logo
EXCLUSIVE Russian millionaire blasted over 'Britain's most expensive council house' forced to make drastic move a year after listing four-bed semi for £3.5m

EXCLUSIVE Russian millionaire blasted over 'Britain's most expensive council house' forced to make drastic move a year after listing four-bed semi for £3.5m

Daily Mail​24-05-2025

A Russian millionaire who tried to sell a London 'council house' for £3.5m has been forced to concede defeat and make a drastic u-turn.
The ordinary-looking four-bed suburban property had attracted widespread mockery due to its eye-watering price tag when it was listed last year.
But owner Lukov Nikolov refused to bow down claiming the fee was justified because he spent £1.4m renovating the property.
When MailOnline visited the house this week, more than a year after it was put on the market, neighbours revealed the wealthy businessman had been forced 'move in himself' after failing to find a buyer.
The house was built in the late 1950s and used by police officers relocating to work in London for the Met Police.
But in every other respect it's equivalent to nearby council housing in style and size.
Despite being unable to find househunters with deep enough pockets, Mr Nikolov has now listed another property on the same road for £3m.
One resident told MailOnline: 'He's got another one too, just up the road, which has been on the market for a while.
This was because he said spent £1.4m renovating the property in the leafy neighbourhood
'The [second property] is huge. It's got a basement, a cinema and all the rest of it. They've probably doubled the square footage.
'I think he probably moves between them.'
When MailOnline approached Mr Nicolov's wife Srebrina at the property listed for sale we were no told no comment would be made.
Mr Nikolov bought the first property for £1.2m in 2015 and began to renovate inside.
He was able to dig down and create a new spacious basement 'flooded with natural light', which increased the properties' square footage by a third.
The home now deceptively spreads over 3650sq ft of interior space and has four floors as well as its own cinema room, which, in the view of Mr Nikolov justified the £2.3million increase in value.
Mr Nikolov's second property was bough for the cheaper fee of £878,000 before renovating it too.
Properties in Canonbury sold for an overall average price of £934,290 in the last few years, according to RightMove, with the majority of sales being flats, which sold for an average price of £633,512.
Terraced properties sold for an average of £1,659,972, with semi-detached properties fetching £3,873,333 - placing Mr Nikolov's property slightly below average.
The price of homes in the family-friendly London neighbourhood also soared over the last few years by nine per cent.
But even though prices are on the rise in the area, many of Mr Nikolov's neighbours thought he was being too optimistic when he first listed the property.
One man told MailOnline at the time: 'That can't be right! If that sells for £3.5million, I will put my house on the market for £5million the next day. It won't sell for that much in a million years.
'They'll never get that, even with a basement put into it. His other property on the road is very nice, he put a lot of effort into the renovations. But £3million will be silly.
'Most of the little houses along here range from £1.3-1.8million depending on what they have done to them.'
Another neighbour agreed, saying: 'That's not worth it for the price. They are smoking crack if they think they will get that amount!'
But some of their friends think the Bulgarian may be on to a winner.
One said: 'He's a nice guy and is always joking with people.
'I think it will sell for the price. People love this road, it doesn't feel like you live in London when you're here. Some of the houses along this road go for about £5million, so it's not the most expensive place here.
'If you renovate properly, you can easily double the value of your home here.'

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness list $60million their 'modernist masterpiece' Manhattan penthouse amid divorce settlement
Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness list $60million their 'modernist masterpiece' Manhattan penthouse amid divorce settlement

Daily Mail​

timean hour ago

  • Daily Mail​

Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness list $60million their 'modernist masterpiece' Manhattan penthouse amid divorce settlement

Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness have put their AU$60 million (US$39 million) New York apartment on the market amid their messy divorce. reports that the former couple are offloading the stunning five-bedroom 'triplex' apartment in the West Village that they purchased back in 2008 for AU$32 million (US$21 million). The penthouse boasts an eye-watering 1000 sqm of floor space and spans the top three floors of a glass tower overlooking the Hudson River. The three floors are connected via a spiral staircase and the luxe abode also boasts seven bathrooms. It also features a library, private sauna and an indoor gym, while the kitchen boasts a massive island bench, stainless steel appliances and plenty of cabinet space. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Designed by lauded architect Richard Meier, the property is described as a 'modernist masterpiece'. The main bedroom, meanwhile occupies an entire floor and includes a luxurious spa bath and dressing area. Hugh, 56, and Deborra-Lee, 69, tried to offload the apartment back in 2022, but paused the sale in favour of putting it on the rental market. The listing comes after it was recently revealed that the ex-couple had decided to split their other New York abode down the middle. The former couple filed records with the city regarding their shares of their former love nest, as seen in documents obtained by It marked the first public sign of their asset division, which The Real Deal was the first to report on, and comes just two days after the actress formally filed for divorce. The three-bedroom and 3.5-bathroom penthouse, which the couple purchased together back in 2022 for AU$32.46 million (US$21.12 million), had not been listed for sale but underwent a property transfer. According to the new deed seen by it was confirmed that the pair have ultimately decided to split this property down the middle. The documentation of the property transfer shows the names of the exes' longtime legal advisor as well as their shell companies on either or both sides of the deed. The paperwork reveals that Lackawanna LLC, a limited liability company that the pair previously used to purchase the home, transferred the penthouse to Phoenix Rising I LLC for AU$18 million (US$11.7 million). Phoenix Rising has been linked to Furness and is perhaps a symbolic name for reemerging from the ashes post-divorce. The sale price of the property had been registered at AU$36.27 million (US$23.6) million, so Deborra-Lee seemingly had the property transferred to her via the shell company for just under half of that sum. The deed also shows that the transaction was made between 'relatives or former relatives.' Their multimillion-dollar real estate portfolio includes properties spanning across three continents. They own several luxury properties across the United States, England and Australia. Hugh and Deborra-Lee, who had been married since 1996, announced their separation back in 2023 after 27 years of marriage. At the time, they cited a desire to pursue 'individual growth.' Though the pair have not publicly revealed the reasons behind their separation, rumors have run rampant as fans speculate Jackman growing close to his fellow Broadway co-star Sutton Foster in The Music Man play was a factor in their split. Last month, Deborra-Lee, alluded to Hugh's alleged affair with his now-girlfriend as she broke her silence about his 'betrayal' since legally filing for divorce. 'My heart and compassion goes out to everyone who has traversed the traumatic journey of betrayal,' she wrote in a statement shared exclusively with 'It's a profound wound that cuts deep, however I believe in a higher power and that God/the universe, whatever you relate to as your guidance, is always working FOR us.' She continued: 'This belief has helped me navigate the breakdown of an almost three-decade marriage.'

Fears Trump could sink US-UK nuclear subs deal after President ordered review into pact intended to secure the Pacific against Chinese aggression
Fears Trump could sink US-UK nuclear subs deal after President ordered review into pact intended to secure the Pacific against Chinese aggression

Daily Mail​

timean hour ago

  • Daily Mail​

Fears Trump could sink US-UK nuclear subs deal after President ordered review into pact intended to secure the Pacific against Chinese aggression

Royal Navy chiefs voiced concerns last night after Donald Trump ordered a review of the nuclear submarine pact between the UK, the US and Australia. Aukus, as the joint project is known, is intended to secure the Pacific against Chinese aggression and involves multi-billion-pound commitments to build new nuclear-powered submarines. The Ministry of Defence announced its intention to build up to 12 submarines for Aukus and other operations as part of last week's Strategic Defence Review. But these plans have been thrown into doubt after the US defence department announced a review to ensure Aukus meets the President's 'America First' agenda. Relations between the US and Australia have soured over tariffs. America has also demanded Australia increase defence spending and wants to sell older submarines to Australia on favourable terms. Another cause for concern is the review is being led by Aukus sceptic Elbridge Colby, who is close to President Trump. Last night former head of the Royal Navy, Admiral Lord West said: 'Aukus is extremely important for the strategic situation in the Pacific and very important for Britain as a way of us moving into our next generation of submarines. 'The US had had concerns about selling its submarines to Australia, so it is not entirely unexpected that President Trump would want to look at this. Hopefully this can be resolved and we all move on together as part of the alliance.' The deal is regarded as a pillar of security co-operation. But concerns have been raised in the US over the rate of submarine production and Australia's reluctance to commit to a 'no holds barred' response to a Chinese attack on Taiwan. The US is committed to selling up to five boats to Australia, vessels which many in the US believe should be retained by the US Navy.

EDEN CONFIDENTIAL: Anger as Middletons' friend and former Reading FC chairman Sir John Madejski's name is stripped from school he gave £3million to
EDEN CONFIDENTIAL: Anger as Middletons' friend and former Reading FC chairman Sir John Madejski's name is stripped from school he gave £3million to

Daily Mail​

timean hour ago

  • Daily Mail​

EDEN CONFIDENTIAL: Anger as Middletons' friend and former Reading FC chairman Sir John Madejski's name is stripped from school he gave £3million to

