THESE ULTRA-SAFE HIDEOUTS ARE PRACTICALLY IMPENETRABLE
Compass
For many homeowners, security is a top priority, but some really take self-preservation to new heights. Forget security cameras and impressive locks, these homeowners have gone above and beyond to protect their properties. From bombproof bunkers to luxury mansions with the ultimate safe rooms, these fortress houses can survive just about anything. Click or scroll on for more…
Prepper’s paradise, Kentucky, USA
Hoffman Int’l Properties
If you have the budget and the imagination, you could turn an otherwise ordinary family home into the ultimate paradise for doomsday preppers. And that’s exactly what the owners of this mansion in Richmond, Kentucky, did…
Prepper’s paradise, Kentucky, USA
Hoffman Int’l Properties
Constructed in 2014, this impressive 14,300-square-foot home comes complete not only with nine bedrooms, nine bathrooms and three kitchens, plus its very own nuclear fallout shelter, too. The private underground bunker could well be the best we’ve ever seen in a family home. Located 26 feet below ground, it boasts heavy-duty blast doors, a 39-inch solid concrete ceiling and walls that are 15 inches thick.
Prepper’s paradise, Kentucky, USA
Hoffman Int’l Properties
The bunker is said to have cost $3 million (£2.3m) to build and it’s really no surprise. Powered by natural gas wells, the shelter features 21,000-gallon underground propane tanks, an 8,000-gallon pressurized water tank, three generators, geothermal heat and air. It was built to withstand earthquakes, has three air filtration systems and two escape tunnels. Talk about a mansion with a massive secret!
Prepper’s paradise, Kentucky, USA
Hoffman Int’l Properties
Inside the shelter, you’ll find no end of supplies to keep the occupants of the bunker fed and watered for years to come. The property can be found on 200 acres of land and while it’s nice and secluded, it also happens to be just 15 minutes away from the city of Lexington, so it offers the best of both worlds. In November 2021, the house hit the property market for a cool $6.5 million (£4.9m).
Earth-sheltered home, Massachusetts, USA
RE/MAX Professional Associates
With the appearance of a missile silo bunker, this earth-sheltered home can be found in the town of Princeton, Massachusetts. Described by the listing agents, RE/MAX, as “lifted straight out of a James Bond movie”, the property is truly one-of-a-kind.
Earth-sheltered home, Massachusetts, USA
RE/MAX Professional Associates
Constructed in 2005, the subterranean home is extremely thermally efficient, with its earth-clad structure helping to regulate the heat in the summer and keep the home warm during winter. Large custom-made sliding blast doors provide an added level of protection – ideal in the event of an emergency.
Earth-sheltered home, Massachusetts, USA
RE/MAX Professional Associates
Built from concrete, the 2,797-square-foot residence benefits from impenetrable walls and a rustic, industrial-style aesthetic. However, large expanses of glass and eight-foot skylights help to keep the interior spaces bright and airy. There are three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room, a kitchen and a dining room.
Earth-sheltered home, Massachusetts, USA
RE/MAX Professional Associates
In September 2021, the house went up for sale with a $640,000 (£482k) asking price, but it failed to sell and was later removed from the market. Perhaps its weird and wonderful design wasn’t to the tastes of every house-hunter…
Safe House, Warsaw, Poland
KWK Promes
Described as the world’s first zombie-proof home, this slate-coloured fortress lies in Warsaw, Poland. Upon first impression, the property looks more like a giant art installation than a homely abode. The homeowners of this concrete cube wanted it to be as secure as possible – a brief that helped the architects define its unusual aesthetic.
Safe House, Warsaw, Poland
KWK Promes
Designed by KWK Promes, the exterior walls of the Safe House can cover every aperture to create a seamless box, closing the entire property off from the outside world should the need arise. Concrete doors sit on hinges and can be opened to let the daylight in when the coast is clear. Surrounded by impenetrable concrete walls and a gate, any intruders that manage to get into the grounds will enter a restricted safety zone – the perfect spot to unleash a surprise attack.
