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Escape to the Country - Season 27 Episode 1 - Carmarthenshire
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00:02it's not unusual for a house hunt to have a homecoming at its heart but today's escapees
00:11know their search area better than most my sister used to live on this estate no other side yes
00:17very well that means we hit a familiar spot or two to recognize the area yes we often go
00:25for a stroll with our daughter along the road here but we've still got some surprises up our sleeves
00:32I loved it with a capital L and a capital O and a capital V and a capital E
01:06wetlands water sports and Welsh culture if you're after a wonderful escape we've got the why when
01:17and where welcome to Carmarthenshire mostly green and almost always serene Carmarthenshire is somewhere
01:27you can really take your foot off the gas apart from here Pendine sands seven miles of beach for
01:33some but for others it's a petrolheads delight this is where land speed records have been broken so
01:40whether you want to escape to the country in the fast lane or the slow Carmarthenshire could be a
01:46permanent pit stop located in southwest Wales Carmarthenshire's expansive and characteristically
01:55flat coastline is now seeing a big push for nature good news for all who like a walk on the
02:02wild side
02:04an amazing place to come and just watch birds I've got my binoculars with me today second largest tidal
02:10range in the world things I like looking along the tide line for special shells loads to be interested in
02:16here the mythic home of Merlin the wizard residents and visitors alike will tell you there's certainly
02:23something magical here the best thing about Carmarthenshire I would say is being able to go down by the beach
02:30the lush green countryside it's quiet it doesn't get too busy all year round I'll be coming for a long
02:37long
02:37time 50 60 years it's just a lovely part of the world it's just so picturesque it's it's calming it's
02:44soothing
02:44you come here you sit on the beach with your book and everything's all right with the world
02:56there's nothing quite like a homecoming and for my couple today moving back to Carmarthenshire is exactly
03:02what their escape to the country is all about in 2020 we moved to the walkingham redden area because Ben
03:13is part of the
03:15Paralympic GB training squad which train in Carversham near Redden
03:22Welsh rower and Paralympic gold medalist Ben and his wife Megan a physiotherapist along with their
03:29two-year-old daughter ever are currently living between parents in Wales whilst they wait to sell
03:35their bungalow near the Berkshire town of Wokingham so I grew up in an area called Amford and Ben is
03:42from
03:42an area of Swansea called Mumbles and we both really enjoyed going to the beaches and we'd love for our
03:49daughter to grow up in the same environment Meg's family are full Welsh speakers and it's really important
03:55for us to pass that on to Ever and let Ever grow up with a local language and amongst family
04:02but unfortunately we haven't found the right house yet
04:06I'm a wheelchair user and because of that we're either looking for a bungalow or but the floor plan would
04:15have to
04:15enable a lift to go from downstairs to upstairs which has been pretty tough to find I hope you
04:21guys can really help us Megan and Ben have a budget of £400,000 with some wiggle room they want
04:30a
04:30three-bedroom bungalow or a four-bedroom house to accommodate a lift and like open plan living plus
04:38a separate reception room style wise a Georgian or traditional Welsh exterior with a modern interior
04:44would be a bonus this move is about more than enjoying the Welsh countryside and the beaches this
04:56is about family and most importantly giving ever the opportunity to learn Welsh they've been living in
05:02in between houses for a year now they must be desperate to find a home
05:12before we kick off the property tours we're catching up in the spectacular surroundings of Carmarthen Bay
05:22Ben and Megan welcome home or should I say is it Croeso Adra have I got that right close give
05:29me give me the right
05:30Croeso Adra Adra welcome back this is where you both grew up isn't it in Wales yes it is what's
05:38it like
05:39being back here thinking about settling down it's been really nice and been really nice to be close to
05:44family as well and to hear more people speaking the Welsh language or trying and forever it's important
05:53that she learns to speak Welsh yeah we kind of want our daughter to have that tradition and have it
05:58passed
05:58on and in this area there's Welsh schools are plenty so we can get settled in the area she can
06:03make friends
06:03in nursery and then hopefully go to school with those that same cohort it's been a little while that
