Lincolnshire Escape to the Country

Today I'm in a place that's famous for its sausages,

and perhaps more surprisingly for this, plum loaf.

And what's so surprising about it? It doesn't have any plums.

All right, it's ready to go.

'In today's show, I'm in Lincolnshire, helping a couple search for not only a house,

'but also acres of land on which to start a new campsite business.'

-Wow!

-Wow!

-That is a wow kitchen.

-Yeah, it is.

I'll be taking them on a tour of some of the best properties the area has to offer.

Get your chequebook out!

And the last of those will be the mystery house, but will any of our properties make them happy campers?

The predominantly rural county of Lincolnshire

sits in the east of the county and encompasses

coastline, chalkland fens and undulating wolds.

At the western edge of the county is the city of Lincoln,

which dates back to 48AD.

The mighty towers of its historic cathedral and castle dominate the skyline,

but today Lincoln is a slow-paced city

with quiet cobbled streets, petite shops and a thriving cafe culture.

The coastline is dotted with seaside resorts which in the past

served the middle-class workers from the industrial Midland towns and cities.

The most famous resort is Skegness, which is probably best known

as the location of the first Butlins holiday camp.

For those looking for more sedate surroundings, however,

Lincolnshire offers nature lovers animal sanctuaries and nature reserves.

Over the last 2,000 years, human inhabitants have fought back the salt flats

and wetlands to make quiet hamlets and prosperous farmsteads.

Remnants of this muddier time can still be found in the housing stock.

With a lack of traditional materials, villagers turned to mud to construct their homes,

and fine examples of these are still dotted across the landscape.

Lincolnshire's lack of transport links,

isolation from major motorways

and the fact that many of its railway stations were closed in the 1960s

has meant that it's escaped the price hikes

of more trendy coastal counties over the last few years.

The price of an average detached house is £194,000,

which is 24% below the national average.

So in Lincolnshire there are great bargains to be found

and if those figures have sparked your interest, take a look at these.

At the pricey end of the market is this magnificent detached house in Kilham.

At £1,250,000, it's just undergone major restoration work

and is now a spacious, tasteful property

sitting in two acres of land.

If you were looking to spend £700,000,

how about something truly unique?

A converted stables and dovecote in Epworth.

It may have formerly housed horses and pigeons,

but it's now a beautiful family home with four acres of land.

Or if you're after something more conventional,

£395,000 will buy this four-bedroom stone-built house in Scothern.

There's a homely family style kitchen,

a bathroom with an indulgent feel and beautiful living accommodation.

There's a fantastic selection of properties on offer in Lincolnshire,

so today's buyers shouldn't be disappointed.

Customer services manager Andrew and nurse Lisa

live in Burton-on-Trent in Staffordshire

with their two children, Harry, who's eight and Olivia, 11,

along with their dogs, cats and rabbits.

Although they enjoy their jobs, their daily schedule

is taking its toll and they're finding

that they're spending less and less time together as a family.

So it's time for change.

One reason why we'd like to move into the country, a change of lifestyle,

opening up a campsite,

better quality of life for myself and for Lisa and for the children.

A little smallholding.

Little smallholding, ideally with animals as well,

and again, that's for two reasons,

for the children and for attraction on the campsite.

Andrew is a keen DIYer and over the years he and Lisa have spent

considerable time improving the property,

but some things still don't come up to scratch.

We really like our kitchen, but we dream of something much bigger,

where we can fit a much bigger table in for all the family to sit around.

As you see we've got a range cooker but we dream of having an Aga,

a proper farmhouse kitchen, really.

There's one room, however, they have got right.

This is the snug, my favourite room in the house.

Nice to come in the evening, got the log burner on,

sit down with the kids and the dogs, watch a bit of TV,

looking for something similar in the property,

where the family can sit and relax.

And finally there's one major consideration to take on board.

OK, this is the caravan. It plays a big part in our lives.

We've everything we need in here, kitchen area, sleeping area for the kids.

The new property, with the caravan the size it is, needs plenty of parking.

They've knocked their business plan into shape over the last few months

and have worked out exactly what they want.

Our next property, we'd like to have a large kitchen.

-Minimum of three bedrooms.

-Three bedrooms and plenty of land.

And after running up and down several flights of stairs in a three-storey house

they're keen to have either a two-storey property or a bungalow.

But before we start looking for their perfect property

we've invited a local estate agent to give a current evaluation.

It's quite unusual to find a property of this type and style in this area.

It's retained a lot of character

and it should be a very saleable family home.

I'd value the property at £250,000.

We're really pleased with the valuation, aren't we?

Yeah, yeah. We bought the property 12 years ago now.

We paid £30,000 for it at the time.

In those years we put a lot of hard work into it,

we spent quite a bit of money on it, so I think the valuation was right.

Their efforts have certainly paid off, so what figure are they looking at for the new property?

The budget for the next property is £500,000 for the property

and then we've got £100,000 for development of that property.

So Lisa and Andrew are looking for a farmhouse with at least three bedrooms,

plenty of character, but not over two storeys, which would rule out this rather large windmill!

They also want at least three acres of land to establish their camping business

and, of course, enough space to park their beloved caravan.

Andrew and Lisa want to be close to the tourist hot spots

along the East Lincolnshire coast,

so we're concentrating our search to the east of the Lincolnshire Wolds

and around the town of Louth.

Over the course of two days we'll be viewing three properties that match their criteria

but I won't be revealing the prices until they've had a good look round.

The last one on our tour will be the mystery house,

a property selected to offer them what they want,

but with a bit of a twist.

