Is it really worth it to empty out and polish your bomb shelter before you put your home on the market? Here’s some compelling evidence that it is. The property on Jackwood St. in Meyerland with the bomb-shelter-turned-subterranean man cave featured last August on Swamplot sold late the following month for $330,000. But the buyers wasted no time in working a profitable flip. Clearing out the La-Z-Boy, beer bottles, Wendy’s soda cups, bunny figurines, and other memorabilia from the underground domed space resulted in a cleaner listing and a much higher sale price last month: $503,700, marked down from a $515K asking price and locked up only a week or so after the April listing. That’s an explosive increase of $173,700, or more than 50 percent, over the purchase price, in less than your typical real estate half-life.
Of course, a few things affecting home prices may have been going in the outside world while the buyers were busily scrubbing the walls of their underground lair. Though they did make a few other changes to the house as well:
***
Paneling, for example, remained the rule in many of the open floor plan’s common areas. But some of the flooring gained grain-fed treatments (above). Here’s the same living space in its snowy blanket of carpet before its redo:
The kitchen exhibited the biggest change . . .
from its previous form:
- 5102 Jackwood St. [HAR; previous listing]
- Previously on Swamplot: A Meyerland Mod With Something to Hide [HAR]
Looks like a set piece from the Cold War. You just never know what you’ll find in Meyerland. The house is very Brady Bunch meets That 70’s Show–also very Meyerland –if you like Mid Century Modern, this neighborhood and Tanglwood (or what’s left of it) are the best.
To quote Will Ferrell in Anchorman: “Heck, I’m not even mad; that’s amazing.”
#Shannon: Glenbrook Valley has a good amount of MCM’s… As does Westbury & Meyerland, where I grew up. The original owners ( if I recall correctly ) of aforementioned the Bomb Shelter house above, were friends of my parents. Our family visited their home several times. They used the shelter as a den/TV room / game room. It was so groovy….Of course the original purpose for its construction was in case the Soviets bombed Houston ( to knock out the petrochemical refineries. ) Thank God that never happened. Anyway the redo in some rooms rocks. The kitchen granite counter tops and back splash are yuck: the au currant trend of contrasting patterns is so done. And when they clash (as does this kitchens counter top & back splash it is a train wreck -so wrong ).Thank Goodness they left the flag stone floors alone. The yard and trees are well maintained-the ORIGINAL trees in the yard, as seen in the photos, were planted in the late 50’s -early 60’s.. The house I grew up in (3 blocks West on Jason St.) was custom built by Jack Kent -who was one of the best middle /upper middle market custom home builders in Houston ,in that era.Our parents bought our 1796 sq.foot, 3 bdrm /2 bath Meyeraland home on a 11,340 sq.ft. corner lot for $27,500. It was 5 years old at the time.. They recently sold it for over 330K+… Meyerland.The Bomb Shelter house is so cool. KIller location /excellent neighborhood HOA (strongly enforced deed restricitions -one of the many reasons Meyerland is so sought after / major shopping nearby -with in driving distance/ great public & private schools .Parks/ recreation amenities in the neighborhood/nearby. Close to all of what Houston has to offer…The downside-the flooding;being bi-sected by Brays Bayou has/will cause water /flooding issues. ( Factoid: Brays Bayou had trees similar to Buffalo Bayou before the fricking Army Corps of Engineers “channelized ” the Bayou. Which ruined it’s natural,scenic beauty.
Ok inquiring minds have to know, how did they get the recliner down the shelter ladder shoot?
@Nate My thoughts exactly. Although…looking at the original picture you can see that the ladder is obstructed. Which means that there is a secondary entrance to the bunker, probably right behind the camera.
Interesting that none of the listings ever showed the entrance to the fallout shelter…
@Nate–forget getting it down. How did they get it back up?
The recliner was in pieces and assembled down in the shelter.
Yup totally smoked pot down there with my friend back in the good ol’ days of highschool
Patrick, thanks for the details!
I love Meyerland for its history and variety.
Btw Buffalo Bayou may be getting some ‘USACE treatment’ west of Memorial Park here soon.
I don’t live on a waterway, so, I say that a river channel should be treated like a shoreline:
It’s public domain and if the waters take your home away, then you’re SOL