North Derbyshire To Buy or Not to Buy

Bit of detective work needed on today's To Buy Or Not To Buy.

-I love a good mystery.

-Not only do we have to find a home for our house-hunters,

we also have to work out what this is for!

SYNTHESISED SOUND

Ah, Derbyshire!

On the edge of the glorious Peak District.

Why on earth are you wearing that ridiculous hat?

Did you know, in the Sherlock Holmes story,

The Adventure of the Priory School, Dr Watson described this as having a cold, bracing atmosphere.

I was thinking how beautiful and tranquil it was up here.

One of our house-hunters today is mad about the detective.

-You mean Holmes?

-Yes. At the moment they have two, but they want to move in together.

-We'd better get on the case, Sherlock.

-Indeed.

And under the magnifying glass today, dear Jonnie,

are Chris and Clare, who met through work.

It took a whole six years of wooing for them to get together.

It was Clare that did all the wooing, as Chris admits to being a scaredy-cat.

Now, however, he looks like the cat that got the cream.

They recently got married and have their respective houses on the market.

They hope to co-habit in rural north Derbyshire.

Ow! It's that thingamajig. Any ideas, Sherlock? I mean, Simon?

-No. It sounds like he's trying to play a tune.

-Murdering it, more like!

That's rather apt, as Clare does like to settle down with a whodunnit.

And she also loves tidiness.

Whereas Chris clearly likes strange noises and clutter.

They are currently living separately. But can they live together? Time to find out!

You've got two houses, two lovely houses.

Why don't you just go to one of them?

Do you not like his house, or do you not like hers?

My house isn't big enough for us both. It's quite a small cottage.

And Chris lives in a modern house.

Chris, you've retired. You're still working, Clare.

-Does that influence the location?

-Yes.

Although I live in Derbyshire, I work at the University of Warwick.

At the moment it's a 75-mile commute, but a very easy commute

because it's so close to the M1.

I don't want to go a great deal further away than we are now.

That's about it. Anywhere in this are. Derbyshire is so beautiful.

You say you like Derbyshire. Do you like being alone in Derbyshire

-or amongst folk in Derbyshire?

-Amongst folk. A village would be fine.

A small village. My idea of an absolute no would be a new-build on an estate.

Quite happy to live in a village. I'm on the edge of a village now, but with no immediate neighbours.

Anything like that.

What will you do with your days in this new house?

-I'm not doing any building work, for starters.

-Right.

Probably, if we had land, it would be gardening.

-If it was the right piece of land, we'd like to grow some chickens.

-Grow chickens?!

-Have you been to the country before?

-You don't plant them?

Let's run through the do's and don'ts. What we have to find you.

-Yes.

-Minimum number of bedrooms first.

-Well, four.

Because I need somewhere to read and go and watch stuff without getting on Chris's nerves.

-Upstairs is fairly clear. Four bedrooms.

-That would be great.

-What about downstairs? Are we social people? What are we looking for?

-Yes, we are social people.

-Kitchen/diner?

-Definitely.

-We like to eat in the kitchen. It's so sociable.

-Party room.

-Absolutely.

I don't like the idea of going off and cooking, then coming out with all the food.

-Kitchen/diner.

-Dining room? Eugh!

-I don't like the idea of cooking!

-A big kitchen/diner.

-That would be fantastic.

-OK.

Then a room that I can have as a home office, study area.

Even if it's just a corner of, or a recess anywhere

that I can put all my computer stuff.

-There's an instrument that you will be bringing with you, isn't there?

-Yeah!

-What is it? A thero... Thero... Theromin?

-Theremin.

It's a black box with an aerial sticking out

and another bit round there

and you play it, but you don't touch anything.

You move your hand in and out and it goes, "Wooo". I can't make that noise.

-Go on!

-Woooo! Like that. And that controls the volume.

-Like the beginning of Doctor Who!

-BOTH:

-Exactly!

-Someone's got it.

But that's not the only noise. You've got a daughter

-that creates a lot more noise on her visits.

-Significantly more!

Drums, mostly.

My daughter, Heather, is 21. She's from a previous marriage.

And she comes home and practises quite a lot.

-Right. OK.

-She's not exactly moving in with us,

but we need a space for her cos she's going to university

and there's long summer breaks where she might want to play her drums.

It's going to be quite a weird sounding house!

