Original subtitles

Escaping to the country can be a mind-bending journey.

Good to show you another thing to boggle your brain. - Absolutely.

You're very good at doing that!

- Full of twists...

- It's absolutely perfect. I love it.

- ..and turns...

- Bungalow, I'm not so sure, actually, to be honest. - No?

Cos they're coming right back in fashion, bungalows. - Are they?

- Everybody wants to live on one level. - OK.

- ..but we're here to hold your hand and hopefully deliver your dream.

- Oh, my goodness.

- You want light, you get light.

- Oh, I absolutely love this.

- Really? - I do.

- The Jurassic Coast.

Spanning a 95-mile stretch of the Dorset and Devon coastline,

it's the only place on Earth where rocks from the Triassic,

Jurassic and Cretaceous periods can be seen in one place.

It's a fossil hunter's paradise.

But beware of the winged descendants of dinosaurs that fill the skies.

Ice cream or chips?

Ice cream or chips? Take your pick.

They are a perfect... Argh!

Watch out from above.

Argh!

Seagulls!

Sandwich-snatchers, picnic pirates, the lot of them!

And what's worse...

..is they also steal the best vantage point.

Because from up there, they have a bird's-eye view

of this beautiful coastline.

Today we're in the southwest of England,

dipping our toe into Somerset,

but focusing most of our search on the counties of Devon and Dorset

in the villages and towns within striking distance

of the Jurassic Coast.

- We used to come down on holidays.

Then eventually we liked it so much,

I bought a place here and that was, you know...

So I've been here for ten years now

and it's the best place I've ever lived.

- The tranquil seaside town of Budleigh Salterton in Devon

lies on the edge of a pebble beach

beneath spectacular red sandstone cliffs.

For Dorset-based landscape artist Mark Harris,

the real draw are the inland market towns and villages.

- I know this county like the back of my hand

and I've walked inland and I've obviously painted the coast.

The coast is clearly what a lot of people come for, and it's famous,

it's a World Heritage site,

but if you go two clicks inland,

the scenery is incredible and you've got coombes

and valleys, castles, heathland.

It's particularly special.

- Ashmore, Dorset's highest village, is one such place.

Thatched cottages circle the pond,

which is the focal point for the Filly Loo,

a traditional folk festival that celebrates the summer solstice.

Sometimes life events can leave us feeling a bit tidal,

like the tide has gone out

and all you're left with is sand and seaweed.

But then, of course, the tide eventually comes back in.

And for our buyer today,

things have been at a pretty low ebb this year,

and I'm hoping that her move to the countryside,

and particularly to the coastline, is going to really buoy her up.

Ten years ago, Saadia, a retired teacher, married Terry

and moved into his five-bedroom detached home

in East Grinstead, Sussex.

- I love this garden.

Terry works so hard with this.

He built the patio, he built the pond,

he built this mausoleum, that he calls it, here behind me!

And you know, we used to sit here in the summer during the evenings

and look at the sunset, and he'd have a glass of whisky in his hand

and I would have a glass of wine.

I really miss that now, because although his spirit is here,

because he put so much love into this place,

his physical presence isn't here.

So I really, really miss that.

- Terry died five months ago

and just weeks later, Saadia also lost her mother.

Now, with friend Richard on hand to help,

she's decided it's the right time to escape to the country.

- Ever since I've known Saadia,

she's been facing lots of challenges in her life.

Now is a good time for her to start the next chapter.

- Saadia is happy with a detached,

semidetached or terraced property

with some outdoor space and two bedrooms.

Since she plans to stop driving when she moves,

she wants to be near to village amenities.

She would also be as close to the sea as possible.

Her budget - £300,000.

Having moved out of the city

into the countryside myself on my own many moons ago,

I really am feeling very empathic towards Saadia doing the same thing

after a tough year, starting afresh out in the countryside.

And so having Richard by her side is going to be really helpful

and hopefully I can also throw in my tuppence worth,

because what's really important is she finds a house

that she feels safe and happy in.

And that's what we're all about.

Before our search begins, I'm meeting Saadia and Richard

at the Dorset stretch of the Jurassic Coast

on the beach at Lyme Regis

to understand more about what this move means for Saadia.

Ah, we do like to be by the seaside, right?

- Absolutely. - It's beautiful.

- Very nice. Lovely to meet you both. - And you as well. - Thank you.

- And, Saadia, I know you've had a really tough year. - Yeah.

- So hopefully we can turn things around.

How are you feeling about the move?

- Oh, I'm feeling optimistic about the move

and I really feel it's something that I want to do. - Yeah.

- So, it's the right thing.

- Richard, do you think this is going to be a good move for Saadia?

