Heathfield House: the inside story of Highgate's unsold £32 million mega-mansion
In the first episode of Britain’s Most Expensive Houses, which aired on Channel 4 in December 2021, agents from Sotheby’s International Realty gather for an “urgent meeting” about how to sell Heathfield House: a futuristic, 18,239 sq ft property in Highgate with a £40 million price tag.
It was the ultimate luxury lockdown pad, they agreed, but it would take a very particular type of buyer — one with very deep pockets.
At the time, the house had already been on the market for two years. It was first listed in October 2019, according to Zoopla, with Lee Koffman, then at Sotheby’s International Realty, as agent.
The house has a swimming pool, full spa facilities, a glass lift and a tennis court, and was one of Rightmove’s top 10 most-viewed properties for three consecutive years (2020, 2021 and 2022). YouTube video tours of the property have more than 200,000 views.
And yet, four-and-a-half years later, Heathfield House is still on the market. Why?
The build
Walking down Merton Lane, a leafy street which slopes down from Highgate West Hill towards Hampstead Heath, you wouldn’t know Heathfield House exists. The sprawling property is hidden behind a wooden gate, down a 75-metre, tree-lined driveway and set in two acres of private grounds.
“You cannot see this house from the street, which is remarkable,” says Koffman, who is now director and head of residential sales at Robert Irving Burns. “All you see is the brown electric gates.”
The house itself is clad in limestone, with marble banding. The front of the building, with
