Trading up, trading down

Trading up: East Sussex. The views alone will make your life feel larger. From the back of this grade II-listed house in the village of Old Heathfield you can gaze over open countryside to the South Downs. Inside is equally expansive: a studio and office section could become a granny annexe, and boarded attic rooms would supply a fourth bedroom if the planners approved. There is also a third of an acre of gardens. It is just a walk away from a primary and secondary school. Cost: £595,000.
Freeman Foreman, 01435 865055 Photograph: Freeman Foreman/Freeman Foreman

Trading up: Somerset. This is a wing of Fitzhead Court, originally a medieval mansion built near Taunton for the lord chancellor in 1470. It was remodelled in 1660 and again in the 18th century with embellishments such as a Jacobean panelled fireplace, a regal staircase and an inscription marking the various periods of its evolution. Three grand reception rooms, five bedrooms and an array of attics and utility rooms will effortlessly swallow an expanding household. It's all yours for £695,000.
Jackson-Stops & Staff, 01823 325144 Photograph: <a href="http://www.jackson-stops.co.uk">Jackson-Stops & Staff</a>

Trading down: Dorset. Five minutes from the beach, this grade II-listed miniature is a slice of West Bay in the Dorset resort of Bridport. The open-plan living area and two bedrooms have been improved with flagstone floors downstairs and stripped wood above, as well as fireplaces in the three main rooms and chic new bathroom and kitchen fittings. For £199,950 a small garden at the back is thrown in.
Palmers Snell, 01308 422929 Photograph: <a href="http://www.palmersnell.co.uk">Palmer Snell</a>

Trading down: Essex. Yes, really, this will embrace a shrinking lifestyle, but without curtailing your status. Within this grade I-listed Palladian mansion in Ingrave is a £250,000 two-bed apartment with a garage and large pastoral views. You and the neighbours share 16 acres of gardens laid out by “Capability” Brown set within 250 acres of parkland including a golf course. Trains are a mile-and-a-half away in Brentwood.
John D Wood, 01245 344 222 Photograph: John D Wood/John D Wood

Bargain of the week: County Durham. Given a quick revamp this four-bed cottage in Frosterley should fetch around £325,000. The £250,000 asking price allows for the fact it needs £30,000-£50,000 spent on modernising and possibly reconfiguring some of the rooms. For this you get an outhouse, two garages and a walled garden in an area of outstanding natural beauty, and inside large, airy rooms.
George F. White, 01388 527966 Photograph: <a href="http://www.georgefwhite.co.uk">George F. White</a>