0:00:02 > 0:00:06Welcome to Escape To The Country. Now, this remarkable structure was built in 1875.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09It is a marvel of Victorian engineering,
0:00:09 > 0:00:12the first of its kind to be built anywhere in the world.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14But what was it for and where was it built?
0:00:14 > 0:00:17Well, join me in just a moment and I'll tell you.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37Today's house-hunting couple are itching to embark
0:00:37 > 0:00:38on a new phase of their life
0:00:38 > 0:00:41and make the move to the countryside they've always dreamed of.
0:00:41 > 0:00:46And at first, there's a repeatedly positive reaction to our houses.
0:00:46 > 0:00:47Absolutely stunning.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49- Stunning again.- Yeah.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51This is stunning.
0:00:51 > 0:00:52Absolutely stunning.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55But later, they change their tune
0:00:55 > 0:00:57and it's time for some straight-talking.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59- I'm afraid it doesn't do it for me. - Oh.- Right.
0:00:59 > 0:01:00I just don't like the set-out.
0:01:03 > 0:01:04Well, today, we are in Cheshire,
0:01:04 > 0:01:08and this astonishing structure is the Anderton Boat Lift.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10It was built to allow canal boats
0:01:10 > 0:01:13using the trench at the Mersey Canal over there
0:01:13 > 0:01:17to drop some 50 feet below me down to the River Weaver.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20Now, it was designed by Victorian engineer Edwin Clark.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24Back in 1875, it cost some £48,000 -
0:01:24 > 0:01:26in today's money, about 4 million.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28Now, later on in the show, I'll be back here,
0:01:28 > 0:01:30learning more about its history
0:01:30 > 0:01:33and, importantly, finding out exactly how it works.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35But in the meantime, here's a little taster
0:01:35 > 0:01:38of what the rest of this fascinating county has to offer.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43Located in the North West of England,
0:01:43 > 0:01:46Cheshire has a population of just over a million.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49It stretches from its border with Wales in the West
0:01:49 > 0:01:53to the windswept moors of the Peak District in the East.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55The county may have a reputation
0:01:55 > 0:01:57as the playground of the rich and famous,
0:01:57 > 0:02:00as many high-profile footballers live in the region,
0:02:00 > 0:02:04but agriculture still plays a central role in the economy.
0:02:04 > 0:02:09More than two thirds of its land is farmed today, mainly for dairy,
0:02:09 > 0:02:12and a fifth of the North West's breeding herds are found here.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14This largely rural landscape
0:02:14 > 0:02:17makes the county an ever-popular choice with commuters
0:02:17 > 0:02:21wanting to live beyond the urban centres of Manchester and Liverpool.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25The expansive Cheshire Plain is home to market towns,
0:02:25 > 0:02:29such as Nantwich, which has the largest number of historic buildings
0:02:29 > 0:02:31in the county, outside of Chester.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34With beautifully-preserved villages and towns
0:02:34 > 0:02:36giving way to undulating countryside,
0:02:36 > 0:02:40Cheshire provides fertile ground for property-shoppers
0:02:40 > 0:02:42in search of a rural bolthole.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46Now, Cheshire is famous for many things,
0:02:46 > 0:02:49but when it comes to property, it is now perhaps notorious
0:02:49 > 0:02:52as the home of more than a handful of footballers' wives,
0:02:52 > 0:02:55living in multi-million pound properties
0:02:55 > 0:02:57within the county's Golden Triangle,
0:02:57 > 0:03:00centred around Wilmslow, Knutsford and Alderley Edge.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03They, of course, have inflated local house prices.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06Within the hotspot, the average price of a detached property
0:03:06 > 0:03:08is currently double the national figure.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10But there is, of course, some good news.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12Around the rest of the county as a whole,
0:03:12 > 0:03:14things are much more sensible.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16The average price of a detached property elsewhere
0:03:16 > 0:03:19is currently £268,000,
0:03:19 > 0:03:2215 grand below the national average,
0:03:22 > 0:03:23which means, of course, in simple terms,
0:03:23 > 0:03:26you don't need to be a millionaire to live here.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28So, let's now meet today's buyers
0:03:28 > 0:03:31and find out what has attracted them to this glorious county.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35Neil met Denise as teenagers
0:03:35 > 0:03:39on a blind date at the school dance in the 1970s.
0:03:39 > 0:03:44He's fun-loving, he's adventurous, I think,
0:03:44 > 0:03:46good sense of humour.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48I'd describe Denise all those
0:03:48 > 0:03:50but very organised.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53She organises my life.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55But I call Denise a corned-beef inspector,
0:03:55 > 0:03:59because, no matter what I do in the house, she inspects it.
0:03:59 > 0:04:00Yes.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02Married now for 40 years,
0:04:02 > 0:04:04they currently live in Milnrow
0:04:04 > 0:04:07on the outskirts of Rochdale in Lancashire.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09The reason we moved to Milnrow is
0:04:09 > 0:04:13- we got a job at the Milnrow Working Men's Club. - I work in the men's club.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16Yeah, steward and stewardess of a working men's club.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20Yeah, when we moved out of Milner for a few years,
0:04:20 > 0:04:23we only lasted five years and came back.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26People that we knew 20, 30 years ago,
0:04:26 > 0:04:28we still see them, you know, say hi to them.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31So, it seems to capture people's hearts.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33Our first house cost us £700.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35Yeah, £700.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38- Makes me feel ancient, that. - Yeah.- Back-to-back house, no toilet.
0:04:38 > 0:04:39Yeah.
0:04:39 > 0:04:40Yeah.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43Because they've lived here for as long as they've been married,
0:04:43 > 0:04:46Neil and Denise have extremely fond memories
0:04:46 > 0:04:48of where they began their lives together.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50However, over the decades,
0:04:50 > 0:04:52the area has increasingly become part
0:04:52 > 0:04:54of the busy Greater Manchester suburbs.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57Years ago, when we first moved here, it was a little village.
0:04:57 > 0:05:02It was a few estates, but it wasn't a big community as such.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05And it's just a massive place now.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10Former telecoms-engineer Neil and marketing consultant Denise
0:05:10 > 0:05:12bought their current home six years ago
0:05:12 > 0:05:15with the intention that it was to be their last.
0:05:15 > 0:05:16But since then,
0:05:16 > 0:05:19they've decided that the house no longer suits their needs.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21We bought this off-plan.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24We knew the motorway was there, but I think...
0:05:24 > 0:05:26It's not until it was built and we moved in.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29- You can hear the motorway all the time.- Yeah.
0:05:29 > 0:05:30I think we want peaceful
0:05:30 > 0:05:33is an important part of living in the country,
0:05:33 > 0:05:37the noises of the country, not the noises of the towns,
0:05:37 > 0:05:40- so that's why we want to go. - Yes, yeah, exactly.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42Mindful that they don't want to be too far
0:05:42 > 0:05:46from their two daughters and four grandchildren, who live locally,
0:05:46 > 0:05:50Denise and Neil have decided that rural Cheshire is the right place
0:05:50 > 0:05:53for them to put down roots for the long term.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55We want that nice fresh air,
0:05:55 > 0:05:59that nice fresh smell of the countryside, you know.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02What I quite like about the Cheshire countryside is - the countryside -
0:06:02 > 0:06:04just getting up, getting out and walking.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07I love open spaces.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10Neil's been lobbying for this move for the past three years,
0:06:10 > 0:06:14but it's only since buying a caravan that Denise has been fully convinced
0:06:14 > 0:06:18that a move to the country could be just what she's been looking for.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21On the caravan sites, you get the friendliness.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23It's completely different to what...
0:06:23 > 0:06:25You know, everybody helps each other.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28It's the best thing we've ever invested in...
0:06:28 > 0:06:29- Yes.- ..I think.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31Well, we invested in each other.
0:06:31 > 0:06:32Yes, love.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37Now that Denise and Neil have both signed up to a rural move,
0:06:37 > 0:06:40they're excited that it marks a new chapter in their lives together.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42I think we're kind of ready for going back to
0:06:42 > 0:06:46where we were right at the beginning when it's just the two of you.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49We've been from childhood sweethearts...
0:06:49 > 0:06:52- Is it a case of putting up with each other now?- Yeah. No.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57Denise and Neil are looking forward to the open space
0:06:57 > 0:07:00that the Cheshire countryside can offer them.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03As long as they're within a quiet, semi-rural location,
0:07:03 > 0:07:06they're up for settling pretty much anywhere within the county.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08I'm catching up with them
0:07:08 > 0:07:10to see just what it is they're after from their new home.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15Rights, guys, well, welcome to Escape To The Country,
0:07:15 > 0:07:18Denise and Neil, and welcome to Cheshire on a glorious day.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20- Yeah, it's fantastic, isn't it?- Yes.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22- This is quite a move, then. - It is, yes.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26- It's going to be our final... - Well, hopefully, it's going to be our last.- Yes.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28Now, give us an idea of the kind of key components
0:07:28 > 0:07:31that this new house has in your own mind, Denise.
0:07:31 > 0:07:36I want it to have a lovely, big kitchen,
0:07:36 > 0:07:37preferably with an island in it.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40We've got a caravan, so, I want to put...
0:07:40 > 0:07:43It would be a preference to have a drive, but it's not essential.
0:07:43 > 0:07:48- Yeah.- And then, I kind of like the thought of a bungalow.- Yeah.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51But it doesn't have to be a bungalow.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54And maybe detached rather than semidetached.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57OK. Anything from you, Neil, to add to that list?
0:07:57 > 0:08:01I think she's filled everything, apart from I'd like a rather large workshop.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03- OK.- To escape away from everybody.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06- So, this is you pottering away in your retirement.- Exactly, yeah.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08He has a shed which we call his studio.
0:08:08 > 0:08:09HE LAUGHS But it's a shed?
0:08:09 > 0:08:11But it's a shed.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14So, I think, when we move, he wants it to become the studio.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18- Now, in terms of style, you've mentioned bungalow.- Mmm.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20Do you have any kind of real view
0:08:20 > 0:08:23on what it should kind of feel and look like?
