16 of the most spectacular homes to hit the market this year

This mega-mansion in Los Angeles was the priciest home to go on sale in the US at $250m. It was the brainchild of Bruce Makowsky, of BAM Luxury, who spent four years and employed 250 people to work on it. It has a home cinema, bowling alley and sauna. (SWNS)

Sting: Rock star Sting put his Manhattan penthouse on the market – and if the view didn’t blow you away, the price would. The apartment, which overlooks the famous Central Park in New York, is being offered for $56 million – about £43 million. (Sotheby’s International Realty)

A row of derelict garages in north-west London has been transformed into a tree-lined street of 10 ultra-luxurious mansions worth in excess of £120 million. Each mansion has either four or five bedrooms, and is managed by upmarket department store Harrods which provides the concierge service, including use of a chauffeur and access to a private chartered jet. (Dwyer Property/SWNS.com)

A sprawling Georgian mansion that provided the backdrop to hit TV show the Great British Bake Off was put on the market for £5 million. Harptree Court, near Bristol, is an impressive nine bedroom property with seven bathrooms, currently being run as a bed and breakfast. (Caters News Agency)

Trevor Wynne-Jone spent the last 30 years transforming his bungalow into a Venetian-style palace. He bought the property near Staines, Surrey for £13,500 in 1966 and immediately demolished it, building a new home in its place. His latest development was offered for sale for £4m.
(Waterview/Dexters/SWNS.com)

A former holiday retreat of Winston Churchill has gone on the market for €13.5 million. Knockdrin Castle, in Co Westmeath, Ireland is being offered for sale for only the fourth time in its 150-year-plus history. The castle was built by Sir Richard Levinge [1785-1848], who first commissioned Sir Richard Morrison to design a new Gothic Revival-style castle residence circa 1810. (LeadingEstates.com)

A lake-side mansion built by the man behind the Eiffel Tower for a wealthy fashion designer was offered for £35 million at auction. Chateau de Promenthoux, on the north shore of Lake Geneva, was the work of Stephen Sauvestre, a key architect of the Paris landmark. (Concierge Auctions/SWNS)

Harlyn House stands in five acres of Cornish countryside, at the end of a 200-yard long driveway. It dates to the 15th century and stayed in the same family for more than 400 years. It went on the market for £3 million. (Lillicrap Chilcott/SWNS)

The world’s most expensive house went on the market – for an eye-watering €350 million, about £312 million (US$411 million). Villa Les Cèdres is an 18,000 square foot pile, boasting 14 bedrooms, and set in 35 acres of immaculately manicured grounds in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat on the coast of southern France. (Marlene Awaad/Bloomberg, via Getty Images)

London mews home of flamboyant Formula One champion James Hunt has gone on the market for £2.7 million. Hunt, who raced to the F1 title in 1976, bought the property in Fulham shortly after retiring in 1979, and lived there until 1982 – as a Blue Plaque on the wall shows. (Chestertons)

A super wealthy Omani sheikh splashed out £25 million on two plush London apartments – one of which will be for his staff. The unnamed buyer was only interested in the Knightsbridge area of the capital as he wanted to be near the world famous Harrods department store. (Rokstone/SWNS.com)

The Italian government is giving away more than 100 castles, ancient towers and monasteries – for free. But you’ll have to be prepared to renovate the buildings and turn them into tourist attractions or hotels to drive up visitor numbers and trade. (Facebook/Italian Ministry of Infrastructure & Transport)

Hearts get all a flutter over the steamy TV show Poldark and this five bed pile overlooking the Cornish coastline near Padstow went on the market earlier in the year for a racy £2.5m. (Savills)

This eight-bedroom country pile in Fakenham, Norfolk dates to 1520 and has played host to a great many monarchs, knights, politicians and celebrities in its time. (Rightmove)

For a shade under £4 million, this six-bed detached home in Jesmond, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, is the ultimate in modern luxury builds. It has a full-size indoor swimming pool and full “leisure suite”. (Rightmove)

The Spanish island of Es Grau, situated just off the coast of Menorca, in the Mediterranean, is listed right now for €3,200,000 and comes with 58 hectares of land along with two sandy white beaches. (Rightmove)