Barratt offers rare chance for Gulf investors to buy a property on London’s ‘billionaire’s row’
- Last units at Allingham Court on The Bishops Avenue released for sale -
Leading UK developer and house builder, Barratt, is offering international investors the chance to buy a property on London’s ‘billionaire’s row’ - The Bishops Avenue. Among others, Indian steel tycoon, Lakshmi Mittal, owns a mansion on the road, the Saudi royal family owns ten homes and Kazakh billionairess, Horelma Peramam, paid a record £41 million (US$80 million) for a house this year. Barratt has launched the latest homes to be built on The Bishops Avenue - Allingham Court – a development of 12 exclusive apartments within two mansion-style houses.
Luxuriously designed to the highest specifications inside and out and offering a six-star concierge service to residents, Allingham Court is the perfect choice for those who want to share the lifestyle of their rich and famous neighbours. The development offers 10 three-bedroom residences and the two penthouses each providing between 2,500 and 6,000 square feet of sumptuous living space.
Luxury is clearly evident with generously proportioned rooms and ceiling heights of approximately three metres, all complimented by magnificent walnut doors throughout. Private terraces or balconies, coffered ceilings, air cooling systems, under floor heating and home networking are all an integral part of each property. The stunning bathrooms have walls and floors clad with marble and limestone.
Managed by the internationally-renowned Harrods Estates, a 24-hour, six-star, hotel-style concierge is provided for residents of Allingham Court. This service will set new standards in bespoke resident services with every need and wish catered for; no task will be too small nor any request too extraordinary as one would expect from this revered name.
At Allingham Court, security is of paramount importance. Security cameras, electronic entrance and exit gates with video entry, bespoke security systems and proximity reader security access control systems are all linked to the 24-hour concierge desk for continuous peace of mind, day and night. Secure parking and allocated private storage areas are available for all residences.
Allingham Court is situated in one-and-a-half acres of private and exquisitely landscaped gardens on the highly coveted western side of The Bishops Avenue. Barratt bought the site from its original owner, Her Royal Highness Samerah Bint Mokhtar Al-Saadawi in 2005. Work started on site in December 2005 and is expected to be complete by spring 2008.
Prices range from £3.9 million to £11 million. To register interest, prospective investors should contact [email protected]
History of The Bishops Avenue and its famous residents
The Bishops Avenue falls within The Hampstead Garden Suburb Conservation Area, one of the first conservation areas in the UK. Constructed in 1887, The Bishops Avenue is a grand tree-lined avenue. Some of the early residents included The Bishop of London himself and famous business tycoons, George Sainsbury and William Lyle of Tate and Lyle.
Property prices on the street sailed past the £1 million mark in the late 1980s. House prices now typically start from about £5 million (US$10 million). The Bishops Avenue has been a favourite with the international ultra-rich for many years, gaining the nickname of “millionaires' row" (now elevated to "billionaire's row" to keep up with inflation!). Recently, record prices for homes on The Bishops Avenue have been set.
Earlier this year, the avenue's record was broken when Lev Leviyev, the Russo-Israeli diamond billionaire, paid £35 million (US$70 million) for a seven-bedroom mansion named Palladio. Just a fortnight later, a 30,000 sq ft Greek temple-styled home belonging to Turkish tycoon, Halis Toprak, was sold for a record £41 million ($80 million USD), making it one of the most expensive houses in the world.
Following on from the likes of Sainsbury and Lyle, the road is still home to well-known entrepreneurs and tycoons. East Weald, the impressive mansion built by the Lyle family, was bought in recent years for £14 million (US$28 million) by Cypriot billionaire Andreas Panayiotou. Indian steel tycoon, Indian steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal owns The Summer Palace, next door to Allingham Court, while press baron and owner of Express Newspapers, Richard Desmond, owns two properties on The Bishops Avenue.
The road boasts its share of royal residents too. The Saudi royal family is reported to own ten of the street's 66 mansions, while the Brunei royal family is reported to own two mansions.
Past celebrity residents on the road include entertainers Dame Gracie Fields, Lionel Blair and Des O’Connor and pioneer of the holiday camp, Billy Butlin. Other celebrity entertainers including Ringo Starr, Lulu and Elizabeth Taylor have lived just around the corner in a neighbouring road.
More recently, lavish homes on The Bishops Avenue have been used in high profile TV series including the UK version of The Apprentice. For film and TV shoots, homes are leased for in excess of £15,000 (US$30,000) a week.
