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00:01From its barren beauty to lush landscapes.
00:08The Australian countryside is as beautiful as it is breathtaking.
00:14Many Australians are discovering rural life and making the move.
00:20So I'm on the hunt to help everyday Australians find their perfect country house.
00:31Welcome to Heathcote, today's buyer.
00:35Her name is Abby and she has three sons and she just wants them to disconnect and run amok amongst
00:40nature.
00:41Abby is being joined by her best friend today, Jules.
00:45They love looking at country properties and I have three glorious ones to show them today.
00:51With a few horses thrown in too.
01:02Come in and join me.
01:05But inside voices, there are kangaroos behind me.
01:10This is so beautiful.
01:12Other than the kangaroos in the garden, what do you love about Heathcote?
01:16Why are we here to find you a country home?
01:19Well, aside from the views, there's so many options for bushwalks.
01:24There's the rail trail.
01:26The kids and I are very much planning on doing as much cycling with that as we can.
01:30Closer to friends.
01:31Yes, closer to friends and there's so much exploring to be done.
01:38Well, I had a sewing blog. Julie had a sewing blog.
01:42We decided we would meet up, but we met up in public because we were a bit scared about the
01:45whole internet meeting thing.
01:4814, 15 years ago and that was it.
01:50And that was it.
01:52So I work in the public service, as does my husband, and he's away for work at the moment.
01:56My real estate searching buddy was the best option for me to choose.
02:00We live in the Macedon Ranges and looking around the Heathcote area, so it's not too far moved from where
02:06we are.
02:06So it's not too big a change, but definitely a change.
02:09It's not too far from Melbourne.
02:10We need to get back there for anything.
02:12It's a beautiful area with great things to explore.
02:15We've got three boys and also an adult stepson as well.
02:18Definitely space for everyone to play, have fun and also be apart sometimes.
02:24Four bedrooms if we can.
02:25I envisage wine by the fireplace, so a fireplace would be good.
02:29And a nice outlook if we can.
02:32We're looking around 1 to 1.2, I think.
02:35But, you know, if there was work to be done, then that probably needs to be factored in as well.
02:44Heathcote is found around about an hour and a half north of Melbourne, nestled in Victoria's wine country.
02:51It is surrounded by the most gorgeous natural landscapes, with the town itself showcasing its Victorian-era charm.
02:58With a relaxed, chilled-out small-town feel and loads to eat, drink, see and do, Heathcote is certainly the
03:05ultimate country escape.
03:14I'm loving this because I reckon I got the outdoors.
03:18I know.
03:1811 out of 10.
03:20I think so.
03:21Tick, tick, tick, tick.
03:21We're on 12 acres with this property and you do not need to worry about looking after the garden because
03:27the kangaroos will mow the lawn for you.
03:29The house itself is sustainable, environmentally friendly.
03:34It is currently used as a very successful Airbnb.
03:38Coming up the drive, it was really interesting that you couldn't see the house.
03:42It suddenly revealed itself to you and you just noticed straight away that these amazing views are there.
03:47They're quite distracting.
03:48I didn't really look at the house because that was so beautiful.
03:52But, yeah, it looks really fresh and interesting and makes you want to go inside.
03:57Come and have a look.
03:58It's wonderful.
04:07I'm loving this.
04:09I'm loving the whole house.
04:11Looking out on both sides.
04:13When you look across the valley here, you can actually see across to Bendigo where you are.
04:19So you could possibly, you know, put a red flag in the air and go, hello.
04:24Kitchen, brand spanking new.
04:27What do you think when you come into this space?
04:29Oh, it's a beautiful space.
04:31I love green.
04:31It's my favourite colour.
04:32And the exposed brick is just gorgeous.
04:36Might be a little bit tight, but it's lovely.
04:40Fitting everyone in without any fights could be interesting.
04:44As much as we like to be outdoorsy, I think there needs to be enough space to people have their
04:48own time.
04:48I'm not sure I would get quite the peace that I was after in this one.
