How to buy a missile silo

For when you need to get away from it all. [Link]

Buying a missile silo for your very own is really like purchasing any piece of real estate. You need to scope out the property, see if you like the area and check out the neighbors. Well, chances are there won’t be ANY neighbors anywhere close by. Missile silos were built away from populated areas, behind miles of fenceline and under armed guard. Some people like the idea of all that solitude, and if that’s you, life on the (former) nuclear prairie could be for you. If you are in the market for one of these throwbacks to the Cold War, here’s some food for thought:

• Buying a missile silo means buying multiple acres.
• Silos are on decommissioned military bases or military annexes and are often far away from towns or cities.
• Your missile silo may be located near an EPA Superfund pollution cleanup site. Do your homework before buying.
• Have the site appraised by a real estate professional, but understand that your costs for the property may be inflated due to the unusual nature of the property. You may pay “seller’s market” rates for such a site rather than realistic prices.
• You may need a generator or a special arrangement with a local power company for electrical service.
• Certain features such as blast doors and other unique missile silo construction may require structural evaluation after 30 years or more of disuse.

A missile silo site is what real estate types call “a real fixer-upper.” Some sites are flooded, need serious mold abatement, and will definitely require you to do a renovation.