compare your overpriced London property with wonderful country homes
From cottages to country estates, these home types are thoroughly researched examples of the sort of move you can make. They are arranged in price order so please browse through to find your price bracket. See our 'Where to Live?' tab for more information on the areas featured.
From the second floor in N7 to a little bit of suffolk heaven
If you live in a 1 bed, 2nd floor Holloway flat, consider instead, buying an idyllic 3 bedroomed period cottage in the Suffolk countryside for the same money. In the area between Sudbury and Ipswich a period house with pretty garden could be in one of the many small friendly villages and surrounded by georgeous Suffolk countryside. You can expect to find homes with charming period features, well finished with good quality fittings. We price match these two property types at £500,000.
East Greenwich to charming Rye Citadel and release funds
If you currently live in a 3 bedroom terrace house with small patio in SE10 your property will be worth around £850,000. Perhaps you'd love to retire to the charming East Sussex cinque port town of Rye. Well you can do, and at the same time release £65,000 of your funds because, for £785,000 you can buy a beautiful grade 2 listed three storey, late fifteenth century piece of history in the cobbled street conservation area that is the citadel of Rye. You can observe the comings and goings of the town, the harbour, the sea and the expansive sands of Camber in the distance. A fabulous selection of shops and eateries are in strolling reach. A wonderful place to give up city life - to paint, to write music, to write a book or just play host to friends who will want to come and stay in this fascinating nook on the Sussex/Kent borders. If you are not quite ready to give up you London connections you might be pleased to hear that from Rye’s own station you can connect to Ashford and by using the High Speed Rail line be at St Pancras in an hour and 8 minutes total journey time.
Your street in SE10?
From Kensal rise flat to a proper house with country views
Buy a beautifully re-stored 4 bedroom Victorian house set in a couple of acres of gorgeous Bedfordshire countryside for the price of your NW10 reasonably sized 2 bedroom flat with modest rear garden. Move to a green and pleasant spot within a few miles of a commutable train service to London. A charming property with plenty of features such as exposed wooden floorboards and cast iron fireplaces will likely have a large kitchen/breakfast room, separate dining room, sitting room, hall, cloakroom and utility room as well as 4 bedrooms and family bathroom and… if fishing is your passion, how about your very own river frontage! £695,000 for this sort of property.
From a 2 bed Twickenham flat to a pretty thatched cottage
Are you living in a nice 2 bed garden flat in Twickenham? How about owning a thatched cottage with 3 bedrooms, stacks of appeal and stunning Berkshire views instead. Homes such as this, in West Berkshire, with good access to a town and station are a very tempting proposition, especially if they have a lovely garden and outbuildings. You will be adding just half an hour to your mainline journey, but adding so much to your life. Pay £675,000 for a home like this.
Upsize North London N8 flat to a handsome house near historic Saffron Walden.
There are a good selection of houses for sale in and around the lovely market town of Saffron Walden for sale for less than the price of a 2 bedroom N8 garden flat between Highgate and Crouch End. Served well by two village stations at Audley End and Great Chesterford, you are in London in under the hour. These handsome 4 bedroom homes of great character have plenty of reception space and are well finished with good quality bathrooms and kitchen. Some of rural Essex's most sought after villages are here and although in beautiful countryside, you would be only a mile or so from the M11 and easy distance from a train station. Villages come with nice pubs, primary school, country store and a great mixed community with local people and ex-Londoners like yourselves.Pop into Saffron Walden’s twice weekly market to pick up some local produce or deli treats, it has been going for 800 years and just gets better. Price match at around £700,000.
Clapton to Cambridgeshire village
A 3 bedroom terrace house in E5 is worth about the same as you would pay for a stunning detached period property in an adorable Cambridgeshire village. Just a short drive to an easy commute from Huntingdon or St. Neots, You will expect 4 or 5 bedrooms, well-appointed bathrooms and kitchen plus a drawing room, dining room, snug, study, garden room, breakfast room. You may find gorgeous period features throughout and a charming garden with far reaching views, plus a garage or other outbuildings. Excellent schools and a welcoming community add to the package. Price match- £900,000.
From South Norwood to the village green.
