A man with a house on a London street once dubbed 'Britain's most dangerous' says rising prices mean it is now worth £1million - after he bought it for just £5,000 in 1970.
After moving to the UK from Cyprus, Hasan Rezvan, 75, wanted to buy a house on Coldharbour Lane near Brixton for £7,000.
But then the bank said he could only afford £5,000, he settled on a four-bed terraced house next to Northlands Street which has boomed in value in the 53 years since.
In 1981 the area was rocked by the Brixton riots, and by the late 90s Brixton had developed a reputation for drug use and violence. Coldharbour Lane was even named 'Britain's most dangerous' in 2003 with £1million of crack dealt there every month, reported MyLondon.
Despite this, people continued to flock to the 'edgy' area pushing up house prices to where they are today.
Hasan said he's hardly had any problems living on Coldharbour Lane.
"About 15-years-ago they broke into next door twice, but the woman living there said it was her ex-boyfriend. I do not feel unsafe," he said.
Hasan says he used to remember fighting and constant police nearby claiming: "You could hear the screams", but these days he added: "There's hardly anything, it's getting better."
Across the road next to Liliford House there used to be a carpark with a car boot sale, but it's now been turned into a huge housing block with lime green balconies. Hasan was initially worried about the effects of so many people moving in across the road, but he says the security on the new buildings means there's no issues.
Speaking from his front garden, Hasan explained how his house might be worth a lot but "I do not have the money in my pocket".
He also says any money earned on the sale would probably be lost to the Cypriot healthcare system if he were to retire there.
"The only way to get it is to sell it up and go home to Cyprus. But when I've lived here for 50 years, this is my home now," he said.
Rightmove data shows how home prices in SW9 have exploded since the start of the century, when they started at an average of £200,000 and rose to around £600,000. Terraced houses in the area can now sell for well over £1million, while a semi-detached can go for as much as £2million.
A four-bed terrace on Coldharbour Lane (just like Hasan's) sold for £1,075,000 in June 2021.
Hasan has one piece of advice to young people trying to get on the housing ladder. Pointing to his tired black leather shoes with a glint in his eye, he said: "Kids want their names on the trainers, but I'm happy with these."
He said young people need to be willing to make sacrifices if they want to own a home.