Andrew and Lisa, welcome to sunny Lincolnshire(!)

-Thank you.

-How well do you know this area?

Not very well at all, really, we've only been here a couple of times.

Yeah, Sutton-on-Sea area and that side, but not this far north.

So you have about £500,000 to play with,

but an extra £100,000 for something else?

Yeah, for development of the site, the facilities, planning.

Shower blocks, toilet facilities, that sort of thing.

Electrics, we'll have electric hook-ups, that sort of thing.

-We want to set up a little farm area on the campsite with some attractions.

-With animals in.

Adventure playground, so it's a tight 100,000!

I was going to say!

We've got three properties, one of which is the mystery house. We should get into the chariot

-before we get completely soaked. Come on.

-Yes.

-OK, lovely.

So Andrew and Lisa have a budget of £500,000 for their new property

and are looking for a house with plenty of character.

They would like a large farmhouse style kitchen,

a minimum of three bedrooms,

at least three acres of land for the campsite

and some outbuildings will come in useful too.

I'm fascinated. What you're going to do isn't just move to a new house,

-it's moving to a new lifestyle.

-BOTH: Yes.

Has this been a burning ambition for years, to do this?

Not for years, no. It's really only the last couple of years.

Yeah, and it's just getting out of the rat race and the 9-5 jobs.

And we're not particularly doing it to make a fortune.

It's a change of lifestyle that we want.

And for the kids to have the benefit of the countryside, living out in the country.

It all sounds like a great idea. Maybe our first house will suit them.

It sits just outside Alvingham,

three miles north-east of Louth.

The village is relatively small,

but it offers a couple of schools and a few facilities that Andrew and Lisa,

and, of course, the campsite guests, will be able to make use of.

Apart from that there's plenty of countryside to take in.

Our first property is an 18th-century farmhouse,

so let's see what reaction it gets.

So guys, first impressions?

Very nice. Good location.

Access as well. Good access off the road.

You don't get that much traffic down here

-but it's on a road that does have some traffic.

-That's not a problem.

-Isn't it?

-No, because you don't want too small a road.

People need to have access, so that's fine.

Well, first impressions count and it seems like we have the thumbs up so far.

Let's hope they like the inside.

Come on in.

Wow, it's nice.

-Very nice. Nice big hallway.

-Yep.

Solid oak floors, which is a nice little touch, isn't it?

Yeah. Be good for the dogs.

-Yeah.

-Keeps it nice and clean coming in.

-It does.

-I have to drag you away from the radiator.

Follow me into the first of two receptions.

-Mm.

-Is that a good "Mm"?

-Mm, yeah.

-Yeah.

-Nice size.

Very good size, yeah.

Obviously, a beautiful warm fireplace.

-Oh, yes.

-Yeah. Nice real fire as well.

-Exactly. It makes a big difference, doesn't it?

-Yeah.

Now this is the first of two receptions.

I think we should take you through to the other one. Follow me.

Second of the two receptions.

-Very good size.

-Very nice size.

-Not sure of the border, but...

-That can be changed.

-Quite easily,

-but yeah, very good size room.

-Lovely.

-It's nice to have the dining table there.

-Yeah, nice to have a separate dining room.

-They've got it as a dining table because through here is the hatch into the kitchen.

-Right.

-Right.

If you did want to have this as another living room, you can do.

No, it's a good size, very good size.

Just off the dining room is the sun room,

which Andrew and Lisa could use as a reception area for the business,

but I'm keen to show them the kitchen.

A well-worn step there.

-Very well worn. That's called character.

-It certainly is.

It's a nice sized kitchen, isn't it?

-It is, it's very big, yeah. Really nice.

-A nice size.

-Nice range cooker.

-Is that important to you?

-Is that in your mind's eye what you'd like to see in a farmhouse?

-Yes, farmhouse kitchen.

It is a farmhouse kitchen, range cooker, decent-sized eating area.

-What's in that cupboard there?

-That's the old bread oven, non-working,

-but another feature to the proper farmhouse kitchen.

-Yes, very nice.

I think we should have a peep through the window over there.

Most people when house hunting think location, location, location.

With you it's outbuildings, outbuildings, outbuildings.

-That's right.

-Location.

And location.

The outbuildings are important as well,

which, from here, look very good and lots of potential.

Yeah, and that's just the start of it.

-You could have a play area, tea rooms.

-Yeah.

-I like the way...

-Dog kennels. I can see some kennels as well.

-Yeah.

-Before we brave the rain and kennels and outbuildings,

-I think we should have a look upstairs.

-OK.

-OK.

-Sounds good.

The kitchen seems to fit their brief and in addition there's access to a large cellar

which would be perfect for storage and perhaps the coats and shoes.

The accommodation in this house is on split levels

and just up a few steps to the left is a good-sized double bedroom.

Next stop for us though is the largest of the four bedrooms.

-Follow me.

-It's all very nice.

-I know.

-It's certainly different.

-Quirky.

-You're going to need a map, aren't you?

-Yeah!

-So the master bedroom.

-Very nice.

-That's a good size, yeah.

-Nice and big.

Andrew will be lying in bed while you're making breakfast.

I don't think so!

Nice-sized room, isn't it?

It looks like we've got an en-suite as well, which is a bonus.

-Still got the nice views as well.

-Exactly.

-You can see how quiet it is.

-Definitely ticking the box. Obviously

-decoration-wise we'd need to put our own stamp on it.

-Yeah.

-But that can easily be changed.

-The rooms are so far so good.

-Perfectly presentable.

-Yeah.

There's lots more rooms to show you, so come on.

