10 Most Expensive Homes In The World

Laelia Yang November 10, 2021 | 20:28

What’s the most expensive house in the world? As much as we love our own homes, it’s always interesting looking at some of the most expensive, luxurious properties.

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Top 10 Most Expensive Homes In The World

The rich are only getting richer, and they've got the real estate to prove it. Luxury real estate markets the world over were already suffering from a slump even before the Covid-19 pandemic took its toll on the global economy. So this year our list of most expensive homes is more crowded with nine-digit offerings and the record for the world's most expensive property is set to be broken in early 2022. And if you’re going to quarantine somewhere, you could do worse than one of the impressive properties below.

These million-dollar homes knew no limits when it came to furnishing or decorating. “Mega mansions” or “a million-dollar house” doesn’t really cover it: the biggest house in the world comes with 240 bedrooms and 535 other rooms.

Some of the other most expensive homes ever sold are vertical palaces designed to withstand earthquakes or sprawling estates with breathtaking views. The homes of the rich know no boundaries.

Here, the 10 most expensive homes currently on market around the world selected by KnowInsiders.

List of Top 10 Most Expensive Homes Around The World

10. Sloane House, London - $200 Million

9. Mesa Vista Ranch, Pampa, Texas - $220 Million

8. Four Fairfield Pond, New York – $248 Million

7. Hyde Park, Hong Kong - $275 Million

6. The Odeon Tower Penthouse, Monaco - $387 Million

5. The One, United States - $500 Million

4. Villa Aurora, Rome - $547 Million

3. Villa Leopolda, France - $750 Million

2. Antilia, Mumbai, India - $2 Billion

1. Buckingham Palace, UK - $6.7 Billion

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What Are The Most Expensive Homes In The World?

10. Sloane House, London - $200 Million

Photo: architecturaldigest

Known as Sloane House, the late 18th-century Georgian gem is valued in excess of $200 million and is London's hottest off-market offering

Ecclestone, 32, bought Sloane House and neighboring Sloane Lodge just off the King’s Road in 2010 with her then-husband James Stunt before completely renovating it — building both a basement ‘wellness level’ as well as additional upper levels.

The youngest daughter of F1 racing boss Bernie Ecclestone, Petra Ecclestone is thought to have paid around £60 million for the properties before embarking on a five-year transformation project.

The home now has eight bedrooms and 12 bathrooms, spanning 20,000 square feet.

A custom-made gold bar in the entrance hall sits below a crescent-shaped 150,000-piece crystal chandelier made up of bronze, clear and gold finishes, setting the color palettes for the rest of the two properties.

Ecclestone says the panther motifs throughout the home – from small decorative pieces to a vast panther-shaped sofa – are because it’s her favorite animal. And, on describing the flashy, metallics, and crystals in the home’s color scheme, gold is “obviously” her favorite color.

In the main kitchen, where the family eats most of their meals, there are two central islands – one with a teppanyaki grill for the family’s chef to use and one for Ecclestone to cook at “occasionally” she says.

The most spectacular feature is the five-meter-long fish tank which has 64 types of fish and is “one of the largest in a private residence,” says Palmer, 38, who is founder and chief executive of Staffing Properties.

9. Mesa Vista Ranch, Pampa, Texas - $220 Million

Photo: mansionglobal

In 1971, T. Boone Pickens purchased approximately 2,900 acres along the south side of the Canadian River in Roberts County, Texas. The only structural improvement on this property was a small corrugated metal livestock feed house, which Boone used as a shelter to stay warm while he was quail hunting.

Over the years, Boone began to assemble additional adjoining land positioned along the Canadian River corridor, and today the Mesa Vista Ranch comprises over 100 square miles of prime Eastern Texas Panhandle ranch land.

As Boone’s assemblage continued, he spent millions and millions of dollars to make Mesa Vista one of the best-improved ranches in the United States.

Financier T. Boone Pickens may have passed in September 2019, but his legacy lives on via Mesa Vista Ranch, an estate that the magnate spent 50 years developing. But while it did get a price cut—down from $250 million last year—it still hasn’t budged on the marketplace since it was first listed back in 2017. Still, there’s no denying that Mesa Vista Ranch is a sprawling, incredible estate. It’s situated on 65,000 acres of land in the Eastern Texas Panhandle, and the main residence is a whopping 33,000 square feet. Pickens gave it plenty of TLC too, introducing manmade streams and new conservation practices to preserve the wildlife, as well as amenities that run the gamut from a two-story pub to an 11,000-square-foot dog kennel. All that’s left, of course, is to figure out what the next owner will do with the place.

8. Four Fairfield Pond, New York – $248 Million

Photo: Youtube

You can’t have a list of the most expensive houses in the world and not have one located in New York City.

Four Fairfield Pond is the home of Ira Renner, owner of the Renno Group, a holding investment company in smelting and manufacturing.

The 63-acre home comes equipped with 29 bedrooms, 39 bathrooms, a 91-foot dining room, basketball court, bowling alley, squash courts, tennis courts, and three swimming pools.

