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CONSELL, MALLORCA

Realise your dreams and up sticks to the sunshine lifestyle that comes with this £277,500 finca in the village of Consell, Mallorca. The house is set in 3,281sq ft of grounds with outbuildings, ideal as guest apartments, and gardens filled with palm trees, shrubs and plants. A large terrace and barbecue area overlook a swimming pool. Inside are four bedrooms, three bathrooms and two generous reception rooms in need of some modernisation. Palma is a 20-minute drive away. Details from FPDSavills (020 7408 5520).

CONEY WESTON, SUFFOLK

A very British alternative at £265,000 is Plantation House, a Grade II listed thatch in Coney Weston, near Bury St Edmonds, Suffolk. Period details include inglenook fireplaces in the sitting and dining rooms and exposed beams throughout. A handbuilt kitchen with tiled flooring leads to a study, utility room and bathroom. Upstairs, three bedrooms enjoy picturesque views over half an acre of gardens and the local duck pond. Trains from nearby Diss take about an hour and 15 minutes into London. Through Abbotts (01284 725566).