So, another large-sized bedroom.

-Very good size.

-We're sharing the view again from the master bedroom.

I don't know if you've noticed that the floor...

-There's a bit of a slope! That's good, that's character.

-We're used to that.

-We don't want straight walls and straight floors.

-Good.

You've got some storage here.

If this was in London, this would be another bedroom!

It probably would be for Harry, actually.

Let's put that on.

-It's quite a big size, isn't it?

-Yeah, very big.

Would you use it for storage?

Harry would sleep in there!

Poor Harry! The last bedroom in the house is the smallest

and is currently being used as a study.

And finally, of course, there's the family bathroom,

which is roomy and has the luxury of a separate shower enclosure.

But, for Andrew and Lisa, this move is all about the outdoor space

and this property comes with just over six-and-three-quarter acres.

-Now we keep talking about outbuildings.

-Yeah.

-What we haven't touched on so far is land.

-Yeah.

-OK.

In front of you is two acres.

-Right.

-Completely fenced off.

-Yeah.

You can see the far end, there's another fence,

there's another acre there, which has access by the road.

-Is that all part of the property?

-All part of it?

-All part of your property.

-Oh, right.

-That makes a big difference.

-It does.

-Does it? In what way?

We thought it would just be...

-Just this bit...

-Which wouldn't probably be big enough, but with the extra bit that will be.

And is that immediately after the fence...

There's agricultural land between this segment and the final segment at the back.

But there's access down the side.

It's not a show-stopper, but you can think caravans, tents,

-separate areas, a chat to the farmer, you never know.

-Absolutely.

In total this is 6.75 acres.

-Right, OK.

-Right, OK.

And where's the other three acres?

We'll be showing you that a little bit later.

We've got this two-storey outbuilding here.

-That would be perfect for showers.

-Showers and toilets,

-yes, ideal.

-It's ideally situated as well.

Right, shall we go and have a look round the corner, because there's more to see of your 6.75 acres.

Well, there's certainly more than they expected.

Next up is another huge outbuilding, which has endless possibilities.

-Come on in.

-Wow.

-Wow.

-That's...

-Huge.

..big. Unexpected.

-Isn't it? It's huge.

-Massive.

What do you do with it?

Well, that was my question to you! What would you do with it?

Games room, garage...

-I think...

-..swimming pool.

..children's soft play area in here.

That's a perfect workroom for you to do your bits-and-pieces.

There's still quite a bit to see in here,

-but I want to show you the rest of the land first.

-OK.

-Come on.

-More land.

-More land!

-More land.

-Lisa, Andrew, have you ever owned your own stretch of canal?

-No.

-Would you like to?

-Yes.

Definitely. It's different.

It's very different, isn't it? It's a beautiful stretch of canal.

This bit you own, that side you own as well,

and an acre that way you own as well, all the way down for an acre.

An acre of what? Literally, a stretch of canal?

The same equivalent of that side all the way down.

Oh, right.

So you've seen the property and the land.

How much do you think it's worth? Ladies first.

Oh, I think about...470.

470,000.

Deep intake of breath for you.

I think because of the way the land is split up...

450,000.

450, interesting.

Well, either you're a shrewd businessman or psychic

because it's exactly £450,000.

-Brilliant.

-How does that make you feel?

-Very good indeed.

-Yeah.

Well within budget, so we've got an extra 50,000 there.

And if you wanted to be a little bit cheeky

it's been on the market for six months,

so maybe there's a little bit more to play with.

So even better news.

Well, I suggest you go and get some maps,

and go and start looking at the 6.75 acres.

-See you in a bit.

-Thank you.

Happy times. I was a little bit worried the house didn't have

enough character for them but it seems to be they love it and the location is great

and the outbuildings are fantastic.

So this 18th-century farmhouse is on the market for £450,000.

It has the large kitchen Lisa is looking for,

four bedrooms,

outbuildings that will be useful for the business,

and six and three-quarter acres of land.

If you could go straight across there and join this here,

-it would be ideal.

-Ideal, yeah. The tents... Put the caravans up there.

The biggest surprise is the size of the house, the amount of outbuildings

that we have, how it's laid out, which is really good.

Perfect for what we need - the layout is absolutely perfect.

And the location is really good, nice and quiet.

It's ideal, really.

It's perfect. We've got perfect access to the site,

plenty of outbuildings, the house is lovely,

we don't really need to do a lot of work to it. Ideal.

The land... If I could get that extra bit of land between the two

it would be perfect.

It's not a major worry cos we can access it from the road.

so we can work round it so it's something for us to think about.

98%.

The house and the outbuildings are perfect

the land is 2% missing. Can we join it together?

Guys, have you seen enough?

-Yes.

-Back in the car, we've got plenty more to do.

Andrew and Lisa's move to Lincolnshire will bring them close to Louth.

Lying at the eastern edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds,

Louth is a thriving market town.

Andrew and Lisa are striding out to get to grips with what it has to offer.

Even on a rainy day, the town holds a certain charm.

-This is a pretty little street.

-Isn't it? Lovely cobbles.

Lots of character.

One of the local food specialities is, of course, the Lincolnshire sausage -

the sage seasoning giving it its distinctive flavour.

It's really nice, isn't it? Can I take some of that, please?

-Thanks very much.

-Bye.

Hubbard's Hills and park lie to the southwest of the town.

In Autumn the trees put on a fantastic display of colour.

It's a beauty spot that never fails to impress.

-It's really peaceful here, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Beautiful.

-Mm. The colour of the trees are nice.

Just 25 minutes south of Louth

is the village of Hagworthingham, home to Stockwith Mill.

