Wales Escape to the Country

Today I'm in an area where house-building has been going on for over 2,000 years,

proof that this is an ideal place to live, the perfect Escape To The Country.

'In today's show, we'll help a musical couple swap the house they've outgrown in the West Country

'for a new life in the countryside.'

-Is this you?

-This is so Nicky, I can't even begin to tell you.

'They'll be casting a discerning eye over a variety of rustic homes.'

Wow, what a lovely, homey, cosy...

-Tardis!

-When can we move in?

'There's a mystery house that will hopefully strike a chord, but will any of our properties hit the note?'

I'm in West Wales, a region teeming with clues as to how our ancestors lived many centuries ago.

This is Castell Henllys, a unique reconstruction of an Iron Age village,

built where it would have stood over 2,000 years ago, but we also want some pretty tidy houses.

And this part of Wales has plenty on offer.

One of this area's finest jewels is the Pembrokeshire coastline

which offers miles of spectacular coastal scenery.

West Wales takes in the counties of Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion

which harbour a blend of small towns, tiny villages and rugged mountain scenery.

With several thousand square miles of land, it's predominantly rural

and a Mecca for those who enjoy the great outdoors.

When it comes to property, Wales is a great place to be because things are quite a lot cheaper here.

Your average four-bedroom detached house here in Ceredigion will set you back around about £214,000,

26% below the national average.

And in real terms, that's a cool 55 grand less than the rest of the country,

so if houses are what you want and Wales is where you want to be, this part is fantastic.

'Today's property seekers are Jason and Nicky

'who live in a converted barn just outside the busy tourist resort of Weston-super-Mare in Somerset.

'They're both musicians who sing and entertain crowds on the holiday circuit

'which keeps them busy throughout the year.

'They've enjoyed their home which they've made several improvements to

'but now they're looking to greatly change their lifestyle with a move to rural Wales.'

We'd like to move to the country just to get away from it all, the hustle and bustle of town life.

Approaching 40 now, it would be nice to have a lifestyle change.

'Initially, they hope to pick up entertainment work at the holiday resorts on the Welsh coast,

'but they'd like to supplement their income by having a couple of holiday lets.'

In the country, I'd like to do some more cooking and a bit more dog-walking.

But I hope to provide some meals for the guests that stay.

Well, I'm hoping to do more outdoor pursuits,

probably get involved with some company doing mountain climbing, mountain biking.

'They're excited about the move

'and it's important they get it right, so they've drawn up a list of major considerations.'

We're passionate about music and we hope to have a room where we can set up a recording studio like this one.

We really like all the character features in this property, in particular the wood-burning stove.

It would be great if we could have a huge inglenook fireplace.

In our next property, we're looking for a kitchen very similar,

but a bit bigger because we have outgrown this one.

'Jason is also keen to have considerably more land as their current house sits on a small plot.

'So in a nutshell, what are they after?'

-We definitely want a detached character property.

-With some land.

With some land with a nice big country kitchen.

-A minimum of two bedrooms.

-Or two plus an office or three bedrooms.

And we do need an existing holiday let preferably,

-or outbuildings that we can develop a business with to make more.

-Yeah.

'That's quite a list, but before we get the wheels in motion, we've invited around an estate agent

'to put a value on the barn they bought six years ago for £186,000.'

This is a charming two-bedroom detached barn conversion

in a really lovely, tucked away spot.

I'd market this property at £285,000.

A little bit less than it was valued at this time last year, but with the current climate, that's expected.

A bit more than a little bit.

'It's not the best time, but what's the budget?'

If it ticked every single box and had a holiday let good to go, it would be a maximum of 330,000.

There is no doubt that you do get quite a lot for your money here in West Wales

and that's exactly what Jason and Nicky are hoping for.

Their list sounds straightforward, but there are one or two pitfalls.

They want a nice characterful rustic home, a nice big farmhouse kitchen,

a music studio and a holiday annexe to earn them a few quid when they eventually move down here.

Matching that list to their budget could be a challenge.

As Jason and Nicky will be continuing their singing careers,

they are keen to be relatively near to coastal holiday resorts,

so we're focusing our search in the area just south of Aberystwyth.

