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00:00today's escape to the country is positively blooming yeah it is the rose
00:09arch of dreams yes that is straight out of my vision book we have properties
00:15through the ages I think it looks really really neat really really tidy he just
00:19loves the fact it was built five years ago and gardens that go on for miles I
00:27know you didn't want a lot of lawn and I am gonna hold my hands up and I'm giving
00:35you a lot of lawn for a young couple itching to set up home together I can
00:40see the grin on your face you're just yes is there is the tear in your eye hay
00:44fever or tears real tears it's a it's a pleasant mixture
00:57this East Anglian County is famed for its low-lying Fenlands that give rise to big skies it is of
01:22course cambridgeshire there's a term in the property business called the Goldilocks
01:29zone somewhere not too far from a city or a town commutable territory not too expensive
01:35in other words somewhere you will find the perfect porridge unbreakable chairs and
01:41really comfy beds somewhere just right just like cambridgeshire
01:46today we're exploring the countryside along cambridgeshire borders with Hertfordshire and
01:54Suffolk the pretty villages of great Shelford and little Shelford were recently named as some of
02:02the country's most desirable commuter hotspots I've lived here all my life I love that it's such a strong
02:09community I love that it's all really accessible I don't drive myself so I get the train everywhere and I
02:14love that you can go to London you can go to Cambridge and whatever you want to do you can
02:18be able to find it the town of st ives not to be confused with its Cornish namesake sits on the
02:27banks of the river great ooze its lively market town atmosphere and waterside location draw many a
02:34homebuyer it's also green areas lots of wildlife is all around here and it's great very nice atmosphere
02:41it's so lovely to and then such a happy place to be right time to get this show on the road before
02:50we do that we need to meet today's young couple who've asked us to help them escape to the country
02:55hi I'm Lauren hi I'm Lewis we're currently living in Stevenage with my parents and we're looking to buy
03:03our first forever home together we've been sort of going between each other's parents houses for a
03:09little while now and I think we're both kind of ready to sort of have our own space how about start
03:14making our own lives together Lauren works in marketing and Lewis is an actuary both commute to
03:24London several days a week it's really important for us to have greenery around for health reasons we've
03:31both had some horrible things happen in our lives so first we find the countryside really healing and
03:37calming Lauren has a clear vision regarding the color scheme for the couple's new rural sanctuary as
03:46you can see I really like the color pink so when we have our future house I am hoping to have a pink
03:51front door if Lewis will let me thoughts Lewis I think yeah I wouldn't be my first choice I have to
04:00admit a few little touches I'm not too opposed to okay that would be fine Lauren and Lewis want a
04:08detached property but they will consider a semi it must blend character with a contemporary interior and
04:15have four bedrooms a decent sized garden and close to a station with links into London their budget 750,000
04:24what's exciting is that this is Lauren and Lewis's first house together and they're so sure about wanting to
04:40escape to the country wanting that peace and tranquility and only dipping in to the busyness of London when they have to work
04:47before our canter around Cambridgeshire commences I'm meeting Lauren and Lewis on the banks of the River Great Ouse
04:58Lauren and Lewis this is exciting we're all buying our first house together
05:06because I'm that involved already we'll have a spare room for you if you like listen you called me but you've known quite early on right this is what you want to do this is the plan yeah
05:17yes yeah I've always wanted a cottage and I've always wanted to live in a village and have a characterful home
05:23so that's something we talked about quite early on didn't we and we just wanted like a calm countryside life for our future and future children as well hopefully
05:30I've got a Pinterest board of literally my dream house so yeah I have in my mind the sort of house that I want and everything on our kind of wish list we agree on as well which is great
05:40and that was going to be my next question because it is your first house together
05:45I think I think we sort of looking for similar things there's nothing on there that screams oh I I'm definitely not okay with that
