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00:01Many of us dream of making a break for the countryside.
00:05Oh, look at that!
00:07And we're here to help people take that rural leap of faith.
00:12You're kidding!
00:14You don't disappoint, I'll give you that.
00:17We venture to the four corners of the UK, searching for peaceful country properties.
00:23Couldn't be more stunning, could it? Sold.
00:25We're moving tonight, yes.
00:27In truly spectacular scenery.
00:29It is absolutely stunning, isn't it?
00:31Yeah.
00:32Wow.
00:33I want to get inside and have a look.
00:34There's sheep in the field.
00:35It's an adventure of a lifetime.
00:38My heart is pounding in my chest, it really is.
00:40Wow.
00:42Oh, my goodness me.
00:44Oh, Christ.
00:45Paving the way to a brand new lifestyle.
00:49Since being here, it's just, it's the best place in the world.
00:52I mean, look at that.
00:54So join us as we catch up with those who transform their lives.
00:58When they escape to the country.
00:59Catching up with people who have made their dream country escape is one of the best parts
01:13of my job.
01:14And I often ask their advice on behalf of others hoping to follow in their footsteps.
01:32Now, besides investing in a good pair of wellies or getting directions to the local pub, the answer
01:39I hear the most often is, don't delay, do it now and never look back.
01:45And that is great advice.
01:47After all, why would you turn your back on a view like that?
01:53Today, we're retracing our steps in the Scottish Highlands in and around the Cairngorms, before
02:03we travel down to the Welsh borders to catch up with a young couple who, when Sonali Shah
02:09met them two years ago, were living out of a van while saving for their first home.
02:14But first, I'm popping in to see another keen camper van couple who just last year decided
02:21it was time to pull up somewhere permanent.
02:25Hello, I'm Kath.
02:28Hi, I'm Sue and we're both retired police officers.
02:32And when we retired, we decided to set off travelling in our motor hub and we've been living in that
02:37for the last two years.
02:39And as I move through the van, up the stairs, you can see this is the bedroom area where Sue
02:45and I go to sleep. And then if I take you around to the front of the van, walk you back
02:50through, there's Sue.
02:52Having spent two years on the road, an unexpected encounter with a game bird meant Kath and Sue
02:58had an extended pit stop in the Cairngorms.
03:01We hit a pheasant and it hit the windscreen and totally shattered it.
03:05And we ended up being stuck there for about a month.
03:08And that's when we really fell in love with the Cairngorms.
03:13And that's why we would think it would be a good place for us to have a future.
03:17Sue and Kath, along with their dogs, were after a detached home in a rural location with at least two bedrooms and lots of parking for their motor home.
03:27A large kitchen for keen cook Sue would be preferred and a garage with workshop for Kath's van conversion plans would be ideal.
03:35And to find it, they had a top budget of £550,000.
03:41Our first location took us just outside the Cairngorms National Park to the Murray village of Ochbrek, where I presented this detached camper van parking friendly property.
03:53I want you to park the motor home because this potentially could be your next property.
03:59There's just so much parking and it's brilliant.
04:02It's very attractive, isn't it?
04:03It is really attractive.
04:04I like the slate roof.
04:05Off to a good start, we headed through the front door into a wide and welcoming entrance hall.
04:12Come on in, ladies.
04:14Wow, look at that.
04:15This is a party place all by itself, isn't it?
04:18Oh!
04:19I'm waiting for the invite, yeah.
04:21To one side of which was the open plan, multifunctional, L-shaped living space.
04:28I thought I'd start off the tour with the kitchen, stroke breakfast area, stroke dining area.
04:35Yeah.
04:36Stroke party room.
04:37Party!
04:38Second time you've mentioned that, I like that.
04:40I mean, look at it.
04:41It's a lovely space.
04:42Huge, isn't it?
04:43Yeah, very nice space.
04:45Back through the hall was a further reception room.
04:48This is a big room, isn't it?
04:50But it feels quite cosy.
04:52Yeah, it does.
04:53Yeah.
04:54Also on the ground floor was a home office and downstairs bedroom, perfect for guests.
05:01Upstairs, there were three more double bedrooms.
05:05Oh, this is another lovely room.
05:06And this?
05:07Yeah.
05:08It's enormous.
05:09It's the main bedroom.
05:10Yeah, that's lovely.
05:11It's gorgeous, isn't it?
05:12It's en suite.
05:13Got the view, nice view.
05:14You can see the mountains.
05:15That's amazing.
05:16Look at the mountains.
05:17Right, it's good.
05:18It's really, really nice.
05:19Outside, a large detached garage had an electric vehicle charger and there was also a detached
05:26chalet.
05:27The generous garden embraced the surroundings with plenty of areas to take in views of farmland,
05:33forest and the mountain of Ben Rinnus.