- Yeah, I think it's really what she's had in her heart

for a long, long time.

- So what's the lure down to this part of the world, the Jurassic Coast?

- Well, I want warmth and sunshine.

- THEY LAUGH

It's a little chilly today, but...

- And I've read that it's, you know, one of the warmest places to be.

And also, my sister lived here for a year

and I came to visit her and I simply loved it.

- So your budget is around 300,000, is that right? - That's right, yes.

- So you know that this is quite a sought-after place? - I know. Yes.

- Are you prepared that you might not be able to be right on the seaside?

- Absolutely, absolutely.

I know I will have to compromise in some sense. - OK. Yeah.

- Yeah. - So did you have your sights set on living here in Lyme Regis?

- Near Lyme Regis.

Not necessarily actually in it. - OK. - But that would be lovely.

That would be the icing on the cake. But I know I have to compromise.

- Shall we go and start viewing?

- Smashing. - Sounds brilliant. - You lead the way. - Thank you.

- Our house-hunt begins ten miles north of Lyme Regis,

just over the border in Devon,

in the village of Chardstock,

four miles south from the market town of Chard.

This peaceful village has a community hall and a shop

and post office that's run by some of the 900 or so residents.

Just a three-minute walk from the shop,

we found this delightful end-of-terrace cottage.

So this... This one here is the offering.

- Ooh! - Freshly painted for your arrival. - That's lovely.

- SHE CHUCKLES

- The roof all cleaned up for you. - Absolutely.

It's very pretty. It's absolutely lovely. - Yeah.

- Yeah, this is really lovely.

And I like... I love the quiet. - Yeah.

- You know, it just has some lovely birdsong. - Yes, yes.

So we're in Chardstock, which is about 20 minutes' drive from Lyme.

- Uh-huh. OK. - But it's an hour on the bus.

- Right. Oh. - Do you drive?

- I do drive, but I don't like narrow roads.

- Oh, OK. You'll get used to that!

You have to get used to that if...

- I'm really not very confident. I think I'll rely on the bus.

I don't mind if it's an hour. - Yeah.

Do you know this neck of the woods?

- I know Chard, actually,

because I did my last teaching practise there. - Oh, really?

- And it and it was so delightful.

I really liked it very much indeed. - Yeah.

Chard is your nearest town really to do your shopping and stuff. - OK.

It's probably changed a lot.

That was more than 30 years ago.

- Richard, I know you are a surveyor by trade, so what is your expert...

- Quick, quick view is that someone's spent some money on it.

- Yeah. - Kept it in a good condition.

That roof looks like it's brand-new. - Yeah.

- Shall we have a look inside? - Mm. - Love to. - Come on. - Thank you.

- The cottage has been a much-loved second home for the owners,

who have maintained it to a high standard with recent improvements,

including new roof tiles, guttering and fasciae.

Come on in. - Thank you.

- An entrance hall leads into the sitting room.

And then come into the main living space.

- Oh. - Yeah, that's a good size.

- Delightful. - Yeah?

- As delightful inside as it is outside.

Yeah. And I love the beams.

- You've got nice storage here.

- Lovely. That's good. We always need that, don't we?

- Under-stair cupboard. - Mm-hm.

- You've got good proportions. You can fit two settees in here.

That's not a bad indication. It's... - No, it's cosy.

- Yeah. - It's cosy, and yet it's not, you know, it's not poky and dark.

- Exactly. Not dark, no.

- And you've got plenty of... - You've got plenty of height.

- Yeah. - I don't have to worry about that!

- So... - No, no, it's so lovely. So far, I like it very much indeed.

- Let's have a look at the kitchen. - It's got a lovely feel.

- And a really nice modern kitchen.

I can totally see Saadia here. - Absolutely.

I love the colour as well! - Yeah. - You know?

- A bit of maritime blue. - Oh, absolutely.

And it would just suit me because I actually am not a cook.

- Are you not? Oh, good! - So I just... - Believe me, she's not a cook!

- I just make salads!

So it's absolutely perfect.

I love it. I really, really love it.

- Well, there's more to love upstairs.

So you've got good storage here on the landing. - Right.

- And then two bedrooms. - Uh-huh.

- This is probably the one that's used as the main bedroom.

- Right. - Because it's got another big wardrobe. - Mm-hm.

- It goes up in the eaves. - Yeah, that's all right.

Great. I like that shape, actually. - Yeah?

- It reminds me of Heidi - up in the loft!

- And so you've got an en suite, which is actually a Jack and Jill,

so we can go through into the other bedroom, which is just next door.

You've got a shower and a bathtub. - Lovely.

I really like the fact that there's a separate shower. - Yeah.

