Earthships for Sale in Taos

Earthships offer Taos’ most distinctive way to live off-grid or grid-lite homes designed for year-round comfort through passive solar, thermal mass, and integrated water/energy systems. If you’re drawn to sustainability, views, and architectural character, this is where Taos gets truly one-of-a-kind.

Earthships At-a-Glance (quick facts)

  • Typical size: many Earthships fall around ~700–2,000+ sq ft.
  • Bedrooms: 1–2BR are most common; 3BR models appear but are less frequent.
  • Where you’ll find them: strong concentrations around the West Gorge Bridge/Hondo Mesa area, with earthship-only communities like Greater World, plus individual builds speckled throughout Taos County.
  • Core systems: passive solar orientation, thermal-mass walls (often tire/earth), rainwater catchment with cisterns, greywater botanical cells, composting or conventional septic, integrated greenhouse, and solar PV with battery storage.

Quick Searches

Adobe Homes | Condos & Townhomes | Homes Under $500K

Where Earthships Cluster & What to Expect

West Gorge / Hondo Mesa | The heart of Taos Earthship country. Expect classic and contemporary designs in and around communities like Greater World, set for big-sky vistas and privacy. Homes commonly show 1–2 bedrooms, attached greenhouse, kiva or high-efficiency stoves, and artisan plaster finishes. Many builds date from the late-1990s through mid-2000s, with newer custom iterations appearing; updates often focus on battery banks, inverters, glazing, and water filtration.

Carson & Tres Piedras corridors | More dispersed, stand-alone Earthships on larger mesa parcels with wide horizon lines. Expect variations in system maturity (PV arrays, cistern capacity, greywater setup) and outbuildings (studios/workshops). Garages are less common; carports or parking pads are typical given the design focus on orientation and thermal mass.

In-practice features to compare:

  • Energy: array size, battery chemistry/age, inverter brand, potential grid-tie or generator backup.

  • Water: roof capture, well, cistern capacity, pre-filter/sediment/UV steps, greywater botanical cell performance.

  • Thermal envelope: glazing orientation/shading, ventilation strategies, night insulation.

  • Comfort systems:radiant floor, wood/kiva stoves, mini-split add-ons in newer builds.

  • Docs & governance: community/road agreements, any association bylaws, and county approvals for systems.

Keep Exploring by Budget, Style & Area

Working by budget? 

Compare Taos homes under $500K, step into Taos homes $500K–$600K, or scan Taos homes $600K–$700K and Taos homes $700K–$800K if you want more space or newer systems. For a wider view, browse Taos homes $500K–$1M or head back to the hub: Taos homes for sale.

Shopping by style? 

If you’re still deciding, see single-family homes in Taos, low-maintenance condos & townhomes in Taos, or classic adobe homes in Taos.

Learning the areas? 

Use Taos County for a county-wide lens and tap into El Prado and Arroyo Hondo guides for mesa-side context that often includes Earthships.

Market Insight:

  • Footprints & beds: Earthships commonly present efficient 1–2BR layouts with ~700–2,000+ sq ft envelopes; larger custom builds do appear but are less frequent than compact, performance-focused footprints.
  • Orientation = comfort: Performance hinges on glazing direction, thermal mass, and ventilation—two similarly sized homes can live very differently based on siting and envelope upgrades.
  • Systems drive value: Buyers compare PV/battery age & size, cistern capacity/filtration, and greywater functionality as closely as finishes. Well-documented systems and recent upgrades are big differentiators.
  • Fees & governance: Some platted areas assess association/road fees; stand-alone builds often do not. Confirm what’s covered (roads, shared wells, etc.) and any use rules before closing.

Find the Right Earthship

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Tell John how you plan to live, full-time off-grid, hybrid grid-tie, or weekend retreat, and get a curated shortlist with system summaries (PV/battery, cistern/filtration, greywater) and area context so you know what to expect year-round.
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