A property advertised for £100,000 in West Ealing, London, turned out to be a converted garden shed, and it failed to attract a single bid at auction, according to YouTuber David Burnip, who documented the listing on his Wandering Turnip channel.
Burnip, who visited the property after spotting the listing, described it as a freehold detached dwelling, but upon arrival he found it was a shed in someone's back garden. The property was listed at a time when Rightmove reported a 2% average drop in newly listed asking prices in August, the largest such drop in eight years, yet demand for housing in the capital remains intense.
What the £100k property actually looks like
Burnip followed directions to the viewing and found himself on a leafy street lined with typical houses, but the 'house' was a garden shed. He noted, "This might not be your traditional house, but you do in fact own the whole thing. No leaseholds." The interior included a basic kitchen/diner, a bathroom, and a view of a garden fence, as the shed is located in the back garden of someone else's house.
He joked about the furnishings, pointing out an old TV stand and a dilapidated garden chair, saying, "This place does come fully furnished. We've got this lovely kitchen table and this fine, fine seating arrangement, which all comes with the property." He also noted the curtain was a threadbare strip of fabric, revealing a view of another fence or shed.
Why the shed failed to sell
Burnip speculated the property might be part of a house in multiple occupation (HMO), with the landlord converting the shed for extra income. He said, "I'm guessing that this place is a HMO, and the house is being rented out, and the landlord has just gone 'I'm going to make some extra cash by flogging off the garden shed'."
Despite the low price, the property received no bids at auction. Burnip watched the auction live and said, "The shed received not a single bid. It turns out people do not want to spend 100 grand to live in someone's back garden." He predicted it might return to the market next month for £80,000.
Impact on London's housing market
The failed sale highlights the extremes of London's housing market, where even a shed can be listed as a house due to high demand. Burnip's video underscores the challenges buyers face, though the lack of bids suggests there are limits to what people will accept for a property.
The property's future remains uncertain, but Burnip's observation that it may be relisted at a lower price indicates the seller might need to adjust expectations to attract a buyer.
