Richard Simmons’ former home sold for $3.8 million, but the buyer’s $3 million renovation plan could make this Hollywood Hills estate worth watching

The Hollywood Hills home where late fitness icon Richard Simmons lived for decades has been sold for $3.8 million. The buyer is John Rohan, a real estate investor and developer who plans to spend about $3 million to bring the house back to its 1930s look.

Rohan grew up in Ireland and moved to the United States in 1983. As a boy, he spent time exploring the Woodhouse Estate, a Georgian country mansion on Waterford’s Copper Coast. That is where his interest in old buildings and antiques began.

He was close to finishing a modern mega-mansion when his friend Paul Czako, a veteran broker, asked him to visit the Simmons house on Belfast Drive. Rohan liked the double-gated motor court and the large flat plot. He also learned that the Montgomery family matriarch, who named the streets in this part of the neighbourhood, was from Ireland too.

Rohan plans to move in once the work is done and use the house for entertaining.

From a $7 million ask to a $3.8 million sale

The Colonial-style house, above the Sunset Strip, first came on the market in June 2025 at nearly $7 million. The price was cut several times before Rohan bought it at $3.8 million. Czako represented him. The listing agents were Rachelle Rosten and Kelly deLaat of Douglas Elliman.

The sale also included Simmons’ Keiser workout equipment, which is still in the attic gym.

Inside the 1930s estate

The house was built in the 1930s and was heavily customised during Simmons’ years there. It stands behind privacy walls on a little over half an acre. A portico with tall columns opens into the multi-level home, which has four bedrooms, five bathrooms and about 4,100 square feet of space.

The main floor has a formal living room with a double-sided fireplace that it shares with the music room. There is also a formal dining area, an updated kitchen and a breakfast nook.

A curved staircase with pink carpet and painted cherubs on the walls leads upstairs. The double-height primary suite has a bedroom with a fireplace and a private balcony, a large dressing area, and a bathroom with a Juliette balcony. The home also has a second guest suite, a study, and a lower-level bonus room with a separate entrance.

Outside, a large veranda looks over a round swimming pool and a nearby pool house. A detached two-car garage completes the property.