Have you ever come across the term “nail house”?
If you’re a fan of Pixar’s movie “Up”, you’ll know exactly what we’re referring to.
Nail houses are those stubborn structures that stick out like a nail in wood, refusing to be hammered down because their owners won’t sell their property to developers.
This term, originally coined in China, is now used globally to describe such properties.
They’re also known as holdouts.
Owners of these nail houses, much like Carl Fredricksen from the movie, cling to their land and refuse to sell.
Sometimes it’s because the offer is too low, and other times it’s simply because they don’t want to part with their property.
Take the Zammit family in Sydney, for instance.
They’ve been holding onto their land, resisting the allure of easy money.
Their property is estimated to be worth about $50 million, but the Zammits aren’t swayed by the dollar signs.
When the Zammits first purchased their property in the Ponds, a quaint area just a 30-minute drive from Sydney’s CBD, it was a charming land of cottages and farms.
Each house was unique, boasting its own special touch and character.
However, over the last few years, their neighbors have succumbed to the developers, selling their properties to make way for new, identical homes.
Diane Zammit, the family matriarch, reminisced about the past in an interview with Daily Mail Australia.
She recalled how the area used to be “farmland dotted with little red brick homes and cottages”.
She lamented, “Every home was unique and there was so much space – but not any more. It’s just not the same.”
Despite the changes, the Zammits remain steadfast, refusing to leave their home, which now stands out like a castle amidst the uniformity.
The Zammit’s property is indeed impressive.
It features a lush lawn and a 200-meter driveway leading up to the brick home with a triple garage.
If the family were to sell, it’s estimated that 40 to 50 houses could be built on the land.
Taylor Bredin, a real estate agent from Ray White Quakers Hill, told 7News, “Depending on how far you push the development plan, you’d be able to push anywhere from 40 to 50 properties on something like this, and when subdivided, a 300 square metre block would get a million dollars.”
Despite the potential profits, Bredin admires the family for not giving into the temptation of easy money.
The Zammits are a private family and have not revealed their future plans regarding the property.
They may sell the house at a higher price in the future, or they may not.
Their story is reminiscent of other nail house cases that have made headlines, such as a 108-year-old farmhouse in Seattle, Washington, owned by Edith Macefield.
Macefield refused to sell her property, but she struck up an unlikely friendship with the construction chief, Barry Martin.
When she passed away at 86 in 2008, Martin became her heir.
Today, her house still stands, a testament to her determination, and bears a striking resemblance to the house from the Pixar movie.
So, what would you do if you found yourself in a situation like the Zammits or Macefield?
Would you hold onto your property or give in to the developers?
To get a better look at the Zammit’s expansive property that stands out amidst dozens of new homes, check out the video below.
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