In the gloom that is the current property market, with remortgage deals all but dried up, and lenders not lending. Here's a hit parade of the worlds most lavish properties to re-instill our faith in the property market, or perhaps just to make us all jealous!
1 'Antilla' South Mumbai: Antilla is a mansion with a whopping twenty seven floors, costing $1 billion to construct, naturally such a home can only be for one of the world's richest men and this it case it goes to Mukesh Ambani, 4th richest man on the planet. The head of Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries, Ambani and his family have various ballrooms, 'hanging gardens' and three helicopter pads to call home, a home which stands 570ft, dominating the Mumbai skyline.
Fascinating Fact: though it's not just Ambani and his family, they have 600 live in staff to keep the 'house' in order; they're also on 24 hour call.
2: 'Villa Leopolda' Cote d'Azur, France:
This French Rivera Chateau was built by Belgium's King Leopold II in 1902; today its 80,000 square ft is worth $525 million and called home by the widow of French banker Edmond Safira, Lily. The Chateau boasts nineteen bedrooms, several kitchens with equal number of dining rooms and its own fully equipped cinema screen room.
Fascinating Fact: This building was in fact used as the setting for most of the scenes in Alfred Hitchcock's 1955 film To Catch a Thief starring Grace Kelly.
3: One Hyde Park: The Penthouse, Hyde Park: London:
The Penthouse suite of this huge London complex is worth an estimated $200 million and represents all that is modern in security and comfort. For this reason it is a huge hit with celebrities. Iris scanners, SAS guard, numerous panic rooms and various secret tunnels make this property one of the safest in the UK. In terms of comfort, the penthouse boasts communal spas, 24 hour room service and even a room dedicated to wine tasting - it provides all the necessities for a luxurious stay.
Interesting Fact: The penthouses windows are bulletproof, every single one, making it the third safest residence in London, behind Buckingham Palace and Downing St of course.
4: the Hamptons - 'Fairfield Pond':
Fourth on the list of the most expensive properties in the world is Fairfield Pond with an estimated worth of $170 million. With 29 bedrooms and 39 bathrooms spread over 63 acres, Fairfield is considered the biggest residential property in Northern America. The property is currently home to Ira Rennert and American Investor and business billionaire. The main building is regarded as quirky due to its 12 chimneys and Mediterranean style roof. The interior includes a bowling alley while the exterior showcases 5 different sports courts.
Fascinating Fact: The interior also includes a hot tub (that's nothing too out of the ordinary I hear you shout), well how about a hot tub worth $15,000 - yes, that's right!
5: 'Hearst Mansion' Beverly Hills, California:
Hearst Mansion is a true celebrity within the LA property world, and that's saying something when Beverly Hills is one of the most exclusive areas in the world. Not only was the mansion used as setting for the famous 'horses-head-in-the-bed' scene in Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather in 1972, but it was also used as the main set location for The Bodyguard (starring Whitney Houston). The house blends into its Beverly Hills surroundings perfectly, spreading over 6 acres, it certainly enforces it's dominance within this regions highly competitive property market. Hearst has a total of twenty-nine bedrooms and a total of 3 indoor and outdoor swimming pools.
Fascinating Fact: The mansion itself is now divided into 6 separated residences which spread over the 6.5 acres.
6: 'Franchuk Villa' Kensington, London:
Before it was converted to a residential property, it was actually a preparatory school for girls' right up to 1997. After years of work, this five floor residence is now worth $161 million. AIDS Philanthropist Elena Franchuk is the current owner, also giving the property its current name after another renovation in 2008, this one costing 10 million (taking the bedroom number up to 10 and adding a panic room).
Quirky Fact: The 2008 renovation also saw a massive restructure of the buildings foundations to incorporate a substantially sized basement. To get some perspective on the scale of this basement, here is what it contains; a screening room, a huge swimming pool, a state of the art gym and sauna - I wish I had a basement of that size! It is, in its very own right, a floor of its own.
7: 'The Pinnacle' - Montana:
The Pinnacle is owned by joint owners of the Yellowstone golf and ski resort, Tim and Edra Blixseth; two very well connected billionaires. The property has a total of 10 bedrooms and numerous bathrooms, each of which has its very own fireplace. As a result, the property is valued at around $155 million. Oh, and I forgot to mention that every square inch of flooring is heated within the property.
