Jordan O'BrienThe Playboy Mansion is officially up for sale but it’s not quite the dream property for the estate agent selling it; having been described as a tear-down by real estate experts in the region. Those same experts have also criticised the $200m asking price, claiming that it’s far more likely to go for $80m due to its history.
So why has the Playboy Mansion, a location known for holding the hottest parties in all of Los Angeles, been described as a tear-down? After all the 89-year old house is hardly lacking space, boasting 29 rooms including a wine cellar, a screening room with a built-in pipe organ, a game room and three zoo/aviary buildings (and related pet cemetery).
The grounds are also impressive, as the 21,987-sqft house sits on 5.3 acres of land meaning there’s plenty of room for expansion. So where do the problems lie?
Well according to reports from former Playmate and Playboy models, including Hugh Hefner’s former girlfriend Izabella St. James, the house is in desperate need of renovation.
It could be an expensive renovation project however, as much of the house has remained untouched throughout the years. This includes the gothic-revival furnishings which adorn much of the house.
According to Hugh’s former girlfriend however, things were much worse than they appear on the outside. In her memoir Bunny Tales, the former model noted: “Everything in the Mansion felt old and stale and Archie the house dog would regularly relieve himself on the hallway curtains, adding a powerful whiff of urine to the general scent of decay.”
Playmate Carla Howe has previous said that the estate feels like it’s stuck in the eighties, with Hugh criticised for refusing to change anything.
The dilapidated nature of the mansion continues in the technology department. Unlike some other high-end LA properties, prospective buyers shouldn’t expect to get a high-end home automation system controlling everything from blinds to the TV. In fact, some TVs haven’t been updated since CRTs were phased out.
Even in the home theatre the technology is likely to make any installer cringe, with old-style chairs and sofas being the only seating available, while a high-end projector and audio system is nowhere to be found.
If that wasn’t bad enough, then the future owner of the Playboy Mansion will also have to deal with an outlandish octogenarian roommate – Hugh Hefner himself.
As part of the deal Hugh will be given permission to live in the house until he dies, while his private bedroom will not be available for viewing by any prospective buyer.
While the ‘tear-down’ description of the property may seem harsh, it may not be the action taken by the future owner of the mansion. The property is also not being marketed that way.
In fact, while the house remains in a dilapidated state Hugh supposedly had plans to expand the property to around 35,000-sqft and bring it up to date with modern standard. Unfortunately, those plans never came to fruition and it’s likely that as part of the sale the new owners will have their own plan anyway.
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