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Thursday, January 6, 2011

The ultimate present: Billionaire has £150,000 Wendy house built for his children...and transports it to Switzerland


For anyone who has shed blood, sweat and tears creating a creaky play house for their beloved offspring, this beautifully sculpted version will come as a hammer blow.

Costing £150,000 - almost as much as the average house in England and Wales - the two-storey timber structure has double glazing, solid pine flooring with underfloor heating, and 400 decorative bulbs.

Inside there are four rooms, including a large living room with a stone chimney that is illuminated by red LED lights, custom-made furniture and TV equipment.

Wendy house: The two storey £150,000 super-sized Wendy house was custom built by a British company as a present for the Swiss billionaire's two children

Wendy house: The two storey £150,000 super-sized Wendy house was custom built by a British company as a present for the Swiss billionaire's two children

The fully-fitted kitchen has mod cons including fitted cupboards, a hob, fridge, sink and microwave and the two bedrooms, one on a mezzanine level, have two beds each for sleepovers.

The Wendy house now standing in Gstaad was built by a British company for a Swiss billionaire who gave it to his children as a Christmas present. It is an exact replica of a chalet the businessman owns in the foothills of the Alps.

Russell Bowlby, owner of children's play equipment firm Flights Of Fantasy, led the team of craftsmen which hand-built the play house in North Lynn, Norfolk.

He said: 'It's a complex structure and will have to withstand some very cold temperatures. When I went over it was minus 17 degrees Celsius.

'We have insulated the chalet and installed underfloor heating and booster heaters, so the kids will be as warm as toast.'

'Before starting construction I flew to Switzerland to study building techniques and styles and to match it as closely as possible to the family's home.

'It's different and very special and the finished play house is really a work of art as well as a wonderful toy for their two children.

'We worked incredibly hard to get it finished and set up in their garden in time for Christmas.'

Under construction: The wooden kitchen complete with a hob, sink and a fridge. It is fitted with underfloor heating so it can withstand low temperatures in Switzerland

Under construction: The wooden kitchen complete with a hob, sink and a fridge. It is fitted with underfloor heating so it can withstand low temperatures in Switzerland

Ten craftsmen spent a total of 2,000 hours over five weeks building the play house, which has a 18ft by 15ft footprint, is 12ft tall and is made from 13,000ft of sandblasted pine wood planks.

A Dragon's Den: Peter Jones bought a Wendy house from the company in North Lynn, Norfolk, but they failed to secure an investment on the BBC show

A Dragon's Den: Peter Jones bought a Wendy house from the company in North Lynn, Norfolk, but they failed to secure an investment on the BBC show

The extravagant interior took a further ten days to fit and is so well insulated that the anonymous businessman's children will remain snug even in sub-zero Swiss temperatures.

Around £100,000 was spent on materials, construction and other costs, while up to £50,000 went on shipping the play house to Switzerland.

Mr Bowlby added: 'We took it as a compliment that the family chose a small business in Norfolk when they could have gone to anyone in the world.

'You won't find anything like this play house in the world - it is as expensive as it gets.'Mr Bowlby founded the company more than 20 years ago after designing and building a play house for his son.

He now employs 18 staff full-time and custom-builds the miniature properties for celebrities and millionaires, including commissions for the Saudi royal family.

During an appearance on BBC TV's Dragons' Den he failed to secure investment but still managed to sell a play house to Peter Jones.

The cost of the average home in England and Wales is currently £164,773, according to figures released by the Land Registry last week.

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