Your 3 bedroom, two reception, 1930’s semi in South Norwood could fetch £775,000. For that you could purchase a lovely period house down a quiet lane in a pretty Hampshire village near the Berkshire border. A 4 bedroom house with a quarter of an acre cottage garden could be backing on to the village cricket green just along from the primary school, church and pub. Such a home would have lovely features, open fireplaces throughout all the main reception rooms, a Victorian kitchen, a study/home office and a garage complete the package.
From high rise to family sized in Buckinghamshire
If you have a 3 bedroom stylish high rise apartment in Stratford E15 spend the same on a 4/5 bedroom Buckinghamshire home. It will be either a recent build or with high spec updates such as a stylish open plan kitchen/dining room located in one of the small towns or larger villages at the foot of the Chiltern Hills. Perhaps you have decided to start a family away from the hustle and bustle of City life. You will have good internal space and a decent sized garden with a proper bit of lawn. Easy access to a 50 minute commute and local schools, shops and services plus you would be conveniently situated for the further facilities of either High Wycombe or Aylesbury. Price match around £875,000.
From Kilburn to spacious village house.
A two bedroom flat in a purpose built apartment block on Kilburn High Road can be exchanged for a stunning 5 bedroom family home in one of Bedfordshire's very best village locations not far from one of the counties market towns. In this price bracket a well finished and exceedingly spacious home could be yours with lots of space and a proper garden of your own. Price match around £975,000.
The Village Pub.
From cul-de-sac to country estate
With the £785,000 that your modern three bedroom house in a gated cul-de-sac in Roehampton would provide you, the beautiful East Sussex countryside beckons. For about the same money you could buy a five bedroom former coach house. Your property could be part of a conversion of a country estate, now forming individual and attractive residences for several families in wings of a main house and detached homes in buildings such as coach house, gate house, stables etc. These types of re-developed former mansions make homes that are manageable in size yet come with grand proportions and unique features. Search for a home on the outskirts of a pretty and historic village such as Burwash with its facilities including boutique and antique shops, some lovely pubs and eateries and a genuine community feel.
From SW19 to affordable Surrey villages
Perhaps you have a 2 bedroomed end of terrace house with a small rectangle of garden in Wimbledon SW19 worth around £850,000. Swap this for country charm in Surrey. In the delightful Godalming or Chiddingfold areas, a 4 bed detached cottage may be found. Surrounded by its gardens, you home will have great appeal with leaded windows, beams, open fires, perhaps a cosy Aga in the kitchen. An Idyllic semi-rural setting with the train to waterloo and the extensive facilities of the county town of Guildford all within easy reach.
Do you have grand designs on creating your own amazing space?
A 4 bed house in Crofton Park will fetch around £800,000. £350-400K should find you a Kent property in need of serious modernisation in a good spot with decent grounds. You may find anything from a grotty-but-habitable bungalow to an old timber framed barn inhabited only by the wildlife. Either live in the soon-to-be-demolished existing property, in a rented mobile home on site, or a rented home nearby. Your remaining funds should be plenty to achieve perfection to you own exacting requirements with the sleek design and eco-credentials you want. It is not for the faint hearted, but many families have great success building their dream home. Finding your plot will take some homework with your search extending beyond the regular roster of estate agents and including specialist sellers and auction houses. Places do come up, occasionally empty plots with planning consent or redundant agricultural buildings – Happy hunting!
From SE4 to the ‘Hundred Acre Wood’
Realise a childhood dream for the price of your 4 bedroom semi in Brockley. You can achieve a quintessential country house down a quiet lane in a village near the Ashdown forest that inspired the Winnie the Pooh stories. A 4 or 5 bedroom detached house will have fascinating nooks and crannies and with around an acre of beautiful garden there will be plenty of space for your vegetable plot, a small orchard and a few happy chickens. East Sussex villages such as these are English to the core with cricket pitch, local shop, church, primary school and tennis club and a busy and friendly community. Pay £900,000 for a home like this.
From Deptford to a Rural Barn Conversion
For what your modern 3 bedroom terrace house in Deptford SE8 is worth, buy a magnificent barn conversion near one of the many sought after villages north of Chelmsford in Rural Essex. Typically you will have generous open plan spaces, impressive galleried landing, master ensuite and 3 or 4 additional bedrooms. Extensive gardens surround the property to include a well-designed terrace area for entertaining and outbuildings such as a large cart barn style garage. Price match £875,000.
