San Diego County's famous rotating home for sale: 'Nothing else like it,' agent says

Why wake up to the same view every morning when you can keep things interesting? That question may have swept the mind of the architect who imagined what's become known as San Diego's famous rotating house.

SAN DIEGO (KSWB) -- Why wake up to the same view every morning when you can keep things interesting? That question may have swept through the mind of the architect who imagined what's become known as San Diego County's famous rotating house.

Views from the Coronado Bridge, downtown San Diego, the Pacific Ocean north to La Jolla, Mission Trails Park and even the Laguna Mountains -- that's what can be seen from inside this home that twirls atop Mount Helix in La Mesa, California.

This luxurious cylinder home, which has a 5,100-square-foot rotating second-floor structure along with a stationary 2,100-square-foot first floor, rotates in either direction and can make a full spin at varying speeds that range from a few hours to less than an hour, Melvina Selfani, the home's realtor, explained.

The home also has a first-floor garage with "turntables for two cars to turn 180 degrees so they never have to back out," said Al Johnstone, the architect, engineer, contractor and main grunt behind this unique piece of real estate.

A putting green is also off the first floor.

Like any other home, everything is connected to standard utilities, which means the view can be enjoyed from any room in the house without having to sacrifice convenience.

Even the Space Needle in Seattle and other famous rotating bars aren't considered as fully functional as this home, according to Johnstone.

He said this cylinder house is an example of the future of architecture. On his webpage, Johnstone described his build as "kinetic architecture."

Other unique characteristics of this home include its computerized lighting system, which Johnstone said can be operated from cell phones from anywhere in the world.

Another attribute, the home's roof, can be flooded in case of fire or Santa Ana conditions for extra insulation and then recycled into the greywater system to water the yard, the creator noted.

The house sits on 0.58 acres that's about 1,250 feet in elevation on the north side of Mount Helix. The lot is terraced and planted with 11 mature fruit trees, which include lemon, apricot, plum, tangerine and avocado, to name a few.

Selfani called San Diego County's only rotating home a "unique architectural masterpiece" and said, "There is truly nothing else like it."

Enjoying this panoramic sunrise-to-sunset view of San Diego comes with a sizable price tag. The four-bedroom, four-bathroom home is listed for $5,300,000.

"With only one fully rotating home that meets 21st Century building codes currently in existence, its uniqueness and technology are unprecedented," Johnstone stated.

For more information on the property, view the listing.