“New Castle” spec manse in Malibu gets price hike after months on market

The race to have the priciest home in Malibu is on, and luxury designer and builder Scott Gillen is not holding back. Just days after Johnny Carson’s former home hit the market for $81.5 million, Gillen is planning to tack an extra $5 million onto his Malibu project, which will make it regain its status as the area’s most expensive listing.

Dubbed “the New Castle” for its location atop a former Scottish-style castle, Gillen’s spec home in Malibu will be relisted Wednesday for $85 million, up from its $80 million listing earlier this year, The Real Deal has learned.

The 15,200-square-foot mansion at 23800 Malibu Crest Drive first hit the market for $60 million in 2015, when it was not yet constructed. It was relisted in January 2016 for $75 million, and then, in March, it listed for $80 million.

Luxury and eco-friendly amenities, along with an extensive art collection, are said to behind the mark-up. In addition to the $1 million wine and cigar room, Tesla charger and butterfly sanctuary already offered in the previous listing, the Malibu estate will now offer nearly $1.5 million worth of art and a super-charged black Range Rover.

The main residence includes five bedrooms, five bathrooms, a media room, a game room, a motor court with a valet stand and a 75-foot-long infinity pool. A 4,200-square-foot guest house can be found outside. Ocean views surround the entire estate.

Property at 23800 Malibu Crest Drive (Unvarnished)

“When the art installation is complete the value of the collection will be around 1.5 million dollars with original works from well-known named artists,” Gillen said in an emailed statement. “In addition to the art, and due to the details and the complexity of this particular construction, I have decided to raise the price to $85 million.”

Sandro Dazzan and Brittany Monforte of Coldwell Banker share the listing with Branden Williams of Hilton & Hyland.

Gillen, a former television commercial director, is the founder of firm Unvarnished. He made headlines this summer when he dropped $50 million for a 24-acre plateau of land on the Malibu Bluffs.

“This is extremely good value, based on the current market for a home on the promontory of the original iconic Malibu castle that can never be replaced,” Gillen said.

Over in Beverly Hills, Nile Niami went in the opposite direction when he repriced his extravagant “Opus” spec manse on Billionaire’s Row. After it failed to sell at the cool $100 million, the developer chopped off $15 million, removing the Damien Hirst paintings, the gold Rolls Royce and the matching Lamborghini that were originally included.