Snooping around: Rural, urban or renovation

In town: East Sussex. For £295,000 you get the sea views at St Leonards-on-Sea, Hastings, from the drawing room and balcony. This flat was once home to the Italian attaché to Queen Victoria, and gold-leaf cornicing survives. The bathroom is Philippe Starck; the kitchen opens on to a big garden. It's small – there's just one bedroom.
Wooster & Stock, 020 7708 6700
Photograph: Wooster & Stock

In the country: Norfolk. There’s only one near neighbour to this £325,000 three-bedder in Little Massingham. Otherwise it's just you, a large garden and farmland unrolling beyond the windows of the first-floor sitting room. It’s a shame the only bathroom is en suite, so the other two bedrooms must make do with a shower.
Bedfords, 01328 730500
Photograph: Bedfords

Wreck of the week: Cornwall. This four-bedder is scarred with holey ceilings and floors, stripped-back walls, a stopgap kitchen and a weary bathroom. About £50,000 should see it right. A disagreeable, flat-roofed extension mars the back, but there is a large garden and flawless views across Carlyon Bay. It has lapsed planning consent for an extension. Cost: £625,000.
Stratton Creber, 01872 240999.
Photograph: Stratton Creber

Bargain of the week: East Sussex. It was originally on the market for £795,000, but £100,000 has been knocked off the guide price for this sympathetically restored oast house in the village of Mayfield. The grounds are the big draw, boasting sloping lawns, a young orchard and a stone fountain, as well as woodland views. Inside, the house's heritage shows in the curved walls of the kitchen and dining room, and a vaulted ceiling in one of the three bedrooms. The living room is lit with twin leaded light windows and warmed with a stone corner fireplace.
Freeman Forman, 01435 873803
Photograph: Freeman Forman

Dream home: Isle of Wight. A B&B may not be your idea of a fantasy pad, but this splendid regency property does not have to continue earning its keep. Oakhill, designed by John Nash in the early 19th century, sits within the Cowes conservation area just 200m from the sea front. Queen Victoria used to park her carriage in the stable block when visiting the nearby Royal Yacht Squadron. The terrace overlooks the racing line for Cowes Week, perfect for sailing enthusiasts who want to stay dry. Inside is substantial with eight bedrooms, six bath/shower rooms and plenty of living space. Cost: £1.74m.
Christopher Scott, 01983 200880
Photograph: Christopher Scott