East Devon Escape to the Country

This busy port behind me has been an important commercial centre for

hundreds of years and inspired one man to come up with an invention that

would change the future forever.

Find out who he was, and where I am, in just a moment.

Today's house-hunters are taking the plunge to start a new life after

living in the same property for 25 years.

I like history.

-Good.

-There's plenty here.

He likes old relics. That's why he's married to me.

No!

And the past could set them on the path to the future.

-Wow!

-I love an open fire.

I could sit and watch one for hours.

This is Teignmouth Harbour in Devon,

once home to renowned mathematical genius Charles Babbage,

inventor of the computer.

Growing up here in the early 19th century,

Babbage became fascinated with the perilous passage of ships coming in

and out of this harbour and so set about designing a machine to aid safer

navigation. This pioneering device was named the difference engine

and is regarded today as the very first programmable computer,

earning Babbage the title of the forefather of modern computing.

The south-west county of Devon with its dramatic coastline and

breathtaking open countryside has been a number one tourist attraction in

the UK for nearly 140 years.

As the railways expanded in the 19th century,

sleepy untouched towns were transformed into the popular seaside resorts

we all know and love today.

Battered by the Celtic Sea to the north and the English Channel to the

south, Devon is home to some of the greats.

Both Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh were born in the county,

and Agatha Christie put pen to paper here,

creating some of her most perplexing murder mysteries.

Journey inland and the gentle rolling countryside gives way to beautiful,

iconic English villages.

For over 600 years,

the thatch has been a permanent fixture on the Devon landscape.

This centuries-old ancient craft gives rise to a world record-breaking

4,000 thatched buildings that are scattered across the county.

So if you need space to spread your wings,

coupled with stunning get-away-from- it-all villages,

this is most definitely the place for you.

The beauty of Devon's countryside and its 300 miles of coastline is

reflected in its property prices.

The average cost of a detached home here is around £312,000.

Now, that's about £12,000 above the national figure.

In fact, the county is not only a firm favourite with home-buyers,

but with holiday-makers too,

with around eight million tourists visiting each and every year.

And with today's buyers keen to start up a new business venture,

they are hoping to capitalise on Devon's enduring popularity.

Retail assistant Paul and his former casino manager wife Sue live just

outside Croydon, near London.

They've been married for over 25 years.

I would describe Sue as very gregarious, doesn't have to drink,

but if she is with people that are drinking,

they think that she's drunk anyway.

Paul has got a great sense of humour.

Very caring and always thinks of others before himself.

-Sums you up.

-Thank you.

Paul and Sue have lived in their current home since 1990 but they both

feel the area has changed a great deal throughout the last two decades.

Thornton Heath is just so built up, every little space,

they are building flats, houses, schools, doctors, everything.

It's just... There's no rural part to it any more.

We've decided to move to east Devon because we've got family and friends

that way. We've got good road links but you are still in the middle of

the countryside, so you're away from hundreds of people and the hubbub of

everyday life.

We've been considering this move for five or six years, and Sue got made

redundant from her job and there's no better time than now to grab the

bull by the horns and go for it.

Paul and Sue have two grown-up sons who have now left home but our couple

are not going to be sitting on their laurels.

When they relocate,

they're planning on moving into the hospitality business to earn some extra cash.

I love cooking, I like cooking for other people,

so I'm quite happy to introduce that into whatever we might do in the

country, whether it be bed and breakfast or even if we have holiday lets,

providing evening meals, just whatever people like.

And Paul is hoping that a move to the country will allow him more space to

take his stained-glass hobby out of the makeshift workspace in

the living room and into a dedicated workshop instead.

I started off with a little mirror which is in the shape of an apple with

leaves and I have a poppy lampshade...

It's a Tiffany lamp, really.

Tiffany lamp, it's 22 inches in diameter.

-BOTH:

-472 pieces of glass(!)

All they need to do now is find the right house to give them that country

lifestyle, blended with those all-important business opportunities.

On my journey to my new house from here,

I will be very excited and elated because I'm about to start my new life.

-Our new life.

-And where we move to, we don't want to move again.

