It’s that time of the year again - the time to forget about your own modest housing requirements and take a moment to consider how the other half live.

Yes, the Land Registry data is in, and the list of last year's most expensive homes is available for the rest of us to look at with pure envy.

From Northwood to Northaw, homes with sweeping driveways, private gated entrances and lawns that are "ideal for croquet" have been snapped up by new owners with deep pockets all over Herts.

Naturally, swimming pools and home gyms also feature among the kind of houses that also have a spare property in the garden marketed as being ideal for a live-in nanny.

Speaking as someone who doesn't currently have space for the five regular members of the household, let alone the live-in help, this is very much the stuff of dreams.

Actually, a utility room would be the stuff of dreams at this point. But back to the list: topping the countdown of Hertfordshire's finest is a £4.5m pad near Hertford, while luxury homes in Radlett, Harpenden, Braughing, Shenley and Aldenham complete the top 10.

Arguably the most interesting thing about all this is that they're so cheap.

I know, I know - they're obviously, actually, the opposite of cheap - but compared to the big hitters of the last few years, they're relatively inexpensive.

Woolmers Park in Letty Green, Hertford, topped the 2017 Herts hotlist by some margin with a sale price of £15,583,406 - more than double St Albans' Wick House (in second place at a frankly bargain basement £7.1m).

In 2018, 15 Newlands Avenue, Radlett, sold for £9m, followed by 30 Astons Road, Northwood at £7.3m.

So while house prices in excess of £4m may be way beyond most of our financial limits, compared to previous years they could almost be considered cheap.