This pad was reportedly snapped up by an anonymous Russian billionaire for £390m, tearing up the world record for the most expensive house in the world in 2008. Villa Léopolda is set in 20 acres of gardens and was first built for King Leopold II of Belgium.
If I knew it was up for sale last year I would have definitely put a bid in…
If you have seen any amazing homes please send Property Gossip some images and we will do our best to show them on the site.
Overseas Property Mall have created a list of the most expensive cities to own homes worldwide. Here’s a sneak-peek at the results:
1. Monte Carlo
2. Moscow
3. London
4. Tokyo
5. Hong Kong
6. New York
7. Paris
8. Singapore
9. Rome
10. Mumbai
Photos have been released of the luxury penthouse used by contestants on this year’s series of The Apprentice, which begins on BBC One on Wednesday. The West London flat overlooks a canal and boasts panoramic views across the capital.
Ever wondered where British celebrities have holiday homes abroad? Well, I stumbled across a great article by Catherine Deshayes from TheMoveChannel.com that sums up nicely where you can find them. I wouldn’t mind a pad like Simon’s, maybe I need to go to the next X Factor auditions… click here for the article: Celebrity neighbours
Estate agents are starting to realise the worth of adding a floor plan to their online residential listings.
Many listings go unnoticed without digital photographs of the property, in fear that the property isn’t up to scratch and a waste of time viewing. Along with this, a floor plan will help the customer to estimate size and layout before booking an appointment for a look-see.
Here’s hoping this makes finding a property in London a little easier!
Hurray! Good news for London’s high end property market: Although house prices in central London continue to fall, they are falling at a much slower rate than seen at the end of 2008. In fact, the 1.5% fall in the most expensive properties has not been seen in London since April of 2008 – almost a year ago.
Viewings have increased by 28% compared with February 2008, where it seems buyers are serious about buying at the lower prices being offered. The London market is most compelling for those buying with Euros or USD, where the most noticeable beneficiary has been the Russian buyer (many wealthy Russians hold savings and investments in a mix of Euro and USD).
Liam Bailey of Knight Frank explains: “The tentative return of the super-rich buyer has led to the log jam in the super-prime (£10m+) market being broken - between September and January the number of £10m+ deals in central London virtually ground to a halt - in February alone we saw one sale at this level each week - a significant turnaround.”
The most popular Russian buyer locations include Belgravia, Knightsbridge and a newcomer, Kensington.
I’ve gone a bit eco crazy lately and I am constantly thinking about ways I can contribute to a greener lifestyle. I was therefore impressed to read about a project British Gas started last year, challenging homes across the country to go green.
Eight families on eight roads, all with “Green” in their address, were selected to take part in the Green Streets competition, to be named the greenest street in the country.
Some £30,000 was given to homeowners, who then took measures to improve the energy efficiency of their homes. The prize is unsurprisingly ”green” and is £50,000 to spend on an eco friendly project for the community.
A year on update of how the selected homeowners are getting on can be found on the Times.
Bit of a celebrity centred news item this one. Pete Doherty’s lovely abode, did anyone see it in The Sun last week?
The Babyshambles singer, who used to date supermodel Kate Moss, lives with a couple of cats and a load of old junk, a far cry away from the glamorous lifestyle Ms Moss is used to.
Doherty, had invited a camera crew into his home for an MTV documentary Pete Doherty in 24 Hours. More pictures of Pete’s home can be found on The Sun.
Pete Doherty's house