Cramped in SE16 to spaced-out in Kentish village
If you have a 4 bed town house on the market you could move to one of the lovely villages around Faversham in Kent. Your house in something like the Surrey Quays area with 4 bedrooms, well-appointed but with just one reception room and a small courtyard or ‘city garden’ is worth around £975,000. In Kent you could hugely increase your entertaining space, have a kitchen you can eat in and extra rooms for a study, perhaps a home cinema; outbuildings and a garden with trees, lawn space and a plot to grow your own veg. You could be looking out on green fields whilst Faversham itself is close at hand and full of life with excellent shops and restaurants, a haven for foodies. Trains into London Bridge take just over the hour or you can go direct to Stratfford to pick up the DLR if that suits.
From Crouch End to Historic Water Mill
Swap your London living and buy something truly unique and amazing such as a converted water mill. A nice three bedroom terrace house in N8 with a small sunny garden gets an acre plot on the outskirts of one of the small Hertfordshire towns. Expect up to 5 bedrooms, lovely bathrooms, multiple light and spacious reception rooms with fascinating features reflecting the buildings working past. Surrounded by landscaped gardens and plenty of lawn - and of course the mill stream running through it. A pleasant country drive would take you to your station for a ride into London of about 40 minutes. Many converted old farm or working buildings make truly unique homes with loads of great talking points, and some are not as remote or isolated as you might think – well worth looking at. Pay around £1.2M for this sort of property.
From the edge of Steatham to the heart of the village
If you live in Streatham Hill your 1930's semi-detached house with small garden is likely to be worth the same as a charming grade 2 listed property in one of the popular West Sussex downland villages close to Arundel. Your home could have origins dating back to the 19th Century and you can expect a well maintained property with wonderful victorian features, open fires and a fascinating history. With a cottage garden of perhaps a quarter of an acre, a central village location will be very popular. The nearby town of Arundel with its imposing castle is great for boutique shopping, antique browsing and a range of eateries. Price match around £895,000.
From Willesden to a country inn of your own.
Living in a four bedroom house in NW10? This could buy you a new life owning and running a wonderful Oxfordshire pub. Freehold pubs are frequently on the market at a range of prices dependant on their size, location and trading figures. The proceeds of the sale of a London home such as this one will be more than adequate to buy a going concern with owner’s accommodation on site and a financial cushion to get you started. Price match at around £950,000.
NW10 “in need of updating” or perfectly finished with views to lift the soul?
A 4 bed house in Kensal Rise in need of updating can be worth an amazing £1,000,000. For your budget we would suggest looking in West Berkshire. Here a period 5 bedroomed detached house with plenty of character and good proportions will have a high standard of décor and finish. If heart stopping sweeping views appeal to you, you could find this and more around the Downland villages of the Lambourne Valley.
From a SW15 ground floor flat to a country house with extra space.
Your 2 bedroom garden flat in Putney is worth enough for you to purchase a gorgeous 17th Century brick and timber country house in West Surrey, in one of the pretty villages near Farnham. A 4/5 bedroom home with drawing room, dining room, family or entertaining room, study and kitchen/breakfast room may also have an annexe room for a grandparent or au-pair. The property could be encircled by about half an acre of grounds with lawn, shrubs, trees, a garage and sunny terrace for Al fresco entertainment. Price match at around £1.1M.
From Peckham to Chichester and the sea
Buy a handsome 4 bedroomed period West Sussex house by the sea for what your 4 bedroom terraced house in Peckham should fetch. Your country home could have elegant reception rooms, a country kitchen perhaps opening on to a delightful sunroom or conservatory, secluded manageable gardens, garaging and be just a short drive or even walk to a beach such as West Wittering. Price match circa £1M.
From a 3 bed terraced house in N16 to a fine ironstone detached house
Stoke Newington's prices have shot up so much over the last few years that your 3 bedroom house would buy you an elegant home in the Oxfordshire countryside. Constructed in the distinctive local ironstone with slate roof, we find homes in the attractive villages within range of the useful rail line into Marylebone. In this area you are not far from the gateway to the Cotswolds, Chipping Norton, but also in easy reach of the cultural facilities of Oxford itself. How about an early Victorian Rectory? With a village location, expect 6 bedrooms, four reception rooms, outbuildings and beautiful gardens cradling the house. Price match at around £1.2M.
