I built a luxury 1,500sq ft cave home for our family of 5 in seven months – but we’re constantly battling a major issue

A COUPLE turned a cave into a family home – but say a “lot of hard work” went into banishing bad smells. Bryant and Amy Gingerich built a luxury 1,500 square foot cave home for their family of five – but have to fend off dripping ceilings and an “earthy” atmosphere. Instagram/@dunlaphollowcabinsThis cave retreat sleeps six and took only seven months to make[/caption] Instagram/@dunlaphollowcabinsIt’s hard to believe the richly decorated property is carved out of the natural landscape[/caption] Instagram/@dunlaphollowcabinsBut the exposed rock walls mean the owners have to contend with significant leaks[/caption] The American couple spent around £76,000 turning a dugout in the Ohio woodlands into a glass-fronted home. The cave cabin boasts two bedrooms, each with a king-size bed, a fully-functional kitchen, a pool table, an outdoor patio, and even multiple chandeliers hanging from the stone ceilings. The stunning renovation took only seven months, with the help of a rock specialist and an architect. But constructing a liveable space out of the Black Hand Sandstone meant the Gingerich clan had to get creative to overcome cave smells and leaks. In a video tour of the property, Mum-of-three Amy explains: “We’ve had a lot of guests ask does it smell like a cave. “We’ve done a lot of hard work to remove any bad smells – so we recycle the air coming in and out.”The couple’s innovative solution involves using four dehumidifiers to remove moisture from the air – each one working to banish five to eight gallons of water per day. But as the home’s walls are made almost entirely from the cave’s naturally-occurring rock, water leakage is still a concern. Confronting a drip coming from the ceiling, dad Bryant says: “Since I can’t keep the water out, I just have to figure out what to do with it.” Bryant shows how he plans to rig a sealed pan to the ceiling to collect the water, which he will then pour through a drain in the cave’s concrete flooring. The couple use several of these floor drains to keep the property “comfortable and dry” – calling them “weep holes”. Despite having to battle the elements, the Gingerich family have made the space into a glamorous holiday rental. The couple share photos of the remarkable cave transformation on their Instagram, where posts show the unique woodland home’s cosy fireplace and six-person hot tub. The cave also features a free-standing bathtub and is surrounded by private-hiking trails. It comes after a hermit who built a phenomenal beach cave residence was told he faced eviction by the Israeli government. Nissim Kahlon, 77, created a remarkable structure filled with tunnels, mosaics, and winding staircases out of beachside sandstone cliffs. But the country’s Environmental Protection Ministry said Mr Kahlon’s structure is “illegal” – and is endangering the Herzliya beach coastline, to the north of Tel Aviv. Meanwhile, this savvy mum built a tiny home for her whole family to enjoy – but admitted her tall father-in-law does have to duck to enter. While this £70,000 tiny home built at the bottom of a garden offers a view of the ocean – and even sits on its own wheels. Instagram/@dunlaphollowcabinsThe cave home is available to rent and provides spacious, king-size beds[/caption] Instagram/@dunlaphollowcabinsThere’s no skimping on luxury, with a six-person hot tub and this swanky fire[/caption]