Texas is currently experiencing a housing boom due to an influx of people moving in from out of state. The Lone Star State has a median housing price far lower than many other states, so you can get quite a lot for your money when you move here. Some people choose to upgrade their new abode, while others choose to go for a more modest home and save the money they would have spent.
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Whether in search of a one story house, an in-ground pool, a movie theatre or a third floor attic, chances are when you go house hunting you probably don't turn to your realtor and ask, "Have you got anything really off-the-wall?" If you did, however, you might find yourself facing one of these creative houses.
1. Britannia Manor II
Gargoyles guarding the domed observatory atop Britannia Manor II Image via Realtor.com
In 1987, video game developer and entrepreneur Richard Garriot (known as Lord British to fans of his game, Ultima) built a house fit for, well, a British Lord. Britannia Manor II, as it came to be known, is guarded by gargoyles, has rounded castle doors and features stained glass representations of figures from Camelot.
The house is also home to both an observatory with a rotating dome, and a "dungeon" complete with a crypt full of, presumably, the skeletal remains of all those who would dare oppose His Lordship. In addition to these, the house has a slide from the interior of the second floor of the home into the exterior pool below, as well as a "grotto" with a rain feature. The house went on the market in 2013, and now is home to a new Lord or Lady.
2. Beer Can House
Over 50,000 beers were consumed over the course of 40 years to make this Houston landmark what it is today. In 1968, John Milkovisch, a retired upholsterer for the Southern Pacific Railroad, began inlaying glass marbles, rocks and metal into stone and redwood to create what is now known as "The Beer Can House."
"I guess I just thought it was a good idea, and it's easier than painting," Milkovisch said, describing to the shiny metallic work of art in which he resides. What started as a relaxing hobby evolved into a life's work, and eventually aluminum covered the entire exterior of the Houston man's home. When asked if he drank all the beer it took to cover the house, his wife Mary replied, "No, I helped."
3. Casa Neverlandia
James Talbot
Nestled in a quiet neighborhood near downtown Austin, artist James Edward Talbot transformed a two bedroom bungalow built in 1906 into a whimsical adult playhouse of sorts. Rather than a doorbell, Casa Neverlandia has an array of xylophones and literal bells that guests ring to gain entry. The home is outfitted with "talk tubes", PVC pipes laid into the walls that can be used for communication from room to room.
