0:00:02 > 0:00:06Welcome to Escape To The Country. Now, this beautiful Jacobean house behind me has several claims
0:00:06 > 0:00:08to fame, but perhaps chief amongst them,
0:00:08 > 0:00:10it was home to Britain's first-ever croquet champion
0:00:10 > 0:00:13and founder of the All England Club.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16In fact, the rules of the game were created on its very lawns.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19But where have we come to for today's little knock-about?
0:00:19 > 0:00:21Well, join me in just a moment and I'll tell you.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41Today, family ties are the driving force
0:00:41 > 0:00:43pushing a couple to take the plunge
0:00:43 > 0:00:46and leave the city behind in search of a new country life...
0:00:47 > 0:00:50- Ooh.- Oh, it's fabulous.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54I'm just already getting really excited.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58..and our properties provoke some strong emotional reactions.
0:00:58 > 0:00:59You've got the wow.
0:00:59 > 0:01:00Oh, it's lovely.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03- I just shed a tear there.- Oh, good.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09Well, today we are in Oxfordshire and this is Chastleton House,
0:01:09 > 0:01:13the home of croquet fanatic Walter Jones-Whitmore.
0:01:13 > 0:01:18Now, the origins of croquet itself...oh...are hotly debated.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21Some say that it may have come over from Ireland about 1840,
0:01:21 > 0:01:23others that it might've come over from India,
0:01:23 > 0:01:26where, of course, we had a passion for polo.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29However, one thing does remain absolutely undisputed -
0:01:29 > 0:01:32it was on this very lawn back in 1855
0:01:32 > 0:01:35that Jones-Whitmore created and then published
0:01:35 > 0:01:38the very first set of croquet rules.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41Rules which are still very much in use today.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43Now, later on in the programme, I'll be back here,
0:01:43 > 0:01:46exploring this fabulous Jacobean mansion.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49I'm also learning a little more about the very unique family
0:01:49 > 0:01:50that lived here.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53Situated in the south-east of England,
0:01:53 > 0:01:56landlocked Oxfordshire is bordered by six counties,
0:01:56 > 0:01:59including Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Berkshire.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03This scenic county encompasses the rolling Cotswold Hills,
0:02:03 > 0:02:05as well as the Chiltern Hills,
0:02:05 > 0:02:08and covers 1,000 square miles.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11The Chilterns, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty,
0:02:11 > 0:02:16straddles four counties and is one of the most wooded parts of England.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20Over a fifth of the area is blanketed by dense woodland.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22These trees supported a thriving chair-making industry
0:02:22 > 0:02:25in the 19th and early 20th century
0:02:25 > 0:02:28and are still harvested for timber today.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31Oxfordshire's architecture is as awe-inspiring
0:02:31 > 0:02:32as its natural beauty,
0:02:32 > 0:02:34with the world-famous university city of Oxford
0:02:34 > 0:02:37the shining star of the county.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41Here, striking buildings spanning many centuries stand tall,
0:02:41 > 0:02:45with decorative Gothic spires that rise high above the city.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48The 14th-century New College is one of the most significant
0:02:48 > 0:02:51medieval buildings of its kind in Europe.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54The county is located almost entirely within
0:02:54 > 0:02:56the River Thames basin.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59The river provides pleasure-boaters with stunning vistas
0:02:59 > 0:03:03and also passes pretty villages such as Northmoor and Kingston Bagpuize,
0:03:03 > 0:03:07both of which display a real mix of country charm.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10So, for escapees looking for a rural paradise,
0:03:10 > 0:03:13yet still within reach of culture and history,
0:03:13 > 0:03:16Oxfordshire is the perfect place to enjoy a piece of it all.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23Well, when it comes to the cost of housing, Oxfordshire has long been a hotspot.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25Here, the average price of a detached property
0:03:25 > 0:03:29is currently £446,000.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33That's a massive £160,000 above the national figure.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36Why? Well, the reason is simple.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39Its location means it offers great commuter links into London
0:03:39 > 0:03:41and the cities of the Midlands,
0:03:41 > 0:03:44and, of course, those beautiful Cotswold villages
0:03:44 > 0:03:47have long made it popular with tourists, second-homers
0:03:47 > 0:03:48and locals, alike.
0:03:48 > 0:03:49All the reasons, in fact,
0:03:49 > 0:03:53that have attracted today's buyers to want to move here.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57Retired civil servant Jane and partner John, a bespoke tailor,
0:03:57 > 0:04:01live in a three-bedroom terrace in St Albans, Hertfordshire.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05We've known one another for a good eight years, is it now?
0:04:05 > 0:04:07- Seven.- Seven, see, that's a good start, isn't it?
0:04:07 > 0:04:09SHE LAUGHS
0:04:09 > 0:04:12It's been so enjoyable, I've added a year on.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15They first met when a mutual friend set them up.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18I kind of felt really funny when I saw you.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21- It was sort of love at first sight, I guess.- It was, it was really nice
0:04:21 > 0:04:23for both of us cos that's what happened, we went, "Oh...hello!"
0:04:26 > 0:04:29They've lived together in Jane's Hertfordshire house for five years.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32Well, St Albans is a lovely old town.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35It's got a lovely centre, it's got loads of nice, interesting shops,
0:04:35 > 0:04:38it's got a market, it's got loads of pubs, I think.
0:04:38 > 0:04:43Probably the more pubs, I think, than practically any other place.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46- Why did you look at me when you said pubs?- Sorry.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48The only problem with it is the parking
0:04:48 > 0:04:50when it gets a bit busy.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53They love their home, but with a large family,
0:04:53 > 0:04:56they feel it's the right time to head for pastures green.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00Jane has two daughters and a son from a previous relationship
0:05:00 > 0:05:02and John has a son and a daughter.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04I've actually outgrown this house.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06- It's not big enough. - SHE LAUGHS
0:05:06 > 0:05:09Because all my family, my children keep it coming and going
0:05:09 > 0:05:13and staying with us and we just can't all get into this room.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16I'd just like some more space.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19We've got two dogs, so we'd like to be able to spread out
0:05:19 > 0:05:24and have a bit of space, a bigger garden and a view of something.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27I particularly like the countryside, having grown up in Ireland.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31I feel it gives me a bit more freedom of open spaces.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34When they move, John will still be working,
0:05:34 > 0:05:37so his job in west London and an expanding family
0:05:37 > 0:05:39are dictating their relocation.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41Well, we're looking to move basically round the Oxford area.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44It'll still be handy for me for work, for travelling in
0:05:44 > 0:05:46cos I still have to commute for another five to six years.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48Well, my family is very important to me
0:05:48 > 0:05:51I'd want to be nearer my daughter who lives in the Cotswolds
0:05:51 > 0:05:55and she's got a little boy, my first grandchild,
0:05:55 > 0:05:58and I just want to be nearer them.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00I won't be too far from my son either, who...
0:06:00 > 0:06:03Well, he's in south-east London.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06And if we had the space they could come and stay.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09I'm retired anyway, so I'll have more time to see everyone.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13Jane's other daughter Rachel, a textile designer,
0:06:13 > 0:06:15will also be joining them temporarily.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17And when they move,
0:06:17 > 0:06:19Jane and John want to make the most of their new surroundings
0:06:19 > 0:06:23as well as a good slice of quality downtime.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26- We love walking, don't we? - Yeah, we do.- We do a lot of walking.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29Walking with the dogs is one of the best things you can do, isn't it?
0:06:29 > 0:06:31It's good exercise and it's out in the fresh air,
0:06:31 > 0:06:35and I also really like doing up houses.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39I like painting and doing furniture up, making cushions,
0:06:39 > 0:06:42so I'm looking forward to having the time to do that
0:06:42 > 0:06:44and enjoying the garden,
0:06:44 > 0:06:47doing the nice things that I haven't had time to do.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49I really enjoy motorcycle-riding,
0:06:49 > 0:06:51it's been one of my favourite things since I've been 16
0:06:51 > 0:06:54and I got my first bike. It's just the freedom of having a bike,
0:06:54 > 0:06:56being somewhere in the open fresh air
0:06:56 > 0:06:58and I suppose if it is in Oxfordshire,
0:06:58 > 0:07:01we're hoping that there won't be that much traffic around.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04So, with their house on the market and a real desire to head west,
0:07:04 > 0:07:06they're looking forward to leaving the city
0:07:06 > 0:07:09and getting stuck into a more rural way of life.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13We do look at our life, in a way, as a bit of an adventure.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16We like to think that way, that we're young enough to do things
0:07:16 > 0:07:20and enjoy things and not sort of think, "Oh, we're getting on a bit,
0:07:20 > 0:07:23"perhaps we should slow down and think about things."
0:07:23 > 0:07:26We're still young enough to be out there doing things and enjoying it.
0:07:26 > 0:07:31I'm just looking forward to starting something new and exciting.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33I don't want to wait any longer.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35Live the dream, that's what I want to do.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42The ideal Oxfordshire location
0:07:42 > 0:07:45would be somewhere not too far from Jane's daughter in Gloucestershire
0:07:45 > 0:07:48and within an hour and a half's commute from John's work
0:07:48 > 0:07:50in Notting Hill, west London.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53So, we're concentrating our search to the west of the county.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56And before we get off the starting blocks, we're all meeting up
0:07:56 > 0:07:59to make sure I'm up to speed on the finer details
0:07:59 > 0:08:00of their property wish-list.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03Well, what a spot, eh?
0:08:03 > 0:08:05- It's lovely, isn't it?- Isn't it? - Oh, it's gorgeous.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08Now, John, you're a tailor in London.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10Look, I've spruced up for you today.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12I know, and look at me and how I'm dressed, if I'd have known...
