The Househunter

Good morning to you all. Or, perhaps good evening. Spot of lunch? Whatever you’re doing, whatever time it is then Greetings. Time for our weekly installment of house envy as we go poking round the properties that are for sale and imagine how we would live given the requisite millions and time-travelling commute possibilities.

First up, this (and shall we start as we mean to go on) a penthouse in North London. Wide open spaces, exposed brick, white sofas (weeps gently at the thought of ever being able to live in a house with white sofas) and the windows, oh the windows.

It’s on the market for a mere £2m via The Modern House, and has two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Mind you, you could have a party for about 100 people in the sitting room so that’s not entirely indicative of the size. It’s 1808 sq ft, which is about the size of my entire house, which is arranged over three floors and this is on one.

Strange then that one of the bedrooms is only 16ft by 8.10ft. I might have been tempted to push the wall out a bit more there, although there is a separate walk-in wardrobe so it really is just a space for a bed.

There’s also, and this is the bit you are paying for, a roof terrace the same size as the whole apartment. It’s on the fifth floor, those with vertigo need probably not bother approaching the bank manager.

The other point to note is that there is planning permission to add another 600 sq ft on the roof. Now my fantasy credit card is really flexing in my fantasy Hermes purse.

So where shall we go next? Can we even top that? Worrabout this? It’s in Barcelona, it’s on the market with Sotheby’s and it costs around £595,000. And, it’s within walking distance of the beaches at Barceloneta.

There are five balconies (I know!) probably because it’s on a corner which makes it incredibly light as well.

According to the blurb, the three bedroom apartment has been divided into two separate areas for day and night. That may just mean it has bedrooms and living rooms mind you.

I’m quite taken with the black kitchen and that fabulous pink wall. I’m not sure I would have put quite such a massive black extractor fan on it but I love the idea. I have a pink fireplace but perhaps I should just go for broke and do the whole wall.

Love the casual use of this plant too. In fact if I had the top apartment I would definitely stick a few more plants in it. I’m not sure which floor it’s on but there’s a lift and there are two bathrooms.

Right those are the important boxes ticked. What’s next?

Paris, that’s what’s next. This is a three bedroom penthouse on three levels (with a lift) within spitting distance of Notre Dame. And this property, which in London would no doubt cost about 20 million quid (I kid you not; I have scrolled through pages and pages of London listings) is on the market (via Sotheby’s) for about £2.4m.

It has a roof terrace, three bedrooms and a laundry and a master suite with bathroom, dressing room and study. Now I know this is fantasy flat hunting but really that seems like a lot of bang for your buck/flash for your franc… compared with what you might get on this side of the Manche.

Now you might want to freshen up the decor a little but to have that much outside space – actually that much inside space – in this location is pretty amazing.

Here’s the way onto the roof terrace for you. There, now has that improved your day a little?

It’s a tough call this week. I’m torn between London and Paris. Either way, one of them’s getting a pink wall.