Today, I'll take them to see three fantastic properties that I hope will appeal to them both,

but I'll only tell them the prices after the viewings.

The last house will be the mystery house which could be a real winner.

If you're also feeling inspired about a move to Wales

and you think Ceredigion could be the county for you, don't be daunted, there is plenty on offer -

everything from gorgeous little cottages to grand old country farmhouses.

If you're property hunting in the £1 million-plus bracket,

take a look at this Grade 2 listed mansion just ten miles south of Aberystwyth.

It dates back to 1635 and comes with a selection of farm buildings and 54 acres of land,

all for the princely sum of 1.5 million.

Alternatively, this four-bedroom house in New Quay is on the market for 660,000.

There's a beautiful hand-crafted kitchen and a spacious lounge

with a balcony that really cashes in on the panoramic view of the countryside.

Finally, how about this three-bedroom, Grade 2 listed, semi-detached cottage

on a former mansion estate near Llangoedmor.

£242,000 buys a country style kitchen, a lounge with a wood-burner to keep you cosy in winter

and it all sits in three acres of communal gardens.

-Well, Nicky, Jason, welcome to West Wales.

-Thank you.

-This is what you wanted. This is where you want to be.

-Yeah.

-So this is quite a lifestyle change.

-Oh, yeah.

-Very much so.

-You've been thinking about it for some time.

-Mm-hm.

-What sort of budget? Just remind me.

-We've got about 330,000 in the pot at the moment.

-OK, 330.

-Maximum.

-Maximum.

-Total.

-Total.

-No more.

OK. Before that, you're after something with a bit of a holiday let thrown in?

-That would be brilliant.

-That would be nice.

-It would be very nice for £330,000.

-That is going to be a bit of a challenge with the budget.

-We know.

But there is plenty to choose from around here, so going at it with an open mind,

we may find something that will fit the bill.

-Great.

-Let's see what you think. Let's go and see some.

-Yes, please.

'So Jason and Nicky have a budget of £330,000 and are looking for a period property.

'Achieving all that for their budget will be quite a challenge and compromises may have to be made.'

-What is it about Wales that attracted you?

-The open countryside more than anything.

You seem to get a lot more space for your money here.

Not necessarily the weather!

-LAUGHTER

-Well, that, I'm afraid, is a bit of a gamble really.

But the upside is you do get lots of space and peace and quiet.

-Peace and quiet.

-Yeah. We'd like some of that too, please.

The first house on our hit list is in the rural hamlet of Bontnewydd

between Aberystwyth and Tregaron.

It's real get-away-from-it-all territory with few local facilities and few neighbours,

which is exactly what Jason and Nicky want.

There's a pub in nearby Bronant where they can meet the locals, but it's a perfect rural hideaway.

The house we're viewing sits in a wooded area and it isn't short of history.

Right, now then, you two, come through here.

-Wow!

-Wow! How about that?

-That's so pretty.

-What do you think?

-It's nice.

-Very sweet.

-It's an old mill.

-Lovely.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-You can probably hear that rush of water.

-Yeah, that's good.

-Water is a feature of this property.

-OK.

-It kind of surrounds it.

-I'm thinking of ducks.

-Like a moat?

-It is like a moat.

-A castle.

-It could be your castle, Jason. Who knows?

-It's a classic West Walian cottage.

-Lovely.

-I'm very excited.

-Can we see it?

-Yeah, all right. Come on.

This is really sweet.

-This is one side of your moat.

-That's fantastic. One side? Is there another side?

The other side of the house. Look at these lovely stone walls. Really pretty stream.

All part of the old mill structure that used to be here. Let's look at the house.

Now, come on in here, Nicky.

Now, Jason...

-Wow!

-Got a Stanley.

-Yeah, oil-fired range for you there.

-Wonderful.

-Nice beams.

-It's quite small.

-It's a bit small. We'd have trouble getting our table in here.

It's not the biggest kitchen in the world, but in the context of the house,

-it's pretty well proportioned.

-How old is it?

1690 at its core which is really old for round here.