It'll be our final home.

Yeah.

We are targeting our search within a 30-minute drive of the town of

Culmstock, where the couple already have family.

I'm catching up with our two buyers to find out a little bit more about

the details of their upcoming move.

Sue and Paul, welcome to Devon.

-Thank you.

-But tell me, what is it about Devon?

Why out of all the counties you could have chosen, you want to move here?

We've got family in Devon and I've got friends in Devon and friends

just up the M5 and our son is at uni in Bristol.

-Oh!

-So that's just down the road as well.

Yeah. This is going to represent a very different life,

-a different way of life for the two of you.

-I hope so.

-So what is it you're after?

Well, we're after, obviously, a country house with character,

farmhouse kitchen,

Paul would like a workshop because he's got lots of hobbies.

Inglenook fireplace.

But we want mainly, at the moment, a property that has got income potential,

so our maximum budget is 750,000 but that is with an income.

And how many bedrooms do you want?

Obviously, that is going to slightly change,

depending on what type of business you want to get into.

Ideally, how many?

Well, ideally, at least three.

Three or four, so that when the boys come home,

because we've got two sons, when the boys come home,

they've always got somewhere to stay.

And what about land, Paul?

-Do you want any land with this property?

-It would be nice to have land.

Land to progress in a business.

Our first choice is holiday lets,

but depending on our budget,

we don't actually know whether that will go far enough to be able to get

an income just from that.

We know that Devon is one of the most popular places in the whole of the UK for tourists.

So many visitors come to this part of the world.

So holiday lets could be a good place to start.

But again, it is juggling, isn't it?

The property with the budget as well. And is there anything that's definitely off the list?

We don't want to live above a business or something like that and we don't

really want people encroaching onto our home space.

Well, we do have some splendid properties to show you.

We know we've got a budget of £750,000, so shall we get started?

-Absolutely.

-Absolutely.

-Come on then.

-Thank you.

With a budget of £750,000,

Paul and Sue are looking to escape a congested London suburb

and have some space to breathe.

But they do have some important needs for their new home.

They want a character property with business opportunities,

a good-size farmhouse kitchen,

a minimum of three bedrooms for family and friends to visit

and a workshop for Paul's hobbies.

We found some fantastic properties to tempt them with and at each house,

I'll be asking them to guess the price before I reveal it.

One of those in the selection will be our Mystery House,

which could put a whole new slant on their search.

What are your plans when you make this move down here?

Well, it depends on the type of property that we have, but obviously,

we want one where we've got the chance of earning an income,

so until we know exactly what it is we're going to do,

it's still very much up in the air,

so we're very open to any suggestions and any new ideas, because new ideas

crop up all the time.

-You're not sure what's out there until you start investigating and going to different areas.

-So true.

-Well, hopefully we can help you with a bit of that.

-That would be wonderful.

Our first house is located near to the village of Aylesbeare,

just two miles from an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Along with a local pub and diner,

the area is perhaps most famous for its wine and cider.

This local estate has been pressing the apple and grape for over 20 years,

producing a variety of tipples to suit pretty much any palate.

Two miles from the vineyards and orchards, we find our first property.

Through the very pretty garden gate...

You tell me what you see.

It's a house.

It's a Devon longhouse, actually.

It is really nice.

Actually, we have seen this one online, but when you look at it for real,

it is totally different.

So a very old property with lots of character.

-Yeah, definitely.

-Shall we see what you make of the inside?

-Definitely.

-We'll start our first tour.

This beautiful Grade II listed Devon longhouse has parts that date

all the way back to the 14th century.

We're heading around the back of the property and entering the kitchen-diner.

Flanked by no less than four separate reception rooms,

this is remarkably spacious for a cottage.

A few steps leads us into this room.

It's nice. I love the beams.

-Yeah.

-It's good, with the light from both sides.

Brighter and lighter than I thought.

I didn't expect the kitchen to be this size in this type of property.

-No.

-It's lovely.

-But we wanted something where you could have a table and eat and be at

the centre of family life and entertaining.

How are we feeling about range cooking?

I've never used one, but I'm willing to learn.

