Balconies Around The World That Leave Us Scratching Our Heads

One of the most important features of a house or an apartment unit is the balcony. It is certainly an attractive feature that will get the attention of someone who’s looking for a place to hang their hat. It’s also a nice addition to a home that lacks a lawn or garden. You can lounge on the balcony, have nice conversations, and enjoy delicious meals there too, if desired. There are plenty of ways to decorate your balcony. With many sources out there for decorating and loads of information online, you will never be left short of ideas. There’s nothing that is impossible, even if your balcony has a scarcity of space. However, many balconies we are going to show you have very little when it comes to saving space. We have compiled a list of unaverage balconies that will make you scratch your head and ask, what happened?

#1 What a nice view!

The advertisement in the paper for this apartment said that it came with a private balcony. Now, who wouldn’t be enticed with such an ad? We’re quite sure that having a balcony is a wonderful thing. You can sit there while eating your breakfast.

You can also sit there at night for a drink and perhaps even engage in some people watching. Imagine how disappointed the tenants must have been to see that the view from the balcony is the wall of the next building. What a downer!

#2 A pool on the balcony?

This either has to be the cleverest or the stupidest idea ever. If you live in an apartment complex that doesn’t come with a built-in private pool, what do you do? Well, you can either go to the public pool or make one.

These people chose the latter. However, we don’t quite approve of how they made a makeshift pool in their apartment unit on the balcony. Yeah, the little boy is having the time of his life taking a dip, but what if the balcony can’t support all the weight?

#3 There can be only one

Well, it’s easy to see from this photo who among the residents of this apartment building is the wealthiest. Clue – check out the windows and see who among them has the only balcony. Yup, there is only one, and he is living on the highest floor.

But is there really something to see from way up there? This right here is a prime example of how wealth is distributed throughout this world. Some just have to settle, but others get to enjoy some of the good things in life, like a private balcony.

#4 How are people supposed to enjoy the balcony?

This apartment building really did have great intentions for their future residents. They wanted people who lived there to enjoy each and every season, be it Summer, Autumn, Winter, or Spring, so they made sure that each unit had a balcony.

There is only one problem though; With no windows or doors, how are people gonna enjoy the balcony? Do they have to use some a rope to climb up to the balcony from the ground? There’s just a lot of hazard and confusion here.

#5 George of the Jungle’s balcony

This balcony reminds us of the movie, George of the Jungle. In fact, we’re expecting him to come swinging out or even in anytime now. This fellow must have had so much time on his hands that he thought of growing a jungle on his balcony.

For some reason, a few plants and flowers sprouted to become an entire jungle. Can he even see anything from his balcony when it’s full of foliage like this? He really needs to work on trimming those bushes, or he is gonna be dealing with plenty of mosquitoes.

#6 Is the ladder for cats?

Ok, this belongs to the category of what in the world. The ladder is a little too small for humans, so it’s probably for the homeowner’s cat. At least they are thoughtful enough to ensure that the cat doesn’t have any problems coming home at night.

However, wouldn’t this encourage burglars though? If the cat can easily climb the ladder to reach the house, we’re quite sure that burglars wouldn’t have any problems doing the same, as well as the squirrels, skunks, possums, and other sorts of wild animals.

#7 What is going on there?

This is a balcony that makes you say, what the heck? It’s okay to want your apartment building to come with balconies for the people living there, but not at the expense of a random lamp post. How can a human even think of doing such a thing?

The only good thing this weird setup has to offer is a pole dance to the lucky ones who live on the balcony, and to have the whole neighborhood watching them. What, there’s a street light? No problem. We can work around that. Seriously though, we’re pretty sure this is illegal.

#8 Captain Jack Sparrow lives here

If Captain Jack Sparrow ever gets tired of the pirate life and decides to plant his feet firmly on land, this is the apartment where he’s going to live. We can notice just from the looks of it. The balcony has his name all over it.