05:35There is an awful lot to this property.
05:38What do you think it's on the market for?
05:40I would say offers over £540.
05:45I would go slightly lower and say £530.
05:50The owners are looking for offers over £475,000.
05:57Oh, wow.
05:59So, wow.
06:01Yeah.
06:02Well within the realms of their budget at offers over £475,000, we'd started off strong
06:09with this 21st century modern home that offered the desired scenery and space Kath and Sue were
06:16after.
06:17This is definitely the evening spot, isn't it?
06:20For a cup of tea.
06:21Oh, yeah, definitely.
06:22Well, if you're having tea or coffee, I might have a glass of wine.
06:26Yeah.
06:27For our second offering, we headed for the parish of Alvi in the spectacular surroundings
06:36of Highland, where this 1800s home sat in the foothills of the Monalia Mountains.
06:44Oh, wow.
06:45The location's stunning.
06:46It is absolutely stunning, isn't it?
06:47Yeah.
06:48It feels like you could walk out of the back door and you're straight into the hills.
06:56Yeah.
06:57Dogs would love this.
06:58Well, the outside seemed to be a winner.
07:01How good's your imagination?
07:03That's pretty good.
07:04Yeah.
07:05Pretty good imagination.
07:06And I like the ringing straight away.
07:07Actually, the kitchen here is a lot bigger than I thought it would be from the outside.
07:16Half a level above was a reception room.
07:19How would this serve as a sitting room?
07:22It's about three times the size of a motorhome, isn't it?
07:24Yes.
07:25It's just this space.
07:26Yeah.
07:27And upstairs, there were three bedrooms, all of a good size, with views to boot.
07:33Yeah.
07:34Great views.
07:35I want to want some views.
07:36I've got promise.
07:37A lot of promise.
07:38Yeah.
07:39A lot of promise.
07:40And the views didn't stop there.
07:43With the house wrapped by the national landscape, there were mountainous vistas in every direction.
07:50So, here is our land, here is our property, but surrounded by all this gorgeousness, the
07:57asking price for this property offers over £450,000.
08:02Oh, my goodness.
08:03Yeah.
08:04I know.
08:05Yeah.
08:06That's a lot.
08:07I mean, it is a fantastic property.
08:08Oh, it's beautiful, isn't it?
08:10Beautiful indeed.
08:11And at that price, it was well within budget.
08:15But the views, well, they were priceless.
08:20Kath and Sue were giving me positive vibes about the first two properties we showed them,
08:25but I felt we hadn't quite nailed it.
08:29Both options were tempting, but perhaps not quite tempting enough.
08:34Fortunately, though, for Kath and Sue, and for me, we still had the mystery house to go.
08:40Staying in Highland, we headed to the rural village of Nethy Bridge, where my mystery house had more to it than met the eye.
08:51Oh, I'm loving this already.
08:53Yeah.
08:54Oh, wow.
08:55Two garages.
08:57Plenty parking for the motorhome.
09:00And the views are just stunning.
09:03There they are.
09:04This is a house of two halves.
09:07Okay.
09:08We have half for you, Sue.
09:11And we've got half for you, Kath.
09:13That's perfect.
09:14This timber-framed bungalow included space for Kath's camper van conversion dreams, which I was yet to reveal.
09:22So first, to the main house, where I started with Sue's wishlist topper.
09:27The heart of the home, the kitchen.
09:33I absolutely love this.
09:35I've got high expectations of a Sunday roast now.
09:39You also have a little utility next door.
09:42Really good start.
09:43If you want to follow me through.
09:46To one side, the kitchen opened to an expansive dining room with windows that framed a glorious view.
09:53Oh, look at that.
09:57Just amazing.
09:59It's amazing.
10:00Everything.
10:01Okay, on a scale of one to ten, how excited are we?
10:04Ten.
10:05Ten.
10:06Yeah.
10:07Mystery house is working its magic.
10:08It is, definitely.
10:11Through the arched wall was a sitting room.
10:14Oh, wow.
10:15Look at this.
10:18And a sun room.
10:20Oh, it's just absolutely gorgeous.
10:22You've got your mountains.
10:24I could just sit here and look at mountains.
10:28The internal hall had bedrooms to either side.
10:31Three in total, one of which was a very generous principle.
10:36Large room.
10:37Oh, this is huge, isn't it?
10:38Yeah.
10:39Large.
10:40Nice big shower.
10:41Oh, look at that.
10:42I love this house.
10:43I love it too.
10:44It seemed like they were already falling head over heels for this house,
10:50and they hadn't even seen the half of it.
10:53To the other side of the entrance, there was a vast garage, workshop and store.
10:58Ooh.
