Rock icon Billy Joel has finally offloaded a New York beach house he has been trying to sell for the past five years.

The Piano Man hitmaker initially listed his home in the Hamptons, Long Island in 2009, but the property failed to attract buyers.

It went on the market once again in March (14) for $23.5 million (£13.82 million) and remained unsold for several months, prompting Joel to offer the place for rent for the month of August (14) at a cost of $250,000 (£147,059).

The sale price was subsequently slashed to £19.9 million (£11.7 million) and a deal on the property has since closed, according to the New York Post.

Joel bought the mansion from Jaws star Roy Scheider in 2007 for $16.8 million (£9.88 million).