International Property Spotlight:

The Home Alone House*

*booby traps included

671 Lincoln Avenue in Winnetka, Illinois

Ok, you got me - this iconic abode is probably as familiar as Macaulay Culkin's astonished mirror mug and very obviously the home from the beloved holiday flick, Home Alone.

Though not a listing, it does make for a good story.

Ever wonder how houses get “cast” (a real industry term) in big movies? Read on for the full scoop.

"This is exactly how I imagined the house."

Directed by Chris Columbus, the Home Alone script was written by iconic '80s filmmaker John Hughes, who set most of his movies in Chicago and its North Shore suburbs. So when it came time to shoot Hughes' screenplay, the production naturally scouted locations in the Chicagoland area.

“We needed to cast a house that would be fun for a kid to be left home alone.” Columbus snapped a few shots of the dwelling's exterior and sent them to Hughes, who called it “perfect," and added, "this is exactly how I imagined the house.”

"[Filming] went well, except for when [the homeowner] walked in as a scene was being filmed."

At the time, the home was owned and occupied by regular Chicago family, the Abendshiens. They had no idea how popular the house would become.

The filmmakers rented the family an apartment to stay in while they worked, but the family decided to return home after a few nights. They kept to the master suite on the second floor while the film crew worked downstairs, allowing the family to periodically interact with Macaulay Culkin and the other cast members.

The arrangement went well for the most part, except for the time when dad John, returning home, pulled his car into the driveway and walked in as a scene was being filmed. Not only that, but the crew had to take care to avoid having his car and tire marks in the snow footage they were shooting.
As the film became popular, people started to park nearby and snap pictures.

“It was just one of those once-in-a-lifetime things that you would never dream would happen to you,” Abendshein says. “If faced with that decision back then, knowing what I know now, I would certainly do it, absolutely.”

Zillow estimates that today, the property is valued at $2.3 million.

In 2012, the Abendshiens sold the Winnetka house for a reported $1.585 million. Understandably, the current owners don’t want to be that vocal about their ownership of one of the most popular houses in the country and haven’t been seen on camera.

Zillow estimates that today, the property is valued at a cool $2.3 million or so, while Realtor.com estimates that the house on Lincoln Avenue is worth about $1.942 million.

'Home Alone' house was once listed on AirBnB

In December 2021, Airbnb listed a one-night stay in the actual Home Alone house. According to the listing, Kevin's big brother Buzz McCallister (likely a Disney marketing intern masquerading as Buzz) will serve as your "host."

"Many Christmases ago, the McCallisters went to Paris–well, most of us," the listing (purportedly written by Buzz) reads. "Though we’re older and wiser now (I’ve even got my own security firm), we’re never too old for holiday hijinks. So while we’re away on vacation (all of us, this time), I’m inviting one crew of mischief makers to let their inner 8-year-olds run free in my childhood home."

"Get ready for booby traps galore... and help yourself to surprisingly searing splashes of aftershave!"

“This holiday season,” the listing goes on, “we’re playing by my little bro’s rules, so feel free to eat junk food, watch rubbish on TV, and choose your own adventure with a legendary battle plan as a guide.

"Get ready for booby traps galore (but don’t worry – you’ll be setting them, not sidestepping them!). Just stay out of my room, okay?”

And of course:

“Help yourself to surprisingly searing splashes of aftershave and take the chance to scream into the mirror.”

A member of Buzz’s “McCallister Security team” will also be on-site to ensure a comfortable stay, showing guests around, arranging meals, and even gifting a LEGO Ideas Home Alone build set.

Unfortunately, that was a one-time-only event and the house is not available for regular rentals anymore.