Starting in 1992, Nikolai Petrovich Sutyagin, a crime lord from Arkhangelsk, Russia, spent 15 years building the Sutyagin House.

Initially intended to have only three stories, the Sutyagin family kept adding more floors without proper permits or plans, eventually reaching a staggering 13 stories.

This made it the tallest wooden house worldwide. In 2008, the city authorities deemed the structure a fire risk and had it demolished. Honestly, it’s probably for the best.

If you’ve ever dreamt of spending the night near a live volcano in Hawaii, you’re in for a treat!

The Phoenix House can be rented on Airbnb. Situated just outside the danger zone of Kilauea on Hawaii’s Big Island, this means that during an eruption, you’ll be close to flowing lava. And guess what?

Kilauea is currently one of the most active volcanoes globally, so you’re bound to witness some thrilling volcanic activity if you decide to vacation there!

The Drina River House sits in the middle of the Drina River, close to Bajina Bašta town in Serbia.

It was initially built by two brothers in 1968, but it got washed away by heavy rain soon after.

However, it was rebuilt in the following years. The house became famous worldwide during the first Drina Regatta in 1994, where about 20,000 people passed by it. Nowadays, it’s one of the most popular spots for photography in Serbia.

Think you’re an introvert? How about living in the world’s loneliest house? This secluded dwelling is found on Elliðaey Island, off the southern coast of Iceland.

It used to be a hunting lodge, and there’s an old storage building on the island that was once used by biologists.

Castellfollit de la Roca is a town in Catalonia, Spain. It sits on a 160-foot-tall basalt cliff where two rivers meet, formed by the merging of two lava flows.

This ancient town has been around for a thousand years and stretches for almost a kilometer. It is inhabited by just under 1,000 people. Interestingly, there’s a small street that winds its way through the houses, providing a pathway for getting around. Now, picture having a cliff as your backyard.

The Chemosphere is a unique house in Los Angeles. It’s shaped like an octagon and has a living space of 2,200 square feet.

What makes it stand out is that it sits atop a narrow concrete column, about five feet wide and almost 30 feet high above the ground.

It was designed by John Lautner in 1960 and was once considered the most modern home in the world. People admire its innovative design, especially because it was constructed on a steep 45-degree slope.

In the northern part of New York, in the Saint Lawrence River, lies Hub Island, or as it’s commonly called, Just Room Enough Island.

This island straddles the border between Canada and the United States. It’s incredibly small, measuring only 3,300 square feet.

True to its name, it has just enough space for a house, a tree, and a tiny beach. Back in the 1950s, the Sizeland family bought the island to have a secluded vacation home. However, word got out about the unique house, and it lost its privacy soon after.

Shadowcliff is a remarkable house overlooking Lake Michigan, designed by architect Harry Weese.

It’s like a glass box built into a cliff. Originally, it served as a vacation office for Ben W. Heineman, an advisor to Lyndon B. Johnson. Although it might seem a bit scary, Weese made sure it was sturdy enough to withstand winds of up to 90 miles per hour.

The most impressive feature of Shadowcliff is a glass window on the floor that allows you to look down and see the cliff below.

Hidden on the side of the Matterhorn in the Alps is a small hut built as a shelter for mountain climbers.

It provides a temporary escape from harsh weather or a quick place to rest. Although it’s tiny, it can accommodate up to 10 people if needed. Inside, there’s an emergency phone line in case of avalanches or injuries that require helicopter rescue from the mountain.

As the name suggests, the Falling Water House was built above a waterfall in Pennsylvania, nestled amidst the trees.

However, despite being designed by the renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright, the house didn’t prioritize durability or stability during construction.

The floors turned out to be too weak to support the house, and the beams started to crack under the strain. It took a whopping $11 million to rectify these mistakes and ensure the house was safe and secure.

In central Greece, you’ll find the Meteora, which is home to one of the world’s largest and tallest Eastern Orthodox monastery complexes.

Back in the 14th century, 24 monasteries were built on top of natural pillars to protect against raids. Nowadays, only six of them remain, and they house less than 10 people each.

Now, you might wonder how these residents enter and exit their homes. Initially, they relied on ropes, but fortunately, stairs have been carved into the rock formations, making it more convenient to access the monasteries.

Monks often choose to live on the edge, quite literally. This holds true for the monks residing in Tiger’s Nest Monastery in Bhutan.

To reach this monastery, visitors must hike for at least two hours, ascending to an elevation of nearly 3,000 feet on a cliff. If you’re in Bhutan and not afraid of heights, it’s highly recommended to visit this awe-inspiring place.

It’s said to be absolutely breathtaking.

Italy isn’t the only country with a leaning tower. In Santos, Brazil, there are leaning towers that people actually live in, unlike the Leaning Tower of Pisa which is a tourist attraction.

Ideally, these buildings should have been constructed with deeper foundations, but relaxed building codes allowed them to be quickly built on soft clay, causing them to tilt to one side.

While they may look unusual, this could be risky during an earthquake.

The Hanging Houses, also known as Las Casas Colgadas, have an elusive origin that historians haven’t fully uncovered.

However, evidence suggests they have been around since the 15th century. Don’t they appear to be seamlessly integrated into the rock?

Nowadays, these houses are home to a restaurant and the Spanish Museum of Abstract Arts. It’s no surprise that they are regarded as the most renowned buildings in Cuenca.

Located in Victoria, Australia, this cliff house is definitely not suitable for those who are afraid of heights.

As you can see, it’s a five-story house that is connected to the vertical face of a cliff. Its design was inspired by the way barnacles cling to ships.

If that isn’t enough to make you nervous, the roof of the house also serves as a garage, adding even more weight on top. Feeling ready to move in?

Priced at $3.9 million, this house is situated in Sonoma Valley, a two-hour drive from San Francisco.

The house offers breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean from nearly every part of the property.

Sounds amazing, right? Well, there are a couple of things to consider. Firstly, the house is predominantly made of glass, and secondly, it sits on a rocky point that’s 300 feet above the ocean.

Is the experience worth it? That’s for you to decide.

The house on Middle Sedge Island sits off the coast of New Jersey in the Atlantic Ocean.

It offers lavish amenities like a heated pool, guest house, and a bocce court on a spacious 14.4-acre land. However, there’s a catch.

To access the house, you either need a helicopter or a boat since it’s secluded. Tragically, Hurricane Sandy in 2012 devastated the house, causing extensive damage. Unfortunately, it remains unrepaired due to the high cost of restoration.

Coober Pedy, a town in South Australia, is famous for its opal reserves.

But what makes it even more unique is that 80 percent of its residents live underground in “dugouts” to avoid the scorching daytime heat.

Living in Coober Pedy means risking heat stroke whenever you venture outside during the day, as temperatures can reach a staggering 127 degrees Fahrenheit.

Imagine living in an apartment that sticks out completely from the rest of the building. That’s the reality for residents of the WoZoCo Apartments in Amsterdam.

These apartments were cleverly designed to comply with city regulations while fulfilling the client’s unique vision.

Although the protruding units are securely attached to the building, it can still be quite nerve-wracking to stand underneath them!