Micro-flat sells for £294,900 in Pimlico, touted as Britain’s poshest studio

A 130-square-foot flat tucked away in Pimlico, central London, has gone on the market for £294,900, described by its listing as a one-of-a-kind investment despite offering the living space of a caravan. The micro-home sits in a five-unit residential conversion, on a mezzanine level at the rear of a terraced house, and comes with a lease lasting about 980 years. The listing underscores a growing appetite for ultra-compact living in central London, where buyers are often seeking high-end design and unusual features as much as affordability.

According to the Daily Mail, the property underwent what its designer describes as “almost unheard of in London for a studio of this size” structural and aesthetic work in 2020. The flat’s standout feature is a floating concrete sub-floor that provides acoustic insulation, fire resistance and full waterproofing, with water contained within the unit rather than transferring to neighbouring flats below. The system also yields perfectly level walls, helping stabilize a space where even minor deviations can be noticeable in such a compact footprint. The flat sits in a converted terrace that houses just five units, and it carries a remarkably long lease of about 980 years, a factor buyers weigh when assessing micro-housing assets in central locales.

Inside, the interior is described as a feat of space optimization, with bespoke carpentry by an English cabinet-maker designed to maximise every centimetre. The main room includes extensive built-in storage, a fold-out dining table, integrated reading lights, USB and European sockets, and a CLEI wall-bed topped by a 160-centimetre memory-foam mattress. The kitchen area is fully equipped, featuring a fridge and icebox, a four-zone induction hob, an extractor, a microwave, a black granite worktop and backsplash, a double pull-out bin and a washer-dryer. The shower room is finished with a stone marble floor, and the unit also includes a discreet built-in washbasin with mirrored cabinet, additional storage and a second compact shower that can accommodate an extra guest if needed. A double-glazed tilt-and-turn window lets in light while keeping noise and drafts to a minimum. The property is rated EPC C, benefits from no neighbours on either side and has a terrace above.

The five-unit conversion frames the flat as part of a small, tightly managed block, with the mezzanine rear position offering a degree of privacy uncommon in inner-London micro-units. The combination of a floating slab, thorough insulation, and a design that prioritizes durable, long-term performance reflects a growing interest in longevity as a selling point for compact properties in high-demand neighborhoods. The listing notes that the terrace above provides an additional outdoor space, a valuable amenity for such a compact dwelling.

Designer Alexandre Pilette traces the concept to a lineage of personal projects that blend industrial-inspired durability with domestic comfort. He describes the project as dating back more than a decade and rooted in childhood experiences with his father, Teddy Pilette, a former Formula One driver known for adventurous pursuits. In a telling account, Pilette referenced a 1978 custom-built 4x4 camper designed and fitted in Italy for his father, describing the Pimlico flat as a modern extension of that ethos: technical performance and space optimization implemented with a focus on long-term durability. The London unit therefore blends a narrative of mobility and resilience with luxury finishes and space-maximizing carpentry, a combination that helps justify a price tag that, for the size, sits at the upper end of the market.

The property’s price is striking in a city where central flats typically command premium for location rather than square footage. Yet the listing emphasizes that buyers are purchasing more than square footage: a curated, meticulously built interior, a robust construction approach never commonly applied to studio apartments of this scale in London, and a lease term that minimizes some of the financial uncertainties associated with shorter contracts. The result is a micro-living proposition that doubles as a potential investment opportunity, appealing to buyers who value design narrative as part of asset value as well as practical livability.

Across London, developers and buyers continue to explore how to reconcile luxury living with extremely small footprints. This Pimlico unit illustrates a trend in which architectural storytelling, bespoke craftsmanship and aggressive attention to materials and build quality can transform a marginally sized space into a compelling, high-end product. While the flat offers only 130 square feet of living area, the breadth of its design features—paired with a long lease and a central location—adds layers of value that go beyond mere measurement. For buyers drawn to unique, design-forward assets, the property represents a rare combination of location, durability, and stylistic detail in a market where both space and price are continually scrutinized.