For many UK house-hunters, getting onto the property ladder can seem like an impossible task. Yet if you know where to look and don't mind a little bit of hard work, you could snap up a real estate bargain at auction. From a picturesque cottage in East Sussex to a family residence on the edge of the Lake District, these homes will soon go under the hammer. So, if you've got the nerve (and the budget), one of these affordable properties could soon be yours. Costs listed are guide prices and buyer's fees usually apply.

With a minimum opening bid of £250, this mid-terrace house in a popular residential area close to Aberdare in South Wales has huge potential for prospective renovators. The bay-fronted house does require updating throughout, but it offers reasonable space and has central heating via a gas combination boiler (though this has not been not tested).

Inside, there are two downstairs reception rooms that lead through to a kitchen area and the downstairs bathroom. The new owner might like to move the bathroom upstairs to add to the home's value or knock through to the second reception to create a larger kitchen. Upstairs, there are three bedrooms that with a little imagination, could offer plenty of space for a growing family.

Similar-sized properties on this street in good decorative order currently attract asking prices of around £79,995. The house is close to local amenties and less than a 10-minute drive from either Aberdare or Mountain Ash train stations. While the property will likely go for more than the starting bid, there's a great opportunity to make a sizable profit when the house goes to online auction at midday on 16 March with Paul Fosh Auctions.

Located on a quiet road in the border city of Carlisle, bidding on this two-bedroom house listed with Pattinson Auction is already open and closes on 18 March. Located close to transport links, the home offers a sizable lounge on entry, as well as gas central heating throughout.

Though obviously in need of some love and an overhaul, the kitchen is a decent size and wouldn’t take too much work to modernise. There's a door from the kitchen to a small rear yard, which can also be accessed by an alley by the side of the house.

The toilet and shower room is located off the hallway from the kitchen, while upstairs there are two bedrooms, both of which could accommodate a double bed. With a bit of a makeover, this fixer-upper project could make a suitable starter home, or possibly a rental investment aimed at students at the University of Cumbria, which is a short walk away. Terraced houses on this street are typically selling for upwards of £60,000 right now.

With a little imagination and a whole lot of elbow grease, this pretty semi-detached house could be something really special. Positioned in Berwick-Upon-Tweed, the principal market town in Northumberland, the property is a short walk from the area's amenities. Offering plenty of refurb potential, the house just needs some love. Plus, with a guide price of just £35,000, the residence will be well within reach for many first-time buyers.

Inside you'll find a hallway, two reception rooms, a kitchen, utility room and three bedrooms. There's also a bathroom, driveway, garage, small front garden and a spacious backyard. Sold as seen, the rooms will all need completely clearing of furnishings and belongings before any renovation work can begin. 

While we're sure some buyers will love the loud carpets, built-in stone fireplaces and clashing wallpaper, others might want to start from scratch when it comes to the interior design. Yet with a bit of vision and a cash injection, we're sure the well-maintained home would offer a reasonable reward for your efforts. Currently open to online bids until 11am on 15 March, this spacious family home is just waiting to be rescued. Get in touch with Pattinson Auction to arrange a viewing.

The online auction for this three-bedroom end-of-terrace house in Maryport on the outskirts of the Lake District opens at midday on 1 April via Auction House Cumbria. With accommodation spread across three floors and plenty of attractive period details, this house has enormous potential, particularly for anyone who may want to tap into the holiday-maker market.

There’s certainly a lot to do here, but the accommodation on offer is airy and spacious. There's a lounge, kitchen-diner, hall and large shower room on the ground floor, plus three bedrooms on the first floor. There are also two basement rooms and a utility room on the lower ground floor, which could be converted into more bedrooms, additional living spaces or an extra bathroom.

Outside, there’s also a good-sized terrace with pleasant views that could become a beautiful backyard after a makeover. Maryport is an attractive harbour town with views across the Solway Firth. The Lake District Aquarium is located here, alongside a couple of good museums and the Lake District National Park is just minutes away, making it an appealing location for visitors. Three-bedroom terraced houses here typically go for over £112,000 in the current market.

