You can snoop around some of Rightmove’s fanciest UK houses opening their doors to the public this weekend

YOU can snoop around some of Rightmove’s fanciest UK houses this weekend as they open their doors to the public.

The Open House Festival is perfect for those who find themselves browsing their dream properties in their spare time.

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Since 1992, London’s Open House Festival has celebrated the capital’s unique architecture and urban landscape.

Each year, over 700 properties, buildings and other sites of architectural significance across London’s 33 boroughs open their doors with many said to be a “once in a lifetime visit”.

The public are welcomed to visit before September 13 and 21 and, this weekend, there are some stunning homes to walk through and admire.

Stoke Newington House

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On Saturday, September 20, you’ll be able to nose around this sleek, modern refurbishment of a late-Georgian townhouse in Stoke Newington.

The historic site has been re-designed into a contemporary home with a full-width rear extension added between 1958 and 1962.

A secluded courtyard garden lies between the extended kitchen and outbuilding which is the perfect cosy retreat.

Natural light floods into the interior which has taken a somewhat minimalist approach but still retains that homey feel.

The description states that the spaces are “emotionally and intellectually engaging, challenging and stimulating” while “maximising efficiency, practicality and durability for our clients”.

Six Columns

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Six Columns lies on a leafy South London street and was announced as House of the Year by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in 2024.

It’s “discrete and considerate of its setting” and it’s “personality is revealed” as you approach the property.

It naturally blends into the neighbourhood and looks relatively unremarkable from the outside but it’s inside where the character really comes alive.

Everything starts with the hall as you enter before it unfurls into generous open spaces across three floors with “few contained rooms”.

You’ll be able to take a look yourself this Saturday, 20 September.

Woodside Loft, 4 Singleton Scarp

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Also available to view on Saturday is this epic loft conversion property was the winner of the SBID International Design Excellence Award in 2020 and is a 10 minute walk from Woodside Park station.

It was originially a three-bed semi built in the 1930s and is dubbed an “expansive, multi-use space” with spectacular views to the front of the building.

The sleek and stylish loft conversion “acts as a living room with a view, a guest room, a project space, a place to relax, a place to be alone, and a place to be together with family or friends”.

It has some quirky features too with a heavily sound-proofed “party wall” with LED strips and spotlights as well as mirrors that really open up the space.

Bough Terrace

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The historic Bough Terrace lies at the very heart of Knightsbridge, central London, on a quiet residential street.

It’s a Victorian “mews” property that peels back “the layers of the existing house” allowing “its historic bones to be revealed and celebrated”.

It has a restored facade so it fits in seamlessly with the surrounding Victorian terrace.

Features include a floating midnight blue staircase as well as a bespoke Japanese soaking bathtub with water from a wooden tap which you can see for yourself this Saturday.

Not only does the Open House Festival offer tours of unique properties, but there are also extremely exclusive limited tours available between September 13 and 21.

And there’s nothing more exciting that getting to explore a place where visitors are usually not allowed.