0:08:12 > 0:08:15- THEY LAUGH - You've shown me up here, I tell you.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17Finely cut, I'll have you know.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19Give us an idea of the sort of property, then,
0:08:19 > 0:08:21that you've been dreaming about, Jane.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24Right, I'd like something with character, obviously,
0:08:24 > 0:08:26I like old houses.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29Farmhouse kitchen with room to eat in the kitchen.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31A utility room, maybe, for the dogs.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33- Yeah.- Three beds.
0:08:33 > 0:08:34Bit of space around.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37I just want to stretch my wings a bit.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39Now, you mentioned your daughter in Stroud, Sian,
0:08:39 > 0:08:41and your other daughter, Rachel,
0:08:41 > 0:08:43is, for the time being, going to come with you
0:08:43 > 0:08:45so we do need to find her some space in this property,
0:08:45 > 0:08:48- as well, don't we?- Yes, we do, we need a room for her
0:08:48 > 0:08:52and possibly a work room or an office that she could use.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54And what about a sense of community, John,
0:08:54 > 0:08:56have you thought about position for this new property?
0:08:56 > 0:08:59Well, we don't want to be isolated. We would like something
0:08:59 > 0:09:01on the edge of a village, something like that would be ideal.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03What about the budget, then, for all of this?
0:09:03 > 0:09:07- Because, you know, Oxfordshire, famously, is not the cheapest.- No.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09But we've got 500,000 maximum.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12The property market here is incredibly buoyant.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14It's clear that you want something with character
0:09:14 > 0:09:16and that lovely sort of country-feel,
0:09:16 > 0:09:18- farmhouse kitchen, you've described and so on.- Yeah.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21Would you consider a semi, for example?
0:09:21 > 0:09:24Yes, I would consider a semi.
0:09:24 > 0:09:25Yes.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28Cos I know that 500 might not go as far as we'd like.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30Well, we're going to try and make it go as far as possible,
0:09:30 > 0:09:34don't worry about it, but, yeah, I think that's fairly doable.
0:09:34 > 0:09:35You know, we do like a challenge.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37Let's go and spend some of your money.
0:09:37 > 0:09:38All right, come on, then.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44For their top budget of £500,000,
0:09:44 > 0:09:49Jane and John want a character property that has plenty of space.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51They'd like a country kitchen-diner
0:09:51 > 0:09:54and a utility room for their two dogs.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56Upstairs, they're hoping for three bedrooms,
0:09:56 > 0:09:57and outside, they want a garden
0:09:57 > 0:10:00with enough room for the dogs to run around.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04Location-wise, somewhere on the edge of a village would be ideal.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08We've hand-picked a selection of wonderful properties
0:10:08 > 0:10:10for Jane and John to consider.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12And it will only be after they've viewed each one
0:10:12 > 0:10:15that the price will be revealed.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17Our final visit will be to our Mystery House,
0:10:17 > 0:10:20which will deliver their requirements in bucket-loads
0:10:20 > 0:10:22but with one small catch.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33Jane, given that one of your daughters is in Stroud,
0:10:33 > 0:10:37you must know Oxfordshire reasonably well, driving through it to see her.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39Yes, I'm getting to know it quite well now.
0:10:39 > 0:10:44I do know quite a bit about where we want to be, yes.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46And, John, you were born in Ireland
0:10:46 > 0:10:48but you haven't lived there for how many years?
0:10:48 > 0:10:50- Let's say, a lot. - THEY LAUGH
0:10:50 > 0:10:53Let's not pin it down to actual years.
0:10:53 > 0:10:54How well do you know Oxfordshire?
0:10:54 > 0:10:57I've had quite a lot of experience of round Oxfordshire.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59My brother was in the RAF
0:10:59 > 0:11:01and there's a lot of airfields around here,
0:11:01 > 0:11:04so I've got to know pretty much a lot of Oxfordshire,
0:11:04 > 0:11:08and the Cotswold stone is something that really appeals to both of us,
0:11:08 > 0:11:11- Oh, yeah.- So, it's always given us something we really liked.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17With location in mind, we're kicking off our search
0:11:17 > 0:11:19in the village of Kelmscott,
0:11:19 > 0:11:21close to the Oxfordshire-Gloucestershire border.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24The village is around a one-and-three-quarter hour commute
0:11:24 > 0:11:27from London and boasts many properties, including the local pub,
0:11:27 > 0:11:31that are all built from attractive ochre-coloured Cotswold stone.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35The church, St George's, has barely changed
0:11:35 > 0:11:37since the end of the 15th century
0:11:37 > 0:11:39because of one notable local resident.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42The renowned 19th-century designer William Morris
0:11:42 > 0:11:45described this village as heaven on Earth
0:11:45 > 0:11:47and he founded a society to preserve ancient buildings
0:11:47 > 0:11:49like those found here.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53His 400-year-old summer retreat, Kelmscott Manor,
0:11:53 > 0:11:54is built of sandstone
0:11:54 > 0:11:58and is now a treasure trove of his possessions, open to the public.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02Amenities are a short drive away in the small town of Lechlade,
0:12:02 > 0:12:04which has a good selection of shops on offer.
0:12:05 > 0:12:10But back in the heart of rural Kelmscott is our first property.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12Right, then. Here we are.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15- Very nice.- Yeah?- Very pretty. - Yeah?- Very nice.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18This village, Kelmscott, is absolutely gorgeous.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22- Mmm.- And this one is sold not just on what it offers you
0:12:22 > 0:12:23but also on its location.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26The pub is within staggering distance, just down there.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28What makes you think we'd be interested in the pub?
0:12:28 > 0:12:30THEY LAUGH Well, you know...
0:12:30 > 0:12:34But in terms of community, you know, it's a great place to start.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37What we've got for you here is a semi,
0:12:37 > 0:12:39- formerly farm workers' cottages. - Oh, right.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43This one has been completely renovated and doubled in size,
0:12:43 > 0:12:45- with an extension to the rear.- OK.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47What do you reckon? John?
0:12:47 > 0:12:48I think it looks very nice.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51I love the layout, the gardens and everything else like that.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54It looks like, from my point of view, you're not having to do much.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56It ticks all the boxes.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58There is nothing to do. I mean, there really is nothing to do.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00Come on, let's have a look.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05The original part of this house was built over 100 years ago,
0:13:05 > 0:13:07but the extension is just five years old
0:13:07 > 0:13:09and has been beautifully finished.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11We're heading down the side of the property
0:13:11 > 0:13:13and straight into the kitchen-diner.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15Come in.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17So, this is the new extension.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20- It's lovely, isn't it?- Yeah. - Really beautiful.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22I love the cupboards.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25- It's got that lovely, crisp, new feel to it.- Yeah, it's lovely.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28- There's a big utility room through there.- Oh, yes.
0:13:28 > 0:13:29- They've got dogs.- Yeah.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31And obviously, they appreciate having that
0:13:31 > 0:13:34kind of boot room, as well, for them.
0:13:34 > 0:13:35- So far so good?- Yes.- Mmm, yeah.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39And it all drifts rather nicely into here, which is the main living room.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41Oh. This is a lovely room.
0:13:41 > 0:13:42- Yes.- It is, isn't it?
0:13:42 > 0:13:45Yeah, it's really light and I love the wood burner.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47Yeah. Lit today just for us. THEY LAUGH
0:13:47 > 0:13:49I was hoping there would be one.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52The nice thing about this, because they added the extension,
0:13:52 > 0:13:55they've been able to knock through what would have been two rooms here
0:13:55 > 0:13:57to create this great big family room.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59So, I'm just trying to picture the scene, John,
0:13:59 > 0:14:02- you know, hard day tailoring in London...- Yes.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04I'm here with my brandy in front of the fire.
0:14:04 > 0:14:05Brilliant.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07- That's what I was going to say! - My dogs at my feet.- Yeah.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11I mean, the nice thing about this property is it has those secrets.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14I mean, it reveals itself very immediately.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17But one thing a lot of older characterful properties
0:14:17 > 0:14:19struggle with is storage space...
0:14:19 > 0:14:21- Yeah.- ..in terms of bedrooms and that sort of thing.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24But I think this might work. Come and have a look.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27Above us are three bedrooms.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30There's a double at the front of the house with its own shower room.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34Next to that is a single with space for a desk and at the back,
0:14:34 > 0:14:36there's another double.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38This is what is currently used as the master bedroom
0:14:38 > 0:14:40- by the owners at the moment.- Yeah.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42You may think they should have gone for the en-suite
0:14:42 > 0:14:46down there, but they prefer the views over the fields that way.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48Oh, yeah, that's a lovely view, isn't it? Nice room.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50You've got the family bathroom right next door.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53- I mean, you could actually put a door in that corridor...- Yeah.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57- ..and it would create effectively an en-suite master suite for you. - Yeah.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59It is beautifully finished, we love all the details on it,
0:14:59 > 0:15:03but I don't think there's quite enough room for us.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05I think it's a little bit small, to be honest.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07I think when we get to the prize...
0:15:08 > 0:15:11- ..it will rather...- Hmm?- Oh, OK.
0:15:11 > 0:15:16- ..set out the landscape that we are battling with here in terms of...- Space?
0:15:16 > 0:15:19- ..Oxfordshire's property market and what you get for your money.- Yeah.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22- Oh, OK.- Let's go outside and talk about the numbers.- OK.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25The garden here sits mainly to the side of the house and is
0:15:25 > 0:15:27accessed from the kitchen.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30There's a well-maintained lawn bordered by trees and flowerbeds
0:15:30 > 0:15:35as well as a garden shed, a greenhouse and a patio
0:15:35 > 0:15:38with wonderful views across the fields beyond.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41And there are also some unexpected feathered friends.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45- Listen to that!- Oh, chickens, John! - It's the sound of the country!