-Nice.

-Friends of mine have got them, so I can ask for tips.

Yeah. Also provides your hot water.

And that's staying with the property.

-Lovely.

-Well, I'm thinking you probably want to see

-a little bit more, yes?

-Definitely.

-OK.

The ground floor also includes a utility and shower room.

A snug for those chilly winter evenings.

And on the other side of the welcoming hallway,

we find a bright day room and two main reception rooms.

As you walk through this house,

you do get the feeling of it being a longhouse.

-Fireplace!

-Oh, wow!

I love an open fire.

I could sit and watch one for hours.

Is that big enough for you?

-Yeah, definitely.

-Yeah?

It's a lovely size room as well.

And again, it's brighter than I thought it would be.

Even though you've got the dark wood.

It's very warm and homely.

Well, the downstairs seems to have got the tick of approval.

-It has.

-Shall we see what you make of the bedrooms upstairs?

-Yeah.

-Yup. After you.

As we head out into the hallway,

a latch door takes us to the staircase to the first floor.

Up here, tucked under the slope of the thatched roof,

are four good-sized double bedrooms for when family and friends visit.

Adjacent, there's a pretty family bathroom.

There's also a handy second cloakroom and lastly,

we come to the master bedroom.

It's a good size.

-Very good size.

-So,

how would you both feel potentially living in a 15th century home?

I like history.

Good. There's plenty here.

-He likes old relics. That's why he's married to me.

-No!

Never, never. You do both seem very at home here.

So you've got these four bedrooms upstairs,

you've got an additional room downstairs that you could use as a bedroom

with facilities next door to that. There's a shower room.

-They wouldn't infringe on the rest of your house at all.

-Excellent.

-Yeah, that would work.

-That would work for us.

I've planted that seed,

there's a pun in there because there's something else I want to offer you outside...

A suggestion, a business suggestion.

-Excellent.

-Let's head out.

-That's what we like to hear.

Let's see what you think.

With positive reactions about the inside of the house,

we're now heading outside.

With a large lawn, a tennis court,

and a detached thatched building that could make an ideal workshop,

this property seems to have it all.

And with Paul and Sue's desire to earn some extra cash,

I'm hoping the three and a half acres of garden and paddock stocked with

fruit bushes could be a winner.

This is what I want to tempt you with.

We've touched on the possibility of B&B inside the property,

but this at the moment is a blueberry field.

Only five years old, so the bushes aren't very high.

They're making about £5,000 a year but they are doing it on an amateur

basis, a bit of love really,

but they supply all the farm shops in the area.

However, once those blueberry bushes start getting a bit higher,

-you're going to get a lot more blueberries off them.

-Yeah.

-And you've got two and a half acres,

which they haven't utilised the whole way round. You've got another acre at the back.

So you could plant up some more.

So we know with this you've got potential for a B&B,

should you want to run it, but you've also got your own business here,

tonnes of potential but we've got to put a price on all of this.

So, who wants to go first?

-I'll let Paul go first because I think I remember from looking at it on the internet.

-You are honest!

You're very honest, Sue. Paul.

Yeah, I'd go for 725.

725, OK.

-How good is your memory?

-Not very good, but I think it might have been 750.

At the top of our budget.

So it would depend what income, we'd have to do our sums.

Yeah. Well, you'd be right. It's on the market for £750,000.

Have another look around.

Wander back in and I'll catch up with you later.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

This Grade II listed thatched home comes in right on budget.

With a large farmhouse kitchen-diner,

four bedrooms and a separate workshop,

the property goes a long way to offering Paul and Sue

that country living lifestyle they are longing for.

And it also gives them the opportunity for some extra cash

with those blueberry bushes and B&B opportunities.

-So, what do you think? Do you fancy picking blueberries?

-Yes.

-It's been well laid out.

-Yeah.

-And there's more land here to actually expand it if we so desired.

-It's definitely alternative living, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Good.

We'll have to obviously do the sums, as I keep saying.

Sorry. Sorry to bang on about it.

The house is absolutely stunning.

I did not expect there to be so much land with this house,

so I'm very impressed with that.

