Image: Ingus Kruklitis / Shutterstock
Harry Potter’s childhood home is now for sale… for 475,000 pounds ($620,000). Most fans wouldn’t dare call it a “home” though, considering that it belonged to Harry’s depraved aunt and uncle. Harry was sent to live with his aunt and uncle at a young age after both of his parents were killed. Fans know it as the place where Harry slept in a tiny cupboard underneath the stairs. In the book, the address is 4 Privet Drive. In real life, the address is 12 Picket Post Close, about 25 miles west of London.
The house is located in Berkshire County, also known as the Royal County of Berkshire. Home to Windsor Castle, Berkshire County continues to be one of the Queen’s official residencies. The area itself is known for being upscale, with an average two-bedroom mobile home going for 186,000 pounds ($242,523).
Over the years, the value of the Harry Potter house (and British property in general) has gone up. In 2003 (two years after the first movie was released) the house sold for 249,000 pounds ($325,000). Thirteen years later, and the price has nearly doubled at 475,000 pounds ($620,000). According to CNBC, even though the house has a magical history, it’s price is still average for the neighborhood it’s located in.
But buyer beware, although it is a three-bedroom home with a garage and a backyard, the space itself is very compact. Neighboring homes are just a few yards away, and the bedrooms are quite small. The official listing for the house can be found here.
Interesting Facts About Harry Potter
The first Harry Potter book was published in 1997. Over the years, the series has been translated into 68 different languages, with over 400 million copies sold. The film franchise has earned $2 billion in the U.S. alone. Author J.K. Rowling is a true rags-to-riches story; she was unemployed and living on governmental assistance before her books became an enormous success. Joanne Kathleen Rowling used the initials “J.K.” because her publisher didn’t think the books would sell well with a female author.
