Achim Schollenberger, an architect, and his partner, Simone Stiefel, worked for two years on the property, fitting a living room, bedroom, kitchen, lavatory and shower into 14 sq m (151 sq ft). They have named it Villa Stierstadt, after the district of Oberursel, the town near Frankfurt where it stands, reports The Times.

They bought the building for €2,000 and spent €65,000 on the conversion, spray painting the opera-style frontage on to brick. The first-floor living room sitting area can even be turned into a bedroom to accommodate a guest, or two if they are small.

There is a modern sound system and the villa boasts a terrace in the form of a parking space. The kitchen has a microwave oven and a converted car radio complete with a cigarette lighter which, said Mr Schollenberger, they use to charge their phones. The couple say that the façade was inspired by Frankfurt’s opera house.

Germany’s first power substation was built in 1891 and they were phased out in the 1980s. Scores have been converted to other uses such as artists’ workshops and even a hotel. The only appliance obviously missing is a washing machine. By good fortune there is a launderette near by.