Snooping around – in pictures

Wreck of the week: Berkshire. Two 16th-century labourers’ cottages knocked into one in the village of Wraysbury, 22 miles west of London. The place is very neglected. You’d need to spend £100,000-plus to repair the roof, wiring, plumbing and fittings. It is large, with farmland views behind and the village to the front. It is only a short walk for trains to London. However, you should beware the limitations of its grade-II listing. Cost: £450,000.
Hamptons Photograph: Hamptons

In the country: Devon. The setting is beautiful: the hamlet of West Buckland lies in a valley, one mile from a sandy beach, not far from Salcombe. A stream runs through the two-acre plot, and the two receptions and three bedrooms abound with period features. Unfortunately, the inside feels cosmetically dated. Cost: £375,000.
March and Petit Photograph: Marchand Petit

Around town: Kent. The advantage of a houseboat is that you can relocate without moving house. Inside, it’s smartly wood-lined, with two bedrooms, a deck and potential for a roof garden. However, relocation might be pressing because of the extra £200 a month for the current mooring at Rochester. Cost: £165,000.
The Modern House Photograph: Dominic French

Dream home: Wiltshire. Follifoot House is a substantial detached family house in Stanton St Bernard, a lovely village in the heart of the Pewsey Vale near Marlborough. The downstairs is dominated by an indoor heated swimming pool and there is a magnificent, well-tended enclosed garden. Four reception rooms, six bedrooms indicate the sense of space you would experience. Yours for only £895,000. Chesterton Humberts
Photograph: Chesterton Humberts