0:08:23 > 0:08:26I tend to go for more modern. Neil tends to go more for...
0:08:26 > 0:08:28- Traditional.- Traditional.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30Now, I think congratulations are in order,
0:08:30 > 0:08:34- because you've just celebrated your 40th wedding anniversary.- Yes.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37How many times have you moved over that 40-year period?
0:08:37 > 0:08:40- Four times. - Four times we've moved, yeah.
0:08:40 > 0:08:46Yeah, our very first house, back in the 1970s, was £700.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49- OK, 700 quid, 40 years ago.- Yeah.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51How much are we going to spend 40 years later?
0:08:51 > 0:08:54I know, 3-400,000.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57Well, it's 300,000, with a contingency to go to 400,000.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59Yeah. Yeah, for the right property.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02Now, is all this dependent on you selling your current home?
0:09:02 > 0:09:03Are you ready to go?
0:09:03 > 0:09:07- No, we're ready to go.- We don't need a mortgage or anything. - We've got the money in the bank
0:09:07 > 0:09:09and we're ready to buy.
0:09:09 > 0:09:10- Wow.- Yeah.- Hot to trot.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12- Yes.- Hot to trot is the word.
0:09:12 > 0:09:13Is it burning a hole, Neil?
0:09:13 > 0:09:16It always burns a hole in Denise's pocket, not mine.
0:09:16 > 0:09:17THEY LAUGH
0:09:17 > 0:09:19Brilliant.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21Well, I think we've got some really interesting properties
0:09:21 > 0:09:22lined up for you this week.
0:09:22 > 0:09:27We've got some wonderful weather, all of Cheshire to explore
0:09:27 > 0:09:29and, of course, in the mix is our Mystery House.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33- Looking forward to that. - Might cost you a bit more than 700 quid, though.- Yes.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37- But that's how times have changed. Come on, let's have a look...- OK. - ..and see what we can show you.
0:09:39 > 0:09:40With a budget of £400,000,
0:09:40 > 0:09:45our buyers have drawn up a well thought-through wish-list.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47They're after a three-bedroom property
0:09:47 > 0:09:50with both traditional and modern features.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54Ideally, they'd also like a large kitchen with an island,
0:09:54 > 0:09:58and a shed or studio for Neil potter about in.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00We found a selection of handsome properties
0:10:00 > 0:10:03which embrace the mix of old and new features
0:10:03 > 0:10:05that Neil and Denise have requested.
0:10:05 > 0:10:06After each house tour,
0:10:06 > 0:10:09I'll be asking them to put a price on each one.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13Our final proposition will be our Mystery House,
0:10:13 > 0:10:16designed to challenge them to think beyond their original brief
0:10:16 > 0:10:19and open their minds to other surprising possibilities.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26We're starting our property search
0:10:26 > 0:10:29in the hamlet of Wettenhall in the heart of the county.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34Nearby Tarporley is one of the larger villages of central Cheshire,
0:10:34 > 0:10:37which flourished during the mid-18th-century
0:10:37 > 0:10:38as a result of its position
0:10:38 > 0:10:41on the main route between London and Chester.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45It was used by traders dealing in salt mined in nearby Nantwich.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49The high street offers a Post Office, a pub, a butcher's
0:10:49 > 0:10:51and many independent shops and restaurants.
0:10:52 > 0:10:57And just six miles away back in Wettenhall is our first option.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59Right, chaps, here we are.
0:10:59 > 0:11:00Property number one,
0:11:00 > 0:11:05set within this newly-renovated complex of farm buildings and barns.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08- But which one is it? - Mmm.- Yeah, exactly.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10It's this.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13Tucked away in the corner. You've got two floors, which is rather nice,
0:11:13 > 0:11:17- although it has a sort of sense of kind of single-storey living... - Yeah.- ..if you like.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19- Mmm, very nice. - I quite like it, yeah.- Yeah.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22I've always quite fancied the idea of a barn conversion
0:11:22 > 0:11:25and it does look like a big barn conversion in this corner.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29A bit of communal living to whet your appetite as far as property number one is concerned.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32- Yes.- I quite like that idea, actually. That's fine.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35Get to know the neighbours, close-knit. Yeah. I quite like that.
0:11:35 > 0:11:36- Yeah.- Yeah.- Lovely. - Shall we go in?
0:11:36 > 0:11:38Yes. Let's go.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40Renovated seven years ago,
0:11:40 > 0:11:43the five individual properties set within this complex
0:11:43 > 0:11:46are thought to date back to 1850.
0:11:46 > 0:11:47It's a solid start so far,
0:11:47 > 0:11:51so let's hope the interior also gets a positive reaction.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54Right.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57- Come on in.- Wow.- Thank you.
0:11:57 > 0:11:58What do you think? All done, isn't it?
0:11:58 > 0:12:00- It is.- Very nice. Very nice, indeed.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03Done to a very high spec.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05This, I guess, is your sort of dining room,
0:12:05 > 0:12:07- dining-hallway, as it were.- Yeah.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10So, it has a nice, sort of simple kind of flow to it.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12This works for me. This is nice.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15It's just right. I don't know what you think.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17- I like this... - Yeah.- ..as the dining room,
0:12:17 > 0:12:20but it does kind of depend on the kitchen a little bit as well.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24- Well, yeah, the kitchen is through here. It's not the biggest... - It'll be interesting to see, yeah.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27..to be honest, but it does all kind of flow through.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29- Granite tops, all done.- Oh, yeah.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31Oh, no, it's nice.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33Yeah, again, high spec.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35But what I like about this is,
0:12:35 > 0:12:37what we want to do is, if we're entertaining,
0:12:37 > 0:12:40you can still speak to people while you're in the kitchen
0:12:40 > 0:12:41and this, therefore, works.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44- Yeah, with it being open-plan, it flows.- Yeah, it flows.- Yeah.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46It's not...
0:12:46 > 0:12:48Even though it may appear narrow, it's actually not,
0:12:48 > 0:12:51it's quite a wide kitchen.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53Back through the entrance hall, lies the living room.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57There you go.
0:12:57 > 0:12:58Oh, now, this is cosy.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00- Yeah.- Yeah?
0:13:00 > 0:13:02- That's a good word, that, cosy. - Yeah.
0:13:02 > 0:13:03And I like the width of it.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06I also like the simplicity of it all.
0:13:06 > 0:13:07- Yeah.- I like that. That's nice.
0:13:07 > 0:13:08It's very uncluttered.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11- It is. - And we're that kind of people.- Yes.
0:13:11 > 0:13:15Well, it always helps in selling your property when it's presented like this,
0:13:15 > 0:13:17to be perfectly honest, cos you can see the wood from the trees.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20- You know exactly what you've got to play with.- Yeah.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24I think this is more Neil than me, because of the barn effect,
0:13:24 > 0:13:26but I do like... It feels nice.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28The flow of it feels really nice.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31- Well, there is more of a sense of the barn upstairs.- Right.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33Particularly, in the master bedroom. Let's have a look up there.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37- Yeah, that would be interesting. - Yeah, OK, fine.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40Just off the dining hall, there's also a cloakroom.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43On the first floor, the historic features of the property
0:13:43 > 0:13:46have been retained throughout the three double bedrooms,
0:13:46 > 0:13:49all of which include exposed beams.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52There's also a bathroom, tiled in neutral tones.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55And then this is the master.
0:13:55 > 0:13:56Oh, right.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58Oh, yeah, this is nice.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00This is obviously the biggest of the three.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02- This is lovely.- Yeah. And again, it's...
0:14:02 > 0:14:06Even though it's only got that one window, it's still very light.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09- Mmm.- Isn't it? I quite like the fact we've got the modern
0:14:09 > 0:14:14with this effect, so it fits both of us, and I like the beams.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17- It's cosy again.- Yeah.- I keep bringing that word out, cosy.- Cosy.
0:14:17 > 0:14:18- And it's warm feeling in here.- Yeah.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20Interesting. Well, let's go out the garden
0:14:20 > 0:14:23and we'll talk about the price, because I think that's going to be
0:14:23 > 0:14:26another interesting thing for you to kind of take on board
0:14:26 > 0:14:28as to how far your budget may or may not go.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33The outside space is mostly lawn with a Yorkstone sitting area
0:14:33 > 0:14:35overlooking open fields.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39It's pretty much a blank canvas for Neil and Denise to make their own.
0:14:43 > 0:14:44- Here we are.- Oh, very nice.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49- Lots of kinds of alfresco opportunities here.- Yeah.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52Your garden extends really up to this post and rail fence,
0:14:52 > 0:14:55- and that gate. That little paddock in there is communal.- Right.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58And you access it from over there.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01- That's your garage in the middle of that lot.- Oh, right, yeah.- OK.
0:15:01 > 0:15:02- Nice double-door garage.- Yeah.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05- So, you can bring it in, your shed, as it were.- Yeah.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07- Well, studio, come on.- Studio, yes.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10- It's going to be pukka, isn't it? - I'm glad you said that.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13- Yeah, exactly.- You'd put it, like, in this corner here, wouldn't you?
0:15:13 > 0:15:14- Yeah.- Tucked away.
0:15:14 > 0:15:19- Well, let's think about the price, then.- Well, I would say 35, 355.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22355? Yeah, OK. Neil?
0:15:22 > 0:15:25Well, I'm going higher, because it's a project that's finished,
0:15:25 > 0:15:28and, with that in mind, I'm going to go 375.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31If it were 299,950...
0:15:31 > 0:15:33Mmm.
0:15:33 > 0:15:34- That would...- That's an eye-opener.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36Yeah.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39I don't think it is going to be 299.
0:15:39 > 0:15:40- It is.- Is it?
0:15:40 > 0:15:42It's 299,950.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45- Very surprised. Very surprised. - Yeah, so am I.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49I think we'd have to look into the definite studio thing, as well,
0:15:49 > 0:15:52to make sure that it is feasible, cos that is important,
0:15:52 > 0:15:55cos I don't want Neil in the house all day.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57She's trying to say I'm under her feet.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01- Well, look, I think we've given you an interesting proposition here... - Very, yeah.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03- Very surprised. - ..at a very interesting price point
0:16:03 > 0:16:05- to start with. - It is. It is, yeah.- Yeah.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08So, go and have a wander around, get the feel of it, why not?
