Would you live in one of the narrowest houses in the UK?

The “mouse holes” tend to be in the £750,000-£1.5m bracket, in the same area as the family house, and are also often long-term investments for their children. This has contributed to a “distinct lack of supply”, Heather says. “But it’s been like that for the past three years.” The Wannabe Upsizers Bursting at the seams, the wannabe upsizers have outgrown their homes, but are unable to move up the housing ladder because of the high prices.

“The difference in what it costs to trade up is bigger than it’s ever been,” says Matt Gilbert, manager of Hamptons International estate agency in Ealing. He estimates that to step up from a three-bedroom terrace to a four-bed house in Ealing costs at least £150,000, including buying fees.

May 24, 2025 | 8:51 am