Zeta's family home for sale
edonline
The house where Catherine Zeta Jones lived before hitting the big time has
been put on the market.
Her parents Dai and Pat have advertised the house for sale at £425,000 - and
experts say that the associations with the Swansea-born star has added up to
£50,000 to the price tag.
Other similar houses in the area are selling for about £375,000 - but none
can claim to have been home to one of Wales' most glamorous exports.
A new £1m luxury home, which is being built for the family just a few miles
away, is nearing completion.
Potential buyers will see several portraits of Zeta Jones as they are shown
around the house in St Andrews Close, in the sought-after Swansea suburb of
Mayals.
There is a metre-high oil painting of actress above the dining table and a
photo of her on the fireplace in the lounge. There is even an enormous group
photograph - featuring members of both her family and relatives of husband
Michael Douglas - dominating the wall of another sitting room.
Her parents are preparing to sell the home where the family have lived for
15 years in readiness for their move into a new £1m home in the nearby
seaside resort of Mumbles.
Oscar-winner Zeta Jones is having the house built for her parents at the
Silverhurst development in Plunch Lane. It has been designed with plenty of
space, so that she and her husband will use it as a base whenever they visit
Wales with their two children.
The couple's five other plush homes - in Los Angeles, New York, Majorca,
Bermuda and the Colorado ski resort of Aspen.
Estate agents Peter Alan posted the house on the internet so that potential
buyers could see it for themselves.
One neighbour, who did not want to be named said: "They will have no trouble
selling it even at that price. People will be queueing up to live there
because of its history as the house where Catherine grew up.
"Who knows - it may have one of those little blue plaques on in years to
come."
The four-bedroomed house is described by estate agents as a "tastefully
presented, detached corner property situated in sought-after Mayals location
within walking distance to Clyne Gardens and Golf Club."
'Fair valuation'
A spokeswoman for another local estate agent said: "The area is very
up-and-coming but that price seems steep. Similar four-bedroomed houses are
selling for about £380,000."Another said :"My word - that is a high
valuation!"
A spokeswoman for Peter Alan denied the price had been bumped up because of
the "Zeta factor". She said: "The house is beautifully decorated inside and
has to be seen - we feel that this is a fair valuation."
Catherine's new house on an exclusive gated development is expected to be
ready in time for Easter, but is currently at the centre of a planning row.
The famous couple have fallen out with their future neighbours over the
issue of privacy and security.
Neighbour Steve Gwynn has applied for planning permission to run his
business, Carreras Communications - just yards from their front door.
Mr Gwynn said the family had been aware of the business operating from the
site for 18 months, and had only now chosen to complain.
Catherine, 33, and Michael, 58, have lodged an objection with the local
council saying it would pose a security risk for them and children Dylan,
three, and 10-month old Carys.
Their letter to Swansea City Council's planning department said they wished
to register their objections "in the strongest possible terms".
But Mr Gwynn has hit back saying celebrity-spotting groups will cause far
more disruption than a handful of business deliveries each week.
Neighbours have claimed that as many as seven groups of star-spotters visit
the site each day to see the house for themselves and take photographs.
Now councillors are being asked to settle the feud which has split residents
of the exclusive development.
The Douglases have become increasingly concerned over their privacy since
their High Court battle with celebrity magazine Hello and have spent tens of
thousands installing security at the house.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/wales/3506649.stm
Published: 2004/02/20 13:34:51 GMT
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