Every year, we step inside countless homes around the world, but more than a few dwellings this past year have made us do a double-take. From an ordinary-looking house with an extraordinary Treasure Island-inspired interior to a mansion that resembles Darth Vader's helmet, these weird and wonderful properties caused quite the stir when they hit the real estate market in 2021. Click or scroll on to step inside the strangest homes for sale over the last 12 months...
This house can only really be described as a true storybook cottage. Yet far from being romantic and charming, this unusual residence is a little on the bizarre side. While its exterior offers a whimsical take on a fairytale castle, the interior is overflowing with one-of-a-kind furnishings and hidden surprises...
Finished in 2019, the cedar shake house can be found in Boothbay, Maine, and was designed by artist David Lee and his wife, Jenny. From spellbinding turrets to floating furnishings, clandestine nooks and hand-crafted beds that pull out of walls, this mad but magical home is almost too surreal to be true.
Filled with eclectic touches you'll find nowhere else, the 2,200-square-foot home offers three bedrooms and two bathrooms, as well as intricate wood carvings, stained-glass windows and handmade light fixtures. Constructed from wood and stone, many of the rooms showcase these materials in their full glory.
Even the sleeping arrangements in this house are totally bizarre, with beds suspended from the ceiling by ropes. The home's best feature has to be its decorative handmade doors, which look like they've been plucked from Snow White's cottage. Totally unforgettable, this characterful home hit the market for the first time in January 2021, with an asking price of $377,000 (£285k).
You don't have to try too hard to figure out why the Milton Sidley House is considered one of the weirdest homes to have hit the real estate market in 2021. Designed by the notable architect Ed Niles, this iconic property was built in 1992 and was constructed almost entirely from steel and glass. Featuring bold, futuristic architecture, this home is akin to a spaceship.
From the ground, the ultra-modern glass house seems to hover in mid-air and in some places it towers as high as 35 feet tall. Located in Malibu, California, the property was built for LA attorney and property investor Milton Sidley, and is formed from a series of pod-like structures and sharp triangular units. There's also a sky bridge that leads to a separate wing of the house, suspended 16 feet above the ground.
Inside, you'll find 4,365 square feet of dazzling living space, enclosed by sheets of glass. Throughout, the home's structural elements have been left exposed, adding to its unique character. The property's most impressive feature is likely its 35-foot-high domed great room. As well as providing fantastic views across the two-acre garden, the space was designed with the best acoustics in mind and Sidley is said to have hosted small concerts in the room.
There are four bedrooms and four all-glass bathrooms – privacy is definitely an issue here! Elsewhere, you'll find a curvaceous kitchen, a gym, den and media room. The ultimate party pad, the unique home was originally listed in February 2021 for a cool $20 million (£15.1m), but sold four months later for a heavily discounted $9.5 million (£7.2m).
Located on the outskirts of Stratford-upon-Avon, a medieval market town in England’s West Midlands, this mysterious mansion has all the trappings of a luxury bespoke home. From the outside, it appears grand though fairly ordinary, but once you step through the front door, you might think a little differently...
Aptly described as a 'Treasure Island-themed mansion', the 12,000-square-foot property dates back to 1987 and is overflowing with quirky interior extras, from a pirate-themed swimming pool at the heart of the house to an Art Deco cinema and bar kitted out with everything Jay Gatsby would need to host one seriously swanky party.
The one-of-a-kind residence was built by Felix Dennis, who made his fortune publishing magazines. Dennis is said to have been inspired by his love of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic book Treasure Island, and it really shows. Nautical touches include a mezzanine level overlooking the pool, which is kitted out with a ship's wheel, palm trees, a crow's nest and ornamental birds, as well as a huge aquarium and a kitchen island in the shape of a pirate ship mast.
Known as Highfield, the house is divided into three wings and offers an open-plan lounge and dining room, a study, a library and a luxurious basement with a home cinema. There are a total of four bedrooms, one of which boasts a carved four-poster bed decorated with mermaid-like figures. A pirate can also be found climbing a rope above the bed, as if trying to escape through the room's skylight. The unique home hit the market in June 2021 for a cool $5.3 million (£4m).
