Boris Johnson’s days are numbered at Downing Street since he resigned as leader of the Conservative party on 7 July 2022. He intends to remain in his job as British Prime Minister until a successor is chosen, but he also faces the task of finding a new home for himself and his family. Having just listed their townhouse, the hunt for the perfect property is clearly on for Boris and Carrie, who are rumoured to be eyeing up a quaint south-London suburb. Click or scroll on and let's take a look at Boris Johnson’s property portfolio, from his chic city pad to a country bolthole…
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson was born on 19 June 1964 in New York City. Moving around as a young boy, Johnson lived in London and also Brussels before attending Eton College, and later Balliol College at Oxford University. In 1987, aged 23 he started as a reporter for The Times and forged a career in the industry, eventually becoming editor of The Spectator in 1999.
In 1994, Boris' father, Stanley Johnson bought this four-bedroom Georgian townhouse, following time in Brussels and Oxford. Stanley lived in the home for 10 years with his second wife, Jenny, and their two youngest children, Julia and Max. Although not lived in by Boris, the home was the base of his successful bid to become London Mayor in 2008. As a child in the 1970s, Johnson lived in Primrose Hill, London and attended a local primary school with political rivals, Ed and David Milliband.
Johnson bought his four-bedroom country house in Oxfordshire—known as the Old Farm House—with his ex-wife Marina Wheeler in 2003 for £690,000 ($837,000). The property was previously offered as a long-term let for £4,250 ($5156) a month, and it's currently believed to be rented out.
The fairytale cottage comes equipped with 2,659 square feet of inside space spread over two floors, including a large sitting room, a dining area and a spacious galley kitchen, with a small breakfast zone at one end, where it would be easy to create a cool coffee station or at-home bar.
Nestled amongst rolling hills and picturesque fields, the quiet hamlet of North Weston is a world away from the excitement of Downing Street, but it's no surprise that the property has been rented out quickly. The demand for country homes has soared since the pandemic, with city dwellers keen to find an alternative lifestyle in hideaway homes like this one.
The master suite is one of the home's most enticing areas, thanks to its decorative wood accents and adjoining bathroom. Imagine waking up to this bright and beautiful space every morning! As you would expect, the home is worth a pretty penny. According to the Daily Mail, the cottage has an estimated value of £1.2 million ($1.4m).
The beautiful backyard boasts unobstructed views of the surrounding countryside and comes complete with a tennis court and swimming pool. Despite its bucolic setting, it offers quick and easy access to the M40 motorway, as well as the national railway line that can reach the central London station in Marylebone in approximately 35 minutes, making it perfect for commuters.
Boris was based at the property when he launched his leadership bid to become head of the conservative party in 2018. Here he is seen bringing tea to photographers who had been camped outside the house all day in what he called "a humanitarian mission", according to the Evening Standard.
Of course, Johnson has also owned residences in the heart of London, where he lived before moving into the official PM residence on Downing Street. He shared this house, in the traditionally Labour-held seat of Islington, London, with his ex-wife Marina Wheeler from 2009 until their split in 2018. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair, actor Emma Watson, singer Lily Allen, and writers George Orwell and Oscar Wilde have all, at some point in time, called Islington home too.
While not exactly Downing Street, his former north London townhouse is far from modest. Boasting five impressive storeys with plenty of stunning living spaces, it will go down in history as a site for Johnson’s Brexit strategy meetings attended by the likes of David Davis and Michael Gove.
The historic home dates back to 1841 and spreads over an impressive 3,300 square feet of living space. There's a light-filled lounge, a dining room and a contemporary kitchen. Key architectural features include original Georgian windows, ornate fireplaces and parquet floors.
The master bathroom is almost the size of an average studio apartment in London. It comes equipped with a tub, a walk-in shower and a huge window that lets in plenty of natural light. Many of the rooms also overlook the neighbouring Regent’s Canal, adding to the home's many charms.
