You can now buy the Playboy Mansion, but there’s a pretty big catch

The Powerball jackpot is set to go to at least $1.3 billion dollars this week, and for just a small fraction of that, it looks like you could own a storied mansion that only comes with one little catch.

TMZ is enthusiastically reporting that the Playboy Mansion, site of 1,000 parties of Roman decadence and debauchery, is set to hit the market soon for somewhere in the neighborhood of $200 million.

The property, originally built in 1927, was purchased by Playboy mogul Hugh Hefner in 1971 for — this sounds like Fantasyland these days — about $1 million dollars. Spanning over six acres in Los Angeles’ storied Holmby Hills, the property boasts a 22,000 square foot main house with a Gothic facade. According to Wikipedia, design highlights of the mansion include aviaries, a secret door into the wine cellar, a movie screening room with its very own pipe organ, and a spectacular pool area with a waterfall and grotto.

The mansion has also been a frequent player as a set in film and TV — Beverly Hills Cop Part II, The Apprentice, and The Amazing Race all feature scenes on-site. If you’re already starting redecoration plans, you should know that the mansion does come with one slightly odd catch — a resident. According to the initial reports, any buyer will have to make provisions that allow for Hugh Hefner to continuing living on the property until his death. This arrangement, called a life estate, means that the Hef is also guaranteed some privacy: TMZ also claims that prospective buyers cannot tour his private rooms while looking the house over. No worries on that account, though; we’re sure he’s an unobtrusive roommate, right?  

Still, purchasing the house, which is currently owned by Hef’s company, Playboy Enterprises, rather than the mogul himself, has a lot of upsides. First of all, we’re pretty sure no one would ever turn down your invitation to a party. Second, you could finally learn to play the pipe organ. Third, those breakfast conversations with Hugh would probably be pretty interesting.

(Image via Twitter.)