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Cesar Mendez has made a home out of one of London's tiniest flats, a snug former janitor's cupboard in Kensington, now valued at nearly £250k due to its prime location. For four years, the 47 year old has enjoyed life in the 11.7 sq m property, rubbing shoulders with millionaires and enjoying views of the Natural History Museum, while the Royal Family often passes by his window.

Despite its compact size, combining bedroom, lounge, and kitchen into one, along with a tiny hallway and bathroom, Mendez shells out roughly £1,400 monthly for rent and bills. The flat's prestigious postcode recently attracted a £230,000 price tag when it hit the market, and it's currently under offer through Purplebricks, expected to sell within weeks.

Mendez, an admin worker in the banking sector hailing from Tenerife, finds the petite space ideal, stating: "The rents in London are crazy," but "I love the location, it's great. It's very convenient." He admits that the flat's size suits him as he's not particularly tall, but cleanliness is crucial: "If it's not tidy, there's no space and you go crazy."

Mendez, who stands at a modest height, quips about the challenges of such a confined living area: "Have you seen any other flat under 12 square metres? If I had a girlfriend, we would fight all the time because it's such a small place." Mr Mendez, a marathon enthusiast aiming to complete 100 marathons on seven continents for Water Aid, raves about the flat's location near Hyde Park.

He also mentioned the thrill of seeing royals like King Charles and Queen Camilla pass by: "Having Hyde Park five minutes away from the flat is amazing," Mr Mendez said. "I work in Mayfair, too, and it takes me 10 to 15 minutes to cycle to work. I have seen King Charles, Prince William and Queen Camilla around the area. Police stop the cars for them to go through.

"I see them a lot - maybe once every two weeks. It's very central. The location is incredible - but there are pros and cons - there's no washing machine so I have to take my clothes to get washed. But it's still an amazing flat. It's very quiet here. My neighbours are really nice; some of them are Chinese and some other neighbours are Italian - I think there's eight flats in the whole building."

Cesar added his thoughts on the neighbouring properties: "They are massive. A one-bedroom flat sold for £1m, two bedrooms for £1.5m."

Despite the lack of amenities, Mr Mendez hopes to stay in the beloved flat after its sale. Nick Minns, selling the property that was once his mother's, also cherishes memories of living in the compact abode for half a year. He recounted that he once threw a party, utilising his flat as a makeshift 'booze cupboard'. In another memorable episode, a tall guest struggled for space, effectively occupying every inch of the property.

"We had a party on the stairwell once," Mr Minns recounted. "The flat was just the booze cupboard. We had a friend stay over and he had a different body part in every room." Nick Gaunt from Purplebricks noted the rarity of finding such a budget-priced property in an esteemed location.

"To find any property, however small, with such a prestigious postcode and at this price is very unusual," he admitted. He continued, highlighting the swift sale, "As such, we're not surprised that it has got snapped up very quickly, especially given its location, investors are likely to see beyond its square meterage and to the fact it makes a smart investment for any buyer."