0:15:45 > 0:15:48- Sound of the country!- You said you wanted chickens.- I did.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50Not sure if I'm ready for them now, though!
0:15:50 > 0:15:52THEY LAUGH
0:15:52 > 0:15:56- And there we have our nicely extended former farm worker's cottage.- Yeah.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58Now, the house does look lovely and it's that thing, whether
0:15:58 > 0:16:01- you're buying with your head or your heart.- Hmm.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04Visually, the house is beautiful, so we think that we like it and
0:16:04 > 0:16:07- everything, as you said, from the chickens, the grounds and all that. - Yeah.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10It's just that thing of space and maybe we'll have to adjust our minds to that.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12It's charming, actually.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15They've done it beautifully, haven't they?
0:16:15 > 0:16:17- I sort of feel that Jules is leading us on to something here.- Yes.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21- He's going to say, "And what about the price?" - THEY LAUGH
0:16:21 > 0:16:23- And then we're going to say... - HE GROANS
0:16:23 > 0:16:25Right, go on, then, John. Make us an offer.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27Well, I think it's bang on the money, Jules.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29- I think it is about the 500,000. - Oh, yeah?
0:16:29 > 0:16:31- I'm going to go a bit less, I think.- Uh-huh?
0:16:33 > 0:16:35- 475?- You're not far, mate.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37It's on at 495,000.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39- So it is pretty much everything. - Bang on the line.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42Well, I can understand that, because it's a lovely house, the setting and
0:16:42 > 0:16:45- everything, you were saying...- I was just being a bit hopeful, I think.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48But the good news is, it's under budget and you can afford it!
0:16:48 > 0:16:51- You see?- Yeah! So it's not a total loss. That's the key thing.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53Well, look, go and have a wander round, the house is yours.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57Go and enjoy it, see what you get for your budget and I will come
0:16:57 > 0:17:00- and find you a little bit later on. - OK.- Thanks very much, Jules.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02- Take your time.- Yeah.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04This extended semidetached house
0:17:04 > 0:17:06has come in just under Jane and John's budget,
0:17:06 > 0:17:10leaving them with £5,000 to play with.
0:17:10 > 0:17:11It's got loads of character,
0:17:11 > 0:17:15a kitchen-diner and just the right number of bedrooms.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18Now, it may not be as roomy as they'd like,
0:17:18 > 0:17:21which is something that comes with the pricey territory they're
0:17:21 > 0:17:24searching in, but there's a pretty garden with views and it's well
0:17:24 > 0:17:26located in the heart of a quiet village.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28Bwak-bwak-bwak!
0:17:28 > 0:17:30- They're lovely.- Aw! They're lovely. - So we could have fresh eggs.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33- We could.- Yeah. And what's that there, are those strawberries?
0:17:33 > 0:17:36- Oh, that's a strawberry box. - Yeah, that's lovely, isn't it?
0:17:36 > 0:17:39Our first impression, I've got to be honest, I really like the look of the house.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42It's still got the elements which I really like, of still having
0:17:42 > 0:17:44a bit of old, but inside, very modern and very new,
0:17:44 > 0:17:46done in this very sympathetic way,
0:17:46 > 0:17:48so it didn't look like it was overdone or anything like that.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51Very clean lines which, being what I do, really appealed to me.
0:17:51 > 0:17:56It's gorgeous. And looking inside, it's absolutely stunningly done out.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59There's not a thing to do, it was lovely.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01I couldn't find fault with it.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04The only thing I would say, I'm just not sure that it's big enough.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08We've got quite a big house now and I'm wondering if we can fit in.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12We've got a lot to do. We've got more properties to see. So shall we?
0:18:12 > 0:18:14- Yeah!- Yes.- Let's go.- Lead on.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21Oxfordshire's countryside is the perfect setting for
0:18:21 > 0:18:25a number of stately homes and grounds, including the
0:18:25 > 0:18:29striking Waterperry House and Gardens to the east of Oxford.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32Parts of the house date back to the 17th century,
0:18:32 > 0:18:34when it was a private home
0:18:34 > 0:18:38and it sits in an 83-acre oasis of vibrant flowers,
0:18:38 > 0:18:41manicured lawns and shapely hedges.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44In the 1930s, the site was a school of horticulture for ladies.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46And when it closed in the '70s,
0:18:46 > 0:18:49the house and gardens that had been nurtured
0:18:49 > 0:18:53so carefully by the students were taken over by a charity.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57Today, Waterperry Gardens welcomes around 35,000 visitors a year,
0:18:57 > 0:19:00and Jane and John have come to meet horticultural manager
0:19:00 > 0:19:04Robert Jacobs to learn more about these resplendent gardens.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06So, how big are the gardens?
0:19:06 > 0:19:10It's about eight acres, it might be nine acres now.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13It's a nice walk round, it's a nice place to visit.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16So what's the thinking behind the design and layout of the gardens?
0:19:16 > 0:19:20It's education, every time. We're always trying to teach.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23For example, we have a fantastic herbaceous border.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25You want to have colour all the time,
0:19:25 > 0:19:28so you have a lupin season early in the year.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31You have a delphinium season in high summer and then you finish
0:19:31 > 0:19:33the season with the Michaelmas daisies.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35What's the best thing on show this time of year?
0:19:35 > 0:19:39Well, we're high into the early autumn now at the moment,
0:19:39 > 0:19:41so the Michaelmas daisies are looking great and the
0:19:41 > 0:19:43big thing is the fruit, the top fruits.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45So you'll see pears and lots of lovely apples.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50As well as the eight to nine acres of ornamental gardens here,
0:19:50 > 0:19:53there are also five acres of orchards.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55But when it comes to the fruit trees,
0:19:55 > 0:19:58not everything is as it first seems.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01So, here we are, a piece of horticultural magic.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03This is our family tree.
0:20:03 > 0:20:08We grow approximately 60 different varieties of apples.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11We've managed to get 50 apples on one tree.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15That's 50 different varieties growing on the family tree,
0:20:15 > 0:20:17which sounds pretty amazing.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21It was an epic experiment and achieved by grafting cuttings
0:20:21 > 0:20:24from various apple trees onto the one tree.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27And from the juicy array of fruit now hanging from the branches,
0:20:27 > 0:20:28it's clearly been a success.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31Can you use any type of apple?
0:20:31 > 0:20:34The apples that we eat and we cook with are
0:20:34 > 0:20:36an apple called Malus domesticus.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39So, so long as it's Malus domesticus,
0:20:39 > 0:20:41originally from Kazakhstan, you can use it.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44Which are the best eaters and cookers?
0:20:44 > 0:20:46Well, really, as far as cookers are concerned,
0:20:46 > 0:20:49um, it doesn't matter too much.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52England's a place where we have a tradition of having cookers.
0:20:52 > 0:20:53In France and on the Continent,
0:20:53 > 0:20:57they tend to just cook whatever apples are available to cook with.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00And they tend to be the sharper and the sourer apples that we pick.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04As far as eating, it's down to your taste and also the season,
0:21:04 > 0:21:06because it's really important.
0:21:06 > 0:21:07Apples come on in the seasons,
0:21:07 > 0:21:10so that is why you have your early, your mids and your lates.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14And the tastes are different. They've all got their own characteristics in that time.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16Surrounded by so much ripe fruit,
0:21:16 > 0:21:20Jane and John are going to get the chance to harvest some themselves.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23Apple crops are ready to pick between August and November.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25We've got some picking bags here.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28- OK.- Head through there, arms through these two holes. That's it.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30First time.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33When you're picking, pick with the palm of the hand and roll up.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35You don't want to crush the apple.
0:21:35 > 0:21:40- So if you can fill the bag, I'll get the box ready.- OK.- Right. - Let's do it!
0:21:40 > 0:21:43Ripening under the sun, coupled with low night-time temperatures,
0:21:43 > 0:21:46helps the sugars to develop, which makes them sweet to eat
0:21:46 > 0:21:49and produces a rosy-red glow on the skin.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52Once the bags are full, they're emptied into apple crates,
0:21:52 > 0:21:55- ready to be pressed. - If you bend down... That's it.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58- And just gently... Gently!- Oh, sorry!- That's all right!
0:21:58 > 0:21:59And now, John.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02That's it.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05Ahh! A man that's done it before.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09The next stop for these apples today is the hand press.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12Each year, over 40,000 kilos of Waterperry apples
0:22:12 > 0:22:16produce 25,000-30,000 bottles of apple juice,
0:22:16 > 0:22:21which is sold here on-site, but also in local shops and restaurants.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23Jane and John are going to have a go at transforming the fruit
0:22:23 > 0:22:25into delicious juice.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28But they're not using the industrial site's press in the pressing room,
0:22:28 > 0:22:31rather, they're using a handpress similar to the method
0:22:31 > 0:22:33used before mechanisation.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37- We're looking to produce something like that if you can.- Oh.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39So, these are the apples that you picked earlier.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41John, I'll need you to turn the handle.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43If you could feed the apples in, Jane?
0:22:43 > 0:22:45And then once we've filled up enough,
0:22:45 > 0:22:48we're going to swing this over. This is the press.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51And from there on, you will be producing apple juice.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56Keep adding it in.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58I'm afraid we've got a long way to go, Jane!
0:22:58 > 0:23:01- Oh! I'm doing it as fast as I can. - THEY LAUGH
0:23:01 > 0:23:04- You can see why these days they have mechanical.- Mmm, yeah.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06Instead, we have John.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09- You definitely get that real smell of apples, can't you?- Yeah.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12Going to be looking forward to this juice.
