PICTURES: Obamas purchase their Washington DC rental house

Washington: Former US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle have purchased a house they were renting in Washington DC for a whopping $8.1 million.

It is, however, being suspected that the former first couple may have overpaid to buy the house which is just miles away from the White House.

"Given that President and Mrs. Obama will be in Washington for at least another two and a half years, it made sense for them to buy a home rather than continuing to rent the property," Obama's spokesman, Kevin Lewis said.

The Obamas have said they were committed to remaining in Washington while their youngest daughter, Sasha, completes high school at Sidwell Friends School, where she is scheduled to begin her junior year in September.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also lives in the neighbourhood; he purchased a $5.6 million house in February. Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos paid $23 million in January for the largest home in DC, a former museum.

The Obamas' landlord was Joe Lockhart, once press secretary for President Bill Clinton and a political strategist in Washington DC before being named executive vice president of communications for the NFL, a job that required him to move to New York with his family last year.

The 8,200-sq.foot home, which last fall underwent upgraded security preparations in order to accommodate the former first family's arrival, is now blocked off to public access by concrete barriers, manned 24-7 by US Secret Service officers.

In slides ahead: Check out some beautiful pictures of Obamas' house...