A house dubbed the world's most expensive bungalow is actually a "death trap" with its millionaire owner planning to bulldoze it and start from scratch.
Self-made businessman Tom Glanfield lives in the £13.5m home in Dorset's exclusive Sandbanks resort, which has been branded "Millionaire's Row".
The impressive property boasts a swimming pool and incredible coastal views, and with a price of £4,640 per squared foot - the home has a more expensive floor space than any other city in the world, including New York and Hong Kong.
But despite having only bought the property in March this year, recruitment boss Tom says he's inherited a number of hazards, including a leaky roof, mould and a precarious pool.
While his neighbours have huge garages, electric gates and hot tubs, dad-of-two Tom says his dated pad has a leaking roof, mould and mildew and cracked concrete driveway.
The self-made multimillionaire has now shared his plans to replace the property with a sustainable family eco home, complete with renewable power and a desalination facility.
Opening his house up for the first time, he also revealed how he earned his fortune - starting his firm in his friend’s attic.
Tom, from Poole, Dorset, said: "Despite the property appearing in reasonable shape from a distance, it was clear on inspection that years of exposure had taken its toll.
"Although it clearly hasn’t been updated for some time, unfortunately, the problems run much deeper.
"The current house has nothing in the way of insulation and relies on obscene amounts of oil to heat it.
"I’m keen to create something that is completely efficient and passive."
Also in need of completely re-doing is the home's dated Formica kitchen and cork ceiling tiles, and despite being listed as a bungalow, the house has a small number of upstairs rooms.
Outside there is a rickety five-bar gate and a tumbledown garage, as well as a "death trap" concrete swimming pool.
Tom, who also works as a business consultant, revealed he will replace the existing bungalow with a low-rise family home, which will be his main residence.
As well as knocking down the bungalow and replacing it, he also plans to build the dilapidated tidal wall which protects the home.
Tom said he didn't want to build "anything that detracts from the natural beauty of the area, or that negatively impacts any of my friends and neighbours".
"Unfortunately, the current house is extremely inefficient and does not meet modern building standards," he said.
"As with all seafront properties, years of exposure has taken a huge toll. Furthermore, the existing property is at increased risk from tidal storm surges.
“My dream is to build a permanent family home that will stand the test of time, using sustainable building methods, locally sourced materials, and calling on local tradesmen to carry out the building work.
"Importantly, any property here needs to be futureproofed against flooding too. Of course, I’ll be led by the council's requirements and expertise.
"The most important thing to me is to respect and protect the natural surroundings of the property, including the stunning mature trees."
After graduating in 2002, Tom borrowed £9,000 on credit cards and student loan, to start a recruitment business in his friend’s attic.
Tom reveals that he was sleeping rough on the office floor for years, hiding his sleeping bag each morning before staff arrived and washing in the small toilets.
His company now has 450 employees and operates across the US, Europe and the UK.