The property itself is much more light and spacious than I expected.

I loved the kitchen.

Also, the blueberries.

It sounds like a really good idea for a business.

The idea of being a farmer with crops, yeah, I like the idea of that.

I have got quite green fingers.

Well, that's a cracking start for our house hunt here in Devon, wasn't it?

It certainly was.

You don't get properties like this every day.

-No.

-But of course, we find them for you and hopefully I have got a few

more up my sleeve. Shall we hit the road?

-Yeah, let's.

-Come on then.

-Thank you very much.

A big part of Paul and Sue's move is exploring business opportunities in

the area, so we sent our couple to Knightstone Farm to meet Dave and Vicki Lawrence.

Dairy farming has been in their family for generations and today,

their 250 cows supply milk to most of the major supermarkets.

But it's their other business,

the world of glamorous camping or glamping,

that may be of interest to our buyers.

Vicki, was it your idea to start up the glamping business as a side to the

-dairy farm?

-Yeah, back in 2010, is when we got married,

and we decided to go on our honeymoon in Kenya,

as we both have a love for wildlife and nature.

We went to the Masai Mara and different other reserves throughout the

country. We stayed in huts and different types of accommodation and one of

which was a safari tent.

And we loved staying in it,

feeling the closeness of being outside but still within a unit and it just seemed perfect.

Glamping first appeared in the UK in 2005 and has rapidly

grown in popularity.

The returns can be high,

with each accommodation here costing up to £140 a night.

But the introductory set-up costs are not cheap.

A brand-new shepherd's hut, similar to the one on this farm, starts at around £15,000.

Dave and Vicki are taking our buyers to their exclusive glamping area.

Here we have our shepherd's hut and our safari tent.

Just wondering what the initial costs are and when you expect to get

-a return for your money.

-The initial outlay, obviously,

we have had the planning fees and we have had to buy the units and we've

obviously had to put in the drainage and bring the water and such.

We've had to build the car park and fence the site and we are expecting,

the way the bookings have gone, to clear our initial outlay in three to four years.

-Excellent.

-And what advice can you give us,

if we were to set up a business?

It's all about an exciting location.

We are very lucky as to where we are based,

with all the amenities we have around us.

We have Ottery St Mary, which is within a walking distance.

But you still get the feel of being out in the countryside.

We have the lake that people can go and walk around.

It seems to be attracting the people, so yeah,

we are quite pleased with that.

But glampers here are offered more than just stunning views.

They are encouraged to experience farming first-hand,

by looking after Dave and Vicky's chickens,

with free fresh eggs thrown in for good measure.

We are thinking of just having chickens because we would like fresh

eggs ourselves. How do you actually care for them? Do they take a lot of work?

No, not too much.

It's very important that you keep their water topped up at all times

because there is a high water content in an egg.

Feed, they are on Layers Pellets and also crushed corn.

So they get all their general goodness from that.

And they also like to forage in grass and various different things.

-Would you like to try holding her?

-I'll try.

-OK.

There we go. Make sure you wrap your arms around her wings,

just to give her some protection.

And then hold her feet up, so that she feels like she's on her perch.

And then she should be happy.

There. There we go, darling.

-OK?

-That wasn't too bad, was it?

Handling chickens seems to come pretty naturally to Sue and if our couple

were keen to keep their own flock,

they could expect a bountiful supply of fresh eggs for their own glampers.

But first, we need to find our buyers the right house.

Our second property is located near Silverton,

around 30 miles south-west of Culmstock.

With roots stretching back to Saxon times,

this community lays claim to being one of the oldest villages in Devon.

At its heart is a 15th century church and its narrow streets are home to a

number of thatched homes.

Silverton has more than its fair share of watering holes,

boasting three pubs.

There is also a post office and convenience store,

so hopefully Paul and Sue can make use of the village's amenities,

as our house is just two miles away.

Right, a little bit windy up here, but here is your next property.

-Hidden there.

-What?

-Half of it?

-Yeah.

So, you are semidetached.

It is difficult to see as you walk down, you don't realise you've actually got a neighbour.

But this was a barn that was converted in the 1990s.

