Boasting eye-watering valuations even the richest billionaires would baulk at – or delight in if they were lucky enough to hold the deeds – the planet's priciest residential properties occupy some of the most sought-after land across the globe. From a psychedelic bubble house in France valued at $335 million (£256m) to a four-bedroom home in Hong Kong priced at $446 million (£340m), you might just be surprised by what you can buy when money is no object.
Click or scroll on to take a tour of the world's most expensive homes...
Known as Villa Del Amor (the ‘House of Love’), this spectacular mansion was custom-built by Sinclair Associates Architects for Paul L. Kessler and his wife Diana Derycz-Kessler, founders of artisan candy company Sugarfina.
The sweet retreat is packed with custom details and Moroccan-style interiors by Dejager Design and even features an assortment of hidden hearts incorporated into the design to reflect the home’s romantic name.
Appearing to take up an entire mountainside, the sprawling estate covers 15,000 square feet (1,393sqm), with a total of nine bedrooms and 13 bathrooms.
While its heart may be Moroccan, its exteriors pay homage to the porticoes of Italy. Multiple covered walkways line the exterior of the home, many covered by climbing vines and greenery to give the impression of a Mediterranean oasis.
Inside, the devil is in the details, as you can see from these images courtesy of Milstein Estates. The home boasts a spectacular spread of entertaining spaces, expertly engineered to maximise the indoor-outdoor living potential of the space.
Vaulted ceilings, exposed beams, hanging lanterns and ornate wrought-iron light fixtures are prominent features throughout, while large glass doors open out onto terraces and dining patios for alfresco relaxation.
Elsewhere, artistically arched doorways, mosaic floors and ornamental glass lanterns add Moroccan flair to the home’s interiors. Antique fountains and fireplaces accumulated from the Kesslers’ travels in Europe add a more personal touch.
Other opulent highlights include a candy bar stocked with Sugarfina products (of course), a movie theatre, a private chapel, a swimming pool, a spa and a gym.
Villa Del Amor occupies a 1.6-acre (0.6 ha) parcel along the 13th hole of the Bel Air Country Club golf course. It boasts spectacular views of the city beyond, which can best be enjoyed from the pool, the firepit lounge or one of the four terraces.
On the market in June 2024 for $115 million (£87m), it should come as no surprise that the home was among the most expensive properties listed in 2024.
Stretching over a colossal 105,000 square feet (9,755sqm), this extravagant 21-bedroom, 42-bathroom giga-mansion is the brainchild of Hollywood producer turned high-end property developer Nile Niami.
One of the world's highest-valued homes at its completion in 2021, 'The One' took more than 10 years to build and was hit with a raft of delays as it pushed the boundaries and building codes in this corner of Bel Air.
The One was designed by renowned Los Angeles architect Paul McClean and is around twice the size of The White House. It sits perched on a 4-acre hilltop plot surrounded by five infinity-edge swimming pools.
Captured in these images supplied by TopTenRealEstateDeals.com, floor-to-ceiling glass offers panoramic views of the city's sprawl, while marble wall cladding and surfaces add decadent touches to the interior in this lounge, which forms just a tiny part of the entire living space.
The mansion's many reception rooms are packed with high-end luxury furnishings and statement lighting – just look at this magnificent dining room.
The interior segues beautifully into the property's outdoor spaces, which include manicured terrace gardens and a 10,000-square-foot sky deck accessed by a private elevator.
The giga-mansion also offers a huge 'auto gallery' that can showcase at least 30 cars, a 400-foot running track with a glass-walled view of the city, a gym, a spa, a full-service beauty salon (pictured), a library and numerous other billionaire-friendly amenities.
The ultimate entertaining pad, The One boasts a 40-seat movie theatre and a six-lane bowling alley. Coolest of all though is the huge indoor-outdoor nightclub, complete with a dance floor, perfect for hosting the most glittering A-list parties.
When the mansion first hit the market before its completion, it was initially listed for a staggering $295 million (£225m) but failed to attract a buyer. Niami filed for bankruptcy the house was put up for auction and it finally sold in March 2022 for a dramatically reduced $126 million (£96m) – the most expensive house ever sold at auction.