And then, you know, when you have guests,

you can just divvy up the time in the bathroom. - Yes.

- Have a knocking system. And then this is the guest room.

- Right.

Mm-hm. - But it does have this lovely window seat.

- Yes. Lovely. - Looking into the garden.

- It's not a bad size at all, is it?

- I'd say it's a good size for a spare. - Yeah.

And actually, what I would do, would be - part of my art room

and part guest room as well.

- This house seems to seems to suit Saadia very well indeed

and I hope the outside will, too.

The enclosed south-facing garden has a small lawn

and a gravelled seating area.

- I like gardening, but I don't want to be a slave to a garden.

So I want something that's really easily maintained.

And... - This is easily maintained. - Absolutely.

And I can see a lot of my pots would fit along the gravel there.

And I love this here by the gate. - It's good.

- Yes. Roses around the gate.

- Yes!

- So let's come to the always thorny issue of money.

How much do you think this perfectly formed property

is on the market for?

- Well, because I want it to be within my budget,

I'm going to hazard a guess at £280,000.

- OK. - Richard?

This is where I get embarrassed

because I'll probably get this completely wrong.

I'll go a little bit higher.

I'll go with £285,000.

- Actually, you're both really close.

But actually, it's a tad higher.

It's actually on the market for just shy of £290,000.

- Mm. Interesting.

- This lovely end-of-terrace cottage has a cosy living room,

modern kitchen, two double bedrooms,

and a compact south-facing garden.

It's on the market for £289,995.

- I'm feeling so excited.

I'm so thrilled that you found this one

and I'm very, very impressed indeed because with the first house,

I feel I could actually move in and live here.

But what I would say, if I'm honest,

I'm disappointed that I couldn't walk to the sea from here.

But the house itself is absolutely delightful and charming,

and I would love to live here.

- She's realistic enough to realise

that living by the sea does come at a price

and she might have to consider some sort of compromise.

- Dorchester, the county town of Dorset,

lies just seven miles inland from the Jurassic Coast.

- I love those the old buildings here. - Yeah, I know.

It hasn't changed much in about 200 years, I would have thought.

- That's what's so lovely about it, isn't it?

- Since the Mayor of Casterbridge was walking around! - Yeah!

- It was once the home of author and poet Thomas Hardy,

who based his fictional town of Casterbridge on Dorchester.

Many of the buildings from Hardy's time still stand,

but today they house a more modern selection

of independent shops and businesses.

- It looks lovely and olde-worlde, doesn't it?

- It's got that old world feel, hasn't it? - Mm.

- The old Brewery Square has been redeveloped

into a luxury residential and retail quarter.

- I settled here with a small family, young family.

It's a really great place to bring up kids.

It's a really nice environment.

- And then I settled here because I wanted a slower pace of life

and a better work-life balance.

I love it here compared to London.

My morning walk with the dog is along the beach.

We've got amazing coastal paths and forests.

Yeah, it's brill.

- The Grade II listed Corn Exchange

plays host to live music, theatre and dance.

Plus, there's a great music scene.

- So the music scene in Dorchester is,

I think it's very vibrant

and quite varied.

There's lots of young, up-and-coming artists and bands coming through.

We put some gigs on here.

And of course, the joy of decks. - The joy of decks. - The joy of decks.

Once a month, we have an open deck session. Everybody's welcome.

You can just come along, have a good time, have a dance.

And we get such a diverse bunch of people and music played.

- Yeah. - It's a lot of fun.

So it feels a very welcoming, safe area, Dorset.

I brought...

Well, we both brought our children up, you know, around here.

And I've come out here

and the community has been so accepting and so wonderful.

- Marcia is not the only one

to experience Dorchester's warm embrace.

- I think it's the most amazing community ever, to be honest.

I've been here for seven years now

and it's just very warm,

very welcoming, very loving and caring and supportive.

So, yeah, it's an amazing community here in Dorchester.

- Inside Hamza's restaurant, Saadia and Richard

are meeting council community leader Jed Germodo,

who's a good contact for Saadia's ambition

to do some volunteering in the area.

- Well, at the moment, I work for the National Trust.

I volunteer for them and I really enjoy that.

So something similar to that would be great,

but I'm open to lots of other opportunities.

- There's plenty of charities and volunteering groups

that are looking for volunteers.

There's a few groups, whether you're into art,

you're into supporting local children's choirs or just sports.

- Oh, that's good to hear.

- There'll be a queue of people and local groups

that will be wanting you to join them.

- That sounds great, doesn't it?

- It's clear Sadia wants to find her place in a community.

Now it's back to the task of finding somewhere she can do that.

We're hopping over the border into South Somerset now,

headed for the market town of Chard.

