Actress Diane Keaton's old homes are hot property in Hollywood, because she remodels each one to stunning perfection.

The ANNIE HALL star has a fixation with salvaging ageing mansions and then selling the remodelled estates for millions.

Pop superstar Madonna is just one of her happy clients.

Beverly Hills realtor ELAINE YOUNG says, "Diane is The Renovator. She's the ultimate, and there's a lot of money to be made doing what she does."

In 1996, the OSCAR-winning actress bought a 1920s Beverly Hills mansion for slightly more than $2 million (GBP1.3 million) and then poured in an additional $1 million (GBP660,000) keeping it as "authentic" as possible. It wasn't even on the market in June 2000 when MATERIAL GIRL Madonna paid $6.5 million (GBP4.3 million) for the property.

In September 2001, Keaton bought a five-bedroom house in Laguna Beach, California, which she's now thinking of selling and then perhaps moving on to a new project.

She quips, "I'd buy every one that comes up for sale if I could afford it!"

16/05/2003 02:21