Austria - Salzburg Escape to the Continent

The enchanting view behind me was the setting for one of the best-known musicals ever made.

Where could I be? Find out in just a moment.

'On today's show, our house-hunters are searching for a place to

'welcome guests, but they grapple with the realities of hospitality.'

It would need a lot of looking after.

I won't be doing the cleaning.

A trip to the mountains turns into a real-life rescue mission.

But, thankfully, not all surprises are unwelcome.

It's everything I'd have said I wouldn't like, and yet I do.

Welcome to Escape To The Continent.

I'm in Salzburg, which is

in the Salzburgerland region of northwest Austria.

Now, you might recognise that fantastic view behind me.

That's because it, along with other parts of this region,

feature in the 1965 smash hit musical The Sound Of Music.

Today, people from all over the world flock here to absorb its rich

culture, its fantastic architecture and utterly beautiful landscapes.

The Salzburgerland region is one of Austria's nine provinces

and is an area of majestic Alpine scenery,

pastoral chalet villages and fairy-tale architecture.

The province takes its name from its capital, Salzburg, which literally

means "salt town" and gives a clue to where its prosperity originates.

The city itself is a World Heritage Site due to its fine baroque

architecture, centring on Salzburg's majestic cathedral.

Across the city, there are a host of attractions for the visitor,

including the composer Mozart's birthplace,

the Salzburg Museum, and its imposing hilltop castle.

Away from the capital, the region boasts some of the country's finest

scenery, with the Austrian Alps rising dramatically to the south.

The Hohe Tauern National Park is home to the Krimml Waterfalls,

the fifth-highest in the world.

This monumental landscape attracts some 5.5 million visitors

every year, many of whom come for the outdoor leisure activities.

With its unrivalled scenery and magical cities, it's clear

to see why escaping here could be an attractive prospect for many.

If it's a property bargain you're after in Salzburg,

be warned - it is the most expensive region in Austria.

The average price of a family home here is £300,000.

That's £50,000 more expensive than back home.

But the good news is, even if you have a modest budget,

you can find places.

£245,000 will buy you a three-bedroom family home in Piesendorf.

However, if it's a skiing hotspot you want,

then a similar-sized property in the fashionable resort of Saalbach

will cost you £800,000.

But whatever your budget, there are hundreds of properties here.

Will any of them, though, meet our buyers' expectations?

Let's meet them to find out.

Civil servant Robert and his wife Annette

currently live in the UK on the Wiltshire-Hampshire borders.

Their relationship began when they were both working in Germany.

We met about 20 years ago. We got together at a work party.

I got posted back to the UK, but we kept our relationship going.

-We just carried on seeing each other.

-And then got married.

We had the marriage ceremony, then we went away on honeymoon,

and then afterwards, I came back to the UK and Annette went to Germany.

And we lived apart for two years before we sorted ourselves out.

It was during their time in Munich

that their love affair with Austria began.

The first time I was working out in Germany and took a first trip

down to Austria, I looked up there and I thought, "Do you know what?

"I think I could retire over here."

I used to do regular visits down to Austria

because I used to go skiing in the mountains, and hiking.

For me, it would be like going back home, back to the mountains,

back to what I think is where I belong, really.

And it won't just be the two of them.

There's another key member of the family.

Poppy is an eight-year-old Jack Russell and she's part of our life,

big-time. She's a very clever dog.

We do tricks with her and she does then so, so well.

I spend every morning, an hour, two hours' walk,

depending on the weather.

She is part of our family now.

With Robert's retirement around the corner, together,

they are about to embark upon a big change.

I have had quite a long career so far, but the next phase of life

is looming large, so I am looking forward to saying, right,

let's do something that I'd liked to have done a long time ago

and perhaps run my own business.

The business they're thinking of is to provide holiday accommodation,

something that will be intrinsically linked to the house search.

What we're looking for is a fairly large property that has, say,

four apartments which we can rent out and run a business from.

We would also very much like to have a fairly large owners'

apartment within that property.

And selling their property in the UK will give them

a good budget for their move.

We can do £600,000.

If that ideal property came along and it was a little bit more,

then, you know, we would look to consider that as well.

In order to find a property large enough for their needs

and in an area popular with visitors,

the search will concentrate on southern Salzburgerland,

where guesthouses and B&Bs can be found within their budget.

To shelter from the rain, I'm meeting them

at a local hotel to get a few more details about their plans.

So, Robert, Annette, we are here in our lovely Alpine setting.

So, tell me, why Austria? Where do you want to move here?

I always visited Austria for skiing and hiking,

and it was just absolutely fabulous.

And what about you, Robert? Why do you want to move here?

Is it Annette's dream or do you want to be here too?

-It is my dream as well.

-Good, that's good!

So what will you be doing when you're out here?

Well, we want to have some sort of a small business,

bed and breakfast, or apartments.

Is this something you've done before?

When I was 20, I worked in a hotel doing breakfasts for guests

and worked behind the bar.

Doing that and actually running your own business are completely different, aren't they?

-Definitely, yes.

-You're coming here, you are retiring.

This is a huge undertaking, to set up a business.

This is a new challenge to take on. Coming up to retirement,

and what I really don't want to do is put on the carpet slippers and stop.

I need to do something, and here's a chance to realise the dream.

Fair enough, so it is the right time. So who speaks German?

I speak fluent German, or I'd like to say I speak fluent German.

And as far as I'm concerned,

I shall never starve or die of thirst anywhere.

So you know how to order a beer and a pizza?

THEY LAUGH I can do that!

I can do little bit more!

So let's talk about the property, then.

What is it that you're looking for?

I think it's got to be something that looks like an idyllic

and typical Austrian-type property. I would like a lot of wood.

I'd love a balcony that we can decorate with the flowers

and things like that.

Good skiing and hiking facilities nearby.