0:16:08 > 0:16:09Check it out, explore it.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12- And I will come and find you a little bit later. - Lovely.- OK, thank you.- Thanks.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17Below budget, at just under £300,000,
0:16:17 > 0:16:20this generous three-bedroom barn conversion
0:16:20 > 0:16:22has been renovated to an excellent standard.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26Outside, the garden gives way to views of open countryside.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28Altogether, an impressive package.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30The style of these barns, it appeals to me.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34This is what I've been looking for for quite a long time.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36So, yeah, as soon as we approached it,
0:16:36 > 0:16:38I thought, "Oh, this'll do for me."
0:16:38 > 0:16:41When I saw the kitchen, initially, I thought,
0:16:41 > 0:16:44"This isn't the kitchen that I was dreaming about."
0:16:44 > 0:16:46But because of the openness of the dining room
0:16:46 > 0:16:48and then into the living room,
0:16:48 > 0:16:51it actually felt like a nice-sized kitchen.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53Quite liked outside.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55I quite like the fact that it wasn't overlooked.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57You've got all these fields behind you.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59Nicely set out garden, lovely.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02For this property, I feel that, if I could move it
0:17:02 > 0:17:10into more of a semi or a detached, it would be a definite contender.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12Good. Well.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16Property number one.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18- Almost on target for you.- Mm-hmm.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20Little bit wide of the mark for you.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23- Mm-hm, yeah.- So, we need a direct hit, don't we, really?
0:17:23 > 0:17:24- We do.- Right, then. Let's have some lunch
0:17:24 > 0:17:27and then we'll see if we can achieve that with property number two.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29OK, fine.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38Cheshire's historic canals stand testament
0:17:38 > 0:17:43to water being the lifeblood of the county's industrial activity.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45But as well as providing a transport network,
0:17:45 > 0:17:48it also fuelled the growth of Cheshire's biggest industry,
0:17:48 > 0:17:52water-powered textile mills thrived throughout the county.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56And it was silk mills that really put Cheshire on the map.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59From the 1800s, Macclesfield was strategically-placed
0:17:59 > 0:18:03on the textile trade route between Manchester and London.
0:18:03 > 0:18:04Over the next century,
0:18:04 > 0:18:08it became one of the leading silk-producing centres in Europe.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10And today, its legacy is kept alive
0:18:10 > 0:18:13through museums and heritage centres.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16Denise and Neil are keen to know more about the area's history,
0:18:16 > 0:18:18so we arranged for them to visit Paradise Mill,
0:18:18 > 0:18:21one of the last remaining silk mills in Cheshire
0:18:21 > 0:18:23to meet tour guide Mike Scott.
0:18:23 > 0:18:24Welcome to Paradise.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26Thank you, mate, thank you.
0:18:26 > 0:18:27So, Mike, how old is the mill?
0:18:27 > 0:18:30It's approximately 140, 150 years old.
0:18:30 > 0:18:35The last company to actually use this mill as a working silk mill,
0:18:35 > 0:18:37didn't close until 1981.
0:18:37 > 0:18:38- Right.- So...
0:18:38 > 0:18:42So, why was silk produced in Macclesfield?
0:18:42 > 0:18:45They say that some of that silk came into Macclesfield
0:18:45 > 0:18:48for the purpose of covering buttons.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50Silk buttons were a status symbol.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53The more silk buttons you had, the more wealthy you were.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56- Shall we go and have a look, and have a look at the looms?- Yeah.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58- Yeah, that'd be lovely, Mike. Thank you.- Come this way.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04Silk had to be twisted through the water-powered machines
0:19:04 > 0:19:07before it could be used to cover buttons.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10It was this process that formed the beginnings of the silk trade
0:19:10 > 0:19:13in the UK, with mills in Macclesfield, Congleton, Stockport
0:19:13 > 0:19:15and Bollington becoming silk powerhouses.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20What type of looms are they?
0:19:20 > 0:19:22They are Jacquard looms,
0:19:22 > 0:19:24which means that they can produce patterns.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27It was the first programme board machine in the world.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30It was given to us by a Frenchman, Joseph Marie Jacquard.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32He was born in Lyon.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34And he produced this system
0:19:34 > 0:19:38whereby you could produce a set of punch cards.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41The machine will read the holes in those cards
0:19:41 > 0:19:45and select the warp threads to lift or to stay down.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47- Right, very interesting.- Very good.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50How much was made on one loom?
0:19:50 > 0:19:53It is a very slow process.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55Two yards a day.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59Between 1743 and 1940,
0:19:59 > 0:20:02over 100 mill sites were built in Macclesfield,
0:20:02 > 0:20:05and, by the 1830s, nearly half of the town's population
0:20:05 > 0:20:07were working in the textile industry.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10Would it be possible to have a demonstration?
0:20:10 > 0:20:11Yes, certainly,
0:20:11 > 0:20:15and perhaps you could have a treadle or two yourself.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17- Oh, that'd be lovely. - Right, come this way.- Thank you.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21- Down...- Yeah.- ..back, across.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23This rhythm.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27I wonder if Denise will rise to the challenge.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29And down.
0:20:29 > 0:20:30That's it.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32That's it.
0:20:32 > 0:20:33From there...to there.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35About that big.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37- She's got a good right hand. - That's it. Yeah.
0:20:37 > 0:20:38Well done.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40I'm awaiting for the shuttle to fly out.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42- THEY LAUGH - So am I!
0:20:42 > 0:20:45I wouldn't like to do that for eight hours a day.
0:20:45 > 0:20:50Silk has always been more desirable than cotton for many reasons.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53Often, it's down to its texture, lustre and draping ability,
0:20:53 > 0:20:57which made it a luxurious, almost exotic, textile.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00It was also easier to dye into practically any colour.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05We're in the little part of the factory now
0:21:05 > 0:21:06where design was paramount.
0:21:06 > 0:21:11So, how old, just as a matter of fact, would these samples be?
0:21:11 > 0:21:15These would probably be up to the end of the '50s,
0:21:15 > 0:21:17- something like that.- Would they?
0:21:17 > 0:21:20So, why did the factory close, then, in '81?
0:21:20 > 0:21:22Well, there was a number of things, really.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25The tide was certainly against it.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27They had their good times.
0:21:27 > 0:21:32Silk was no longer the preserve of the very rich
0:21:32 > 0:21:35and, also, there was a lot of import penetration coming in.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39There was also polyesters and viscose coming in as well,
0:21:39 > 0:21:41which made the whole thing cheaper.
0:21:41 > 0:21:46So, cost went against them, so they had to go and close.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48- It's a shame, really.- It is.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52Having stepped back into Cheshire's productive textile past,
0:21:52 > 0:21:55it's time we spooled forward to the present day
0:21:55 > 0:21:57to continue our property search.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06Our second property lies in Beeston, known for its series of locks
0:22:06 > 0:22:09located along the Shropshire Union Canal.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12Nearby is the larger village of Bunbury,
0:22:12 > 0:22:14whose corn mill is thought to date back to 1290.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18With a mill pool and stream running by,
0:22:18 > 0:22:21its thriving centre has a number of useful amenities to hand,
0:22:21 > 0:22:26including a store with Post Office, family butchers and two pubs.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31Just a five-minute drive from the heart of the village
0:22:31 > 0:22:34and with great views of Beeston Castle from its doorstep
0:22:34 > 0:22:36is our second property.
0:22:36 > 0:22:42Next on our list, on our little tour of Cheshire's rural hotspots...
0:22:42 > 0:22:44- Right.- ..is this one.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47- What do you think of that, then, Denise?- Oh, that's lovely.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49- That is nice.- Yeah?- Yes.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51Why does this one appeal?
0:22:51 > 0:22:54- Well, it's a semi, for a start. It's got a conservatory.- Yes.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58It's got a beautiful garden and it's more private.
0:22:58 > 0:22:59And I like the character.
0:22:59 > 0:23:04It's got loads of character, this place, looking at it from here.
0:23:04 > 0:23:09- This is not the kind of slick modern finish that we saw earlier.- OK.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13But, that said, I think there's lots of scope for you to sort of...
0:23:13 > 0:23:15- You put your own stamp on it, then, don't you?- Exactly that.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18- And you're a handy bloke. - Oh, he is. Definitely. - So she keeps saying.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21THEY LAUGH Well, it's worked for 40-odd years, hasn't it? Let's face it.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23- Yeah, that's right.- Yeah.- Good.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26- Looks lovely.- Come on, then. Let's have a look.- Yeah, let's go.- OK.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31This handsome Victorian redbrick semidetached property
0:23:31 > 0:23:34dates back 120 years.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36Laid out over two storeys,
0:23:36 > 0:23:38there's more than enough space both inside and out
0:23:38 > 0:23:41for Neil and Denise to make this a forever home.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45- Grab the door, Neil.- OK.
0:23:45 > 0:23:46Thank you.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48- So, your conservatory, obviously.- Yeah.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52And then straight into one of the two reception rooms, really,
0:23:52 > 0:23:54- that this place offers you. - Oh, right.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56Oh, this is nice. This is lovely.
0:23:56 > 0:23:57- Yeah?- Yeah.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00- This is more you.- Beams, again. - Yeah, this is definitely you.
0:24:00 > 0:24:01- This is me, yeah.- Yeah.
0:24:01 > 0:24:02How is it you?
0:24:02 > 0:24:04It's the cottagey feel for me.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06Comfy, cosy.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09- Mmm.- Yeah, don't mind it. I don't mind it.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11You don't mind it but you don't love it?
0:24:11 > 0:24:12I don't love it at the moment,
0:24:12 > 0:24:15and the only reason why, if I'm absolutely truthful,
0:24:15 > 0:24:18is I would do something with the stairs.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20Yeah. It's a bit '70s, isn't it?
