Missouri man selling sprawling bunker meant to withstand apocalyptic storms

MOUNTAIN GROVE, Mo. – Signs of life are evident all around you while driving through the remote Ozarks in southern Missouri.

But one home nestled behind a steel-gated, two-acre property offers life underground that can withstand anything Mother Nature could unleash.

"It would hold up to anything I can think of," said the home’s owner, who did not want his name published. "Mother Nature can think of things that I can’t think of, but certainly high winds would never damage it. A tornado would never damage it because even if a tree fell on it, it could not bust through the concrete." 

The Mountain Grove, Missouri, man is selling his bunker for anyone interested in safety and protection. He built the ultimate survival bat cave himself back in 2012.

The single-family home has been on the market for almost two years, something the owner feels is acceptable until the right buyer comes forward. 

"I was in a hurry to sell … but now I’m almost ready to pull it off the market with what’s going on with Russia," he said. "I built it for all contingencies that I can think of, and it would withstand a nuclear war as long as that thing didn’t hit right here."

For a home that could ultimately one day save your life, the owner feels a mere $314,900 is a reasonable asking price.

"This is really for an all-around safety," he said.

Not your standard water pipe

There have been two direct tornadoes that stuck Mountain Grove over the years. An EF-2 hit on Dec. 2, 1982 and injured nine people. An EF-1 injured one person on Feb. 21, 2976. 

While nearby Springfield and West Plains, Missouri, are hotter beds for tornado activity, there have been at least nine tornadoes reported in 67 years roughly 13 miles from downtown Mountain Grove.

The most recent tornado that passed through the area was about five miles away.

"It didn’t do a lot of damage, but I didn’t even know it until the next day. I was on Facebook, and people were posting all these pictures. I didn’t even hear it because you can’t hear anything," he said.

While most people might consider buying a pre-made bunker, this underground shelter is more than just your standard 10-foot-wide water pipe.

"And then they bury it. It’s like you’re living in a submarine. You don’t have a regular toilet. There’s no heat … so your house is 60 degrees all the time and no air conditioning," said the owner, who said he spent years of planning and research in the construction and sustainability of the structure.

Above ground, the home lies under a steel building where the owner has built a wood shop. The cement floor of the shop is at grade level and doubles as the home’s ceiling. 

‘I did all my research’

The home comes equipped with numerous systems, from surveillance and ventilation to heating and cooling. It even has a private well and septic. Fruit trees, a garden area and live water surround the 1,250-square-foot home.

"I wanted to make it comfortable, like just like a normal, warm house … with a regular furnace, air conditioning, toilets and big shower stalls," the owner said.

Inside, the home offers three bedrooms, two full baths, closets, a full kitchen, a large pantry and an 80-foot external antenna for reliable cellphone service.

Living underground, you have to worry about humidity, mold and bringing in the fresh air.

"I made sure I did all my research on little problems like that to make sure they were solid before I built. I worked those into the design. That way, I didn’t have any problems. And so far, I’ve been living in it for around eight years, and I haven’t had any issues." he said.

The property is listed by Stacy Matherly with Keller Williams Southern Missouri Realty.

If the right buyer comes forward, the owner said he would start building quickly in preparation for any uncertainty in the future, but this time something much smaller and easier to clean.