10:59Ooh.
11:00There's more through there.
11:01Oh, my goodness.
11:02There's plenty of space here for you to convert a camper van.
11:03Yeah.
11:04Good storage as well.
11:05Oh, my goodness.
11:06Oh, it's awesome.
11:07You don't actually realise from the front that this is all here.
11:08This is why it was the mystery house.
11:09Outside, the wraparound garden covered around half an acre.
11:13There was a covered barbecue area, a shed, plenty of parking.
11:14And as if that wasn't enough, an additional field too, perfect for playful pooches.
11:18Did I hear the voice get a little bit wavy?
11:21Wow.
11:23Here, the mésinlax.
11:24So, it was the great man and a few hours.
11:25Yeah.
11:26Oh, I don't know.
11:27You know, it's really nice to be after the grass.
11:30You know, it's really nice to be so happy about, you know,
11:32but it's nice to be around the corner of the church.
11:35You don't actually realise from the front...
11:37..that this is all here.
11:39This is why it was the mystery house.
11:41Outside, the wraparound garden covered around half an acre.
11:44There was a covered barbecue area, a shed, plenty of parking.
11:48in a room? Well, you may be. Feels like it's the one. Yeah, definitely. Yeah. So just remind me of
11:56your very top budget. 550,000. What do we think this is on the market for? 580,000. I'm going to
12:06go £555,000. The asking price offer offers over £525,000. I am just, well, I'm really
12:19surprised. Let's go. Is it a rain dance? Yes, definitely. To Sue and Kath's pleasant surprise,
12:29this magical mystery self-built bungalow had come in at offers over £525,000. So it
12:37seemed we had ended on a Highland shower high with this one. This house just feels like home
12:45to me. I mean, it's just stunning. Absolutely stunning. And it is just, well, it's a dream
12:51house. If I could have drawn a picture of the house I wanted in the setting that I wanted,
12:59I couldn't have drawn anything better than this. Our tour of the Cain Gorms had given
13:05Kath and Sue some gorgeous property options to consider. But in the end, there was only
13:10one driveway where they wanted to permanently park their motorhome.
13:20A lot can change in a year. But one thing that has remained is Kath and Sue's love for the
13:27mystery house, which I'm thrilled to say they now call home. And I can't wait to catch up
13:33with them. And also find out how life here in rural Scotland is treating them.
13:39Hello. Hi. It's been a while, hasn't it? Good to see you both. One for you. Lovely. Thanks very much.
13:59Thanks very much. Thank you very much. Am I allowed to have the guided tour? Of course you can. Come in. So lovely. So lovely to see you.
14:06Come on in. Oh, is this Fudge? This is Fudge. Yes. Hello, Fudge. I think Fudge is pleased to see me, but more pleased to see the biscuits. I think so.
14:18I think so, yes. Well trained. Right. Let's start with the kitchen, though, because you weren't used to a big kitchen, were you?
14:27Oh, no. Definitely not. Having spent two and a half years in the motorhome, I mean, it was tiny. And then coming into the size of this kitchen, it was just unbelievable.
14:36This is practically the size of the motorhome. Yes, it is, actually. It probably is. Just this kitchen, yeah.
14:41Well, you have to do the tour. You have to lead. They're the rules, aren't they? Okay. Let's go this way.
14:48Oh, it's so lovely being back.
14:55How could I forget this room? That view is outstanding.
15:00Yeah. I know. We sit at the dining room table, and that's the view we have. It's beautiful. My goodness.
15:05Previously, everything's been done to such a high standard, so we didn't need to do anything.
15:11It's just about, you know, making things. Little tweaks.
15:13Yeah, making it your own, really, isn't it? Yeah.
15:16And I've made this, Nicky. See the candle? Yeah.
15:19I made that from part of an old whiskey stay. The old workshop.
15:22The old workshop, yeah. And I made that little wooden thing with the flowers in.
15:26Oh, wooden thing. Yeah. It's a floral display.
15:29Okay, I made that. Floral display. Very nice, yeah.
15:32It seems very light and spacious and airy, which, I mean, because you've been living in
15:39a motorhome for so long, you know, this must be just perfect.
15:43Oh, it's just unbelievable. It's the best thing we ever did.
15:46Considering under a year ago, Kath and Sue were living full-time in a campervan, they seem
15:54so at home in this space already.
15:57Another fabulous reception room. I mean, the difference between this and the campervan.
16:03I've just, I've forgotten how much space there was here.
16:06That spacious feeling continues into the sunroom, with the views that, unsurprisingly, help
16:13the couple to fall in love with it first time round.
16:16This is the house of the oohs and the ahs, isn't it? Because everywhere we go, we have
16:21the most spectacular views of the scenery. I know, we think we're so lucky.
