Calling all first-time buyers

Bratton Clovelly, near Okehampton, Devon. This two-bedder is yours for £159,000 and boasts a beamed reception, a kitchen, a cloakroom and a bathroom. You dine and loll at either end of the large, dual-aspect reception divided in the middle by a wooden staircase. Both halves have bread ovens and a wood-burning stove in an inglenook fireplace, and you can gaze from one to the other through a display arch cut through the stairs. A stone barn/garage is nearby.
Fulfords, 01837 52444 Photograph: Fulfords/Fulfords

Silverstone Road, Doddington Park, Lincoln. Families on a budget can expand handsomely in this detached home, part of an extensive, if bland, modern development. £175,000 buys two receptions, a kitchen/breakfast room, a cloakroom, four beds and two bathrooms. A cathedral-style window lights the master bedroom. It’s tranquilly set down a leafy cul-de-sac with plenty of lawned space front and back. It’s a swift drive to the centre and there are shops locally.
Haart, 01522 510088 Photograph: Haart/Haart

Holbrook, near Ipswich, Suffolk. All the period fancies in this ex-farmworker's cottage have been nurtured as part of an extensive renovation. The ceiling beams, inglenook fireplace and polished wooden floors are offset by a new kitchen, bathroom and wood-burning stove in the living room. You also get a reception and two bedrooms. The village has a smattering of essential shops and a primary and secondary school. Yours for £149,950.
Fenn Wright, 01473 232700 Photograph: Fenn Wright/Fenn Wright

Whitehall Waterfront, Leeds. This five-year-old glass, steel and brick tower rises from the river bank close to the city centre. For £159,950 you get an open-plan living area, two double bedrooms, two showers and secure parking. A glass door from the living room leads to a balcony and river views. You have to bring your own washing machine to plumb into the hall cupboard, and there’s a £1,250 annual service and ground rent charge.
Sanderson Weatherall, 0113 369 6019 Photograph: Sanderson Weatherall/Sanderson Weatherall