-It's not what you expect from the outside.

-No, it's a great start.

-I think it is a great start, but it does get better.

-Does it?

-Yeah, come with me through here.

I think you're gonna like this.

You're right.

-Wow!

-What do you make of that?

-Brilliant. Wow, what a lovely, homey, cosy...

-Tardis.

-When can we move in?

-Is this what you had in mind? Is this you?

-This is exactly...

-This is so Nicky, I can't even begin to tell you.

-Is that true?

-Yeah, it's very Nicky.

-The style, it's very...

-Yeah.

-It's kind of homely.

-It feels as though it's been loved.

-Yeah.

The floors are brilliant. The walls are fantastic. We don't have anything like that at home.

It's too neat in our little barn conversion. That's fabulous and I love the beams.

That wood-burner is fantastic. That'll keep you nice and cosy.

That's about four times the size of ours.

But I think it's lovely. In terms of your table, Jason...

-Not a problem now.

-Yeah?

-Yes.

-Does that make the kitchen more...

-Usable, definitely.

'If this wonderful space isn't enough, there's also a conservatory accessed from the lounge.'

This L-shape continues upstairs and as you'd expect, we've seen a lot of space down here,

-there's a good amount of space up there.

-Brilliant.

Come and have a look through here.

Now, on the way upstairs, a little family bathroom.

-Very little.

-Very little. Not huge.

That suggests it's a bit of a downer.

Well, it's...it's not huge.

-OK? It's not necessarily the end of the world.

-No. Good.

Let's go upstairs and see what you make of this lot.

'The bathroom may not have scored top marks, but there are three good-size double bedrooms upstairs.

'The first is light and airy with painted wood panelling, but we're heading next door.'

So this is two of three. Come in round the corner...

-It goes on and on.

-It's huge. It does go on.

-It's brilliant.

-And deep.

This is a fantastic room.

-The style of the ceiling, I love this wood.

-I do too. I prefer it unpainted.

-Do you?

-Yeah.

-It's fantastic.

-A lot of people will find it oppressing,

but I love cosy spaces, hence I love cottages.

So that doesn't faze me at all.

There's one more to look at. Come through here.

Now, last but not least, this room, which I think may be the bigger one of the lot in some ways.

It feels like it might be.

-It's quite a large room.

-Very light because you've got windows at both sides.

Dominated by these lovely beams.

I prefer the last room with the tongue-and-groove it's got next door,

which is a much nicer feature than what we see in here.

It's easily done. How much of a DIY-er are you?

-I'm probably one of the best in the business, I think(!)

-No. No.

-Wonky furniture.

-My saying is, "Get a man in."

-Right, OK, but it wouldn't be a massive job to do that.

Right then, so that's pretty much the inside.

-Let's go outside and have a look at that, see a bit more water and see how much it's gonna cost you.

-OK.

Come on.

'James and Nicky are taken with some of the features, but it doesn't deliver everything.

'And they do have great expectations for their budget.'

That was the house. That's it, OK?

So in terms of holiday annexe, we can't offer you one of those here.

But you do get a little bit of land with it and these two separate streams.

Makes it seem more like an island.

Well, you are living on an island. You've got the one we walked over earlier and this one here.

All in all, it's about a third of an acre, so it's not acres, in fairness.

I know all this is gonna have a bearing.

I know the holiday let is part of your means of affording this big move.

So make me an offer, Jason.

Well, I think, having looked at the property, it's a beautiful house and a really nice location...

But as we've seen, it's only a small amount of land.

So I'm gonna hazard a guess at sort of between 270 and 275.

OK. Nicky?

I'm gonna go higher than that. I think it's about 285.

-285.

-Hmm.

-OK, well, this place is on the market for a fiver short of £300,000.

-Is it really?

-OK.

And it doesn't have the annexe. I don't know. You'll have to go figure it out for yourselves.

Have a wander round. See what we're up against

in terms of matching your dream to the realities of the budget.

-Off you go.

-OK, thanks.

We are under budget, but we are not ticking all of the boxes in terms of the accommodation,

but this is just a chance for these guys to see what they are up against with the West Wales property market.