If Saadia wants to ditch her car when she moves,

this town has everything on the doorstep,

including a library and a new leisure centre.

Buses to the Jurassic Coast take around an hour and 15 minutes.

Right in amongst it all sits our next option,

a single-storey semidetached house dating back to the 1930s.

Come and take a look at this.

- Right.

- This is an old bungalow that has been extensively remodelled.

- Right.

- So how do you feel about A, living in a market town,

and B, living in a bungalow?

- Well, the market town is fine.

Bungalow, I'm not so sure, actually, to be honest. - Really?

- I've never really just considered them. It's a new opportunity.

- Ah, they're coming right back in fashion bungalows. - Are they?

- Everybody wants to live on one level. - OK. - Yeah.

- Well, compared to the other one,

which was really olde-worlde prettiness,

this isn't quite the same thing, is it?

- It's a more 1930s bungalow pretty. - Yeah.

Right.

- Well, as I say, I think...

I think this is an indoors... - OK. - ..sort of event.

So let's go indoors. - Yeah. All right.

- I'm not unduly worried by Saadia's lukewarm response

because thanks to a top-to-toe transformation

by the present owners,

this is one seriously stylish house.

Come on in.

- Thank you.

- The porch is the size of most people's bedrooms! - Yes, absolutely.

- But take a look at the main event.

Woohoo! - Oh, wow.

Hey! - Oh!

- Oh! - This is a nice surprise.

- Ah, yeah. I told you.

- You did, indeed. - Who doesn't love a big kitchen?

- Yeah.

- No, I very much like the space that there is here. - Yeah.

- And the open-plan is great.

So certainly this makes a good impression. - Mm-hm.

Well, you're not short of rooms here. - Oh.

- So if you follow me, I'll give you a whistle-stop tour.

You can explore in more detail, but you've got a room here.

Could be a craft room.

It's now a dining room.

- Right. OK.

- An absolutely beautiful bathroom.

- Wow! - It's so nice. - Goodness me! - Like from a magazine.

This might be a good craft room

because it's nice and sunny. Got doors into the garden.

Here's an office. Could be a bedroom. - Goodness me!

- Yes, I told you!

And then, finally, here.

This is the bedroom.

- Wow. I'm so amazed.

- Yeah. - You just couldn't tell, could you, from the outside...

- You cannot tell, no. - ..how deep it goes back?

My goodness. Yeah. And this is a lovely size, too, isn't it?

- Yeah. Absolutely. Lovely storage.

- Mm! Yes. - Beautiful finish throughout.

- Absolutely.

Gosh.

- Those "goshes" and "oh, goodnesses" will only continue outside,

for that has been just as thoughtfully designed.

And beautifully done. - Absolutely! - Lovely...

- And it's got all these different areas as well. - Yep. Exactly.

Got a little swing seat. - Yes.

- You've got a water feature, lovely outside dining.

- Everything you could actually wish for. - This is great.

- Yes, I love that. - And then some outbuildings at the back.

- Oh, my goodness.

You're really challenging me.

- I know. You see?

Don't be down on bungalows.

- No, I won't any longer!

- So the missing part of the puzzle is the price.

- Oh, right. - Yes. - Yes.

- How much do you think this bungalow... - Right. - ..costs?

- Well, I actually think it's going to be more than my budget. - Mm-hm.

- So I would say...

I think £350,000.

- OK. And, Richard, what do you think?

- I'd like to think it's under budget at 295.

£295,000.

- Ah. Very good.

This is right on your budget.

This is on the market for £300,000.

- Wow. Really? My goodness. - So you could have it.

- Well, I think that's quite a bargain, actually. - I think so, too,

with all of this lovely space... - Because of all the space

and everything. And the way it's been done as well. - Yeah.

This 1930s semidetached bungalow delivers a sociable,

open-plan kitchen/living room, a separate dining room,

three bedrooms and a luxurious family bathroom,

along with a thoughtfully landscaped back garden.

It's on the market with a guide price of £300,000.

- And the beautiful bath and the separate shower,

which is really quite spacious.

- Very. - It's absolutely wonderful.

I love the bathroom. - Yeah.

- This would be the perfect work room.

I could have my sewing machine and everything there.

- And a workbench there. - Yeah.

- I like the fact you've got some lovely doors there. - I do.

- She's found that craft room, she's got the guest room,

and she seems to have the dream bathroom

that she didn't really think she needed,

but having seen it, she's fallen in love with it.

- The minute I stepped inside, my goodness me,

I was just blown away.

A, by the space, by the light,

by all the different rooms.

There's so much potential.

You could do so many things with it.

And the bathroom, well, the bathroom just exceeds my dreams.

