London’s thinnest house, which has been recently listed for sale, is creating a flutter in the city’s property market! It is not hard to miss this house that is nestled compactly between a hairdressing salon and a doctor’s surgical clinic. The dark blue external paint, is the only way to truly spot the thinnest house in London.
The five-ft and six inch or 1.6-metre house (at its narrowest point) that has five floors and is located at Shepherd’s Bush, has been listed for a whopping 9,50,000 pounds, which works out to approximately 1.1 million Euros or USD 1.3 million. This unusually designed London house was once a Victorian hat shop with ample storage for merchandise on the upper floors, in tandem with living quarters to boot. It was built around the late 19th or early 20th century as per experts and the house still boasts of its classic glass-front shop, complete with an appealing lamp that is shaped like a bowler’s hat.
Winkworth Estate Agents is selling this property on behalf of the present owner and are confident that the house justifies its current price point, on account of its unique proposition and also for its role as being a novel component of the history of London. They are aptly calling it ‘a bit of London magic’.
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London’s thinnest house: Interesting facts
Besides its narrow width, there are several other interesting facts to London’s thinnest house.
- In spite of being the thinnest house in the city, the property offers 1,034 sq ft of space.
- It has two bedrooms, along with a roof terrace and a landscaped garden.
- Realtors label this house as cool, quirky and wonderful for entertaining guests. The house is at a highly strategic location in west London.
- The house was purchased by noted fashion photographer Juergen Teller and it was originally a hat store back in the 1990s. He converted it into a proper home.
- Teller renovated the entire house for optimising overall space and has included a study, a bathroom with ample closet space and other zones.
- Later on, reputed Pride and Prejudice actor Simon Woods lived here between 2006 and 2008.
- The present owners purchased this property for 5,25,000 pounds or USD 8,12,993 approximately in 2009. They are selling the property now since they are shifting overseas.
- The house’s dimensions keep varying all throughout. The kitchen at the end of the ground floor is the narrowest area in the property. At the same time, it opens into a dining zone which is almost double its size.
- There is a 16-ft garden, which can be seen beyond the charming French windows.
- There is a reception on the ground floor where the previous hat shop was probably located and the first floor is similarly sized as the ground floor.
- The first floor has a study and a bedroom with a roof terrace, offering a lovely view of the chimney pots and roofs in West London.
- There are spiral stairs going up to the second floor where there is a shower room and a bathroom, while the master bedroom is located on the third floor.
- This is accessible through a hatch opening through this floor for saving more space while the bed is built-in and covers one whole end of the room, integrated into the walls on both sides.
- There are shelves and cabinets on one end of the entrance hallway, while mirrors and white walls maximise the feeling of space.
- The kitchen has light colours along with mirrors while it also gets an AGA cast iron cooker.
- The dining room integrates a unique church pew, as well.
- There are windows on both ends of the house and on every floor, creating an illusion of greater space.
- The dining area is the widest point of the property at nine ft and 11 inches.
- The study on the second floor can be converted into another bedroom, if the new occupants desire so.
- The mezzanine floor at the top, looks onto the feature wall and bathroom.
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London’s narrowest house valuation
Realtors state that the house is perfect for young couples or individual buyers who are aware of its uniqueness and beauty. The house comes with novel period art deco and other exclusive interior design templates. This will appeal greatly to more bohemian, quirky and artistic home buyers, as per market experts. There are no properties in London which measure five ft and six inches at their narrowest points. There are multiple five-storied properties but no such unique zone with individuality that separates it from the rest as per realtors from Winkworth Estate Agents.
The home manifests the individual touches of its previous owners. The home price is costly, if Britain’s overall property market is taken into account. Average home prices hover around 2,56,000 pounds although the real estate market is costly in London. Shepherd’s Bush is a location that offers proximity to the heart of the capital and is only 10-15 minutes away. This is another reason behind the high price of London’s thinnest house. Interestingly, the window displays at the former hat shop used to be changed frequently including Halloween displays, a doll resembling Anna Wintour, the editor-in-chief at Vogue and Oxford Street signs, among numerous others. This property is expected to be a major draw for creative and artistic people, including those working in photography, design and media, as it is not a typical family house. The unique character of the house is its biggest plus point, having been developed as part of a terrace of several houses back in the Victorian period.
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The current asking price clearly indicates that the property has witnessed a doubling in values ever since 2006, when it was listed at 4,88,500 pounds, as per the UK’s land registry records. The house is also worth a lot more, as per its realtors, owing to its novel dimensions, history and character. The chic, charming and beautifully designed property is expected to find numerous takers among London’s rich and famous, artistic and creative talents and even overseas investors who may wish to own a truly unique home in London. The capital’s thinnest house is certainly a work of art in its own right!
FAQs
Where is London’s thinnest house located?
London’s thinnest house is located in west London at Shepherd’s Bush.
How many floors does London’s thinnest house have?
London’s thinnest house is a five-storeyed building.
Which noted personality purchased this house when it was formerly a hat store?
Juergen Teller, the renowned fashion photographer, bought this property back in the 1990s when it was still a hat store. He then converted and renovated the entire house extensively for transforming it into a unique home.
(Header image source: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/londons-thinnest-house-is-up-for-sale-for-1-3-million-2364945)