GEORGE Michael’s dilapidated £10m London mansion is showing signs of improvement after major renovation work.
A bitter row with neighbours over the chopping down of a number of historic trees hasn’t deterred the late star’s sister from updating the property.
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George’s only living sibling, Yioda Panayiotou, was handed ownership of the property following the singer’s tragic death on Christmas Day 2016 at the age of 53.
There was outrage when Yioda’s design team asked the local council to remove a number of trees and prune others at the front and rear of the property, which is in a conservation area.
One residents association was furious that the works were also going to occur during the peak nesting season, which runs from March to July.
It’s strongly discouraged to do this sort of work at this time and illegal to chop down a tree if a live nest is found and in use.
READ MORE ON GEORGE MICHAEL
As our exclusive pictures show, the scaffolding from the main house has now been removed, revealing a brand new roof complete with solar panels, fresh doors, windows, decking, and one of the garages is being turned into living quarters.
The property looks a lot tidier than previous pictures from last year, and the felling of the trees has been completed.
A huge pile of branches can be seen behind the garage.
Yioda was given permission to fell a ‘leaning’ eight-metre high Hollie and an 11-metre evergreen Thuja tree, which was “growing within close proximity of the building”.
The removal of a 13-metre Mature Leyland Cypress, which was “fast growing” and in “fairly close proximity to the building”, was also granted.
An 18-metre Sycamore was significantly cut down to size to “control encroachment”.
Prior to the work, a neighbour said that the trees were of particular importance as the estate is “in an area with much underground water”, before going onto say that “it is very concerning that three mature forest trees have been lost: two poplars and a sycamore.”
Another resident was even more incandescent about the scheme.
They complained: “There have already been a large number of trees felled in this property and the adjoining one. It is alarming and suspicious that so many more are now being targeted.
“Also, I am concerned that there is no real description of the work planned to reduce foliage between this property and adjoining properties, such as my family’s. This is important for privacy and noise reduction.”
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Inside George Michael’s Property Portfolio
Hampstead wasn’t George’s only home, with the singer boasting an impressive property portfolio across the world.
It included a 16th century house in Goring, Berkshire, where he spent much of his time (pictured above).
George bought the home in around 2001 and lived spent much of his time there.
In 2004 the singer invited US TV star Oprah Winfrey for a tour around the house.
During the interview, revealed he carried out most of the renovation work himself.
He died at the property on Christmas Day 2016 and his family sold it in 2019 for £3.4 million.
The Careless Whisper crooner also snapped up Number 5, The Grove, in the wealthy suburb of Highgate, North London, in 2002.
The Grade II listed semi found itself at the centre of a planning battle in 2019, with neighbours up in arms over the new owners’ plans to change the frontage of their home.
New owners Stephen Cameron and wife Clare Harrison, who described themselves as George Michael “superfans”, later won planning permission to build a “super basement” under the front garden.
George didn’t just accrue three homes in London, he also bagged a stunning $6 million
The property, which went up for sale in 2019, is nestled in the foothills of Santa Barbara, California.
It features a pool, sauna and lighted tennis court and 25 car parking spaces.
The unusual home sits on 5.7 acres of land and boasts an unusual hexagonal living space which looks out over the Pacific Ocean.