Rich Nigerians among the buyers of the costliest London house

WEALTHY Nigerians are among the super-rich who have recently stepped up the purchase of top-of-the-range properties in London which are currently selling for between £35m and £50m.

International property agents Chesterton Humberts, specialises in selling such upmarket properties to foreign buyers and of late, the company said that its clientele mainly includes Nigerian, Russian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, French and Greek buyers. It added that between 65% and 70% of new build homes, which foreign buyers prefer in prime London locations have gone to overseas purchasers over the last two years. This international appetite resulted in new build residential prices in London soaring by a whopping 56.3% between January 2009 and June 2013. It compares with the average house price rise in London as a whole of just 8.1%, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics. Online estate agent Rightmove recently gathered the five most expensive properties on its books and all of them were in London, with the cheapest valued at £35m. It said foreigners were snapping up such properties due a range of reasons including political strife, economic difficulties and tax threats to their personal wealth in their countries of origin. A Rightmove spokesperson said: "It’s hardly a surprise that all five are in London and with the cheapest of the properties valued at £35m, they are all the height of luxury. If you’re looking for a bargain, look elsewhere." For instance, Folorunsho Alakija, the wealthiest black woman in the world, purchased a $102m property at One Hyde Park in London, last year. Mrs Alakija, 61, from Nigeria who is reportedly worth at least $3.2bn, owns at least $100m in real estate and a private jet worth about $46m. A Chesterton Humberts spokesman added that the company has significant experience helping buyers find their ideal overseas property, whether it’s for a permanent move overseas, a holiday home or a real estate investment opportunity. With 21 offices covering 12 different countries, the company a wide range of properties to choose from and a broad international clientele. -