Emily Laura Blog's: 100 Showings in 3 Days: Hobbit House Attracts Buyers in Search of Something Different

Thursday, 13 May 2021

100 Showings in 3 Days: Hobbit House Attracts Buyers in Search of Something Different

You could call this place a Hobbit house, an igloo, a “Flintstones”-inspired house—or you can just call it sold.

This monolithic concrete dome house in Canterbury, NH, proved remarkably popular when it landed on the market at the tail end of April for $274,900.

“It’s under contract. We had over 100 showings in two-and-a-half days,” says listing agent April Dunn. “We had multiple offers.”

The unique dome home was built in 1991 as an energy-efficient getaway on 5 private acres in the country. Dunn says she knows of only a couple of other dome homes like this in the entire Granite State.

Located in the middle of the state close to the Merrimack River, the home isn’t visible to passers-by.

“It’s set back and surrounded by conservation land, so you don’t see it from the road. It’s got kind of a long, spirally driveway up, so you really feel like you’re in a different world,” says Dunn.

The 2,801-square-foot, two-level home has three bedrooms and two bathrooms.

The first floor features the master bedroom and what the current owners use as a baby nursery. Much of the home’s living space and the family room are also on the first level.

The second-floor kitchen area is a quirky space with a long island at one end and a sitting area at the other. The refrigerator is off to the side near one of the curved walls, and a spiral staircase sits in the center of the room.

“The kitchen is the hub of the house on the second floor, and it’s got a lookout tower above it,” Dunn explains. “It’s got the spiral staircase, and there’s just a lot of different pizzazz to it that you don’t see in a basic house.”

Dunn says no matter where you are in the home, you notice the curvature of the home—but it’s even more obvious in a couple of spots.

“The living room and the kitchen are very pronounced that you’re in a round area. When you’re upstairs in the kitchen, you have that lookout area up above the cooking area, which is also round. And when you stand in the kitchen and you’re looking to your dining area, everything is round.”

While the house has plenty of character, it does lack one thing: storage space. But there is a detached solution.

“The barn is a 20-by-40 barn with a concrete floor. It’s a newer addition to the property,” Dunn explains. In the house, “you just have the two floors of living space, so that barn is nice for storage and your seasonal items.”

Dunn describes the nearby town of Canterbury as quaint and historic.

“It’s very private. There are conservation trails all around. You can go kayaking on the river, and there’s a little beach and you can swim there,” Dunn says. “I think it appeals to someone who doesn’t want a cookie-cutter home [with] neighbors next door.”

This type of curvy construction had a broad reach beyond Dunn’s expectations.

“You have the energy-efficient part of the house that green lovers and the nature people love. Then the cosmetic decor feel is just so different. Each room has a very special vibe,” Dunn says. “I underestimated the interest that there would be in the house. I figured it was a niche house and it was only going to appeal to certain people. But everybody just kind of fell in love with the uniqueness of it.”