Escape to the Country host in show first as homeowners make 'most extreme move ever'
An Escape To The Country host has completed a show first.
The BBC series was back for a new episode today (Wednesday, December 11), presented by Jules Hudson, who revealed he was doing something he has never done before. At the top of the show, Jules explained to viewers about the new challenge.
Opening the show today, he said: "Today, we're in Caithness in Scotland's magnificent Highlands. A land of glistening Lochs and vast wilderness. This vast scenery is a part of everyday life to those who call it home.
"I have never been this far north in the UK; this is a part of Scotland I've never seen before and I cannot wait to see what it has to offer and let's be honest, when you look around, it's simple to see why it's so tantalising."
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He added: "There is no one here, if you're thinking about splendid isolation, this has got it. So let's now meet today's buyers who are hoping to make their very own Scottish escape. When I say escape, think of that in bold and underlined twice, because quite frankly, short of buying their own island, they are undertaking one of the most extreme escapes I've ever seen."
Couple Sam and James were looking to move up north from their current home in Bromyard, Herefordshire.
Sam revealed: "I absolutely love Scotland. I love the vastness of it. I love the ruggedness of it," as James added: "We want to be more self-sufficient, more friendly to the environment, and so the kids have more space to play and enjoy life."
James works in Bristol for six days a week, whilst Sam is busy working the weekends at the rugby club, meaning they don't get to spend as much time with their kids. Their plan was to move to Scotland to rear their own livestock.
The pair had £270,000 to spend and were looking for a detached property with three bedrooms. They wanted a nice kitchen diner as well as some great outdoor space, but still wanted to be no more than a 30 minute drive to school.
James and Sam viewed multiple properties, but it was the mystery house that captured their attention. It was in Occumster in Caithness and was looking for offers over £215,000. The detached bungalow boasted a lovely open plan kitchen diner with three bedrooms and panoramic views across the countryside. With two acres of land, it had everything they needed.
At the end of the show, it was revealed that they had planned to put an offer in on the house after seeing the housing report.
Escape To The Country airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.