From N4 to proper village life
A small 4 bedroom terrace house with 25ft patio in Finsbury Park could buy you a beautiful, 5 bedroom, modern, converted barn with half an acre and self contained annexe in one of rural North Essex's charming villages on the outskirts of Braintree. Price match around £1.3 million.
From Wanstead to River Views
Are you living in a large 5 bedroom house in Wanstead with only a courtyard. For the same money you could own a huge residence in the Essex countryside, only a few miles from the station at South Woodham Ferrers. From here you are at Liverpool Street in under an hour yet the area is a haven for yachtsmen with marinas on the Crouch and Blackwater estuaries. Your grand property would come with generous reception rooms, perhaps a river view from its balcony or terraces and substantial gardens. For this budget you can expect a sweeping gravelled driveway and garaging for several vehicles. Price matched at £1.2 million.
A weekend in Wanstead?
From the Balham streets to a beautiful barn or oast house conversion
If your family has a 3 or 4 bedroom, terrace house in Balham its worth quite a bit, even if it needs some work doing. Save the hassle and buy a grade II listed traditional barn converted to the highest specification with real imagination in one if the highly desirable East Sussex villages surrounding Tunbridge Wells. It will have at least 4 bedrooms, a grand, full height hall and a light, spacious open plan living layout. If you fancy one of this regions unique oast house conversions, these ‘fairy-tale’ buildings come onto the market at a similar price level. Outside, the garden will be a generous chunk of beautiful East Sussex countryside, perhaps with some woodland, paddocks or an orchard, along with garage or other useful outbuildings. A few country miles take you into Tunbridge Wells, packed with charm as well as all the retail and leisure facilities you might want. A convenient country train station will be nearby for the commute. Price match £1.4 million.
From SW6 to sporty Surrey/Berkshire borders
A 3 bedroom Victorian terrace house in Fulham is worth around £2.3 million. This will buy you a posh piece of commutable Surrey. How about a 4-5 bedroom home with a hot tub and half an acre in the area famous for Surrey's best ranked golf courses. The country areas around Windlesham and Chobham are in easy reach of some fabulous clubs, or perhaps you fancy a day at the races.
From N1 traffic fumes to the natural world with studio space ...and release funds.
Exchange a 4 bed terraced house with tiny garden in N1, worth about 2 million pounds, for a wonderful 5+ bed property in a charming Suffolk village near commutable Ipswich, worth about £1.25 million, where Art and Nature are in harmony, with gardens, woodland and outbuildings with studio potential. You should also expect beautiful period features and the perfect edge of village location, plus good access to the coast. Then you can decide what to do with the quarter of a million punds that`s left over!
Camden flat to country house, with money to spare.
A 2/3 bed flat in Camden, worth about 3 million, can fund the purchase of a magnificent 6 bedroom converted barn with pool, on the outskirts of one of Hertfordshire`s very desirable villages. Your new spacious home with huge rooms will be close to a good commute such as Bishops Stortford. With Hertfordshire's excellent schools just adding to the appeal for a growing family who need a bit of fresh air and space to run around in, with a price tag of around 2.5M, you`ll also have about half a million left over to spend on something else.
Pay off your mortgage and live the country house dream.
If you live in East Finchley in a reasonably sized 6 bedroom semi with a pleasant garden, your property is worth enough (probably about 2.4M) for a move to Cambridgeshire - paying off the mortgage or releasing some equity. For 1.75M you could buy a stunning Grade 2 listed country house in rural but commutable Cambridgeshire. This should have a master bedroom suite, 5 further bedrooms, a large and well fitted kitchen/breakfast room, and several reception rooms including perhaps a games room, music room or big kids chill out room. A house of this size could be easily re-designed to accommodate a granny annexe if needed. You would expect a couple of acres of garden and to be located in one of the delightful villages around Huntingdon.
From semi-detached in Southfields to Medieval farmhouse (with its own fields)
A well presented SW19 family house with decent sized garden could buy you an impressive period farm house near one of the charming central Hampshire villages. You could expect 5 bedrooms and multiple reception rooms with exposed beams and inglenook fireplaces, perhaps 2 or more wonderful acres of glorious Hampshire countryside, surrounded by farmland and fine views. Your nearby village would of course provide the necessary everyday shopping, doctors, primary school, church and pub. At this end of the market, your lovely home would be within quick and easy reach of a station with around an hour journey to Waterloo. Price match £1.5 million.
