Prepping
Bunker or kit? What doomsday prepping really costs
The very rich have been buying bunkers for years. For most households, even wealthy ones, the better investment is a home that keeps running when the networks don't.
What bunkers cost
The market runs from shared shelters to private fortresses. One American operator, Vivos, lists places in shared shelters at $50,000 per person, private bunkers from $55,000 on a 99-year lease, and larger private builds from $195,000. Converted missile silos in Kansas have sold apartments for $1.5 million to $3 million, and specialist builders say they won't take projects under $1 million, CBC reported.
The problem with bunkers
- You have to get there. Most disruptions arrive without warning, and the roads and phones are the first things to fail.
- Most emergencies are short. Power cuts, cyber-attacks, storms and supply failures usually last hours to weeks, not years. You want to ride them out at home.
- They need maintaining. Food, water, filters, batteries and air systems all expire or fail without regular service.
- In Britain, planning. Digging a bunker under a London house or a Surrey garden usually means planning permission, neighbours and engineers.
Resilience at home
The alternative is to make the home itself resilient: power that keeps essential circuits running, stored and filtered water, months of food, heat that doesn't depend on the grid, communications that don't depend on mobile masts, medical cover and a plan. It costs a fraction of a bunker, works on day one of any disruption, and is useful every winter.
Side by side
| Option | Typical cost | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Shared shelter place (US) | From about $50,000 per person | Long, catastrophic scenarios, if you can get there |
| Private bunker or silo apartment | $1m to $4m+ | The same, with privacy |
| T‑MINUS T+90, installed | £64,500 for two | Three months at home: backup power, stored water, Starlink, defibrillator |
| T‑MINUS T+365, designed around your home | From £195,000 for two | A year at home: home battery, generator, rainwater, a provision room, twice-yearly service |