Snooping around: Rural, urban or renovation

In town: Truro, Cornwall. This first-floor contemporary apartment is on the banks of the river Truro. It offers watery chic with views from the roof terrace and balcony. Wall-to-floor windows bring the river almost into the living area, there are up to three bedrooms, a main bathroom and one en suite. It is a shame the translucent wardrobes highlight sartorial shame. Yours for £325,000.
Stratton Creber, 01872 275376
Photograph: Stratton Creber

In the country: Lower Hacheston, Suffolk. There is venerable vintage in this £319,950 three- or four-bedder: it dates from the mid-1600s. It has two receptions, both of which are large, a study that could be a fourth bedroom, a decent garden with outbuildings, and meadow views. London trains are close by, as is, unfortunately, the A12.
Abbotts, 01728 746474
Photograph: Abbotts

Wreck of the week: Coldingham Bay, Berwickshire. This derelict wooden pavilion, once part of an estate, is pretty much worthless. There is permission for a detached 1,400sq ft house, which means you get to design your own place, but the planners will be breathing down your neck. It's a spectacular location – perched near the foot of a cliff above a sandy beach – and has more than an acre of land. Cost: £375,000.
Sanderson Young, 0191 223 3500
Photograph: Sanderson Young

Dream home: Cumbria. The attached one-bed cottage is most people's idea of Elysium, but that's only the postscript. As well as the views across pond and flower terraces to the best of the Lakeland fells, you also get a 17th-century farmhouse, thickly beamed and exquisitely presented with three receptions and three bedrooms. It has a long private drive and three acres of land, including a paddock and vintage barns. The nearest town is Broughton-in-Furness. Cost: £795,000.
Carter Jonas, 01539 722592
Photograph: Carter Jonas

Over the sea: America. Although a causeway to Sanibel Island in Florida lured developers in the 1970s, half of it remains a wildlife refuge and its beaches are famed for their sea shells. This £304,000 three-bedder is beside the beach path and the local tennis court and swimming pool. The rooms are large and smartly turned out and there is a good sized plot with a double garage outside. The airport at Fort Myers is an easy drive away.
VIP Realty, 020 7467 5330
Photograph: VIP Realty