It's believed to date back to the 17th century and, in later years,

it was converted to generate electricity

and was in regular use until 1960.

This mill's unique charm lies in its sizeable waterwheel,

standing 16 feet high, and owner Nigel is on hand

-to explain more.

-OK, you can hear the water outside.

That used to drive the 18th-century wheel that's out there.

That would turn the cogs in here, that would drive the stones - which are upstairs, the grain

would go between the two stones to produce the flour,

-which would be bagged up down here.

-And when was the mill last used for grinding the corn?

Approximately 1950.

Well, it's lovely, isn't it? The area's really peaceful. And...

-Beautiful.

-..everywhere seems really nice. The kids would love it.

-Yes.

-I think we've made the right decision.

-Yeah. Definitely.

-We'll enjoy living here.

Are you prepared for a different type of lifestyle? Because you both have

your own jobs at the moment. You're going to be working together 24/7

once you open your own business.

-Definitely, yeah.

-Yeah.

-I mean, we do get on very well.

-Yeah.

-We work well together, don't we?

-We do. We're used to doing a lot of work together at home, so, yeah.

-Yeah, so...

-I know my place!

-Who's the boss?

-I'm glad YOU said that!

Well, in that case, we know who wears the trousers.

Our second property is in Thoresthorpe,

a small village at the foot of the Lincolnshire Wolds

40 miles south-east of Louth.

The ancient market town of Alford is just a few miles away.

The town once served the local farming community with its cattle market,

but today, it offers its visitors a selection of shops,

and the good old British fish and chip shop.

The property we've lined up is stunning, but it doesn't come with any outbuildings.

The house does however sit on a huge plot of land

and there should be room in the budget for putting some up.

-Do you like it?

-Yes.

-Yes, fantastic.

First impressions, very good.

-As you can see, it's a conversion, it's 150 years old.

-OK.

-OK.

-That's where the cattle used to live.

-Right.

-That's where the piggery was.

-OK.

-Right.

Again, it's like a Tardis. It's very deceptive once you go inside.

-What about this for parking?

-Yep, the caravans up here.

-Certainly.

-Do you want a look inside?

-Yes, please.

-Yes, please.

-I can't wait to show you this place.

Small things like that make a big difference.

Beautiful high ceilings, isn't it?

-Lovely.

-Very nice.

Very sympathetically done as well.

-The original wood that's been treated.

-Right.

-Just a nice area, isn't it, to walk into?

-A big hall.

One other thing - if you're working outside or it's the countryside,

as soon as you immediately come through...

-Toilet.

-Brilliant.

-Shower, get clean, leave your boots there.

-Fantastic.

-Yeah.

-You think that's fantastic, have a look through here!

So, the heart of the house.

-Wow.

-Wow.

That is a wow kitchen.

-It is. Yeah.

-That's perfect. You couldn't want more, could you?

-No.

-Does it say family kitchen to you?

-It does.

It says family kitchen, range cooker, island eating area,

-beams, it says everything, it really does.

-Yeah.

Yeah, very spacious. Perfect.

I like to call this kitchen part two.

Oh, my word!

-Great for the utilities, washing machine.

-Space for the dogs.

-Exactly, for the dogs.

-Yeah.

There is another door there.

-Another one!

-It doesn't go anywhere at the moment, because there's an exciting prospect

you could do the other side of that door. It's like Surprise Surprise, isn't it?

Through the kitchen and off the hall is one of the huge reception rooms this house has to offer.

This is what they call the family room, where they tend to hang out.

-Oak floors.

-Fantastic.

-Fantastic. You can feel the warmth from that fire, can't you?

-You've got a log burner, pool table. It's fantastic.

-Fantastic.

As a separate room to the sitting room, it's just ideal.

You've got the log burner, like at home...

-Yeah, it's a nice cosy room.

-..log burner on, dogs, kids.

Yeah.

-You're grinning.

-I am!

If they are impressed with this room, then their reaction to the next will be a real treat.

-Gosh.

-How many wows do you want for this?

It's fantastic.

-It is, it's awesome...

-Huge.

-Lovely views.

-..that's a big word for me.

I don't use that very often.

-Another log burner.

-That's really nice.

Are you sure we can afford it?

By a decimal point or two.

Off the lounge is a door to an additional small reception room,

which could be ideal for the children to make their own.

Also on the ground floor are three further rooms,

which are currently used as studies

and would make the perfect place from which Andrew and Lisa could run their campsite business.

Next for us is the upstairs, which has three bedrooms,

and we're going to kick-off in a room I'm sure their daughter, Olivia, would love.

This is an amazing room.

-Oh, Olivia would love this.

-Definitely.

-Yeah.

-Wow.

Where do those stairs go?

-Have you ever seen a children's room that's on two floors?

-No.

-This is like the ultimate cabin bed.

-Isn't it?

Oh, my word!

-This will be Olivia heaven.

-It is. This is going far too well at the moment.

-There'll be a big "but" at the end of this. This is just fantastic.

-Yeah.

-Do you think she'd like it here?

-Oh, she'd love it.

-You'd never get her...

-Out of her bedroom.

'What 11-year-old girl wouldn't like this room?'

It's magical.

'Next door, there's a carbon copy for Harry, so there will be no arguing

'as to who has got the best bedroom.

'Next for us is the master, I just hope it comes up to scratch.'

-Oh!

-Wow!

That is a master-bedroom-and-a-half.

It is. Fantastic. I keep saying fantastic.

I'm lost for words.

I've run out of wows and fantastics!

It's perfect.