Safe House, Warsaw, Poland
KWK Promes
The safety zone is policed by a clever retractable drawbridge that can be lowered to allow entry. When raised, the bridge forms part of the property’s tough outer shell. The nifty device also offers direct access to the roof, offering the ideal means of escape. The home’s exterior façade can even be removed to create a sealed courtyard or a fortified wall to surround the entire property and its grounds. If a zombie attack is impending, we know exactly where we want to be!
Safe House, Warsaw, Poland
KWK Promes
Other moveable elements include large shutters that range up to more than 11 feet in length, giving an extra layer of protection to the home. These security features are operated by built-in electronic engines which can be controlled from inside the safety of the house. The 27,000-square-foot estate also harbours a rather enviable swimming pool located in its very own pool house, as well as a rooftop terrace for a post-apocalypse party.
Beverly Hills mansion, California, USA
Noel Kleinman / The Oppenheim Group
This luxurious mansion, squirrelled away in one of America’s most salubrious areas, comes with a rather large secret. According to The Wall Street Journal, the house was built at the height of the Cold War by a cautious but flamboyant property developer who wanted a palace that could withstand a nuclear attack. As such it is said to have some interesting features…
Beverly Hills mansion, California, USA
Noel Kleinman / The Oppenheim Group
According to the WSJ report, the house was built with two bomb shelters, one in the house and one under the huge Grotto-style pool. The idea was to use the water as a natural decontaminant should the A-bomb fall on California. Although the agent, Jason Oppenheim, doesn’t know for sure that the pool shelter is still there, he believes that it is. The other has been turned into a living space during the most recent renovations.
Beverly Hills mansion, California, USA
Noel Kleinman / The Oppenheim Group
Built in 1953 by Hal Braxton Hayes, this 18,000-square-foot mega-mansion sits safely behind a security gate on over 2.15 acres of land. It’s been home to a plethora of stars over the years including Elizabeth Taylor, and the musician Prince, who performed there live and notoriously painted the house in purple stripes.
Beverly Hills mansion, California, USA
Noel Kleinman / The Oppenheim Group
With 10 bedrooms and 13 bathrooms, holing up here is not going to be a problem for even the most demanding resident. As well as a ballroom with a stripper pole, outdoor tennis courts, a four-car garage, and a gym, there is even a Tudor-style guesthouse included on the land, where your security team can hunker down.
Secure desert house, Arizona, USA
Jeff Goldberg / ESTO
This beautiful desert house in Canelo Hills of the San Rafael Valley was designed to meet a very distinct challenge: it had to be impenetrable. With concrete walls measuring 18 inches thick, the structure is a solid as a rock and can be locked up like a fortress thanks to the hefty steel doors on either side that form the only ways into the house.
Secure desert house, Arizona, USA
Jeff Goldberg / ESTO
Named Casa Caldera, the spectacular home is hidden from the world thanks to the main building material ‘lava-crete’, which uses a pulverized red lava rock with water and cement. Entirely self-sufficient, the house is cooled by the natural ventilation through the ‘zaguan’ – or ‘inner courtyard’ – and strategically placed windows, while log-burning stoves run on wood sourced on the surrounding land. The minimal electrical appliances are powered through solar power and there’s a well on-site to provide fresh water.
Secure desert house, Arizona, USA
Jeff Goldberg / ESTO
As stylish as it is secure, the design by D U S T architects uses a central void between two separate living spaces as an inner courtyard that can be opened up to the gorgeous mountain views. An extended concrete porch unites the outdoor and indoor spaces and extends the floorplan on either side.
Secure desert house, Arizona, USA
Jeff Goldberg / ESTO
Stepping inside the house is sleek and minimal, letting the texture of the materials set the tone. On one side the house has a hand-built wooden kitchen and dining area, and on the other there are two bedrooms and a bathroom. The entire house is united under a beautiful wooden ceiling.
Survival Condo, Kansas, USA
SurvivalCondo.com
Once an Atlas nuclear missile silo built by the Army Corps of Engineers that has now been converted into an amazing home, the Survival Condo is located in rural Kansas and offers an impressive 20,000 square feet of secure underground space.
Survival Condo, Kansas, USA
SurvivalCondo.com
Extremely resilient, the missile silo is protected by two armoured doors, and its epoxy-hardened concrete walls are nine feet thick and can withstand a direct nuclear hit, as well as severe flooding, tornado winds and of course a tribe of zombies. Should nuclear, biological, or chemical gases be leaked inside, an air filtration system will protect residents.
