What you can buy overseas for the price of a London bolthole

France, €510,000 Anduze, Gard 4 bedrooms, pool. Nîmes Airport: 45 minutes This is a charming, perfectly proportioned mas set in a small valley in a quiet and pretty setting. The entire house has been fully renovated by the current owners, and the enclosed garden has a swimming pool, spring and a garage. Emile Garcin (00 33 4 66 03 24 10)

Barbados, $600,000 Sugar Hill 3 bedrooms, resort facilities Barbados Airport: 40 minutes This open-plan, three-bedroom town house has its own plunge pool and terrace. Further facilities include a club house with bar, four tennis courts with floodlighting, a fitness centre, large swimming pool and a restaurant. The beach of Mullins Bay-one of the prettiest on the west coast-is a short drive away. Savills (020-7016 3740)

Crete, €420,000 Zeus, Lygaria 3 bedrooms, pool, parking Heraklion Airport: 30 minutes This newly built villa sits high on a hill above the village, looking down towards the resort of Agia Pelagia. It has its own infinity pool, which has far-reaching views of the sea, and there's a large covered verandah. It's fully equipped for use in the cooler winter months, with heating and a fireplace in the sitting room. Aegean Blue (0845 838 5108)

France, €477,000 Cognac 3 bedrooms, 1 acre Bordeaux Airport: 1 hour and 40 minutes A beautifully renovated farmhouse with a sunny, south-facing courtyard, situated right in the heart of Cognac's Grande Champagne region. The artist owner has tastefully decorated the interiors and the house is currently run as a gîte business. Maxwell Storrie Baynes (00 33 5 57 84 08 82)

France, €483,360 Dordogne 5 bedrooms, 2 gîtes, pool Bergerac Airport: 40 minutes This large family house is just on the outskirts of a town, within walking distance of the shops. Standing in a couple of acres of garden are the two gîtes, one with two bedrooms and a one with one bedroom-both of which have the potential to be let as holiday houses. Leggett Immobilier (0870 011 5151)

Switzerland, CHF700,000 (£480,000) Grindelwald 1 bedroom, fully furnished Berne Airport: 1 hour A collection of one- and two-bedroom hotel apartments in a typical rustic chalet building located right next to the ski runs. Owners can take advantage of the services at the adjacent Hotel-Restaurant Aspen, which also has a wellness zone. The glacier village of Grindelwald lies at the foot of the Eiger north wall and is a great year-round destination. Griwaplan (00 41 33 854 11 60)

Italy, €435,000 Orvieto, Umbria 3 bedrooms, communal pools, spa Perugia Airport: 1 hour 20 minutes The Borgo Medievale development has won several awards for the quality and design of its renovation: floors are terracotta and many of the rooms have exposed beams. The drawing room opens out onto a terrace for alfresco dining. Owners have access to pools and a restaurant. Chesterton Humberts (020-3040 8210)

USA, $749,000 Sarasota, Florida 3 bedrooms, air conditioning Tampa Airport: 1 hour This town house in the heart of downtown Sarasota lies in a walled courtyard that boasts a private pool and spa. The open-plan living space is laid out on three floors, with the master bedroom occupying the top floor. Michael Saunders & Company (001 888 552 5228)

France, €595,000 Chauvigny, Poitou-Charentes 8 bedrooms, B&B Poitiers Airport: 40 minutes This maison de maître has lots of potential. There is a separate two-bedroom guest wing, which is currently run as a B&B with an income of €6,000 per season, although this could be expanded with the conversion of a large annexe built of local stone. There is also plenty of space in the garden for a swimming pool. Winkworth (020-7870 7181)

Ibiza, €675,000 Roca Llisa 2 bedrooms, pool. Ibiza Airport: 25 minutes This modern house is just a short distance away from the small cove of Cala Olivera, which is perfect for swimming. It's located within a residential estate on the edge of a golf course with views to the mountains beyond. Knight Frank (020-7629 8171)