Have you any strange habits or desires for this new house?

I need somewhere for my collection of detective videos, films, books!

-Tell us more.

-Ever since I was little, I've always been interested

and it's become more of an obsession with detectives.

Sherlock Holmes is the ultimate. He's my absolute hero.

-Can I do the money now?

-Go on, then.

-Money! How much have we got to spend?

500,000.

500 grand? Is that hard and fast 500 grand?

-No more, definitely.

-No more.

-Definitely no more. If we find

the right house today, can you put an offer on it? Can we move on it?

-Yeah.

-Pretty well.

-Yeah, we could. Yeah.

-In that case,

-shall we move on it?

-Straight away.

-See you in a bit.

-See you.

-See you.

So it's a magical, musical, murder mystery tour of north Derbyshire?

-More a process of elimination.

-At least we've got 500 grand to play with.

-Should be a walk in the park!

-Famous last words!

Sandwiched between the A6 and that all-important M1 motorway

our search is concentrating on the villages and towns

situated at the south-easterly tip of the Peak District National Park.

Designated in 1951, the Peak District was the first national park in the British Isles

and it remains the most popular with some 22 million visitors each year.

It's thought to be the second most-visited national park in the world

behind Mount Fuji in Japan.

It may be the rural idyll, but the Greater Manchester metropolis

is less than 30 miles away,

as are the cities of Derby, Sheffield and Nottingham.

Geographically, Derbyshire is in the very centre of England

so it's a land-lubbers' paradise.

Clare already lives round here so she'll know this place like the back of her hand.

If you're finding all this gorgeous scenery rather appealing,

and you want to live near an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty,

then let us show you what a budget of half a million pounds can get you elsewhere in the UK.

You can wander lonely as a cloud in this beautiful three-bed cottage

situated within the Lake District National Park.

The house and large garden afford views of the gorgeous nearby Fells.

If it's all about the views, how about this 1930s pile in Herefordshire?

It looks out onto the magnificent Malvern Hills.

A period house with a modern twist, it's full of character.

I'll show you character. How does this Exmoor cottage grab you?

Parts of the building date from the early 17th century

but the tasteful extension has brought it bang up to date.

With a small search area,

looking for that perfect house can be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

I agree. We are truly going to be super sleuths today.

I wish I still had that magnifying glass with me!

OK, Sam, what I need you to do

is set me a trail of clues to find the perfect property.

Any crimes that you know of being committed at the moment?

-I don't think so.

-A safe area?

-It's a beautiful area.

So you have to use your imagination?

Four bedrooms,

hopefully with views and some land.

Budget up to £500,000. Are we realistic?

-Yeah, very much so.

-I'm glad you said that!

Do you have a favourite super sleuth yourselves?

Probably Sherlock Holmes.

This is a handsome looking property.

It's a detached residence, four bedrooms.

-It has an acre of woodland with it, which is a bonus.

-OK.

That looks perfect. It's on the money.

-I like crime TV, yeah.

-What's your favourite super sleuth?

-Mine?

-Yes.

-The Bill.

-Brilliant. You've been a gem. Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

-I'll get back on the trail.

-Good luck.

-How have you got on, Simon?

-Very well indeed.

I think the trail is leading to my choice today, Property One.

If they don't go for this place, it will be a crime!

What can I tell you? It's absolutely beautiful.

This is about the views.

The views are to die for. Jonnie, the case is solved.

Property One is the winner. Beat that!

Not so much a crime story, Property Two, more a thriller.

They've asked for open plan. They've got open plan.

What they've also got outside is a Hollywood playboy mansion.

Oh, intriguing! The plot thickens.

Now, the wild card. What shall we say about this?

For the wild card, they'll have to exercise all their super sleuth skills.

-What would Kojak say?

-He'd say, "Who loves you, baby?" We do!

I've already solved today's mystery.

This thriller of a property will enthral Chris and Clare.

It has commanding views over the spa town of Matlock Bath,

which is just south of its big brother, Matlock.

It's "picturesque" personified, but it's the house I'm most excited about.

It's well worth the hike up that hill.

OK. Property One today is my choice. The murder mystery property hunting team and I,

as they will be called today, have brought you as far as we possibly dare

from the beloved Junction 28 on the motorway to Matlock Bath.

But I really truly think it'll be worth it.

First question. How do you feel about coming up and down here in the car every day?