04:53When you're ready, I will meet you out by the fire pit.
04:56I forgot the marshmallows.
04:58I'm so sorry, but I will meet you outside.
05:00Okay, thanks.
05:01See you soon.
05:20Wow, it's a lot of green.
05:21Lots of green.
05:21It is a beautiful green, but it is everywhere.
05:24The moving room was pretty cool.
05:26Yeah.
05:26Not big.
05:27I don't think we could incorporate a games table or anything into that.
05:30No.
05:30Just a couch.
05:31But the bathroom's really lovely.
05:32I really like that.
05:33And I wouldn't mind waking up to the views.
05:36The views are awesome.
05:36Every day would be pretty cool.
05:39The views would be amazing to wake up to.
05:42I think I would have to sort of paint some of the walls.
05:45Having said that, I could certainly be with it for probably a long time if I needed to.
05:50The bathroom ensuite was lovely.
05:53So I'm not sure where it's going to be within the budget.
05:55I guess we'll have to ask Katrina.
06:09Come and join me by the fire.
06:12Oh, it's lovely.
06:13That we're not allowed to fly.
06:15This area is in drought at the moment.
06:18So I didn't get a permit.
06:20Oh, what a shame.
06:21Not to worry.
06:22What do you think of the inside?
06:24It is beautiful.
06:25It's a lot of green, but it's actually a really nice colour.
06:28So I don't mind so much.
06:29It is actually an olive green.
06:31And you may notice we've actually got olive trees all around us.
06:34That's the reason it's really working in harmony with the environment.
06:37Yeah.
06:38It's nicely done and low maintenance.
06:41Yeah.
06:41The land seems interesting.
06:43I don't know what we would do with it all.
06:45My kids love rolling down hills.
06:47So maybe we would just spend a lot of time them rolling down hills and me cleaning them up afterwards.
06:53What do you think it's on the market for?
06:54Oh, it's hard to say.
06:56I think maybe 1 to 1.1.
06:59Okay, it's actually under.
07:00Okay.
07:02It's...
07:07What do you think it's on the market for?
07:09Oh, it's hard to say.
07:11I think maybe 1 to 1.1.
07:13You think?
07:14Oh, yeah.
07:14Okay, it's actually under.
07:16Okay.
07:16It's $9.40 to $9.90.
07:19Okay.
07:19So, you have a little bit of money in the kitty.
07:22If you wanted to expand a bit, you've got something to play with.
07:27I'm sure my husband would like to have at least a shed.
07:30So, the potential to expand is pretty exciting with that price.
07:36Well, let's keep the good vibes going.
07:38Yes.
07:38Let's go and check out house number two.
07:40This is just the first of three.
07:41So, let's go.
07:57This property, it's about 20 acres.
08:00Wow.
08:00And the current owner is a specialised horse breeder.
08:04It's a very easy to maintain property.
08:07How would you be with 20 acres?
08:09Sounds like a lot.
08:11Well, that's why I did talk to the owner and she said it's just so easy to maintain.
08:16And the original schoolhouse is actually at the back of this property.
08:20Wow.
08:21And it's a big games room.
08:22And there is also a cottage that is rented out as an Airbnb.
08:26Oh, wow.
08:26So, bedrooms galore.
08:27Yep.
08:28It feels really grand and special.
08:30Very worried about the size of the land.
08:32It sounds like a lot.
08:34So, it's a bit daunting and I don't know the use of the horse side of things.
08:39A lot of ball games.
08:43Okay.
08:43Let me come in and show you the main house.
08:45Excellent.
08:52So, this is the main area of the home.
08:56We've got the billiard room just there.
08:58Hello.
08:58That would be pretty fantastic.
09:01But what do you think of this space?
09:02You could feed an army in here.
09:04This is huge.
09:05I can't quite get my head around how big it is.
09:08It's a wah-wah.
09:08It is.
09:09Could you see your children running amark in here?
09:13Definitely.
09:13Definitely.
09:14I can see them around the island.
09:15I think this is what's called a great room, isn't it?
