Snooping around: Rural, urban or renovation

Wreck of the week: Lower Sunbury, Surrey. This two-bed period semi-detached effort needs gutting – £30,000-£40,000 should improve the bathroom, kitchen, boiler and decor. After this is done it should be a pretty little fellow. Unfortunately there is a dual carriageway and a railway line in close proximity, but on the flip side it is close to two stations. Yours for £219,995.
Townends, 01932 785171 Photograph: Townends/Townends

In the country: Milborne Wick, Dorset. This £350,000, three-double-bedder is tucked winsomely into a fold of hills, along with a smattering of equally venerable cottages, a manor and a mill. Tactful extension work has bequeathed two capacious receptions, a master bedroom with its own bathroom and dressing room, and two more double bedrooms. A fourth chamber leading off the main bedroom could house a cot or a work station. The garden is on a challenging gradient.
Humberts, 01935 812323 Photograph: Humberts/Humberts

In town: The Mount, York. This cottage is on the View of York engraved by John Haynes in 1731, and its historical pedigree survives in the form of fireplaces and York stone floors. Don't be fooled by its petite facade: in Tardis-esque fashion it is large inside. Beware the front door that propels you into the arms of passers-by. It has three bedrooms – the master with en suite – and a busy patio garden to the rear. Cost: £350,000.
Carter Jonas, 01904 558200 Photograph: Carter Jonas/Carter Jonas

Dream home: Dorset. This must be one of the most beautiful locations on the south coast. Yes, it is a wooden bungalow, and yes it needs renovating – or even replacing if you fancied something grander – but it hides down a private lane overlooking Chesil beach on the Jurassic Coast, surrounded by National Trust land. It's on sale for the first time since it was built in the 1920s, with three bedrooms and more than an acre of land. Cost: £475,000-£500,000.
Humberts, 01308 422215 Photograph: Humberts/Humberts