Well one of the properties we were really interested in is apparently unmortgageable so we've had to cross that off the list and another one has just been sold.
We're left with a short list of 3: two are 5 acres one is 7 acres, all have outbuildings, one has river frontage and fishing rights and one used to be a nursery so the outbuildings are set up for that with an area for the polytunnels (handy as I'm planning on having a native plant nursery) . Two of the houses won't need anything doing to them but one I think might, there aren't any pics of the inside (always a bit of a give away)and it's only part double glazed, that is the one with 7 acres though.
I've compiled a checklist of all your tips and I'm obsessively looking at the properties on google earth. I've also got the OS map for the area to check out footpaths etc. All the properties have been on the market since June / July 2010 so there might be a bit of a deal to be done, fingers crossed.