05:51I feel like we're very much opposites attract he's the analytical mindset I'm the fashion marketing girly a bit more creative
05:57it sounds like the perfect combo to me actually let's go house hunt
06:04we start in the Cambridgeshire village of yelling four and a half miles from the town of st. Neots on the main train line to London
06:12despite the shouty sounding name yelling is a peaceful village home to just over 300 people the focal point is the village hall
06:21that also serves as the local pub with the nearest shop a six-minute drive away in Papworth
06:28the first property we're showing Lauren and Lewis is this quintessential thatched cottage built in the early 19th century
06:39originally a row of six farm workers cottages today it's a stylish semi-detached family home
06:46so you've got this lovely driveway with the double garage yes perfect and then
06:53wow it has a thatch so I'm happy I'm trying to win you over with the double garage
07:00before we got to the thatch room
07:02no it's lovely it looks very pretty from the outside
07:05I like the archway the flower archway is really cute isn't it
07:07it is the rose arch of dreams
07:10yes that is straight out of my vision board
07:12it's picture perfect
07:14mm-hmm yeah
07:15and so we thought we'd start there
07:16yes
07:17yeah ideal yeah
07:18and then see how it goes
07:19yeah it's stunning
07:21let's have a look inside
07:22let's head in
07:26I happen to know that Lewis whilst not against thatched roofs is not quite as in love with them as Lauren
07:33but I'm hopeful that the interior of this cottage will appeal to his more modern aesthetic
07:39and also provide Lauren with all the period charm she's after
07:44so you come through the beamed hallway there's an office there
07:48look at this gorgeous parlor room that's what I would call it
07:52nice and bright and nice lovely
07:54and then look at this space
07:56oh that's very nice isn't it
07:57it's really bright as well isn't it
07:59triple aspect which is rare
08:01especially in a cottage I kind of like this cottage
08:04yeah it's so light yeah it's beautiful
08:06it's lovely and bright isn't it
08:07absolutely stunning and the ceilings amazing
08:10excellent
08:11it really feels very homely in here which is lovely doesn't it
08:14yeah it does
08:15so we've got these two reception rooms and then you have this gorgeous bonus space really
08:21wow
08:22which can be anything leading into the kitchen
08:24there's so much you can do
08:26yeah it's beautiful
08:27the space is lovely isn't it
08:28you know you don't have to have a table you could have sofas in there
08:31and it becomes your summer reading room with a bar
08:33a little snub or something yeah with a bar absolutely
08:35yeah it's your summer space I think
08:37mm-hmm
08:38and then you're into this really light kitchen again
08:41and all of this is underfloor heating by the way on the ground floor
08:44oh wow it looks lovely
08:45yeah it's been nice
08:46it feels nice
08:47nicely modernized isn't it
08:48and that's kind of the thing I wanted if it was going for character like a little bit of modernization in there
08:52yeah and that does seem to you seem to have done that really nicely here
08:54the contemporary cottage vibe continues upstairs
09:01so you've got three bedrooms there the bathroom a loo and then this would be your room
09:09wow
09:10again it's just so bright there's just so much light in here
09:13a bit of wardrobe yeah so I can have that you can have that
09:16yeah there's really no need for arguments over space up here in addition to the family bathroom with its roll top bath there's a single bedroom another single used as a study and the fourth and final bedroom
09:34oh nice another really decent side bedroom
09:37yeah this is lovely really nice nice window
09:40yeah nice natural light
09:41it's getting it's just so bright and air in here isn't it
09:43it feels like a good size as well it's a good space for sure
09:46yeah
09:47outside above the detached double garage there's a bonus bedroom
09:53wow
09:56and an annex as well
09:58there you go
09:59this is great
10:00yeah
10:01this could be our third bedroom imagine guests staying here
10:03I think they'd love that
10:04they'd love it
10:05yeah this is great
10:06very little space on our own bathroom
10:07yeah
10:08brilliant
10:09perfect
10:10the south westerly facing garden features a large paved patio perfect for al fresco dining
10:19and a generous expanse of lawn to the front which extends to the side and includes a small orchard of apple plum and cherry trees as well as some veg plots
10:32yeah
10:33fancy growing your own veg absolutely you want to don't you
10:35yeah yeah yeah absolutely
10:36you're all green-thumbed aren't you
10:37yes it'd be great
10:38it's lovely
10:39a wildflower field at the back as well
10:40yes
