The billionaire and the 219 tiny flats: a new low for rabbit-hutch Britain?

A London office block is to be turned into apartments, and some could be just 4 metres by 4 metres

Campaigners have piled in to criticise plans drawn up by a billionaire property tycoon to cram more than 200 tiny flats into an office building in north London. They describe it as a “human warehouse” that would be filled with people living in “cramped single-occupancy shoeboxes” like “rabbits in hutches”.

Amid claims that some of the planned flats would be as small as 15 sq metres – that’s less than 13ft by 13ft for residents’ entire living space – some locals say the proposal is one of the most shocking examples yet of the phenomenon known as office-to-residential conversion. A typical Premier Inn hotel room is 21 sq metres, while national space standards state that the minimum floor area for a new one-bedroom one-person home is 37 sq metres.

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Garage conversions: A step by step guide Nottingham Estate Agents

Giving an underused garage a makeover can unlock precious space in your property – and increase its price. But where to start? Before you book the skip and reach for the sledgehammer, there’s a lot to be considered. OnTheMarket.com puts foot to pedal. Give it some thought It’s worth spending a bit of time thinking about what […]

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An Economic History of the English Garden by Roderick Floud review – finance and flowers

Adding up the cost of England’s gardens … from Capability Brown to geraniums and neat lawns in the suburbs

“I love visiting other people’s gardens,” admits Roderick Floud. Nothing unusual about that, of course: what’s not to like about strolling around beautifully landscaped lawns and borders? But as well as admiring the flowers, Floud – a professor of economic history – has a keen eye for the investment of time, skill and money needed to create and maintain a garden. He has written a new kind of garden history, one which focuses on the economics of our love affair with water features and colourful flower beds.

Beginning with the restoration of Charles II in the 17th century, Floud’s study ranges across 350 years of English history, from the designers of royal estates who could earn millions of pounds in today’s money to jobbing gardeners mowing lawns in the suburbs. He explores gardening as a major industry, one largely excluded from GDP figures, yet now worth at least £11bn, one which has “changed the face of England not once but many times”.

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An Economic History of the English Garden by Roderick Floud review – finance and flowers

Adding up the cost of England’s gardens … from Capability Brown to geraniums and neat lawns in the suburbs

“I love visiting other people’s gardens,” admits Roderick Floud. Nothing unusual about that, of course: what’s not to like about strolling around beautifully landscaped lawns and borders? But as well as admiring the flowers, Floud – a professor of economic history – has a keen eye for the investment of time, skill and money needed to create and maintain a garden. He has written a new kind of garden history, one which focuses on the economics of our love affair with water features and colourful flower beds.

Beginning with the restoration of Charles II in the 17th century, Floud’s study ranges across 350 years of English history, from the designers of royal estates who could earn millions of pounds in today’s money to jobbing gardeners mowing lawns in the suburbs. He explores gardening as a major industry, one largely excluded from GDP figures, yet now worth at least £11bn, one which has “changed the face of England not once but many times”.

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Inside three of the quirkiest eco homes on Rightmove

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Homes with shared gardens – in pictures

Mingle with your neighbours at these properties with communal space, from Devon to London

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Property jargon buster – a glossary of terms Nottingham Estate Agents

The property world is full of words and expressions that may be unfamiliar to anyone who is not regularly buying, selling, letting or renting a home. This updated guide from OnTheMarket.com will help to shed light on what they all mean. Absent landlord A landlord described as “absent” is one who cannot be contacted. If […]

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