Spiffy digs: 8 BR, 4 baths, 6-car garage, bomb shelter

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Spiffy digs: 8 BR, 4 baths, 6-car garage, bomb shelter

Traumhaus III, or “Dream house” in German, a new apartment building in Seocho-dong, is reputed to have the most expensive apartments in Korea: The 19 apartments here range from 2.8 billion won ($2.3 million) to 3.2 billion won.
Some units are reported to have sold for 4 billion won, according to a local real estate agent, who declined to give his full name. He added that most residents are businessmen, not professionals or celebrities.
From the outside, it is clear these are spiffy dwellings. The exterior of the 12-story building bears a European motif with high quality stonework. An extraordinary number of luxury foreign cars are parked outside the building. But other than its upscale residents, few outsiders can fathom what these deluxe habitats look like on the inside.
That’s because Daeshin Housing, the company managing sales of this property, refuses to escort anybody but serious potential buyers with reservations.
Even so, it’s possible to imagine why the cost is so sky-high. Start with location: In addition to its unimpeded view of Soeripul park’s lush arboreal surroundings, the apartment shares the neighborhood with three of Seoul’s 10 priciest apartment complexes ― and Traumhaus V is on the way.
Then there’s the living space. No cramped housing here, each apartment has eight bedrooms and four bathrooms, though some are arranged differently with more space. They vary from 510 to 579 square meters (5,490 to 6,232 square feet) in size.
The building is Korea’s first to be built to withstand an earthquake above 7.0 on the Richter scale, and also contains an air raid shelter for added safety. Rather than pursuing an opulent design, the building’s interior is believed to be fairly plain, as door handles are made of copper, not brass.
To get around town, residents can keep up to six cars on the premises.
The original owners apparently are satisfied. It has been more than a year since people started moving in, and no resales have yet been reported. Meanwhile, tax authorities have had a difficult time appraising the building’s units. The standard price, however, is set at 3.6 billion won.


by Ahn Jang-won
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