Luxury properties are everywhere but you might be wondering what the biggest house in the world is. Not surprisingly the largest house in the world is a palace, but there is a range of others that rank at the top when it comes to size and excess.
Actually, the biggest mega-residences are more than luxury homes: They are grand estates, important pieces of history, and sometimes a rich man’s folly.
In a rush? Check out this list of residences that vie for being the biggest house in the world.
- Istana Nurul Iman – Brunei
- Buckingham Palace – UK
- Mukesh Ambani’s Antilia – India
- Biltmore Estate – Asheville, North Carolina
- Oheka Castle – West Hills, New York
- Bel-Air Mansion – California
- Arden House – Harriman, New York
- Versailles – Windermere, Florida
- Villa Leopolda – Villefranche-sur-Mer
- Florham – Vanderbilt estate – Madison, New Jersey
- Fair Field House – Sagaponack, New York, USA
- House in Kensington & Chelsea – UK
The Biggest Celebrity Houses in the United States
The Biggest House in the World is a Palace
Istana Nurul Iman – The Biggest House in the World is a Palace
Istana Nurul Iman Palace in Brunei is a staggering 2 million-square-foot residence that is still home to the country’s royal family. Commissioned in 1981, it has also become the official seat of the Bruneian government and headquarters of the Sultanate.
The palace boasts 1,800 rooms, a banquet hall that can accommodate 5,000 guests, as well as a prayer hall that holds 1,500. Oh yes, there are also 257 bathrooms. To navigate their way around the largest house in the world, residents can use any one of 44 marble staircases and 18 elevators.
The name of the palace translates to “Palace of the Light of Faith” and was built at a cost of US1.5 billion. The largest house in the world also has plenty of amenities, such as five swimming pools, a helipad, an air-conditioned stable for the family’s horses and a garage big enough to house hundreds of the royal family’s luxury cars.
Buckingham Palace is Also a Largest House in the World
Likely one of the best-known homes is also one of the largest houses in the world. Buckingham Palace, London home of the Queen and the royal family’s headquarters, is actually located in the City of Westminster. Encompassing 830,000 square feet, it has 775 rooms, which include 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices, 78 bathrooms, 52 principal bedrooms and 19 staterooms. Added features are its own post office, swimming pool, cinema, doctor’s office and a jewelry workshop.
Originally it was known as Buckingham House, built in 1703. After a 19th century expansion, it featured three wings around the central courtyard. It officially became the London home of the British monarch when Queen Victoria took the throne in 1837.
The iconic balcony from which the royal family traditionally greets crowds was among the last major additions to the structure in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Mukesh Ambani’s Antilia, India – 400,000 sq ft – One Biggest House in the World is a Skyscraper
An unusual stacked building that towers over Mumbai, India, Antilia is another biggest house in the world and also the most expensive residence in the world. The asymmetrical tower is 60 stories tall but actually has 27 floors because the interior ceilings are so tall.
Built for Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani and his family, the house comprises 400,000 square feet and includes astounding features like three helipads with air traffic control, an ice-cream parlor, a 50-seat theatre, and a snow room that artificially generates snowflakes from the walls and maintains a below-zero temperature.
Of course, it also has the more expected amenities like a ballroom, terrace gardens swimming pool, temple and a 168-car garage. The height of this towering residence gives it a view of the Arabian Sea as well as the Mumbai skyline
Chicago architecture firm Perkins + Will built this biggest house in the world, which took two years — not surprising when you consider it was constructed to withstand an 8-magnitude earthquake. Not surprisingly, maintaining a residence this large means the family has a staff of 600.
Biltmore Estate – Biggest House in the World That’s Also A Museum
Synonymous with historic opulence, the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina is another biggest house in the world. Although today it is a historic house museum and tourist attraction, it was built as a private residence for George Washington Vanderbilt II. It is, however, still owned by his descendants and remains the largest privately-owned house in the United States, covering 178,926 square feet.
Constructed between 1889 and 1895, this Gilded Age mansion on what previously were 700 parcels of land. Building this largest house in the world required a woodworking factory and brick kiln — producing 32,000 bricks per day — to be built on the site.
It even needed a special three-mile railroad spur to get building materials to the property. Once the house opened on Christmas Eve of 1895, it played host to a string of famous guests over the years, such as novelists Edith Wharton and Henry James and a number of U.S. presidents.
Oheka Castle – From a Biggest House in the World to a Historic Hotel
More than a century old, Oheka Castle was built by the late financier and philanthropist Otto Hermann Kahn and is the second-largest private home in the United States. The 443-acre Cold Spring Harbor property on the highest point in Long Island boasts a residence that is 109,000 square feet. The 127-room estate was used as a summer home and hosted countless dignitaries and celebrities in the 1920s.
