A wildflower meadow, an orchard and 97 allotments might fool you into forgetting that these award-winning flats are in the centre of the city. Two redundant remnants of 1950s social housing have been reinvented by Urban Splash and now provide 410 flats with full-height windows and many with balconies overlooking the city. Two one-bedders at £106,000 and £112,000 are still available. The blocks are a 10-minute walk from the main station, and residents share in a gym.
Urban Splash, 0333 666 6000 Photograph: Urban Splash
Across the Iron Bridge from the city centre is a no-through lane at the end of which is this £195,000 cottage for sale with no onward chain. Its seclusion ensures unusual tranquillity in a city centre, but means you need to leave the car on the main road and walk. Inside it’s been smartly groomed, but it is small. The bathroom is a narrow slice off the kitchen and inhabitants of the second bedroom in the attic will have to commute two storeys to the loo.
Wilkinson Grant, 01392 427500 Photograph: Wilkinson Grant
The surrounding conservation area should ensure your pretty views remain unsullied. And these vistas are the chief joy of this £100,000 cottage, due to be auctioned on 9 April. From the back windows and garden you can see the nearby cathedral spire, and the front overlooks the River Wensum. Inside it could do with a few improvements, but its size should keep these affordable. Technically, there are three bedrooms – but the third is tiny and hard to get to.
Auction House, 01603 505100 Photograph: Auction House
A berth on one of London’s most prestigious squares would ordinarily cost well into seven figures, but this two-bedroom flat in a period building has only eight years left on its lease, which can’t be extended beyond 20 years. For a mere £600,000, therefore, you can play neighbours with Roman Abramovich and Roger Moore. It’s an elegant affair with a 20 foot reception room, two double bedrooms and a balcony with views over the square, and just a short walk from Hyde Park and Victoria Station. For an annual fee you can use the residents’ gardens and tennis courts.
Savills, 020 7730 0822 Photograph: Savills
Just 400 metres from St Mark’s Square, close to the Rialto Bridge, is this renovated two-bedroom apartment in a historic building. You can mitigate the €690,000 asking price with rental income from the crowds who would wish to lodge in its glorious location. Some of Venice’s finest features can be viewed from the balcony. The rooms are elegantly proportioned with wooden floors, and there’s a private storage room on the ground floor.
Casa Travella, 01322 660 988 Photograph: Casa Travella
