Katie Price’s Mucky Mansion has finally been sold to a new owner, who have shared plans to get the country home back to its former glory
Katie Price’s notorious Mucky Mansion has finally found a buyer for a substantial sum. The property, which Katie snapped up in 2014 for a staggering £2million, served as her home until mounting debts forced her to leave when she could no longer keep up with mortgage payments.
Despite the sale going through, Katie won’t pocket a penny from the transaction as the proceeds are being used to settle her outstanding debts. Even though Katie has branded the house “cursed” following a string of break-ins, alleged ghostly sightings and the deaths of her pets on the premises, the new proprietor remains undeterred.
Furniture tycoon and divorced father-of-two James Mercer, 62, from Northern Ireland, purchased the property in January, several months after Price was evicted by bailiffs due to her inability to meet mortgage obligations.
Reports suggest Mr Mercer is planning comprehensive renovations to transform the home into a habitable residence. Mercer’s partner, Leike Qu, who jointly owns Mucky Mansion with him, revealed they were smitten with the home that has been embroiled in media controversy for years.
“We are just very ordinary and quiet people who fell in love with this country house,” Ms Qu revealed to The MailOnline. The pair, who splashed out £1million on the freehold, have reportedly saved a considerable budget for restoring Mucky Mansion to its former glory.
They secured the property for less than the £1.35million asking price the Mucky Mansion had originally commanded. Katie was forced to reduce the cost after battling to find a buyer due to the building’s dire condition, which saw the kitchen ceiling collapse.
Additional worries emerged regarding potential land contamination from waste, whilst the swimming pool water had turned an alarming shade of green, reports the Mirror..
Professional cleaners were brought in to tackle enormous mounds of debris left behind before local estate agents HJ Burt put it on the market. Soon after vacating the residence, Katie lashed out with a stark warning for the property’s new occupants.
She declared: “I hate that house. Whoever buys it, I warn them, they will get bad luck there. It is absolutely cursed. My anxiety got worse with that house. There was a point when I couldn’t even walk up the driveway without having a panic attack. I had therapy about the house. I should never have gone back there. Now I’m out of it, it’s the best thing I’ve ever done.”
Price had previously insisted the dwelling was haunted by a young child’s ghost. The residence, with nine bedrooms, three reception areas, four bath/shower rooms and a one-bedroom annexe, also features extensive grounds and private stables.
Her eldest daughter, Princess Andre, has similarly reflected on her period in the house and confessed she harboured few fond memories from her stay there. “It was a really scary house,” she revealed.
The influencer added: “A lot went on there. So I didn’t really like it. I guess when you have bad experiences somewhere, you don’t like the place.”
Mucky Mansion, located near Horsham, West Sussex, was thrust into the spotlight in a Channel 4 documentary as Katie attempted to breathe new life into the property one last time. However, bailiffs reportedly arrived at the 11-bedroom estate in June 2024 to reclaim the keys, roughly a decade after the TV star purchased the expansive home.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
