The modern real estate climate is very hostile to first-time buyers. Houses have never been more expensive and in many Western countries the disparity between the average wage and the monthly rent/mortgage cost has never been higher.
But if you thought the idea of buying an average house was a daunting prospect, wait until you set your eyes on this list of the most expensive houses sold in the last few years.
7. Carbon Beach House, Malibu = $85 Million
This is one of four US properties on this list and one of three that are based in Los Angeles. It sold in 2017, with the media reporting that the buyer was Mark Walter, who founded Guggenheim Partners, best known for owning the LA Dodgers. The house is set on 10 acres of prime Malibu real estate.
6. 454 Cuesta Way, Los Angeles = $90 Million
Another LA home, this one sold for $90 million in 2017 and went to Jay Z and Beyonce. It’s actually a compound, as opposed to a house, and it consists of 6 buildings. It has all the amenities you’d expect of a celeb crib, in addition to bulletproof windows.
5. 432 Park Avenue, New York = $91 and $87 Million
A few years ago a Saudi-based billionaire bought the penthouse suite at the top of 432 Park Avenue, New York, for a sum of $87 million. Not to be outdone, a Chinese billionaire followed suit a year later, snapping up three apartments in total with plans to knock them all into one.
He paid over $91 million for these apartments, a few million more than the Saudi paid, but he actually paid around 30% less per square foot and the end project will be considerably bigger than his new billionaire neighbor.
4. Beach Mansion, Malibu, Los Angeles = $110 Million
The record for the most expensive house in Los Angles was smashed in 2018 following the sale of this Malibu beach property. The main building itself is only 8,000 square feet, which doesn’t exactly scream “$100 million mansion” but it’s located on prime LA real estate and comes with a two story guest house.
That guest house will come in handy when you get phone calls from every person you’ve ever met asking if they can pop round for a visit.
3. 199 KnightsBridge, London = $120 Million
This Knightsbridge property was sold to Ashley Tabor, the founder and owner of Capital FM. It became the most expensive purchase ever when the sale went through in 2017, but even that wasn’t enough for the owner who quickly planned to knock down the wall into next door, which he also happened to own.
As far as we can tell, however, his plans were thwarted by the council, stopping him from creating what could have been the world’s most expensive apartment.
2. A Villa in Peak Neighborhood, Hong Kong = $178 Million
In the Spring of 2018 a record sum was paid for a villa in the upscale Hong Kong Peak Neighborhood. It became the most expensive home ever sold in the region. The villa is spread across 20,000 square feet and includes an elevator and four en-site bathrooms. It’s huge, but it’s also beautiful and comes with breathtaking views.
1. Penthouse Suite, One Hyde Park, London = $200 Million
The most expensive home ever sold in Britain was the penthouse suite of the One Hyde Park development, which is located in Knightsbridge, London. To put this into perspective, it’s the best apartment in the most sought-after development in the most expensive part of the UK’s biggest city.
That’s a mouthful, but to put it simply: this is as good as it gets.
The twist in the tale here is that this suite was bought by the man who developed One Hyde Park. He saw the potential and simply couldn’t pass up the opportunity.
