Imran and Avantika's home improvement

Actor Imran Khan and wife Avantika are all set to trade up their small Bandra flat for a plush bungalow in Pali Hill. The bungalow, which belonged to Imran's grandfather Nazir Hussain, was being renovated and is expected to be ready by Diwali.

Imran reportedly wanted the bungalow to be equipped with a special state-of-the-art viewing room but was put off by the whopping Rs 80 lakh price tag. We don't know if he changed his mind and if 24, Pali Hill will come with its own mini cinema.
(Image courtesy: Mid-Day.com)

Coming Up: Celebs and their fancy homes.

Mannat, Shah Rukh Khan's mansion at Bandra in Mumbai, is as much a landmark of the city as are its historical and political destinations.

The palatial home follows a contemporary format across its six floors, that comprises a library, private cinema, a few rooms that cater to ad shoots, a pool and a gym.

There is even a thatched wall that showcases all his awards over the years. Home to SRK, Gauri, their two children Aryan and Suhana and Shah Rukh's elder sister, Mannat adds to SRK's "King Khan" status in no small measure.

Through his rise to stardom and beyond, Big B's home Jalsa was the cornerstone for superstars in Mumbai's Juhu area.
At the time his li'l boy Abhi entered showbiz, Amitabh Bachchan took on another corner of Juhu and Prateeksha was built.

Now home to Amitabh, Jaya, Abhishek, Aishwarya and the soon to arrive Baby B, Prateeksha is located on the 10th Road of Juhu Scheme.

Before entering the Bachchan household, the then-Aishwarya Rai, stayed on the 12th floor of La Mer, a highrise near Bandra's famous Mount Mary church.
Of course, she played second fiddle to the building's more famous tenant - superbat Sachin Tendulkar.

“Mr Perfectionist” Aamir Khan and wife Kiran live on the first floor of Bella Vista Apartments in Bandra. Those lucky enough to venture inside are usually enchanted by the refined taste and understated elegance of Aamir and Kiran's home.

Dharmendra has two homes in Juhu - one where he stays with his first wife Prakash and his two boys Sunny, Bobby and their families; while the other house has Hema and her two girls Esha and Ahana. His house is a stone's throw away from his Sholay brother Big B's house.

John Abraham's sea-facing bachelor pad is a sleek studio apartment. The actor opted for a clean cut and spacious room that is covered with glass. He even has a glass-walled bathroom, complete with a jacuzzi and a 130 inch projector screen!

We got a peek of Priyanka Chopra's Versova home on Twitter. The actress gave us a peek at her tidy abode, and even her perfume-dominated dresser.

Mama's boy Ranbir stays with his parents Neetu and Rishi Kapoor at their Pali Hill bungalow, Krishna Raj. This Kapoor home is often in the paparazzi eye for the latest on the Casanova's life.

The big Khans of B'wood seem to think alike. Another famous Bandra resident is Salman Khan. It is Galaxy Apartments for the actor, who doesn't seem to be bothered about more space. Though an apartment, Salman has his family at hand, with parents Salim, Salma, Helen, younger brother Sohail and his family in the same building, Arbaaz lives with his family a short distance away in Khar.

Another Bollywood icon, who has taken Bandra's Bandstand glamour quotient up a notch, is Rekha.

The yesteryear diva appreciates her privacy, and the bamboo-ed façade of the house screams to be left alone.

It's a super-luxurious tower ‘Pinnacle of Dreams' in Juhu for Raj Kundra and Shilpa Shetty-Kundra. Hosting frequent parties when in town, the Kundras don't mind posing for shutterbugs in their plush foyer.

Reports also suggest that Mr Kundra has gifted his stunning better half an apartment in the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

The Kundras are the lucky owners of more hot properties like the seven-bedroom ‘Raj Mahal', in Surrey, Greater London. The exclusive locality is no stranger to celebrity homes. Shilpa and Raj also have property in Mayfair and another opposite Selfridges on Oxford Street in London.

