A Londoner who pays £1,400 a month to live in the smallest flat in a millionaire neighbourhood has laid bare the true issue with his home.
Cesar Mendez, 47, lives in a 11.7 square-metre former janitor’s cupboard, yet despite its tiny size, its lavish Kensington location means its worth around £250,000.
The lodger says his miniscule flat warrants splashing out £1,400 a month due to its close locale to the Natural History Museum and regular sightings of the Royal Family.
And although the ‘amazing’ flat offers little to no room, the Tenerife native is adamant that it is the perfect size for him, but there is one issue.
Revealing the true problem with his humble abode, Mr Cesar shared that it becomes difficult to keep tidy, and a lack of washing machine also proves to be a challenge.
Boasting of the pros, he said: ‘The location is incredible – but there are pros and cons – there’s no washing machine so I have to take my clothes to get washed.
‘For me it’s fine. I’m not very tall, so it’s OK. The only problem is you have to keep it clean all the time. If it’s not tidy, there’s no space and you go crazy.’
He quipped: ‘Have you seen any other flat under 12 square-metres? If I had a girlfriend, we would fight all the time because it’s such a small place.’
Cesar Mendez, 47, lives in a 11.7 square-metre former janitor’s cupboard, yet despite its tiny size, its lavish Kensington location means its worth around £250,000
And although the ‘amazing’ flat offers little to no room, the Tenerife native is adamant that it is the perfect size for him, but there is one issue
Mr Mendez said it is difficult to keep the flat clean, and having no washing machine can prove to be a challenge
Despite the downside, Mr Mendez shared there are several advantages that outweigh his cleaning difficulties.
The avid runner, who has participated in 100 marathons across seven continents for Water Aid, said his flat’s proximity to Hyde Park was a major plus.
He added that, due to its centrality in the capital, he regularly sees members of the Royal Family driving past, escorted by police motorcades.
‘Having Hyde Park five minutes away from the flat is amazing,’ Mr Mendez continued. ‘I work in Mayfair, too, and it takes me ten to 15 minutes to cycle to work.
‘I have seen King Charles, Prince William and Queen Camilla around the area.. Police stop the cars for them to go through.
‘I see them a lot – maybe once every two weeks.
‘My neighbours are really nice; some of them are Chinese and some other neighbours are Italian – I think there’s eight flats in the whole building.’
The flat was recently put up for sale with a guide price of £230,000, due to its desirable location, and is now under offer from a prospective buyer.
Despite the downside, Mr Mendez shared there are several advantages that outweigh his cleaning difficulties
He also revealed, due to its centrality in the capital, he regularly sees members of the Royal Family driving past, escorted by police motorcades
Even though it is due to be sold in the coming weeks by estate agents Purplebricks, Mr Mendez hopes to continue living in the beloved flat
Nick Minns, who is selling the flat that used to belong to his mother, harbours fond memories of the flat himself from when he lived in the tiny space for six months
Even though it is due to be sold in the coming weeks by estate agents Purplebricks, Mr Mendez hopes to continue living in the beloved flat.
Nick Minns, who is selling the flat that used to belong to his mother, harbours fond memories of the flat himself from when he lived in the tiny space for six months.
He said he once even had a party – but held the main festivities in the hallway and used the property as a ‘booze cupboard’.
On another occasion he had a tall friend stay over and says he had a limb ‘in every part of the flat’.
‘We had a party on the stairwell once,’ Mr Minns explained. ‘The flat was just the booze cupboard.
‘We had a friend stay over and he had a different body part in every room.’
Nick Gaunt, a Local Property Partner at Purplebricks, admitted it was ‘unusual’ to have a property at a guide price of £230,000 in the area.
‘To find any property, however small, with such a prestigious postcode and at this price is very unusual,’ he said.
‘As such, we’re not surprised that it has got snapped up very quickly, especially given its location, investors are likely to see beyond its square meterage and to the fact it makes a smart investment for any buyer.’