-It's a bit steep, but...

-It should be interesting in the winter!

Don't worry, you can do a lot of work from home when the snow comes!

That's the location. What do you feel about that?

-I think it looks great.

-It's fantastic.

Yeah, it's brilliant.

From here on in, you're going to fall in love with this place.

-Fantastic views.

-If we make it up that far!

Shall we get on? Come on.

Right. After that climb, take a moment to get your breath back.

-Because I think this property is about to take it away again.

-Yeah.

-Wow!

-Very handsome house.

Beautiful.

But have a look at that.

-I can see all the way over to Riber!

-It's marvellous.

-Look at that.

-Let me expand further.

You said you wanted seclusion and wanted your own land.

You won't be farming on this land, but if you follow the tree line,

-everything you see is part of your property.

-Oh, my goodness!

-Good grief.

-It sits in its own land. You feel like you're in your own kingdom.

-Yeah. It's fantastic.

-OK.

-Good choice!

-Yeah.

-Location's working OK.

-Absolutely. Spot on.

-Spot on.

-Let's have a look at the property.

-What do we think?

-Great.

-It looks great.

-Fantastic.

-It has that period feel that you wanted.

-Yes, it certainly does.

It's newer than you'd think. It was built in the 1920s, all from local stone.

-Great.

-If you don't buy it, Simon might!

-Yes!

-You're not wrong there!

-Before I put an offer on it, you'd better get in there and have a look around.

-We will do.

-Off you go.

Wow!

This is a nice little room.

There we are. Home office!

-What?!

-That wouldn't be an office! It's the kitchen/diner.

-It's what they asked for!

In here? Yeah, great idea.

Simon's certainly done his homework. Look at this.

Oh, my goodness!

And it's got an Aga! Wow!

Ooh!

-What do you think?

-I think I like that.

It's actually... You could work in here. Get a table in here.

It's big enough. Could certainly put a table in the middle.

What I like about this kitchen is the range and modern windows but it still feels old.

-Shall we investigate the rest of the house?

-Yeah! I can't imagine what'll be there next.

What's in here?

Oh, wow!

-Look at that.

-This would make a great little office.

-Yep.

-Look at the beams. And it's got a real fire.

Somebody's already using it as an office. That's perfect, isn't it?

-There's the office!

-Not the kitchen!

-No.

-The office!

This is brilliant. Look at the views out the window.

-Looks like you'll get them through every window.

-That's the problem.

You'd never get any work done!

-So this is the...

-The lounge.

This is the living area.

Look at that.

-It's a decent size, isn't it?

-Yeah, it is.

-It feels really homely.

-Yes.

This is really good.

I thought the ceilings would be a lot lower and pokey, but it's not.

It's nicely proportioned.

For me, Simon, my favourite room, this.

-That's very kind of you. Thank you very much.

-Tell it how it is.

-This is the conservatory we saw from outside. Fantastic.

-Goodness.

This has been added on recently. It looks new.

-Look at the view!

-I know.

It's fantastic, isn't it?

-Everywhere, the castle looks at you, doesn't it?

-Yeah.

OK. Let's go and see what's upstairs.

-Wow!

-What have we got here?

-So this is the master bedroom, I'm guessing.

-The master bedroom.

-Yeah, it's OK.

-Yep.

-It's certainly big enough, isn't it?

-You only sleep in it.

-What's here?

-Oh, wow! A walk-in wardrobe!

-Oh, no.

-Fantastic!

There won't be any room for my stuff!

Ladies love a walk-in wardrobe.

-And it's got an en-suite!

-Ooh.

-I like that. I even like the decor in there. It's good.

-Yeah.

He likes the decor

because by his own admission, he doesn't want to do much! Naughty man!

Wow! Oh, this is nice.

-It's quite small for a second bedroom.

-Look at the size of the bed!

Exactly. It's enormous.

-They've got more clothes hanging there!

-More wardrobes! This is great.

Far more storage space than I've got in my place.

Yeah, absolutely. And me.

So this is the third bedroom.

It's another double.

-It is another double.

-And more wardrobes!

More wardrobes, indeed. Yeah, that's great.

They haven't said one bad thing about this house.

I don't know whether all three houses, they'll love them all.

Or whether they genuinely love this house.

Don't dilute the praise for my property, thank you very much!

Oh!

Ooh, a corner bath.