- Having tantalised Saadia

with some beautiful homes further away from the coast,

we're squeezing in one more viewing back across the border

in the Dorset town of Lyme Regis, where we started our day.

Saadia has already expressed her love for this town,

which has all the day-to-day essentials covered

and also boasts a centuries-old harbour,

a golf course, a theatre, and numerous clubs and societies.

Most importantly for Saadia,

it puts her within walking distance of the sea.

On the edge of the town, in a quiet cul-de-sac,

we've uncovered this semidetached property.

So this is our Lyme Regis offering.

- Right. Thank you.

- So it's a 1980s property.

- Mm-hm. - We're about ten-minute walk from the seafront.

- Wow.

- So this is probably as close as you can get to the sea. - Mm-hm.

That is a very great draw.

- Let's go and have a look. - Yeah.

- The present owners, who've lived here for ten years,

tell us that if they weren't after more space for their growing family,

they'd never consider moving because they love it here.

Come on in. - Thank you.

- So it's a very simple layout.

You've got the...

DOOR SHUTS

..sitting room with the staircase going up. - Mm-hm.

- Not a bungalow. - No!

- And through into the kitchen in the back.

And then two bedrooms upstairs. - Right. OK.

Well, this is an all right space.

- A little bit dark.

- Yeah. But I certainly don't mind wielding a paintbrush

or hanging wallpaper or something like that, you know?

- But it's a question of whether you'd want to, you know,

do that and live closer to the sea.

- I know. It gives me a lot of food for thought.

- Shall we look in the kitchen? - Uh-huh.

- So the kitchen's a lot lighter.

- It certainly is. Yes.

- Yeah. - This is fine, size-wise, as well.

I'm not looking for lots and lots of space. - Yeah.

- So I think this would be...

..would be fine.

- Hmm. The question is whether FINE is good enough.

Upstairs, a family bathroom serves two double bedrooms.

- Oh, OK. - It's a good size.

- Yes. It's fine. It's...

The word I was looking for downstairs is functional, isn't it?

This will do.

- "This will do"? - It'll do. - OK. - Yeah.

I'm not looking for a mansion.

- No. Space-wise, because you are... You don't need much space.

- Not really. - But you could have space. - I could, yeah.

- You've seen what the space could be.

- Yes, absolutely. - It's whether you are tempted by it. - Yeah.

- Like the lovely kitchen and the lovely bath... - I know, I know, yes.

- Can you succumb to... - I don't know yet.

I've just got lots and lots to think about.

- Yeah. - So I don't want to make any decisions just yet. - Yeah.

- And you don't have to, Saadia.

And anyway, there's more to SEA in the second bedroom.

- The view... - Oh, yes!

I can actually see the sea. - ..out across.. - Yeah.

How lovely to look out at that every morning,

to see what the weather's doing. - Yeah.

- And how I want to... - And then go back to bed!

- And how I want to spend my day.

Yeah. No, that's lovely.

- To be near the sea or not near the sea,

that's the burning question.

- I just think I have a lot to think about, Alistair. - Yes.

- You know, because my dream was to live by the sea,

and this is only ten minutes away, so that's a big draw. - Yes.

- I can do things... - And you can see the sea. - Yeah.

And I can do things to the house to make it more attractive. - Of course.

- You know? So, erm...

But I don't know now.

Now that I've seen those other two properties,

I don't know if living by the sea is

actually the be-all and end-all for me. - Right. Yes.

- You know, maybe just coming down to it once a week

or twice a week or something would be enough.

- Yes, yes.

- So I really have to get my thinking cap on. - Mm.

So in terms of finances,

how much do you think this property will cost,

ten minutes from the sea?

- I think I would say something like £260,000.

- Mm-hm. - 260?

I'm thinking it's more than that.

290,000.

- OK.

- Well, in this instance...

..Saadia you're right. - Wahey! - Oh, my goodness!

I'm amazed. - It's on the market for £260,000.

- Oh, brilliant. - That's... - Well, I'm glad. I'm glad.

I'm glad I'm wrong!

- This 1980s semidetached property has a living room, a kitchen,

two double bedrooms and a paved rear garden.

Just a ten-minute walk from the seafront

in the highly sought-after town of Lyme Regis,

it has a guide price of £260,000.

It's good to show you another thing to boggle your brain.

- Absolutely. You're very good at doing that!

- So do you need any more time here? Or should we kind of peel off and...

- No, I think that's enough time, thank you. - Great.

Well, let's go and regroup and, you know,

maybe we can sift through some of the things from today.

- Yeah. OK. - Come with me. - Thank you.

- Since we're just a stone's throw from the shore,

that's exactly where we're heading

to wrap up what's been a rather thought-provoking day.

