Posts tagged ‘auction’
Britney Spears’ home for sale – and there’s nothing Toxic about it
Britney Spears may have filmed her latest music video in London property hotspot Dalston, but her home life is firmly planted on the other side of the Atlantic.
As fans of Spears might remember – she’s had more than her fair share of tough times – which in 2009 led to her quitting Beverly Hills (and the gaze of the paparazzi) for more than two years in the decidedly calmer surrounds of celeb-friendly, but chilled out, Calabasas where she rented out an estate called Chateau Sueños.
Even though it was a rental, Spears reportedly spent £449,000 improving the French chateau-style home (we imagine on big gates and possibly zebra skin rugs). She moved out earlier this year and current owner Jose “Pancho” Leon put the property on the market for £6.9 million, according to Forbes, but no buyer was forthcoming.
In an effort to sell the home, Leon has now instructed Sotheby’s International Realty in conjunction with Premiere Estates Auction Company to auction the Calabasas gaff. The opening bid is set at a massively discounted £2.8 million, which Forbes helpfully points out, constitutes a of 58% discount. “I know that I’ll be selling at a loss but I want to move on,” Leon, who’s already seen two offers fall through, told Forbes.
It must be said that Spears’ old home is impressive. It’s got some lovely features including a suitably glamorous state of the art theatre, wine cellar, elevator, pool, car lift and infinity spa. There’s also a rather lovely interior courtyard which does actually make one gaze off into the distance and think of of a French chateau.
Oh, and the clever clogs at Sotheby’s International Reality have even put together a YouTube version of the property details which you can watch below.
But before you start pestering the great and the good for a donation to your Calabasas home fund (you could be neighbours with Lady Gaga, Cameron Diaz, Tori Spelling, Meat Loaf and the Kardashians) be advised that only vetted bidders can take part in the auction, which is set for November 11, 2011. I’m sure Ms Spears would approve – you never know she might turn up herself and say Hit Me Baby One More Time.
All Sheryl Crow wants to do is sell her eco house in the US
This is a legacy post from the findaproperty.com blog which is now maintained as an archive within the Zoopla blog. Links have been preserved.
It doesn’t matter if it’s got an indoor barn, a theatre, servants’ quarters, a garage for nine cars or a colossal swimming pool, luxurious and palatial properties owned by US celebrities are proving hard to sell right now.
All I Wanna Do singer Sheryl Crow failed to sell her Nashville mansion at auction last month. Crow’s initial asking price of $7.5 million (£4.7 million) couldn’t attract a buyer so the star resorted to listing the mansion on property auction website Comas Montgomery where the property failed to meet its reserve. She bought the three-storey five bedroom house for $6 million in 2006 and has been trying to offload it since May.
Sheryl Crow put her house up for auction online
Crow’s super duper eco home has seven bathrooms, a theatre room, swimming pool, a staff annex, six car garage, a three-bedroom guest cottage, a fourteen stall barn and indoor riding arena.
Meanwhile, Nicholas Cage finally caught a break in his long running efforts to sell his famous Bel Air mansion in California after it was snapped up for a cool $10.5 million (£6.6 million) by an unnamed all-cash buyer, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The star of Con Air - who originally forked out $35 million for the place, whose previous owners included Tom Jones and Dean Martin - was forced to put it on the market after some financial setbacks, which reportedly included a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against an ex business manager.
The 1940s Tudor-style property which has a central tower, a wine cellar, a 35 seat theatre, six bedrooms, nine bathrooms and a swimming pool had failed to generate any bids in April after he foreclosed on the property and it was offered at the county courthouse in Pomona. But the 11,817 square foot mansion drew a steady stream of potential buyers and multiple offers after Citibank put it back on the market and reduced the price to $11.8 million.
Which all just goes to show, celebrities are just like the rest of us, well sort of.
Zoopla.co.uk LIVE Auction: Fancy buying a lighthouse?
In this week’s Zoopla.co.uk LIVE online property auction (starts Thursday 1st July at 12.00), there’s a chance to purchase a chain free, Grade II listed piece of history…in the form of a lighthouse!
The “Old Lighthouse“ on Townend Road, Paull, Hull was built in 1836 by The Trinity House of Kingston Upon Hull and went out of use in 1870 when the sandbanks moved and caused the deepwater channel to shift, and new lighthouses were built just along the river bank at Thorngumbald Clough.
The light was powered first by oil and then by a gas burner and the windows of the lamp room face towards Hull to guide ships into the safe channel which led out into the North Sea.
The lighthouse comprises of a lounge, sitting room, upper and lower kitchen areas, and bathroom to the ground floor.
There are two staircases. One leading to the first bedroom together with a ladder which gives access to the lamp room and great views over the river and Paull itself.
Two further bedrooms and a shower room are accessed via an internal staircase with a garden to the rear of the property with patio area and lawn.
Here are the Zoopla.co.uk values for other properties on the same road and here is a market overview for Paull where the average property value is £116,899. If you’re interested in previous sold prices for Paull, here is all the info you need.
About Trinity House
“The safety of shipping, and the well being of seafarers, have been our prime concerns since Trinity House was granted a Charter by Henry VIII in 1514.”
Today they have three distinct functions:
- First, they are the General Lighthouse Authority for England, Wales, the Channel Islands and Gibraltar, responsible for a range of general aids to navigation, ‘signs of the sea’, from lighthouses to radar beacons.
- Second, they are a charitable organisation dedicated to the safety, welfare and training of mariners.
- Third, they are a Deep Sea Pilotage Authority providing expert navigators for ships trading in Northern European waters.
Zoopla.co.uk LIVE Auctions: Grade II listed renovation project
In this week’s LIVE Zoopla.co.uk Auction we’ve spotted two fantastic opportunities to purchase farmhouses.
One of which would make an ideal renovation project and the other is a more modern ‘farmhouse’ requiring little work.
Both come with vacant possession.
1. Wickenlow Farm, Bolton
Starting bid: £220,000,
Address: Wickenlow Farm, Plantation Road, Edgworth, Bolton, BL7 0DD
Tenure: Freehold
Description: A Grade II Listed detached stone farmhouse; together with a self-contained annex; dating to the 17th Century. In need of complete renovation; the house offers a number of interesting features retaining stone mullioned windows; exposed beams and open fireplaces. The name ‘Wickenlow’ loosely translates to ‘Mountain Ash Hill’. The property benefits from four reception rooms; conservatory; four bedrooms; master suite has en suite facilities; 2 further bathrooms. There is also a 1 bedroom annexe included in the sale along with an area of land the area of which is to be determined.
Location: Occupying an elevated rural position 1 mile from Broadhead Road the property is well placed for Bolton or Blackburn centres together with the M65 motorway at Darwen.
Occupancy Status: Vacant
More pictures here
Market overview for BL7 here
2. Sunnyhurst Farm, Preston
Starting bid: £360,000
Address: Sunnyhurst Farm, Waxy Lane, Freckleton, PR4 1HQ
Tenure: Freehold
Description: Individually designed detached residence offering extremely spacious family sized accommodation over 3 floors and being situated on this quiet lane with panoramic views to the front & side.
Location: Excellent area with access to good road links within walking distance of local village centre and amenities. Within a mile of a BAE systems.
Occupancy Status: Vacant
More pictures here
Market overview for PR4 here
More about the Zoopla.co.uk LIVE online auctions here.