I think that would have to go!

Why? You don't like them?

So, replacing a bathroom. That's the first slight negative.

-Chris is going to do something?

-No, he'll get a man in.

-Right.

Oh, it's got no door knob on!

Does that mean we'll get locked in?

-Yeah!

-Oh! This is bigger than...

-Another double bedroom!

-..the other one.

-You wouldn't guess it, would you?

-No, you wouldn't guess it at all.

And storage space again.

-And it looks out onto the terrace.

-The wood pile!

-Yeah.

-I hadn't noticed the terrace before.

No. That's lovely. But this is great cos it's different to the others.

A different shaped room. The others were quite square.

-Yeah.

-And boxy. This feels as if it's part of another house.

-You're going to hunt that one down!

-I am going to hunt it down.

Ah, there you go. Now, then. There is a detective in you, Clare.

In fact, that is part of the modern extension.

-Tell you what, those two have done a pretty good...

-Fantastic job.

Yeah. Don't tell them, though!

-No.

-They'll get big-headed!

Before we talk about what you think about this place,

you picked up on your detective skills when you said some rooms felt newer than others.

It felt like it was almost two houses or an old house with an extension.

-She's amazing.

-She is amazing.

-She's good.

If you look out here, look carefully,

that's because this end of the house is a very modern extension.

All the stone came from this garden.

-Really?

-That's why it matches in so well.

The guy who owns this place is a builder.

-He rummaged in the garden and found enough stone.

-It matches. You don't notice it when you walk up.

No, you don't.

What sort of jobs would you get to do in this house, if any?

A fair amount of redecorating, definitely. I can wield a brush.

Upstairs or downstairs or all over?

-Probably more upstairs.

-More upstairs, yeah.

We also agree with you completely that the bathroom needs attention.

Yes. You could make that really nice, though.

-It's big enough to make... It's a good space.

-We've both got flash bathrooms.

-Yes.

-It all costs money, those changes.

-Yes. Now, how much

do you think this place is on the market for?

-A budget of £500,000, of course.

-495.

-I think it's at the top end of our budget.

-Chris?

I'll go a little lower.

-490.

-OK.

-This place is actually on the market for £450,000.

-No!

-Oh, yes.

-Whoa!

-It's 1-0 to Chris.

I think we've got a big tick next to this house. Well done, Simon.

-I think you're right.

-Good job there.

No shaking of hands! Let's see my property next.

Property Two. Follow me.

I think Simon's being a bit smug about his admittedly strong opener.

But I've brought Chris and Clare to the small village of Shirland,

seven miles to the east of Matlock.

Barn conversions can look a bit underwhelming from the road.

But open the door on this barn stormer and you'll find a real Aladdin's Cave.

For Property Two, let's start where Simon started for his offering.

-Location. Do you know this location?

-Not very well at all,

even though it's not far from where I live.

-We haven't looked at this area at all.

-Let's start with the positives.

-It's eight or nine minutes' drive from the all-important Junction 28 of the M1.

-Absolutely.

-So right spot for your commute.

-Yeah.

A slightly busier road. We heard a car go by. But what do you think?

-Completely different to Property One.

-No way the same.

-No.

It's fantastic. Just totally different.

-Not like anything we've looked at.

-Is it a good difference?

-Very good.

-Yeah.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-It's got a lot of those things...

-From the outside.

-Quite old.

-Like what?

It's old, it's got lovely stone.

The courtyard's fantastic.

Great, isn't it? These massive flags as well.

-A potted history - you might have seen the farm next door.

-Yes.

These were basically cow sheds.

The cow sheds got converted to holiday accommodation

and the owners have been here seven years and done the entire property top to bottom.

It's starting to rain. I'll get you inside. We'll stay outside.

But I think you are going to be blown away by this place.

-Excellent.

-To coin a phrase from one of your books,

"all is not as it seems".

-Indeed?

-Enjoy!

-Thank you.

-See you later.

Oh, look - stable door!

-Is it?

-Oh, my!

-Shine a light!

Shine a light, indeed, my friend.

This is the open plan party house you've been looking for.

Look at this!

Is that a kitchen or two kitchens?

-This is amazing.

-And a gas lamp.

-Another range!

Good grief.

Look at the ceiling! It's so high!

It's stunning.

Totally stunning!

-This is amazing.

-I know. I like it already.

