London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 18, 2025

Britain's second most expensive home hits market for £185m

Britain's second most expensive home hits market for £185m

The John Nash-designed mansion, 1-18 York Terrace East, overlooks Regent's Park and would become the second most expensive house sale in the UK if snapped up for the asking price.

An huge mansion that was designed by Buckingham Palace's architect and overlooks Regent's Park has been put on the market for £185million.

The John Nash-designed property, 1-18 York Terrace East, would become the second most expensive house sale in the UK if bought for the asking price.

The property firm selling the mansion, built between 1821 and 1826, says a person with 'billions' who wants a house in the UK should inquire, with the company's chief executive expecting interest from Asia, particularly from wealthy Chinese individuals.

Current owner, property investment firm, Zenprop UK, is thought to have paid £200million for the mansion four years ago - though its chief executive claims it was actually purchased for less than the current listing price.

Derrick Beare, from Zenprop UK, said the sale 'is not for me to make a return, it's pretty much to get my money back and move on'.

He added: 'The current price is a result of Brexit and the pandemic. It should be more, but I don't think I can get more in this market. It won't appeal to many people but we only need one person. The kind of person with billions, who wants a place in London.'

The building was completed in 1826 by regency architect Nash who also designed Buckingham Palace, Regent Street and Brighton's Royal Pavilion.

It was originally built as 18 separate homes, designed by Nash for the Crown Estate's Regency Park development, before being combined into one for government offices after World War II. It was used as luxury accomodation for international students until 2016.


1-18 York Terrace East would become the second most expensive house sale in the UK if bought for the asking price of £185 million



Pictured: A computer-generated image of how the inside of the mansion could look, complete with a lavish staircase and a reception area that looks like it belongs in a hotel lobby. The mansion was originally built as 18 separate houses when completed in 1826



Pictured: A computer-generated image of how a stunning bathroom in the mansion could look after the interior is redeveloped by a buyer. The circular tub is sure to be a hit with homeowners and the high ceilings and wealth of light are all highlights



In 1967, the terrace was converted to student accommodation by the International Students Trust. Until 2016, it was used by students as accommodation, before being sold to the current property developer owners



A student plays the guitar in the luxury house while it was being used as student halls. The breathtaking property was used for international students for almost 50 years



A student reads a book in the lobby of the then-International Students House at York Terrace East, Regent's Park, before it was bought by a property developing firm



A prospective buyer had last year considered a bid of more than £200 million for the mansion but had pulled out because of the Brexit negotiations. Pictured is a computer-generated image of a sitting room in the building, with its Regent's Park-facing windows promising natural light and beautiful views



The property firm selling the mansion, built between 1821 and 1826, says a person with 'billions' who wants a house in the UK should inquire. Pictured is a CGI image of the stunning exterior, with bright lights and a stunning architecture sure to catch the eye



The current owners of the stunning property are hoping to sell it to one wealthy individual who will be able to design it as above, complete with a floor to ceiling shoe rack, gorgeous lighting and luxurious bed



The computer-generated images showcase the potential of the space, with the expectation that the property can be thoroughly developed, though it might add even more millions to the price tag. With the property overlooking Regent's Park, stunning views are another attraction



A stylish bathroom, an imagining of how the interior of the John-Nash designed property could look after it is bought by its new owner



York Terrace East is a huge space and has been described as being a unique opportunity for a buyer to redesign in their image, with some of the breathtaking possibilities highlighted by Savills, included this opulent dining area, complete with an impressive fireplace and even a bar




After the First World War, the fashion for larger homes began to change and there was some modification to the building's footprint.

During the Second World War, the building suffered bomb damage and was very nearly demolished.

In 1947, following public outcry and a Royal Commission, the decision was made to preserve the building and most of it was requisitioned as government offices and occupied by the Ministry of Works.

In 1967, the terrace was converted to student accommodation by the International Students Trust, but many of the original internal features were lost after a fire in 1969.

The buildings were listed as Grade 1 in 1970.

Current owners, Zenprop UK, who are associated with Zenprop Property Holdings, one of South Africa’s premier property development and investment companies, acquired the building from International Student House in 2016.

They then agreed a long leasehold extension with the Crown and took the property through planning with Westminster City Council to restore it to residential use over a period of three years.

As part of the planning obligations, the owners are developing 44 affordable housing units in the borough for St Martin in the Fields Almshouse Charity at the site known as Chesterfield Lodge in St John's Wood.

Believed to be the first time an entire Nash terrace has come to the open market, 1-18 York Terrace East in London's Regent's Park, has a guide price of £185 million.