0:23:12 > 0:23:13THEY LAUGH
0:23:13 > 0:23:15The juice is starting to come through.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17Is there anything else that we'll ever add into it?
0:23:17 > 0:23:21- We only ever add a bit of vitamin C, because as you will see, it's started to go brown already.- Yeah.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25That's it, just when you cut into any apple or eat into any apple,
0:23:25 > 0:23:27- its oxidising.- Yeah.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30- So as you're cooking, you add a little bit of lemon juice.- Yeah.
0:23:30 > 0:23:31It clears it all up.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35Actually, it does make you appreciate what you drink, doesn't it?
0:23:35 > 0:23:38When you think of what goes into making a glass of apple juice.
0:23:38 > 0:23:39- Yeah.- You know?
0:23:40 > 0:23:42- There we go.- ALL: Yay!
0:23:42 > 0:23:45Right, now, this comes off. And there's our pulp.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48- Can you see how it's going brown already?- Yeah.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51So that's it oxidising, and the juice is going to have to go brown.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54The lid of the press is closed and secured.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56Then, as the handle is turned,
0:23:56 > 0:23:59the pulp is squeezed and the juice extracted.
0:23:59 > 0:24:00Here it comes.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04Well, here we are. Looks like cappuccino, doesn't it?
0:24:04 > 0:24:07Yeah, well, basically, that's the product.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11- Just a bit of filtration, and vitamin C to clear it up.- Yeah.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13Well, I'm going to try it now. Cheers!
0:24:15 > 0:24:19That is absolutely lovely. Really. John, you try some.
0:24:19 > 0:24:20I'd love to, thank you very much.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26Mmm. That is lovely, Rob. That is excellent.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30Well, thank you very much for all your knowledge and help there and we've really enjoyed it.
0:24:30 > 0:24:31You're both very welcome,
0:24:31 > 0:24:34I'm glad you enjoyed the day and good luck with the house-hunt.
0:24:34 > 0:24:35Oh, thank you.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41Our house search continues as we journey to the village of
0:24:41 > 0:24:45Chadlington in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49This archetypal Cotswolds village is renowned not least because
0:24:49 > 0:24:53the constituency address of Prime Minister David Cameron is nearby.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56It also has a range of stone cottages
0:24:56 > 0:24:59and the 12th-century St Nicholas Church.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01Surrounded by beautiful countryside,
0:25:01 > 0:25:05locals are served by a handful of essential shops and a village pub.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07Just a few minutes' drive away is the town of Charlbury,
0:25:07 > 0:25:12where there's a wider section of amenities and also a useful train station,
0:25:12 > 0:25:16which would get John into London in under an hour and a half.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19Back in Chadlington, we find ourselves at our second property
0:25:19 > 0:25:21in the heart of the village.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24- Oh!- Oh, it's fabulous.- Yes?
0:25:24 > 0:25:27I'm really excited. It's really gorgeous.
0:25:27 > 0:25:28CHURCH BELLS TOLL
0:25:28 > 0:25:31- Oh!- A church!- And a working church! THEY LAUGH
0:25:31 > 0:25:33There you are then, there we are.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35- That is the sound of the country, isn't it?- Yep.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39I'm just already getting really...excited.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43- Now, this one absolutely is packed full of character features.- Mmm.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47It's about 1750, it's been in the same family since 1920,
0:25:47 > 0:25:50- it does need a bit of updating. - Mmm.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53And this is one you can really put your stamp on, I think, in terms
0:25:53 > 0:25:57of making it your home without feeling that it's all produced for you.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00- Exciting.- Yeah?- Yes.- Come on, let's have a look inside.- Come on then.- Great!
0:26:00 > 0:26:03This end-of-terrace cottage is grade II listed
0:26:03 > 0:26:05and is built of Cotswolds stone.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09But its facade hides a rather special home within.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12To the right of the front door, off the hallway, is a cosy sitting room.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15Now then, Jane.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18- Wow.- A bit of period charm for you.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21Oh, you've definitely done that for me. It's very, very nice.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23- What do you think, John?- I like it. I know Jane will, because this is
0:26:23 > 0:26:27- everything she loves about the house...- It's just the sort of thing I like.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30..the wood burner, the whole look of the place and everything else, I think that's her.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34- My only concern is low ceilings. - Yeah.- But I think I can just about scrape through, can't I?
0:26:34 > 0:26:38It does ramble a bit, this one. The kitchen area at the moment is here.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41- Oh, all right, yeah. - You've got a cellar down there.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44- Quite a decent size, about the size of that room.- Right.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47- And there's a thought that it might have been a pub, once upon a time. - OK.- Yeah.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51Because it's the only property in this street with a cellar.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54There's a utility area through here,
0:26:54 > 0:26:56which goes out to a very traditional-looking scullery.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59Well, it's got lots of character, Jules,
0:26:59 > 0:27:01and that's really what I think Jane's into.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03I wanted the character and something a bit different.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06I mean, it's not all perfect, it's not all done.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08Yeah, that's what I mean, I don't want a perfect house.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11Well, this could be the one, then. I mean, some would say it's quirky.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13- Yeah.- Um, I think it's got a lot of scope...- Mmm.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16..for you to turn it into something that you really want without
0:27:16 > 0:27:19taking anything away from what's already here.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21You'd have this space, reception area, but also,
0:27:21 > 0:27:23we've got a separate living room for you next door.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26- Oh, right. - Come and have a look at this.
0:27:28 > 0:27:32So we leave the sort of higgledy-piggledy bits behind
0:27:32 > 0:27:34and step into a little more elegance.
0:27:34 > 0:27:38- Oh, this is lovely as well, isn't it?- Very cosy.- It's gorgeous.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40- Yeah. Is this what you expected from the outside?- Well, no.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43It's funny, I don't know what I expected.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46The house is just like... Just has so much character, it's fantastic.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48The beams, the fireplace, everything about it.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50It's just... It's quite special.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54And the character continues on the first floor, where there's
0:27:54 > 0:27:57a beamed family bathroom that serves four double bedrooms.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00There's a spacious room with a feature fireplace,
0:28:00 > 0:28:02and up again on the floor above,
0:28:02 > 0:28:06there are two bedrooms in the eaves, each with its own charm.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09Then back down on the first floor is the master.
0:28:12 > 0:28:13Oh! Isn't it lovely?
0:28:14 > 0:28:16John! Gorgeous.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19- It's kind of like a boudoir thing. - Yes.- My kind of room.
0:28:19 > 0:28:23- I think this is certainly the one that oozes character to me.- Yes.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26I really want to get you outside into the garden,
0:28:26 > 0:28:28- because there is one more little treat to show you out there.- Ooh!
0:28:28 > 0:28:32And the garden itself is probably a lot bigger than you're expecting, too.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34- So...- OK.- Follow me through here. - OK.
0:28:34 > 0:28:40Outside, a patio leads to a neat lawn bordered by flowerbeds, hedges and trees.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42- Oh, this is amazing. - Isn't that lovely?
0:28:42 > 0:28:46- Now, this studio...- I've spotted it! - Yes, keep that in your minds! - Oh, wow.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50But the garden is long and thin and it comes up here
0:28:50 > 0:28:53and you've got all of this as well.
0:28:53 > 0:28:57Wow! This is fantastic. It's so beautiful.
0:28:57 > 0:29:00And it goes up just beyond those tall conifers at the end,
0:29:00 > 0:29:04typical to have long, thin gardens running off of properties of this age.
0:29:04 > 0:29:06- Mmm.- You've got the studio there,
0:29:06 > 0:29:09- which I'm sure Rachel will really enjoy.- Oh, yes.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12- So, it is price time. - It's that time again.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15It's that time, Jane, so...
0:29:15 > 0:29:19- give us your best guess.- I'm going to say 495.- 495. Yeah, John?
0:29:19 > 0:29:21I'm going to go a bit lower on this one,
0:29:21 > 0:29:25I'm feeling a bit cooler about it. So I'll go 475.
0:29:25 > 0:29:29Well, I'm afraid it's not 495 or indeed 475,
0:29:29 > 0:29:34but it is several fives, I'm afraid, it's 525.
0:29:34 > 0:29:36- OK.- Oh, is it?- Mmm.
0:29:36 > 0:29:39- But open to sensible offers.- OK.
0:29:39 > 0:29:41In a certain way, I'm not surprised because the house is lovely
0:29:41 > 0:29:44and it's got such garden, and where it is situated like that.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47It's just what, sometimes... What the value of the house is and
0:29:47 > 0:29:50- what you would think it was worth to you.- Take as long as you want.
0:29:50 > 0:29:53Understand it, see if you can find a solution.
0:29:53 > 0:29:56- And I'll come and find you a little bit later.- OK.
0:29:56 > 0:29:58- Thanks very much.- Off you go. - OK, see you in a while.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01And I think they will have to take their time because, as with
0:30:01 > 0:30:04many historic properties, trying to upgrade them to what we
0:30:04 > 0:30:07regard as modern living does require a bit of imagination,
0:30:07 > 0:30:10but I am confident that those two have got it.
0:30:12 > 0:30:14This delightful period cottage may be on the market
0:30:14 > 0:30:18for £25,000 over Jane and John's budget,
0:30:18 > 0:30:21but the owners may be open to a sensible offer.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24The country kitchen is certainly full of quirky character,
0:30:24 > 0:30:26and there's also room for the dogs.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29The cottage comes with one more bedroom than they'd asked for,
0:30:29 > 0:30:31and outside provides a rather lovely garden with
0:30:31 > 0:30:34a studio that could be ideal for daughter Rachel.
