A former Victorian reservoir in West Yorkshire is now a fabulous single-storey home. Photo: Carter Jonas
Looking for a quirky, one-off home? From character-packed conversions to modern houses, these unique properties for sale all hit the spot.
1. South Kensington, London SW7, £250,000
Small but perfectly formed, this studio flat is in a great location. Photo: Purplebricks
The resemblance to a broom cupboard is no coincidence as this studio flat was previously a caretaker’s closet.
With a floor area of just 126 square feet it’s one of the UK’s smallest homes and so tiny that you could comfortably touch both walls at the time when standing in the middle.
On the second floor of a Grade II-listed building, it incorporates a kitchenette, seating area, mezzanine sleeping platform and a shower room, and would be perfect as a pied-a-terre.
Despite its diminutive size it’s quite the bargain as on average, flats in this prestigious postcode achieve more than six times its asking price. Through Purplebricks.
2. Barcaldine, by Oban, Argyll and Bute, £425,000
This former church has a flexible layout. Photo: Dawsons
Built in 1844, Rhugarbh Church served as a place of worship until 1987 when it was bought by the current owners and subsequently converted into a family home.
They did a very good job, effectively creating a timber-framed house inside the granite façade which provides high levels of insulation while maximising light and space.
It includes five bedrooms, two bathrooms, a reception room, an open plan kitchen/living dining area and two offices, though the layout could easily be reconfigured. Contact Dawsons.
3. Auchencairn, Castle Douglas, Dumfries & Galloway, offers over £825,000
The slipway was previously used by lifeboats. Photo: Galbraith
Search and rescue services operated from the Old Lifeboat Station from 1884 until 1933 but it wasn’t converted to residential use until the late 1990s. The wait was well worth it as in 2003 the property was crowned Scotland’s best conversion by the Daily Telegraph.
Today it comprises a wow-factor sitting room with floor to ceiling windows framing the coastal views, a kitchen and dining room, four bedrooms and two bathrooms, and contents are included.
The grounds, which extend to about six acres, are mainly woodland and contain a recently-constructed garage and a slipway. Via Galbraith.
4. St. Mary's Island, Alexandria Bay, New York, USA, $1.5m (£1.2m)
There are 360 degree views from this castle-like island abode. Photo: Kellen Brown
This island home was designed as contemporary homage to nearby Boldt Castle, built at the beginning of the 20th century for George C Boldt, the proprietor of New York City’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel.
Rather more manageable than the 120-room Rhineland-inspired castle, it has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, an open-plan living and entertaining area, a wraparound deck and 360 degree views over the St Lawrence River.
There are fixed and floating docks, and it’s only accessible by boat. Through Joshua B Garner and Mike Fabbri of The Agency.
5. Burnley in Wharfedale, West Yorkshire, £1.25m
A glass atrium floods the living space with natural light. Photo: Carter Jonas
An early Victorian reservoir has been meticulously transformed into a gorgeous contemporary home integrating many period features.
Arranged across a single level, it consists of three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a sitting room and a huge open plan living space that’s flooded with light from a large glass atrium. Find out more Carter Jonas.
You'll be rewarded with far reaching views from the top of this converted windmill. Photo: Savills
Buy this converted windmill and you’ll be able to get fit while enjoying amazing views, as the best are from the lookout on the fourth floor.
However the bulk of accommodation is spread across the ground and first floors, which have been extended.
An all-in-one sitting and dining room has been added on one side, and the a larger, two-storey structure on the other houses a bedroom, ensuite shower room, office, utility and snug, with the main bedroom suite and a further bedroom and bathroom above.
The extensions are linked by a fully glazed garden room and the kitchen, a family bathroom and two more bedrooms are located at different levels in the original mill. Available from Savills.
7. Loudwater, Chorleywood, Hertfordshire, £2.25m
The four-bedroom house is entirely underground. Photo: Strutt & Parker
The Roof Garden is a four-bedroom subterranean house on a private estate within a Green Belt area.
It was designed to comply with strict planning requirements and in 2015, soon after completion, it featured on Channel 4’s George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces.
Although entirely underground it’s very light and airy, thanks to bi-fold doors stretching the length of the kitchen/breakfast room, a glass lightwell and a central courtyard. All the bedrooms have natural light. Get in touch with Strutt & Parker.
Blockhaus is perched in an idyllic waterfront setting. Photo: Engel & Völkers Laveno
A far cry from the period villas typically found along Lake Maggiore’s waterfront, Blockhaus was constructed in the 1960s on the walls of an ancient fort.
The property is set over three levels and has three reception rooms and five bedrooms — all with views of the lake — and a spacious terrace suspended over the water. It comes with a three-bedroom caretaker’s house, a boat dock and private parkland. Through Engel & Völkers Laveno.
