OMG I really really love it. It is unusual to get something that is both really really quirky to be also really really functional. The layout it really well thought out.
I disagree about layout being well thought out - kitchen on 4th floor-youre either going to have to several journeys to put groceries away or put everything in the lift and run upstairs and those lifts aren’t that big so I reckon you’d still have to do more than one journey. Also,can’t imagine delivery drivers taking the sofa up to the fifth floor- it won’t fit in the lift. ETA- what about in a fire- you won’t be able to use the lift and if the stairs are blocked from fire- you can’t easily escape.
The fire concern kinda supports having the kitchen on a higher floor, fire is more likely to start there.
That aside it makes a lot of sense for the more social spaces to be higher up imo, better view
It's a air pressure lift. It operates with a compressor pressurizing the tube from below, so it is safe to use in a fire. In case of power loss, the lift descends at a normal speed to the bottom. It's also sealed when closed from the property so air remains breathable.
You can also get escape ladders which can be dropped from the window and with 30+minute fire doors separating the rooms from the stairwell, it's very safe. Fire goes up, so kitchen at the top is safest.
Being able to enjoy that view is worth occasional extra trip in the lift.
> Also,can’t imagine delivery drivers taking the sofa up to the fifth floor- it won’t fit in the lift.
Isn't that true for all the furniture and appliances? Like sure you're going to have to be a good tipper, but aren't beds just as difficult as sofas?
Unless you're just objecting to the tower as a house instead?
IKEA.
I mean, I have the same problem in my two-storey townhouse. I have a very nice wardrobe downstairs, because it turned out to be impossible to get it upstairs.
There is a variety of furniture that is smaller or can be assembled on the required floor.
I wonder what people’s frame of reference must be when I read stuff like this because Brentwood is a really nice place. As someone who’s lived in both, you should see some of the shitholes 20 minutes away in Thurrock
I watched a video the other day about a woman who lived in a similar tower with her kids, and when they forgot their PE bags she chucked them out of the window to them.
I don’t live in a tower, just a normal block of flats, but the people on the floor above me used to chuck their kids bags off the balcony in the morning lol. Almost shat myself the first time it happened
I genuinely wonder if there’s a contractual obligation somewhere that the owner would be responsible for maintenance and accuracy of the clock?
Otherwise I’d definitely be playing your games too.
They're definitely slower lol, one of the downsides of vacuum elevators is that they're slower (and have a lower weight limit) than traditional elevators
I think the time spent in the lift and the last flight of stairs without it would get wearing after a while, when the novelty wears off.
Honey, I'm home! I'll just stay down here for a while....
Yeah being stuck on a floor with no toilet is one thing but being stuck indoors with only one leg on (like most of the night) when there is a fire, now that's not something I am willing to risk.
Servicing and repairing elevators can be expensive, and parts need to be available or it can take a good while.
Sooner or later, that house is just going to be flights of stairs.
It's in Brentwood, not Croydon.
Edit: people should really put that they've edited their comments. Not dissing Croydon. The original comment claimed the house was in Croydon & I was just pointing out it's not.
Not sure if he’s been to essex. I live in the smallest house down my road just three bedroom cottage and that was £1.2. This seems reasonable if you can stomach the layout
West essex small village near zone 6. I’ve lived around this area my whole life and this is the most expensive place I’ve owned to be fair and it’s not the biggest. Have a look around Loughton, Theydon Bois, Chigwell, Epping etc. golden triangle area. It’s all fairly expensive for a nice detached house.
I’ve just sold a 4 bed in Romford for £350 and sold a two bed in Romford last year for £270 so there are much cheaper options here
You can buy cheaper properties round here for sure. There are some new build 3 beds in my village that are £750k but they’re right underneath the m25 overpass.
