London House Priced at Record £250 million

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A London house has reportedly hit the market priced at £250 million ($381 million), a jaw-dropping price even by the U.K. capital's inflated standards.

If the owners are able to get the price, it would easily take the title of most expensive home in London, surpassing the £136 million reportedly paid for an apartment in One Hyde Park in Knightsbridge.

The 50,000-square-foot townhouse, one of the largest private residences in London, is located on Carlton House Terrace and boasts the Queen as a neighbor and views of St. James Park, according to the London Evening Standard.

Details of the property are sketchy, at this point. The property is owned by "an elderly member of a Middle East royal family," who is looking to sell the house "discreetly," the paper reports. The only marketing materials available is a "strictly confidential" brochure highlighting the home's double staircase and large ballroom, the Standard reports.

The brochure only shows black and white interior pictures taken in the 1890s because "for security reasons the current owner does not want many of the features photographed," according to The Standard.
  
The John Nash-designed home was built between 1827 and 1832 and the owner has reportedly spent millions to restore the interior. However, the house still lacks modern amenities such as a swimming pool, according to the paper.

"The building is very much as it was in its heyday," an unnamed source told the paper. "It would be for a new owner to put in the modern toys such as a swimming pool."
 
Despite economic gloom, prices for luxury homes in central London continue to soar. More than 5,000 homes priced over £1 million sold in 2012, an eight percent increase from the year before, according to data from agents Savills.

But there is no guarantee the owners of the Carlton House Terrace wil get their price.   The only other family owning property on the terrace purchased their home for £60 million in 2006, according to the paper. A house on Rutland Gate near Hyde Park reportedly went on sale last year for £300 million, but the owners haven't been able to find a buyer.

If sold at £250 million, the Carlton House Terrace property would be the world's third most expensive home according to Forbes. However the Forbes list doesn't include the Monaco apartment the Candy brothers reportedly sold for £200 million in 2010.