But as a house, I think it's beautiful.

This lovely historic cottage is on the market for just shy of £300,000.

This cottage has the feel that Jason and Nicky are looking for, but they would have to make compromises.

-It's a really nice room.

-I absolutely love it in here.

I think the lounge is one of the selling points.

-The fireplace is fantastic.

-I love the walls. Absolutely brilliant.

What I liked about this house is that when you walked through the door, it just smacked of character

and quirky features.

Even though the kitchen was smaller than I would have liked,

when we walked into the lounge, we thought, "Wow, this makes up for it. We can live with that."

And even upstairs, the rooms were big too, so that's great.

But there's not a great deal of land and there is definitely no holiday let.

I pretty much like everything about the house.

I like the location, the way it's been decorated. The floorboards are fantastic.

The only major problem is we don't have much land.

That could be an issue with regards to having a holiday property, which is what we were really looking for.

Well, guys, that was number one. Is it on the list?

-Not quite.

-Not quite? Let's see if we can find one that will go on the list. Come on.

'Our first house had plenty of history, but it wasn't nearly as old as those at Castell Henllys,

'a reconstructed Iron Age settlement just south of Cardigan.

'We're meeting with Rhonwen Owen to find out more.'

-Rhonwen, nice to see you.

-Hello.

-This is Nicky.

-Hi.

-And Jason.

-Hello.

This is a unique achievement, the building of this little settlement. Tell us more about its history.

The uniqueness is the fact that it's a genuine Iron Age hill fort.

The houses have been reconstructed on the original foundations.

The fort dates back to about 400 BC.

2,500 years ago, this would have been a bustling settlement here in the heart of Wales.

Very noisy, very smelly, very muddy. It's quite tranquil here today.

But it wouldn't have been like this in the Iron Age.

'Let's see what the property market had to offer 2,500 years ago.'

Welcome to the chief's house. This is the largest house in the fort.

We've got three beds. Obviously, the middle bed would be the chief's bed.

Children either side. But it's unique that they're sectioned off. Not much privacy in the Iron Age.

Everybody thinks open plan is the new rage.

But actually it's all here - free-standing kitchen. What more do you want?

-How long would it take to erect a building like this?

-In the Iron Age, probably about two months.

Now, he's a very keen DIY man(!)

Yeah, this wouldn't be a problem for me. I could probably do this in a couple of hours(!)

'It's time for Jason to put his money where his mouth is, as we meet Kai, the resident Iron Age builder.'

-So you've been doing this for 2,500 years?

-Yes, I'm very good at it!

-Is there a particular reason why you're using hazel?

-Hazel's very common round here.

It's very bendy, so it's very good for bending round the posts and it's also quite strong.

'When the weaving is done, it's time to clad the exterior wall with daub,

'which in the Iron Age consisted of animal dung, animal hair, straw and clay.

'And Kai has some he made earlier.'

-Let's have a look. Let's get our hands dirty, shall we?

-You can.

-Oh, chicken!

Come on, Kai, show us what you've got.

So what you do is you grab a handful like this.

And then pat it flat. Get as close as you can.

And all you do is...whack!

Shall we get really muddy then? Let's have a go.

-Good splat.

-Right, go on then.

-Feels quite nice.

'It's all great fun, but I'm glad Kai hasn't asked us to finish off the job.

'Just a couple more, then time for us to clean up.' Thanks, mate(!)

'As the afternoon sun fades, day one of Jason and Nicky's property search comes to an end.'

'Jason and Nicky live just outside the tourist resort of Weston-super-Mare in Somerset

'and are looking for a new property deep in rural Wales.

'They have a budget of £330,000 and ideally want a room for a music studio

'and a couple of holiday lets into the bargain.

'They've viewed one house and are discovering that their expectations are exceeding their budget,

'but coming up, we tempt them with a substantial slice of Wales.'

-You've got bags of space.

-Is there a house included?

-There is a house included.

-'And a mystery property that could be their perfect pitch.'

-Wow!

-Lovely.

-We can't afford this.

Who'd have thought it? Wales without the rain!