0:24:20 > 0:24:22Yeah. I wasn't expecting that.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24But it can be changed.
0:24:24 > 0:24:25I would keep these.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29- These are really nice character. - I think you would have to. They're holding the house up.- Well, yeah.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34Good point. Well made. You can tell he was an engineer.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36- Right, come and have a look at the kitchen.- Let's see it.- OK.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41- Now, Denise...- Mmm.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43..is this a bit more like it?
0:24:43 > 0:24:44It is.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46A bit more of the size.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50- This is a country feel for me. - Yeah.- This is definitely a country kitchen.- Yeah.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53But I would... I mean, I'd change it slightly, obviously.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55Well, I'd have this just purely as the kitchen.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57It's a nice size and it's very roomy.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00You've also got a really big and quite extensive
0:25:00 > 0:25:02utility area through there.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06- Interesting.- Yeah, it's the right size what we're looking for.- Yeah.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08- Let's crack on with the tour.- Yeah.
0:25:08 > 0:25:09- Let's get upstairs. - OK.- Okey doke.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11Follow me, this way.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14Heading back through the sitting room,
0:25:14 > 0:25:16it's time we explored upstairs.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18Here, there are three bedrooms -
0:25:18 > 0:25:20two doubles with high ceilings and large windows,
0:25:20 > 0:25:22along with a small single.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25And they all share a family bathroom.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28And then, finally, we're thinking this is for you.
0:25:28 > 0:25:29Right.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31It is the biggest of the three.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33Yes.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36Although, in many ways, I quite like the guest room actually.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39- Yeah.- I like it, because that room next door overlooks the castle,
0:25:39 > 0:25:42- which is nice. It's away from the road, which is quite nice.- Yeah.
0:25:42 > 0:25:46- It doesn't quite flow the same, this upstairs.- Mmm. I think you can do something quite interesting
0:25:46 > 0:25:49- with the end boxroom...- Yeah. - ..and the family bathroom,
0:25:49 > 0:25:50- knocking those together...- Mmm.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53..to give you a nice, big family bathroom...
0:25:53 > 0:25:56- Yeah, and two bedrooms. - ..and just settle for two bedrooms.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00- Which is fine, cos there's only you and I and occasional guests. - That's right, occasional guests.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03For me, it doesn't flow quite the same up here.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06But I think, if I came back and had a few more visits,
0:26:06 > 0:26:11I could get back into that kind of flow of visually seeing it.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13So, upstairs has taken a little bit of a dip.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15- Just a little bit of a dip.- OK.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18Well, I'm going to see if we can pick ourselves back up again
0:26:18 > 0:26:19by heading outside.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22- Garage-workshop, mate.- Yeah.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24My hair's standing on end.
0:26:24 > 0:26:25THEY LAUGH
0:26:25 > 0:26:29Essential to Neil's retirement is the need for man-space
0:26:29 > 0:26:30he can call his own,
0:26:30 > 0:26:32and I think this one could do quite nicely.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36There we are, Neil. Just for you, mate.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38THEY LAUGH
0:26:38 > 0:26:42- This is definitely for me.- Yeah? - This is the workshop I want, yes.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44I think we might put a hammock in here for you, as well.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46- HE LAUGHS And it would get him out of your way.- Yeah.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49- Very good.- Let's get out there and conclude
0:26:49 > 0:26:50with a talk about the price, then.
0:26:50 > 0:26:51OK.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57Outside, the large lawn is surrounded by established borders
0:26:57 > 0:27:00and has amazing views of Beeston Castle,
0:27:00 > 0:27:02with uninterrupted countryside all around.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06So, time now to think about the price.
0:27:06 > 0:27:07OK, so, the final bit.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09Let's see...Neil?
0:27:09 > 0:27:14I think I'd put a price on this of about 340.
0:27:14 > 0:27:15340.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18Now, I'm going to go slightly higher and do 370.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21It's actually on the market - on the market -
0:27:21 > 0:27:25for 399,950.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27- Now...- Top of the batch.- Yeah.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29Top of the clock, isn't it, really?
0:27:29 > 0:27:34- Yeah.- However, it is, of course, open to sensible offers,
0:27:34 > 0:27:37which is where I think your 370...
0:27:37 > 0:27:42- Ish might...- ..ish would probably be something worth talking about.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44- Mmm. Yes.- Right, then, off you go.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46- OK. - THEY LAUGH
0:27:46 > 0:27:47- Go and explore, the pair of you.- OK.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50- OK.- And I will catch up with you a little bit later on.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55£50 under their top budget,
0:27:55 > 0:27:56this three-bedroom semidetached
0:27:56 > 0:27:58Victorian property
0:27:58 > 0:27:59has the character and proportions
0:27:59 > 0:28:01that Denise and Neil asked for,
0:28:01 > 0:28:03while offering scope for them to put
0:28:03 > 0:28:05their own personal mark on it.
0:28:05 > 0:28:06Crucially, it also gives Neil
0:28:06 > 0:28:08a ready-made workshop
0:28:08 > 0:28:09and those countryside views.
0:28:09 > 0:28:10Overall,
0:28:10 > 0:28:12it's an attractive proposition.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15When we arrived at this Victorian property
0:28:15 > 0:28:16and I walked up the drive,
0:28:16 > 0:28:19I just thought, "This is absolutely beautiful."
0:28:19 > 0:28:22I was quite surprised how big this property is
0:28:22 > 0:28:27and the land at the side, as well. It was really surprising.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29The gardens were superb for me.
0:28:29 > 0:28:30Yeah, they'll do for me.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32I just weighed up at the side of the workshop,
0:28:32 > 0:28:35I could put the caravan, not a problem,
0:28:35 > 0:28:38and then, going inside the workshop, that did it for me.
0:28:38 > 0:28:39It was... Yeah.
0:28:39 > 0:28:40Just my size.
0:28:42 > 0:28:43Ah.
0:28:43 > 0:28:45Now, what would you do with this room?
0:28:45 > 0:28:48I'd just turn this into a dining room
0:28:48 > 0:28:51and move that table out the kitchen
0:28:51 > 0:28:53and put our own table in here.
0:28:53 > 0:28:54It's nice and quiet.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57Lovely meal and away you go.
0:28:57 > 0:29:02Yeah, well, I have to say I'm coming round to your way of thinking.
0:29:02 > 0:29:03- Good, good.- OK.
0:29:05 > 0:29:13When I went upstairs, I was expecting a lot bigger bedrooms,
0:29:13 > 0:29:16so I was disappointed.
0:29:16 > 0:29:20This Victorian house, for me, is in the right location.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23Lovely house, but it does need a bit of tender loving care,
0:29:23 > 0:29:26just to bring it up to stamp.
0:29:26 > 0:29:28- Gosh, what has happened to the day? - I know.- It's freezing now.
0:29:28 > 0:29:32- Look at the cloud. I think it's going to start raining. - Oh, gosh.- Oh, don't say that.
0:29:32 > 0:29:35- OK, so, a busy day.- Yes.
0:29:35 > 0:29:37- Good day?- Yes.- Yes, yes.
0:29:37 > 0:29:40Are we getting closer to figuring out what it is we're after?
0:29:40 > 0:29:41- I think so, yes.- Yes, you are.
0:29:41 > 0:29:43I think you've got a better idea now
0:29:43 > 0:29:46and we're tightening the brief a little bit more.
0:29:46 > 0:29:48- We are.- Yes. - It's a work in progress.
0:29:48 > 0:29:49- It is.- It certainly is.
0:29:49 > 0:29:51Right, come on, beer time. Let's go.
0:29:51 > 0:29:52- OK. - THEY LAUGH
0:29:52 > 0:29:54Sounds good to me.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06Retired childhood sweethearts Denise and Neil
0:30:06 > 0:30:09have up to £400,000 to spend on making a move
0:30:09 > 0:30:13from suburban life in Rochdale to the Cheshire countryside.
0:30:13 > 0:30:15They've been on the same page
0:30:15 > 0:30:17with the two properties they've seen so far,
0:30:17 > 0:30:20but coming up, our Mystery House causes conflict...
0:30:20 > 0:30:23I'm not with you on that one, I can't see that one.
0:30:23 > 0:30:24Right, fine.
0:30:24 > 0:30:26- JULES LAUGHS - I can't see that at all.
0:30:28 > 0:30:31..and I found out how one impressive Victorian structure
0:30:31 > 0:30:34revolutionised the way goods were transported
0:30:34 > 0:30:36on Cheshire's famous waterways.
0:30:36 > 0:30:40So, we're now kind of isolated in our own kind of watery bath...
0:30:40 > 0:30:43- Yes.- ..50 feet above the river below us.
0:30:43 > 0:30:45- Yeah. - HE LAUGHS
0:30:47 > 0:30:51Well, when we started out with Neil and Denise, they gave us such a broad brief,
0:30:51 > 0:30:53I thought our task might be somewhat easier,
0:30:53 > 0:30:57but of course, it is throwing up its own challenges.
0:30:57 > 0:30:59When you are on the hunt, you do need to have some idea
0:30:59 > 0:31:01of what it is you're looking for.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04Initially, they weren't that bothered about style
0:31:04 > 0:31:05or, indeed, location.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08But Neil, it seems, does quite like a barn conversion
0:31:08 > 0:31:11and certainly responds to that cottagey feel.
0:31:11 > 0:31:12But Denise, on the other hand,
0:31:12 > 0:31:15well, she is proving to be a much tougher nut to crack.
0:31:15 > 0:31:18So, it's another day, our final day,
0:31:18 > 0:31:22with plenty more to see, including, of course, our Mystery House,
0:31:22 > 0:31:26which I hope, in its own rather distinctive, crafty way,
0:31:26 > 0:31:28may provide everything they're looking for.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34Before the Mystery House, we're heading to our penultimate property,
0:31:34 > 0:31:37which lies in the village of Warmingham.
0:31:37 > 0:31:40Here, the River Wheelock runs around the outskirts of the centre,
0:31:40 > 0:31:42which is home to a pub.
