A terraced home which was sold for an eye-watering £550,000 despite being hidden completely by trees has seen the light of day for the first time in decades.
The property, dubbed The Tree House, had a guide price of £450,000 but was snapped up by IT project manager Samir Patel for £554,000 following a bidding war.
Now, almost four months later, the trees have been removed and the house is visible from the street for the first time in decades.
But Mr Patel has his work cut out with the property in Blackheath, south east London, as it is still in need of complete renovation.
The terraced property in Blackheath, south east London, has undergone a dramatic transformation and can be seen from the street for the first time
The terraced house, known as The Tree House, was completely engulfed by foliage before the tree was eventually removed
The property, which is on the end of a row of other terraced homes, could not be seen from the street because of the leaves
The remarkable makeover also revealed the end-of-terrace home’s integrated single garage (pictured) for the first time
The brickwork appears to be in relatively good condition, but one upper window is missing and the other window frames have seen better days.
The tree removal also reveals the end-of-terrace home’s integrated single garage for the first time.
Mr Patel, from Croydon, south London, is in the process of applying for planning permission to renovate the home.
It is hoped the council will approve plans for the property to match next door’s style and height, giving it a more characterful look.
He said: ‘The front is now cleared. We think it is a 1950s house, it is a lot more modern than we expected. It is going to have a complete overhaul..
‘We knew it was smaller than the other houses but it looks completely different to what we were expecting.
‘I’m happy the trees are removed and the house is now visible.
The property, which was purchased for more than £550,000 can now be seen properly for the first time after the huge tree in front of it was removed
The buyer, Samir Patel, is applying for planning permission so he can renovate the home after purchasing it for £554,000
The rundown home is still in need of a makeover, both inside and out, and the new owner is hoping to get permission to do it up
‘We’re going to do everything. Put a new roof on it, new electrics, new plumbing. It is going to take seven-to-eight months to finish.’
Despite its awful condition, almost 100 people queued up to view the home on Ruthin Road in Blackheath, London, during a pre-auction open day.
It was auctioned by Savills in May and bidding opened up at £470,000 and, 25 bids later, it was bought by a Samir.
Auctioneer Chris Coleman-Smith called it as ‘one of the best places he had sold in years’.
The staggering price paid was £75,000 more than the average home in London but still below the £800,000 a perfect terrace home on the street would cost.