Trading up, trading down

Trading up: Devon. A walk from the front door are the quaint pleasures of South Molton, a market town near Barnstaple. Back inside this 18th-century townhouse, old and new dwell in fetching harmony. Underfloor heating, a central vacuuming system, a trendy kitchen, a wet room and two en suites have been inserted, and Georgian graciousness lives on in the long sash windows and ornate plasterwork. Swelling families can spread out through three receptions, a garden room opening on to a walled garden, a playroom and four bedrooms. Cost: £555,000.
Jackson-Stops & Staff, 01271 377833
Photograph: Jackson-Stops & Staff

Trading up: Northumberland. This £550,000 four-bed house in the village of Eglingham is only two years old, but the local dressed stone helps disguise the fact. Outside it boasts traditionally venerable looks while inside is glossy modern spaciousness. Floors, doors and a staircase are solid oak, the three bathrooms are fitted with Villeroy & Boch, while a Rangemaster oven in the oak-fitted kitchen imports that essential designer farmhouse flavour. Still more expansive are the views over wild country to Beanley Crags.
George F White, 01665 603231
Photograph: George F White

Trading down: Kent. This is a dainty sliver of the handsome town of Edenbridge. The two bedrooms are a respectable size and the living room and breakfasting kitchen are spruced with wood laminate. The original sash windows have survived progress, as has an open fire with a brick surround in the living room. The back garden is a surprisingly lengthy 50ft. Two nearby mainline stations supply trains to London. Yours for £179,950.
Ibbet Mosely, 01732 862381
Photograph: Ibbet Mosely

Trading down: London. This kind of shrinkage will only work if you are departing a costly pile, because the house is small but the price is not. That is because it is a handsome street in a conservation area close to Ladbroke Grove. £470,000 entitles you to an open-plan living area, two double bedrooms and 19ft of garden. A rather stately tower will glamorise your reduced circumstances.
Marsh & Parsons, 020 7313 8350
Photograph: Marsh & Parsons

Bargain of the week: London. Five bedrooms in zone 2 for less than £400,000 is verging on the sensational – a similarly-sized house one street away in SE4 is on the market for £575,000. The catch is a disconcerting lay-out: the miniature kitchen is perched on the top floor along with three of the bedrooms, the bathroom occupies the ground floor and the other two bedrooms are in the basement with the utility room. But for £399,950 you get 1,418 sq feet of period living space and an 80ft garden close to Brockley station.
Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward, 020 8469 0202
Photograph: Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward