logo
Escape to the Country buyers thrilled as they find dream home well under £1m budget

Escape to the Country buyers thrilled as they find dream home well under £1m budget

Wales Online12-05-2025
Escape to the Country buyers thrilled as they find dream home well under £1m budget
Nicki Chapman helped a couple look for their first home together in Sussex on Escape to the Country.
BBC's Escape to the Country returned on Monday (12 May), with presenter Nicki Chapman guiding a couple, Andy and Michael, in their quest for a dream home in Sussex.
The pair, a flight attendant and a semi-retired psychologist, had been dividing their time between two homes in Surrey and Rochester but sought a shared residence that embodied the "simple life" in a location close to their friends.

With a budget of £1 million, they hunted for a detached house featuring a minimum of four bedrooms, a spacious garden, and seclusion within an hour's travel from Gatwick Airport.

The first property shown by Nicki, in Shortgate village, was a 19th-century home revamped with modern extensions, including solar panels.
Nicki Chapman showed the pair a number of properties in Sussex
(Image: BBC )
Listed at £995,000, it offered five bedrooms and 3.5 acres of land, leaving Michael and Andy impressed, describing it as "perfect" and exactly their ideal.
Article continues below
Next, Nicki directed them to a 1960s chalet bungalow in Hellingly, priced at £885,000. This property included four bedrooms, a large kitchen, and an acre of land, with ample opportunities for renovation, reports Sussex Live.
Michael and Andy expressed enthusiasm for the second property, making it clear that they would undertake extensive renovations if they chose to purchase it.
The third and final property was located in Rottingdean, with a price tag of £1 million. This mid-20th century house featured modern decor, four bedrooms and stunning coastal views.

Despite noting several "positives" about the property, it didn't seem to captivate Michael and Andy as much as the first two homes did.
Michael and Andy on Escape to the Country
Nicki later checked in with the couple to see how their property hunt had gone, and was "delighted" when they revealed plans to make an offer on the second property.
Article continues below
"Well, we had a talk in the car park here and we're going to put an offer in on number two," Michael informed Nicki. "Because, Andy was so excited about it!"
He proceeded to thank Nicki for her help in their property search, before describing the home as a "special place" they wouldn't have discovered without the Escape to the Country team's assistance.
Escape to the Country airs on weekdays on BBC One at 3pm
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Bring Her Back star has an insanely famous grandad and fans are only just realising
Bring Her Back star has an insanely famous grandad and fans are only just realising

Daily Mirror

time3 minutes ago

  • Daily Mirror

Bring Her Back star has an insanely famous grandad and fans are only just realising

We'd love to be a fly on the wall at their family get togethers The Philippou brothers' highly-anticipated horror film Bring Her Back is out in the UK tomorrow (July 26), two years on from their critically-acclaimed cinematic debut, Talk To Me. ‌ Bring Her Back tells the story of two siblings, Piper and Andy, who are fostered following the untimely death of their father. However, their new caregiver Laura (Sally Hawkins) is still grieving the loss of her own daughter, and acts in increasingly odd ways after their arrival at her home. ‌ Among the cast are rising Australian stars Jonah Wren Phillips (Sweet Tooth) and Sora Wong, alongside British actor Billy Barratt. ‌ Billy, who plays Andy in the film, may already look familiar to some due to his long list of acting credits which includes appearances in Kraven the Hunter, Sharknado 5 and Invasion. He became the youngest actor ever to win an International Emmy Award for Best Actor when he was just 13 thanks to his role in BBC drama, Responsible Child. However, what fans may not know is that Billy has an insanely famous grandad. The star is related to Welsh music icon Shakin' Stevens (real name Michael Barratt). The music legend's hits include Merry Christmas Everyone, Because I Love You and Give Me Your Heart Tonight. ‌ He isn't the only famous family member either. Billy's dad is a sought-after mix engineer called Dean James Barratt who has worked across film and TV and with some big music acts too, including Jess Glynne and Craig David. Shaky, as he is known by fans, is Dean's dad. Meanwhile Billy's mum is also a famous face. Carolyn Owlett is a model, TV and radio host and singer in The 411. She also takes on the role of manager for Billy. ‌ Ahead of Bring Her Back's UK release, Billy shared how he got into the mindset for his character Andy. In an interview with Deadline, he revealed: "There were moments where Danny [Philippou] would basically lock me in a room by myself, and he goes, 'Just try and get in character.' "He shut the door, I'm not allowed to leave. I ended up just sitting there with no phone, no nothing — which is great, by the way. I just sat there for ages, and then when I came back outside of that door, back into the scene … you just feel like you are there are in it." He admitted that the technique had actually developed him as an actor, adding: "Seeing the effect it had actually helped me so much, not just in the script but in future projects as well. So thank you, Danny." Bring Her Back releases in UK cinemas July 26

