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

Wales Online

12-05-2025

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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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"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