For her 6th birthday party, Anna Windley had pony rides and a petting zoo at her parents' French chateau-style house outside Atlanta. Inside there was a playroom for Anna and her sister, Ava, complete with a custom miniature cottage-like house that had shutters, flower boxes and working lanterns.

But now that the sisters are at the University of Alabama, their parents, Rod and Linda Windley, are downsizing, said Rod, a healthcare executive. Located in the affluent suburb of Sandy Springs, Ga., about 15 miles north of downtown Atlanta, the six-bedroom, 18,000-square-foot house is listing for $18.25 million, making it one of the most expensive on the market in the area.

The Windleys bought the 7-acre property from country singer Kenny Rogers for $3.55 million in 2007 and built the house there. Completed in 2014, the house cost about $18 million to build over three years, said Rod.

Before building the house, Windley took his architect and builder to France, where they studied homes in the countryside and salvaged tile, he said.

"l've always loved French architecture and French antiques and the whole French thing," said Rod.

The house has several rooms dedicated to the family's interests. "Everything feels like a family lives here, and a family does live here," said Rod. "It's been a great house to entertain in."

The Windleys also have a condo near the University of Alabama and a beach house in Florida, Rod said.

Rod, who founded the healthcare company Healthfield, is currently chairman of Aveanna Healthcare, and he owns restaurants in Florida, he said.

The Atlanta area has few listings priced above $12 million, but sales in this tier are typically all-cash, said listing agent Tony Thevis of Atlanta Classic Properties. In July, a house in nearby Buckhead sold for $13.8 million.

Sandy Springs homes sold for a median $734,600 in the second quarter, about even with the same time last year, according to Redfin.