0:30:35 > 0:30:39- Oh, look at this.- It's lovely and warm, isn't it?- Fantastic.
0:30:39 > 0:30:43- I know somebody that would like this.- So do I.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46Coming in, it's just a beautiful house.
0:30:46 > 0:30:50Lovely features, just the sort of thing I'm looking for.
0:30:50 > 0:30:55Lovely, cosy feel. It's just the one thing is the kitchen.
0:30:55 > 0:30:57It's not really workable for us at the moment,
0:30:57 > 0:31:00but if we could do something, have an extension at the back,
0:31:00 > 0:31:03then I think it would be the perfect house.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06We really love the garden, it's got so much going on there,
0:31:06 > 0:31:09it's almost like two gardens in one, because the first part
0:31:09 > 0:31:11you've got, which is a lovely manicured garden,
0:31:11 > 0:31:13and then when you go past that,
0:31:13 > 0:31:16it's got this lovely open garden with a little gazebo there, which
0:31:16 > 0:31:18is really good. And I can see Jane sitting there having a
0:31:18 > 0:31:20gin and tonic, flicking through her books.
0:31:20 > 0:31:24Yeah, I think that will work really well.
0:31:24 > 0:31:25We're getting there, aren't we?
0:31:25 > 0:31:27I think so, I've a quite good feeling about it.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30- You've just got to be able to afford it.- It's the money.
0:31:30 > 0:31:32- I know, it's the money.- Always the money.- It's always the money.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35But this isn't the only property, of course, we are showing this week,
0:31:35 > 0:31:38but it's worth thinking about and putting it on the list maybe.
0:31:38 > 0:31:40- Definitely.- Right, come on.
0:31:49 > 0:31:52It's the second day of our Oxfordshire adventure,
0:31:52 > 0:31:55searching out a characterful country house for Jane and John from
0:31:55 > 0:31:58St Albans in Hertfordshire.
0:31:58 > 0:32:02And with a top budget of £500,000 in their pocket, they're ready
0:32:02 > 0:32:05to wave goodbye to the city to be closer to loved ones.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08And we've got a knockout Mystery House to come.
0:32:08 > 0:32:10Mind your head, John.
0:32:10 > 0:32:12THEY LAUGH
0:32:12 > 0:32:15- Come over here a minute. - Nothing like a bit of slapstick.
0:32:15 > 0:32:18And I'll be stepping back in time when I visit one of Britain's
0:32:18 > 0:32:20most impressive manor houses.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23Oh, wow. This is incredible.
0:32:24 > 0:32:28Well, with our house search now well underway, our task of trying to find
0:32:28 > 0:32:31Jane and John a home has been further complicated by the need to help
0:32:31 > 0:32:36them reassess their expectations as to just how far their budget can
0:32:36 > 0:32:40go here in one of the most expensive property markets in the country.
0:32:40 > 0:32:44So, with two more properties to come, including our Mystery House,
0:32:44 > 0:32:48can we strike that magic balance between aspiration and reality?
0:32:48 > 0:32:49Well, we'll give it a go.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55Next, we're travelling to the village of West Adderbury,
0:32:55 > 0:32:57in the north of Oxfordshire.
0:32:57 > 0:33:01Here, thatched cottages are a theme, along with iron stone buildings,
0:33:01 > 0:33:05whose colour is darker than its paler limestone contemporaries.
0:33:05 > 0:33:07There's a traditional pub and a great choice of shops in the
0:33:07 > 0:33:09village.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12Nearby is the spectacular 13th century St Mary's,
0:33:12 > 0:33:15said to be one of the finest churches in Oxfordshire.
0:33:15 > 0:33:18There's also a great expanse of recreational fields,
0:33:18 > 0:33:20perfect dog walking territory.
0:33:20 > 0:33:23And all within walking distance of our next property.
0:33:23 > 0:33:28- Right, then. There we are. What do we think of that?- Oh, looks lovely.
0:33:28 > 0:33:32- I think it's really pretty. It's lovely.- It's a new-build.
0:33:32 > 0:33:34- No!- Yes.
0:33:34 > 0:33:36It doesn't look a new house, does it?
0:33:36 > 0:33:39They've used the local stone here, which is lovely, this
0:33:39 > 0:33:43iron-rich stone, which is a darker colour to much of the Cotswolds.
0:33:43 > 0:33:47One thing we've established is this business of your expectation
0:33:47 > 0:33:50- as to how much space you're going to get.- Yes.
0:33:50 > 0:33:54I can't tell you it's any bigger than anything we've seen so far, but it's in a great village,
0:33:54 > 0:33:59there's lots going on here in Adderbury, great connections out to the M40,
0:33:59 > 0:34:03rail links from Banbury into London and so on.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06- So, yeah, that's the proposition. - It looks really interesting.
0:34:06 > 0:34:10I'm amazed it's a new-build, I wouldn't have realised that.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13The house also benefits from a garage, and once inside,
0:34:13 > 0:34:16it's obvious there's nothing that needs doing here.
0:34:16 > 0:34:18We're heading straight for the sitting room,
0:34:18 > 0:34:20which runs from the front to the back of the house.
0:34:20 > 0:34:24- Let's start with here.- Oh, this is a nice room, isn't it?
0:34:24 > 0:34:28- Yeah, nice room, nice shape. Lovely long room.- It's lovely.- Easy.
0:34:28 > 0:34:32I think that's the trick, it's an easy one in many respects.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34And, of course, it's not listed.
0:34:34 > 0:34:38- So you can do what you like with it, really.- Yeah.- Within...- Well, within reason.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41Well, first room gets a tick. Next, the kitchen.
0:34:41 > 0:34:45- So, there you are...- Oh, this is a lovely kitchen, isn't it?
0:34:45 > 0:34:47Nice and big.
0:34:47 > 0:34:50- Little utility room in here.- Oh.
0:34:50 > 0:34:54Not really a boot room, but washers, all that sort of stuff.
0:34:54 > 0:34:59- But it does mean the kitchen itself is unencumbered with white goods. - Yeah.
0:34:59 > 0:35:01I think it's a good-size kitchen.
0:35:01 > 0:35:05- I'm not disappointed with the kitchen.- Right, that's good to hear.
0:35:05 > 0:35:09You're going to be here most of the time on your own until you retire.
0:35:09 > 0:35:11So it's a case of whether it's going to work for you.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14- And of course, you'll have Rachel with you initially as well.- Yeah.
0:35:14 > 0:35:16Let's have a look upstairs and see what you think of this.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20Also on this floor, there's a cloakroom.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23Then moving upstairs, a bright stairway and landing that
0:35:23 > 0:35:26leads to four bedrooms laid out over two floors.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29On the top floor, there are two rooms in the eaves,
0:35:29 > 0:35:33a double bedroom and a study, which both share a cloakroom.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36Then one floor below, there's a bedroom overlooking the back
0:35:36 > 0:35:38garden, with a family bathroom next-door.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41And on the other side of the house is the master.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46- This is a nice room, isn't it? - It's lovely.- Lots of space.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49And it really, I think, cleverly incorporates not only an
0:35:49 > 0:35:52en-suite shower through that central doorway, but because of the way they've
0:35:52 > 0:35:57positioned the doorway, you've got his and hers storage either side.
0:35:57 > 0:35:59Oh, that's great, because we do need that, don't we?
0:35:59 > 0:36:01- We do need a certain amount of space.- We do.
0:36:01 > 0:36:05LAUGHTER He's a tailor, he's a tailor.
0:36:05 > 0:36:07I think this works really well.
0:36:07 > 0:36:10- It's nice.- And with the top floor, is that for Rachel?
0:36:10 > 0:36:12I mean, would she be able to accommodate herself up there?
0:36:12 > 0:36:17I'm sure she would, easily. Upstairs is pretty good, actually. For space.
0:36:17 > 0:36:22So it's whether or not you can again really imagine yourself in
0:36:22 > 0:36:25a property like this, because they're all the same sort of
0:36:25 > 0:36:28size, because that's where we are with the budget.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31- Can you manage that, honey? - I'll try.
0:36:31 > 0:36:32THEY LAUGH
0:36:32 > 0:36:34Let's go out to the garden.
0:36:34 > 0:36:36Come on.
0:36:37 > 0:36:41Outside, the pretty walled garden is private and sheltered.
0:36:41 > 0:36:44And there, of course, the back of our lovely house.
0:36:44 > 0:36:47It does look really nice from the back, doesn't it?
0:36:47 > 0:36:50It's been cleverly thought through in trying to maximise the space,
0:36:50 > 0:36:54- but again, space is the thing. - That old one again.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57- What about the garden? - I think it's a bit small.
0:36:57 > 0:36:58If you don't mind me saying.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01I don't mind you saying it, Jane, because you've said it,
0:37:01 > 0:37:05- you've said it a lot this week. John?- Manageable.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08I love the idea of this size of garden, obviously Jane's not so sure about it.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11You see, it's just how you use words, Jane.
0:37:11 > 0:37:15You're saying "small", John is saying "manageable". And I'm saying "easy".
0:37:15 > 0:37:18- Which it is, all of those things. - Yes.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20But let's get to that difficult bit, shall we?
0:37:20 > 0:37:25I'm going to go slightly above our budget, I'm going to go for 510.
0:37:25 > 0:37:26510, yeah.
0:37:26 > 0:37:28It's got to be at the top of our budget,
0:37:28 > 0:37:34so I'm going to go 499,999.
0:37:34 > 0:37:37Just for kicks. THEY LAUGH
0:37:37 > 0:37:42- You're closer to it.- Oh!- Yeah. It's 5...
