Life on the porch of an empty mansion – podcast

Why are so many luxury homes in London lying empty? Sam Wollaston reports In the heart of Knightsbridge, London, 2-8A Rutland Gate sits empty. The 45-room mansion, which sold for £210m in 2020, has been unoccupied for years. But on its doorstep, there is life. Anders Fernstedt has been sleeping rough on the porch for three years, surrounded by his collection of plant pots and flowers in vases. “The pretend reality is I’m the child, parents are in the house. I just said: ‘Can I camp on the bal...

By Presented by Lucy Hough with Sam Wollaston; produced by Guy Szafman, Aisha Riaz and Ross Burns; executive producer Elizabeth Cassin