It has got to be that sort of property that we can put on a

web page and someone will say, "That is my ideal holiday destination."

What is more important to you, then -

the hotel side of things or your accommodation?

I find that the accommodation for us,

our living quarters, will be very, very important.

We are looking for quality of life with an opportunity to have an income stream.

What we're not looking to do is to make megabucks here

and live in one small room.

-So, shall we go off and find property number one?

-Yes!

-Absolutely.

-All right, then, let's do that.

So, for £600,000, our house-buyers are seeking a classic

Austrian chalet-style property large enough to give them either

several rental apartments

or a guesthouse bed and breakfast option.

For their part of the accommodation, they are after a decent-sized

apartment within the property as well as a garden for their dog.

And, of course, the setting is key.

It has got to be in the mountains they love so much.

And we've got some impressive places to show them.

As Robert and Annette haven't decided

on whether they want self-catering apartments or a B&B,

we've found options for both, and each property strikes a different

balance between owner accommodation and business potential.

So what will appeal the most?

And then there's the mystery house, which is a radical proposal

but could be the solution to their dilemmas.

With such sizeable properties to explore, there's no time to waste.

Our property search begins 100km south of the city

of Salzburg in the spa town of Bad Gastein.

It's located on the edge of the Hohe Tauern National Park,

the largest of Austria's seven national parks.

This Alpine resort became fashionable in the 19th century,

and when the railway came to town in 1905, many of the imposing

hotels and belle epoque buildings were constructed.

Today, the town attracts visitors who

come for the hiking in the summer and the skiing in the winter.

There are four ski resorts across the Gastein Valley,

with 220km of piste.

Our house hunt begins a five-minute drive out of the resort and,

regrettably, in the pouring rain.

-Here we go.

-Here we go.

This is the first property,

and I would like your instant reactions, please, Robert.

It looks like the sort of thing we're looking for.

Traditional design with the balconies and places for the plants on the top.

-Great stuff.

-That is a good start! And what about you, Annette?

Yes, it's very orange, but we can change that. Looks very, very nice.

-Beautiful.

-Well, I like the fact you're already thinking you could adapt it to your own style.

The road is potentially a bit of an issue.

What we would like to do is understand, where are the bedrooms in relation to the road,

probably where is the private apartment in relation to the road?

-You just want to get in there!

-We do!

-Yes!

-Come on, then, let's go.

-OK!

'The road is an issue, but I wonder whether that will be outweighed

'by the whole package that is on offer here.

'It's an up and running business with six good self-catering rental

'apartments, plus, up on the first floor,

'some extremely spacious owner accommodation.'

And in we come into the living room

-of what would be your private apartment.

-Uh-huh.

-Mm-hmm.

This is a three-bedroom apartment, but the smallest bedroom is

-currently being used by the owners as an office.

-Right.

-What do you think about this piece?

-No, it's a good size.

It's bigger than what we thought.

-Yeah, for the owners' apartment...

-Yeah, it is very good.

I would probably redecorate, refurnish, but, yeah...

All right, well, I want to show you the kitchen. This way.

Look at this kitchen. What do you think about this?

The kitchen will definitely need updating.

-The units look a bit tired.

-Yeah.

But I do like the size. The size is super.

It's really, really big.

And you're straight out onto your balcony as well.

Yes, that's quite nice, actually, yes.

What I am now picking up is there is road noise coming in, which is

something we are not used to. So, location could be a bit of an issue.

Yes, I can hear the noise.

You can see it in two ways - one, road, traffic, noise,

or accessibility.

You can get up to 70cm of snow here, and your byroad will get cleared

by a tractor, which means you're not going to get stuck.

And, more importantly,

your clients and customers will be able to get here.

But this isn't just a three-bedroom apartment.

-It comes with some apartments that you could rent out.

-Right, OK.

-Shall we go and see one of them?

-Oh, yes, yeah.

The rental apartments are located on the first and second floor,

with four of them offering balconies.

The largest has a spacious kitchen/diner

and the other five have separate kitchens, en suite facilities

and are all generously sized.

The interior throughout is well maintained,

making it an immediate going concern.

Now this is where things start getting exciting.

This is very nice, lovely. Yeah, I love it.

I love the wood ceilings, it's roomy, it's clean.

-It's very traditional, isn't it?

-It is, it is. A typical Austrian room.

-I could imagine spending a holiday here.

-Yes.

So I think that's the main thing - could we market this?

-And I'd say, yeah, I'm sure we could market this.

-Yes.

And there's wonderful views out of the window as well.

-There certainly are.

-Yes.

-This is really great.

This is one of six apartments.

It would need a lot of looking after - cleaning and bedding and all that.

-OK.

-What do you think?

-I won't be doing the cleaning! No...

Who will be doing the cleaning?

I would hire someone in to do the cleaning.

But, because it's an apartment, it's easier to manage

because we wouldn't have to do the bed and breakfast.

So you like the self-catering, you like that you don't have to be in here every day

and you like that you don't have to make them their eggs in the morning?

-Correct.

-Shall we go and stand on the terrace and take in the view?

-Yes, why not?

-Come on, then. Come with me, let's go.

The other accommodation in this three-storey property is on the ground floor.

Currently used for storage and utilities, plans have been drawn up

to convert this area into a further two apartments with disabled access.

Well, let's talk about money, because there is a price on it.

Mm-hmm.

How much you think it is on the market for?

I think you're going to be hitting our £600,000 budget with this one.

-Annette?

-I think 625.

So this whole property is on the market at...

£504,000.

-Oh!

-Wow!

-Oh, right!

-Wow!

-I am surprised.

-You look in shock, Robert.

-I am.

The thing is, I just cannot believe you can get so much for your money.

I am absolutely staggered.

I'd like you both to go in now and have a really good look around.