The French-style chateau was one of the first totally fireproof residential buildings. This is because Kahn built it after a previous country home burned down. He was also motivated to build it because Jews were forbidden entry to clubs and golf courses in Morristown, New Jersey.
Kahn died in 1934, and subsequently, the estate was broken up and the gardens bulldozed. Eventually, a developer purchased the property and restored it to its original beauty. Now it serves as a luxury historic hotel, with 32 guest rooms and suites, and is a popular site for movie shoots as well as a wedding venue for socialites, celebrities, and dignitaries
New Bel-Air Mansion is Biggest House in the US
A new mega-mansion in Bel-Air, California is the largest private residence in America as well as one of the biggest houses in the world. Under construction for about seven years, the mansion called “The One” was created by former movie producer and current developer Nile Niami. Sadly, Niami defaulted on $165 million in loans and debt, and the property was listed for sale at a fraction of its originally intended price.
Taking up 105,000 square feet, this ultra-luxury estate has 20 bedrooms, including a 4,000-square-foot master bedroom — that’s the size of a large suburban home. It also has 30 bathrooms and five swimming pools. The home also features a 36-seat home theater, a bowling alley and a luxury car gallery that holds 30 vehicles, along with a nightclub and other recreational amenities.
Landed Historic Estate as a Biggest House in the World
When construction was begun in 1905, the 100,000-square-foot Arden House certainly had a place on the list as one of the largest houses in world. The historic estate near Harriman, New York was built by railroad magnate Edward Henry Harriman. The secluded 450-acre estate on a mountaintop includes a 125-acre private lake.
Over time, Harriman acquired tens of thousands of acres of land surrounding the home and built 40 miles of bridle paths. After his death, his widow donated 10,000 acres and $1 million to New York State to start Harriman State Park in 1910.
The Open Space Institute bought Arden House and the surrounding 450 acres in 2007, but then in 2010 it sold the house to the Research Center on Natural Conservation, Inc., a Chinese-backed nonprofit which runs the property as a conference center.
One Largest House in the World is Modeled After Versailles
No, not that one. This Versailles is actually located in a gated community in Windermere, Florida. At 85,000 square feet, when it is completely finished it will be one of the largest private homes in the US as well as a biggest house in the world. Modeled after the famous palace in France, this Florida version is on a man-made hill amid 10 acres of lakefront property.
Inside, the house will have nine kitchens, 14 bedrooms, three indoor pools, two outdoor pools, a video arcade, a ballroom that can hold up to 1,000 people, a 20,000-bottle wine cellar, two-lane bowling alley, and a two-story movie theater complete with a balcony that was inspired by the Paris Opera House.
Outside, the property boasts two tennis courts, a baseball diamond and formal outdoor gardens. The exterior of the house is made of precast concrete clad in Pavonazzo marble veneer.
This Relaxing Villa is Another Biggest House in the World
Nestled in an isolated spot along the luxurious French Riviera, Villa Leopolda in Villefranche-sur-Mer was once the third largest house in the world, but still ranks near the top of the list. This dreamy getaway actually has a storied history, starting as a gift from King Leopold II of Belgium to his mistress Blanche Zélia Joséphine Delacroix.
Built in 1929-1931, the 80,000 square-foot residence also served as a World War I military hospital. After that, it has had a string of wealthy and famous owners.
The 18-acre property boasts a massive villa with 9 master bedroom suites, 14 bathrooms and 12 swimming pools. The breathtaking location includes meticulously-groomed gardens with a profusion of flowers. You might even recognize it from various TV shows and an Alfred Hitchcock movie.
Christopher Wren-Inspired Biggest House in the World
When it comes to the biggest house in the world, the Vanderbilt name is definitely found on the list. Already having secured their place with the Biltmore Estate, the family also constructed Florham, an 80,000-square-foot Gilded Age estate. Built in the 1890s for Hamilton McKown Twombly and his wife, Florence Adele Vanderbilt, it is one of the 10 biggest houses in the US.
Boasting 110 rooms, Florham was inspired by Sir Christopher Wren’s late 17th-century expansion of Hampton Court Palace. The interior was outfitted with magnificent Renaissance fireplaces, a Louis XV ballroom and other such luxuries.
Thomas Edison personally designed the heating system for the house. When the last heirs to the estate died, it was broken up, with part of the property now a corporate park while the mansion, with its 178 acres of gardens and greenhouses, was sold to Fairleigh Dickinson University to serve as its Morris County campus.
Controversial Fair Field House in Sagaponack, New York, USA
Another one of the biggest houses in the world is in the Hamptons and it was controversial before the first shovel hit the dirt. Located in Sagaponack, New York, Fair Field was built by junk bond billionaire Ira Rennert. The massive 62,000-square-foot mansion — equal to 1.5 acres — was opposed by residents of nearby Southampton who were concerned about the project’s impact on the area. Later, it was claimed that he looted a former company to pay for its construction.
