Incredible timelapse shows neighbourhood of family who refused £25 million offer from developers

An incredible timelapse video shows the changing landscape after a family in Australia reportedly refused £25 million from developers who wanted to topple their home and turn it into a housing estate.

The homeowners turned them down, saying they were not able to put a price on their beloved Windsor Castle-style home with a 650-foot driveway surrounded by green gardens and a panoramic of the Blue Mountains in New South Wales.

But that didn't stop developers - they got to work building on the green space around them and now they are surrounded by rows of suburban homes.

The 30-second clip shows how the area has completely changed since the beginning of developments, with greenery disappearing in place of a new residential neighbourhood.

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The two-hectares of land in the middle remains untouched and could have become a street full of new houses if developers had got their way.

Reports suggest that the land could have the capacity to fit around 50 houses if subdivided into 3,200-square-foot blocks, with each having the potential value of AU $1 million.

According to the Daily Mail, it's believed the family were offered between AU $33 million (£21m) and AU $40 million (£26m) to sell, but refused.

Most homes in the area were sold in 2012 to make way for the developers but the Zammit family, who live on Hambledon Road in Sydney's west, put their foot down and refused the whopping sum of cash offered to part with the 20,000-square-metre property.

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Many people would jump at the chance to bag that life changing amount but the Zammit family are not interested in cashing in and have even told the people who want to demolish their home to keep 'dreaming'.

Diane Zammit has talked nostalgically of the ‘farmland dotted with little red brick homes and cottages’ that used to be the hallmark of the area.

She told Daily Mail Australia: “Every home was unique and there was so much space - but not anymore."

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Even new residents who moved into the new development are glad that the family aren't budging.

One resident 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 neighbors don't get that because the other houses are so close together.

“We're very grateful! I hope they stay."

It doesn't look like they'll be hiring a moving van anytime soon.

Rikki Loftus