15 biggest houses in the world: the largest mansions you’ve ever seen
Owning a home is most people's dream and one of the most significant achievements in life. Money allows you to buy or build your dream house according to your taste. The rich and famous own huge houses that indicate social status and luxurious living. They live up to the saying, "A man's house is his castle". These are the biggest houses in the world you have ever seen.
Homes are undoubtedly the most crucial possession for many individuals because they serve as a basic need. In a competitive society, a standard-sized house is insufficient, as the elite own palatial houses. These vast homes are beautiful and expensive but symbolic of power, pride and wealth. The humongous houses share high-end features such as an infinity pool, lush gardens and expensive architecture.
15 biggest houses in the world
The biggest houses in the world are owned by the wealthy and elite, who have multiple homes around the globe. These are the mega-mansions and their stats.
15. Xanadu 2.0 Medina, Washington, United States
- Size: 66,000 square feet
- Estimated value: $147 million
This mega mansion is the home to one of the wealthiest people in the world, Bill Gates. It was previously where he and his ex-wife Melinda Gates lived until they divorced. The mega-mansion boasts seven bedrooms and 24 bathrooms, plus a sensor system that regulates lighting and heat.
Other features include a swimming pool with an underwater music system, a trampoline room, and a reception for 150 seated guests. There is a library with the Codex Leicester, a manuscript by Leonardo da Vinci. The mansion has two secret bookcases, one leading to a secret bar.
14. Lynnewood Hall, Pennsylvania, USA
- Area: 70,000 square feet
- Estimated value: $16.5 million
This spectacular mansion, designed in the Neoclassical Revival style, was built for Peter A.B. Widener, an industrial tycoon. The house has 55 bedrooms, a ballroom, an art gallery, and a rose garden. The house fell into ruin, and it is one of the biggest haunted houses in the world. It is now owned by the First Korean Church of New York, founded by Richard Yoon.
13. Pensmore Mansion, Highlandville, Missouri, USA
- Area: 72,215 square feet
- Estimated value: $6 million
Pensmore is one of the biggest houses in the US. It's situated around the Ozark Mountains and was constructed in 2008 by Steven Huff, an American millionaire and astrophysicist. The building can withstand calamities such as tornadoes, earthquakes, bullets, fire and explosives. The five-story home is believed to have 13 bedrooms and 14 baths, and a 12 inches thick exterior walls.
12. Taohuayuan, Suzhou, China
- Area: 72,400 square feet
- Estimated value: $154 million
This mega mansion is the biggest private resident in China. It was constructed on a private island near Suzhou's Dushu Lake and took three years to finish. The house has 32 bedrooms and baths, lavish gardens, a wine cellar, and an ornamental pond. The house was built under feng-shu laws, and its gardens were inspired by Suzhou's Classical Gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
11. The One, Bel Air, California, USA
- Area: 74,000 square feet
- Estimated value: $295 million
Bel Air is a prestigious area with many stately resident, and The One is the largest. This mega mansion was built in 2013 by movie producer and real estate developer Nile Niami. The house has 21 bedrooms, 42 bathrooms, a 3-bedroom guest house, a library and an IMAX-style theatre room.
Other features include four swimming pools, a bowling alley, a 10,000-bottle wine cellar and a nightclub. There are also six elevators, a cigar room, and jellyfish tanks walls.
10. Villa Leopolda, French Riviera, France
- Area: 80,000 square feet
- Estimated value: $750 million
This is a mansion that once belonged to the Brazilian Safra family. Lily Safra sold it to a Russian Oligarch in 2008. The Villa Leopolda is on a 50-acre estate with 19 bedrooms, 14 bathrooms, a private theatre, a commercial greenhouse, 12 swimming pools, and a helipad.
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The property was once used as a military hospital during World War I and has been featured in the movie To Catch a Thief and has also been mentioned in notable writings.
9. The Gemini Mansion, Manalapan, Palm Beach, Florida, USA
- Size: 85,000 square feet
- Estimated value: $173 million
Marion Sims Wyeth designed this gorgeous beachfront mansion in the 1940s and was initially owned by the Lambert phаrmaceutical family. Now the Gemini Mansion is owned by Ziff family who acquired it in 1985. The main house has 12 bedrooms, 34 full bathrooms, a sports complex with a tennis court, golf facility, and a tree house for kids, among other amenities.