Up for auction from 24 March via Auction House Copelands, this large house in the riverside village of Dunham-on-Trent is a good opportunity for someone with a sizeable budget to return this neglected property to its former grandeur as a characterful family home. In need of a complete overhaul, the kitchen on the ground floor has been stripped out, but there's plenty of space to create an open-plan kitchen-diner.

Downstairs, there's also two reception rooms, a shower room and a utility room, but this floor could be reconfigured to create an additional two or three bedrooms, depending on how much living space you need. Upstairs, this cheap fixer-upper features a large bathroom, plus three good-sized bedrooms that offer plenty of room for a family to stretch out.

While some rooms are in a better state of repair than others, the house will require a total refurbishment, but there are added bonuses that'll add to its resale value, including a garden to the rear. If you're willing to put the time and money in, this house could offer a good return on investment, with three-bedroom terraces in the village currently selling for over £120,000.

If you have slightly more budget to play with and fancy taking on a bigger project, then this former Welsh chapel with a self-contained residence could be the property for you. Ideal for anyone seeking a tranquil village lifestyle, the abandoned church is nestled in the heart of the picturesque Dee Valley in Corwen, Denbighshire, and offers unobstructed views across the surrounding rural landscape.

Available via auction with Bowen Son and Watson, the chapel has a guide price of £50,000 and will go under the hammer on 25 March. Spacious and unusual, the building features a congregational hall, which has a soaring ceiling, banks of windows on either side and plenty of historic fixtures that could be rescued. The room has a pretty coffered ceiling, pine pews, a raised pulpit platform and timber tongue and groove panelling.

Spanning two floors, the property's lower level includes an old schoolroom and a self-contained apartment that offers two bedrooms, a kitchen, lounge and bathroom. Key features worth saving are the chapel's timber accents, original sash windows, open fireplaces and flagstone floors. The property was recently reroofed and there's already planning permission in place for the church's conversion into a heavenly family home.

Opening for online auction on 24 March with Auction House Copelands, this large lot offers the chance to effectively buy four properties in one bid. Currently, the block is divided into a two-bedroom mid-terrace house, a two-bedroom maisonette, and a one-bedroom flat, plus there’s a basement, which could be converted to create further accommodation.

Potential buyers could choose to keep the block as a collection of rental properties, with an estimated yield of £22,000 per annum following the conversion of the basement and an overhaul of the existing accommodation. The two-bedroom property within the block is currently let out to a long-term tenant at £450 per month.

The building's general state of repair is reasonable and it wouldn't take too much work to whip the other living spaces into shape to rent out. Heanor is a small market town in the Amber Valley district of Derbyshire between the cities of Derby and Nottingham, making it a great commuter town. If the lucky bidder chooses to renovate the lot and sell up, three-bedroom terraced properties in Heanor currently go for around £110,000, while two-bedroom terraces sell for something in the region of £85,000.

This a fantastic opportunity to snap up a pretty white clapboard cottage in the highly desirable seaside town of Bexhill-on-Sea, with accommodation spread across three floors. The auction via Clive Emson Auctioneers goes live on 24 March, but you'll need to have a reasonable budget to tackle what lies beyond its charming façade.

Though some of the interiors, like the kitchen, seem to be in a good condition, other rooms are currently inhabitable. Above the lounge, the ceiling has caved in so you’ll need to carry out essential structural repairs to bring the cottage back to a liveable state. There are three bedrooms and one bathroom on offer, all in need of a complete revamp.

But if you are prepared to put the work in, this country cottage could become a beautiful family home. Close to all the amenities of the town, it has the bones of a great holiday let or rental home, with good train connections to London. Three-bedroom properties in the town are currently going for over £300,000, so there could be a generous profit to make here.

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