Can celebrity connections help sell a home in today’s troubled property market? Apparently not if you are David Beckham .
In November last year a three bedroom Victorian terrace on Norman Road in Leytonstone, east London that used to be his childhood home was put on the market by a very optimistic local agent, who hoped to trade on the Beckham connection, for £850,000. At least three times its likely value at the time.
At first the property’s owners, Samira and Sulman Ali, had no idea of its once famous inhabitant until local man Colin Evans, who was looking into the past lives of some of the area’s more famous residents, knocked on their door.
But their hopes of cashing in on the Beckham brand may have cost the Alis dear. For nearly six months the house remained unsold and was eventually put up for auction by Savills on May 11. Unfortunately the lot failed to sell and as of today is vacant and still being advertised on the Savills site for just £220,000; £30,000 less than neighbouring houses were being sold for last year.
