While there are a lot of benefits to life in a major urban center, it’s also true that they don’t come without some pretty costly drawbacks.
And as anyone who’s been apartment hunting long enough to stop reacting in shock when someone requests $1,500 a month for what looks like a broom closet knows, I’m being very literal by calling them “costly.”
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Because the forces of population density and the high costs of living that you see in big cities tends to converge into a reality full of prohibitively expensive yet cramped places to live.
And while one unusual London listing seems like the logical extreme of that reality, it’s also true that there really isn’t any place like it.
If you explore the Shepherd’s Bush district of West London, England, there’s a good chance you’ll stumble upon what may be London’s skinniest house.
As the real estate agency Winkworth outlined , it’s four stories tall and the whole unit is about six feet wide.
Nonetheless, they insist that it’s an easy space to live in and that it feels like being aboard a luxury yacht.
And considering that it’s on the market for £950,000 (or $1.3 million), that better be how it feels to live there.
As David Myers — the agent in charge of selling this place — told CNN, “It started life as a hat shop, was converted by a fashion photographer — the ultimate designer house.”
But it’s not just that pedigree that influenced the heavy cost as the house also features a central heating system as well as an Aga cooker and an original Art Deco bathtub among its furnishings.
Although it looks oppresively cramped on the outside, it has a much more luxurious appearance once you step inside.
As Winkworth’s floor plan shows , each floor is long enough to give its prospective owner 1,034 square feet to work with.
As for how the house is laid out, the ground floor appears to exist solely as an entrance and reception area while the kitchen and dining room are found in the basement.
As you can see here, that dining room leads out to some creative gardens that take up about 16 square feet.
If you go up to the second floor, you’ll see some of the more flexible rooms.
While the built-in bed you see here is on the top floor, the second floor has sufficient room for another bedroom and a small guest room.
If the third bedroom is not needed, the floor plan suggests using that area as a study. This floor also hosts a roof terrace that appears to overlook the back yard.
And as you can see, the limited width of the place makes storage hatches like this one necessary.
And on the third floor, potential buyers can find a bathroom, shower room, and a dressing area.
However, it seems pretty important to share this house with someone you’d be comfortable with since it turns out that the art deco bathtub we mentioned earlier is clearly visible from the top floor.
But yeah, while it’s easy to be skeptical about the practicality of designing a house this way, it does look like some eccentric millionaire could be very comfortable here.
h/t: Winkworth