Even the Jolly Roger is proudly hanging and is outfitted to make it look like a ship. We have to give kudos to the guy for creativity, and for getting his balcony ready for Halloween very early. We just really hope he will take the decorations down after the occasion.

#9 Be very careful when stepping out there

There are many things in life that upset and annoy us, and one of them is a fake balcony. Like, seriously? Why would anyone even think of this? Do they just want to get on the nerves of the tenants, play a prank on them, or are they just simply being mean?

This house, at least from a distance, looks like it has a functioning balcony. Go a little farther and walk underneath the balcony, and we see that it’s fake. There is no floor! They should really put a sign there and warn people. This is very dangerous.

#10 Another dangerous balcony

Balconies really should be left unfinished because somebody could easily get hurt. Since we have been discussing dangerous balconies, let’s take a look at this one. The previous balcony didn’t have a floor, and now this one doesn’t have a wall!

Just think of how much danger and child could be in if they were standing up there, and to fall because of the absence of the wall. Anybody with a brain could easily get seriously injured or worse, die. People who do this should be sued.

#11 What’s with all the animal skulls?

This is a balcony that belongs on the creepy list. The owner of this balcony must treat hunting like a sport, or love collecting different animal skulls. But, we think he has far too many and has overdone it with his decorations.

Five or six would be acceptable, but we think that this is “overkill.” Pun intended. This is definitely a scary sight when driving or passing by the balcony, especially on a dark night. We would be scared out of our wits thinking why those creatures are staring at us!

#12 What’s the point?

We understand that people have the desire be individuals and stand out from the rest of the crowd, but we are not sure that a weird balcony is the best way to do it. We look at this balcony and think, “what’s the point?”

Why would you make the railing pointy like this? Yes, it makes your balcony distinct and easy to spot, but isn’t it dangerous for the birds that sometimes perch on the ledge? Some people may think it’s cool and artistic, but others may say otherwise.

#13 Does this even qualify for a balcony?

This one belongs on the list of balconies that are impossible to get in and get out of. Not only is it quite tiny, but there seems to be no entrance or exit that exists, leaving us scratching our heads. Did they just put that thing there for laughs?

Maybe the homeowner wanted to challenge the onlooking pedestrians, and maybe they are giving a prize to anyone who can solve the mystery of how to get in and out of this balcony. Well, there is a window beside the balcony, so maybe that can be used?

#14 Is this how they do balconies in Spain?

If this is how they do balconies in Spain, we’re not visiting anytime soon. We are rolling our eyes at just how useful this balcony is. Actually, it doesn’t even qualify as a balcony. It’s just a vent and a window with some railings.

Sometimes, designers just like to confuse people, even themselves. Did they just add the railings to give the home an illusion of a balcony? Or perhaps the balcony is just budding, and after a few months, it will grow to become a full-blown balcony.

#15 So, rent is higher for this unit because of its balcony?

This is another example of a window with some railings to give us the illusion of a nice balcony. Maybe they wanted to increase the rental fee because the house had a feature that most other houses in the neighborhood didn’t.

Actually, this shouldn’t even be considered a balcony. This should be called a fence because that’s what it is. Some people say this is called a ‘Juliet’ balcony because it has two French doors that let you open the window. But still, we don’t see the sense in it.

#16 A DIY project

This is a DIY project that has gone all sorts of wrong. First, we don’t see how those thin stilts can support the weight of the balcony and the people who choose to stand on it. This balcony just makes all of us feel uneasy.

This is one DIY project which shouldn’t be undertaken. This is something which should be left to those who know what they are doing. It’s sitting there precariously, and it doesn’t look durable enough. How in the world did they even get the permit to build this?

#17 At least the birds got to enjoy it

If you’re going to build a balcony for your home, please make sure that it has some kind of use, because you’ll only be wasting your money otherwise. At first glance, this balcony seems like it would be used for nothing. There is no window and no access to it.