10:41it's just stunning
10:42yours to look at to even walk through because there's a gate it belongs to the farmer and yeah they've sort of just let it grow into a wild meadow which is just gorgeous isn't it
10:53yeah
10:54it's beautiful
10:55i've mentally moved in already i can imagine every room i love it it's stunning
11:00i can see the grin on your face you're just yes
11:02is that is the tear in your eye hay fever or tears real tears it's a it's a pleasant mixture of
11:07it is time for us to talk about the price of the property i'll let you go first
11:14um i have a rough idea i think it will be right at the top of our budget maybe 750 000 pounds
11:21okay i'm going to i'm going to match it yeah it's about 750 000 pounds i like how you both said about
11:28yeah about give or take plus or minus yeah well it is now on the market for 675
11:39oh wow okay
11:40yeah wow
11:41it's been reduced in price to account for the fact that the roof probably has about another five years
11:48okay
11:49and then you get that done so they've sort of accounted for that in the price
11:52okay fine
11:53yeah okay
11:54that makes sense yeah
11:55all right that's good
11:56that's that's doable
11:59this semi-detached thatched cottage has three receptions a family kitchen breakfast room four bedrooms a separate study
12:08and a detached double garage with guest annex above blessed with a generous garden it's on the market for six hundred and seventy five thousand pounds
12:22my first impression of the house is it's lovely and well-kept it's a beautiful setting as the the the garden space in the area around is absolutely lovely the house itself is really pretty
12:32it's more certainly more on the cottagey side than the sort of like the money side that i'm that i personally like and yeah i think lauren is definitely more leaning towards it than i am a little bit i'm still a little bit hesitant i think but there's certainly stuff about it i really really like
12:45yes it's it's it's just beautiful i can envision myself in this house i can see my future and kind of see all the rooms and and what they're being how our life would be here
12:58well here you are leaving the picture perfect house
13:04but i must take you away because we have more to see exciting have we won him over
13:10i think so i think so
13:12have we won you over we're almost
13:14almost that was the most i was going to get right we'll get there
13:31teetering on the cambridgeshire herpfordshire border but officially in herpfordshire just lies the market town of royston
13:39i've lived here for 12 years and i've lived and worked all over herpfordshire i wouldn't be anywhere else
13:46although we're a small market town there is loads going on all the time the community spirit is amazing
13:52i think we've got more events going on than most other little towns in the area
13:57royston is home to nearly seventeen and a half thousand people and serves several more thousand folk living in the popular outlying villages such as melbourne
14:07litlington and bassingbourne there's so many amazing walks nearby there's the heath there's little country lanes country walks which are so so beautiful like i couldn't pick a better place to want to live
14:20it's very well connected equidistant between the a1m and the m11 both less than a fifteen minute drive away
14:28i think we are so well positioned we're between two airports leuten and stansted we've got great train lines into london forty minutes you can be in london fifteen minutes you're in cambridge
14:41many of the buildings in the center of royston date back to the early sixteen hundreds when king james the first chose to build a country retreat here
14:52king james pub the vase of excellent wine spheres of spirits
14:56it's nice to glass wine on a sunny day excellent
14:59his hunting lodge the old palace still stands on kneesworth street just a few doors up is one of the newest arrivals to royston
15:07mitre a restaurant serving up world cuisine
15:12we've been here six months and it's been wonderful six months and people are very very nice and very welcoming
15:18royston is a wonderful place it's a beautiful small town very secure safe place for kids and families a lovely place to live in
15:28there's a plethora of eateries and watering holes in the town with everything from your morning latte to your post work pint covered
15:39hiya how are you
15:40hi hi nice to meet you
15:41nice to meet you i'm lewis
15:42hi
15:43cookie nomad is a cafe co-working and event space that was set up by emma nankivel and a couple of her old school friends in 2022
15:52and emma's kindly agreed to fill lauren and lewisin on royston life
15:57it's a really lovely community feel around here actually it's a market town so it does get a lot of kind of traction from outside the area as well
