House prices rose by almost £3,000 in the month of October, but annual property inflation slowed to its lowest level in more than three years, Halifax reported today. Buyers' struggle to afford expensive homes even with mortgage rates at record lows has led to yearly growth slowing to 5.2 per cent, said Halifax.

Most first-time buyers can only dream of buying a home for less than £50,000. But the latest winner of an annual design competition shows that building one for that can be achieved. The Modulhus won over judges including Grand Design's Kevin McCloud and fellow TV property expert George Clarke. Designed by architects Barton Willmore and EcoMotive, it is a two-bedroom home covering 66 sq m and costs from just £49,644 to build.

The 18 bedroom castle is on the market through estate agents Sotheby's for £3million and includes a library, billard room and a wine cellar, along with 20 acres of land. Some of the furniture is being sold with the property, with individual items open to separate negotiation

For a mere £30million, you can become the owner of this grand property in the exclusive London enclave of Belgravia. It comes with not one, but two, separate mews houses for use as staff accommodation, as well as a wine store, vault, several terraces, and space for two cars. The elegant Georgian home in Wilton Crescent is within a stone's throw of Hyde Park and Buckingham Palace Gardens.

Regional differences mean Burnley in Lancashire is the most affordable place while Westminster in London is the least affordable, the latest research from the Office for National Statistics has revealed.

The floating homes boast sleek interiors, such as 28 ft reception rooms, the latest designer bathrooms and, of course, roof terraces with spectacular views. They also boast Sonos sound systems and blue tooth remote controlled heating. However living on a boat requires plenty of maintenance such as filling up with water, emptying your toilets and moving your boat if you don't have a permanent mooring.

Villa Les Cedres is in Saint Jean Cap Ferrat, a refuge between Nice and Monaco for some of the world's richest people. Built in 1830, the villa was sold in 1924 to Alexandre Marnier Lapostolle, owner of the Grand Marnier liquor brand. It is now up for sale by its owner, drinks maker Campari and could fetch a believed world record £250m.

The public toilets were knocked down and replaced with two semi-detached homes, each costing almost £70,000 more than that average price of a home in Britain. The developer reportedly found needles, drug packages, vermin and asbestos on the site.

Phil Palmer and his partner Michael Butcher appeared on Grand Designs in October 2013 with a bold design for a contemporary farm home just outside of Newbury in Berkshire. They gave up their jobs in the capital to oversee the house build and start a new business, deciding on the new name of the Two Cocks Brewery and farmhouse.

For those brave enough to take the plunge, or just curious as to what they could get for the cost of a semi in the South East, here is our pick of six chateaux each with a price of less than £500,000. They include (clockwise from top left) an eight bedroom 20th century chateau for £374,676, a seven bed chateau in Upper Normandy for £333,424, and a twelve bedroom chateau in Normandy for £455,684. A five bedroom chateau between Toulouse and Bordeaux also costs £455,684, where as a seven bedroom chateau north east of La Rcohelle costs £410,41, and a five bedroom chateau east of La Rochelle costs £309,284.

Everyone loves a good Grand Design - something that has helped to make it one of the most popular property shows on TV. Yet after pouring everything into designing and building their perfect homes, some owners have decided to move on, with three Grand Designs currently on the market. The owners of a seven-bedroom castle in Yorkshire (left), left the owners 'exhausted and scarily remortgaged up to the hilt', according to the show's presenter Kevin McCloud (inset). The purchase and redesign cost around £900,000 and the house is on sale for £1,650,000. A four-bedroom 'doughnut-shaped' property in Milton Keynes (top right), which was built in a couple's back garden for £400,000, is currently on the market for £1million. The couple behind the build, Peter Berkin and his wife Chard, were at odds at the end of the project. 'Peter is going to be happy here,' said Mrs Berkin, before adding: 'It has been positive because I am still here with him.' Meanwhile a six-bedroom house in Newport (bottom right) is on sale for £1,795,000 with the owners refusing to be drawn on how much they had spent on the build.