The praise for his talent shows no sign of abating, as evidenced by his triumph in boosting the 2023 Christmas Issue 1, not to mention his success in generating revenues of more than £44,000 a day – after tax – in the past financial year.
And now, more than seven years after his death at the age of 53, George Michael’s first superstar home – acquired in 1987 as he pursued his solo career – is being treated to a dazzling makeover by his only surviving sister, Yioda Panayiotou.
Some might be tempted to say that it is out of date. Pictures show that the house in Hampstead, north London, is now seriously dilapidated, with the white cement board cladding broken, leaving the building looking more like a country house rather than a leafy enclave where house prices routinely rise north of the city. £10 million.
Yioda, 62, plans to restore the property to what her architect describes as a ‘habitable’ condition, and is seeking to remove a water tank from the roof and replace the roof in its entirety, along with its crumbling cladding.
But that’s just the beginning. She is also seeking permission to convert two garages into living accommodation “with a more traditional facade” that will “restore the character of the house.” New decking must be installed around the main building so that it connects to a bedroom at the rear. The window on the top floor will be raised so that there is a better view of the garden.
Praise for singer George Michael shows no signs of waning more than seven years after his death, as evidenced by his triumph in boosting the 2023 Christmas issue
George Michael’s first superstar home – acquired in 1987 as he pursued his solo career – is being treated to a dazzling makeover by his only surviving sister, Yioda Panayiotou
The house is in a leafy enclave where house prices routinely rise above £10 million
Photos show the Hampstead house is now derelict, with the white cement board cladding breaking down, making the building look more like something on a sinking estate
The plans include a complete replacement of the roof, including the crumbling cladding
Built in the mid-1970s to a futuristic design, the house was ransacked in 2002 during George Michael’s absence when robbers stole jewelry, designer clothes and paintings, as well as family heirlooms left to the Wham! star by his beloved mother
Balustrades will be placed both on the terrace – accessible via new patio doors – and along the driveway.
Let’s hope Yioda’s Grand Design gives the house a new and happier life.
Built to a futuristic design in the mid-1970s, it was looted in 2002 during George Michael’s absence when robbers stole jewelry, designer clothes and paintings, as well as family heirlooms given to the Wham! star of his beloved mother, who died of cancer in 1997.
In the last decade of George’s life, he spent much more time in a classical Georgian house in north London and at his 16th-century home in Oxfordshire, where he was found dead on Christmas Day 2016.
Yioda, 62, plans to restore the property to what her architect describes as a ‘habitable’ condition, and is attempting to remove a water tank from the roof
The window on the top floor will be raised so that there is a better view of the garden
Balustrades will be placed both on the terrace – accessible via new patio doors – and along the driveway
The intruders then drove away in his Aston Martin DB7.
In the last decade of his life he spent much more time in a classical Georgian house in north London and at his 16th-century home in Oxfordshire, where he was found dead on Christmas Day 2016.
Exactly three years later, his younger sister, Melanie, died at the age of 59, leaving Yioda as the only surviving sibling.
