Britain’s most famous buy-to-let landlords, Fergus and Judith Wilson, have said they are close to selling their 1,000-strong property portfolio for a minimum of £250m.

The likely buyer is Chinese, with Fergus Wilson telling the Financial Times that he has had three approaches from China, as well as from football players and other investors.

Wilson said he would not sell for less than £250m, and his preferred buyer would not need to raise the funds. Wilson hopes to complete the sale within a month.

He said: “If someone offers me £220m, I’ll say no. I’m not desperate to sell. This is not a distressed sale.”

Wilson said he and his wife would need to repay around £40m-£45m to lenders.

After tax and other fees, he said he hoped to walk away with at least £100m profit – “enough to pay for fish and chips for the rest of my life”.

Wilson and his wife are both former teachers. Their properties are largely in the Maidstone and Ashford areas of Kent. The couple have notoriously evicted all their tenants on housing benefits, including those not in arrears.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/33dfa8fe-4191-11e4-b98f-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3DyNhoI9o