06:07you've been mid transition haven't you yes so the last year we've been living three weeks with my
06:13parents and then three weeks with Ben's parents which has been great with childcare but it's a bit
06:18unsettling between moving between houses and having belongings actually divided over three houses so
06:24this move is at a point of urgency now I should imagine so all we need to do is find
06:29you the right
06:30home that can suit all of your needs and bring this family all together yeah yes this way
06:40for the first house we're staying at the coast heading for the seaside town of Clannethley
06:47Clannethley Beach is part of a 10 mile long Millennium Coastal Park that offers wheelchair
06:52suitable paths as well as cycling water sports and dog friendly access year-round
07:00there's a bistro boasting breathtaking views of the Gower and Locher estuary Clannethley is one of six
07:08stations in Wales becoming step free and serves routes including Cardiff Swansea and London Paddington
07:15not that far from the coastal walkway on a modern development is a house I can't wait to show Megan
07:22and Ben
07:24oh this is so exciting it's a proper house looking house for you is this an area you know well
07:30it is
07:31actually um my sister used to live on this state but the other side yes yeah very well it's a
07:38nice
07:38place to go for dog walks and you've just got a golf course around the corner as well which is
07:41really nice to go and walk on so yeah it's a really good good area so this is the house
07:45you
07:45want to show you and I just love the way it looks I like that kind of stone look good
07:50first impression
07:51what do you think ever would think of coming home oh yeah she'd love it this is my parents
07:55I'd be chuffed well let's see if we can continue that chaff feeling inside I think we will
08:04built nine years ago in a Georgian style this detached gray brick home on an end plot has green
08:12space owned by the local authority to one side solar panels have been added to the well insulated home by
08:18the current owners giving a very good overall energy performance rating of B accessible housing in
08:26the UK is in short supply and with this property Ben and Megan will need to make adjustments from the
08:33central entrance our tour begins through the double doors of a living room spanning the left-hand side of
08:39the ground floor how's this for you spacious enough definitely spacious yes a lovely size
08:47it's lovely and homely and can imagine us relaxing here in the evening this house has another reception
08:55room you've got like a dining room area the other room could be ever's playroom yes it'd be nice to
09:01have
09:01our own space and watch TV and then just close the door for the toy room yeah absolutely I can't
09:09wait to go
09:09and have a little nosy well before you do let me show you another view of the garden from another
09:14very
09:14important room this way at the back sits the kitchen with more double doors to the outside space as promised
09:25and have a glorious view of the garden from this amazing kitchen yeah what a hosting space isn't it
09:32very spacious and there's loads of access space all around it yeah it looks like I can wheel all the
09:37way
09:37around and use the kitchen I do like to cook yeah and this seems to be like a decent height
09:42that I
09:42could I could eat off you know and prep food and and use so yeah it's really versatile this house
09:48has
09:48got a lot in it and you can see why we've brought you here yeah yeah the thing for me
09:53is the the lift
09:54you know how it how would we make that work but I'm sure as we look around the rest of
09:57the house that'll
09:58become evident let me show you upstairs okay after completing this level is a downstairs loo then
10:09locating the essential lift will need to consider how this ground level layout sits with the position of
10:15the upstairs bedrooms starting with the principal ensuite located at the front above the living room
10:23so this is the main bedroom of the four bedrooms they've gotten quite a big bed in here what's nice
10:30is that I can fit down both sides of the bed yeah and also in front of the bed so
10:34it's nice that I
10:34have a choice here excellent well there's also an ensuite here so have a look that's ample spacing isn't
10:44it yeah I think you've got enough space to turn around in your chair and plenty of space in the
10:49shower but yeah it works on most levels doesn't it yeah it's great there's a smaller room used as an
10:55office that's above the back of the living room another double with built-in storage sits above the
11:01dining room and bedroom 4 located over the kitchen is a further double with a rather special edition
11:09of a balcony it's gorgeous yeah yeah what a beautiful view you're looking out onto the gower there you've got
