In the heart of Hanoi, some houses have incredibly small areas, sometimes only 4 square meters, yet owners are unwilling to sell even when offered VND 4 billion. These houses are so slim that, if not carefully observed, they could easily be mistaken for a wall or an electrical pole.

Real estate agent T. (Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi) is currently listing a 4-square-meter house on Le Thanh Nghi Street for sale. The four-story property has been offered VND 4 billion, making its price VND 1 billion per square meter, but the owner still declined to sell.

The owner shared that she currently lives on the third floor and runs a small iced tea shop in front of the house "for fun." Previously, the front space was used to sell fast food, mainly sticky rice, sandwiches, and takeaway coffee.

"However, since the outbreak of COVID-19, the number of customers has decreased significantly, so I decided to 'retire early' and now just sell iced tea," she said.

Inside the house, the space is just enough to accommodate a staircase leading to the upper floors, with almost no extra room for furniture. On the third floor, the area is also very modest, with a walkway just wide enough for one person.

The owner revealed that she owns two other properties nearby, both of which are also "super-slim" houses. One slightly larger house is rented out for dining services at VND 10 million per month, while the smaller one is rented as a phone repair shop for VND 8 million per month.

On real estate forums, when the listing of this super-slim house was posted, a reader named Lam Anh commented, "With this location and price, it would be ideal for the neighbor behind to buy it and utilize this slim house as the front facade."

However, other members noted that while the house is on a main road, its potential for business is minimal. The owner, who uses it only to sell iced tea, declined an offer of VND 4 billion, indicating that they might not prioritize financial gain.

Similarly, on Truong Chinh Street (Dong Da District, Hanoi), a real estate agent is listing a house with a 3-meter frontage but a depth of only 1 meter.

Agent Yen described the corner property, currently for sale at VND 2 billion. Despite its depth of less than 1 meter, the wide frontage makes it suitable for a sidewalk café or takeaway business.

Interestingly, the wall of this house even bears a "Alley 5 - Truong Chinh Street" sign, and when viewed from the back, many might mistake it for the wall of an alley.

Commenting on the listing, user Cuong Do noted, "Not every property located on a main road or near the city center can command such high prices. Buyers should carefully consider the functionality and potential for living or investment."

Minh Nguyen, another user, shared, "Sometimes, people take advantage of empty space next to their house, build a wall, and it becomes a 'house.' However, both living in and renting out such properties raise legal concerns."

"If the area is so small, they will likely use the sidewalk for business, which could negatively impact the urban landscape and inconvenience pedestrians," the user added.

Tien Anh