But look again, and you will understand just who its made for, and for what. It’s not actually for humans but for birds. At least we think it is. Maybe the homeowner just wanted the birds to have a safe place to perch on.

#18 This is just perfect

Generally, balconies are made or added to buildings to enable people to have some space where they can sit, relax “al fresco,” and maybe see some night sights. When the word ‘balcony’ is mentioned, the picture below is definitely not what comes to mind.

What’s the point of adding a balcony when you can’t see anything but a white wall? What is there to enjoy? This is another pointless project that is a complete waste of money. Guys, don’t be like this homeowner. Go use your money elsewhere.

#19 Preparing for war

Where this person lives in Russia, it must be dangerous over there, because it looks they’ve decided to equip themselves and prepare for a war. Why do we have a feeling they are planning to use the balcony for their sniper.

Or perhaps they just want to scare potential burglars or nosy neighbors who might be curious to see what’s happening inside their home, because you know some people just love to gossip. Either way, we like the idea that they are prepared for everything.

#20 What do they have in that house?

Glancing up at this balcony from below makes you think, what do they have in there? The balcony doesn’t look very modern, but it has plenty of mounted solar panels. We wonder if they have plenty of powerful appliances inside?

This neighborhood doesn’t look the most affluent, and we hate to judge, but it does make you wonder . Do they have any scientific thingy or experiment going on inside? Are the energy bills in that part of the world so high that they want to be self-sufficient?

#21 We’re scratching our heads

In yet another episode of what in the world is going on; is it even a balcony, we have another mystery. This one serves no other purpose than aesthetics. There is no way to get in and out of the balcony unless you count the window on the side.

Only birds have safe access to these balconies. We’re scratching our heads thinking they just wasted their money on buying materials and having people build the balconies. Perhaps they were thinking that people living in the apartment have a little of Tarzan in them.

#22 A balcony for the doggo

We actually think that this is cute, and bless the heart of the person who had a balcony made especially for the doggo. Look how cute he is spending time there and looking over the people on the street. There is a niche just for him!

At least he won’t be sad and bored when left all alone at home. We just hope that the balcony rail is safe enough for the dog, because we certainly don’t want him falling over. Some folks on the Internet thoughtfully called this the “barkony,” and we are down with that.

#23 They should have left the tree there

Remember that hit song from Counting Crows and Venessa Carlton? “They paved paradise and put up a parking lot?’” These lyrics come to mind when looking at this photo. The view from the first balcony is filled with lush greenery.

However, somebody thought of cutting down the tree to reveal, hold your breath for it, grimy roofs. We would take the lush greenery anytime/ It looked much better, and we’re quite sure it made whoever sits on the balcony happy.

#24 Futuristic balcony

We think that this balcony looks cool. Someone like Captain Stock should be standing in it, like in the USS Enterprise. However, from another angle, it also looks like a Viking ship that’s been drydocked. Vikings were known for their boat building skills.

We love the color and the design, and this is a balcony design we’d love to have in our very own home. We know that our neighbors would be insanely jealous of this. They’d surely want to come over and have a party in the balcony.

#25 Another tiny balcony

Over time, balconies have served for a number of functions. They are beautiful and practical architectural features are a part of buildings all over the globe. The earliest balconies were thought to date back all the way to ancient Greece.

They were mostly used to encourage better air circulation, especially in places with more hot and humid climates. They were also used to enhance the natural light for a given building. However, we’re confused as to the purpose of this balcony.

#26 Parkour balcony

Are you familiar with parkour? Parkour is the practice of jumping from one point to another without any assisting equipment. If you plan to live in this building and use the balcony, you better brush up your parkour skills.

The only way to get on and off the balcony is by jumping, or maybe you can try swinging which might help you too. Why would you build a structure or house, and make it deliberately difficult for people to use it? What’s the point?