11:17a golf course behind you yeah it's lovely to be able to have an outdoor space upstairs isn't it you
11:23know you can at least you can be upstairs outside enjoying while you're doing bedtime as well a
11:27lovely bonus to a property isn't it to have this but this balcony obviously this couldn't be ever's
11:32room because you wouldn't want ever coming out onto the balcony but obviously there's other bedrooms
11:37that we can have a look at and can make a decision so lots of facilities thereby good schools so
11:42you've got a dual language school and a Welsh medium school so so if you want to go full Welsh
11:48or
11:49per half and half there are options there we round off upstairs with a family bathroom that has a
11:56modern grey finish outside a tarmac drive leads to a garage with electrics and a boarded loft the gated
12:04rear garden includes a couple of sheds some lawn a paved patio and decking plus a hot tub that comes
12:13with the
12:13sale this again is pretty fantastic isn't it yeah there's plenty of space I think because it's a
12:21south facing garden you're gonna get a lot of Sun all day you've got to think about how we could
12:25live
12:25in the space and I think if you're doing that then you clearly like the property but yeah first
12:30impressions are really really good but the last bit of information you need of course is the price
12:34what do you think this is on the market for um I think maybe around 390 okay 390 thousand pounds
12:42yes I think I'm gonna go more than that I think I'm gonna go 405 405 thousand pounds so a
12:48little
12:48bit over budget over budget this property is on the market for 400 thousand pounds oh so right bang on
12:58the money there it's given you a great baseline hasn't it yeah I think the price is right for for
13:03the house as well so do you want to spend a bit more time wandering around here before I drag
13:07you
13:07away yes please all right you go off on your own yeah and I will see you later I don't
13:14think we could
13:15get much of a better start could we they love the area they love the house they even like the
13:20price on
13:21budget at 400,000 pounds this Georgian style 21st century home offers a large modern kitchen diner
13:29two reception rooms and four bedrooms there are options for a lift and it's close to wheelchair
13:36friendly paths as well as the facilities of a large town I'll make I think we found the playroom
13:42forever yeah I think this would work I'll have his toys because it would eat into such a big bedroom
13:50I have the lift come in here yeah that office down the corridor that might be yeah that's a
13:55solution lounge yeah it's a really nice house I think the space works well and then there's a lot
14:03of options outside as well which again works really well with what we're looking for this house sings to
14:09me and it makes me really feel like it could be a family home I can see us trying away
14:13that I do
14:13another homework on the kitchen table a big reason for my buyers moved back to Wales is the chance to
14:34enjoy some coastal activities Ben's already taken up surfing and today he and Megan are at Caswell Bay
14:41on the Gower Peninsula to ask friend and local Ben Clifford about the accessible options he offers
14:49so what made you want to start surfability I volunteered at an event for autistic children
14:55and it was just epic it was so good and I asked the boss of the surf I was working
14:59for if we could start
15:00a weekly autism surf group and we did so that was how I got into adapted surfing and I just
15:06really
15:06enjoyed it and wanted to do more and more so like someone get in touch and they say you know
15:10I have x
15:10condition can you help me and then having to learn about what that condition is and then thinking have
15:17I got the equipment have I got the staff have I got an operating procedure for there so it's that
15:21building and building and building to where kind of at this point now where we can pretty much say yes
15:27to
15:27everybody so Ben we've learned that you take lots of people down to the water's edge with various
15:32impairments are there different equipment that you need and different accessibility measures that
15:36you put in place so yeah we've got all kinds of different adapted equipment eight beach chairs we've
15:41got three hoisted changing rooms seated boards prone boards we've got competition ones that are really
15:46high performance giving people that access to this amazing place that I love and also just giving
15:53people that opportunity to get radical you know like let's push our limits do you have volunteers
15:57that help out as well yeah volunteers are just absolutely vital to us we all you can do it without
16:02volunteers some some sessions are seated surface for example might take four people to take one
