It’s a real fun house.
On England’s southern coast, a three-bedroom home, replete with classic carnival staples, has hit the market — and with an asking price of $1.69 million, it’s not clowning around.
The property, a former Turkish bathhouse in St. Leonards-on-Sea that stood vacant for 20 years, dates to 1871. And behind its brick-and-stone exterior lies a lair with a retro bowling alley, whose pins are topped by a light-up clown face, as well as an illuminated “carnival” sign over a doorway — all in a living area whose vaulted ceiling is reminiscent of a circus tent, according to the Mirror.
“We fell in love with the building as soon as we saw it and knew we had to save it,” said the unidentified owner in a quote included in the home’s listing. “It was a massive project and took over 3 years to complete. We were determined to keep any existing features that remained but knew that in order to convert it into a family home, we needed to be creative as well as sympathetic to the original building.”
The specific reasons for injecting fairground flair into the interior aren’t mentioned.
Listing images additionally show signs in a bedroom that say “Burlesque” and “Show Girl,” as well as a lengthy sign that runs along the bowling alley that advertises the “Dodgems,” which is the British term for bumper cars.
As for the home’s other fittings, there are wide-plank wooden floors and a wood-paneled cinema room. The living area has multiple seating areas and an open kitchen, while the bathrooms feature metal tubs. Outside, there’s a terrace for entertaining.
M&W Sales and Lettings is marketing this home.