The homes that backdrop our favourite shows and movies are often thought of as the unofficial characters in the stories we attach ourselves to. Monica’s purple-walled apartment, Carrie’s NYC studio, Jerry Seinfeld’s apartment; they each play an important part in the storytelling that makes these shows so popular.
But so often we’ve paused to wonder how the characters could possibly afford the houses and apartments they live in. Most often, details like this will be skimmed over and if it’s ever mentioned at all, the character may throw in the words ‘rent-controlled’ as a means of justification.
Still, we’re usually left to wonder or simply guess the worth of the homes, or do our own maths to determine whether or not the fictional character could afford it while maintaining their lifestyles depicted on screen. Until now.
Price comparison site Money.co.uk has crunched the numbers using fictional and real-life information like location data, bedroom count and average property prices, to work out the cost and 25-year ‘make-believe’ mortgages of the fictional homes from our favourite TV shows, movies and games.
From the Rosebud Motel in Schitt’s Creek to the Weasley’s The Burrow from Harry Potter, here is what they determined these homes would cost.
Rosebud Motel from Schitt’s Creek
Money.co.uk has determined the 10-bedroom motel from Schitt’s Creek would set Johnny and Stevie back $20,600 in mortgage repayments per month, with a total worth of $4,828,000 for the property.
Elsa’s Castle from Frozen
The cashed-up Queen is paying $20,689 a month for the mortgage on her ice palace on the North Mountain. Outright, the cost of Elsa’s ice castle would cost a cool $4,848,473.
Villanelle’s Paris Apartment from Killing Eve
Fans of Killing Eve will remember Villanelle’s impossibly chic Parisian apartment in Montmartre. We’re not sure how much a hired killer makes, but it’s surely enough to afford the $1.96 million home, plus a designer wardrobe.
Highclere Castle from Downton Abbey
With a value of $248,669,385 million, the historic castle from Downton Abbey is the most expensive on Money.co.uk’s list. At least the 300-room castle has 61 bedrooms, so the monthly mortgage of $1,061,224 can be split into smaller portions.
The Burrow from Harry Potter
The Weasley’s could sell their home in the English countryside for around $2,358,635. The lucky buyer of the magical abode could expect to pay around $10k a month after the sale on a 25-year mortgage.
Monica’s Apartment from Friends
The finance group estimates Monica’s NYC apartment in Greenwich Village would be worth $2,743,856 today. If someone was to buy it, they could expect to pay $11,709 a month on a mortgage.
The Simpson’s House
Homer and Marge’s Springfield home from The Simpsons would be worth an estimated $670,283 today, which is pretty good value for a four-bedroom, free-standing home with a backyard and the Flanders for neighbours.
Goth Manor from The Sims
Anyone looking to buy Goth Manor from The Sims game would need to ‘rosebud’ themselves $211,662 to buy it outright, or, pay $902 a month.
See Money.co.uk’s full list of fictional homes here.
All prices are according to Money.co.uk’s findings and have been converted from GBP to AUD according to conversion at the time of writing.