Macaulay Culkin Admits He Considered Buying $5.25 Million ‘Home Alone’ House ‘Just for Giggles’

Macaulay Culkin has revealed that he came incredibly close to stepping into the shoes of his famed “Home Alone” character Kevin McCallister by buying the iconic Illinois mansion that is featured in the hit holiday movie.

The 44-year-old actor and musician confessed during a recent stop on his “A Nostalgic Night With Macaulay Culkin” tour that he considered purchasing the Winnetka property that serves as the family home of the McCallisters when it came on the market in May for $5.25 million.

“I had half a mind to buy it—just for giggles,” Culkin told the audience at the Rosemont Theater in Illinois, according to the New York Times. He imagined turning the fictional home into a “movie fun house” where people could sled down the stairs just like Kevin does in the movie, he said.

Sadly, that scenario didn’t come to pass.

“I got kids. I’m busy, man,” explained Culkin, who shares two children with partner Brenda Song.

Culkin became a global sensation after playing Kevin in the first two movies in the “Home Alone” franchise, which quickly became a cult holiday classic. President-elect Donald Trump even made a cameo in its second New York City–based installment.

“Home Alone” tells the story of 8-year-old Kevin, who is left behind accidentally when the rest of his leaves for a family vacation. He is then tasked with defending his home from bungling burglars (played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern). The kid outwits their plan to rob the place, and antics abound.

The original 1990 movie grossed an astonishing $476.7 million worldwide, the second highest-grossing movie of that year, losing out the top spot to Demi Moore‘s hit movie “Ghost.”

Renovated residence

The stately suburban space was renovated and expanded in 2018, and now offers five beds, six baths, and 9,126 square feet of living space.

After changing hands in 2012 for $1,585,000, the brick residence returned to the market this past May, completely renovated and with a boost in asking price to $5.25 million.

After just a week, the home is pending sale. While there are some downsides to owning a famous movie home (hello hordes of fans using your house as a tourist attraction!), industry experts insisted when the property went up for sale that there were far more positives than negatives.

“The house is well priced for its size and condition,” real estate agent Cara Ameer tells Realtor.com®. “The celebrity factor of this home, being featured in such a popular and legendary movie, also adds to the overall value. It is one of those homes people will want to drive by to see if they know the movie and the area where it was filmed.”

Fellow real estate agent Jason Gelios agrees, explaining that the star power of the home would only help it to find a buyer.

“Any time you have a famous name or movie associated with a property, it affects the value in a positive way,” he explains. “The only way a property associated with someone famous would not sell for asking price would be if the property is distressed or in horrible shape.

“This often causes the property to sell for less than desired, no matter who is associated with the property.”

The “legendary holiday dream home,” as the listing describes it, is located in a Chicago suburb and was originally built in 1928.

The upscale interiors feature formal living and dining rooms. The family room has a coffered ceiling and French doors that lead to the backyard. Adjacent to the “magazine-worthy” kitchen with double islands and a built-in banquette is a second family room.

Other amenities include a “luxury” primary suite with a gas fireplace. And that attic, where little Kevin was banished in the movie? That’s been transformed into a “junior primary suite.”

The lower level holds more delights, including a fully equipped gym, wet bar, and home theater, along with an indoor sportscourt. With this fully loaded recreational space, Kevin would have been begging to stay home.

‘Home Alone 2’ home

That’s not the only “Home Alone” property that received attention. Yep, it’s a real estate sequel: A New York City townhouse that was featured in the second movie, “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” hit the market a year ago for $6.7 million.

The four-bedroom dwelling’s interior was never shown in the movie, but its familiar exterior continues to draw attention, especially around the holidays.

The fully renovated 1880s abode on the Upper West Side, steps from Central Park, also found a buyer last month. The home sold for $5.7 million.