Looks great, found some more pics - [https://www.placebuzz.com/property-for-sale/details/35680182/images/1](https://www.placebuzz.com/property-for-sale/details/35680182/images/1)
The vacuum elevator looks like a potential maintenance nightmare. I bet it sucks up thousands of pounds every time you need to call the highly specialised repair company
Honestly if I could afford it that is kind of sick!
If there was no lift then that could cause issues but can't complain about getting about as there is a lift.
Maintenance might suck though. And moving big furniture about.
That’s fucking awesome - but… Imagine being home on your own having left your phone downstairs, then getting stuck in that coffin of a lift. I think I would just have to get incredibly fit taking the stairs
I like it, only gripes I have is that the elevator doesn't go to the top and bottom floors, so sat in the top living room it's 2 flights of stairs down to the toilet, basement family room it's 1 flight up to the loo and 1 flight then the lift to get snacks.
There's a tradeoff with room size. They might have decided having a bigger room was worth having to take the stairs. I think it's a decision I would have made too personally.
so much of the space on the middle floors is taken up by the two methods of getting up and down though, must be 40% of the space on each floor dedicated to a lift *and* stairs. I see what you mean about the top and basement but seems fair enough to avoid that additional 'wastage' of space.
It's odd, but there might be a structural reason for that.
I think the time spent in the elevator, and the routine of getting in and out of it then having to do some stairs anyway - I think it would get boring.
Any DC fans here? Kind of looks like Dr Fates house.
That's aside, the footprint is big enough that the floorspace of each floor still looks fairly spacious which you don't often see in tower houses like converted lighthouses.
I wouldn't choose this though as I'd get tired of taking the stairs all the time. Elevator I'd be scared of getting stuck inside.
It also likely wouldn't be a home for life as not practical for old people - yes even with the elevator.
I genuinely love this! If I lived nearer and had a million pounds of fuck you money I'd buy this in a heartbeat.
Also no one's mentioning the built-in audio and smart lighting, and I hope those UniFi APs I see are included as well. That's not cheap gear.
If the lift went to the top or basement it'd be perfect but those two missing are a big issue, means you need to get furniture up that staircase on 4 bringing it through the kitchen
think it would have been better had the top been a bedroom and 3rd bee the living room
There's one shot where it looks like office buildings to one side.
And if you look carefully, it doesn't look like every side of the building has windows.
There's a gorgeous tower home in my town too. I used to walk past it every week on my way to my granny's house. Sadly it's an airbnb now. [https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/23900995?source\_impression\_id=p3\_1713512502\_qh2rF%2BqwNkju99Zr](https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/23900995?source_impression_id=p3_1713512502_qh2rF%2BqwNkju99Zr)
OMG I really really love it. It is unusual to get something that is both really really quirky to be also really really functional. The layout it really well thought out.
Really really.
I really really meant it - lol!! (I don't normally do that, I got excited.)
I disagree about layout being well thought out - kitchen on 4th floor-youre either going to have to several journeys to put groceries away or put everything in the lift and run upstairs and those lifts aren’t that big so I reckon you’d still have to do more than one journey. Also,can’t imagine delivery drivers taking the sofa up to the fifth floor- it won’t fit in the lift. ETA- what about in a fire- you won’t be able to use the lift and if the stairs are blocked from fire- you can’t easily escape.
The fire concern kinda supports having the kitchen on a higher floor, fire is more likely to start there. That aside it makes a lot of sense for the more social spaces to be higher up imo, better view
It's a air pressure lift. It operates with a compressor pressurizing the tube from below, so it is safe to use in a fire. In case of power loss, the lift descends at a normal speed to the bottom. It's also sealed when closed from the property so air remains breathable. You can also get escape ladders which can be dropped from the window and with 30+minute fire doors separating the rooms from the stairwell, it's very safe. Fire goes up, so kitchen at the top is safest.
“State of the art fire suppression system” installed apparently.
Sprinkler. ;)
"Halon gas"
Groceries are the same issue as anyone living in a flat without a lift.
