(MENAFN) According to reports, Britain’s Foreign Office is preparing to offload a number of its diplomatic properties abroad — including embassies and official residences — as part of sweeping budget reductions outlined in newly released government spending documents.

The ministry is said to be reviewing its overseas real-estate portfolio, valued at about £2.5 billion and comprising roughly 6,500 properties, to determine which sites could be sold. Many buildings are reportedly in poor condition or have become too costly to keep running, prompting the search for “assets to release.”

The restructuring plans also include significant staffing cuts at home, with nearly one-third of UK-based positions expected to be eliminated, according to the reports.

The budget highlights “high-cost locations such as New York,” a reference that may include a possible sale of a $15 million penthouse acquired in 2019 for diplomatic use in the upscale 50 United Nations Plaza tower. The seven-bedroom unit spans the entire 38th floor and features a library, multiple bathrooms, and a powder room.

Earlier assessments by the National Audit Office and parliament’s Public Accounts Committee found that roughly 933 properties — about 15% of the total — are considered unsafe or not fit for operational use. The Foreign Office estimates that clearing the maintenance backlog could require £450 million.

The Public Accounts Committee also observed that after selling major embassy sites in Bangkok and Tokyo in recent years, the department now has “no remaining large assets that are viable to sell.”

Beyond property sales, the ministry is reportedly reassessing the size and distribution of its global presence, which currently includes more than 250 diplomatic posts across over 150 countries.

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