We are not suggesting for a second that £600k is somehow inexpensive; it is, obviously, a vast amount of money. But when shoeboxes in certain parts of London continue to command eye-watering prices, these buys do suddenly seem to offer value for money – depending, of course, on your search criteria. Here we present a handful of the best properties that’ll give you change from £600,000.
Two Bed Cottage, £525,000
Blakeney, Norfolk
It may not be vast, but there can be few prettier places in the country than Blakeney, with its array of classic flint cottages and Georgian townhouses – all dotted with hollyhocks in the summer – that spill down to the glorious salt marshes. Perfect for a small family, the opportunities for crabbing and sailing would make for the most idyllic childhood. Inside it’s cosy and sweet, while outside there is a west-facing walled garden. A small slice of heaven. Find more details here.
Three-Bed House, £570,000
York
Fulford, the achingly fashionable part of York, is awash with cafes, good schools, a Waitrose and cultural amenities – all right on the doorstep. This three-bedroomed house would make a brilliant buy for a family wishing to be in the thick of things, and yet would also allow them to carve out a little haven of peace of quiet too. A semi-detached beauty, it has bags of period charm but has also been given a contemporary facelift by its current owners. It is, however, the garden that has us really sold: mature, tranquil and beautiful, it offers a small pocket of the country, right in the heart of the city. Find more details here.
Four-Bed House, £525,000
Falmouth, Cornwall
What Falmouth lacks in the boutique charm of places like Fowey or Port Isaac, it makes up for with its museums, cafes and the buzzing life of the town – not to mention its beaches and natural harbour. This property, found right in the centre of town, has harbour views from the top floor. It also offers prospective buyers a fully modernised blank slate – and four bedrooms to play with. We love its generously proportioned sitting room, as well as the scope to make this into something really spectacular. Find more details here.
One-Bed Apartment, £595,000
London NW3
It may not be palatial, but to live in the Grade I-listed Isokon Building is to claim your slice of architectural history. Not only an exemplar of Modernism, it was also the movement’s first example of a block of flats in Britain. Designed by architect Wells Coates, it was built in 1934 and then restored to its former gleaming ocean liner glory in 2004. There’s no shortage of eminent former residents, who include Agatha Christie, Walter Gropius (founder of the Bauhaus School), and artists Marcel Breuer and László Moholy-Nagy. Of it, architectural critic J.M. Richards once wrote, it was ‘more like the machine-a-habiter than anything Le Corbusier ever designed.’ Hampstead Heath and Primrose Hill are but a short walk away. Find more details here.
Four-Bed House, £550,000
Sheffield
Location, location, location: this large Victorian property ticks two boxes on that score. That it is in Sheffield – as opposed, say, to more fashionable York – instantly reduces the price tag, despite the fact that the city has a huge amount to recommend it. And if Sheffield is where you want to be, you couldn’t do better than bagging a beauty in Nether Edge, where this big town house is situated on a leafy street amidst a conservation area. There are very good schools, plus more independent cafes and bars than you could shake a stick at. We love that this house has a landscaped garden at both front and back, both of which are ripe for some imaginative planting. The perfect spacious home for a family who want to be in the city but also close to the beautiful open spaces of the Peak District. Find more details here.
Two-Bed House, £500,000
Southwold, Suffolk
It is true that you don’t get a huge amount of space for your money in the perennially popular seaside town of Southwold. You do, however, get plenty of charm as evidenced by this town cottage, which is currently used a holiday let. You could, of course, buy it and continue that tradition. Or, even better, you could buck the second-home trends that so often turns places such as this into ghost towns in the off-season, quit the rat-race and move to the sea full time. Should you choose that option, there is no shortage of glorious walks or cosy pubs to revel in – and you may just find you prefer the quiet months without the crowds. Find more details here.
Three-Bed House, £485,000
Chepstow, Wye Valley
This Georgian townhouse in the heart of Chepstow is a dream of a buy. As with most properties of the period, it has perfect proportions and charm to spare, plus it’s been well decorated (we’re particular fans of the flagstones on the ground floor), so that changes you may wish to make would be purely decorative. What we are completely bowled over by, however, is the view: just imagine summer breakfasts on the balcony overlooking not only the sweet cottage garden below, but also Chepstow Castle and the Lower Wye Valley beyond. Bliss. Find more details here.
Two-Bed Apartment, £550,000
York
We love this Grade II-listed apartment, which combines elegant proportions with industrial chic. It has sunroom, a terrace and its own parking space. Winningly, it also has spectacular views across the River Foss, the Merchant Adventurers' Hall and gardens in the centre of York. The perfect home for a couple or a family of three. Find more details here.
Three-Bed House, £575,000
Bath
For a little under £600k, you can still buy an apartment in Bath on one of its prestigious Georgian crescents: The Circus. And while that is, of course, a dream, it’s also heartening to know that, if you go just a little off the tourist trail, you can also buy a proper family house for a similar sum. Larkhall village is quiet, set apart from the millions of tourists that beautiful Bath attracts and yet it is a mere 1.2 miles away from the action. We love this 1900s cottage, set amid a sweet row, with its three bedrooms, its boot room and its stripped floorboards and simple country aesthetic. Find more details here.
Four-Bed House, £599,950
Bristol
Sure, the interior needs a serious overhaul. But this bright yellow jewel of a four-bed Clifton Village is a steal at a shade under £600k. It is, after all, the most sought-after area of the city, and this house has character a-plenty, as well as space – all a skip away from the green space of Birdcage walk and the cafes of Clifton. All you’ll need is a little vision (and yes, some extra cash to do the work). Find more details here.
By Nancy Alsop
February 2023
