > 0:31:47Coming up - two more properties,
0:31:47 > 0:31:50including the mystery house, which I hope will unite our buyers.
0:31:50 > 0:31:52I can see some division in here.
0:31:52 > 0:31:56Funny you should say that. I can see some division HERE.
0:31:56 > 0:31:58THEY LAUGH
0:31:58 > 0:32:01And I put my foot down when I meet a micro-motoring legend.
0:32:01 > 0:32:04HE CHUCKLES
0:32:08 > 0:32:10For our next offering,
0:32:10 > 0:32:14we're travelling north to the rural village of Old Bolingbroke.
0:32:14 > 0:32:16Situated in the Lincolnshire Wolds,
0:32:16 > 0:32:19this countryside is more hilly than the rest of the county,
0:32:19 > 0:32:22with arable farming dominating the surrounding landscape.
0:32:22 > 0:32:26The village is steeped in history, with a ruinous castle.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29It's the birthplace of Henry of Bolingbroke in the 14th century,
0:32:29 > 0:32:33who was later crowned Henry IV, the first of the Lancastrian kings.
0:32:33 > 0:32:37There's also an old country inn and a smattering of pretty houses.
0:32:37 > 0:32:39As well as a nearby primary school,
0:32:39 > 0:32:42there's a bus service to Horncastle, around seven miles away,
0:32:42 > 0:32:44for secondary education.
0:32:44 > 0:32:47The next house is tucked away at the end of a village lane,
0:32:47 > 0:32:50close enough to chimney pots for Theresa,
0:32:50 > 0:32:52but will it be rural enough for Terry?
0:32:52 > 0:32:57OK, then. What do we think of this property?
0:32:57 > 0:33:00- Looks nice.- It does, doesn't it? - Yes.- It's gorgeous.
0:33:00 > 0:33:04I like the way the house...and then this on the side, that's nice.
0:33:04 > 0:33:05I like that.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08As you can see, she's an old property. Built around 1770.
0:33:08 > 0:33:12The additions, as you can see here, they were done from 2004 onwards.
0:33:12 > 0:33:16Yeah, they're nice. They match in well, as well, with the old building.
0:33:16 > 0:33:18Now, the village. Chimney pots around for you.
0:33:18 > 0:33:22- You've got a pub in the village. - Yeah. I spotted that.
0:33:22 > 0:33:26Yeah? But behind this house - just fields.
0:33:26 > 0:33:28- Lincolnshire Wolds.- Lovely.
0:33:28 > 0:33:30But so far, what are you thinking?
0:33:30 > 0:33:34- Yes.- I like it.- Looking forward to getting inside.- Let's do just that.
0:33:35 > 0:33:37Extended and restored to a high standard,
0:33:37 > 0:33:40the striking Georgian frontage gives Terry
0:33:40 > 0:33:42and Theresa the character they wanted,
0:33:42 > 0:33:45and I'm hoping the contemporary feel of the interior
0:33:45 > 0:33:47lives up to expectations.
0:33:47 > 0:33:49So, already you're getting a sense of space in this house.
0:33:49 > 0:33:51Just mind your step down here.
0:33:51 > 0:33:54And take in this huge kitchen.
0:33:56 > 0:33:58- It's large.- It's great.
0:33:58 > 0:34:00Now, this is no more than ten years old,
0:34:00 > 0:34:04but they've put character in it themselves, haven't they?
0:34:04 > 0:34:05These A-frames?
0:34:05 > 0:34:07Yeah, a nice bit of wood.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10- That's nice.- Really nice. It's lovely.
0:34:10 > 0:34:12- Yeah. Nice size. - Is this what you had in mind?
0:34:12 > 0:34:16Did you expect to see this in here when you looked outside?
0:34:16 > 0:34:18- Not from walking up the driveway, no.- No?
0:34:18 > 0:34:21- What were you thinking you were going to see?- Um...
0:34:21 > 0:34:24- I thought it was going to be older. - Older style. This is quite modern.
0:34:24 > 0:34:26This is a mixture of both, really.
0:34:26 > 0:34:28It's more to our taste, innit?
0:34:28 > 0:34:30- This kitchen.- Yeah.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33So the shiny-looking kitchen seems to sparkle,
0:34:33 > 0:34:36and just off it, there's a separate dining room, which Terry
0:34:36 > 0:34:38and Theresa asked for.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41The previous owner used this as a bedroom, so there's also
0:34:41 > 0:34:45a small bathroom and storage room at this modern end of the property.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48The remaining ground-floor rooms are located in the older
0:34:48 > 0:34:52part of the house, and include a separate utility room
0:34:52 > 0:34:55and a small study, as well as the living room.
0:34:55 > 0:34:59Righty-ho, so, reception room number two.
