Not a home, a love palace

The buyer will be able to boast of having a house with its own vineyard, a wine cellar for 10000 bottles, a waterfall, a bowling alley, a 50-seat cinema, a revolving dance floor and a Turkish spa.

At a price of $195-million (R2.19-billion), only the richest need apply to buy the most expensive house ever to go on sale in the US.

Nicknamed Palazzo di Amore - or "Palace of Love" - the estate in Beverly Hills, California, comprises a main house covering 10668m² - so large that a lift was installed to save time on climbing the vast number of staircases. The dining-room table is big enough to host up to 250 guests at a time.

At about 10ha, the grounds will also take a bit of upkeep.

Visitors approach down a 400m drive and can park where they like - the garage can accommodate 27 cars and there is further on-site parking for up to 150 vehicles.

A floating glass walkway over pools lined by 70-year-old olive trees leads to the complex, which has limestone floors with marble and maple inlay.

Neighbours include Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google, and the film director Ridley Scott. Hugh Hefner and his Playboy mansion are nearby.

Until this weekend, the California property, which is located 3.2km from the famous Beverly Hills Hotel, had been rented out for $475000 a month.

Now the estate is being sold by property billionaire Jeff Greene, who paid $35-million for it in 2007 and has spent the past eight years and $25-million developing it.

The 59-year-old - a friend of former world boxing champion Mike Tyson - refers to the Mediterranean-style home as "a palace for the modern era".

Greene, who married Mei Sze there in 2007 with Tyson as best man, said he had always intended to sell it, but construction was not completed until last month.

"True to its name, Palazzo di Amore, this estate has been a labour of love for me," Greene said. "I have set the highest standards of craftsmanship in every detail."

But the businessman, whose net worth is estimated at $3-billion, may still end up disappointed: Jonathan Miller, an appraiser with Miller Samuel, was not convinced that it would sell for the asking price. "What's unusual is the estate size," he said. "Still, $195-million is a huge number."

A similar sized mansion in nearby Holmby Hills sold for $102-million in March - $23-million below the asking price.

If the Greene home does reach its listing price, it will overtake a 7.2ha estate in the Hamptons which was sold earlier this year for $145-million.