Two abandoned palatial mansions built by a Chinese billionaire for $75 million have been sold just days before the auction.
The sprawling, side-by-side townhouses in Perth’s southern suburb of Banjup, 30 minutes from Perth’s CBD, have sold for an undisclosed sum.
The property was left incomplete and never lived in again after its owner, Chinese education billionaire James Tan, returned to China for family reasons.
Spread over 4.5 hectares of land, the two homes have a combined surface area of 10,000 square meters.
The striking properties feature over 80 rooms, including 20 en-suite bedrooms, multiple kitchens with private dining rooms, a library, a multi-purpose theatre, a museum and several large conference rooms.
There are also swimming pools and four courtyards, designed according to Feng Shui teachings.
The complex was built between 2014 and 2017, cost $75 million to construct and was named the Chinese-style Confucius Mansion by its owner.
It was designed in a fusion of the Jingpai and Huizhou architectural styles, with one house designed for everyday living and the other for entertainment.
The property was left incomplete and never lived in again after its owner, Chinese education billionaire James Tan, returned to China for family reasons
The two homes, spread over 4.5 hectares of land, have a combined surface area of 10,000 square meters
The complex is set on Lot 88, a number that symbolizes fortune and luck in Chinese culture.
One of the buildings is decorated with bright red and yellow, lucky colors in Chinese tradition.
Leon Siew, head of international markets at Effective Property Solutions, said he had received a lot of interest from the Chinese community.
“There is a reason why there is so much interest from Chinese buyers: they actually like the uniqueness of the design and architecture, it reminds them of home,” Mr Siew said.
The striking properties feature more than 80 rooms, including 20 en suite bedrooms, several kitchens with private dining rooms, a library, a multi-function theater and a museum
“Although it is somewhat dilapidated, this Chinese-style mansion is majestic. It is 90 percent complete, with only a few cosmetic finishing touches that need to be done,” said listing agent Leon Siew
‘Although somewhat dilapidated, this Chinese-style mansion is majestic.
“It’s 90 percent complete, there are still some cosmetic finishing touches to be done,” Mr Siew said.
Mr Siew said the owner told him he had invested $75 million in the houses, including land and statues, but the statues had been stolen.
About $1.5 million was spent on the rose garden alone, which has since died.
Estimates for completing the building’s furnishings range from $2 to $5 million.