Doomsday Bunkers: A New Trend in Real Estate
The new trend in real estate? Doomsday bunkers! Who knew? From India to Israel, from Kansas to Kabardinka, underground bomb-proof living is all the rage. From hovels to penthouses (pentcellers?) there’s a cave for you.
One company says sales have risen 300 percent since 2016.
If you’re a DIYer, you can go as cheap as a septic tank, preferably new, buried in the woods. It’ll set you back about $700, plus furnishings and upgrades. I’d call this a “studio” bunker. A second tank could be considered an in-law suite. Kinda sounds like a sitcom on The WB.
We’ve got you covered at the other end of the cavern as well. How about a comfy and spacious “survival condo?” Buried deep in the bowels of a decommissioned missile silo in Kansas, the units feature simulated windows, granite in “all the right places,” including the walls, I suppose, plus a home theater, bakery, and wine cellar. Prices range from $1.1M to $4.5M.
In South Dakota, a vast complex of weapons cellars are being converted into a community of 5,000 “luxury lodges.” Hmm, 15,000 people, or thereabouts, packed into a hole in the side of a mountain with limited food and no internet. What could go wrong? If you think HOAs are tough now, imagine the penalty for not painting your perpetual-motion electrical generator the right color. I’m guessing the picture-taking guy in the little truck would be packing some serious muscle. You can get in on the ground floor (literally) for $25K. I think there’s a pet policy.
I’m looking at a few options myself. I figure one could double as a summer place unless or until circumstances dictate otherwise. I’ll probably go with a wooded location for privacy, and I’ll probably let my family know of the location. If you find yourself in the market, after “the event,” I’ll be a little tougher to reach, so you’ll have to dig a little.