16:04i've actually been born and raised in royston moved away for a few years but came back really good schools as well
16:10yeah if ever you're looking at sort of further down the line um it's got really nice kind of family community as well
16:17yeah i find it offers a real good like work-life balance um offers a real nice kind of relaxed atmosphere it's not too like busy
16:25you're not kind of expected to kind of be constantly going it's very chilled very nice way of living
16:29sounds idyllic yeah sounds dreamy but we have work to do finding lauren and lewis their perfect family home
16:50we're heading to the village of curtling now right on the cambridgeshire border with suffolk
16:56the nearest station with direct links to london is in cambridge a 30-minute drive away and the 300 or so
17:03residents have access to several footpaths from which to enjoy rural walks a village hall and a pub
17:11a few minutes walk from which sits our second property a modern spacious detached family home
17:18well here we are earlier on it was a house for you lauren this is the house for lewis not that you're
17:28not moving in together but this i've gone for the other side now i do like that it looks lovely i like
17:35the porch yes it's a house with character but it was only built in 2020 wow okay fine if you have any
17:44worries about a thatched roof i'm feeling like a newly built roof five years ago yeah should be
17:50all right clay tiles oak porch oak windows yeah i think all the right things yeah yeah absolutely i do
17:59like it yeah i feel like it's still got plenty of character and it still looks from the outskirts
18:03very homely isn't it yeah i really like the look of it to be honest i think it looks really really neat
18:08really really tidy he just loves the fact it was built five years ago that's true yeah that's it
18:15shall we head in yes let's go
18:20the house was built by the present owner who used highly effective floor wall and roof insulation
18:27high performance double glazing plus low energy lighting throughout to result in a b rating for the
18:34property's environmental impact the average rating in the uk is d similarly high standards were also
18:42applied to the interior which just oozes contemporary country living and here we are wow you get a feel
18:52for the house as soon as you come in not what i expected really no it's a great though but yeah i don't
18:59know it's much bigger and more open plan straight away than i expected i love the space the fireplace
19:04there is exceptional isn't that i really like that that's really cool yeah beautiful lovely open
19:09staircase as well yeah i love that oak yeah i love that love a bit of oak that is gorgeous family room here
19:16just everybody's in like adults around the outside kids messing around in the middle yeah yeah no it's
19:20lovely onto the kitchen yeah let's go let's have a look so this is the utility with the downstairs
19:29loo door to the garage excellent yeah into this huge space this this kitchen is amazing i approve that
19:38island is spectacular yeah yeah that's lovely nice yeah it's really well done so much space this is the
19:45perfect size to be honest fun cooking if we've got people over i feel like i like the open plan of it
19:50as well because we do love hosting especially you with your big family as well yeah this is yeah really
19:56high up on my list yeah this is this is really good for me you preferred this one already i think a bit
20:00more i think i i think so yeah i don't know if it's obvious yeah i mean you know i'm about to i'm about to
20:06ask you for a game of cards exactly but yeah go upstairs go and discover that see if the space works
20:15for you and then meet me outside okay okay we'll see you soon
20:19looks like lewis is totally on board i don't know why i'm whispering it's been obvious to all of us
20:27the space on offer downstairs is replicated upstairs with four generous double bedrooms this one being
20:36the largest oh wow very spacious in here it's lovely this bedroom is massive isn't it and the views are
20:43stunning fields yeah it's beautiful let's have a look at the ensuite that's really nicely done as well
20:50it's nice to have an ensuite as well that was something that was missing in the last house and
20:56it's quite nice to have there's another double also with an ensuite at the rear of the property and a
21:03third double next door this shares a luxury family bathroom with a separate bath and shower with the
21:10fourth and final double set up as a twin oh wow this room's a really nice size as well nice and
21:16brighton area again it's enormous isn't it yeah it's so big like it doesn't look like there'd be
21:20this much space in here but it's fantastic isn't it that's 2 800 square feet of living accommodation