It also offers an enviable exterior balcony where Johnson no doubt enjoyed many an evening cocktail. The chic townhouse landed on the market in June 2019 for just under £3.8 million ($4.6m) and sold in November of the same year for £400,000 ($485k) below the asking price. Many have suggested that one of London's iconic commemorative blue plaques will one day adorn the front of the building, joining the other 950 found across the capital.
Prior to becoming PM, Johnson lived at this four-bedroom, semi-detached house in Camberwell in south-east London. He bought the property in 2019 with his wife Carrie Symonds, the former Head of Communications for the Conservative Party. Together they share a two-year-old son, Wilfred, and eight-month-old daughter, Romy.
The quintessential London Victorian terrace, it's home to 2,100 square feet of living space and plentiful original features such as the window shutters, wooden flooring and low-level cast iron radiators. Boris and Carrie remortgaged the property in 2021, reportedly to help fund the renovation of his Downing Street apartment, and while they intended to rent out the property it is preported they didn't get around to it. Having just hit the market for £1.6 million ($1.9m), the couple will be hoping for a profit after purchasing the property for £1.2 million ($1.4m) three years ago.
Alongside two of the bedrooms on the second floor, you’ll find a sizeable family bathroom with more handsome wood flooring and attractive, dark tiling. According to The Mirror, a neighbour of the south London property remembers seeing decorators in the house, reportedly spending “at least £50,000 ($60.6k) on the place.”
Elsewhere, the four-bedroom home hosts a spacious open-plan kitchen and dining room spanning 22 feet and featuring state-of-the-art integrated appliances. From here, large patio doors lead out onto the 100-foot garden, where we’re sure many gatherings and barbecues were enjoyed on the patio.
Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds moved into Downing Street after Johnson took over from Theresa May as party leader and prime minister in July 2019. British Prime Ministers have lived at No. 10 since 1975 and the black front door is known to people across the world as the site for alfresco press conferences and budget announcements.
While they had the option of living in the flat over 10 Downing Street, the couple opted to move into the much larger apartment at 11 Downing Street, usually occupied by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. However, Boris spends the majority of his days in 10 Downing Street, which is still classed as his official residence.
Immediately beyond the front door, you'll find the grand reception hall, which leads through to the main staircase. The 18th-century black and white chequerboard floor was added during Lord North's residency, who was prime minister from 1770 to 1782.
The grand hallway and staircase features portraits of former prime ministers. They line the walls in chronological order and when the latest leader leaves number 10, the pictures are moved down one by one to make room for a new portrait. The walls have been painted in a cheery yellow and on the first floor the floor lined in a regal red carpet.
The Cabinet Room, which is located upstairs, is home to regular cabinet meetings which are chaired by the prime minister. However, the rooms became the ‘scene of the crime’ in May 2022, when images of the prime minister celebrating his birthday here in June 2020 emerged and formed part of Sue Gray’s so-called Partygate report—an investigation into the alcohol-fuelled gatherings at Downing Street during lockdown in the UK. Photos from another illegal gathering during Covid restrictions were also included.
The soon-to-be former prime minister darted between meetings in the rabbit warren of offices at Downing Street, but spent a great deal of his time working on important affairs in his private office. The large wooden desk sits alongside high ceilings and neutral cream walls and of course, a Union Jack flag. In this snap, Boris is on the phone with the then-newly elected US President, Joe Biden.
At the height of the pandemic, Johnson updated the public on the spread of the virus in a wood-panelled meeting room at 9 Downing Street. A slick White House-style makeover was unveiled in March 2021, which cost £2.6 million ($3.2m) and was generally thought to be a waste of tax-payers’ money.
Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds broke tradition when they moved into Downing Street in 2019, by becoming the first unmarried couple to reside at the iconic address. They now share the space with their son Wilfred, who was born on 29 April 2020 and daughter Romy, who was born on 9 December 2021.
