Though they bought it barely two years ago, public records confirm social media superstars Ethan and Grayson Dolan have unexpectedly sold their sublime midcentury modern house for nearly $3 million. That’s a big step above the $2.2 million the now-retired YouTubers paid for the Encino property in 2019; per the listing, the house “sold before processing,” meaning a buyer swooped in before the place even had a chance to officially hit the market. Records reveal the new owner is a local woman who’s clearly quite rich but not famous.
While they raked in an $800,000 profit on paper, the Dolans also made extensive renovations to the home, a single-level structure originally built in 1958 by little-known architect John P. Pederson. Back when they bought the place, the decor was inoffensively bland to the point of banality, with white walls and gray tones throughout. The twins remedied that by adding spicy pops of color and new furnishings throughout — hot pink chairs and bench seating paired with a forest green wall, floral wallpaper in the living room, and a vividly patterned wallpaper in the master bedroom. There’s also a secondary bedroom suite with an emerald-green wall and moss-green, floor-to-ceiling shower tiles.
But perhaps the Dolans’ most controversial change lies outside the house. Back when they bought it, the half-acre lot featured a big, irregularly-shaped swimming pool with an inset spa. Updated photos show they’ve removed both the pool and spa, backfilling the whole shebang with dirt and covering the watery gravesite with a grassy lawn.
The pool deletion is very unusual in suburban Los Angeles, where backyard swimming has been highly coveted ever since the COVID-19 pandemic. But the twins also added a bunch of other features out back to compensate — there’s now an outdoor gym, which kept the fitness-oriented twins occupied during the pandemic. There’s also a new outdoor sauna off the master bedroom and a hillside gazebo with “bar for sunset cocktails,” per the listing, plus a custom “tiny-house” / shed that Ethan Dolan built as a surprise for his brother.
Born and bred in New Jersey, the Dolan Twins first came to prominence as young teenagers on the now-defunct Vine app, before transitioning to YouTube and Tik Tok. The pair became millionaires after reaching up more than 10 million subscribers and 1.8 billion lifetime views on YouTube, where they were known for their collaborations with other high-profile personalities such as Emma Chamberlain, James Charles and Jeffree Star.
No word yet on where the twins, both 21, are heading next on their real estate journey. But it’s been nearly a year since the pair officially quit YouTube to pursue other ventures, so they’ve certainly got the freedom to cut loose from their L.A. residential anchor altogether.
Jose Lopez-Cepero and Andrew Rhoda of Compass held the listing; Cindy Ambuehl of Compass repped the buyer.
