I don’t know how most people started their weekends, but mine began with a house viewing for a flat I had no hope of buying.
I have previously written about London’s thinnest house and all its unique features, but I had never actually seen it in real life.
Rolling into South Kensington tube station, all sorts of ideas started floating around in my head. What does London’s ‘thinnest’ house really look like from the inside?
The interesting shape of the building – inside and out- can feel about like an optical illusion
Would the flat make me feel like a Victorian chimney sweep?
READ MORE: London property: London’s smallest house that looks like it was built for dolls
Would I need a safety line?
Of course, I was being a little dramatic, and the first thing that struck me about the house wasn’t its thinness, but its location.
It is a stone’s throw away from the tube station and incredibly close to some of London’s biggest attractions, including the Natural History Museum, the V&A, and the London Science Museum.
The living rooms unusually angled walls took some getting used to
The house is located on Thurloe Square, a quiet Kensington spot, which is rimmed by impressive Victorian-style townhouses and has a resident’s garden in its centre.
After staring for what was perhaps a little too long at the building’s mind-bending shape, I headed inside to meet with Patrice May, the estate agent who is currently trying to find a buyer for a two-bedroom flat in the house’s basement.
As we descended the stairs towards the flat’s entrance Patrice told me that he was receiving increasing interest in the property, with a number of people coming from places like France, Hong Kong, and China to view it.
The small kitchen is cleverly squeezed in
When I got a look inside something became obvious, this was not going to be a long tour.
The flat is very compact – to use a generous term.
The largest room is a decently sized living room that has a little offshoot where what can only be described as a kitchenette is concealed.
Beyond the living room and kitchen, there are two bedrooms with uniquely angular walls mainly because of the building’s uneven width.
Firstly, it gives the property a very individual character, but it is also a little unusual and can take a moment to get used to.
There are two en-suites in the property
(Image: Purplebricks)
It is a property that is economical with its space, making clever use of what it has.
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The best example of this smart design is the master bedroom’s en suite.
Patrice, almost magician-like, pulled back what looked like a wardrobe door to reveal a small bathroom complete with a shower and toilet.
Coming back into the sitting room, I wondered aloud about the thin terrace garden that borders the living room windows, it didn’t seem clear how you got out to it.
Patrice pointed at a stool and a pair of large windows, some windows are also doors.
The terrace has just enough space for a table and chairs
The flat certainly does have an abundance of them, it is surprisingly light for a basement flat.
The other thing that surprised me was how quiet it was, despite its close proximity to the nearby tube line.
The Thin House is right by the tube line
I asked Patrice what he thought would likely happen to the flat.
“It will probably go to a foreign investor,” he said.
He also explained that if an investor did buy the flat, it would more than likely become an Airbnb, with people flocking to use it as a base for tourist activities.
“The location can’t be beat, ” he told me, and the current £795,000 asking price is “100%” because of the flats prime spot near transport links, in a pleasant neighbourhood, and close to some of London’s best attractions.
I asked him why there was more interest in the flat now than there had been in the past few months.
He said that since the country had opened up and travel to the UK is possible, investors see more viability in purchasing London property again.
With that, it was time for me to bid farewell to Patrice and London’s thinnest house and rush off to find an emergency Halloween costume.
If you would like to see London’s thinnest house for yourself you can arrange a viewing through purple bricks, here.
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