After the owner carried back financing on the property the Sleepers quickly went to work. Throughout most of this time, They lived in a giant dehumidified tent inside the cave. Deborah did laundry for the family in four buckets. Deborah lost both her Mother and Father over the last five years to cancer. She did not hesitate to put the majority of her inheritance to work into the home. During that time, the family did some of the work, and had help with it. It all came down to time and money—they used whichever one they had. On May 19th, 2008, the City of Festus approved occupancy inspection for the cave and with that OFFICIALLY, the project was complete.
This is now where the Sleepers... live, work, raise their family and celebrate life, not to mention Sleep! Description of the Home: Historic, regionally famous cave: 15,000 square feet, divided into three main chambers.
The front chamber houses the main part of the 3-bedroom finished house.
The middle chamber holds the laundry room, storage, and a spare bath. The middle chambe made a great party room. 80 feet by 80 feet.
The back chamber still has the stage where Ted Nugent, Bob Seger, Ike and Tina Turner, the MC5 and many other bands performed.
The middle chamber holds the laundry room, storage, and a spare bath. The middle chambe made a great party room. 80 feet by 80 feet.
The back chamber still has the stage where Ted Nugent, Bob Seger, Ike and Tina Turner, the MC5 and many other bands performed.
Amenities: Property: 2.8 scenic, partially wooded acres provide excellent privacy and the feel of the country right in the middle of town, just several blocks from shopping, dining, and other conveniences.
Energy efficiency: Geothermal and passive solar keep the home comfortable year-round without a furnace or air conditioning. In spite of the vast size of the home, their energy costs here run about the same as they did in their 800 square-foot starter home. The home naturally stays a little cooler than the average above-ground home.
Energy efficiency: Geothermal and passive solar keep the home comfortable year-round without a furnace or air conditioning. In spite of the vast size of the home, their energy costs here run about the same as they did in their 800 square-foot starter home. The home naturally stays a little cooler than the average above-ground home.
Kitchen: The kitchen is the crowning jewel of the house, with nearly 400 square feet and a floor plan that lends itself well to cooking for one person, two, or parties of a hundred guests! Some of the features include a customizable Jenn-Air cook top, two convection ovens, Kitchen-Aid triple sink, large island with secondary sink and breakfast bar, and granite tile countertops. Occupancy: The house could still could use trim and finish in several key areas. Trim is not a safety feature and not required by code. The City of Festus granted them an occupancy permit in May of 2008.
Water features: The property has at least three groundwater springs, one accessible via a cistern in the middle chamber of the cave, one that yields an average of 100 gallons a day that drips into an indoor pond in the front chamber, and one near the woods that creates a shallow pond. During heavy rain, the property gets as many as fourteen beautiful waterfalls from the cliffs.