Saif and his Tashan love Kareena share his penthouse in Bandra, located in one of the tallest buildings in the area. The logic that inspired this move was to avoid peeping Toms in the area, and enjoy their privacy.
Bebo already let the cat out of the bag on Koffee with Karan that the couple's fave retreat was Gstaad, nestled in the mountains of Switzerland. According to the reports, Saifeena have purchased themselves a private little love nest in the stunning town as well.

Bollywood's reigning fashionista Sonam Kapoor stays with her daddy dearest Anil. The Kapoor home is located on the 7th Road of the Juhu Ville Parle Scheme in Mumbai.
The Kapoors own another home as well, in faraway Orange County, California. This one apparently to cater to son Harshvardhan who was studying at an university.

See some spectacular showbiz homes in Hollywood.

When former Friends star Jennifer Aniston's not making headlines with blockbuster movies or for her closely scrutinised love life, she's dabbles in real estate. The star recently purchased a Manhattan penthouse from celebrity stylist Sally Hershberger.

Jennifer reportedly spent two years renovating the 10,000-square-foot home, which boasts two living rooms, two kitchens, a gym, five bedrooms and eight bathrooms. The outdoor amenities include a swimming pool, a spa, ponds, fountains, an alfresco living room, fireplaces and another kitchen. Designed around a Hawaiian-inspired theme, the house's stonework and tropical plants bear a resemblance to many island resorts.

The Legally Blonde and Sweet Home Alabama star Reese Witherspoon bought herself a $6.9 million country house in Ojai, California. According to the MLS listing, it's a Wallace Neff architectural masterpiece that includes an equestrian compound and has a great new master suite that ensures ‘incredible privacy'. The home was formerly owned by actor/director Harold Ramis of Ghostbusters fame. On March 26th this year, Reese married agent Jim Toth in an outdoor wedding at the ranch in front of about 100 guests.

Keeping Up with the Kardashians just got more difficult! Kim Kardashian, who was the highest earning reality star, earning $6 million in 2010, bought herself a new Mediterranean villa in Beverly Hills. The American socialite and model's new house has five bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, and many fireplaces. It was originally listed at almost $5 million but was eventually reduced to about $3.8 million.

Coming up: Business honchos and their spectacular homes.

Touted as the Richard Branson of India, Vijay Mallya, owns around 26 acres of residential properties all around the world, with his favorite being his California-based home. The liquor tycoon and owner of UB Group and Kingfisher Airlines, Vijay Mallya is one of the most flamboyant billionaires in the world. In India, he owns a Kingfisher Villa in Goa, which is a luxurious real estate property. His Goa villa has everything - from a grand club to a swimming pool - even a pristine private beach.

RIL chairman's Mukesh Ambani's 27-storey skyscraper Antilla set not just a bar for opulence but also the record for the world's most expensive home, according to Forbes.

The Ambanis wanted to build a custom home and consulted with architecture firms Perkins + Will and Hirsch Bedner Associates, the designers behind the Mandarin Oriental, based in Dallas and Los Angeles, respectively. The house was designed using principles of Vaastu Shastra, to maximise 'positive energy.' No two floor plans are alike, and the materials used in each level vary widely.

The home has 400,000 square feet of living space with parking space for 168 cars. There are nine elevators in the lobby and one helipad and an air traffic control facility. The 60-floor tower is also equipped with a health spa, yoga studio, small theatre, multiple swimming pools, three floors of hanging gardens, and a ballroom. Media has frequently reported Antilla to be the world's most expensive home, costing $1 billion.

In 2004, the chairman and CEO, of the LNM Group, Lakshmi N Mittal bought a central London house for a staggering price of £70 million (about Rs 560 crore). The UK-citizen and steel magnate's new house was then the world's most expensive house as per Guinness Book of Records. The 12-bedroom mansion located at the prestigious Kensington Palace Gardens has garage space for 20 cars. The Formula One racing boss, Bernie Ecclestone, who was the previous owner, had bought it for his wife three years ago. Mittal's house in Kensington, London is decorated with marble taken from the same quarry that supplied the Taj Mahal. The extravagant show of wealth has been referred to as the "Taj Mittal". The NRI owns three prime properties collectively worth £500 million on the "Billionaire's Row" at Kensington Palace Gardens.