WHEN Bola Ranson splashed out £1.9 million on Kate Bush’s former home, he didn’t realise it would come with strangers constantly peeking through his wrought-iron gates.
And the property tycoon has revealed how die-hard fans of the Running Up That Hill singer ask if they can come into his home - to which his reply is a firm ‘no’.
Bola bought Bush's former seven-bedroom house called Wuthering Heights in South East London in 2019, so it was bound to come with some quirks.
He gets so much ‘keen’ fan mail that they have to give it to Kate's brother who lives close by.
TOURIST ATTRACTION
Bola, who lives with his wife Benedicta and their three children, said: “I'm not a Kate Bush fan, but I am an 80s boy and when I was growing up, Kate Bush was huge.
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“When we first moved into the house, I had not really appreciated the size of her fan base and how popular she really was.
“So it's funny to see kids of today posing in front of the gates of the house.
"The Netflix Stranger Things series helped to make a much younger audience aware of her music.
“Quite often people would be taking pictures when I pull up and it's hilarious watching them pretend they were doing something else. I usually just smile and say go ahead.
“I have had a few people walk into the gates and into the compound taking pictures as if it's a museum.
“I had one guy once ask me if he could come into the house, to which I obviously replied no.”
DREAM HOUSE
Bola was living in a three-bed townhouse in Canary Wharf in 2015 when he went to a friend’s party in Eltham.
There was an outdoor pool, and he was impressed by how much space there was for a house in London.
In 2019, his friend told him the house opposite them - Wuthering Heights, Kate Bush’s old house - would be coming onto the market.
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So he made an appointment to view the property and put in an offer of £2.2million which was rejected.
Bola said: “We left it and I focused my mind on South London. We went to see a few other properties around South London like in Chislehurst but had no luck.
“Six months later, Wuthering Heights was still on the market. The price had been reduced to £2.5million and it was listed with a new agent so I assumed they were struggling to sell it.
“I went to view the property and the owner was quite surprised to see me again and probably a little embarrassed. I ended up buying it for £1.9 million.”
DRAMATIC TRANSFORMATION
The family had big plans for the property, where singer Bush lived for almost 20 years, from 1985 until 2003 - which coincided with the release of one of her best-known albums, Hounds Of Love.
With the help of architects, Bola turned it into an incredible, six-bedroom pad, complete with a swanky cinema room as well as a luxurious swimming pool, sauna and steam room.
He described the property as “old” and said it needed “modernising” but he knew he could transform it into his dream family home.
Bola said: “I spoke with architects who came up with a plan to completely reconfigure the house, which would still give us six much bigger bedrooms. It was all finished by 2022.
I had one guy once ask me if he could come into the house, to which I obviously replied no
Bola Ranson
“The footprint of the property is large, and the interior combines traditional with new, in a beautiful style and a very luxurious feel.
“The big tiles on the floor and big high ceilings and windows are also stunning. We splashed out on the finishing and the tiles. The swimming pool/sauna/steam also cost around £300,000.
“We managed to get a company to do the zinc cladding for £10,000 and we paid £25,000 for the electrical works.”
Bola completely reconfigured the house, taking it from 5,500sqft to just under 10,000sqft and ended up with a new glass extended living room.
The house was originally built in the 1700s Edwardian style, with around 60 windows and high ceilings and original fireplaces and coving.
As well as a huge driveway leading to the red-bricked Wuthering Heights house (public knowledge thanks to the giant sign on the gate), the home now boasts chic marble bathrooms with standalone bathtubs and huge walk-in showers.
Plus, there’s a modern family kitchen, floor-to-ceiling glass windows, overlooking an extensive garden and the extension is contemporary all glass, stone and modern.
Every friend who visits says the house is “amazing”, especially in the summer.
INVESTING IN HIS FUTURE
It’s been an investment that’s worth it, not least due to the compliments the family receive from friends and even strangers.
Bola said: “This house in the summer is amazing too as the glass lets in a lot of natural sunlight.
"On a summer's day, the living room is so bright and the view to the garden is just beautiful.
“When you walk to the back of the garden and look back at the house, you see the house light up all three storeys.”
While Bola and his family can often be found in the 12.5-metre swimming pool, relaxing in the steam and sauna, or the “cosy” cinema room, he also enjoys the attention the house receives thanks to its very famous previous owner.
Bola added: “I don’t mind people taking photos and I’m proud that people want to take pictures.
“Kate Bush's brother lives quite close by, and we see him often. We do receive fan mail by one individual who is very keen and we have given the fan mail to Kate Bush's brother.
“The top of the house is my eldest son Khari's room which was Kate Bush's dance studio and it has mirrors all around - it’s beautiful.”
Bola is no stranger to property investment, having accumulated a large portfolio of homes worth about £25million - with the income from those abodes paying for his lifestyle.
He bought his first residential property, and a buy-to-let home, in 1999, and after that, the business expanded quickly.
Bola also provides mentorship and coaching programmes via his Property Mastery course, for property enthusiasts and entrepreneurs.