16:08person surfing so volunteers make it affordable they provide extra safety really builds the community
16:15around what we do as well and people from all walks of life all ages it's a really really fantastic
16:22day
16:24one of the things volunteers do to help out is carry boards
16:30so not effortly big but we've got enough we can surf i'm thinking just out here over here if we
16:37just sit
16:37and we be patient and it's just be a case of we'll try and find the good peaks really perfect
16:42so um
16:44yeah when you're ready mag if you can just pick up or take it into the water
16:50as a top level athlete ben is already super fit and used to the water
16:57so once at a sufficient depth to float megan holds the board as he self-transfers out of the adapted
17:03chair
17:05and he's all set to catch some surf
17:31i wouldn't be surprised if he's soon adding to that medal collection
17:35but now to see if i can hit gold on our house search
17:44for our next option we're heading to the rural outskirts of the town of amonford
17:50offering shops and services the settlement was originally known as cross inn after an establishment
17:56located on a crossroads coal and tin industry saw expansion and by 1893 the railway stop here was
18:05named amford to market from other cross inns a couple of miles from the station we're at what i
18:11expect might be a rather familiar spot for my buyers
18:18we're literally around the corner to where your parents live and so where you're currently living
18:23do you recognize the area yes we often go for a stroll with our daughter along the road here so
18:31we've
18:31walked past a few times but not quite inside and you didn't know that this was up for sale
18:36no it is a nice area it could work potentially yeah i'm intrigued to see what the inside looks like
18:42yeah ready to take a look yeah let's go come on built in the 1950s the entrance to this brick
18:50and
18:50rendered bungalow is via a covered addition between the house and a generous garage taking us via a hall
18:57through a cozy snug which then leads into open plan kitchen dining area
19:04and a better look at that garden from here as well yeah i was just looking at the roof of
19:10the
19:10conservatory and i think it's a bit dark so we probably do what your parents have done and they
19:15put the glass roof i take that as a good sign then you're thinking about how you might
19:20make this house work better for you yeah yeah it is a bit of a longer kitchen but you can
19:26still see
19:27through to a dining area and the sitting area in the conservatory yeah you wouldn't feel cut off from
19:33the house if you were cooking in this kitchen probably wouldn't be able to have cupboard doors
19:36open but yeah it's definitely accessible across the hall at the front of the bungalow is the
19:43separate reception that could be my buyer's toy free space what i love here is that bay window
19:49it has got that christmas tree in the bay window kind of appeal isn't it you know you put the
19:54christmas
19:54tree in front of the bay window that's kind of what i see in that in that window i'm with
19:58you there
19:59yeah brilliant right let me show you some of the bedrooms which is along here
20:05the hall runs through the width of the home to reach a family bathroom at the far end
20:10as a freestanding tub with a separate shower next to this is the first of four bedrooms
20:16a double that could be ben and megan's so main bedroom through here
20:21hmm a very generous space i think with this one yeah again the size to go down both sides of
20:28the
20:28bed and it isn't an ensuite but it is literally next door to the family bed exactly so this house
20:33gives you two proper bedrooms and then that third space there which they currently use as an office
20:38and then they have built up into the attic amazing room which has got a shower in it as well
20:44so you've
20:44got a little en suite that could be you know teenage room at some point and definitely a guest room
20:50yeah yeah
20:51for now so it offers a lot it does having everything on mainly on one level is that
20:57something you'd prefer to have i think if all the bedrooms were on one level i think yes
21:02if the children were upstairs and we were downstairs that would be a bit difficult
21:08with questions over the ensuite loft room that is currently inaccessible to ben
21:13i've sent them to look at the room below that houses the stairs
21:18okay so we've got could use it as a little office yeah or potentially a little crib room
21:23yeah block off the stairs yeah yeah it's got a lovely view of the garden
21:30and that's where we're heading now a third of an acre plot that includes an outbuilding with electricity
21:36and enough space to park your tractor i think the outdoor space is is a real plus isn't it you
21:42know
21:42it's a lovely lovely place to sit it's really nice we go and feed the horse around the corner most
