You would have to do more than time travel to find a home as striking as the one we feature on this week’s front page… but we have turned up a trio of homes which give Court Green a run for its money.

All have something of the wow factor about them – all are lovely, light and airy and have individuality and uniqueness.

We’ll start with the delightful – and delightfully named – Custard Cottage at Crambeck Village. This is a home brimming with joyful touches and is in an idyllic rural spot. Dating back to around 1856, the property is part of what was once the Castle Howard school for boys (in fact the sitting room is believed to have once been the headmasters’ office, although, thankfully, today there is not a cane in view!).

Let’s walk you through what is on offer. We step into a hallway with cloakroom off, before passing into the aforementioned sitting room. This is a super spot with a feature picture window to one side, a newly-fitted feature fireplace with dual burning stove and further windows to both front and back (you can imagine how much light this room gets). Further along there is a study/snug.

Upstairs there is a master bedroom which has great views across open countryside (as well as an en-suite) and two further bedrooms and house bathroom.

What about the kitchen, I hear you ask. Well, we’ve saved the very best to last. This is an absolutely brilliant room with a range of country style base and wall units and a central island as well as freestanding base units and with a spacious dining area which has French doors opening out on to the rear garden. The views from the kitchen are absolutely lovely (take a look at the pictures and you will see what we mean).

Fantastic rural house with a really individual style. It’s on offer with Redmove at £299,950.

Also recommended viewing this week is a distinctive detached house in Lime Avenue, in the prestigious Stockton Lane area. It’s high and handsome, has bags of space to romp around in – and is fantastically light and airy.

On the ground floor the wow factor comes from a superb dining/study/sitting room which has a full wall of patio and French doors overlooking a super sunny garden.

There is also a formal lounge with double bi-folding doors to a hearty well fitted dining kitchen and an opening on to a smart conservatory.

On the first floor there are two bedrooms and a house bathroom and there are two further bedrooms to the second floor.

Big house with a big character, it is offered by Bairstow Eves at £400,000.

Making up the third of our terrific trio is a fascinating contemporary nearly-new home in Church Lane at Wigginton. If ever a house was purpose built to attract light and sunshine it is this one… The front has an almost Alpine chalet look with high pitched roof and full length, full height picture patio windows to both the front living room and the main bedroom.

The living/dining room is a glorious open space running to 38ft 5ins and with a feature central fireplace. There is a large, beautifully equipped dining kitchen and a modern entrance hallway. Upstairs there are four double bedrooms (one of which not only has those full patio doors with balcony but fitted wardrobes).

Very contemporary, very stylish, very different, it’s on the market with Churchills at £450,000.