Battle of the Essex mega mansions: As Billie Faiers’ £1.4m pad and Michelle Keegan’s £3.5m house near completion after months of delays, MailOnline takes a look at the new homes on the block
- Work began on Billie and Greg’s house in January 2021 following months of delays due to planning rows with their new neighbours
- Last year, Billie admitted she’s not speaking to the neighbours at her new property in Brentwood, after they opposed the couple’s plans to demolish the original rundown house
- Michelle and Mark have been documenting the construction process after purchasing the original property for £1.3million in October 2019
- The former TOWIE star and Our Girl actress won planning approval for the colossal building project back in January 2020
They’re two of Essex’s most prolific power couples.
Now Michelle Keegan and Mark Wright, and Billie Faiers and Greg Shepherd are set to go head to head as they race to complete their dream homes in the county.
The couples, who have both been subject to delays on the build due to the pandemic, have been keeping fans updated on their progress with their respective Instagram accounts.
While the renovation projects have not been without a hiccup, the stars both look set to finally move into their new homes later this year, with aerial pictures of the properties showing the impressive structures finally taking shape.
Now MailOnline takes a look at Billie and Greg’s £1.4 million and Mark and Michelle’s £3.5 million Essex abodes, which look set to become the hottest properties in the neighbourhood.
Battle of the Essex mega mansions: As Billie Faiers’ £1.4m pad (left) and Michelle Keegan’s £3.5m house (right) near completion after months of delays, MailOnline takes a look at the new homes on the block
BILLIE FAIERS AND GREG SHEPHERD
COST: £1.3 million for the original property which they have since demolished to build their new home
LOCATION: Brentwood
COUPLE’S NET WORTH: Billie is worth £3 million and Greg is worth £4.2 million
CELEBRITY NEIGHBOURS: Amy Childs, Kellie Bright and Lauren Goodger
BEDROOMS: Five
SPECIAL FEATURES: Swimming pool, home gym, lifesize wendy house
LENGTH OF RENOVATIONS: 13 months and ongoing
Grand makeover: Billie Faiers and Greg Shepherd released this 3-D rendering of their home to give fans an idea of how their finished home will look
Old home: The couple splashed out £1.3 million for the original 1920s property which they have since demolished to build their new home
Work began on the house in January 2021 following months of delays due to planning rows with their new neighbours.
Last year, Billie, 31, admitted she’s not speaking to the neighbours at her new property in Brentwood, after they opposed the couple’s plans to demolish the original rundown house and replace it with a five-bed palace.
Bridges haven’t been built since they won planning permission in August 2020 with Billie saying: ‘We’ve not seen anyone. But it’s just not a great start, is it?’ She continued of the home, which was constructed in the 1920s: ‘The house is so old, whoever was going to buy it was going to have to renovate.
‘There’s only one neighbour to the side of us and he had a lot of reasons as to why he didn’t want us to go ahead, but it was getting a bit silly in the end. It’s been a very long journey already and it’s about to get even more pressurised once the builders start work.’
According to the planning application, all five bedrooms will be on the first floor with the en-suite master bedroom having a huge dressing room. Three of the other en-suite bedrooms will have walk-in wardrobes.
Under construction: According to the planning application, all five bedrooms will be on the first floor with the en-suite master bedroom having a huge dressing room. Three of the other en-suite bedrooms will have walk-in wardrobes
Greg, 35, has been allowed to add a ‘man cave’, converting the original garage into a gym and games room, and there will be a play room for their two children.
They’re also adding a two-storey side extension, single extensions to the front and rear, and completely re-landscaping the outside space.
Billie admitted in March she wouldn’t have bought the abode if she knew the ‘headache’ it would be.
She said: ‘Now someone else has also said to us that we should probably think about knocking the house down and start all over again it’s just becoming one thing after another.
‘We’re nearly a year in now. It would have been nice to know that like six to eight months ago because if we are going to knock the house down it means we’re going to have to reapply for planning permission and start this process all over again.
‘I don’t regret buying the house but if I had known it would have taken this like, like over a year to get to find a builder, I probably wouldn’t have done it because I just was so unaware of how long things take.’
Tensions: Last year, Billie, 31, admitted she’s not speaking to the neighbours at her new property in Brentwood, after they opposed the couple’s plans to demolish the original rundown house and replace it with a five-bed palace.
MICHELLE KEEGAN AND MARK WRIGHT
COST: £1.3 million for the original property which was demolished. In total with renovations it will be £3.5 million
LOCATION: Epping Forest
COUPLE’S NET WORTH: Michelle is worth £2.7 million and Mark is worth £9.1 million
CELEBRITY NEIGHBOURS: Ronnie O’Sullivan, Alan Davies and Lord Alan Sugar
BEDROOMS: Five
SPECIAL FEATURES: Sauna and steam room, swimming pool, outhouse
LENGTH OF RENOVATIONS: 28 months and ongoing
Incredible: Michelle Keegan and Mark Wight have been sharing updates on the development of their ‘Wrighty home’ with their fans on social media, including this CGI rendering of their finished home
Original: The couple have been documenting the construction process after purchasing the original property (pictured) for £1.3million in October 2019
The couple have been documenting the construction process after purchasing the original property for £1.3million in October 2019.
Despite months of delays due to the Covid pandemic, their five-bedroom mansion is beginning to resemble their architectural model.
Due to various lockdowns and Covid restrictions, construction has been stop-start after they demolished a farmhouse and began building a five-bedroom mansion complete with bar, gym, granny annexe and outdoor swimming pool.
The former TOWIE star and Our Girl actress, both 34, won planning approval for the colossal building project back in January 2020 – and it’ll be over two years since that date until they can move in.
They purchased the original property for £1.3million in October 2019 and in January 2020 it was revealed that they were demolishing the farmhouse. Construction experts have estimated the demolition and rebuild of the home will cost around £3.5million.
Wow: Due to various lockdowns and Covid restrictions, construction has been stop-start after they demolished a farmhouse and began building a five-bedroom mansion complete with bar, gym, granny annexe and outdoor swimming pool
The couple had been sharing updates on the development of their ‘Wrighty home’ with their fans on social media, earlier this year taking to Instagram to show their plans for their garden, which includes the swimming pool, which will be carried out by Rosebank Landscaping.
They said: ‘Our garden means the world to us and we love the outdoors. We searched high and low to find the best landscape designers, after realising that there was only one company for us.
‘It’s funny how you can have a dream, tell the professionals and they make your dream bigger than you ever imagined.
‘Here is what the boys Cam and Matt Keightley have designed and created for us. Absolutely blown away and cannot wait to see it come to life.’
Hard at work: Mark Wright has been helping out on the build himself and in March he helped out ripping the roof off of the garages
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