This week the internet’s been abuzz with the story of what is claimed to be London’s narrowest house on sale for a stack of cash. Reader John Wilson tipped me off that it even made it to the news in the USA.
Since the house, at 110 Goldhawk Road in sunny Shepherd’s Bush, is just a mile or two from my home, this morning I took myself off to grab a bit of “street photography”. The discreet Sony RX100 was tied securely to my wrist. I left the Leica at home.
The ultra-narrow 1,000-sq-ft property is a mere 5ft 5in wide at the front—just enough to squeeze in a narrow front door and a mini display window featuring one bowler hat. Apparently, it was formerly a hat shop, now it is a £995,000 ($1.3m) home which will appeal to a slim, well-heeled person without too many dependants, a cat to swing and a penchant for interesting neighbourhoods. You have to make up your own mind whether or not you’d part with a million to live here.
Judging by the price and the interior shots (from Winkworth, the estate agents), however, this tiny little property is a rose between a whole thicket of thorns. If you don’t mind the street, it’s a convenient little pad, lying just across the road from Goldhawk Road Station on the Circle Line.
Once you get past the front door and the bowler hat, this minute slice of real estate has been very tastefully converted and the owner has made the very best of the tiny dimensions. I think it would be a fun place to live and it would certainly be a fine talking point when the guests arrive for supper.
Fancy selling up and moving to London? Go on, I know you’re tempted…
Some interior views from Winkworth’s Estate Agents, courtesy of a wide-angle lens:
It’s a bit wider at the back, positively spacious 
Ideal for a galley kitchen 
Room with a trap door 
Sitting in comfort
Anyone remembers Mellows sauna massage next to this tiny house back in 2006 ?
70 years ago my family lived in Melville Court Goldhawk Road … 200m from the ‘micro mansion’ … back in the good old days when there were 3 London evening newspapers published … Evening Star, Evening Standard and Evening News … with 2 or 3 editions daily… and a football results ‘Late Night Final!’ edition on Saturday evening. I was born in nearby Queen Charlotte’s Hospital where my Aunt Sheelagh was Maternity Matron. In the 1940s/50s, four family members rented flats in Melville Court. Aunt Violet was eventually paid to move out of Melville Court c. 1975. Happy memories of Melville Court … including when aged 3 years, the fire brigade rescued me from the top floor fire escape … my head was stuck in the railings … ‘wing nut ears’ syndrome. In the early 1950s a 2 bedroom Melville Court flat rental would have been c. £2 per week.
Thanks for the memories, Dunk. It’s hard to imagine just what a change to our perspective has been caused by inflation. In 1970 I was renting a similar two-bedroom flat to the one you mentioned in Melville Court — it was in Barons Court, not that far from Shepherd’s Bush — and I paid £28 a month. Mind you, that was probably more than a quarter of my income. As you say, happy memories.
I take a few things from this article Mike, firstly that is expensive for – as William kindly indicates – is the width of the garden shed. secondly is that area really up and coming, the properties around it to my untrained eye, look, well, in need of help. And finally, I have just spent twenty minutes looking at the alley next to my house and wondering if I can convince the council to let me have it, as its not being unkept to the desired standard. hmmm. Just rubbing my chin and seeing if I can squeeze another building in.
About the width of my garden shed. Another two stories on my shed and I’m laughing all the way to the bank. That trapdoor in the bedroom could result in disasters with any night time calls of nature unless a chamber pot or commode was to hand. A parachute or a rope ladder might also be necessary in the bedroom in case that trapdoor got jammed shut. Still, I’ve seen photos from other parts of the world showing people living in converted wardrobes, so this would be luxury by comparison. I’d be interested to see what they get for it and even more interested in the reasons for anyone buying this house.
William
It sold in 2009 for £550,000, if I remember correctly. So £1m isn’t totally ridiculous. Would you get permission for a four-storey garden shed?
Not where I live. It is just two storey houses or with an attic conversion at most. The garden shed analogy was only width related. I am sure that this building is a lot deeper than my garden shed.
William
An interesting little gem, Mike. Judging by the photo, I couldn’t help wondering if someone was trying to take someone to the cleaner’s (three doors down) and whether the buyer might need help from the private clinic afterwards (next door) !
Sadly, John, I think this property is fairly accurately priced, given its unusual features. A fairly ordinary two-bedroom apartment can now cost £700,000 her in London (and much more in prime locations), so £995,000 for 1,000sq ft of vertical living could be considered reasonable. I agree on the area, though. It wouldn’t be my cup of tea…
Meanwhile in Amsterdam is a rather more stealthy approach.
There is a house there that looks very similar, the difference being that its front door is actually positioned on the corner of the enclosed space. Open the door and the dimensions are ample.
The reason?
Amsterdammers were once required to pay tax on the width of their canal frontage!
And also, they probably didn’t have a decent wide-angle lens, so they wanted to make sure that it was sellable, despite its novelty appearance.
Interesting. I think I read about that many years ago. There was the window tax in England back in the 18th century which also skewed the market. In modern London most new town houses have a useless narrow garage which hardly anyone uses for a car. It’s there for virtue signalling to prove that off street parking is being taken seriously. In the future, despite the rules, these spaces will be converted to rooms. At the moment many have been, but the bland garage door remains, with no windows.
How many Leicas can you buy for the same price, I wonder? LOL
How many they are, just need one lens about 10 mm.