Households that start preparing for turmoil and disaster (or even for the simple purpose of self-sufficiency) may consider a home within a wide range of styles– from a crude shelter that’s just enough to secure you from imminent danger to an extravagant homestead that anyone would certainly like to stay in even in the best of times. Prepper Homes vary widely, but have some commonalities.
Below are a Few Common Prepper Considerations of home planning.
TopSide or Down-Under | Prepper Home Planning
As for construction while the typical above-ground is common, some opt to construct underground, sort of like a cellar– only the entire layout of the home is built underground, offering even more defense because of the fact that it’s masked a bit better. Most Preppers if able elect to build in a rural area. Cabins are among the popular choice. Don’t let the term cabin paint the wrong picture. Modern cabins can be quite extravagant, or simple if you choose.
Ultimately here though the desire is to be off the beaten path and less visible to the public. If this is a bug-out location you could consider trying to completely disguise/hide the structure as well as the entrance (see underground home above), though I would not recommend that for a primary residence. Besides the fact it would be relatively dreary and inconvenient, the simple fact of your continuous coming and going would eventually draw attention to the fact there is something there and spike more curiosity than a home in the first place.
General Location | Prepper Home Planning
On general location considerations as already mentioned rural is ideal, however, I’m personally a fan of being within a short distance to a mid-size city. This allows the best of both worlds. You are rural (less crime, population, more self-reliance capabilities) but can still reap the benefits of the city. Shopping, Medical services, entertainment, and more to name just a few.
I think it’s important to not make our primary life unnecessarily uncomfortable in an attempt to mitigate a ‘Potential’ crisis. Don’t make it suck if you don’t have to.
Safe Rooms | Prepper Home Planning
Safe Rooms are becoming more prominent in day-to-day homes even with the mainstream, however, there are some preppers that take the Safe Room concept and turn it right into an entire safe home, or even homestead. Every space is constructed like a secure room– securing you from intruders, weather conditions, as well as providing a lot of space for storage of products and needed resources.
Like the “Doomsday Ration,” our own U.S government secretly developed to make sure we won the Cold War. Or the superfood that fueled the greatest Mongol conquests of Genghis Khan.
Community | Prepper Home Planning
A small but growing trend is prepper communities. These are small communities of like-minded preppers co-located on large plots of land. You still have your own home (in most that I know of) and it’s really just like a close-knit neighborhood.
I love this concept and even have a detailed plan for one that I created about seven years ago, yet have still not brought it to life. There are some challenges with getting it set up, but if you can find one that you trust this may be a great option. There is power and security in numbers, not to mention it would just be nice to live near like-minded friends.
Livestock | Prepper Home Planning
Raising livestock is popular among preppers. While a full farm is great many adopt a much smaller scale approach such as chickens and rabbits. Both of which make for a relatively easy and bountiful food source. I know of some that do this in small backyards in city limits, though that is obviously not the ideal situation. Once again if possible a rural plot of land is ideal, however at the end of the day you can make what you have work with a little effort and creativity.
Gardens | Prepper Home Planning
Also along the self-reliant food thought is gardening. Most preppers plan for a garden and if possible even a greenhouse which can provide a longer more stable growing season. Not to mention more convenient in many ways. While neither of these has to take up an exceptional amount of land space they should still be considered as a small backyard will limit you to an extent.
Conclusion | Prepper Home Planning
These are just a few, but important concerns you should contemplate as you plan out your home and land purchase. What’s great about the list we’ve given you here is that every option should you choose has a number of plentiful free and for-pay plans available online.
From full design plans for an underground bunker to a chicken coop it’s all abundantly available for you to find and utilize when you actually make the plunge to start developing. Good Luck on your journey!