Survival Condo, Kansas, USA
SurvivalCondo.com
Inside, the condo is a luxury underground home hiding unbelievable surprises, from rock climbing walls to snooker tables. The underground complex has all the necessary facilities needed to sustain 75 people for more than five years! There’s even a hydroponic farm that produces fresh fruit and vegetables, while 75,000-gallon reserve tanks provide fresh drinking water. To provide residents with the illusion of the outdoors, virtual LED windows simulate attractive countryside scenes.
Survival Condo, Kansas, USA
SurvivalCondo.com
The creators of this ultra-safe underground world have also installed a swimming pool and a library stocked with books, plus a movie theatre and a dog park for four-legged friends. Condo prices start from $1.5 million (£1.1m) for 920 square feet of space. If money is no object, opt for the $4.5 million (£3.4m) penthouse apartment, which offers 3,600 square feet of luxurious space. Each condo offers biometric keyless access, five years’ worth of food, a 50-inch TV and a high-end kitchen.
America’s safest home, LA, USA
Sally Forster Jones Group
If we happen to find ourselves in Los Angeles during a zombie invasion, this next property will be our first port of call. It may look like any other swish Hollywood Hills mansion, but it’s hiding some pretty covert features. Known as the SAFE House, this luxury family abode was once named America’s safest home. Its former owners, Al and Lana Corbi, own Strategically Armored and Fortified Environments (SAFE), a company dedicated to making buildings truly impenetrable.
America’s safest home, LA, USA
Sally Forster Jones Group
Using their own home to showcase their business offerings, the Corbis turned their home into a fortress that can withstand everything from invasions to a nuclear holocaust. With the latest high-end technologies, the couple have made the building truly zombie-proof. From its wine cellar that doubles as an underground bunker to the vault-like doors that secure the pad, every scenario has been accounted for.
America’s safest home, LA, USA
Sally Forster Jones Group
The bunker-style house has bullet-proof windows and a clever fog system that can be used to disorientate trespassers. To have ultimate control over their security, the couple installed monitoring screens covering all the access points in the property. The house also has a cinema and a gym – going into hiding never looked so tempting.
America’s safest home, LA, USA
Sally Forster Jones Group
With nearly 8,000 square feet of interior space, elevators provide easy and secure access to all floors of the property. There are also two panic rooms and two ballistics-proof bedrooms to defend against every eventuality. The fortress sits on one of the highest positions in Sunset Plaza, offering 360-degree views for miles around. Plus, with a rooftop helipad, you can make a quick getaway should the worst happen!
Concealed hideaway, Berry, New South Wales, Australia
Modscape
Zombies would have a hard time getting inside this fortified home in Berry, Australia. The unassuming brick structure conceals a comfy and secure home. Visitors have to pass through a secret pivoting door in the brick wall and follow a timber-lined inner walkway to gain access to the hidden property.
Concealed hideaway, Berry, New South Wales, Australia
Modscape
Inside, the home features impressive double-height ceilings and warm wood flooring and walls. Built by Modscape, the incredible modular home was designed to be a secret haven from the outside world. You’ll even be safe after the energy supplies run out because the house runs on solar power and uses hydronic heating.
Concealed hideaway, Berry, New South Wales, Australia
Modscape
Hidden within the brick walls, the house offers a large open-plan living area and a music room. It’s even got a heated swimming pool so there’ll be no excuse to get out of shape when the walking dead are roaming about.
Sky Castle, California, USA
Sotheby’s International Realty
Located in the Hollywood Hills, this imposing 12,000-square-foot house is known locally as ‘the fortress’. Musician Jed Leiber, who bought the house in 2012 for $7.2 million (£5.5m), overhauled the security and put it back on the market in 2017 for $50 million (£38m). With sweeping views over Los Angeles, the exterior of the modern-day castle is made of hardy concrete, but the interior is even more impressive.
Sky Castle, California, USA
Sotheby’s International Realty
Inside, 60-foot high ceilings and towering glass windows make up an imposing entryway. The whole property features cavernous rooms that have been finished in stone, concrete and steel plus it’s also as safe as can be, with a number of security features that make it the ultimate billionaire bolthole.