21:30dealt with time to tackle the garden which might be more modest in size but is just as exquisitely designed
21:37this is a lovely lovely space and that's barbecue that little i don't want i don't know what to call
21:46it but it's just it's not little yeah yeah it's not little yeah it's the centerpiece of the garden
21:51that is made for entertaining this garden yeah definitely we could do that there's a nice little
21:56area for vegetables there and yeah i feel like it's the perfect size to be honest right let's talk money
22:03yeah okay how much do you think this property is on the market for i am gonna guess seven hundred and
22:12twenty five thousand pounds i'm gonna go six hundred and thirty thousand pounds oh my gosh wow i
22:21overwent on the last one so now i'm unsure yeah and maybe a bit low but yeah it is on the market for
22:31exactly the price that lewis guess oh wow okay seven hundred and twenty five thousand pounds okay
22:38and only been on for two weeks oh wow okay yeah yes this modern detached family home offers a huge living
22:48room a sleek stylish open-plan kitchen diner four roomy double bedrooms two of which are en suite and a
22:56beautifully landscaped rear garden it's on the market for seven hundred and twenty five thousand
23:01pounds i feel like it still has a lot of nice character in there the staircase itself is beautiful
23:08i would say it's maybe a little bit too modern for me that being said i'm not against it by any means
23:14it's beautiful it's high spec it's so well done i think there's so much attention to detail in there as well
23:23the kitchen space is amazing like there's loads of open space the bedrooms are huge it's just so bright
23:28and airy the views are are amazing the view from the master bedroom of just rolling fields and horses
23:35and sheep it's it's stunning it's waking up to every morning it's just amazing
23:41we're winding up our day just a couple of miles from our second house at branches park a fifteen
24:00hundred acre estate that's been restored to its former glory and is now run as a private events venue
24:07i'm being very auntie snarly and bringing you to a wedding venue
24:12it's just nice to know where they are just in case
24:19wedding venue aside let's talk about the living venues that we have seen today in the houses we're
24:26viewing we said how peaceful and quiet it was and how calm and serene we felt exactly what we want really
24:32isn't it so yeah you're not buying a flat together which is probably what most couples
24:38and maybe that's my own experience because i was the same age buying my first property with my
24:42yeah yeah you're not doing a stepping stone property oh let's get an apartment or something
24:47you know you're going all in you're already buying the family home yeah and possibly a home that you could
24:52be in for decades really it sounds like yeah and growing into the house like growing as a as a family
24:58in the future as well that's really important for us do we need to go see a mystery house
25:02yeah because i think we sort of split in the middle leaning more towards one for each of us so i think
25:10maybe that that third one might sort of stick us in that stick us together in the middle somewhere
25:16i'm very excited to see the mystery house let's see what we can do
25:32if you're thinking about buying in and around the cambridgeshire borders here's the lowdown on property prices
25:38presently the average cost of a detached home in the uk is just over four hundred and thirty seven thousand pounds
25:46in cambridgeshire that figure rises to just over four hundred and eighty five thousand pounds
25:52and in neighboring herpfordshire to the south however it doubles to more than nine hundred and fifty thousand pounds
26:00of course there are properties to suit all budgets we've cherry-picked a few more that are also on the market
26:10now this characterful 18th century grade two listed cottage features a cozy reception a newly fitted kitchen
26:18two bedrooms a modern shower room and courtyard garden it's on the market with a guide price of two hundred and eighty nine thousand pounds
26:30for offers over four hundred and seventy five thousand pounds you could own this handsome detached victorian property
26:36with a bright sitting room a second larger reception a vaulted kitchen breakfast room and four bedrooms outside enjoy
26:46a paved patio and a manicured lawn with a summer house ideal for hobbies or a teen retreat
26:52just over the eastern county border in suffolk renters can find this victorian terraced cottage with an open plan living dining room
27:04modern shaker style kitchen two double bedrooms and a courtyard garden available for one thousand three hundred and ninety pounds per calendar month
