All language subtitles for Country.House.Hunters.New.Zealand.S02E05.720p.TVNZ.WEB-DL.AAC2.0.H.264-BTN

- I'm on a hunt to help find everyday
Kiwis their perfect country house.

Things are a little different
out here in the country.

You still have the hustle and bustle.

Your neighbours can sometimes be
a bit noisy.

Time moves a little slower.

But you don't get this

in the city.

Captions were made
with the support of NZ On Air.

www.able.co.nz
Copyright Able 2023

Today we're house hunting with
two dog-loving best mates,
Gail and Mandy.

These two have been friends
for years,

bonding over their shared passion
of breeding man's best friend.

Now Gail is looking for a new pad to
start the next chapter of her life,

alongside her three beloved dogs.

Hopefully this is a walk
in the park.

Today, we're in Levin with Gail and
Mandy, two dog-loving best friends,

who are on the hunt to find
a new home for Gail and
her three canine companions.

And that nice studio.

As we said, it could be an office,
a spare bedroom or even
a little room for the dogs.

Who knows? Whatever you like.

We've got three homes to explore,
and they all offer something unique.

I mean, in terms of entertainment,

it doesn't get better than this,
does it?
- Mm. No.

Plus, I get to indulge my sweet tooth
with some tasty homemade treats.

So let's get moving and see if we
can find Gail and her four-legged
friends something to call their own.

- Yeah. Exceeds our expectations.
It's just amazing.

I've known Mandy
for more than 40 years
through our shared love of dogs.

We probably lost touch maybe ten
years ago, but then we reconnected.

One day I was down walking my dogs
at Peka Peka Beach,

and who should I come across
walking a Labrador, but Mandy?
- Yeah.

- It's been really nice
catching up again...
- It has, yeah.

- ...and solving all the problems of
the world now that we're quite wise.

So, my husband Lionel and I have
always lived on lifestyle blocks.

Unfortunately...

he became ill last year
and was diagnosed
with motor neurone disease,

and he passed away quite quickly,
within six months.

But I'd still like to honour
that dream that he had of us,

the dogs and I, going
back to a lifestyle block again.

If it wasn't for my dogs,

since my husband passed, I really...

I don't know how I would have
managed because they've put
routine into my life

in terms of keeping me occupied
and not dwelling on things.

It's really important that I live
somewhere where they're happy,

because if they're happy, I'm happy.

And in case I overlook things,
I'm sure Mandy will pick
those up for me.

I'll do my best.

- For those seeking a quiet change,
Levin, New Zealand, is located
about 100km north of Wellington,

and beckons with its promise
of laid-back living.

Nestled amidst
captivating landscapes,

this close-knit community
warmly embraces newcomers.

Enveloped by picturesque farmland
and rolling hills,

visitors can take in the natural
beauty and savour the charms
of this beautiful countryside.

I can see why today's team have
chosen Levin for their new home.

Gail's after a home with a usable
outdoor space for her dogs
to run free,

plus a large entertaining area for
when her human friends come to visit.

Something with a little bit
of character would also be a bonus.

Gail has a budget of 1.5 million,

but there is a little bit of
wiggle room for the perfect house.

So let's see if I can
dish her up a winner.

First up on today's house hunt,
we've got an American-style home

nestled atop three acres
with beautiful established gardens.

Could this one work for Gail
and her three dogs?

Here they are. Gail!

- Hello, Matt.
- Yeah, gidday!

- Nice to meet you.
- You too.

Hi, Mandy.
- Mandy. How you going?

- Lovely to meet you two.
Couple of best friends looking for
a house today. This is great.

- Yeah, that's right.
Mandy's here to help me today.

- Now, let's find out a little bit
more about how you two
know each other.

So, I know that dogs brought
you together, didn't they?

- That's right. So, Mandy and I
both used to show dogs,
probably for maybe 45 years now.

So, we probably lost touch one―
when I stopped showing anyway,
maybe for about 10 years.

And I came across Mandy
at Peka Peka, running
her dog on the beach.

And then since then, we've spent
time together walking the dogs,
having coffee, just hanging out.

- So just a completely random
bump-in on the beach?

Yeah. Well, you know, this is
New Zealand, this, you know.

So it really is all about the dogs
today, isn't it?