0:35:01 > 0:35:04- What do you think? - Yeah. This is lovely as well.- Yeah.
0:35:04 > 0:35:08You've seen the dining room. That is your separate reception room,
0:35:08 > 0:35:11if you like, to here. Is that enough?
0:35:11 > 0:35:15- I think it is.- Yeah. It gives us two options, doesn't it?
0:35:15 > 0:35:18One at one end and one at the other end. So yeah.
0:35:18 > 0:35:19THEY LAUGH
0:35:19 > 0:35:22Makes me wonder why we're moving together, doesn't it?
0:35:22 > 0:35:24It crossed my mind!
0:35:24 > 0:35:25Whatever works for you guys.
0:35:25 > 0:35:29However you want to use a house, I think
0:35:29 > 0:35:31this house gives you those options.
0:35:31 > 0:35:34If anything, the kitchen is at the centre and then, if you want
0:35:34 > 0:35:37- to go and do your separate things, then you can do, can't you?- Hmm.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40Let's go and have a quick peek upstairs.
0:35:40 > 0:35:44This property gives our buyers the four bedrooms they wanted.
0:35:44 > 0:35:46There's a single room for Lucy,
0:35:46 > 0:35:48another single that could accommodate a double bed,
0:35:48 > 0:35:53and a cosy guest room. There's also a fully refurbished family bathroom.
0:35:53 > 0:35:57And finally, the master.
0:35:57 > 0:35:59So four bedrooms up here, in total.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01This is very much the master.
0:36:01 > 0:36:02Nice.
0:36:02 > 0:36:06- Nice bit of view through the windows. - Gorgeous views.- Yeah.
0:36:06 > 0:36:09This is one place, surely, you would love to wake up.
0:36:09 > 0:36:11Look at that view over those Wolds.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14- Yeah, it's lovely.- Isn't this what you were after, though?- Yeah.
0:36:14 > 0:36:16You've got village that way,
0:36:16 > 0:36:19and just countryside spilling all over that way.
0:36:19 > 0:36:20Yeah.
0:36:20 > 0:36:22Yeah, that's nice.
0:36:22 > 0:36:23Yeah.
0:36:23 > 0:36:25No, I'm happy with this room.
0:36:25 > 0:36:29So we've reached a mutual agreement on both the house and location,
0:36:29 > 0:36:32but that all-important outside space is Terry's domain,
0:36:32 > 0:36:35and he can't help but be impressed by the views.
0:36:35 > 0:36:38The grounds include a double garage - ideal for storage.
0:36:38 > 0:36:41The rear garden is a tidy lawn enclosed by mature hedges
0:36:41 > 0:36:43and a variety of trees.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48So, you get a good-sized garden as well, don't you?
0:36:48 > 0:36:50Yeah. ..You're just grinning.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53It's good. It's nice to see.
0:36:53 > 0:36:54Yeah, I like it.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56Don't sound so disappointed.
0:36:56 > 0:36:58I'm probably sounding disappointed
0:36:58 > 0:37:00because I think he's going to burst my bubble.
0:37:00 > 0:37:02TERRY LAUGHS
0:37:02 > 0:37:04Terry, please don't burst her bubble.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06I'm trying not to.
0:37:06 > 0:37:07The house is lovely.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10I am a little bit disappointed with the outside.
0:37:10 > 0:37:12Well, no. You've got to have an opinion on it,
0:37:12 > 0:37:15- but likewise, these are the compromises you find.- Yeah.
0:37:15 > 0:37:17You've both got to be happy here.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20Terry, how much do you think this place is on the market for?
0:37:20 > 0:37:23Right at the top end, probably over, I'm going to go with 380.
0:37:23 > 0:37:25All right.
0:37:25 > 0:37:27I think it's more.
0:37:27 > 0:37:28390.
0:37:28 > 0:37:34This place is on the market for offers around £399,950.
0:37:34 > 0:37:36- OK?- Hmm.
0:37:36 > 0:37:38It was 415 grand.
0:37:38 > 0:37:40Now, on speaking to the owners,
0:37:40 > 0:37:42they've told us, knowing your budget,
0:37:42 > 0:37:46- they're prepared to negotiate. All right?- That's good, then.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48Why don't you go back inside that house?
0:37:48 > 0:37:50Have a look at the other bedrooms,
0:37:50 > 0:37:52walk around the garden, get to know it,
0:37:52 > 0:37:54have a think about how it could work for you,
0:37:54 > 0:37:56where you'd put your veggie plot.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59- Go off, have a look at the house and I'll catch you later on.- Lovely.
0:37:59 > 0:38:00Thank you.
0:38:03 > 0:38:07This impressive village home is over budget by £25,000
0:38:07 > 0:38:09but the owner is willing to negotiate.
