Ricky Gervais has reportedly secured a buyer for his £2.95million riverside home just days after listing it, as he prepares to marry his partner of 44 years, Jane Fallon.
The 65-year-old comedian and actor primarily lives in a £14.75million, nine-bedroom mansion in Hampstead, north-west London.
He purchased the Buckinghamshire property, which he once called his “little country retreat”, for £2.75million in 2014.
Earlier this year, Gervais finally received council permission to demolish the four-bedroom home, built in the 1920s, and replace it with a Grand Designs-style mansion following a two-year planning battle.
However, he has now chosen to sell the property and is understood to have found a buyer within days. The decision is likely to leave The Office star facing a financial loss on the sale.
When he bought the home, he paid 7 per cent stamp duty, as well as covering legal and estate agent fees. Further costs will be incurred through the sale.
Gervais and Fallon are also likely to have spent a considerable sum on architects and consultants during the lengthy planning process.
The comedian revealed last month that he and Fallon were finally planning to marry to avoid a potentially substantial inheritance tax bill when one of them dies.
Ricky Gervais has reportedly found a buyer for his £2.95million riverside home just days after putting it on the market
Gervais bought the Buckinghamshire property, which he called his “little country retreat”, for £2.75million in 2014
The star said he and Jane Fallon were finally planning to marry to avoid a major inheritance tax bill
Gervais had spent decades arguing that marriage was unnecessary, but his position changed just five months after Fallon revealed in March that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer.
Asked whether tax was a good reason to get married, Gervais told Saga Magazine: “It is. And that will be the reason I marry. But if it wasn’t for that… why? It’s mad.”
“How more married can you be? We share all our money, we’ve been living together for 40 years. Some marriages don’t last a year.”
Acknowledging that he may need to formalise the relationship sooner rather than later, he added: “It’s horrible isn’t it? I’ve got to get around to marrying before I die.”
Under current rules, unmarried couples do not receive the exemption that allows an estate to pass to a surviving husband, wife or civil partner without inheritance tax.
Without that exemption, inheritance tax is charged at 40 per cent on estates above the £325,000 tax-free threshold. The bill could be significant for the creator of the television docu-soap parody The Office, who owns a property portfolio worth millions.
The tax could take a substantial portion of his estimated £53million fortune, which includes the Buckinghamshire home, his London mansion and two flats in New York.
The Thames-side property offers its buyer a choice: they can keep the existing house, which comes with a mooring and tennis court, or replace it with a newly built dream home.
However, the property’s future development could prove a drawback. Plans are in place to build a house on the neighbouring empty plot, while anyone who keeps the current home may have to contend with up to two years of construction work.
This isn’t ideal considering the idyllic, peaceful Buckinghamshire location.
Mr Gervais had his initial plans to build a new neo-Georgian mansion turned down as it didn’t meet local and national guidelines, plus the estate had been flooded five times since 1947.
The approved plans for a new house include building a 26ft-wide flood buffer zone along the Thames and raising the ground floor by 3ft to help prevent flooding.
Mr Gervais finally got council approval this year to demolish the four-bedroom house dating back to the 1920s and replace it with a Grand Designs-style mansion after a two-year planning battle
But he instead has decided to sell and already found a buyer within days
Estate agents Savills describe the existing house as being ‘a detached family home in an outstanding position’
It will enable the house on the site to be replaced with a mansion boasting an entrance hall, gym, drawing room, reading area, lift and master bedroom with a terrace overlooking the tennis court and pond.
A planning agent acting for Mr Gervais had argued in a design statement that the current house in Marlow was of ‘poor design quality’ with a ‘disjointed internal layout’.
The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead finally gave the green light, but Mr Gervais would have to obtain a special flood permit.
He’d also need to obtain a bat licence from Natural England after 333 soprano pipistrelle bats were recorded emerging from the dwelling back in 2023.
The local authority said ‘a peak of 276 bats were seen to emerge in 2025.’ To mitigate any disturbance, Mr Gervais promised to build a new bat loft in his garage, as well as erecting two bat boxes in nearby trees.
Mr Gervais’s representatives have been contacted for comment.
Estate agents Savills describe the existing house as being ‘a detached family home in an outstanding position’ with ‘generous’ car parking.
The details add: ‘An extraordinary opportunity to acquire a house on the river in Marlow with a private mooring. Options for living in the house as current, or rebuilding with full planning consent in place.’
Savills goes on to say that the house is in ‘a wonderfully private and secluded setting’ and in ‘a superb position on the banks of the River Thames, thoughtfully orientated to make the most of its exceptional riverside setting’.
The listing states: ‘Whilst the home is ready to be enjoyed, this property also presents an exciting opportunity with full planning permission granted for the replacement of the existing dwelling with a substantial four-bedroom home, together with a detached carport/store and associated works.
‘The extensive grounds are bordered by mature trees, creating a leafy backdrop and a strong sense of privacy.’
