‘Little White House’ in London’s US Embassy complex up for sale
The near 300-year-old property is currently subject to strict security checks until US Embassy moves next year
A "mini-version" of the White House located inside the US Embassy's security zone in central London is on sale for £2.5 million (US$3.6 million).
The property in the exclusive Mayfair district in central London dates back to 1732. It is located in a private gated mews complex adjacent to the US Embassy and was incorporated into the embassy's protective area following the 9/11 terror attacks.
This means 4 Blackburne's Mews is currently subject to strict security measures, including identity card access, patrolling US marines, 24-hour police presence, checkpoints, anti-tank blocks and CCTV.
According to estate agency Wetherell, the property is known as the Little White House because of its white stucco façade, grand entrance and staircase and proximity to the embassy.
However the US Embassy and the related security measures will move south of the River Thames to Nine Elms next year.
"With the security cordon gone in 2017 and the embassy replaced by a new luxury hotel with large public realms, residential values in the locale could rise easily by an additional 10 per cent above the overall Mayfair value increases we have been seeing over the decades," Wetherell Chief Executive Peter Wetherell said.