Donald Trump’s childhood home in Queens has sold for $1.93 million after an extensive renovation rescued the property from years of neglect.
The Tudor-style house in Jamaica Estates was built by Trump’s father, developer Fred Trump, in 1940. Donald Trump lived there until he was four, although the family has not owned the property for years.
The latest sale followed a contract agreed in July, with the buyer’s identity undisclosed. The five-bedroom, three-bathroom house was sold by developer Tommy Lin, who bought it last year for $835,000 after it had stood vacant.
Lin spent a further $500,000 on an eight-month refurbishment, adding a chef’s kitchen, herringbone wood flooring and bathrooms designed with spa-style features.
Before the renovation, the property had reportedly suffered water damage and mould after a burst pipe. A colony of feral cats had also occupied the house, according to reports in the New York Post.
The home has changed hands several times in recent years. It sold for $2.14 million in 2017, months after Mr Trump became president, after being bought by an entity called Trump Birth Home LLC.
It was subsequently offered for rent on Airbnb, with copies of Mr Trump’s book The Art of the Deal, life-sized cardboard cut-outs of him and a framed People magazine cover among the furnishings.
The property was put on the market again in 2019 for $2.9 million but remained unsold until Lin purchased it.
Mr Trump made his fortune in property, including through the construction of Trump Tower in Manhattan, before using his public profile and wealth to enter politics. As president, he is overseeing changes to the White House, including the addition of a large ballroom and gold-plated fixtures in the Oval Office.