Gavin And Stacey legend to join Doctor Who star and huge other celeb guests on BBC Radio 2 next week
Gavin And Stacey legend to join Doctor Who star and huge other celeb guests on BBC Radio 2 next week

Daily Mail​

time3 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

Gavin And Stacey legend to join Doctor Who star and huge other celeb guests on BBC Radio 2 next week

Gavin And Stacey's Alison Steadman is set to join a host of other star-studded guests for a special week on BBC Radio 2 next week. To kick off the summer holidays, listeners can expect to hear from plenty of famous voices across Radio 2 and Radio 6. Alison, 78, will join her Gavin And Stacey co-star Rob Brydon Wednesday morning to host Radio 2's flagship show. She'll begin her morning joining Scott Mills Breakfast Show with Here We Go co-star Jim Howick. Doctor Who star Billie Piper will be joining her co-star Joanna Lumley on Wednesday's Craig Charles' 6 Music show. Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard, 22, will be appearing on the same show on Monday. The 22-year-old actor, who also performs in band The Aubreys, will appear in the final series of Netflix 's Stranger Things in November. Last month, Scott Mills was forced to issue a live apology after holding a full-blown 'funeral service' for Call The Midwife on his Radio 2 show. The Radio 2 presenter, 51, devoted an entire segment of his Breakfast Show to reports claiming the BBC series would come to an end after its fifteenth season next year. Treating the news with dramatic flair, Scott played sombre funeral-style music and even opened a phone line for devastated fans to call in and share their heartbreak. However things got awkward after he was told only moments later that the beloved drama hadn't been axed after all. Opening the segment, he declared: 'This morning, we woke up to the news that the show that never ends is indeed ending. I am sorry if this is how you are finding out.' As he confirmed the series in question was Call the Midwife, he added: 'It is ending, the fifteenth series will be the last one. 'We opened our phone lines to offer you support in these times because we've all laughed and cried and gasped at some of the births. Lots of you have been messaging in and using the helpline.' Listeners flooded the show with emotional voice notes, reminiscing about the programme's most memorable moments. One even expressed hope the series might return, to which Scott firmly replied: 'No it won't.' But just ten minutes later, Scott was forced to backtrack dramatically after being handed a statement from BBC bosses live on air. Sounding sheepish, he said: 'Good Morning, I may have done a bad thing here so I'm going to read this prepared statement from the BBC which I've just received.' He then read word-for-word a response from the BBC, which said: 'The BBC would like to reassure fans that Call The Midwife will remain at the heart of the BBC for years to come. 'As previously announced, there are two Christmas specials, a new series, a film and prequel series, before a sixteenth series in due course. Call the Midwife isn't going anywhere!'

Bafta-nominated actor Micheal Ward charged with rape and sexual assault
Bafta-nominated actor Micheal Ward charged with rape and sexual assault

North Wales Chronicle

timean hour ago

  • North Wales Chronicle

Bafta-nominated actor Micheal Ward charged with rape and sexual assault

The 27-year-old, who has starred in Blue Story and Top Boy, said 'I deny the charges against me entirely' and said he had co-operated with police fully throughout their investigation. Ward is accused of offences against one woman in January 2023, the Metropolitan Police said. The force said he is charged with two counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault. Ward, of Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, will appear at Thames Magistrates' Court on August 28, the Crown Prosecution Service said. In a statement issued after the charges were announced, Ward said: 'I deny the charges against me entirely. 'I have co-operated fully with the police throughout their investigation and will continue to co-operate. 'I recognise that proceedings are now ongoing, and I have full faith that they will lead to my name being cleared. 'Given those proceedings, I am unable to comment further.' Following the charges, Detective Superintendent Scott Ware said: 'Our specialist officers continue to support the woman who has come forward – we know investigations of this nature can have significant impact on those who make reports.' The Jamaican-born actor was awarded the Bafta Rising Star honour in 2020 and was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor Bafta for his role in BBC's Small Axe in 2021 and the 2022 film Empire Of Light. Ward, who has 1.2 million followers on Instagram, played in the Soccer Aid match at Stamford Bridge last year and gave a reading at the Christmas Eve carol service hosted by the Princess of Wales in 2023. He is due to star in the American film Eddington alongside Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal, which is due to be released in the UK next month.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store