But it is a beautiful, sunny start to our second day's house-hunting on the coast.

Nicky and Jason yesterday were quite pleased with the budget we offered them, but there wasn't enough space.

So that's what we need - a bit more land and probably a bit more property for the right price.

'Our property tour is taking us a little further south today

'to Ciliau Aeron, just three miles from the coastal town of Aberaeron.

'The cluster of houses melt into the beautiful landscape which is its best selling point.

'Ystrad Aeron is just down the road for day-to-day essentials,

'but it's the rural setting Jason and Nicky crave.

'The house we're about to see is hidden in woodland and I have a nice surprise for Jason.'

Now then, what we've got for you here

-is around about four and a half acres...

-Crikey!

-..of your own little mini estate.

OK. Look around you because we're right bang in the middle of it.

You've got a mixture of open pasture down there, a mixture of this lovely deciduous woodland.

You've got bags of space.

-Is there a house included?

-There is a house included. That's it nestling up there on top of the hill.

That's horrible(!)

-What do you think?

-Yeah, it's absolutely lovely.

-It's very pretty.

-Is it as nice inside as it is outside?

Let's go and look, shall we? Let's take a wander through the estate.

-Look at it! You get all of this!

-Lord of the manor.

-Exactly.

'The cottage dates back to the 1800s, but has a modern extension.

'First up is the kitchen in the old part of the house.'

Come in over here.

-That's very pretty, isn't it?

-Yeah?

-Yeah, that's really nice.

-You like that?

-Beautiful.

-Reclaimed pine tops.

-That's really lovely.

-And these are all hand-built.

-I can tell.

-I can tell they're hand-built. I like that.

-But not by me.

-Not by you!

-That's nice. I like that.

-It's a really nice size room. Look at that view!

-Beams on the ceiling.

-That's your estate.

-That's fantastic.

-Beautiful.

Moving on, come through here.

This is the principal living room.

We're in the new part, the extension, so it's less than 20-odd years old.

-But it's got some lovely features in it like that.

-Fireplace. That's perfect.

-Of course, you've got that.

-Fantastic big windows. Brilliant.

-Absolutely perfect.

-Office in the corner of the lounge.

-That'll be yours then.

We don't know if there's anywhere else for yours.

You're gonna be out there looking after all that land.

George of the Jungle!

'That's it for the living space in this property, but next on our tour are the bedrooms.

'The first is a small double, OK for weekend guests,

'and off the hall is the master bedroom.'

And this is for you guys.

-Oh!

-This is nice.

-Exposed stone walls, that's nice.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-Lovely maple flooring running through.

-Huge window.

-Huge window.

-So we like it in here?

-Yeah.

-A lot.

Let's finish off the inside. Come with me.

Now, go in there - family bathroom.

Oh, that's OK. White suites. Nice stonework again.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-The ceiling just needs some paint, I think.

-It's a big bathroom.

-It's big for us.

I think the only downside though is the window because you can't see my land through the glass!

There's a theme emerging!

Let's get outside, give Tarzan here a bit more land to look at and maybe we'll find you a music studio.

Come with me.

'At the back of the house, there is also a handy utility room with a door to the garden.'

Bit more of the estate, Jason. It's gonna keep you fit running round here.

It's fantastic.

Look at this, eh?

Sunshine...

Look at the view. You've got the house in the middle of it.

-That's just amazing.

-Pretty, eh?

-Really amazing.

But recording studio. Come up here.

Now we're pretty much at the top of maybe your land, Jason.

And at the top of it is this.

This is a purpose-built shed, fully fitted out as a workshop at the moment.

-There's power and everything.

-It's quite big.

-A really nice size.

-Yeah, that would potentially work.

-You'd be happy.

-Far enough away from the house?

-Yeah, that's fine.

-Behind us here you've got a huge double garage.

-Oh!

-Gravelled floor. There's another gate up there, so you've got access and off-street parking.

-Amazing.

-So you've got all of that, but there is a bit more.

-Really?

-So look at this. Here are some stables as well.

-It's just endless.

And you also get that.

-Wow, that's immense.

