$750K Disney-esque ‘Masterpiece’ Began as an Underground Bunker and Outhouse—and Took 40 Years To Complete

In a land far, far away stands a "masterpiece" of a house that looks like it has been plucked straight from a Disney movie. Its turrets, colorful walls, and winding garden paths would serve as the perfect set for a fairy-tale film—but they are in fact the very real result of a 40-year love story.

Homeowners Greg and Susie Zimmerman have spent decades building, reshaping, and refining their own little “village in the forest" in Fairbanks, AK, which began as nothing more than a bunker-style abode underground, where Greg lived in 1980, with just a wood stove for warmth.

That hole in the ground has since become the foundation of a 3,165-square-foot home with three bedrooms, three bathrooms, and an attached apartment, each section added by the couple themselves, guided more by imagination than any architectural plan.

That home, which is now on the market for $749,900, is "an absolute masterpiece" that "radiates the charm and meticulous artistry of a Disneyland set," according to the listing.

"This is the most artistically unique home I have ever inspected," listing agent Christine Timm, of Broker Associates of Fairbanks, notes.

The home's appearance is made all the more magical when you learn of its unique origins as an underground home with an outhouse, where Greg was living when he met Susie at a swing dance class. (He was teaching, she was a student.)

For Susie, it was love at first sight—for the property and the person.

“I didn’t know anybody who had his own hole in the ground,” Susie explains. “I thought he was wonderful.”

Not long after the couple met, Greg, alongside his late brother Bob, slowly began building up the storybook estate, adding rooms, roofs, turrets, bay windows, and intricate details as they saw fit.

Speaking about how the house came to be, Susie describes simply flipping through the pages of Architectural Digest and passing ideas to Greg. There was never really a clear plan for the design of the dwelling; it merely evolved whenever an idea came to mind.

As they lived in the home, they learned what did and didn't feel right for their lifestyle.

“Anything that we weren’t comfortable with, we changed to make it right. Close up a window, move a door. We just made it work for us,” Susie says.

“We didn’t build it to sell, or to show, or to impress,” Greg adds. “We built it to be the thing we love living in, and it loves you back.”

That’s how they ended up with a unique property that resembles a miniature storybook village tucked among the trees, rather than a single house.

That distinctive design came about when they were expanding different sections of the home and realized they had to somehow combine two roofs that sat at contrasting heights.

When someone remarked that the different heights made them think of a village, a light bulb turned on.

“It took me back to Europe. ... When you go down the streets of Europe, you see a building and a building and a building. These old stylish places, they’re all different, but visually they fit together," Susie recalls.

Now circular and stained-glass windows peek from the turrets, while colorful siding and whimsical rooflines give each section its own personality.

“I got three different finishes on one side of the house and three different finishes on the other side. So it’s like living in six houses," Greg jokes.

The house was a labor of love for Susie, who worked as a bookkeeper, and Greg, who worked for the state. The home and gardens show a level of professional artistry.

Much of the finishes, from carved cabinetry to detailed trim, was done by Greg. The last addition was completed in 2008; however, they've continued to tinker with the property, resulting in a home that’s as joyous and delightful as the couple themselves.

“When you spend 40 years building, that’s a lot of time to think about what you’re doing. Every little detail is yours,” explains Susie.

For example, the main bedroom sits beneath a vaulted ceiling, the bed nestled under a stone archway with a romantic mezzanine above. In one bathroom, the couple installed a Jacuzzi tub under a dome skylight.

Much of the couple’s personality is expressed through color spilling across every room, a direct response to the long, snowy winters they endure in Alaska.

“Some people like white,” Susie says. “But it’s white outside our house for seven to nine months a year. I don’t want to live in a snowbank.”

Despite the chilly weather, the Zimmermans’ creativity extended beyond the home. The 2.5-acre property features pathways, fishponds, and landscaped gardens cultivated by the naturally green-thumbed Susie.

More than 150 varieties of perennials, biennials, shrubs, and trees dot the grounds, creating a kaleidoscope of color during the brief Alaskan summer.

Those gardens became a gathering place for the community as news of the curious abode spread through Fairbanks.

“We’d have upwards of 150 people come through. ... Anyone who wanted to see it, we’d show them the house and the garden,” Susie says.

“People come in here and rave about it," adds Greg. "Have you ever had anybody come to your home and caress the walls? They do that here.”

Unsurprisingly, 2030 Tribulation Trail became something of a local legend.

“It’s the coolest place I’ve seen in 23 years,” listing agent Timms says. “The owners are incredibly creative and artistic, and every piece of the house tells a story.”

After decades of nurturing their home and entering another chapter in life, Greg and Susie have decided to pass their house on to its next steward, to ensure it is looked after. The Zimmermans plan to include many of the furnishings in the sale, as many of the items were custom-made.

“Taking care of the garden and the snow ... it was getting to be a chore. I don’t ever want to get to the point where we can’t keep it the way we want it to be," Susie notes.

Timm says they haven’t found the right buyer yet, though the price was recently reduced by $50,000. 

“There’s lots of people that have looked into it. ... Some think it would be nice for Airbnb or as a destination for weddings. ... But then there’s also people that just want to live in a fairy-tale castle," adds Timm.

Even as Susie and Greg prepare to say goodbye, they remain in awe of what they created.

“We did not know that’s where we were going when we started,” Susie says. “But somehow, it turned into something magical.”