-I'll find you in a bit.

-OK.

For almost £100,000 under their budget,

this vast chalet-style guesthouse offers the traditional

Austrian exterior Robert and Annette and looking for,

a spacious three-bedroom owners' residence, six self-catering

rental apartments, with the option to create a further two,

and the benefit of it being an established business

ready for them to step into.

-Hey!

-OK, this is good.

-Yeah.

-Very nice.

-This sofa arrangement and things like that is quite good.

Yeah, I quite like this area. Then you've got the bedroom down here.

Yeah, I think we could offer the guests really,

-really sensible-sized apartments.

-Yes.

The biggest selling point has just got to be the huge amount of space inside here.

It's unbelievable how the apartment sizes are so generous.

From the outside, one gets no feeling for just how big the inside is.

The apartments are absolutely fantastic. Good, good size.

The living accommodation is bigger than I thought, actually,

and a real good price, too.

The concern for me is the busy road, the noise.

And also, because we will be bringing our dog, the dog will

have to have a little secure garden, and it doesn't actually offer that.

But, all in all, the property is wonderful. I love it. I really do.

-Hello there.

-Hi.

-Hats and coats on, ready to leave.

-That's right, yes.

-But still smiling, which is good. Come on, then, let's go.

-Right.

It's the end of the first day and our buyers are mulling over

the financial realities of running their own business.

It would be ideal to use staff wherever we can but, of course,

if we don't get the earnings, what we can't do is pay for all the staff

and we might have to do some more work ourselves.

Yeah, which, clearly, we don't want to do.

I mean, we want to get the staff, so we need to make that income work.

Taking on a new business means there's plenty for Robert

and Annette to think about, and I'll be giving them

more options to consider when the hunt begins again in the morning.

It's our second day in Austria's stunning Salzburgerland region,

where we are on a quest to find a home

and a first-time business for Robert and Annette from Wiltshire.

But as they don't know exactly what it is they are looking for, I'm

going to mix it up and give them a couple of rather different options.

Our next stop takes us further east to the large village of Mauterndorf,

which means "toll village".

Strategically built on the road from northern Italy to Salzburg,

it was an important trading post in the Middle Ages.

Mauterndorf Castle was built in the 13th century to fortify

the village's lucrative toll station.

Surrounded by incredible scenery, the village is home

to 1,700 people and is a traditional Austrian community.

There are shops and amenities for the locals as well as hotels

and guesthouses for the visitors who come in their thousands

during the tourist seasons.

Right on the edge of the village, next to the River Taurach,

is our next offering.

This is the next house.

-Made from Canadian cedar logs.

-Oh, right!

-Canadian?!

-Very different. Very, very different. Very unusual.

I'm surprised to hear it's made of Canadian wood when they've got

so much local wood, but, I mean, it really looks good.

Well, the reason it's Canadian cedar log is that they are built to

-withstand Alaskan winters.

-Aha!

-OK.

So the heat retention in that house, you're talking the business. OK?

Like the sound of that.

This house, built in 2006,

is not currently operating as a holiday business, but with

a total of eight bedrooms, it offers huge potential to become a B&B.

-No key here, it's fingerprint technology.

-Oh, I like that.

-And shoes off inside.

-OK, good.

-What do you think, Annette?

-Very, very nice, yes. I like it.

It's very different.

I'd say it's everything I'd have said I wouldn't like, and yet, I do!

Because I'd probably go for a more conservative-type design of house.

-So it's all a big through living space down here.

-OK.

-Underfloor heating throughout...

-Very nice.

-..which is why it is really toasty.

-Yes, that's lovely.

I could imagine when there's snow on the ground outside,

this just seems perfect, doesn't it?

Is this the sort of space you could see yourself living in, Annette?

Oh, yes, definitely.

-This is a family home with a lot of bedrooms.

-Right, OK.

So we wanted to show you this so you could get a good look around

and try and imagine how you would run it as a B&B.

-So I think we should start upstairs.

-OK.

-Come on.

'With a unique and high-end interior, it is

'hard not to fall in love with this house. And it is spacious, too.'

On the first floor are five bedrooms,

three of which are located at the front.

One is at the side and the rear is reserved for the master suite.

-This is the master bedroom.

-Right.

-Really good size...

-Lovely, yes.

You've also got a dressing room, huge en suite bathroom

and, of course, access to your very own balcony.

Very nice. Yeah, I like the balcony, that's lovely.

And the space in this room is wonderful. It's very, very spacious.

-Love the view out of the window.

-Yeah, the views are superb.

So this is a slightly different prospect.

This would be running a B&B from within your own home.

The only worry for me is that

it would be having guests going through your home.

It's not separated.

So they'd be going through your living room to get to the rooms.

Well, I've got a surprise for you, because this house has got

something else to offer you, and not just up here.

-Shall I show you?

-Yes.

-Come with me.

Having guests in neighbouring bedrooms is not ideal,

but in this property, that's not necessary.

On the lower ground floor are a further three bedrooms from where

the current owners run a small business,

and that's possible because of the key feature.

And this is what I wanted to show you, is that door.

-Its very own entrance from the outside.

-Oh, wow.

So you have a separate entrance to this downstairs area.

-So it's basically a self-contained area down here.

-Mm, I like it!

-It's got potential. It's got potential.

-Definitely got potential.

If we can keep this area separate to us,

-I think it could work very, very well.

-Yeah.

I think what we'd need to recognise, though,

is that things like serving breakfast and everything else

has got to happen in our part of the building.

It can't be totally self-contained down here.

The top floor of this house is so massive, in a way,

you could have that as your own living space.

That massive master bedroom,

you could have as your lounge that goes straight onto the balcony.

Yes, we would have to look at how it would work for us,

if we did our living accommodation on the top floor

and the rest maybe for the guests.