16:26Yeah. We're still pinching ourselves every day.
16:29Are you? So these are your seats?
16:31Yes. These are our seats. Sue plays the guitar from there, and I sit and have my
16:36morning tea and toast, looking at that view.
16:38Oh, I'm never bored with that view.
16:41I'm not sure anyone ever could be. But after being on the move for two years, I'm wondering
16:47if it was a tough transition to swap the open road for rural residency.
16:55Because looking around here, I mean, at the time, I didn't quite appreciate just how rural
17:02we are here.
17:03Oh, yes, no, it is.
17:04And how did you find that? Because I think this is probably one of the most rural properties
17:08that I've been to in a long time.
17:11Oh, it's been wonderful. Yeah?
17:12Absolutely wonderful. I mean, both of us have really enjoyed it. Well, as you can see, all
17:16three of us are really enjoying it. Yeah.
17:18It's just so quiet, peaceful. I mean, you two seem so happy out here. Oh, yes, we are. I mean,
17:25it's just so stress-free. So pleased. I'm pleased we played a very small part in it. Oh, we played
17:31a big part. You found us a house. Oh, but I haven't seen the workshop yet, have I? Oh, good luck.
17:37Yeah. How long am I going to be gone for? A long time. A long time. Okay.
17:44It was always obvious that the workshop is what made this house for Kath. So I'm not surprised
17:50at all that she has wasted no time in getting some use out of it.
17:58Look at you, hard at work. You are in your element, aren't you? I love this, yes.
18:03How do you know how to do this? Watching things online. Really? Yes. You're self-taught?
18:09Yeah, completely. Yeah. I've never done any woodwork since before we moved here.
18:13It's incredible. But it's great fun. And you're in here for hours. Hours, yeah. So I've sometimes
18:18come in for half an hour, but then it's three hours later. If we could roll back time, and
18:23I said, we have found you the perfect property, and you can have all this as well, would you
18:29have believed me? Not in the slightest, because I always said, I'd really like a workshop, because
18:34I'd love to get involved in woodwork. And what two would say to me was, will you shut up
18:39without a workshop? We're never going to get the house we want with a workshop. And
18:43here we are. Do you know what? When we showed you this property the first time, we all knew
18:47it was something special. But I can honestly say, hand on heart, I didn't realise quite
18:53how special for you both. Oh, it's perfect. It's absolutely perfect. Yeah.
19:00It's not just woodwork that has kept them busy here. Kath and Sue have involved themselves
19:05in the local community, and are already making new friends. One of those being neighbour,
19:11Farmer John.
19:12So we're standing here, leaning against this gate, because I always lean, I love a gate.
19:19It's John's gate. John's gate. Because, tell us the story, what happened with these gates?
19:24Well, Kath told me she wanted to make a vegetable garden in there, and I thought, well, that's
19:28not going to work if the cattle go in twice a day, and eat up the potatoes, or whatever it
19:33is that's growing. So I just brought up these gates, and set them up for them. Then I brought
19:38up a bucket of manure, tipped over the fence. And this was all done without any asking?
19:44Yes. Yeah. Isn't that lovely?
19:46It's a community feel, I think, makes a huge difference. Because, living down south, we
19:52didn't live in a huge area, but the community wasn't there. Whereas here, everyone gets involved,
19:59then that makes such a big difference. What advice would you give them, though? Because
20:03they're still settling in. They're still newbies, aren't they?
20:06Yes. And I think, for 30 years, they'll be newbies.
20:14Do you know what, if the local community is this lovely to you now, being newbies, think
20:19what they're going to be like in 30 years, Kath?
20:2030 years, yeah.
20:21Family, apparently. They're looking after us.
20:25I'm glad to hear the ladies have been taken in by the locals, and that they are really settling
20:31into the community. But let's take a step back and pick up where I last left them.
20:36So, since we last saw you, what happened then? Because you liked all our properties,
20:42can I just say? Yes.
20:43But I asked you, out of 10, score this house, and you both went, 10!
20:47Yes.
20:48And I'm guessing nothing has changed since then.
20:50Nothing's changed. We still pinch ourselves every day. It does feel like the best decision
20:55we ever made. We both said we'd carry on travelling in the motorhome.
20:59You did, yeah. But since we've moved here, I've not really wanted to leave.
21:03Has that surprised you? Yes, it has me. It was difficult to envisage myself in a house
21:09again because it was just, you know, it was kind of a complete lifestyle change living in
21:14a motorhome. But since being here, it's just, it's the best place in the world. I mean, look
21:19at that. So, no regrets then? Because there's so many that will be watching this thinking,
21:24that is the dream. I just, I just can't push myself into doing it. What advice would you
21:30give to them? So, really think about what they actually want, and coming to sort of like a remote
21:36location. Yeah. And then just follow it through. If it's that what their dream is, then just follow
21:41it through. Because I mean, we did and we absolutely love it. Yeah. And you did say you had some news.
