Whether or not we are willing to admit it, snooping on other people’s homes on the internet has become a national hobby.
That is thanks in large part to Rightmove, the property selling website which is celebrating its 25th anniversary.
Searching for your dream property and keeping tabs on how much your neighbours’ houses are selling for is part of the fun, but it is the weird and wonderful homes that really seem to capture Britons’ attention.
Over the years, homes listed on the website have gone viral for all the right – and wrong – reasons.
Some are simply stunning properties, such as a private island off the Essex coast or a dramatic castle near Harrogate.
But most have been in the spotlight due to their outlandish architecture or decor. Who can forget the hobbit house, Star Wars mansion or the stiletto-shaped bath?
Here are the 25 listings that have caused the biggest stir.
Property crash: The shark appears to be launching itself head-first into the terraced home
Truly one of Britain’s oddest homes, this four-bed terraced house has a 25-foot fibreglass shark crashing through its roof.
Inside, though, it is remarkably tasteful with clean lines and magnolia walls throughout.
The shark, a piece of art by sculptor John Buckley, was installed by the owner Bill Heine in 1986 and led to a planning battle with the council which Heine ultimately won.
The property was designated a heritage site in 2022 and is now owned by Heine’s son.
According to the Rightmove website, it was advertised for rent in April this year at a price of £4,000 per month.
2. Private island, Pembrokeshire, Wales
Thorne Island was constructed as a fort in the 1850s, defending the Milford Haven naval base against an invasion by Napoleon.
Luckily things are much more tranquil these days, following the island’s sale in 1932 and conversion to a Grade II* listed hotel and subsequently a family home.
The island covers 2.49 acres and has views across the Pembrokeshire coastline.
The centrepiece is an 8,119 sq ft house, and the island is also home to outbuildings and a terrace.
The home is currently on the market with an asking price of £3million, according to the Rightmove website.
All alone: There’s not a neighbour in sight for residents of this secluded Welsh estate
This four-bed link detached house dates from the 16th century, but it wasn’t the home’s history that grabbed the nation’s attention.
Instead, the unique bath, designed to resemble a ladies’ high-heeled shoe, made it an internet sensation.
The Grade II-listed home was on sale in January 2025 for £895,000, according to the Rightmove website.
Well-heeled: The owner of this Conwy home added a touch of glamour to the bathroom
4. The Space Home, Rawdon, West Yorkshire
This five-bed property near Leeds is, for the most part, a well-put together family home.
However, it has one very unique feature: a Star Wars-inspired cinema room which is a full replica of the Millennium Falcon flight deck.
It took the then-owners two years to build and is even entered through specially-constructed spaceship-style doors.
The property was listed for £1.7million a year ago but is no longer on the market – having presumably been snapped up by a fellow fan of the franchise.
Star of the show: The cinema room is a detailed replica of the spaceship from the films
5. Seven foot wide house, Kensington, London
This Notting Hill property caught Britons’ attention for being super-skinny – though it is only the capital’s second-narrowest home, being beaten to the title by a six foot wide house down the road in Shepherd’s Bush.
Initially a ransom strip connecting a now-demolished building to Peel Street on which it sits, it was converted to a dwelling in the arts and crafts style in the 1930s.
It spans three floors and has two bedrooms, and was last on sale in May this year for £1.195million.
Small but beautiful: The Notting Hill terrace is the capital’s second-narrowest property
6. The Tardis House, Exeter, Devon
Another home inspired by the world of entertainment, but this time with a distinctly British twist.
The four-bed family home near Exeter includes a full-size replica of Doctor Who’s Tardis, which functions as the owners’ downstairs toilet door.
The large barn-style home spans 1,600 sq ft and, according to the Rightmove website, has not been on the market since 2014 when it sold for £425,000.
Portal loo: The toilet door has been decorated to look like the Tardis from Doctor Who
7. The Purple House, Middlesex, Greater London
Quite possibly the most purple house on the planet, the owner of this semi-detached in Hillingdon decorated every single room top to bottom in the same bold violet shade.
