Underground houses are probably one of the most comfortable dwelling places. Being under the surface of Earth, these homes are easy to heat as well as cool and they are not prone to rapid change in temperature. Underground houses have advantages when it comes to heating, and cooling. Starting from an average underground base temperature of 55° Fahrenheit (12.8° Celsius) it’s an easy jump to hold a small underground place to a temperature around 75° Fahrenheit (23.9° Celsius).
In case of an emergency or natural disaster, an underground house will prove to be a safe place that you won’t have to run away from!
Underground Houses Blow Your Mind
Fact #1: For claustrophobic people, living in underground houses might sound extremely intimidating because they generally tend to associate the task of living in such as structure as suffocation and almost having the feeling of being buried alive because of the cramped setting.
However, this is a popular misconception that tends to make people shudder but the truth is quite the opposite!
Underground homes are actually quite energy efficient, and they provide a peaceful, weather-resistant and comfortable atmosphere.
It is considered to be a comfortable mode of green living. Earth House, Dieticon, Switzerland – find more images and information here: Earth House.
Fact #2: Those who find the idea of living in an Earth house fascinating and interesting are generally also interested in finding out how to build an Underground House. It is believed that the art of constructing a basic underground house is so simple that even a person who does not possess extensive knowledge or skills pertaining to home building will be able to do so.
- Kokopelli Cave in Farmington, NM
- or Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita in Matera, Italy
- or The Underground Motel in White Cliffs, Australia
- or Le Prince Noir in les Baux de Provence, France.
If you are having second thoughts about it or questioning your ability to build such a house then it is best that you hire a professional to do the same. After all, a lot of effort goes into selecting the site and obtaining the necessary permits, therefore why let it go to waste? However, be sure to hire a builder or an architect who is well-versed with the task of building an underground abode.
Solar panels may also be added in a spot to supply energy down into a home, thus making heating and cool and other electrical functions easy to manage.
Fact #3: The most prominent or biggest advantage of living in a subterranean home is the fact that it is extremely energy efficient. Unlike homes above the surface of Earth, these ones do not require major heating or cooling facility because they have a congenial atmosphere for living all year round. If it has to be put in figures, then an average square foot of underground home area would just require a cost of ten cents each month for the purpose of maintaining a comfortable atmosphere for living.
Fact #4: Another advantage that underground houses have over regular on-the-surface houses is that the former does not require a lot of outside maintenance like cleaning the gutters or painting. In fact, an underground homes also going to be better in terms of being soundproof as opposed to a regular house.
An added advantage is that if you need to get an insurance policy for your underground abode then you will be able to get it for a cheaper rate in comparison to a regular house because underground dwelling structures have greater protection from tornadoes, hailstorms, strong winds and hurricanes.
Fact #5: As far as the cons of living underground are concerned, the biggest one would have to be the cost involved in the construction process. This is because of the cost of digging a hole in the ground to build the house, something that is absent in case of a regular above-the-surface house. It is estimated that underground homes generally cost 20-30% more than the cost of constructing conventional houses.
Apart from this con, a homeowner of an underground dwelling will also have to watch out for signs of moisture retention. Moreover, it is also difficult to resell this kind of dwelling place because a majority of the mortgage companies refuse to provide mortgages on these homes.
Fact #6: Underground housing doesn’t always mean that it has to be in the form of a cave! Although caves and dugouts are the most common structure when it comes to underground living, there are some underground living spaces that look and feel just like a regular luxurious house!
Some examples of amazing underground homes around the world would be the Cave House (in Festus, Missouri), the Hidden House (in Lower Silesia, Poland), the Flower Petals (in Bolton, UK), the Swiss Mountain Underground House (in Vals, Switzerland) and so on.
Fact #7: Underground houses are probably one of the most comfortable dwelling places, if not the most comfortable. Therefore, because of this fact, people choose to have such a home, even if it has low resale chances and are costly to build.
Being under the surface of Earth, these homes are easy to heat as well as cool and in case of an emergency or natural disaster, an underground house will prove to be a safe place. Many different underground designs are being used these days. A company that knows how to build an underground house can work well by providing a customer with proper permits plus house plans that work based on the grounds in a space.