21:46Oh, yes. Yes. So, we had our civil partnership in 2007, so a while ago. Right. And we decided to
21:57make it formally marriage this year. Oh, congratulations. Thank you. That's wonderful news.
22:03It was quite a small affair. Yeah. It was me, Sue and the dog. Of course. And Fudge was there.
22:08Fudge was there. I mean, it was just us, but it was, like, important to us. Yeah.
22:11So. Obviously, slightly upset I wasn't asked to be a bridesmaid, but you know. My mum was quite
22:16upset not being asked to be a bridesmaid as well. Well, she was either. What's your mum's name?
22:20Christine. Christine, you and I have got something in common, but we'll let them off. We'll let them off.
22:25Well, here's to the two of you. Yes, cheers. And to Fudge as well. Yes, Fudge, yes. Happy homes.
22:30Happy mystery homes. Yes. Must have been fate. That pheasant.
22:35It was meant to be, wasn't it? Definitely. Yeah, here's to the pheasant. Here's to the pheasant.
22:41Toasting this successful Scottish escape. Next up, we're heading south with Sonali Shah.
22:48My turn now, and I'm checking in on a couple of first-time buyers who were planning on moving to
22:53the beautiful Welsh borders. Having saved hard for their new home, they were prepared to put in the work
22:59to make it theirs, as long as it had the space they needed. But knowing where they were moving from,
23:05I was very confident that space was something I could deliver.
23:12Meet 27-year-old Rosie. This is my van that I've built myself during lockdown. I've lived in it for
23:19the last two years. Rosie had been parked up on a West Midlands campsite in her beloved van called
23:26Betty, near to where her partner, 28-year-old Phil, lived. This is my parents' house, and I've lived
23:33here all my life and continued to do so whilst we save for our move to the country, which we are extremely excited about.
23:40My countryside dream would be taking a house that is derelict and turning it into
23:47a home for us both. For me it's about the setting the land that it's in because I want to be able
23:55to do something for nature and wildlife with the land that we have. Rosie and Phil were after a
24:02characterful property with enough space for two bedrooms and two bathrooms. They loved the idea of
24:09a renovation project and were hoping for some land, around two acres. Having saved hard for their first
24:16home, they came to us with a budget of £400,000.
24:19Our search began in Wales, in the Powys village of Kerry, with this semi-detached, Grade II-listed farmhouse.
24:31It's quite a treat as you walk up, isn't it? Very much so. I love the black and white.
24:36Yeah, it's lovely. It's really, really nice. It's very striking. It's certainly got the character that I like.
24:42The original house had been built in the early 1600s, then added to and reconfigured over the
24:51centuries. We began our tour in the most recent addition. So there's a little summer room there,
24:57utility, and then the kitchen. I literally love the beams and I love how open it is as well. So the
25:05current owners have totally opened up this whole space and they've found all of this wood. They've
25:11done the hard work. Yes. Follow me. The timber frame is just stunning, isn't it? Wow. I think this
25:20is my favourite room of the house. I haven't even looked at the room. Yeah, sorry, look down.
25:27With the van, I'm not very used to having a space purely for sitting. We'll get you a space. Here it is.
25:34Up the stairs past more of those fantastic 400-year-old beams was the bedroom accommodation.
25:44This is the biggest of five bedrooms. I was expecting to have to do a lot more work
25:50than some paint. This is the kind of floor that I would expect that I'd have to find under many layers
25:56of old carpet. But it's already here. Yeah, it's already been done. Also on this floor were two more
26:02good-sized double bedrooms and a family bathroom. At the top of the house were another two bedrooms,
26:08set in the eaves. But it was the outside space I knew Phil was hankering after. This is the time we
26:14get to look at the view. Yeah. And what a beautiful view it is. Down a short path from the house was this
26:22two-acre wooded sanctuary. You wanted trees? The entire woodland. Certainly. It's a little haven down
26:32here. It is. This is an escape. Are you ready for the price? It is on the market for 400,000. There you go.
26:43Bang on budget and ready to move into, we were off to a good start.
26:48The next day we travelled over the border into Shropshire, headed for the hamlet of Newton-on-the-hill,
26:56where it was time to give Rosie what she was craving, some work to do.
27:02And here we are, the next offering.
27:06First thing I noticed is a little stained glass window.
27:08Oh, good spot. It's not huge.
27:10The smallest window on the thing.
27:11They think it may have been a former chapel.
27:14Wow. It's gorgeous. It's certainly got a lot of character. Very quirky.
