Homes with bomb shelters

[Michael S]

I was just thinking the other day how a friend of mine had a bomb shelter on his property and how that would affect the value. The home was out in the country on 5-10 acres and the bomb shelter was buried in a field next to the house. It was pretty elaborate, basically a big sphere approximately 25 feet in diameter buried 15-20 feet down accessed by a tube with a ladder to the surface where the hatch was camouflaged as a rock. I'm sure it cost $50-100,000 to put it in.

Has anyone every come across something as elaborate as that and if so was there a market reaction to it? My friend's father died and the neighbors across the street purchased the house. I can easily see something like that being in place and the agent or buyer not ever knowing it existed.

 

[Pittsburgh Pete]

I was just thinking the other day how a friend of mine had a bomb shelter on his property and how that would affect the value. The home was out in the country on 5-10 acres and the bomb shelter was buried in a field next to the house. It was pretty elaborate, basically a big sphere approximately 25 feet in diameter buried 15-20 feet down accessed by a tube with a ladder to the surface where the hatch was camouflaged as a rock. I'm sure it cost $50-100,000 to put it in.

Has anyone every come across something as elaborate as that and if so was there a market reaction to it? My friend's father died and the neighbors across the street purchased the house. I can easily see something like that being in place and the agent or buyer not ever knowing it existed.

I'd ask the neighbor that purchased it. Interesting info to have on file should you ever have to address such an issue. I'll make a note--you're the one I'm contacting when I have a property with a bomb shelter.

Could give a whole new meaning to the term "man cave."

 

[RSW]

Most of the ones I see are in the Oak Ridge, TN area near the Oak Ridge National Labs. They are typically build in the basement or below the basement level as a sub-basement. Some are in the back yard. They will typically be about 6' wide and about 12' - 20' in length. I have not been able to abstract any market reaction due to their presence.

 

[BOCK FOLKEN]

Market value to typical buyer might be near zero...until there is a war.

Realtor comment: Large backyard playroom for kids....comes stocked with snacks.

 

[Lloyd Bonafide]

It was pretty elaborate, basically a big sphere approximately 25 feet in diameter buried 15-20 feet down accessed by a tube with a ladder to the surface where the hatch was camouflaged as a rock. I'm sure it cost $50-100,000 to put it in.

I'm sure some can be very elaborate, and you would think it would have some value in the market. Maybe you could consider it a guest area, (although guest areas are not typically accessed by a tube / ladder).

 

[Andy Taylor]

The older in-ground ones can be possible hazards. In the early '70's in my small town several neighborhood kids were going to play in one owned by one of the kids parents. Evidently the propane tank located in it had leaked and when they flipped on the lights the shelter blew up. Major explosion. Killed five of them(one of whom I was in 5th grade with) and severely injured two others.

Have run across others(in basements) through the years that were more like reinforced areas (i.e. interior block partition walls, concrete slabs overhead, etc.).

Did see an interesting one the other day that looked like a portion of the basement had been retrofitted to be a rudimentary shelter with solid cinderblocks supported by steel bands covering the ceiling. Didn't really see that portion as a bomb shelter until I started to really look at it.

 

[Mile High Trout]

Good one Andy. The contributory value may not be market related, and still be present. The cost of maintenance may exceed contributory value.

These old ads crack me up. Do you really think dad will be smoking a pipe and reading the paper, while little timmy does homework and martha wears the apron?

Suggest structural engineer look into stability of structure and associated structure utility. For a Realtor to advertise that as a playroom could be considered dangerously misleading.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

The other day in that tornado...i wouldn't have minded having one...even toppled tombstones over...

 

[Michael S]

I'd ask the neighbor that purchased it. Interesting info to have on file should you ever have to address such an issue. I'll make a note--you're the one I'm contacting when I have a property with a bomb shelter.

Could give a whole new meaning to the term "man cave."

The home was sold about 10 years ago and I'm sure it was a distressed situation since my friend's father had just passed away and I don't think he had any life insurance to pay off the mortgage. There was also a good sized machine shop/barn that he ran his business out of so that probably affected the price as well.

I only do commercial work and this property was in Oregon so not really something I would ever need to know (other than to satisfy my curiosity)

 

[VegasWayne]

I saw one that was converted to a wine cellar. If I had to take shelter in one that one would be my choice.