09:17Yeah.
09:18Just so much space.
09:19Yeah.
09:19It feels like you could have heaps of people here and not feel crowded.
09:22I think it's perfect, like size-wise.
09:25Yeah.
09:25The other one was very cosy, but this is just, you could have multiple people over.
09:31Pretty damn big kitchen space.
09:33It's a lovely big grand room.
09:35It feels very family-oriented, which is really nice.
09:37Yeah.
09:37And there's room for the kids to go and play, not far away, but there's a couple of living
09:41areas.
09:42Yeah.
09:42That works well.
09:44Go and have a look at the rest of the house.
09:47And when you're ready, I'll meet you by the horses.
09:49Sounds fantastic.
09:50I'm going to go and find a carrot and head on out.
09:53See you soon.
10:12Whoa, this is huge.
10:14Oh, that's big.
10:15Yep.
10:17What did you think of the bedrooms?
10:18You wouldn't need to do anything.
10:19No.
10:20It's all fairly new, like modern.
10:22Nothing needs to be done.
10:23Really cool that the billiard room is just off that main living area, but you can shut
10:27the door if you need to.
10:28Yeah.
10:28I think there's some things that I would change, but for the most part, I think we could definitely
10:32work with that and definitely live with it quite a while.
10:35There's just something not quite there.
10:37And the 20 acres scares me.
10:39I think that possibly is too much.
10:41Fair bit to look after.
10:41And so much for horses.
10:43And I'm pretty sure we're not getting a horse.
10:45We're not getting a horse.
10:46We're not getting a horse.
10:46We're not getting a horse.
10:46That's all.
10:47Will we go out and find Katrina?
10:49Yeah.
10:49I bet she's at the horses.
10:55I'm just waiting for the girls to come and join me.
10:58And I've introduced myself to this three month old foal.
11:01I'm so in love.
11:02Here come the girls.
11:05I'm trying hard to make friends with these beautiful horses.
11:10There is a cottage out the back.
11:12Would your children use that?
11:14Friends and family?
11:15You do have the option.
11:17Friends and family jewels.
11:18Yeah.
11:19It's all well set up for visitors.
11:21I am daunted by the idea of 20 acres and also the horse side of things.
11:26You don't have to have horses if you don't want to.
11:29No.
11:29You can just think about that for the future.
11:31Yeah.
11:31You've got 20 acres to play with.
11:33Yes.
11:33And the shedding looks really good too.
11:35So it looks like we wouldn't have to do much at all.
11:38What do you think is on the market for?
11:40Oh, good question.
11:41I feel like it's going to be at the top end of the budget.
11:43It's 1.25.
11:45Okay.
11:46Yeah.
11:46I'm not surprised by that.
11:47I can see the value in that.
11:50Yeah.
11:51It's on the higher end of things.
11:52So that probably will have to be taken into consideration, the price.
11:55But there can be wiggle room for the right property.
11:59Let's go and have a look at this one more house after I've given away the car.
12:03Fantastic.
12:03Oh, look at that.
12:05Nope.
12:08Looking forward to seeing the last property and having three to compare because right
12:13now I don't know.
12:25Today I'm showing Abby through a few options for her family's move to Heathcote.
12:31With the help of her best friend, Julie, we have seen two properties, each with her own
12:36pros and cons.
12:36But I am hoping that this little surprise at the third option, I hope that this is exactly
12:43what Abby has been looking for.
12:46Well, house number three is idyllic.
12:49What do you think of this location, this view?
12:52This is amazing.
12:54It is also 20 acres, but quite different.
12:58There are no horses.
12:59Yes, it's 20 acres, but we are also a couple of kilometres from the main road.
13:05So this valley is peaceful, quieter and more relaxing.
13:09Yeah.
13:10It feels properly rural, I suppose, which is probably something I didn't say that I was
13:14looking for, but I think I was looking for.
13:17Would you like to check it out?
13:19Definitely would.
13:20Let's go.
13:20Let's go.
