Amazing homes that come with surprising extras
This charming house comes with a castle and a Barony Title
Known as the Logan Estate, this incredible property not only comes with a charming Queen Anne house but also includes everything from private beaches to a historic castle. Yet there's one remarkable extra that the lucky buyer of this home will get to enjoy and it's something you usually have to inherit from family...
More than it first seems
Located in rural Wigtownshire, a county town in the Dumfries and Galloway region in Scotland, the royal residence occupies more than 1,600 acres. In the heart of the estate, you'll find this beautiful A-listed home, which was built in 1702 and sits inside an idyllic, 17-acre woodland garden. The McDouall family has owned the place for more than 700 years, but now they're selling up – including their Barony title!
Become a laird or lairdess
That's right, the lucky new owner of this house will become a genuine Scottish laird or lairdess, as well as a prominent landowner. The buyer will be able to lord it up in this lovely 9,000-square-foot home, which is laid out over four floors, linked by a curved stone staircase. The interior offers three reception rooms, nine bedrooms and nine bathrooms, all traditionally styled and fit for a titled lady or gent.
Full of features
Of course, the historic home is overflowing with plenty of fine features, including marble fireplaces, elegant cornicing, pretty window seats and glossy hardwood floors. Plus, many of the rooms benefit from views of Northern Ireland to the west and the Machars peninsula to the east.
Gorgeous gardens
The gardens at Logan House were carefully curated over the centuries by various members of the McDouall family. To the south of the garden is a wrought-iron gate that leads into the original walled garden. In 1970, the garden was gifted to the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland, as an annexe to the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh. The buyer will be able to step inside these gorgeous gardens whenever they like, as access for them is free of charge. Oh, and did we mention there's a castle?
A bountiful abode
Described as a fishkeeper's cottage, the castle-like home was constructed in 1788 by the then Laird Colonel Andrew McDouall. A natural blow-hole in the rock was turned into a larder, providing fresh fish for Logan House. The pond is still stocked with sea fish to this day. Currently managed as a tourist attraction, the mini castle comes with an information centre and shop, so the buyer will gain a home with a job thrown in. And we're not done yet!
Coastal extras
Port Logan Bay forms the estate's western boundary and comes complete with a lighthouse, a pier and more than two miles of coastline and sandy beaches. Described by the listing agents, Savills, as "one of the finest residential, agricultural and sporting estates in the south of Scotland," the property is for sale right now for a cool £9.5 million ($11.5m) – which isn't bad considering all this remarkable property has to offer.
Loved this? Read on for more remarkable homes that come with even more remarkable extras...
Courtesy Rolls-Royce Motor Cars / Facebook
READ MORE: The most jaw-dropping property incentives
When it comes to luxury homes with hefty price tags, developers, realtors and homeowners alike have been tempting wealthy buyers with everything from freebie supercars to complimentary planes and priceless jewels, in an effort to stand out from the competition. Click or scroll on and let's take a look at the most jaw-dropping property incentives ever...
Callaway Henderson Sotheby's International Realty
Converted church with a private graveyard
On the market for a very reasonable £569,000 ($691k), this cool converted church doesn't just offer style, space and scenery, but a quirky bonus feature in the garden that's perfect for lovers of spooky stuff and All Hallows' Eve...
Callaway Henderson Sotheby's International Realty
Converted church with a private graveyard
Located in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, the heavenly home is nestled on just over an acre of land and was originally constructed as Locktown Christian Church. It first opened its doors in 1898 and later became a Presbyterian church. Some time after the 1980s, it was converted into a home. While the exterior is like a time capsule of 19th-century design, the interior is modern, bright and beautiful, thanks to a recent renovation by the current architect owner.
Callaway Henderson Sotheby's International Realty
Converted church with a private graveyard
The main room, formerly the nave, measures a whopping 1,330 square feet and boasts a 20-foot ceiling. The ultimate open-plan space, it has a kitchen and enough room for a living and dining area. Elsewhere, there are three bedrooms and three bathrooms, as well as a foyer, a study and a mudroom. Many of the rooms are brimming with lovely details, too, such as pressed-tin ceilings and exposed ventilation pipes. But what lies in the garden is even more unique...