0:31:42 > 0:31:44Nearby is the busy town of Sandbach,
0:31:44 > 0:31:46where there are frequent food and craft markets
0:31:46 > 0:31:49held in the attractive cobbled square.
0:31:49 > 0:31:52There's also a Post Office and other handy amenities.
0:31:52 > 0:31:56Our next offering is just a five-mile drive away
0:31:56 > 0:31:57in rural seclusion.
0:31:59 > 0:32:00Oh, wow.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03- How about this? Was that a "wow"? - Yeah.- That was a "wow".- Yeah.
0:32:03 > 0:32:04We've got the wow factor.
0:32:04 > 0:32:06So it should be. This is lovely.
0:32:06 > 0:32:07Bathed in sunlight.
0:32:07 > 0:32:09- Yeah.- Look at that.- Yeah.
0:32:09 > 0:32:11Absolutely stunning.
0:32:11 > 0:32:12Yeah.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15- Yeah, well, that's definitely got the wow factor.- It's beautiful.
0:32:15 > 0:32:16Well, wait till you get inside,
0:32:16 > 0:32:19because I'm going to put my head on the block
0:32:19 > 0:32:21and say I think this is you all over.
0:32:21 > 0:32:24- OK.- I'm not going to disagree with that.
0:32:24 > 0:32:27- Well, let's see if I'm right. Come on, let's have a look inside.- OK.
0:32:27 > 0:32:31Constructed in 1875 and formerly a dairy,
0:32:31 > 0:32:34this L-shaped barn was converted eight years ago
0:32:34 > 0:32:35into three properties.
0:32:35 > 0:32:39As they'll see, the renovations have been completed sympathetically
0:32:39 > 0:32:42and to a really high standard.
0:32:42 > 0:32:43- You see?- Yes. - NEIL CHUCKLES
0:32:43 > 0:32:47- Come in, mate. - Oh. Oh, look at this.
0:32:47 > 0:32:49- What do you think?- Oh...
0:32:49 > 0:32:50- Stunning again.- Yeah.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53Blown away. It's beautiful.
0:32:53 > 0:32:55Nothing to do here at all.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58And I guess this gives us a natural kind of choice as to where we go first.
0:32:58 > 0:33:00To the right there is the living room.
0:33:00 > 0:33:03- OK.- But to the left is the kitchen.
0:33:03 > 0:33:05So, where are we going to start, Denise?
0:33:05 > 0:33:08- I think to the left. - I thought you'd say that, yeah. - Let's see the kitchen.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10Come and have a look.
0:33:10 > 0:33:12Good choice, Denise.
0:33:12 > 0:33:14- Oh.- I thought this was where you'd want to start.
0:33:14 > 0:33:16This is stunning.
0:33:16 > 0:33:17Absolutely stunning.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20- Is that not the kitchen you're looking for?- It is.
0:33:20 > 0:33:23- Oh! The island in the middle.- Yeah.
0:33:23 > 0:33:24I think it's absolutely perfect.
0:33:24 > 0:33:26The beauty about this kitchen, Jules, is
0:33:26 > 0:33:30when we're in our kitchen at home, we're under each other's feet.
0:33:30 > 0:33:32- Not in here.- No.- Not here.
0:33:32 > 0:33:35- You can stand there. - THEY LAUGH - I'll stand here.
0:33:35 > 0:33:39But what I like is actually the extra room for sitting and dining.
0:33:39 > 0:33:40Yeah, yeah.
0:33:40 > 0:33:44- It's big, it's spacious. - But it's done to our taste. This is something that I would choose.
0:33:44 > 0:33:49- You've found the right one here. - Yeah, the handles, everything. - So far, anyway. It's beautiful.
0:33:49 > 0:33:53- It's just lovely.- Even the handles! No-one's ever said that before. I love the detail.- Yeah.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55Good, we're getting there. We are finding our way, aren't we?
0:33:55 > 0:33:57- Oh, yeah.- I think you've got there at the moment.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00- Well, let's nip across the hallway and look at the living room. - Yes.- OK.
0:34:03 > 0:34:04So, all good so far,
0:34:04 > 0:34:07but I wonder if Neil and Denise would've been just as thrilled
0:34:07 > 0:34:09if they'd taken a right turn at the entrance hall.
0:34:09 > 0:34:10Time to find out.
0:34:12 > 0:34:14There you go.
0:34:14 > 0:34:15Oh.
0:34:15 > 0:34:16Yes.
0:34:16 > 0:34:20This is - I'm going to use the word again, Jules - it's stunning.
0:34:20 > 0:34:22I need to think of some more words that relate to stunning.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25Stunning's good. I'd leave it at stunning.
0:34:25 > 0:34:27Again, wouldn't change anything.
0:34:27 > 0:34:29So, do you want to buy the whole lot with everything in it?
0:34:29 > 0:34:32We don't need to look upstairs.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34Oh, yes, you do. Believe you me.
0:34:34 > 0:34:36- OK, OK.- It's well worth seeing. I tell you what's interesting
0:34:36 > 0:34:39about this one, cos it's not massive, let's be honest,
0:34:39 > 0:34:42but it does feel big enough to give you both your own space.
0:34:42 > 0:34:43Oh, of course.
0:34:43 > 0:34:45- Without a doubt, yeah.- Yeah, I've already put Neil down there
0:34:45 > 0:34:48- on the settee there and I'm there. - THEY LAUGH
0:34:48 > 0:34:50- Managed him in the kitchen, so... - She's put me near the remote.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53- Yeah, yeah, yeah, I can see what's coming.- Yeah.
0:34:53 > 0:34:56- Good.- It's beautiful.
0:34:56 > 0:34:57It's the bee's knees.
0:34:57 > 0:34:58Yeah, it's beautiful.
0:34:58 > 0:35:02- Well, let's have a look upstairs. It will not let you down, I can assure you.- Yeah.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05Well, the character downstairs has really delivered
0:35:05 > 0:35:08and that continues at the top of the oak staircase.
0:35:08 > 0:35:09How about that?
0:35:09 > 0:35:12- Yeah.- That's stunning as well.
0:35:12 > 0:35:14Yeah.
0:35:14 > 0:35:16There are four bedrooms in total -
0:35:16 > 0:35:19three generous doubles with one currently laid out as a study,
0:35:19 > 0:35:23benefiting from a fitted wardrobe, and one single, used for storage.
0:35:23 > 0:35:27There's also a family bathroom with a Jacuzzi bath.
0:35:27 > 0:35:29This is your master bedroom.
0:35:30 > 0:35:32- Oh! - HE CHUCKLES
0:35:34 > 0:35:36- This is... - Absolutely beautiful.- Yeah.
0:35:36 > 0:35:38- Yeah?- Oh, yeah.- Original beams.
0:35:38 > 0:35:40Yeah, original beans.
0:35:40 > 0:35:41- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44And you've got the bonus of your shower en suite.
0:35:44 > 0:35:46- All right.- Oh, gosh.
0:35:46 > 0:35:48- All done.- I love the shower.
0:35:48 > 0:35:49Look at the shower.
0:35:49 > 0:35:52- Massive walk-in shower. - Walk-in.- Yeah.- Lovely.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55- Lovely.- High quality. - Told you it wouldn't disappoint you.
0:35:55 > 0:35:58- It certainly hasn't. - No, definitely not.- No.
0:35:58 > 0:36:00No, I can't find any...anything.
0:36:00 > 0:36:02- You can't fault it.- No.- No.
0:36:02 > 0:36:04You've done your homework today.
0:36:04 > 0:36:06- JULES LAUGHS - Yes.- Phew!
0:36:07 > 0:36:08But it's not over yet.
0:36:08 > 0:36:10- No?- Garden.- Mmm.- OK.
0:36:10 > 0:36:12It's beautiful.
0:36:12 > 0:36:13Come and have a look.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17Outside, there is a large and immaculate lawn
0:36:17 > 0:36:19and a flagstone patio.
0:36:19 > 0:36:20It also has a greenhouse
0:36:20 > 0:36:25and a shed, so Neil and Denise can potter to their hearts' content.
0:36:25 > 0:36:27Plus, it also benefits from a double garage.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34There we are. That's it. The whole package is now complete.
0:36:34 > 0:36:36- It is.- Couldn't wish for anything better.
0:36:36 > 0:36:38- Now, let's think about your studio.- OK.- Mmm.
0:36:38 > 0:36:40- Can you see what the neighbours have done?- I can, yeah.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43- That's the type of thing I'd like. - That's it, isn't it?- That is, yeah.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46And I think you'd find some space down here to do that.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49- Oh, yeah.- In fact, I was talking to the neighbours earlier,
0:36:49 > 0:36:52- they built their own.- I'd have ask to him, then, would he build mine.
0:36:52 > 0:36:54There's a project, yeah. THEY LAUGH
0:36:54 > 0:36:57So, let's think about the price of this property, then,
0:36:57 > 0:36:59because I think it appeals, Denise, doesn't it?
0:36:59 > 0:37:00It appeals, yes.
0:37:00 > 0:37:02So, Madame, make me an offer.
0:37:02 > 0:37:09Yes, well, cos I really love it, I'm going to guess at 385,
0:37:09 > 0:37:13but I think it's more than that, but I want it to be 385.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15- HE LAUGHS You want it to be? - I want it to be 385.- OK.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18I'm going to go way over budget here and say 425.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21- 425.- Mmm.
0:37:21 > 0:37:23Well, here's the thing, you're both wrong.
0:37:23 > 0:37:24Right.
0:37:24 > 0:37:26- But in a good way.- Oh.
0:37:26 > 0:37:32This is on the market for 389,950.
0:37:32 > 0:37:33THEY LAUGH
0:37:33 > 0:37:36- So, that should put a smile on your face.- Oh, it went bang.
0:37:36 > 0:37:38- THEY LAUGH Good.- Yes.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41- Well, you've surprised me with that...- Yeah.- ..with that price.
0:37:41 > 0:37:43- I really thought it was well over budget.- Good.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46Well, look, I think you should have a better look around upstairs
0:37:46 > 0:37:49- because it really is sumptuous up there.- Yeah.