What do you think of that?

Look at the floor!

-There's even more!

-There's more of it!

Oh, my goodness!

Oh, dear!

-Well, we wanted space!

-It's so different from the last house.

-Oh, yes, did you mention the swimming pool?

-I haven't, no.

I thought I'd put that little cherry on top of the beautiful cake.

CLARE GASPS

-Look!

-What?!

-What was my dream addition that you said...

-A swimming pool!

-..never in a million years!

Good grief!

And a hot tub! Is it a hot tub?

-I can't think of anything else...

-It is a hot tub.

-And a pond.

-And decking!

-And it's got a separate dining area.

-And upstairs... Upstairs to the dining room.

Oh, look at this!

A church pew. We'll have to get one of them.

It's absolutely amazing.

What can you say about this?

It's gobsmacking.

-No, that's not good enough!

-No,

gobsmacking's not it. It's absolutely wow!

I would never have thought that shiny silvery wallpaper and red walls would work,

but they look fantastic.

Everything they see, even down to the colour of the walls, they love.

Oh, my goodness me!

I would never have dreamed that this was inside what you see outside.

Look at those beams!

This is just absolutely amazing. And so big!

What they haven't done in this house, what they've done in yours, is start allocating rooms.

Here, they've just reacted.

It's not, "This is your office." They've thought, "We love this!"

Because you've blown them away completely.

This certainly wasn't what I was expecting.

-You couldn't imagine this, could you?

-No.

You always think of barn conversions as being pokey.

Not having huge amounts of space.

Perhaps one of the weaker rooms upstairs, first up.

-The spare room, or the office, or the drumming room, I don't know.

-All right! It's the study. The office.

Is this the first bedroom?

Ooh!

Oh, good grief, it's the...

This is a lot bigger than you think.

It's obviously the lad's bedroom.

Look at the windows. They're great because they're so low down.

They look fantastic. This is lovely.

Really, really nice.

-It's a good size, actually.

-It is.

Ooh, strange-shaped door.

SHE GASPS

Wow!

What?!

-Wow! Just look at this!

-Master bedroom, maybe?

This has got to be the master bedroom.

It's the same sort of shape as the kitchen with the big high triangular ceiling.

This is truly amazing.

Oh, look at the view!

Two windows straight out.

As far as you can see, there's absolutely nothing!

Wow!

Ooooh!

This is an en-suite.

-They have spared no expense in this place, have they?

-No.

That's better. Now we can stay outside, not getting wet

and listen to these wonderful people look at my wonderful house.

So this is... Oh, this is the bathroom!

-Oh, my goodness!

-Now, this is a bathroom!

-Look at this!

-Look at the size of that bath!

-You'd get three people in that bath!

-It's a bubble bath, do you think?

-Size-wise, what would you compare the bath to?

-I know where you're going.

-Would it be as big as...

-The swimming pool!

-Nearly.

We've had the bathroom. This should be, yes, another bedroom.

-This is lovely.

-Lovely!

-This is really pleasant.

-Isn't it nice?

-Yes.

-Even though it's quite...

Well, it seems small because they've got two large wardrobes in here.

-Compared to everything else we've seen.

-Yes.

-Ooh.

-Oh, wow!

-Look at this!

This isn't what I was expecting. I expected a small fourth room.

-I thought they'd get smaller.

-Yes. This is quite a large bedroom.

-Oh!

-Oh, I don't know!

More water! Honestly!

Just when you think you've seen absolutely everything!

They throw another bathroom at you.

There's so many rooms!

-It's so full of surprises!

-They must be very clean!

-Oh, it's another...

-Another en-suite.

-Another flashy one.

They sound surprised.

What do they expect? Everything else in this house is amazing. It's going to be good.

We've seen the whole house. Let's find the guys and tell them what we think.

-OK?

-Let's guess the price.

-Guess the price!

-Here they are, Mr and Mrs Keen!

-Do come and join us.

Now, then.

-Now, then, lad.

-Did you like this house at all?

-This house is amazing!

-Yeah.

It's an old shell that's got a new life inside it.

Something like that. It's perfect.

When someone moves into a house and starts to allocate spaces, it usually means they like it.

Here, you didn't start saying, "That'll be an office", "That'll be good for my daughter."

You just reacted to each room.

But would it work for you? Going back to your wish list.

It would.

-Yes.

