Nigel Farage is planning a luxury beach pad makeover costing an estimated £700,000 – after pocketing £5million from his crypto billionaire pal.
The Reform leader is being probed over the undeclared cash from tycoon Christopher Harborne, which he claimed was for security. Now we can reveal how months ago approval was given for a major revamp of his seaside property. The project could transform the “dilapidated” £575,000 Kent house into a “substantial contemporary coastal home” worth up to £1.5million.
The property is due to have four bedrooms, a sea view balcony featuring glazed privacy screens, a log burner, lift and no fewer than six toilets.
Late last year the application was submitted to redevelop the pad in Greatstone, Romney Marsh, including building a sizable extension. It came after Farage got the multimillion pound gift from mysterious Thai-based donor Mr Harborne in early April 2024.
Labour’s Chair Anna Turley said: “Nigel Farage’s finances get murkier as each day passes… He said the £5 million was for security and ‘wasn’t political in any sense at all’. Then he said it was a reward for Brexit. He needs to be open and honest as to whether any of it has gone directly or indirectly towards his private property interests.”
We have seen planning documents showing permission was granted by Folkestone and Hythe District Council for Farage’s Greatstone property. The village, on the Kent coast, boasts a picturesque sandy beach. Farage has hailed it as a “super place” — predicting it will “attract many people in the coming years”
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A design statement for his property explained: “The proposed works will transform the property into a high-quality, contemporary family home while retaining and reusing the existing structure wherever possible. A large feature dormer at the rear will add architectural interest to the roof form while providing natural daylight and long views to the master bedroom. Rooflights have been carefully incorporated throughout to introduce natural light into internal spaces and enhance the quality of the accommodation.”
The plans, which list the applicant J G DUVAL Ltd, were given approval in November. Farage’s Thorn in the Side Ltd purchased the property in March 2023 for £575,000. Revamping the pad could cost up to £700,000, a property expert estimated. The expert described the plans as going “well beyond a typical house extension” – saying it was “closer in scale and cost to a major refurbishment and reconstruction project”.
Once completed, the expert said the property would be worth “comfortably in excess of £1 million and potentially in the region of £1.25 million to £1.5 million”. The expert explained: “The existing property extends to approximately 95 sqm (1,023 sq ft) and is currently in a poor state of repair. The approved scheme increases the accommodation to approximately 248 sqm (2,669 sq ft)… Whilst elements of the existing structure are retained, the completed building will effectively function as a substantially new contemporary beachfront home.”
They added: “Given the extent of structural alterations, recladding, roofing works and the challenges often associated with coastal construction projects, I would expect the overall build cost to fall within the range of £600,000–£700,000, excluding professional fees, planning costs, finance costs, VAT where applicable and any unforeseen structural works.
“In terms of value, the property was acquired for £575,000 in 2023 in a visibly dilapidated condition. Once completed, the scheme will create a substantial contemporary coastal home extending to almost 2,700 sq ft. Beachfront and sea-view properties in Greatstone are relatively scarce and command a significant premium compared with standard housing stock in the area.
“Assuming a good quality finish and normal market conditions, I would expect the completed property to be worth comfortably in excess of £1 million and potentially in the region of £1.25 million to £1.5 million.”
It had earlier emerged Farage had been granted approval to demolish the Greatstone property and build a new three-storey house. Thorn in the Side put in an initial application in mid-May 2024 — just weeks after Farage got the gift from Mr Harborne. Approval for the property was given in November 2024 after a minor change to plans.
Earlier that year, Farage said: “This is a commercial rebuild through my company. I believe that Greatstone is a super place with a great beach. It will attract many people in the coming years.” Farage’s firm also owns another property on the same road. No party has a majority on Folkestone and Hythe District Council, whose leader is from the Green Party.
Contacted about Farage’s property, Jacques Duval, owner of plumbing firm J G Duval Ltd, told the Mirror: “OK, young man, let me tell you something, my customer and I is a private matter and nothing to do with you. Goodbye.”
Farage is being investigated by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner over whether he fell foul of Commons rules by not declaring the £5million from Mr Harborne. Reform has claimed it was “a personal, unconditional gift” with no rules broken.
The Clacton MP said the money was for his security, later describing it as a “reward” for Brexit campaigning. Last month, it emerged Farage purchased a £1.4million Surrey property in cash the month after receiving Mr Harborne’s gift in 2024. Reform said the offer and purchase process started before the gift.
Farage’s spokesman last month said the politician had paid for the house using his fee from appearing in I’m a Celeb. However, the claim was challenged by his firm’s accounts appearing to show the fee from the ITV reality programme remained on the company’s balance sheet after the property purchase. Asked about the source of funds for the house, Reform told the FT: “Nigel has multiple sources of income, as you can see from his parliamentary register.”
Questioned on his Greatstone property plans, a spokesman for Farage – whose basic MP salary is £98,599-a-year – told the Mirror: “Work on the first planning application began in November 2023, when an architect was first appointed – a long time before the unconditional gift was made.
“The second application related to more modest plans than those originally proposed. No building work has even commenced on the property in question.” Asked when Farage knew he was going to receive the Harborne gift, the spokesman did not provide an answer.
