What can £500,000 get you around the UK?

North West

We think this property in the popular village of Hartford, in Cheshire, is quite a find.

First of all, it looks very spacious. The four bedrooms are generous in size, and it’s got three large reception rooms, a game room (currently with a pool table and wall-mounted TV), and best of all, an indoor heated swimming pool!

We like the entrance to the property via the massive gates, and the car port and double garage would definitely be useful spaces.

Hartford is a desirable location for several reasons, including for having high-rated schools, and being less than an hour’s drive away from the Peak District, and central Liverpool.

Wales

Here’s a brand new eco-friendly house in Pontyclun, Wales, that grabbed our attention.

Its striking architectural design makes for a modern home totally optimised to be energy-efficient, bright, and roomy.

The massive glass doors and windows throughout the property allow the natural light to flood into every corner, and the open plan layout combined with the high ceilings create a sleek and lively interior.

We love the Scandi style of including natural timber around the door and window frames as that helps create an environment that is both contemporary and welcoming.

The location of this development also seems great. It’s in the heart of the beautiful and protected Brynna Woods, yet only a short drive away from the M4, which connects easily to Cardiff and Swansea.

Scotland

Less than 40 minutes west of Central Edinburgh is the historical village of Mid Calder. There, right on the riverbank of River Almond, we came across this remarkable property.

What first caught our attention is the fabulous interior. It looks like something that would be featured on a lifestyle or interior design magazine.

It’s such a great blend of modern, quirky, stylish, and luxurious.

For us, the real axis point of the property is the kitchen/dining room. It’s stunning. Fully equipped to super high specs, and designed to be this home’s favourite hangout spot.

The worktops are a cook’s dream. The light grey Karndean flooring look sophisticated, and the lights hanging over the dining table are a gorgeous statement showpiece.

North East

This one sparked our interest for a few reasons. Mainly, it looks like it would make a lovely home – but it also comes with interesting possibilities.

It’s in the town of Whitely, North Yorkshire. The first floor is an impressive high-end apartment with three large double bedrooms, a great big kitchen, modern bathrooms, and spacious living spaces.

The property comes with a large garden, and get loads of natural daylight.

The ground floor was once a Café/bistro cleverly named ‘The Toast Office’ as it also used to be a Post Office. It’s now a blank canvas measuring more than 1,200 sq. ft (110 m2).

The possibilities are endless (subject to planning permission, of course). If you’re the entrepreneurial type, you could convert the space to run your family business, be it a Café, restaurant, boutique, or offices.

Or you could refurbish it and turn the entire place into one absolutely massive home. Or into another self-contained flat.

West Midlands

Here’s another modern home with an intelligent design. It’s in the quaint village of Brimfield, right between Ludlow and Leominster, on the border between Herefordshire and Shropshire.

One of the big benefits of many newly built properties is that they tend to be much more energy-efficient than older builds. It’s usually how they’re insulated and how they maximise natural daylight that makes the difference.

This is one of those.

The property is totally unfurnished, so you’ll have to use your imagination to visualise what the interior could look like. But it’s got everything a property needs to become an exceptional contemporary home – and it’s clearly been done to a high standard.

The downstairs area is pretty much one very big open space (you may have noticed we’re fans of open plan living here at Rightmove). The kitchen links seamlessly into the wrap-around living space, and the two large double glass doors lead to the and rear garden.

The American-style double garage with an electric roller shutter door makes for a very handy space. We’re thinking game room – a ping-pong or pool table would look good in there.

South West

Here’s a fabulous barn conversion we found just outside the city of Wells in Somerset.

It was originally a traditional stone construction and has now been transformed into a truly remarkable home.

One of our favourite features in this property are the massive full height glass panels that were installed on three of the sides of the house. This means the indoors are filled with natural light, and you’ll also get some spectacular views of the surrounding fields.

The interior is packed with high-spec appliances and smart gadgets including under-floor heating, fully programmable lighting and thermostats for each room, and a fully equipped kitchen.

The house is in Wellesley Park – a prestigious closed residential park with 17.5 acres of grounds – so you’d have exclusive access to a number of amenities such as a tennis court, indoor swimming pool, gym and spa.

Plus, you’d have the beautiful countryside right on your doorstep. The hills around North Wootton are delightful and are accessible with many footpaths and bridleways. The stunning Ebbor Gorge National Reserve is just a few minutes away, and the seaside a half-hour drive.