Curtains, furniture and carpets were all purple in the property, which went viral back in 2013 when it was on sale for £400,000.
Purple reign: The owner of this Hillingdon house favoured a monochrome colour palette
Another pint-sized property, this seaside snug was built in a former alleyway and is just 3ft wide in some places.
The former fisherman’s cottage was on the market in February this year with a guide price of £235,000.
Its size is less than 340 sq ft, and it is also known as the Flat Iron due to its distinctive shape – though the buyer will be rewarded with breathtaking sea views.
Tight squeeze: This home in Porthleven was built in what used to be an alleyway
9. Osea Island, Maldon, Essex
Osea Island in Essex went viral earlier this year thanks to its celebrity connections.
The island, which spans 380 acres and is home to properties comprising 90 bedrooms, was put up for sale for £25million in April by its owner, top music producer Nigel Frieda.
It was once hired by Rihanna, hosted Olly Murs’ wedding and rapper Stormzy stayed there while writing one of his albums.
It’s not known whether there is a buyer in the picture for the exclusive property.
Island life: Celebrities have flocked to Osea Island, listed on Rightmove earlier this year
10. The Carnival House, St. Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex
This unique property on the south coast started life as a Victorian Turkish bathhouse in 1871, and was then used as a school and place of worship.
It was overhauled in 2013 to become a quirky family home themes around circus and the carnival, complete with its own arcade machine, bowling alley and bar.
It captured the imagination of fun loving Britons in 2021 when it went on the market for £1.5million – though it didn’t impress those suffer who from coulrophobia as it featured a giant clown head as part of the decor.
Today it is rented out to guests on Airbnb for around £1,000 per night.
Clowning around: The unique property in East Sussex has a vintage circus theme
11. The Gazebo Tower, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire
Those seeking a room with a view need look no further.
Known as the Gazebo tower, his cylindrical home was constructed in 1833 as a viewing point for the picturesque town of Ross-on-Wye in south Herefordshire.
Conjoined to the town’s historic walls, it went viral because of its unique features such as a spiral staircase, stone arches and a bath concealed underneath the spring-loaded bed.
It is currently listed on Rightmove with a guide price of £330,000.
Towering heights: The property adjoins the historic wall around the town of Ross-on-Wye
12. Model village, Polperro, Cornwall
It’s not often you get the chance to buy a whole village for £725,000 – but that’s what happened when a unique home in Cornwall went on the market last year.
Polperro Model Village – with pubs, shops and cottages rendered in minute detail -was offered for sale along with the (life-sized) three-bedroom home of the family who ran it.
The one-of-a-kind property won the hearts of property lovers across Britain with its quirky charm.
Attraction: The model village in Polperro was sold along with the home that adjoins it
The best of the rest
Here are some of the other picturesque, quirky and downright strange properties which have delighted Rightmove property sleuths over the years…
13. This Scottish lighthouse gained attention for its secluded location and rustic charm
14. In Nottingham, an apartment built into a CAVE generated huge interest
15. This 14-storey tower in Hampshire gained attention when it hit the market in 2017
16. A Grade II-listed complex set around a windmill in Clayton near Brighton was another hit when it went up for sale for £3million in 2020
17. This three-bed converted water tower in Leicestershire hit the market in 2021
18. Dubbed the Hobbit house, this unique Peak District property was a hit online
19. Back in 2019, this Norfolk home with a graveyard in the front garden was for sale
20. This 4,800 sq ft converted church in West Yorkshire is on the market for £1.5million
21. The grand Ripley Castle Estate in North Yorkshire is on the market now
23. A three-bed windmill home near York was for sale earlier this year
24. There’s no excuse to miss your train in this home, which adjoins Box Hill and Westhumble station and was for sale for £850,000 in 2024
25. In 2020, this converted village hall home in Norfolk, complete with its own indoor skate park, went viral online after being listed for £240,000