0:38:09 > 0:38:11The older part of the house is Georgian,
0:38:11 > 0:38:14but with a modern wing, incorporating a large kitchen
0:38:14 > 0:38:16and separate dining room.
0:38:16 > 0:38:17There are four good-sized bedrooms,
0:38:17 > 0:38:20and the pretty garden benefits from
0:38:20 > 0:38:23some outstanding views across the Lincolnshire Wolds.
0:38:23 > 0:38:25I love this house.
0:38:25 > 0:38:28It's everything I've been looking for, really.
0:38:28 > 0:38:29Love the location,
0:38:29 > 0:38:32I just love the character in the house,
0:38:32 > 0:38:34I love the size of the house,
0:38:34 > 0:38:35I love the views.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38There's not much more I can say, really.
0:38:38 > 0:38:39I think I've found my dream house
0:38:39 > 0:38:41but I couldn't say the same for Terry.
0:38:41 > 0:38:43I think he's going to burst my bubble.
0:38:43 > 0:38:45I know I probably sound like a broken record -
0:38:45 > 0:38:48I am a little bit disappointed about the outside space.
0:38:48 > 0:38:50That's probably where my compromise will have to be.
0:38:50 > 0:38:53Theresa's probably got the same view about the inside,
0:38:53 > 0:38:57and I know she'll be worried about how I feel about the outside,
0:38:57 > 0:39:01which has probably put a bit of a dampener on it for her.
0:39:03 > 0:39:05So, are we getting closer?
0:39:06 > 0:39:09- Yeah?- You are, for me.- For you?
0:39:09 > 0:39:10Yeah, the house is lovely.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13But you still want a bit more land? I know!
0:39:13 > 0:39:14Well, it's this compromise, isn't it?
0:39:14 > 0:39:17Maybe we'll find that compromise with our last house,
0:39:17 > 0:39:19but it's the mystery property.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22There's going to be a compromise somewhere, isn't there?
0:39:27 > 0:39:30Well, for a couple that admitted to me
0:39:30 > 0:39:32yesterday that they disagree on most things,
0:39:32 > 0:39:35I think they concur on the two major factors when buying a house.
0:39:35 > 0:39:37They want a large amount of outside space
0:39:37 > 0:39:40and they also want a house with separate living areas.
0:39:40 > 0:39:42I'm smiling because, with the mystery property,
0:39:42 > 0:39:44we're going to mix things up.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46We'll give them a house with all the garden and outside space
0:39:46 > 0:39:49their hearts could desire but inside, well, put it this way,
0:39:49 > 0:39:53I think they'll both need to get on with each other in this one.
0:39:54 > 0:39:56So we're going to the mystery house.
0:39:56 > 0:39:58You know it's going to be a bit different.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00It's going to challenge you.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02How do you think it might challenge you?
0:40:02 > 0:40:08I think that it's going to need a shed load of work doing on it.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11- Do you?- Yeah.- Well, you're with the right man!
0:40:11 > 0:40:14Yeah. I'm probably secretly hoping that it does.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18So you think it might need a load of work? OK.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20What would you love it to have?
0:40:20 > 0:40:23If there was something that Theresa really liked in it,
0:40:23 > 0:40:26I think that would probably be the way that I would compromise,
0:40:26 > 0:40:28because of... You know what I mean?
0:40:28 > 0:40:30Aw...
0:40:30 > 0:40:33Don't turn your face up at that! He's being nice.
0:40:33 > 0:40:35- That's because I don't believe a word of it!- No.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38You know as I say to you, as the time goes on,
0:40:38 > 0:40:41you get more fed up with looking?
0:40:41 > 0:40:43- Yeah.- Yes, you do.- Yeah.
0:40:43 > 0:40:45So I would compromise on something
0:40:45 > 0:40:49if I knew that Theresa particularly wanted it.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52- What would you compromise on? - Probably the land.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55It'd have to be, because that's probably my main focus.
0:40:55 > 0:40:57What would you compromise on, Theresa?
0:40:57 > 0:40:59Nothing.
0:40:59 > 0:41:00No!
0:41:03 > 0:41:05For our final offering,
0:41:05 > 0:41:08we're travelling to the hamlet of Howell in the heart of the Fens.
0:41:08 > 0:41:12The nearby village of Heckington is the best bet for amenities.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14Centred on a pretty green,
0:41:14 > 0:41:16the village offers a range of shops and services,
0:41:16 > 0:41:19including an independent greengrocer's
0:41:19 > 0:41:21and a 14th-century parish church.
0:41:21 > 0:41:23In summer, Heckington puts on a village show,
0:41:23 > 0:41:26which has been running for 130 years
0:41:26 > 0:41:28and claims to be the largest in England.
0:41:28 > 0:41:31Our mystery property is just a ten-minute drive away,
0:41:31 > 0:41:35but located in a rural setting, surrounded entirely by open fields
0:41:35 > 0:41:38with just a working farm for a neighbour.
