Zombie-proof houses built like a fortress

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 to explore these remarkable zombie-proof homes…

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. 

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 undead intruders that manage to get into the grounds will enter a restricted safety zone – the perfect spot to unleash a surprise attack.

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!

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.

This Atlas nuclear missile silo was originally built by the Army Corps of Engineers but 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. It is accessed by reinforced entryways that could be efficiently guarded and, once closed, show no signs of life that could attract any roaming zombies.

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.

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. 

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 (£1.2m) for 920 square feet of space. If money is no object, opt for the $4.5 million (£3.6m) 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.

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 a range of security 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.

Using their own home to showcase their business offerings, the Corbis turned their home into a fortress that could 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 cellar that doubles as an underground bunker to the vault-like doors that secure the pad, every scenario has been accounted for.

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.

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!

Providing the undead can’t swim, this particularly remote home could be ideal for surviving an apocalyptic zombie attack. Floating on the Saint Lawrence River, close to the US corner with Canada, this tiny island belongs to Alexandria Bay, New York and is big enough for precisely one house and one tree.

Nicknamed Just Room Enough Island, the tiny hub is part of the famous Thousand Islands —a trail of 1,864 islands that dot the St. Lawrence River. As long as the islands remain above river level all year round and can house a tree or shrub, they are officially a member of Thousand Islands between New York and Ontario.

The 3,300-square-foot island was, according to Atlas Obscura, bought in the 1950s by the Sizeland family who wanted an isolated weekend getaway. They set to work building the cottage, which takes up almost the whole of the island’s one-thirteenth of an acreage.

After planting the tree next to their home, the family named their island Just Room Enough and have lived there ever since. While it may not attract zombies, the charming residence still gets a lot of tourist attention even though the Sizelands had wished for isolation.

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…

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 underground bunker could well be the best we’ve ever seen in a private 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. 

The bunker is said to have cost $3 million (£2.4m) to build. Powered by natural gas wells, the shelter features 21,000-gallon underground propane tanks, an 8,000-gallon pressurised water tank, three generators, geothermal heat and air. It was built to withstand earthquakes and has three air filtration systems and two escape tunnels.

Inside the shelter, you’ll find enough supplies to keep the occupants of the bunker fed and watered for years to come. The property is hidden away 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. 

The impressive fortress home has been on and off the market for years, most recently listed in August 2021 for $6.5 million (£5.1m). 

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, Sold Squad, as “lifted straight out of a James Bond movie”, the property is truly one-of-a-kind.

Constructed in 2005, the subterranean home is extremely thermally efficient, with its earth-clad structure helping to regulate the heat in the summer, keep the home warm during winter and offer protection from hordes of the undead.

Large custom-made sliding blast doors provide an added level of protection – ideal in the event of an emergency. 

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.

In September 2021, the house went up for sale with a $640,000 (£508k) asking price, and it eventually sold in February 2022 for $600,000 (£477k). 

This luxurious mansion, squirrelled away in the expensive Beverly Hills area, 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’s said to have some interesting features…

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.

The home was last sold in 2005 for $8.6 million (£6.8m). It appeared back on the market 15 years later in March 2020 for a shade under $30 million (£23.8m) following expansion work. It was listed at the same time to rent at $80,000 a month but was quietly removed from the market five months later.

Although Jason Oppenheim, the listing agent at the time, didn’t know for sure whether the pool shelter was still there, he believed that it was. The other has been turned into a living space during the most recent renovations.

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 rented the home and performed there live. He notoriously painted the house in purple stripes and was sued by the owner for doing so.

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 dancing 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.

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 as 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 entry points into the house. 

Named Casa Caldera, the house blends seamlessly into the desert landscape thanks to the main building material ‘lava-crete’, which uses a pulverised red lava rock with water and cement. 

Entirely self-sufficient, the house is cooled by 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 is a well on-site to provide fresh water. 

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. 

When the super strong steel doors are shut flush with the building, it would be extremely difficult for anyone to get in without serious tools.

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.

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 (£5.7m), overhauled the security and put it back on the market in 2017 for $50 million (£39.7m). It was most recently put up for rent in September 2020 for a huge $80,000 (£64k) per month.

Prior to this, fellow musician Rihanna even rented the home for a period in 2014. 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. 

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 security features that make it the ultimate billionaire bolthole.

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.  

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. 

Talk about an affordable hideout! Sold at auction for £117,000 ($148k) in 2018, this First World War sea fort would make the most unique zombie hideout.

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.

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 tonnes of concrete and steel, making it completely impenetrable. 

A utilitarian structure, the building features a circular tower offering the perfect lookout point. A balcony sits at sea level, offering a 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.

Bull Sand Fort stands just 1.2 miles northeast of its twin, Haile Sand Fort. Only reachable by boat or helicopter, the fort was built to house up to 200 soldiers – more than enough for hosting family and friends during a zombie apocalypse. 

The armour-plated fortress was listed for auction with Savills in July 2022 with a starting bid of $63,000 (£50k), but it sold for almost ten times that amount, finally going for $621,600 (£494k).

Another seemingly normal-looking property in Hollywood, this unique building was once a top-secret military base, playing a unique role in the development of the atomic bomb.

Positioned on a hillside overlooking the Sunset Strip, the base was constructed in 1941 as a Second World War air defence centre but it evolved into the headquarters of the 1352nd Motion Picture Squadron of the United States Air Force from 1947-1969.

According to the archive website, this unit was tasked with the documentation of nuclear tests in the Pacific producing thousands of finished films, countless photographs and miles of raw footage on 35mm film.

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.

In 2015, Hollywood mega-star Jared Leto purchased the converted property for $5 million (£3.9m). Offering 53,000 square feet of interior space, the former military base has ten bedrooms and 13 bathrooms, so a small community could carry on living comfortably after the end of the world as we know it.

The former defence 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.

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.

Valued at $1.1 billion (£870m), 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.

The elite Noah’s Ark-like space will cover 227,904 square feet and each ‘member’ 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 ($2.1m). 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/$38k).

If you’re considering it, your cash will give you access to a fully customisable living space modelled 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?

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… 

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.

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.

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’s 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 (£2.2m) and is now a luxury self-catering property you can rent for $15,400 (£12.2k) for seven nights.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Nestled within a five-acre plot, hidden below a roof of grass and carved into the woodland, this so-called Terra dome home in Washington, USA is perfect for hiding from the undead.

Described as ‘unique and private’ in the listing, the residence was put up for sale at $1.1 million (£870k) back in August 2019, but after no takers and several price drops, it was eventually listed to rent at $3,700 (£2.9k) a month. 

Let’s take a look around…

Spanning an impressive 3,396 square feet of living space, the property comes in two parts: a concrete main house with three bedrooms and an underground bunker, also made of 100% concrete, which stretches across 1,583 square feet of ultra secure living space.

If you’re concerned about keeping warm during an attack, the Terra dome home has radiant heating throughout, a wood stove and a 600-square-foot heated garage.

The detached underground bunker also boasts its own heating system, as well as a convenient living and dining room, bedroom, full bath, kitchenette, attic and skylight. Perfect for waiting out an apocalypse.

Built in 2010 atop almost 5 acres, the super-safe abode has an electric security gate and tankless water heater, ready for any eventuality. As the listing states, the engineered dome structure bunker can be used as a guest house or a safe building “in case of a natural disaster/personal protection” (or zombie attack).

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 (£4.7m) in November 2021.

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. 

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.

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!

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