I'm looking at the quality of the place

and I'd be worried about somebody trashing it!

Because, I mean, it has been spectacularly well built.

And the finishings are just wonderful.

So, yeah, would I want to entrust people walking through with skis?

Um, I think I'd be a bit bothered.

OK, well, that's good that you're thinking along those lines.

Let's go and see the outside. Come on!

'Annette and Robert are clearly loving this property,

'but maybe they actually love it a bit too much.'

So, this log cabin.

It's a curveball, but it's a beautiful home nonetheless.

-What do you think, Robert?

-I could definitely live here.

"Could I share it?" would be a real big question in my mind, actually.

So, shall we talk money?

Let's start with you, Annette.

-I think it could be 650.

-Robert?

My guess would be 590,000.

590,000 from you, Robert, 650 from you, Annette.

The actual price...

£585,000.

-So, under your budget but not far from the top.

-OK, OK.

I thought it would be more because of the quality of the house, the way it has been built. It's...

-So it's a pleasant surprise, then?

-Definitely, yes.

For me, the price is great.

Well, why don't the two of you go off and have a real rummage around

-and I'll meet up with you in a bit?

-OK, great.

At £15,000 under budget, this stunning Canadian log house

could make a great bed and breakfast business.

There are eight bedrooms, with the potential to convert the three

in the basement into guest accommodation.

There's a unique open-plan living space all set in classic

Austrian countryside.

But will the B&B option it could provide be a step too far

for Robert and Annette?

This is a wonderful room. Big enough for a double bed to be put in here.

-And this would easily be converted into an en-suite.

-An en-suite.

In fact, it is massive.

The real thing then is, is it doable?

Until you can get all the work done, you can't let out one room.

And we'd still have to use our kitchen

and dining room area for making breakfast.

Love the whole living space.

The problem is, I'd like it all for myself rather than for guests.

I think that's what I'm trying to get my head round.

What I've seen here is an absolutely spectacular house which

I would love to live in. And then I'm trying to wrestle with...

but, really, we are looking for a place we can run a business from,

and is this property that place?

Right, so...

-..the magical wood house.

-Yes, yes!

-Have you seen enough of it?

-We have.

I know it was nice and warm in there,

but now we have to step out, because there's more for you to see.

Come on, let's go.

As our house hunters are keen mountain walkers,

Austria is a good choice, with 62% of the country

falling within the Eastern Alps.

But the mountains can also be a hazardous place.

And the Austrian mountain rescue service is a lifeline

for locals and hikers, like Robert and Annette.

Staffed wholly by volunteers, they're on call to retrieve

those in trouble in all weathers, and from the most difficult and dangerous terrain.

Today is the Salzburg team's monthly training session,

which takes place in the mountains overlooking the city.

Robert and Annette have been invited to join them,

and are meeting Stefan Schmidt, one of the team leaders.

So, tell me about the various roles everyone does in your team?

We have a mission leader who is responsible for the whole rescue mission.

Then we have groups which are responsible for typical tasks.

We have a medical team - experienced nurse or doctors and so on.

-How many people are in your group?

-We have 42 active persons,

that's just for the town of Salzburg.

In the whole area of Salzburg we have about 1,400 active.

All of us have to have the hobby of mountaineering in order to have the capabilities.

It's an extension of the hobby, which is to help people which are in need.

So how often do you actually have to rescue people from the mountain?

During one typical year we have something around 18 to 23 missions.

What I'd like to know is how do you get your first call, your emergency call?

We have a mission control centre, which belongs to the Red Cross.

And these guys have to put the alarm to us via cellphones.

So could you not be maybe having dinner somewhere? What happens?

Yeah, this definitely does happen. So we have the cellphone beside our beds.

So we have to be prepared for that every time.

And it happens that you're, during the dinner,

in the middle of the dinner - just right now I've got an SMS, so maybe we have something.

-As something happened?

-Something's happened.

The SMS Stefan has received is an emergency message for the team.

They must move quickly to respond to the call.

SPEAKS IN GERMAN

What was just a training session has now become a real rescue situation.

The location of the casualty is on the same mountain,

so the team are only minutes away.

But the injured person is down a very steep forest path.

The team arrive and make their first assessment.

A male walker in his 70s has slipped on the rocky path,

and needs hospital attention.

The call has been raised for him to be airlifted off the mountain,

so the team must now get him out of the forest

and down to where the helicopter can land.

A mattress is inflated, as the casualty moved onto the stretcher.

With head and facial injuries, and two suspected broken collarbones,

the patient is carefully taken down the mountain,

to a large meadow where the helicopter has made a safe landing.

Thanks to today's training session, the team's response has been rapid.

In less than an hour from the initial SMS message,

the injured walker is in the air ambulance,

and is just another 10 minutes away from the hospital.

After the successful rescue mission, the team are now off duty

and are debriefing in a local bar, where Robert and Annette joined them.

-Cheers!

-Cheers!

-Cheers!

Really, really nice that you could join us.

And thank you for inviting us. It's been a great day. Thank you.

It's been an eventful morning, but now it's back to the house hunt.

For our next property, we're travelling to the south eastern edge of the Salzburg state

to the town of Tamsweg.

The 16th century town hall looks over the central square,

which is lined by grand houses, typical of the Salzburg style.

The imposing church of St Leonard was built in 1433,

and was later fortified to defend against repeated Ottoman invasion.

Servicing a population of around 6,000,

there are plenty of shops and restaurants,

and the town is surrounded by more of the gorgeous rural scenery

we're being spoiled with in this house hunt.

A 10-minute drive out of town following the river along the valley

and we come to our next establishment up for sale.

And if you just stop right here, that's the next property.

-This one here with the dark wood?

-That's it. What do you think of it?

I definitely don't like the wood, the dark wood at the top there.

Not sure about this one.