0:41:38 > 0:41:42Now, Terry wanted rural, but just how rural is he willing to go?
0:41:42 > 0:41:44So, the mystery house.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47Almost in a mystery location, isn't it?
0:41:47 > 0:41:50- Yeah.- Very rural, isn't it?- Yes.
0:41:50 > 0:41:52So, what do we think?
0:41:52 > 0:41:54Well, from the walk up, I like it.
0:41:54 > 0:41:58Yeah, which probably means you're not so keen?
0:41:58 > 0:42:01Come on, be honest.
0:42:01 > 0:42:03It's not perhaps what I had in mind,
0:42:03 > 0:42:06- but it does look really nice. - I mean, the location is very rural.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09Are you comfortable with that?
0:42:09 > 0:42:11I don't know yet, till you tell me what's about.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13- Not much.- Yeah. - Lots of fields.
0:42:13 > 0:42:16There's a farmhouse just behind, which looks after this farm.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19And Heckington, probably about ten minutes away.
0:42:19 > 0:42:20That's where your local shops are.
0:42:20 > 0:42:22The good schools are back in Sleaford, which is
0:42:22 > 0:42:26probably about 20 minutes away. And you'll be doing that commute.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29- OK...- What do you think of the house itself?
0:42:29 > 0:42:31I think I like it.
0:42:31 > 0:42:33It takes a bit of getting used to, cos it's so quirky.
0:42:33 > 0:42:35It's the mystery house, of course.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38I'm interested in this thing on the side here.
0:42:38 > 0:42:40- Well, you wanted a little project. - Yeah.
0:42:40 > 0:42:42You'll be getting your hands dirty, my friend.
0:42:42 > 0:42:46Let's focus on the home itself first. Let's go inside.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49The L-shaped converted barn dates back to the
0:42:49 > 0:42:50turn of the 19th century,
0:42:50 > 0:42:53but there's further potential in the form of a separate
0:42:53 > 0:42:54barn in need of renovation.
0:42:54 > 0:42:58Terry and Theresa wanted at least two reception rooms,
0:42:58 > 0:42:59they wanted separation,
0:42:59 > 0:43:02but with our mystery option, for now at least,
0:43:02 > 0:43:05there's literally nowhere to hide in this partially furnished property.
0:43:05 > 0:43:07OK. In we come.
0:43:10 > 0:43:13Now, I can't wait to hear what you think about this.
0:43:13 > 0:43:15THEY LAUGH
0:43:15 > 0:43:19- Interesting.- Yeah, very interesting. I like it. I do like it.
0:43:19 > 0:43:22Let's talk about the elephant in the room.
0:43:22 > 0:43:25- This is open-plan, guys, isn't it?- Mm-hmm.
0:43:25 > 0:43:29That's the living area down there, this is a lovely, massive kitchen.
0:43:29 > 0:43:32- Mm-hmm.- When you say, "That's the living area",
0:43:32 > 0:43:36- is that the only living area? - At the moment, yes.
0:43:36 > 0:43:38I could easily put a wall up.
0:43:38 > 0:43:40There's definitely space to put a partition up
0:43:40 > 0:43:42- and have a separation of living areas.- That's right, yeah.
0:43:42 > 0:43:44I think you'd be rather cramped
0:43:44 > 0:43:46for your two reception rooms that you're after.
0:43:46 > 0:43:48- Definitely for that. - Certainly got room for one.
0:43:48 > 0:43:51I can see some division in here
0:43:51 > 0:43:55that would make it more usable for us.
0:43:55 > 0:43:57Funny you should say that - I can see some division here.
0:44:00 > 0:44:02You're struggling at the moment, aren't you?
0:44:02 > 0:44:03- I am struggling a bit, yeah.- Right.
0:44:03 > 0:44:04OK.
0:44:04 > 0:44:07Shall we keep walking on? Come with me.
0:44:07 > 0:44:10It seems I've split the camp again with our mystery house.
0:44:10 > 0:44:13Even dividing the large, open-plan living space
0:44:13 > 0:44:16into a kitchen and living room won't wash with Theresa.
0:44:16 > 0:44:18Since it's a one-storey conversion,
0:44:18 > 0:44:21all the bedroom accommodation is on the ground floor.
0:44:21 > 0:44:24There are three bedrooms, one less than our buyers wanted,
0:44:24 > 0:44:28but they're all doubles and one of those has an en-suite bathroom,
0:44:28 > 0:44:30as does the master.
0:44:30 > 0:44:33Now, I know you're not massively keen on en suites,
0:44:33 > 0:44:36but I thought this might help change your mind.
0:44:37 > 0:44:38THEY CHORTLE
0:44:41 > 0:44:43- Yeah?- It's a big bath.