-It would.

-I think it would as well.

There's enough flexibility. I don't know, you could have the end room

as a bedroom, or a bedsit, or something.

-A real contrast to the first property.

-Absolutely.

-Yeah.

But will it contrast price-wise?

Your budget is £500,000. Who's going to go first this time? Chris.

Um...

I say it's right at the top of the budget.

Four hundred and ninety-nine thousand and ninety-nine pence!

-499.

-I actually think it's over our budget.

-Do you?

-I do.

525.

-Well...

-I think it's over budget.

I think... I think it is.

Well, I'll tell you the price. Good job you're sitting down.

-Because it's 439,950.

-What?!

You are joking!

-Does he look like he's joking?

-Twice you've done that to us today.

-We like to do that.

-Say it again!

439,950.

60 grand under your budget.

-Well, I'm absolutely gobsmacked.

-We walked around saying, "We can't afford it!"

So you couldn't hear, "We can't afford it!"

-No.

-There you go.

This isn't over, yet. You love detective series.

What's Columbo's catch phrase?

Is it, "Just one more thing"?

-Yes, as he's going out the door.

-Just one more thing. The Wild Card.

-Let's go!

-OK.

OK. I know we've scored a hit with the first two properties.

But how about the Wild Card?

Clare asked for a period property with character.

These yew trees were around when Elizabeth I was on the throne.

They gave their name to this later rambling pile.

DIY may not be their thing, so what will they make of this?

Right, then. The Wild Card.

What can we tell you about the Wild Card?

First, we're in the village of Crich. Do you know this village?

My mum and dad live in this village!

They do? Whereabouts? Just over there!

In that case, no point in telling you about the local area!

We'll tell you about the house itself.

-Built around 1640.

-Wow!

-So bags of character. Look at it.

-Wow!

-Yeah.

-This says country house to you?

-It does.

Know what else is remarkable about it?

Jonnie's just said. If this was built in 1640,

it looks like it was built yesterday.

That's the beauty of gritstone.

-Right.

-It will last for ever.

-They knew how to build houses then!

This stuff will last for ever. First impressions of the house?

-Very different to the other two.

-Pretty.

-Yes, pretty.

-Really traditional.

-Yes.

Very much what you imagine as a country cottage.

-Views to die for, again.

-Absolutely.

-You can't help it

in this part of the world. It's fabulous.

And a lot of land with this place.

-You'll see that as you wander round when you look out back.

-OK.

That's what you should do straightaway. Go in, have a good mooch around.

-We'll meet you in a bit.

-Brilliant.

-See you in a moment.

Wow! Let's see what we've got here.

Wow!

-This is not what you expect.

-Not at all what you'd expect.

-It's very traditional.

-Yes.

-Very traditional.

Are they going to like the tradition of this house after the contemporary fittings in number two?

We're taking them back to what they asked for.

Yes.

Very, very different to the others. Very traditional.

-Traditional cottage feel to it.

-Yeah.

-A warm sort of feeling.

-Yes.

Yeah. Really nice.

What have we got in here? Nice and warm, isn't it?

-Lovely and warm.

-Yes.

-Fire.

-Yes, this is...

-The obligatory fire.

It's almost the same as the other side.

Like a mirror image of the other room.

For a house this old,

I expect beams.

It's 1640.

I thought there would be beams running all through the house.

-Right.

-That's one mystery.

Yeah.

Are they questioning the date of this house?

We've been informed by the vendor and agent that this dates back to 1640.

Yet the detective in Clare is saying, "Maybe not."

-Question everything, Clare.

-That's the idea. That's why.

Oh, look.

This is the kitchen.

-Oh, this is great.

-Ah, look!

-A real Aga!

-An absolutely real Aga.

-Fantastic. Look at that.

-And look at these walls. These stone walls. I wonder if these are...

-They're real.

-..1640 as well?

Look at the lintel over the top.

Wow! Now there's a beam, an old beam.

-Definitely.

-Not in the ceiling, but certainly over the Aga.

Just imagine how many people have sat in here.

Yeah. God, that is so warm.

Even though this was just a farmhouse, you get the impression it was built with money.

It's built on quite grand lines, really.

It's quite a long, thin kitchen. It's a strange shape.

-The cooking over here.

-The cooking there.

-And all the other units over this side.

-I suppose there's not a lot of other things you could do with it.