27:18Yeah, it looks wonderful.
27:22Built in the 1880s and recently vacant, I was keen to show our creative couple
27:28what they could get stuck into with this potential project.
27:32As soon as you walk into the house, you get a sense of what needs to be done.
27:36Yes. I'd love to see what's under the carpet.
27:39Oh, nice.
27:40Shall we head into the kitchen to see what the floor is there,
27:43and then it might give you a little bit of a hint, because it just connects here.
27:49This is where we'll need your renovation brain.
27:52Oh.
27:52Yep.
27:55Yeah, this is a condition that I was expecting and maybe surprisingly hoping for.
28:02As soon as I walked in here, I thought, yep, yep, she's going to like this.
28:05Yep.
28:06And I do.
28:09Across the hall was a large second reception room.
28:14Massive windows.
28:15Yeah, huge windows. Wonderful.
28:17Another fire face.
28:18Yeah.
28:19And upstairs led to another welcome opportunity for Rosie to get her toolbox out.
28:26Ooh. Getting church vibes now.
28:29Yeah.
28:32Yeah, that's coming down, isn't it?
28:34Okay.
28:36Gorgeous window, which has unfortunately been half covered.
28:40Good view here, too.
28:42The rear bedroom featured some characterful beams and an undecided bonus space.
28:48Walk-in wardrobe?
28:50Yeah, or just a little studio, like photography and stuff like that.
28:55Right, yeah.
28:56Outside, there was just over a quarter of an acre of land, including a large driveway, formal gardens,
29:04which surrounded the house, as well as several workshops and outbuildings.
29:09And further away from the property, a much wilder area of garden for Phil to get his hands on.
29:15It's not perfect, but it would be a nice project to work on.
29:22You don't want perfect, though, right?
29:23No, I don't want perfect.
29:24Exactly.
29:24That's the point.
29:25Yeah.
29:26It's got so much to work with.
29:28What is it on the market for?
29:30It's going to be tough, but I'm going to say, on budget again, £400,000.
29:34I'll say £390,000.
29:37It is on the market for offers in the region of £375,000.
29:43Wow, okay.
29:44That's a surprise. That's a real surprise.
29:46It's a serious consideration.
29:49Well, I wasn't surprised.
29:50This Victorian chapel-style cottage was chock full of character and period charm,
29:56with room in the budget for Rosie and Phil's renovation vision.
30:02This property really feels like somewhere we could live, somewhere we can call a home.
30:05I think Rosie's feeling really good about this one.
30:08I am struggling to think of anything that it doesn't have, so yeah, I'm really excited.
30:13So far, we'd had good vibes only from Phil and Rosie.
30:21Nothing about our houses seemed to phase them.
30:24But with Rosie clearly itching to get her toolkit out for our mystery house,
30:28we wanted to give her something she could really transform.
30:32And if this wouldn't test whether they truly wanted a project, I don't know what would.
30:37For our final offering, we headed back over to Wales, to the hamlet of Llan Rayadar,
30:47where I couldn't call it a mystery house as such.
30:54Rosie has a look on her face like, what have you done, Sonali?
30:59Who's up for a barn conversion?
31:00Yeah, as long as we didn't have to knock it all down and start again.
31:04The preference would be to keep as much of it as possible, so in line with your ethos.
31:10I have the plans here.
31:13The proposed ground floor layout featured a large lounge, a spacious kitchen diner and an entrance hall,
31:20of which was a separate utility and the first of five ensuite bedrooms.
31:26But you're not daunted by a barn conversion?
31:28No.
31:30There's a hesitancy in that.
31:32No.
31:33Slightly daunted, but enthusiastic.
31:38Well, they did ask for a project, but perhaps I had gone one too far.
31:45Oh, this excites me more.
31:46Yeah?
31:47Yeah.
31:47With the structure.
31:48Yeah, because you can see the beams.
31:50See all the beams, yeah.
31:51And things.
31:54Having potentially already overwhelmed them with my big barn surprise,
31:59there was still the small matter of five acres to address.
32:03A whole lot of land, eh?
32:06I mean, that's the real dream for me. I mean, all of this for wildlife.
32:10I'm aware that it's a lot of work. I mean, I guess it depends on the price if our budget
32:16would allow for us to get the help in getting this ball rolling.
32:21Shall we talk money then?
32:22Yes.
32:23It's on the market for £200,000.
32:27Wow.
32:29That's really encouraging, actually, because it leaves a substantial amount of budget to them.
32:34It seems like it could be affordable for us.
32:36With half of their budget left to play with, perhaps the dream would be a little easier to visualise after all.
32:48I think we painted Phil and Rosie a pretty good picture of what life could be like here in the Welsh borders.
