Admittedly, when we were introduced to earth shelter living the first thing that popped into our minds, particularly after seeing photos of these homes, was how much they reminded us of Lord of the Rings or Hobbit homes. However, when you put your mind to it, they are not just forward thinking but clever and altogether practical!

The Undeniable Advantages Of Earth-Sheltered Living.

To those hearing of it for the first time, underground living might sound more like exotic fantasy than practical reality, something we would put in the same category as flying cars or cities built beneath the surface of the sea. It all seems so impractical and fanciful somehow. But earth-sheltered living, far from being the stuff of science fiction, is actually a practical and cost-efficient option in many circumstances, as long as careful thought and effort are put into the design, site selection, and construction stages of the projects.

A number of details must be taken care of to make sure an earth-sheltered home will be warm enough, sturdy enough, and dry enough to be livable and stand the test of time, and this precludes cutting corners or taking shortcuts that might compromise performance.
But once an earth-sheltered home is finished, what you will have on your hands is something very special indeed. Because it is protected from the elements, it will require little maintenance and can outlast a conventional home by decades. Because it is constructed to take advantage of the temperature-moderating effects of the earth’s immense thermal mass, it will stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer without demanding significant inputs from energy-consuming auxiliary heating and cooling systems. And because it is so incredibly well-sheltered by the warm embrace of the surrounding earth, an earth-sheltered home will be largely impervious to the ravages of natural disasters such as tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, and wild fires, not to mention the predations of human intruders with bad intentions.

So while it may be a surprise to discover for some, earth-sheltered living is an exciting option that all who are willing to think outside the box in their search for a more efficient way of living should investigate fully before they proceed with their plans to construct their brand new homes.

However, as terrific as these homes are, there are also problems and issues that you can read about over on Off the Grid News.

Still – over all – the accessibility of such a life and home – particularly when off the grid – makes for a good uncomplicated existence and with some good old fashioned fortitude and homespun tenacity earth shelter living can truly be the way to go!

Featured Image via Off the Grid News