5 Most Incredible Holdouts ( nail houses)

Nail House” (钉子户) is a relatively new term in China. It refers to a standalone house in the middle of a demolition ground due to disagreement with compensation terms. The house sticks out like a nail. People started to realize that you don’t have to move if you are not happy with the compensation after a woman in Chongqing put on a fight to guard her property and became famous with her Nail House.

Wu Ping – China

Wu Ping, chongqing, china. perhaps the most famous nail house in history was situated on a huge mound of dirt in chonqing until april 2007, at which point it was demolished by exhausted developers after battling for 3 years and eventually parting with ¥1m. the house’s owner, mrs wu ping, was the only person from 241 properties who refused to leave when asked in 2004 in order to make way for a new shopping centre.

Edith Macefield – Seattle, USA

Edith Macefield, seattle, u.s.a. After Edith Macefield, 86, refused $1 million to move from her Ballard home, construction crews simply began building a five-story development project around her home.

Austin L. Spriggs – Massachusetts, USA

Austin L. Spriggs declined repeatedly to sell his aging rowhouse on Massachusetts Avenue NW. Mr Spriggs was offered more than $3m for the property in 2008 even though the property was previously only worth an estimated $200k

Unknown – China

High street chains loom over a gutsy nail house. Ragged brickwork is a reminder of the demolition of previously connected buildings

Xai Zhuxiang and Zhang Lianhao – China

In 2006, cai zhuxiang and zhang lianhao, proud and determined owners of this 7 storey building in luohu, shenzhen, were approached by local developers who were on a mission to convert the surrounding area into an extremely profitable financial centre.  The couple refused and their 10yr old building and the land beneath it became the focus of a bidding war. eventually developers made an offer they couldn’t refuse and in 2007 the couple gathered their belongings and moved on