0:44:43 > 0:44:46And that's a, well, semi wet room, the shower's round the corner.
0:44:46 > 0:44:49This is your family bathroom, if you want to have it.
0:44:49 > 0:44:52You've also got another two spare bedrooms.
0:44:52 > 0:44:55It's a three-bedroom house, so you can use it as a family bathroom,
0:44:55 > 0:45:00- but you could have it exclusively for yourselves.- Yeah.
0:45:00 > 0:45:01Like it?
0:45:01 > 0:45:04- If you're asking me, no, I don't.- Why not?!
0:45:04 > 0:45:07- I don't actually like it either. - I don't know.
0:45:07 > 0:45:10I don't understand why people put baths in the middle of the floor.
0:45:10 > 0:45:12I think that's it, yeah.
0:45:12 > 0:45:15You don't spend that much time in the bathroom, do you?
0:45:15 > 0:45:17I don't... Clearly not!
0:45:17 > 0:45:21- Right, let's look at the bedroom. - I only go in here once a week.
0:45:21 > 0:45:23How often do you use your bedroom, every night?
0:45:23 > 0:45:25Is this big enough for you, what do you think?
0:45:25 > 0:45:27- Yeah, this is nice. - This is a good bedroom.
0:45:27 > 0:45:29This is a lovely, big bedroom.
0:45:29 > 0:45:34- Right, big enough?- Yes. - And we made light of it,
0:45:34 > 0:45:36but that bathroom there, it's so big,
0:45:36 > 0:45:38you could put a partition wall straight across
0:45:38 > 0:45:40and then it's just your family bathroom.
0:45:40 > 0:45:42- Yeah.- It's just next door to your bedroom here.
0:45:42 > 0:45:43No, that's what I would do.
0:45:43 > 0:45:45The big project is the barn conversion.
0:45:45 > 0:45:46I'm looking forward to seeing that.
0:45:46 > 0:45:48Let me squeeze past and I'll go and show you.
0:45:52 > 0:45:55If Theresa isn't keen on dividing the open-plan living space,
0:45:55 > 0:45:57there is another option.
0:45:57 > 0:45:59The barn across the courtyard has potential
0:45:59 > 0:46:01for an entirely separate living space,
0:46:01 > 0:46:04offering our buyers complete independence from each other
0:46:04 > 0:46:05at times of their choosing.
0:46:08 > 0:46:10Now, then, there's more than enough
0:46:10 > 0:46:13- for you to get your hands dirty with here, isn't there?- There is, yeah!
0:46:13 > 0:46:14- This is tall.- Yeah.
0:46:14 > 0:46:16I think there's room for two storeys.
0:46:16 > 0:46:18I spoke to the estate agent.
0:46:18 > 0:46:23He tells me this has got planning consent for a one-bedroom dwelling.
0:46:23 > 0:46:25I think it's worthwhile speaking to the planners
0:46:25 > 0:46:27and seeing if you can squeeze two out of this.
0:46:27 > 0:46:29A bedroom each end, maybe.
0:46:29 > 0:46:32Even if it just means having a ground-floor bathroom.
0:46:32 > 0:46:34- Hmm.- Getting two bedrooms out of this.- Mmm.
0:46:35 > 0:46:38Then you've got real separation of living areas
0:46:38 > 0:46:40if you want, haven't you?
0:46:40 > 0:46:43This is that ultimate project, isn't it?
0:46:43 > 0:46:45- You're loving this, aren't you?- Yeah.
0:46:45 > 0:46:47I know you are and I can almost hear...
0:46:47 > 0:46:49What? Yeah, that's an alarm bell ringing in Theresa's head.
0:46:49 > 0:46:51Let's go and get a surprise, come with me.
0:46:53 > 0:46:56When Terry's not doing up the barn, he might be found in the garden
0:46:56 > 0:46:59and the land wraps itself around the house,
0:46:59 > 0:47:00with a variety of mature trees
0:47:00 > 0:47:04and some uninterrupted views across open countryside.
0:47:04 > 0:47:07Plus, it gives them the amount of land he wanted.
0:47:07 > 0:47:09- What you see is what you get, really.- Mm-hmm.
0:47:09 > 0:47:12The estate agent's particulars say "approaching an acre".
0:47:12 > 0:47:13Yeah, it's not too bad.
0:47:13 > 0:47:17So how much do you think this mystery house is on the market for?
0:47:18 > 0:47:20- It's a difficult one. - It is, isn't it?
0:47:21 > 0:47:24I think about 360.
0:47:24 > 0:47:26360 - Terry?
0:47:26 > 0:47:29Well, I'm thinking towards the top end of the budget,
0:47:29 > 0:47:33but hopefully not over, so I will say 375.
0:47:35 > 0:47:37This place is on the market for offers around...
