Tat London Journal

Lately I have been fetishising the idea of living by the sea. I don’t care if it gets howling in the winter, or crowded in the summer, it just strikes me as quite a good way of life. I am not seafaring folk, so I can give no real insight into this ‘good way’ of life, but one must muse on the idea, if only for a little, as it feels like a rather good way to spend the next five minutes or so.

This, as I think I have mentioned, is my favourite feature to research. Inevitably I sometimes prefer these houses to those featured on Dream Properties, but don’t tell them. These places feel less contrived, not filled with pristine kitchens or upholstered within an inch of their lives. Here there is a moment to consider the new life one could bestow on these fine structures. As ever, there are one or two below that barely need more than the electrics checked and a lick of p

Every month we find new homes that set our heart a flutter. This month is like any other. We have kept the £2 million marker in place as we feel it makes everything feel a little more reasonable. Which is a mad thing to say about £2 million but here we are.

We have cast our net across the country and gathered a selection of houses that give genuine pleasure. All are currently on the market and waiting, rather patiently, to be admired, whether a converted church, a polished London apartment or, more often than not, a cottage. We make no apology for this preference; it is simply where our eye tends to rest.

Bones, bones and more bones. That is very much where I am coming from with the list below. We have largely disregarded the interior choices and, in many cases, with good reason. But every now and then I find myself thinking my god, I would keep that. A proper old chintz sofa, for example, is not so easy to come by these days, and if you already have one, softened and worn in all the right places, I would hang on to it for dear life.

These dear friends are not your typical one up one down on Station Road, the second most common street name in the UK, just behind High Street. Instead, they are gargantuan properties, most of them firmly in the millions. Many will also require someone with deep pockets to make them whole again and, in some cases, simply to furnish the vastness of the rooms

Potential in spades across the glorious set below. Some, as you know, will need only the lightest of touches. There is one close to the end in Norfolk that requires almost nothing at all. The owner has done such a gracious job with the rest of the house that it feels more a question of restraint than intervention. That particular beauty is heading to auction, which is not usually something we go in for, but it felt such a shining example of a property that it would have been

I can’t list all the sweet treats below because the selection is genuinely bulging. Churches, thatched roofs, an almost unreasonable number of Grade II listed buildings, and plenty in between. I hope it offers a bit of inspiration and who knows, it might even plant the seed for a move of your own.

As I illustrated so finely in our recent Tête à Tat, Sekforde Property are the people in the know. They are two of the finest minds sweeping through the property market and naturally I took my moment to ask whether they might contribute to Property Week.

No beating about the bush, there are fewer below than usual. I make my apologies, there are only twenty. But my friends, when you have wrapped your gaze around these steadfast builds you will surely agree that they more than make up for missing out on five more or so. They are dashing, hard-hitting properties that boast that horribly rare attribute of being as beautiful on the inside as their façade. Yes, there are a few tweakments needed, some flooring removed, and perhaps o

There is something thrilling about the below. It feels akin to playing the lottery. The picture shown in each listing is the allegorical lottery ticket. Here, instead, of imagining house you'd spend your winnings, you ponder how you can rearrange the walls, create the kitchen, move the bathrooms, fix up that studio. Even though the real chances of you purchasing any of the below are limited, you get to sit in a world of your own making that might feel somewhat delusional but

Fifteen Properties With Potential, November 2025 Grade II Listed Country Estate, Bere Peninsula, Yelverton I am aware I have opened variations of this article before. The siren call of potential has that effect. But properties with potential are, at their heart, quintessentially Tat. This is a readership that wants to see projects, even if we have no intention of taking them on ourselves. I, for one, have absolutely no appetite for major works at the moment. Still, the greate

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Say it with me: beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So please don’t think I’ve entirely lost the plot with a few of the listings below. One or two may be nothing to write home about, but for those who know, the glory lies in the windows, the fireplaces and, in certain cases, the sheer splendour of their position. A couple even come with their own patch of land, which feels essential when it comes to proper daydreaming properties.

I think the property above falls squarely into the realm of click bait. Yes, it meets the brief by coming in under £500k, but it arrives with a rather daunting list of caveats. All that said, I still think it’s one of the most beautiful homes I’ve ever laid eyes on.

So many of these could do with a zhuzh, but that’s part of the dream. We’ve included one or two turnkey properties; many of the twenty, though, are in need of a new owner with big ideas and deepish pockets.

I think we all know next to houses for £500k and this is the other hot ticket in town! Here we winkle out the houses that are ready for a new life. They've seen some things and may well be feeling a little weary and in need of an injection of life.

erraced houses, small chapels, sturdy gatehouses and gleaming former factories. We’ve rounded them up, brushed them down and held them to the light. Scattered across the country, each has its own quirks and character, waiting for the next set of tenants — could that be you?

As I have surely mentioned before, this is one of my favourite features, although it does tend to get muddled. The houses below span the full spectrum of potential. Some are on their last legs, others need little more than a lick of paint, a well placed painting and some sturdy soft furnishings.

This article is stitched together each week by Charlotte Becque, who works with me at Tat. She diligently sends through the houses, and I cherry-pick, exclaiming with delight at the fruits of her labour. It’s a laborious process — particularly for Charlotte, I suspect — but it has become a fixture of the Tat map. After all, we are the sort of crowd who relish a bargain and can never resist peeking around other people’s properties, so it feels entirely fitting.

After a bit of a summer pause, we’re back with Dream Homes — the working title here at Tat. These are the houses we’d scoop up if the lottery came through for us. Realistically, it would need to be the Euromillions, as the upkeep alone on many of them would bankrupt most mortals. But why let money spoil the fun?