Seattle’s ‘Spite House,’ built to irritate an ex-husband, sells for $745,000
Jul 16, 2025, 10:49 AM
Overview of the "Spite House" in Seattle's Montlake neighborhood. (Photo courtesy of Kirsten Dirksen)
(Photo courtesy of Kirsten Dirksen)
A Seattle house made famous for its odd design and its spiteful backstory has been sold for $745,000.
Known as the infamous “Spite House,” the Montlake-based home was built a century ago by a landowner seeking revenge against her ex-husband. The house is a pie-shaped residence on a tiny 3,090-square-foot parcel of property. In the couple’s divorce, the wife received just the yard while the husband was awarded the home adjacent to the parcel of land.
Unable to secure her own loan to buy her own property, she decided to construct the dwelling on top of the yard.
“The story goes that she decided to build a house to block his view in the front yard,” Emily Cangie, who bought the home in 2019, told Realtor.com.
The home was on the market for just one month, with an asking price of $799,000, according to Realtor.com, before settling for the $745,000 offer. Alongside its colorful backstory, the home is famous for its odd shape and dimensions. The home is 55 inches across at its narrowest point and 15 feet across at its widest point, allowing it to fit on the plot of land.
The design of the home has been described as a “little wedge of cheese” by Cangie, comparing it to New York’s iconic Flatiron Building. Before being listed, the home was registered to an LLC under the name “Montlake Spite House.”
A video tour of the home was made available by YouTuber Kirsten Dirksen in 2023.
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