-My God!

It's a huge paddock.

-That's fantastic.

-It really is fantastic.

So, it begs the question...

-How much is it worth, guys?

-I don't think we can afford this.

I think it's well over budget. It think it's probably about 350, 355.

OK. £355,000, says Jason. What do you say, Nicky?

-Probably something like 385, actually.

-385.

Offers in the region of...

three hundred...

and twelve thousand pounds.

-No?

-You're joking?

I'm not joking. I think this is a real steal.

It might even come down a bit more.

-In the current market.

-Offers in the region of.

-In terms of the whole holiday let thing...

-This is an issue.

It's something you really need to think about.

If you can develop a bit of this as a holiday let, brilliant,

but if you can afford it as it is, you'll have an awful lot of fun here. Off you go.

I'll catch up with you later.

Well, there we are, comfortably under budget, and what a surprise!

This place is an extraordinarily attractive buy.

It's got acres of land, acres of potential, bags and bags of character

and a nice little house thrown in.

So this lovely cottage is on the market for £312,000.

Unfortunately, there aren't any holiday lets,

but they could look into the possibility of getting planning permission to build some.

Well, I love this place. I think it's fantastic.

I know you do. And I can see all its plus points.

But I'm slightly daunted by the size of it.

-It's every boy's dream.

-I know.

-Obviously not every girl's dream.

Well, it is, but it just doesn't have everything.

This place is completely amazing. It's blown us both away, I think.

And finding out the price of it is making me rethink my doubts a bit, which I'm surprised about,

because on the downside, the house is quite small. The other concern is the land is quite large.

I am concerned about the maintenance of that, even though Jason thinks it won't be a problem.

And the main problem is there is no holiday let and we don't have permission.

If that were in place, it would be worthy of consideration.

However, this place is so beautiful. It really is something else.

And the price, that shocked me.

I think the property is fantastic. It's a really nice house.

It's in the perfect location, perfect views.

It's got all the land that anyone could ask for. I think it's just gonna keep me busy for years.

If I get my way, we'll be moving in sooner rather than later.

Come on. Time to go. Out you come.

What I'm dying to know is have we got one on the list?

-Definitely.

-Potentially.

"Definitely potentially." Let's see if we can get another on the list. Come on.

Well, at long last, I can now reveal the location of my mystery house.

It's down there in amongst those trees and the rolling beauty of the Ceredigion countryside.

So far, it has been a struggle to find exactly what Jason and Nicky are after.

Can the mystery house finally match their own expectations of what they're after?

Well, fingers crossed, it can.

'We're actually staying put in Ciliau Aeron for the mystery house,

'so we're a stone's throw from the last property.

'Three miles down the road is the attractive town of Aberaeron.

'Once a small fishing village, it grew to be one of the major trading ports along the Cardigan Bay coast.

'The immaculate Georgian houses that line the harbour give an elegant and colourful feel to the town.

'Visitors and tourists flock here for a spot of shopping or to soak up the history and relaxing atmosphere.

'The mystery house is really special and I want to keep it a surprise until the very last minute.'

Keep walking. Jason, keep walking. And stop and open your eyes.

Oh, cool. That's nice.

-Wow!

-That's lovely.

-This...

-That's fantastic.

This is the dream.

We can't afford this.

-I'm feeling slightly teary.

-Are you?

-Yeah.

-Why?

-Because it's lovely.

-It's beautiful. It's absolutely gorgeous.

Built around about 1820.

-You can see that on the door.

-It's full of period charm.

We've got a range of outbuildings, a lot of land to play with, Jason.

It's the dream.

I'm very excited.

Come on.

-It's just you, isn't it?

-How do you know?

Come in through the hallway.

-Tongue-and-groove is a real feature of all the properties we've seen.

-Every single one.

-A bit wider.

This is huge. Come in here.

This is the parlour/snug, very traditional for this kind of building.

It's a nice little room.

It's got this lovely multi-fuel burner. This, Nicky, I thought you would really love.

-You're right.

-Nice stone walls.

Possibly the original carpet too(!)

-Well, so far, so good?

-So far, so good.

