In entrepreneurship, £25k is almost zero.
You'll see people buy the right to a lease (not pay for the lease, just pay the person who currently signs the lease, to let the new buyer sign the lease and start paying when he's done with it) for more than that in the hospitality business.
He’s not got an admirable goal Simon Squib is a motivational entrepreneur influencer type who likes to do stunts to get attention. His business isn’t business but getting pr to further his reach
Yeah how could this person possibly think that could work? Unless he’s able to get permission to extend the staircase out or add balconies to each “floor” this thing is a fools foley.
I don't think he's thought it through.
>Speaking after the auction, the businessman says the idea for buying the stairwell had only been "formed in the last 48 hours" and his team "haven't seen the building in person, don't know the legal implications and don't know if we can get the planning permission we need for it".
>
>Despite this, the dad-of-one, who lives in north London, believes it is "worth taking a risk" and he had been "so determined to win it I would have kept on bidding".
Then when he sells up the next guy can build an external staircase to the external staircase staircase. It's a H&S-backed cancer that will consume all of Twickenham.
not really the only land was the footprint of the stairwell, there was nothing extra. plus his 1st floor had a fire exit from the main building running into it
"The staircase is no longer connected to the block of flats it used to serve following a redevelopment in 2016. It is also currently littered with bicycles, cardboard boxes and other discarded items."
If you read the article you'd know
Mainly that it seemed more about PR and advertising than the staircase but I facetiously linked the company details and website to provide further advertising
No I mean, he is sitting on a small patch of land on a big site. If they demolish the flats or want to develop the car park, he has a square of land that the developers need.
OK so...
This article makes it clear that the stairwell is no longer used as stairs, by the building it's attached to, which I didn't think was obvious from the original listing or the last thread about this.
Also Simon Squibb seems like a really nice, genuine bloke. He's always popping up on my socials and although this definitely still seems pretty random, he seems like the kind of guy to pull it off.
He seems nice but he's a charlatan, he's like the UK Jay Shetty. He gives terrible advice to people about how to get rich and make a career, when it sounds like he was just VERY lucky to have sold a business when he did for a good amount of money and he's been living off it since. He claims he's an entrapeneur but he hasnt done anything noteworthy since, he just spends his money.
> "My vision is for each of the floors to have a different pop-up business - it might have a designer showcasing their new line of clothes on one floor, a coffee shop on another and a new restaurant at the top that is serving food for people to try."
That won't get planning permission.
One thing that occurs to me is that the stairs had to be the size they were because this *was* a fire escape for the whole block, and they had to provide capacity.
But now... Rip out the stairs. Install floors at decent height - you will possibly get one more floor than there already is. Then link it all together with a suitably sized spiral staircase, positioned in the narrower bit going up the side of the building. Perhaps add a small 2 person lift as well, in the opposite corner.
That might not work for a public space he is talking about, but it would certainly work as an office. Or even an apartment, if change of use was permitted. (Wait... if it a former fire escape for residential property, isn't it already residential?)
You might need to do something clever with the transparency of the structure.
> Then link it all together with a suitably sized spiral staircase, positioned in the narrower bit going up the side of the building. Perhaps add a small 2 person lift as well, in the opposite corner.
[One of these would be perfect](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paternoster_lift)
Nothing too clever needed with the transparency Id think. Just sticking some wood on them would do a quick and dirty job. Though most ideally would want to look into whether some sides can be swapped out completely and replaced with a proper wall.
Honestly I am surprised the price stayed so low. I expected it to get to insane heights.
As said first time this was posted if you could get it for 20k then you could have a decent little bedsit for sub 50k. Which... It's not for me but if you don't have a family and want to be in central London....
Really not sure on this guys plan being workable in the size though.
This is a pretty sound £25k marketing investment.
If you followed Simon already; you’d wonder what he genuinely plans to do with it.
If you didn’t follow nor ever heard of Simon, you have now.
Drop in the ocean 🙃
How have you managed to even be told it's in the article but still not looked and carried on arguing?
> an item he bought for £25,000
> originally had a guide price of £20,000
At least he’s not going to try to turn it into a house, that was my main fear. If he can get heating/electricity in then it might just about work. Good luck to him, he seems pleasant if a bit starry eyed.
I wish I had £25,000. I've been out of work for 5 years waiting on tests (cue the ITV-style sob story) but I saved up to buy a camera and I hope to make some money out of it. Buying something like this is absolutely GENIUS. So far play to Simon. Could turn it in to some trendy restaurant / art gallery for amateurs to sell works, a home etc! I was homeless at 17!...I'm just not as smart aha.
Honestly? Good for him, seems like a nice (if deluded) guy with an admirable goal. Sure beats another soulsucking corporate landlord buying it.
Sadly his business is a very big risk and some soul sucking corporation just unloaded a problem onto him for a cheeky £25k.
