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From its barren beauty to lush landscapes,...

the Australian countryside is as beautiful as it is breathtaking.

Many Australians are discovering rural life and making the move,

so I'm on the hunt to help everyday Australians find their perfect country house.

We are in Western Australia, in Northam,

looking at character homes with mother-and-daughter duo Sue and Bella.

Here is the original pocket door, so you used to be able to push doors back,

and what was once a music room and a dining area becomes one huge ballroom.

Now, the three homes that we explore truly are one of a kind,

with each offering very different possibilities for Sue and Bella's move to the country.

But can I find them something that will absolutely win them over?

- It's different. - Oh.

- I don't like the kitchen at all. It would need to go.

- Let's see if we can find Sue and Bella a country home to call their own.

We're in Northam, in country Western Australia. This is a town where life revolves around the Avon River,

and I think you can see why today's couple, mum and daughter Sue and Bella,

have fallen in love with this region. I've got three houses ready to show them. Fingers crossed they like them.

- I'm Sue. - I'm Bella.

- We have three dogs, three horses, a cat, a multitude of chickens,

two geese, a peacock.

And I think that's it.

Every time I go on holidays, Bella rescues something else I come home to,

so I've put a bit of a ban on that now.

That's what she thinks.

- So, we're moving from Bakers Hill, and we were originally from Kalgoorlie.

- I have horses, and I basically run my work through them, so it's important to have space

so I can work.

- Sue works in town and Bella is a showjumping champion,

so they're ideally after a home that is not too far out and with land that's suitable for horses,

if possible, and their budget ― well, that's around about 650 grand.

- We have thought about it, and we could go higher,

but I don't really want a mortgage now at my age. I'd like to live stress-free.

That's fine by me, as long as she's paying for it.

- Located in the heart of the gorgeous Avon Valley, Northam ―

it's one of Western Australia's earliest settlements.

Its position on the Avon River gifts the region with a diverse array of flora and fauna,

such as the bright-yellow canola fields.

And with heritage and tourist attractions galore,

let me tell you, this is becoming a go-to destination.

First up, we've got a recently renovated heritage-style home

which sits in the heart of town and offers loads of character,

so let's see what Sue and Bella think of option number one.

All right, come and join me in the garden, girls. Bella. - Hi.

- Hello. And Sue. - Sue.

- Why did you choose Northam? This is my first time here, and I'm already in love.

- Probably because of its proximity to the city.

You know, working in the country is much more pleasurable than the traffic of the city.

- Yes. - The whole lifestyle of the country.

- You're the major animal lover. - Yeah, so it's really important for me to have land

so I can keep my horses going, and I love having my dogs around.

- And you're not a vet? - No. Unfortunately. - We wish.

- And so just remind me of what's on the wish list.

- Something we can put our own touch to,... - OK.

- ...so we're not scared off by major renovations. - Great.

- Land would be fabulous.

- You don't mind a little bit of character with the house? - That would be great.

- You like that? - Yeah, definitely. And I do love my gardening.

- That leads me to the first house. The garden is gorgeous,

but let me first show you inside. Are you ready? - Yep.

- Lead the way.

Well, I did ask you to be open-minded. As you came through that front door, what did you think?

- Nice and open. Like, I do like a― a good entrance. - Yes.

And, Bella, what about you? Did you like the style of the house?

Because it was renovated in the 1990s, and it does have that feel to it.

- The style, not so much, but I do love the feel of the home.

It's got the big ceilings and cosy walls. Like, it's― it's a lovely feel to walk into.

- Mm. And don't you love it, as you come into this kitchen and every room opens up?

- I'm a very sociable person,... - Yep. - ...so I do love cooking

and having people over, and so this kitchen ― it would cater to that.

- On the subject of food, how about I show you the dining area?

You can really tell by the thickness of the walls, this is a very old home that's been renovated beautifully.

Uh, what do you think of those curtains there?

- I'd take the curtains off. I'm a person that needs a lot of light.

I love to be looking out at the garden.

- I think it's cosy, and I love the detailing on the walls.

- I probably would use this as a family room, maybe. - Yes.

Well, you definitely have that option here. - Yeah.

- I can see your eyes are actually wondering what's going on there.

Have a little look. And when you're ready, I'll meet you in the garden.

- Wow. - What do you think? - Yeah, I like it.

I think the neighbours are really close, though. - Yeah, I don't love looking out.

- But it has an en suite, though. - Yeah, definitely not my taste.

- All right, I wanna see the garden. - OK.

- Well, Sue, I'm gonna ask you first, because I know that you love your gardens as much asI do.

What do you think of what you see? - I love the veranda.

The big veranda is definitely me, and the garden is very well done. I love the old red bricks.

- Bella, be honest with me. How do you feel about the fact that you can see the neighbours?

- I don't love it. I'd like privacy where we are, and, yeah,... - OK.

- ...it's a bit much. - So, how much do you think this one is on the market for,

before I take you to house number two? - Maybe...

560?

