Rowfant Road, Balham, London, SW17 7AP

Porters John Dean invite you to explore this substantial six-bedroom detached home, occupying an enviably generous plot with a secluded rear garden.

Originally built in 1898, this unique property has a fascinating history. It was once the home of Lionel Ernest Bussey, whose remarkable collection of footwear was subsequently acquired by museums, including the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Coming to the market for the first time in over 50 years, this impressive home offers more than 3,200 sq ft of versatile accommodation. The extensive and flexible layout provides exciting possibilities for modern family living, as well as multi-generational households.

The original layout and proportions of the property are particularly interesting to consider. Built to the specification of a prosperous family of its era, the house reflects the way Victorian homes were traditionally arranged around both family life and domestic service. Servants would typically have been accommodated separately from the principal family bedrooms, often within smaller rooms on the upper floors and/or towards the rear of the property. Kitchens, scullery and utility areas, together with service circulation, would have been designed to support a household with domestic staff. The existing floor plan provides an intriguing insight into this historic way of living.

The scale of the house, combined with its generous plot, makes this a particularly rare proposition for Rowfant Road. Whilst the property would now benefit from refurbishment and modernisation, it presents an exceptional opportunity for a purchaser with vision to restore, reconfigure and transform the house into a truly individual family home, whilst retaining the character, proportions and architectural integrity of its period.

With six bedrooms, multiple reception rooms, extensive garden space and an abundance of potential, this remarkable home is quietly waiting to be brought back to its former glory — and could, with the right vision, become one of the most enviable houses on the road.