Subterranean Home in Tennessee Perfect for Privacy and Daytime Napping

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The person who buys this Tennessee home will want to invest in a top-of-the-line lawnmower.

Along with the uncommon digs, the list price on the earth-sheltered home sits at an equally idiosyncratic $237,999.

“I wish I had a good reason, besides the owners are brothers, and that’s just the number that they came up with. I think their reasoning was this is a unique house, and it deserves a unique listing price,” explains the listing agent, Blake Ward.

It was built in 1978, and local rumor has it that the place was built by someone who needed extra safety and security for their business.

Instead of wood, the house is constructed from concrete and steel. Most importantly, it’s built right into a hill.

“It is sturdy, and it could serve as a storm shelter. Heck, it could probably serve as a bomb shelter,” Ward says. “It’s a unique place, and it’s got a private setting. It’ll be a really unique home for somebody. It’s just going to take the right person.”

Snugly notched into the landscape, the home features three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and 2,078 square feet of living space.

“It was such a surprise to see a house tucked away in the side of the hill like that. You don’t really expect a fully finished house to be sitting inside of a hill. Everybody that I’ve shown the house to has had the same response,” Ward says.

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As for natural light, there are windows on the home’s front side, which faces out to the world.

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“You don’t feel like you’re underground—because there [are] windows and the kitchen has windows, and it’s bright and cheery,” says Ward.

He says the back of the house is very quiet and has no windows, which makes for a different vibe.

“It reminds me of one time we went on a cruise, and we had an interior cabin,” the agent says. “My wife didn’t really like it, but I loved it. You go there any time of day and take a nap. It was dark and quiet.”

If you like the idea of going underground, there’s another perk: Utility bills for the house are low, thanks to the earth’s insulation.

One additional bonus? Upkeep isn’t a big whoop. There’s no roof. No shingles. No siding. Just grass.

“As far as taking care of the house, it’s really easy. You don’t have a roof to take care of. You don’t even have four sides of a house to take care of,” Ward says.

The home sits on 5 acres of land and has a poolhouse—but no pool.

“Two owners ago, they filled in the pool, and nobody really knows why,” Ward explains. “Somebody probably should restore the pool, because it’s a really nice setting. It’s really private, pretty, and surrounded by trees.”

If a new owner plans to make a splash, the poolhouse will require some work. Meanwhile, the underground house could stand a few updates of its own.

“It could use a little bit of finishing out, inside,” Ward says. “There’s some flooring that could be updated and finished out. The kitchen is really nice and ready to go. There’s a little bit of cosmetic work that you could do in inside the house, but besides that, this house is move-in ready.”