-Really nice room.

-You wanted an inglenook, didn't you?

-Yeah.

-Don't tell me you've found one of those!

So, what do you reckon?

-That is some fireplace.

-Mm-hm.

-Not bad, eh?

-That fire... That's just huge.

-That's certainly going to keep you warm.

-The inglenook is like a room in itself.

-It's enormous.

-Not a bad room. Very high ceiling which is unusual in cottages.

-Yeah.

And a nice little door here out to one of the gardens.

-One?

-One of the gardens here.

It is a property that's very old. It does need a bit of updating.

You'll see what I mean with the kitchen. Come through here.

Now, I think you get the idea of what I'm talking about.

I do. Yeah.

It's a good size. It's all here, all the plumbing and that sort of stuff.

-But you would want to start again.

-It needs to come out.

-What have you got over there?

-Low ceilings again.

-An oil boiler in the corner.

-So you've got oil central heating which is a bonus. So that's pretty much it for down here.

-OK.

Let's have a look upstairs and see what you make of that.

'Upstairs, there are three bedrooms. The first is small, but can still fit a double bed.

'The next one is larger and does have a fantastic feature stone wall,

'as does the small family bathroom which is next door.

'But we're heading to what would be Jason and Nicky's room.'

This is the last of the three and arguably probably the biggest in some ways.

-You've got a bit of storage, another nice little textured wall, Nicky.

-Yeah, pink, but nice.

Once it's been Nicky-fied, it'll be lovely.

Give me an idea of what Nicky-fying is going to do.

I'll make things neutral. I would try to lighten some of the wood if that was possible.

And try and mix slightly more contemporary with this aged feel.

I don't want to take away from it. I'd have to just get in here and play and see how it goes.

-Brilliant. Sounds very exciting. What a project!

-Yeah, a bit of a project, but that's OK.

You're gonna be busy, aren't you, love?

Now then, talking about projects...

because your overall life project is this idea of a holiday let, which may or may not be achievable,

but if you want to do it here, it is something of a project.

But it's all possible. Even with your DIY skills!

Come outside with me. Come and have a look at this.

'Jason will need a good toolbox to make the best of this property.

'At the back of the house is access to a loft space above the kitchen which is crammed with stuff,

'but it could be the ideal spot for his music studio and there's more.'

Come across the courtyard because this, I think, is the main event. I've been itching to show you this.

It's a Welsh longhouse, kind of a long barn.

But it's neatly subdivided into two,

-so I'm thinking maybe a couple of holiday lets in here.

-Two?

-Two.

-Is it big enough for two?

Well, you tell me, but I have to warn you, they do need a bit of work. You'll see what I mean.

Come in, you two.

How much vision...have you got?

This needs a lot of work.

-Yeah.

-It probably looks worse than it is.

-Liar!

-I'm serious.

I'm serious.

I get the feeling we'd need to charge quite a lot of money to fund this project.

Lots to think about here, but let's have a look outside because there's something of a garden to explore.

'And if that has shocked them, the land that this house comes with might do too.

'There's a whopping six and a half acres.

'That includes manicured gardens, a summer house that could make a good music studio,

'three fields and a paddock.'

-I think it's really gorgeous.

-Very beautiful.

-I love the garden.

-And how about the house?

-The house is so pretty. It does need some stuff doing.

-But very pretty. Very chocolate-boxy.

-Jason, are you moved with this six and a half acres and a nice house?

-Yeah. I'd obviously need to have a look round the land, I think.

-Yeah.

Now then, your 330 grand or so, set against this lot.

What do you think, Nicky?

I think it's over our budget which is a concern because we would need money to do what needs to be done

to make it work for us,

so I think I'd put my guess at 350.

-350?

-Hmm.

-OK.

Go on, Jason.

Well, when I look at the property, and with all the land, I think I'm gonna think with my heart

and I'm gonna stab a guess at 320.

It's on the market for £340,000.

-It's ten grand over budget.

-Right.

-Offers in the region of.

Go on, off you go. I'll catch up with you a bit later.