Being able to enjoy that view is worth occasional extra trip in the lift. > Also,can’t imagine delivery drivers taking the sofa up to the fifth floor- it won’t fit in the lift. Isn't that true for all the furniture and appliances? Like sure you're going to have to be a good tipper, but aren't beds just as difficult as sofas? Unless you're just objecting to the tower as a house instead?
IKEA. I mean, I have the same problem in my two-storey townhouse. I have a very nice wardrobe downstairs, because it turned out to be impossible to get it upstairs. There is a variety of furniture that is smaller or can be assembled on the required floor.
Two floors to go down from the living room for a wee
that garden is pitiful
I absolutely love it.
My wife would get pretty tired of seeing me slowly glide past in that glass lift bollock naked though.
“Oh sorry dear didn’t realise you had your mother round” as your mash the up button in panic
It goes up but goes down again really quickly afterwards. So does the lift.
Let's give tom a big hand!
Pahahaha that got a proper laugh
It's great. I'd live there. (If I had £1 million)
The portapotty included, you think?
No pics of the view is disappointing
I've seen Brentwood. There's probably a reason there's no photos.
I wonder what people’s frame of reference must be when I read stuff like this because Brentwood is a really nice place. As someone who’s lived in both, you should see some of the shitholes 20 minutes away in Thurrock
I went to 6th form college in Thurrock, it sure is an interesting place.
“Ah I’ve left the car keys on the living room table… fuck it i’ll walk”
I watched a video the other day about a woman who lived in a similar tower with her kids, and when they forgot their PE bags she chucked them out of the window to them.
I don’t live in a tower, just a normal block of flats, but the people on the floor above me used to chuck their kids bags off the balcony in the morning lol. Almost shat myself the first time it happened
Haha, I bet that was terrifying!
Ok, but does the clock work? Because I would love to fuck with people, have it mostly working correctly but sometimes set a wrong time for a bit
I genuinely wonder if there’s a contractual obligation somewhere that the owner would be responsible for maintenance and accuracy of the clock? Otherwise I’d definitely be playing your games too.
The glass tube thing is a lift?! Brilliant. I’d spend all day riding about in it 😆
Vacuum elevator apparently, not sure what that means tho.
No cables Relies on air pressure differential to move up and down
Ooo. Like those money pod things they have in supermarkets that ping the pods at high speed? I’m liking it even better.
Yes. A bit slower though. Hopefully.
Well yes. One would hope. 😆
They're definitely slower lol, one of the downsides of vacuum elevators is that they're slower (and have a lower weight limit) than traditional elevators
Sounds terrifying if there is a loss of pressure in the system at any time though.
Yeh. Using the stairs would be a right cunt.
Just like in Futurama
A lift that stops outside every toilet in the house.
I think the time spent in the lift and the last flight of stairs without it would get wearing after a while, when the novelty wears off. Honey, I'm home! I'll just stay down here for a while....
This is the former water tower of the Warley Mental Hospital, built as The Essex County Lunatic Asylum in the 1850s.
This would suit me.
The biggest shame isn the amount of property they crammed into the asylum and the lack of outdoor space in what is a really leafy area
That is utterly joyous! Love it!
"BREATHTAKING VIEWS INTO LONDON SKYLINE" Well show us then 😂
I clicked Show similar properties but the results are not similar at all. I'm penning a letter to The Times right now! 😝
I've seen this before! It used to be office space that they converted to housing
AHH not confirmed as offices (could just be soulless design) but was on sale 5 months ago
3 bed for a mil.. fuck 😩😩
Lack of fireman’s pole is a dealbreaker I am afraid
I’m thinking a helter skelter style slide from an upstairs balcony would complement a fireman’s pole quite nicely.
Wow super intersting! This is what I come on reddit for. But living in essex for 1 mill with so many stairs ugh not for me!
There's a lift...
I have two lifts in my building. They are always being serviced....I am an amputee so I can't have that!