21:47evenings
21:47with ever at the moment so that's one of our nightly activities so yeah it is a lovely place to
21:52to live i'm just still not so sure that the house itself is enough yet it doesn't have to be
21:57you move in and it's all perfect it could be we make it perfect yeah and is it worth making
22:02it
22:02perfect how much do you think this house is on the market for i'm gonna go in with a 355
22:09000
22:11355 000 pounds okay um 365 365 000 pounds okay it's on at 375 000 pounds so thinking about changes
22:26you
22:26know there's possibility the scope yeah below budget this 1950s bungalow offers a galley kitchen
22:34which is semi-open to conservatory living and dining there are four bedrooms in total a large garden
22:41and the location means they could be neighbors with megan's parents so very handy for babysitting
22:47i like that the property has uh some open plan living around the kitchen and the conservatory and
22:55we're used to living in a bungalow so we do like being able to kind of go from the living
22:59room
22:59into the bedroom without having to go upstairs or in a lift for yourself well literally a one minute walk
23:05away from the in-law so it'll be child care will be really easy i'm still not sold on the
23:10internals of
23:11the house i think it doesn't quite work for me i don't want to move into a house where i'd
23:15kind of be a
23:15prisoner to certain areas of the property and i wouldn't be able to go upstairs for example and that for
23:20me is a
23:25that's it second house done yes shall we um go and see if my mother put the kettle on that
23:31would be
23:31lovely after you we're ending the day just moments away visiting megan's mum elaine and dad dorian
23:54who've been looking after two-year-old ever during our house hunt i mean this is such a lovely
24:00welcome this is what this is all about isn't it family time i've got welsh cakes homemade
24:06so delightful and spending so much time here back in the home you grew up in what's that been like
24:12it has been nice helping with kind of washing and not needing to tidy the house um and then being
24:18able to have more time quality time with ever then because day-to-day jobs have been done by
24:23by my parents i think as well not many grandkids get that opportunity to live with their grandparents
24:30you know it's amazing to see their relationship develop and she gets excited going between the
24:35houses the hardest part is trying to keep a routine and dissimilar situations but how will it be for
24:44you to have your daughter your son-in-law and your granddaughter no longer living in your house anymore
24:50great to have them but it's been strange having coming from just the two of us in the house
24:56to an extra two adults and ever and a lot of coming and going yeah but um we're managing great
25:04we get
25:05on well we get on so well that we're even going on holiday next Saturday for two cars for two
25:10weeks
25:10so i think they haven't got fed up of us we can't get enough lucky because they might be buying
25:15the
25:15house around the town we've had a good start today haven't we yes we have i think we've given you
25:20lots
25:21to think about yeah yeah yeah but i genuinely feel we're a bit closer to this becoming your reality
25:28yeah yeah
25:49average sold price of detached houses in wales
25:52currently sits at around 327 000 pounds in carmarthenshire that figure falls to around 286 000
26:01to give yourself an even greater chance of finding a home in south wales it's also worth considering
26:11neighboring areas of pembrokeshire to the west and swansea or the gower to the east so if somebody was to
26:18move into the area and they weren't really versed on the area then i would most certainly say bishopson
26:24is a really lovely area purely because you get a community feel you're also within walking distance
26:29of the coast but if you wanted to go more west down the carmarthen area you could definitely look at
26:34areas like machynis property prices are slightly cheaper down that area and then the further you go west
26:39you'll end up going down to pembrokeshire temby and if you wanted something more coastal but
26:44slightly quieter then you can move on the outskirts of temby
26:51if you're tempted by what you've seen so far here's a pick from more properties close to where my
26:56buyers are looking this period two bedroom end of terrace is in a pretty village location north of
27:03swansea it comes with extensive gardens and views on the market for 150 000 pounds
27:14this detached four bedroom three bathroom option has modern interiors and feature windows the location
27:21on the southern bank of the loja estuary provides panoramic vistas for sale it offers in the region of
27:28625 000 pounds for a short self-catered stay in carmarthenshire this cozy converted coach house
