Saturday, November 8, 2014

World's most expensive homes

World's most expensive homes revealed: Buckingham Palace is top of the property ladder at more than £1billion - beating mansions in India, Los Angeles, New York and France

  • Queen Elizabeth's London palace tops list of world's most expensive residences - being valued at more than £1billion
  • Four of the top 10 are in London - with the homes of Roman Abramovich and Indian tycoon Lakshmi Mittal featuring
  • Mumbai 'Antilia' tower block recently built by billionaire Mukesh Ambani comes second - valued at £630million
  • French riviera palace built by Belgian King Leopold II comes third, with mansion in New York state, USA fourth
Oligarchs and billionaires around the world may build grand mansions and stunning tower-blocks - but none of their homes would sell for more than the Queen's Buckingham Palace, a new study has revealed.
The monarch's central London residence has topped a valuation of the world's most expensive houses - with experts saying it is worth more than £1billion.
The 18th century palace beat off competition from the ultra-modern Antilia building in Mumbai, India, which is owned by Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani, and Villa Leopolda, the lavish home of Brazilian socialite Lily Safra in Cote D'Azure, France.
Four of the top 10 most expensive residences, as compiled by US website comparecamp.com, are in London, and are all within a mile of Hyde Park.
Despite competition from sprawling homes in India and the US, Buckingham Palace is the most expensive property in the world at just over £1billion, according to a new study
Despite competition from sprawling homes in India and the US, Buckingham Palace is the most expensive property in the world at just over £1billion, according to a new study
The 27-story Antilia tower, built by Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani in Mumbai, is the second-most expensive home, the research states
The 27-story Antilia tower, built by Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani in Mumbai, is the second-most expensive home, the research states
The lavish Villa Leopolda, built by Belgian King Leopold II around at the end of the 19th century for his mistress, is valued at £500million
The lavish Villa Leopolda, built by Belgian King Leopold II around at the end of the 19th century for his mistress, is valued at £500million
The huge Fairfield Pond mansion of American businessman Ira Rennert in New York State is valued at £156million in the new list. It boasts its own power plant, as well as three swimming pools and even a bowling alley
The huge Fairfield Pond mansion of American businessman Ira Rennert in New York State is valued at £156million in the new list. It boasts its own power plant, as well as three swimming pools and even a bowling alley
The Kensington Palace Gardens home of Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal is in fifth, with the nearby mansion of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich in ninth and a converted school in Upper Phillimore Gardens, Kensington - owned by Ukrainian businesswoman Elena Franchuk - in tenth.
But the list shows that newly-built mansions around the world are fast catching up with property values in Britain's capital. Antilia, a 27-storey, 400,000-sq. ft tower owned by oil and gas billionaire Ambani is valued at £630million.
Ambani - ranked by Forbes as the 36th wealthiest person in the world with a fortune estimated at £14billion - completed his Antilia tower in 2010, and it has since dominated the Mumbai skyline.
The new list puts the £500million Villa Leopolda in third. It was created joining two huge properties together for Belgian King Leopold II in the late 19th century.
It was transferred to its converted into its current appearance by Thérèse Vitali, Comtesse de Beauchamp, in 1919. It is perched on the seaside hills of the French Riviera, not far from the French border with Italy.
The top 10 list is completed with four properties in the US; the £156million Fairfield Pond mansion in Sagaponack, New York in fourth, the £126million Ellison Estate in Woodside, California in sixth, the £120 Hearst Castle in Beverly Hills in seventh and £97million Pinnacle mansion in Montana in eighth.
Fairfield Pond is a 29-bedroom, 100,000-sq. ft mansion with its own power plant, an estimated 39 baths, a bowling alley, three swimming pools and a 63-acre garden.
The home of Indian steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal in Kensington Palace Gardens, London - dubbed Billionaire's Row - comes fifth in the list
The home of Indian steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal in Kensington Palace Gardens, London - dubbed Billionaire's Row - comes fifth in the list
The beautiful, Japanese-style Woodside estate of computer software billionaire Larry Ellison in California is valued at £126million
The beautiful, Japanese-style Woodside estate of computer software billionaire Larry Ellison in California is valued at £126million
Hearst Castle, Beverly Hills, built for newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst in 1919, came seventh  and is valued at £120million
Hearst Castle, Beverly Hills, built for newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst in 1919, came seventh and is valued at £120million
Seven, The Pinnacle, the largest property at the exclusive Yellowstone Club in Big Sky, Montana, is valued at £97million and came eighth in the list
Seven, The Pinnacle, the largest property at the exclusive Yellowstone Club in Big Sky, Montana, is valued at £97million and came eighth in the list
Roman Abramovich's London's home, not far from Chelsea's home ground Stamford Bridge, is worth £88million and came ninth in the list
Roman Abramovich's London's home, not far from Chelsea's home ground Stamford Bridge, is worth £88million and came ninth in the list
An £80million coverted school in Upper Phillimore Gardens, Kensington, London now owned by Ukrainian oligarch Elena Franchuk, came tenth in the list
An £80million coverted school in Upper Phillimore Gardens, Kensington, London now owned by Ukrainian oligarch Elena Franchuk, came tenth in the list
The sprawling Fairfield Pond mansion is owned by American tycoon Ira Rennert, whose estimated worth of £4billion was made largely from investing in mining and metals.
Sixth placed Ellison Estate is the home of US billionaire Larry Ellison, the co-founder of computer company Oracle, who has an estimated fortune of more than £30million.
Buckingham Palace was last valued at £935million by home valuation site Zoopla in 2008, but since then property prices in London have boomed.
Although it is unlikely to ever be sold, its new £1billion-plus price tag would include its 775 rooms, including 19 State rooms, 52 Royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms.
Just a short walk from Trafalgar Square, Hyde Park and the West End, it also has a cinema, swimming pool, 40 acres of land and its very own post office.
Meanwhile, the neighbours of the Queen's grandson, Prince William, do well in the new list. Steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal's home not far from Kate and Wills's Kensington Palace has an estimated value of £140million.
The property, bought in 2004 from Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone, has 12 bedrooms, Turkish baths, a swimming pool and parking for 20 cars.
Next door is Roman Ambramovich's mansion. The Russian billionaire and investor's home is said to be one the 'iceberg' homes now becoming common in the capital, with a huge underground extension reportedly planned to become a 'car museum'.
With its state rooms and 40 acres of gardens in the  centre of London, Buckingham Palace remains the world's most expensive property
With its state rooms and 40 acres of gardens in the centre of London, Buckingham Palace remains the world's most expensive property
Antilia, after a mythical island, is said to have a vast library, extravagant dining areas, opulent marble floors and even a snow room
Antilia, after a mythical island, is said to have a vast library, extravagant dining areas, opulent marble floors and even a snow room
Antilia, named after a mythical island, is said to have a library, extravagant dining areas, opulent marble floors and even a snow room
Few photos of inside the Mumbai tower have emerged, but those that have show what its estimated £600million construction costs were spent on
Few photos of inside the Mumbai tower have emerged, but those that have show what its estimated £600million construction costs were spent on

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