13:28Come on through.
13:30I know it's quite different.
13:31This is really lock up and go.
13:33This is just a classic lifestyle property.
13:35What do you think of this style?
13:37I think I'd change a few things, but I love the fact that it's kind of all together.
13:42And yet you can be watching TV.
13:43Someone can be sitting doing a puzzle or something there.
13:46Someone else can be cooking.
13:47And the fireplace makes it seem like it'd be really cosy.
13:49It's a good family house.
13:51The family dining, living, kitchen area looks really interesting and it could work really
13:56well to be together, but not on top of each other.
13:59There's bucket loads of sheds.
14:01Yes.
14:01Bucket loads of space.
14:02We've got the four bedrooms that your beautiful boys are going to love.
14:06Why don't you go and have a wander through the house?
14:08Because I have one little cherry on top that I think all of you will absolutely adore.
14:14And it ain't a fire pit.
14:16Okay.
14:17I'll see you in the garden very soon.
14:19All right.
14:19We'll see you soon.
14:28It's a bit smaller than what I was expecting.
14:31I don't love the paint colours, but that can be changed easily enough.
14:35It'd be nice if it was a little bit bigger.
14:37Yes.
14:37Yeah.
14:38It doesn't feel particularly spacious.
14:41Bedrooms being separated from the primary bedroom is good in that our kids are old enough
14:45that we don't need to be right next to them.
14:47It helps with getting to sleep in when they get up.
14:50This house is probably lacking that extra room to be the brumpus room or games room.
14:55It would sort of depend on the opinions of the family.
15:00Do you want to go and have a look at the rest of the house?
15:01Yes.
15:01Let's go see what Katrina's got to show us.
15:03Okay.
15:10Hello.
15:11Ooh.
15:12Cast your eyes on this.
15:13That's amazing.
15:14I mentioned we are in drought here.
15:16Yes.
15:16There are plenty of water tanks to top up the pool.
15:18Wow.
15:19A pool is such a cherry on top.
15:22Isn't that view incredible?
15:23Yeah.
15:24I think I'd trim down some of these bushes so I could, on a banana lounge, looking out
15:28at that view while floating in the pool.
15:30There's a swimming pool.
15:32I wasn't expecting that.
15:33It has potential to be an amazing outlook and I love the fact that you can sit in the
15:37undercover area whilst observing the kids in the pool without having to be in the sun.
15:41Nice and close.
15:42No surprise.
15:42I wasn't expecting that.
15:43It is close to the living area.
15:47What do you think it's on the market for?
15:49That's hard.
15:50It's that 20 acres again.
15:52There's a lot here.
15:53It feels very done.
15:55And the pool as well I suppose.
15:57Yeah, probably about 1.1.
15:58Yeah, I'd go in between the other two.
16:00So sort of over the million but probably not to the 1.2.
16:04Yes.
16:04Well I can tell that you two would love to host a real estate show.
16:07And you bang on, it is 1.1 so you know your market.
16:13It's within budget and there would be money left over to do a few changes if we needed to.
16:17We want to do some of those cosmetic things.
16:19There's a lot of research to be done.
16:22They all tick some boxes.
16:24So it's working out where the compromise would be and what's going to work.
16:29Go and have a wander, have a chat and see what you think, see what you'd like to do.
16:34And when you're ready, I'm going to find you a winery and we will catch up and you can let
16:38me know what you'd like to do.
16:39Sounds good.
16:40Beautiful.
16:41Fantastic.
16:50After some thinking time with the fam, it is time to meet up again with Abby to see which of
16:56the three houses they've decided upon.
16:58And I have found the perfect spot to catch up. Sanguine Estate.
17:03I got in a little bit earlier than the girls to have a chat with Jodie and hear all about
17:08this absolutely thriving winery.
17:12So are you telling me, Jodie, that none of this existed when your family first arrived?
17:18That's correct. That's exactly right.
17:20One shed and some horses, some fences and that was it.
17:23And as soon as mum and dad drove onto the property, they knew that this is the property they wanted
17:28to buy.
