We've told you all sorts of neighbor stories more than once - how entitled neighbors have tried to interfere with literally any aspect of people's lives, from construction and renovation to their personal lives and even pets. As a rule, this doesn’t lead to anything good, except yet another drama. And yet, every rule has its exceptions...
It sometimes happens that the interference of neighbors can ultimately prompt the homeowner or the developer to do something really extraordinary. As, for example, happened with this house in Florida, which recently went completely viral.
More info: Zillow
There's a house in Jacksonville Beach, and it's just 10 feet wide
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And it's been the ruin of many a poor neighbor’s window view
Jacksonville Beach is a small resort town on the Atlantic coast of Florida, well known for its beaches, sun, golden sand... and now an incredible two-story house that squeezed right into a narrow plot of land between two neighboring houses. A house that was featured on Zillow Gone Wild last year.
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It so happened that during the development of the area in the '00s, the developer John Atkins tried to build a house on this site, and the initial blueprints implied a width of 15 feet - but the neighbors, as often happens, began to protest and complain. Most likely, they expected that, having received a refusal, the developer would give in and sell them this piece of land. But Atkins was damn stubborn...
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Having received permission from the city authorities to build a house only 10 feet wide, he erected a structure towering almost twice as tall - and put the house up for sale. The resulting property, with two bedrooms, turned out to be a truly unique architectural project, perfect for single life. The buyer, 51-year-old Mike Cavanagh, eventually purchased it for $619K - and is now very happy with the purchase.
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The buyer tells us he enjoys what he has done - spending life in style and luxury in a house only 10 feet wide
The new home boasts a number of interesting design features, such as a built-in reading nook on the second floor, or a dining table crafted from wood that once served as the basis for a local pier that was destroyed in 2016 by Hurricane Matthew.
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As for its height, yes, the neighbors may be unhappy that it ruins their view somehow, but they, after all, contributed to the project’s implementation with their complaints. The new owner is happy to have acquired such a unique “skinny home,” and sincerely considers it “a solid investment.” He is quite likely to be right.
Image credits: Zillow
This type of building is mainly inherent to old towns of Europe - because of real estate taxing features in the Middle Ages
Such narrow houses are rather typical for old European cities and towns, and back then, in the Middle Ages, this architectural solution was indeed determined by the financial considerations of the owners. The fact is that many real estate taxes in the old days were paid based on the width of the house’s facade and the number of windows, so the homeowners were simply saving.
And today, walking along the cozy old streets of Amsterdam or Brussels, we see this classic picture of three- and four-story houses rising above the pavement, with lancet windows and tiled roofs, creating that very unique atmosphere of old Europe.
By the way, one of the narrowest houses in the world, on the contrary, was built quite recently - in 2012. Designed by the Polish architect Jakub Szczęsny, the Keret House in Warsaw is named after Israeli writer and filmmaker Etgar Keret, who was the building's first tenant. This house has 2 floors and is 4.99 feet at its widest. So the developer John Atkins from Jacksonville Beach could have another “hold my beer” moment...
However, the Keret House is rather an art object than a real estate property, while Mike Cavanagh’s house is an absolutely full-fledged and comfortable living space. As for its unique characteristics, the great movie director Orson Welles once said, "The absence of limitations is the enemy of art," and he was actually damn right.
People online sincerely believe this house is a real work of petty revenge, captured in stone, glass and metal. Some folks really liked it (the majority, in fact), arguing that living in such a house is like living in a two-story and well-designed trailer. But if there's one thing you can't deny about this house - it doesn't leave people (especially neighbors) indifferent. And what do you, our dear readers, think of this truly remarkable building?
Netizens were very divided over this house, but it actually left no one indifferent
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However, the majority of people in the comments consider this house just nice and lovely
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