A peek inside Rose Cottage, the smallest house in UK
A RATHER unusual home in Leicester was recently sold at auction for what appears to be a snip for its area - £155,000.
The low sale price - compared with other houses in Knighton was due to its size.
For at just 13ft wide and 26ft tall, the tiny detached home, known as Rose Cottage, in Goldhill Road, is believed to be the UK’s smallest.
The house covers 338 sq ft. This is 21 sq ft smaller than a property in Sheffield which was billed as the UK’s smallest detached house in 2014.
Abdul Sattar Ashraf, from Leicester, bought it on behalf of a London property investor.
“I source, win, renovate and then help sell properties throughout the East Midlands for clients,” Abdul explained.
“I purchased this for a client who is in London and I think we have got a bargain.
“The client wants me to renovate the house then sell it on to make a quick profit.”
Rose Cottage was built in 1900 and has been partially renovated by a property developer after its elderly resident died.
The guide price of £150,000 was £44,000 less than the average price of a terraced home in Britain, which currently sits at £194,167, according to Government figures from January this year.
Following its sale at auction, the Mercury went for a look around.
From the outside the home looks rather odd, appearing as if it has been plucked from a row of terraced houses and relocated on its own.
Most of the front is taken up by the door and the window, and there is a sash window on the top floor.
However, upon entering, the house feels a bit like a Tardis, with a decent-sized living area, which seems much bigger than its humble 14ft 7in by 11ft 1in.
Moving further into the long, thin house, you come into a dining room which feels reasonablysized, despite only measuring 11ft 1in by 11ft 11in.
At the rear of the house is a small kitchen, with a surprising amount of workspace for its 7ft 4in by 6ft size.
The property was described as being in high demand as it is near schools, parks and other amenities and is only two miles from the city centre.
Upstairs are two bedrooms and a bathroom, which has a bathtub.
There is an enclosed patio garden at the rear of the house.
Carl Finch, the senior valuer for SDL Auctions, which staged the house sale at the King Power Stadium, said: “The house was listed at £150,000. The bidding started at £135,000 and went up in thousands. I think the final price of £155,000 is a bargain. There are two-bedroom terraced houses nearby which are valued at £200,000.
“It just needs some small finishing works carrying out. Once all that is completed I estimate the property would be worth £220,000.
“It’s a lot of house for that price in a brilliant location.”