0:37:49 > 0:37:53- And I will come and find you a little bit later on.- Okey doke. - Lovely, thank you.- Thanks, Jules.
0:37:53 > 0:37:55Off you go.
0:37:55 > 0:37:56Making plans to move in, I think.
0:38:01 > 0:38:02So, still within
0:38:02 > 0:38:03their maximum budget,
0:38:03 > 0:38:05this converted dairy
0:38:05 > 0:38:06with its four bedrooms
0:38:06 > 0:38:08is beautifully presented throughout.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10The huge kitchen with its island
0:38:10 > 0:38:12was an obvious hit with Denise
0:38:12 > 0:38:14and the studio options open to Neil
0:38:14 > 0:38:16seem to have made this property
0:38:16 > 0:38:17a genuine contender.
0:38:19 > 0:38:21This is nice again. Good size.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24- Nice guest bedroom, this. - Yeah.- Isn't it?
0:38:24 > 0:38:26You just can't fault it, can you?
0:38:26 > 0:38:27When we went into the kitchen,
0:38:27 > 0:38:31I just couldn't see anything wrong with it
0:38:31 > 0:38:32in any way, shape or form.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35Sometimes, you want to put your own stamp on something.
0:38:35 > 0:38:37That had my name on it.
0:38:37 > 0:38:39The style of the house, for me, is everything.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42It's got that rustic farm feel about it.
0:38:42 > 0:38:44Love it.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47Oh, right, yeah, this is another full-sized room again, look.
0:38:47 > 0:38:48Yeah.
0:38:48 > 0:38:50Might even be an extra dressing room.
0:38:50 > 0:38:53- Oh, well, I thought as much. - SHE LAUGHS
0:38:53 > 0:38:54The sitting room's another one.
0:38:54 > 0:38:56It was just nice and cosy,
0:38:56 > 0:38:58the right size what we're looking for.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01I could see me and Denise sat in there, without a problem.
0:39:01 > 0:39:06The downstairs, the size of it, the feel of it, everything was perfect.
0:39:06 > 0:39:10The bedrooms, four bedrooms, and all big.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13The original beams, and it just complemented everything.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16How I would sum up this particular property
0:39:16 > 0:39:19is stunning, stunning, stunning.
0:39:19 > 0:39:21Perfect.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24- How we doing, then? - Really good, Jules, really good.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27I think things are hotting up in more ways than one.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30They certainly are. They certainly are.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32I'm all of a flush.
0:39:32 > 0:39:33Do you want to see the Mystery House?
0:39:33 > 0:39:37- Let's go for it. - Erm...oh, do I now, Jules, really?
0:39:37 > 0:39:41- It might put a spanner in the works. - I know. That's the fear factor.
0:39:41 > 0:39:42- Yeah.- Come on.
0:39:42 > 0:39:44- We will.- Come on, toughen up. - Let's go for it.
0:39:53 > 0:39:58Now, what do you think we've got in mind for our Mystery House, then, Neil?
0:39:58 > 0:40:01For some reason, I'm looking towards thinking
0:40:01 > 0:40:06it's going to be like a project, an old church or something like that.
0:40:06 > 0:40:07I'm looking forward to seeing it.
0:40:07 > 0:40:11Is this mystery property going to be a huge studio
0:40:11 > 0:40:13with a little flat on the top of it, Jules?
0:40:13 > 0:40:15THEY LAUGH It could be anything, Denise.
0:40:15 > 0:40:17It could be anything.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20One thing that has become clear from property one
0:40:20 > 0:40:24is the idea that a bit of community living might appeal.
0:40:24 > 0:40:26Yes. Yes, it does appeal to me.
0:40:26 > 0:40:28I don't mind neighbours around.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30I think, for me, it was just
0:40:30 > 0:40:33I would've preferred the house to be
0:40:33 > 0:40:35slightly more detached away or a semi.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38OK, so, if we found you something that had a similar feel,
0:40:38 > 0:40:42but gave you a sense of a bit more space, that might...
0:40:42 > 0:40:44That would, yes, that would tick the box, yes.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46I thought she was going to say tick the box.
0:40:46 > 0:40:50THEY LAUGH Everybody's ticking boxes on this show, Neil.
0:40:50 > 0:40:51Yeah.
0:40:54 > 0:40:56For our final offering, we're heading 20 miles north
0:40:56 > 0:41:00to Frodsham where the River Weaver and the Mersey meet.
0:41:00 > 0:41:02With good access to the coast,
0:41:02 > 0:41:06Frodsham today is a lively market town.
0:41:06 > 0:41:09The high street with its two pubs and handful of independent stores
0:41:09 > 0:41:12is interspersed with pretty houses.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15And just three miles outside of the town
0:41:15 > 0:41:17is our rather imposing Mystery House.
0:41:20 > 0:41:21Well...
0:41:21 > 0:41:24at last, I can reveal our Mystery House.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26- Mmm.- What do you reckon?
0:41:26 > 0:41:27Pretty large.
0:41:28 > 0:41:33Yes. It used to be the Crossley Sanatorium or Crossley Hospital.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36But what we've got for you isn't an apartment,
0:41:36 > 0:41:38- you'll be pleased to hear.- Oh.- Good.
0:41:38 > 0:41:43- Well, let's go for a wander and find your Mystery House.- OK.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46Built in the early 1920s, this Grade II listed building
0:41:46 > 0:41:49was initially a hospital for TB patients.
0:41:49 > 0:41:53Having also spent its former years as a nursing home and a school,
0:41:53 > 0:41:55it was completely and sympathetically developed
0:41:55 > 0:41:5625 years ago.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01See, you get away from the main building out here
0:42:01 > 0:42:04and it's like walking through a kind of very quiet, leafy suburb.
0:42:04 > 0:42:06- Yeah.- Stunning.
0:42:06 > 0:42:08- Well, that's the Mystery House. - I like the way it's laid out.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11- I like all this architecture on the roof.- I'm not as keen.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14- I'm not keen on the pebble-dash... - Mm-hm.- ..I have to say.
0:42:14 > 0:42:16Erm...
0:42:16 > 0:42:22and I'm not overly enamoured about living near what was a sanatorium.
0:42:22 > 0:42:24HE LAUGHS There's no more TB, that's all long gone.
0:42:24 > 0:42:26- I know. I know.- It worked.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29THEY LAUGH
0:42:29 > 0:42:32It did. But I'm keen to look inside.
0:42:32 > 0:42:33Good. Right. Come on, then.
0:42:33 > 0:42:34OK.
0:42:36 > 0:42:39Our Mystery House is located in a private, gated development
0:42:39 > 0:42:41with a community of its own,
0:42:41 > 0:42:43which may offer Neil and Denise an alternative
0:42:43 > 0:42:46to living near a village.
0:42:46 > 0:42:50Through the entrance hall, our first stop is the dining room.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52Let's start in here, then, guys.
0:42:52 > 0:42:53- Oh, this is nice.- Yeah?
0:42:53 > 0:42:55- Yes.- Nice dining room.- Nice size.
0:42:55 > 0:42:56Yeah, it's a good size, this.
0:42:56 > 0:43:00It would make a very nice living room actually, but you've got one next-door.
0:43:00 > 0:43:02I think we need to look at the other rooms as well,
0:43:02 > 0:43:04cos, to me, this could also be the living room.
0:43:04 > 0:43:07- I'm delighted you're giving it its due.- Oh, yes.- This is all good.- Yes.
0:43:07 > 0:43:12- Let's have a look at the living room. This is lovely.- OK. - This is a really good family space.
0:43:12 > 0:43:15- There.- Oh, right. This is lovely.
0:43:15 > 0:43:18- But it's contemporary as well. - Nice size. It's very contemporary.
0:43:18 > 0:43:20It's a lot bigger than I thought.
0:43:20 > 0:43:24And these lovely windows that go out onto the little patio there
0:43:24 > 0:43:25- and the garden beyond as well.- Yeah.
0:43:25 > 0:43:28Pleasantly surprised, to be honest with you.
0:43:28 > 0:43:32- You see, but I would make this maybe the dining room. - Well, you could, couldn't you?
0:43:32 > 0:43:35You've got a lot of room here and it would work quite nicely, because,
0:43:35 > 0:43:39- with a dining table there, the kitchen is through that door.- Right.
0:43:39 > 0:43:42Well, if that was the case, if you wanted, then you could have... You could knock through
0:43:42 > 0:43:44- and have a huge lounge.- Mmm.
0:43:44 > 0:43:46- Look at you with the creative poking about.- There you go.
0:43:46 > 0:43:48I thought I'd better put ten penneth in.
0:43:48 > 0:43:51Yeah, well, you've done more than that. Let's call it ten quid.
0:43:51 > 0:43:53That is very good. Very good.
0:43:53 > 0:43:56- Right, come and have look at the kitchen. That's through here. - Absolutely fine.
0:43:56 > 0:44:00Well, Denise does seem to have warmed a little since coming inside,
0:44:00 > 0:44:03although I suspect a lot will hinge on the all-important kitchen.
0:44:03 > 0:44:05There you go.
0:44:05 > 0:44:07Oh, that's nice.
0:44:07 > 0:44:10- Very straightforward.- Yeah. - Very simple, really, actually.
0:44:10 > 0:44:12- And I'm afraid it doesn't do it for me.- Right.
0:44:12 > 0:44:13Because...?
0:44:13 > 0:44:16- It's just the set-out, really.- Yeah.
0:44:16 > 0:44:17I just don't like the set-out.
0:44:17 > 0:44:21I suspect if you could, for example, if we're going to get creative...
0:44:21 > 0:44:25- Mm-hm.- ..somehow create a kind of garden room
0:44:25 > 0:44:26that occupied that space out there
0:44:26 > 0:44:30- that links the kitchen with the main living room.- Yeah.
0:44:30 > 0:44:34- Wow.- I don't mind the kitchen, actually. I really don't.
0:44:34 > 0:44:36- That's interesting, actually.- Yeah.