27:18yesterday was a day of two halves a home for lauren a home for lewis both almost right for both of them it is time to properly test them with the mystery house
27:29this is a couple who know what they want however if a property doesn't fit their personal picture perfect vision down to a tee
27:37but has the potential to are they willing to come together and put the work in
27:43our mystery house lies in the village of wentworth four and a half miles west of the cambridgeshire cathedral city of ely
27:53as well as having a direct train link to london ely has all the amenities lauren and lewis could need
27:59including twice monthly farmers markets vintage markets and the popular foodie fridays held through the spring and summer months
28:08wentworth village is a ten minute drive from ely in the middle of the east cambridgeshire countryside
28:18the mystery house is only a hundred meters away isn't this what you're after this every morning in the evenings whenever you want it's this piece that you're on
28:30absolutely yeah this tranquility is just it's lovely
28:37whilst lauren and lewis explore the village with its bookshare bus shelter i'm taking you for a sneak preview of the mystery house
28:45an idyllic detached thatched cottage
28:51so far it's been a house a piece
28:54they're both happy with two different houses
28:57this is a property for both of them the mystery house because it is a house for the future
29:07this might be their first home together but this search has never been about finding them a starter home no no
29:14from the off it's been about finding their forever home
29:18and this property whilst just perfect for the two of them now has the potential to expand
29:24it can adapt with them as a family
29:27this property dates back to the 1500s
29:30but it's not listed which means they have freedom to create any extra space that they need
29:40in short it's a property that can grow along with them
29:44well welcome welcome to the mystery house
29:48wow
29:50that is beautiful isn't it
29:52your own little haven in cambridgeshire
29:54it's beautiful stunning
29:56it's newly roofed and raged like that that is
29:59perfect
30:00brand brand new
30:01okay
30:02so you don't even have to think about it
30:03yeah it's so beautiful isn't it
30:05so it feels very private and very secluded already which i really like as well
30:09it's like our space
30:11yeah our own space
30:12yeah isn't it
30:13i like that
30:14yeah it's really keen to get stuck in and have a look inside
30:16same me too
30:17i will not make you wait any longer
30:18let's go
30:19this cottage has been beautifully maintained by the vendors
30:25and still leaves scope for Lauren and Lewis to make their mark
30:29so you've got the hallway
30:31the cupboard under the stairs
30:33oh lovely
30:34oh it's so nice in here
30:35this is pretty isn't it
30:36yeah it's very pretty
30:37imagine just snuggling up here with the fireplace on it's so cosy
30:44through this dinky door
30:45oh wow
30:46there's a second reception used as a shared office
30:50it's lovely in here
30:52oh this is plenty of space isn't it
30:53look at this
30:54look at that oak window sills as well
30:56oh i really like that
30:57a nice beam as well
30:59i like the size of the door as well
31:00yeah
31:01it's very cute
31:02hidden secret
31:03it's quite different to the space of the second house yesterday
31:07do you see yourself in here
31:09yeah i do to be fair
31:10yeah it's a slightly different vision but that's not necessarily a bad thing at all i don't think
31:16we're heading back through the main entrance hall to the rear
31:19so with this house you've got the kitchen
31:22wow
31:24through to a utility room
31:27okay
31:28that's nice
31:29i would ask for that coffee machine
31:30wow
31:31that looks great
31:32as part of the deal
31:33that is proper
31:34i like the kitchen surfaces and the worktop
31:36that's good
31:37into this space
31:38this is beautiful
31:39it's so nice and light
31:40wow
31:41it's a really nice space isn't it
31:42really big
31:43oh perfect
31:44there's loads of people around it
31:45yeah and great because it looks out onto the garden
31:48yes
31:49the current owners before they decided to move were planning a huge extension
31:54okay
31:55a sort of double sized living room and an extra bedroom on top at the back
31:59okay
32:00they were then thinking about an orangery that goes further into the garden
32:05but you could really add to the house if and when you needed it
32:09okay
32:10okay
32:11that's good to know
32:12yeah really good to know
32:13the point is it's adaptable to what you need
32:15mm-hmm
32:16it doesn't have to change at all in the first few years does it
32:18no no i mean we could definitely move in as is
32:21yes