#27 These people value their privacy

The people who live in this house must value their privacy so much so, they felt they had to build a brick wall on their balcony. Either that or they live in a place where neighbors are incredibly nosy and have nothing better to do than spy on others.

The balcony is carrying a pretty heavy load, and could tumble anytime. But, fortunately, it is still able to hold the weight and isn’t showing any signs of buckling under it. We just think it’s dangerous for anybody who’s walking below it.

#28 Curtain crazy

Somebody got a little carried away and went trigger happy with the sewing machine. We understand the necessity to decorate the balcony to make it look more appealing to the average onlooker, but the colors and the design in this clash.

If it starts raining, everything is also going to get soaking wet. If the exterior of the balcony looks like that, we can only think of the crazy things going on in there. One thing’s for sure though, we’re not getting in there.

#29 Do they want to encourage burglars?

This homeowner seems like they want to encourage burglars to enter their home through the balcony, or they just simply don’t have any front door. Otherwise, why would you even build a climbing wall underneath your balcony, right? It looks like they are plainly asking for it.

This is one gaping security issue that they need to fix right away if they don’t want to come in one day to find that most of their valuables are gone or their house trashed. This is something that bad people will definitely exploit if given the chance.

#30 Blue balcony

Want to make yourself unique from the rest of the neighborhood? It’s simple. Build a balcony and paint it a wild color or a color that people don’t really ponder when balconies are concerned. Maybe paint it blue for some extra attention?

This balcony located somewhere in Russia is painted so blue that it almost looks like the TARDIS. It looks very cool, but it also looks tacky at the same time because it doesn’t fir the building. The balcony looks like it belongs somewhere else.

#31 No glass, no problem

These people must be living in a place where the winters are extremely harsh because look at the amount of that ice on that balcony! The other balconies in the building are protected by glass, but this homeowner doesn’t seem to care at all.

But how come the other balconies barely have any hint of ice, not even on the sides? Is someone watering their plants to excess upstairs? Or is this guy living below the kit with the makeshift pool balcony? Sure does look like it!

#32 This makes our eyes sore

The balconies on this building is not exactly a sight for sore eyes. As a matter of fact, it’s helping to make peoples’ eyes sore. If you are an obsessive-compulsive type, look away right now because this isn’t going to help you at all.

This is going to trigger a horrible episode. The balconies are of different sizes, and they don’t seem to have symmetry or a pattern at all. They are just scattered all over the building. If this is supposed to mimic a waterfall, it’s doing a very bad job.

#33 Careful on the balcony or you could get impaled

This balcony on a building in Liverpool is all sorts of wrong. It makes you think of the many dangerous ways it might take to even get on the balcony and out of it, if need be. If you take the wrong step, you could easily fall down, injure yourself or get impaled.

Apparently, this building is the Albert Dock, an old warehouse which has been converted to apartments. It’s listed so no one is allowed to make changes to the building. Hence, the little balcony that serves no purpose is still alive and well.

#34 Always us caution

If this is your balcony, you better stay off of it when you’re drunk, or if you are a very clumsy person because bad things will surely happen here. You can seriously get injured. If you’ve ever seen a murphy table, you’d think that this is a murphy balcony.

Although it’s not on a very high floor, it is still very unsafe. But hey, it does give you access to your car in case you want to get to it without passing through the front door, rather through the sunroof. Seriously though, this is a disaster waiting to happen.

#35 Look at me, I’m rich!

If you want to let people know that you’re rich without flashing a lot of jewelry or driving fancy cars, you can have a balcony built in a place where nobody else has one. This guy living on the highest floor wants everyone to know he’s better.

How? By making sure his apartment unit has a balcony. It’s the only balcony in the building, actually. There’s not much to see though… just the road and the vehicles on them, but at least he’s got somewhere he can sip his coffee in the morning.

#36 Aren’t curtains supposed to be inside?

