Trump's childhood Queens home sells for USD 1.93 million after renovation

Donald Trump's childhood home in Queens has sold for USD 1.93 million after a major renovation. The deal closes another turn in the property's unusual journey from neglect to political curiosity.

In Short

• Built in 1940 by Fred Trump, the Tudor house has five bedrooms
• Developer Tommy Lin bought the vacant property last year for USD 835,000
• He spent USD 500,000 adding a chef's kitchen and spa-style bathrooms

Donald Trump's childhood home in New York City has been sold for USD 1.93 million after a major renovation turned the long-neglected property into a modern residence. The sale price appeared on real estate websites on Friday after a buyer, whose name has not been disclosed, entered into a contract in July.

Trump lived in the Tudor-style house in Queens until he was four. Built in 1940 by his father, developer Fred Trump, the family has not owned the property for years. The five-bedroom, three-bathroom house had fallen into disrepair before being renovated and sold again.

The seller, developer Tommy Lin, bought the property last year for USD 835,000 after it had remained vacant and neglected for years. He then spent another USD 500,000 on an eight-month interior overhaul, adding features such as a chef's kitchen, herringbone wood floors and spa-style bathrooms, the New York Post reported.

The house has changed hands several times in recent years. According to Zillow, it sold for USD 2.14 million a few months after Trump became president in 2017. The buyer was an entity called Trump Birth Home LLC, and the property was briefly listed on Airbnb with life-sized cardboard cutouts of Trump, copies of his book 'The Art of the Deal' and a framed People magazine cover featuring him.

The home was put up for sale again in 2019 with an asking price of USD 2.9 million, but it did not sell until Lin bought it. In the meantime, the Post reported, the property had suffered water damage and mould from a burst pipe, and a colony of feral cats had taken over the house where Trump spent his earliest years.

Trump, now 80, went on to make his fortune in real estate, building Trump Tower in Manhattan and living there for decades before moving into politics. As president, he is also overseeing changes to his own residence, including a large ballroom at the White House and gold-plated fixtures in the Oval Office, which reflect the style associated with his properties. The sale marks the latest chapter in the changing fortunes of the home where Trump spent his early childhood.

With PTI Inputs

- Ends