Never judge a book by its cover, they say. If that book was the Perdu “entertaining home” in Bowdon, Greater Manchester, UK, the cover would only show a small parking space and a slightly larger garden pavilion.
The past couple of years hase brought a series of worldwide events that were (are?) both unexpected and tragic, from the 2020 international health crisis to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Among the multi-millionaires and billionaires of the world, these events and the uncertainty they brought about have led to a rise in demand for safe rooms, safe houses, and even bunkers.
The Perdu home is neither of these things, but it could probably serve the purpose. It’s an underground home offering three bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms and several entertaining areas, a custom car showroom, and the strongest James Bond villain vibes you’ve probably seen in a long time. It’s also a stunner, regardless of the final use its future owner will give it, and for that reason alone, it warrants a closer look.
Designed and built by developers Huntsmere, the Perdu doesn't look like much from up above. In fact, it looks like a small pot of land with a very tight parking space and a slightly larger garden pavilion. It's covered in manicured lawns, and it's nice on the eyes, but it's not exactly impressive considering the asking price of £4 million or $5.2 million at the current exchange rate.
In reality, the parking spot is a car lift, which also happens to be the only way to gain access inside the home. Should the zombie apocalypse come next, the undead wouldn’t be able to get into the house unless they knew how to operate the car lift (*that’s a joke, the last thing the world needs right now is zombies).
According to Huntsmere director Chris Oakes, once the car lift lowers into the ground, you get a custom car showroom. Unfortunately, he stops here with the details, and there are no photos to look at for more. “On the surface all you really see is a small stone building designed to look like a garden folly,” Oakes explains. “It has a nice gated entrance and you drive onto a platform and the car lift then lowers you down and you drive inside the property. Essentially it's a garage but it's more like a car showroom.”
The house isn’t a family home but an “entertaining house,” a sort of larger-scale man cave, if you will. Huntsmere bought the land in 1999 and was left with this tiny plot after building another mansion on it. Since they knew they wouldn’t get permits for another one on the ground, they came up with the idea for this kind of property. The result at the end of 18 months of hard work was a 3-bedroom home totaling 4,000 square feet (372 square meters) that any respectable James Bond villain would be proud to call his own.
Each of the bedrooms has its own ensuite bathroom and integrated wardrobes, and perhaps just as important, separate sources of natural light, either by means of balcony doors that give out to underground terraces or glass roofs. The open-plan, circular layout has an entertaining lounge with a custom bar in the middle, a DJ booth, and a kitchen with an integrated breakfast bar, but there are other socializing spaces.
These include a second smaller bar, two underground terraces with living walls and enough space to stretch your legs (and even a jacuzzi), and the larger pavilion in the garden, which includes an outdoor kitchen with a shaded dining area, a fire pit, and a couch. If there are no zombies around, the lawn around the pavilion can be used for taking in the sun or some fun weekend games.
Other highlights of this property include a matte carbon black staircase, marble finishes in the bathrooms, and “the latest in digital technologies.” The home is completely soundproof, and the fact that it’s built into the ground makes it energy efficient. As it so happens, it’s also ready to move into, assuming you have that kind of cash just lying around in your other villain lair you must’ve grown bored with already.
The Perdu home is neither of these things, but it could probably serve the purpose. It’s an underground home offering three bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms and several entertaining areas, a custom car showroom, and the strongest James Bond villain vibes you’ve probably seen in a long time. It’s also a stunner, regardless of the final use its future owner will give it, and for that reason alone, it warrants a closer look.
Designed and built by developers Huntsmere, the Perdu doesn't look like much from up above. In fact, it looks like a small pot of land with a very tight parking space and a slightly larger garden pavilion. It's covered in manicured lawns, and it's nice on the eyes, but it's not exactly impressive considering the asking price of £4 million or $5.2 million at the current exchange rate.
According to Huntsmere director Chris Oakes, once the car lift lowers into the ground, you get a custom car showroom. Unfortunately, he stops here with the details, and there are no photos to look at for more. “On the surface all you really see is a small stone building designed to look like a garden folly,” Oakes explains. “It has a nice gated entrance and you drive onto a platform and the car lift then lowers you down and you drive inside the property. Essentially it's a garage but it's more like a car showroom.”
The house isn’t a family home but an “entertaining house,” a sort of larger-scale man cave, if you will. Huntsmere bought the land in 1999 and was left with this tiny plot after building another mansion on it. Since they knew they wouldn’t get permits for another one on the ground, they came up with the idea for this kind of property. The result at the end of 18 months of hard work was a 3-bedroom home totaling 4,000 square feet (372 square meters) that any respectable James Bond villain would be proud to call his own.
Each of the bedrooms has its own ensuite bathroom and integrated wardrobes, and perhaps just as important, separate sources of natural light, either by means of balcony doors that give out to underground terraces or glass roofs. The open-plan, circular layout has an entertaining lounge with a custom bar in the middle, a DJ booth, and a kitchen with an integrated breakfast bar, but there are other socializing spaces.
Other highlights of this property include a matte carbon black staircase, marble finishes in the bathrooms, and “the latest in digital technologies.” The home is completely soundproof, and the fact that it’s built into the ground makes it energy efficient. As it so happens, it’s also ready to move into, assuming you have that kind of cash just lying around in your other villain lair you must’ve grown bored with already.