Six To View

Scottish pile

KILMENY, Ettrick Road, Edinburgh
Price: £3.75m
Agent: Knight Frank
Tel: 0131-222 9600

They say: Less than two miles from the city centre, this substantial detached Victorian villa has seven bedrooms, two conservatories, an orangery, guest cottage and a large garden.

They say: Having only one conservatory feels rather inadequate once you've seen this enormous house. There's even a billiard room, and a tower room that's perfect for star-gazers. And if all those bedrooms are ever full, you could make use of the guest cottage.

Block party

CANONBURY MANSIONS, Canonbury Place, Islington, London N1
Price: £715,000
Agent: Savills
Tel: 020-7226 1313

They say: Located in the centre of Canonbury, this three double-bedroom apartment occupies the entire top floor of this elegant 19th-century mansion block. The rooms have good proportions, and are well laid out. The flat is ready to move into and offers good access to the shops and restaurants of Upper Street.

We say: A relatively large home for the money. It's worth pointing out that, unusually, the kitchen is big enough for a decent-sized table. The large windows are an added bonus, giving great views over fashionable Islington and beyond. The drawback: there's no outside space.

New wave

PARK HILL HOUSE, Park Hill Road, Torquay, Devon
Price: £1.2m
Agent: Jackson-Stops & Staff
Tel: 01392 214222

They say: A brilliantly conceived, individual house with sea views. There are five bedrooms with en-suites, including a visitors' bedroom with kitchenette, as well as a sitting room with access to a roof garden.

We say: Arranged over four floors to take advantage of the views, there is a lift stopping at each level. It's as hi-tech and "designed" as you could expect, and located on a wooded site within walking distance of the harbour and shops.

Make mine a double

LANSDOWNE GARDENS, Vauxhall, London SW8
Price: £475,000
Agent: Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward
Tel: 020-7582 7773

They say: Stunning apartment with two bedrooms and two en-suites forming part of a pub conversion in this sought-after conservation area. The reception has double-height ceilings and there is a garden area to the front.

We say: Two things mark this out. One is that the property has its own entrance – always a bonus for a flat. Secondly, it's sold with a share of the freehold, which will help the resale value. In addition to that, the apartment is light, bright and spacious. It comes down to how you feel about the location.

History repeating

KINGSLEY HOUSE, Kingsley, Cheshire
Price: £545,000
Agent: Jackson-Stops & Staff
Tel: 01244 328 361

They say: Charming house built in 1872 and sympathetically restored to a superb standard, with three double bedrooms, a kitchen, dining room, morning room, sitting room and landscaped gardens.

We say: It also has a small fourth bedroom that could make a nice nursery, or be incorporated into one of the larger ones as an en-suite.

Full steam ahead

THE WATER TOWER, Station Road, Faversham, Kent
Price: £229,000
Agent: Strutt & Parker
Tel: 01227 451 123

They say: An interesting conversion of a former railway water tower in a medieval market town, this one-bed, two-reception home has a roof terrace, parking for two cars and an adjacent garage.

We say: High ceilings and large windows add to the sense of space, but having a small flat over three floors may not appeal. Living next to a railway line may not tick your boxes either. Still, it's 70 minutes to London Victoria.