The buyer was Richard Saghian — the CEO and founder of the online clothes retailer Fashion Nova who beat four bidders from the United States and New Zealand to land his dream home. “There is nothing else like it," he said in an emailed statement to Californian newspaper the LA Times. "As a lifelong Angeleno and avid collector of real estate, I recognized this as a rare opportunity that also lets me own a unique property that is destined to be a part of Los Angeles history."
While it may resemble an upscale hotel, this sprawling property is Australia’s most expensive house, and indeed “one of the world’s most significant homes”, according to its listing with Forbes Global Properties.
Wingadal, as the home is known, took eight years to design and construct and is the creation of celebrated architect Alec Tzannes who described it as "a highlight of my career in residential design and architecture".
The home is designed on a truly grand scale – it's one of the largest waterfront estates in the country and enjoys spectacular views of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge.
In total, the property benefits from 28,804 square feet (2,676sqm) of land and 322 feet (98m) of harbour frontage. Remarkably, in all that space, Wingadal only offers four bedrooms, although it does have an additional two-bedroom guest apartment.
The four-storey house’s primary function is to entertain. There's said to be space for some 500 guests in the home's main entertainment rooms, along with an underground car park that can hold 20 vehicles. Other super-sized amenities include a 22-seat home theatre, two commercial-grade kitchens and a spacious swimming pool.
“There is no comparable property in Australia,” said listing agent Brad Pillinger, the agent representing the sale with Ken Jacobs from Forbes Global Properties.
For the past 25 years, the home has been owned by John Symond, founder of mortgage brokers Aussie Home Loans. “While being an exceptional family home, we have also enjoyed hosting many important events for charities and other worthwhile causes,” Symond said of the house, which is certainly scaled for some pretty spectacular events.
Wingadal sits on one of the most prestigious streets in Sydney, Wolsey Road on Point Piper, and boasts numerous celebrity neighbours including tech billionaire Scott Farquhar and actor Mark Wahlberg.
The home’s list price has not been advertised and is only available upon request, but it is anticipated to sell for over AU$200 million ($137m/£104m), which would make it the first property in Australia to do so.
Among the most expensive penthouses in the world and the second-most expensive home in the UK after Hyde Park’s The Holme, One Hyde Park’s penthouse boasts spectacular views out across one of London’s most famous parks.
The lavish penthouse offers a host of luxurious amenities, including a private gym, office spaces, entertainment centres and swimming pools – all for a staggering $230 million (£175m) price tag.
The five-bedroom penthouse stretches across the 10th and 11th floors of One Hyde Park, which has been billed as “one of the most exclusive and secure residential settlements in the world.”
The 18,000-square-foot (1,672sqm) space features floor-to-ceiling glass windows and wraparound terraces to maximise the unobstructed views of Hyde Park. From this vantage point, it almost looks as though the home is floating above the treetops.
At the centre of the home, a 26-foot (8m) double-height reception area serves as the primary entertaining space, benefitting from an open floor plan that encompasses the kitchen, living room and dining room.
In the kitchen zone, sleek Gaggenau appliances and black granite combine to create an intensely modern, Japanese-inspired space, brightened by the natural light that floods in through the two-storey windows.
The Japanese influence continues in other parts of the home, with a beautiful breakfast room featuring shoji screens.
Elsewhere, the primary suite spans a staggering 2,300 square feet (214sqm), and, like most of the apartment, boasts breathtaking views of the parkland below. The suite features a wealth of opulent fixtures and includes two luxurious bathrooms fitted with Jacuzzi-style jet pools and large dressing rooms.
Additional luxury amenities include two studies, a private spa with a steam room, sauna and treatment room, a pool table, cocktail bar and home cinema. With so many incredible features, you’d rarely want to leave the house – and yet the fabulous property comes with all of London on its doorstep.
Reportedly the most expensive home in the US at the time of writing, this spectacular nine-acre (3.6ha) compound in Naples, Florida was listed for sale in February 2024 for $295 million (£224m). The sprawling compound, known as Gordon Pointe, is the ultimate multigenerational family retreat steeped in luxury.
A slice of paradise, the property is located within the exclusive Port Royal neighbourhood, a gated community on the glittering waterfront.
The private peninsula includes three homes – the main mansion and two large guest houses – as well as a private 231-foot (70m) marina and a 111-foot (34m) T-dock, ideal for sailing your private yacht right up to the front door.