-Interesting.

-Yeah.

Looks quite light and airy but it looks modern and it's semidetached,

so it depends how private it is.

-Yeah.

-Let's see what you make of the inside, shall we?

-Yeah, definitely.

-Absolutely.

Converted around 20 years ago,

this spacious property comes with around four acres of land and an

elevated position gives it great views over the surrounding countryside.

But all is not what it seems with this house.

This upside-down property means the bedrooms are down on the ground floor.

Up on the first floor lie the main living areas which allow all the rooms

to make the most of that amazing vista.

We are entering the sitting room from the main staircase.

So, a reserved response outside.

I think you were both being polite.

I was getting all excited about the views and everything else...

The views are lovely.

What do you think inside?

It is nice and spacious, as a room, it's really nice.

You don't feel like you are in a barn.

-No.

-Oh, no, not at all.

They've actually divided this floor up on the barn.

We are in the sitting room at the moment but you've actually got a separate dining room there.

-OK.

-And through there, you've got a study,

with the most magnificent views.

To the point where the owners actually moved the desk away from the views

because not a lot of work gets done.

But let's go and look at the kitchen next.

-See what you think of that.

-OK.

Although on just two floors, the kitchen is accessed via a few steps,

taking us to a raised level.

Let's see if I can sway you with the kitchen.

-Very bright.

-It is very bright and airy.

High ceilings.

It is a lovely style but I'm not sure whether it's us.

-Too contemporary? Is that what you're thinking?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Well, we're going to have a look at the bedrooms, which are below.

Because this is an upside-down house.

-Yes.

-Again, designed in that way to make the most of the views.

Yeah. OK.

I'm hoping that the ground floor will impress Paul and Sue and get them back onside.

Going back through the sitting room and down the stairs takes us to the

ground floor. Down here, there are two good-sized double bedrooms

and a family bathroom.

Across the hall, there's a third bedroom,

currently used as a second sitting room.

It comes complete with bi-folding doors, leading to a patio area.

And then there's this, the sumptuous master bedroom,

with a stylish en-suite shower room.

So we are downstairs in the property now.

Still more stairs though, keep you fit.

-This is a lovely room.

-Oh, yes.

It's nice having the doors going out into the garden.

-Yeah.

-It's too modern for my liking.

OK.

But that's not to say that it's not a wonderful place.

It's just too modern.

It's probably just not our style.

Look at this face, I'm not going to give up, am I?

-No.

-Let's go outside, I'm going to give it one last shot.

-See what I've got to show you, in case it does change your mind.

-OK.

It's becoming increasingly clear that this property is not Paul and Sue's taste.

But I'm hoping the four acres of land attached to this house may

give them food for thought.

So the final part of this house tour is the all-important income potential

and what this property has is all the land behind us and then further

down, there are a couple of sort of agricultural buildings.

The one on the left is yours.

It's a large barn that has been converted.

Half of it is a stable block and the other half has, sort of, been left,

so perfect for a workshop.

Just a thought, the equestrian world.

People who have horses often want to take them on holiday for them,

but it's quite difficult to find somewhere to stable them and perhaps

have them graze. Actually,

you've already got a stable block which has been done.

You could offer people the chance to come either camping or glamping and

if they wanted to bring their horses, offer them pasture and secure stabling.

-Good idea.

-And they will do a lot of the work for you.

-Because it's their horses.

-That's the thing.

-That's true.

-You won't be mucking anybody out.

Well, finally,

let's see how much we think this converted barn with the land is on the market for.

-I would say about 580.

-OK.

And I would go 620.

You are actually the closest this time.

-OK.

-But still quite a lot out, I'm afraid.

-The asking price is £695,000.

-Wow!

-You look shocked.

I am, yeah. I'm quite shocked.

Because it's a semidetached as well.

It might not be exactly what you want but sometimes a second view and you

can warm to ideas or perhaps come up with fresh ones.

I'm talking now, aren't I? I'm going to send you off.

-OK.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

-Bye-bye.

This was a hard one.

I didn't gauge it right at all.

I thought they were going to adore this property.