-The views both sides, really, really nice. I love the wooden floors.

-Yeah.

Through here is your en suite.

-Lovely. Double sinks.

-Double sinks.

-The bath is lovely.

-A really nice bath. Jacuzzi bath as well, even better!

Great size. Really good size.

-This isn't the only bathroom on this floor. There's another for the two bedrooms through there.

-OK.

I've shown you everywhere inside.

Are you ready to look outside? That's equally important for you.

-It is, yes.

-Definitely so.

-Come on.

'This house is incredible, and there's more than enough room for the entire family.'

Remember earlier on when we were in the kitchen and the utility room?

-Yeah.

-And that door?

-Oh, right, yeah.

This is the other side of that door.

-OK.

-Now, the current owners have planning permission already

to extend this out around you, all the way down here.

-Right.

-Basically, a carbon copy of that side of the building.

-OK.

Within the plans, it's two double bedrooms, a gym and swimming pool.

OK.

Could you do with the extra space?

Yeah, it would be good for something like a reception area for the shop.

-There's lots of options, if you like options.

-We do.

'The planning permission is a real bonus and there are more surprises.'

-So...

-The land.

How would you feel about having your own private island and a moat?

-It looks good.

-It does.

-A pirate island!

-A pirate island. The children would love that.

Bearing in mind the house is really big,

and they had planning permission,

how much would you sacrifice on the land for this place?

-I couldn't sacrifice below three acres.

-No.

I have to have the three acres for the campsite.

Well, I've some bad news for you, it's EIGHT acres of land.

-Eight.

-Take a look over there.

-OK.

All the land goes up to there,

there are horses in that paddock at the back, that's your paddock,

right up to the trees at the back.

Get your chequebook out!

There's going to be a big but now on the price.

Well, we're at the price stage.

Who's going to go first?

Your budget is 500,000, with 100,000 to play.

It's got to be top of the budget.

-I think we've blown the budget. I'm going to go for...575.

-Right.

I'll go...560.

560. 575.

It's on the market...

for £475,000.

You're joking?

That's it then, it's sold!

-You've gone green!

-Yeah.

-I can't believe it is only that much.

I'm going to let you go and explore a little bit more.

-I think so.

-That'd be good.

-See you back inside.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

I'm so excited. We had four or five wows,

three amazings, they were speechless twice,

and they thought the only problem would be that there wasn't enough land.

And there's plenty of land, AND it's under budget.

If they don't buy this house, then I'm retiring.

At £475,000, this beautiful barn conversion

is comfortably within their budget.

It has an enormous country kitchen,

three reception rooms and three offices,

three bedrooms with master en suite, and eight acres of land.

There aren't any outbuildings,

but there's plenty of change in the budget for building their own.

The staircase is gorgeous, isn't it?

I can imagine the kids having races round the top.

-Yeah.

-Trying to get the bottom.

It'd look lovely at Christmas with the decorations.

-You could decorate that really nice.

-Beautiful.

It's perfect. If I was building a house, I'd probably build this house.

I cannot fault it at all.

When we walked in, it does feel very homely.

It's a lovely home. The children would love it.

If I was going to fault anything of the outside, the ground's a little bit boggy,

but probably nothing that can't be fixed with drainage.

I think the price of the property is excellent. It's well within our budget,

so the money we've saved there could be put towards the drainage, and improving that.

What more could you wish for? I've got more than enough land.

The price is right. The house is perfect.

Come on, guys. I know you've fallen in love with the house, but it's getting dark.

I'm going to have to drag you away.

As the afternoon draws to a close,

Andrew and Lisa head back to the hotel to have a think about the properties so far.

The property by the canal, what did you think to that?

I like the house, and I liked the quirkiness of it.

-The split levels?

-Yeah, it was a bit different.

It felt cosy, and it felt homely. I did like that.

There's plenty of outbuildings to convert into what we need them to be.

The only problem with that property is the land, and the way it's split.

If we could get that extra bit at the end, that would be ideal.

It was nice, but what about the barn conversion, then?

Well, I liked the house, erm...

I just loved the house.

-The rooms were massive.

-Yeah, they were massive, and there's lots of space,

-but it's the land that worries me there.

-If we can drain it, and afford to drain it,

-then that's that sorted. But the house itself, perfect?

-Yeah.

-And it's got eight acres.

-Which is more than we were looking for.

The only downside, I suppose, it hasn't got any outbuildings,

-but there's a lot of scope on that barn conversion.

-There is.

Definitely. Now that we've seen two properties,

I'm just really excited about what tomorrow's going to bring,

because, you know, if it goes the same sort of way the first two have gone, the third one,

it's going to be a mansion with a fishing lake and a million acres, and he'll give it away!

-But no, I'm really excited, aren't you?

-Yeah, I am. Very excited.

-Oh, wow!

-'Andrew and Lisa from Burton-on-Trent'

are looking to ditch their day jobs, up sticks, and start a new life with their family in Lincolnshire.

They're looking for not only a new home,

but also one that will provide them with enough land

to start a campsite business.

So far they've viewed two superb houses offering huge potential, but coming up,

an opportunity to meet what could be new members of their family,

and a house that fulfils their dream from the outset.

Yeah, we'll take it!

'When Andrew and Lisa open their campsite,

'they're hoping to keep some animals.

'One unusual option that would be a real attraction for guests

'would be to keep alpacas.

'These animals, native to South America, are renowned for spitting,

'but they're relatively easy to rear,

'and with a diet of just hay and mineral pellets,

'they're also cheap to feed.

'So we're taking some time out, and meeting up with local farmer,

'Les Reetham, to learn a little more about this breed.'

