Escape to the Country couple with £1.5million budget have a tough task finding a new home in the Peak District

An ex-pat couple with a £1.5m budget failed to find their dream home in the Peak District.
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The couple, Mike and Carol, were featured on this week’s BBC house-hunting programme Escape to the Country where they were looking to swap the flatlands of the Netherlands for the rolling hills of England’s first National Park.

Mike and Carol, who have lived abroad for 30 years, wanted to move to the Peak District to be closer to their family.

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They were looking for a home that was near a golf course, could accommodate their frail mums, who are in their 90s, had a large kitchen and separate dining room and three or four bedrooms.

House-hunters Mike and Carol with Escape to the Country presenter Jules Hudson (photo: BBC)House-hunters Mike and Carol with Escape to the Country presenter Jules Hudson (photo: BBC)
House-hunters Mike and Carol with Escape to the Country presenter Jules Hudson (photo: BBC)

Their search took them firstly to a five-bedroom 18th century stone-built property with 15 acres of garden in Kettleshulme, Cheshire, which was within 15 minutes of three golf courses.

The next property they viewed was a 1970s lakeside house in Marple Bridge which had been remodelled with an open-plan layout and was on the market for £1.3million.

Lastly, they visited the ‘mystery house’ whch was a four-bedroom converted farmhouse with detached studio/office in Wheston, a mile away from Tideswell, which had a price tag of £895,00.

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None of the properties swayed Mike and Carol into a definite ‘yes’ but they did say that they would give the Kettleshulme house a second look.

The couple's favourite was this 18th century house at Kettleshulme which was at the top of their budget.The couple's favourite was this 18th century house at Kettleshulme which was at the top of their budget.
The couple's favourite was this 18th century house at Kettleshulme which was at the top of their budget.

Programme presenter Jules Hudson commented: “It’s the biggest budget I’ve ever had to play with on this show.”

During the programme the couple, whose new home would have to accommodate their collection of 800 bottles of wine, visited Renishaw Hall where they sampled the wine produced there.

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