Wreck of the Week

I've got a trio of cute Welsh cottages for you today - all in various states of renovation-readiness. I missed the boat on this first one - a detached cottage set in a quarter of an acre of rural Gwynedd, the deadline for offers was a couple of a days ago. However, things change and given the amount of work needed, it's worth keeping an eye on it returning to the market. Or just giving the agent a "just in case" call if you love it as much as I do. Three bedrooms upstairs (you'll need to add a bathroom); living room, kitchen (sort of...) and snug downstairs. There's an attached "store" - the thing with the corrugated plastic roof - and which currently isn't much use to man nor beast but gives you options for building outwards. All in a lovely, remote location about a third of a mile from the village of Aberangell. There's electricity but water, drainage and other services are unclear. It was on the market at offers...

Oh my. This is absolutely stunning - the very definition of a renovation gem. A sweet little bungalow with amazing sea views, a literary heritage, and a decent price (around £140k). The downside (obviously apart from the work that will need doing) is that the deadline for offers is noon tomorrow - Tuesday. Overlooking Southend Bay, the Scottish Southend that is, Achnamara had been owned by the prolific  Scottish author Angus MacVicar . Not sure who has been using the house since MacVicar's death 18 years ago but it doesn't look in bad nick for a long-empty home.   And I love that barely anything seems to have been changed from his tenure - from the wallpaper to those gorgeous lightfittings and less gorgeous storage heaters. The bungalow has three bedrooms (personally, I'd turn that front bedroom into a dining room and knock through to the kitchen) and a large garden. Achnamara is on the market through Stewart Balfour and Suth...

After my post about homes by the sea, I thought I'd thought I'd step sideways and look at a couple of properties with holiday B&B potential. Like this, the Old Post Office at Rosehall, in the Scottish Highlands - the name alone has booking appeal. It needs work, obviously, but the rooms are a good size with lots of original features, and the four bedrooms and two bathrooms upstairs have definite B&B/AirBnB scope. Downstairs that too-big living room offers scope too for creating an accessible bedroom and en-suite. And at just £150k (offers around) there's a LOT of space for your cash. Outside is a decent-sized garden surrounded by fields, a handful of neighbours, and forest walks and trails. On the market through Bell Ingram. Details here and here . Rather pricier (and rather more southerly) is this Somerset farmhouse with farm buildings, lovely courtyard and land. Sent to me by regular reader Charles (currently in his own home ...