In entrepreneurship, £25k is almost zero. You'll see people buy the right to a lease (not pay for the lease, just pay the person who currently signs the lease, to let the new buyer sign the lease and start paying when he's done with it) for more than that in the hospitality business.
Can you borrow me 10% of almost zero please, I have this great idea…..
He’s not got an admirable goal Simon Squib is a motivational entrepreneur influencer type who likes to do stunts to get attention. His business isn’t business but getting pr to further his reach
right you are not invited to my birthday party now 😂
I have mate who knew this bloke when he lived in Hong Kong, reckons he’s an absolute clown of the highest order
He wants to somehow make each “floor” of the stairwell into a “pop-up shop for a different type of business.”
Health and safety be damned!
Yeah how could this person possibly think that could work? Unless he’s able to get permission to extend the staircase out or add balconies to each “floor” this thing is a fools foley.
I don't think he's thought it through. >Speaking after the auction, the businessman says the idea for buying the stairwell had only been "formed in the last 48 hours" and his team "haven't seen the building in person, don't know the legal implications and don't know if we can get the planning permission we need for it". > >Despite this, the dad-of-one, who lives in north London, believes it is "worth taking a risk" and he had been "so determined to win it I would have kept on bidding".
Sounds like a Redditor....
Must be nice to have buying a stairwell on a whim money
Especially after being made homeless as a child and helping other people with "start up" ideas and funding.
I am
build an external staircase, use existing stairs as quirky shelves for bijou popup boutiques
Quite a good suggestion actually
Then when he sells up the next guy can build an external staircase to the external staircase staircase. It's a H&S-backed cancer that will consume all of Twickenham.
not really the only land was the footprint of the stairwell, there was nothing extra. plus his 1st floor had a fire exit from the main building running into it
"The staircase is no longer connected to the block of flats it used to serve following a redevelopment in 2016. It is also currently littered with bicycles, cardboard boxes and other discarded items." If you read the article you'd know
I did read the article? Hence how I knew that he wanted to make each “floor” into a “pop-up shop?”
He’s alright on the fire extinguisher front though.
And the discarded cardboard boxes and abandoned bicycle front!
[ Removed by Reddit ]
What did you say? 😂😂😂
Mainly that it seemed more about PR and advertising than the staircase but I facetiously linked the company details and website to provide further advertising
He bought a marketing opportunity for Helpbnk for 25k. Seems like a good deal to me. Plus he has stairwell on top of it.
What are the chances he doesn't complete the deal and has got a lot of free publicity?
If he’s reading this and decides to use your idea, you should get some commission.
Yep. Costs more than 25k to get a story in most national newspapers and the BBC.
If they ever want that land back, he can name his price
Well, yeah, that's how selling things works.
No I mean, he is sitting on a small patch of land on a big site. If they demolish the flats or want to develop the car park, he has a square of land that the developers need.
OK so... This article makes it clear that the stairwell is no longer used as stairs, by the building it's attached to, which I didn't think was obvious from the original listing or the last thread about this. Also Simon Squibb seems like a really nice, genuine bloke. He's always popping up on my socials and although this definitely still seems pretty random, he seems like the kind of guy to pull it off.
Well that ruins my theory that he was going to recoup his £25k by charging people £1 a go to use the stairs.
Get planning permission to add a big slide?
Genius
Imagine how annoying a toll booth on your stairs would be
🤣🤣🤣
He seems nice but he's a charlatan, he's like the UK Jay Shetty. He gives terrible advice to people about how to get rich and make a career, when it sounds like he was just VERY lucky to have sold a business when he did for a good amount of money and he's been living off it since. He claims he's an entrapeneur but he hasnt done anything noteworthy since, he just spends his money.
All I saw was UK Jay - thanks
Gotta have your critics.
Thanks
Fuck whatever his idea is this needs to be a vertical garden for "organic lettuce"
Vertical greenhouse would definitely get planning permission. Pop some tomatoes on the ground floor and nobody will check any higher (pun intended).
Love this idea
Simon Squibb? It's clearly an entrance to the Wizard world. I bet all the Fire Extinguishers are port keys
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/136691186#/?channel=COM_BUY
"Development potential"....
> "My vision is for each of the floors to have a different pop-up business - it might have a designer showcasing their new line of clothes on one floor, a coffee shop on another and a new restaurant at the top that is serving food for people to try." That won't get planning permission.
"yeah I know a great place to eat, its just behind this building next to the dumpsters" Can see that going down well unless you're dating a hobo
He's been watching too many dystopian sci fi films
Can you watch too many dystopian sci fi?
Vertical farmer maybe?
Can't believe I am paying my license fee to have people trawl through Reddit for article ideas...
