A London house is set to smash Britain's price record after going on sale for US$ 388 million - 700 times more than the US$ 565 thousand average property value in the capital. With 4645 square meters of living space, it is 30 times bigger than a typical London family house. The new owners of the Grade I listed Regency property, described as the biggest private home in central London, would be neighbors of the Queen and enjoy views of St James's Park. The price tag comes as figures show million pound property sales in the capital boomed last year with the total passing 5,000 for the first time. New figures from agents Savills show that demand for multi-million pound homes in London is reaching new highs despite the global economic doldrums. There were 5,115 sales over US$ 1.9 million in London last year, eight per cent more than 2011 and 12 per cent more than in 2007 the last "boom" year before the banking crash triggered a temporary collapse in prices. The house on 18 Carlton House Terrace is in the hands of an elderly member of a Middle East royal family (some sources refers Saudi Arabian royal family) who is discreetly trying to find a buyer. The mansion is at the end of a quiet street between the Mall and Lower Regent Street that was once the most fashionable address in London. The house has four storeys above ground and two below that currently hold facilities such as the huge boiler and strong rooms that could be converted into a basement with swimming pool, spa and cinema. The stuccoes mansion, built to a design by John Nash between 1827 and 1832, was once one of London's most important and glittering political salons. In the First World War the property served as the the Enquiry Department for Wounded and Missing, the British Red Cross and Order of St John from where thousands of British families learned of the fate of their loved ones.

Polish builders have demolished an 18th Century chateau in French Bordeaux belonging to a Russian businessman, apparently by mistake, reported The BBC. Mr Stroskin, who runs an import business in Warsaw, Poland, was shocked, when he heard about mistake, as had only ordered them to knock down an adjacent outhouse. The local mayor in the nearby French village of Yvrac and residents are said to be furious. The original 13 thousand square meters chateau, which featured grand horseshoe steps and a once palatial ballroom, was previously hired out for wedding receptions and functions. "The Chateau de Bellevue was Yvrac's pride and joy, the whole village is in shock," former owner Juliette Marmie told Associated Press. "How can this construction firm make such a mistake?" The businessman said he understood the anger among local residents in the town of Yvrac, but said he will not be prosecuting the builders for their appalling mistake. "The damage has been done," he added. He has vowed to "rebuild an identical Bellevue" including the chateau's grand hall, which could host up to 200 people. A Polish architect has already drawn up plans and local masons have received a 1.5 million-euro contract to rebuild the chateau over two years.

Spain plans to offer foreigners residency permits if they buy houses worth more than 160 thousand euros - to try and reduce the country's bloated stock of unsold homes. Spain currently has more than 700 thousand unsold houses following the collapse of its real estate market in 2008. Trade Ministry secretary Jaime Garcia-Legaz said the plan, expected to be approved in the coming weeks, would be aimed principally at the Chinese and Russian markets as the domestic demand was stagnant and showed no sign of improving. He also added that the high prices for the purchase in amount of 160 thousand euros are to limit the granting of residence permits for foreigners who buy apartments and houses at lower prices. The country's economy is still struggling and is currently in recession with 25 percent unemployment. Thousands of houses have been repossessed by banks and their owners evicted because they cannot pay their mortgages. In this way Spain tries to alleviate the effects of economic crisis.

The thinnest house in the world built between two tower blocks in Warsaw. The house measures 1.2 meters at its widest point and 71 centimeters at its narrowest. The building has been designed by Jakub Szczesny, who took his inspiration from the work of Israeli writer Etgar Keret. The new house is only 1.2 meters, but it comes with a bathroom, a kitchen and a bedroom. Architect Jakub Szczesny said that he designed the two-story aluminum and plastic house three years ago to fill a narrow space between a pre-war house and a modern apartment block in downtown Warsaw. The Foundation of Polish Modern Art and Warsaw Town Hall helped fund the project, which they consider an art work. But it may not be easy for the tenants. The triangular building runs 10 meters deep at the base and stands 9 meters tall. Metal and aluminum pipes hold the structure nearly 3 meters above the ground, and visitors will climb a metal staircase and squeeze through a hole to enter the building. The ground floor contains a toilet and shower, a kitchen with a sink and cupboards, a table for two, and a bean bag sofa. Another metal ladder goes to the second floor, which has a nearly double-size bed, a table and a chair. Szczesny told that the building achieves two goals: filing an empty city space and linking Warsaw's World War II tragedy, when more than half the city was destroyed, with modern buildings that went up afterward. The first tenant Etgar Keret, an Israeli writer whose ancestors died in Poland during the Holocaust, moved to the house. "It is a kind of a memorial to my family," said Keret, explaining that his mother's and father's families died in the Holocaust under Nazi Germany's occupation of Poland, and his paternal grandfather died in Warsaw's 1944 uprising against the Nazis. The structure has been named Keret House after the Israeli writer. He said he only visits Warsaw twice a year, so other tenants will be able to try out the tight quarters of the non-profit building for free, too.

Baca Architects was recently granted approval to build the UK's first amphibious house on the banks of the Thames River in England, reported The Inhabitat. The test home will respond to the issue of rising floodwaters - a pressing world-wide problem caused by climate change. When faced with rising tides, the modern home will rise and float, keeping its occupants safely out of harm's way. The comfortable 70 square meters home will be built adjacent to the river's shoreline with only 32 feet of clearance should the waters rise over their normal levels. The Baca team conducted years of research to come up with a model home that would respond to flooding conditions and work with the flood to protect the home. The firm is a leader in waterfront architecture, and this an ideal site upon which to develop a flood-resistant home. During dry times, the home will rest on fixed foundations that will keep it in place. But if flooding should occur, the entire structure will rise up in its dock, and buoy along with the flood waters. The house will be built in a flood-prone area called Flood Zone 3b, which is located on a tiny island in the Thames in Buckinghamshire. Like other homes in Buckinghamshire, the home will be designed with a traditional pitched roof and other characteristics found in homes in the region. Although it will blend in our the outside, the home will be highly energy efficient thanks to lots of insulation and high-performance glazed windows. A surrounding garden will be planted as the first line of defense against flooding, and the home will react when the water reaches a threatening level, after providing a warning message to the residents. The lightweight timber facade will rest between four vertical guideposts that will keep the structure in place and protected. The house is planned for construction later this year, and it will provide a great model for dealing with flooding problems around the world.