Mitt Romney has sold his San Diego home for $23.5 million.
The mansion which sits on the ocean in wealthy La Jolla had faced a backlash for years from neighbors who were unhappy at the tearing down of a smaller dwelling, which was later replaced with the current, far larger home.
The addition of a four car garage and car elevator to the home in 2012 even made the headlines during the presidential election as opponents attempted to portray the Utah Senator as being out of touch with the Americans he represents.
Mitt Romney’s home in La Jolla, California was a three bedroom 3,000 sq foot property, pictured, which was demolished to make way for 8,100 sq foot five bedroom mansion
There were concerns that beach access would be a problem once the new home was constructed, but an alleyway in between the two homes, pictured here, was retained
La Jolla locals were upset with the mansion’s design claiming it to be ‘out of place’ with the neighborhood. Pictured from the street
Utah Senator Mitt Romney has sold his oceanfront home in La Jolla for $23.5 million
Romney explained such a feature as being needed to accommodate his wife, Ann, who suffers from multiple sclerosis while the larger home would ensure his children and grandchildren would have space when they visit.
The sale price makes it the fifth-most expensive home sale in San Diego County history and the third-most expensive for La Jolla.
The main issue with the home was over public use of the adjoining beach which might have been impacted following construction of the larger house.
But Romney stuck to his word and ‘dedicated the beach for public use.’
The home was used as an example of him being out of touch during the 2012 election. It is pictured during construction in 2015
While Romney’s 11,000-square-foot, beachside home comes with a library, a wraparound porch, and a spa, it perhaps best known for one particular feature: the car elevator. That feature made for an easy target for Democrats trying to portray Romney as out-of-touch
Romney had always maintained that from the street, the house would look nearly identical. This picture is of the old home in 2011
From the street-facing side of the home, very few changes appear to have occurred. This photo was taken in 2018
La Jolla locals were also upset with the mansion’s design and claimed it to be ‘out of place’ with the neighborhood.
‘Not all of the neighbors had issues with the Romneys’ project,’ La Jolla architect Anthony Ciani told the New York Post.
‘Others, including me, disputed their claim to own the sandy beach west of the historic property line which could interfere with the historical public use of the beach, and because that uses that additional area of land to build a larger house than would otherwise comply with the development regulations.’
‘I hope the new owners enjoy their new home and appreciate the public’s enjoyment of the beach and ocean and sunsets the new owners will have 365 days a year,’ Ciani added.
There was concern that beach access, through the gate on the ht left of the picture, would be denied, but Romney ensured that the access was kept
The home sits right on the beachfront a La Jolla with public access to sands to the left of the home
Romney, 74, and his wife, Ann, 72, bought the original three bedroom, five bathroom home in 2008 at a cost of $12 million.
After rebuilding the property in 2015, the home more than doubled in size from 3,000 square feet to 8,100 square feet with five bedrooms and seven bathrooms according to the San Diego Tribune.
Alongside the new house, the project also saw new retaining walls added together with a new driveway.
The land itself occupies 11,000 square feet with room also for a library and home gym.
Following the rebuild, Romney then hired a broker to find a seller in a deal that was completed off-market.
Romney confirmed the sale during an online discussion with Utah’s largest business association, the Salt Lake Chamber.
It means the Romneys now own four other properties: a ski chalet in Park City, Utah, a 5,900-square-foot home in Holladay, Utah, a vacation home in Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire and another house in near Washington, DC.