32:54One that, by the sounds of it, would involve much more than just a lick of paint.
32:59Just over two years on from our search together, I am thrilled to report that Rosie and Phil have made the Welsh borders their home.
33:10Well, started to make it home, but not in one of the houses that I showed them.
33:15So I am very keen to see where they've ended up.
33:24Hang on. I recognise that van. She's not still living in it, is she?
33:29The van now sits on the driveway of their very own home,
33:33this mid-century cottage with five acres on an elevated plot in a Powys hamlet.
33:40Hello, you've found a house.
33:44Very quickly, from what I hear.
33:46Yeah.
33:47This is stunning, this setting.
33:49Yeah, the view is a big selling point.
33:51Are you still living in the van?
33:53Yes.
33:55Well, it's a bit less dusty in the van than it is in the house.
33:57How many walls has she ripped down already?
33:59Only one.
34:00How many does she want to rip down?
34:01No more to my knowledge.
34:02OK, OK.
34:04Alright, that's good going.
34:08Though not currently habitable, Rosie and Phil have done a lot of work since buying this two-bedroom cottage last year.
34:15With the demolition phase coming to an end and construction beginning, it sounds like I've arrived at an exciting time.
34:22Welcome.
34:26Oh, yeah.
34:26Yeah.
34:27It's really a project, isn't it?
34:28It is.
34:29You weren't lying.
34:33This is such a great space, though.
34:36It is now.
34:36The wall's gone.
34:37Yes, this was initially the smallest kitchen in the world, really only appropriate for one person.
34:44And I quite like the open plan.
34:46Yes, definitely.
34:47Why would you not do that?
34:49And the view is everything.
34:51And then what's your plan for the kitchen?
34:54It's kind of what it is.
34:56So the sink will be there and it'll come around here and the cooker will be there.
35:00Yeah.
35:00What do we do in colour scheme life?
35:02I'm still debating the kitchen cupboard door.
35:04This lovely floor is staying.
35:06The living room was carpeted and there's quite a lot of scraping of old goop.
35:11But under it was this beautiful quarry tile, which we're definitely keeping.
35:15It's such good condition.
35:16Yeah.
35:17I would go all green then.
35:19All green?
35:19Yeah.
35:20The green in this will go so well.
35:23Big plans for the kitchen then.
35:25But before she can bake, being able to shower is, understandably, Rosie's first priority.
35:31So current focus is on the bathroom.
35:36Wow.
35:37Okay.
35:37Well, some rough ideas for this room, but we're going for yellow.
35:43Well, because these windows were already here or these are new?
35:46No, these are new.
35:47I designed them and we had them made.
35:50Amazing.
35:50And bath there?
35:52Bath, toilet, sink.
35:54Okay.
35:57Dare you to make a toilet seat with your own wood?
35:59That sounds really hard.
36:01But I'm sure there's a video somewhere that will teach me how to do it.
36:05You'll find out anything on the internet.
36:07It's going to be the house that the internet built.
36:10Yeah.
36:10So what's the ETA on you being able to shower in here?
36:13The new pasta board on the ceiling is finished this weekend.
36:16I've got stud work to go on the wall and then tiles on the floor, which I'm making.
36:22Of course you are, Rosie.
36:26That's going to take me a little bit of time.
36:29I need to make 150.
36:31I've made three.
36:33They do say if you want something done right, do it yourself.
36:37And luckily Rosie has the space to do it in.
36:40As this house also came with the bonus of a workshop.
36:44And it's become the base of bringing Rosie's creative visions to life.
36:48You really weren't lying about making tiles.
36:56Well, we couldn't find the colour we wanted.
37:00So we decided to try and make them ourselves.
37:03I love the fact that you've clearly used a cake cutter.
37:06Yeah, but this one is drying.
37:10And this is the colour we're going to go with, I think.
37:13We wanted it to be, you know, proper yellow as opposed to mustardy,
37:19which is all the things that were available if we were to buy it.
37:23And we're so unique as well.
37:24Well, yeah, and actually we'll be saving money versus buying them as well.
37:28So it's a win-win.
37:29I suppose the only thing we're really spending on these is probably quite an awful lot of time.
37:34I can see actually why you got excited by the workshop.
37:37Because you've got this sort of more or less ready-made space to work on your vision.
37:42Yes, it's great.
37:43This was definitely a huge selling point of the house to worthwhile to me.
37:47How are you balancing working?
37:49Sometimes it's a perfect balance where it's like a few days at work and a few days at house.
37:54But sometimes it just doesn't work like that.
37:56Work probably gives you a bit of a break.
37:58Literally, I joke with my work colleagues that I come to work for a break.
38:01I feel like you're nailing life, Rosie.
