If I kept the house, it would be subdivided into apartments I’d put for rent through an agency (managed apartments are relatively rare in Spain, and those which exist are both expensive and not very well managed). There would be cleaning service available, both for regular cleaning and in-depth when needed. I’d keep one of the apartments myself but woe betide the person from the agency who lets it slip I’m the owner 
actually, I probably could set up a corporation and do everything through a lawyer… I think I even know who could I hire.
In previous versions of this thread, I’ve stated that I’d like to build a Vauban style fortress. But to be honest, I’d rather have an intimate cottage on a large, secluded lot than a mansion. As long as I had my bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, den and living or family room, I’m fine. Maybe a single guest room for if my folks visit. What’s important for the house is it’s location. Probably in the Appalachians so that I can go hiking in the wooded hillls. It would have to have a stream, preferably with a waterfall, and lots of great exposed rock formations.
As for luxuries, it would have a small cottage for the cook and\or maid.
And I’d winter here in SW FLA.
So, basically, you’d be hoping for this place to come on the market.
Sell the house, buy maybe three beautiful houses in beautiful locations (say Hawaii, New York and Banff). No servants, per se, but a cleaning service and other assorted hired people like mechanics and the like.
Not a big house, but an incredibly clean one. The servants would use MP2 Work Order software to schedule that tighter than Dick’s hatband: “2:15 - scour grunge buildup around faucet couplings. 2:25 - Q-Tip & Lysol refrigerator gasket,” etc.
It’s unlikely that the construction would meet my spec.s, so I’ll probably sell the mansion and build a house o fmy own.
I want concrete and steel rebar, and inch-thick acrylic windows. Basically, I want to be able to sit through any storm without fear. No more listening to the roof shake while huddling in the crawl space for me!
I’d also want a roof-top solar collection grid, and enough land to put in a windmill or two (not huge ones, but enough to provide redundancy.)
I’d want an orchard, and a large greenhouse (again, acrylic, glass freaks me out!) and the fish tanks would almost certainly be wayyyyy out of control. And outdoor ponds stocked with food fish and freshwater shrimp.
Oh! and the greehouse would also house the outdoor pool.
In short, I’d want to be able to get through any crisis on my own resources.
I’d also want a series of comfortable cabin type homes for the household staff at the edge of the property, so they could live close without having to settle for a bedroom as their only personal space. Little golf carts to drive around in.
And a series of small condos in various cities, each with an appropriate set of clothes for Celtling and I, so that we could travel without having to worry about luggage.
I’d keep the mansion and the servants. I might not actually live there much though. I’d be out traveling. I’d treat the mansion mostly as a hotel where I, friends, and family sometimes stay. I’d buy other houses in other places too. They’d probably be much less ostentatious but might also have a housekeeper to look after it while I was away.
I have always wanted to own Belcourt Castle in Newport. I would be thrilled to remove the nasty-ass French paneling that Alma put into the original library and convert it back to the original library. I can ebay the stupid panels. I would be thrilled to live in the original owner’s suite. I believe that there is a small kitchen near the Oval Dining Room, Alma converted the original first floor area into a large formal dining room with a large kitchen so she could throw big dinner parties. I don’t feel the need to have huge parties so the smaller kitchen and dining room would be just fine. I would need a full time cook and scullery/server along with the butler/major domo, a couple of assorted maids, a gardener to deal with the outside, an assistant and a couple bodyguard/drivers. I know a law firm that has an accountant working with them that can handle the financial.legal needs. I would like to buy a boat for traveling, and would need a bit of a crew for it. Anything else I can buy/rent/lease along the way.
Heh. I had exactly the same image in mind when I read the description.
Well, the landscape is good. But FLWs designs don’t really do it for me.
I’d keep the mansion as well as the staff. I’d add 24-hour nursing to the staff and set up a fully equipped apartment for my 89-year-old mother, complete with space for a live-in caregiver (yes, in addition to the nursing staff). Then I’d start creating another living space for a couple who have become good friends. After that, we’d probably start discussing whether to invite more friends and familiy to move in. It would depend on the size of the place, since I’d want every individual to have plenty of private space, and I’d also want rooms for everyone’s favorite activity. At the very least, I’d envision at least two theater TV rooms, one for sports and one for movies and non-sports. And of course there would have to be a huge kitchen, with a full-time chef. We’d also have to have plenty of guest rooms for visiting friends and family. So basically this place would become something like a first-rate full-service hotel.
I’d be packed so fast and moving in it’d make people’s heads spin.
If a couple of billion dollars dropped in my lap (figuratively speaking. Literally speaking it would kill me), there’s no way I would buy a huge mansion and have a horde of survants.
But if the money came with it, I would keep it. Especially if it was a place like this.
I’ve inherited hundreds of millions of dollars plus a mansion. Why would I need to choose between the mansion and some other house? I can have both! Many houses!
Hmm, I was just assuming all along that everyone was going to hire 12 ex-army Gurkha security guards and it was just so obvious that no one bothered typing it out.
Anyway, if one of the mansions was right, I might turn it into a hotel. I am quite baffled by people who get way more house than they need. I guess if I became some huge mover and shaker in the political/business world I might want a mansion to host informal “conventions”, otherwise I only want rooms I’m likely to use.
I’d want a place as big as the Palace of Versailles-a place where I can “stretch my legs”-I also want the attached gardens. I’ll need at least 25-35 dogs, a herd of sheep, cows, and horses.
The idea of sleeping in a different room every night appeals to me!
I’d like an inter coastal boat with a deck big enough for a small car and sea plane. I’d use it to travel hither and yon to write a book on the best barbeque and Blues establishments along navigable waterways.
Well, the grounds are exactly what you described. Once you bought it you could just knock the old place down and build something more suitable.
Scrooge McDuck was a stingy sonofabitch. I’m laying off the staff with FIVE year’s salary, selling the mansion, and buying this house to live in.
Part of that is illegal, you know.