0:47:39 > 0:47:41..£350,000.
0:47:41 > 0:47:43Ooh!
0:47:43 > 0:47:45The estate agent is even calling it a guide price.
0:47:45 > 0:47:48- There's some room for negotiation there, then?- Yes.
0:47:48 > 0:47:50- Something for you to consider. - Mm-hmm.
0:47:50 > 0:47:53But also consider this against all that we've seen so far.
0:47:53 > 0:47:55You've really got to both be happy about this.
0:47:55 > 0:47:57I know you're over the moon about it, but...
0:47:58 > 0:48:01- It has grown on me a little. - Has it?- Mmm.- OK.
0:48:01 > 0:48:04- Now we've talked about... - As soon as you found out the price!
0:48:04 > 0:48:06No!
0:48:06 > 0:48:08No, it's got nothing to do with that.
0:48:08 > 0:48:10Go back, have a look around the property.
0:48:10 > 0:48:13Think about things, talk about things.
0:48:13 > 0:48:16- Try not to disagree. Catch you later on.- Thanks.
0:48:20 > 0:48:25Under budget by £25,000, our mystery house is made up of two barns.
0:48:25 > 0:48:27One has been converted into a stylishly modern home
0:48:27 > 0:48:31with an open-plan kitchen and living area with three bedrooms
0:48:31 > 0:48:33and the other is as yet unconverted,
0:48:33 > 0:48:35but with planning permission in place
0:48:35 > 0:48:37to turn it into a one-bedroom dwelling.
0:48:37 > 0:48:39I'm really confused about this one.
0:48:39 > 0:48:43Part of it I really, really think we could do something with...
0:48:44 > 0:48:47..but maybe my heart's elsewhere.
0:48:47 > 0:48:48I don't know.
0:48:48 > 0:48:53But I think it's a good price, we can do something with it.
0:48:53 > 0:48:55I think Terry really likes the property,
0:48:55 > 0:48:57so I guess it's down to him to convince me
0:48:57 > 0:49:01that we can turn it into our home.
0:49:01 > 0:49:03I'm really interested in this property.
0:49:03 > 0:49:05The barn part of it probably interested me
0:49:05 > 0:49:07less than the house does.
0:49:07 > 0:49:09I can see a lot of potential in the house
0:49:09 > 0:49:11to get it to just exactly what we're looking for.
0:49:11 > 0:49:15The land is probably less than I wanted,
0:49:15 > 0:49:19but the surroundings and the way it's laid out make it look a lot more.
0:49:19 > 0:49:22The mystery house is a contender for us,
0:49:22 > 0:49:24or for me. For us, yeah, for us.
0:49:27 > 0:49:29Well, I thought I'd find you by the barn.
0:49:29 > 0:49:32- Have you seen enough?- Yes.- Yes.
0:49:32 > 0:49:34- You look excited.- Yeah.
0:49:34 > 0:49:37- More so for the house than the barn part.- Really?- Yeah.
0:49:37 > 0:49:38There's a surprise!
0:49:38 > 0:49:41This is all we're going to see now, the last of all the properties.
0:49:41 > 0:49:43Why don't we find you somewhere to have a bit of a chinwag
0:49:43 > 0:49:45and we'll catch up later, yeah?
0:49:45 > 0:49:47- Yeah, OK.- OK, let me lock up. - Thanks a lot.
0:49:55 > 0:49:58Lincolnshire is probably best known for its flat fens,
0:49:58 > 0:50:02fertile farmland and variety of vegetables.
0:50:02 > 0:50:04One of the county's best-kept secrets
0:50:04 > 0:50:07is found hidden in a small farm near Boston -
0:50:07 > 0:50:11the UK's only museum of microcars, or bubble cars,
0:50:11 > 0:50:13as they're more affectionately known.
0:50:13 > 0:50:16A popular, fuel-efficient mode of transport
0:50:16 > 0:50:17after the Second World War,
0:50:17 > 0:50:20the bubble had burst by the end of the 1960s.
0:50:20 > 0:50:22Keeping the spirit alive is Paula Cooper,
0:50:22 > 0:50:24who along with her husband Mike,
0:50:24 > 0:50:27has over 50 models on display.
0:50:27 > 0:50:31I've come to the museum to find out more about this micro motoring icon.
0:50:31 > 0:50:33I grew up seeing bubble cars.
0:50:33 > 0:50:35I suppose first question is,
0:50:35 > 0:50:37why build a car so small?
0:50:37 > 0:50:39It was the size of the engine,
0:50:39 > 0:50:41so you've got the power-to-weight ratio,
0:50:41 > 0:50:44you've got a very, very small 200cc engine in this particular one
0:50:44 > 0:50:46- and most of them are similar.- OK.
0:50:46 > 0:50:49- It's a scooter or motorbike engine...- Yeah.