0:37:42 > 0:37:44- 35.- Oh.
0:37:44 > 0:37:49However, however, I have spoken to the owner and they are aware
0:37:49 > 0:37:53of your budget, and so there is a conversation to be had if
0:37:53 > 0:37:57this one was for you. So it's attainable, is the bottom line.
0:37:57 > 0:37:59Go on, go and have a chat.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02And I'll catch up with you a little bit later on.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05Reflective of the area it's in,
0:38:05 > 0:38:10this stone-built detached house has rung in at £35,000 over Jane
0:38:10 > 0:38:14and John's budget, but it looks like there's room for negotiation.
0:38:14 > 0:38:18The property may be young, but it still possesses character, plus it's
0:38:18 > 0:38:22got just the kitchen-diner they're after, along with a utility room.
0:38:22 > 0:38:25Here, there are enough bedrooms to accommodate their daughter as
0:38:25 > 0:38:29well as guests, and outside there's an easy, manageable garden.
0:38:29 > 0:38:33- So here's the little office. - Oh, this is nice as well.
0:38:33 > 0:38:37- Could be used as a little workroom. - Yeah, sewing room, which is good.
0:38:37 > 0:38:41- Something you quite like the idea of.- Yeah.- Your arts and crafts room.
0:38:41 > 0:38:42Oh, yes, you know.
0:38:42 > 0:38:46When I walked up to the front, I thought it was really a pretty house.
0:38:46 > 0:38:50And when Jules said it was a new-build, I couldn't believe it.
0:38:50 > 0:38:52It does look very nice from the outside.
0:38:52 > 0:38:53When we entered the house,
0:38:53 > 0:38:56I was really surprised by the finish, it's really lovely,
0:38:56 > 0:39:00and I love that idea. I'm not into doing the home decorating as
0:39:00 > 0:39:03much as Jane is, or changing the house around, so I thought the inside,
0:39:03 > 0:39:06the finish on it was really good, I love the whole look of it like that.
0:39:06 > 0:39:09It's the same situation we seem to have come up with before
0:39:09 > 0:39:11where it's the actual space of downstairs.
0:39:11 > 0:39:13And I must say, upstairs is terrific.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16I don't know what to do, I like the house very much.
0:39:16 > 0:39:21Upstairs, actually, was very nice. And I could work with that.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24But I'm not sure if I could work with the downstairs,
0:39:24 > 0:39:27and I didn't get that feeling that I want.
0:39:27 > 0:39:28I'm waiting for the feeling to come,
0:39:28 > 0:39:32that this is it, and I just didn't feel it.
0:39:34 > 0:39:38- After you, Jane.- OK, thanks. - There we are, John.- Thank you.
0:39:38 > 0:39:39Right, then, well...
0:39:39 > 0:39:43- Clearly, the search goes on, doesn't it?- Certainly does.
0:39:43 > 0:39:44Come on.
0:39:50 > 0:39:54As we've seen, the Oxfordshire landscape lends itself to
0:39:54 > 0:39:56fabulous architectural delights.
0:39:56 > 0:40:01And Chastleton House near Moreton-in-Marsh in the Cotswolds is one of the rarest.
0:40:01 > 0:40:05It was built at the beginning of the 17th century for Walter Jones,
0:40:05 > 0:40:09a wool merchant and one of the nouveau riche who was climbing
0:40:09 > 0:40:13the social ladder and wanted to show off his fortune through his home.
0:40:13 > 0:40:18Over 200 years later, it was one of his descendants, Walter James Whitmore,
0:40:18 > 0:40:21who made his name through his passion for croquet.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24The house is thought to be one of the finest examples of a
0:40:24 > 0:40:28complete Jacobean building still surviving in England.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31The family sold it in the 1990s and it was then gifted to the
0:40:31 > 0:40:34National Trust and the nation.
0:40:34 > 0:40:38I've come to meet conservation assistant Julie Davis to learn more.
0:40:38 > 0:40:42We're heading straight to the Great Hall, where an 18-foot table
0:40:42 > 0:40:46has been standing since it was built in situ 400 years ago.
0:40:48 > 0:40:53- Oh, wow. This is wonderful. - Amazing space, isn't it?
0:40:53 > 0:40:57I mean, it's been described as a 17th-century time capsule,
0:40:57 > 0:41:00but when you get inside it, you absolutely get that, don't you?
0:41:00 > 0:41:05- Oh, definitely, yes.- And dare I say it, I can't help but notice all the dust.
0:41:05 > 0:41:07SHE LAUGHS
0:41:07 > 0:41:10And the slightly shabby feel. Is that something I'm allowed to mention?
0:41:10 > 0:41:13- Yes, it's a Chastleton trademark. - HE LAUGHS
0:41:13 > 0:41:16It certainly has that sense that the family literally just got up
0:41:16 > 0:41:20- and left, almost yesterday. - Well, it was quite recently when the family left,
0:41:20 > 0:41:23it was only 1991 when the last lady of the house left.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26And do you think the scale of the property had just overwhelmed
0:41:26 > 0:41:29- her at that point?- Oh, yes, I mean, the upkeep on a place like this,
0:41:29 > 0:41:32as you can imagine, is enormous, the roof space alone, the roof,
0:41:32 > 0:41:35keeping that watertight, etc.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38But in a way, I suppose, that tells part of the story as to how
0:41:38 > 0:41:42it survived, this wonderful Jacobean example.
0:41:42 > 0:41:46Oh, yes, the family didn't have the funds to sort of update it and
0:41:46 > 0:41:50put your Georgian facade on the front and make it look more modern.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53They never had those funds, so it remains a time capsule, as you say.
0:41:53 > 0:41:57So, do you think they were slightly eccentric to set about building this at the time?
0:41:57 > 0:42:00Well, the idea was they would enter the gentry and become part of
0:42:00 > 0:42:03the aristocracy and live that life, and of course to do that,
0:42:03 > 0:42:05you need a large house and lots of land.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08And you're buying, I suppose, a sense of pedigree, aren't you?
0:42:08 > 0:42:10In terms of the way you furnish it,
0:42:10 > 0:42:12the way you decorate it and the way you design it.
0:42:12 > 0:42:14That's right, yes.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17The house was in the same family for almost four centuries.
0:42:17 > 0:42:21And fortuitously, it was their make do and mend philosophy which
0:42:21 > 0:42:24has meant Chastleton has remained preserved in time.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27When it acquired the property and all that comes with it,
0:42:27 > 0:42:30the National Trust decided to continue this philosophy and
0:42:30 > 0:42:33has employed a keep-as-found approach.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36And nowhere is it more evident than below stairs,
0:42:36 > 0:42:39which had lain untouched for over half a century.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42So we're heading down into the kitchen. Oh!
0:42:42 > 0:42:45- Yes, the temperature drops considerably when you get down here.- Doesn't it?
0:42:45 > 0:42:48Oh, look at that, all the bells.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51I mean, this would have been the kind of operations room, I suppose, for a house like this.
0:42:51 > 0:42:54Oh, yes, it would have been a hive of activity in its day.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57- Look at that. "Nursery." Is that "Doctor's chamber"?- Yes.
0:42:57 > 0:43:01They had a doctor here. "Master bedroom." "The best bedroom."
0:43:01 > 0:43:04- I wonder what the difference was. - I've no idea. - THEY LAUGH
0:43:04 > 0:43:07I love that rather medieval looking serving hatch as well.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10- Yes, that's amazing. It leads us through to the kitchen.- After you.
0:43:14 > 0:43:16Oh, wow.
0:43:16 > 0:43:20This is incredible. This is astonishing.
0:43:20 > 0:43:22Nothing's changed in here.
0:43:22 > 0:43:25When the door was closed on this room in the early 1930s,
0:43:25 > 0:43:29this was all left in this condition and that's how we found it.
0:43:29 > 0:43:32The ceiling looks like it needs a little bit of work,
0:43:32 > 0:43:37but I imagine that's all part of the conservation ethic here.
0:43:37 > 0:43:40There's a story behind the ceiling, that's why we've left it as it is.
0:43:40 > 0:43:44Family legend says that if you disturb the ceiling,
0:43:44 > 0:43:46ill will befall the family.
0:43:46 > 0:43:48So hence it was always left like this,
0:43:48 > 0:43:52so it's got 400 years of smoke and fat on there.
0:43:52 > 0:43:56And we've retained that because it tells the story of the house.
0:43:56 > 0:43:59And that story continues upstairs in the Great Chamber.
0:43:59 > 0:44:01Look at that. What would have happened in here?
0:44:01 > 0:44:04This is where all the important visitors would have come and
0:44:04 > 0:44:06been entertained.
0:44:06 > 0:44:08I know it seems odd it being on the first floor,
0:44:08 > 0:44:11but they would have brought them up here because it's such
0:44:11 > 0:44:14a grand room, and it would have shown off their wealth.
0:44:14 > 0:44:17An even more impressive room is up on the second floor,
0:44:17 > 0:44:19and it may look familiar.
0:44:19 > 0:44:23All 72 feet of it recently featured in the television adaptation
0:44:23 > 0:44:25of the novel Wolf Hall,
0:44:25 > 0:44:28telling the 16th century story of Thomas Cromwell's life.
0:44:30 > 0:44:32- Nearly there. - HE LAUGHS
0:44:35 > 0:44:39- Wow.- Welcome to the Long Gallery.- This is amazing.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42Yes, let's go for a stroll, this is what this was used for.
0:44:42 > 0:44:44In wet weather, they used to exercise in here.
0:44:44 > 0:44:47And when we did some work under the floorboards,
0:44:47 > 0:44:50we found some shuttlecocks, table tennis balls, etc.
