Snooping around: Rural, urban or renovation

Wreck of the week: Kent. This five-bed, 18th-century cottage is not in great condition. You should reckon on renewing everything – £150,000 would do it. There is a third-of-an-acre of garden, and if you have an extra £205,000 to spare, you can swell that to six acres plus a studio. On the downside, there is only one bathroom. Yours for £540,000.
Jackson Stops & Staff, 01732 740600
Photograph: Jackson Stops & Staff

In town: Devon This £249,950 three-bedder is just off the market square in the pretty sailing town of Dartmouth. It has a large living area divided by a full-height stone hearth. It is a shame that a decked first-floor area is the only outside space.
Marchand Petit, 01803 839190
Photograph: Marchand Petit

In the country: Suffolk. This one-time village post office in Dunwich, near Southwold, is yours for £350,000. It looks out over marsh, dunes and sea, and is a brief walk from the beach. Inside it is spacious: two receptions, a study and four bedrooms. The garden, however, is a mere courtyard.
Strutt & Parker, 01473 220444
Photograph: Strutt & Parker

Dream home: Dorset. This unusual four-bedder in Poole was built in 1870 as the Gate Lodge to the Canford Estate by Lady Wimborne, the eldest daughter of the seventh Duke of Marlborough and sister to Winston Churchill's father. The ground floor has a large open-plan living, dining and kitchen area, but also offers a cosy sitting room. The master bedroom also has a dressing room and walk-in wardrobe, which could be converted to an en suite bathroom. There are arched windows throughout. Cost: £650,000.
Palmer Snell, 01202 683369
Photograph: Palmer Snell

Overseas: Morocco. Riads are a bit like Doctor Who’s Tardis: ordinary and small on the outside, but amazing and enormous when you enter. This four-bedder is in a quiet area of the Medina in Marrakech, just five minutes from the Djemaa el Fna square, complete with street barbecues, snake charmers, story tellers and the amazing souk. The ground floor includes a study leading to the large central area which is used for dining, a sitting area, a studio, a living room and a fitted kitchen. The first floor is given over to the four bedrooms – all en suite – and a library, while the roof terrace offers sitting and dining areas. Cost: £668,500.
Savills, 020 7016 3811
Photograph: Savills