Sky Castle, California, USA
Sotheby’s International Realty
Individual rooms within the gated home require a fob to gain entry for the ultimate in the privacy. The grand master suite not only features opulent dual master ensuite bathrooms but also has a safe room hidden behind a bulletproof door that slides down from the ceiling.
Sky Castle, California, USA
Sotheby’s International Realty
If all this wasn’t enough, the Bauhaus-style home which was built in 1994, also features a whole host of luxury amenities including a chef’s kitchen, seven-bedroom suites, a two-bed guest house, a large movie theatre and a gym.
Haile Sand Fort, Cleethorpes, UK
Richard Lawson / Shutterstock
Talk about an affordable hideout! Sold for £117,000 ($155k) in 2018, this First World War sea fort would make the most unique of zombie hideouts. Positioned in the Humber Estuary off the coast of Lincolnshire in the UK, the historic property lies undetected from the shoreline, meaning no flesh-eater would discover your whereabouts.
Haile Sand Fort, Cleethorpes, UK
Lincolnshire Lass / Shutterstock
Known as Haile Sand Fort, the unique piece of naval history was built in 1919 to protect Britain’s east coast from a German invasion. The secure sea view property is made from 40,000 tons of concrete and steel, making it completely impenetrable.
Haile Sand Fort, Cleethorpes, UK
High Flyer – Skyfpv / YouTube
A utilitarian structure, the building features a circular tower offering the perfect lookout point. A balcony sits at sea level, offering means of escape via boat. While obtaining water and provisions may be tricky, the outside space offers a great spot for fishing and you could even set up a hydroponic garden to meet all your food needs.
Converted military base, LA, USA
Realtor
Another seemingly normal-looking property in Hollywood, this unique building was once a top-secret military base, used as a research facility for the atom bomb. Positioned on a hillside overlooking the Sunset Strip, the LA pad was constructed in 1941 as a Second World War air defence centre.
Converted military base, LA, USA
Realtor
In 2015, Hollywood mega-star Jared Leto purchased the converted property for a cool $5 million (£3.8m). Offering 53,000 square feet of interior space, the former military base has ten bedrooms and 13 bathrooms, so you and all your friends can carry on living comfortably come the apocalypse.
Converted military base, LA, USA
Realtor
The military compound would make the perfect hide-out during a zombie invasion, thanks to its disguised position inside a narrow canyon. Imposing gates and tall hedges enclose the home, so no zombie would come looking. The grounds also feature a bomb shelter, 17 climate-controlled vaults, a helicopter landing pad and an underground parking garage.
Converted military base, LA, USA
Realtor
The former defense site, also known as the Lookout Mountain Laboratory, offers an industrial, warehouse finish inside. There’s a lagoon-style swimming pool, an art gallery and movie theatre, sound stage and a waterfall, making it the perfect luxury retreat for any type of disaster.
Vivos Europa One, Rothenstein, Germany
The Vivos Group
Dubbed ‘the world’s ultimate doomsday escape’, Vivos Europa One will be one of the largest private shelters on earth when it’s completed. Located in Rothenstein, Germany, the survival bunker was the brainchild of Vivos CEO Robert Vicino.
Vivos Europa One, Rothenstein, Germany
The Vivos Group
Valued at $1.1 billion (£829m), the Vivos Europa One will lie inside a converted Cold War bunker that was carved out of solid bedrock. Positioned deep inside a limestone mountain, the shelter will be able to survive a close-range nuclear explosion, direct airline crash, severe flooding, earthquakes, and both biological and chemical attacks.
Vivos Europa One, Rothenstein, Germany
The Vivos Group
The elite Noah’s Ark-like space will cover 227,904 square feet and is invitation-only. Each invitee is allocated up to 2,497 square feet of living space, but must fork out a hefty €2 million for the privilege – that’s £1.7 million ($2.3m). Those with less in their bank accounts can opt for a semi-private suite, shared between four people. One of these will set you back just €35,000 (£30k/$39k).
