Jennifer Garner flaunts LA family home as Ben Affleck, JLo's fails to sell

Jennifer Garner finally opened her gates for a rare glimpse at her $7.9M farmhouse in Los Angeles.

In a recent Architectural Digest video, the 13 Going On 30 star gave a tour of her property in the hills of Los Angeles that she built after she and Ben Affleck finalised their divorce in 2018.

The mom-of-three spoke frequently about her kids and their friends using the space, designed by husband-and-wife architect and interior designer team Steve and Brooke Giannetti.

Designer Laura Putnam also contributed to the project by turning the actress' dream of owning a “new, warm, family home” into a reality, she revealed.

Garner, 52, insisted that while she is generally a “private person,” her intention is far from just showing off. “I’ve never built anything all by myself before and I am so proud of it,” she gushed.

“I am filled with gratitude every time I walk into my house that I get to live here. That I’m so lucky to have my kids here. So, it’s unlike me, and yet, I’m so happy to have shared it with you.”

At another point in the video, she added, “I looked and looked for a house to move into, but I needed privacy, and any house that had privacy was more grand than I felt comfortable in,” she explained.

Garner's estate houses "fun custom features" in addition to a slumber party room, a Harry Potter-themed hideaway for Samuel, a saltwater aquarium, and a reading nook with a pair of stained-glass windows. Her living room features a wall of glass that seamlessly slides away to reveal a deck and pool.

“I love having a spot that is just, where kids can be kids,” she said of her three children, Violet, 18, Seraphina, 15, and Samuel, 12, who she welcomed with Affleck, also 52.

The farmhouse also has a backyard orchard, which grows peaches, cherries, apples, and much more with a sustainable greywater system that filters water from the home’s washing machine and dishwasher. 

Meanwhile, her “vegetable house” grows kale, thyme, tomatoes, green beans and more. “I wanted it to feel old and cool and historic, but I also wanted to make it work for a big family with a lot of things going on,” Garner explained to AD.

The tour comes after several reports of her ex husband Affleck's $68 million marital home with Jennifer Lopez, 55, failed to sell despite being on the market for a couple of months now.

According to its Zillow listing, the estate, dubbed Crestview Manor, boasts a 38,000 square foot house with 12 bedrooms and 24 baths as well as a 'spacious 12-car garage and parking for 80 vehicles.'

The property includes a sports complex complete with 'basketball and pickleball courts, a fully equipped gym, a boxing ring, a sports lounge, and a bar.'

However, a West Coast real estate investor is of the opinion that the Beverly Hills mansion "is actually worth between $40m and $50m."

"When it was built, it sat on the market for years and was listed at $147m (US$100m), so maybe [Affleck and Lopez] thought they got a deal for buying it at $61m. But remember, they also put millions into renovating it to their tastes,” the source told NewsNation.

The source also explained that its "terrible location" and "silly amenities" have just confused its value altogether.

“It’s in a terrible location… it’s a gated community with no guard. Most homes in the area are from the 1970s and are worth between $5m to $10m. This is just a huge white elephant. It’s garish, too big and dated with amenities that are just silly and not necessary,"  referring to the indoor sports complex.

“The house is ugly. It was built in 2001 by a mediocre developer with just bad taste in architecture … it’s a mish-mosh of styles with a faux French roof,” the source added.