Pleased to meet you.

Lisa and Andrew are hoping to set up a caravan park here,

and have a petting zoo or something, where customers can at least look at them.

-Is that viable to do?

-Oh, totally.

These animals lend themselves to that sort of thing.

If they're treated with respect, they're very friendly animals.

They're actually very good with children.

The spitting side of it, really is not as bad as people make out.

It's usually in fear, when something threatens them,

or when another one's trying to get its head in the feed bucket

at the same time as another one.

So yes, totally viable on that sort of operation.

And if we had two, how much land would we need?

Well, about half an acre they could live on.

That's about 12 caravans spaces!

THEY LAUGH

I've heard that alpacas are very inquisitive,

but they're all over that side of the field. Can you get them to come over?

I've got a bucket with some food in, and if we're very lucky,

they might come over.

I'll give you some pellets if they come that close.

Keep your hand down. They don't like hands above their heads,

cos they feel threatened. We'll see if we can get them over.

-Here we go!

-Come on, girls! Come on!

-Fascinating, aren't they?

-Yeah, they are.

'If Andrew and Lisa are seriously considering alpacas,

'they can expect to pay around £2,500 for a breeding female.

'The males come a little cheaper at £1,000,

'unless, of course, they are a stud male,

'which carry a hefty £15,000 price tag.'

They're different colours. I thought they'd be one colour.

There are about 20 different colours, actually,

but it's a tendency towards blacks, whites, browns, greys.

It's the shading between, really.

'The beauty of alpaca fleece is that it's shiny and silky, and soft to touch.

'It's warmer than sheep's wool, and is also hypoallergenic,

'making it a popular choice for garments or clothes.

'But to get the best, the animals need to be cared for,

'and this includes a shelter from the British weather.

-This is the barn.

-'And whilst they're close at bay,

'it's an opportunity for Andrew to get some hands-on experience working with alpacas.'

Hand in, quick, in you get, in you get. Hand on the shoulder.

-That's it. Just hold down.

-Well done.

-Well done. Well done.

-And no spitting.

-No.

-You're a natural!

Now he's got this one in his grasp, 'it's time for Les to give some tips on alpaca maintenance,

'starting with the toenails.'

She'll let you pick her foot up.

If it's left, it would grow over,

and then would become a problem to her.

So all we do is, just like clipping your toenails, basically,

just take it off till it's flat with the pad, basically.

So now, she'll be walking flat on the ground.

Let her go, that's great.

That's good, isn't it? You want your mum?

They can vary between... They may have to be done every six weeks,

some every 12 weeks, they all vary as people's nails vary.

-Just like clipping the rabbit's teeth!

-Yeah.

And that fits into the next thing, because their teeth will grow out,

and then they can't bite the grass.

It gets like a rabbit, which will get an overbite,

and then they can't get the grass, so they have to be trimmed off.

Well, that was absolutely fascinating, great fun.

Any last tips for these two?

No, basically, just be calm and enjoy them, because they're a very, very charismatic, enjoyable animal.

-They are gorgeous, aren't they?

-Yeah.

They certainly are beautiful animals, and I'm sure a few of these will be a big hit

at Andrew and Lisa's campsite.

So, all we need to do is to find them the perfect property.

Andrew and Lisa are a really interesting couple.

I get the feeling that Lisa prefers the first house,

and Andrew prefers the second one,

so what will they make of the mystery house?

It is a new build, which neither of them want,

but I do think there's a few surprises there that could win them over.

Our mystery house is in the hamlet of Eskham,

30 miles north of Louth.

Nearby Marshchapel has a village primary school which will be handy for Harry,

and for the campsite guests there's a pub and a fish and chip shop I'm sure they'll make use of.

The mystery house is surrounded by fields,

'and with no immediate neighbours, it could be the perfect place to start a campsite.'

Yeah, we'll take it.

-What did you say? 20 wow!

-20 wow!

I'm really happy, cos it is the mystery house.

You were looking for something with character, which lends itself to being old.

As you can see, this is a new build.

A new build with character by the looks of it.

Exactly! It's about seven years old.

As you can see, it's very sympathetically done.

-Want to have a look inside?

-Yes, please.

'Well, it's all looking good.

'First for us is the entrance hall, which is so large, it is currently being used as a dining room.'

-It's different, isn't it?

-It's nice.

Such a big room for a dining room.

You can see it's a new build, but the interior's actually quite old as well.

It's a nice combination. This is the first of several living rooms.

Very nice. Nice fireplace.

That's really nice. Again, really good views as well.

Yeah. Great if you are going to run this as a business.

Yeah, see people come. Yep.

-I think we should have a look into the kitchen. There is a wow factor there.

-OK.

-OK.

-Very nice.

-Very, very nice, yes.

-Yeah, I do like that.

-It is nice.

It's lovely with that seating area.

It's quite a light room as well.

Bleached pine with solid wood, all the way through.

It's nice to see that the units aren't your bog-standard units.

They look like hand-made units.

'There is also a study on the ground floor,

'which I'm sure they'll make good use of, and a downstairs toilet too.

'Next on our tour is the other living area.'

This is your more formal living room.

I would say, the posh living room.

Again, great views.

It is good views. It isn't as big as I thought it would be.

-It's still a good size.

-It is.

-Nice separation from the other living room.

-It's nice and light.

-It is.

-Let's have a look upstairs before we get outside.

-OK.

-OK.

Take it away.

'Up here, there are three bedrooms, and they're all good sizes.

