Latest news with #dreamhome
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE ITV star handed huge pay rise buys £3.5million 10-bedroom mansion... but there's a catch
Ben Shephard has splashed out £3.5million on a gorgeous new home that was formerly the official residence of a bishop. While a number of ITV 's daytime stars may be considering downsizing in the wake of slashed budgets and job losses, Shephard, 50, is moving up in the world. The TV presenter purchased the huge new property in an idyllic riverside setting in west London after upgrading from his former home nearby. But there's a hitch that comes with his dream home which has left Ben in something of a pickle: despite its size there is no driveway or back access and the only way in is throught a small front gate. And this is going to make doing any building work to modernise the Grade II listed building difficult to arrange. A source said: 'It's an absolutely beautiful house. But the layout means that if he wants to do any substantive works to alter it - and it does need updating - then he will have problems getting larger materials or the machinery in. 'The only way in is via a relatively tiny front gate and as it's listed he's going to struggle to change the layout to alter that. 'So good luck to his architect and builder! 'I suspect that's why it needs updating - because it's so difficult to find a way to manage it. 'But that headache aside, Ben and Annie are thrilled with it.' 'It's the only blot on the horizon for them on what is otherwise their dream home so he's hoping to find some solution.' Shephard was handed a big pay rise when he teamed up with Cat Deeley last year to take over as hosts of This Morning - replacing longtime presenters Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby. The pair are reportedly each earning around £550,000-a-year to present the programme four days a week. Now it appears Shephard - who is estimated to be worth around £3.6 million - is investing some of the cash in his new pad. The move is said to have been overseen by wife Annie, a design consultant specialising in interiors and gardens. She spent a year lovingly transforming the couple's former home in Richmond into a stunning dream house. And the couple may see their new house as something of 'a project'. There's plenty of scope to re-style the somewhat staid interiors of the former ecclesiastical residence where a number of rooms downstairs were used as offices and formal reception rooms. After it went on the market, estate agents were singing the praises of the 'iconic house' which is described as being in an 'unrivalled setting'. But hinting that there was work to be done, they added that it was 'waiting to be transformed into a wonderful family home'. The large detached property, which is thought to be 300 years old, was originally the home of Thomas Twining, who made his fortune in the tea trade after setting up his first tea house in 1706 in Devereux Court near the Strand in London. It remained the family home for seven generations until artist and social reformer Elizabeth Twining bequeathed the property to the church after her death in 1889. The house was used as a rather grand vicarage before going on to become the offices and residence for a bishop. The 10-bedroomed property, which is located in a riverside conservation area, comprises almost 6,000 square feet of accommodation. Good morning Britain: where the breakfast TV star will have his own breakfast Estate agents highlighted how it offered buyers 'an exceptional opportunity' after coming on the market 'for the first time in three centuries'. The property is set close to the River Thames with a large Grade ll-listed church on one side and an historic park and gardens on the other. The location is said to have once been 'favoured by royalty for summer retreats'. The house is described as having 'an elegant period façade with an ornate entrance canopy and unique sundial feature' above the front door. Inside, the property has retained much of the original period detailing with 'superb ceiling heights, fireplaces and a magnificent entrance hall and wood carved staircase'. Downstairs, while most of the rooms had been configured as office and reception rooms, there's also a living room, dining room, kitchen and utility room. There are six bedrooms and two bathrooms on the first floor while a second floor annexe features three further bedrooms and another room which had been turned into an office. According to a glossy estate agent's brochure the gardens at the property 'wrap around three sides of the house and offer scope, with landscaping, to create a fabulous outdoor amenity'. The brochure added the sale offered 'an exceptionally rare opportunity to create a truly unique and impressive family home in a superb location'. It added: 'With its stunning riverside location, rich history, and excellent connectivity, this property offers a unique blend of past and present, making it a home that truly stands out from the ordinary.' The only downside of the property is that its close proximity to the church and graveyard with a footpath running between them means there's no car parking space and limited access to its back door. A source close to Shephard - who also presents ITV quiz show Tipping Point and Ninja Warrior UK - said: 'Even the removal van got stuck as everyone has to come to the front. 