27:37with a garden sleeps up to five and costs from 570 pounds for a one week stay for two
27:45additional guests cost 10 pounds per person per night and part weeks are also available
27:57for megan and ben this move is all about homecoming and recreating their childhood memories for their
28:03own little family but they also live incredibly busy lives and barely get to see each other so today
28:09it's all about ease something they can move straight into and not have to worry about a thing
28:17my mystery house is in the village of manava garig a little over a mile from the town of kidwelly
28:24which sits on the gwendraeth estuary above carmarthen bay this location is out of my buyers comfort zone
28:33being the most westerly i've taken them so far the castle established by invading normans and fortified by
28:42the english king edward ii now proudly flies the welsh flag trains run from kidwelly to major locations
28:50including cardiff swansea and manchester with step free access to the platforms
28:57the coastal habitats here are a haven for wildlife so whilst i leave megan and ben to check out the
29:04nature watching opportunities i've nipped ahead to give you a sneak peek at my mystery house what better
29:13than a really sustainable property one that's got an a grade epc rating yes we've gone contemporary for
29:22the final offering with a two-year-old fuel efficient option that i'm hoping will tempt megan and ben
29:28into this expanded search area the thing i love about a modern house is that you get all of this
29:35look open plant living so much space a real flow of energy and i think this could be perfect for
29:44a
29:44growing family now to see if my buyers agree hello hello welcome to our mystery house so i'm hoping that
29:54we've brought you somewhere a bit further out than you've been looking yeah yeah we're not not too
29:59familiar with the area and to a practically brand spanking new house definitely very aesthetically
30:06pleasing definitely got a curb appeal and again another property with a balcony which is unusual a few
30:12young families here they say that the young children can play out here and it's pretty safe and coming
30:17home somewhere that's peaceful quiet and easy yeah yeah yeah let me take you inside
30:25built in 2023 with solar panels and an air source heat pump this detached home with an integrated
30:33garage is one of around 25 on this recent development a small entrance hall leads into the l-shaped
30:40open plan kitchen dining and living room so you've got this lovely space it goes all the way around
30:47there which means a nice flow if you want to live like that with the family yeah i really like
30:54the
30:54open plan it's kind of because the kitchen's tucked away that makes it slightly separate but nice and open
31:01as well someone could be in the kitchen preparing food and you still feel communicate with each other as
31:07well yeah it's that where you shut away the toys that's kind of why i'm looking at the space yeah
31:11like this is like there's nowhere to hide toys really yeah hiding toys is great storage there's
31:17all sorts of things you can do when you've got a larger footprint also got to talk about the lift
31:22and where that might go i am thinking it could go here and the room they would connect to would
31:27be the
31:27main bedroom so that's something again that would use up this space and maybe this would become the play
31:31toy storage area yeah and then move all the kind of family general living a bit further up yeah yeah
31:37should we go look at the kitchen yes please
31:41you can see the expanse of the kitchen there yeah their current owners are put in this island i like
31:47the island in the first property but in this one it kind of makes it in an inaccessible pass you
31:52know i'm gonna have to only go that way past by the sink and round rather than be able to
31:56cut through
31:56there because where the chairs are and that's important obviously i think i fell in love with that first
32:00property and i think that's why i'm struggling to get part i'm loving how much you love the first
32:04house don't struggle with that that is not a problem also on this floor is the integral garage
32:12which can be reached internally via that utility room giving another potential location for the lift
32:18perhaps above this is a front-facing double bedroom that goes out to the balcony
32:25a smaller room above the utility is in use as a study then above the dining area is a double
32:32room
32:32that could perhaps be forever these are all served by a family bathroom with a neutral finish
32:40and that leaves the final bedroom number four the ensuite principal which also has access to the
32:46balcony and i think family wise it's really lovely that you can have maybe over over there a nursery one
32:54of the rooms and a guest room yeah and options for where you put the lift i think downstairs living
