How a homeless man lives in front of a London mega-mansion

'Camping on the balcony'

Fernstedt has never been inside the property, which appears to be in a state of disrepair. Instead, he gradually built his home in the portico, where grand columns guard the 45 rooms, indoor swimming pool and 116 windows. Year round he sleeps under the portico roof and a large umbrella which provides a hidden nook in which he's placed mattresses and bedding.

"I haven't had a bad night's sleep for as long as I can remember. And that goes for four seasons. It's not cold in the winter, and because I don't have walls, I get the breeze in the heat," he said.

"My conceit when I started was that sort of fake dream. Oh, I'm just a boy, my parents are in the house, everything's normal, I just asked them for permission to camp on the balcony. "

Fernstedt was raised by his mother in Sweden before embarking on a range of careers at home and in the US, building a name for himself in the tech world.

In 2016, he moved to England where he worked as a journalist and fact checker at publications including The Economist, before work dried up around the time of the COVID pandemic.

A share in a tech company from his days in the US gave Anders a nest egg he relied on. But it couldn't last forever and he found himself living in a tent and then temporary accommodation, where he experienced violence and brushed up against people with severe addictions.

"Perhaps in this contemporary world, the biggest curiosity about my lifestyle is I'm completely off money," he said.

Community support powers unusual lifestyle

Fernstedt has built relationships with bakeries, cafes and florists in which he gets unused food, flowers for his home and use of power. He also makes use of a homeless charity in nearby Victoria for showers, clothing donations and socializing. But he's also made himself a broadly accepted part of one of London's most affluent neighborhoods.

"It is, in a way, a squirrel's nut collection," he added, when asked if he's worried about leaving his possessions out in the open. "I have so many nuts that I won't notice when something disappears. "

There are some neighbors who do object to his presence, but Anders does his best to keep his home neat and his life quiet. Indeed, many others feel his presence prevents the house being a target for thieves or vandals. Overall though, he's found the community welcoming.

"Sometimes they introduce themselves asking, what might I want or need. And my stock answer being: 'well, what you just gave me, a little bit of normal time, right? And neighborly banter,'" he said. "Sometimes I'll be given food and very elegant Italian dinner jackets and clothes have arrived on a few occasions. "

Homelessness a growing concern in London