Three years ago news came out that a house made from 200,000 kilograms of gold and platinum fixtures and fittings sitting somewhere in the Swiss-Italian Alpine border is the world’s most expensive house valued at $12.2 billion. Global news and blog sites were quick to announce it, including the Wall Street Journal. The only caveat, the most expensive house claimed by a Stuart Hughes was… a hoax. In fact, the most expensive house today is just a fraction of Hughes’ fake property value. The residence of Ukrainian Elena Franchuk at Kensington in London is “only” $1.58 billion.
For many developers, the Hughes’ golden house is easy to spot as fake. They know that when it comes to real estate, it’s not what your house is, but where it is. In our infographic gathering the world’s ten most expensive homes, it’s no coincidence that three are from Kensington Gardens in London, a favorite among billionaires. The other homes are in the usual luxurious spots, such as, Beverly Hills, Monte Carlo, and Aspen. But one home in the list owned by an Indian tycoon caught us by surprise. It’s located in the middle of impoverished Mumbai neighborhood, yet it managed to snatch the third spot (see below) for sheer structural size and complexity.
Sometimes, a house is also valuated based on who lives in it. The Buckingham Palace, for instance, is luxurious, but it’s not the most opulent residence. The Arab sheiks are known to beat European royals in residential extravagance. However, the Buckingham Palace’s resident, the Queen of England, lends to the property value more than the structure itself.
Originally published at: comparecamp Author: Alex Hillsberg Join our: Facebook
