Escape to the Country couple 'excited' over 'special' home under £1m budget

returned to our screens on Monday (May 12), with host Nicki Chapman guiding a couple through their Sussex property hunt.

BBC audiences met Andy, a flight attendant, and Michael, a semi-retired psychologist, who were looking to buy their first shared home.

The pair had been dividing their time between residences in Surrey and Rochester, but decided it was time to consolidate into one home. They selected Sussex for its proximity to friends and the "simple life" they yearned for.

With a £1 million budget at their disposal, Michael and Andy sought a detached house with a minimum of four bedrooms, a spacious garden, privacy, and within an hour's drive of Gatwick Airport.

Nicki's first property suggestion was located in Shortgate village. This 19th-century dwelling had been expanded and updated, even boasting solar panels, reports .

Priced at £995,000, the property offered five bedrooms and 3.5 acres of land. The house left Michael and Andy awestruck, declaring it "perfect" and "exactly" what they had in mind.

For the second viewing, Nicki introduced them to a 1960s chalet bungalow in Hellingly, listed for £885,000. This home provided four bedrooms, a generous kitchen, an acre of land, and ample scope for renovations.

Michael and Andy expressed enthusiasm for the second property, though they were clear that extensive renovations would be in order if they chose it.

The final home on their tour was a mid-20th century gem located in Rottingdean, listed at £1 million. The house offered modern decor, four bedrooms and breathtaking coastal views.

Despite acknowledging several "positives" about this property, it didn't quite capture Michael and Andy's hearts like the first two had.

Nicki later checked in with the pair to see how their property hunt had fared, and was thrilled when they disclosed plans to bid on the second property.

"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 express gratitude to Nicki for her help in their property search, dubbing the home a "special place" they wouldn't have discovered without the Escape to the Country team.

Escape to the Country airs on weekdays on BBC One at 3pm