The Grade 1 Listed 117,000 sq ft building has planning permission for the development of two houses and 26 apartments with 42 underground parking spaces.



Pictured: What an interior room could look like, complete with luxury sofas and a floor to ceiling shoe rack. The building was completed in 1826 by regency architect Nash who also designed Buckingham Palace, Regent Street and Brighton's Royal Pavilion



Pictured: A computer-generated living room, complete with gorgeous floor to ceiling windows giving stunning views of Regent's Park. Around £80-90 million needs to be spent transforming the interior, with even more needed if the buyer wants to transform it into flats



Pictured: One of the ways rooms within the property can be designed, in a classic design sure to be a hit with guests and family alike, complete with a piano and comfy seats



Pictured: A proposed living room, complete with a fire place that looks perfect for a winter or autumn evening . If the mansion was bought by an individual it would represent the second most expensive house ever sold in the UK



The closeness to Regent's Park allows for stunning dinner views, with this mocked up photo showcasing how a dining room could be designed, which is sure to impress guests



The property could be the second most expensive in British history if it meets its asking price, with the mansion sure to attract interest despite its hefty price tag. This CGI bedroom shows the luxury available with the property, the opulence and style of the mansion a highlight



The stunning mansion, which has 117,000 square feet of floor space, previously served as government offices and then student accommodation after it was damaged during the Blitz



The terrace was part of John Nash's masterplan for Regent's Park. It was built by James Burton between 1821 – 1826 and was originally configured as 18 single family houses


Planning officials rejected an application to turn the Grade 1-listed building in to 13 townhouses because they would be too big.

Instead, the developers have planning permission to create 26 flats and two houses, though the property firm wants to sell to individuals.

Mr Beare told the Financial Times that he estimates £80-90 million needs to be spent transforming the interior, with even more needed if the buyer wants to transform it into flats.

The roof, floors and non-original stairs would need to be removed and replaced. The gardens facing the park would also have to be dug up as part of the excavation of extra basement space.

However, Mr Beare insists that there remains interest in the property from very wealthy individuals.

He said a prospective buyer had last year considered a bid of more than £200 million but pulled out because of the Brexit negotiations.

The buyer had planned to turn the building in to several very large homes for himself, his sons and their staff.

Stephen Lindsay, head of Savills St John's Wood, commented: 'Nothing on this scale in such a prime London location has ever come up for sale. It is an opportunity to create a special and extensive private estate within the tranquil surrounds of Regent's Park, moments away from Marylebone High Street and the West End.'

He added: 'Working on this historic terrace to reinstate its prime residential use, in accordance with the original architectural vision for the park and with the support of the Crown as freeholder, has been a very rewarding experience.

'It is a unique property which is now fully assembled and we look forward to seeing its magnificent restoration.'

If it was bought by an individual it would represent the second most expensive house ever sold in the UK.

In January, Chinese property tycoon Cheung Chung-kiu bought a 45-room mansion overlooking Hyde Park for more than £200million.

London properties are a big-hit with foreign buyers, with the wealthy flocking to the UK's capital from all over the globe.

American billionaire Ken Griffin bought 3 Carlton Gardens for £95million in 2019, despite the home being on the market for £125million two years before that.

US buyers spent an average of £7.3 million ($9.2 million) when buying in such prime locations, up from an average of £5million over the past ten years.

The proportion of London homes sold to Americans in the city's most desirable districts nearly doubled in 2019, when compared to 2018.

Meanwhile, wealthy families from the Middle East are also rapidly buying up London's luxury homes in the wake of the area's instability.

In recent years, Middle Eastern governments and sovereign funds have ploughed their vast resources into the capital, buying development sites and high-value buildings, according to research by a Mayfair property firm.

They spent £4.4billion from 2006 to 2014, which gave them control of nine of central London's largest development sites, equating to 28,000 new homes.

The super-rich bought prime residential properties in Knightsbridge, Mayfair, Kensington, Belgravia and Regent's Park - so much so that half of all buyers of Mayfair property worth more than £10million are from the Gulf.



