A disused stairwell sold for £25,000 could be turned into a climbing wall, vertical farm, office pods, or even a ‘wellness’ space for therapy and yoga, experts have said.
Located in Twickenham, West London, the quirky property was put on the market for £20,000, with people left pondering what it could be used for.
The size and shape of the property make it unsuitable to be turned into housing and was instead described by the auction house as a ‘long leasehold stairwell with development potential subject to planning permission’.
Barnard Marcus Auctions Partner, James Paterson told MailOnline following the sale: ‘The staircase generated a good amount of interest. We’ve had more than 8,000 hits on our YouTube video.
‘There’s potential for it to be used for storage or possibly development.’
After the advert came out, viewers and property experts suggested the stairwell could be turned into office pods, a vertical farm, a gallery and even a ‘wellness’ space.
Property expert Chris told MailOnline: ‘I would guess that the staircase would be used as an advertising asset, or gifted to a community or charity to use to design and showcase artwork.
‘I guess it could even be used as an abseiling or climbing wall.’
Located in trendy Twickenham, it is not clear what any potential buyer could do with the space, but some have suggested that it could be transformed into a vertical farm or office pods
A property expert suggested the space could be used as a climbing wall (stock image)
Michelle Niziol, owner of IMS Property Group, said: ‘I think we are going to see more of these ‘spaces’ being sold off, as commercial properties aim to streamline profits, tackle energy costs and utilise unused space. It could potentially create a boom of sustainable, urban spaces, which have the potential to benefit and positively affect the local and wider communities.
‘An obvious choice for the stairwell would be cubed office spaces, or even a co-working space for local small business owners. Whoever buys the stairwell could be quite clever with the space to maximise use and profits.
‘However, I think the best use of the stairwell is to create a living wellness space that everyone can benefit from. I can imagine the walls be turned into living walls, using plants and greenery, and the space used for wellness activities such as meditation, holistic therapy and yoga.
‘The space will adapt quite well for this, and wellness practitioners can rent the space, or studio time and people could hire out space for their own wellness practices. It could be a peaceful haven within the city.’
A virtual tour of the property behind a Starbucks shows the space littered with cardboard boxes, rusty bikes, dingy pieces of furniture, potted plants and piles of fire extinguishers.
Broken windows and stained walls can also be seen in some of the pictures posted on housing website Zoopla.
The stairs are not connected to the block of flats that it used to serve.
The property went under the hammer this afternoon – and was snapped up for £5,000 above the expected sale price.
Mr Paterson earlier told The Times newspaper: ‘Previous quirky buildings we have sold include an iconic red telephone kiosk in South Kensington a few months ago.’
Viewers of the Twickenham property have suggested it could be used as office pods (stock image)
Some suggested it could also be turned into a vertical farm (Stock image)
Average property prices in London have increased by 63 per cent in the last decade from £322,000 to £525,000.
And this bizarre stairwell is the latest wacky property to go on the market as the London housing crisis worsens.
One ‘cosy’ flat in West Kensington, costing £520 per month, had no toilet and came with a shower located directly under the bed.
And in Hendon a landlord was fined for making tenants crawl up the staircase to reach their room which was situated in the attic, for £420 per month.
The UK Government has announced plans to tackle the housing crisis by making it easier to turn empty shops and offices into homes.