Escape to the Country buyers reject properties as they make huge discovery
Escape to the Country saw host Sonali Shah help buyers Marcus and Nicola, who were looking to relocate to the countryside
Escape to the Country: Property hunters make realisation
Escape to the Country graced our screens once more with a fresh episode on Tuesday (29 April), featuring Sonali Shah as she journeyed to North Yorkshire to assist a couple in their quest for a new home.
Marcus and Nicola, looking to leave Halifax behind for a rural retreat after their two eldest children had flown the nest, were the focus of this search.
With £850,000 at their disposal, the couple was looking for a property with three bedrooms, an office space, a minimum of half an acre of land, and the possibility of setting up a holiday let venture.
Sonali had a trio of potential dwellings lined up for Nicola and Marcus, who planned to make the move with their 10-year-old son, Mason.
Marcus and Nicola on Escape to the Country
(Image: BBC )
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The first option was a standalone contemporary house in Middleton Tyas, priced at £810,000. This property featured three reception areas, four bedrooms, half an acre of land, and the capacity for a holiday let enterprise, reports Yorkshire Live.
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Initially, the couple was taken aback by the "grand" aspects of the house, but Nicola's enthusiasm waned when they considered the maintenance the numerous rooms would require, confessing her "heart sank" at the thought.
Following that was a visit to an 18th-century farmhouse in Seamer, which came with a bonus: an already thriving BandB operation in the form of a two-bedroom holiday cottage. Positioned near the seaside and encompassed by six acres of land, this property was listed at £700,000.
This second home met many of Nicola and Marcus's criteria, prompting them to start brainstorming renovation ideas and evaluating its business prospects.
The third and final property showcased was in Harwood Dale, boasting a price tag of £795,000. This 16th-century gem offered a two-bedroom main house complemented by two separate one-bedroom holiday cottages, all set within a sprawling 10-acre estate.
Sonali Shah on Escape to the Country
Sonali reached out to Marcus and Nicola later on to see if they had put forward any offers and to hear their impressions of the three properties they were shown.
Nicola confessed she was having second thoughts about rural living, especially considering the impact on their son, Mason, who might be cut off from his mates.
"I think I've learned that it's not in the Moors I need, it's near to the Moors. I don't want Mason to be isolated, I think I'm happy with that, but I just don't want to take his friendship groups away," she shared candidly.
The couple disclosed to Sonali that they had ruled out the first and third properties, leaving only the second as a potential fit for their family's requirements.
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Although they planned a follow-up viewing, Sonali disclosed in the episode's conclusion that Marcus and Nicola had ultimately discovered their ideal four-bedroom family home, separate from their journey on Escape to the Country.
Escape to the Country airs on weekdays on BBC One at 3pm
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