- They're a very important part of
my life and have been obviously
for 40-plus years.

- Well, in terms of what
you're looking for,

the first house that I'm gonna
show you, in my opinion,
ticks all the boxes.

Built in 1995,
this whole area was subdivided,

and one man built three homes,
all in an American style
and a decent size section ―

this is over three acres.

We got four bedrooms and lots of
nice outdoor space as well.

- It is interesting-looking house.
Very appealing.

- What do you think, Mandy? You
reckon this one could be a winner?
- Yeah, it sorta draws you in a bit.

It's almost like you want to
explore it a bit.

- On that note...
- Looking forward to seeing it.
- ...shall we explore?

Let's head on in.
- Great. Let's go.

- House number one. It's a lovely
open-plan living area.

Actually, two separate living areas ―
one to your left, just through there,

and then your main living area
here with your kitchen and dining ―
all open-plan.

Beautiful views everywhere you look.

So, how does it feel to you?
First impressions?

- Well, I really like
this open-plan area.

I like the fact that you've got
the dining room, and I'd use this as
a family room for me andthe dogs.

The kitchen looks a wee bit small,
actually, in terms of storage from
what I'm used to.

But what do you think, Mandy?
What do you think about
for the dogs in here?

- I think it flows really well,
and I like the way that the tiling's
coming all the way through

so that there's at least one area
that doesn't, you know, get muddy.

- I did like that entranceway.
It was nice and spacious.

High stud, looked good.
- Yeah, it felt good.
Felt welcoming.

- All right, time to have a good look
around. I'm gonna be outside.

Have a look through to the bedrooms.
There's three down that way,

and the main bedroom with a separate
bathroom just to your left.

So, enjoy the space
and I'll see you soon.

- Thank you!
- Great. Thanks, Matt.

Oh wow. This is a great size
master bedroom.

It's really nice. You've got access
there out into the gardens.

I really like the layout
of the living area.

I'm not quite sure how that carpet
would work with the dogs.

- The laundry was really quite
small. It's a long way away.

Muddy dogs. I would have liked
more space for outside stuff.
- Drying the dogs, yeah.

- Drying dogs, yeah.
- Yeah.

- I think I would change
the laundry to make it bigger,

cos with the dogs,
you really need somewhere that you
can come in and shut the door,

towel them off before you
come into the house.

- Yeah, it's a really good point.
- Thanks. Yeah.

- Well, if you're looking for a place
with space for the dogs to roam,
I think we've foundit.

- Absolutely. No, this garden area
is just lovely.

It's really well laid out.

And the other thing is that a lot
of these outdoor areas are covered,

which is really great in winter.
I like that.

- So you can make coffee
in the morning with the morning sun
over this side of the house,

and then maybe a wine in the evening
over that side of the house
with the evening sun.

- That sounds a good plan, Matt.

- Overall, how does this house
appeal to you?

- It's really nice.
It's really well laid out inside.

I really like the living areas,
and I just like the flow
from the indoors

to the outdoors and then
going out into the fields as well.
The dogs would love that.

- Yeah, I think it's got a lot
to offer. You know, especially
in Gail's situation,

I'd be looking at it
with the same eyes. Yeah.

- So, off to a good start. But, of
course, very important point we have
to discuss is what it's worth.

What would your guess be
for this property?

- I think it's gonna be under my
budget. I'm thinking maybe 1.3, 1.4.

- I'm surprised that you say that.

I... Yeah, I'd say maybe
a little bit more.

- Gail, you've hit
the nail on the head.
- All right, so...

- Anything over 1.3,
around that mark...
- OK.

- ...you'd start to be
looking at getting this house.
- Oh. Very good.

Ohau wasn't somewhere really
that I had considered,

but it is really quiet here,

and I think that
the location's reflected in
the really good pricing.

You're getting a big bang
for your buck.

- Coming up, we have two
very different houses to explore,

both of which I could see Gail
making her own.

Plus, I check out some of
the fresh produce Levin has
to offer at Lewis Farms.

- I'm in Levin, helping
Gail and Mandy on their quest

to find Gail and her three
Irish Setters a place to call home.

The first house had a lot of
potential and plenty of space
for the dogs to run free.

But now, for something
completely different.

