Snooping around: Starter homes

Property of the week: Arkadia, Greece. If watching Mamma Mia! has stirred a hunger for turquoise seas and fairy-lit terraces, here’s the palliative. The house is a century old with a vine-strung terrace and sea views. It has two bedrooms, an open-plan living area with tiled floors, wooden ceilings and an open fire. Nearby is a trad village, it’s a 10-minute drive to the nearest town, and a three-mile descent to the beaches. Cost: £150,500.
Hellenic Realty, 00 33 450 42 71 98 Photograph: Hellenic Realty/Hellenic Realty

Wreck of the week: Windermere, Cumbria. This end-of-terrace cottage is yours for £235,000. It’s also decrepit, and as it was used as a multi-occupancy house has two kitchens. You’ll need around £100,000 to rewire, replumb and revitalise. It does, however, boast five bedrooms and the potential for a third bathroom in that redundant kitchen. The glories of the Lakes are a stroll away, as are the village facilities. All the rooms are a tad narrow.
Hackney & Leigh, 01539 444461 Photograph: Hackney & Leigh/Hackney & Leigh

Take three: starter homes. This double-fronted cottage is tucked in a courtyard in East Coker, near Yeovil, a village so fetching it won Outstanding Natural Heritage Settlement status. The affordable £170,000 price tag buys you a reception, a kitchen/breakfast room, two beds and a bathroom. Inside there are exposed beams, stone mullions and a hamstone fireplace. A primary school, post office and renowned pub give it life. Outside is a tiny patio.
Jackson-Stops & Staff, 01935 474066 Photograph: Jackson-Stops & Staff/Jackson-Stops & Staff

Take three: starter homes. This handsome maisonette near Barnstaple, Devon, is sited on a small development with no passing traffic. In return for the not-too-princely sum of £124,950 you will be the proud owner of a reception room, a kitchen, two bedrooms, a bathroom and a garage. The pretty market town of South Molton is but a stroll away, and Barnstaple and the coast are a brief drive. The rooms are a little thin, however - all less than 9ft wide.
Seddons, 01769 572121 Photograph: Seddons/Seddons

Take three: starter homes. Appreciate the inflated nature of London prices with this £199,995 “starter” in London, E13. To be fair it’s a decent size with a garden. Tube links at Plaistow and Upton Park are nearby - it’s 20 minutes into the city - and the high street is round the corner. Plaistow is being regenerated (and desperately needs it) and prices may benefit from the 2012 games. Inside you get a reception, a kitchen, three beds and a bathroom.
Balgores, 01708 470756 Photograph: Balgores/Balgores