For the average person, buying a house comes after years of careful planning and saving. Many people choose a property that combines needs and preferences. Some people prefer a tiny house, an apartment or condo, or a single-family home, while others want a huge, extravagant house on the hill. Heck, some may even opt to have their entire home made by a 3D printer.
But when choosing a domicile, we all have one thing in common: We have to find a house that fits our budget. According to Zillow’s latest U.S. housing market data, the median sale price of homes in America is just over $280,000, which is a lot of money for the average person. On the other end of the spectrum, some of the most expensive homes in the world cost upwards of 1,000 times the median home price in America.
We wanted to see just what type of home you could buy for this kind of money. Here are some of the sickest, most luxurious, most ridiculous, and most expensive houses in the world.
Tour Odeon Penthouse in Monaco ($387 million)
Tour Odéon sits above the waters of the Mediterranean Sea. The building was developed by the Groupe Marzocco and designed by architect Alexandre Giraldi. The 35,500-square-foot penthouse has several floors, but you don’t have to walk up sets of stairs to get from floor to floor. There’s a private elevator, plus a water slide coming from the second floor (yes, a water slide). With an infinity pool and 360-degree views of the beautiful surrounding landscape, this place is paradise in the form of a penthouse. Totally worth the almost $400 million price tag.
Antilia in Mumbai, India ($2 billion)
This house might not look like much in the picture, but it may just be the most extravagant house on the planet. Owned by Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries, the incredibly large home is 27 stories high, and it boasts a whopping 400,000 square feet of live and play space. Sitting 570 feet tall, it’s more than half of the height of the Eiffel Tower. The home was designed by Chicago architects Perkins and Will, and it features amenities like an ice cream parlor, six floors for cars, a snow room, a salon, and a private movie theater large enough to hold 50 people. We’re still trying to figure out what “snow room” means. We’ll get back to you on that.
924 Bel Air Road in California ($188 million)
Luxury developer Bruce Makowsky’s 38,000-square-foot home is like an episode of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous to the extreme. It has 12 bedrooms (including two master suites) and 21 individual bathrooms.
With 7,000 square feet of entertainment decks, 10 huge guest suites, three separate gourmet kitchens, and five bars, you could probably fit a neighborhood comfortably in the home. It also has cool amenities like a massage studio, a fitness center, an infinity swimming pool, a theater, and a bowling alley. It’s like a modern-day Gatsby home.
24 Middle Gap Road in Hong Kong ($446 million)
This home is relatively humble when you consider its price tag. At 6,200 square feet, it has four bedrooms, four full bathrooms, and one partial bathroom. But it comes on a large lot, has a pool, and it’s in an incredibly desirable area in one of the most expensive housing markets in the world.
For perspective, the tiniest flats in Hong Kong can be as small as 123 square feet and cost a fortune. In fact, $1.2 million U.S. dollars will only net you an “average” home in Hong Kong.
Villa Les Cedres in France (about $400 million)
Once owned by King Leopold II of Belgium, this nearly 190-year-old property has 14 bedrooms and 18,000 square feet. Located on the coast of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat in France, the house has beautiful views of the Mediterranean Sea. The home has an Olympic-sized pool, horse stables, and a ballroom, and it’s decorated with antique furnishings. Perfect for plant and garden lovers, the property has 20 greenhouses and a multitude of plants beautifying the property. The home sits on 35 acres and boasts incredible artisanal touches, like marble statues and eloquent chandeliers.
220 Central Park South ($238 million)
Billionaire Ken Griffin made headlines when he purchased this four-story condominium in New York for $238 million, just a few days after being in the news for purchasing a different home near Buckingham Palace in London for 95 million pounds (about $122 million). The New York Penthouse has almost 24,000 square feet and overlooks Central Park. Get this: Griffin only uses it as an occasional home. It’s not even his primary residence! The building’s other floors, apartments, and duplexes have been selling like crazy this year. Recently, a duplex sold for just shy of $100 million — the most expensive closing of the year!
The Manor ($150 to $175 million)
The former residence of Aaron Spelling, the Manor is a gigantic 56,500 square feet. It has all sorts of perks, including a movie room, a bowling alley, two swimming pools, a tennis court, and a bar and wine cellar. The home reportedly has 14 bedrooms and 27 bathrooms, so no one will ever have to wait in line for the restroom. There’s also parking for 100 cars, so if you’re in the market to buy a parking lot to go with your home, this house is for you.
Mesa Vista Ranch ($220 million)
Located on the south shores of the Eastern Texas Panhandle, Mesa Vista Ranch covers 100 square miles of beauty and luxury. There’s a private airport, a pub, over 18 manmade lakes, a chapel, and a sprawling lodge at its core. Purchased by oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens in 1971, the only structure on the property at the time of purchase was a tin utility shack. As he acquired more acreage, Pickens began investing millions in building this rancher’s paradise.
Buckingham Palace (about $2 billion)
Not likely for sale anytime soon, the Queen’s gargantuan domicile features 775 rooms. There’s a private movie theater, a doctor’s office, a chapel, 78 bathrooms, and 92 offices. Buckingham is also home to London’s biggest garden, a royal-family-only ATM, and an army of adorable corgis, the Queen’s favorite breed.