'Because the rear of the house lies close to the church pathway we have to use the front as the main access to the house.' Annie appears to have already set to work on the property and this week took delivery of three large packages brought to the house in a courier van. Shephard met Annie while they were both studying at the University of Birmingham in 1995. Setting out to be an actor, Shephard achieved a BA honours degree in Dance, Drama and Theatre Arts while Annie studied Philosophy. The couple who married in Burgh Island off the coast of Devon in 2004 have two sons - Jack, 19, and Sam, 18. Essex-born Shephard went on to forge a successful career in TV - hosting some of Britain's best loved shows including working as a main anchor on Good Morning Britain. He once made a cameo appearance in an episode of US hit TV comedy Friends where he was credited as 'Man with Microphone'. Meanwhile Annie worked for fashion and interior design magazines working her way to advertising manager while hosting 'glamorous parties, fabulous conferences' and award events. After becoming a mum Annie - who describes herself as 'a welly wearing veg grower' - combined raising her children over 18 years with 'knocking down and remodelling houses and running big renovation projects'. She once wrote on her website: 'I've studied hard and taken excellent courses, so I've learned both the theory of design and I've also learned the hard way, by creating from the ground up, wellies on and spade in hand. 'After a few mistakes and a few more successes, my friends started to ask for help with their own interiors and gardens.' In 201,6 the couple bought their home in Richmond and Shephard occasionally shared photos on social media of his family life away from the limelight. Images posted during Covid lockdown at their previous home showed off their spectacular sprawling gardens which came complete with 'gin bench', fire pit and rose-filled archways. The garden also featured an immaculate lawn, bronze sculptures and an area where the family grew their own vegetables. Last week Shephard proved that away from the studio he's no sofa slouch as he showed off his incredible physique on the front cover of Men's Health magazine. Shephard told how he keeps in shape trying to keep up with his sons in workouts. He said: 'I've really, really enjoyed proving to my 18-year-old and 19-year-old sons that I can still compete with them. We love training together.' Shephard said his biggest challenge was coping with the endless supply of pastries, treats and calorific meals cooked up by TV chefs on This Morning.
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Local veteran gifted dream home by A Soldier's Journey Home
EVANS, Ga (WJBF) – A local veteran injured in combat and his family were surprised with the home of their dreams Saturday afternoon. A Soldier's Journey Home is a volunteer run organization working to build dream homes for worthy veteran recipients across the country. Ret. SFC David Mathis deployed multiple times to Iraq and is a double amputee after suffering life-altering injuries from an improvised explosive device in 2017. After walking through his new home, he says he was overcome with emotion. Saturday he saw his new home for the first time. 'The things that they've done, I would've never expected, and I never would have expected this at all. It's hard to put it in words,' said Mathis. The house took two weeks to build and is entirely wheelchair accessible. Throughout the process, Mathis' new neighbor offered a helping hand. Monte Latka says he had never heard of A Soldier's Journey Home before, but the organization was such an inspiration to him that he will be volunteering for the next project. 'It's just an absolutely fabulous deal and I'm excited to have them as neighbors. I'm going to do what I can to help out going forward with this cause,' Latka said. The Evans High School Jr. ROTC raised the American Flag officially welcoming the Mathis family home. Mathis says he cannot thank enough the organization and people who helped for building a home for him and his family. 'These people came from all across the country to do this work for me who they've never met, who they've never seen, and that's respectable and commendable,' Mathis said. If you wish to learn more about A Soldier's Journey Home you can find the link here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
I work on A Place In The Sun and will never forget my absolutely awful experience that left the whole Channel 4 team CRUSHED