It feels like we've had a lot to digest today. - Absolutely.

- I just wondered whether you're thinking about

the fantasy of living all on your own,

or maybe the reality of wanting some community,

wanting want some support?

- I think probably the first reaction is to get away from everybody

and just be by myself.

And although I like my own company,

I am actually quite a sociable person.

- I can see. - So... - Yeah.

- You know, so I probably want some kind of balance.

That's why the town makes sense,

because there's transport there so I can get to places,

people can come to me easily.

- You say you don't want to drive,

but I do think that if you live in the countryside,

particularly if you're going to live in a little village... - Yeah.

- ..you're probably going to have to just grit your teeth

and drive down those little lanes.

The secret is, there's not many people driving on them.

- No. - No, the driving part really, really doesn't appeal.

It just makes me feel stressed.

- Right. - And I don't want to feel stressed any more. - No.

- So perhaps there's an answer there. - Yeah.

- SO I'm very grateful to the fact that you are widening

what I thought I would see

and really making me delve more deeply into myself

to really think about, analyse what is it I really, really want.

Is it really just to be by the sea?

Is there more that I need in my life

in order to be fulfilled and satisfied and content?

- Yeah. - You know? - These are exactly the questions

that, I think, under the bonnet,

everybody's thinking that when they move to the countryside

because that's kind of what it's about. - Mm-hm. Yeah.

- Well, we could get an ice cream,

but from bitter experience, I know that's not always the safest.

- You may not have the time to enjoy it! - So maybe we'll...

- It may be snatched from you.

- We'll enjoy the sea for a little while longer. - Yeah.

- Then we should get a good night's sleep

because we've got another day tomorrow. - Absolutely! Yes.

- You must be pooped. - And today...

Well, today's been a lovely, lovely day.

It's been tremendous.

- If you fancy a slice of Dorset or Devon's coastline

or countryside to call your own,

here's the lowdown on property prices in the region.

Whilst the average cost of a detached home in the UK

currently stands at

just over £429,000,

in Dorset, it's more than 515,000.

You'll get more for your money in neighbouring Devon,

but prices here are still well above the UK average

at just over £480,000.

Let's take a look at some other properties currently on the market.

This three-bed detached chalet bungalow

has a large kitchen-diner and two receptions,

including this one with doors out on to the decking and the garden below.

It's on the market for £580,000.

With a guide price upwards of £375,000,

this Grade II listed, three-bed thatched terrace cottage

has a sitting room, a contemporary kitchen-diner

and a large paved rear garden.

Yearning for a few nights away?

With a super king bed, comfy sofa and en suite shower,

this luxury yurt also has a large deck

from which you can soak up the countryside views.

Prices start from £145 per night for two people.

Sometimes it's not about escaping somewhere new,

but actually returning back to where you're from.

Which is why I'm off to meet Carina,

who, after a long journey abroad, living in Australia,

has come back to where her heart is, which is Dorset.

In 2012, Carina George was dragged, her words,

to a yoga class by a friend.

It turned out to be a life-changing event,

instilling a sense of peacefulness

more powerful than she'd ever felt before.

Carina now teaches yoga, and today,

here, on Boscombe Beach,

she's kindly agreed to put me through my paces.

- And as we inhale, stretch the right leg up, back up towards the sky.

Three-legged dog. Bend the left right leg, slacking the hip.

- The word yoga is derived from the Sanskrit for union,

in reference to the sense of balance between mind and body,

which yoga aims to achieve.

- If you want to just hang here holding the elbows,

just hang in ragdoll.

Let the body completely relax over the legs.

- I'm particularly interested in the therapeutic effects of yoga,

which studies have shown to be numerous.

Physical benefits include strength, endurance, and flexibility.

Clearly, I have some way to go on that front.

Whilst the rewards for our mental wellbeing include reducing stress

and enhancing positive mind states.

- We bend the legs. We step it through to seated.

Crossed ankles, coming all the way down.

- You did that much more elegantly than me! Thank you so much.

- Pleasure.

- Oh, it's so nice practising on the beach, Carina.

- It's beautiful, isn't it? Yeah. - Do you teach on the beach?

- I teach one-to-ones on the beach. A lot of one-to-ones.

- So my husband teaches yoga.

I'm more interested in the mind stuff, so the meditation stuff.

- Yeah, absolutely. - But obviously they're so interlinked.

Do you bring elements of the mental meditative stuff into your practise?

- I teach both meditation yoga, breathwork,

but with the more restorative practices

is where I kind of fell in love with it

when I had quite a serious diagnosis of cancer.

I had to kind of go into the more...