Another aptly named property is the Bubble House. Located in Karalee in Queensland, Australia, the curvaceous pad is almost too surreal to be true. The residence's original owner, Graham Birchall, dreamt up the design 36 years ago, but it soon grew into a one-of-a-kind family home.
Formed from 11 intersecting domes, the house encompasses a sprawling 11,302-square-foot floor plan. The bubbles range from four metres to eight metres in diameter, and each has been painted in a different shade, resulting in an unusual exterior aesthetic. If any house could be described as being out of this world, it would be this one.
Split over three floors, the monolithic dome house was designed by Birchall, who wanted to create a structure to honour the strength, beauty and simplicity of the humble circle. Inside, the three-bedroom bubble house is every bit as strange. There’s a rotund entry tunnel, a kitchen that was crafted by a boat builder, a dining room, a lounge, a library, a media room, a sports bar and a basement, complete with a wine cellar and workshop.
Many of the rooms appear to have been plucked from the set of a sci-fi movie, with peculiar circular walls and architectural details everywhere you look. There's even a huge feature fireplace with a flute that extends through the floors of the home to the outside. Other unorthodox highlights include the home's mini-pods, sunken living room and keyhole-shaped doorways. If this weird and wonderful home is for you, then it's currently up for grabs with FirstNational Real Estate for AUD$1.5 million, or $1.1 million (£798k).
Whether you love it or loathe it, there's no denying that the Sun Valley Starship is one of the world's most incredible homes. Located in Blaine County, Idaho, moments away from the state's ski slopes, the ultra-modern mansion was completed in 2020 and has been described as a "piece of art" – something that we're definitely not questioning.
The custom-built property offers 12,550 square feet of living space and has a distinctive UFO-like appearance, both inside and out. With a materials palette of concrete, steel and glass, the one-of-a-kind home boasts light-filled and spacious rooms finished with reclaimed woods and quirky furnishings. Structural elements have been left exposed throughout, giving the interior spaces a cool, industrial finish.
The inspiring concrete home comes complete with five bedrooms, five bathrooms, a stunning kitchen and an open-plan living room with a huge circular hole in its 25-foot ceiling. While its design may be unusual, this mansion isn't short of luxurious amenities. From a rooftop pool to an outdoor amphitheatre, equestrian facilities and a heated garage, it was built to impress.
Outside, you'll find a sunken courtyard garden that offers a bunker-like finish to the structure. If you have $5.9 million (£4.5m) in the bank, then this architectural gem could soon be yours. Up for grabs via Compass, it was originally listed for slightly under $10 million (£7.5m), so we'd say the current asking price is somewhat of a bargain!
We've all heard of people converting old buses, train carts, camper vans and even planes into homes, but what about a boat? Enter: Land Yacht SS Huronia. While the property was never actually a boat – it was just constructed to resemble one – you'd easily be fooled into thinking it had somehow veered off course and ended up permanently moored on land.
Located on 161 feet of waterfront overlooking Lake Huron and the Saginaw Bay in Au Gres, Michigan, the houseboat was built in 1936. Over the years, the owners have taken on plenty of updates, but there’s still a rustic charm about this unique residence. Yet before we step inside, the home’s best assets are perhaps its forward and aft decks, the former of which allows for unobstructed views across the water.
The 74-foot faux vessel comes with 1,701 square feet of inside space, including five bedrooms, four bathrooms, a kitchen, a dining room and a living room with its very own steering wheel. There is, of course, a Captain's Quarters too. The master suite enjoys beautiful sunrise vistas and opens up to a large deck. Traditional and cosy, the home is all about natural materials and characterful touches.
Perhaps because of its unique aesthetic, the house has proved difficult to sell. It's been on the market since August 2021 and hasn't yet found a buyer. So, if you're interested, this bizarre property could soon be yours. You'll just need $750,000 (£565k) in order to set sail!
When this mind-blowing home hit the market in June 2021, Star Wars fans from across America flocked to viewings in their masses. Fondly nicknamed 'Darth Vader House', the surreal residence has the appearance of a Sith’s helmet, although the original owner is said to have actually been aiming to create an aviation-inspired design.
The totally bespoke home lies in Houston, Texas, and was constructed in 1992. And, of course, it's not just the home's façade that offers plenty of character! Inside, the 7,040-square-foot property is made up of multi-level living areas, with walls of glass, stone and concrete. The centerpiece of the home is a sunken conversation pit, framed by a dazzling Cinderella staircase.
