Snooping around

Property of the week: Farnham, Surrey. Offers of around £500,000 are invited for this five bedder. It was created in 1935 to house staff at Avalon, a house built by David Lloyd George on his farmland. A still-vigorous japonica bush in the half-acre garden is said to have grown from a cutting presented to Lady Lloyd George by the Emperor of Japan. The surprisingly spacious interior could do with a cosmetic update.
Keats, 01428 604016 Photograph: Keats/Keats

Wreck of the week: Battle, east Sussex. This listed three-bedroom cottage has an asking price of £230,000. Not bad for a place in the heart of this ancient town, with views from the upper windows over the abbey and wood. Except there’s no kitchen to speak of, a tiny downstairs shower and a wilderness of a garden in need of serious attention. Allow £30,000 upwards to renovate these very dainty rooms.
Freeman Forman, 01424 773888 Photograph: Freeman Forman/Freeman Forman

Take three: ski homes. This two/three bedder in Alpendorf, Dachstein West, Austria, boasts an open-plan living area, cloakroom and shower room. It’s set in a pretty development with its own restaurant, bar, pool, sauna and ski school. Furniture is included. If foreign buyers want to use it for more than four weeks a year, however, they must pay a fee to the rental management company (although you can reclaim VAT on the price). Cost: £123,152.
Investorsin property.com, 020 8905 5511 Photograph: Investorsinproperty.com/Investorsinproperty.com

Take three: ski homes. A blue slope runs past the door of this petite flat in Morzine, Haute-Savoie, France. For £257,187 you get a reception, kitchenette, two bedrooms and a bathroom. The town, an hour from Geneva, remains seductive when the snow melts - there’s a river, jazz festival and gourmet nourishment from the local cheese factory. Quiet and elevated, the flat is just 800m from the resort centre.
Latitudes, 020 8951 5155 Photograph: Latitudes/Latitudes

Take three: ski homes. With stunning views over the Rhône valley and the chance to ski on a 3,000ft glacier, £230,000 seems quite reasonable. Situated in Barboleusaz, Villars-Gryon, Switzerland, this two/three bedder also offers the opportunity to ski right to your door and thaw by the fireplace. Gstaad is a 45-minute drive away, and the summer months offer golf, paragliding and hiking. But it is a 10-minute drive to decent après-ski in Villars.
Savills International, 020 7016 3740 Photograph: Savills International/Savills International