2-8A Rutland Gate is vacant, in the heart of Knightsbridge, London. The 45-room mansion, which sold for £210m in 2020, has been vacant for years. But at its doorstep, there is life. Anders Fernstedt has been sleeping on the porch for three years, surrounded by his collection of plant pots and vases.
“The pretend reality is I’m the kid, the parents are at home. I just said: ‘Can I camp on the balcony?'” Anders told Guardian feature writer Sam Wollaston.
With so many people desperate for housing, what do abandoned luxury properties like this tell us about the UK? Sam tells Lucy Huff about the Guardian’s Abandoned Britain series and how Anders found himself living outside the mansion.
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