Trading up, trading down

Trading up: Norfolk. Once an inn, this five-bedder in the hamlet of Worthing has preserved its late Georgian virtues – exposed beams, large fireplaces, brick arches in two of the bedrooms, and tiled floors. The garden room, utility room and fifth, en suite bedroom could be hived off into a self-contained annexe if grandma comes to stay. A barn in the gardens now serves as a double garage and workshop. Yours for £425,000.
Belton Duffey, 01328 855 899 Photograph: Belton Duffey/Belton Duffey

Trading up: Welsh borders. This £475,000 four-bedroom farmhouse near Ludlow and Llandrindod Wells has been refurbished and boasts a linked coach house, which could be kitted out to absorb overspill. It began life as a medieval hall and has housed several high sheriffs of Radnorshire. Modern intervention has bequeathed a garage and oak mullioned windows, and its ancient pedigree survives in the panelling, beams and inglenooks.
Humberts, 01584 877778 Photograph: Chesterton Humberts Ludlow/Chesterton Humberts Ludlow

Trading down: Somerset. Its perch on the quayside in the town of Minehead has made this two-bed cottage a successful holiday let. You can gaze at the sea from the living room window seat, there are spectacular coastal views from the raised back lawn, and Exmoor is a half-mile stroll. The furniture and four-star VisitBritain rating are thrown in should you wish to earn an income from it, but small-scale households could move in permanently. Cost: £250,000.
Richardsons, 0164 370 3212 Photograph: Richardsons/Richardsons

Trading down: Surrey. You can shrink picturesquely into this cottage and nurture rural fantasies without straying from town. Ham has a village green with duck pond and swathes of open common land, but it is a walk away from Richmond town centre. The Thames and the National Trust stately home Ham House are a few minutes down the lane. Inside is a reception room, a rustic kitchen, two bedrooms and a small back garden. Yours for £375,000.
Foxtons, 020 8973 2700 Photograph: Foxtons/Foxtons

Dream home: Spain. This renovated £340,000 apartment in a historic part of Marbella is a few minutes walk from the beach and the old town centre. The scent of jasmine wafts you in from the cobbled lane through the kitchen to your large, stream-side dining patio. The master bedroom (with dressing room and bathroom) has a hand-decorated ceiling while guests get their own en suite off the bedroom next door. The floors are tiled, the windows large and the rooms aristocratically proportioned.
Savills, 00 34 952 827 999 Photograph: James Stewart/Savills/James Stewart/Savills

Bargain of the week: Argyll. It would be reasonable to assume that a front digit has dropped off this £795,000 price. Usually only multi-millionaires can aspire to an 11-bedroom castle in two acres with a pillared ballroom, a library and a dining room big enough to seat 24. Built by the 19th-century architect Alexander “Greek” Thomson, it soars on a peninsula beside Loch Long with views over the Firth of Clyde, an hour's commute from Glasgow. Recent renovations have restored grand painted ceilings, marble floors, elaborate fireplaces and wood panelling.
Savills, 0141 222 5875 Photograph: Savills/Savills