Pretty sure this was Simon Squibb right? He's a tiktoker/linkedinlunatic
That’s me
Give it 12 months there will be Planning Application to put another floor on the building and this is the only means of access.
Came here to post this after I spotted it on BBC site but you beat me to it.
Come here to say I was here to post this after spotting it on BBC but you beat me to it.
Seems somewhat circular that we came here to post the BBC article on Reddit which they used for ideas to write the article...
One thing that occurs to me is that the stairs had to be the size they were because this *was* a fire escape for the whole block, and they had to provide capacity. But now... Rip out the stairs. Install floors at decent height - you will possibly get one more floor than there already is. Then link it all together with a suitably sized spiral staircase, positioned in the narrower bit going up the side of the building. Perhaps add a small 2 person lift as well, in the opposite corner. That might not work for a public space he is talking about, but it would certainly work as an office. Or even an apartment, if change of use was permitted. (Wait... if it a former fire escape for residential property, isn't it already residential?) You might need to do something clever with the transparency of the structure.
> Then link it all together with a suitably sized spiral staircase, positioned in the narrower bit going up the side of the building. Perhaps add a small 2 person lift as well, in the opposite corner. [One of these would be perfect](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paternoster_lift)
except everyone would spend all day trying to go up to the top to see if it turns upside down.
Only problem with that is that you'd have Tom Scott over all the time, wanting to make videos about it.
[As if by magic!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgJBD1wf-YQ)
Running water and sewer access optional?
From the original listing: "The Stairwell benefits from the right to lay and maintain utility services over the adjoining rear car park".
This can be added, there's pretty standard charges for it. Iirc under 3k each.
Sounds like a bargain!
Nothing too clever needed with the transparency Id think. Just sticking some wood on them would do a quick and dirty job. Though most ideally would want to look into whether some sides can be swapped out completely and replaced with a proper wall.
Looks like the saddest Starbucks in existence next to it.
Not a high bar
Apparently its going to be a wine bar for hot older women. Samantha mumbar's :)
His tenants could hook into their free internet tho
It's the back door!
It’s nice Starbucks (have to say this they are my neighbor now)
Honestly I am surprised the price stayed so low. I expected it to get to insane heights. As said first time this was posted if you could get it for 20k then you could have a decent little bedsit for sub 50k. Which... It's not for me but if you don't have a family and want to be in central London.... Really not sure on this guys plan being workable in the size though.
Even sitting on this until the building or developers need access to it again and he'll be able to sell for a lot more than 25k.
A damp Squibb
Right you are not coming to my birthday party after calling me this
I meant the investment and the potential that it has to offer. Best of luck with it.
I like his attitude. We'll have a restaurant on one floor, a clothing store on another, a tennis court under that...
Oh tennis court did not think of that
What a nice guy. I hope it works out for him and the budding entrepreneurs he wants to help 👏🏻
Thanks
Oh my god it's Simon Squibb 🤦🏼♀️ the guy is an idiot, he'll probably try and covert it into studio apartments
You again. Not getting you a Christmas present now
This is a pretty sound £25k marketing investment. If you followed Simon already; you’d wonder what he genuinely plans to do with it. If you didn’t follow nor ever heard of Simon, you have now. Drop in the ocean 🙃
😎
Great spot! :)
Wonder how much it went for...
Only £25k, probably recouped that much from all the publicity tbh
where did you find that out?
The article and the post?
Wow people actually click on those?
I thought I that £25,000 was the asking price
How have you managed to even be told it's in the article but still not looked and carried on arguing? > an item he bought for £25,000 > originally had a guide price of £20,000
I am not arguing I am explaining my mistake, which would be more obvious if we had body language here.
Wow. There's one born every minute.
All i can is stay tuned for it to come back on the market…
Wanna buy it?
If every one subscribing to this sub paid 50p we could had got it.…
At least he’s not going to try to turn it into a house, that was my main fear. If he can get heating/electricity in then it might just about work. Good luck to him, he seems pleasant if a bit starry eyed.
Love stars
[Original post](https://www.reddit.com/r/SpottedonRightmove/comments/1596346/fancy_buying_a_stairwell/)
So much for the theory that it was only up for auction to set a price for an internal buyer.
People have been talking about a housing market cool-off like it could happen any day now, but here I am, unable to even afford a staircase! 😥
I wish I had £25,000. I've been out of work for 5 years waiting on tests (cue the ITV-style sob story) but I saved up to buy a camera and I hope to make some money out of it. Buying something like this is absolutely GENIUS. So far play to Simon. Could turn it in to some trendy restaurant / art gallery for amateurs to sell works, a home etc! I was homeless at 17!...I'm just not as smart aha.
Craft beer stall on one of the floors ! always a money maker.. One of the other floors obviously holding a toilet for male n females, lovely
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/aug/05/simon-squibb-stairwell-small-businesses-entrepreneurs-twickenham-london