The Italian renaissance home sits on 63 acres of prime Hamptons beachfront and features a limestone-clad exterior. Zillow reports that the main house has 21 bedrooms and 18 bathrooms, 12 fireplaces, a 164-seat theatre, and a 91-foot-long dining room — that’s almost as long as two semitrailers parked end to end!
The property includes has a 100-car garage, helipad and two pool houses. There’s also a playhouse, in which you’ll find a basketball court, two-lane bowling alley, billiards and two tennis and squash courts.
The Largest House in London’s Most Prestigious Postcode – Kensington & Chelsea
A corner residence in one of Knightsbridge’s most prestigious postcodes is also among the biggest houses in the world. Although it’s not as massive as some near the top of the list, this Queen Anne-style home has 11,855 square feet in a city where space is costly to come by. Stuart House is six floors of grand interiors. Designed in 1880 by architects F.G Knight and Hunt Steward, it is the only property with a swimming pool in Cadogan Square.
The house sports original period features including moldings, enormous stone fireplaces and grand staircases. It has seven reception rooms, five bedrooms, a family ‘den’ and study, as well as a teenage retreat on the top floor. The staff accommodations are located on the lower level too).
The Biggest Celebrity Houses in the United States
Celebrity homes are known for their grand size and often their over-the-top amenities. Whether or not a celebrity home is one of the largest houses in the world, each one is special for its location, design and/or architecture. Here are some of the biggest celebrity houses:
Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s Bel Air Home One of the Largest
The first couple of the music world, Beyoncé and Jay-Z, have a home that is definitely one of the largest celebrity homes as well as one of the most expensive celebrity homes. The Bel Air residence has 30,000 square feet that include eight bedrooms, 11 bathrooms at the most basic description.
From there, it has plenty of luxurious features that range from a 15-car garage, a spa and a home cinema, to four pools and a basketball court. It reportedly is outfitted with bulletproof glass as well state-of-the-art security technology.
Sitting on 1.88 acres, the home features large patio doors to access the outdoor living space, which is also massive at about 10,000 square feet. The
Oprah’s Montecito Home a Large Celebrity Property
The woman who needs no introduction — Oprah Winfrey — owns many properties but her home in Montecito, California is probably the best known. The 23,000-square-foot neo-Georgian home sits on 65 acres in this highly covetable area. It’s one of the biggest in the region and one of the largest and most expensive celebrity homes.
Named Promised Land, the home has six bedrooms, and 14 bathrooms and plenty of indoor amenities. The estate also has a 5,000 square-foot ranch home that she acquired in 2016.
Outdoors, the expansive property has landscaped terraces, fountains and rose gardens. A pool and spa area with a pool house and a carriage house that serves as an art studio round out the current features,
Dwayne Johnson’s Property is Like a Resort
At 18,000 square feet, Dwayne Johnson’s Beverly Park home is one of the biggest celebrity houses and also one of the most expensive celebrity homes. The Mediterranean-style main house sits on 3.6 acres of land high in the mountains above Beverly Hills and has six bedrooms and 11.5 bathrooms.
There’s also a separate 2,500-square-foot guest home. At $27.8 million, it’s not the priciest property but it has been described as “a complete resort.” Among the amenities it includes are a world-class gym, a music studio that was installed by previous owner Van Halen, an elevator, movie theater, full-size tennis court, baseball diamond and both indoor and outdoor swimming pools.
The Outdoors Are Magical at Ryan Seacrest’s House
Ryan Seacrest’s $85-million Los Angeles estate has a star-studded history, having been home to other Hollywood royalty like Ellen DeGeneres. Seacrest had the five-structure property renovated and purchased more property next door to create a massive main house and a unique private ecosystem.
At 9,000 square feet with 22-foot ceilings, the large main house feels expansive even though it might not be the biggest house in the world. The gourmet kitchen features an attached outdoor pizza oven and other amenities include a professional gym, movie theaters well as a pool with a pool house.
The land around the home is also a marvel because it has lots of trees, a sculpture garden, a meditation garden, and a pond with lily pads.
Tom Cruise Sells Telluride’s Most Expensive Home
Tom Cruise just sold his fabulous Colorado home which might not be the biggest house in the world but it certainly is one of the most stunning pieces of property. Totaling a relatively modest 11,512 square feet, the seven-bedroom, nine-bathroom home was the highest residential sale ever in Telluride.
Sitting on a magnificent plot of 320 acres, the $39.5 million home sits at the end of a mile-long gated driveway in an Aspen forest. Bordered by a national forest on three sides, the property’s elevation lets you look down on aircraft arriving at the airport nearby. Among the amenities are a pool and spa, horse stables, and a helipad.
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