Snooping around: Rural, urban and renovation

In town: Kent. The nation’s only royal harbour is absorbed through full-length glass walls in this £359,000 detached house at Liverpool Lawn, Ramsgate. The master bedroom opens on to a roof terrace; it’s just a shame the two other bedrooms are so narrow.
Chesterton Humberts, 01227 452780 Photograph: Chesterton Humberts

Wreck of the week: Devon. The decor, plumbing and fittings of this 1930s three-bed terrace in East Portlemouth, near Salcombe, need renewing, and there is no central heating. On the exterior, the thatched ridge needs attention and the garden is wild. You don’t get much space for your money – £395,000 – but you do get a mooring plus use of dinghy and boathouse thrown in.
Marchand Petit, 01548 844473 Photograph: Marchand Petit

In the country: Oxfordshire. This two-bedder is in the village of Black Bourton. It is part of a chic reinvention of a clutch of Cotswold grade II-listed farm buildings with vaulted, timbered ceilings; exposed stone walls; spacious living areas; and gardens. One of the bathrooms is door-less at the top of stairs. Cost: £385,000.
Jackson-Stops & Staff, 01993 822661 Photograph: Jackson-Stops & Staff

Dream home: Norfolk. This two-bed, 17th-century cottage offers the best of all worlds: it’s surrounded by glorious countryside but is just five miles from Diss and 13 from Thetford; and it has a wealth of original features but isn’t listed. The interior is compact and is described by the agent as ‘quaint, quirky and characterful’. The garden is unmanicured and offers fine views over the surrounding fields. Cost: £279,995.
Musker McIntyre, 01379 644822
Photograph: Musker McIntyre

Overseas: Thailand. Fed up with being cold? You could swap these winter shores for Phukett Villa in Bang Tao Beach, Thailand, where the temperature is currently a balmy 30 degrees. This four-bedder has its own private garden terrace and swimming pool, but is part of a bigger complex with 600 acres of landscaped gardens, interconnecting lagoons, five deluxe hotels, spas, a shopping village and a golf course. Don’t be misled by the name though – the complex is sited in the middle of Phuket, about as far from the beach as it could be. On the market for THB19,500,000 (£408,929).
Knight Frank Phuket, 00 660 76 318 151 Photograph: Knight Frank Phuket