At £55,000 under budget,

this modern barn conversion wasn't quite right for Paul and Sue,

despite having a large, bright kitchen, four double bedrooms,

as well as outbuildings and four acres of land

for those all-important business opportunities.

It's a nice house but it's just not my taste and ideally,

we would like a detached house.

With a bit more privacy.

The house is lovely.

The land is lovely.

Everything is very good about it.

It's not my cup of tea.

Right, well, that's it for today.

You've seen two of our houses.

-Shall we hit the road?

-Yes, please.

-Come on.

-Thank you.

Husband and wife Paul and Sue from Thornton Heath, near Croydon, want to

relocate to Devon with a budget of £750,000.

They are hunting for a character property that offers the potential to earn some extra cash.

So far, we've shown them two very different houses,

neither of which have quite been on target.

But the Mystery House may challenge our buyers' expectations and really

-surprise them.

-Wow!

Yeah. It is just too much to believe. It's just perfect.

And I'll be heading to the woods to help create some extraordinary

sculptures, all made from natural resources.

Looking magnificent.

That is absolutely beautiful.

It's always very satisfying when a house tour goes well.

And what a brilliant start to yesterday.

However, who couldn't fall in love with that 15th century thatch?

But, let's be honest, I completely misjudged it with our second offering,

the contemporary barn.

I thought that was a splendid home,

but it did leave Paul and Sue completely cold.

But not one to be deterred, today we have our Mystery House.

Now, let's remind ourselves,

our couple are after the perfect property with income potential.

And with this home, well, put it this way,

they're going to have to learn to share to make it work.

So, what are your thoughts today on our Mystery House?

What's going through your mind?

I'm not sure what it could be.

I think, because we've not touched on it,

something that will need some work doing on it.

I don't think it will be modern because we had the modern touch yesterday.

-Still exciting though.

-Yes.

-Yeah?

-Because it's the unknown, isn't it?

The Mystery House is in the village of Whimple,

around a 30-minute drive from Culmstock.

With a listing in the Domesday Book,

at the heart of this community is the 19th-century square.

At its centre is a rebuilt Norman church and close by,

a post office-come-convenience store,

two pubs and a mainline station with links to nearby Exeter and London.

Our Mystery House is just a stone's throw from the village centre.

You can't look up quite yet until I've got you in place because I want to

make sure that I get maximum impact when I say,

you can look up now and welcome to your Mystery House.

-Oh, wow!

-Wow!

That is gorgeous.

It is absolutely gobsmacking nice.

-Wow!

-I really like that.

Hazard a guess why this might be our Mystery House.

I don't know. Tell us.

It depends how much you want to share.

Shall I just leave you with that?

-Cryptic, cryptic.

-I'm not very good at conundrums.

Well, you love the outside.

I'm feeling pretty confident on the inside. Shall we? Come on.

Let's go.

The oldest part of this Grade II listed property dates back 400 years

and is built from traditional cob and stone.

Originally two farmers' cottages, over the centuries,

tasteful extensions have been added, bringing the house bang up-to-date.

It now offers a shade over 3,000 square feet of luxury living.

We are starting in the main entrance hall.

Come on in.

SUE GASPS

-I like gasps. That's a good sign.

-Wow!

-So, we have this very welcoming hallway.

-Yeah.

-Gorgeous.

Great reactions.

I think I know what you're going to say next door.

Let's go to the kitchen.

-Come on into your kitchen.

-Wow!

-Yeah.

-It's amazing.

-It is perfect, isn't it?

It's a beautifully fitted kitchen, lots of space.

And then, as you probably have spied,

you've got a garden room/ conservatory.

-Wow!

-It is just too much to believe.

It's just perfect.

Can I just have a peek at what's down there?

Of course you can. Go on, have a look.

Stairs leading to a utility room.

-Wow, stairs!

-OK.

-Great storage space.

If this kitchen wasn't big enough already.

Hey, I don't need to sell it any more.

You love it. Let's keep going.

Just a short walk across the hallway takes us to the main sitting room.

Wow!

Wood burner.

-Window seat.

-Tick. Tick.