Well, there we are, that was it, the mystery house -

£340,000, ten grand over budget,

but my goodness me, what a difference ten grand makes!

Six and a half acres, a wonderful building, a wonderful set of out-houses...

It is a project. It might be a gamble. Is it worthwhile? Yeah, I'd say it was.

At £340,000, this property is ten grand above their ceiling,

but it's certainly worth putting an offer in within their budget.

I think it's blown them away, but will they take on the challenge?

I think this would make a brilliant office for me, if we put some double doors here. It's the right height.

Actually, I think this would probably make a better office for me.

-We could put you in this one just up here. That's more your size.

-I don't think so!

This house has all the charm of a cottage on the front of a box of chocolates.

And if I'm honest, that's something that really appeals to me.

It just is the prettiest thing I've seen, um...ever.

It was a sweet house. It epitomises what a country cottage should look like.

The amount of land it comes with is phenomenal.

The only thing that concerns me is the amount of work that must be done to it.

The problem is the budget because although they probably would be open to offers in the current market,

I don't know that it would leave me enough to do what I want to do with it.

This was the mystery house. House tours are now over. Lots, I suspect, for these guys to think about.

Right, you two. Are you confused?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, a bit.

-Lots to mull over?

-Yeah.

Let's get you away where you can have a good think about it and maybe you'll make a decision. Come on.

'Jason and Nicky have quite a long list of requirements for the size of their budget.

'They've now seen all the properties and need to weigh up what's important to them.'

It's now decision time for Jason and for Nicky.

We've scoured the countryside for a fantastic and broad range of properties and explored them all.

All that is now done. Let's see what they'll do next.

Guys, this is it. It's the end of our little trip through West Wales. How do you feel it went?

-It got better.

-It got better?

-It got better as time went on, yeah.

Let's think about where it started with that converted mill.

-What did you make of that one?

-I loved it. Didn't you?

It was fantastic. The inside was amazing. It had a homely feel to it.

Yeah, beautiful. Right up my street and Jay's as well. The size was great.

Just had a few boxes unticked.

-Particularly?

-Holiday let.

-Or space for it.

-OK. But it was certainly the look you were after, wasn't it?

-Yeah.

-Definitely.

Then we went to the house on the hill.

Not far from here in Aberaeron.

-Now then, four and a half acres or so of beautiful deciduous woodland pasture.

-Yeah.

-That was absolutely stunning. A little bit daunting about the amount of land.

-Oh, no.

I'm with you. I don't think that's a problem at all.

I was ready to get my Tarzan outfit and just go and live there.

You were making me rethink that land issue, but we still had a slight issue with the size of the property.

-And we still didn't have a holiday let.

-But what about the money? 312 or thereabouts?

That was really surprising it was on the market for that price.

-Last but not least, there was the mystery house.

-You definitely saved the best till last with that one.

That was a bit of a "wow". I loved it. I loved it.

I thought the house was picture postcard, very chocolate box.

It had "Nicky" all over it.

It was ten grand over, but that didn't seem out of the way compared to what you were getting for it.

No, but there was a lot of work that needed to be done and that has to be taken into consideration.

The location and the house itself was something else.

Now then, it begs the question. We've seen them all. What are you going to do next?

We're probably gonna argue and fight for a while.

-I think I know which one is Nicky's favourite.

-Yeah.

-Let me guess. The mystery house?

-There's a surprise!

-But you were very taken with the house on the hill.

-That was definitely mine.

-The debate will rumble on.

-I think so.

-Don't let it rumble too long.

Let us know what you decide and we wish you all the very best of luck.

-It's been great having you on the show. We've seen fantastic properties.

-It's been a lot of fun.

-Brilliant. It's been fantastic, guys.

-Thanks a lot.

-Thank you.

People often ask me what is the secret to finding your ideal property.

For some people, it's a simple equation between the budget

and the bricks and mortar that they think they can achieve.

But for many, it's an emotional journey. For Nicky and Jason, it was about funding a dream.

Their search will go on, but sometimes dreams are meant to come true. See you next time.

If you're thinking of escaping to the country and would like our help,

please contact us at:

Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd 2009

Email [email protected]