0:50:49 > 0:50:53..so you can't have a big, heavy car and it's a steel car,
0:50:53 > 0:50:55- it's not glass fibre yet.- No.
0:50:55 > 0:50:58That's why they're so small, really.
0:50:58 > 0:51:00Why three wheels on a car?
0:51:00 > 0:51:01Ah, well, if you have three wheels,
0:51:01 > 0:51:04you can drive it on a motorbike licence.
0:51:04 > 0:51:07- OK. So this was your entry-level automobile?- Yep.
0:51:07 > 0:51:11- Very much so.- It seems that they kind of burst on to the scene
0:51:11 > 0:51:14in the 1950s.
0:51:14 > 0:51:16What happened?
0:51:16 > 0:51:19Well, the Mini came along.
0:51:19 > 0:51:23Minis were produced, they weren't that much more expensive,
0:51:23 > 0:51:26but it was a four-wheel car, in many cases.
0:51:26 > 0:51:28In a lot of ways, though,
0:51:28 > 0:51:33not such a bad thing for an icon to be usurped by another icon.
0:51:33 > 0:51:38- It's not a bad way, is it?- There's a sort of romance to all of it.
0:51:38 > 0:51:41The microcar originated in Germany and Italy
0:51:41 > 0:51:42soon after the war had ended.
0:51:42 > 0:51:46But it wasn't long before British car manufacturers got in on the act,
0:51:46 > 0:51:49keen to produce their own low-cost, fuel-efficient models
0:51:49 > 0:51:52during an age of austerity and petrol rationing.
0:51:52 > 0:51:54Designs evolved over the decades,
0:51:54 > 0:51:56but in order to be termed a microcar,
0:51:56 > 0:52:00the engine size had to be less than 700cc.
0:52:00 > 0:52:02As a self-confessed petrolhead,
0:52:02 > 0:52:05I have a test drive arranged with Paula's husband, Mike,
0:52:05 > 0:52:07in one of the museum's early British models,
0:52:07 > 0:52:09a Trojan 200.
0:52:09 > 0:52:12- Right, Jonnie, this is Mike. - Mike, how are you doing?
0:52:12 > 0:52:14- He's going to give you a driving lesson.- Perfect!
0:52:14 > 0:52:15Thank you very much, Paula!
0:52:15 > 0:52:18Let's go! Clamber in.
0:52:18 > 0:52:19Right, OK...
0:52:19 > 0:52:21- Don't bang your head.- Oh!
0:52:21 > 0:52:23Oh!
0:52:24 > 0:52:26- OK, I'm in.- You're in.
0:52:26 > 0:52:27Room for a small one?
0:52:30 > 0:52:32You know what, it's not that small in here.
0:52:32 > 0:52:36You need to close the door, Jonnie, otherwise we'll fall out.
0:52:36 > 0:52:38OK, foot controls are as normal.
0:52:38 > 0:52:41ENGINE STARTS UP
0:52:41 > 0:52:43OK, right.
0:52:44 > 0:52:46- OK, so clutch.- Clutch down.
0:52:46 > 0:52:49- OK.- Then just feather it out? - Check the handbrake's off.
0:52:49 > 0:52:51- Down by your right hand.- Yep.- Yep?
0:52:52 > 0:52:54Plenty of revs.
0:52:54 > 0:52:57You've only got 200cc, only got nine brake horsepower.
0:52:57 > 0:53:00We're off, we're off! Yes!
0:53:00 > 0:53:02OK, up into second.
0:53:03 > 0:53:05Feel it. Good man.
0:53:05 > 0:53:07Straight away, first time.
0:53:07 > 0:53:09JONNIE GIGGLES EUPHORICALLY
0:53:11 > 0:53:15The Trojan 200 was built in Croydon in the 1960s,
0:53:15 > 0:53:17based on an earlier German model,
0:53:17 > 0:53:19and around 10,000 of them were made.
0:53:19 > 0:53:22At full throttle, it can reach speeds of up to 55mph.
0:53:23 > 0:53:26What sort of range would this have?
0:53:26 > 0:53:28It'll do 90 to the gallon.
0:53:28 > 0:53:30You've got a three-gallon fuel tank.
0:53:30 > 0:53:31My car does about 22.
0:53:33 > 0:53:39So at the time, 90 to the gallon was unbelievable,
0:53:39 > 0:53:42because most of the stuff that was about
0:53:42 > 0:53:44was doing mid-20s to the gallon.
0:53:44 > 0:53:48- That's amazing.- It was a cheap car to run, cheap family transport.
0:53:48 > 0:53:51Since the bubble car's decline accelerated thanks to the Mini,
0:53:51 > 0:53:53I can't help but see the irony
0:53:53 > 0:53:55as I'm overtaken on the Lincolnshire roads.