Callaway Henderson Sotheby's International Realty
Converted church with a private graveyard
Head outside and you'll find the original cemetery, complete with headstones. According to the listing, care of the sacred grounds will become the responsibility of the new homeowner. Would you be willing to take on such a role?
Callaway Henderson Sotheby's International Realty
Converted church with a private graveyard
Close to the main residence, you'll also find a smaller building that once served as the parsonage. A perfect fixer-upper, the property could be renovated and turned into a quirky holiday home or leased out as permanent accommodation. Spooky or cool? You decide!
Barrett Sotheby’s International Realty
Massachusetts mansion with a prehistoric raffle prize
When you take in the beauty and charm of this elegant waterfront home, it's hard to believe buyers would need any encouragement to take a look around. Previously on the market for a little under £1.5 million ($1.8m), the palatial pad can be found on 12 scenic acres of land, on a spectacular private island in the quaint town of Clinton, Massachusetts. Yet the owner of the idyllic property decided to attract more viewers by throwing in a unique prize draw opportunity with the sale, that some wouldn’t be able to resist.
Barrett Sotheby’s International Realty
Massachusetts mansion with a prehistoric raffle prize
Inside, you’ll find just over 7,000 square feet of space – and the interior isn’t nearly as traditional as you might expect. Despite its exterior aesthetic, the property was actually constructed in 2005, so the house is modern and filled with natural light, blending vaulted ceilings, exposed wood beams and rustic fireplaces with walls of glass, spiral staircases and contemporary furnishings.
Barrett Sotheby’s International Realty
Massachusetts mansion with a prehistoric raffle prize
There are 14 rooms in total, including six bedrooms and all of them benefit from a neutral colour palette of crisp white walls, natural timber floors and dark steel accents. Highlights include the awe-inspiring, 2,700-square-foot pool house, which will instantly transport you to a tropical rainforest paradise thanks to its leafy palms and heated water. Elsewhere, you'll find a separate guesthouse that could be used as a rental venture.
Barrett Sotheby’s International Realty
Massachusetts mansion with a prehistoric raffle prize
Yet the home's owner, Robert Lanza, decided that all this might not be enough to attract the right buyer. So, as an added incentive, he decided to throw in the chance to win a 50 million-year-old fossil. Lanza purchased the fossil, mined from Stone, Wyoming, at the Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Show and any person who decided to take a tour of the estate was automatically entered into the prize draw. The winner was under no obligation to even make an offer on the house.
Massachusetts mansion with a prehistoric raffle prize
The ancient fossil contains over a dozen fossilised fish, including Knightia and Diplomystus from the Eocene Age, the seller told the New York Post. The winner of the luck-based raffle was chosen the day the sale closed and everyone who toured the property or attended an open house event had an equal chance of winning.
Courtesy Place Graceville
A Brisbane mansion with a 90s supercar
Nick and Kerrie Korganow put their four-bedroom, three-bathroom home on prestigious Laurel Avenue, in the posh Brisbane neighbourhood of Chelmer, up for auction in November 2016. And the couple threw in a very special freebie to entice buyers and hike up the bids – a vintage Porsche 911 worth £82,300 ($100k).
Courtesy Place Graceville
A Brisbane mansion with a 90s supercar
Brisbane's housing market slowed in 2016 and vendors of higher-end properties were finding it that bit more difficult to offload them. On a whim, the Korganows decided to offer their prized Porsche as a sweetener, alongside the sale of their stunning Australian home.
Courtesy Place Graceville
A Brisbane mansion with a 90s supercar
If the sought-after address, swish open-plan living areas and stunning swimming pool weren't enough to snare potential buyers, the couple figured a freebie supercar would do the trick. And they weren't wrong!
Courtesy Place Graceville
A Brisbane mansion with a 90s supercar
As interested parties scrambled to put in offers, the house was sold even before it went up for auction. Agents Brad Robson and Peter May of Place Graceville found a buyer willing to pay the AUD$2.5 million (£1.3m/$1.6m) asking price several days before the scheduled sale.
Alistair Paterson / Flickr / [CC BY-SA 2.0]
A Brisbane mansion with a 90s supercar
The lucky buyer was no doubt thrilled to get the keys to the pricey, 1990s sports car, which given the previous owner worked in the auto trade, had been lovingly and meticulously maintained.