32:26upstairs a family bathroom serves a bedroom with exposed beams that's used as a reading room
32:32a second roomier double in a newer part of the house
32:36and a third and final double
32:39oh wow this is the master bedroom
32:42ah loads of space
32:44this is stunning
32:45again nice beams in the backdrop
32:47yeah this is beautiful
32:49plenty of wardrobe space as well
32:50mm-hmm
32:51yeah
32:52yeah i really like this this is good
32:53mm-hmm
32:54this is really nice
32:55yeah love it
32:57outside the garden is the stuff rural moves are made of
33:03measuring just over two-thirds of an acre it comprises a formal lawn which leads to an orchard
33:10an impressive kitchen garden a chicken coop and a 30-foot teepee frame
33:16wow
33:19look at all that space
33:20mm-hmm
33:21the garden space is absolutely massive
33:22this is amazing
33:23brilliant
33:24fruit trees there
33:25lovely flowers everywhere
33:27you see all the bricks as well
33:28it's gorgeous
33:29and look what's that down the bottom
33:31a chicken coop
33:33it's our chicken coop
33:34awww
33:37Lewis we could have chickens
33:39hello
33:40hello
33:41hi
33:42oh yeah
33:43do you speak chicken
33:44no
33:45that's a shame
33:48in addition there's a large detached workshop and store presently set up as a games room and a detached thatched garage
34:01i know you didn't want a lot of lawn and i am going to hold my hands up and i'm giving you a lot of lawn
34:10everything's just enormous there's so much space everywhere it's brilliant like they've done it so well
34:14everything's laid out with purpose and i really like it it's done so good
34:17let's talk about the price
34:18mm-hmm
34:19okay
34:20yeah i'm definitely going to go higher i'm not sure if it's in our budget maybe right at the top range
34:25i want to say like 780 maybe
34:28yeah i think i think with the extra bit of land as well i think 750,000 pounds i reckon
34:35in a way
34:37mm-hmm
34:38you're both right
34:39okay
34:40which is strange to say but they have asked for offers in excess of 750,000 pounds
34:45okay
34:46so i would leave the negotiations if there are any to be had to you
34:51yeah okay
34:52that's what they've asked for
34:53okay fine
34:54okay okay
34:55yeah
34:56this detached thatched cottage both three receptions and three double bedrooms the two-thirds of an
35:05acre plot includes a detached workshop with store and a separate garage subject to the relevant planning
35:12consents there's potential to extend the house in the future it's being marketed for offers in excess
35:18of 750,000 pounds
35:23i love it i think it's so beautiful inside i just think this is the countryside life that i would just absolutely adore
35:35yeah there's so much going for this house and the aesthetic is absolutely spotter and i think it's so nice and bright inside
35:41yeah it's delivered
35:43the decline of the british bee population has become a pressing issue in recent years
36:04largely due to urban development destroying natural habitats
36:08in 2023 plans to establish beehives in the north hertfordshire town of letchworth garden city
36:15was scrapped due to a lack of food sources
36:18in response gareth towson a contractor with the council's ground maintenance team created a bee corridor
36:26a connected route of foraging spaces to support bees and other pollinators
36:32hi gareth hello how are you i'm really well how are you yeah good thank you
36:37together with a colleague gareth launched the bee part of it initiative urging the community to transform available areas into bee friendly habitats
36:47there's so many people on board with it schools are doing wildlife areas
36:55friends of groups for that look after parks volunteers look after parks and
37:00residents planting up their gardens shopkeepers with planters and hanging baskets it's been fantastic it really has
37:09sounds like you really got the word out people's enthusiasm for it was great
37:16the overarching message is that everyone can do something
37:21if you've got a small garden and you can dedicate a area of it to naturalize with wildflowers
37:26if you've only got a small patio maybe some of your planters you can put wildflower seed in
37:31and grow that if you're in a flat window box anything really you know anything that that's
37:38that's the pollinators can come and visit and and be on their merry way
37:43the bee corridor offers resting points with nectar rich food allowing pollinator populations to thrive
37:52when the other thing we do is don't forget to give them a drink as well a saucer or something like that
37:56put stones in it so the bees have got something to sit on so they're not actually in the water and
38:01and drown but you know a little chair for the bees yeah such a nice idea
38:07its success has inspired similar initiatives in nearby Royston with hopes for bulldog and hitching to follow suit
