A mansion is a detached private house located within the city limits. This type of property is often built in a palatial style, that is why it is considered an elite and expensive class of accommodation. In most cases the mansion is detached from the street by a small area in front of the house and by a garden behind the house. It is different from a country house because it provides the opportunity to live permanently in it.

Distinguishing features of a mansion

There are several criteria which distinguish a mansion house:

  • The mansion is a single-family dwelling (the location and architectural style of the house are intended to emphasise the family’s high social status in society);
  • This house often has a grand street gate, behind which there is a driveway leading to the house;
  • In most cases there is an area in front of the property and a garden behind it.

A bit of history

The first mansions were built in the Middle Ages. However, most were built in the 17th and 18th centuries. The homeland of this type of real estate is considered to be France. In this country, since pre-revolutionary times, expensive detached private houses located in the city were often called mansions rather than palaces as in other countries.
In France, the owners of this type of housing had an active social life, so their property was often divided into two parts: the front — for hosting guests, and private rooms, designed for the owners’ residence.

Since 2015, developers have started to refer high-rise residential buildings to mansions. It is important to note that this is nothing more than a marketing trick meant to attract buyers. These houses with underground parking, spacious living areas and fenced territory are certainly much more comfortable and presentable than similar properties built in residential districts. However, these amenities do not make them mansions in the pure sense of the word.