Snooping around

Property of the week: Middlesbrough. Even Methodists have moments of bombast, and this ex-chapel is one of them. The penthouse spreads across the two upper floors and up spiral stairs to the octagonal tower. There are three double bedrooms, dramatic, stained glass windows and three lavish reception rooms with original timbers. It's just a pity Middlesbrough is still awaiting a glorious rebirth. Cost: £295,000.
Jackson-Stops & Staff, 01325 489948 Photograph: Jackson-Stops & Staff/Jackson-Stops & Staff

Wreck of the week: Pontrhydygroes, near Aberystwyth. This elderly one-up, one-down cottage has been caught in a time warp. There’s no kitchen or bathroom and water is collected from a stream. Set aside upwards of £30,000 on top of the £125,000 price tag to introduce amenities. Inside it’s been well tended with slate flooring, tongue-and-
groove paneling and a stove in a slate-tiled hearth. Outside a main road splits the garden.
Jim Raw-Rees & Co, 01970 617179 Photograph: Jim Raw-Rees & Co/Jim Raw-Rees & Co

Take three: sunny getaways. This two-bedder is near Kerames, Crete. Your £147,620 gets you sea views from the roof terrace and a beach five minutes’ drive away. For an extra £10,000 you can ditch the car and get a pool on the terrace. Only four homes are permissible on this plot away from the tourist scrums, but you're buying off-plan, so it’ll be 12 months before you can move in. Chania and Heraklion airports are a 90-minute drive away.
ApropertyinGreece.com, 020 8302 6616 Photograph: ApropertyinGreece.com/ApropertyinGreece.com

Take three: sunny getaways. There's Hollywood glamour on a budget in this three-bedder in Belek, Turkey. The living area opens on to a private pool terrace and across the golf links is a sandy beach backed by private resorts. For £20 a day you can use its facilities and putt on one of the 12 signature courses. Those who think golf is a good walk spoiled, however, need not apply - this is exclusively a golfer’s paradise. Cost: £132,000.
Aquavista, 01580 850170 Photograph: Aquavista/Aquavista

Take three: sunny getaways. Five miles from the palm-studded sands of La Marina on the Costa Blanca is this colony of buxom white houses, each with its own pool. For £206,790 you get three bedrooms, a reception and a kitchen and bathroom. There are views to the hills and the surrounding nature reserve, with town just a 10-minute walk away. Alicante airport is 25 miles away. A shame you’ll be living amid building work for the forseeable future.
Escapes2.com, 0161 766 1018 Photograph: Escapes2.com/Escapes2.com