A woman planning to move in with her boyfriend was left speechless after viewing a studio apartment so small, she could have done the washing up while sitting on the bed. The cramped flat was a far cry from the one that Helen, 27, had seen online, which was shown to have separate areas for the kitchen, living area, and bedroom, and looked as though it had enough room for two people to move around.
In reality, the flat was so small, only one person could fit in at a time, with the bed squished up against the kitchen area in a way that some have joked brings a whole new meaning to "breakfast in bed".
Professional audiologist Helen was full of hope when she arrived at the £1,300 a month property, but was shocked when she opened the door.
She told The Mirror: "There were approximately 10 people viewing the house at the same time so we were instructed to go into the room one by one with the person bringing us to the flat waiting outside.
"I didn't say anything to the person showing us the flat, to be honest, I was in shock. Ultimately I knew it wasn't them personally responsible for this.
"Horrifyingly, while waiting I saw people before me enquiring with the person what to send on as they were interested in the flat."
Helping Helen with her search is her pal and flatmate of six months, Daniel, 26, who shared a photo of the titchy space on Twitter, where many were left aghast at the impractical layout.
A photo of the flat shows a kitchen space with a bed crammed in tightly against the countertops, so much so that you can't imagine being able to open the washing machine fully. A wardrobe has also been fitted snugly into the corner.
Helen had hoped for a "one-bed flat where the bedroom was in a different room to the kitchen at least", and believes there's "no way" any person could ever live comfortably in the flat.
Photos seen by the Mirror from the flat advertisement show a light, roomy bedroom, with no washing machine or kitchen countertop. The kitchen photos don't show any beds or wardrobes, suggesting a fair distance between the two areas.
The huge response they've since received has helped bring "a bit of lightness to the struggle of flat hunting", with many offering witty 'positives' to the tight-squeeze living situation.
As one person joked: "Silver lining: no laundry basket needed, they can just kick the clothes from the bed into the washing machine directly."
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