Trending:

Country houses for sale

13 absolutely beautiful character properties for sale at under £400,000

Alexandra Fraser

Beautiful country houses often come with price tags which put them out of reach for many – but delightful character properties can be found that are well within reach for most buyers, as these places demonstrate.

Rhynie, Aberdeenshire – £400,000

This one may pip the post of our £400,000 limit with an ‘offers over’ caveat, but it’s well worth it once you take a closer look. Previously on the market as an entire estate for £1.3 million, the land has now been split into lots, with this one holding the historic stronghold of the Gordon clan.

Craig Castle has been called the ‘challenge of a lifetime’, but for 63 acres and a stately home in need of a bit of work, you can’t go wrong with this price tag.

For sale with Strutt and Parker. See more pictures and details about this property.

Alresford, Hampshire – £400,000

Perched on the edge of the South Downs National Park, April Cottage is Grade II listed and, we’re positive, just as pretty all year round.

Dating from the 17th century, the house is chock full of natural wood, original fireplaces and surprisingly, light, due to most of its windows being south facing. Lovingly restored for the last 34 years, April Cottage is ready for its new family, set to be welcomed with a freshly-painted gate.

For sale with Hellards. See more pictures and details about this property.

Little Shrewley, Warwickshire – £400,000

Situated at the cross of Green Lane and Coffee Pot Lane, this period property has buckets of character to match its adorably-named location. In need of a little TLC, 4 Green Lane is a short walk from Hatton train station and benefits from quite a large garden.

This one is definitely a project in the making, but with a few coats of light paint and a new kitchen, there’s no reason why this couldn’t be the perfect family home.

For sale with Godfrey Payton. See more pictures and details about this property.

Morton On The Hill, Norfolk – £400,000

‘Prepare to fall in love’ warns Minors & Brady of this three-bedroom house by the River Wensum, and we do not disagree. Far from needing work, this charming property is shiny and ready to go.

With a beautifully-tended-to garden and some weird and wonderful interior choices, this is certainly a find – the new owners can either alter it a bi to suit their tastes or embrace the quirky environment the current owners have lovingly created.

For sale with Minors & Brady. See more pictures and details about this property.

Hay on Wye, Powys – £385,000

This two-bedroom stone cottage is as utterly charming as it is affordable. Full of bright, fresh interiors, it’s two miles from the closest town and firmly in the countryside.

It’s a little small (only two bedrooms) but makes up for its size with open spaces and a mature garden.

For sale with Chancellors. See more pictures and details about this property.

Staunton, Gloucestershire – £350,000

Location, location, location. Birchenwood, set in half an acre of peaceful surroundings, is a nature lovers dream. The brochure promises the appearance of wild ponies and deer, as well as a plethora of outdoor activities to choose from.

‘The property could best be described as an unfinished project’, says the agents.

No, its not exactly habitable yet, but after a few months spent on hands and knees sanding the floorboards and a few nights in the village pub (half a mile away), you’ll have an idyllic cottage in an even prettier setting. Worth it, right?

For sale with Hamilton Stiller Estate Agents. See more pictures and details about this property.

Waternish The Bay, Skye – £399,995

You can almost hear the new owner sigh as they walk through the front door of this special house after a busy day at work. Sitting on the banks of Loch Fyne, this family home is unique and incredibly spacious, boasting six bedrooms and an idyllic location.

The views across the Loch speak for themselves. A favourite retirement spot, the village had benefited from the additions of a pontoon and a sailing club. A short drive from the nearest town, central Scotland can be accessed via A roads and by ferry, though why you’d ever want to leave we don’t know.

For sale with Argyll Estate Agents. See more pictures and details about this property.

Whippingham, Isle of Wight – £385,000

Stunningly antique on the outside and sensitively refurbished on the inside, Barton Lodge was built in 1850 as one of a pair of lodges, forming part of Queen Victoria’s reconstruction of the Barton Estate.

Barton Lodge could be bought furnished as a successful holiday let, however with a little care in the garden and some personal touches in the house itself, it could be a wonderful family home.

For sale with Spencer Willard. See more pictures and details about this property.

Newcastleton, Cumbria – £380,000

11 bedrooms in an equestrian facility for under £400,000 sounds unimaginable, but that’s just what you’d be getting with Bailey Mill, placed just 8 miles from Newcastleton in Cumbria’s beautiful Bailey Water Valley.

The first lot includes the main house and four self-catering apartments, as well as the formal gardens. For those really keen on living the countryside life, the second lot includes stables, a ménage, two further apartments and various plots of land. The choice is yours.

For sale with Rettie. See more pictures and details about this property.

Oxted, Surrey – £350,000

Absolutely charming, Hillside Cottage is exactly what it ought to be. A poem of exposed brick and loveably-narrow staircases, it’s one for those who have dreamt of owning a Surrey cottage since they saw ‘The Holiday’.

Built in the 1880s, the property has all the modern conveniences one could ask for, and even boasts a large garden at the front.

For sale with Payne & Co. . See more pictures and details about this property.

Devon – £400,000

No, not the whole building at this price, but you do get the best bit: the five-bedroom penthouse flat within this grand Georgian manor house set in 11 acres of rolling grounds in Cowley, just a few miles north of Exeter.

The rooms are grandly proportioned and the views across the Exe Valley are spectacular.

As well as the lawns, the communal grounds and facilities also include an indoor pool, gym and tennis courts.

For sale with Knight Frank. See more pictures and details about this property.

Vale of Glamorgan – £399,950

There’s an astonishing amount of period character in this extremely pretty cottage, surrounded by a wraparound garden in a village not far from Barry.

A stone fireplace and door surrounds give an almost gothic feel to the place in parts, and it’s lovely to see those original details being preserved – the pretty stone wall in the bathroom being a case in point.

For sale with Watts & Morgan. See more pictures and details about this property.

East Sussex – £400,000

A few miles north of the wonderful town of Rye you’ll find the village of Wittersham, and in that village sits this four-bedroom home that is bursting with potential.

It certainly needs some TLC and there are structural issues to address as well, but for a brave buyer there will be all manner of things to love about this family home, from its fine proportions and its location on the prettily-named Swan Street.

For sale with Warner & Gray. See more pictures and details about this property.