- Well, it's 569. - Oh.

Oh, I think the price is probably justified for the amount of work that has gone into this home.

I absolutely loved it. I love the colour, the― the big verandas, the garden.

- Structurally, I really like it. Um, with some changes, I think it can be suitable.

- Still to come, we tour this rural farmhouse, which, I admit,

it isn't perfect, but I think it could be a contender because of its potential.

And then, later on, we step back in time to tour a home that offers the character

and the decadence of a bygone era.

I am in Northam, in country WA,

helping mother-and-daughter duo Sue and Bella find their new country home.

We've already toured a close-to-town contender with a ready-to-go garden,

but now it's time to mix things up a little bit with this fixer-upper on 23 acres. So, let's getto it.

Well, Bella, I'm really kind of zoning in on your needs right now. - Yeah.

- We have land, and it's only 23 acres,

so that is actually quite manageable if you think about it. - Yeah, perfect.

Secondly, how did you feel as you came down that long driveway?

- Yeah, had a great feel about it. Really welcoming, beautiful.

- Now, Sue, I don't know how you feel about the fact this house is over a hundred years old.

I'm sorry to say there's a lot of work that needs to be done.

- Having to renovate is not a problem, because then I can renovate to my taste.

- And you know what the great thing is? We're actually only three minutes from the heart oftown.

- Great that I can actually probably walk to work when the weather's good.

- You could ride. - Yeah. Ride to the pub.

- Ride to the pub. Yeah, well guess what? You can ride to the pub,... - Yeah.

- ...because it's that kind of a town. Let's head inside.

All right, this probably a really good spot to mention the age of the house ―

the beautiful original timber floorboards here, the thickness of the walls, the height of the ceiling.

- Yeah, it's― it's homely and has lots of character.

- We're not looking for maybe a huge house, cos it's only Bella and I.

- For where you are in your life right now, a smaller home works.

Let's carry on through to the next room, because I think, Patsy, you're gonna love it.

So, the kitchen's clearly been done. Is it your style?

- Cos there's a thumping big chandelier in the middle here. - Yeah.

I like black, so the kitchen is definitely a plus.

- Also, excuse me, but the view through there, oh...

- I think― I think that's just the wow factor.

- There's a fair bit to be done. There's some challenges,

but we are really ticking off the land, the house with character,

so have a look around the house. And for you, I've got you all sorted outside.

So when you're ready, meet me outside, OK?

- What do you think? - Oh, a little bit plain. Um...

- Lots of room. - Huge room, so plenty of options, I suppose.

And I think the selling point of the house is the bathroom.

The bathroom was absolutely the selling point of the house.

Lay in that bathtub and look at the view ― I don't think much would beat that.

So, I suppose we should go outside and have a look where you're going to be happy.

Could this be party central?

- Yeah. - Uh, yes.

- I really like it. It's, um― I― I think this could be fun.

- It is totally set up, it's separate from the house, and you can have a little bit of funhere,

but it's also perfect access to the horse arena. - I love it.

Yeah, definitely what I need at this point, so...

- Yeah. - ...need a good surface for the horses

and somewhere I can also coach from. - Have a guess what you think it's on the market for.

- Well, it is close to town on an acreage, so I would say 550?

- Well, this place is actually right on budget ― probably the top end ― because of the land size.It's 649.

- I absolutely loved it. You know, there is a lot of work, um, but I'm― I'm up for a challenge.

- Up next, I speak with Jason from the Aboriginal and Environmental Cultural Centre

to learn about the region's past, present and emerging ways of life.

And then we will tour this breathtaking federation-style home that is sure to impress.

While in town, I took the time to check out Bilya Koort Boodja to learn about life inNortham,

as well as the region's co-existing, thriving cultures.

Hello, Jason. - Hi, Catriona. Nice to meet you. - Lovely to meet you too.

- It really is. - I can see that you have this dollop of heaven here.

What a beautiful place to raise your family. - Yeah, no, it really is.

There's lots of opportunities for our kids here. The weather's just gorgeous.

The surroundings are beautiful. You know, if you look around,

you see all the beautiful canola out at the moment.

It's really a great place to live and raise your family.

- Tell me about this beautiful centre.

- Yeah, look, this is the Bilya Koort Boodja, which is River Heartland,

and this is our Aboriginal and Environmental Cultural Centre.

- So, what― What can we learn from― from the cultural centre here?

- If you go― spend some time going through, you can learn about the six seasons,

and you can learn about the Stolen Generation,

which is a really important story that our local elder group wanted to tell

and just learn a lot about what it's like currently to grow up in Northam as a local, uh, Nyoongar person.

So, we've got about― about 6% or 7% of our population is― is, um, Nyoongar.

We have got some artefacts that have been found along the Avon River,

um, and it was a really great ceremony when, uh,

the WA Museum came up and presented those back to our local elders,

so it was quite emotional for the elders to take, um, care and responsibility of those,

and they do sit very proudly in our Bilya Koort Boodja.

