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Tiny detached house, smaller than a double decker bus, on sale for £1.2 million

A tiny detached house, believed to be the smallest in Chelsea, has gone on sale for £1.2million. (Harding Green Estate Agent /SWNS)
A tiny detached house, believed to be the smallest in Chelsea, has gone on sale for £1.2million. (Harding Green Estate Agent /SWNS)

A small but perfectly formed London house, believed to be the smallest detached property in Chelsea, has gone on the market for £1.2 million.

The Georgian property, which overlooks St Luke's Gardens in London manages to squeeze a bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, living room and even a roof terrace into its modest footprint.

The entire house only occupies 290sq ft, with the average size of a double decker bus coming in at 320sq ft. That makes each and every square footage of the unique pad come in at an eye-watering £4,138.

But with a bespoke staircase, comfort cooling and electric floor heating throughout, the small but perfectly formed property packs a punch with its covetable features.

The current owner has done a lot of work on the property. (Harding Green Estate Agent /SWNS)
The current owner has done a lot of work on the property. (Harding Green Estate Agent /SWNS)

It also has an interesting background, as it's believed to have once been a gravedigger's cottage for St Luke's, before becoming a sweet shop in the 1960s.

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The quirky pad was sold in 2016, the first time it had been on the market since 1969, having been left empty for a number of years after the owner went into a care home.

Despite being dilapidated, the £600,000 asking price was far exceeded by the buyer, property developer Robin Swailes, who paid just over £713,000 for it.

The footprint may be small, but it is packed with covetable features. (Harding Green Estate Agent /SWNS)
The footprint may be small, but it is packed with covetable features. (Harding Green Estate Agent /SWNS)

While the renovation was interrupted by coronavirus pandemic, Swailes has spent the last four years breathing life back into the unusual home.

The estate agents, Harding Green, say there has been a lot of interest in the tiny property, including from overseas buyers.

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Ed McCulloch, from Harding Green, the estate agent selling the property, says: "The amount of work that the current owner has put into it is phenomenal. It is not overdone, it is just done to a very nice style.

"What's great is he has used a lot of proper material, like walnut carpentry, and the staircase has been completely ripped out and replaced with a bespoke one. He has been very clever with it."

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The property is attracting lots of interest. (Harding Green Estate Agent /SWNS)
The property is attracting lots of interest. (Harding Green Estate Agent /SWNS)

With all its quirks and finishing touches, the house has attracted a lot of interest from across the globe.

"People have been interested in it because of its quirkiness," McCulloch continues.

"I think the uniqueness of it is appealing. To be able to say 'I own this house that I reckon is the smallest in Chelsea', there is a certain cache to it.

"Also the fact that it's detached is great. You're not in a terrace or a block of flats, and you haven't got neighbours to worry about in terms of privacy."

"Also, it is a fabulous option for people looking for a London base."

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Cute kitchen. (Harding Green Estate Agent /SWNS)
Cute kitchen. (Harding Green Estate Agent /SWNS)
The bathroom may be small but it is perfectly formed. (Harding Green Estate Agent /SWNS)
The bathroom may be small but it is perfectly formed. (Harding Green Estate Agent /SWNS)

The property isn't the only tiny detached house to have hit the market recently. Last year a titchy detached house which measures just 4m by 4m was on sale for £235,000.

The quirky one-bedroom property, which has its own garden, was believed to be one of the smallest detached houses in the UK.

Skinny houses have also proved popular with buyers of late.

Last November a TARDIS-style home, which in some parts is narrower than a London bus, went up for sale for just under £600,000.

The unusual one-bedroom home in trendy Notting Hill in London, may be small, but it certainly packs a lot into the modest space.

And in 2020 a house believed to be the narrowest in London went on the market for an impressive £1million.

The unusual property on Goldhawk Road in Shepherd’s Bush, West London, may be just 5ft 5in wide, but made up for its lack of width with five floors of swish interiors.

Additional reporting SWNS.