This South London property, which we're currently marketing at a guide price of £1,000,000, covers 98.29 sq m. Nothing remarkable about that, of course – except the accommodation is arranged over three floors and has four double bedrooms, a family bathroom and a shower room. The secret to such clever maximisation of space? None of the rooms is wider than 2.30m.

The Battersea property, called The Slim House, was created in 2013 when its then owners asked a team of architects to draw up plans for a three-storey extension, creating an extra room on each floor. A unique ‘ski slope’ roof was added at the back to help bring in natural light. Well-placed storage and bespoke fittings were incorporated within the design to maximise the limited living space. There’s even a garden, measuring a slender 2.7m by 14.45m.

Featured on various TV programmes, including George Clark’s Amazing Spaces and Grand Designs, The Slim House is one of a number of gap houses in London. And there’s no doubt that such houses – which don’t come to market often – are appealing to buyers, allowing them to buy an architecturally unique house in a desirable area for about the same price as an apartment but, crucially, with its own front door, a private garden and no neighbours above or below. We’ve had interest from downsizers wanting to retain a number of bedrooms and outside space, as well as local couples and those seeking a London base with good local transport connections.