Could you live in a Haunted House?

I’m sure that most of us, at one time or another, have had the feeling that we are not alone at home!  Maybe you are someone, like myself, that those little noises at night causes you to pull the bed covers over your head. You’ve spent the evening watching that ghostly horror movie, your senses in bed are on maximum alert, and you are sure you can make out shapes in the pitch darkness of the bedroom – Your dog growls or cat hisses for no reason and that’s it, you put the lights back on! How many of us have blamed that ghost in the house for when things go missing or been moved cause it was certainly not you who moved them…

When it comes to buying and selling of property then we do not ideally want to see the word haunted associated with things. Even the murmurings of ghost mentions can be a cause of concern for some and a put off to buyers. More often than not talk of apparitions in any form is usually reserved for larger, older property such as castles, manor houses, estates and similar – There will also be mentions of activity in gardens / forestry.

Haunted houses stay on the market for longer and sell for lower than market value usually thus the mentioning of aspirations, ghosts, haunting or even poltergeist isn’t advised. In the UK you have a legal obligation, as the property seller, to tell the buyer about any known to you defects. When it comes to ghostly problems then as this subject is simply nothing more that figments of ones imagination then how can you be held to account? Though over the waters to the USA and things are a little different in some states ie according to the Arizona Department of Real Estate, “Sellers are obligated by Arizona common law to disclose all known material facts about a property to the buyer.” A material fact is a piece of information important to making a decision and this would cover known hauntings within property. Further more to this, the famous case from New York City known as ‘the Ghostbusters ruling’ between Stambovsky v. Ackley saw a court case involving reclaiming of down payment and the refusal to move into a house that was discovered to be inhabited by ghosts.

Many readers will say that ghosts and the like are nothing more than myths and fiction so this is merely a non topic. Others will strongly disagree and have their own experiences to share and many more will be open to the fact that ghosts might exist. History tells us there is no firm evidence to support the subject, yet it is big business with big $’s spent via ghost tours, movies and merchandise – Please tell me at least that we all have a soft spot for Ghostbusters regardless to us being believers or not!

So, what about living in a haunted property? Well you could test run the concept with the countless options to attend events and even sleep overs at haunted property across the UK such as those organised by Haunted Rooms. We are all aware that the older the property then the more likely that deaths would have occurred within at some point including fatal incidents / accidents – Obviously if means that their spirits become an uninvited resident is up to debate.

I do know of people that say they have a resident ghost, most times it is the friendly sort that merely taps now and then or involves the movements of doors / small objects and the temperature dips slightly if they are present. I have also been told the story of property where young children of the family have spoken of seeing a grey lady at night time that they speak to.

If you are looking to purchase a haunted property or at least one with reported ghost sightings then they do appear every so often, keyword searches on property portals will help you track down such listings – Even Rightmove hosts such property and share updates this subject of spooky homes for sale.

People do live happily in haunted property – A recent article on the Daily Mail online quoted: Yes, you can live happily in a HAUNTED HOUSE.

Christopher Walkey

Founder of Estate Agent Networking. Internationally invited speaker on how to build online target audiences using Social Media. Writes about UK property prices, housing, politics and affordable homes.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Breaking Property News 20/12/24

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   Why estate and letting agents must embrace innovative technology in 2025   As we step into 2025, the UK property market continues to shift, and estate agents face mounting pressure to meet the evolving expectations of buyers and sellers. The days when static images sufficed…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 19/12/24

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   High street Auctions’ initiative launches to revive Britain’s town centres   This month the UK Government rolls out its highly anticipated ‘High Street Auctions’ scheme, a flagship measure of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023. This initiative grants local authorities the power to take…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

Moving Up In The World: Finding Your Dream Home

Finding your dream home is one of life’s most exciting and transformative experiences. Whether you’re looking to upsize, relocate, or finally purchase that ideal property you’ve always envisioned, the journey is both thrilling and filled with important decisions. As you embark on this path, it’s essential to plan carefully, consider your priorities, and approach the…
Read More
new build home fronts
Breaking News

These cities are the keenest to move house in 2025

Bournemouth is the keenest area in the UK to move home, with 38,132 average monthly searches for moving-related topics per 100,000 residents. Plymouth is second, with 35,198 average monthly searches for moving, and Birmingham is third, with 35,181. Derry is the least keen area to move house, with only 3,170 average monthly searches related to…
Read More
Love or Hate Rightmove
Breaking News

Number of rental enquiries still double pre-pandemic, as rents predicted to rise 3%

The average number of enquiries sent to agents about each available property they have to rent is still nearly double the level it was in 2019, despite improvements in the balance between supply and demand: Each available property receives an average of 11 enquiries, nearly double the 6 at this time in 2019 This is…
Read More
bank of england interest rate
Breaking News

Response to the Bank of England interest rates decision

Response to the Bank of England interest rates decision, thoughts from the Industry Rates were left unchanged at 4.75% MPC voted 6 to 3 in favour of holding rates flat, with three members preferring to cut rates by 0.25% to 4.5% In the near-term inflation is expected to “continue to rise slightly” The market was expecting rates to remain…
Read More