'The first is currently laid out with twin beds, but, I suspect,

'there will be a fight between Olivia and Harry for the second room,

'which is considerably bigger with an en-suite.

'Last, of course, is the largest room of all.'

This is the master bedroom.

Very big. A nice size.

-It is a nice size, isn't it?

-A nice size, yeah.

I think you'll particularly like this.

A walk-in wardrobe.

With a light that comes on when you walk in. How posh is that?

Very good, yes.

Over here is your en-suite bathroom.

This is called a Jack-and-Jill bathroom, which means it's en-suite for you,

but there is a separate door there, where your guests can come into the bathroom as well.

That's good.

'That's it for the internal space.

'Now it's just down to the outside, where there are four acres waiting for them.'

-What do you think of this garden?

-Really nice. Good size.

-Very nice and quiet.

-It's really peaceful.

The garden, I think, is private, which is very handy if you have a business.

The children and dog can be out here, and completely apart from the business.

That's right. Very good.

Nice to see a greenhouse down the back there.

-Or an orangery!

-Right, OK.

'The current owners use this space for parties amongst the grape vines,

'but I'm keen to show Andrew and Lisa what I think is one of the property's best selling points.'

Ta-da!

Now that is a wow. You've got several wows on that one.

That is just fantastic. Is there fish in it?

Apparently, teeming with all different types of fish.

So, a great attraction for campers or anybody coming to stay.

-We've seen so many different properties. Could you imagine that you could...?

-Not at all.

Not a lake as big as that.

Maybe a small pond, but nothing like that, that size.

-That's what you really wanted.

-Definitely, yeah.

-Do you want to see what land you have?

-Yes, please.

-Follow me.

We have land.

-I know you well enough now. I know this is the make or break move.

-It is.

This is just under two and a half acres. In total,

taking into account the lake and everything, it's four acres.

This bit here, which is flat, is two and a half acres.

It has been drained.

-Yes.

-Right.

You've got your own access to the road over there.

The only other bonus I can tempt you with,

is that this warehouse, this building, is yours as well.

I think you can put some doors on there.

You've got a shop, office, facilities.

'Just beyond what would be their land is a further four acres

'belonging to a local farmer, but he is prepared to sell.'

I can see the cogs whirring.

It does make a big difference.

Two and a half acres - tight.

Doable, but tight.

That little bit extra would be a bonus.

'The possibility of extra land certainly seems to have sweetened the deal.'

Crunch time.

We're going to dirty our fingers and talk about money.

Ladies first.

The budget's 500.

100,000 to play with.

What do you think this is worth?

It's going to be top of the budget. I know it's smaller,

but with the lake and the orangery, I think 495.

495?

-I think.

-On the tip of your budget.

Yeah, I think so.

And I think, because of the property, compared to the previous properties,

it has only got three bedrooms.

The rooms, although very nice, are smaller.

But it has got a lake, and there's not quite as much land.

I'm going to go for 435.

-435?

-Yes.

-Way under budget. The cheapest of the three properties.

-I think so.

I think that's what the mystery is.

You two should work out who's going to be in charge when you run this business,

because it's actually on the market for 495.

It's only just come on the market a couple of weeks.

-Mmm!

-The lake's done it, hasn't it?

-I think so.

Has that put you off the house?

No, not really. No.

That is an attraction. That's going to draw people in.

It's within budget. Not only is it within budget, we've got the lake we didn't think we would get,

-so no, not at all.

-That's a bonus, isn't it?

-Definitely.

Go and have a look at the lake again.

-Definitely.

-OK, thank you.

'At £495,000, this property comes in just under budget.

'It has two living areas, three bedrooms, two of which are en-suite,

'four acres of land for the campsite, and a fishing lake and outbuildings.'

This lake's just fantastic.

Really, really fantastic.

You're going to be running this campsite, cos I'll be sitting here fishing!

On the whole, I probably like this property the best so far,

mainly because of the fact that everything's in place,

and it would be a lot easier to convert to the campsite.

I like this property, it is very nice. It's built to a very high specification. It's lovely.

The land is the plus point for this house.

The lake is marvellous, the orangery is lovely, so, yes.

That big lake is such a bonus, with it being filled with fish.

From a campsite point of view, having a lake there as an attraction is a real, real bonus.

I think the house is a little bit smaller than we'd thought of,

but it's a nice house.

I think the reason I went low on the price was the fact that the property itself isn't as big

as the others we saw, and I thought that was part of the mystery, with it being a real bargain!

Obviously, I was completely wrong!

-Seen enough?

-Yes, I think so.

-Enough grapes?

-Yeah.

Come on, let's go.

Andrew and Lisa have now viewed all three houses, and it's time for them to mull over their options.

And as Lincolnshire is a hotspot for seal breeding,

I'm taking a trip to the coast.

Lincolnshire's coastline is home to a thriving population of beautiful grey seals.

For most of the year, they are frolicking at sea,

But during winter, they take pitch on the beaches to breed.

These seals are healthy, but for those who are sickly,

'help is on hand from the Natureland Seal Sanctuary in Skegness.

'I'm meeting up with Duncan Yeadon to find out more about their work.'

-Duncan, lovely to meet you.

-Hi, Tim.

It's nice of you to bring some friends with you!

Yes, they're great, aren't they?

I see they're popping over to say hello. What seals are these?

These are harbour seals, our resident seals who stay with us.

They're very inquisitive, as you can see!

It's great for the public to get that close to seals,

but there is a more serious reason why you're here, isn't there?

Yes, we also rescue and rehabilitate seals that get washed up on the coastline.

