45 Celebrities Who Chose To Live In Surprisingly Modest Homes

If everybody had the kind of money that our favorite celebrities make, a lot of people would probably be fighting over the million-dollar properties in the best cities in the world. We don’t blame them. After all, everybody wants a nice home, right? However, what we think is nice is very subjective as proven by all these wonderful celebrities who choose to live in modest homes, especially by Hollywood standards. Don’t get us wrong. Their homes are still a hell of a lot better and probably still a lot more expensive than the average home, but they are not exactly the lavish, extravagant, and luxurious properties we would expect them to have. Some of them simply prefer practicality and want to spend and invest their money elsewhere. And if there’s one thing they’ve all proven, it’s not the house that makes the home. 

Robert Pattinson

From starring as the sparkling vampire Edward Cullen, Robert Pattinson has continued to enjoy one successful film after another like High Life, Tenet, The Lighthouse, and Good Time. Now, he’s even taking on one of the most iconic roles out there: The Batman. 

With that level of success, he can choose to live in any mansion he wants, and he did for a while. After breaking up with Kristen Stewart, though, he sold his fancy Los Feliz mansion and settled for a cozy Spanish-style home in the Hollywood Hills. Though smaller, the $2 million hideaway is just as stylish. Originally built in 1958, the house has been wonderfully updated with a blend of contemporary and hacienda ambiance. 

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds

Blake and Ryan are an absolute power couple both in their relationship and wealth. With both their widely successful acting careers, they have a combined $91 million income. True to their personalities, though, they opted to go for a simpler country home in New York instead of buying the fanciest mansion they could find.

Their 1.7-acre farm-like estate is a picturesque beauty covered with gardens and blossoming trees. They even have a barn! And though it did cost a hefty $2 million, it doesn’t exactly scream “celebrities live here.” It is simply a dream home to raise a family in. Plus, they’re reportedly neighbors with Martha Stewart. Could they have a more perfect life?

Zooey Deschanel

With her cute and quirky personality, it’s just easy to imagine Zooey happily living with roommates in an eccentric loft apartment. Unsurprisingly, the truth isn’t far from that in terms of modesty. Before moving with her husband into their new home, Zooey lived in a one-story Cape Cod style home. 

The welcoming little abode cost Zooey $1.69 million and had three bedrooms. It was also one of the smallest houses in her area, but it had a magnificent view. With its wooden furnishings and small patio space, it was the very picture of a calm retreat. We’re not sure if she had any roommates, but it’s definitely very Zooey. 

Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence simply isn’t the type of person we’d imagine walking or tripping around in a huge mansion wearing fancy robes or dresses. True enough, one of her first homes was a quaint, inconspicuous townhouse that reportedly cost her $879 000, a tiny fraction of what she could afford.

The townhouse was by no means a little showpiece home, but it worked enough for Jen to live there until 2014. As it seems, she put whatever she saved from that townhouse towards her next home in LA, a five-bedroom that cost her $8 million. With the prices in LA and her income, though, that is still pretty far from too extravagant. 

Elijah Wood

Elijah Wood knows what it’s like to live and maintain a multi-million dollar home. In 2013 though, the Lord of the Rings star opted to pull back from all the lavishness. Far from Hollywood, he moved into a basic Victorian-style home, which he got at a bargain price of $698 750 in Austin, Texas.

Some reports link Elijah’s move to Austin for his passion for music and record-collecting. And we have to say, Elijah made the right choice. Aside from that, his home seems just like the perfect place for a great barbeque. Just imagine him playing all his great records while hosting a wonderful feast in his backyard. It makes us jealous of all his guests!

Kesha

An understated zen retreat might be the last thing you’d expect a famous party girl to be living in. As it seems, though, Kesha prefers a simpler and quieter life when she’s at home. With her white, green, and turquoise Spanish-style bungalow, which she purchased for $1.6 million, it’s apparent that she’d take cozy comfort over lavish luxury. 