0:44:36 > 0:44:39- That's cos she's seen a wine rack in the corner. - THEY LAUGH
0:44:39 > 0:44:41- It's kind of almost full.- Yeah.
0:44:41 > 0:44:42Good, OK.
0:44:42 > 0:44:45But upstairs is also pretty expansive.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48- Right.- Yeah.- Right, yeah.- Let's try the upstairs.- Let's have a look.
0:44:48 > 0:44:50You've got an extra floor with this one.
0:44:50 > 0:44:51Oh.
0:44:51 > 0:44:54Back through the entrance hall, we're heading upstairs,
0:44:54 > 0:44:58where there are three bedrooms laid out over two levels.
0:44:58 > 0:45:00On the first floor, there's a large single bedroom
0:45:00 > 0:45:02with its own modern ensuite shower room,
0:45:02 > 0:45:05as well as a simple family bathroom.
0:45:05 > 0:45:09In the eaves, there is a further newly-decorated double bedroom.
0:45:09 > 0:45:12But we're stopping off at the bedroom I've earmarked for them.
0:45:14 > 0:45:17So, this is yours...
0:45:17 > 0:45:19- we think.- Right. The master, yeah.- Yeah.
0:45:19 > 0:45:22The only thing that I would say is that I would've preferred
0:45:22 > 0:45:24the bed up there and the wardrobes here,
0:45:24 > 0:45:28because it feels strange having the bed to the back of the door.
0:45:28 > 0:45:31I'm not with you on that one, I can't see that one.
0:45:31 > 0:45:32Right, fine.
0:45:32 > 0:45:34- JULES LAUGHS - I can't see that at all.
0:45:36 > 0:45:38It's great being a fly on the wall with you two. It really is.
0:45:38 > 0:45:40I love it. Carry on. Go on.
0:45:40 > 0:45:42Yeah, well, I just think that, if you walked in,
0:45:42 > 0:45:44it's nicer to see the bed,
0:45:44 > 0:45:47so you put the wardrobes on this and then put the bed up there.
0:45:47 > 0:45:51- Well, then, wouldn't the wardrobes be stuck out so far, so you'd go...?- Yeah.
0:45:51 > 0:45:52You're blocking it in, this room.
0:45:52 > 0:45:54OK. It's, erm...
0:45:54 > 0:45:59- Yeah, it's... Again, you've had the problem with the kitchen.- You've got the problem with the bedroom.
0:45:59 > 0:46:02- I've got the problem with this bedroom.- So long as everybody's got a problem...- Yeah.
0:46:02 > 0:46:05..that's a problem.
0:46:05 > 0:46:07- Right, come on, let's come out and get some fresh air.- OK.
0:46:07 > 0:46:10- After you, Jules. - Maybe that's what we need.
0:46:10 > 0:46:13The garden here is deceptively large,
0:46:13 > 0:46:15extending through a small area of woodland
0:46:15 > 0:46:17and backing onto open fields.
0:46:19 > 0:46:22Now, when we were discussing things in the living room,
0:46:22 > 0:46:25- it was all much bigger than you'd expected.- Yes.
0:46:25 > 0:46:26- What about the garden?- Yes, bigger.
0:46:26 > 0:46:28- It is, isn't it?- It is.- Mmm.
0:46:28 > 0:46:30- So, really surprising, this one, isn't it?- It is.
0:46:30 > 0:46:32It is a surprising one.
0:46:32 > 0:46:35Yes, and I also actually don't mind the pebble-dash
0:46:35 > 0:46:36on the back of the house.
0:46:36 > 0:46:40For some reason, it fits with the back.
0:46:40 > 0:46:43- Got a result, there, Jules. - SHE LAUGHS Well, have we, though?
0:46:43 > 0:46:45Have we, though? Because there is one more bit to come, which is...
0:46:47 > 0:46:48One more bit to come?
0:46:48 > 0:46:49- Yeah.- Is there?
0:46:49 > 0:46:51- The price.- Oh...- Of course.
0:46:53 > 0:46:56I thought you were going to show me a swimming pool, then, Jules.
0:46:56 > 0:46:58- You got me all excited.- Oh, no.
0:46:58 > 0:47:00And it was all going to open up.
0:47:00 > 0:47:01Yes, the price.
0:47:01 > 0:47:04Neil, make us an offer on our Mystery House.
0:47:04 > 0:47:07I thought about it and I've put a price on at 360.
0:47:07 > 0:47:10Actually, I think I'm going to match you.
0:47:10 > 0:47:11Yeah, 360.
0:47:11 > 0:47:14This is on the market for £385,000.
0:47:14 > 0:47:16- Oh, right.- Right. OK.
0:47:16 > 0:47:20Yeah, I can understand why it's kind of at that price.
0:47:20 > 0:47:21Yeah.
0:47:21 > 0:47:23- Good.- But, mmm...
0:47:23 > 0:47:25Well, that's it. House tours are over.
0:47:25 > 0:47:27- Yeah.- Go and have a wander around
0:47:27 > 0:47:29and I will catch up with you a little bit later on.
0:47:29 > 0:47:31- OK, thank you.- Thanks, Jules. - Off you go.
0:47:36 > 0:47:39£15,000 under their top budget,
0:47:39 > 0:47:40our Mystery House delivers
0:47:40 > 0:47:42generously with three bedrooms
0:47:42 > 0:47:44and smart decor throughout.
0:47:44 > 0:47:46It has a large, secluded garden,
0:47:46 > 0:47:48but will the origins and setting
0:47:48 > 0:47:49of this private development
0:47:49 > 0:47:51sit easily with our buyers?
0:47:51 > 0:47:54Initially, I wasn't overly keen on the outside.
0:47:54 > 0:47:57But I like the feel of the house.
0:47:57 > 0:48:01So, that kind of overcame the outside.
0:48:01 > 0:48:02The lounge was superb.
0:48:02 > 0:48:04Absolutely superb.
0:48:04 > 0:48:08Lovely wood fire, nice view into the garden.
0:48:08 > 0:48:11I quite like that and the neutral taste as well.
0:48:11 > 0:48:14I was pleasantly surprised at the size,
0:48:14 > 0:48:16and it's contemporary, which I love.
0:48:18 > 0:48:19But at the end of the day,
0:48:19 > 0:48:24I think the hospital bit has really put me off.
0:48:24 > 0:48:28I didn't like the impression of the kitchen at all. It threw me.
0:48:28 > 0:48:31The very large handles on all the units,
0:48:31 > 0:48:34it just threw in my face and I just didn't like that look at all.
0:48:34 > 0:48:36Some of the things I didn't like, but it's not bad,
0:48:36 > 0:48:41you can overcome that, but all in all, it wasn't the best of them.
0:48:41 > 0:48:44Ah. Well, you took a bit longer then I thought you might.
0:48:44 > 0:48:45Yes.
0:48:45 > 0:48:46Is it a grower, I wonder?
0:48:46 > 0:48:49Erm...well, pleasantly surprised, to be honest with you.
0:48:49 > 0:48:53- Pleasantly surprised.- Yeah. - You've definitely given us plenty to think about, Jules.
0:48:53 > 0:48:56- I think we've given you bags to think about.- You have that.
0:48:56 > 0:48:57Some very tempting options.
0:48:57 > 0:49:00Right, then, let's go and sit you down somewhere nice and quiet
0:49:00 > 0:49:02and you can mull it all over.
0:49:02 > 0:49:03- OK.- Come on.- Thank you.
0:49:10 > 0:49:14Built in 1875 and designed by Edwin Clark,
0:49:14 > 0:49:17Cheshire's Anderton Boat Lift was one of the most ambitious feats
0:49:17 > 0:49:21of Victorian engineering on Britain's waterways.
0:49:21 > 0:49:25It was designed to use two enormous tanks of water as counterweights,
0:49:25 > 0:49:27each weighing over 200 tonnes when full,
0:49:27 > 0:49:29to lift cargo boats 50 feet
0:49:29 > 0:49:33between the River Weaver and the Trent and Mersey Canal.
0:49:33 > 0:49:37This hydraulic method was a far quicker way of transporting goods,
0:49:37 > 0:49:39avoiding the time-consuming and difficult job
0:49:39 > 0:49:43of unloading cargo by hand between the two waterways.
0:49:43 > 0:49:46As a huge fan of the Industrial Revolution,
0:49:46 > 0:49:49I want to learn more about this architectural icon
0:49:49 > 0:49:51of our canal network,
0:49:51 > 0:49:55so I've come to meet Graham Wood from the Canal and River Trust.
0:49:55 > 0:49:59Wonderful. What a great way to get a glimpse of this fantastic structure.
0:49:59 > 0:50:01- It is remarkable, isn't it? - It is. It's amazing.
0:50:01 > 0:50:03But why was it built here?
0:50:03 > 0:50:06This is the closest point that the Trent and Mersey Canal comes to the River Weaver,
0:50:06 > 0:50:08so it was an obvious place to put it.
0:50:08 > 0:50:11Northwich and surrounding areas were massive salt producers
0:50:11 > 0:50:14in their day, and Stoke-on-Trent, of course, famous for its pottery.
0:50:14 > 0:50:17So, to get things from one level to the other,
0:50:17 > 0:50:19so that they could move them onto Manchester Ship Canal
0:50:19 > 0:50:23and move them all over the country and all over the world, this was the obvious place to do it.
0:50:23 > 0:50:26So, what were they doing before the lift was built?
0:50:26 > 0:50:27They'd have chutes for the salt.
0:50:27 > 0:50:30So, you'd have a massive chute on the hill behind us,
0:50:30 > 0:50:32and the salt would be brought to the chute in barrows
0:50:32 > 0:50:36and then tipped down onto the chute and onto the boats below.
0:50:36 > 0:50:38And pottery was having to be moved by hand.
0:50:38 > 0:50:40Now, I would love to take a closer look.
0:50:40 > 0:50:41Is it possible to get on top of it?
0:50:41 > 0:50:45- Yeah, no problem. We can get right up onto the top deck.- Come on, then.
0:50:45 > 0:50:47Wonderful.