Interesting Fact: We weren't joking about every square inch being heated; even the driveway is heated from underground pipes!
8: 'The Manor', LA:
This is the largest residential property in the whole of Los Angeles, with a total square footage of 56,500. The manor was built and designed especially for producer Aaron Spelling but since his death and while it is currently home to his wife, it is on the market for a whopping $150 million. This property is perhaps one of the most bizarre in terms of its interior. Along with the 'normal' inclusions such as swimming pools, 3 kitchens and 123 rooms, the house also boasts an indoor ice skating rink, its very own private orchard and 100 private car parking spaces.
Interesting Fact: Just when you think this house couldn't get more absurd, one floor is completely dedicated as a wardrobe for Cindy Spelling, there's a 'wrapping presents room' and a humidity controlled silver storage room. The 17,000 sq ft attic is fitted with a barber shop and beauty salon, and yet still the house is on the market.
9: 'Updown Court' - Windlesham, Surrey:
A third UK entry is Updown Court, a property valued at $139 million. It has a total of 103 rooms, 24 of which are bedrooms, 5 swimming pools and 58 acres of private garden and woodland. Taking note from The Pinnacle in Montana, the court also has a heated marble driveway which partially covers a huge underground garage which can hold up to 8 limos.
Interesting Fact: Updown Court is record breaking in two respects, it is the largest private built residence since the 19th century in the UK, at the same time, and its total land space is larger than Buckingham Palace!
10: Dracula's Castle: Romania:
The owners of Dracula's castle, Archduke Dominic Habsburg was certainly eager to quash any rumour that his castle was the true inspiration behind Bram Stoker's novel after turning it into a museum in 2009. The museum doesn't hold artefacts relating to the Dracula story either; instead it was made in dedication to Queen Marie. Many could argue therefore that the castle shouldn't feature on this list at all; after all, it is no longer a residential property. However, standing proud on 200 feet of rock and being priced at around $135m, I think it certainly deserves a mention. The castle has a total of 57 rooms, seventeen of which were bedrooms at one point.
Interesting Fact: Towering on 200ft of rock, converting the castle to a museum seems to have been a good move, as it attracts 450,000 tourists a year.
1 'Antilla' South Mumbai: Antilla is a mansion with a whopping twenty seven floors, costing $1 billion to construct, naturally such a home can only be for one of the world's richest men and this it case it goes to Mukesh Ambani, 4th richest man on the planet. The head of Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries, Ambani and his family have various ballrooms, 'hanging gardens' and three helicopter pads to call home, a home which stands 570ft, dominating the Mumbai skyline.
Fascinating Fact: though it's not just Ambani and his family, they have 600 live in staff to keep the 'house' in order; they're also on 24 hour call.
2: 'Villa Leopolda' Cote d'Azur, France:
This French Rivera Chateau was built by Belgium's King Leopold II in 1902; today its 80,000 square ft is worth $525 million and called home by the widow of French banker Edmond Safira, Lily. The Chateau boasts nineteen bedrooms, several kitchens with equal number of dining rooms and its own fully equipped cinema screen room.
Fascinating Fact: This building was in fact used as the setting for most of the scenes in Alfred Hitchcock's 1955 film To Catch a Thief starring Grace Kelly.
3: One Hyde Park: The Penthouse, Hyde Park: London:
The Penthouse suite of this huge London complex is worth an estimated $200 million and represents all that is modern in security and comfort. For this reason it is a huge hit with celebrities. Iris scanners, SAS guard, numerous panic rooms and various secret tunnels make this property one of the safest in the UK. In terms of comfort, the penthouse boasts communal spas, 24 hour room service and even a room dedicated to wine tasting - it provides all the necessities for a luxurious stay.
Interesting Fact: The penthouses windows are bulletproof, every single one, making it the third safest residence in London, behind Buckingham Palace and Downing St of course.
4: the Hamptons - 'Fairfield Pond':
Fourth on the list of the most expensive properties in the world is Fairfield Pond with an estimated worth of $170 million. With 29 bedrooms and 39 bathrooms spread over 63 acres, Fairfield is considered the biggest residential property in Northern America. The property is currently home to Ira Rennert and American Investor and business billionaire. The main building is regarded as quirky due to its 12 chimneys and Mediterranean style roof. The interior includes a bowling alley while the exterior showcases 5 different sports courts.
