An English country-style manor in Barrington Hills is the most expensive home for sale in Illinois at $22 million.
The price tag includes a 30,585-square-foot house at 7 Fox Hunt Road and 70.66 acres with two ponds and mature forests. It’s a rare opportunity to own a large estate located about 40 miles from downtown Chicago.
Anyone who appreciates land, whether for hobbies, future construction, or simply an escape, would benefit from this property, said co-listing agent Mimi Noyes of @properties Christie’s International Real Estate.
“The type of buyers we see coming out here for Barrington Hills is somebody that has a passion for land and either just enjoys the open space and the nature that comes with it or the ability to do their own private organic gardens, or now people are getting into chickens, horses, goats and other small animals,” said Noyes.
The rural nature of Barrington Hills is protected by a 5-acre minimum zoning ordinance established in 1963. It’s created a community for large homes and sprawling plots of land, and many residents own and raise horses or hobby farm, according to Homes.com. The average value of a house in Barrington Hills is $1.19 million.
The Fox Hunt Road lot backs into nearly 250 acres owned by Barrington-based Citizens for Conservation. The protected land was previously owned privately by Richard L. Duchossois, a businessman and investor in the nearby Arlington Park horse racing track who died in 2022.
The estate last sold in 2012 for $7.5 million, according to Homes.com, a nearly 300% price increase. Over the years, the homeowners made minor changes to the property, adding 500 pine trees and a home theater, said Noyes.
She also noted a rise in interest in more space in recent years, which has pushed up prices in Barrington Hills.
“We are maintaining at the record high still through last year and coming into this year,” said Noyes. “The pricing is supported, one, due to the increase in the values in the area, and secondly, that you have this acreage and ability to do anything you want on it.”
But the house itself and its amenities also play into it being the costliest home in the state.
Built originally in 2004, the original owners had a large family and often entertained, said Noyes. They chose an English cottage look for their sprawling mansion, with a multicolored slate roof, numerous gables, ivy, brick details and archways. A custom English pub-inspired bar was built by local artisans on the lower level, and walnut paneling, built-ins, and exposed beams are found throughout the home, with multiple stone fireplaces.
The lower level is 9,000 square feet alone and has a walk-in wine cellar, recreation room, arcade, the new theater, a two-bedroom guest suite, massage room, exercise roof, and full-sized gymnasium, including functional scoreboards.
Outside, the home has a pool, hot tub, and cabana with an attached six-car garage. There’s also a separate 4,400-square-foot multipurpose showroom.
Noyes pointed out the house’s school district could lure buyers. “It’s one of the top criteria people look at when purchasing a home, whether they have children or not because it supports the value,” she said.