Most real estate listings point to the unique features of a particular home, but when it comes to uniqueness it’s pretty tough to beat Lion Gate Estate, a Detroit-area home that may be the most spectacularly, joyously and intentionally weirdest thing you’ve ever seen, priced at US$550,000.
One of a Kind
Located in suburban Detroit, this three-bedroom home is described by the realtor in the listing as “one of a kind,” and he’s not kidding. “Unique barely begins to describe this one of a kind Grixdale Farms estate,” reads the listing, noting that every aspect of the home “has been articulated with painstaking attention to detail and mind-blowing decorative flair.”
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Lion Gate Estate
While there are “too many custom features to list,” the home (which the owner has dubbed Lion Gate Estate) is also unique in that the sale includes not just the land and the house, but everything inside it. That includes a lot of statues – we’re talking a lot of statues.
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The Price
While $550K sounds may sound like a bargain to Torontonians and Vancouverites, it’s a wildly high price in the Detroit market, where homes in the surrounding area range from $27,000 to $138,000.
For a real bargain, check out this list of the best spots to buy a house in Canada in 2018.
Welcome!
The entrance to the home hints that Lion Gate Manor is no ordinary abode – but wait until you get inside.
Sunny Days Only
Want to go take a look in person? There are a couple of stipulations. Prospective buyers must provide 48 hours notice along with proof they have the financial wherewithal to make the purchase (the seller will only accept cash). In addition, they’ll need to check the weather report, as the home will “only be shown on sunny days.”
White Room
Since the asking price also includes everything inside the house, give your eyes a moment to take in all the furnishings and statuary included in the white-on-white living room, featuring a Kohler Campbell baby grand piano, fireplace, mirrored wall and, yes, plenty of statues.
The Wow Factor
The home’s owner, Ronald Nassar, admits, “I love the unique,” and explains his signature decorating style. “I call it the wow factor,” he told Detroit’s WXYZ News. “It’s a simple three-letter word but it says a lot and if I can get that out of anybody that walks in for the first time I’m happy. I’ve done my job.”
Get Happy
“I wanted it to be something where I was emotionally happy to get up every morning,” says Nassar of the way he’s decorated the home.
Attention to Detail
There’s no avoiding the attention to detail, which is evident in every square inch of the home, including the marble-surrounded fireplace in the otherwise all-white living room.
Crowded Bathroom
You’ll never feel lonely in this bathroom, with numerous statues gazing at you while you do your bathroom business.
Vintage Kitchen
The kitchen includes an array of mint-condition Frigidaire appliances – all of which date from the early 1960s.
Time Capsule
A closer look at some of those kitchen appliances, with an assemblage of tiny waiters on hand to stand guard.
Angelic Dining Room
With the walls adorned with three-dimensional gold cherubs and tiny gold jokers grinning from the transparent dining room set, there’s a lot for the eyes to absorb in the home’s formal dining room. That’s not textured wallpaper adorning the walls, in case you’re wondering – it’s actually faux fur.
Mirrored Ceiling
The dining room also boasts a large crystal chandelier hanging from a framed mirrored ceiling because… well, why not?
Creeping Vines
In this room, the Venetian-style plaster ceiling is decorated with painted flowering vines extending from the chandelier medallion, providing the effect of an interior forest.
Finished Basement
The basement has been fully finished, entered through a door clad in crushed velour, which also adorns the walls on the staircase leading downstairs.
Say No to Moderation
You probably thought carpeting was just for floors. The lush, floral-patterned carpet on the ceiling of this basement den doesn’t care what you think. “Moderation has its place,” admits Nassar, “and it’s not here.”
All Hail the King
The finished basement also features its own nightclub-like “entertainment room,” where Elvis performs onstage every night.
Billiards Room
The basement also hosts this billiards room with custom-built pool table. Look closely, it’s under there somewhere.
Bedroom
One of the home’s three bedrooms, featuring a gold-and-beige colour scheme and a few more statues.
Two-Car Garage
The fully customized two-car garage is decorated with its own hand-painted automotive murals.
Cars Included
The home is being sold with two vintage one-of-a-kind autos parked inside the garage, valued at $220,000: a custom-built 1966 Cadillac Fleetwood Sedan and custom-built 1974 Lincoln Mark IV Coupe. Also included are “countless automotive relics and artifacts.”
Backyard
The backyard hosts a heated swimming pool with outdoor shower and cabana – and yes, a more statues!
The Twitterverse Speaks
Photos of the home have been burning up the internet, and opinion is divided. “I would 100% buy this because my god, the joy each day would bring!” wrote one Twitter user, while another on the opposite end of the spectrum simply tweeted, “I feel physically ill.” Another compared the place to Elvis Presley’s garish Graceland, “but without the tasteful understatement.”
Bring Laughter
Whoever decides to buy Lion Gate Estate, Nassar hopes the house will be filled with “roaring” laughter. “I would like to see this house have fun in it again, like I did,” he says.
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