Fascinating Fact: The interior also includes a hot tub (that's nothing too out of the ordinary I hear you shout), well how about a hot tub worth $15,000 - yes, that's right!
5: 'Hearst Mansion' Beverly Hills, California:
Hearst Mansion is a true celebrity within the LA property world, and that's saying something when Beverly Hills is one of the most exclusive areas in the world. Not only was the mansion used as setting for the famous 'horses-head-in-the-bed' scene in Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather in 1972, but it was also used as the main set location for The Bodyguard (starring Whitney Houston). The house blends into its Beverly Hills surroundings perfectly, spreading over 6 acres, it certainly enforces it's dominance within this regions highly competitive property market. Hearst has a total of twenty-nine bedrooms and a total of 3 indoor and outdoor swimming pools.
Fascinating Fact: The mansion itself is now divided into 6 separated residences which spread over the 6.5 acres.
6: 'Franchuk Villa' Kensington, London:
Before it was converted to a residential property, it was actually a preparatory school for girls' right up to 1997. After years of work, this five floor residence is now worth $161 million. AIDS Philanthropist Elena Franchuk is the current owner, also giving the property its current name after another renovation in 2008, this one costing 10 million (taking the bedroom number up to 10 and adding a panic room).
Quirky Fact: The 2008 renovation also saw a massive restructure of the buildings foundations to incorporate a substantially sized basement. To get some perspective on the scale of this basement, here is what it contains; a screening room, a huge swimming pool, a state of the art gym and sauna - I wish I had a basement of that size! It is, in its very own right, a floor of its own.
7: 'The Pinnacle' - Montana:
The Pinnacle is owned by joint owners of the Yellowstone golf and ski resort, Tim and Edra Blixseth; two very well connected billionaires. The property has a total of 10 bedrooms and numerous bathrooms, each of which has its very own fireplace. As a result, the property is valued at around $155 million. Oh, and I forgot to mention that every square inch of flooring is heated within the property.
Interesting Fact: We weren't joking about every square inch being heated; even the driveway is heated from underground pipes!
8: 'The Manor', LA:
This is the largest residential property in the whole of Los Angeles, with a total square footage of 56,500. The manor was built and designed especially for producer Aaron Spelling but since his death and while it is currently home to his wife, it is on the market for a whopping $150 million. This property is perhaps one of the most bizarre in terms of its interior. Along with the 'normal' inclusions such as swimming pools, 3 kitchens and 123 rooms, the house also boasts an indoor ice skating rink, its very own private orchard and 100 private car parking spaces.
Interesting Fact: Just when you think this house couldn't get more absurd, one floor is completely dedicated as a wardrobe for Cindy Spelling, there's a 'wrapping presents room' and a humidity controlled silver storage room. The 17,000 sq ft attic is fitted with a barber shop and beauty salon, and yet still the house is on the market.
9: 'Updown Court' - Windlesham, Surrey:
A third UK entry is Updown Court, a property valued at $139 million. It has a total of 103 rooms, 24 of which are bedrooms, 5 swimming pools and 58 acres of private garden and woodland. Taking note from The Pinnacle in Montana, the court also has a heated marble driveway which partially covers a huge underground garage which can hold up to 8 limos.
Interesting Fact: Updown Court is record breaking in two respects, it is the largest private built residence since the 19th century in the UK, at the same time, and its total land space is larger than Buckingham Palace!
10: Dracula's Castle: Romania:
The owners of Dracula's castle, Archduke Dominic Habsburg was certainly eager to quash any rumour that his castle was the true inspiration behind Bram Stoker's novel after turning it into a museum in 2009. The museum doesn't hold artefacts relating to the Dracula story either; instead it was made in dedication to Queen Marie. Many could argue therefore that the castle shouldn't feature on this list at all; after all, it is no longer a residential property. However, standing proud on 200 feet of rock and being priced at around $135m, I think it certainly deserves a mention. The castle has a total of 57 rooms, seventeen of which were bedrooms at one point.
Interesting Fact: Towering on 200ft of rock, converting the castle to a museum seems to have been a good move, as it attracts 450,000 tourists a year.
About the Author:
James writes for Just Remortgages one of the UK's top sites for the latest remortgage rates and remortgage deals
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