His life and career have followed an epic trajectory, from a grim start – illegitimate and taken into foster care – to a knighthood, immense riches and an invitation to a royal wedding in 2011, when Prince William married Kate Middleton, whose parents were by then among his closest friends. But, for all his commercial success and his extraordinary acts of philanthropy, which earned him the name 'Mr Reading' in his Berkshire hometown – not to mention his transformation of the fortunes of Reading FC – Sir John Madejski has reflected that 'the greatest accomplishment' of his life was financing and creating The John Madejski Academy. Yet I can disclose that his name is now to be erased from the school, opened by Tony Blair in 2008, after Sir John had donated what insiders tell me was as much as £3million for its new building, which was shortlisted for an award at that year's World Architecture Festival. The decision – taken after a 'consultation' by the Greenshaw Learning Trust which assumed control of the Academy earlier this year– has caused dismay and disgust among Sir John's friends, including Judy, Lady McAlpine, who tells me that she's 'not upset but livid'. Insiders are similarly appalled by the treatment of Reading's greatest living benefactor and by what they allege is a lack of transparency. 'The local governing body was asked for its opinion but the ultimate decision was taken by the Greenshaw Trust's governing body for all the 50 or so schools it controls,' one tells me. 'It's lamentable and disrespectful. He's been a great friend to Reading and to education. 'He was asked to build a school in London, but he wanted to build it in Reading, where his heart is.' The change of name – due in September – will not, adds the insider, 'have a remarkable beneficial effect', and flies in the face of Reading's history, where many schools bear benefactors' names, such as George Palmer School – 'named after George Palmer, of the famous biscuit factory'. 'Sir John's name is written in stone on the outside of the school. Taking it off will be expensive. And the change of uniform will be an expense to the Trust, which I understand will be paying, not parents.' The Greenshaw Trust does not respond to inquiries, but Sir John, 84, tells me that he wishes it and all at the school – teachers and students alike – 'every success for the future'. He adds: 'I personally believe that the resources spent on the name change could have been directed toward more impactful initiatives for the school.' Might be worth listening to. He did, after all, go from being an encyclopaedia salesman to an entrepreneur with a fortune of a few hundred million. Joanna: My battles with 'vile' Mitford Actress Joanna Vanderham was left lost for words while playing Diana Mitford, the socialite who married Fascist leader Sir Oswald Mosley, in forthcoming television drama Outrageous. The six-part UKTV series is based on the lives of the six aristocratic and rebellious Mitford sisters. Vanderham, 34, says she was uncomfortable at having to use the 'vile' language of Diana (pictured below). 'It was very difficult to deliver those lines,' Vanderham tells me at the show's premiere at Picturehouse Central in London. 'I usually try and get myself into the headspace of why someone does something. That's why I love my job, the psychology of it. 'But, with this, it was like I couldn't get the lines out. We had to do take after take after take, because it was like my brain had a mental block of, like, this is horrible.' Stone me! Jo bumps into ex Ronnie in Bahamas Rolling stones star Ronnie Wood divorced his wife, Jo, back in 2009, but it's proving hard to escape her. Former Strictly contestant Jo, 70, tells me that she had a shock when she went on a recent holiday to the Bahamas – and ended up staying in the same hotel as the guitarist, 78. 'I'd only been there a day and I walked into the hotel restaurant and there was Ronnie with his wife and kids,' she says. 'You should have seen his face when he saw me.' Ronnie is now married to theatre producer Sally Humphreys, 31 years his junior, with whom he has twin daughters. Jo adds: 'I'm no stalker.' Predatory men in showbusiness have a new method of targeting attractive young women, claims The Inbetweeners Movie star Jessica Knappett. 'I really worry about podcasting now,' the actress says. 'A man can say, 'Come and record my podcast with me', and you turn up and it can just be you and him.' Knappett, 40, adds: 'That's happened to me, not in a violent way, but I was recording someone's podcast the other day, in his flat, just me and him, and I thought, 'If you're a predator, this isn't a safe space for women'. It's the wild west.' Love is a friend with benefits for Courtney At the age of 60, Courtney Love has settled for a 'friend with benefits'. The widow of Nirvana star Kurt Cobain says: 'I'm a libertine, and the person that I most do my romantic crap with is also a libertine, so we are really more friends with benefits.' Singer Courtney won't name her famous lover. 'I don't like talking about them because there's jealousy around that person.' She has lived in London for five years and admits to previously finding herself in a love triangle from which she was eventually rejected. The Fast Show star Paul Whitehouse says married friends are jealous that he and his wife have separate houses. The comic, 67, and academic Dr Mine Conkbayir, who's 22 years his junior, choose to live near each other in London. 'A lot of married people go, 'What? You live in separate houses?' The gleam in their eye. 'If only,'' he says. 'It works for us.' However, Whitehouse's man pad has been disrupted because Mine, with whom he has a daughter, is currently living with him. He explains: 'She's having some work done so she's living with me.' Hollywood's Loo rule Bake Off judge Paul Hollywood is approached in the strangest places. 'I was using the loo in Switzerland and a Brazilian bloke came in and recognised me straight away,' says the 59-year-old baker from Wallasey, Merseyside. 'He asked if I would speak to his wife. I said I would, but could I just finish what I was doing.' At least he didn't ask for a Hollywood handshake.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store