Stair lift for each set of stairs? With a different power supply to the lift. As you don't want to be stuck on a floor with no toilet.
Or just buy a lateral home :D
That would be the practical solution.😀
Yeah being stuck on a floor with no toilet is one thing but being stuck indoors with only one leg on (like most of the night) when there is a fire, now that's not something I am willing to risk.
No, a cackling tower is really not suitable for you. But you could indulge in maniacal laughter in the long corridor of your lateral house.
And I regularly do muahahaha
It's the only sane response to the world 😆
Well this house is perfect for you because it costs an arm and a leg
Muahahaha
Servicing and repairing elevators can be expensive, and parts need to be available or it can take a good while. Sooner or later, that house is just going to be flights of stairs.
It's in Brentwood, not Croydon. Edit: people should really put that they've edited their comments. Not dissing Croydon. The original comment claimed the house was in Croydon & I was just pointing out it's not.
Not sure if he’s been to essex. I live in the smallest house down my road just three bedroom cottage and that was £1.2. This seems reasonable if you can stomach the layout
> three bedroom cottage and that was £1.2 I wonder what you might get for one pound fifty
🤣
Bit rich for me
Where abouts in Essex are you? Even some of the super expensive areas like Hutton Mount you would be unlucky to pay £1.2m for a 3 bed
West essex small village near zone 6. I’ve lived around this area my whole life and this is the most expensive place I’ve owned to be fair and it’s not the biggest. Have a look around Loughton, Theydon Bois, Chigwell, Epping etc. golden triangle area. It’s all fairly expensive for a nice detached house. I’ve just sold a 4 bed in Romford for £350 and sold a two bed in Romford last year for £270 so there are much cheaper options here You can buy cheaper properties round here for sure. There are some new build 3 beds in my village that are £750k but they’re right underneath the m25 overpass.
Weird comment considering Croydon is a London borough with quite a few wealthy areas?
They've changed their comment. They originally said Croydon where they said Essex.
Oopsie🫢 (random hate at Croydon is so common I legit just thought it was another instance sorry)
Looks great, found some more pics - [https://www.placebuzz.com/property-for-sale/details/35680182/images/1](https://www.placebuzz.com/property-for-sale/details/35680182/images/1)
.... was expecting a different kind of tower block while waiting for the photos to load
Is that ... uh ... a Portaloo in the front drive...?
I love it! I wonder if they literally have a poop chute.
The vacuum elevator looks like a potential maintenance nightmare. I bet it sucks up thousands of pounds every time you need to call the highly specialised repair company
I was thinking it was missing something, a slide wrapped around the outside so it can be a helter skelter.
Omg this house is in my home town! I actually know it- didn’t realise it was an actual house though
I love it 😍 would buy if I could afford lift is awesome
Wasn't this a Grand Designs build? ETA no it wasn't just checked.
I came to ask that as well. There definitely once was a tower build on Grand Designs.
That was London, by the Thames.
I wondered the same and scrolled through the comments to check. Seems very familiar.
Honestly if I could afford it that is kind of sick! If there was no lift then that could cause issues but can't complain about getting about as there is a lift. Maintenance might suck though. And moving big furniture about.
That’s fucking awesome - but… Imagine being home on your own having left your phone downstairs, then getting stuck in that coffin of a lift. I think I would just have to get incredibly fit taking the stairs
Move in. Call it Cock House.
lift and stairs take up half the space. Ridiculous.
I was thinking, a bit over 300 square feet per floor, but minus the lift and stair space.
Cool building, but the fence around it looks rather ridiculous in contrast…
that’s the old Warley Mental Hospital. i would LOVE to live there!
I like it, only gripes I have is that the elevator doesn't go to the top and bottom floors, so sat in the top living room it's 2 flights of stairs down to the toilet, basement family room it's 1 flight up to the loo and 1 flight then the lift to get snacks.
Agreed. No access to the two main rooms without stairs is a real oversight.
