An Escape to the Country duo were initially lost for words during their tour of the mystery house, but they left host Nicki Chapman astounded with an unexpected change of heart.
In the episode aired on Thursday (January 2nd), Nicki Chapman was eager to assist Andy, a golf sponsorship professional, and Jo, a tech entrepreneur, in their quest to exchange their London apartment for a more spacious abode in the East Midlands.
Jo’s lifelong aspiration to live in the countryside was no secret, as Andy disclosed: “It certainly was very early into our relationship when Jo revealed she wanted to move.”
He added, “In fact it was probably about eight minutes into our first date, it was a topic of conversation that she is a country girl at heart and that is where her future lay.”
The couple, who connected through a dating app, had a generous budget of £750,000 to find a detached 3/4 bedroom property brimming with character. Their wishlist included a large kitchen-diner or two sizeable separate rooms, alongside dual workspaces, reports .
Nicki was on hand to help young couple Andy and Jo find their dream home (Image: BBC)
A substantial garden or plot of land was also on their list, with a preference for convenient road and rail connections to London. Nicki pulled out all the stops, lining up several properties for viewing. Initially, it seemed she may have misjudged with the mystery house as the couple’s reaction was lukewarm.
However, the TV presenter urged them to keep an open mind, saying: “What I’m going to say with this is, never judge a book by its cover because it has quite a strong look from the outside but when you go in I think it’s a completely different home.”
Upon entering the stunning Lincolnshire home, Jo was left speechless, exclaiming: “Oh wow, this is unexpected. Oh my word.” Andy was equally enamoured, remarking: “This looks like a holiday villa. It’s incredible and it’s a lot to take in.”
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Escape to the Country couple Jo and Andy (Image: BBC)
The luxurious riverside property in Long Bennington boasted an expansive kitchen-diner with that ‘wow’ factor, two spacious home offices, five well-appointed bedrooms, and an expansive garden adjacent to the river, all priced at £750,000 and conveniently located just 15 minutes from the nearest station.
But despite their initial response to the house, the couple eventually had second thoughts, opting not to proceed with the purchase.
Reflecting on this decision, Andy acknowledged: “Looking at the property, we obviously noticed it had a real modern aesthetic. I think for us personally we’re looking for a few more kinds of character features in a property, maybe a bit more of a countryside feel so that’s potentially why it doesn’t quite work for us.”
Escape to the Country airs weekdays from 3pm on One and iPlayer