House swap – what will £500,000 get you?
Nothing like a lockdown to make you appreciate your home - or make you want to move when it gets lifted. But what will your money get you across the Muddy counties?
Buckinghamshire
This Grade II-listed period cottage is country quaint in a neat 3-bedroom package. Tucked away in the petite hamlet of Westlington in Aylesbury, it’s a short walk from the village green and has more original features than you can shake a chintzy floral print at.

Gloucestershire
Well, hello Cotswold stone! This Grade II Listed semi-detached in Stroud has some of the best views over the Painswick valley, not to mention three bedrooms, a cellar and cute courtyard garden.

Oxfordshire
How sweet is Willow Cottage in Kirtlington? This three-bed, one-bath property has everything from a walled garden to exposed beams, and there’s even a log-burning stove with side bread oven on the ground floor (wouldn’t that be ideal in lockdown?).

Cornwall
Always dreamt of a barn conversion on the coast? Snap up this 3-bed in the deep south of the county in Truro on the Roseland Peninsula for beams as far as the eye can see, an amazing rounded living room and a ten-minute drive to the beach.

Cambridgeshire
Fancy an interiors project? You’ll be rubbing your hands with glee when you lay eyes on this three-bed, two-bath in Kimbolton. There are plenty of gorgeous original features you won’t want to touch, but we’d be ripping that bright purple carpet out of the bathroom ASAP.

Leicestershire
Holy five-bed Georgian mansion, Batman! This property is perfect for anyone needing space – there’s a whopping 3500 square feet of it in this Leicester house. You’ll find it right on the high street but there are plenty of gardens and mature trees to make you feel like you’re in your own world.

Hampshire
This cute-as-a-button character cottage in Rownhams, Southampton dates back to the 1500s, but is in great nick thanks to being re-thatched in 2005. It’s a four-bed with great links to central Southampton and London – perfect if you want a slice of country life with a commute to the city.

Kent
Holly House is a three/four-bed chapel conversion in Alkham village in Dover with a massive open-plan living room (which includes the original church nave), vaulted ceilings and church windows. Amen to that.

Worcestershire
This neat five-bed detached house in Inkberrow is a great family base, thanks to the local amenities (a good school, post office, shop and pubs are on the doorstep) and oodles of space. We’re loving the cute shed in the garden, too.
