He may have splashed out £1.2 million on his dream home in London’s Notting Hill, but Joseph Fiennes had better dust down his chequebook again. The 31-year-old actor will have to spend around half that sum again on rebuilding the property, after surveyors discovered severe structural problems in the six-bedroom former squat.
The Shakespeare In Love actor and his girlfriend Fiona Jolly have lodged plans with Westminster City Council to build a dream home, at an estimated cost of £500,000, behind the historical façade of the building.
Joe is said to be thrilled with his team of architects’ ideas for his Shangri-la. In the basement will be a kitchen, dining room, study and utility room; the ground floor will be made up of a single magnificent living room, while the first floor will boast a master bedroom, bathroom and dressing room.
A property developer who viewed the derelict house with its shattered windows and rotting woodwork, said: “I was amazed when Joseph bought it. It was always clear that the place was going to need a fortune spent on it. I’m not surprised he is going to have to tear it down and start from scratch. The smell was enough to put you off.”
Photo: © Alphapress.com
