Diane Keaton listed her ‘dream home’ for sale as health took a sudden turn before death at 79

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Oscar-winning actress Diana Keaton listed her dream home for sale in March, months before her death.

Keaton's health had taken a sharp turn in the recent months before she died on Saturday, October 11, at the age of 79.

Diane Keaton’s friend reveals her health declined suddenly

A friend of Keaton, while talking to the PEOPLE in an exclusive interview, revealed her health had declined very suddenly, which was heartbreaking for everyone who loved her.

“It was so unexpected, especially for someone with such strength and spirit," her friend told the outlet.

The source added, "In her final months, she was surrounded only by her closest family, who chose to keep things very private. Even longtime friends weren’t fully aware of what was happening.”

Keaton, the renowned home-flipper and interior designer, made a major shift in her life in March by listing her beloved five-bedroom, seven-bathroom property for $29 million, which she had spent eight years renovating since moving in 2017.

The listing was a surprise to many because she had planned to remain there permanently and even had written a book about the home, called 'The House that Pinterest Built'.

The everlasting influence of 'The Three Little Pigs' since childhood

Diane Keaton revealed in her book that the inspiration for purchasing her home came directly from the children's fable, 'The Three Little Pigs', which taught her a valuable lesson about permanence. 

She noted that the strongest home in the story, the one the wolf couldn't destroy, "was made of bricks." This profoundly influenced her, as she recalled, "I knew I was going to live in a brick house when I grew up."

Diane Keaton's shifting relationship with home

In a 2017 interview with the Wine Spectator, Keaton expressed her "interest in homes," admitting she usually struggled to "land and stay" in a property because she would somehow "find something wrong" with it.

However, she felt differently about her final LA's Sullivan Canyon’s residence, declaring to the outlet, saying, "Something's right, because I love it," and calling the house her ‘dream home.’

She stopped being a fixture in her neighborhood, says source

The decision to sell her home wasn't the only recent lifestyle change for the Oscar winner; she also stopped being a fixture in her neighborhood. A source told PEOPLE that Keaton, who "lived in Brentwood for many years," was very fond of the area.

They noted that she was a routine presence until recently: "She loved her neighborhood. Up until just a few months ago, she'd walk her dog every day. She was usually dressed the same, with a hat and her signature sunglasses, regardless of the weather."

"She was always very nice, funny, and chatty. She'd talk to her dog like he was a person. She was eccentric and had this old-school Hollywood aura. She was very, very special," added the source while talking to the outlet.