In 2011, a Wyoming couple built a 1,500-sq-ft off-grid home from 1,343 tyres on 55 acres, adding a 66-foot greenhouse, solar panels and rainwater systems; 15 years later, the unusual Earthship is listed for $625,000
A home in Wyoming built from 1,343 pounded tyres is now on the market for $625,000. The two-bedroom off-grid Earthship was built by its original owners in 2011 and sits on 55.13 acres in Wheatland, near the foothills of Laramie Peak.As per Realtor.com, the 1,500-square-foot home was designed around systems that allow it to operate off the grid. It has a solar array, wind turbine, roof water catchment system, passive geothermal cooling, a backup diesel generator and other backup systems. The property also includes a 66-foot greenhouse.The unusual home borders 280 acres of Bureau of Land Management land and is located about an hour north of Cheyenne. Its construction uses 1,343 pounded tyres, while the interiors include hand-trowelled plaster walls, custom bottle-glass work and bottle lighting.One of the features highlighted by the listing agent is the home’s ability to maintain temperatures between 62 degrees and 82 degrees despite Wyoming’s conditions.“One of the coolest things about the home is that it is at a higher elevation and able to sustain a temperature that never gets below 62 degrees in the winter and 82 degrees in the summer,” says Rowan Bennett, who is co-listing the property with Holly Allison of #1 Properties Ranch and Recreation.
Home built as a retreat
The sellers are the original owners and built the Earthship in 2011. According to Bennett, they have used it as a secondary residence and retreat rather than as their main home.“It has been used as a secondary residence by the sellers, who used it as a retreat. It would also be cool to use it as an investment property and put some yurts on the property,” she says.
Built with 1,343 pounded tyres, the home features plaster walls, bottle-glass work and bottle lighting.
The property is designed to provide several independent systems rather than depending on just one source for its needs. It has solar power, a wind turbine and a backup diesel generator. A roof water catchment system is also part of the home.The systems have backups as well. Bennett said this was another feature that made the property unusual. “What is also unique is that every system has a backup operation, so if the hot water heater goes out, there is a propane backup,” she says.The home also has a permitted domestic well. Outbuildings on the property provide additional storage space.
Tyres and bottle glass use
The Earthship’s walls and design are among its most distinctive features. The residence was built using 1,343 pounded tyres, while bottle-glass work has been incorporated into parts of the home.Inside, the 1,500-square-foot residence has hand-trowelled plaster walls, custom bottle lighting and a built-in bed. It also has flagstone and crushed-shell brick floors, peeled log vigas across the ceilings, and glass doors and walls.The kitchen has custom pine cabinetry with hand-carved diamond inlays. It also features tile countertops and a decorative tile backsplash. The kitchen appliances include a Sun Frost energy-efficient refrigerator and a countertop ice maker. The bathroom has a claw-foot soaking tub and a shower combination with an air massage system.The home is not only built for off-grid living but also includes space and infrastructure for possible future additions. A level building pad on the property has already been plumbed for sewer and is waiting for a future garage or second dwelling, subject to applicable approvals. Water utility has also been stubbed across the road. The space is ready for a possible future pond or garden.