33:00room to this room may work with the lift which then opens up the other three bedrooms then you've got
33:06access to the balcony from this room in this house yeah plenty of space to move around the bed we've
33:12got the
33:12ensuite in here she's obviously a bit of a bonus have a look yeah can you shut the door or
33:19no
33:22no not quite yeah so yeah probably just a bit smaller but i'm not you know we could probably work
33:29something out with that yeah put a sliding door on the outside maybe so it's slid across rather than
33:33yeah and these are the things to consider aren't they yeah
33:38also something to consider is the rear garden where there's a raised lawn currently reached via
33:43steps from the ground level paved patio it is a bit challenging because you've got the two tiers so
33:51adjustments would need to be made the two levels if you wanted to play with ever kind of some ball
33:56sports you'd really struggle to get up onto the grass area what do you think though of what you've seen
34:02i think there's too many compromises for me to make to want to progress with this property it's
34:08a very nice property it's just probably not the one for me well the other thing to think about of
34:12course is how much it would cost to buy this property out here how much do you think this
34:16property is on the market for i'm not sure what the market is like in this area so i'm going
34:23to
34:24have a guess at 370. okay three hundred and seventy thousand pounds i think the fact that it's a new
34:30bill two years old all the solar panels and everything i think it's going to be a bit more
34:34expensive than that so i think 395 okay 395 000 pounds this property is on the market for 399 995
34:44so just short of 400 000. i think it's great for you to see where the market's at what you
34:51can get
34:51for your budget and to help you with your decision making this detached modern house will make a lovely
34:58home for somebody it has an energy performance rating of a an open plan kitchen layout four bedrooms
35:05and an integral garage it's in a small family friendly community albeit somewhat outside my buyer's
35:13search area it is a lovely house you know it's got everything you would need for a four bedroom house
35:18it's got a lovely downstairs kitchen opens plan space it's got a big garage and the upstairs space is
35:24is nice as well so for me it's the it's the location to this house that kind of
35:28put the brakes on before we even got started very nice just not too sure about the location
35:46we often meet couples who want to change their busy city-based lives for a more calm serene
35:52existence in the country well earlier this year tig peers and their young children did exactly that
36:01six months ago a new job offered tig who works for the nhs the chance of leaving the city of
36:07nottingham to fulfill a dream of raising a family in her welsh homeland along with her partner peers
36:14who's employed by an animal feed company she asked us to find a home for them five-year-old annika
36:20three-year-old roscoe and a third anticipated arrival but before we could step in they bought this
36:27carmarthenshire farmhouse eight miles from the nearest town of narberth i can't wait to get out
36:33of the rain and find out just what prompted their move hello nice to see you i am lovely to
36:42meet you
36:42come on in thank you now this is cozy you haven't been here that long have you six or seven
36:54months
36:54yeah yeah and we said we're yet to have a welsh winter everyone keeps saying you're not yet living
36:59in the reality of wales so well you've got the perfect setup to live in the reality of wales i
37:04can't wait to hear more about your story tig and peers are slowly uncovering more about the former dairy
37:12farm that's their new home even on a wet and windy day this is still quite a sight to behold
37:20this is the
37:21milking parlour which we only really properly discovered when we took away a lot of the the ivy
37:26and on the right you've got some of the older buildings here that have got the more traditional
37:29welsh stone there's always a job on a farm property like this isn't it there's always something for
37:33someone to do absolutely or a wiggum when i get a minute oh i love that so what's on the
37:38when i get
37:39a minute list at the moment inbound baby number three yes of course that's the main plan and then look
37:44at maybe redecorating when it's safe to do so absolutely don't need to rush we don't need to
37:49rush now you're right so sit down have a cup of tea wait for that baby to turn up yeah
37:57and a cozy cuppa in the farmhouse kitchen is just the tonic right now
38:02oh look at this a proper farmhouse kitchen
38:07this is lovely thank you so i have to know how you ended up here because you were living the
38:13city