Downing Street will have a special place in Johnson’s heart, not least because he celebrated his wedding to Carrie Symonds here in May 2021, following a small ceremony at Westminster Cathedral. This makes him the first prime minister to marry in office since Lord Liverpool married Mary Chester in 1822. Just one official photograph was released, showing the couple in the garden at 10 Downing Street in the hours following the ceremony.
Over the past two decades, 11 Downing Street has undergone a whole host of renovations. The flat was said to be stuck in the 1960s until Tony Blair and his family began living there in 1997. It was reported that the family spent £127,000 ($154k) on refurbishments between 1999 and 2005, including £3,500 ($4.24k) on a bed.
When David Cameron took up residence in 2010, after Gordon Brown and his family, the next set of renovations began. Changes included a £64,000 ($77k) makeover, which included extensive work on a bathroom and huge updates to the kitchen, pictured here when the Obama family visited the Camerons.
Here, Samantha Cameron and two of her four children enjoy the designer kitchen in the home. Updates included the installation of a £3,400 ($4.1k) Britannia range cooker and a Dualit toaster. Theresa May, who was the next prime minister to stay in the home, is thought to have been satisfied with the décor and didn't make many changes.
Boris Johnson meanwhile, clearly expected to remain in his apartment in Downing Street for some time, judging by the staggering amount he spent on its refurbishment. According to The Express, a leaked invoice from interior designer Soane Britain reveals a total cost of £208,104 ($252k) for works at the property, including sanding the floorboards and installing new furnishings and fittings.
According to a report in Tatler, Johnson and his wife had wanted to transform the flat from a "John Lewis furniture nightmare" into a "high society haven". The pair engaged the services of interior designer Lulu Lytle, who founded Soane Britain, and splashed out on items such as “Espalier Square design” wallpaper for the entrance hall, which cost £2,260 ($2,742) for ten rolls.
The prime minister is entitled to spend up to £30,000 ($36.3k) a year on maintenance and improvements to his living quarters, but it was his lack of transparency that landed him in hot water. An investigation over the expensive revamp was launched and Johnson faced a backlash in January 2022, when it was exposed that he had failed to declare private text messages from his friend Lord Brownlow, who had contributed more than £50,000 ($60,000) towards the refurbishment. While Johnson was cleared of breaking the ministerial code, critics said it was another clear example of his disregard for the rules.
After a series of scandals, from the investigation of the costly revamp of his Downing Street apartment to being fined by the police for breaking his own Covid rules, Johnson was finally forced to resign when more than 50 of his own MPs quit, saying they had lost confidence in his leadership. His wife Carrie, carrying their seven-month-old daughter Romy, put on a brave face as her husband made his resignation speech in Downing Street, saying he will stay on until his successor is elected.
However, Johnson had barely finished his resignation speech before he sparked indignation amongst his critics again. It was reported that his decision to stay in office was partly based on his plans to throw a party to celebrate the first anniversary of his wedding at Chequers, the official country residence of the British Prime Minister. The couple were said to have already sent out invitations to the bash on 30 July 2022 at the historic manor, which dates back to the 16th century.
The house sits on 1,500 acres of land and boasts landscaped gardens. Boris eventually sourced an alternative venue for the party, the Cotswold home of Tory donor Lord Bamford. Johnson is said to have particularly enjoyed his stays at Chequers, which has been the official country residence of the British Prime Minister since David Lloyd George took the keys in 1921. Boris recuperated from coronavirus there in April 2020.
Chequers is one of the world's finest country homes. It's been the scene of countless historic meetings between world leaders, including Donald Trump, Angela Merkel and Hillary Clinton, who have all sat around this table. It will also be a much-missed perk for Boris, who will need to find a family home that will meet the standards to which he has become accustomed during his time as prime minister.
So what could the future after Downing Street look like for Boris and Carrie? According to The Sun, the pair are house-hunting in the leafy south London suburb of Dulwich Village. If Boris chose to settle in the trendy hotspot, he'd follow in the footsteps of another former Conservative Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. The Iron Lady upped sticks to the area in the 1980s. We can't wait to see where Boris and Carrie call home next...
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