Maryland mansion for sale comes with Christmas village complete with cobblestone streets in basement
by Jordi Lippe-McGrawA home for sale in Potomac, Md., has everything you’d expect from a stately mansion in a luxe neighborhood.
The $4.5 million property boasts five bedrooms, a heated pool, a tennis court, a library... oh, and an entire Christmas village in the basement.
CHIP AND JOANNA GAINES' MAGNOLIA MARKET TO REOPEN JUNE 1 WITH RESTRICTIONS
Turns out the owners of the red-brick estate transformed their 1,216-square-foot lower level into what looks like the Main Street of a quaint winter wonderland -- complete with stores, cobblestone streets and cars. There are 15 “storefront facades,” including a post office, a massage parlor, a sporting goods store and a cozy-looking inn kitted out with a working bathroom, according to the listing on Realtor.com (which has a whopping 94 photos).
The faux town also has a movie theater with a marquee showing “The Exorcist” and “Mary Poppins,” while real, life-size vintage cars line the streets. The decor is suitably festive, with pine trees, poinsettias and gingerbread men.
“It’s an interesting owner. He’s kind of a funny guy,” listing agent Lori Leasure told Today. “He has a very interesting sense of humor, and he wanted something different in his basement. He wanted to make it fun.”
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER
The space has played host to many lively shindigs over the years.
“When [the owner’s three kids] were growing up, in their teen years, this was a fun place to have parties,” Leasure, of Washington Fine Properties, said. “He always joked to me that they could have parties down there and he could just kind of hose down the basement floor when they were done. It’s just a really fun place.” It’s since become a go-to spot for Christmas get-togethers.
The Christmas-market home, which has been on the market for over a year, made the rounds on social media this week when Washington, D.C.-based publicist Jason Shevrin tweeted a link to the listing with photos.
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS
“So I was looking at listings for ridiculous mansions, as one does,” he wrote, “and this one has... a Christmastime small-town main street in its basement?”
While the subterranean village is undoubtedly the most unique detail of the 12,000-square-foot home, the rest of the space is also stunning. The foyer features a grand staircase, the music room has a Steinway piano, there are floor-to-ceiling bookcases in the library, every bedroom has an ensuite bathroom and there are not one but two formal dining areas. Also in the basement is a separate TV room with billiards tables, a fireplace and a TV, as well as a hidden garage (which helps move the classic cars in and out the village).
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
To top it off, this is not the owners’ only home with over-the-top interior design. A waterfront estate in Easton, Md., listed for $15.5 million, has a real airplane hanging from the living room ceiling.
“One of his hobbies is flying; he’s a pilot,” Leasure said. “It’s unbelievable. It’s really unbelievable.”