38:16wind community garden in the center of letchworth is one of many groups involved
38:22and Richard the town's business improvement manager can share more about the project's impact
38:28when Gareth approached me it was just something that we couldn't say no to
38:35because because we're the first garden city we've got rich history of looking after I can't say no can you absolutely
38:42imagine the headline else it got into welding done oh yeah big rival big right you got to show them how it's done
38:48absolutely so when Gareth approached us yeah we just came on board completely so the first thing was getting
38:53the businesses on board and so if you walk around the town now you'll see the bee corridor posted in the windows
38:58most of the businesses in the town supported it secondly then we advertise through our social media and our website in
39:04in relation to getting residents of lectures on board as well because it needed them to change in relation to
39:10what plants they were growing in their gardens how often they cut the verges how often they cut the grasses
39:14and to be honest we were talking to people just wanted to listen we were not pushing against the closed door
39:19it was all very positive and let stress is looking great the only problem is it looks so good out here you come out here in your
39:26lunch break you don't want to go back the bee corridor has enhanced biodiversity and also encouraged the whole
39:38community's engagement with nature beneficial for both bees and the soul
39:43decisions decisions decisions decisions let's see if lewis and lauren have been able to make any or whether
39:57they are totally tall
40:03hello hi how are you how are you i should ask after seeing three amazing houses
40:11we're okay yeah too much choice too much choice slightly confused are all three houses still on the
40:17table yes i think we could see ourselves in different capacities at least anyway um in all
40:23three of those houses they each one has their own merits yeah exactly i agree with that i would say of
40:29course naturally the first and third one i love the most because for me a thatched cottage is just my dream
40:35we did like the second one as well um however it was a little bit more on the modern side than perhaps
40:40i would have liked but i think we will definitely book a second viewings and we're not ruling it off the
40:45table by any means so at the moment three second viewings yes oh yeah i would i would go see each
40:52each three of them again are you going to though yes i think it's worth sort of getting another look in
40:58and taking more in as much more as possible and yeah i'm going from there i think practically the first
41:03house worked the best for us in terms of location to work it's a train line that i get every day at
41:08the minute anyway to work it's close to family so things to discuss things to think about the first
41:15house after having seen all three feels like the one in between it does yeah it does and you could be in
41:23a house by the end of the year there's no reason you're ready to move yeah yeah if vendors are
41:28ready to go yeah could work out quite nice this could be a big year yeah yeah very big we're ready
41:34to move whenever so we're excited and raring to go well you better book in those second uh viewings
41:40then yes get a phone number we'll get on the phone to him in a bit yeah and then let me know what you
41:47decide i'd love to come and see how you're getting on yes we look forward to welcoming you in whichever
41:52house we choose well cheers to uh your future the three houses that you've seen and um the hard
41:58work you're putting in now because i'm done
42:06so lauren and lewis are torn between all three houses we showed them and it's easy to see why
42:12cambridgeshire has delivered on the property front so have we seriously though it has been lovely to spend
42:19time with a young couple excited about their future i think they're going to end up going with
42:25house number one that feels like the sweet spot house and with both of them very keen to move in
42:31together i don't think it's going to be long before they're setting up house here see you next time on
42:36escape to the country lauren and lewis opted not to revisit house two and had second viewings of the
42:44first house plus the mystery house but ultimately ruled them out they continue to search for their
42:50dream forever home and we hope they find it soon if you would like to escape to the country in england
42:59northern ireland scotland or wales and need our help why not apply online at bbc.co.uk forward slash take part
43:07take part
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43:21so
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