There can be few celebrities in the world who have had such an impact as that of David Beckham in so many in different markets. He has a legion of millions who follow him around the world, he has properties in many different areas of the globe and riches beyond even his wildest dreams. This from a boy who grew up in the East End of London, to a family who were neither well off, nor destitute but a traditional working class family.
Beckham was lucky to be spotted by a Manchester United talent scout at a very early age and taken under the wing of the famous Sir Alex Ferguson. While his relationship with Sir Alex seemed to hit the rocks before the end of his tenure at Manchester United there is no doubt who has gone on to bigger and better things with Beckham now a national icon.
He has played for Manchester United, Real Madrid, LA Galaxy and will soon be moving to AC Milan on a loan deal to enable him to maintain his fitness for the England side. Throughout his years Beckham has been mocked because of his accent, the way he comes across to people sometimes and his lack of media savvy in the early days although DB has had the last laugh in many ways.
David Beckham’s bulging property portfolio
When you have a name and reputation like David Beckham success in many areas can come to you and you yourself can also attract success. This issue is true in many areas of life and business although the property market is a little less forgiving and requires sound advice, sensible investment and excellent marketing skills which are all qualities connected with the David Beckham brand.
“Beckingham Palace”
While cruelly dubbed “Beckingham Palace” by the UK press the correct name for the Beckham’s UK based is Rowneybury which is situated in the Hertfordshire town of Sawbridgeworth. The mock Georgian property was once a council owned home for disabled children although after changing hands on a couple of occasions it was acquired by Victoria and David Beckham for £2.5 million in 1999.
The couple are said to have spent around £3 million on refurbishing the property and it is estimated to be worth in the region of £7 million in today’s market. Set in 24 acres of land the seven bedroom house has a number of luxuries which include an indoor swimming pool, recording studio (a leftover from Victoria Beckham’s career with the Spice Girls?), a snooker room, a gym and many many specifically themed rooms.
The couple have been mocked for their style, their spending, their lifestyle and anything else the press can grab hold of but when you consider the increase in the value of their UK base alone who really has had the last laugh?
Natal, Brazil
While the current property hotspot which is Natal in Brazil is very much in the headlines much of this has been put down to the David Beckham factor after he was invited to front one of the major tourist developments with his first “David Beckham world of sport” project. While Beckham was not the only celebrity invited to partake in the project he has by far and away attracted the most column inches for this now flourishing Brazilian resort. This is where we see the impact of sport, celebrities and the media come together to create a new and exciting market.
There are also rumours that the Beckham’s have acquired their own property in the Natal project although no doubt they would have paid a rock bottom price in exchange for the publicity they have attracted!
Dubai property market
When the now infamous palm shaped man made resort was created in Dubai, David Beckham was one of the first property investors to enter the region. While many turned up their noses at the price of the properties in the development the Beckham’s splashed out £800,000 on a waterfront villa on Palm Jumeirah. The development has gone on to become one of the most popular destinations for the rich and famous and it is estimated that the £800,000 investment which the Beckham’s made in 2002 is now worth in the region of £8 million.
However, rather bizarrely the Beckham’s have decided they will not be able to make use of the Dubai property and it has been gifted to the mother and father of Victoria Beckham!
US property market
After David Beckham agreed to sign for LA Galaxy the next mission was to find a US base for the Beckham family which was discrete, comfortable and affordable. While there were initial comments in the press that the Beckham’s had found house prices too high in the US this appeared to be something of a smoke screen when the family announced the acquisition of a $22 million property in Beverly Hills, California. The Italian style villa is near to the homes of Tom Cruise and US chat show legend Jay Leno and among a growing community of America’s rich and famous.
While the plan had been for the Beckham’s to relocate to the US for the long term, the life of David and Victoria Beckham is never that straight forward. David has now agreed a loan move to AC Milan for the start of next year and is currently looking for a new property in Italy.
David Beckham’s original home
In a rather bizarre twist of fate the David Beckham effect is about to hit the UK market even in the midst of the current economic slowdown. David Beckham’s original home in Leytonstone, East London is like any other three-bedroom home in the area except it has the David Beckham history. The couple who own the property were unaware of its history until advised by a local businessman that this was David Beckham’s first home as a child.
The property would normally be worth in the region of £250,000 however after receiving a bid in excess of US$1 million from an Australian investor who specialises in David Beckham memorabilia the property is now on the UK market at a staggering £850,000. Even though David Beckham has not lived there for decades it seems as though the David Beckham named is literally worth hundreds of thousands of pounds to anyone who has followed in his tracks.