Lots of little nooks and crannies. Even the window, yeah.

-Beautiful.

-Just adds character, doesn't it?

So, we have this sitting room, but in the Victorian times,

they actually extended the cottage, so you've got... I'm going to call it an art room,

it's got patio doors leading out and in the mornings, the sunlight floods in.

The current owners use that to draw and do all their arts and hobbies.

But then, next door to that, it could be a separate dining room,

if you wanted something more formal.

-At the moment, they use it as an office.

-Excellent.

-Happy with the downstairs?

-Very.

-Yes, very.

Let's go upstairs now.

I'm so happy. Right, upstairs we go.

The stairs lead to a spacious landing.

From here, there is access to three good-sized bedrooms,

all bright and airy with original exposed beams.

One has an en-suite and there's also a family shower room.

But what I'm keen to show them is a further bedroom with a well appointed

en-suite. I'm thinking this area could be an opportunity for Paul and Sue

to earn some extra cash,

as it has its own entrance with steps from the garden.

You could rent this out.

They don't need to come into the rest of the house,

unless you wanted them to.

And they can come and go as they please.

-Fantastic.

-And there are three other bedrooms here.

So if you wanted to share this house with other people and over a period

of years make some serious money,

you could easily rent out some of the other bedrooms.

It really is down to you but as a taster, to get you started,

you've never done it before,

this would be a good sort of step one into the business.

It certainly would be. Wow!

Beautiful.

They seem extremely impressed with the interior,

but could this beautiful cottage garden be the icing on the cake?

Next to the house is a thatched garage.

There is also patio decking leading from the conservatory,

the lush lawns and well-established trees and shrubs.

So we've now got to look at the finances, haven't we,

for our mystery property?

-Who is going to go first?

-Ladies first.

-Thanks.

Well, I think it's probably over our budget.

Maybe just a little bit, I'll go for 760.

-Fair enough.

-OK.

-And more out of hope, I'm going to go 750.

-Are you?

The asking price is offers in the region of £750,000.

There you go. Wow!

-It's attainable.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-All right, please, have another look around.

-OK.

-And give me a shout when you are ready.

-All right. Thank you.

-See you in a minute.

This Grade II listed cottage comes in bang on budget and Paul and Sue

seem smitten with this Devon beauty.

And who wouldn't fall in love with this character property? Featuring a

large kitchen-diner,

four ample bedrooms and its stunning chocolate box looks,

that should have no trouble attracting

those bed-and-breakfast guests.

-Window seat.

-Wow!

This is really nice as well.

Really light.

This will do me nicely.

-It's lovely.

-This Mystery House is amazing.

It's like a dream come true.

What can I say? It's perfection.

There's nothing that I would change, at all.

Can't think of anything at this moment in time.

I had no idea that there would be something like this that would just blow me away.

It's perfect.

To be able to afford this house, I'm quite happy to share it.

And rent out one of the other rooms and do breakfasts and evening meals,

or whatever anyone wants.

Just so that I could live here.

It's got all of the style, all of the quirkiness,

everything about it is done very, very well and it is just perfect,

a perfect home to live the rest of my life in.

How's the B&B?

Fantastic. And look at that view.

They are going to sit there, aren't they, your lovely guests, enjoying the view?

Got their own bit of thatch here.

-It's perfect.

-And when this is out as well, bit of wisteria.

-Idyllic, I think, is the word.

I love it. I love it when the Mystery House works on all levels.

So you've given me a good indication of how you feel,

but I want you to have some time on your own,

have a think what the next move is going to be.

-And then we'll regroup and have a chat, shall we?

-Yeah.

-Let's jump in the car.

All right. Thank you.

Devon's beautiful countryside has been a magnet for house-buyers and visitors for many decades.

But its inspiring landscape is also a big pull for artists.

Born and bred in the area,

artisan Andre Daniel is a past master at working with wood.

A former boat builder,

he's now turned his considerable talents to creating bespoke furniture.

And these extraordinarily beautiful moths, all sculpted by hand.

So, when you're walking through the woods, what are you looking out for?

I love the windfallen trees.

I don't cut down a tree to make a moth.

