UR Geller has moved into a flat in Tel Aviv and admitted he couldn’t be happier.
The 76-year-old magician said he had swapped his UK mansion, which boasted a home cinema and a gym, for a “tiny” apartment in Israel filled with “IKEA furniture.”
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The star said on Twitter: “My dear friends, yup a new page in our lives. We now live in a tiny apartment in Old Jaffa furnished with IKEA furniture and I love it! simplicity is the secret to happiness.”
The TV personality first put the home his Thameside home on the market for £15million in 2015, when he decided to move back to his native Israel.
But he couldn’t find a buyer so he rented it out until the end of last year.
He has now decided to part with his long-term home for good and put it up for sale with Savills and slashed the price by almost half, to £7.95m.
In his time there, Uri hosted royalty, world-famous musicians and sport stars, as well as presidents.
Famous guests included the Queen’s cousin, Prince Michael of Kent, Michael Jackson and TV presenter Sir David Frost.
The village of Sonning is popular with celebrities including the Clooneys and Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page.
When Geller and his wife Hanna renewed their wedding vows in 2001, Michael Jackson was Uri’s best man.
Other guests included illusionist David Blaine and musician Dave Stewart from the Eurythmics.
The house was built in 1970, but has been renovated and expanded since Ur and his family bought it in 1986.
Standout features include a glass conservatory with stunning views of the River Thames and a glass meditation pyramid in the garden.
Uri said his house looks out on “a piece of living art that changes throughout the year.”
It also has the usual trappings of a luxury mansion including a heated pool, jacuzzi and a helicopter pad.
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The main house has over 10,000 sq ft of accommodation.
The ground floor boasts a reception hall, two drawing rooms, a grand glass atrium, conservatory, dining room, study, conservatory and kitchen.
It even has a separate maid’s quarter.
The first floor features eight bedrooms and bathrooms.
While the basement has an entertainment hall, cinema and gym.
There is also a separate cellar with a wine vault, panic room and safe.
Outside, a Japanese water garden features a koi pond, traditional Japanese bridge and three interlinked ponds as well as a 6ft natural waterfall.
There is a four-car garage with a flat above, a professional floodlit tennis court and a large heated, covered swimming pool.
Sonning Court owns about 250m of the towpath of the River Thames, with the mooring accommodating up to 18 boats.
Ur added: “The house is beautifully Palladian in style and visitors frequently tell me how much it looks like the White House in Washington, whether that’s stars of entertainment, royalty or presidents.”
Geller said he extended the house “to make it more balanced and symmetrical” because he’s a “believer in the ancient art of Feng Shui”.
Feng Shui is the practice of arranging pieces in living spaces to create balance with the natural world.
He added: “Sonning Court has been designed so positive energy can flow throughout the house at ease and impact those who are living there.
“Another of the really special things about Sonning Court is its seclusion and privacy. Most people who drive through the village would have no idea this house is here.
“You have to drive through two gates to enter and it’s really set back. It makes you feel like you are entering into your own world when you arrive home.”
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