Boris Johnson is understood to have agreed to buy a £4m nine-bedroom, Grade II-listed home in Oxfordshire.
The former prime minister and his wife, Carrie, have in recent weeks viewed a property in a picturesque village. The Guardian has been told they have now made an offer that has been accepted.
The house, which features its own moat, was listed for sale for “offers in excess of £4m”. It is not known how much Johnson has offered to pay for the house, which is now shown as “sold subject to contract”.
A spokesperson for Johnson said: “We never comment on matters such as living arrangements.”
The five-bathroom house dates back to the early 1600s and is set in almost five acres of grounds. Three sides of the grounds are bounded by a moat.
The move would add to speculation that Johnson is considering running for election in Oxfordshire rather than his existing seat of Uxbridge, a marginal in west London with a majority of 7,200.
The village is close to Johnson’s previous constituency of Henley, for which he served as MP between 2001 and 2008.
The house has “period features”, estate agents said, as well as “ornate cornicing” and “open fireplaces”.
There is also a walled garden, tennis court, outside storage and a double garage.
Last month Johnson was seen being shown around a private school in Oxfordshire, with a view to sending his son Wilf there as a day pupil in September 2024, followed by his daughter Romy. His four children with his ex-wife Marina Wheeler, a barrister, all attended state primary schools in north London.
The couple had also been reportedly looking at other homes, also in the £4m price range, in Fulham, London.
They are currently believed to be living between a London townhouse and a country property in the Cotswolds, provided by the Conservative donor Lord Bamford and his wife at a cost of £13,500 a month. The Bamfords are friends of the former prime minister and also strong Brexit backers.
Johnson has received £2.5m as an advance for speeches, meaning he has received earnings, hospitality and donations worth more than £5m over the six months since leaving office.
• This article was amended on 18 February 2023 to remove some property details.
