A property in Barnes, London converted from a warehouse originally built to store a magician's props has come to the market for 2.5 million US $3.09 million. The building, which was listed as a residential dwelling for the first time in its history earlier this month, was listed as a residential dwelling for the first time in its history, according to estate agency Savills.
The property is currently arranged as two self-contained apartments and is being sold as a single-family house, but it would lend itself to a buyer who is looking to make some additional income or a buy-to-let opportunity, said Sam Bide, head of sales at Savills Barnes office.
The building was built by American magician Billy Campbell, who used the stage name Chung Ling Soo. According to Savills, he used the warehouse built at the end of his mistress's garden for his stage props.
The illusionist died in 1918 in London at the age of 56 after his signature act Defying the Bullets went wrong and he was fatally shot.
It is always exciting when you bring a property to the market for the first time, particularly when it was used only as a warehouse until recent years, according to Mr. Bide.
He said that they were likely to be used by the magician as loading bays because the building benefits from an abundance of natural light from large windows across the front exterior. He added that it is pieces of unique history like this that help create a sense of a building's past and the lifestyle of its former inhabitants.
The former props store is arranged across three floors and has three bedrooms, a balcony and a large roof terrace with views across London.
The proximity to the river and Hammersmith Bridge makes it an ideal location for those who commute into central London, while remaining within the heart of Barnes, which offers a sense of community comparable to that in a countryside village, Mr. Bide said.
Mansion Global couldn't identify the owners, or confirm how much they paid for the warehouse.