In 2015 though, Kesha left behind this little oasis in Venice, California, and now has taken up residence in a 5 bedroom home in Mar Vista, LA. It’s an upgrade, but it’s just as zen,  just with a more luxurious feel to it. 

Tobey Maguire

Before moving into his huge midcentury-style mansion in Brentwood, California, Toby and his family were the proud owners of a 1920’s style Santa Monica home. The home was already homey in itself, but what added that special touch was the fact that the family spent time and money fixing up the interior to their tastes. 

The 3 600 square feet home was comfortable with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. It also had a beautiful walled courtyard perfect for relaxation and privacy. When Toby and his wife separated in 2017, they sold the house for a nice $3.3 million, which was way above the $2.9 million asking price. 

John Krasinski

Having a family has a major effect on anyone’s living conditions. If John Krasinski didn’t meet Emily Blunt and start a family with her, he probably would have spent more time in his old understated bachelor pad worth a million dollars.

The property had two bedrooms, next to no furniture, and only has the most basic creature comforts. It left John with little space, but perhaps he was too busy working his way to success that it was enough. In 2011, he finally said goodbye to it for a more family-friendly home. 

Christina Ricci

Christina Ricci’s previous LA home had a small and modest interior, but it definitely makes us jealous. It was simply just adorable, and the pool with the string lights looked like just the perfect place to chill at on a good sunny weekend. 

The quaint home cost Christina around $1.5 million. And though that may still be pricey for us common folk, that is pedestrian in Hollywood standards, especially when compared to Christina’s $18 million worth. She has since moved on from this home in 2014. 

Matthew McConaughey

Matthew has obviously moved on from his trailer living days, but he undoubtedly had one of the most modest celebrity homes out there. It wasn’t just a simple trailer as well. Matthew somehow made it so cool.

When he was still a bachelor, Matthew purchased and renovated a 2004 Airstream trailer. He adorned it with surfer decor, and he had a barbecue at the back and a satellite dish on the roof. That’s about it. What else do you need to live a happy life, anyway?

Nicky Hilton

When you look at the Hilton family, they all look like people who own multiple luxurious mansions, villas, and the like worldwide. Their name is basically synonymous with glamour. Nicky Hilton defies this assumption, though.

Surprisingly, Nicky is into simpler houses rather than the extravagant properties we expect to be more in her line. From 2007 to 2015, she lived in a simple three-bedroom home in LA that cost her $2.8 million. That’s still a lot to us, of course, but when you’re a hotel heiress, you could definitely buy that without batting an eye. 

Lea Michelle

At the height of her Glee career, Lea had everything she needed to be able to go all out and splurge on any home that she wanted, but she decided that it was not yet the time. So for one of her first homes, she got this cute two-bedroom bungalow.

It was small, but it was covered in beautiful greens and had its luxuries. It had its own solar-heated saltwater pool and a beautiful marble finish in the kitchen. After living there for about 3 years, Lea sold it for $1.8 million. 

Paul McCartney

If you were a member of a band as famous and iconic as The Beatles, you go down in history as a legend. Paul MacCartney, though, isn’t interested in living the life many us would assume befits a legend. 

There are no collections of vacation homes all over the world or huge sprawling mansions in his name. There’s just his understated triplex in London that he calls home. It’s so unremarkable that it looks like all its other neighbors on the street. With a net worth of $1.2 billion, Paul has other properties, but none, not one, are mansions. He simply doesn’t like throwing money away. Even his friends have labeled him cheap.

Ellen Page

A house that costs nearly a million dollars is definitely not a starter home for most people. But for Ellen Page, who has a net worth of around $18 million, her humble two-bedroom that cost her $885 000 was simply perfect.

The home featured your typical pool, palm trees in the backyard, and vaulted ceilings. Other than that, everything else was pretty average, especially since Ellen kept to the most basic essentials. It seems that she has a knack for real estate, though, because when she moved out in 2014, the house sold for a lot more than when she bought it. 

Dolly Parton

Dolly is a woman of many many capabilities. She’s a much loved and widely successful singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. It’s no wonder everyone knows her name, she has been the undisputed queen of country music for a long time. It’s also no wonder she’s worth half a billion dollars.

