The Singapore house which British inventor James Dyson is buying features a spiral staircase, landscaped garden and an infinity pool (Roslan RAHMAN)

Singapore (AFP) – British inventor James Dyson is buying a luxury Singapore house with an indoor waterfall that was marketed for $32 million, a report said Friday, weeks after snapping up the city-state’s priciest penthouse.

His electric appliance company, known for its bagless vacuum cleaners, hand dryers and fans, announced this year it was shifting its global headquarters from England to the city-state to be closer to Asian markets.

The company also plans to produce electric cars there, as part of its expansion east after Britain’s 2016 decision to leave the EU.

The Brexit-backing billionaire has initiated the purchase of the luxurious house facing the UNESCO-listed Botanic Gardens, which was put on the market at Sg$45 million ($32.8 million), the city-state’s Straits Times newspaper reported.

The freehold property is over 15,000 square feet (1,400 square metres) and features a spiral staircase, landscaped garden and an infinity pool.

Official documents seen by AFP showed a “caveat” — a document to register a purchaser’s legal interest in a property — was lodged with authorities for the house on July 3.

A spokeswoman for the 72-year-old’s company said she would not comment on the Dyson family’s “private affairs”.

Leong Boon Hoe, chief operating officer of List Sotheby’s International Realty in Singapore, said that type of property was the city’s “most coveted form” of low-rise housing.

Usually only Singapore citizens are allowed to buy the houses but in certain cases foreigners holding Singapore permanent residency are permitted, although they must live in the property themselves.

“Criteria includes making exceptional economic contributions in Singapore,” Leong told AFP. 

Dyson is reportedly a Singapore permanent resident.

Earlier this month, the tycoon made international headlines when it emerged that he had purchased a 21,000-square-foot “super penthouse” for a reported figure of almost Sg$74 million. 

The biggest and most expensive penthouse in Singapore, it sits on the top three floors of a tower in the business district and has a private garden, storage for 600 bottles of wine, and a round-the-clock dedicated butler service.

Affluent and developed, Singapore has long attracted wealthy residents from around the world — a trend that has helped fuel a rise in property prices over the years.

In October, Dyson announced it had picked Singapore for its first electric car plant, sparking criticism from some quarters that the Brexit-supporting tycoon was not investing more at home.

A prototype Dyson electric vehicle is in the works for 2020, followed by a product launch in 2021. The company insists its decision to move headquarters from Britain is not due to Brexit but to be closer to a growing majority of its customers.

Disclaimer: Validity of the above story is for 7 Days from original date of publishing. Source: AFP.