Believe it or not, the magnificent estate began life as a humble fishing cottage on 4.3 acres (1.7ha) of coastal land. The modest lot was purchased in 1985 for $1 million (£759k) by financier John Donahue and his wife, Rhodora.
Over the following years, the couple amassed more and more land on the peninsula, creating a private oasis for their 13 children, 84 grandchildren and 175 great-grandchildren.
Today, there's no shortage of space to accommodate a large brood. The main home encompasses 11,500 square feet (1,068sqm), six bedrooms and a swimming pool. Meanwhile, the two guest houses, added in 1990 and 2013, each span 5,500 square feet (511sqm) and 5,800 square feet (539sqm) respectively.
The estate is rich with natural beauty. There is 728 feet (222m) of beach frontage and 927 feet (283m) of bay frontage on the glittering Gulf of Mexico, making the home the pinnacle of privacy and relaxation.
It's not surprising then that the remarkable property has attracted a host of famous faces over the decades. The Donahues even hosted former President George H.W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush. Now, this storied estate is ready to start a fresh chapter...
A fantastical residence that looks like between a Mars mansion and a Bond villain lair, the 13,000-square-foot (1,207sqm) Le Palais Bulles – 'The Bubble Palace' – was designed by experimental Hungarian architect Antti Lovag and completed in 1989.
Constructed over a period of 14 years, it was famously bought in 1992 by Italian-French fashion designer Pierre Cardin.
A French Riviera landmark, Le Palais Bulles has hosted a Christian Dior fashion show, as well as acting royalty like Pierce Brosnan and Marion Cotillard, and was used as a location for Absolutely Fabulous The Movie.
The far-out home features a gigantic reception room and panoramic lounge filled with custom furniture, including a circular leather sofa that blends effortlessly into the space.
Elsewhere, Le Palais Bulles is fitted out with a spherical kitchen featuring sweeping countertops skillfully designed to fit the exact curve of the walls. A spherical dining booth sits snugly within the bay window, while a round skylight and porthole-style window flood the space with natural light. A stroke of design genius, the bespoke kitchen island mirrors the room's geometries with its series of staggered, curved worktops.
The 10 pod-like bedrooms are suitably psychedelic and in keeping with the curvy theme of the home with their circular beds. In fact, stark straight lines are pretty much non-existent in the unique Côte d'Azur bubble home, which while incredibly original, is most definitely an acquired taste.
In total, there are 11 disc-shaped bathrooms in the home, as well as multiple terraces and patios, three round infinity pools and even a 500-seat amphitheatre. Sadly, the property languished on the market for years when it was listed back in 2016, with its last reported asking price set at roughly $335 million (£256m).
You really don't get much for your money in Hong Kong, one of the world's most expensive cities. And when space is at a premium a big house is the best way of showcasing your wealth, making 24 Middle Gap Road the residential equivalent of driving a Lamborghini and wearing a Rolex.
Located in the highly sought-after Victoria Peak neighbourhood, the 6,200-square-foot mansion (576sqm), was listed in 2024 for an astonishing $446 million (£340m).
The four-bedroom house was built in 1991 and bears the hallmarks of a luxury family home: a double-height entrance hall with a statement chandelier, parquet flooring and a beautifully designed staircase with extra-large arched windows.
The grounds feature an attractive circular swimming pool and spacious gardens, which might be the biggest draw of all in a city built of closed-in high rise apartment blocks.
Meanwhile, the open-plan lounge and dining room are modern and airy with a neutral palette of greys and whites.
It's noticeable that the scale of the interior accommodation on offer here is markedly smaller than the other grand properties in our round-up – a testament to the sky-high property prices in Hong Kong.
Elsewhere, the kitchen is streamlined and modern featuring a compact island and built-in appliances but it is a little on the small side compared to some of the mega-mansions listed for half the asking price of this property.
Located in Victoria Peak, an exclusive enclave across the water from the bustling centre of Hong Kong, it's clear that what you're paying for here is location, location, location.
The mansion also offers four-and-a-half bathrooms, a family room, a utility room and a maid's room. Outside, the garden stretches a generous 7,146 square feet (663sqm), plus there's a two-car garage on the property too.
Encircled by the woodlands of Mount Cameron and the adjacent Aberdeen Country Park, the property offers plenty of privacy to a buyer with deep pockets.
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