And it doesn't look attractive to market to me, I would assess.

-This is not a house. This is a bed and breakfast that's good to go.

-OK.

-Let's go.

So, initial reactions are not the best.

But unlike the log house, where they would need to create a business

from scratch, this is already an established 11 bedroom B&B,

which has been run by the current owners for the last five years.

The bookings and business side of the operation are manned

from the reception area, which incorporates an office,

and upstairs is the first of the guest areas.

All right, so I've brought you straight upstairs.

This is sort of a lounge area for the bedrooms up here.

-What do you make of it so far?

-Very traditional look.

I suppose the thing I'm looking at is

whether in the future it would need modernising to remain competitive.

Yeah, I think I agree with Rob. And it will need probably a lot of work doing to it.

But if it's a business you're after, this has already got bookings.

People are going to start coming here next week.

-So keep that in mind when you're looking.

-OK.

Already well-established as a tourist guesthouse,

in peak season this property can accommodate up to 25 people

in a variety of double and triple bedrooms.

Some come with their own private balconies.

But for those that don't, there's a communal sun terrace to take in the view.

And the next place I want to show Robert and Annette

is one option for their living space.

Come in, come in, come in.

So this is a rather large bedroom.

It's also got an en-suite and it is currently being used

by the owner as their private accommodation.

Um, like the space, but I wouldn't like to live here

with a bed and the living all in one.

If it were to be a place to rent out as a room, that would be one thing.

-Yes.

-Then I would think it's a good room. But certainly I wouldn't like

to live in the same room I've got the bed.

There's somewhere else I want to take you that I think could make

potentially great living quarters for the two of you.

So, come with me.

'So, in the business-lifestyle balance, they clearly don't

'want to compromise on their personal living standards.

'Luckily, there is another option here, a separate annexe,

'which could address their concerns.'

So, what you've got here are two bedrooms.

What you could easily do is transform this whole area

into your living quarters.

You could put a kitchen in here, you could use one of the bathrooms,

the plumbing is here. It could be a nice, if little, living space.

The whole prospect is looking a little daunting for me.

I'll tell you what, the thing I'm struggling with is the overall

look of the place.

With this property, I wouldn't know where to start.

Well, you haven't seen all of it yet,

there is something else I want to show you.

And personally I think this is the best bit, so come with me.

'Back in the main guesthouse, there is a more than generous kitchen

'to facilitate the cooking of many breakfasts.

'And finally, there's the room to eat them in.'

Very nice.

Yes, very nice room.

I love the colours, the way it's set out, the bar area is wonderful.

-The space. It's a very nice room, yes.

-It's a very warm feeling room.

Then let's see what you think this could be marketed at.

I think I'm going to start with you, Annette.

How much do you think this property is on the market for?

I think this property is on the market for 450.

And I think I would say the value is maybe a trifle above, maybe 460.

But I'm not going to be too far away from there.

It's actually on at 420,000.

That's a more attractive price than my estimate,

-but at the moment I don't feel it's sufficient to entice me.

-Fair enough.

But I would like you to do is just go off and have a rummage

around and get your bearings, and I'll come and find you.

Off you go.

'So, for £420,000, this Austrian guesthouse does provide

'an up-and-running business, with bookings for next season.

'11 guest bedrooms with their own living and breakfast areas,

'a choice of owners' living quarters,

'and with the price tag so low,

'it gives our buyers a healthy £180,000 surplus to finance

'all the work needed, and even employ staff.'

I think probably what I've done today in seeing this property

is reconfirm some thoughts in my mind already.

Something that seems a bit higgledy-piggledy is more than

I can particularly cope with.

The accommodation for us to live in, that is a real issue.

There's nowhere in this property where

I could say that we could live comfortably.

I think that this place has got some potential,

but probably that's not what Annette and I are looking for at this moment.

-Someone is ready to leave!

-Yes, we are.

-Coats on, seen enough?

-Yes.

-OK, well, you know what?

It's a journey. And it's not over yet. So, come on, let's go.

With three very different properties viewed, our buyers are taking

some time out to absorb a great Austrian tradition, coffee and cake.

And there's a slight difference of opinion emerging on today's

first property, the Canadian log house.

I can imagine myself living in that house.

If you bought a house like that, we've got a large house again

just for us, and that's not what we were talking about before.

It's going to have to be a bed-and-breakfast solution.

That's going to commit us to obligations every day.

We could maybe convert some of the rooms into apartments.

I think we need to seriously think about this one.

Robert and Annette are struggling to find the correct

balance between business and lifestyle.

In our final house tour tomorrow,

I hope to make things a bit clearer for them.

For Robert and Annette,

running a hospitality business - in fact, running any business -

is something neither of them has done before.

So I thought it would be helpful for them

to meet an English couple who have done both these things,

to hear what advice they might be able to offer.

Near the popular tourist destination of Lake Hallstatt,

Liz and Paul renovated an old farmhouse

to create a four-bedroom B&B.

-Hello!

-Hi!

-Hello, good morning.

-So, Liz and Paul, meet Annette and Robert.

Good morning, nice to meet you.

Liz and Paul are going to introduce you to the sort of life that you

may be living in Austria. Off you go. Have fun.

'And the first thing for Robert

'and Annette to inspect is one of the four guest bedrooms.'

-So, come on through.

-Oh, very nice. Lovely.

So this room is totally different to what it was.

From the flooring to the wallpaper, we've had a brand-new ensuite

put in as well, so we had all the plumbing work.

Did you find it easy to get the workmen in to do what you wanted?

We used a local person who was recommended to us,

and he collated all the tradesmen, really.

-Were they reliable, the workmen?

-Very.

And it's great, because a lot of them are local.

Once, when we were in trouble,

we knocked on the door at eight o'clock at night and said,

"Please can you come and help us?" and it was no problem at all.