From W4 to a village house with room for all.
If you own a 4 bedroom house in Gunnersbury you could move to beautiful Buckinghamshire and find a home in the prime conservation area of one of the historic villages that this county has to offer. You would have significantly more generous family accommodation than your W4 house. In this area we find very charming properties with a good sized garden, an excellent area with an easy London commute yet right among the delights of the natural world. Price match £1.65 million.
Shepherds Bush to sought-after village (complete with actual sheep, bushes, trees, hills …..)
Are you happy with a dismal walk down the Uxbridge Road to the Tube Station or would a short country drive to the mainline be OK? A selection of substantial family homes can be found in the Berkshire areas between Reading and Newbury. Either recently built or recently extended and updated, a large 5/6 + bedroomed family home with light and spacious rooms will have generous family and entertaining space, gardens of a few acres and a gated entrance with sweeping gravel driveway. Add to this the much sought after edge-of-village location amidst lovely countryside, easy access to the M4 and great rail links - and you have a winning combination. Perhaps you have a 5 bedroomed house in Shepherds Bush, you have extended into the loft and the cellar but would really like more elbow room. Price match £2 million.
From N16 turn-of-the-century to a Weald of Kent historic farmhouse
A 5 bedroom terrace house in Stoke Newington may currently be worth around £1.7 million. For the same price find a stunning grade II listed farmhouse in the rural area of one of the Weald of Kent's most desirable villages. The house could come with a few acres of grounds perhaps to include extras such as a swimming pool or tennis court. Your home would likely have been recently and tastefully updated with touches such as slate floors, bespoke kitchen and subtle lighting complementing the aged oak of its beams and doorways. Your village will have at least one fab gastro pub or restaurant, its butchers, village store, perhaps a bakery-come-coffee shop and an antiques shop. This property may also fall in to the catchment area of the much sought after Cranbrook School or the other ‘super-selective’ grammar schools here, adding a valuable premium to this already amazing property. A commute around the hour will be within easy reach.
From East Dulwich Semi-detatched to Impressive County Home
How about a 6 or 7 bedroom grade two listed detached house in one of the many attractive Essex/Suffolk border villages not far from commutable Colchester? Perhaps you are currently living in a semi-detached Edwardian house in East Dulwich, four double bedrooms and decent sized back garden. If it is finished to a high standard the price it would fetch would buy you an impressive country home. Such a property could provide a guest suite as well as 6 family bedrooms, 5 reception rooms, even enhancements such as a tennis court, garden pavilion, a swimming pool, croquet lawn or paddocks, stables, garages and a beautiful garden and meadow. Here you can enjoy all the wonderful benefits of country life whilst having the amenities of a picturesque village to hand. Price match at around £1.5 million.
From South Hampstead to rural splendour
Living in a 3 storey, 5 bed, NW8 terraced house with modest rear garden? How about a period farmhouse or barn conversion situated in an idyllic location in the rural hinterland of a charming Buckinghamshire village. Sell up and you could purchase an amazing six bedroom home with magnificent views over some of England's finest countryside. Your impressive home will have features such as a minstrel’s gallery, inglenook fireplaces a huge kitchen/ family room or a conservatory leading out on to the gardens. This home would have airy high beamed ceilings and generous space of over 3,000sq foot. A real country idyll, yet you could be getting from home to office in little over an hour door-to-door. Price match around £2.2 million.
From near the Common to open space of your own.
Living in SW4? If you are within half a mile of Clapham Common this gives your 4/5 bedroom house added value and a sale price somewhere in the region of £2.8 million. So how about buying some open space of your own? The New Forest beckons. At the same time you can clear your mortgage or release some equity. Live the country dream in a house situated between the hyper desirable Hampshire villages of Brockenhurst and Lymington. Here you will find an equestrian haven plus you can enjoy the pleasures of the water with the marinas and sailing clubs just minutes away. For around the £2.25 million mark, buy a huge 6/7 bedroom country house with high specification finish in every room. Expect an elevated setting overlooking the acres of your park-like grounds, a piece of New Forest you can call your own.. and have around £500,000 left over.
