It may come as something of a shock to many prospective homeowners, but BSA research found that raising a deposit is now less of a barrier than it has been. The report by the Building Societies Association covers issues such as raising a deposit, getting a mortgage and being able to afford the monthly mortgage payments.

The £400m conversion of the North London Edwardian warehouses includes shops and restaurants as well as 263 luxury apartments priced between £715,000 and £1.79million. Buyers are being invited to a preview this Thursday, but cannot move in until 2017.

Porcelain has been made and revered for 1,000 years since the Chinese first began using it for their bowls and vases. It continues to inspire admiration and adoration today. Now, the history of porcelain is the subject of a fascinating new book The White Road: A Pilgrimage Of Sorts by Edmund de Waal, a potter and author.

The Grade II listed property dates back to 1792 and boasts a wood-panelled living room, billiards room and wine cellar. It is just moments from Harrods in London's Knightsbridge and is available to rent for £6,950 a week or to buy for £14.5million.

They've struck gold on advertising linked to their internet channels and now high-profile YouTubers are buying multi-million properties to match their enviable lifestyles. Jim Chapman and his wife Tanya Burr are the latest to have bought a luxury home - with a private garden for their beloved dog Martha.

The luxury home, which is in a gated development near Hyde Park, was The Italian Job actor's address in the 1960s. Today, it has the Hollywood touch with Sonos sound system and designer kitchen. It is for sale through estate agents Kay & Co for £4.95m

The £3.25m house has seven bedrooms, a full-sized snooker room and an acre of landscaped gardens. It also boasts a grand staircase, a banquet dining room and a wet room. But it is the the underground showroom that is the real star of the show for car collectors.

The extraordinary offer of a solid, 'unexcavated basement space' came up at auction with the freeholder's consent to develop - but no planning permission yet granted. While paying hundreds of thousands of pounds for a piece of land in Britain is nothing out of ordinary, this is believed to be the first time that such a deal has been struck where the developer must work around - or rather below - existing homes to construct the new property.

The final six X Factor contestants moved into the luxury £7m property in North London this week ahead of the live shows beginning this weekend. It is in one of Barnet's most prestigious roads and comes with a large driveway and grand staircase.

If you're hunting for a cosy home as the nights begin to draw in, these church conversions will answer your prayers. For it's time to curl up on a luxury sofa under stunning stained glass windows with Halloween just a week away.

Having everything close at hand takes on a new meaning at this studio flat in London. The property in Earl's Court (inset) is close to museums, the theatre and walks in the park but it is being advertised for rent at £910 a month. Bills are included but the flat does not include its own bathroom. The exact dimensions of the property have not been disclosed, but photographs show it is compact (main). So much so, that there is barely enough room to walk from the entrance at one end to the window at the other. It is the latest in a run of properties in London that are asking almost four figures for a single room to rent.