Get more of an understanding of the mental,

the meditation side of it.

And that's when I could only arrive on my mat

and all I could do was just breathe and just be in stillness.

And that's all I could physically do at the time.

And that's where my journey kind of changed dramatically.

- So how long were you battling cancer? Are you OK now?

- Yeah, yeah. So I'm in remission now.

So it was seven years ago.

It was stage two cervical cancer.

And I had the chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

And, for me, it was more about, "How can I help with this?"

It was just getting on the mat

and just going into that space of meditation that helped me.

It just completely changed everything.

I think sometimes as well we think,

or we're programmed to think yoga is these fancy postures

that we have, when actually, it's really not.

It's a way of life. It's actually...

The simplicity of yoga is, you know, bring it back just to the breath,

just to arrive on your mat

and just maybe stay there for five minutes and breathe.

That's your yoga practise for the day.

- So there you have it.

Yoga needn't be about being super stretchy.

Simply paying attention to the breath

can make a make a lasting change to your day.

What became very clear during our adventures in Lyme Regis

yesterday afternoon is that the sea is really important for Saadia.

Perhaps more so than character or being out in the countryside.

So I've left Saadia and Richard on the beach here at Beer,

another super gorgeous beach,

because our Mystery House is not a million miles away.

And I think it's a great candidate

for combining a little bit of character, a lot of sea,

and a little twist.

We found it in Devon on the edge of the seaside town of Seaton

and within walking distance of neighbouring Beer,

a gem of a village that I think Saadia will love.

For starters, there's the beach,

one of the few along this stretch of coastline

where fishing boats are launched directly from the shore.

The high street is lined with characterful buildings

which house several watering holes,

plus shops that provide all the daily essentials

and cater to the needs of day trippers.

But beware of local opportunists

and keep your chips and ice cream close, folks.

Home buyers pay premium prices to live in Beer,

with the average cost of a house currently more than £500,000.

So how have we managed to secure something for Saadia?

Clue?

It's not a house.

As you can imagine, finding a cottage or property

here in this part of Devon and Dorset near the beach

is quite a big ask.

However, finding Saadia an apartment in a converted hotel?

That we can do.

Aha!

This elegant apartment puts Saadia within a 15-minute walk

of Beer beach and village

and an easy half hour stroll to the centre of Seaton.

Come join me. So obviously it's not the whole house! - No!

Well, actually, Alistair, I wouldn't want the whole house. - Yeah, quite.

It's one of these apartments up

with the big bay windows looking out over the sea. - Uh-huh.

Oh, fantastic. That sounds wonderful.

- Well, we haven't really talked about apartments.

- No. - How do you feel about apartment living?

- Well, it would have been my choice B, actually. - Right.

- But it's worth considering.

- How many choices are there?

- It goes down to C! - OK. - You're OK.

- So it's the middle choice.

- Or there might even be D - a caravan. - Fine, OK.

So not top choice, but not bottom choice. - That's right.

- I just love the location and the fact it's set in like a,

to me it's like this hidden valley.

- Yeah. - It's sort of tucked away.

- Exactly. - Oh, exciting.

- Do you want to look inside? - Let's go. - Yeah, absolutely.

- Come on. - Thank you.

- The apartment has been used by the present owners

as their holiday home for the past ten years.

Come on in.

- Thank you.

- So we'll look at all these rooms later on

because I want to take you to the main event.

- All right. - Oh, this is a great space.

What do you think about this?

- Oh, my goodness!

- You want light, you get light.

- Oh, I absolutely love this.

- Really? - I do, yes.

- Take a step forward and look at the view.

- Oh!

Oh, my goodness me!

I shall never want to leave it!

- So that view is... - Yeah.

- That's actually the end of Seaton Beach.

- That's Seaton? - Yeah. - It's a big room. One room.

- Yes. - But it's got that sort of spatial feel that's like... - Yes.

- You can dine. - Yeah.

- Breakfast, look out the window, get that light.

- And not move! - Not move for a while.

- And not move for the whole day, yeah.

It is a treat.

Next door, the kitchen has been recently refitted.

Do you think you'd manage in this? - Absolutely.

It's fine, because, as you know, I don't cook very much.

So it's enough just to boil the kettle and make a salad. - Yeah.

- Which is all I do, really.

- This does everything you need. - Absolutely.

- A newly spruced up shower room serves the two double bedrooms.

This is the main bedroom. - Uh-huh. OK.

It would serve my needs and it's fine.

Yeah. - Enough storage? Do you have lots of clothes?

- I do have lots of clothes.

- You might need another wardrobe, then!

A slightly bigger wardrobe.

- I could have one along that wall. - You could have one fitted, yeah.