This low-maintenance home
might be an easy choice for Gail,

but does it have that sense of
character she was after?
Let's find out.

OK, Gail, Mandy, house number two.

You've got yourself a 240m2 house
sitting on about a half an acre here.

Really modern build.
This one's only about 10 years old,
so everything's good to go.

Storage-wise, so many options.

You've got a double garage
attached to the home,
but also this gigantic shed.

Plus, a separate little office space.

You were looking for an office?

- Yeah. Probably not want one
outdoors, but interesting.

- How do you like the style
of the home so far?

- Perhaps not really my style,
but you know, certainly appreciate
that it's really low-maintenance,

and everything is new, so it's
all gonna be in great condition.

- How about you, Mandy?
What do you think of this style?

- For me personally,
it's just not country enough.

- OK. Let's look around.
- I just―
- OK.

- You know, it reminds me
of an Oreo cookie.

- Oh, the house?
- The house.

You know, that sort of
brown and brown with a little bit of
cream in the middle.

- Yeah, an Oreo cookie.
That's a good definition.

- All right. So, nice, bright,
light and modern living area.

You've got a separate lounge
through to the right.

And then the open-plan dining,
living and kitchen.

I know it's not necessarily
the style of home that you'd love,

but can you imagine yourself
living in a home like this?

- Yes, I like... I like this flow.

And I like, in the kitchen,
that butler's pantry.

That's really good to have
everything that you can
put away in there.

There's a paddock next door.
If that was going to be built on,

your neighbours could potentially
be a little bit close.

But the indoor-outdoor flow,
that's really great.

- Yeah, I think it'd be
an easy space to live in.

I just don't know
whether I'd love it.

- And then there's that big question
as well ― how would the dogs
go in here?

- Yeah, with all the carpet...
- Mm. The new carpet as well.

- So it'd be a bit of a sin,
wouldn't it, to pull it up
and extend the tiles through here?

Means you have to have
a very efficient vacuum.

OK. Time for you to have a look-see
around the rest of the house.

I'll be enjoying that deck,
and when you're done, just come
and find me out there.

- OK, thanks, Matt.
- Thank you.

- Well, it's not as big as
the last place, but I think probably
it is quite a good size, I'd say.

It's a lovely family home.
You need to do a little bit of work
with the floor coverings.

The grounds are a little bit plain.
- It's a great playground for kids,
isn't it?

But there's not a lot
of character to it.

- I'm thinking that this house is
probably going to be less than
the first house we saw.

I would think maybe 1.2, 1.3.
- I think that would be generous.

- Yeah.
- Yeah.

- Right.
- Kia ora!

I really think
this side of the house,

right here where we are on the deck,
is where it comes into its own.

You've got the louvered pergola,

so all year around
you're nice and sheltered.

And that nice studio, as we said, it
could be an office, a spare bedroom,
or even a little room forthe dogs.

Who knows? Whatever you like.

How do you feel about this house
now that you've had a good look
around and seen this outdoor area?

- Yeah, I like this outdoor area,
and as you say, that really does
make a big difference tothe place.

Really good entertaining space.
- Yes.

- I can see us sitting out here
with friends and family,
maybe having a barbecue.

- Let's discuss what you think
this place would be worth.

- Well, to be honest,
it's a lot smaller than
that first place that we saw.

The location is equally as good,
but I'm picking that it might
be a little bit cheaper.

Maybe 1.2, 1.3.
- It is a little bit more than that.

We're looking around
the 1.4, 1.45 mark.
- Oh, really?

- I guess it is a modern home,
though.

Everything's brand-new.
It's walk-in ready.

- And it does have a few extras
like the spa pool.
- That's true, yeah.

Don't forget the spa pool.
Very important.

- I probably would find it
a little bit difficult
spending that amount of money,

knowing that potentially I was going
to have to rip up all the carpets.

However, it's quite low-maintenance.
- Yeah.
- The house itself, it's new.

It's a possibility because,
you know, it would be a sensible
choice in terms of me managing it.

- Coming up, I try some sweet treats,

explore an architectural marvel,

and sit down for
one very big decision.

- When driving through Levin,
I couldn't help but stop off
at Lewis Farms,

where I met up with Catherine
to talk about what makes
their strawberries oh so sweet.