0:53:56 > 0:53:59Yeah, go as fast as you want, mate!
0:53:59 > 0:54:05It's the exact middle of driving a car and riding a motorbike, for me.
0:54:05 > 0:54:07You're really nice and close to the road,
0:54:07 > 0:54:10you've got amazing visibility.
0:54:10 > 0:54:13You see and feel your environment, don't you?
0:54:13 > 0:54:15You're in contact with the outside world.
0:54:15 > 0:54:17It may have been a short-lived motoring trend,
0:54:17 > 0:54:20but the bubble car hasn't died out completely,
0:54:20 > 0:54:23with some car producers planning new, lightweight eco motors
0:54:23 > 0:54:26not dissimilar to the design of the Trojan.
0:54:26 > 0:54:31But for now, this motoring classic remains in a post-war time bubble.
0:54:34 > 0:54:37Well, I think it's fair to say that we've seen differing opinions
0:54:37 > 0:54:40from Theresa and Terry on the properties that we've showed them,
0:54:40 > 0:54:41so let's catch up with them
0:54:41 > 0:54:44and find out if they've managed to come to an agreement.
0:54:47 > 0:54:49You're both looking rather pensive.
0:54:49 > 0:54:51Have you come to a decision?
0:54:52 > 0:54:55- Sort of.- Sort of?
0:54:55 > 0:54:57For me, I have a favourite,
0:54:57 > 0:54:59the Georgian house.
0:54:59 > 0:55:00Anything else in the running?
0:55:01 > 0:55:05Closely behind was the converted cottages.
0:55:06 > 0:55:09- Do these marry up with your favourites?- They do,
0:55:09 > 0:55:13but I also have a third in the mystery house at the end,
0:55:13 > 0:55:15because of the way that it was set out.
0:55:15 > 0:55:18OK, let's talk about your common favourites.
0:55:18 > 0:55:22I think my plan of action is to revisit the two houses
0:55:22 > 0:55:25- and look to where I can compromise. - All right.
0:55:25 > 0:55:28I think at the end of the day, it's going to be me that compromises.
0:55:28 > 0:55:32I think the converted cottages is the compromise for you guys.
0:55:32 > 0:55:35It gives you the most amount of land, or outside space,
0:55:35 > 0:55:40it gives you the rural feel, yet you still have villages a walk away.
0:55:40 > 0:55:42- Yeah.- Access to schools.
0:55:42 > 0:55:44Sounds like that's the compromise.
0:55:44 > 0:55:47Unless you guys make a compromise, you're never going to find a home,
0:55:47 > 0:55:49- you know that, cos you want different things.- Yeah.
0:55:50 > 0:55:53So do please come back up here
0:55:53 > 0:55:55and have a look at these houses. When?
0:55:57 > 0:56:00- As soon as, then? - As soon as possible, really.
0:56:00 > 0:56:02- Next couple of weekends?- Yeah.
0:56:02 > 0:56:04- You never know, they might not hang around.- No.- Look,
0:56:04 > 0:56:07I wish you the very best of luck. Please let me know what you decide.
0:56:07 > 0:56:09I'd be really interested...
0:56:09 > 0:56:11You've looked at so many houses,
0:56:11 > 0:56:13it does seem like you're on the final straight.
0:56:13 > 0:56:15OK, good luck. Let me know, won't you?
0:56:15 > 0:56:17- Thank you very much, we will. - Thank you.- Good.
0:56:20 > 0:56:23Well, after spending some time with Terry and Theresa,
0:56:23 > 0:56:26I've really come to appreciate why they've struggled for so long
0:56:26 > 0:56:27to find the right house.
0:56:27 > 0:56:30They simply want quite different things from not only the property,
0:56:30 > 0:56:33but also its location as well.
0:56:33 > 0:56:36But having said that, I do genuinely believe
0:56:36 > 0:56:39that we've shown them houses that occupy that middle ground
0:56:39 > 0:56:42between what Terry and what Theresa are after.
0:56:42 > 0:56:44Hopefully, at their second viewings,
0:56:44 > 0:56:46they'll finally be able to strike a compromise
0:56:46 > 0:56:48and then move their search for a property
0:56:48 > 0:56:51here in the Lincolnshire countryside one step forward.
0:56:51 > 0:56:54I wish them the best of luck. See you next time.
0:56:55 > 0:56:58Terry and Theresa went back to the converted cottages
0:56:58 > 0:57:00for a second viewing and are still interested.
0:57:00 > 0:57:03They're waiting to sell their Stevenage home
0:57:03 > 0:57:05before hopefully making an offer.
0:57:05 > 0:57:08If you'd like to escape to the country in either England, Wales,
0:57:08 > 0:57:11Northern Ireland or Scotland and would like our help,
0:57:11 > 0:57:13then please apply online at...