From Greenwich to prime Kent countryside
For around £2.5 million you could buy yourself and your family a magnificent country house in one of Kent’s prime areas between Sevenoaks and Tonbridge. In Greenwich, four bedroom, terraced houses with attractive gardens, cost about the same. So move to Kent and have several acres to walk, stroll, run or exercise the horses in. Expect properties with tennis courts, swimming pool and perhaps a barn for entertaining and parties or your own lake. The main house would have at least 5/6 bedrooms, plenty of ensuite facilities, large reception rooms and a wonderful terrace from which you could enjoy the magical views of your very own piece of Kent countryside. The easy commute has long made this area popular and there should be a choice of well-maintained sizable homes in this price bracket.
From hectic Hammersmith to peace and quiet
Do you currently live in Hammersmith? For the sort of money your 4 bedroom end of terrace house in W6 it is worth you can buy a house on the fringes of one of the quintessentially English villages in the Surrey countryside in the area around one of the many pleasant towns this county has to offer. Your grand house would have 5 bedrooms and large reception rooms, a few acres of grounds and additional space for perhaps a snooker and games room. Although in a secluded setting you could be under a mile from the centre of a pretty village complete with a great pub with a good restaurant, village stores and post office. Price match around £2.25 million.
From Islington to equestrian
Own a narrow, five storey terraced house in Islington? This will buy you a top class Hertfordshire home in a very desirable location. Around the property hot-spots of Harpenden or St.Albans there will be a choice of houses with this price tag. Even within this very convenient area, opportunities exist for a family to radically enrich their lifestyle so you could opt for a large country home set in a secluded position within your own 6 – 12 acres. How about a family house with added extras such as fully functioning equestrian facilities or perhaps a detached annex or barn with business potential. Price match at around £3.25 million.
From SW3 to Brighton and Hove seaviews
Fashionable Chelsea living may be desirable at one time of your life but your 2 or 3 bedroom maisonette would fetch enough (probably 3.5M+) to buy a magical house in Hove, next door to Brighton, with probably about a million pounds left over. For around 2.5 million the 5 bed detached house would be immaculately presented with impressive rooms, seaviews, heated swimming pool and lovely paved terraces for summer entertaining. A fast train to London is close by in Brighton.
Maida Vale to magnificent Thames Valley country estate
If you are living in a 4 bed Little Venice townhouse, your property value could get you a proper Berkshire country house estate. Imagine electric gates opening to a tree lined driveway taking you to the house, its separate cottage, annexe, stables, swimming pool and numerous other outbuildings all set in 50 acres of formal gardens and grounds, paddocks and woodland. This magnificent estate would be in the middle of some of the best country real estate in England yet within an hour's commute of London Paddington. If this seems like a little too much to handle, perhaps 5 to 10 acres has more appeal. A slightly more modest estate, still with excellent leisure facilities, could be bought at this price in the Berkshire areas even closer to London such as the popular Cookham Dean area and around Marlow. Price match- £3.5-4M.
From Pimlico with a patio to spacious Surrey abode
If you are fortunate enough to own a four bedroom freehold in SW1, set on four floors with a small patio garden, the £6 million or so that your property is worth will buy you an incredible home in classic Surrey green belt, and leave you some change! For this sort of money you could live at the rural fringes of a village with a convenient rail station in the Guildford area. A selection of imposing 5/6 bedroom country houses will be available in a choice of styles. Perhaps a beamed manor house appeals or one with Edwardian grandeur, something from the 20th century or even a top spec new build, the choice is yours. They will come with facilities such as your own indoor swimming pool, extensive formal lawn and gardens and garaging for several cars. The house would be spacious, well designed and impeccably maintained in an area with excellent schools, top retail and restaurants.
From just off the Archway Road to a serious chunk of Chiltern Hills
Living in a substantial Victorian house on the Hornsey/Highgate boarders? Sell up to buy a spectacular period home in the Chiltern Hills of Oxfordshire. You could expect a 7+ bed house with landscaped grounds, panelled rooms and period features, all superbly maintained and in a glorious setting. Additional facilities might include a cottage for staff or guests, a pool, tennis courts, stables, paddocks, woodland … perhaps in grounds of around 20 – 50 acres. This inner part of the county of Oxfordshire, with its excellent transport links, has prime properties for sale. Price match at around £6 million.