0:44:50 > 0:44:52So they obviously played games in here as well.
0:44:52 > 0:44:56No surprise it's sited at the top of the building because the
0:44:56 > 0:44:58landscape out there is absolutely wonderful.
0:44:58 > 0:45:01So whatever the weather is doing, I guess you feel connected to
0:45:01 > 0:45:03- the outside, even though you're nice and dry.- Yes.
0:45:03 > 0:45:05It's really, really fascinating, Julie.
0:45:05 > 0:45:07Thank you very much indeed, and I have to confess,
0:45:07 > 0:45:11I do rather like the fact you've left the dust and cobwebs alone.
0:45:11 > 0:45:13- Well done.- Thank you.
0:45:13 > 0:45:16Well, now, I'm going to dust myself down and get back to our
0:45:16 > 0:45:19search for an equally fabulous Oxfordshire abode.
0:45:24 > 0:45:27Well, we have one more roll of the dice, Jane. Our Mystery House.
0:45:27 > 0:45:32Any ideas what it might be? What should it be in your mind's eye now?
0:45:32 > 0:45:35Well, I've been thinking about this.
0:45:35 > 0:45:38It's because you've given us several options.
0:45:38 > 0:45:42And filled the brief we've asked for, really.
0:45:42 > 0:45:46Apart from, it's the space, so either
0:45:46 > 0:45:50it'll be a project that we'd have to do up, maybe...
0:45:50 > 0:45:53a barn conversion, maybe.
0:45:53 > 0:45:55Well, it's certainly an interesting property.
0:45:55 > 0:45:59- It's got spades of character.- Right.
0:45:59 > 0:46:03And it may give you a little more space.
0:46:03 > 0:46:05But not everywhere.
0:46:05 > 0:46:08- There's the riddle.- Oh. - JULES LAUGHS
0:46:08 > 0:46:09Not everywhere...
0:46:12 > 0:46:15For our last visit, we're nipping just over Oxfordshire's
0:46:15 > 0:46:19western border into Gloucestershire, and closer to Jane's daughter, Sian.
0:46:19 > 0:46:23Our destination is the Cotswold village of Little Rissington.
0:46:23 > 0:46:26Pretty stone houses are a feature here, lining the narrow
0:46:26 > 0:46:30streets, and the village hall is the centre of the local community.
0:46:30 > 0:46:33Just two miles away is Bourton-on-the-Water,
0:46:33 > 0:46:36which is one of the most famous and quaint of Cotswold towns.
0:46:36 > 0:46:40Here, lots of shops and restaurants can be found sitting either
0:46:40 > 0:46:42side of the River Windrush.
0:46:42 > 0:46:43A few minutes' drive away,
0:46:43 > 0:46:47back in the heart of Little Rissington, is our final offering.
0:46:48 > 0:46:49Right then, there we are.
0:46:49 > 0:46:53- The riddle is over.- Wow. - This is our Mystery House.
0:46:53 > 0:46:58It is, technically, a semi, but what a semi.
0:46:58 > 0:47:00It's fabulous, I can't...
0:47:00 > 0:47:01I don't know what to say!
0:47:01 > 0:47:04We have shown you, I think, some really good examples of
0:47:04 > 0:47:06Cotswolds property this week, but, to me,
0:47:06 > 0:47:08we have saved the best till last.
0:47:08 > 0:47:09- This is classic.- Yeah.
0:47:09 > 0:47:11We think it's about 17th century.
0:47:11 > 0:47:13The oldest of the lot that we've been able to show you.
0:47:13 > 0:47:16And knowing that space is the key ingredient,
0:47:16 > 0:47:20as far as you're concerned, Jane. I think we've all understood that now.
0:47:20 > 0:47:23This one takes away in that it doesn't have a garden, particularly.
0:47:23 > 0:47:25It's more of a small courtyard, but it does give you that
0:47:25 > 0:47:30all-important extra reception room and it's all brand-new.
0:47:30 > 0:47:31All right.
0:47:31 > 0:47:33Let's see what you think.
0:47:33 > 0:47:35Our mystery farmhouse couldn't be more appealing
0:47:35 > 0:47:39on the outside, with its facade of Cotswold stone,
0:47:39 > 0:47:42mullioned windows and roll-moulded stone steps.
0:47:42 > 0:47:44It was extended to the rear late last century
0:47:44 > 0:47:47and has been recently renovated on the inside.
0:47:47 > 0:47:51The property is currently vacant and just awaiting its new owners.
0:47:51 > 0:47:54We are heading straight into the largest reception room.
0:47:54 > 0:47:57I'm very, very excited to see what you think of this.
0:47:57 > 0:47:59You've got the wow.
0:47:59 > 0:48:00It's got the beams.
0:48:00 > 0:48:01They're not too low, are they?
0:48:01 > 0:48:03No, no, it's a lovely space, isn't it?
0:48:03 > 0:48:05Oh, God, it's gorgeous.
0:48:06 > 0:48:07Love the fireplace.
0:48:07 > 0:48:08You're giggling!
0:48:10 > 0:48:12I shed a tear.
0:48:12 > 0:48:13Good.
0:48:13 > 0:48:16Just cos you heard Jane for the first time, "This space..."
0:48:16 > 0:48:19It's got all those classic hallmarks of a beautiful Cotswold property.
0:48:19 > 0:48:22I know. I can see.
0:48:22 > 0:48:25It's got character and space and just looks so...
0:48:25 > 0:48:28I don't know, just big and lovely. It's incredible.
0:48:28 > 0:48:31This would have been, like, the main reception room.
0:48:31 > 0:48:35It clearly will fulfil that function as probably your main, sort of,
0:48:35 > 0:48:38living space, but we've got the addition of this
0:48:38 > 0:48:43other reception room or dining room or whatever you want it to be.
0:48:43 > 0:48:46- Again, another really lovely space. - Oh, yes.
0:48:46 > 0:48:49- It's had a lot of thought put into it...- Yeah.
0:48:49 > 0:48:52..to give it that modern twist to make it amenable to modern life.
0:48:52 > 0:48:55Not least, kitchen.
0:48:55 > 0:48:56Check this out.
0:48:56 > 0:48:58Can't wait.
0:48:58 > 0:48:59All crisp, all new.
0:48:59 > 0:49:01Oh, it's lovely.
0:49:01 > 0:49:03I love the colour it's done.
0:49:03 > 0:49:06Everything is integrated, fridge, washing machine, etc.
0:49:06 > 0:49:07Oh, is it?
0:49:07 > 0:49:10Downstairs loo here, the new boiler is in there.
0:49:10 > 0:49:13- I love this idea here.- Yeah. - I think that really works there.
0:49:13 > 0:49:15You could imagine the table there,
0:49:15 > 0:49:17with that little, sort of, little nook there.
0:49:18 > 0:49:22It sounds like Jane and John's furniture has already moved into our
0:49:22 > 0:49:25Mystery House and there's also lots to capture their
0:49:25 > 0:49:26imagination upstairs.
0:49:26 > 0:49:30On the first floor, two bedrooms provide just as much period charm
0:49:30 > 0:49:32as downstairs.
0:49:32 > 0:49:34There's a double with a feature window seat and aspects to
0:49:34 > 0:49:37both front and rear.
0:49:37 > 0:49:40A smaller but equally well finished room sits opposite
0:49:40 > 0:49:42a beautifully tiled family bathroom.
0:49:42 > 0:49:44But we're heading up to the second floor,
0:49:44 > 0:49:48where there's what can only be described as a master suite.
0:49:48 > 0:49:50So, here we are right at the top of the building,
0:49:50 > 0:49:52in amongst the roof timbers.
0:49:52 > 0:49:56- Come over here. - Mind your head, John.
0:49:56 > 0:49:59- Come over here, mate. - Nothing like a bit of slapstick.
0:49:59 > 0:50:01We love the finish on it, it really is interesting.
0:50:01 > 0:50:04- The beams and everything. - It's lovely, isn't it?
0:50:04 > 0:50:06It gives you the entire top floor and you've got this
0:50:06 > 0:50:09en suite through here. This is very different.
0:50:10 > 0:50:13It's got this lovely ceramic floor.
0:50:13 > 0:50:16- Oh, my goodness! - Underfloor heating.
0:50:16 > 0:50:17- Look at that.- There's a bath, eh?
0:50:17 > 0:50:21- Yeah.- Can you see yourself in there?
0:50:21 > 0:50:22I definitely can.
0:50:22 > 0:50:25The shower is lovely, kind of waterfall shower.
0:50:25 > 0:50:27It's lovely, I love it.
0:50:28 > 0:50:30- Do you love it?- I do, I do.
0:50:30 > 0:50:32I'm not going to be, "Yes, I love it, I love it."
0:50:32 > 0:50:35I do. There's certain things cos it's got that smallness about it,
0:50:35 > 0:50:37- to me, I feel like I'm going to be...- Yes.- ..around about.
0:50:37 > 0:50:39But the style and finish is unbelievable.
0:50:39 > 0:50:41Smallness in terms of the access up the stairs
0:50:41 > 0:50:43- to get to this master bedroom? - Yeah.- Right.
0:50:43 > 0:50:45But the house as a whole, I think we do agree...
0:50:45 > 0:50:48- It's just unbelievable. - It's absolutely stunning.
0:50:48 > 0:50:50..a step forward in size and space.
0:50:50 > 0:50:51Yeah, definitely.
0:50:51 > 0:50:55There's no two ways about it - this house is stunning.
0:50:55 > 0:50:57But because the old farmhouse and outbuildings here were
0:50:57 > 0:50:59converted into five homes,
0:50:59 > 0:51:03it means the outside space that comes with our Mystery House
0:51:03 > 0:51:06is rather compact, consisting of just a small courtyard.
