A diminutive studio in Pimlico, marketed as a one‑bed raised ground‑floor room, sold at auction for £52,000 — a headline‑grabbing figure for central London, but one that masks a material complication for the new owner. According to the auction particulars, the lot changed hands on 29 May 2025 for £52,000; the auctioneer’s brochure also makes plain that the property “does not currently have planning permission for residential use,” a caveat prospective purchasers were explicitly asked to check in the legal pack. (Auction House London described the sale and the planning position in the lot particulars.)

The accommodation is extraordinarily compact. Floorplan measurements reproduced in the auction particulars and press coverage put the main room at roughly 2.06m by 3.25m — about nine square metres (around 92 square feet) — and show a raised kitchenette area and a separate shower. Media reporting noted that the internal width is narrower than the carriages at nearby Pimlico tube station, underlining the extremely constrained living space on offer. Photographs circulated with the listing show a single room fitted with built‑in storage and a small seating area; the auctioneer’s description labels it a raised ground‑floor room with a shower rather than a conventional self‑contained flat.

Financially, the lot carries both promise and caveats for buyers. The auction particulars record the tenure as leasehold on a 125‑year term from 24 June 2007 and state the room is let under an assured shorthold tenancy producing £1,436 per calendar month — about £17,232 a year. That income stream will have been a factor for bidders, but the presence of a sitting tenant and the absence of planning permission for residential use complicate immediate change of use or refurbishment plans. Rightmove, Zoopla and the auction listing all reproduce those tenancy and lease details.

The lack of formal residential planning consent is the most consequential issue. The auction listing itself warned: “We understand that the property does not currently have planning permission for residential use. Please refer to the legal pack for further information. Buyers should rely on their own enquiries.” That phrasing, used by the auctioneer, signals that any purchaser intending to occupy, reconfigure or re‑license the space for long‑term residential use will need to secure the necessary consents — a process that can be uncertain, time consuming and potentially costly in central Westminster conservation areas and period terraces.

Location and presentation help explain why the lot still attracted interest despite its quirks. The room sits within an attractive Victorian mid‑terrace in the Pimlico grid, close to Warwick Square and a short walk from Pimlico and Victoria stations; Savills’ earlier catalogue and the auction particulars emphasised those central Westminster connections. External photographs and the building’s period façade were highlighted in marketing materials, offering the sort of kerb appeal that can belie tiny internal dimensions.

The sale also has an auction‑history footprint. Property records and specialist auction listings show the lot had featured in previous catalogues and sales attempts before the May 2025 disposal, and the auction particulars were reproduced across mainstream property portals. That history may have helped shape market expectations — and the final price — by making clear both the risks (no residential planning) and the immediate cash flow from the assured shorthold tenancy.

For anyone considering a bid on similarly unusual city lots, the lesson is straightforward: check the legal pack and planning history, understand the lease terms and rental arrangements, and factor in conversion or compliance costs. An attractive façade and central postcode can be tempting, but the legal and planning status of a property will determine whether a £52,000 purchase is a bargain or an expensive cautionary tale.

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Source: Noah Wire Services