THE THIN HOUSE, SHEPHERDS BUSH

Property is such an emotive subject in London and the remarkable 'Thin House' (a converted milliner's shop) in Shepherd's Bush (exterior shot below) caused controversy last year when it appeared on the market with an asking price of around £550,000. The situation seemed indicative of the insanity of London property prices when you consider the house measured only  5'5" wide at some points - a feature enterprising real estate agents marketed as the house's charming 'unique selling point'.

In fairness, the property's beautifully renovated interiors (below) and Zone 2 location may have warranted the half-million plus price tag, its two bedrooms and 1000sq footage spread over five levels. However, its esoteric design offers limited appeal to families with children, lazy so-and-sos with an aversion to stairs and claustrophobes, who most certainly, need not apply. Instead, The Thin House has 'media professional' or 'young internet entrepeneur' stamped all over it...the trendy bastards.

The architects have, of course, fully utilised the long narrow space to maximum effect, with stylish wooden built-in futons and compact, slim bookcases lining the distinctive property's numerous hallways (below). In a city where space is at an absolute premium, its interesting to note that even smaller premises comprise a niche sector of London's property market - an uninhabitable 11ft 3in x 7ft 3in former cleaner's cupboard in Chelsea valued at £170k plus around £30k to make it livable - hitting the headlines last year also.

These kinds of stories might be mildly entertaining for tourists or simply bewildering for Britons living outside London's boroughs. Things hold a little more gravity however, if you're an average wage earner residing in the city and attempting to gain a foothold on a beastly property ladder you know remains out of bounds. Even a hefty deposit provides no guarantee of success in a situation where banks simply refuse to lend. And when the average worker can no longer afford to live in their native city, the concept of emigration becomes an increasingly viable option. The question remains, what do our fine city's powerful men - those 'masters of the universe' Bullingdon Club alumni care?

All images courtesy of the interweb