Is this the perfect house for Preppers? (Per listing)

[Milliways]

This house is local to me and totally mental- 4 underground levels all dug out by hand by the previous owner!

details are:
https://www.btgeddisonspropertyauctions.com/properties/202609101558sq_zlg8-281026/for-auction-reading

full YouTube walkthrough to appreciate the full madness:

Thats amazing. Looks like its from the 60s?

I love this in the description - my bolding:
"This valuable resource, extending to approximately 1,380 sq.ft, has the potential for many uses, including Fall-out bunker"

Either the estate agent has a sense of humour or really thinks there's a potential buyer amongst the tin foil hatters.

Most of the tunnelling was done in the 80’s but under the pool was the 60’s.
more about it here
https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/26612080.house-15m-underground-tunnels-sale-300k/

That is ........something !
I don't know quite what I'd do with all that space No way would I walk down that narrow arched tunnel.

I just watched the video ..... I thought the blue/yellow rooms were creepty enough but all those stairs and metal wire gates ...

My DS is a Civil Engineer , I am hiding this from him in case he gets ideas

@70isaLimitNotaTarget ,😂 but think how much extra square footage you could get- even under the neighbours!

The Preppers would love their own bore hole water supply and all that storage space though!

There are round porthole windows looking into the swimming pool ......I could fill that with fresh water , put the cover on to keep wasps out and open one porthole a teeny bit to get water ?

I would like to keep the pool for swimming. Invite the neighbours for a pool party and let the kids play hide and seek.

Kids round here thought it was like Tracey Island with the rocket, and maybe the swimming pool opened up- never dreamed there was actually all that underneath it!

I’ve seen people posting on FB posts about this (local too) that they remember swimming there as a kid and the family were lovely.

It sounds like you can go through the rocket to the under ground bit??

Is there actually a house for sale too or this is separate?

It’s just the “workshop” in the description and floor plans.
Enough space to convert the workshop to live in though!

I wonder how many people he has murdered there

This is the most insane property listing I have ever seen. I read the news article but at no point did it answer the burning question WHY???? Watching the video made me feel quite claustrophobic - but it’s crying out to be the set for a film or TV production. Thanks for sharing!

I watch gar too many creepy programmes. It’s a weirdo creep’s paradise

Actually, it would be interesting to get your DH's perspective ...

This was featured on our local BBC news today!

Is he living next door?

Reminds me of that amazing Korean film, Parasite, but without the luxury above ground.

Incredible. I'm quite surprised it's only listed as £300k - unless they're expecting a preppers bidding war. So much land and potential.
What happened to the family who built it?

It will likely be a bidding war as has good Planning Psrmission

“The site is accessed via a secure gated driveway and includes a 2,500 sq ft workshop arranged over three floors, parking, gardens, a large swimming pool and changing rooms.
Planning consent was granted by West Berkshire Council in December 2024 for a 5,000 sq ft, five-bedroom, two-storey house to be built on the site of the swimming pool, while conversion of the workshop has consent for conversion to a three-bedroom house.”

no idea if the guy still lives in one of the houses next to the site though! He would certainly make an interesting neighbour!

Yes sounds like he was quite the character!

Amongst the many, many questions I have about this property, I really want to know what all the little train tracks are for down in the tunnels. What were they transporting?!?

I assume the soil /rock so it could be carted out a la the great escape.

I don't know about the family but the listing is so cheap because it doesn't include the house, only the workshop above ground.