PHOTO:💥 £30m price tag, family feud, and one of music’s most famous homes — yet the “For Sale” sign still hasn’t shifted. FILE
🎤 Freddie Mercury’s Legendary Home Still on the Market
More than two years after being listed, the late Freddie Mercury’s former London home remains unsold, despite a headline price of £30 million — roughly NZ$61.5 million.
The eight-bedroom mansion, Garden Lodge, sits in the heart of Kensington and has been owned since 1991 by Mercury’s former fiancée Mary Austin.
Despite its cultural significance and blue-chip location, the property has failed to attract a buyer since being listed in 2024.
💷 The Numbers (Converted to NZ Dollars)
To put the scale into local perspective:
🏠 £30m asking price ≈ NZ$61.5m
🧾 £3m spent on memorabilia ≈ NZ$6.15m
💰 £200m estate value ≈ NZ$410m
🎶 £187.5m Sony catalogue windfall ≈ NZ$384m
🏡 £300,000 purchase price in 1978 ≈ NZ$615,000
(Conversions based on ~£1 = NZ$2.05)
Freddie Mercury Left Her $78 Million — What Happened Next Shocked Everyone | WATCH
⚖️ Family Feud Casting a Long Shadow
The stalled sale comes amid a deepening family rift between Mary Austin, now 74, and Freddie’s younger sister Kashmira Bulsara.
Sources say Kashmira was “upset” by the prospect of Garden Lodge — and other deeply personal items — being sold to the public.
This tension escalated after Kashmira quietly spent £3m (NZ$6.15m) at auction to reclaim her brother’s memorabilia after items were put up for sale, reportedly without prior family consultation.
Freddie Mercury’s ex has failed in her bid to sell his £30m London home Garden Lodge (pictured) – after putting the eight-bedroom mansion on the market in 2024
🏛️ A Home Steeped in Music History
Garden Lodge is no ordinary house:
Purchased by Freddie in 1978
His final home and the place where he died in 1991
Location where his ashes were secretly kept, per his wishes
A sanctuary during the final years of his life
Mercury famously described Mary as his “common-law wife”, leaving her 50% of his estate, including the house, upon his death aged just 45.
Freddie is pictured during his iconic Live Aid performance in 1985
💔 Fallout After Freddie’s Death
After Freddie’s passing from AIDS-related bronchial pneumonia, Mary:
Took responsibility for his ashes
Asked long-term partner Jim Hutton to vacate the property
Retained control over Garden Lodge and much of Freddie’s legacy
This decision is still a source of pain for some members of the Bulsara family nearly 35 years later.
🎶 Queen’s Billion-Dollar Legacy Rolls On
While the house remains unsold, Freddie’s commercial legacy has never been stronger.
In 2024, Queen’s back catalogue was sold to Sony in a deal worth £1 billion, with Mary Austin reportedly receiving £187.5m (NZ$384m) as part of her share.
She is also a trustee of the Mercury Phoenix Trust, set up in Freddie’s honour.
🎬 Hollywood Spotlight Reignites Interest — But Not Sales
The 2018 biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, starring Rami Malek, reintroduced Garden Lodge to a new generation of fans — yet even that global exposure hasn’t shifted the property.
Neighbours reportedly describe Mary as reclusive, rarely seen and still fiercely protective of Freddie’s privacy — a factor that may be limiting high-profile inspections.
🏠 Why Hasn’t It Sold?
Property insiders suggest several hurdles:
💷 Ultra-premium pricing
🕊️ Heritage and privacy sensitivities
🎤 Emotional weight of the property
⚖️ Ongoing family tensions
🧱 Limited buyer pool for trophy homes over NZ$60m
In short: iconic, yes — but complex.
🔍 The Bigger Picture
Garden Lodge isn’t just a house. It’s a living relic of music history, wrapped in emotion, legacy, and unresolved family grief.
For now, Freddie Mercury’s final home remains exactly where it has been for decades — untouched, unsold, and steeped in legend.