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A modern two-bedroom apartment in east Belfast is on the market for £185,000 - so there's a bit of change from the budget this week.

The first floor flat at 3 Halcombe Square has a spacious living room and dining room with a very cool kitchen.

It has an integrated stainless steel gas hob, under oven and extractor fan.

There is also a contemporary white shower room, oak-effect double glazing and two good-sized bedrooms, both with built-in mirrored sliding door wardrobes.

An intercom adds to the feeling of security with communal car parking - and it's handy for the city centre as well as being near public transport routes.

Eric Cairns Partnership, tel 028 9066 8888 or www.ericcairns.co.uk

Spain

Under £200k buys a lot of house in tourist-favourite Spain.

Say 'hola' to a four-bedroom detached villa and pool just 10-minutes from a natural sandy beach in the town of Guardamar, on the south side of the Costa Blanca.

Your villa will be 'built to order', says Ken Morrow of Iberian International. He added: "Buyers will have input into the planning and design of their villa, and can choose their own tiles and other features."

Luxury touches such as a Jacuzzi bath can also be included depending on how much you want to spend, with prices ranging from £160,00 to £200,000.

Mr Morrow, who has lived and worked in Spain for many years, said Iberian International knows the location "intimately" and can provide excellent advice for local buyers.

Iberian International, tel 028 9047 1505 or email kmorrow@bitinternet.com

France

A one-bedroom apartment in the idyllic Domaine Haut-Gardegan in the south of France could be yours for under £200,000.

The resort in one of France's most beautiful regions in Bordeaux, close to the border of Dordogne, features a breathtaking landscape, a vibrant village, world-class golf course, spa and four-star private residences.

It is also near the UNESCO world-famous village, Saint-Emilion - a beautiful medieval town with steep hilly cobbled streets running through ancient limestone buildings, which is known for legendary vineyards and its historical and cultural richness.

In the heart of this idyllic spot, the Haut-Gardegan village offers visitors a prestigious journey in a high-class resort, full of French "ambience" and less than one hour's drive from the coast.

Lisney Overseas Residential, tel 003531 619 8900. Email spalmer@lisney.com or nwalsh@lisney.com

It's hard to believe a two-bedroom, two-bathroom house in Brittany costs a lot less than £200,000 - just £79,323 in fact.

The houses in Benodet overlook the Golf de l'Odet golf course, and other facilities here include an outdoor heated swimming pool, tennis, children's play area, bar/restaurant, golf driving range.

All this is just one mile from the sandy beaches of Benodet.

Overseas Properties. Contact Larry O'Connor, tel 003534 89089 100 or www.overseasproperties.com

Turkey

Discover Datca town in Turkey where £98,500 will buy you a three-bedroom detached villa, a few hundred yards from a private beach.

The town, which has been a popular port of call for millionaire yachts, has many bars and restaurants along the beautiful harbour.

The villas have a large living room (25ft long), a magnificent master bedroom, two other bedrooms, two balconies and two bathrooms, all fully furnished for less than £100,000.

Anglo Turkish Holiday Homes also offer "fly buy" inspection trips which include a free seven-day holiday (you pay for the flights, but if you purchase a villa the full cost of your flights is refunded).

And many buyers from Northern Ireland are now the proud owners of a second home here.

It's a good investment too with Datca and indeed Turkey as a whole outperforming Spain, Portugal and even Greece.

Anglo Turkish Holiday Homes, 232-234 Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast, BT4 3ET, tel 07761 763 575 or email peter.gillies1@btinternet.com