Courtesy Damac Properties
Fendi-styled villas with a sporty surprise
The UAE's Damac Properties, which is headed by the 'Donald of Dubai', Hussain Sajwani, is renowned for its lavish giveaways and extravagant real estate sweeteners. For several years running, the company has wooed buyers with freebie supercars, luxury yachts and more.
Courtesy Damac Properties
Fendi-styled villas with a sporty surprise
In 2016 for instance, the firm offered buyers of selected properties luxury cars as part of its famed promotion at the Dubai Shopping Festival. Eligible developments included the company's Akoya Villas, Burj serviced apartments and their opulent Fendi villas.
Courtesy Damac Properties
Fendi-styled villas with a sporty surprise
With interiors by the prestigious Italian fashion house, the Fendi-styled properties are modern and seriously sophisticated. The luxurious homes feature the finest materials – think lashings of expensive stone, ceramic tiling and polished wood – and fabulous floor-to-ceiling windows.
Courtesy Damac Properties
Fendi-styled villas with a sporty surprise
Each Fendi villa has been decked out with carefully curated mid-century Italian furniture, which makes for a stylish, streamlined vibe that exudes luxury and taste at every corner.
Fendi-styled villas with a sporty surprise
Buyers who spent more than £1.6 million ($2m) on a Damac Properties home snagged a free Lamborghini Huracan worth £206,000 ($250k), while buyers on tighter budgets got a BMW 730i, BMW X6 xDrive35i or similar luxury car, depending on the type of the property they purchased.
English country pile with a vintage plane
This picture-perfect home has far more to offer than would first appear. Located in the idyllic Cotswolds village of Bourton-on-the-Water, UK, the charming country pile landed on the real estate market back in 2017 for £1.7 million ($2.1m). For the price, the lucky new owner not only gained a substantial estate but a few toys to enjoy on the grounds, too...
English country pile with a vintage plane
Known as Pooh Corner, the charming rural home boasts three bedrooms across its spacious 3,000-square-foot interior, while a fourth bedroom is located in a handy self-contained annexe. Inside the main house, there's an array of cosy living areas, a Shaker-style country kitchen, a large conservatory with a bar and a jukebox, as well as an outdoor dining deck for alfresco meals. Yet the home's real selling point can be found outside...
English country pile with a vintage plane
The amazing estate comes with a third of an acre of manicured gardens, so there's plenty of outside space to enjoy, but that's not all. One of three properties inside the private 70-acre Upper Harford Estate, Pooh Corner also shares access to a private landing strip and hangar, making weekend getaways a breeze.
English country pile with a vintage plane
The ultimate choice for an aeronautics fan, when the owners of the house came to sell, they also threw in the perfect means of escape. That's right, this country pile also came with its very own set of wings, a vintage 1953 Piper Pacer plane.
English country pile with a vintage plane
Despite being 65 years old, the plane is in top condition, thanks to a loving restoration by the previous owners. With new leather seats, tartan upholstery and shiny new mechanical elements, the vintage toy certainly sweetened the deal for the lucky buyer.
Courtesy Hamptons International
London triplexes with designer freebies
Residential property prices in some of the more upmarket parts of London fell by as much as 15% in 2018. As a result, sellers in the UK capital, home to some of the most expensive houses in the world, piled on deluxe incentives to attract wealthy buyers.
London triplexes with designer freebies
Hamptons International, for example, marketed five triplexes in a row of Victorian townhouses on Bayswater's Leinster Square with the offer of £200,000 ($243k) worth of free designer furniture.
London triplexes with designer freebies
Ranging in price from £4 million ($4.9m) to £7.5 million (£9.1m), the Grade II-listed apartments have been kitted out by some of London's finest interior designers, who have gone for a high-end mid-century ambience.
London triplexes with designer freebies
In fact, an increasing number of developers and agents in London and elsewhere are offering properties fully furnished, saving buyers the trouble of decorating and choosing fixtures and furnishings.
London triplexes with designer freebies
In addition to designer furniture, sellers in London have given away luxury cars, memberships to exclusive clubs and even paintings by leading contemporary artists, including Damien Hirst.
