Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Most Expensive House In The World


UPDATE: 20/08/2008: This is old news. There’s a new player in town, and it’s smashed this record to pieces. Find out more over at Most Expensive House 2008

I was curious to find out what is currently the most expensive house in the world. Turns out, you would only need to buy a house for more than 70million pounds to be the owner of the most expensive house in the world. That’s not too bad, aye? Pocket change as far as I’m concerned. However, i’ve checked through various sources and apparently 2 houses in the UK sold for a rumoured 70million pounds, so I guess there are 2 houses that can be considered the most expensive house in the world.

PROPERTY 1
Here’s the first one, Updown Court. You’ll need a spare 1million pounds a year just to run this damn thing.

It’s located 25 miles outside of London. Among the estate’s neighbours are the Duchess of York, Elton John, and, at nearby Windsor Castle, the Queen. So, what exactly would you get for your money? Well, you know, just the basics…

- 103 rooms
- five swimming pools
- 50-seat screening room
- 24-carat-gold leafing flooring
- squash court
- bowling alley
- all-weather, floodlit tennis courts
- 58-acre estate
- 22 bedroom and bathroom suites
- Gate lodge
- estate manager’s office
- Private cinema
- Stables
- Heated marble driveway
- Underground garaging for eight limousines
- a shooting gallery
- 30 self-contained luxury apartments

IS THAT ALL?Don’t be silly. The master bedroom has its own swimming pool accessed by a private glass lift. The roof has an infinity pool and hot tub encased by a glass barrier that allowed sky and water to meet. The reception hall occupies a footprint larger than most five-bedroom houses. It is dominated by marble columns and a sweeping double staircase modelled on one owned by fashion designer Versace.

So, who owns this little shack?Apparently the proud owner of Updown Court is multi-billionaire crown prince of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The racehorse owner, who already owns a property in Chertsey in Surrey, is expected to entertain official guests at the mansion.

PROPERTY 2
Again, apparently rumoured to be the most expensive house in the world. It’s located in Kensington Palace Gardens in West London, which has been bought by one of the richest tycoons living in Britain. For some reason, there’s really not that much information available about this property, especially compared to Updown Court. It formerly belonged to Bernie Ecclestone, the Formula One racing boss, who bought the home for £50 million as a surprise gift for his wife. The Kensington Palace gardens houses are dubbed ‘billionaires’ row. Nearby are Kensington Palace and the London home of the Sultan of Brunei. It consists of the former Egyptian embassy and a one-time annex to Russia’s embassy knocked together.

What do you get for your money?To be honest, I don’t really know. Like I said, information is limited. However, I do know you only get 12 bedrooms. Pffft. For 70 million I want at least 20 bedrooms, so who knows why it cost so damn much? There are literally no pictures of this property available, so you’ll have to settle for this ONE (I’m sorry guys)…

- 12 bedrooms
- garage space for 20 cars
- turkish baths
- a ballroom
- an oak-paneled picture gallery
- ornate basement pool
- Jewelled pool
- controlled by 65 state-of-the-art CCTV cameras

more than 9,000 sq ft of the same marble used in the Taj Mahal is incorporated in the design.
So, who owns this dump?Steel tycoon Lakshmi N Mittal, that’s who. He is the richest asian man currently living in the UK. He made his fortune through his steel company- LNM Group, one of the world’s biggest steelmaking companies,. He purchased it in 2004, so again, like Updown Court, there’s no telling how much it is worth now.

NOTE: If anyone knows any further, relevant information about either of these properties, please let me know. I’ll add it to the content. Thanks

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