17:29Both mum and dad are still standing behind my brother and I supporting us.
17:34Really?
17:34They come when we have events.
17:35Dad will chip in at Salador and run it for us if we're short of staff.
17:40Why is it the red that does so well here?
17:43Well, it's the environment, the climate, the soils.
17:47It's a volcanic fault line and it produces this incredible red soil.
17:51So red, red, red everywhere in Heathcote.
17:55That's such a beautiful view. This is such a beautiful region.
17:58What is it that you love about this area?
18:01It is a spectacular region and I think it has a lot to do with the community.
18:05There's always that sense of that beautiful, you're my mate, you know, I'm out there to look after you.
18:10The farmer that we bought this from, his name is Grant,
18:13and he actually brings out the newspaper to my dad every morning.
18:17Being city folk coming out to the farm, he was our mentor and he's basically family.
18:22That's that beautiful community feel.
18:24And in Heathcote too, what I love about Heathcote is that it's your mums, your dads, your families
18:30that are all operating the businesses.
18:32You know, just like we are here, you're talking to the owners, you're talking to the family
18:36and it has that real beautiful atmosphere.
18:40If you're buying in the area, there are many community events, activities.
18:45They'll just wrap their arms around you and they'll bring you right into their family.
18:49It's just this beautiful community atmosphere.
19:06Oh my goodness girls, you are going to love this place.
19:10This is going to be our local.
19:11Sounds perfect.
19:14I totally understand why you want to live here.
19:16Yep.
19:17So, which house am I ruling out?
19:20Oh, good question.
19:21Of those three, they all had something on the wish list.
19:24Was there one that straight away you could go?
19:26Oh, yeah, probably the third house, but then I sort of say the second as well,
19:30because the horse side of things, but probably the third one I would scratch off straight away.
19:33Why? At the pool.
19:34I know.
19:35The house needs to be more.
19:37I needed like a games room or something that it just didn't have.
19:41Ah, yeah.
19:41You said, I think I would pull things out.
19:43It just needs a big room that looks out over the mountain.
19:45Yeah, mountain.
19:46Yes.
19:47And I think it was blocked off a bit because it's probably quite windy
19:49and that's something to take into account.
19:51It's great to have an outdoor area, but if you can't sit out there
19:54or be in the pool is not pleasant, then there's not much point in it.
19:58So does that lead us to house number one?
20:02Ah, I think it's probably the pick of them.
20:06Although it's small, it has scope to be made bigger.
20:09Yeah.
20:09And I think it's probably windy there as well, but you can get out the other side of the house
20:13and use that space where the fire pit is and the veggie gardens and stuff.
20:16I think that there's room to kick a ball if need be out there.
20:19And I could see myself buying that one because she doesn't want to.
20:23Yeah, I could see myself with that one too.
20:28So what do you think you'll do?
20:30Well, obviously you need to bring the family.
20:32True.
20:32So you definitely need to organise that and have a bit of a think about it
20:35and investigate what it would cost to maybe expand,
20:38whether or not there's space for a shed and that sort of thing.
20:41So, yeah, there's a bit more investigation to be done,
20:43but I definitely think it's worth another look to bring the kids through.
20:47I'm so grateful that you've brought me here to Heathcote.
20:50I'm just in love with this region and I wish you all the best.
20:55Can you please keep us in the loop?
20:56Absolutely.
20:57Yes.
20:58Well done.
21:03Abby has since reached out to let me know that her and her fam
21:06ended up making a decision on a different property,
21:09but very close, very nearby.
21:10I wish you all the best, Abby, for you and your family here in Heathcote.
21:15I wish you could.
21:18What do you think?
21:18I'll let you know.
21:19And we'll be right back.
21:22So thank you.
21:24Yeah.
21:26You are probably absolutely sorry.
21:26I was like, oh, you guys.
21:26If I see another family, maybe you're being the best.
21:27I don't know what you're doing.
21:28Okay.
21:28I was like, oh.
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