Trading up, trading down

Trading up: London. This is Edwardian flamboyance in West Norwood. If you want to raise a family in the capital it's a classy way to do it. The setting is leafy and peaceful, all four bedrooms are doubles, and the kitchen and living room are both 25ft long. As the £399,950 price implies its vintage state is not entirely desirable: you'll need an extra £50,000 or so to modernise inside. Freshly spruced it would be worth nearer £470,000.
Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward, 020 8761 0900
Photograph: Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward

Trading up: Denbighshire. If the half acre that surrounds this riverside farmhouse near Ruthin doesn't accommodate your aspirations you can negotiate separately for another 23 acres (for a further £300,000). If, however, you can cramp your style, £495,000 will secure you an elegant listed farmhouse with huge views. There are five bedrooms, three bathrooms and four receptions, many of them with ceiling beams and original fireplaces.
Strutt & Parker, 01244 354880
Photograph: Strutt & Parker

Trading down: Essex. 'Beauty', says the brochure tactfully, 'is in the eye of the beholder.' Viewed from outside inwards this two-bed bungalow near Clacton lacks obvious loveliness, but viewed from the inside out … it is built with its fellows on the sea wall of a 700 acre nature reserve with shared private access to a sandy beach. Built as a holiday camp in the 1930s, war prevented frivolous pleasure seeking. The £115,000 price tag is an unusually cheap way to secure sea views and immaculate accommodation.
Bedfords, 01284 769999
Photograph: Bedfords

Trading down: Kent. This three-bedder is a youthful gatehouse leading on to a mews development in the centre of Beckenham. The planners would probably sanction a small roof terrace off one of the bedrooms, which would be the only private outside space. Inside is room aplenty with a lounge, a smartly fitted kitchen and a bathroom. Security gates shield you from late-night mischief, but it's an extra £20,000 if you want the parking space (this is so the asking price escapes the higher stamp duty band). Yours for £250,000.
Winkworth, 020 8650 1000
Photograph: Winkworth

Bargain of the week: County Durham. It was fairly priced at £250,000, but because the owners need to a quick sell here is a rare chance to buy three double bedrooms, two bathrooms, a circular garden room and lofty rural views for £200,000. It's a stone end of terrace in the village of Witton-le-Wear with a south-facing terrace. You might want to upgrade the kitchen and bathrooms, but it's ready to move in to.
George F. White, 01388 527966
Photograph: George F. White