Would You Buy a Haunted House?
It may be the rise of the sceptic and secular portions of society that’s causing it, but there’s a definite increase of interest in buying “haunted” houses.
Buyers’ appetites for edgy dwellings may be piqued by the fact that increasing numbers of people no longer believe in ghosts, or any sort of afterlife, so they’re attracted more by reputations than apparitions.
So – could you, should you, would you buy a haunted house?
The upside
There are definite advantages to purchasing a new home with an – ahem – sitting tenant. For a start, if the property’s had a spooky reputation for a while, you could reduce the asking price. Creepy places sometimes struggle to sell and if you do a bit of research into the past of an older house or flat, you could turn up some spine-chilling information about previous owners.
Then there’s the cool factor. If you’re moving into a new area and you buy the local “house on the hill”, people will want to know you. As long as your kids don’t look like Wednesday Addams and you seem approachable, you’ll get lots of callers.
Finally, if the house you’re buying is particularly old, you’ll be buying into human history. You’ll be able to regale visitors with the story of your new gaff and you can make your own memories there while feeling those of generations gone by.
The downside
Of course there are disadvantages to buying a haunted house. Even though no-one’s proved the existence of ghosts after decades of research, some people still believe in them. Others believe that a house that has seen a tragedy or extreme violence retains the imprint of these unfortunate events and that the “bad energy” (sorry, physicists…) lingers. Even if you don’t give these ideas credence, some of your friends and relatives might and they may be reluctant to visit.
What if it’s all true and there are ghosts? There almost certainly isn’t, but you can be sure that even the most hardened sceptic will jump at any sudden noises in the night. Every time something gets misplaced, or the cat stares at a wall, a tiny bit of your brain will ask “What if…?” and this may become stressful over time.
You might have the same trouble selling as the people you bought from did. Reputations fade slowly and so you may have to accept a lower price than you hoped for. You’ll also need a very good reason to be upping sticks, or folks will think you’re being chased out!