Dolly doesn’t allocate much of her wealth for herself, though. She bought her primary residence with her husband Carl Dean for $400 000 in 1999, which was probably one of her best real estate investments. Where could you get a 3 324 square feet property for that price nowadays? 

Chris Daughtry

Chris Daughtry certainly had an eye for good real estate deals. At the height of his career, he purchased this 3 782 square foot beautiful traditional-style house for an very reasonable $699 000, which is a bargain by any standard. 

The house had four bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms. And given that there were six of them in the family, two children had to share a room. How un-celebrity like, right? Not. Despite that, the house did have a spa, a golf course, and a saltwater pool. Who needs their own bedroom when you have all that? 

Charlotte Ronson

Charlotte has a knack for small space decorating. Whenever she posted her decor online, she inspired us to be creative with our very own spaces. But no matter what she did to her Manhattan apartment, it stayed a Manhattan apartment, you know, tiny.

Since having a baby with her husband, Nate Ruess, Charlotte has upgraded but she hasn’t lost her love for modest spaces. Their new home is bigger, but it’s still quite compact. They’ve done an amazing job making it feel so welcoming though and making space for all the baby things. If you haven’t been taking home decor tips from this woman, you should definitely start now. 

Simon Helberg

Howard may not have looked like much on The Big Bang Theory, but the actor who played him, Simon Helberg, has been named as one of the highest-paid actors on TV. The actor reportedly made around a million dollars per episode. Still, he opted to call this humble and pretty cottage his home, which cost him $950 000.

Its exterior has that simple beauty, but it’s the inside that we’re living for. Built in 1920, this 2569 square foot homey cottage features marvelous interior woodwork that accentuates its architectural lines. Couple that with the greens and the porch, and we’re sold. 

Tori Spelling

This actress, socialite, and television personality seems to have an affinity for moving. In 2016, it was reported that she moved eight times in the past six years. That’s eight times too many packing and unpacking, no thank you. However, Tori did have a preference for more modest homes.

Before she had her fourth child, she and her family stayed in this basic three-bedroom bungalow with a modern farmhouse feel to it. Although the house wasn’t that big, it sits on a 1.73-acre piece of land that was basically their entire backyard. There, Tori had her garden where she grew her own food. The family also had a pet pig and a chicken named Coco Chanel. 

Vincent Kartheiser

Just the very thought of a bed that goes up to the ceiling with the push of a button has us sold on Vincent’s Hollywood cabin. Every morning, you simply have to push that button, and your bed is made, or well, hidden away from sight. 

What makes Vincent’s home all the more amazing is that it was less than 600 square feet. Yep, that’s right. It was compact, but the actor made use of every inch of it wisely hence the bed and all the space-saving techniques. Vincent spent $547 000 on it, and when he finally sold it off for a bigger home, he made a nice profit of $650 000.

Brooke Shields

When we think of the Hamptons, we imagine huge, sprawling beach houses that seem to span the length of half the beach. It’s just hard to imagine anything less there. Apparently, though, there are a couple of homes there that can pass off as a regular family house, and Brooke Shields owns one of them. 

Brooke bought the sweet and cozy cottage in 2013, intending to make it a great home to raise their daughters in. She also completely renovated it to suit her tastes. It still wasn’t cheap given its location, but it looks like a home waiting for sweet memories to fill it. 

Michael Symon

If we had the money Michael Symon has, we’d definitely go for this picturesque countryside home. The Tudor-style house in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, looks like a house you’d only see in movies and fairytales. And aside from the spectacular structure of the house, the beauty of the grounds is just breathtaking. If you live here, you might actually find peace. 

Symon bought this house for only half a million dollars. And before you say that is a hell of a lot of expensive, better take a look at that structure and grounds again. Of course, Symon had a phenomenal kitchen, but aside from that and a cozy fireplace, everything else was kept pretty simple. He later sold this for around $550 000.

