At first glance, £1,200pcm might seem like a good deal for a studio in London’s most expensive borough, set within a period building, newly refurbished and a stone’s throw from the high street.
But this flat on Wrights Lane in Kensington may change your mind.
There is so little floor space that the room has been fitted with a “double high sleeper bed” (read: bunk bed), complete with wooden ladder for access. Think of it as a mezzanine.
The bed dominates the tiny space, its frame so close to the “open plan kitchenette” that tenants will struggle to open the oven. Placed in front of the studio’s only window, it also obscures the natural light.
Making creative use of the space, a narrow desk fitted below the bed multitasks as a compact kitchen table, accompanied by a single office chair. Sofa? Coffee table? Chance would be a fine thing.
The room, which is advertised as fully furnished, also contains a wardrobe, placed beside the bed. There is a small private bathroom conveniently located near the foot of the ladder, opposite the fridge.
There might not be a garden or parking at the property, but the good news is that the £277 per week rent includes central heating and hot water.
Tenants — who must not be smokers, have children, or keep pets— will also have to foot a deposit of £1,384.61 if they want to secure the room.
The average property in Kensington and Chelsea costs £1,349,778 to buy, according to the latest ONS figures. In the W outcode area, which includes West Kensington, Mayfair and Notting Hill, the average room costs £1,017 per month to rent — £183 less than this one.
In the last year, other opportunities to live nearby have included a £900pcm studio in Notting Hill with the kitchenette next to the toilet, and a Marylebone flat the size of two parking spaces which sold for £295,000 in October. A Knightsbridge flat opposite Harrods which appeared to have no bathroom, toilet or kitchen, was listed for £175,000 last April.
Interested? The Wrights Lane studio is available from 26 January via OpenRent.