- So, now let's check out our final house, which is as much a journey through time as it is a house tour.

Now, I know that Sue really loves a home with character and is completely up to taking on a project,

so I'm just hoping that this one could too be a strong contender.

Welcome to the grand old dame of Northam,

which dates back to 1902.

It's not quite a renovator's delight. It does need a little bit of love.

- I'm actually quite enjoying that it's a little bit shaded off from the neighbours.

- This is something I just love.

As soon as I walked in, um, I can see myself entertaining out here with friends.

- Are you ready to see inside Rose House? - Yes.

- Let's do it.

Isn't this gorgeous?

The width of this hallway ― it's like a room in itself, isn't it? - It is. It's huge.

- You come in, and― and it's bare bones at the moment,

but for you, that's actually fantastic, isn't it? - Yeah.

- Because you can sort of paint pictures. - Oh, for sure.

It's... Oh, I would love something like this.

- And, you know, you come into a space like this,

and I feel that you have to pay tribute to the original architect,

because the air flow all the way through here, doors opening out straight on to the veranda,

the light that comes through, and I haven't even shown you in there. Let's go!

So, don't be put off by the current furniture. Imagine this place with people ready to dance.

Here is the original pocket door, so you used to be able to push doors back into that cavitythere,

and what was once a music room and a dining area becomes one huge ballroom.

- Oh, the possibilities with a room like this are endless, really.

When I walked into the ballroom, I think that could be my favourite room in the home.

Anything's possible in that room.

- What do you think, Bella? Or are you just gonna let Mum go with it?

- Yeah, I'll let Mum go with it, but I do love it as a big room. - Yeah.

- Like, it the same as the hallway. Keep it flowing together.

- I'll let you have a look at the rest of the house.

You might wanna begin with the kitchen, which is just through there,

because that's already been done. - OK.

- And I'll see you when you're ready out in the garden.

- It's different. - Oh. I don't like the kitchen at all.

It's just not the era of the house. It's too modern. I don't like the colours.

I think it lets the house down a bit.

- Shall we go see the gardens? - Definitely.

- Come and join me in the sunken garden.

- I really think it's fabulous. I― There's so much that you could do with this house.

- Did you see the― I think it's the cellar underneath. It could have actually been the originalkitchen.

Apparently, there was a fire there in the 1920s.

I was going to say a shame the other kitchen didn't catch fire.

- Oh, what― what did you think of the kitchen? - No, I didn't like it at all.

- You certainly have a house with character, that's for sure.

But I'm sorry, Bella. We don't really have that land that you were after.

- Yeah, which is a bit of a deal-breaker for me.

- A little guess on what this one's worth?

- I would say it would have to be 650.

- It's a fraction under, 649,

so it is at the top end of your budget.

- I think it's a fair price. The― It's a very big block,

you know, the character of the home, the age of the home, so, yeah, I do think it's a reasonable price.

- I am thrilled that our girls love the houses that we've shown them.

To be fair, at the end of the day, I'm not really sure which one is the standout favourite.

I think that they all have pluses and minuses, so I'm genuinely curious to see if they've made adecision.

Ah, can't wait to catch up.

Hello, girls. - Hi. - Good morning.

- Got our cappos. Let's chat.

Firstly, I have to say, I had a ball going through all three houses with you,

but I will just ask ― with that first house, that wraparound veranda ― that was lovely.

What did you think of that house? - I loved the house, but, for me,

everything was kind of done in the house,

and I really would like to put my own touch on something like that.

- That's interesting, because not everybody wants a project, but you are up for it, aren't you?

- Definitely. - That leads me to house number two, which had the land,

respectfully, slightly run-down house. - Yeah.

- But how did you feel about that one?

- I loved it from the moment we drove down the driveway ―

just the whole outlook, just had a beautiful feel about it.

- So I suppose house number two had your heart? - Yeah, definitely.

Definitely could see the horses and the animals there.

- And then a few more, possibly? - Yeah.

So, we're just gonna rule out house number three with the ballroom?

- When you first walked in, the big hallway, the lead lights, the huge ballroom,

but then the kitchen ― not my taste; you would have to redo it ― let it down for me.

- OK, a little― a little bit too higgledy-piggledy for you? - Yeah, yeah.

- So, what do you think you'll do? - Uh, we spoke about it, and we're gonna put an offer in onnumber two.

- OK. You're excited? - Yeah, feeling really grateful,

like, we can move in with all the― all the pets and― and get going there.

- The bathroom was just amazing. Can see myself coming home from work and cup of tea in thebath.

- And― And you're out― outside on the horse. - Yeah.

- Just riding by in the sunset. - Yeah. - OK.

Well, I wish you all the best for the dream lifestyle that awaits you.

And I'm in awe of the relationship between you two.

You are absolutely gorgeous, the most beautiful mother and daughter.

Oh yeah, they made a move on the farmhouse fixer-upper,

and I am thrilled to say they got it.

We all wish you the very best for your new life in Western Australia's truly beautiful countryside.

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