The house is the largest in LA County, at a mind-boggling 56,500 square feet. In total, the house boasts 123 rooms, including ‘between 16 and 26 bathrooms’ in the words of the late owner, who apparently found it difficult to keep track!

Buy this place and you can call Hugh Hefner a neighbour. You could even invite him around for some ten-pin bowling in your own alley, or hang out in the wine-tasting room. The house also features a barber’s shop, beauty salon, gift-wrapping room (come again?) and several swimming pools, tennis courts and the like.

If you’d like to make an offer on the place, or fancy your own more modest patch of America, check out The Move Channel.

When I’ve compared prices myself, it usually works out about the same price to get a package deal in Greece or Spain as it does to rent a caravan in Devon. Perhaps environmental campaigning is starting to take effect, and we’re all keen to minimise our air miles?

Sadly I fear the reason for this upsurge in caravanning is more pragmatic; the relative strength of the Euro against Sterling is what’s keeping people at home, not a love of campfires and mother earth. Foreign holidays still look cheap to me, but you’ll need about 30 per cent more spending money than in March 2007.

Why do you think more people are risking the British weather for their summer holiday? Please leave comments below…