-Would you like to see how it used to be?

-Yes, please.

-Follow me.

'For Liz and Paul, there are still a few rooms left to renovate.'

-Come on through, this is a bit of what it used to be like.

-Oh, wow.

What a mess!

LAUGHTER

LIZ: This room, we will probably have to do a lot of work getting all

the wood off. We'll put the bed here facing this way.

To get to this room, to make it how you want it to be,

you've got to get all the facilities to the room, so it's all

the rewiring, the plumbing, which is all very expensive.

This is quite major work.

-Out of interest, when is this going to be finished?

-Oh, I don't know!

-PAUL:

-That comes down to the budget, really.

'To get a real flavour of what running a small B&B is like,

'Annette and Robert are going to involve themselves in some

'of the day-to-day tasks, starting with the laundry.'

I've got a couple of smaller items I thought you could start with.

-The easier ones.

-They are definitely the easier ones.

If you pull it apart from each other just like this before it goes

-through, that helps.

-And you do this yourself every day?

Not necessarily every day, but many times during the week.

We tend to get through an awful lot of washing,

ironing and storing of laundry,

and I'd actually probably do it this way just so it's a bit quicker.

Oh, right. So there's no staff to do that at all?

Apart from the building work, we literally do everything.

'Whilst Annette gets to grips with the ironing,

'Robert is getting a crash course in making breakfast.'

So, what we normally do is give the guests an assortment of meat

and cheeses. They get a choice of cereals, yoghurts.

How long do you get this ready, before the guests come down?

For an eight o'clock breakfast I would be up at seven.

And do you offer your guests breakfast at any time they want?

-We normally offer it between 7:30 and nine o'clock.

-OK.

We'll give you a practice and let you try it out.

We're going to want some cheese.

Normally sort of cut that in half and lay it out in strips,

-it gives them a selection of cheeses.

-OK, I've got you.

And what do you do about getting the bread,

do you go out at six in the morning to buy it?

Yes, the bread shop is open from 6.30 in the morning.

So your job would be to get up,

depending on how many guests you've got,

decide what bread you want, what selection you're going to give them.

Then back here to prepare the rest of the breakfast, really.

I was actually thinking along the lines of having a laundry

service where they come and pick up the bed linen,

they wash it for you, they bring it back ready.

-Just to be put onto the beds.

-Our friends have done that.

They said doing it for a small place, it's very expensive.

But don't you find all of this very hard work?

Each individual action is not difficult in itself.

The relentlessness of it is a challenge.

You are constantly trying to think and keep one step ahead.

How about that, then? Not perfect. Maybe another go?

Do you want some more?!

When they come down for breakfast, what you need to find out is

obviously if they are tea or coffee. And if they want a boiled egg.

So you come back in here, you think, I've got to warm the milk,

boil the egg and make the coffee.

Then load the tray up and, while everything is ticking over, take

that in, come back in,

make sure you've got the timer on for the eggs,

because they don't want it runny, or they don't want it too hard.

It's quite a big learning curve when you haven't done it before.

-Here they come.

-Good morning.

-Good morning!

-Breakfast is served.

Look at that. Come and sit down, Robert.

-It was just different, that's all.

-Different, OK.

-How was your ironing experience?

-Great, just great. Loved it!

Can you see yourself doing that?

If we had a large house and lots of bed & breakfasts, probably not.

But I think this sort of size, yes, I could.

Just how much ironing do you have to do?

You know, I could quite happily get lost in doing

the ironing for three or four hours every few days.

Do you think it's more work than what you were expecting?

We knew from friends who've got B&Bs in the area

that it's pretty relentless.

From the morning when you're getting up, doing breakfast,

walking the dog, coming back, getting things sorted,

getting things tidied, sorting the rooms out.

Then you've got to think about supplies.

Then you've got to think, are the shops open?

Because quite often they close during the lunchtime period.

Then you've got to dash out or whatever

and come back ready to greet the new guests.

Then you're thinking about paperwork and bookings,

going back to people with e-mail enquiries.

So, Paul, how many hours a day are you doing something

related to the business?

You are still thinking about work until at least nine,

-10 o'clock at night.

-Can you ever really switch off?

No, you've got to be prepared for a knock on the door or a ring

of the bell, "this isn't working," or "can you help me with this?"

"I'm leaving early in the morning," "I've got this problem".

So you've got to be prepared to speak to your guests

at all times of the day, really.

How long did it take you to find the property you were looking for?

About eight years.

To get the right combination for us, with the apartment

and the B&Bs, the size of the house, the right budget, what it's going

to cost to turn it around - to tick all those boxes is very difficult.

And the location was so important, wasn't it?

Location - you do have to decide on winter, summer,

-or trade all year round.

-So where do you live?

How much of this is a business first and you come second,

or is it your escape and then this is a bit of a hobby on the side?

Well, we live downstairs on the first floor

so that the guests have the better accommodation.

We made it liveable,

but every bit of focus really has been on the guest areas

and unfortunately ours is probably last on the list, really.

So, what do you make of all of that?

This is one reason we're looking at bed-and-breakfast versus apartments.

One of the things to think about is just how much

do we want to do that sort of work?

So, any bit of advice that you could give Annette

and Robert that you wish someone had given you before you got here?

Obviously, seek advice from people who speak English in the area.

With other B&B owners, keep in touch, keep a good rapport,

everybody is very willing to help each other out.

I think one of the most important things is actually buying

somewhere where you can look forward to coming home to,

-because it is a business and a home.

-We are absolutely at one with that.

I think what has been highlighted for us really is this

business of the things we've already thought we might not like to do.

THEY LAUGH

OK, best of luck to you, and thank you. Has this been useful?

Fantastic, thank you so much. It's been wonderful.

