An offer has been made on Boris Johnson and his wife Carrie’s four-bedroom South London house for £1.6million – £400,000 more than they paid for it three years ago, and just a month after it went on the market.
The couple bought the four-bedroom Victorian semi in Camberwell in July 2019 reportedly with a buy-to-let mortgage as Mr Johnson became Prime Minister – and after having to leave their flat nearby when neighbours called the police after reports of explosive rows.
The Johnsons made thousands of pounds from letting the property during their time in Westminster, with the register of MPs’ interests saying the former Prime Minister enjoyed a rental income of at least £10,000 a year.
The windfall profit will be especially gratifying for the Johnsons given that they resisted the temptation to redecorate the three-storey property, still less adorn it with the Lulu Lytle gold wallpaper that Carrie favoured during her controversial £112,000 refurbishment of their Downing Street flat.
This time, Mrs Johnson appears to have opted for minimal and much less costly changes.
Boris and Carrie Johnson leaving Downing Street for the final time
The couple bought the four-bedroom Victorian semi in Camberwell in July 2019
Gardeners planted trees in front of the house and got to grips with the 100 ft garden at the rear – while inside, Carrie’s influence seems to have been limited to the kitchen, whose storage units – previously a rustic brown – now boast white veneers, with plain, brushed steel handles.
The Camberwell property is understood to have been being renovated since the start of the year.
Estate agents described it as ‘beautiful’ and ‘offering an abundance of character’ in a ‘sought-after’ area. They said it occupies 2,100sq ft.
‘The property is finished to an excellent standard throughout, tasteful decor and retains many characteristics including shutters, wooden floors and low-level cast iron radiators,’ they added.
During his time as Prime Minister the couple rented the property out
It overlooks a park about a mile from the £675,000 flat the Johnsons previously shared.
Mrs Johnson is thought to have moved out of her previous residence after a late-night row with Mr Johnson – then her boyfriend – which prompted neighbours to call police after hearing screaming.
The incident is thought have started after red wine was spilt on a sofa. Mrs Johnson was said to have been heard shouting ‘get off me’, while Mr Johnson told her to get off his laptop.
Neighbours said it had been empty for almost a year and on the market for several months before the sale. Hostile posters quickly appeared nearby, while neighbours complained about the prospect of Mr Johnson moving in.
One day in May this year, a car crashed into the house in the early hours of the morning.