Lena Dunham

Lena has successfully created and starred in a hit tv series but believe it or not, at the beginning of that, she lived in a one-bedroom apartment. It’s hardly any different to a flat you or we could rent, but it cost Lena $500 000.

The actress bought the 800 square-feet apartment the year her series Girls premiered. Though the price might seem too much, you’d find it cheap considering that it’s located in the affluent Brooklyn Heights neighborhood. A few years down the line, though, in 2014, Lena rented it out, and in 2017, she finally sold it off for $850 000.

Jack White

Jack’s splendid Kalamazoo, Michigan home, looks more like a museum from the outside rather than a home. Given that he started his professional career as an upholstery apprentice, though, it’s easy to see his appreciation for the property’s interesting architecture.

Surprisingly though, this spectacular house only cost Jack, who is a millionaire, by the way, only $510 000. It was a perfect fit for his minimalist style though and gave him all the peace and solitude away from all the hubbub of the Hollywood world. 

Lena Headey

We’ve gotten so used to seeing Lena Headey hanging around castles that it’s hard to get the picture of her drinking wine on the balcony out of our heads when imagining her home. In reality, though, Lena has pretty modern taste. 

She bought this petite bungalow at a reasonable $790 000 and added her flair to the place. She combined its cool mid-century style with plenty of colors and fun tiles, which gave the place a bright atmosphere. Sadly, she parted with this beauty in 2017; however, she got her money’s worth and much more since she sold it for $2.05 million. 

Dave Grohl

This little property looks bland as sand and does not hint that its owner is actually worth $225 million. If you ever pass by his neighborhood, you might not even find his house since it’s just easily forgettable. Dave doesn’t mind, though. The man believes in making sound financial decisions, and well, he’s pretty right on the mark. 

Dave purchased the LA beach home in 2007 and lived there until 2015. It had a gorgeous view for sure, but the only other thing that sets it apart from other homes is the state of the art recording studio Dave added to the house. When he sold it, he made an impressive $1 million in addition to its original buying price. 

Lauren Conrad

We all know Lauren from The Hills. When the show got the green light for a reboot, though, the star decided to turn away from her acting career and focus on her passion, fashion. She established her own business, and one of the first homes she bought with her income, was this understated Brentwood retreat.

The property’s most prominent features are its plentiful big open windows. These allow the sunlight to just stream in and fill the house with golden light and warmth. No wonder Lauren loved it there. After a few good years though, Lauren put it on the market in 2017.

Warren Buffet

Warren’s name is synonymous with multiple dollar signs; however, he might just be one of the most humble and modest billionaires on Earth. He bought his Omaha, Nebraska home in 1958, for his family for $31 500. (That’s only 0.001 percent of his income!) And he lives there still today.

It’s huge at 65 000 square feet and would be a lot more expensive now, but it doesn’t seem like a billionaire’s home. According to Warren, he refuses to move because he’s simply happy there and doesn’t see any need to move elsewhere. He also prefers good memories more than huge houses. With that, he donates most of his fortune to charity. He’s also part of the “Giving Pledge,” where he has committed to giving half of his wealth away to worthy causes. 

Juliette Lewis

Peeping through the treetops, Juliette’s modernized 1950s Mediterranean villa somewhat has the feel of a treehouse. It stands on 2475 square feet of land and has three bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, and a separate studio. 

Juliette bought the property for almost $1.5 million. And if you think the exterior is already fine, you have to check out the inside. Featuring a wood-beamed cathedral ceiling, a white brick fireplace, a solarium, arched windows, and medium-brown hardwoods all through the house, it’s a place of marvel. 

Pete Wentz

Fall Out Boy’s music always wants to make you dance no matter how embarrassing your moves are. Unlike other overindulgent rock stars, though, their bassist Pete opted to buy a home that can only be described as zen at the modest price of $1.5 million. 

The four-bedroom pad is welcoming and warm. It’s surrounded by trees, exotic plants, and freaking mini waterfalls that create a tranquil atmosphere. Soon enough, Pete found the house too small for his growing family and moved on to a bigger home. 

