Highgate garage sells for £140,000
PARKING problems in Highgate have reached new heights with a private garage selling for £140,000 at auction.
A man from Muswell Hill is believed to have paid the final figure for the tiny plot after a number of interested bidders drove up the price.
The garage, tucked away in Whitehall Park, off Hornsey Lane, measures just 15 x 19 ft, and has a small forecourt area.
Owner of nearby Becky's corner shop, Bharat Pandit, said parking was a huge concern. He said: "The roads round here are all full up with cars. I have problems unloading stock for the shop.
"Sometimes I have to park half a mile away and use trolleys to bring things in.
"A lot of people would pay good money for a private garage - perhaps £10,000 or £20,000. But £140,000 seems way too much. No garage is worth that, even if you are parking a Rolls Royce."
Mum-of-one Rachel Short, from Harberton Road, added: "Even though parking is such a problem, I'm still surprised someone paid £140,000 for a garage."
The auction took place at a packed-out Danubius Hotel in St John's Wood.
Estate agent and auctioneer Christopher McHugh was surprised the bidding reached such levels.
"Lots of people were interested in the plot, and in the end two very determined bidders drove up the price. It was an astounding price to pay for a garage. I understand the buyer is a man from Muswell Hill.
"No-one would pay that sort of money without thinking about the development potential.
"There may be a problem getting planning consent to build on the plot, in which case £140,000 is a lot to pay just for a place to park.
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