In her 20 years hosting A Place In The Sun, presenter Jasmine Harman has seen her fair share of chaos. The sun-soaked property search show, first aired in 2000, has had Jasmine as one of its primary hosts since 2004. She has helped hundreds of clients find their dream home abroad on the Channel 4 programme over the years - including her own cousin. And she even made her own big move in 2023, relocating from England to the Spanish town of Estepona with her husband Jon and children Albion and Joy. But things have not always been smooth sailing for the presenter, 49, who recently told the Express about one particularly awful experience she had on the show. 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. Jasmine revealed she once presented an episode which saw a house hunter find their dream home among the options she selected. As fans of the show will know, finding the right property for the buyers - who often have big dreams and a specific vision - is not always a guarantee, so she was elated to have been successful. But it all came crashing down when, as she helped the guest make an offer on the property, Jasmine was told the horrifying news it had already been sold to someone else. Having not previously been informed about this, she said everyone - herself, the buyer and the whole Channel 4 team - was 'crushed'. She explained: 'It was just absolutely awful. 'Can you imagine? You're just on the cusp of making that amazing life-changing decision and someone pulls the rug out from under you. It was horrible.' While the buyer was the one hurt in that particular episode, Jasmine added they can sometimes be the ones who cause the hassle in other cases. The host remembered some particular guests on the show who refused to even step foot inside a property she had chosen for them, in Co Mayo, Ireland. Even after she then pointed out it was the only freehold property within their budget, they still refused to take a look. Jasmine also confessed that it frustrates her sometimes when buyers get obsessive over extremely small details. She pointed to a recent episode where a couple declared a penthouse unlivable - just because of the cost of re-tiling the balcony, which they hated the terracotta colour of. The presenter said: 'Sometimes people get a bee in their bonnet about weird things.' She tried to give them the advice she forced herself to consider when buying her own property abroad - that buyers always have to make compromises, no matter their budget. When relocating her family to Spain's Costa del Sol, Jasmine did not have the budget for a newbuild - so had to throw herself into renovations to bring her vision to life. The TV personality will share her property transformation journey on a dedicated TV series set to hit screens later this year. Ahead of the big release, she offered prospective buyers an initial word of wisdom - which was not to look for perfection as it does not really exist. She explained: 'You might find a place that's not perfect but will do perfectly.' These confessions are not Jasmine's first chaotic revelations about her two-decade stint on A Place In The Sun. The presenter described last month a particularly 'awful' incident during filming, which saw her suffer motion sickness during a ride on a microlight plane in the Algarve. 'We were flying and he was doing all of these little tricks and I got a bit of motion sickness and I started to feel a bit dodgy', she recalled to the Express. 'I kept telling myself, "I'll be alright, I'll be alright,".' When the plane landed, Jasmine felt terrible - and amid the wave of nausea, she could not get her helmet off. She continued: 'I ended up vomiting inside the helmet. And it was so embarrassing. In front of the house hunters and this handsome pilot. The whole team.' The presenter described it as 'an awful moment' as 'everyone was there' - but she is now able to laugh about it instead.
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Travel + Leisure
2 days ago
- Business
- Travel + Leisure
Amazon Has a Modern Farmhouse-inspired Tiny House With a Front Porch, Solar Panels, and Lots of Windows for Under $10K
I love to imagine what my dream house would look like. In case you're wondering, it has multiple bedrooms, a closet with enough space for my clothes and luggage collection, and an outdoor space to host friends. Amazon's outdoor store has a hidden section filled with customizable tiny house kits—from two-story options to ranch styles— that let you design your own home. So people like me, a frequent flier who prefers to use any spare change on traveling, can still have that dream home and see the world. I recently spotted a contemporary tiny house at Amazon that checks off all requirements, and it's less than $10,000. The design reminds me of a modern farmhouse, with its floor-to-ceiling windows that'll drench the space in natural light, and a fully covered front porch that's perfect for relaxing and watching the sunset after a long day of work. It comes practically move-in ready too, with plumbing, electrical outlets, kitchen cabinets, and a full bathroom at no extra cost. Insulation is also added to the windows, doors, and walls, so you can save time and money doing it yourself. The manufacturer, Zhong Machinery, also lets you customize the