Catherine, as a strawberry lover
myself,

I reckon this'd be about
the most dangerous place
I could possibly work.

I'd be eating away half the profits
every day.

- Yeah, well, they're sweet
strawberries, so what can I say?

But, no, we do enjoy a few each day.

- Now, this is a family-owned farm.
You've been in business
for a long time, haven't you?

- Yeah. So, the asparagus part
of the operation has been
in business for over 40 years.

- 40 years?
- Yeah, and we recently,
about six years ago or so,

went into strawberry growing
in the tunnel houses.

- Yeah, great.
These tunnels are fantastic.

So this means you've got all weather,
all conditions. You can keep growing
these strawberries,yeah?

- Yeah. We got some protection.
We work with the environment,

and this helps shade them from the
rain and wind and other elements.

- Now, the great thing about
here is you can pull in,

if you're driving through Levin,
and come into the factory,
have a look at what's going on,

and there's a shop as well.
- Yes, that's right. Yeah.

- And there's some pretty tasty
things for sale in that shop. I did
have a wee look at the icecream.

That looked pretty good.
- Yeah. Yeah, no, it's very,
very popular, that.

- And the jam. Obviously,
you make your own jam on-site.
- We do.

- Tell me a little bit about that.
- Yeah, so that's pretty famous.

We make our own strawberry
and raspberry jam.

Basically, none of our fruit
is wasted. We don't throw any away.

We keep it all, and in the winter,
we kick-start our factory
and make jam on-site.

It's definitely a destination
on a road trip for sure.

- So, livin' in Levin's pretty good.
- Pretty good.
- Pretty bad joke, though.

Yeah, pretty bad.

- Tempting as it may be to spend
the rest of the day eating ice cream,

there's still one more house
we need to get to,

and I think this third house
might just have the sort of character
that Gail is after.

OK. Gail. Mandy. I have saved
a pretty special house
for our third and final home today.

Designed by Fritz Eisenhofer,
a really famous, really
well-known architect,

who was really active in New Zealand
in the '60s, '70s and onwards.

And this is a really
incredible example of his work.

Sitting on just about 2½ acres
of land, two minutes from town,

five minutes from a river
where you can walk the dogs.

I think this place, honestly,
it could be perfect for you.

- Well, it is stunning, isn't it?
- Ticks all the boxes!

Ticks a lot of boxes.
- Yeah, it's got― Yeah, it ticks
a lot of boxes, as Mandy says.

It looks fantastic from the outside.

The grounds are fabulous. The house,
wow, the design is amazing,

so I'm really looking forward
to seeing what there is indoors.

- Well, why are we standing
around talking about it?

Let's head inside
and have a look around.

- OK. Let's go.
- Let's go.

- As you came up
that long, long drive and
you could see a bit of the house

and then the house just sort of
keep on going around

and you just sort of didn't
really know where to start with.

And then it was like, oh.

- So, real typical of
Eisenhofer's style,

this home features really clean,
straight lines

and lots of open spaces
with that light filtering through.

This beautiful kitchen and dining
open-plan area, it's all unique.

I've never seen anything
quite like this home before.

- Yeah, well, it is special.
It's stunning.
It just is amazing, isn't it?

My husband would've
loved this house.

He would have just loved
these design features...
- Yeah.

- ...and the outside alfresco dining
area. And it looks well sheltered.

That looks fantastic.
I can see us out there.

- This house, we've actually got
a really great long view
to the ranges,

even today when it's, you know,
looking a bit troubled.

It's gonna change
throughout the seasons.

- Now, I'm really looking forward
to showing you this next part
of the house.

I won't say too much.
It's a bit of a surprise.

It's probably my favourite area,
so let's head on out.
- OK. Let's go.

- Wow. Gorgeous. Look at that.
- Wow.
- Uh-huh!

Don't you just instantly
feel like you're on holiday when you
walk out into a place like this?

- Now, I can see why
it's your favourite spot.

- So if you do feel like
you're on holiday, it's on purpose.

That's what the original owner
wanted this place to feel like.

So, you get this beautiful
plunge pool in the middle of
a Balinese-inspired garden, I think.

Also a sauna, outdoor shower.

I mean, that's luxury, isn't it?
- Absolutely it is.
- Yeah.

