Heba Sami, 38, has been sleeping under a duvet in full-length pyjamas while the UK swelters in a record-breaking heatwave. Her four-bedroom basement flat in Warwick Avenue, London, has not exceeded 24 degrees Celsius despite outdoor temperatures hitting 36.4°C.
Scaffolding and design keep flat cool
According to Heba, scaffolding outside her windows blocks direct sunlight, and the flat's basement location combined with its large layout prevents heat from accumulating. “It’s a basement flat and in addition to that it’s a large four-bed so when the sun shifts to one side it can’t reach the other side,” she said. “By the time it reaches one side the other side cools.”
She also keeps her windows open strategically: in the morning on the side where the sun comes in, and in the afternoon on the front side with the patio door. The minimal furnishing in the flat, which she is selling after moving back from her childhood home, further reduces heat retention.
Viral TikTok sparks requests to move in
Heba shared her experience on TikTok, where the video went viral. Her comment section filled with jokes and serious inquiries. “The top comments are ‘you’re ill’,” she said. “I’m like ‘okay, great’ but I’m still very hot outside the flat so I don’t think I’m ill and my mum is a doctor so I think I’d know if I was ill.”
Many commenters asked if they could move in temporarily. “The other comments are ‘when can we move in?’ And I’ve just been telling people to join the waiting list,” Heba added.
Flat remains cool despite heatwave
Heba said she was “laughing at the fact I’m fully clothed in my duvet shivering” on the first day of the heatwave. The flat has warmed slightly but remains at a maximum of 24 degrees. She did not intend for the video to go viral but has embraced the attention, including being called a “show off” by some.
