Imagine this: a brand-new mall is gonna be
built right where your house is standing, and you've been offered a generous sum of
money to relocate. Would you do it? Well, if you’re anything like these property
owners, that’d be a big fat “Nah, I’m good, thanks!” #1. “Road block” (Luoyang, China)
Honestly, China has so many little houses like this that it’s hard to choose which
one is the most bizarre-looking. In fact, they’re called “nail houses”
because they stick out like a nail that just can’t be hammered down. This crumbling 3-story home is an example
of one, and it’s the very last building in the whole area. But the most incredible thing is that this
house is sitting right in the middle of a new road being built! The story goes that the homeowner didn't like
the compensation plan he’d been offered in exchange for relocating. The strong-willed man refused to budge and
held out to get more money from city authorities. I just hope drivers will be careful at night! #2. “Stuck in the middle with you!” (Guangzhou, China)
These 2 residential buildings were supposed to be demolished because the city needed space
to construct a much-needed bridge in the area. It was gonna connect a freeway with a recently
opened underground tunnel. Most of the buildings’ inhabitants took
the relocation money and moved out. However, 3 families downright refused to leave
their homes. The construction company had no other choice
but to build a massive bypass around the 2 properties. The remaining families were even promised
a noise barrier to block out the sound of traffic. But if any of them decide to move out, they’ll
still get the money to relocate. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see! #3. Strong-willed Edith Macefield (Seattle, Washington)
In 2005, the Ballard area of Seattle experienced unprecedented growth. Apartment buildings, condominiums, and shopping
malls were popping up left and right. That was when developers offered a woman $750,000
for her house, which was only worth about $120,000. But they were ready to pay such a hefty price
because they wanted to build a mall exactly on the block where the quaint 2-story home
stood. The homeowner, Edith Macefield, had been living
there for the past 50 years and wasn't about to vacate her home. So, believe it or not, she turned the money
down! But the developers weren’t gonna give up
so easily. They decided to build the mall anyway so that
it surrounded her house on 3 sides. Also, the project design allowed the shopping
mall to incorporate the house if Macefield chose to move out. In the end, they offered her $1 million to
pack up and leave. They even found her a different but similar-looking
house in another district and offered to pay for the elderly woman’s health-care services. Yet again, she politely declined. Macefield wasn't against the idea of a shopping
mall being built where her property stood – she just didn’t wanna leave her home! Other than that, she was happy to have company. The woman even became good friends with the
head of the project’s construction team, Barry Martin. The man often visited her, took her to different
appointments, and even did some shopping for her! When Edith Macefield passed away in 2008,
Martin inherited her house. And, yes, it is still standing to this day! Aww… #4. Your own personal moat! (Chongqing, China)
This home in Chongqing is one of the most famous nail houses in China. In 2004, the 280 families living in the area
were asked to relocate due to the construction of a new shopping mall (hey, there’s a familiar
story!). And, as usual, the developers offered a hefty
compensation of 18,000 yuan (which is about $2,700) for 11 square feet. But this wasn’t enough for Wu Ping and Yang
Wu, the owners of the 2-story brick house. Perhaps it was because they’d put so much
work into the place, renovating what was once a wooden construction that had been passed
down from generation to generation. I mean, the place did have history. At first, it was a general store that they
later turned into a restaurant. In any case, while all their neighbors were
packing up, the couple stayed put. Once the area was dug up for construction,
their house ended up towering over 55 feet off the surrounding ground! Since the homeowners wouldn’t follow a court
order to move out, the city cut off their water supply and electricity. Yet the couple still wouldn’t budge! While Yang Wu stayed in the house, his wife
Wu Ping brought him water, food, warm clothes, and blankets. She tied the supplies to a rope, and Yang
Wu pulled them up into his personal fortress. But in 2007, the couple finally gave in and
moved to a similar-sized apartment in downtown Chongqing. But, hey, it was a good effort! #5. The "Million Dollar Corner"
Any New Yorker is familiar with the massive red shopping bag near Macy's Herald Square. But very few people know that this billboard
actually hides a separate building that isn't connected to Macy's, and it’s got its own
interesting story behind it… In the 1890s, Macy's relocated to Broadway
and 34th Street. The department store’s management also had
secret plans to expand. That's why the storeowner made a verbal agreement
with Alfred Duane Pell, according to which Macy's was to get a roughly 1,155-square-foot
corner for $250,000. However, Siegel-Cooper Dry Goods Store learned
about the potential purchase, and offered Pell $375,000 for the plot. Of course, the property owner couldn’t turn
down the bigger deal, right? So, it was sold!
Siegel wanted to construct a 12-story women's clothing store in that spot. Unfortunately, it was impossible to put such
a tall building on a plot that small. So, Siegel offered to give it to Macy's in
exchange for their old location at 6th Avenue and 14th Street. Macy’s, however, refused the offer and went
ahead and built their 2.2-million-square-foot store around the property. In 1903, a new 5-story building replaced the
previous one. And in 1911, Siegel sold the land for the
highest price that had ever been paid for a plot: a whopping 1 million bucks! That’s $868 a square foot! Talk about location, location, location! People having to leave their homes because
of development is a pretty unfortunate situation. So, let’s take a look at 2 incredible (and
still very unique!) houses whose owners didn’t have to leave at all… The Drina River House
Not far from Bajina Bašta in Serbia, you can find a cute little house perched on a
rock right in the middle of the Drina River. The story goes that in 1968, some teens fell
in love with the rock because it was a great spot to sunbathe and swim. The next year, the 17-year-old boys built
a small house on the rock that later became their weekend getaway. To construct this thing, they transported
the building materials by boat and kayak. As for larger pieces, they just dropped them
into the water and pulled them out onto the rock further down the river. Nowadays, the house has become an incredibly
popular tourist destination. But what you see today isn't the original
house built in 1969. The fast and unpredictable flow of the Drina
River has already washed away 6 of them! But every time, a new even sturdier construction
was built to replace the previous one that had been claimed by the river. The Keret House
Hey, are you claustrophobic? Then don’t ever consider buying the skinniest
house in the world! It's nestled between 2 buildings in the center
of Warsaw, Poland. The house is just 3 feet wide at its most
narrow point and 5 feet at the widest. The house’s iron frame supports two floors. And like any typical home, the Keret House
has a kitchen, a bathroom, a living room, and a bedroom! The neighboring building supplies the skinny
little abode with electricity. And its custom sewage and water technology
allows the system to function independently from those services provided by the city. In fact, the house is so narrow that under
Polish law, it has to be considered an art installation rather than a real house! Have you ever seen any unusual-looking houses
or buildings? Share your own personal experiences in the
comments below! Remember to give this video a “thumbs up,”
share it with your friends, and hit that subscribe button to stay on the Bright Side of life!
