What does £5m buy in London?

South Kensington — £4,950,000

This is exactly the sort of beautiful flat which makes this part of London so popular: over 3,000sq ft of gloriously proportioned living space, with three bedrooms, in a fine, leafy square.

There are views of (and access to) the communal gardens of Onslow Square, but as a rare bonus this flat has access from the kitchen directly to a private outdoor space. Just try not to think too hard about the fact that you could save yourself £200,000 by living in this 16th century country house in Cambridgeshire.

For sale with Tedworth. See more pictures and details for this property.

Hampton Court — £5,000,000

Now this is a real find: a genuine Swiss chalet imported from the continent in 1882 and repositioned on 600ft of river front near Hampton Court.

There are Thames moorings (including one that's 150ft) and gardens, as well as history: Fred Astaire and Charlie Chaplin are among those who have visited.

For sale with Absolute Homes. See more pictures and details for this property.

Wapping — £5,000,000

Just a few hundred yards down the river from Tower Bridge, this two-bedroom penthouse looks like it's been lifted out of a film.

This might be the first time we've ever seen a property whose floorplan is three-quarters of a circle, which presumably made figuring out the square footage quite tricky. But they've done it: 3,357sq ft of internal space, and 3,300 sq ft of terrace and balcony.

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

Hampstead — £5,000,000

In much of Britain, a budget somewhere around the half-million mark will buy you a detached, five bedroom house with a nice garden. Put that same house in Hampstead Garden Suburb and you can roughly multiply the asking price by ten — such is the value people put on this postcode. And it must be said that this house in Holne Chase is undoubtedly lovely.

This 1930s, double-fronted home has 3,650 sq ft, a double garage, south-west facing garden and is within moments of lovely schools, local amenities and Hampstead Heath.

For sale with Wayne & Silver. See more pictures and details for this property.

Orpington — £5,000,000

Getting half-way to an eight-figure budget really can still buy you a country house within the M25, as this home in Keston shows.

It's a six-bedroom house in an acre of gardens set within a private gated estate — though you may need to set aside a budget for some work, since (unusually) there are no interior images, and the agents note that there is 'vast scope' for further improvement, both often signs that you'll need to roll up your sleeves. Or pay someone else to roll up their sleeves, of course.

For sale with Langford & Russell. See more pictures and details for this property.

Credit: Strutt and Parker

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