8. Versailles, Windermere, Florida, USA
- Area: 90,000 square feet
- Estimated value: $100 million
Versailles, Windermere is where Jacqueline and David Siegel, the CEO of Westgate Resorts, call home. The house has 14 bedrooms, 23 baths, nine kitchens, a two-story movie theatre and 20-car garage. There is a gym, an arcade, a salon, a classic fish aquarium, a mega bottle wine cellar, an elevator and two pools. The home was featured in a documentary film The Queen of Versailles (2012), as well as CNBC's Secret Lives of the Super Rich.
7. Witanhurst, London, United Kingdom
- Area: 90,000 square feet
- Estimated worth: $450 million
Grade II listed Georgian Revival mansion, Witanhurst, is one of the largest homes in the world. It is also the second-largest residential home in London after Buckingham Palace. Witanhurst has 65 rooms, 25 bedrooms, a massage parlour, a movie theatre, a 70-foot swimming pool, a gym and a sauna. The current owner is a Russian oligarch named Andrey Guryev.
6. Fair Field, Sagaponack, New York State, USA
- Area: 110,00 square feet
- Estimated value: $249 million
Fair Field is a private house built in 2003 in the Hamptons and its owned by one of the richest businessmen in America. The house has 29 bedrooms, 39 bathrooms, a 91-foot dining room, and a 164-seat movie theatre room. There is also an indoor basketball pitch, two bowling alleys, multiple squash courts, and three swimming pools.
5. Safra Mansion, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Area: 117,000 square feet
- Estimated net worth: $127 million
Safra Mansion is the private residence of Joseph Safra, a banker billionaire. It is the largest private home in Brazil in the Morumbi area. The resident looks similar to the French Riveria Villa Leopolda. The house has 130 rooms, with indoor and outdoor pools. Lily Safra is the current owner of the mansion.
4. Biltmore Estate, Asheville, North Carolina, USA
- Area: 178,926 square feet
- Estimated value: $155 million
The Biltmore Estate is the most outstanding private residences in the United States and one of the biggest homes in the world. The mega mansion is surrounded by a magnificent park and a farm with two water sources that make the scenery green. It has 250 rooms with 43 bathrooms, 65 fireplaces, three kitchens, a 23,000-book library and an indoor pool.
3. Antilia, Mumbai, India
- Area: 400,000 square feet
- Estimated value: $1 billion - $2 billion
Antilia, located at Altamount Road, Mumbai, Maharashtra, is one of the largest homes in the world. It is Mukesh Ambani's home, the wealthiest man in Asia and India.
The 27-floor mansion is based on Vaastu architecture and took four years to complete. Every floor has a unique design, and the rooftop has a panoramic view of the Arabian Sea. It has a six floors car parking that can accommodate 128 vehicles. Other features include a private movie theatre, three helipads, a hanging garden, an ice-cream parlour, a gym and a yoga centre.
2. Buckingham Palace, London, UK
- Area: 828,820 square feet
- Estimated value: $3.2 billion
Buckingham Palace, located in Westminster, is not private but owned by The Crown Estate. It has been the official residence of the monarchs since 1837 and is currently owned by King Charles III. This large royal mansion has 775 rooms, 78 bathrooms and a tunnel link to the Houses of Parliament and Clarence House. Other features include a police station, a doctor's surgery post, a post office, a movie theatre and a tennis court.
1. Istana Nurul Iman Palace, Brunei
- Area: 2,152,782 square feet
- Estimated value: $1.5 billion
Istana Nurul Imam, which translates to The Light of Faith Palace in English, is the biggest house in the world. It is the official home of the Sultan or King of Brunei, a small equatorial country in East Asia.
It has private 1788 rooms, 257 baths, a 5000 guests hall and a mosque with a capacity of 1500. The garage at this enormous palace can hold up to 110 cars. There are five swimming pools and an air-conditioned stable that can hold over 200 polo ponies. The public can only visit the palace during the three days of Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations.
What is the biggest house in the world?
Istana Nurul Imam in Brunei is the biggest house in the world. The house covers an area of 2.15 million square feet.
Owning a home is one of the most important decisions a person has to make. These homes come in different sizes and designs, ranging from small to mega-mansions. The wealthy go all out when it comes to owning homes; some have multiple homes in different locations. The above is a list of the biggest houses in the world you have seen.
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