Detached 1920s family home goes on sale on leafy London street for £1.7million – but there is a VERY secretive neighbour next door
A 1920s detached family house is on the market for just over £1 million but has a very unusual and mysterious neighbor next door.
The four-bedroom house in leafy Ealing, west London, has two reception rooms and ample green space with front and rear gardens.
The £1.7 million property also has a number of period features, including fireplaces in every room and entrance hall.
Due to its location, the house has excellent transport links to the city, with many metro stops within walking distance as well as high-performing schools nearby.
But for families hoping to find friendly neighbors, there’s probably at least one house on the street that will hold its own for future street parties.
That’s because the property is located next door to the embassy of North Korea, the infamous hermit kingdom ruled by Kim Jong Un.
Despite its sinister occupants, the West London detached house is largely unremarkable, apart from a large flagpole in the front garden and the North Korean coat of arms proudly displayed at the entrance.
Unsurprisingly, not much is known about what went on at 73 Gunnersbury Avenue, which was bought for £1.3 million in 2003.
Four-bedroom house in leafy Ealing, west London, has some very secretive neighbors
The £1.7m-marked property is next door to the embassy of North Korea, the notorious hermit kingdom ruled by Kim Jong Un.
It is not even known how much time current ambassador Choe Il spent at the embassy.
There is no mention of any unusual neighbors in the property’s listing.
Estate agents Grimshaw & Co. He said that the ‘elegant’ house for sale on the internet has two floors and also has a large garden and garage.
The entrance hall has a fireplace and leads to two reception rooms, one of which has double doors opening to the rear.
A kitchen, cloakroom and utility room complete the ground floor, while there are four double bedrooms and two bathrooms upstairs.
The listing highlights ‘the potential for a major ground floor extension and loft conversion’, subject to the usual regulations.
It was said that the house was previously used as an Airbnb and the guests were unaware of the neighbors.
In 2023, the Daily Mail spoke to residents of Gunnersbury Avenue about what the North Koreans were like as neighbours.
The front and backyard of the house have large green areas.
The £1.7 million property also has a number of period features, including a fireplace in every room.
Despite its sinister occupants, the West London detached house is largely unremarkable, apart from a large flagpole in the front garden and the North Korean coat of arms proudly displayed at the entrance.
One local resident, who asked not to be named, said: ‘I forget they are there. ‘I don’t know if they attend community or things like Halloween, I’ve never noticed.’
Another said: ‘They’re just normal people, quiet. That’s all I can say. ‘They have a barbecue and we say hello when we see each other.’
Other locals admitted to having minor grievances with diplomats.
‘It wouldn’t be our choice to have them here,’ one of them said.
‘We got angry when they put in that big camera that we thought could see into the house. I feel like he could see into my bedroom if he wanted to.
‘We’re not sure what it’s there for, everyone says it’s for the road but we’re not sure.’
Kim Jong-un’s regime maintained a reputation for extreme secrecy, censoring its citizens and allowing only a small number of visitors through its borders; The Ealing embassy, however, is a long way from the more luxurious embassy properties of other nations in central London.
The strange choice of location has allowed Pyongyang, where most of the embassies of other countries are located, to save on expensive rents over the past 20 years.
And the embassy’s representatives certainly live up to the ‘reclusive nation’ label.