We don’t know much about decorating the interior of a home, but we’re pretty sure that curtains belong inside the window and not outside it. This homeowner must not have gotten the memo that he or she put curtains outside the balcony.

It’s gonna get really wet when it rains and if the wind is really strong, it might even blow the curtain fully away. It also doesn’t look like this balcony comes with the type of screen that can prevent bugs and other mosquitoes from getting in.

#37 We want to know who the architect is

Either the architect or the builder made the mistake of adding this useless balcony to the building. We surely want to know who so that we don’t end up hiring them just to end up with this kind of problem should we have our own building.

This just cut if for those that want to stay here. Was there a change while this building was being built? If so, why were the changes made when contractors were already busy working on the project? We have so many questions.

#38 Taking good care of the car

This homeowner wants to make sure that the cat is taken care of and is able to get back in the house safely through the balcony, should there be no other way to do so. However, humans can just as easily use it too.

Well, maybe tiny humans, but you get what we mean. Someone else can have access to the house and do whatever they want as they please. Times are hard, so it’s we guess it’s best to ensure the entire family’s safety, not just the cat’s.

#39 Another waste of money

It’s vital to plan building a home and to think through everything at least twice before starting construction. The last thing you want to do is waste money on features that are useless. You can certainly use the money elsewhere.

This ledge…we’re just gonna call it that because it’s not even a balcony. It’s a waste of time, money and energy. How are you going to use it? How do you even get on it? You’re going to need a ladder or a rope to gain access.

#40 Cute house, useless balcony

We love old houses because they are filled with history and stories. If walls could talk, they could probably tell you many stories about what’s happened in the house throughout the years. This house must be at least 50 years old.

What got our attention though was not the design of the house, but the balcony, because there is no way to get access to it, unless you can pass through walls without problems. It’s wasted space. They could have just made the room adjacent to it larger.

#41 Balcony or birdcage

If you’re ever wondering how birds or animals feel when they have to spend their entire lives in the confinements of a cage, you should visit this house and simply stand on the balcony. We understand that the owner just wanted to be safe.

They also wanted to keep thieves out, but when looking from below, the balcony does look like a birdcage. Perhaps they can make it look better by hanging a few plants, but the more pressing question is where is the actual door that leads to the balcony?

#42 It’s not what you think

No, it’s not what you think A lot of people are guessing what the star actually means on this balcony. Is it a secret code or do they happen to belong to a secret society? Is it the sign for an industrial night club with members that only meet during a full moon?

Are they members of a cult? Do they have anything sinister in mind? This is actually a part of Morocco’s flag, so this balcony might be located somewhere in Morocco. We love how they made the star look as if it’s shining though.

#43 Balconies in need of space

A balcony is a vital part of a house or structure, so it’s important that it’s designed properly. Over the years, styles of balconies and architecture in general has changed so much in terms of the building materials that are needed, construction, and structural design.

One thing hasn’t changed; If you want a balcony, you need to make sure that you have enough space for people to sit, lounge, and enjoy their time. The designer or the architect of this building must have forgotten that he made the balcony fit for one person.

#44 The mummy and baby balconies

If you want to see classic balcony designs, you should go to Europe, because they have some of the finest examples. When walking around in Europe, you should make sure to glance above your head to see balconies with some of the most intricate designs.

These balconies, however, are not good examples of intricate designs. It’s like they just stacked them up with no thoughts about how they would look from the outside. It’s like the newborn balconies are up top while the older and bigger ones are at the bottom.

#45 The view is not spectacular, but at least they have a balcony

This is another case of a person having the sole balcony in an entire building. The balcony looks like a DIY project, and we don’t want to step on it for fear that we might come crashing down. The balcony is overlooking the roof of a building too.

The balcony looks like it was just glued on to the wall. So, we’re asking ourselves, why the necessity to put a balcony over there? Is he hoping that they will be doing some landscaping downstairs which will make the views more pleasant? One could only hope.

Ghimbi Viorel