Here are six places across Britain which caught our eye as offering particularly enticing options, whether you're after a sprawling mansion or a pied-à-terre.
Warwickshire: A beautiful 18th century farmhouse with a barn and acres of land
Fir Tree House is a six-bedroom farmhouse that looks as if it has come straight from the pages of a Dickens novel. Sadly, it also looks as if it hasn't been decorated since the time of the great writer. The dilapidated charm will obviously go once the necessary work has taken place – as will the sense that you'll spot Miss Haversham sitting in an armchair.
For whoever takes the job on, this will become a wonderful family home with six bedrooms, lovely proportions and a wealth of fine features which – once finished – will ensure that Fir Tree House retains huge character.
There is also a barn which has been converted to a living space, just under eight acres of land and an option to buy 20 more acres of land plus assorted outbuildings.
For sale via Knight Frank. See more pictures and details.
Scotland: A 6-bedroom house with stables, a squash court and a tennis court, and over 50 acres of land
We'll get the bad news out of the way first: the inside of this spacious country house in Perthshire is in definite need of updating. But other than that, we're struggling to find the catch of a home with beautiful, mature gardens (totalling 10 acres) plus a frurther 20 acres of woodland and 22 acres of paddock and woodland.
The house also boasts a study, office and cellar, and as well as the various sporting facilities – a Victorian squash court, a tennis court, stabling – there's even a listed folly in the grounds.
For sale via Rettie. See more pictures and details about this property.
Wales: A beautifully-refurbished stone-built farmhouse with a swimming pool
In the heart of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park you'll find this picture-perfect 15th century home that's been lovingly restored to a high standard, with original features (including beamed ceilings and an Aga in the kitchen) retained wherever possible.
There's an outdoor pool with poolhouse, lovely gardens, and a paddock available separately should you want more land.
For sale via John Francis. See more pictures and details about this property.
Yorkshire: An immaculate four-bedroom Victorian house
Tucked away on the western edge of the Yorkshire Dales near Ingleton you'll find this 1850 home which is light, airy and beautiful.
The kitchen-diner (with Aga) is particularly lovely and the gardens feature a stream and a vegetable patch. Just idyllic.
The house also comes with just over an acre of land and a double-height barn with potential for conversion.
For sale via Davis & Bowring. See more pictures and details about this property.
Devon: A 27-bedroom house. Yes, 27 bedrooms.
No, neither the price nor the number of bedrooms is a misprint. A couple of miles away from Cullompton, this vast, sprawling house with extensive gardens is a former nursing home which closed down earlier this year.
It's located in the pretty and thriving village of Bradninch, which has everything you'll need including an outstanding primary school, a few shops, doctor's surgery and a couple of pubs.
The place will need a lot of work to either get it back up to scratch as a business or convert it for some other purpose, but the value on offer here is incredible.
For sale via Knight Frank. See more pictures and details about this property.
London: A two-bedroom flat by Battersea Park
This charming flat in Albert Palace Mansions is right round the corner from the park, and offers much more for your money than you'd get across the Albert Bridge in Chelsea.
There are two bedrooms plus a nice sitting room, plus a separate dining room.
For sale via Savills. See more pictures and details about this property.
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
9 utterly magnificent apartments where you can live in splendour at a fraction of the usual cost
An apartment within a listed mansion offers a fantastic mix of affordability, practicality and splendour, as these stunning places show.
-
Reading al fresco: The best places in London to get lost in the written word, according to the Country Life teamIn London, north, east, south and west, there's a public place suitable for all performative acts of reading.
-
The quiet corner of Suffolk where the country pub is thriving — and why it mattersPubs are more than just a place for a drink, they are the heartbeat of rural communities. Agromenes celebrates their survival.
-
Yes to padel, no to swimming pools: How to attract a new generation to the countrysideYoung parents are leaving the city earlier than in previous years, according to new research. What are they looking for?
-
A country house for sale that's had a century and a half of blood, sweat and tears poured into itGeneration after generation has lovingly restored Little Onn — and their efforts have paid off in fine style.
-
Papple your wick at this elegant Georgian home in Nottinghamshire which used to be part of an Augustine MonasteryThe Grade-I listed estate is on the market with Strutt & Parker — set in more than 10 acres, it comes with four cottages and a rather grand spiral staircase.
-
Hide from your hay fever in a larch-clad Passive House in Surrey designed by an award-winning architectHeron House might cost more than a pack of Piriteze, but it does come with three bedrooms and you'll save a fortune on bills.
-
This Cornish country home comes with barn, a burial mound, a piggery and a 700-year-old cottageHelland House is a wonderful country home in one of the most sought-after spots in Cornwall, and it's for sale for only the fourth time in the last 300 years.
-
So you want to buy a ruined castle? Here's what you need to knowBuying a property that includes a ruin — whether it be a castle, ancient priory or a crumbling Roman villa — carries undoubted romance, but there are caveats.
-
Jane Austen's uncle's house comes to the market, tucked away in its own conservation areaIn a secluded spot in Sevenoaks, Brittains Farm is up for sale — though it'll need a new owner not afraid of a little hard work.
-
Mesmerise yourself in this iconic listed home on the north Cornwall coastFormerly a Mine Captain's home, there is something absurdly profound about the Count House in Holywell Bay.