38:03Oh, well, thank you.
38:05I think we're certainly working towards something really cool.
38:09Life is really exciting right now.
38:12While Rosie concentrates on the interior of the house,
38:15Phil's heart lies in the five acres of land that came with this beautifully positioned property.
38:24A bit of an orchard going on here.
38:25An orchard, yeah.
38:27It's a few little fruit trees.
38:28It's been very hands-off in the garden so far.
38:31The only real radical changes we've made are demolishing some of the, some of the sheds
38:36because I want more space.
38:38Flat land is a premium.
38:40I see what, yeah.
38:40A lot of your, a lot of your acreage actually is all on slope.
38:43On the slope, yeah.
38:44So for, for, for a garden purpose, it's nice to have this flat space, to have a pond, to have a greenhouse.
38:49There'll be veg somewhere.
38:51With the veg plots, is that part of a bigger plan?
38:54Yes, yeah, I think we probably won't ever be fully self-sufficient, but we'd like to
38:58grow a lot of our own food and certainly be more eco-friendly, which is why we had our air source
39:03heat pump installed. It was, it was affordable and, and we can make it more affordable one day,
39:08maybe by having some solar, because it sort of, it feeds itself.
39:11I was going to ask you about that because if you're getting the sun here all day,
39:15actually that's a bit of a no-brainer.
39:17Yeah, and it will save us money in the long run.
39:20Your weeks working in London, living in London, and then you come back to this. How does it feel?
39:27Fantastic. It's a real remedy. It's a real contrast. You know, I love, I love London,
39:32but it's, it's much better to, to have this to come back to and reset.
39:38It's lovely to see that Rosie and Phil found their perfect escape here in Wales,
39:45but when I last saw them, they had their hopes pinned on one of our properties.
39:53So what happened after I left you two years ago?
39:58We had a second viewing on the old chapel, but it didn't work out. We, we got outbid.
40:04We were gutted, yeah. We were actually on holiday when we found out and we had to have a half an hour
40:09sit down and we were a little bit upset. We had a little cry.
40:12Um, but we were inspired to carry on looking after we'd been with you, so.
40:17I think we definitely had a clearer vision of what we wanted after, after our visits with you,
40:23which led us. We had a whole day's viewing after viewing after viewing. Um, and this property was
40:29actually right at the end and we viewed it and fell in love.
40:34And you knew as soon as you visited, did you?
40:37I think the, the thing for you was you saw a paragon flew over, didn't you?
40:44And that for you was like. That was a good moment.
40:46Yes. That's a sign. And for me, it was the workshop.
40:51So interesting. It wasn't the house at all, but everything around it, as you say.
40:55Seeing those elements and thinking, well, actually, we could make this house
40:59exactly what we want it to be as well.
41:02You wanted about two acres, you had said.
41:04Yeah. And then this is almost five.
41:084.8, eight.
41:09That wasn't daunting at all. I think I would be slightly daunted.
41:13I appreciate it. It's a lot of, it's a lot of work.
41:16I'm like the head of the house department and Phil is the head of the garden department.
41:20It's nice though.
41:21We're both in each other's. We're each other's assistant.
41:23We are. We're each other's assistant.
41:24You've decided to live together, so yes.
41:27I think it works. I get to, um, enjoy a really nice garden, which is not something that I have the
41:33knowledge to do. And Phil gets to enjoy a house that he hasn't had to pay contractors to, to
41:39renovate. Have you given yourself a deadline?
41:42No. I don't think it'll ever be finished.
41:46No, but you'd like to move in because the goal is habitable.
41:49Let's talk about the vans. The goal is definitely habitable.
41:53I would like to have some resemblance of a bathroom by the end of the year,
42:00because that's definitely having a nice place to wash is definitely a priority.
42:04I mean, there's not that much to do in the bedroom, so I think I'm going to go mid next year.
42:09Are you both enjoying it? You look like you are.
42:13It's really, it's really enjoyable. It's really exciting and we're both reasonably relaxed about it.
42:19I mean, there are times where you go, kind of, it's overwhelming, but I can't wait to just walk in and
42:26we'll think I made that and we built that and we did that together. And I think that's really nice.
42:38Trading in four wheels for four walls is always going to be an enormous lifestyle change. But as
42:44Rosie and Phil and Kath and Sue have proven, putting the brakes on van life doesn't mean having to leave
42:51that sense of adventure out on the road. Because ultimately, an escape to the country is one of
42:57the greatest adventures of all. I'll see you next time. If you also dream of escaping to the country in
43:05Wales, Scotland, England or Northern Ireland and need our help, why not apply online at bbc.co.uk
43:13forward slash take part.
43:43I'll see you next time.
43:49Bye!
43:51Bye!
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