Snooping around: Ski homes

Property of the week: Torquay, Devon. Built in Florentine style, this five-bedder tops a hill above the harbour. From the conservatory you have a bird’s-eye view over the town and most of the bedrooms overlook the sea. It is regally proportioned with lofty, beamed ceilings, leaded windows and panelling. The tower has its own entrance, sitting room, kitchen and two bedrooms. £100,000 has been knocked off the asking price, but it still costs £699,500.
Fulfords, 01803 322555 Photograph: Fulfords/Fulfords

Wreck of the week: Spalding, Lincolnshire. This elderly two-bedroom cottage is, frankly, uninhabitable. It needs a good £50,000 to put in damp coursing, see to the roof and install a kitchen, bathroom and plumbing. Hence the bargain £75,000 price tag. There’s an unexpected spread of garden at the front, side and rear, which would allow you to expand considerably if you could persuade the planners. The nearest shop is two miles away.
Longstaff, 01775 766766 Photograph: Longstaff/Longstaff

Take three: ski homes. This old stone farmhouse is 10 minutes from the Super Besse ski resort at Puy-de-Dôme, Auvergne, France. For £262,446 you get a reception room, a kitchen, four bedrooms, a bathroom and a barn. Outside there is scope for summer ecstasy in the grounds, surrounding lakes and mountains; you can ski cross-country from the door. There’s room for expansion into the spectacular barn, but the kitchen is currently a lonely sink.
vefuk.com, 020 7515 8660 Photograph: vefuk.com/vefuk.com

Take three: ski homes. This resort near Sestriere, Italy, was built for the 2006 Winter Olympics and is now managed by a posh hotel group. Prices for a two- or three-bed furnished chalet or apartment start at £363,000. A cable car connects it to 350 miles of pistes, while residents can use the five-star on-site hotel with restaurants, shops and spa. For better or worse the resort is set to expand.
investorsinproperty.com, 020 8905 5511 Photograph: investorsinproperty.com/investorsinproperty.com

Take three: ski homes. You can ski on to 152km of slopes from these furnished chalets in Alpendorf, West Austria. Prices for a three-bedder start from £185,348 and you get an open-plan living area, two bath/shower rooms and a storage room. You are five minutes from Annaberg and 30 minutes from the Amade region with its 860km of slopes. There is also a swimming pool and restaurant. The chalet must be rented out for part of the year.
investorsinproperty.com, 020 8905 5511 Photograph: investorsinproperty.com/investorsinproperty.com