The space-age residence comes complete with four bedrooms and five bathrooms, as well as a luxurious kitchen, a dining room and a glass office. Each living space is kitted out with bespoke furnishings and a sophisticated monochrome colour palette. Outside, you'll also find a balcony overlooking the swimming pool.
Although the front of the house gives the impression of somewhere dark and mysterious, the interior is actually finished with plenty of glazing, allowing every living area to be filled with natural light. While the floors are made from hand-cut concrete and stone, the walls were painted to resemble granite or marble. Despite its rather unusual look, the surreal house sold in just 177 says, for somewhere in the region of $3.1 million (£2.3m).
While some of the world's weirdest homes are undeniably cool, or dazzlingly beautiful, others are, well, not. It won't surprise many people that The Stair Home in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, has received a fair amount of attention for all the wrong reasons.
The fittingly named residence can be found on the water's edge of Wolf Lodge Bay, and while it certainly has one of the strangest exterior designs we've ever seen, the interior is equally as troubling. Laid out in ascending floors, like the rungs of a staircase, the bizarre house was completed in 2019.
The super-slim home spans a mere 936 square feet, but is spreads across five floors. There's nothing normal about the layout and even the bedrooms are unusual to say the least. In one, you'll find bunk beds built into small crevices in the wall.
The most impressive thing about this house is probably the view, with the home's numerous exterior decks allowing for unobstructed scenic vistas. The property hit the market in April 2021 for $695,000 (£523k), but rather unsurprisingly it failed to attract a buyer and the listing was later removed.
We don't know about you, but we absolutely love a time-capsule home that's been frozen in time. Well, this property in Belleair Beach, Florida, really ticks all the boxes when it comes to nostalgic interior design. But first, let's just take a moment to appreciate its rather unique exterior...
The mummified mansion dates back to 1986 and it doesn't appear to have been touched since. The 5,579-square-foot residence found its way onto the property market in early January 2021 and had a $3.2 million (£2.4m) asking price. After a mere 43 days, it sold for just over $2.9 million (£2.2m).
At the time, Realtor described the house as having "serious Miami Vice vibes", and we can't help but agree. Every living space smacks you in the face with bold colours and unique furnishings. The four-bedroom property boasts a double-height living room, a dining room, a kitchen, four bathrooms, and of course, plenty of 80s finishes. From vinyl plank flooring to recessed neon lighting and bold geometric shapes, every room is steeped in nostalgia.
Other selling points include the bathtub and mirrored ceiling in the master suite, the huge chandelier hanging from the ceiling in the lounge, the circular beds in the guest rooms, the black granite bathroom with pops of gold, the fabric statement ceiling of the games room, and the all-glass three-storey elevator that connects each of the home's floors. The backyard doesn't disappoint either. It comes complete with a covered entertaining deck, a concrete saltwater pool, a hot tub and a boat lift.
No matter how many homes you look at, it's likely you'll never find one that even comes close to Marsala House. Positioned in a suburb of Perth in Western Australia, this incredible piece of architecture is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Dating back to 1976, the Besser-block gem was designed by the late Bulgarian-born architect, Iwan Iwanoff.
The brutalist beauty can be found perched on a hill some 269 feet above sea level, allowing for panoramic views all the way to the city. The house is the youngest in all of Australia to have been named on the State Register of Heritage Places, meaning its unique architectural aesthetic will always be protected.
The property encompasses just over 5,600 square feet and features four bedrooms and three bathrooms, but that's not all. The home has so many lavish features it's almost impossible to keep up. To name a few, these include a hand-blown 1970s Venini patchwork wall, an original Cristal Arte mirrors, a sunken living room and alpaca carpets. There's also a swimming pool, spa, gym and lush landscaped gardens.
Yet the home's pièce de résistance has to be its disco room. As if plucked from Saturday Night Fever, the room boasts a light-up dancefloor, DJ booth, bar, mid-century modern Venetian chandelier, crocodile-effect wallpaper and a built-in sound system. Thanks to this space, the property has been given the fond nickname of 'Disco House'. In June 2021, the house hit the real estate scene with a guide price of AUD$3 million – that's $2.1 million (£1.6m).
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