A MAN who bought the “world’s most expensive bungalow” says that what he found inside was horrible.
Tom Glanfield, 44, bought North Haven Point in Dorset’s Sandbanks resort for a whopping £13.5million last month.
6
6
6
The house occupies a 1.4 acre corner plot, by far the biggest piece of real estate on the Millionaires’ Row.
But the entrepreneur has revealed just how dilapidated the inside of the property really is.
He says the expensive bungalow currently “relies on obscene amounts of oil”, has mould and mildew a cracked concrete driveway.
And he adds that it has outdated cork ceiling tiles in the kitchen and a crumbling tidal wall outside.
Also outside is a rickety five-bar gate and a tumbledown garage, as well as a “death trap” concrete swimming pool.
Tom told Mail Online: “Despite the property appearing in reasonable shape from a distance, it was clear on inspection that years of exposure had taken its toll.
“Although it clearly hasn’t been updated for some time, unfortunately, the problems run much deeper.
“The current house has nothing in the way of insulation and relies on obscene amounts of oil to heat it.
Most read in Money
“I’m keen to create something that is completely efficient and passive. My dream is to build a family home that will not only retain the modest beauty of the plot but will stand the test of time.”
Tom is planning to demolish the 117-year-old, four-bedroom bungalow in Poole Harbour, Dorset, transforming it into a carbon-neutral eco home.
But the recruitment boss faced backlash after his plans to demolish the home were revealed.
However, Tom said he will invest millions into the local economy by employing Dorset-based architects, engineers and builders to design and build a two-floor, grass-roofed family home.
And he wants the property to be built around the existing mature pine trees that adorn the waterside plot and that it will also have solar panels and an air source heat pump.
He continued: “Some people have said it would be a shame to replace the property, but they probably haven’t inspected it too closely.
‘”Some people have told me they are glad it has been purchased by a local person and not a developer. “
Tom is a self-made multi-millionaire who started a recruitment business 20 years ago with a student loan.
With a floor space of 2,909 sqft, the price of his new home works out at £4,640 per sqft.
The home’s per-square-foot cost beats off the value of property in Monaco, Hong Kong and New York.
Harry and Sandra Redknapp have owned two houses there while Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness lives close by.
Celebrity interior designer Celia Sawyer also lives on the desirable strip of land which has been touted as Britain’s answer to Miami Beach.
Tom added: “As a long-term resident of Poole, I certainly do not want to build anything that detracts from the natural beauty of the area, or that negatively impacts any of my friends and neighbours.
“Unfortunately, the current house is extremely inefficient and does not meet modern building standards.
“My dream is to build a permanent family home that will stand the test of time, using sustainable building methods, locally sourced materials, and calling on local tradesmen to carry out the building work.”
6
6
6
