A lot of people would consider selling their nan for the sake of £25 million, but one family refused to flog their beloved home despite being offered the life-changing sum.
The Zammit brood insisted they could not be bought, despite property developers trying to entice them with a hefty payday, and instead vowed to never leave their pad that sits on nearly five acres of land in Australia.
While most of their neighbours packed up their stuff and sold up, they turned down the huge offer of $50 million Australian dollars (roughly £25 million) in exchange for their sprawling Windsor Castle-style home.
The family also refused to make a counter offer, making it clear they weren’t interested in negotiating.
But those pesky building firms don’t give up that easily.
In response to the Zammits giving their generous proposal the thumbs down, developers decided to continue with their plans to build a new estate in The Ponds area near the city of Quakers Hill anyway.
They obviously had to come up with a solution to get around the family’s refusal to give up their home, so contractors opted to instead erect their new development around their pad instead. Touché.
It’s a pretty similar situation to that gaff that’s plonked in the middle of the M62 motorway in the UK, without the added annoyance of thousands of cars whizzing past it each day.
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But the fact the Zammits are now boxed in by endless rows of houses on either side of them is less than ideal, especially when looking at the new development from a bird’s eye view.
The family used to be surrounded by farmland and cute cottages throughout the first 16 years of them living there, but they are now stuck staring at the hundreds of houses which have been crammed in next to them.
Mum Diane Zammit, 51, previously told Daily Mail Australia: “It used to be farmland dotted with little red brick homes and cottages.
“Every home was unique, and there was so much space – but not any more. It’s just not the same.”
Their rather impressive property is located just 40 minutes away from the centre of Sydney and has a 650-foot driveway with a panoramic view of the Blue Mountains, which apparently you can’t put a price on.
It is also believed to boast more than five bedrooms, a triple garage and a makeshift basketball court.
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Neighbours stood firmly by the Zammits after their decision went public last year, and praised them for not giving in to financial temptation in return for giving up their life on the five acre property.
One said: “I’m very happy they’ve refused to sell – it means we have a cul-de-sac which is much safer for our kids – and their big lawn next to us makes it feel like we’ve got so much space.
“Our neighbours don’t get that because the other houses are so close together. We’re very grateful! I hope they stay.”
It is believed that developers had to offer such a huge amount because the plot of land could house as many as 50 properties, which would each be sold for a tidy profit.
Estate agent Taylor Bredin, who works for Ray White Quakers Hill, reckons that the Zammit’s made the right move.
He said: “The fact that most people sold out years and years ago, these guys have held on. All credit to them.”
Stick it to the man, Zammits!
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