Tiny house sells for a tiny price after legal spat

Set on an unassuming backstreet in the UK city of Bristol is a 44-square-metre garage that, in 2022, was converted into a home. 

Despite its small size, the building has everything you would need to live comfortably, including a kitchen, bathroom, and two separate storeys. 

Recently, the property has been put up for auction with a guide price of just £25,000 to  £50,000 – equivalent to $AU48,000 to $AU97,000.

On the day of the auction, it successfully sold for just £30,000 ($AU58,000). 

At just one-eleventh of the median home price for Bristol, this seems like it was an absolute bargain for the successful buyer. 

However, the sale came with a catch. 

As noted by online auctioneers Hollis Morgan, the property was “suitable for cash buyers only as it is the subject of an enforcement notice and alleged breach of planning control”. 

In 2013, permission was granted to convert the building into a garage with a workshop or craft room above. 

“The property was purchased as a garage and subsequently been converted with a view to use as residential or commercial accommodation,” the listing explains. 

Until the enforcement notice and alleged planning breach have been resolved, there may be ongoing issues for the new buyer.