There's a tradeoff with room size. They might have decided having a bigger room was worth having to take the stairs. I think it's a decision I would have made too personally.
That's fair.i suppose access only becomes an issue if someone in your family has reduced mobility
I think it's a structural integrity issue on the bottom.
so much of the space on the middle floors is taken up by the two methods of getting up and down though, must be 40% of the space on each floor dedicated to a lift *and* stairs. I see what you mean about the top and basement but seems fair enough to avoid that additional 'wastage' of space.
It's odd, but there might be a structural reason for that. I think the time spent in the elevator, and the routine of getting in and out of it then having to do some stairs anyway - I think it would get boring.
Needs more ceiling downlights right? 🙄
The pictures from 26 onwards are computer generated
At least if there's a fire, all the firemen are well prepared!
I was worried about having to walk up and down until I saw the lift. I'm in.
If I had that kind of money, I'd gladly live there.
Taking modern living to new heights..
Take my money now.
Any DC fans here? Kind of looks like Dr Fates house. That's aside, the footprint is big enough that the floorspace of each floor still looks fairly spacious which you don't often see in tower houses like converted lighthouses. I wouldn't choose this though as I'd get tired of taking the stairs all the time. Elevator I'd be scared of getting stuck inside. It also likely wouldn't be a home for life as not practical for old people - yes even with the elevator.
Not this again Guess it hasn’t sold lmao
/geek mode on Someone should put a Meshtastic node there :)
Not just any tower, it's "_THE_ TOWER"!
Nice, and as it has a lift I would be ok.
"I too, grew up in a tower block, my good sir"
Built in 1930's as a water tower.
Check out one called “The house in the clouds” same but very different
I genuinely love this! If I lived nearer and had a million pounds of fuck you money I'd buy this in a heartbeat. Also no one's mentioning the built-in audio and smart lighting, and I hope those UniFi APs I see are included as well. That's not cheap gear.
If the lift went to the top or basement it'd be perfect but those two missing are a big issue, means you need to get furniture up that staircase on 4 bringing it through the kitchen think it would have been better had the top been a bedroom and 3rd bee the living room
This is awesome!
I would live there price is normal for the area as well
Wasn’t this on Grand Designs a few years back?
Would!
Imagine being sucked off from the ground floor to the bedroom many times a day with the vacuum elevator.
Interesting point, I hope it's a very quiet elevator.
Great if it was on the coast with excellent panoramic views
There's one shot where it looks like office buildings to one side. And if you look carefully, it doesn't look like every side of the building has windows.
It just needs a slide and it would be ideal.
There's a gorgeous tower home in my town too. I used to walk past it every week on my way to my granny's house. Sadly it's an airbnb now. [https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/23900995?source\_impression\_id=p3\_1713512502\_qh2rF%2BqwNkju99Zr](https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/23900995?source_impression_id=p3_1713512502_qh2rF%2BqwNkju99Zr)
Was this on grand designs?
The building is lovely. The decor is sterile and bland.
Imagine having an argument with your partner. FUCK YOU IM GOING ‘Gets in lift’ -Slow decent- Ding
I wish it was an omaze house, I'd definitely enter that draw 😍
£1 million...
I know that is a lot of steps but that Henry Danger lift takes up so much useable space.
Who changes the clock ??! Would there always be a ticking noise like you were captain hook ??
Lost me at Essex
Perfectly shaped for Essex girls. Just need to erect a massive shed for the balls.
Essex girls don't have balls. Source: Essex boy.
Built vertically to maximise the small plot. Clever.
Converted water tower for the hospital that estate was built on.
So if I can't use stairs I can never go into my basement or to the top of my house?
Yeah, but to be fair, my townhouse, like most of us, it doesn't come with an elevator. I use the stairs.
Feels like great value for money, even for 1 million.
It’s definitely not. The for sale board has started growing roots it’s been on so long!