- Yeah. And that would be enough.

- And then there's a bedroom, which could be your workroom.

- Lovely. - It's good. It's a good size. - Yeah!

- I think it's OK. It's the decorations.

- Yes. - Nice and neutral.

- So this is the...

Oh, they're still chatting. That's a good sign.

That means they're thinking it through, which is excellent news.

Ah, yes. Come on in. - Oh, wow.

This is quite a good size, isn't it? - Yeah.

I think this would make a lovely workroom. - Yeah. It certainly would.

- It would make an excellent workroom.

- I'd have my sewing machine under the window. - Yeah.

- You know, I won't feel, hemmed in or anything.

- No. - So that's fine.

- You're so easy to please when it comes to space.

- Yeah, because I live in a very big house now...

- And it's too big. - It's too big for me, yeah.

- Saadia's downsizing requirements are perfectly met

in the beautiful communal landscaped gardens.

Looked after by a gardener,

Saadia can enjoy them without lifting a finger.

Gardening services and all other running costs

are covered by the annual service charge of £2,500.

What are your thoughts about the actual asking price?

- Well, I think it's absolutely lovely.

I would go for something like £280,000.

- OK. Richard? - I'll go a bit higher.

I'll say 285,000.

- Well, in this instance, you're both heading the wrong direction

because this is actually on the market for £50 short of £260,000.

- Oh! - Oh, OK, that's even better, I would say.

- That's even better.

This elegant Victorian apartment

has a light-filled living room with sea views,

a recently refitted kitchen and shower room,

as well as two double bedrooms.

Sitting in communal landscaped grounds,

within walking distance of the beach,

it's on the market for £259,950.

- I'm absolutely thrilled that he showed me this because I love it.

It's just the perfect setting.

And there's this beautiful view from this room as well.

And it's spacious enough for me.

- This place is giving her a bit of a buzz.

It's so warm. It's so naturally beautiful and peaceful.

It's what I really want for her.

- This house tour seems to completely rotate around the sea.

We've tried to go inland, see a few properties with trees and hills,

but Saadia seems to be drawn back to the coast.

So we're going to end the day where we began it, on Beer beach,

and find out what they're thinking.

Hey. - Hi, hello.

- How's it going back at Beer Beach?

- Yes. It's a lovely place to be.

- How are you feeling about the whole week?

- Oh, my goodness, it's been amazing. It really has.

It's been a whirlwind. - Yeah. - A good whirlwind.

And you've shown me some amazing places, really,

that I don't think I would have seen had I been looking myself.

I'm torn between two, I must say.

I loved the first one because that was so, you know,

so beautifully English with roses around the door.

And it was olde-worlde and quiet.

But it felt more cut off than the mystery one, really.

And of course, this last one you showed me, the Mystery House,

was a fantastic location with those beautiful walks

and the shop not far away, and practical as well as beautiful.

- And, Richard, watching from the wings,

what have you noticed has come into focus in Saadia's house-hunt?

- Very subtle changes in her...

In her attitude.

I mean, what trumps it is the location, I think.

So that Mystery House really seemed to do the business.

- Yeah. - Yeah. And it's quiet and peaceful as well. - Oh, really?

- It's away from the hubbub. - Yeah.

And yet... - And yet I can get there, should I want it.

- ..ten minutes to the beach, yeah. - Absolutely, yes.

- Which is very special. - Yeah.

- And so what happens next? Where are you in terms of your...

Because your house hasn't sold yet.

- No, unfortunately.

But I hope soon.

I'd want to look in more detail,

ring up the agent for the Mystery House.

- Wow. - It's worth investigating.

So that's my plan of action.

That's what I'm going to do with the Mystery House.

But I'm going to sleep on it first.

- Right. Yes, of course, because this is a very momentous move for you.

You know, you will be leaving your husband's house, that was his house,

and then this would be your first home on your own.

So you want to get it right. - Absolutely.

- I'm so pleased. Do keep us in the loop, whatever happens.

- Yes, indeed, I will.

- And, yeah, we come here quite often, so we can come and visit for tea.

- You'd be very welcome, I assure you.

- What a lovely person Saadia is.

And what an interesting challenge for us,

because very often, we're looking for houses in the countryside

for people who want big gardens, big rooms, big houses.

And actually, Saadia's requests were quite modest.

But the meaning of her move was really massive

because it's a very important change in her life

and she needs to focus in on what's significant,

what's going to uplift her soul, what's going to be meaningful -

to be near the sea, to have peace and quiet,

but not too isolated.

So I really hope she finds the perfect solution to her problem

and I hope that you join us next time for more Escape To The Country.

If you would like to escape to the country in England,

Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales and need our help,

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