-No.

Wow, look at this.

Oh, look at that garden.

Now there's a lot for you to mow.

HE SPLUTTERS

Do you think all of this belongs to the house?

It could be. It would be wild if it was.

Yeah.

The outside has got well over an acre of wild land, which you could do anything with, really.

1640. I wonder how many people have climbed these stairs?

I know!

Right. So this is...

Oh, wow!

This bedroom's a lot bigger than I thought it would be.

This is lovely. Isn't it bright?

Really high ceilings, which I wouldn't have expected in a house this old.

-I'm still expecting low ceilings and beams.

-Cos it's quite a squat house.

From the outside, it doesn't look like

-it's got rooms of this size or this height, either.

-No.

It's a really tall building. You have tall ceilings on the ground floor

-but it keeps on giving when you go upstairs.

-Yes.

Oh, this is a great room.

Another bedroom.

-This is a nice size. It would fit a double bed.

-Definitely.

And a really low window.

-Now we're starting to feel...

-It's coming down.

-It's coming down.

More like you'd feel in an older house.

Look at that field out there. There's no fence between us and the field.

Yeah, but look at the view.

There's nothing for miles and miles. It's fantastic.

This is the bathroom.

Right.

-This is quite teeny.

-Bijou and compact!

Yes. This is quite small.

But it's OK. The central heating boiler's in here.

It is quite small.

Um...

For such positive people, they're struggling to find things to say about this.

Ah.

-Oh! This is the fourth bedroom. It's a decent size.

-Third bedroom.

We've only seen three. Yes, third bedroom.

-Right.

-But it's still...

-I'm losing count!

-It's still a big room, isn't it?

-Yes, it is.

Now I'm starting to feel that Clare is being polite for the sake of being polite.

-Do you think we've seen everything?

-Maybe the lads were wild. Like you say, we've only seen three bedrooms.

-Do you think there's more?

-There's another one somewhere!

-Shall we ask them?

-Good idea!

-OK!

-You've had a good look round.

-Yes.

-Our pair of super sleuths.

-Yes.

-It seemed fairly conventional, didn't it?

-We couldn't work out what was "wild" about it.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-OK.

Well, you asked us for a couple of reception rooms and four bedrooms.

-What is missing from that?

-Fourth bedroom.

-Yes.

On the last page of this particular property mystery,

what is revealed is your fourth bedroom, which is perhaps 33% of this property.

-Right.

-There is planning consent for another three double bedrooms

all en-suite.

Right.

So the idea is, what they've got permission for, already granted,

is to tear down this building completely, an old workers' cottage,

and as long as the stone is reused, you can match up the grandeur of the existing property

-go to that gable and come out this way.

-And extend out.

-Extend out this way.

-OK.

-Well, that's...

-Now it's "wild", isn't it?

-Absolutely.

-Really wild.

-It is, yeah.

Try to factor that in to how you would buy this property.

What you would do. You don't have to do that.

-At least not straightaway.

-No.

But armed with what you've seen, the beautiful views,

the one-and-a-half acres of land

and the planning consent that will run with this property,

how much is it on the market for?

350.

-Clare?

-I think a bit more than that.

Especially given the age of the property. 385.

-She's good. Put them out of their misery.

-Absolutely.

You've saved your face!

Absolutely. In fact, a very educated guess, there.

-Right.

-395.

-Right, only 10,000 out.

-Yeah.

-Fantastic.

-I gave you that!

Now, the costings for that conversion have come in

-in and around the £100,000 mark.

-Really?

-OK?

That is the three double en-suite rooms

-and some fantastic accommodation on the ground floor. It would be a dream house.

-OK.

-Right.

-In and around your budget.

-Yeah.

-Right. OK.

-Food for thought.

-Absolutely.

-We've now shown you three very different properties, I'm sure you'll agree.

-Yes.

What you have to do now is one last bit of detective work

-and decide which one you'd like to spend more time in.

-OK.

-Off you go

-and we'll see you in a while.

-Yes.

-Thank you.

-It could go any way.

-Certainly could.

-Whilst they try to solve this particular property mystery,

a reminder of all three properties for you at home.

There should be no argument. Here are the clues that lead to Property One.

Character, bedrooms and land.

A stunning period house with awe-inspiring views,

On the market at:

Not bad if you're a mountain goat!