- And I guess if your her best mate,
you're gonna be coming and making the
most of this pool as well, probably.

- Oh, I don't even mind
cleaning it occasionally.

How about that?

- I mean, friends are good, but
friends with pools are better, eh?
- Yeah.

- You certainly make it attractive
for friends and family visiting,

having a space like this.

- I'm blown away by this house,
and I'm hoping you are too.

So, I'm going to let you have
some time to really soak it in.

Make sure you check out
the mezzanine.
- OK.

- And I'll be in the backyard.
Once you're done, we can talk
about what this place might be worth.

- Oh, wow, Mandy. Look out here.
Look at this view.

- Is that paddock there part of it?

Cos we could just sit up here
and watch the dogs running.

- Great section, this one, especially
for a dog owner, I reckon.
- Yeah.

Yeah, no, they'd love it. My husband
would've loved this as well.

This just fulfils the dream
that he had. It, yeah, exceeds
our expectations. It's justamazing.

- And what were your dog's
names again?
- Fernando and Francesca,

- Mm-hm.
- and their daughter is called
Fancy Pants.

- Pretty fancy pants house.
- It is!

- It is indeed. Yeah.
- So it has kind of matches,
doesn't it?

So, having had a good look around,
getting a sense of the home,

where do you think it sits
in terms of the price?

- I have to say it's a fabulous
house. It's just stunning,

so I'm thinking it's gonna be
beyond my budget.

I'd say 1.8, you'd be doing
pretty well, but I suspect
it's much higher than that.

- I love giving good news.

It wouldn't need to be that high.
I think an offer around 1.7- 1.75...
- Oh, really?

- ...could secure this house.
- Wow. That's amazing.

One thing that does worry me would
be the maintenance on the place,

and I'm not quite sure
I could manage this on my own.

One thing that really surprises me,
Mandy, is the price of this place.

All of a sudden,
with what Matt's saying there,
this could well be a contender.

- I think you've got
a lot to think about.

- Well, now that Gail has had
a really good chance to think things
over with the help from Mandy,

I just want to catch up and see if we
were able to come up with a winner.

Gail.
- Oh. Morning, Matt.

- Morena. How are you?
- Good. Thank you.

- I've been looking forward to
catching up with you. Had such
a great day with you and Mandy

looking at those three
beautiful houses here in Levin.

And I know that you've made
a decision, so before we find out
what your big decision is,

let's just go through
those houses one more time.

I remember the first house
was on about three acres.

Big property, really nice open-plan,
good flow into the outdoor areas.

You had your two courtyards
that you quite liked?

- Yes, I really did like
those outdoor living spaces,

and I liked the flow from
the indoors to the outdoors.

So, that place also had the benefit
of established gardens,

plus a few paddocks for the dogs
to hoon around in.

- And then the second house
we looked at ― the more modern of the
three ― it was about 10 years old.

Lots of shared space, lots of grass
area for the dogs to run around on,

but definitely
the smaller of the three.

- The house itself was nice inside.
That flowed really well,

but the property itself was maybe
a little bit small for my needs.
- Yep.

- It didn't really have
the character I was looking for.
- Yeah, thought that.

And then came to house number three,

which really was a bit of
a dream house, wasn't it?

- The third house blew Mandy and I
away from the moment we went down
the driveway.

And from the outside, it looked
fantastic with the gardens,

and it just got better and better.

- I've got a hunch I know which way
you're going, but let's find out.

Which house are you gonna put
an offer in on?

- So that Redwood Grove House
was fantastic, indoors, outdoors,

and the location, the setting,
the vicinity to the walks
for the dogs and I.

So we'd like to put in an offer
on that one.

- On house number three.
- Yes. It was just stunning,

and it was gonna be 'paw-fect'
for me and the dogs.

Well, hopefully you, Fernando,
Francesca and Fancy Pants...
- Fancy Pants.

- ...hopefully you get your paws on
it. Good luck with the offer.
- Yeah, cheers.

- Gail, I'm sure that third house
will prove to be a truly
amazing choice,

so I wish you, Francesca, Fernando,
and of course, Fancy Pants,

the happiest of lives in your new
lifestyle property in Levin.

www.able.co.nz
Copyright Able 2023