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Original poster

Would you buy a house that somebody had been murdered in?

363 replies

lucy889 · 10/03/2025 14:18

Around 12 years ago, an awful murder involving a child and parent happened a few miles from our house, it was such a shock and the house has been empty ever since.

It's now on the market, I personally could never buy it or live there and I feel sad every time I drive by.

Would you buy it given the history if it was perfect for you?

OP posts:
medianewbie · 10/03/2025 15:11

AquaPeer · 10/03/2025 14:28

Yes provided the price was right and I was comfortable with the circumstances of resale if needed.

@mindutopia you have to declare a body in the garden but that is different to events that happened in the property being declared (I don’t believe you need to)

I bought a house that was sold by the bank as a repo. I then discovered, from a new neighbour, that the Father, who had committed suicide after his wife's death 'from natural causes', had in fact strangled her (after exhumation). The sad thing was their teenage Dd who showed up in floods saying that we were living in her family home. I brought her in, gave her tea & biscuits and let her talk.
It was a lovely house but some of the neighbours were ghoulish & it was defo mentioned when we sold it 2 years later (drug problems with one neighbour).
I guess though, it was a 'sad' rather than 'bad' house. Funnily enough, current house (no issues I was aware of) turns out to be spooky so I'd like to leave.

SeaShellsSanctuary1 · 10/03/2025 15:11

Mulledjuice · 10/03/2025 14:22

All sorts could have (will have) happened in most houses. You just don't get to hear about it.

But that's the point. Given the facts opinions can change and often will.

Laura36TTC · 10/03/2025 15:11

Absolutely not. I couldn’t settle in a place like that!

Pickingmyselfup · 10/03/2025 15:10

Child murder no because it would just make me constantly think of all the bad things that could happen to my kids.

An adult murder I probably would tbh but resale value would be a concern of mine.

Zanatdy · 10/03/2025 15:09

Yes if I really liked it.

boxtop · 10/03/2025 15:08

Someone I used to work with got a house cheap because it was a murderer's house! But the murder didn't happen in the house, and it was more of an insurance job type thing.

CruCru · 10/03/2025 15:07

Supposedly the house I grew up in used to be lived in by a headmaster and his wife. After he retired, his wife developed a form of dementia. One day, the ex headmaster strangled her and hanged himself. I expect that there wasn’t much respite care back in the 60s.

Didimum · 10/03/2025 15:06

Yes, I would. I don't really connect the two together. It's just a house. But I can understand others saying no.

alwaysdeleteyourcookies · 10/03/2025 15:05

MotherCarmody · 10/03/2025 14:40

A death of natural causes wouldn't bother me, but not a murder, and certainly not a murder of a child.

Agree. I would think about it too much.

Gettingbysomehow · 10/03/2025 15:04

It wouldn't bother me, I'd say some prayers and maybe put up a little memorial for the deceased, I'm sure they wouldn't bother me.
It's demons you've got to worry about.

gamerchick · 10/03/2025 15:04

It wouldn't bother me I dont think.

SassK · 10/03/2025 15:03

No. I think bad energy can linger. One of the houses in our neighbourhood has had three families own it since new, all of them experienced bad fortune. One of the houses in my parents neighbourhood is similar, tragedy seems to have followed previous owners. It's probably just superstition (I hope 🙈), but still, I wouldn't feel comfortable taking the chance.

jazzybelle · 10/03/2025 15:01

Cattery · 10/03/2025 14:25

Was it Denis Nilsen’s old place?

Show quote history

I know someone who interviewed him in prison. I also know someone who bought a house quite cheaply as a man had murdered his wife there and hidden her under the floorboards.

SouthLondonMum22 · 10/03/2025 14:57

Yes. Especially if it made it a good price.

Nothatgingerpirate · 10/03/2025 14:57

No.

strappyshoe · 10/03/2025 14:56

No but I spook easily

namechangeGOT · 10/03/2025 14:56

DarkMagicStars · 10/03/2025 14:32

No. Houses hold energies.

How does it do that?

Bleeky · 10/03/2025 14:56

Yes
if the price was right and I wanted the house.

Completely irrational to blame house, or believe it’s haunted or bad luck.

EmeraldShamrock000 · 10/03/2025 14:56

No, not a murder, especially involving a child.

VastOtter · 10/03/2025 14:56

Not a chance! Certainly not knowingly.

kungfoofighting · 10/03/2025 14:54

lifeonmars100 · 10/03/2025 14:52

absolutely not. Some people might suthink it is a bit fanciful but I think that building absorb feelings and emotions and store them in their fabric. Some houses feel good when you walk in, others can have an unsettling atmosphere and I think this is due to past negative events. I just could not live somewhere where such horror had happened

I agree – not in a woo way, but whether it’s stress hormones or whatever, I would be prepared to believe there’s something in it.

TallulahBetty · 10/03/2025 14:53

calmcandle · 10/03/2025 14:44

@Cattery - I live a few streets away from the Denis Nilsen flat - it's a very unassuming North London suburban road, but I go a bit cold whenever I go past that particular building. (DS has a friend who lives in a house further down the street).

Remember when it came on the market a few years ago the listing stated - 'it is recommended that potential buyers investigate the history of the property before viewing'. I think it was priced quite a lot lower than most flats in a fairly expensive area - so whoever did buy it probably got quite a bargain! I couldn't live there though...

Which address of his? I'd loved to see the listing!

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 10/03/2025 14:52

And the house I grew up in, both my parents died in (separately and of old age related illness, nothing sinister). My brother and I had to sell and that house was snapped up almost before it hit the market - it's now student housing (HMO). I sometimes wonder if either of my parents is still hanging around there, spooking out the kids (by tutting loudly in my mum's case), but nobody has ever said a word.

lifeonmars100 · 10/03/2025 14:52

absolutely not. Some people might suthink it is a bit fanciful but I think that building absorb feelings and emotions and store them in their fabric. Some houses feel good when you walk in, others can have an unsettling atmosphere and I think this is due to past negative events. I just could not live somewhere where such horror had happened

InterIgnis · 10/03/2025 14:51

It wouldn’t put me off.

I used to live in a house that was built on part of an old graveyard - old enough that I think they only bothered to remove the headstones prior to building. I didn’t actually know that before moving in tbf, but it didn’t bother me when I did find out. Probably because I’m not one for gardening and have never been a fan of digging.

No idea if I’ve ever lived on the site of a murder.