A New York City townhouse with a classic bonus
Across the pond, home-sellers in New York City appear just as keen as their transatlantic counterparts to throw in fancy freebies. In an attempt to rival the city's sought-after New York brownstones, Compass put this minimal West Chelsea townhouse on the market in 2017 for just shy of £30 million ($36.8m) with one very attractive bonus...
A New York City townhouse with a classic bonus
Thrown in with the sale of the five-bedroom, 12-bathroom home on West 17th Street was a white 2016 Bentley Mulsanne worth £303,000 ($368k), the perfect vehicle to grace the property's sensational glass garage.
A New York City townhouse with a classic bonus
The super-spacious interiors are ultra-contemporary with an array of luxury touches, from the DaVinci fireplace and Swarovski-crystal door handles, to marble mosaic flooring and leather wall panels. Talk about furnishings fit for a billionaire!
A New York City townhouse with a classic bonus
The property's other major selling points include a generously-sized indoor pool, fitness centre, steam room, floating staircases and a very impressive glass elevator. Even better, there's a 400-bottle wine cellar tucked away.
A New York City townhouse with a classic bonus
Despite all the opulent amenities and the offer of a free Bentley, the townhouse struggled to sell. It finally sold in 2020, after almost four years on the market, for just £12.4 million ($15m), which is more than 40% less than its original asking price.
The Carroll Group / Douglas Elliman Real Estate
A rare gem of a Miami property
Standing out in the flashy Miami real estate market is no mean feat and developers have gone to crazy lengths to outshine the competition and sell their properties fast, including giving away a rare pink diamond worth £607,000 ($500k).
The Carroll Group / Douglas Elliman Real Estate
A rare gem of a Miami property
In 2019, the gemstone was gifted to the buyer of the five-bedroom duplex penthouse topping the glittering Regalia Tower. The penthouse was advertised at an eye-watering £32 million ($39m), making it the second-most expensive Miami-Dade County property on sale at the time.
The Carroll Group / Douglas Elliman Real Estate
A rare gem of a Miami property
If you're after a statement swimming pool then this rooftop oasis definitely fits the bill. Other highlights of the mind-blowing penthouse include an ingeniously designed pneumatic vacuum glass elevator, a swanky sky bar and even a dramatic cascading waterfall.
Courtesy The Carroll Group / Douglas Elliman Real Estate
A rare gem of a Miami property
There's also a slick movie theatre and games room, a 1,000-bottle wine cellar and an enormous steam room with a hydrotherapy hot tub – basically, all the usual billionaire trappings, and then some.
A rare gem of a Miami property
Winning over buyers with gemstones isn't just a Miami thing. Developers and agents in Singapore have been charming would-be home-buyers with jewellery gifts, too. Here's hoping the trend goes global.
Courtesy Concierge Auctions
A Texan mansion with wings
The most opulent mansion in Texas, the French Baroque-style Champ D'Or Estate in Hickory Creek, has been notoriously hard to sell. Completed in 2002 at a cost of £42 million ($52m), the ridiculously OTT mansion languished on the market for years until it was snapped up in 2012 by Zaffar Tabani of the Tabani Group.
Courtesy Concierge Auctions / Costa Christ
A Texan mansion with wings
Tabani fell in love with the sumptuous six-bedroom property, which boasts a lofty entrance hall packed with exquisite antiques, leading to a Versailles-inspired ballroom and magnificent mezzanine.
Courtesy Concierge Auctions / Costa Christ
A Texan mansion with wings
The extravagant home even has a two-storey Chanel dressing room that cost £4.1 million ($5m), indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a library, a tea room and garage space for up to 20 cars.
Courtesy Concierge Auctions / Costa Christ
A Texan mansion with wings
Adding to the luxuriousness, the home movie theatre has to be one of the grandest ever created. Spending less and less time at the mansion, Tabani put it up for sale in late 2015 for £14.4 million ($17.5m) with not just one, but two incredible sweeteners: a Rolls-Royce and a helicopter.
Courtesy Rolls-Royce Motor Cars / Facebook
A Texan mansion with wings
In spite of the million-dollar freebies, the estate failed to sell and Tabani withdrew the offer. The property was eventually offloaded at auction in 2019 for a massively knocked-down price, sans the Rolls and helicopter!
Loved this? Follow us on Facebook for even more incredible luxury homes