A stunning fireplace, complete with luxurious sofa and floor to ceiling windows that promise incredible views of Regent's Park. Stephen Lindsay, head of Savills St John's Wood, commented: 'Nothing on this scale in such a prime London location has ever come up for sale'



The computer-generated images of bedrooms reflect the luxuriousness of the property, with buyers sure to fall in love with the warm, cozy vibe. London properties are a big-hit with foreign buyers, with wealthy individuals from Asia expected to bid for York Terrace East



An entire room dedicated to designer shoes and handbags. Mr Beare said a prospective buyer had last year considered a bid of more than £200 million but pulled out because of the Brexit negotiations



Stephen Lindsay, head of Savills St John's Wood, added: 'Working on this historic terrace to reinstate its prime residential use, in accordance with the original architectural vision for the park and with the support of the Crown as freeholder, has been a very rewarding experience'



Mr Lindsay added: 'It is a unique property which is now fully assembled and we look forward to seeing its magnificent restoration.' Pictured is how a bedroom could look


The potential to design the space is endless, with the mansion originally made up of 18 houses. If bought, it would be the second most expensive house in the UK



The roof, floors and non-original stairs would need to be removed and replaced. The gardens facing the park would also have to be dug up as part of the excavation of extra basement space



John Nash, the architect behind Buckingham Palace and Regent's Park


John Nash, remembered for his work on Buckingham Palace, Regent's Park and Regent Street in London, is one of the most famous architects of the 18th and early 19th centuries.





He was born in January 1752 and after an early education received training from the architect Sir Robert Taylor.

After early education, Nash was trained by the architect Sir Robert Taylor and worked as a surveyor and builder in the city of London.

In 1777 Nash established his own business and later inherited £1,000 from an uncle which he decided to risk on the building of houses in Great Russell Street and Bloomsbury Square.

The buildings failed to rent out and Nash was declared bankrupt in 1783.

Returning to London in 1797, Nash then designed a number of Gothic castles around the country, in places such as Luscombe Castle in Devon and Caerahays Castle in Cornwall.

Nash soon came under the patronage of the Prince Regent, later King George IV.

In 1806 he was appointed Surveyor General of Woods, Forests and Parks and from 1810 onwards worked solely for the prince. By 1813 he had been appointed official architect to the Office of Works, which meant advising parliamentary commissions on things such as new church buildings.

This was when he designed Regent's Park, Buckingham Palace and two theatres in Haymarket.

When George IV died in 1830, Nash lost his royal protector amid a backlash about the extravagance of the King's reign. Buckingham Palace had cost thousands, millions in today's terms, and Nash ultimately retired. He died a few years later in May 1835.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Macron and his wife to provide 'scientific photographic evidence' that she is a real woman
US Tech Giants Pledge Billions to UK AI Infrastructure Following Starmer's Call
Saudi Arabia cracks down on music ‘lounges’ after conservative backlash
DeepMind and OpenAI Achieve Gold at ‘Coding Olympics’ in AI Milestone
SEC Allows Public Companies to Block Investors from Class-Action Lawsuits
Saudi Arabia Signs ‘Strategic Mutual Defence’ Pact with Pakistan, Marking First Arab State to Gain Indirect Access to Nuclear Strike Capabilities in the Region
Federal Reserve Cuts Rates by Quarter Point and Signals More to Come
Effective and Impressive Generation Z Protest: Images from the Riots in Nepal
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Sam Altman sells the 'Wedding Estate' in Hawaii for 49 million dollars
Trump: Cancel quarterly company reports and settle for reporting once every six months
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
US Launches New Pilot Program to Accelerate eVTOL Air Taxi Deployment
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Hong Kong Industry Group Calls for HK$20 Billion Support Fund to Ease Property Market Stress
Joe Biden’s Post-Presidency Speaking Fees Face Weak Demand amid Corporate Reluctance
Charlie Kirk's murder will break the left's hateful cancel tactics
Kash Patel erupts at ‘buffoon’ Sen. Adam Schiff over Russiagate: ‘You are the biggest fraud’
Homeland Security says Emmy speech ‘fanning the flames of hatred’ after Einbinder’s ‘F— ICE’ remark
Charlie Kirk’s Alleged Assassin Tyler Robinson Faces Death Penalty as Charges Formally Announced
Actor, director, environmentalist Robert Redford dies at 89
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
JD Vance Says There Is “No Unity” with Those Who Celebrate Charlie Kirk’s Killing, and he is right!
Trump sues the 'New York Times' for an astronomical sum of 15 billion dollars
Florida Hospital Welcomes Its Largest-Ever Baby: Annan, Nearly Fourteen Pounds at Birth
U.S. and Britain Poised to Finalize Over $10 Billion in High-Tech, Nuclear and Defense Deals During Trump State Visit
China Finds Nvidia Violated Antitrust Laws in Mellanox Deal, Deepens Trade Tensions with US
US Air Force Begins Modifications on Qatar-Donated Jet Amid Plans to Use It as Air Force One
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
Elon Musk Retakes Lead as World’s Richest After Brief Ellison Surge
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
×