Vivos Europa One, Rothenstein, Germany
The Vivos Group
If you’re considering it, your cash will give you access to a fully customisable living space modeled on the inside of a luxury yacht. The interior will feature plenty of marble, leather and polished wood, as well as a private movie theatre and a gym. Communal spaces will include a sizable swimming pool and an underground garden, lit by simulated sunshine. If you’re going to spend a zombie attack hiding, why not do it in style?
Clandestine cave home, Arkansas, USA
Realtor
It turns out that Arkansas is home to numerous zombie-proof properties! That’s right, this craggy-looking cliff face is actually the façade of a clandestine cave home, built right into the rock face. It’s definitely one for someone who wants to live off the beaten track…
Clandestine cave home, Arkansas, USA
Realtor
The surreal property sits inside a 260-acre cavern, high up on a ledge overlooking the valley of Beckham Creek in the Ozark Mountains. The perfect luxury hideaway for an apocalypse or invasion, the pad is entirely hidden from the outside and sits so high up that no zombie would know you were there.
Clandestine cave home, Arkansas, USA
Realtor
Inside, the home boasts a unique natural aesthetic, with four bedrooms and four bathrooms. The cave can sleep up to 16 people at any one time, offering the ideal space for you and your family to hide out. With almost 6,000 square feet of interior space, you’ll never feel overcrowded in this luxury abode.
Clandestine cave home, Arkansas, USA
Realtor
As well as an indoor waterfall which is fed by an underground spring, the cave features a geothermal heating system, so you’ll always have a supply of hot water! There is also a helicopter landing pad outside, so you and your friends can make a quick getaway should the zombies find you! In 2017 the property sold for $2.8 million (£2.1m) and is now a luxury self-catering property.
Underground fortress, Arkansas, USA
ourundergroundhome.com
Located in Pottsville, Arkansas this unusual property is sheltered by earth and lies completely underground. The clandestine house was hand-built by its owners, Lyle and Jeanette Ratzlaff, over the course of 18 years.
Underground fortress, Arkansas, USA
ourundergroundhome.com
Lyle constructed the secret home in his spare time, designing, engineering and building the entire structure himself – with help from his wife and children. In order to build the house underground, Lyle excavated a hillside using a hydraulic hammer, which took him just three days.
Underground fortress, Arkansas, USA
ourundergroundhome.com
After the hole was ready, Lyle spent the next few years designing a suitable structure, deciding on steel-reinforced concrete panels. Sitting at 16 feet tall, each panel has an impenetrable thickness of 16 inches, with electrical and plumbing components built in.
Underground fortress, Arkansas, USA
ourundergroundhome.com
The house also boasts a secret passageway, offering the ultimate escape route from a possible zombie attack. A clandestine door leads to a mechanical cave, that could also double up as a panic room. The property’s robust front door measures four feet wide, 10 feet tall and 11 inches thick and weighs almost 3,000 pounds. The door is secured with a keyless locking system, while a pinhole video camera monitors the exterior.
Sun Valley Starship, Idaho, USA
Compass
An architectural triumph, the Sun Valley Starship almost melts into its surroundings. Positioned in Blaine County, Idaho, close to the state’s famed ski and equestrian sites, the modern masterpiece was custom-built in 2020 and was listed for just over $5.9 million (£4.5m) in November 2021.
Sun Valley Starship, Idaho, USA
Compass
As you get closer, you can really see the unique aesthetic of this incredible home. Sitting on over eight acres of land, the home is akin to a UFO and was constructed almost entirely from concrete, steel and glass, making it highly secure and durable. Inside, the 12,550-square-foot residence boasts light-filled rooms, finished with reclaimed wood salvaged from the Pacific Northwest.
Sun Valley Starship, Idaho, USA
Compass
The five-bedroom, five-bathroom home took more than a decade to complete and every room benefits from quirky architectural details. While the main open-plan living room features a large circular hole in its 25-foot ceiling, the sunken courtyard garden, enclosed by a towering brick wall, provides the house with a bunker-like feel.
Sun Valley Starship, Idaho, USA
Compass
Despite its brutalist aesthetic, there’s something undeniably inviting about this fortress home. There are no end of luxurious amenities too, including a rooftop pool, an outdoor amphitheatre, equestrian facilities and a heated car garage. If this is bunker living, then we’re sold!