Our buyers seem concerned at the amount of work

and commitment running a B&B business could entail,

which I suspect might rule that out as an option.

But whichever property they go for, there's a lot

of information they need to know about the purchase process itself.

Making an offer in Austria is a very different ball game

to here in the UK.

Formal offers are made in writing

and the vendor has a fixed period of days

to accept or reject the offer.

Once accepted and signed, it is legally binding.

This means you cannot be gazumped, but it also means neither

vendor nor purchaser can back out, so think carefully

and make sure your finances are in place before you make an offer.

Fees generally amount to around 10% of the sale price,

and of course you should seek your own independent legal

advice before signing anything binding.

We know Annette and Robert are still trying to figure out exactly

the type of property they want, but this idea

they can run a business and not do any work is unrealistic.

However, there may be a solution in the form of our mystery property.

For our mystery house,

we're travelling 50km south-east of Salzburg

to the eastern edge of the region,

and the small mountain village of Russbach.

Nestled between imposing peaks,

it is part of the Dachstein West ski resort,

and the pistes are a short walk from the centre.

Although there is a resident population of just 800,

the resort attracts thousands of visitors each year, so there are

shops, restaurants and guesthouses to cater for this seasonal influx.

On the edge of the village, overlooking mountains

and meadows, is our final property.

-OK, Annette and Robert, the mystery property.

-Wow. Wonderful.

-Good grief!

-Very nice.

-A very, very unique design.

It's not something I'm familiar with in this sort of area.

A lot of intricate carving.

It is as you know the mystery property,

and the mystery about it is it's an apartment.

-It's not the whole building. You ready for this?

-I'm ready.

-Come on.

'Given Robert and Annette's desire to enjoy a great living space

'for themselves and a business which is low-maintenance,

'this is a different option for them to consider.

'Up in the penthouse,

'this brand-new unfurnished apartment could solve some issues,

'as there is a piece of information I'm holding back for now.'

-And come in.

-Oh, nice. Wow.

Lovely. It's huge.

Wonderful space. And the views, oh, my God. To die for.

So, this is the curveball, the mystery property.

This gives you a superb lifestyle.

You get something really plush, really modern, beautiful views.

-Sounds good.

-Lovely room, so much light and space. I love the height.

I suppose the real thing is, you're offering us an apartment, and

I'm trying to work out, where does the hobby-business fit into this?

A-ha. You see, right next door, there is an almost identical

apartment like this one for sale.

So, here is a suggestion, because you want to have a fantastic

lifestyle but also have this business that is a hobby.

Why not buy an amazing apartment for yourselves

and another apartment that you rent out?

Then you can just hand over the keys and a couple of weeks,

once they've gone, go in there and tidy it up.

The real concern I'm thinking of is the dog.

If we are living up here,

how does the dog get in and out to do what she needs to do?

Anyway, there's a bit more of this property to see, so let's go.

So Poppy the dog could put a spanner in the works

for this top floor living option.

In this renovation, there is currently no fitted kitchen,

giving buyers the option of where to install it, as there's plumbing

in both the downstairs living space and up on the mezzanine level.

OK, so now we're upstairs.

Lots of light coming in,

you're looking down onto what could be your living room.

It's a wonderful area, I like the space. Nice big room.

I like the views.

I think I just have to work out what I'd use this space for.

I think what I'd want to do

is to somehow use the views downstairs more.

We'd have to use this more of a kitchen diner,

and that more of a lounge area, to take in the views from down there.

-So let's go and see the bedrooms.

-OK.

There is one guest bedroom off the upper mezzanine floor.

The other two are back downstairs, along the hallway.

There's a double bedroom, a bathroom,

and a further double which is the master suite.

OK.

Decent-sized double, all nicely done, nice skylight,

lots of light coming in, and check out the en suite.

-Oh, wow!

-Hey!

Oh, I like this. Wonderful. I do like the bath.

-Very nice, very modern.

-OK, well, look.

I want us to take in the view,

because there is quite something special out there

so let's go and have a good look at it.

-Wonderful.

-I know.

-Wonderful.

-If you take in that view....

-It is stunning.

Are you sure Poppy couldn't live in a flat? Plenty of dogs do!

Come on, she'd love it.

Poppy would be here, she'll be all like, "I'm apartment living now,"

she'll be padding around here, she'll make friends with the cows.

-This is doggy heaven!

-That's the problem.

She'd make friends with the cows and she'd run after them and chase them.

It's a real shame,

because I think if this property had some garden for the dog...

-If it was on the ground floor, you mean.

-Yes, yes.

So, we are here, and there is a price attached to this property.

-So, Robert, what price would you put on it?

-I'm going to go, 320.

-Annette?

-I think probably less than that,

I think the 300 mark.

It's actually on for more, £376,000.

-Mmm. Wow.

-It's a lot of money.

It's a lot of money. It is.

More than what I thought it would be, actually.

And both properties together,

£733,000.

There's lots of options, lots of options.

I want you two to go off, have a really good rummage around,

come and find me once you're done.

With a price tag of £376,000,

our mystery house offers stunning penthouse living

with a three bedroom apartment for Robert and Annette.

The open plan living spaces have unrestricted views

over the mountains.

And next door is another top floor apartment,

the rental of which could deliver a more hands-off business venture.

-Wonderful.

-This is what it's all about, isn't it?

-It is, yeah.

-I love the views.

-Yeah, they're absolutely fantastic and it's quiet.

-Very, very quiet.

-Yeah.

I think, still,

I'd like to step out onto a small little garden somewhere.

And there's no way practically we can deal with Poppy here.

Every time she needs to go out, we'll have to go out with her.

Including two o'clock in the morning, possibly, in the snow.

This property is beautiful.

I mean, it's new, modern, I love the wood.

But this is just one property,

we'd have to buy another property for our business.