38:13life as i understand it in nottingham for a long time 18 years yeah 18 years went up for uni
38:20met a
38:21local lad so nottingham's your home yeah nottingham's where i was born in nottingham and in the countryside
38:26so i had a rural upbringing when we first were together i did declare didn't i babe that we would
38:32end up having family in wales after coming through motherhood i was pretty determined and how have the
38:37children adapted and welcomed this change absolutely loved it we've got our son into a welsh-speaking
38:43we call it preschool but it's maithrin and he's loving that they're always wanting to be outdoors
38:50and in terms of activities on our doorstep beach woodland it's endless you know typical is is is
38:59five and decided she wants to be a vet but roscoe is determined he wants to be a farmer that's
39:03what
39:03he's declared he's three and he said i want to be a farmer what about how you found this property
39:08because i know you wanted our help we did want your help yeah with a very short amount of notice
39:12because you were moving and there was threat of me being left with two children it nearly didn't
39:18happen because you'd thought it might be a bit too remote yeah i did i i ruled it off for
39:23being quite
39:24rural but i knew tactically to just stay really quiet because i felt that it was right but we
39:31needed to both obviously be sure and thankfully it went the way that i hoped an amazing home that you
39:38can imagine yourselves being in forever i should imagine i'm not moving again i can sit and talk to
39:45you for the rest of the day but i've also got my eye on i think it's kind of it's
39:48hard to resist
39:50with some bar of breath of course you can can't come to wells not have bar of breath absolutely
39:54a good slab of salty butter there we go oh it looks delicious
40:01tig and piers are proof positive that with the right ingredients you can have your welch cake and eat it
40:09but have we come up with the right recipe for ben and megan's homecoming
40:18well it's been a year for megan and ben of living between parents
40:22and searching for their ideal home so let's find out if we've got them a step closer to finding it
40:32hello both megan and ben it's been so much fun showing you houses in your manner i mean it's
40:39i feel like we've been on a bit of a roller coaster journey but where are you both now to
40:43be honest you
40:44you kind of knocked out of the park with house number one i was blown away and pretty speechless
40:48going around that property thinking this has everything and more i went to bed really happy
40:53last night i'm thinking this is the start of the next chapter i haven't been that infused by
40:59house i've seen before you know i kind of i loved it you know with a capital l and a
41:03capital o and a
41:03capital v and a capital e to tell me what is it you loved about that property the kind of
41:08level
41:08access outside and there's a couple of options where the lift could go the hot tub that's there already
41:15and it's quite private even tucked away right at the end got lovely view of the golf course and the
41:21coast and it is pretty much bang on in the middle duration wise from both parents and from work and
41:28closer shops and everything as well for me it was the ability to leave the house and go for a
41:34big walk
41:35so that was a huge selling point the only negative with this house number one is that we can't really
41:39do anything to it to make it our own and meg was like how is that a negative i was
41:43like it's not really
41:43it's the only thing i could come up with so i think that's a really good sign that's a very
41:48good sign
41:49i think the next step is a second viewing and trying to go from there that is so exciting
41:56after a year of going between parents it sounds like this could be the beginning of a chapter
42:02where you get a revisit from me thank you so much
42:07did i get that right that was perfect you nailed it yeah
42:14megan and ben's story is one of hope resilience and dedication now he after all is a world champion
42:21but together they've been dedicated to bringing their family home to wales so they can give their
42:27daughter the childhood that they both enjoyed and i'm so happy that we've been a part of that journey
42:33and help them get a step closer to finding that dream home i'll see you next time on escape to
42:39the
42:39country ben and megan went on to put an offer on the georgian style house number one and i'm delighted
42:46to announce it was accepted we hope their new home brings them lots of l o v e in capitals
42:54for many
42:55years to come if you would like to escape to the country in wales england northern ireland or scotland
43:02and need our help why not apply online at bbc.co.uk forward slash take part
43:35so
43:36you
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