Bill and Giuliana Rancic

Being the stars of their own television show, you’d expect this couple to have a home on some wide grounds or a spot with picturesque views. But as it seems, they have different tastes than their peers in the celebrity world. 

In 2013, they bought this beautiful brownstone in Chicago for $2.1 million. It was built way back in 1866 so it makes sense that they spent a little bit more on an extensive redo of the place. In the end, it looks like it paid off since although it isn’t the usual celebrity big house, it does look pretty amazing. 

Phaedra Parks

Most of you might recognize her from Real Housewives of Atlanta, but this amazing woman is more than a TV star. She’s also an author, an entrepreneur, an entertainment attorney, and surprisingly a licensed funeral director and mortician. We’d love to hear the backstory of that one. Apparently, she also has a knack for real estate.

In 2013, she bought this elegant mini-mansion that has all the makings of a perfect Southern mansion for $845 000. It stands at 4500 square feet and features a homey French provincial design. When Phaedra finally decided to sell it off, she got a good $1.2 million out of the deal. 

Tim Cook

Tim is the CEO of one of the largest companies in the world, Apple Inc., and he is worth more than a lot of corporations, with an estimated worth of $625 million. But like a lot of millionaires on this list, he’s not entirely motivated by riches or luxury. 

Tim believes that living modesty reminds himself of where he came from, which is reflected in his four-bedroom humble home in Palo Alto, California. It has a tiny yard and, surprisingly just a one-car garage. Instead of spending it on his home, Tim prefers giving his wealth away to charities. 

Meredith Vieira 

Being daytime show royalty, Meredith has several properties to her name, but her West Coast home in the Hollywood Hills might be her most modest one. The modest but charming house is located on a cul-de-sac and is surrounded by views of the Hollywood sign, Lake Hollywood, the Griffith Observatory, and the sparkling valley lights.

The property has three bedrooms and two bathrooms and features a living room full of reclaimed brick, vaulted ceilings, a hearth fireplace, and a gourmet kitchen. It’s also quite near to the hiker’s paradise Runyon Canyon. All in all, it’s the perfect place to chill and relax for a celeb like Meredith. 

Mariska Hargitay

Law & Order fans would recognize Mariska anywhere. Given her twenty seasons run on the show, it’s obvious that she has earned plenty of cash. And in 2012, she and her husband decided to buy this gorgeous six-bedroom townhouse. 

Now, they did pay a heft $10.7 million for it, but the space is much smaller than what you’d expect for that exorbitant price. What the couple mostly paid for was its Upper West Side location. With its bright light design and all the window space, though, it looks just about worth it. 

Tom Shadyac

You may not immediately recognize his name, but that’s because his craft lies behind the lens. He was the youngest joke writer ever for Bob Hope, and he has written and directed several successful films such as The Nutty Professor, Bruce Almighty, and Liar, Liar.

He is worth $12 million, and early in his career, he did invest a portion of his wealth on a 17 000 square feet mansion. However, after a bike accident in 2007, he left his Hollywood life, sold his mansion, and moved to a Malibu beach trailer home. He had also started giving more of his fortune away and even set up a homeless shelter in Virginia. He now spends his time teaching film at the University of Memphis. 

Brandon Boyd

Songwriters and artists are known to occasionally lock themselves away from the world to truly delve into their craft, and Brandon isn’t different. In fact, when you look at his bungalow in Santa Monica, it looks like the kind of bright and peaceful place you can really hunker down and find inspiration. 

Although he did buy it at $3.5 million, that price is still lower than the other properties in the neighborhood. His Topanga property though, is what you can really call an artist’s home. It’s cheaper at $2.5 million but a little bit bigger. Its highlights are a modern treehouse, a seasonal creek, a barn, and a riding area. Oh, and did we mention it had a yurt?

Wolf Blitzer

Wolf Blitzer may seem intimidating on camera, but his home is far from that. It simply looks like an ordinary family home that you can walk up to and expect a nice couple to greet you at the doorstep. Surprisingly, Wolf and his wife have lived in this humble abode since 1990.