house to your unique taste—no contractor needed. The tiny house can be as large as 800 square feet and have as many as three bedrooms. These additions do come at an extra cost, but it's worth it if you need more space or want a home office and a guest bedroom. Lily Wang, a product manager for the brand, confirmed that the home can also include solar panels and a rainwater harvesting system. Both will require you to install them, but they'll help cut down your water and electricity costs. You'll just need to contact Zhong Machinery through WhatsApp before you purchase the home. Building the tiny house is also quick and easy. It has a foldable design that doesn't require building it piece-by-piece (unlike traditional houses). Just unfold the walls and connect them together—no sawing, drilling, or hard hat required. Shop this tiny house kit under $10,000, and check out must-have home decor and accessories at Amazon to make your new house feel like a cozy home. Love a great deal? Sign up for our T+L Recommends newsletter and we'll send you our favorite travel products each week.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Shirtless Adam Rickitt, 47, show off his buff physique while sunbathing with bikini clad wife Katy before downing a bottle of champagne as the couple celebrate buying a home in Sicily
Adam Rickitt and wife Katy celebrated their 'life long dream' of buying a holiday home in Sicily the same day as he turned 47 on Thursday. The former Coronation Street actor and GMB host, also 47, couldn't wipe the smiles off their faces as they topped up their tans and enjoyed a night out on the island. Adam, who wed Katy in 2014, took to Instagram with snaps of the pair as they signed contracts to take ownership of the property before heading out to top up their tans. The ex soap star looked decades younger than his years as he showed off his tattooed physique in swimming trunks, while his wife stunned in a vibrant bikini. Later the couple headed out for the evening with Katy looking stylish in a yellow dress and quirky pink ankle boots she's received off Adam as a birthday gift. Adam, who wed Katy in 2014, took to Instagram with snaps of the pair as they signed contracts to take ownership of the property before heading out to top up their tans Adam was well and truly in a party mood as he downed a bottle of champagne, before work started on the home the following day. Adam captioned the post: 'We did a thing!! It's been a lifelong dream to have a Sicilian not not a it is ours!!!' Before adding: 'Welcome to the next chapter @katyrickitt ...x'. Meanwhile Katy gushed: 'Happy birthday to my Italian stallion, my best friend, soul mate and my little hero… @adamrickitt Honestly don't know what I'd do without this man who has literally excelled himself lately by whisking us away and creating our own corner in the #happyplace'. 'You are truly magnificent my little bean… today we will have a day off from seeking Wi-Fi, hoovers, drills and diy to have sun, sea and cocktails!!!!!! Yaaasss!!! #happybirthday' Katy was returning the favour after Adam paid tribute to her on her birthday with a slew of heart-warming Instagram snaps earlier this month. He shared some photos of his partner with his legion of social media fans, including one which saw her taking a fun selfie. Katy, an ITV presenter, pouted for the camera while sitting on a sun lounger on the beach in the cute holiday pic. The ex soap star looked decades younger than his years as he showed off his tattooed physique in swimming trunks, while his wife stunned in a vibrant bikini Meanwhile Katy gushed: 'Happy birthday to my Italian stallion, my best friend, soul mate and my little hero… @adamrickitt She wore a white swim costume with brown clasps and added a white and pink alice band for the trip, accessorising with some pink-rimmed sunglasses. Another wholesome photo saw the pair, who got married in 2014, embracing with Adam sporting a mid grey jacket and white shirt, showing off his dazzling blond hairdo. Katy sipped away on a cold drink in a further snap, cutting a laidback figure in an olive Adidas hoodie, teaming it with black and white tracksuit bottoms and a white handbag with a gold chain, completing the look with multi-coloured nail polish. The birthday girl also donned a baggy hooded light grey dress with hot pink and black animal print in a fun picture and, in a final photo, could be seen getting a tattoo while wearing a black t-shirt and fire orange trousers. Her husband offered an emotional message to her in a sweet caption, writing: 'Another year my beautiful @katyrickitt ...and i don't think i could be any more in awe of you. You shine every day and still take my breath away without even knowing. 'You're more than my partner, you're my everything, and to see how much you've grown in these last 12 months gives this old dog inspiration to learn new tricks too. 'You make every person you meet you make me so grateful for that 1st day. So many adventures sharing them with you is what gives meaning. 'Happy Birthday Bean. I love you xxxx'