We get them in literally days old as orphans,

they've lost their mothers,

and also with injuries and illnesses we have to cope with before returning them to the wild.

So that's the serious part of our work.

I noticed you've got some young ones, is it possible to get any closer?

Yeah. We'll go and see them now, and you might even be able to feed them.

There's a whole multitude of injuries and illnesses that can strike down the seals,

from getting caught in fishing nets to being a victim of lungworm.

This common disease affects the breathing,

so they become unable to dive for food,

and hence become weak, and get washed up on the shore.

Once the seals first arrive here,

'they go straight into the hospital to be treated.

'But to prevent me from carrying any infection from the hospital,

'I'm first taking a look at the healthier ones that will be shortly released.'

I see lots of warning signs, do I need to be nervous?

-You need to be cautious, Tim, I would say.

-That's always a good word.

Because they've got very sharp teeth, and very strong jaws.

So if you're going to feed them by hand, hold the fish well down by the tail,

-and then he'll hopefully take it nice and gently like that.

-OK.

-You want to try?

-Yeah, absolutely.

Do you have a name?

-That's Kalder, that one.

-Gone!

I think she'll hopefully come and...

So these are rescued seals?

They've been through the seal hospital stage now,

and they're now outside in this rearing pool,

where we're getting them up to release weight.

We try and simulate what happens in the wild,

so when they separate from their mothers,

they will roughly weigh about 70 pounds,

60 or 70 pounds, so that's our target weight.

What's the success rate of re-homing a seal?

Roughly 85-90% of the ones we get in, we're able to get back into the wild again.

I'm not a seal expert, but I think he's going to be ready before these two!

He seems to be getting most of the fish!

These seem reasonably healthy and about ready to be released,

have you got any that have just come in?

Some that have more recently come in, yes.

-They're in the hospital pool at the moment, so we can have a look at them.

-Absolutely.

-Yeah?

I can see you've already got something lined up for me.

What are we doing here?

You're going to have to work for your money here,

a bit of scrubbing, bit of cleaning out, Tim.

What's the story behind these seals in the enclosure?

These have come in more recently,

so they've only been here a couple of weeks.

Most are coming in with lungworm,

but they've only just progressed out of the hospital into this small hospital pool.

We use this as an in-between pool before they go into the rearing pool.

We can assess if they can deal with cold weather and things like that.

And they're obviously very young, or is it just that they're undernourished?

They're about the same age as the other ones,

so it is because they've come in more recently, they're undernourished, and a lot thinner than the others.

What's your hopes for these three? Will they recover?

Once they've got over the initial treatment, I would say 100% these will go back into the wild.

-Fantastic. Have I missed anything?

-Yeah, that bit there, look.

The sanctuary certainly does a fantastic job,

but the best sight of all has to be the expectant seals that come ashore

on the public beach in this part of Lincolnshire,

to give birth to their pups.

Well, it's decision time.

We've shown Andrew and Lisa three houses that tick all the boxes.

With this couple, it's not just about the house, it's the land.

I can honestly say, I'm not sure which one they're going to choose.

Let's find out.

We're at the end of the quest. How are you?

-Exhausted.

-I'm not surprised.

-We've seen some big properties, haven't we?

-We have.

Let's start with the first one, the farmhouse and outbuildings by the canal.

You loved that when you first went in.

The layout of the house is really quirky, but it worked, didn't it?

-Yeah. The outbuildings sold that one.

-They did, yeah. Lots and lots of space in the outbuildings.

The kitchen was a really good size.

It had the range cooker, which was nice.

Yeah, it was.

Was it the outbuildings that swayed you towards that property?

-I think so.

-I think so.

-And the fact it's next to the canal, which was nice as well.

The second property we went to, the barn conversion.

-You loved it.

-I loved it.

That was the wow, wow, wow factor.

It was a small wow for you. There was a little bit of a separation of opinions over that one. Why?

I loved the size of the rooms.

Just everything. Every room was massive.

The kids' bedroom was just fantastic, with the two levels.

I liked the house. I just had concerns about the land, really.

Yeah, that was my only concern on it.

I would like to go back to that property.

It may have been something as simple as the fact one of the drainage ditches was blocked up.

We don't know. It would be good to go back and have a look at it, and see what it would cost.

-It's definitely worth investigating.

-Yes.

That brings us on to the mystery property.

You both were going round, going, "Wow, wow, wow!"

It ticked all of the boxes really, didn't it? The land in particular was perfect, really.

For me, it didn't have the wow, wow, wow factor of the second one.

But it was a really nice house, really well done.

The build quality was really good.

You've got the lake, which is a massive bonus.

And you've got the land, and the option of additional land.

To set a campsite up wouldn't take that much extra effort, would it?

The outbuilding could be utilised for a lot.

It's a lot more straightforward property.

I'm very happy, because we've found you three properties you could potentially buy.

Where is your heart leading you?

-I think the mystery property.

-The mystery property.

Excellent! So, where are you going to go from here?

The next step regarding these houses is planning.

-Talking to the council regarding planning.

-Let me know.

Put me down for a two-man tent in June next year, for a week.

You can sleep in the orangery! THEY LAUGH

-With the grapes.

-With the grapes, yeah.

It's been a pleasure, genuinely, taking you guys around.

-It's been a lot of fun.

-Thank you very much.

It's been really, really good.

It has been great fun. Really good fun.

The county of Lincolnshire is full of surprises, and not just for the amazing wildlife.

Also for the variety of houses.

Andrew and Lisa loved all the properties,

but I do have a feeling that the mystery property stood out head and shoulders above the rest.

I think, in the very near future, they're going to be very happy campers.

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