September 2024
In the event of nuclear war, major civil unrest or extinction-level event, some want a way to protect themselves and their families. With tensions in Ukraine and elsewhere on the rise, some seek to build or purchase their own underground bunker, safe room or storm shelter.
For those wanting luxury condo living while avoiding the outside world, the Survival Condo is a luxury condo complex built in a former underground Kansas missile silo designed to survive the apocalypse. Accommodations start at $1,500,000 for a 900 square foot luxury bunker. The complex is designed to support 75 people for up to five years.
Built to survive a nuclear strike, entry is through blast resistant doors. The complex is able to withstand wind of more than 800 kilometers per hour thanks to an outer structure and nine feet thick outer walls. Utilities include electricity supplied through the electrical grid, wind turbines and generator plus a water supply source. Amenities include indoor swimming pool with waterslide; library, bar and lounge; underground dog park for pets; rock climbing wall, exercise room and theatre. A hydroponics garden provides fresh produce.
Suites include a five-year supply of freeze-dried and dehydrated food. They come with furnishings and automation system that includes security cameras, intercom system, satellite TV, weather station and internet. Other amenities include five years’ supply of toilet paper, sick bay with doctor in residence, jail cell, armoury and sniper post. Should a catastrophe occur, a SWAT-team-style truck will pick up any owner within 400 miles.
For those who don’t want to live in a high-rise building, a bunker providing shelter for six to eight people can be built for under $300,000 that includes beds, bathroom with shower, cooking area, lighting and an emergency escape route, plus storage space for food and weapons. Many of the buyers of these facilities are millionaires who want a fortified home or underground shelter. These homes are designed for protecting assets and individuals from a terrorist attack.
For those looking to purchase an existing reinforced home, a 2,400 square-foot home in Northern Massachusetts includes four bedrooms, three baths, two-car garage, and a wooded 1.88-acre lot plus a disaster-proof, 7,200-square-foot underground bunker complete with reinforced concrete walls and climate control. It was listed for $850,000 and sold in three months. The property was built by the Army Corps of Engineers in the 1950s during the cold war for banks to store their records off-site as protection against the fallout from a nuclear attack.
One company builds custom and unique doors that lead to hidden rooms such as wine cellars, movie theatres and playrooms. During the pandemic, they expanded to building camouflaged secret doors costing about $1,000 and secure doors resistant to forced entry that are bulletproof at a cost that can be as much as $30,000.