Now, what Property Two lacked in land area

it more than made up for with its interior spec. A unique layout

with luxury fittings, this had all the bells and whistles.

And let's not forget about that magnificent heated swimming pool.

But the Wild Card was that word we dare not mention,

a project. All the land you'd ever need

and planning permission to give it the dimensions of a stately home.

395 grand means there's plenty of room in the budget for upgrades.

But what will Chris and Clare decide?

So today's test drive is Property Two, my property.

I thought it was an open-and-shut case.

Apologies. Apologies. Now, look. Now we're here,

why did you choose property number two?

We think this house is absolutely stunning.

It's not something we would have found ourselves.

-Would you have even got out of the car?

-No way.

-No. Not from the look of the outside.

Cos it looks like just a very ordinary barn conversion.

-Yeah.

-But you need to see it inside.

What about inside? What was it that blew you away?

Everything.

OK. That's all I need to hear.

It's absolutely amazing. The space, I've never seen anything like it.

-Fantastic. And outside it's just wonderful as well.

-Out the back.

-Absolutely.

-Yeah.

-Great.

Before you go in there, our eagle-eyed surveyor

has had his magnifying glass out

and gone over this place with a fine-tooth comb.

He's come up with a couple of points to bear in mind.

It's not a legally-binding survey. If you proceed with this or any other property,

-get full searches and surveys done.

-Absolutely.

Firstly, I'm pointing at the pointing.

He's discovered that the cement between the blocks is harder than the stone itself.

-People think if you use a very hard mix it'll last forever.

-Yes.

But it must be softer than the block because that must erode before the block

or you'll get water in behind and it damages the blockwork itself.

The roof may need attention. It's nearing the end of its life.

If you look really closely, there's little metal attachments called tingles.

They are put in place to hold the tiles down.

-The whole of this roof, the tiled part, will need replacing in the next couple of years.

-OK.

That is something I recommend you build in to your bid price if you were to make an offer.

As we said, nothing to do inside.

-But enjoy yourselves.

-Armed with all of this information,

Simon and myself want you to try before you buy.

-And we will.

-OK. Thank you.

-Enjoy.

-Thank you.

Here we go, then, on the test drive.

-Hang on - who's this?

-Ah, they've brought daughter Heather along. What's all this kit?

I think she's brought Dad along as a roadie, more like!

Ah, noise!

-You can tell who her dad is!

-She's good, though.

That room is a brilliant space for her. Well away from the rest of the house.

Looks like Clare's having a stab at writing a detective novel!

So, what's she typing, then?

"She walked along the lonely corridor,

"creeping ever closer towards the door." This is the dramatic bit!

Oh, I can't look!

-SYNTHETIC SOUNDS

-Aghh! He's murdering that tune again!

Looks like they need a rest after all that tension!

-They're in the garden.

-It is a fabulous garden and those views are to die for.

Plenty of space for Chris to "grow" those chickens.

And for burying that incriminating evidence!

I think it's time for Chris and Clare to reveal whether we "dunnit". Shall we find them?

Listen, we were standing outside, and there were some strange wailing noises coming from that house.

-A very odd noise! You've had the theremin going.

-I certainly have.

As well as that, lovely Heather's looked round the place.

-She has.

-What did she think?

-She loved it. She absolutely loved it.

-Absolutely loved it.

It's gone down pretty well.

Have you any plans for this place? What's going through your minds?

We need to get a quote for the roof cos it is a big thing to replace this part of the roof.

And we've also thought about how we'd manage the swimming pool

and we wondered whether we could put a solar panel in at the same time

-and heat it with that.

-That's the thing to do if you're getting the roof done.

Get your solar panels up. This is south-facing.

-Yes.

-That could work.

-Yep.

-You're on board with this one.

-I am now.

Let's not beat around the bush.

To buy or not to buy?

To buy!

-Yes! Brilliant!

-Congratulations, my friend.

-Thank you very much, partner!

-I'm over the moon.

-Yeah.

-So are we!

Yeah, we absolutely loved it.

-You're pleased, then?

-Absolutely over the moon.

-We never would have found it without you.

-No.

-Don't just thank us. Thank our property hunting team.

-The murder mystery property hunting team.

They're on their next case now. And maybe we should go on to our next case.

-We should.

-OK.

-See you later.

-Thanks a lot.

-Cheers, guys.

-Bye!

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