To power the mansion, it requires a gigantic amount of electricity, fortunately, the house comes with its very own power plant located on-site.

And, for those of you that love your cars, Four Fairfield Pond has a garage that can hold somewhere in the region of one hundred cars!

7. Hyde Park, Hong Kong - $275 Million

Photo: theguardian

A billionaire has been given permission to rebuild a nine-floor private mansion overlooking Hyde Park.

Hong Kong-based property developer Cheung Chung-Kiu has gained permission to partly demolish and reconstruct 2-8A Rutland Gate, Knightsbridge.

Mr. Cheung bought the 5,800 sqm (62,000 sq ft) property for £205m last year - reportedly the most expensive property ever sold in the UK.

Westminster Council said the plans fall outside a ban on new homes over 200sqm.

The seven-story property was built as four grand family homes before being converted into one house in the 1980s.

The previous owner was Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz of Saudi Arabia who died in 2011.

The new home will come complete with extended two floors of the basement for Mr. Cheung's collection of luxury cars.

Mr. Cheung, estimated to have a personal fortune of between £1bn and £1.5bn, is chairman of property development company CC Land. It bought the Cheesegrater skyscraper in the City of London for £1.15bn in 2017.

6. The Odeon Tower Penthouse, Monaco - $387 million

Photo: Youtube

With an estimated price tag that surely only a billionaire would entertain purchasing, the uber-exclusive Tour Odeon Tower Sky Penthouse in Monaco is set to potentially become one of the most expensive luxury homes in the world. Sitting atop the second tallest building on Europe’s Mediterranean coastline, the 35,500 sq. ft. five-story penthouse could become one of the world’s most expensive properties per square meter when it comes onto the market in 2014. This price tag is beyond even the most expensive homes in the world.

Taking luxury living to dazzling new heights, the Tour Odeon ‘Sky-Penthouse’ is a grand vision of extravagant opulence built to dominate the top-tier of exclusive luxury residences around the world. Rising majestically above the azure waters of the Mediterranean, the resplendent Penthouse embraces unprecedented 360-degree views over the sea with a stunning outdoor rooftop circular infinity pool linked to a balcony by a waterslide, making it the epitome of a luxury lifestyle beyond imagination.

Located within the Golden Citadel of Monte Carlo, the Tour Odeon Tower is the latest addition to the elite status of the city-state of Monaco, setting a new standard for luxury living on an international scale. Overlooking the stunning coast of the Principality of Monaco, with Larvotto Beach and the Ligurian Sea below, Tour Odeon is an unprecedented statement of extreme luxury in the veritable playground of millionaires and billionaires amid the glitz and glamour, wealth, and oligarchical excess, that is at the heart of Monaco.

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5. The One, United States - $500 Million

Photo: housebeautiful

The One is considered not only to be the most expensive house in California but also the most expensive house in America. But it’s also The One riddled with debt and legal issues. But, despite its flaws, this is a beautiful property with gorgeous views in a breathtaking setting.

The One is home to nine bedrooms and multiple kitchens, as well as all of the other essentials like a nightclub, a bowling alley with four lanes, a salon, a home gym, a 50-seat theatre, and a running track. It has not just a swimming pool, but also six other water features, like a jacuzzi and a moat that surrounds the house.

Nearly a decade in the making, the home sits atop a hill in Bel Air, with views of the Los Angeles basin. The colossal home features 20 bedrooms, including eight bedrooms for the staff and a three-bedroom guest house, approximately 6 elevators, a library, cigar room, and candy room, according to a two-part home tour posted on YouTube in April.

The home is promoted as having a four-lane bowling alley, a 50-seat movie theater, a putting green, wellness center and gym, beauty salon, juice bar, and tennis court.

Despite Niami repeatedlyteasing that the home was weeks away from coming to market, it never arrived.

Instead, over the past year, Niami has been unloading other properties -- at discounted prices.

Earlier this year, he sold a West Hollywood mansion for $26 million, far below an earlier $35 million asking price, according to property records reported on Realtor.com. In April, he sold a Bel Air mansion for $36 million, a little over half of its original $65 million asking price in 2018, according to Zillow.

Other default notices arrived too, including one on a debt of $10 million on a home in the Hollywood Hills and another on a debt of $23.4 million on a home in Bel Air, according to the Los Angeles Times.

And Niami is being sued by other creditors looking to get their money. Real estate firm Compass is suing for non-payment of a $200,000 loan he took out while trying to sell a different home in Bel Air, according to court documents.

4. Villa Aurora, Rome - $547 Million

Photo: anamericaninrome

Half a billion for a villa in Italy is certainly on the pricier end of the spectrum, but not if it comes decorated by the late, great Caravaggio like this particular manse.

The sprawling Roman abode in question features the only ceiling mural ever painted by the Italian Baroque master and will be auctioned this January with a starting price of €471 million (roughly $547 million at current exchange rates), as reported by The Guardian. That could be considered a bargain considering Caravaggio’s painting alone has been valued at $360 million, according to art professor Alessandro Zuccari.

