Old and new

New build: East Sussex. The developers of the immodestly named One Brighton complex, adjacent to the station, reckon it can bestow healthier and happier lifestyles among its residents. The secret ingredients? Segregated rubbish bins in the kitchens, water-efficient fittings, roof top allotments, balcony planters and a new town square. A whiff of the English Channel doubtless helps too; indeed the block of one- and two-bed flats looks poised to sail straight out into it. Prices start from £183,500. One Brighton www.onebrighton.co.uk 0870 752 1820 Photograph: guardian.co.uk

New build: Surrey. 'The ultimate fusion of period architecture with modern design technology,' breathes the brochure. These ex barns in the village of Brockham are now beautified extravagantly enough to lodge Surrey stockbrokers. Inside, the five barns have vaulted ceilings and are spectacularly beamed and trussed. The oak floors are heated from beneath and the modern fittings extend to suspended stairs, intelligent lighting and designer fittings. Two remain at £645,000 and £685,000. Jackson-Stops & Staff, www.jackson-stops.co.uk 01306 887560 Photograph: guardian.co.uk

Historic home: Kent. This £450,000 listed cottage has sheltered in the lee of the church of St Nicholas at Wade for more than 400 years, and its vintage pedigree is visible in most rooms. There are grand inglenooks in the living room and dining rooms, the ceilings are quaintly beamed and the cellar has an ecclesiastical drama. It's also larger than it looks – four double bedrooms (one with en suite), two large receptions and a kitchen big enough for family feasting. Chesterton Humberts www.chestertonhumberts.com 01227 452780 Photograph: guardian.co.uk

Historic home: Essex. Despite being five centuries old, this H-shaped manor-let in Great Horkesley has been nurtured tastefully into this millennium. Leaded mullioned windows, unstinting beams, trompe l'oeil marble effects and a King post beam in the master bedroom mingle comfortably with the modern kitchen and two bathrooms. All four bedrooms are beamed and vaulted, there's a library off the kitchen/breakfast room, a study and two imposingly timbered receptions. The gardens are large with a pond, barn and outbuildings. Cost: £895,000. Fenn Wright www.fennwright.co.uk 01206 763388 Photograph: guardian.co.uk

Bargain of the week: Essex. For a mere £350,000 you get six bedrooms and three receptions practically on the sea front amid the famously fastidious charms of Frinton on Sea. If the house were picturesquely ancient and not attached to a neighbour at the back you would pay many thousands more for this kind of living space. The vendor is also willing to sell that rare prize, a beach hut, by separate negotiation. Fenn Wright www.fennwright.co.uk 01206 763388 Photograph: guardian.co.uk