Earlier this month, the State Government announced that from the 1^st of August 2011, the stamp duty concession for non-first home buyers will be removed.

First home buyer stamp duty concessions will remain for homes up to $500,000, but those who are not purchasing their first property could be hit more than $15,000 in stamp duty for median-priced houses in Brisbane suburbs like Nundah, when buying a new or established home as their principal place of residence.

That’s an increase of more than $7,000.

Speaking after the government announced their plans, Real Estate Institute of Queensland chair Pamela Bennett said the move was likely to create chaos in the property market. “The market is already the lowest it has been in many years and today’s announcement will just make it worse,” she said.

About 60 per cent of all dwellings financed in Queensland in April were to non-first home buyers.

The government also announced the new Queensland Building Boost grant, which will make $10,000 available for all people building, or buying, a new-build home or unit priced up to $600,000 between 1 August 2011 and 31 January 2012.

According to the REIQ, the grant t is also unlikely to assist more first home buyers into the market. “While the grant means first-timers will be able to access $17,000, as well as stamp duty concessions, purchasing a new-build home or unit continues to be out of the financial reach of most prospective homeowners,” Ms Bennet said.

When the First Home Owners Boost was available in late 2008 and throughout 2009, 74% of first home buyers purchased an established home despite $21,000 being available for constructing a new home or the purchase of a new-build.

For today’s blog post we would like to bring your attention to a few of the most bizarre (and ingenious) properties around the world…

Let us know what you think of them!

The Piano and Violin House, China

This stunning piece of archtecture was built in Huainan, Anhui, China to draw interest to the newly developed area. Inside the transparent violin is the staircase to the house upstairs.

(Source)

The Kettle House, Texas

The house pictured below is located in Galveston, Texas and was made from steel in the 1950’s.

(Source)

The Upside Down House, Germany

This upside down house was built as part of the indoor playground ‘Pirateninsel Rügen’ in Germany. The attraction is open year round in in Putbus, Insel Rügen, the largest of the German Islands.

(Source)

The Shoe House, South Africa

This house can be found in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. It was built in 1990 by South African entrepreneur and artist Ron Van Zyl,for his wife (we reportedly said she wanted a shoe!)  The interior is a museum of rock and wood carvings made by Ron Van Zyl himself. The Shoe is part of a bigger project which includes a camp site and a chalet guest house, restaurant, bar, pool and shop.

(Source)

The Skinny House, England

Pictured to the right is the west end of a wedge style building in Thurloe Square, Knightsbridge, London – less than 6 feet at its narrowest point!

(Source)

The Crooked House, Poland

Located in Sopot, Poland at Bohaterów Monte Cassino Street, this house was constructed in 2003 based off of drawings from  Jan Marcin Szancer and Per Dahlberg.

(Source)

The Ship House , Croatia

This house, which can be found in Dalmatia, Croatia, was originally commissioned by a family in the southern Croatian ditrsict of Cista Velika. Owner Ante Ancic, 63, said: “It was my wife and my idea to open a restaurant, but we liked it so much we decided to live in it. But now it’s too much for us and the kids have moved out – so we want to find a new captain.”

(Source)

What do you think?

Which is your favourite building? Would you live in a house as unusual as one of these? Why or why not?

Join the discussion in the comments section below…