They purchased the property for $710 000, and it is located at Bethesda, Maryland. It’s not far from Washinton, which is a great convenience to Wolf. However, if he wanted to, he could even purchase a home in the heart of Washington itself, but as it seems, the anchor is perfectly content living a suburban life. 

Tony Hsieh

Tony is one of the men behind the leading online shoe and clothing company, Zappos. He had just retired earlier this year, but he had already amassed millions in his name, roughly $850 million worth. One thing Tony doesn’t spend his massive fortune on though is big, lavish homes.

Instead, the CEO prefers spending his free time in his modest custom-made 240 square feet Airstream trailer. In his podcast, Tony said he doesn’t care about the space, especially when his nightly campfire brings him plenty of interesting and random memories and experiences. Maybe he should get together with Matthew McConaughey. They seem like they’d bond over their love for trailers. 

Ellen Pompeo

Even without finishing her whole name, Grey’s Anatomy fans would know Ellen. Some of her die-hard fans would also probably know that she has an affinity for modest spaces. For one, her on-set trailer is amazing! You won’t even know it’s a trailer from the pictures. Ellen made good use of the small space and transformed it into a pleasant space to relax while on break from filming. 

Another of her more modest properties included a home in the Hamptons. Unlike the other million-dollar properties in the area, her farmhouse-style home cost her $925 000. It had a double-height living room and a space for a tennis court outside. Ellen sold it for $2.99 in 2019, a bit lower than her asking price but a great profit nevertheless. 

Mark Zuckerberg

Mark Zuckerberg, owning Facebook and all that, is one of the richest men on the planet worth not millions but $92.9 billion. And the dude isn’t even 40 yet. Much like most big company owners here though, he isn’t big on big houses. He’s more into providing a nurturing environment for his family and having privacy for himself, so he’s set himself up in this $7 million modest family home.

$7 million isn’t modest by any standards but given its Silicon Valley location and Mark’s worth, we can say that it’s not an excessive purchase at all. What he didn’t spend on the house though, Mark spent on his privacy. He reportedly spent a whopping $30 million to buy four of the properties surrounding his home just to tear them down and rebuild them. He’s probably not so much after his mini houses more than the privacy it provides his main home. 

Adrian Peterson

NFL fans would surely recognize the Detroit Lions player. Despite being worth $30 million though, Adrian values good memories more than a lavish home. So in 2007, he and his wife purchased this lovely Minnesota home for $665 000. 

He raised his kids there up until 2017, when he contracted to play for the New Orleans Saints. They had to reallocate to a 4167 square feet home in New Orleans to make it closer for his new team. But if they didn’t have to, they’d probably still be living in their beautiful Minnesota family home. 

Angie Harmon

Model turned Baywatch actress Angie Harmon once called this lovely shack-type home in LA. At first glance, it looks small, but it actually has enough space at 2 338 square feet to have four bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms. That is definitely more than enough for one person to live in. 

Angie bought the property a year after she and NFL player Jason Sehorn ended their 13-year marriage, for $3 million.In 2016, the actress put it up for rent for $15 000 a month. The following year, it popped again on rental listings but at a lower $13 500 per month. 

Daryl Hannah

Daryl made her name in films like Splash, Kill Bill, and Steel Magnolias. But even if she amassed quite a lot of money from those, she opted to stay in this 1 540 square feet nature surrounded haven in Malibu. 

Daryl bought it in the early 2000s for $1.32 million. Aside from the main house, what’s really eyecatching about it is the extensive grounds, which has a pasture, a vegetable garden, and native and exotic gardens. It looks like a house from Hansel and Gretel without the evil children eating witch. 

Don Cheadle

Who would have known that one of Don Cheadle’s many hobbies is flipping houses? He and his wife have a knack for purchasing small properties, expanding and renovating them, and turning them into eco-friendly homes. 

One of his most recent purchases is this 1950s bungalow in Venice, California. He and his wife made good use of every single inch of the space and turned it into a three-story home with three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms. It cost them $894 000 but getting to create that large rooftop terrace and savoring the magnificent views is definitely worth it.