0:51:06 > 0:51:11It does, however, encompass two parking spaces there.
0:51:11 > 0:51:13- OK.- That is the downside.
0:51:13 > 0:51:15- But...- I know, I know. - ..all of that.
0:51:15 > 0:51:19Have a seat. Come on, let's give this one a bit of consideration.
0:51:19 > 0:51:21It's a lovely house, beautiful.
0:51:21 > 0:51:22It moved you, I think.
0:51:22 > 0:51:24It did.
0:51:24 > 0:51:25I got it there.
0:51:25 > 0:51:28I mean, it isn't the garden I wanted but I think you could
0:51:28 > 0:51:29overcome it, actually.
0:51:29 > 0:51:31Just looking at this hedge here.
0:51:31 > 0:51:35You could actually extend that and that would actually make
0:51:35 > 0:51:37a big difference.
0:51:37 > 0:51:41OK, well, look, let's finish it all off, shall we?
0:51:41 > 0:51:42Final guess of the week.
0:51:42 > 0:51:45- Shall I go first on this one? - Go on, then, John.- You go.- OK.
0:51:45 > 0:51:48I would say it's right at the top end of our budget
0:51:48 > 0:51:50and I'm thinking...
0:51:50 > 0:51:53Hoping, hoping of 525.
0:51:53 > 0:51:55I think I'll go 510.
0:51:55 > 0:51:57510?
0:51:57 > 0:51:59You're hoping at 525.
0:51:59 > 0:52:01Here's hoping then.
0:52:01 > 0:52:03495.
0:52:03 > 0:52:04Wow.
0:52:04 > 0:52:06That's a shock.
0:52:06 > 0:52:07A good one!
0:52:07 > 0:52:09- A good shock.- Yeah.
0:52:09 > 0:52:11Go and wander round, be inspired, soak it up.
0:52:11 > 0:52:14And I will come and find you a little bit later on.
0:52:14 > 0:52:16- OK.- Off you go.- OK.
0:52:16 > 0:52:20In the meantime, the house tour's over, I'm going to relax.
0:52:22 > 0:52:26This beautiful 17th-century farmhouse would leave our buyers
0:52:26 > 0:52:30£5,000 spare from their budget if they made it their home.
0:52:30 > 0:52:34It's full of character and has the space they want,
0:52:34 > 0:52:38with two reception rooms plus a spacious kitchen-diner.
0:52:38 > 0:52:40There are enough bedrooms for their daughter and guests
0:52:40 > 0:52:43and, throughout the house, everything has been finished
0:52:43 > 0:52:45to a really high standard.
0:52:45 > 0:52:48The only compromise that I can see is the lack of
0:52:48 > 0:52:50a meaningful garden for the dogs.
0:52:51 > 0:52:55I just want to see what it's like when we're lying in bed here.
0:52:55 > 0:52:56I know it's a bit crazy. Let's just lie down.
0:52:56 > 0:52:59What, you want us to lie down on the floor? OK.
0:52:59 > 0:53:01This is a bit different, isn't it?
0:53:04 > 0:53:06I think our bed would fit in this space.
0:53:06 > 0:53:07Definitely, yeah.
0:53:07 > 0:53:10As we're lying here on the floor, I think it would.
0:53:10 > 0:53:11Yeah.
0:53:11 > 0:53:13I'm a bit blown away with this house.
0:53:13 > 0:53:14It's stunning.
0:53:14 > 0:53:16When I saw it from the outside, I thought,
0:53:16 > 0:53:19"This is going to be it, this is going to be it"
0:53:19 > 0:53:22and when I came in, I nearly cried actually,
0:53:22 > 0:53:25it was so gorgeous and it's just the sort of thing we are looking for.
0:53:25 > 0:53:27When we came inside and the house opened up,
0:53:27 > 0:53:30it was so beautifully finished, we were just, like, quite
0:53:30 > 0:53:34knocked out by it and, looking round, the house was really interesting.
0:53:34 > 0:53:36All the way they've done all the features to it,
0:53:36 > 0:53:38the way the fireplace looked and all that, it was just incredible.
0:53:38 > 0:53:41We're going to go away and seriously think what we could to with that
0:53:41 > 0:53:42back patio.
0:53:44 > 0:53:46But it's a lovely house.
0:53:48 > 0:53:52You have challenged me this week, but I think we've got there.
0:53:52 > 0:53:53I think we might have.
0:53:53 > 0:53:56Possibly. But we've certainly given you lots to think about,
0:53:56 > 0:53:58so I think that's what you need to do.
0:53:58 > 0:54:00Go and mull it all over and then we'll see what happens next, shall we?
0:54:00 > 0:54:04- OK.- Yeah.- After you. - OK.
0:54:07 > 0:54:10Well, it has been a challenging search this week,
0:54:10 > 0:54:13not least for Jane and for John, in more ways than one.
0:54:13 > 0:54:15But, of course, has it been worthwhile?
0:54:15 > 0:54:18Well, let's go and catch up with them and find out.
0:54:21 > 0:54:24Well, Jane and John. How are we doing?
0:54:24 > 0:54:26- Yeah, fine.- Great, thanks.- Yeah? - Thank you.
0:54:26 > 0:54:29It's been a really interesting week and I don't just mean in
0:54:29 > 0:54:32terms of the properties we've been able to show you, but I'm
0:54:32 > 0:54:36particularly intrigued by your journey.
0:54:36 > 0:54:40It sounds like a bit of a cliche but I think you've gone through
0:54:40 > 0:54:44a bit of a roller coaster in terms of how you've had to redefine what it is you're looking for.
0:54:44 > 0:54:45- Is that fair? - Yes, I think it is.- Yeah.
0:54:45 > 0:54:48I think the properties that we've looked at have been
0:54:48 > 0:54:50really interesting, particularly the Mystery House.
0:54:50 > 0:54:52We loved every part of the house.
0:54:52 > 0:54:54The only stumbling block was the garden, unfortunately,
0:54:54 > 0:54:56but it's given us the realisation of what we do want,
0:54:56 > 0:55:01what we're expecting for our budget and what we'll need to get for it.
0:55:01 > 0:55:04So, we might have to think of a broader area that we
0:55:04 > 0:55:07look in for that. It might mean me travelling a little more,
0:55:07 > 0:55:09but that's what's been really helpful.
0:55:09 > 0:55:12It's given us those sort of ideas now which we can move forward with.
0:55:12 > 0:55:15How do you see your future property search going?
0:55:15 > 0:55:18There's two houses, as far as I can see.
0:55:18 > 0:55:23The Mystery House was gorgeous and I did get the feeling for that.
0:55:23 > 0:55:26And the other house with the long garden,
0:55:26 > 0:55:29with the higgledy-piggledy kitchen, I loved that house and
0:55:29 > 0:55:33I would be prepared to think, maybe, doing something at the back
0:55:33 > 0:55:35with the kitchen.
0:55:35 > 0:55:36If only they were rolled into one.
0:55:36 > 0:55:38It is frustrating.
0:55:38 > 0:55:39You know, there's no two ways about it -
0:55:39 > 0:55:42in anybody's book, your budget is not small.
0:55:42 > 0:55:44Exactly.
0:55:44 > 0:55:47- £500,000, we'd all love to have to spend.- You'd think...
0:55:47 > 0:55:51But I'm afraid, we are in a very, very pricey part of the world.
0:55:51 > 0:55:54But it's not the only part of the country which you could consider.
0:55:54 > 0:55:55I think we'll find it, though.
0:55:55 > 0:55:58- Oh, I'm sure we will. - I think we will.
0:55:58 > 0:55:59I'm sure you will.
0:55:59 > 0:56:03But you've helped us so much to make us realise what it is we want.
0:56:03 > 0:56:07I am absolutely certain you will get there in the end.
0:56:07 > 0:56:08I hope so.
0:56:08 > 0:56:10We've had such a good time, anyway, at trying.
0:56:10 > 0:56:13Well, exactly, and let's face it, trying is half the battle.
0:56:13 > 0:56:15- Yeah.- Yes, it is.
0:56:15 > 0:56:17Brilliant, guys, well done. Best of luck.
0:56:17 > 0:56:19- Thanks very much. - Thank you.
0:56:22 > 0:56:26Well, the business of managing expectations is one that's common
0:56:26 > 0:56:27to many a house-hunt.
0:56:27 > 0:56:30But to be honest, it is easier said than done.
0:56:30 > 0:56:33On the one hand, you want to harness the obvious passion that your
0:56:33 > 0:56:36buyers have for property and their ambitions that go with it,
0:56:36 > 0:56:39but, of course, on the other, you don't want to dent their enthusiasm
0:56:39 > 0:56:43in the face of whatever challenges you may come across.
0:56:43 > 0:56:47It is a tricky balance but I think we've managed it this week.
0:56:47 > 0:56:50Of course, for Jane and John, their house-hunt will continue.
0:56:50 > 0:56:53But I think one thing is for sure - they'll go about it
0:56:53 > 0:56:55with a great sense of fun.
0:56:55 > 0:56:57I'll see you next time.
0:56:57 > 0:57:00Well, I'm pleased to say that having expanded their search area,
0:57:00 > 0:57:02Jane and John have had an offer accepted
0:57:02 > 0:57:04on a thatched cottage in Wiltshire.
0:57:04 > 0:57:06We wish them all the best of luck.
0:57:06 > 0:57:08If you would like to escape to the country in
0:57:08 > 0:57:12Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales or England and would like our help,
0:57:12 > 0:57:14then please apply online at...