News
Next Story
Newszop

London's most derelict house sells for £2m - and it only has one bedroom

Send Push
image

A mews house in "really poor condition" in one of London's top locations has finally sold - after seven years.

The crumbling house in Maida Vale is located on Pindock Mews - the street where the late Sex Pistols guitarist Sid Vicious and his girlfriend Nancy Spungen famously lived.

After hitting the market in 2017 for a whopping £2.5 million, the one-bedroom property - dubbed London's most derelict - struggled to sell.

But Noah Pearlman, consultant at Harding Green, has finally found a buyer.

Mr Pearlman, who has been looking after the property since day one, says he won't disclose the exact amount - but it isn't far off the full asking price of £1,950,000.

image

He said: "I have been an estate agent for 17 to 18 years and it has been a particularly difficult sale.

"The vendor really didn't want to sell it, so in my opinion it was always on for slightly more than it was worth. It was very much an emotional rollercoaster.

"It was in really poor condition. It was terrible. There were probably more holes in that roof than Swiss cheese. It was pretty awful.

"It hasn't really changed in the last four to five years. All that has happened is the roof has got a few more holes in it, and a few of the windows don't have glass in them."

The buyers, who wished to remain anonymous, intend to create a contemporary home that retains the property's character and use it as their home.

Mr Pearlman estimates the new owners will need to spend roughly £750,000 on renovations and will likely convert it into a three-storey, three-bedroom home by adding a mansard roof.

Once the property has been developed its value should skyrocket to around £3 million, the estate agent predicts - mostly due to its location.

He added: "That location is absolutely fantastic.

"I would say the majority of estate agents consider that road one of the best in Maida Vale. It did stand out quite a bit on that street, but I think that was part of its charm.

"It looked so out of place, but also so full of character in its own way. The new owners have got a lot of challenges to overcome to make this property in keeping with the street."

Reflecting on the moment that the property finally sold, Mr Pearlman said he had mixed emotions - after becoming so attached to the property and its owner over the years.

He said: "I have worked for every estate agency that this property has been marketed through. It has been very difficult to sell. However, it was the right offer at the right time, and they saw the potential in the property.

"I'm something of a mews property expert. They are so full of character, lovely and very picturesque, but in reality they are not for everybody.

"So, somebody had to come along who really wanted to be a part of this micro-village because that's what a living on a mews is all about.

"I have had an unusually long relationship with this property and its owner. Normally when a property is exchanged everyone is relieved, but this time it was sort of a bittersweet moment.

"The owner was delighted, but also sad to be moving away from a community he had been in for almost 40 years. If he had the funds to develop and futureproof that property, then he never would have moved.

"I will miss it. It has been part of my work life for a very long time."

Loving Newspoint? Download the app now