0:50:47 > 0:50:50The lift remained in service for over 100 years
0:50:50 > 0:50:54before structural faults were found and it closed in 1983.
0:50:54 > 0:50:5820 years later, a seven-year renovation project was undertaken
0:50:58 > 0:50:59to bring the lift back to life,
0:50:59 > 0:51:03and today, it's used by both commercial and leisure boats alike.
0:51:04 > 0:51:06Wow.
0:51:06 > 0:51:09I mean, I got a glimpse of these from down below,
0:51:09 > 0:51:11but I had no idea just how big these cogs were.
0:51:12 > 0:51:14That's an amazing shot, isn't it?
0:51:14 > 0:51:16- It is.- What a wonderful view, it's like an enormous clock.
0:51:16 > 0:51:19- It is, it's marvellous. - How many are there?
0:51:19 > 0:51:21- There's 72 altogether. - And when do these date from?
0:51:21 > 0:51:25These date from 1908, when it became an electronically-driven lift.
0:51:25 > 0:51:28It's because the salt content in the water was corroding
0:51:28 > 0:51:29the hydraulic mechanism.
0:51:29 > 0:51:31So, it begins life as a hydraulic lift,
0:51:31 > 0:51:34it then has its electric phase.
0:51:34 > 0:51:36Now, during your subsequent renovations,
0:51:36 > 0:51:38you've decided to take it back to a hydraulic lift. Why?
0:51:38 > 0:51:41It's more economic doing it hydraulically
0:51:41 > 0:51:43and it returns it back to its original roots.
0:51:43 > 0:51:46Well, it's been a real treat to get a sense of it,
0:51:46 > 0:51:48- but any chance of a ride? - No problem at all.
0:51:48 > 0:51:50If you'd like to go on the boat, we'll go now.
0:51:53 > 0:51:55Boats come off the canal and into the aqueduct
0:51:55 > 0:51:57through a series of gates.
0:51:57 > 0:51:59The lift works by a counterbalance method,
0:51:59 > 0:52:01whereby one boat travels up to the canal
0:52:01 > 0:52:03as the other travels down to the river.
0:52:06 > 0:52:09Fascinating, there, the gates above us. Brilliant. Look at that.
0:52:09 > 0:52:11MACHINERY DROWNS THEM OUT
0:52:11 > 0:52:14I'm amazed they managed to stay on.
0:52:14 > 0:52:18The next stage involves the operator opening another set of gates,
0:52:18 > 0:52:21which allows us to sail into the giant bathtub-like tank,
0:52:21 > 0:52:22known as a caisson.
0:52:22 > 0:52:26So, here we are coming actually into the lift itself.
0:52:26 > 0:52:28- Is that the gate? - Yes, that's the gate.
0:52:28 > 0:52:30That's the gate.
0:52:30 > 0:52:31Incredible.
0:52:34 > 0:52:37- Once we're in, they'll drop the gates behind us.- Yeah.
0:52:37 > 0:52:38Brilliant.
0:52:38 > 0:52:41Are we going to see another boat coming up alongside us now?
0:52:41 > 0:52:43Yes, there will be boats coming up alongside us.
0:52:43 > 0:52:46The lift operates in balance the majority of the day.
0:52:46 > 0:52:49We can do 32 boats a day.
0:52:49 > 0:52:51WATER RUSHES
0:52:51 > 0:52:54Now that sounds like somebody's just pulled a plug out.
0:52:54 > 0:52:56That's right, that's the last of the water disappearing
0:52:56 > 0:52:59- down the drain. - Between the gate and the...?
0:52:59 > 0:53:01- Yes, yes.- Aqueduct. - Between the two sets of gates.
0:53:01 > 0:53:05So, we're now, kind of, isolated in our own kind of watery bath...
0:53:05 > 0:53:08- Yes.- ..50 feet above the river. - Yeah.
0:53:08 > 0:53:10HE LAUGHS
0:53:10 > 0:53:13Today, the hydraulic system may be computerised,
0:53:13 > 0:53:16but the speed at which the lift moves evokes the pace
0:53:16 > 0:53:21of a bygone era - a gentle nine feet per minute.
0:53:21 > 0:53:24- So, at last, we're dropping. - That's right.
0:53:24 > 0:53:28I say dropping. Thankfully, it's very controlled.
0:53:28 > 0:53:30Yeah, it's a lovely smooth movement.
0:53:30 > 0:53:31I can certainly see how it's got that name,
0:53:31 > 0:53:33the Cathedral of the Canals.
0:53:33 > 0:53:36It's absolutely brilliant, absolutely brilliant.
0:53:36 > 0:53:39Do you think Edwin Clark thought of it as the Cathedral of Canals
0:53:39 > 0:53:41when he designed it?
0:53:41 > 0:53:43Maybe he did, maybe he had a soft side.
0:53:43 > 0:53:46I'd like to think he had a sense of the romantic about him.
0:53:46 > 0:53:49- Revolutionary in its time.- Yeah. And yet, here we are,
0:53:49 > 0:53:53it's still working in all of its glory.
0:53:53 > 0:53:56Well, I'm delighted to see this working,
0:53:56 > 0:53:59I'm delighted that it has survived all of those years
0:53:59 > 0:54:00and, with any luck, Graham,
0:54:00 > 0:54:02it should continue well into the future.
0:54:05 > 0:54:08Now, the conversation that we have to conclude any house tour
0:54:08 > 0:54:10is always a chat that I look forward to.
0:54:10 > 0:54:13Now, some weeks, it's pretty hard to tell which way
0:54:13 > 0:54:16it's going to go, but this week, well, I've got no worries.
0:54:20 > 0:54:23Ready to go? Look at that. Is that for me?
0:54:23 > 0:54:25- It is.- Fabulous, guys, thank you very much indeed.
0:54:25 > 0:54:28Well, it all seems like quite a long time since we started this,
0:54:28 > 0:54:30- doesn't it?- It does.
0:54:30 > 0:54:33When you started this process, how optimistic were you
0:54:33 > 0:54:35about finding a home that would work?
0:54:35 > 0:54:38I was more pessimistic than optimistic,
0:54:38 > 0:54:40but you've turned it around for me.
0:54:40 > 0:54:42Denise?
0:54:42 > 0:54:44Um, I think, because of the brief we gave you,
0:54:44 > 0:54:47a little like Neil, I didn't know whether you'd get
0:54:47 > 0:54:48the right property for us.
0:54:48 > 0:54:50OK, let's cut to the chase.
0:54:50 > 0:54:54We've given you plenty of options, all of them interesting,
0:54:54 > 0:54:57all of them worthwhile in their own way.
0:54:57 > 0:55:01But I suspect there is one that's really out in front.
0:55:01 > 0:55:06Yes, well out in front, I think, yes.
0:55:06 > 0:55:09- Lovely barn conversion.- Yes.
0:55:09 > 0:55:12What was it about that property that really sold it to you, Neil?
0:55:12 > 0:55:15When we walked round the corner and you showed us the expanse
0:55:15 > 0:55:17of this barn conversion...
0:55:17 > 0:55:19- That whole kind of wing? - The wing, yeah.
0:55:19 > 0:55:22It blew me away and I didn't know what to expect.
0:55:22 > 0:55:25I was getting excited, thinking, "I can't wait to get inside here
0:55:25 > 0:55:27"and have a look." Beautiful.
0:55:27 > 0:55:30When you opened that front door and let us in
0:55:30 > 0:55:31and I saw this entrance hall...
0:55:31 > 0:55:34Excellent, excellent.
0:55:34 > 0:55:35- Yeah!- That did it for me.
0:55:36 > 0:55:39And I gave you a choice of whether we went left or right.
0:55:39 > 0:55:41- You correctly picked the kitchen. - Yes.
0:55:41 > 0:55:43That I knew would sell it to you.
0:55:43 > 0:55:45It certainly did, the minute I walked into the kitchen.
0:55:45 > 0:55:48It had everything and the island in the middle,
0:55:48 > 0:55:50it just was everything we'd asked for.
0:55:50 > 0:55:52What happens next?
0:55:52 > 0:55:54Well, I'd like to look at the amenities.
0:55:54 > 0:55:57So, at the weekend, I want to come back and have a good look around
0:55:57 > 0:56:00the area and then, once we've done that, I think we'll ask
0:56:00 > 0:56:01for a second viewing.
0:56:01 > 0:56:03I think there'll be no stopping her.
0:56:03 > 0:56:04Do you need a second viewing?
0:56:04 > 0:56:07I don't.
0:56:07 > 0:56:09It's one of those times where my hand will go in the wallet.
0:56:09 > 0:56:12Well, guys, it's been a real treat. I've really enjoyed your company,
0:56:12 > 0:56:15I've thoroughly enjoyed being back in Cheshire.
0:56:15 > 0:56:17So, well, let us know what happens.
0:56:17 > 0:56:19- BOTH:- We will.- Here's to you.
0:56:19 > 0:56:21- Thank you.- Thanks. - And your new life.
0:56:21 > 0:56:22- Thank you.- Cheers.
0:56:26 > 0:56:29Well, our work here is pretty much done.
0:56:29 > 0:56:32The sun is beginning to set over Cheshire's glorious countryside
0:56:32 > 0:56:35and the whole landscape is now bathed in this wonderful,
0:56:35 > 0:56:37rich, warm glow.
0:56:37 > 0:56:40Our house search is over, but with any luck,
0:56:40 > 0:56:43Neil and Denise's new life is just about to begin.
0:56:43 > 0:56:44I'll see you next time.
0:56:46 > 0:56:48Well, the hot news is - Denise and Neil
0:56:48 > 0:56:51have had a major change of heart.
0:56:51 > 0:56:54In an enormous U-turn, they've decided to stay put
0:56:54 > 0:56:58in Rochdale and buy a holiday home in Portugal instead.
0:56:58 > 0:57:00But they do intend to revisit their country move
0:57:00 > 0:57:03in a few years' time.
0:57:03 > 0:57:05If you'd like to escape to the country in England,
0:57:05 > 0:57:08Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland and would like our help,
0:57:08 > 0:57:12then please apply online at...