Northumberland
‘In 2017, we witnessed an extraordinary shortage of supply, with pent-up demand causing gazumping in some cases. We must expect the same unless we see an increase in supply of houses in the New Year.
‘We’re so lucky here to have vast open countryside, protected rugged landscapes and heritage coastal towns with brilliant character – what’s not to love? The skies in the Northumberland National Park are so truly dark that it was awarded Gold Tier Dark Sky Park status by the International Dark-Sky Association’ – Sam Gibson, Strutt & Parker
What you could get: A farmhouse plus two further cottages in Chopwell, all set in six acres of land, on the market with Bradley Hall at £825,000.
North-West England
‘We expect the North to outperform London and the rest of the country – especially the North-West, where house prices sit at a modest multiple of average incomes: 5.6 times in the North-West, compared with 12.9 times in London’ – Lawrence Bowles, Savills
‘Prime country markets have been more resilient to the factors that have subdued London and we expect the north-west of the UK to outperform the rest of the country’ – Lindsay Cuthill, Savills
What you could get: Featured at the top of the page is Henbury Hall in Cheshire, one of England's grandest private homes and on the market via Savills at £20 million – but there are bargains to be had at a fraction of that cost. Take Lonsdale Villa, below. Built in 1861, it is an imposing, spectacular and recently-refurbished eight-bedroom Victorian residence in Penrith, on the market for £625,000 via Wilkes Green Hill.
North Surrey
‘With the prime and super-prime markets in north Surrey having fared noticeably better in the second half of 2017 than in the first, we anticipate this trend continuing into 2018: the issue will be a shortage of top-quality properties, many having been sold in 2017, with few new houses coming off the production line to replace them’ – James Cleland, Knight Frank
What you could get: This seven-bedroom mansion is in Burwood Park near Walton-on-Thames, on the market at £3.8 million with Savills.
North Thames and Chilterns
‘The planned growth in housing between Oxford and Cambridge is feeding interest back into the Hertfordshire market, with 2,000 houses planned for Bishops Stortford, leading to an increase in buyer enquiries. Closer to London, the Chilterns countryside around Beaconsfield and Berkhamsted is ever popular, with Crossrail a great draw in Buckinghamshire, in particular around the villages of Cookham and Bourne End’ – Damian Gray, Knight Frank
What you could get: An impressive family residence on a desirable road in Berkhamsted, for sale via Knight Frank at £1.5 million.
Essex
‘We foresee more people moving out of London in 2018 as the capital continues to see subdued price growth. With 10 years and some 70% price growth behind them, sellers in the affluent parts of east London are cashing in and moving to the commutable areas of Essex. Hotspots for 2018 are likely to be Chelmsford and the towns and villages hugging the A12 corridor ’ – Stephen White, Savills
What you could get: A 10-bedroom home with stables and paddocks in the village of Roxwell, a few miles from Chelmsford, for sale at £2.295 million through Zoe Napier.
Worcestershire
‘Worcester is undergoing a huge revamp and will be a hotspot to watch next year and with Shrewsbury and Hereford being new university towns, their younger population has grown substantially’ – Kevin Boulton, Strutt and Parker
What you could get: Naunton Court is a historic home that is believed to date back to around the 1600s, and for sale at £1.6 million through Knight Frank.
West Country
‘Despite all the challenges thrown at us in 2017, we’ve had our best year since we opened our Exeter office in 2001. We already have a number of properties lined up to hit the market in 2018, so we expect next year to be a repeat performance, if not better’ – Sarah-Jane Bingham-Chick, Savills
What you could get: Immaculately presented Grade II listed house near Newton Abbot set in enchanting gardens with cricket pitch, tennis courts and swimming pool, for sale at £1.75 million via Knight Frank.
Scotland
‘Edinburgh’s had a stellar 2017 and I predict the city will grow as the standout in Scotland in 2018’ – Ran Morgan, Knight Frank
What you could get: An iconic house in a superb location with commanding views over Edinburgh and the Pentland Hills to the south, for sale through Rettie for £4.5 million.
Yorkshire
‘Those buying in Yorkshire tend to be a mix of locals upgrading and natives returning home after making their money in London. You don’t get many people buying here who don’t have roots in some way’ – Luke Morgan, Strutt & Parker
What you could get: A beautiful four-bedroom stone-built house with formal gardens and paddock, for sale at £1.35 million with Dacre, Son & Hartley.
Credit: Strutt and Parker
Best country houses for sale this week
An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for
The most important country house sales of 2017, from £950k to £45m
Country Life’s property expert Penny Churchill takes a look at the state of the country house market in 2017, and
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Rock stars and the country house: Liam Gallagher's life in the Cotswolds is in the finest tradition of music A-listers, from the Beatles to BeyoncéWhat is it about the British countryside that draws A-listers from every walk of life? With Liam Gallagher's Cotswold former home on the market, Toby Keel takes a look.
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‘Activities are of the derring-do variety, and the weather is unreliable year round, so it’s useful to be a good sport’: A memorable road trip to the tidal island in Scotland where J. M. Barrie liked to holidayThe opening of three new hotels in Scotland was all it took to convince Jo Rodgers to journey northwards on a road trip with her husband and three young children in tow.
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Rock stars and the country house: Liam Gallagher's life in the Cotswolds is in the finest tradition of music A-listers, from the Beatles to Beyoncé
What is it about the British countryside that draws A-listers from every walk of life? With Liam Gallagher's Cotswold former home on the market, Toby Keel takes a look.
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Life on Portugal's Coast of Kings, where Ian Fleming met the triple-agent whose gambling inspired 'Casino Royale'Once a quiet fishing village west of Lisbon, Cascais became an unlikely hive of activity during the Second World War, attracting regal refugees and intelligence operatives in equal measure. Russell Higham investigates its enduring glamour — and its connection to Casino Royale.
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An extraordinary Italian palazzo built in the heart of Oxfordshire is up for sale at £16 millionThe Palazzo Pallavicini in Genoa inspired the creation of Newington House, which is on the market for the first time in 35 years.
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A bum deal on a bog-standard property? The former public conveniences being sold off for a songLondon has several affordable properties with enviable postcodes and great lighting... so long as you're happy spending more than a penny on a Victorian loo.
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A castle for sale just down the road from Gleneagles, where everyone from George VI to a farmer and his pigs once roamed the grand hallsOrchil Castle has seen it all in a tumultuous century and a half — but it's getting back to its best, and now needs a brave new owner to take it on the next step of its journey.
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Five homes with their own orchards that will be the apple of your eye (almost literally)If you've been looking enviously this year at neighbours with apple trees that have been heaving with fruit, here is the solution: five lovely homes for sale that come with their own orchards.
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A beautiful Victorian vicarage that was home to one of the Cadbury family heiresses is on the marketPenny Churchill tells the tale of Monks Bridge in Warwickshire.
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An outrageously opulent mansion in London's answer to Beverly Hills, with a gym that 'wouldn't look out of place in a 7* hotel''One of the finest houses in St George's Hill' is on the market. Annabel Dixon takes a look at what's on offer.
