That doesn’t sound like a great deal in anyone’s books but it is certainly a sign of the times as Simon Cowell has sold his London home for £30m below the asking price

The X-Factor and Britain’s Got Talent judge put the Georgian property on the market in July seeking offers in region of £45m. Days later he agreed to sell the house, in Holland Park, Kensington, for £15m, according to a lender acting for the unnamed multimillionaire buyer.

Cowell, who had lived in the six-bedroom property for 16 years, said he had decided to leave London to start a new life in the country with his partner and young son after a series of burglaries and home invasions.

The sale was agreed in just four days, with Cohort Capital providing a £5.5m loan to the unnamed buyer. Contracts were exchanged on 6 August.

Matt Thame, the founder of Cohort Capital, said: “Given the current turbulent market conditions, time is of the essence more than ever in the luxury real estate sector, and we’re delighted to have been able to close this deal in less than a week.”