I think we could consider an apartment as an option to live in,

but it cannot be two floors up.

-Hello there.

-Hi!

-Seen enough of this property?

-We have.

-Absolutely sure?

-Yes.

Then we shall stay here not a moment longer. Come on, let's go.

The region of Salzburg is for the most part a rural place,

peppered with small communities.

As such, many historic customs and crafts not only survive

but continue to be an important part of life here.

I've come to Salzburg to meet Gabriella Jenner,

who's at the heart of one of the country's most iconic craft industries,

traditional Austrian leather costume making.

This is my shop.

-And this has been the same shop for the last 600 years?

-Yes.

'Established in the 15th century,

'this was the first tannery in the city.

'Originally, the leather and wool clothes produced

'were durable working garments for farmers and townspeople.

'But later, they became fashionable

'as hunting apparel for the nobility.'

-Could you show me some of these trousers?

-Yeah, sure.

-This is gold leather, you see?

-That's fantastic.

-This is machine.

It's so soft, I wasn't expecting it to be... It's beautiful to feel.

-And what's this made from?

-This is deer skin, and this is by hand.

And how long does it take to make this garment?

Three days, for the trouser, and 45 hours for stitching.

-And how much would it cost?

-The price is 2,800.

-2,800 euros?!

-Yeah, it's for your life!

In that case, it's a bargain.

-And what would you wear underneath these?

-So, you can have underwear.

-What are these made out of?

-It's also deer skin.

-Deer skin boxer shorts?

-Yes.

-I've never seen anything like it.

Forget silk, it's all about deer skin. I'm going to try them on.

'Far from being a relic of the past,

'traditional dress is worn by many Austrians

'for folk festivals and formal occasions.

'Similar to the kilt in Scotland.

'And for the women, the traditional dress is known as the dirndl.'

I'm truly Austrian.

I mean...

-Gabriella, is this a look Austrian men find attractive?

-Yes!

'All of the garments are made in-house,

'and round the corner from the shop is the workshop,

'where I'm going to try hand-stitching a design.'

-This is where the magic happens.

-Yes, yes.

-This is where the garments are created.

-Yes.

'And the first stage is to create a stencil.'

-This is a deer.

-So that's a piece of perforated paper?

-Yes.

-In the form of a deer.

-You can see it, if you give it to the light.

Yeah, there he is.

'Chalk is rubbed over the stencil so it falls through the holes,

'with the remainder being brushed off.'

And then let's remove it.

-Yeah, very good.

-There we go! There's the little deer.

'A type of glue is painted onto this outline

'to create a more secure template.'

OK. That's really difficult.

-But it's OK.

-Done.

-It's a nice one. Yeah.

-He's all right, we like him.

'The stitching is done by Gabriella's team of skilled seamstresses.'

-Hello, ladies.

-Hello!

Beautiful.

Let's go for it. Is there any advice?

You must go with the needle on this side.

-So, that way?

-Yeah, yeah, perfect.

-And then through the other way?

-Yes.

-There we go. Here it comes.

-Yes.

-Gabriella, these women are so fast.

They're just chuh, chuh, chuh!

After three months, you make it very, very fast.

-I know this.

-What do you think, Gabriella?

-Yeah, it's nice.

-Do you think you could sell that for £3,000?

-Er...

-Um...!

-Don't worry, I know!

-SHE LAUGHS

Thank you, thank you very much. I've really enjoyed it.

I'm going to leave it to the professionals,

because I am making a real mess of it.

It's the end of our time in Austria,

and with such a mix of options to consider,

what conclusions have our buyers reached?

I'm going to find out.

So we've come to the end of our time together.

But I want to know, what are you thinking now?

I think we're still looking at the toss-up between apartment

-and bed-and-breakfast.

-You still want a bed-and-breakfast?

I don't believe you.

You've seen the amount of work that Liz and Paul have to put in

on a daily basis,

and you still think that could work for the two of you?

We'd be looking for outside help.

So we'd have to look and see how the books might stack up,

but that's what we have in mind,

if we went down the bed-and-breakfast route.

We'd still do the marketing work,

we'll still do the administration work.

I'd want to be in control of a lot of things.

So getting a good, say, housekeeper to look after things,

I mean, she's got to be very similar to what I am, to make it work.

OK. So let's talk about the properties then.

Which was your favourite?

The log house. Absolutely stunning.

I can imagine myself actually living in the log house.

-Beautiful, beautiful.

-It's a very, very attractive property.

-It's so cosy, it's unbelievable.

-And how would you run it?

I think I would look at a way of maybe trying to make

the rooms downstairs as apartments, with little kitchenettes.

So you'd have to do a bit of work,

is that something you're prepared to do?

It was interesting to meet Liz and Paul

and see what work they embarked upon.

So, maybe that's allowed us to consider

some work with the right amount of support,

and access to builders and plumbers and everything else.

So meeting Liz and Paul was really useful for you, then?

Oh, definitely.

I mean, we had so much information from them that would help us

to run a business.

So, what about this idea that we've suggested

about you having two apartments, that you live in one place

and you just buy a separate apartment that you rent out?

I wouldn't rule it out.

You know, it's another option to consider because

a ground floor apartment and looking after somewhere else could do it.

What we've got to do is not rush anything.

We need to be careful about this really big decision and get it right.

I want to wish the two of you the best of luck.

I think it's just a matter of you finding the right property.

-And it's out there somewhere.

-It is.

-And maybe it's the log house.

-It could be!

-Thank you.

-Thank you, thank you very much.

What a turn out. Annette and Robert loved the log house.

That absolutely delights me.

There is no doubt in my mind that the two of them

are ready for their move to Austria. They have been for a long time.

What they do when they get here is yet to be discovered, though.

Join me next time for another Escape To The Continent.

If you're planning to Escape To The Continent

and would like our help, you can apply online: