Surrey-based dog trainer Ellen and her mechanic husband James are keen to pack up their current home, their two young children and all their pets and potter down the M4 to west Wales to start a new life in the country.
With the added benefit of James' family already nestled within the Carmarthenshire countryside, it seems the perfect place to find more rural peace. But Ellen's mum Val, who currently lives only 15 minutes away, is not a happy bunny at the thought of being over 200 miles away, so the first card she plays on the latest Wales-focused episode of Escape to the Country is the guilt one.
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Val tells Ellen before they've even crossed the border: "It's going to be a big wrench for all of us, you know it will, but obviously it's what you want so you make a go of it."
Ellen explains the reason for the move, saying: "Every time we go to Wales we just feel so relaxed and have a lovely, nice time while we're there in all the countryside and with the kids, just in nature and going to the beach for long walks with the dogs."
Val counters by playing the employment card: "But don't forget when you're on holiday, you're relaxed anyway, and calmer and happier, and you do have to get jobs when you're there."
Ellen might have been better off taking the dogs with her for support and leaving Val at the border on this Escape to the Country property hunt, and presenter Jules Hudson picks up on the lack of enthusiasm from Val too, even before meeting the mother and daughter duo.
He says: "I am a little bit concerned about Val, I think this is a massive emotional leap for her, to see Ellen leave where she's grown up and travel some 200 odd miles to the west of Wales. But I'm sure, like every parent, she just wants her daughter to be happy and I think there's no doubt they will be."
Ellen and James have £500,000 to spend to find their dream Welsh home that needs to be within an hour's drive of his family, have four bedrooms, an open-plan spacious kitchen, large lounge, big garden and land for Ellen's dog training business.
Now in Wales, Val is trying to look on the bright side, saying the time they spend together when she and her husband visit Ellen and the family at their new home will be a block of quality time rather than a snatched hour here and there, as it is now, but she will really miss her daughter. We're starting to feel gutted for Val.
The first house is a recently built three-storey, four bedroom modern home in the village of Cynwyl Elfed and both women seem to really like it, but with Ellen needing to rent land nearby due to the small garden that could be a deal breaker for her. Val on the other hand is very chirpy.
She gushes: "I love it! It's lovely isn't it? I love it". The surprise enthusiasm from Val has Ellen asking her if she wants to buy the property - as Jules then says, you could do a lot worse. It seems Wales and its properties are starting to work their magic on Val, especially when she learns the price is just £475,000 - much cheaper than Surrey - could Val soon be packing her bags too?
Off to property number two and it's Ellen's turn to be enchanted by a converted stables near the village of Llanedi. It comes with two acres of land and open-plan living, under-floor heating, a ground source heat pump, plus a substantial living room and four bedrooms.
Ellen thinks it is absolutely perfect, just what she had in her mind as the dream home in the country. Val thinks it is stunning too but can't help herself. Finding a negative she says: "I think James is going to look outside and say 'that's a lot of work'."
Too late Val, your daughter has fallen for it, especially as it is bang on budget at £500k. Ellen tells Jules: "You've done it, that's it, done - I'll let James know I've bought a house!"
Property three does not hit the mark, despite its glorious view over the water near Pembroke, and Ellen has already had a long evening chat with James about house number two, sharing the online details and discussing the future.
She says: "House number two I absolutely loved, it seemed to have everything we were looking for - I've already arranged for a second viewing, me and James will hopefully see it in the next couple of days. I think he will really like it."
And looking at the houses sold section of property portal OnTheMarket, someone definitely liked the converted stables near Llanedi, as it was sold in the summer of 2022 - maybe it was Ellen and James. Or maybe, seeing as Val has fallen in love with Wales too, it might even have been her.
This story was episode 32 of series 23 of Escape to the Country, currently still available to view on BBC iPlayer.
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