Seven of the skinniest houses from around the world

A home measuring just 2.1 metres wide has recently gone on sale in Hammersmith, London, with an asking price of £855,000 ($1.37 million). Thin is apparently in, be it in fashion, television, mobile phones or real estate.

Meanwhile, Australia’s skinniest homes seem to be inner-city terraces – Evans Street, Rozelle, and Terry Street in Surry Hills have homes at or just under 2.9 metres wide.

With that in mind, here are some of the world’s most slender buildings – including some that have managed to be narrower, while still providing ample living space.

‘The Wedge’, Scotland’ – 1.19 metres wide

The dwelling dubbed the skinniest – it has the narrowest frontage, according to the Guinness Book of Records – can be found in the town of Millport on the Isle of Cumbrae.

As its moniker suggests, it does get wider towards the back, reaching 3.35 metres at its broadest spot.

The property went on the market in 2015, listed for  £85,000 ($167,300). 

Photo: Google Maps

Inside ‘The Wedge’. Photo: Supplied

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The Keret House, Warsaw, Poland – 1.52 metres wide

But, if you’re considering overall width, then it is this 2012 property in Poland that holds the official Guinness Book of Records title for narrowest house. Its width ranges from 1.52 metres to 92 centimetres at the skinniest spot. Slipped in between Chlodna 22 Street and Zelazna 74 Street, it sometimes has open days for architecture enthusiasts.

Named for Israeli writer Etgar Keret, the first person to live there, it was designed by Jakub Szczesny from Centrala along with the Polish Modern Art Foundation – and fittingly enough, it’s considered as more of an art installation than a piece of real estate. Possibly because it doesn’t actually meet the building code for the city.

Photo: Polish Modern Art Foundation/Bartek Warzecha

Photo: Polish Modern Art Foundation/Bartek Warzecha

La Casa Estrecha, San Juan, Puerto Rico – 1.52 metres wide

Another candidate, this home at 101 Calle Tetuan, is one of two narrow houses in San Juan – the other can be found at 152 Calle Sol.

With a name that translates to “The Narrow House” in English, it is two storeys high and just under 11 metres long.

Promenade House, Shiga, Japan – 2.7 metres wide

This home, from FORM/Kouichi Kimura Architects, makes up for its lack of girth by being 27 metres long with a long, narrow hallway acting as a “spine” to anchor the internal space.

Designed for a family and dating to 2013, it has two floors and provides 124.3 square metres of living area. 

Japan is home to quite the collection of narrow homes. Yuaa Architects are behind this 1.8 metre wide, 11 metre long house in Tokyo, and Mizuishi Architects Atelier produced a tiny house in Hounachi, Tokyo. There’s also the distinctive 2005 property Lucky Drops, by Yasuhiro Yamashita, which is no wider than 2 metres.

Photo: Takumi Ota, Kei Nakajim – FORM/Kouichi Kimura Architects

The Promenade House interior. Photo: Takumi Ota, Kei Nakajim – FORM/Kouichi Kimura Architects

75½ Bedford Street, New York – 2.9 metres wide

Dating back to 1873 and proving compact city living is nothing new, this West Village townhouse is purported to be the skinniest in New York City. It also boasts some famous former occupants, including actors Cary Grant and John Barrymore.

It has 66 square metres of living space, three floors and a basement, and last sold in 2013 for a fairly substantial $US3,250,000 ($4.29 million). 

Photo: Townrealestate.com

The narrowest home in NYC has a surprisingly large yard. Photo: Townrealestate.com

Oude Hoogstraat 22, Amsterdam, The Netherlands – 2.02 metres 

This five metre-long house first shows up in historical records in 1738, with two upper floors being added before 1787. 

Open to the public, it now contains a tea shop and, according to its website, has also served as a residence for 12 years. 
 

The Spite House in Alexandria, Virginia, USA – 2.1 metres wide

Who doesn’t love a spite house? (Everyone, and yes, generally the point of them is to annoy people).  But anyway, it’s hard to be angry at this adorable, petite blue home tucked away in the old town of Alexandria. 

It was built by a man named John Hollensbury in 1830 to stop passersby using the space between his home and a neighbour’s as a shortcut, or to hang about annoying him. It has been used as a home ever since.

And no wonder – not only is it a convenient walk to most things in town, it also has a yard and provides 30 square metres of living space.