Sited on just over half an acre, Casino di Villa Boncompagni Ludovisi, better known as Villa Aurora, dates back to the 16th century and was originally a hunting lodge that belonged to Cardinal Francesco Maria del Monte. The 32,000-square-foot home is not only a Renaissance wonder itself, but it abounds with art, antiques and statues. There’s even a fresco by Guercino in the main reception hall depicting the villa’s eponymous goddess Aurora.

Villa Aurora belongs to the Boncompagni Ludovisi family but is protected by the ministry of culture. As such, once a bid has been agreed at the Falco Zucchetti auction, the Italian government will have the chance to buy the property at the same price and save it for the nation.

Whoever eventually lands the villa has a long and expensive road ahead, though. One of the conditions of the sale states that the new owner is required to spend €11 million (roughly $12.8 million) restoring it. Of course, that art-world cred is priceless.

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3. Villa Leopolda, France - $750 million

Photo: amazing.zone

Villa Leopolda sits between two of the most prestigious parts of the world: Monaco and Nice. Sumptuous and stylish, it’s a property with a regal past and previously belonged to King Leopold II of Belgium. Since then, it’s passed through the hands of many owners and has also been used as a film set, for Alfred Hitchcock’s “La Main Au Collet”.

When Edward Safra, its previous owner, passed away, he left the villa to his wife. Its huge swimming pool and excessive gardens reportedly require the daily work of more than 50 gardeners. Across the entire property, there are 80,000-square feet of space.

Villa La Leopolda is registered as a French Monument Historique.

In the 1948 film 'The Red Shoes,” La Leopolda was used as the setting for the lead character Lermontov's villa. The flame-haired heroine climbs the steps to the villa thinking that she's been invited to dinner. Instead, she is given the starring role in a new ballet.

Alfred Hitchcock used La Leopolda as a set in his 1955 movie 'To Catch a Thief'. Starring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly, this romantic thriller tells the story of a retired cat-burglar who attempts to redeem his character by catching a jewel thief who preys on vulnerable visitors to the French Riviera. 

In his 2014 memoir “Red Notice,” the banker and financier Bill Browder recounted visiting Edmond Safra at the Villa Leopolda with billionaire Beny Steinmetz.

2. Antilia, Mumbai, India - $2 billion

Photo: dnaindia

While a 27-story, two billion-dollar house for six people in the most poverty-stricken area of India might seem a tad bit extravagant to most, the richest man in India and sixth richest in the world, Mukesh Ambani, seems to have missed the memo.

And that’s precisely why there is a towering skyscraper called Antilia that reaches 550 feet with over 400,000 square feet of interior space against the Mumbai skyline.

The opulent residence that completed a four-year construction process in early 2010, was designed by American-based architects on 48,000 square feet of land in downtown South Mumbai.

In its initial days, and even after its completion, the ostentatious display horrified Indian residents. Considering more than half live on $2 a day, and Antilia overlooks an overcrowded slum, it’s not hard to see why.

There are several lounge rooms, bedrooms, and bathrooms, each adorned with dangling chandeliers. Also on offer is the large ballroom, with 80 percent of its ceiling covered in crystal chandeliers that opens out to a large bar, green rooms, powder rooms, and “entourage room” for security guards and assistants to relax.

The house also boasts of a helipad with an air traffic control facility, multiple swimming pools, a small theatre and health spa/yoga studio, an ice room with man-made snow, and a conference/unwind room on the topmost floor with a panoramic view of the Arabian Sea.

Rounding off the opulence, the final four levels of the complex are solely devoted to hanging gardens. These gardens point to the complex's eco-friendly status, acting as an energy-saving device by absorbing sunlight, and deflecting it from the living spaces insulating the area.

1. Buckingham Palace, UK - $6.7 Billion

Photo: townandcountrymag

Buckingham Palace has served as the official London residence of the UK’s sovereigns since 1837 and today is the administrative headquarters of the Monarch. Although in use for the many official events and receptions held by The Queen, the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace are open to visitors every summer.

Buckingham Palace might not be put up for sale anytime soon but, if it was, it would be worth around $6.7 billion dollars. With 240 bedrooms as well as a swimming pool and doctor’s surgery, it’s a place called home by the British Royal Family and is also open to the public for guided tours.

In total, this house—if you can call it a mere house—contains 775 rooms: 19 Staterooms, 52 Royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices, and 78 bathrooms. In measurements, the building is 108 meters long across the front, 120 meters deep (including the central quadrangle), and 24 meters high. It’s also got a huge team of staff as well as beautiful gardens. Rumour has it, there are a few other secret rooms dotted throughout this huge mansion.

Today, Buckingham Palace is very much a working building and the centerpiece of the UK’s constitutional monarchy, serving as the venue for many royal events and ceremonies from entertaining foreign Head of States to celebrating achievement at Investitures and receptions.

More than 50,000 people visit the Palace each year as guests to State banquets, lunches, dinners, receptions, and Garden Parties. Her Majesty also holds weekly audiences with the Prime Minister and receives newly-appointed foreign Ambassadors at Buckingham Palace.