So especially when the trees have started to die and they've got all this

interesting decay on them, we get some fantastic moths from there.

So if there's a big gale through the valley, are you out next morning?

Yeah, my eyes light up.

Andre is taking me to a fallen tree that is perfect for the job.

This is a beechwood tree.

But what's really, really interesting about this tree is if we cut into

it, which I've done earlier, and we turn it round, we have this beautiful spalting.

My goodness.

That is stunning.

And this will make the most beautiful moths.

The spalting is a natural fungal growth that gives this slice of beech its

unique veiny appearance.

This piece will form the main part of the moth's wings.

Back at Andre's idyllic forest home, the transformation can begin.

Maybe you'd like to have a go at trying to find a moth in this piece?

Do you know what? I'm going to use that as a little bit of a template.

-Yeah.

-So, I look at it and see what it reads.

Absolutely. So you're looking for the two wings, the larger being the upper wing.

It's nice, nice curve.

Then we cut this shape out and then we cut it again and open it up like a book,

to create the symmetry and the mirror image.

It takes many hours of careful cutting to create the wings,

so Andre is showing me another moth that is nearing completion.

Attaching the wings to the body crafted from the same piece of beech.

OK, this is the second wing.

It's beginning to come alive, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-And every stage is meticulous.

You can't rush any, I'm presuming.

No, you can't. After this, then we spray it.

That's something you can do for me, Nicki.

The spray varnish is the finishing touch and, like a real moth that blossoms

from a caterpillar, the wings' texture are revealed in all their glory.

-Look at that.

-That's brilliant.

So, that'll do for its first coat.

Right, brilliant, beautiful.

All that remains now is to create the moth's antennae.

Using a single bar from a feather which is glued to the body,

our beautiful moth is now complete.

Looking magnificent.

That is absolutely beautiful.

That piece of wood is going to continue to live, hopefully,

in someone's home for many years to come.

Andre, thank you so much.

-You're very welcome.

-I'm inspired. Absolutely inspired.

I'm now going to look at wood and woodland in a completely different way from now on.

Well, our final house tour around the Mystery House was a huge success

with Paul and Sue but the proof is in the pudding.

Are they going to put in an offer?

Let's find out.

Well, Sue and Paul, you wanted our help, you wanted our advice,

looking for this beautiful new home with business potential.

How have we done?

-Exceedingly well.

-Yeah, brilliant.

Exceedingly well.

So, in your own words, tell me,

what is it about the Mystery House that makes it so special for both of

-you?

-It just felt like a home, it just felt like it was meant to be.

It just had everything, I think, that we want from a home.

-I would second that, absolutely.

-And I use the word home, not house.

Aw! You said that, I think, the move was going to be down to you, to Devon,

and the property buying was going to be down to you, Paul,

that you'd make the final decision.

But you've both seemed united from the minute you opened your eyes and I revealed our Mystery House.

-You're in sync, aren't you?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, we are in sync.

But what is the next move then going to be?

Well, while we were off by ourselves,

I did contact the estate agent to ask them if we could make an appointment

this afternoon to go back and have another look.

And am I allowed to ask, is it putting offer in time?

We would very much like to have a discussion with the owner.

Go on, say it, say it. I know your house is on the market.

-You're ready to spring quite quickly, aren't you?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, we are.

We probably would put an offer in.

I think you will. I think you will.

-Paul?

-Definitely.

I am so excited for you.

I know it's only the first step, but finding that perfect home is a big

step, isn't it? And you've got to sell your property.

But I am going to keep everything crossed.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

Well, we've certainly ended our time here in Devon on a high,

with Paul and Sue, and I can use this word, adoring our Mystery House.

You see, it works on both levels.

It has the business opportunities but it's also the perfect home for our couple.

I just hope they can sell their property really quickly so they

can put in an offer and move to this gorgeous part of the county.

Fingers crossed.

And I'll see you again soon on Escape To The Country.

Paul and Sue loved the Mystery House so much they did put in an offer but,

unfortunately, lost out to another party.

Their search for their ideal country escape continues.

If you would like to escape to the country

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